Another two weeks passed. The street battle between investigators and ghouls in the 20th Ward from half a month ago had already faded like a passing cloud. With post-battle reconstruction and disaster relief efforts now on track, yesterday's headlines had been drowned by today's trivialities.
After all, Tokyo remained unparalleled in the frequency of ghoul attacks worldwide.
When similar public incidents occur repeatedly in a short time, people tend to forget—except for those who experienced it firsthand or felt it deeply…
"Jason—Black Abyss IV."
Click. In the CCG Quinque crafting workshop, Vela raised the black-and-red long spear high, weighing it in her hand—long-handled, double-edged at both ends, the spearhead formed a cross-shaped spiral.
She swung it a few times, carving elegant arcs in the air.
Very smooth. Perfectly suited to her physique, arm length, and combat habits.
Mastering core technology had its perks.
Then, Vela took a step forward. Her heels made a deep thud on the workshop floor. With a twist of her waist, she hurled "Black Abyss IV."
Clang!
A sharp whoosh sliced through the air, followed by a jarring metallic screech. Sparks flew. Over twenty meters away, the test steel target blocks used for evaluating Quinque durability exploded upon impact. A string of dark metal fragments scattered.
Vela observed carefully.
The entire 2MM x 2MM Quinque steel block had been pierced through by the black-and-red spear, now embedded one-third into the second block, the entry point blown open into a basin-sized crater.
"Not bad."
She did a quick comparison. Under identical force, the previous version, Black Abyss III, could only penetrate two-thirds of the first steel block.
"Ahhh! My Quinque steel!"
Just as she stepped forward, Dr. Kouitsu Chigyou burst in, clutching his mushroom-green bowl cut in anguish.
"Vela Adelheid, Associate Special Class Investigator!"
Rubbing his head in distress, he stared at the shattered steel blocks scattered across the workshop.
"Black Abyss IV is already an SS+-rank hybrid Quinque. My lab doesn't even have steel targets or forged ingots capable of testing its limit performance!"
These targets were meant for B-rank and A-rank mass-produced Quinques, meant to last. The damage from S-rank Quinques was still tolerable—but testing SS+ new hybrids like this? That was on her.
CCG was rich, but even the landlord's house couldn't withstand this level of waste.
"If you really want to test its limit, go on active duty. S-rank ghouls… no, not enough. SS-rank. Hm… If it were that SSS-rank 'One-Eyed Owl'... Black Abyss IV might even get damaged… but I've never handled an SSS-rank Kakuhou or Kagune before…"
He muttered to himself, already drifting off into speculation about hunting SSS-rank ghouls—a classic scholar's quirk.
He really coveted SSS-rank ghoul bodies.
Vela gave a wry smile and shook her head. Then she stepped forward a few paces and made a gesture with her hand.
Buzz~ The embedded Black Abyss IV suddenly shuddered violently. Tzz! In a flash, the second steel block split apart from within.
Crimson glints flared—thorns of Kagune forming the spiral spearhead twisted like molten iron, bending and elongating into a sharp arc.
The scythe-like blade shifted the center of mass, spinning—whoosh!—blade outward, it returned precisely to Vela's palm.
"This is..."
Beneath his mushroom bangs, Kouitsu Chigyou's eyes gleamed.
"Similar to the autonomous detachment and transformation capability of Special Class Investigator Arima's Quinque, IXA."
His tone was confident.
Vela nodded.
"SS-rank, the Kagune of 'Big Sister' Nico—its healing properties were quite the boon to my research..."
Though Nico looked grotesque and twisted on the outside, what lay within was immensely useful—in every sense of the word.
Thanks to Nico's close-quarters entanglement with the dying Gecko Jason and his sustained healing efforts, Jason—already ranked S+ on the CCG most wanted list and half-Kakuja—had his body infused with Nico's Rc cells and remnants of his healing-type Kagune.
Jason, nearly SS-rank, was dissected by Vela postmortem. As a half-Kakuja, his body yielded multiple well-preserved active Kakuhou—Bikaku, Rinkaku, and an emerging Koukaku. No Ukaku, though.
All were utilized. Along with the Koukaku of an S-rank ghoul named Naki, they were fused into "Black Abyss IV."
Thanks to the healing-type Kagune derived from Nico, the crafting process went smoothly. Mistakes were easily corrected and reattempted. With such an exceptional auxiliary function, Vela successfully completed the upgrade of "Black Abyss IV."
Greater hardness and resilience were baseline. Sharpness was a bonus. The key? Retaining a trace of the healing Kagune's traits, granting the Mk. IV weak regenerative ability. Additionally, fusing a full suite of tail-type and scale-type Kagune from a single ghoul improved coordination and balance. Besides moderate deformation support, it could now autonomously detach and reassemble.
