After that whole mess of a mission—and saving Ippei's life, which I'm still debating whether it was a good idea or not—things have been weird. I mean, sure, the guy won't shut up now about how cool I am, how I moved like lightning, how I blocked Touka's kagune shards like some kind of battle god. But I can't help but wonder… did I just mess with the plot too much?
Anyway. That's tomorrow's problem.
Recently, I got promoted to Rank 2. No fancy ceremony or anything. Those are reserved for Rank 1s and up. Just a pat on the back from Mado, along with his usual gremlin grin, and a small, unreadable nod from Amon. I still don't know what that guy thinks of me—he's like a brick wall with good posture. Real mysterious type.
Since then, we've done a few more patrols. The Bureau's still got people out scouring the city for Hinami, but let's be honest—they're not gonna find her. Not unless someone really screws up.
So how did I earn that sweet bump to Rank 2?
Well, we ran into a gang of ghouls. Pretty nasty group. I think the strongest one was maybe B-rated—probably the same guys who beat the hell out of Nishiki. After he got his stomach ripped open by kaneki.
When the fight broke out, I didn't hold back.
I used Sun Breathing: First Form – Dance and cut one of them clean in half. Then, as the others swarmed, I switched to Clear Blue Sky, spinning through the chaos like a blade in a storm, decapitating three in the blink of an eye. The last one tried to run, but I drove my quinque straight through his eye. Brutal, efficient.
I'm not really fussed about killing ghouls anymore. At least, not the ones who eat people without a second thought. The ones like Ryoko… yeah, I don't know if I could ever bring myself to kill an innocent.
Mado, though? He was thrilled. Walked up to the pile of bodies with that signature grin of his and said, "You're blossoming into a fine ghoul investigator, Urie-kun."
Weirdly, I didn't hate hearing that.
Right now, I'm buried under paperwork in the office. Normally, we hire temps or runners to handle this kind of thing, but for some reason, I'm doing it. Must be some kind of hazing ritual. Joke's on them—I like this type of work lets me zone out and daydream.
While I'm carrying some documents, I spot Touka and Kaneki across the lobby, talking to Ruisawa. They're clearly feeding her some kind of false info—probably trying to steer the investigation off Hinami's trail. I almost roll my eyes. Idiots. Of course Mado's going to sniff that out.
And sure enough, like clockwork, he appears and starts harassing them. Eventually, just like in the story, he pulls Kaneki through the ghoul scanner. It doesn't go off. They get away—barely.
Right before they leave, Touka turns around and our eyes meet.
I flash her the biggest shit-eating grin I can manage.
She scowls and turns away quickly, probably muttering something to Kaneki like, "That smug bastard's onto us or some other edgy woe is me bullshit."
Mado walks over a second later, scratching his head. "I'm sure those two were ghouls. I must be losing it…"
I shrug, all casual. "Don't worry, Mado-san. Not everyone you meet is a ghoul."
He chuckles. "Maybe you're right, Urie-kun. Maybe you're right…"
Then he glances down at the documents in my hands and lets out a wheezy laugh. "Good work today. I see they've got you doing document duty. I'll have a word with them—can't have them hazing my second-best investigator, can I?"
"Sure, Mado-san. That'd be appreciated."
He gives me a grin and waves. "I'll see you soon for our next patrol. Bye for now."
"Bye for now."
Of course, after work, Ippei and Yasutomo were at the same restaurant as always. They waved me over, all friendly and loud, inviting me to join. I just gave a quick shake of the head.
"Not tonight," I said.
Didn't feel like explaining. I had more important things to do.
Back at home, the streets were quiet. The kind of calm that makes you feel like the world's paused just for you. Perfect for training.
Remembering the Sun Breathing forms was like trying to piece together a blank puzzle—twelve forms in total, and so far, I'd managed to commit three to muscle memory. Not bad, but nowhere near enough. If I wanted to survive the upcoming Aogiri raid, I'd need them all. SS-rated ghouls weren't going to go easy on me just because I was halfway decent.
Out in the open, beneath the dim orange glow of the rooftop lights, I began to move.
Third Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun.
I drew my training blade—more out of habit than necessity—and held it to my chest. Then I dashed forward, twisting into a spiral slash. Sparks of memory flickered as my body remembered the steps. The speed, the momentum, the precision.
Another form reclaimed.
At this rate, I thought, maybe I would have all twelve down before the raid. That'd be enough to stay alive. Maybe even enough to win.
Afterwards, I hit the shower, letting the water wash away the sweat and strain. My limbs ached in that satisfying kind of way—the kind that tells you you've done something right. Training was good. I needed it. Wanted it. The blade, the breathing forms, the movement—it made more sense than the rest of the world sometimes.
Drying off, I slipped straight into bed. Buck naked.
Because hey, I may have all the traditional Japanese manners down to a tee, but deep down? I'm still an Aussie. And sometimes, that means sleeping like a freak in the blistering heat, nothing but skin and sheets.
…even if it's only 10 degrees outside.
I tucked my arms behind my head and stared at the ceiling for a moment. The city hummed faintly in the background, somewhere below.
Tomorrow, we go again.