What was originally supposed to be a well-prepared strategy meeting to mobilize the forces for the Aogiri Tree Extermination Campaign, a rallying event to boost morale and lay out tactical plans, was thrown into chaos after just a few cryptic remarks from Uesugi Ryu.
The meeting, left in disarray, ended prematurely.
As a result of the previous event Marude Itsuki, responsible for allocating combat forces for the operation, had been running around like a headless chicken these past few days.
The urgency and significance of the campaign already meant that Cochlea was left with relatively thin defenses.
And now, they were forced to split their forces and launch simultaneous operations in two locations. It was enough to make Marude want to explode.
"Damn it all!"
Marude couldn't help but roar in anger, feeling as if his brain might detonate at any moment. After all, manpower was finite.
If they reinforced Ward 11, Cochlea's defenses would be drastically weakened.
But if they ignored Ward 11, and the enemy instead focused their superior strength on launching a full assault there, the consequences would be equally disastrous.
A simple feint, on the surface, had now become a tactical nightmare.
It was a blatant open conspiracy, a strategy where the deception was so obvious that even knowing it's bait, you still had to take it seriously.
Worse yet, what if this feint itself concealed another trap?
If they shifted their main forces to defend Cochlea, and Aogiri Tree instead funneled their elites into a sudden blitz on the Ward 11 CCG base, then the entire campaign could collapse in one fell swoop.
Marude frowned deeply, turning his head to ask the man seated on a nearby sofa.
"Mado, tell me honestly, how does Uesugi Ryu compare to Arima?"
Mado Kureo paused, a flash of remembrance in his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he replied:
"Compared to Arima ten years ago, he's still got a ways to go. But against anyone not named Arima, he's already superior."
"I see... I get it."
Marude nodded solemnly. If Uesugi Ryu could earn such high praise from Mado, then he'd make Uesugi Ryu the core of the Cochlea defense system.
After a short silence, Marude stared at Mado, who remained outwardly calm. He let out a quiet sigh.
"Mado, how about I assign you as Deputy Commander at Cochlea?"
"Misaka* had his brain fried from spending too much time cooped up in that prison."
Mado, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality at the mention. A faint, unreadable emotion passed through his eyes.
So many years had passed... and finally, he had a chance to face the One-Eyed Owl again.
His eyes flickered, but his voice remained steady:
"Understood."
"But," Marude added with a sly grin, raising a brow, "don't go running off screaming to die the second you see the Owl. If you're going to die, at least die for something worthwhile."
Mado's lips curled slightly as he responded calmly:
"Don't take me for a fool. I won't die before I kill that thing with my own hands."
With that, he turned and walked out of Marude's office without another word.
Marude sighed, returning to his desk and the mountain of documents listing each investigator's records and service history.
...
One day after the meeting, CCG had already finalized a new strategic deployment plan.
Marude Itsuki would serve as Overall Commander.
Shinohara Yukinori, Kuroiwa Iwao, Suzuya Juuzou, Ui Koori, and others were designated as combat personnel.
For the Cochlea Defense Force, Aura Kiyoko was named Commander, with Mado Kureo as Deputy Commander.
Additionally, Houji Kousuke, Uesugi Ryu, and Hirako Take were assigned to the defense detail.
Besides the specially transferred Aura Kiyoko, Houji, and Ui, most of the personnel were drawn from Ward 11's Special Measures Squad. This in itself was a risky move.
With Houji Kousuke gone, Ward 20 was now practically defenseless.
Meanwhile, Tanakamaru Mougan, the Branch Chief of Ward 2, would temporarily oversee operations in Ward 1 in Aura's absence.
It was standard CCG protocol to write one's last will and testament before a major operation.
In a spacious office, Uesugi Ryu sat alone, a blank white sheet of paper in his hand. His brows were furrowed as he let out a faint sigh of irritation.
Sure, writing a will made sense, but for him, it felt unnecessarily ominous.
As for dying... there's no one left who can kill me.
Though his combat ability might not be absolutely top-tier, his survivability was second to none.
Even without considering his trifecta of clone/stealth/illusion skills, just Shunshin (Instant Step) alone was enough. If Ryu wanted to leave, there wasn't a soul alive who could stop him.
If even that's not enough to survive, then I suppose I'd truly be trash. In that case... death would be a fitting end.
That's why he had taken the initiative to warn the CCG, not because of some deep sense of loyalty. No, Uesugi Ryu had his own ambitions.
His objectives were straightforward:
1. Rack up a mountain of merits.
2. Hunt and kill an SSS-rated Ghoul.
Both paths led to the same outcome: massive system rewards, which meant a significant boost in his strength.
As of now, there were only "two and a half" ghouls worthy of the SSS rating:
The One-Eyed Owl, The Non-Killing Owl, and
Amon's father, Donato Porpora, imprisoned within Cochlea.
Among the three, the easiest to kill was likely Donato. If he could take him down, his power would skyrocket again.
Of course, whether the system would officially recognize Donato as SSS-grade, and thus reward him accordingly, was still uncertain. Some rating bloat was possible.
Still, following the standard plan wasn't Ryu's style. Fighting an off-form, disinterested Yoshimura didn't excite him. Moreover, the 11th Ward ghouls were just sacrificial pawns.
Participating in the main campaign wouldn't earn him many accolades.
And with two newly arrived Special-Class Investigators in the area, there wouldn't be any room for him to shine anyway.
If I just sat back and watched the Aogiri Tree Extermination like in the anime, wouldn't I just be a background character?
If nothing changed because of his existence in this world, then what was the point of being here at all?
"The One-Eyed Owl... the strongest ghoul."
A gleam of anticipation lit up Ryu's eyes. Compared to a passive, pacifist Owl, nothing was more exhilarating than a fight with the true One-Eyed Owl.
A little risk was only natural, rewards came at a price.
Ever since he began walking the path of power, Uesugi Ryu had never backed down. When the potential gains far outweighed the danger, he was always ready to gamble.
If this world offered the chance to become Transcendent... why would I stop here?
He crumpled the pristine white sheet of paper in his hand and, with a carefree smile, tossed it straight into the nearby wastebasket.
---
*Dude that got killed by Tatara