The uniform issued to Ryuushiro on the day of his arrival was strictly utilitarian: thick dark blue fabric, hard-wearing, as if created not for comfort, but to test the wearer. A short-collared shirt, trousers with a wide belt, army boots, stiff and heavy. It washed quickly, but did not forgive carelessness. Every fold, every seam in it seemed to remind: you are now part of the system. Ryuushiro wore the uniform without much enthusiasm, but he did not complain either. He knew: appearance is not the main thing. The main thing is to endure. To restrain. To pass.
...
The morning began with formation, breakfast, jogging and exercise. Then came law lessons: administrative and criminal codes, logic, philosophy, study of the Constitution, shooting and body training. To his surprise, he noticed in himself a clear natural dexterity and grace of the body, and then remembered that during his first hunt he demonstrated something similar. Such flexible movements are not typical of ordinary people, but rather predators like cats... or snakes.
So days and weeks passed. Mostly he communicated only with teachers, and with his colleagues he had a purely business format of relations. Sometimes he read messages from former classmates in the messenger, sharing their impressions of the new educational institution after the exam and understanding who each of them became and where they got a job.
Also, he was haunted by the memory of that girl with rabbit ears from the alley that night. Not understanding why he remembered her, he unconsciously remembered her smell. This girl did not look like she was in trouble. No, she looked like she could stand up for herself. That's what, and Ryuushiro had never seen girls capable of defending themselves from five bandits.
Instead of daydreaming about this incident, the only possible way to distract himself was to immerse himself in studying materials and training. Despite his dislike for scientific literature, he eventually began to like it, because he overcame his disgust and boredom with exceptional curiosity. At the academy, everything is very strict and according to the rules, and violations are punishable by additional workloads or work for the entire squad, and not just the offender. In such conditions, he had to do something and relax. The cadets smoked and went to clubs on weekends, and Ryuushiro flew to hunt, honing his sense of smell, sight and hearing of a predator, was in silence and read books, and put aside his scholarship, unlike his fellow soldiers. Because he was not like them, they began to treat him with disdain and distance themselves or even insult him behind his back.
Ostracism is a complex and unpleasant joke.
Sometimes, late in the evenings, when the training halls were empty and the cadets wandered off to their rooms - some were tired, some simply did not want to think - Ryuushiro headed deeper into the building. There, in the semi-basement, a small archive was kept: shelves with books, brochures and printouts of old textbooks, forgotten by most. Only the teachers came down here to take material for the program, already honed over the years.
The place was dusty, with the smell of paper and metal, but there was a silence in it that he appreciated. He was not interested in standard manuals. He was looking for field reports, reports on operations, veterans' diaries. Most of all, he remembered a thick, tattered volume with a faded cover:
"Close Combat and Assault Tactics in an Urbanized Environment."
He "swallowed" the pages, making notes right in the notebook that he always carried with him. He studied building assault plans, entrances from different angles, and the distribution of roles in a team. He lingered especially on the chapters devoted to solo actions in a confined space — for some reason, this topic seemed especially important to him.
He also read about open-air combat — using natural cover, controlling heights, interacting with long-range weapons, and analyzing the direction of light and shadow for stealth. Everything that seemed difficult to others was like a game of chess to him. Although chess is not an easy game. During his time here, he liked history and law. And it all grew out of an interest in fiction from his school days.
At night, returning to his bedroom, he passed sleeping cadets and thought:
"When you sleep, I am already preparing for the next battle."
For him, knowledge became a weapon no less important than his fangs and claws, with which he once killed his adoptive father. And he turned every word he read into a skill. Later, during a tactics exam, he was able to assemble a team of random cadets and conduct a simulated assault on a school building in such a way that even the instructors glanced at each other.
...
It happened in the third week of training. In the morning, when most of the cadets were in theoretical classes, he headed to the laundry, carrying a washed uniform in a bag. There, under the wall, three were already waiting for him. All of them had long harbored a grudge: for the look, for the silence, for not being able to suppress his will, for anything really.
— Hey, dragon,- one of them said, coming closer, "I heard that you like to be above everyone. Maybe it's time to land?"
Ryuushiro was silent, his gaze calm. He put the bag on the bench and slowly turned to face them.
— Don't do this,- he said quietly.
They considered it a challenge. In any case, they attacked.
