Chapter 20: Drill

The Academy's classroom seating arrangement followed a single-desk system. There was no concept of seatmates—each student sat independently.

Ryoma Kanzaki's assigned seat placed him next to Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa.

Glancing at them, Ryoma gave a polite nod.

"Looking forward to working with you."

Kurona responded with a brief nod, her gaze indifferent before turning away.

Nashiro, on the other hand, barely spared him a glance—her response more reserved, as if she wasn't used to interacting with strangers.

Despite their cold demeanor, Ryoma wasn't bothered.

He already knew what kind of personalities they had.

The twin sisters were almost identical, with delicate features that leaned toward the cute side. The only obvious difference was their hair color—Kurona dressed in black, while Nashiro's white hair gave her a more ethereal look.

Their heights and figures were nearly identical as well—slender and around 160 cm—a height that was considered ideal in Japan.

But beneath their petite frames lay the potential to become something far deadlier.

---

The instructor soon entered the classroom and began the day's lesson.

"This session will cover Quinque, as you will soon begin practical training with them. Please turn to page 128 in your textbooks."

The students followed suit as the instructor continued.

"Quinque is a relatively recent innovation, developed a few decades ago by former CCG Chairman Tsuneyoshi Washuu in collaboration with the German CCG Director, Adam Gehennah. Its creation significantly narrowed the power gap between humans and ghouls."

"The core material used to create Quinque is Kagune, extracted from ghouls upon capture. The process of obtaining usable Kagune is strict—it must be harvested while fully activated and separated along with the Kakuhou (Kagune sac) to meet the required standards for refinement."

"Unlike live Kagune, Quinque do not grow or regenerate, making them less flexible than their original organic form. However, they are far more stable and controllable, and with continued advancements, modern Quinque have become increasingly lethal and efficient."

The lecture continued for forty-five minutes—a well-structured, scientifically concise lesson.

Ryoma already knew most of the theoretical information, but he still listened attentively.

After a brief break, the students were led to their practical combat training session.

---

The instructor for their practical class was a First-Class Investigator assigned by the CCG.

Ryoma had half-expected to see Tokage Goumasa—the investigator infamous for torturing "Gecko" Yakumo Oomori to the point of mental breakdown.

It was Goumasa's methods that had instilled in Oomori the sadistic habits he later passed on to Kaneki Ken, including the iconic "finger-breaking" ritual and the infamous phrase:

"All the unfairness in this world exists because of a lack of ability."

But today's instructor was someone else—a regular field agent without any notorious background.

"You're all new to Quinque combat," the instructor began, "so for today's session, you'll be working with specialized firearms before advancing to melee weapons."

A set of guns had already been prepared for the students.

Each student was allowed to choose one.

"There are various types available—pistols, rifles, submachine guns—but they all share one core function: the ability to fire bullets infused with Kagune-based projectiles."

The instructor held up a bullet, showing it to the class.

"This is a Q-bullet—a mass-produced anti-Ghoul round designed with four different variations, each corresponding to the four known Kagune types."

Despite being less advanced than Quinque, Q-bullets were still the primary weapon of Third-Class Investigators and assistant investigators, as only higher-ranking officers were allowed to wield Quinque.

The students carefully examined the weapons before making their selections.

Ryoma picked up a pistol resembling a Desert Eagle.

"It'd be great if the system gave me unlimited bullets..." he thought.

A Desert Eagle with infinite ammo—a classic cheat weapon in countless post-apocalyptic stories.

But for now, he'd settle for learning how to use it properly.

---

"Before live target training, I want you to get a feel for the gun," the instructor explained.

"Your priority isn't accuracy yet, but learning proper grip, recoil management, and trigger discipline."

The instructor then walked student by student, adjusting their stance and posture.

When he reached Ryoma, he made only minor corrections before nodding in approval.

"Not bad."

After ensuring everyone was properly positioned, the instructor gave the command.

"Alright—take your shots!"

The room filled with the sound of gunfire as the students fired at their designated fixed targets.

Ryoma calmly aimed at his own target.

His natural reflexes and enhanced perception made the action almost effortless.

BANG!

The bullet struck the ninth ring, just shy of a perfect bullseye.

Not perfect—but impressive for a first-time shooter.

The instructor's eyes widened slightly as he checked the results.

"That's... quite the shot for a beginner," he muttered.

Turning to Ryoma, he spoke aloud.

"You've got a natural talent for this. Very few people can hit the ninth ring on their first attempt."

Some of the other students glanced toward Ryoma, a few showing subtle reactions of curiosity or intrigue.

But Ryoma remained unfazed.

"This is just the beginning."

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