"Juuzou."
Kanzaki Ryoma smiled as he greeted Suzuya Juuzou. "I hear you're working with Investigator Shinohara now. How is it? You haven't made too much trouble for him, have you?"
"Uh..."
Juuzou scratched his head sheepishly, clearly caught off guard. His grin betrayed him. He couldn't exactly say no.
Ryoma didn't press. Instead, he let out a faint chuckle. "Well, it's not a bad thing. You seem a lot more open than when you were still at the Academy."
"I do? Maybe," Juuzou replied, blinking for a mont as if just realizing it himself.
Back at the Academy, Juuzou had been treated like a freak. Students and instructors alike avoided him. That isolation, the trauma from the past, had made him shut down emotionally. Being taken in by CCG and especially by Shinohara had started to change that.
Ryoma rembered the rumors. Abducted and sold into the Ghoul Auction. Raised like a pet by Big Madam. Juuzou had been warped into sothing unrecognizable— immoral not by choice, but by survival.
Even in the manga, Kaneki's first encounter with Juuzou had ended with his wallet stolen.
Shinohara Yukinori, standing nearby, couldn't hide his surprise. Suzuya, the problem child of CCG, was actually behaving and even smiling in front of soone else. And it didn't feel fake.
"Mado, Amon. It's been a while."
Ryoma nodded toward Kureo Mado and Koutarou Amon, who had just arrived.
"Yes. You're here for the 11th Ward Special Counterasures eting too, I take it?"
Even in the HQ hall, Kureo Mado had his Quinque briefcase in hand, a habit he never dropped.
Ryoma nodded again.
Amon added respectfully, "We've heard about your actions in the field. They say you killed Gecko, one of Aogiri Tree's S-rated cadres."
Mado's eyes lit up. "You also claid his kakuhou, didn't you? That ans you're using a Quinque forged from a Half-Kakuja. An S rating. I'd love to examine it soti."
Amon winced slightly and leaned toward him. "Mado-san..."
It wasn't just that the request was inappropriate. Mado's obsession with Quinques had already earned him a reputation. Constantly poking at other investigators for a look at their equipnt only deepened that impression.
Mado turned to Amon, shrugging. "I'm not forcing anything. If he refuses, I won't insist."
Amon was left speechless. That wasn't the point at all, but how could he correct his superior?
Shinohara didn't look surprised. This was typical Mado. His love for Quinques bordered on mania.
Suddenly, Ryoma heard it.
[Ding! Task Activated. God-Level Choices Triggered!]
[Choice 1: Refuse Mado's request. Ghouls investigators should not expose their Quinques casually. Reward: 10 fusion points.]
[Choice 2: Agree to Mado's request. Let him examine your Quinque later. Reward: 30 fusion points.]
The choice was easy.
"No problem," Ryoma said evenly. "I can show it to you another ti."
He had nothing to lose. Thirty fusion points were better than ten, and it wasn't like soone like Mado would abuse the privilege. Besides, Ryoma didn't rely solely on his Quinque like other investigators. His real power wasn't in a weapon.
If soone wanted to see his secrets like the Mangekyo Sharingan, hypothetically, then that would be a different matter.
[Ding! Host selected Option 2. 30 fusion points acquired.]
Amon looked stunned.
Even Shinohara glanced at Ryoma with mild surprise. Lending an S class Quinque for study was unheard of, especially one forged from a Kakuja. Ui's weapon didn't even compare to it. Most would keep sothing like that under lock and key.
Mado, on the other hand, was practically glowing.
"Really? Excellent! Please contact later. Let's exchange numbers now."
Ryoma exchanged contact info with him without hesitation.
"...Kanzaki, are you sure about this?" Amon asked quietly, struggling to understand.
"It's fine," Ryoma said. "I believe Mado is trustworthy."
He said it like it was a casual excuse, but it wasn't a lie. Among CCG's human side, there were few as loyal and reliable as Kureo Mado, especially when it ca to combat.
Of course, if soone like Kishou Arima entered the discussion, that was another league entirely.
Juuzou, anwhile, was daydreaming about raiding the CCG warehouse for more Quinques. His current Venom Scorpion 1/56 just wasn't enough. He wanted the whole set.
Mado, still giddy, was already imagining the structural layers of the weapon forged from Jason's kakuja. That kind of craftsmanship was rare. To him, it was art.
Even with the awkward atmosphere, Ryoma kept his cool.
It wasn't about pride or secrecy. It was about strategy. Every move, even this small one, pushed him closer to the center of everything. The coming operation in the 11th Ward wasn't just a battle.
It was a stage. And he intended to own it.
***
Support & Read 20 Advance Patreon/Zexxxxy
Should I bring in the Ps equals bonus chaps again? Hm... I did put it on hold so the Patreon chaps could stay 20 -s ahead of the and now that I did it, I am considering. Let know what you think.
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