Mado Kureo seemed to have sensed Uesugi Ryu's thoughts. He stepped aside slightly, gesturing for Ryu to finish it.
Although, given the condition the target was in, even without a finishing blow, the man, no, the Ghoul, was already as good as dead. Injuries of this magnitude weren't easy to recover from.
Hannya glanced desperately at a bag nearby, struggling with all his might to move his battered body.
"Meat... meat... I can't die yet!"
Uesugi Ryu walked slowly up to Hannya. A heavy shadow loomed over the dying Ghoul. Sensing death approaching, Hannya's expression turned to sheer terror.
"Don't come any closer!!!" he screamed, voice cracking in a shrill, panicked shriek.
Hearing that, Uesugi Ryu paused for a beat, startled by how oddly familiar that line sounded.
Then he burst out in a chuckle, remembering something from his past life. But he didn't respond further, just raised his long blade and slashed downward in one clean arc.
A flash of cold steel.
And the still-breathing Hannya was severed cleanly at the waist. A gush of blood splattered forth, pooling and merging with the puddle surrounding the earlier decapitated corpse.
[You have slain an A+ rated Ghoul.]
[First A-rated Ghoul slain: +1 Attribute Point]
[Talent: Soul Devourer activated: Permanent Mana +14]
Since both Mado and Amon were present, Uesugi Ryu did not attempt to absorb the Kakuhou from the corpse.
After all, Hannya's Kagune had fully manifested and was suitable for crafting a Quinque. Any irregularities during the retrieval could raise suspicion.
Besides, during his earlier skirmishes with weaker Ghouls, he'd already absorbed several Kakuhou fragments. The energy gained had brought him just enough for another lottery draw.
Mado Kureo dialed the local branch office, calling for the cleanup team.
Meanwhile, Ryu glanced down at his Saki Kage in his hand, his expression twitching slightly. It suddenly occurred to him, ever since he arrived in this world, almost every fight he'd been in had involved some form of sneak attack.
"It feels like I'm sliding further down the path of a 'sneaky bastard' with every battle. I'm a gentleman, damn it," Ryu mused internally.
Mado had extracted intelligence about Hannya from questioning other Ghouls, his usual tactic. The same approach had been used in tracking down Yamori.
After all, who knew more about Ghouls than Ghouls themselves?
According to the gathered intel, Hannya had been the leader of a small organization. His underlings were tasked with capturing humans and delivering them to him.
This supply chain was what allowed Mado to eventually trace Hannya's location.
Since it was assumed that Hannya possessed an Ukaku-type Kagune, Mado had deliberately loaned one of his prized Quinques to Uesugi Ryu for the mission.
Aside from a few random weaklings slain along the way, Ryu hadn't yet fought any truly powerful Ghouls. He had strength in abundance, but little actual combat technique to match.
Against enemies of similar level, he could hold his own. But against stronger foes, it would be a different story.
Just as this thought plagued Ryu, Amon noticed the discomfort on his face.
"Ryu-kun, is something wrong?" he asked with concern.
It wasn't uncommon for rookies to feel unsettled after their first real Ghoul kill.
Some even became hesitant to use a Quinque forged from a slain Ghoul. Notable examples included Shinohara Yukinori's team and Take Hirako during his Academy days.
But Ryu wasn't that soft. He'd lost count of how many Ghouls he'd killed by now.
He waved a hand, indicating he was fine. "I've just never fought a truly powerful Ghoul head-on before. That's what's bothering me."
Mado, having just finished his call, chuckled.
"You'll have your chance. This guy was too slippery, there was no choice but to take him down this way."
Amon smiled wryly. "You're really driven, huh, Ryu-kun."
Mado rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "His Kagune might still be useful. The Quinque crafted from it should be decent. Amon, Ryu, do either of you need an Ukaku-type Quinque?"
He himself already had one, and though he loved collecting them, his resources were limited. As a senior, he believed in supporting the next generation.
Amon shook his head. Ukaku-type weapons weren't his style.
Ryu, however, was tempted. What man didn't love guns and cannons? Though he didn't intend to rely heavily on it, it seemed like more of a "fun toy."
Mado could tell what Ryu was thinking. He knew the kid just didn't want to be greedy in front of others. So Mado gave him a casual smile.
"If Ryu-kun is interested, I'll leave this Quinque to you."
Amon nodded in agreement. He knew full well he hadn't contributed much to the fight, and the whole plan was Mado's brainchild anyway.
Ryu deserved the reward.
Seeing their reactions, Ryu didn't argue. There was no need to play coy among comrades.
After a bit more chatting, the CCG cleanup team arrived. Once the scene was secured, Ryu and Amon headed home for some rest, while Mado returned to his division for work.
His daughter, Mado Akira, was already a CCG Investigator at this point. With no one waiting at home, he had no reason to return there.
Come to think of it, the three of them barely added up to 1.25 family members combined, Akira counted as one, Amon's Ghoul foster father maybe 0.25... and Ryu?
Naturally zero. After all, his identity and history here were completely fabricated.
Ryu walked through the lively city streets, hand clutching the Quinque case. Soon, he arrived at his residence in the 20th Ward.
Sprawled across the couch, he muttered thoughtfully to himself, "Maybe I should get a dog. Or a cat.."
Just as he was about to tally up his gains for the day and maybe spin a lottery pull, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out and looked at the screen.
"Nagachika, huh? Didn't expect to hear from him."
He had spent two days at Kamii University not long ago, during which he, Kaneki, and Nagachika Hideyoshi had shared meals and even hung out once. They could be considered casual friends at least.
"I heard from Kaneki that you're becoming a Ghoul Investigator. That's a surprise!
I'm sure you'll have some wild Ghoul stories to tell next time we meet.
As a friend, I'm rooting for you!"
-Nagachika Hideyoshi
Ryu's gaze softened slightly as he read the message.
He smiled faintly and murmured, "By the time we meet again... I wonder what kind of situation that'll be. I probably won't be the one telling stories by then."
He powered off the phone and slumped deeper into the couch, remaining motionless for a long time.
"After eliminating an A-rated Ghoul, I should be able to become a full Investigator soon.
Maybe I'll visit Anteiku again after that."
"Speaking of which, Suzuya doesn't have a phone, does he? I wonder how he's doing in the 24th Ward..."
"Probably slicing and dicing to his heart's content."