He did not use all his strength at once, because over the past week he had been well trained to restrain his strength when in the company of less gifted ones. Simple punches were enough, but when one of them tried to hit him with a metal rod that appeared out of nowhere, Ryuushiro gave in to impulse: his reflexes, honed by his inner sense, kicked in, and he squeezed the rod, hitting his opponent in the solar plexus with great force. He collapsed.
The others went hand-to-hand, acting in unison. One of them, a larger one, threw all his weight at Ryuushiro, causing him to stagger and fall. They started kicking him, while pinned down, he tried to remove this carcass of an insolent pig from himself.
Before he got angry, he saw a pendant made of a boar's tusk lying nearby. He dropped it during the fall. This frame was imprinted, and he remembered hunting this boar. Unlike its real version, the boar turned out to be the size of a van, and its tusks were like real beams. The monster saw the girl. The face of the little girl he had saved twisted in horror at the monster that had appeared before her. She tried to run, but her small body was torn apart, and the bloody mess scattered across the branches and bushes. It was just a fleeting obsession, but it was enough.
An animalistic rage overwhelmed him and Ryuushiro grabbed the leg flying at him tightly, as if in a vice. There was a crunch. The guy screamed in pain and fell. Despite the great weight of the guy lying on him, he picked him up with both hands and threw him several meters forward. He hit the wall of the laundry room. Coming to his senses, Ryuushiro realized that his hands were shaking from primal hatred.
— Quiet... calmly... It seemed to me. This did not really happen. -He whispered to himself.
The others just needed one strong blow each.
A minute later, everyone was lying on the ground, one was writhing, another was breathing heavily, the third was trying to get up.
He collected the uniform without even looking at them and left without saying a word.
Of course, there were consequences, otherwise the other cadets would have misunderstood and impunity and lawlessness would have begun. So everyone was punished. Ryuushiro and the others ran next to each other for ten laps. Ryuushiro less so because he was not the initiator. The guy understood this and did not consider it unfair. Presenting yourself as a victim in order to get concessions and advantages is not right. No one respects such people. Men do not act like that.
...
Six months passed in a combat rhythm.
At the end of the six-month training, the Academy held a comprehensive final exam. It consisted of several mandatory stages and one additional one — at the cadet's choice. Grades were given on a five-point scale, but the highest score could only be obtained with an absolute demonstration of skills suitable for combat conditions.
Shooting
The shooting exam was held at a training ground with simulated combat conditions. The cadet had to pass three stages:
The first stage: shooting from a pistol at stationary targets at medium distances.
The second: shooting from an assault carbine with cover from cover. Targets appeared and disappeared randomly.
The third: a short tactical situation — accompanying a "civilian" dummy under fire.
Ryuushiro showed excellent reaction and accuracy. He showed himself especially well in the second stage, when he managed not only to hit the targets, but also to instinctively change his position, rather gracefully moving his steps. In the tactical part, he acted competently, quickly assessed the situation.
Rating: 5/5 - "excellent level, slightly non-standard technique of firing, but within the permissible limits."
Theory of law and logic
The classroom test included:
-Analysis of the use of force within the law. Degrees of application of quirk.
-Justification of actions in a conflict situation (for example, when detention escalates into a physical confrontation).
-Solving logical problems in conditions of insufficient information (simulations, where each decision has consequences).
He did not try to memorize dry articles, but relied on internal logic. In situations where most cadets chose "according to the rules", he offered morally justified alternatives that fit into the law, but also seemed more rational.
Rating: 5/5 — "excellent understanding of the legal framework and humanistic aspect."
Driving
The driving included two stages:
A city route in a passenger car, with unexpected obstacles: a child running out onto the road, a truck blocking traffic.
Tactical driving on a motorcycle — high-speed maneuvering, avoiding traps, sharp turns, simulating a chase.
On a passenger car, Ryuushiro acted confidently, but without excessive self-confidence. He strictly maintained his distance and instantly assessed the risks. The motorcycle became his arena — it was felt that he almost felt the equipment as a part of himself. Rating: 5/5 — "instinctive precision and tactical thinking on the road."
First aid
Everything took place in one of the training halls, converted into a simulation site. On the floor there were dummies and actors with realistic makeup: "burns", "fractures", "gunshots", "arterial" - everything looked realistic to the point of disgust.
