In a sophisticated GCC holding cell, a visibly mutilated and pregnant young woman shakes with pain, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"PLEASE, COME QUICK! HE'S COMING!" she screamed as several people wearing insulation suits entered the cell with equipment to deliver her.
Several minutes later, a baby's cries were heard as one of the people held a newborn baby. It had sky-blue eyes and was staring at the body of its mother, who had died during childbirth.
"Do you see what I see?" asked one of the people.
"Yes. We did it... remember, no one but the chief can know." Said the person holding the baby.
19 years later
A man dressed in a black suit could be seen walking down a corridor with white walls and a gray roof. The man had black hair and teal eyes. He was the ghoul investigator, Kotaro Amon.
He was a young man in his twenties who hunted ghouls for a living. He believed that ghouls were the reason the world was going to hell. And so, he dedicated his life to eradicating ghouls from the Earth.
Kotaro reached the end of the corridor and opened the door. The next room he entered was a bedroom. The entire room was plunged into darkness, but the foot of the bed was visible. He sighed as he turned on the light switch and looked at the sleeping figure.
The person lying in bed was a young man of about 18. He had black hair with a green streak on the right side of his head.
Kotaro moved to the foot of the bed, grabbed the blanket and yanked it off the sleeping young man, revealing a toned body with a few scars. The young man groaned and reached for the blanket.
"Ryusei. Time to wake up." Kotaro said.
The man, now known as Ryusei, groaned as he grabbed his top pillow and placed it over his head.
"Five more minutes..." Ryusei said in a muffled voice.
Kotaro sighed.
"You know that if it were up to me, I'd let you sleep. But it was Akira who wanted you to wake up. You don't want to drive her crazy." Kotaro said.
Ryusei's eyes widened under the pillow and he leapt out of bed. His eyes were sky-blue.
"Uh, that's right! I'll go and change quickly." Ryusei said.
"I'll wait outside." Said Kotaro.
He left the room and closed the door. Ryusei sighed and rummaged in his closet for clothes. He found some clothes and immediately put them on. He was wearing only black clothes, ripped jeans, boots, a T-shirt, gloves and a trench coat.
Once fully dressed, he left the room and saw Kotaro.
"Ready to go?" Kotaro asked.
"Yeah." Ryusei nodded.
"Follow me." Kotaro said.
Kotaro led the way down the corridor while Ryusei simply followed. Without realizing he'd forgotten to take the medicine he was supposed to take every day.
Ryusei had lived at the GCC practically all his life. According to his mentor, his mother died during an operation and she made him promise to take care of him. At the age of 16, he was fully recruited and trained for the last three years. He was chosen by none other than Kishou Arima, the GCC Reaper. Kishou was known for his superhuman strength and agility. He was the GCC's strongest fighter.
The training Ryusei underwent was grueling and far more intense than ordinary investigator training. When he was selected by the GCC Reaper, much was expected of him. The training was personally carried out by Arima himself. The scars on Ryusei's body were the result of this training.
Within minutes, Kotaro and Ryusei arrived in a large room filled with computers and people. Kotaro and Ryusei walked towards Akira, a blonde-haired woman wearing a dark suit and skirt.
She saw Ryusei and Kotaro approaching her and turned to look at them.
"I suppose he was asleep? As usual?" She said.
Ryusei chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.
"S-Sorry, ma'am." He said.
"You're lucky I'm not Arima. I'll let it slide. But right now, we have something to discuss." Said Akira.
"Like what?" Ryusei asked.
"The superiors think it's time for you to prove your worth." Replied Akira, surprising Ryusei.
"Wait a minute. Do we have the location of a ghoul?" He asked.
"Yes. You know the different departments, don't you?" Akira asked in turn.
"Yes, ma'am." Ryusei replied.
"Watch out for this ghoul, as she resides in the 22nd district. We have no bases here and this will be your first solo mission. There'll be no one to watch your back." Akira warned.
