14th Ward.
An autumn dusk like a golden veil softly enveloped the bustling city aglow with lights.
The waning sunlight filtered through the gaps between towering buildings, scattering itself across the crowded streets below.
A cool breeze drifted silently past, brushing against people's skin and bringing with it a touch of crisp refreshment.
Withered leaves twirled through the air like dancers, falling amidst the exposed steel and concrete of the worn-down buildings.
On a protruding rooftop terrace, Uesugi Ryu sat at the edge, silently gazing at the night skyline in the distance.
He took a light bite from the slightly unripe apple in his hand.
Just then, a pitch-black crow, its appearance slightly unnatural, swooped into the sky not far off.
Its eyes, lifeless as stagnant water, stared coldly down at everything below.
It had been nearly two weeks since the successful extermination of Jason, but the CCG's commendation for Uesugi Ryu had yet to arrive.
Jason had been rated as an SS-class ghoul. That alone was enough merit to warrant a two-rank promotion to First-Class Investigator.
In the entirety of CCG history, the only one ever promoted two ranks in one go had been Arima Kishou, and that was for repelling the SSS-class One-Eyed Owl.
While defeating an SS-class was indeed an immense feat, it still fell slightly short of Arima's achievement.
A two-rank jump would be excessive, but a single rank increase seemed insufficient.
More importantly, Uesugi Ryu's seniority was too shallow, he had been in the CCG for less than half a year.
To be promoted to First-Class Investigator in such a short span would be truly shocking.
As for the medals or accolades that came with slaying an SS-class ghoul, Uesugi Ryu cared little for them.
They were just pieces of metal, useless in any practical sense.
After spending a few days in the hospital, he was discharged, his injuries weren't serious, and with some rest, he'd be back in form.
Standing up, Uesugi Ryu casually tossed the apple into the air as a dark blue longsword suddenly manifested in his hand.
With a flash, the sharp blade sliced through the air, cleanly bisecting the apple mid-flight.
But rather than satisfaction, a trace of helplessness crossed his face. Truth be told, he wasn't actually skilled in swordsmanship at all.
At most, he had learned some basic techniques back in the Academy for Ghoul Investigators, nothing more.
His lack of combat experience significantly hindered his strength, especially since he relied on a high-speed, evasive style.
That mismatch left him awkward and hesitant when fighting against Jason, a tank-like opponent with high durability.
The Blood Frenzy skill was more suited for applying debuffs than direct damage.
With enough time, Uesugi Ryu could have defeated Jason using that alone.
But one of his phantoms had already detected the approach of Shinohara Yukinori and others.
So in order to claim full credit for the battle, he had no choice but to use the Destroyer and end it quickly.
He swore to the heavens, he hadn't meant to ambush Jason on purpose!
That said, Uesugi Ryu had always excelled at punching above his weight class.
Beating A-rank ghouls as an S-rank, stomping B-ranks as an A, it was his signature style.
And yes, fighting downward still counted as "punching above your weight," thank you very much.
ψ(｀∇´)ψ
The joy of stomping weaker foes was unmatched.
Forget the whole "invincible among your peers" trope.
Total domination was far more satisfying.
Uesugi Ryu focused his mind and opened his system interface.
---
Name: Uesugi Ryu
Race: Human
Power Level: S+ (Based on base stats only; weapon skills not included in the evaluation.)
Strength: 10 (A+)
Agility: 14 (SS)
Constitution: 10 (B-) (+1 from equipment)
Intelligence: 8 (B-) (Each point of Intelligence equates to 10 mana points.)
Mana: 179
Health: 100 (Note: Average healthy male stats are around 5. Attribute progression scales exponentially, not linearly.)
Talent:
Soul Devour – (Devour the soul of a slain target to gain permanent Mana Points.)
Skills:
D-Rank Skill: Phantom Clone
C-Rank Skill: Blood Frenzy
Energy: 14/100
Remaining Draw Chances: 1
Items:
The Pharmacist's Treasure (healing ring)
B-Rank Quinque – Viper
A-Rank Quinque – Sakikage
A-Rank Quinque – Destroyer
---
If he wanted to quickly strengthen himself, then climbing the ranks in the CCG was the most efficient route.
If they felt he lacked experience, then he'd simply make up for it with raw accomplishments.
With the constant growth of his mana reserves, Uesugi Ryu's body was also becoming increasingly tempting to ghouls.
In the name of "advancement," he reluctantly spilled some of his own blood to bait them out and thanks to the Pharmacist's Treasure, bleeding was no big deal. He'd recover quickly anyway.
For the past several days, Uesugi Ryu had been searching for ghoul organizations in the 14th Ward, and finally, he had a lead.
After "cordially exchanging views" with a captured ghoul, the ghoul sang like a bird.
As things turned out, he was a member of the Wolf of the Owl gang, led by an S-rank Koukaku-type ghoul, with around 15 members total.
Uesugi Ryu couldn't help but twitch at that name, it was just ridiculous.
He placed Sakikage back into his suitcase and retrieved another case from his storage space.
This one contained the Green Arrow, a Quinque he had borrowed from Mado Kureo.
Suddenly, a dissonant rhythm of footsteps echoed closer from a distance and before anyone could react, Suzuya Juuzou appeared like a ghost in Uesugi Ryu's vision.
Just to be safe, and to avoid an unexpected accident, Uesugi Ryu had called on his little white-haired brother for backup.
He wasn't at the level where he could be careless yet.
Juuzou wore a bright smile, waving one hand as he called out cheerfully: "Ryu-kun! It's been so long\~!"
Hearing the voice, Uesugi Ryu turned slowly.
A soft smile appeared on his face as he gave a slight nod in greeting.
Then, without warning, he raised his arm and tossed the second suitcase toward Juuzou.
Juuzou's reflexes were lightning-quick.
He reached out and caught it with both hands, his eyes lighting up like a child who just received their dream toy.
Without delay, he pressed his face up against the case, sniffing and nudging it like an eager puppy.
"Is this for me?" he asked happily, looking up with wide eyes.
Uesugi Ryu chuckled at the sight.
"Yep. Just for now though, use it for this mission. Once it's over, I'll get you something even better."
With that, he turned and began walking forward.
He didn't waste time with the usual farewells or warnings like "be careful."
Because he knew full well, someone like Suzuya Juuzou wouldn't listen anyway.
Rather than wasting words, it was better to keep things sharp and clean.