The examiners stood with tablets, watching the cadets act under pressure. Each one took the test alone. Ryuushiro, as always, was last on the list - either alphabetically, or because he always got the most difficult case.
An electronic voice sounded in the room:
- Scenario 3. Casualties after a shooting. Number: three. Time: 5 minutes.
He entered calmly.
First thing - a visual inspection, then - priority of assistance. The most dangerous arterial bleeding, therefore the first priority. Ryuushiro almost automatically grabbed a tourniquet, applied it above the wound, tightened with the required force, noted the time.
The second victim had a fracture with an open wound. He quickly immobilized the limb, applied a splint from improvised material, treated the wound with an antiseptic, covered it with a sterile bandage.
Third - loss of consciousness and no breathing. Regular CPR will suffice.
— Cadet Genba, time is three minutes forty-nine seconds. All victims are stabilized.
The examiner could hardly hide his surprise. The manual said: the permissible time is up to five minutes, provided that one or two victims survive. Ryuushiro saved all three.
One of the teachers whispered to another:
— He acted as if he had been through this a hundred times before...
This exam was another milestone that strengthened his reputation as a reliable officer.
Ultimately, he received the rank of second lieutenant at the age of eighteen, and this officially cemented him as a promising junior officer, a possible candidate for special assignments. Even among those who had previously whispered behind his back, other voices began to be heard - cautious, but full of respect.
...
- We finally meet again, boy. Six months have flown by so quickly, but to be honest, I missed your sharp gaze and indifferent face. - Major Doran appeared in the doorway of the office. Ryuushiro had not yet left the Nagoya Police Academy.
— Good day, Major Doran! - Ryuushiro stood up in his cadet uniform and raised his hand to his temple, saluting. Doran smiled and also saluted.
— Hello, Lieutenant Ryuushiro Genba. I see you've changed. - the man looked him over from head to toe. Broad shoulders, strong arms, straight posture. A cold-blooded but polite smile was visible on his face. His gaze became more confident and tougher, the carelessness in his previously darting eyes disappeared, but he was not without a drop of enthusiasm. In addition to them, the director of the academy was also in the office. Doran also greeted him.
— In ten minutes, there will be a line-up at the main square where Second Lieutenant Ryuushiro and the others will take the oath, and after that, he will be released into your custody, correct?"
— Yes, sir,-the Major confirmed.
The morning sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky, but the air remained cold. The yellow giant was just waking up and was just beginning to warm the air and the surface.
There were men and women in recruit uniforms standing in three rows in line, a hundred or so, maybe a little more. Today, many of them would complete their six-month training.
While Ryuushiro's turn to take the oath was in line, Major Doran was communicating with the instructors. They were reporting on Ryuushiro's training during the entire six-month period.
"Ryuushiro passed everything with flying colors. And the teachers noticed in him a special talent for shooting, storming premises, and, suddenly, leadership potential. Tactical intelligence and quick first aid without fear of blood. Atypical composure and endurance. I am already convinced that he is the best support for the HPSC. It remains to find out which department he wants to get into and then he will study for another year and a half in absentia and receive a senior lieutenant, become an operative. This is at a normal pace, and if his contribution is more significant, then perhaps faster. I am sure that he is tired of moping around in the local archives. And so he will be able to immediately do an internship with us and study in absentia.
Of course, it will be difficult to combine at first due to inexperience, but I think if he learns all the processes from the inside, the theory will be easier for him." - The major thought, watching Ryuushiro take the oath. Everyone witnessed this event, even the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who was here to accept and document the oaths.
— I, Ryuushiro Genba, realizing my high responsibility, solemnly swear to faithfully serve the Japanese people, observe the Constitution and laws of Japan, implement them, respect and protect human rights and freedoms, the honor of the state, bear the title of a policeman with dignity and conscientiously fulfill my official duties. - Ryuushiro pronounced each word loudly and clearly. His confident voice carried throughout the entire square, even slightly creating an echo, as if the matter itself responded to his words, and the world's energy flows recorded and signed under each word.
— Well, that's it, man, there's no turning back. And you said you didn't want to be a cop. I think you'll become an even bigger cop than all of us at HPSC and set an example for us all. - Doran whispered.
You should not have expected any wonderful adventures in the style of the main characters. After all, the world won't start revolving around Ryushiro in six months.