Ryusei swallowed nervously. Of course, he had no doubts about his skills, but ghouls were fundamentally superhuman. Just because he'd been trained by the GCC Reaper didn't mean he was as good as Arima. All the other times he'd encountered ghouls, he'd been with the team. But this mission was going to be him solo. If he failed, no one could help him. It was certain death.
"Remember your training and you'll be fine." Akira reassured him.
Ryusei nodded.
"Is there anything you can tell me about this Ghoul? Her kagune? What does she look like?" Ryusei asked.
"Glad you're asking all the right questions. As far as we're concerned about the kagune, we can only assume it has Ukaku. As for her looks, we're not sure. Except that it's a woman. Whoever she is, she's pretty well hidden. That's all the information we have." Akira explained.
"Sounds good enough to me." Ryusei said.
"That's good to hear. Go and get something to eat and drink before you leave. But be careful not to eat too much." Says Akira
"Of course." Ryusei agreed.
He left the room and headed for the equipment room. Deciding to pick up his equipment before eating. Once in the equipment room, he searched for his locker and opened it. Inside was a simple katana. There were a bunch of other blades too, but they weren't finished yet. Ryusei sighed and took out the katana.
He attached the sheath to his hip and went to the cafeteria.
If he was honest, he was worried about what he was going to face.
In the streets of the 22nd arrondissement, a woman with long green hair could be seen. She had one black and red eye and one green eye similar to her hair. She was dressed entirely in bandages and was seen crouching over the body of a man. Her mouth was bloodied as she tore flesh from the man's neck.
A small card fell from the man's pocket, which the woman noticed. She stopped eating and picked up the card to see the man's name on it. But there was a familiar symbol on it. It was the mark of the GCC.
A wry smile came over the woman's face.
"I don't mind waiting. I don't mind waiting for new blood." She said.
A bright moon lit up the night sky as Ryusei crossed the rooftops of the 22nd arrondissement. So far, there had been no sign of ghouls in the area. It didn't help that he didn't know what the ghoul looked like, only that it was a girl.
He held his Katana in his hand, just in case this ghoul chased him or tried to attack him by surprise. He reached a crossroads and looked down the street for anything out of the ordinary. The streets in this part of the district were completely empty. No cars, no people, no nothing. He could understand why. Everyone knows that night is the most dangerous time of the year, since ghouls can escape much more quickly in the dark.
Ryusei sighed after scanning the streets. Once again, no sign of ghouls.
He was about to turn back, but felt a force behind me push him off the roof. He let out a cry of surprise, but reacted quickly by turning around and grabbing whatever was pushing him, knocking it down with him. His eyes widened as I took a good look at the figure and saw that it was a male ghoul. It had a tail like a kagune. He groaned mentally. He hated Bikaku kagunes. They were more annoying than dangerous in his eyes.
He threw the ghoul under him and quickly grabbed a windowsill before hitting the ground. The ghoul ended his fall on the concrete and rose slowly to his feet. Ryusei seized his chance to jump on him, draw my blade and slice him. When he landed, he ran his blade across his neck, drawing blood from his throat. He quickly stabbed the ghoul's chest and threw it to the ground.
The ghoul grunted in pain, but this time didn't get up. Ryusei took a deep breath before sheathing his blade. He had killed a ghoul for the first time.
He looked at the ghoul's body with a certain melancholy. He didn't like killing ghouls. For him, the GCC should be a police force for ghouls, not a hunting force. But he didn't have time to think about that, he needed to find his target and neutralize it. A random ghoul wouldn't do. But there was something strange about this ghoul.
He crouched down beside the body and noticed that it was wearing a uniform. It was unlike anything he'd seen before. He was about to search the body when he heard a scream from across the street.
"Kill him!"
Ryusei looked up and noticed a group of ghouls, all wearing similar uniforms. Each wore masks, but the one screaming looked like a man. He stood up and drew his sword. He took a deep breath and waited for them to come for him.
