Chapter 4: Training & New Power

After Akira found out about what I did behind his back, We had a one to one talk. He is mostly focused on why I did all this.

"I had a realization a while ago. How long can we survive like this? Living like rats hiding away from those Hunters. Sooner or later, we will inevitably have to fight against them. So, that's why I am doing my own preparation for the future."

Akira listened but didn't commented yet. He just hummed quietly as he processed my words while I made both of us a cup of coffee manually from the beans.

"Hmn… I understand your reason." Akira replied and happy even, that I was finally thinking about the future rather than staying optimistic and hoped for the best. He thought maybe I had matured and was finally trying to work for a better future but still having my youthful recklessness.

"Anyway, if you want both of them to join our group. They are welcomed but don't expect free food without contributing to the team."

"I know. While Hinami will be excluded for now, her mother, Ryouko, will train with me to use her Kagune. That is my original intention anyway. Once she is capable, she will join the hunt."

"Good that you understand. In the future, if you want to recruit Ghoul, make sure to introduce it to the rest of us too instead of keeping it hidden."

"Yeah yeah, I understand."

I shove the cup of coffee in his hand while feeling annoyed that he is acting like my mom when I am mentally older than him, probably by 5-7 years.

Akira snickers at my annoyance and took a sip of the coffee before spraying it all out.

*Puh* x3

"Why didn't you filter out the beans?"

"It's my way of drinking, let it sit for a bit and wait until they sink down first."

Akira waited for a bit before taking another sip which is better now.

"By the way, Akira. Do you know where I can earn money fast?"

"Earn money? For what?"

Akira was confused for a moment as money is useless to the average Ghoul. But he does know a way.

"Don't mind the minor details. Just tell me how can I get money quickly."

"Well, you can sell specific parts of our prey to the Auction. They sell to those rich high class Ghouls with particular preferences. But they are very picky with the freshness and the prey's quality."

"Wouldn't try my luck because there is a high chance they are going to reject it anyway because we didn't meet their minimum standards."

Akira shrugged and drank three quarters of the cup, leaving the sediments on the bottom untouched.

"Anyway, I am leaving right now."

Akira walked over to the door and left. Few minutes later, Ryouko and Hinami returned with a plastic bag in Ryouko's hand. I send them out to a nearby shop to grab a few stationery for Hinami to start learning.

"Welcome back." I greeted.

"We are back, Onii-chan!"

As excited and energetic as ever, Hinami jumped high and forced me to catch her with a bear hug.

Since I literally asked for a day off from work due to Akira, I have nothing else to do right now and decided to spend time with Ryouko and Hinami.

While I knew nothing about the Japanese language to teach Hinami and gave the task to Ryouko, I did teach her introductory level math and science.

I would say we bonded well with each other.

Also, I noticed Ryouko's hairstyle which made me remember a certain stigma around female characters with side braid hairstyles.

Ryouko feld odd that I insisted that she change that hairstyle but she agreed after insisting for a bit. Now, she just tied it into a ponytail.

(Crisis averted.)

At night, it's finally time to train her Kagune.

Obviously we aren't doing it inside the apartment. Instead I have another good venue for the practice. But first, I must prepare a mask for them.

"Here put these on and change to your clothes."

I give Ryouko and Hinami a Balaclava because I have yet to acquire a proper mask for them and also less attention grabbing clothes consisting of a plain shirt, a gray trench coat and elastic trousers that have a wide range of movement for Ryouko. Hinami is just a baggy gray robe to cover her clothes as child size is harder to find.

(Ray didn't buy, he 'borrowed' those clothes.)

All in all, we look like a group of robbers ready to rob a convenience store or something, dead in the night.

"Let's go."

I said as we didn't put on our mask yet until we left the apartment and entered the back alley.

After that, I followed the map to a location I explored before in preparation for Ryouko's training. It was a 17 minute walk from the apartment until we stopped at a manhole.

"Here."

I said while pointing at the manhole lid when the two looked confused as to why we stopped in the middle of nowhere.

"This will lead us to the underground flood tunnel."

I explained and said.

"Usually at this time of month, the tunnels are mostly clear of water after the rainy season. We can use it for your training."

Ryouko nodded while holding Hinami close because she felt generally unsafe outside of the apartment especially at night when Hunters are actively patrolling the streets.

I lift open the heavy steel manhole lid with my superhuman strength that is higher than most Ghoul's due to the consumption of Kakuhou. Then we slip in before covering it back.

———

Inside the tunnel, there are lights naturally available but this particular section has no CCTV. I checked before to make sure no one could see us.

Then we start our training session. Starting by assessment for her overall capability and we work out way up from there.

"Now, come at me like I am trying to kill you." I said strictly and released my Kagune that evolved to six tails right now.

