Chapter 8 - Pulse Under the Mask
Three days of fighting against Arima had passed.
Kaneki still felt the echoes of pain in his body. But along with the pain, there was a feeling that something had changed inside him. Training with the Death God had not been a simple test. It had been abroad. Before it, he was a rookie. After it, he was a fighter. Summer and inexperienced.
He was transferred to a first-rank combat team under the command of second-class investigator Hideki Fushima, a cold, reserved, but fair man. The team consisted of six agents, including Kaneki. Most of them were not thrilled with the "rookie who was pulled up by Arima's orders," but they did not say so out loud.
Their first mission was to check for ghoul activity in the Takeshita-dori area, near Shibuya.
At first glance, it was a routine reconnaissance mission. But Kaneki knew that it was precisely these missions that most often turned deadly.
Tokyo Center. Morning. 08:10
- Kaneki. - Fushima addressed him without unnecessary formalities. - You cover the rear. Work with Agata. If a fight starts, retreat and call for backup.
- Received.
Agata was a massive guy of twenty-eight. On her face - a scar from her eyes to her chin, on her belt - a heavy quinque in the shape of an axe. He looked at Kaneki with a grin.
- Just don't get in the way, newbie.
Kaneki did not answer. He was already accustomed to this tone. It is better to prove the validity of the case, not with words.
Takeshita-dori. 09:47
The street looked as usual: young people, cafes, shops. But behind the windows of smiles and fashionable things, fear was hidden.
Lately, people have begun to disappear here. Traces of blood were walking in the alleys, the body — not walking at all.
Ghouls. But what kind?
Fushima gestured to split up: three went forward, two — to the roof. Kaneki and Agata stayed below, scanning the alleys.
Suddenly the system flashed in the interface:
Anomaly detected. Distance — 18 meters. Enemy: ghoul (class B)
Attention: nearby kagune. Increased aggression.
Kaneki gave a sign to Agata and moved towards the source. They turned into a narrow alley, and after a few steps — met a monster.
It was a ghoul — a woman, about thirty years old. Her skin was ash-gray, her kagune twisted like a whip made of black metal. Her eyes — scarlet, crazy.
— Get back! — Kaneki shouted, and activated the system:
Activation: Combat style "Interception I".
Passive adaptation to long-range kagune: active.
The kagune rose up, struck — Kaneki dodged, rolled, and at the same moment pulled out a quinque knife. Agatha rushed forward, waving her axe, but the ghoul was quicker, dodged and struck with a side whip — the metal hit Agatha's shoulder, he flew two meters away and cried out dully.
Kaneki rushed forward.
The blows were fast, the shortest. He used what he had learned from Arima: not to attack first, and let the enemy of the enemy open up.
The ghoul jumped - he ducked under her, slid along the asphalt and hit her lightly.
Khlist-kogo lost his way, but he caught her cheek. Pain. Warm blood on his face. No time to think.
He lunged forward - a short lunge - the blade passed along the ghoul's neck. Not deep enough, but enough to throw him off balance.
And then - a second blow from him. Clean, friend.
The ghoul collapsed.
Destruction target. Reward: 50 coins.
+1 to the characteristic: "Reaction"
+1 to the characteristic: "Moral control"
+5 to reputation within the CCG.
Agata, wincing in pain, approached the ghoul's body and spat:
- You're fast, damn it. I underestimated you.
Kaneki didn't answer. He looked at the ghoul's body, at the blood dripping down the asphalt. Inside, there was silence. No joy, no regrets.
Only the pulse, dully pounding in his temples.
And one word:
"One of hundreds."
CCG Hospital. Late evening
Haruka Yamabe, as always, was late on shift. A young agent lies in bed, wounded in the stomach. Her hands were covered in blood, but her movements were precise and confident.
After the operation was over, she went out into the corridor, took off her gloves and - saw Kaneki.
- Are you wounded? - She immediately came closer.
- Not bad. A cut on the cheek.
She raised her eyebrows:
- You call that "not bad"?
He sat down on the couch, she came over, treated the wound, put on a bandage.
And as always - in complete silence.
"You seem distant," she said quietly. "Did something happen?"
He looked at her. Slowly, as if deciding:
"I killed a ghoul woman today." She didn't speak. She didn't beg for mercy. But in her eyes...
"What?"
"There was pain. Not rage, not hunger. Just pain. As if she... suffered more than she lived.
Haruka put her hand on his shoulder.
"You can't save them all. And you shouldn't be guilty of it."
"But if I don't doubt," he whispered, "I'll become like them."
She didn't answer. Just stayed close.
Later. The barracks.
The system activated in the silence of the night.
New feature unlocked: "Hunter Source" analytics subsystem
allows you to identify behavioral patterns in combat.
Required: 100 coins.
Kaneki had 105.
He spent it all.
Skill active. Added to passive tree.
He felt that everything was going to be better. Ghouls were becoming more aggressive. Softer individuals were appearing on the streets. Someone was behind this.
And he would find, figure out, destroy - even if it meant crossing the line.
But for now - he remained human.
For now - Haruka was nearby