A ghoul pulled out a Rinkaku kagune and leapt towards him. It tried to throw its tentacles at him, but Ryusei rushed towards the ghoul and stabbed it in the stomach. He then snatched his katana from its belly and dropped it to his knees.
Another ghoul pulled out a Ukaku kagune and opened fire on him. He picked up the ghoul he'd just stabbed and held it in front of him like a shield. All the feather-shaped projectiles were caught by the ghoul, who died from the amount of feathers fired. He advanced slowly towards the Ghoul, who let out a cry of frustration.
The more his opponents' blood flowed, the more Ryusei felt something rise inside him. A sort of murderous instinct coupled with an insatiable hunger that wanted only one thing: to kill and devour his opponents. But why did he feel this way? He's human.
Another ghoul with a Kokaku kagune ran towards Ryusei and tried to stab him. The latter threw the body he was carrying towards them before charging at the Ukaku ghoul.
She tried to shoot him again, but he used his katana to deflect the feathers and keep going. Once he was close enough, he tried to stab the ghoul. She dodged to the side and punched him in the stomach. He spat saliva and grabbed her wrist. He squeezed firmly, then thrust my katana into his chest, close to the heart area. The ghoul let out a breathless hiccup of pain. He then yanked my sword upwards, cutting her shoulder and knocking her over. He finished her off by stabbing her in the head.
Suddenly, he was slammed against the wall by the Kokaku Ghoul. She grabbed him by the neck and held him against the wall, readying her kagune. She tried to stab him in the stomach, but Ryusei broke her hold by snapping his arms with hers. He swung a right hook at the ghoul, then threw her into the wall behind him. He took a few deep breaths and reached for his katana. He picked it up from the dead Ukaku ghoul and turned to face the Kokaku ghoul. His mask was broken and he could see his face. He looked like an ordinary man, except for the ghoulish eyes and the blade on his arm.
"I'm going to kill you!" shouted the ghoul before charging towards him, trying to stab him.
Ryusei used his katana to block the blow and pushed it away. He then went to cut off the ghoul's head, but he ducked and was about to stab him in the stomach. He stepped out of the way and kicked him in the stomach, putting some distance between them. He gritted his teeth in anger and leapt at him. He readied his kagune and was about to cut him.
Ryusei rolled backwards away from him and rushed towards his opponent immediately afterwards. He went for an aerial slice, but the ghoul raised his blade above his head, blocking the attack. Ryusei reacted quickly and turned his katana backwards, striking his sword arm from underneath, shattering its guard. He then plunged the katana into the ghoul's neck. She spat blood and Ryusei tore my sword to the side, opening her neck wound and drawing more blood.
He took a deep breath to calm the feeling he'd been having since the start of the fight against this group of ghouls, before sheathing my katana and looking around. They had been sent to kill a single ghoul, but it seemed that Ryusei was stronger than this group thought.
Unbeknownst to Ryusei, a certain green-haired girl was watching him from the roof from which he'd been pushed. She smiled grimly as she leapt high into the air and changed. Her body was surrounded by red and her figure transformed into that of a giant. Once completely transformed, she landed on the ground, creating a massive thud and shaking the ground. Ryusei stumbled slightly.
"Wow! What the?!" Ryusei said before turning around and his eyes widened when he saw the giant figure before him. "Ohhh shit..."
He'd learned a little more about this particular Ghoul. Everyone in the GCC knew about this Ghoul. One of the highest ranked ghouls they knew of, a Kakuja, but more commonly known as... the one-eyed owl
He could do nothing but stare at the giant Kakuja. His whole body was shaking. He'd heard stories about the One-Eyed Owl. How giant it was, how sadistic, how terrifying. And here he was, able to witness the SSS Ghoul for himself. One-Eyed Owl giggled happily, almost like a little girl.
