"That's not entirely true. Your current rank might still be Second-Class, but with your skills, you're more than qualified to wield an S-rank quinque."
Marude Itsuki stated matter-of-factly.
Even Mado Kureo, who was usually obsessed with quinques, had no words at this moment.
His gaze was locked on Mado Kasuka-she was alive.
Not only that, she was almost completely unscathed.
An uncontrollable wave of emotions surged within him.
"Hmm..."
Uchiha Byakuya didn't say much.
Internally, he simply felt that his physical abilities were still far from sufficient.
Of course, when he said "far from sufficient," he was comparing himself to Arima Kishou.
Ten years ago, in the original timeline…
Arima Kishou, at only nineteen, was also a Second-Class Investigator.
Yet, with two random B-rank quinques, he had sliced off the One-Eyed Owl's kagune along with her kakuhou.
That kakuhou was later used to create the SSS-rank quinque-"Owl."
Normally, simply cutting off a kagune wasn't enough to make a quinque-a kakuhou was required.
If only kagune were needed, then quinques could be mass-produced easily.
Kakuhou extraction was the real challenge.
Byakuya always found it incredible that Arima had accomplished such a feat; Using fragile B-rank quinques to slice through an SSS-rated ghoul's kagune and sever the kakuhou?!
The only reasonable explanation was that Arima's raw physical strength was simply on another level.
Not only was he able to fight without sustaining injuries, but he also ensured his quinques didn't break.
And, of course, the One-Eyed Owl wasn't fighting with full intent to kill, which made a difference.
All these factors combined led to that miraculous result.
Which ultimately meant, Byakuya was simply not strong enough yet.
"The base abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan are certainly powerful... but my body needs to keep up."
"I need to be more strategic about allocating my attribute points-balancing between 'RC Cell Value' and 'Physicality'..."
Byakuya reflected on his shortcomings from this battle.
If he hadn't faced the One-Eyed Owl directly, he wouldn't have truly recognized his weaknesses.
In combat, theory alone means nothing.
You don't fully understand your limits until you experience battle firsthand.
The Kamui abilities were undoubtedly ridiculously overpowered, but they still had their limits.
For example, "Susanoo."
Since he possessed the Eternal Mangekyō, he definitely had access to Susanoo.
Though with his current RC Cell Value, activating it would drain him dry in an instant.
At this stage, Susanoo was out of the question.
Instead, the most efficient Kamui abilities for the Tokyo Ghoul world were:
"Intangibility" and "Space Manipulation."
"Intangibility" (or "phasing") was a perfect defensive technique.
At his current level, he could maintain it for five minutes.
Though, with both Mangekyō Sharingan activated, the duration might extend further.
The only downside was that it had a time limit.
But even that wasn't an issue.
The moment the five minutes expired, he could turn it off and reactivate it immediately, effectively resetting the timer.
This wasn't the Naruto world; there were no Konan-level enemies with 600 billion explosive tags to time their attack for exactly five minutes.
Since there are no supernatural abilities like "Ten Billion Explosive Tags" in this world, Kamui's Intangibility is absolutely flawless.
As for Spatial Manipulation, it can be used not only for instant teleportation-whether into the Kamui Dimension or elsewhere-but also as an offensive technique, capable of severing body parts by tearing through space itself.
In short, Dual Kamui represents the ultimate offense and the ultimate defense combined into one.
Even though both are purely physical abilities, in a world like Tokyo Ghoul, where there's no magic, that alone makes them overwhelming.
Of course, the biggest drawback-in fact, the only drawback; is the insane energy consumption, making Byakuya reluctant to use them recklessly.
Thankfully, even without Kamui's abilities, his combat power was already considerable, thanks to his Mangekyō Sharingan's base abilities and his half-human physique.
At that moment, Mado Kasuka had finished reporting all the details to Marude Itsuki.
The other members of the search squad were busy collecting Byakuya's broken B-rank quinque to bring it back to CCG for recovery and analysis.
With the official mission now over, Mado Kureo rushed forward and embraced Mado Kasuka, tears streaming down his face.
No one interrupted them.
They understood his feelings all too well.
[Ding!]
[Mission 3 Completed: Protect Mado Kasuka and ensure her safe exit from the 24th Ward.]
[Reward: +10 Attribute Points]
As soon as Byakuya and Mado Kasuka safely left the 24th Ward, the system notification rang out.
With Mission 3 now complete, no Mission 4 appeared; Meaning the entire Hidden Questline had concluded.
Even though the investigation mission itself was technically unfinished, the search squad still retreated back to CCG.
Why?
Because the moment they encountered the SSS-rated One-Eyed Owl, their mission was considered complete.
Even now, most of the squad still felt on edge, unwilling to venture into the 24th Ward again anytime soon.
After regrouping, the entire search team returned to CCG's Main Headquarters in the 1st Ward.
And since Uchiha Byakuya had achieved such a monumental feat; Defeating an SSS-rated ghoul and protecting an Associate-Special Class Investigator.
His contributions far exceeded what a normal Second-Class Investigator could achieve.
As a result, he skipped two ranks in one go, jumping from Second-Class Investigator to First-Class Investigator.
Had he actually killed or captured the One-Eyed Owl, he might have been directly promoted to Associate Special Class.
However, his age and lack of a long service record made such a drastic promotion inappropriate.
Even so; his name spread rapidly throughout CCG, much like Kuroiwa Iwao after he injured the One-Eyed Owl during the 2nd Ward raid.
After all; Anyone capable of fighting an SSS-rated ghoul was practically guaranteed to become an Associate Special Class or even a Special Class Investigator in the future.
This was exactly what had happened with Kuroiwa Iwao in the original timeline.
But more importantly, his actions had caught the attention of "V" and the Washuu family.
"He single-handedly forced the One-Eyed Owl to retreat?"
"Why didn't we notice this Uchiha Byakuya's potential earlier?"
Within a secluded courtyard in the Sunlit Garden, two men sat in conversation-One was Washuu Yoshitoki, the Director of CCG.
The other was Kaiko, the leader of V.
Washuu Yoshitoki-CCG's Director.
Kaiko-The Head of V.
Both were figures who truly controlled the fate of Tokyo.
Kaiko, dressed in a black robe and hat, his skin unnaturally pale, spoke in a calm yet intrigued tone.
"Perhaps it's because of his background."
"Back then, his parents tried to escape the Sunlit Garden but were executed by V."
"Yet he alone survived… Maybe that taught him patience and how to conceal his true strength until now."
Washuu Yoshitoki sighed.
"What a shame. We were only eliminating traitors at the time. If I had known he had such talent, I could have raised him just like I did with 'Kishou'..."
Kaiko nodded thoughtfully.
"It's not too late."
"He has already entered the CCG and proven himself. Why not cultivate him properly?"
At this, Washuu Yoshitoki's eyes glinted with interest.
"That's a good idea…"
"Let's pair him up with Kishou and see who is truly superior; my chosen prodigy or this hidden talent."
"V is in need of a new 'Cleaner' anyway."
Kaiko smirked.
"Teaming him up with Arima?"
"It just so happens that Uchiha Byakuya has now been promoted to a First-Class Investigator, while Arima is still Second-Class. That makes them eligible to be partners."