Ryouko told Hinami to sit at the side to watch before she also released her Kagune.

She attacked but I noticed hesitation in her attacks and generally, she isn't giving her best. Mostly half hearted attacks that I could take with my body without injury.

But the power of her attack isn't my main focus. But it's actually her Koukaku type Kagune defensive capability. Which also turn out very bad. Very low reaction time to react to my attack to use her Kagune to defend.

So, the first training is reaction time training. I will throw punches and kick towards her and she need to block using her body and Kagune.

We trained all the way to midnight before we returned home. The results isn't very apparent but she is improving, taking her baby steps. Improvement is still improvement and its a win in my book.

Well, only Hinami isn't enjoying the training as she was bored watching us and fell asleep halfway through the training.

Our journey back was thankfully uneventful and when we reached home, we take turn to take bath with me being first as insisted by Ryouko, saying I am the owner of the apartment.

After that, we went to sleep and a brand new day awaiting.

———

Three days went by and we continued our routine of training. Akira and Kiko joined on the second day because he realised we all need to train and be good at using our Kagune.

The third day was a bit special because the Hunters caught wind of my activity and identified the area I usually spotted, my workplace.

I knew about this because my boss called me on Friday and told me about two suspicious 'police detective' was asking around for my information.

Thankfully I never put my home address or any information as I am not a proper worker, just a part timer.

But unfortunately, I have to quit the job.

———

Because of the Hunters searching for me, tonight training was canceled and I went out alone this time to hunt for ghoul again.

Thanks to the [Map], I could evade the Hunters. They were really cranking up the effort considering any normal night there would be around a dozen Hunters roaming the street where I usually hunt. But tonight, their numbers tripled.

When I zoom out the map to include the entire metropolitan area of Tokyo, I noticed Hunters are scattered all over Tokyo while a large concentration of them are in the downtown area. A particular area was completely surrounded by dove icons which made me feel interested and want to investigate.

Since the ground was scattered with Hunters, I used the underground tunnel system to enter the nearby area of the Hunters blockade.

Upon arrival, I heard the sound of gunfire and battle. But my nose could smell a faint smell of Ghoul and a very strong smell of blood.

I stayed on the roof to watch the entire thing go down when the building, which was a luxury hotel, suddenly had one of its top floor windows burst open as a female Ghoul jumped out of it.

The Ghoul were smeared in blood and wearing a bloodstained white dress. Her hair was purple and long.

Once the Ghoul was inside their shooting range, the Hunters wearing tactical gear below opened fire, shooting special bullets as it could damage her Kagune which normal bullets couldn't.

The gunshot wounds were ignored however, as the Ghoul landed on the ground and stared at the petrified crowd of Hunters while her body regenerated at very high speed. A red mist covered her body when she was regenerating.

Another hunter wearing similar tactical gear minus the helmet appeared with a briefcase that once he did something to it, it released a visible electric spark before the briefcase turned into a giant black cleaver sword.

The Hunter wielding the Quinque shouted orders before the petrified Hunters resumed their attack while the Ghoul didn't look worried she was surrounded and instead smiled and let them struggle.

When the Ghoul suddenly turned her head to my direction and smiled deeper. I felt my blood turn cold and escaped quickly as I was discovered. I worried she might get me involved considering she was a lunatic, confronting Hunters head on like that.

———

Escaped the area and satisfied my curiosity, I went back to the original plan of hunting Ghoul.

Most of them stayed indoors because of Hunters outside. But this worked in my favor as I easily found lone Ghouls that were hiding from the Hunters using my Map.

The hunt tonight was very fruitful as I hunted well over a dozen Ghouls tonight and I have to stop halfway and get a cooler box because my stomach cannot fit more than five Kakuhou. The rest of the eight uneaten Kakuhou was stored away in the stolen cooler box.

But, when my stomach was full. My digestive fluid somehow strengthened and digested my stomach content so fast that I could continue eating all the Kakuhou without feeling full.

Due to my successful hunt, I went past midnight and continued hunting Ghouls until morning. I didn't felt any fatigue and instead felt extremely energetic as I devoured more than three dozen Kakuhou.

*Ding*

[Evolutionary ability unlocked, Kakuja]

[Kakuja - Incomplete]

Special mutation of a Ghoul's Kagune when undergoing repeated cannibalism to enrich RC cells concentration in the body.

-Type Koukaku Kagune (Incomplete)

(Appearance: Blade right hand and carapace gauntlet left arm.)

-Type Armour suit (Incomplete)

(Appearance: undecided but a mask and top part of Arata Proto II suit)

—————

(Is his growth to fast?)

(Also, the Kakuja is incomplete and literally. The Kakuhou sacs are still developing and he cannot use those forms yet and needs an astronomical amount of RC cells to be completed.)