"But it still isn't a living Quinque… What did you use to signal 'it'?"
"I figured I couldn't hide it from you, Doctor."
Shlick. Vela retracted the now-spear-shaped Black Abyss IV into a black-gold case beside the workbench.
The black-gold case wasn't formally regulated by the CCG, but since Special Class Arima used one, it became a symbol of rarity and power—even in ghoul circles.
She then peeled off her sterile gloves.
"Hm?"
With a leap, Dr. Kouitsu Chigyou dashed forward and scrutinized Vela's raised right hand. His gaze, sharp as a microscope's, fixated on the metal groove-like decorative lines—delicately carved, tattoo-like yet not quite. Quinque ornament?
"Not 'Gun III'..."
"'Gun III' is over there," Vela pointed to a silver-white case on another table. "It incorporates structural components extracted from Black Abyss IV. According to its embedded memory metal configuration, 'it' is the primary unit."
It could be understood as an unconventional Rc signal emitter. Though unranked as a Quinque, it functioned as a 'beacon' for Black Abyss IV's autonomous reassembly.
Chigyou stroked his chin, scratching his head.
"Distance?" he asked.
"About seven to eight meters. It's hard to control. If you mishandle the blade's orientation during reassembly, it could easily injure the user."
"Too high a skill floor. Not suitable for widespread adoption. Only martial-type elite investigators like you can handle it. But this… is it a kind of micro-surgery implant?"
"Something like that. Just tinkering."
Vela didn't elaborate further. She couldn't exactly say she based it on cybernetic implant technology from another world.
Just like she would eventually bring Quinque tech to the faraway Arasaka…
Stretching her arms, she took off her lab coat and began tidying the workshop. Then she asked thoughtfully, "Doctor, shouldn't you be holed up in your lab at this hour? Coming to find me out of the blue... don't tell me you've run out of Kakuhou materials?"
The spoils of the ghoul-purging mission—besides the named ghouls Vela had claimed—included over fifty complete ghoul corpses and Kakuhou.
Mostly B- and A-rank, sure, but the CCG had a vast base of rank-and-file investigators.
On that front, Vela admitted she couldn't compare to Kouitsu Chigyou. He truly welcomed all—willing to craft Quinques for any investigator, even with B-rank materials.
"Not yet. But soon..." Kouitsu Chigyou spread his hands. "Oh, I almost forgot—the second set of 'Arata Proto' is complete. It's for Special Class Investigator Shinohara."
"Aren't you attending the high-level meeting at the Countermeasure HQ this afternoon? Could you deliver it to him for me..."
"No problem."
Vela picked up the Quinque case housing "Gun III," patted down her outfit slightly, and walked with him.
"Russell, that complete dual-Ukaku Kakuhou labeled 'Ayato Kirishima'—I noticed you haven't used it. What do you plan to do with it when you return to North America?"
As like-minded colleagues, Kouitsu Chigyou was talkative along the way.
"Wait."
"Wait?"
"The fusion technique isn't mature enough. I don't want too many flaws."
"Its dual Ukaku... I've never seen Ukaku in such perfect form and preserved activity. I plan to study them further before integrating them into my 'Arata Proto'... Doctor, what do you think the success rate is for perfect transplantation and integration of Ukaku into a living Quinque armor?"
Vela's question gave Kouitsu Chigyou pause.
As a Quinque expert, he instantly understood her intention.
A pair of dual Ukaku with excellent form, appearance, and potential—turning them into inert tools or embedding them in finished Quinques would be a waste. Practically criminal.
The "Arata Proto" was alive, retaining the predatory and evolutionary traits of Kagune. Any foreign Kagune introduced risked being devoured indiscriminately. Achieving perfect transplantation and integration was highly challenging.
"Living organisms differ from dead materials, and inter-ghoul cannibalism is instinctual. The same goes for Kagune... The key to transplantation lies in preventing 'cannibalization' during coexistence."
When it came to his specialty, Chigyou spoke seriously: "I'll need time to calculate it carefully..."
"Then, Doctor—what if the two Kagune sources are a biological parent and child?" Vela suddenly interjected, a faint, nearly imperceptible smile on her lips.
"At least a sixty percent success rate."
Chigyou answered without hesitation—surprised even by how fast he responded.
"Wait, Ayato Kirishima—Kirishima? Is that related to the SS-rank 'Corpse Collector' Arata Kirishima?"
After all, the living Quinque armor prototype material for his 'Arata Proto' project came from Arata Kirishima's Koukaku.
Vela calmly nodded.
"No wonder..."
...
1st Ward, CCG Countermeasure HQ Building.
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open, and Vela stepped out with one black and one white Quinque case in hand.
Noises came from the hallway. She turned toward the commotion.