"What's the matter? Are you scared?" She asked.
Although Kakuja's voice was distorted, Ryusei recognized that it was a girl's voice. He moved away from the giant figure. The feeling he'd been trying to suppress seemed to grow stronger, as if he were a caged lion with succulent prey before him. His body didn't know what to do. Let the feeling out and fight or flee. The One-eyed Owl knew how he felt and chuckled, reveling in the boy's terrorized state.
"Should I hurry? Or do you want it to last longer?" she asked sadistically.
Ryusei finally snapped out of his trance and reached for the hilt of his katana. He was about to pull it out, but remembered what his mentor, Kishou Arima, had taught him.
Flashback
It was an ordinary training day for Ryusei. He had just finished his daily exercises and was talking to Kishou Arima.
"I must admit, I'm impressed by how quickly you're learning. But don't forget that just because you're a fast learner and you're perceptive doesn't mean you'll be able to win a fight. If the ghoul you're facing is of a much higher rank than what you usually face, run." Said Kishou.
"Huh? But you told me you thought I could take on an A-rank ghoul." Ryusei retorted, surprised by his mentor's request.
"Of course, and I have no doubt about it. But if it's an S-rank or higher, it might be better for you to run. I don't know if you're ready to take on one of them." Kishou explained.
End of flashback
Ryusei slowly withdrew his hand from the katana hilt. He wasn't sure he could outrun the One-eyed Owl, but he knew he couldn't kill it. He looked down and considered all the different outcomes, even though most of them ended the same way.
The One-eyed Owl was getting tired of waiting and went to grab Ryusei.
Suddenly, Ryusei felt the feeling inside him become too strong, and at the same time, an immense pain invaded him. He began to clutch his chest with both hands, panting as his voice became more bestial. He screamed loudly as he felt himself losing control of himself.
In his mind, a creature was chained in a cage.
The creature felt its strength returning before standing up and pulling on its chains. It roared as it continued to pull and pull... before the cement holding the chain broke.
The creature roared as it saw that its chains were no longer there. It began to strike at the cell that had held it together for so long.
Sparks flew as the claws met the metal, but it seemed to pay off as the cell fell away, freedom now within reach. The creature roared again in victory before fleeing.
In reality, Ryusei roared and lost control, his eyes turned a dark red and smoke began to consume his body. Soon the smoke disappeared, revealing the creature in Ryusei's place.
Its appearance was that of a green humanoid lizard with red eyes, and it had a mouth with sharp teeth. On some parts of its body, including its head and back, there were red outlines. Its arms and legs had sharp points. And on its forehead was a yellow horn with a purple gem. It was Amazon Origin.
One-Eyed Owl chuckled at the sight.
"That's new." She said, eliciting a wild roar from Origin.
He rushed towards the One-eyed Owl and began a fight that greatly entertained the ghoul. Origin was fast, agile and strong, managing to dodge every attack she made and take advantage of it to fight him. Yet despite all this, the ghoul had the impression that he was weaker than he was supposed to be. As if... as if he hadn't eaten in a while.
"Looks like someone missed a meal or two." she joked, before taking advantage of this consta and hitting Origin so fast and hard that it went through an entire building and ended up against a car on a main street just opposite where they'd first been.
Amazon Origin quickly gave way to an unconscious Ryusei.
The milestone owl disappeared his Kakuja and looked at the young man from the straight line hole formed by his passage through the building.
"I hope we meet again, you were a lot of fun. I'm sure you'll be just as delicious." She said before leaving, hoping by their next meeting he'd be satiated, and in control of this form he'd exhibited.
It took a few minutes for GCC vehicles to arrive on the scene, alerted by a passer-by who noticed Ryusei's condition and that of the car he was riding in.
He was immediately taken to the CCG base where he lived, where he was taken to the medical wing for treatment.
His colleagues didn't know it yet, but he had managed to survive the One-Eyed Owl. And his life would never be the same again.