After dodging several of the enemy's attacks in a row, Lancer finally reached the wall where his Quinque was embedded. Just as he grabbed the metal window grate to climb—
"Get over here!!"
BANG!!!
Lancer was yanked back by the collar and violently thrown aside. But just as no one expected—while flying through the air, Lancer suddenly kicked off the wall and shot back toward his attacker, a rusty iron pipe over a meter long now in his hand.
Seeing the weapon, the Ghoul tensed at first—then immediately relaxed.
"Just a useless metal pipe? You think that can kill me?!"
His Koukaku Kagune flared around his right hand in front of him like a shield, while his left hand lunged toward Lancer. But at that moment, Lancer leapt sharply as he stabbed.
Yes—his Quinque was near the fourth floor. Even with Lancer's enhanced body, he couldn't reach it with a single jump. But what if he created multiple footholds?
Exactly. While swinging that iron pipe, Lancer fully intended to use his skills—but the opponent's Koukaku, the type with the strongest defense among Kagune, made him abandon finishing the enemy directly. Instead, he used the pipe like a pole vault.
Upside down midair, Lancer pushed off with both hands, launching himself upward.
Hooking his feet around the Quinque's shaft, he swung hard, grabbing it with both hands—then kicked violently at the corpse of the first Ghoul.
The Ghoul below had already realized he'd been tricked the moment Lancer grabbed his Quinque. But before he could move, the other Ghoul's corpse came crashing down on him. He punched the falling body away—and that was his last action, because he saw a streak of crimson light above him.
Puchi—!
With a sickening sound, using the full force of his downward momentum, Lancer drove the Quinque straight through the Ghoul from above, cleaving him open from crown to waist.
A moment later, the voice he most wanted to hear echoed in his mind:
[MISSION COMPLETE.]
Even so, he didn't hesitate—he pulled the Quinque free and immediately scanned his surroundings. He'd already suffered once from carelessness; he wouldn't fall for it again.
Clap—clap—
The sudden applause made him raise his spear instinctively. But a familiar voice came from above.
"Very good~ Lancer. You've passed the assessment."
Crouched on the rooftop ledge, Mado Kureo wore an expression of pure excitement.
Back at the same izakaya, the ones drinking were still the same three—but compared to the delighted Mado Kureo and the calm-faced Lancer, Amon Koutarou looked distinctly uncomfortable.
In his mind, Lancer wasn't calm because he wasn't angry—he simply didn't know what kind of expression to make after being "set up" by his own savior.
They'd ordered the same dishes as last time, but with all three silent, the atmosphere felt oddly strained.
Only when Mado finished his last sip of alcohol did he straighten his posture. Amon—who had been feeling unbearably awkward—sat up quickly as well. He knew this was the main event.
"Lancer, regarding today's battle—do you have anything you want to say?"
"…I shouldn't have thrown away my weapon before confirming the surroundings. It shows I still have many weaknesses in actual combat."
"And————about the fact that Amon and I never appeared?"
As Mado asked this, he narrowed his eyes slightly like a drunken old man. But the atmosphere at the table instantly grew oppressive.
Lancer's expression, however, didn't change at all.
"I don't think there's any problem. In fact—if Mado-san truly didn't test me and just let me join the team, I'd actually be more concerned."
"Why?"
"Though it may not be my place to say—when hunting Ghouls, we must trust each other with our backs. If you accepted someone whose strength you didn't even understand, then… I honestly don't know how long I'd survive after joining this team."
The air froze instantly.
His reasoning was flawless—but in Japan, following hierarchy was extremely strict. For a newcomer to speak so bluntly was practically "disrespecting his seniors." Yet Mado Kureo broke into a strange smile.
"Good! Very good! You're absolutely right! To kill those mongrels, the most important thing is strength! Talent only determines future potential—Ghouls won't give you time to grow. Strength is everything! Seems I don't need to say anything else…"
Mado hadn't told Lancer beforehand that this "scouting mission" was a test. He wanted to see Lancer's true ability. There were plenty of academy elites who performed well in school but turned into cannon fodder on the battlefield.
Lancer's performance had flaws—but his mindset and resolve deeply satisfied Mado.
And though Mado often acted recklessly, he wasn't without backup plans. If Lancer had failed, Mado would still have saved him—but would have sent him to the Ghoul Countermeasure Training Academy for extended schooling. Clearly, that wouldn't be necessary now.
When Mado finished drinking, he left immediately, leaving Amon and Lancer to depart together. Since Lancer had passed the test, he would now move directly into the CCG Investigator dorms. As for his belongings? Someone would pack and deliver them for him.
The two didn't talk much on the way. Amon wasn't skilled at small talk, and Lancer sat with his eyes closed, recovering. Amon wasn't surprised—after all, Lancer had fought two Ghouls alone. For a "normal" rookie, that was an exceptional feat.
But Lancer, eyes closed, was pondering which "skill" he should choose.
Yes—the reward from the earlier quest.
[Mind's Eye (False) E]
[Falling Star E]
[Ghoul Predator E]
Mind's Eye was self-explanatory: enhancing sixth sense and allowing unconscious evasions.
Falling Star was a spear technique similar to the aerial attack he'd improvised earlier, but far more refined.
As for Ghoul Predator—it allowed his physical parameters to increase after killing Ghouls.
A simple analysis:
Mind's Eye was the most versatile.
Ghoul Predator was the least.
After all, he only needed to survive 150 days in this world—and more than sixty had already passed. Once he left this world, Ghoul Predator would almost certainly become useless.
Falling Star was simple and brutal—directly boosting offensive power.
Lancer hesitated for a long time, then finally made his decision—
[Ghoul Predator E]