Near the windowside sofa in the reception area stood Marude Itsuki, that acerbic man, spewing something snarky to a short, unfamiliar person.
This new face had a peculiar appearance—white hair, red eyes, and an androgynous look. Based on clothing alone, male.
Standing beside them were two towering men in suits, each wearing a dove pin. One, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, looked kindly and reliable. The other had thick eyebrows, a stern expression—dead serious.
Special Class Investigators: Yukinori Shinohara and Iwao Kuroiwa. Two of Tokyo's seven Special Classes—seasoned veterans with distinguished records.
Vela approached.
"Yo, Poison-Tongue Marude. Bullying rookies again?"
Naturally, her greeting was aimed at the person she knew best—Marude Itsuki.
"What do you mean 'again.'"
Her voice, as recognizable as ever, made Marude scowl and turn away. "I'm doing it for his own good. Look at those twiggy arms and legs. Tell me I'm wrong—he'd die the first time he meets a ghoul out in the field..."
"Alright, alright."
It was Yukinori Shinohara who stepped in when Marude's attention returned to the frail, androgynous teen. "Maru... Suzuya's situation is a bit special... By the way, Associate Special Class Russell, I heard you're returning to North America tomorrow?"
A clumsy attempt to change the subject.
"Mm. Just call me Vela. My Tokyo term has lasted over a quarter. I need to return to Washington, to CCG North America HQ, to report on mission details."
Nodding, Vela placed the Quinque cases on a nearby round table and extended her hand. "Special Class Shinohara, I haven't properly thanked you. Without your concession, the battle in the 20th Ward wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
"Oh, not at all..."
He politely took her hand and chuckled, scratching his head. "We're colleagues—it's only natural to help each other. That victory in the 20th proves I made the right call."
"Helping each other is natural. But gratitude should be returned, too."
Vela pushed the two Quinque cases toward him.
"These..."
"'Gun III Kai' is a Ukaku Quinque I designed and made. It should cover certain tactical gaps for you. As for 'Arata Proto'—it originally belonged to you. I just cut in line. Don't refuse. Like you once told me, it should be with the one who needs it. I won't need it while I'm back in Washington."
"Shinohara, just accept it," Kuroiwa said, patting his old comrade on the shoulder.
"Alright... but Vela, I'll return it to you once you're back."
The meeting hadn't started yet. Special Classes from various Tokyo divisions were still en route. After some pleasantries, Vela joined Marude and Shinohara's circle.
Marude said, "By the way, Russell... I heard you captured a ghoul mother and daughter pair..."
"Ah, I was just about to inform you. I'll be away from Japan for a while—please look after them in my absence."
"Huh? Why are you doing something so thankless? Just because they have no criminal record? Eating humans... even if it's just corpses of suicides... Is it your faith?"
Christian doctrine: suicides don't go to heaven.
Vela smiled faintly.
"That's part of it. But more than that—it's about dividing and weakening the ghouls. Recruiting them to our side—for intel gathering, or as off-the-books field assets—I think it's viable. It's just an experiment, Marude. Interested in trying it out?"
Of course Marude was. He and Vela were the same kind of person—hungry for progress.
And solving the ghoul issue was worth commendation.
After a moment of thought, he raised only one concern. "How do you solve the food issue?"
"They... eat humans. If that problem can't be solved at its root..."
He made a throat-slashing gesture. "A ghoul is still a ghoul. Even a legal one. Use them, then dispose of them—that's my stance."
Snap.
Vela pulled a stack of documents from her coat pocket and pushed them in front of Marude.
"[High-Rc Cell Synthetic Food—Edibility Testing for Ghouls]."
Marude read, then looked at Vela. "Confident?"
"We'll see."
Leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, she added, "Just an experiment either way. If it fails—well, tough luck for them."
"Back to the point. Fueguchi mother and daughter are key to persuading Congress later. With no crimes, no malice, spotless records—and the husband even worked in CCG logistics. They're borderline martyr material... It would be a waste not to make use of them."
Marude agreed.
"Then let's try. While you're in Washington, I'll work with Shinohara and Kuroiwa to shield them from pressure."
"Thanks."
Soon, all Special Classes arrived, and the meeting was about to begin. Vela stood beside Marude, and together they walked into the conference room.
"When are you leaving for Washington?"
"After the meeting."
They chatted casually as they entered the doors. Vela glanced at the metal doorframe—at her reflection.
This trip's gains… should be enough for you to digest.
...
Cyberpunk World.
Japan, Tokyo Prefecture, Arasaka Tower corporate housing.
A modest entryway. A pale-gold-haired woman in Arasaka executive uniform opened the door and stepped inside.
Carrying a briefcase, her eyes caught the reflected light in the floor-length entry mirror.
"Quinque," she muttered to herself.