Logically speaking, Arima calling him in at a time like this could only mean one thing.
Most likely, it was because his recent performance had been way too insane. So Arima probably wanted to talk to him, offer some encouragement, maybe reward him with a few things… and then pull him into his personal squad.
Those were the only two possibilities. There really couldn't be anything else.
With that thought in mind, Hayashi followed Arima's assistant to his office.
"Arima is waiting for you inside. Go ahead," the assistant said respectfully, stepping aside and gesturing toward the door.
"Alright. Thanks." Hayashi nodded and pushed the door open.
Creak—
As the door opened, the interior revealed a layout almost identical to before.
The only difference was that Arima himself was standing by the window, quietly gazing down at the scenery below.
"I'm here," Hayashi said, taking the initiative to greet him.
"Good."
Arima responded with a single, indifferent word, his gaze never leaving the window.
His handsome face was calm and unreadable, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. Even his eyes were hollow and cold—like a stagnant pool of water.
And yet, his entire body radiated an overwhelming pressure.
A pressure unlike anything Hayashi had ever felt before.
Even Eto hadn't given him a feeling this terrifying.
"This is it…The strongest half-human. A being beyond SSS rank. CCG's greatest trump card. Its sharpest blade.The White Reaper—Kishou Arima."
A flicker of interest flashed through Hayashi's eyes.
If anything, this only made him more curious about just how strong Arima really was.
Back when he only had the Ox Talisman, Hayashi wouldn't have dared to test him. After all, if something went wrong during a fight, dying wouldn't be funny.
But now?
With both the Dog Talisman and the Horse Talisman in hand, death wasn't even a concern anymore.
Which only made him more eager to see Arima's limits.
"Your recent performance has been excellent," Arima suddenly spoke.
"Hm?" Hayashi snapped out of his thoughts and looked up.
"Your promotion speed is remarkable. In just half a year, you climbed from Rank 3 Investigator to Associate Special Class Investigator. Even I couldn't achieve something like that. You've set an unprecedented record."
Though the praise was direct, Arima's tone remained flat — casual, almost mundane.
Hayashi had already grown used to this.
He knew Arima rarely praised anyone.
In the original story, even Ihei's greatest reward before death had been a single compliment from him.
Thinking of that, Hayashi felt a trace of emotion stir in his chest.
Arima's charisma was undeniable.No argument there.
"Still, I didn't expect you to defeat the One-Eyed Owl," Arima continued. "Even if you didn't kill it, that alone is terrifying."
As he spoke, Arima finally turned around. A sharp glint flashed through his cold eyes.
"Your strength exceeded my expectations. And Headquarters' expectations as well."
"This mission was executed flawlessly. Headquarters has decided to appoint you as a Special Class Investigator."
Hayashi wasn't surprised in the slightest.
If defeating an SSS-rated ghoul solo didn't earn him a promotion, then something would be seriously wrong with CCG.
"However," Arima continued calmly, adjusting his glasses, eyes narrowing slightly, "Headquarters has one condition regarding your promotion."
"A condition?" Hayashi raised an eyebrow, interest immediately piqued.
"Yes. A very simple one."
Arima looked at him expressionlessly.
"I will personally test you — to determine whether you truly possess the strength of a Special Class Investigator."
The moment those words fell, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. An invisible chill spread through the air.
"Test me?" Hayashi pointed at himself, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"That's right." Arima nodded.
"If you can defeat me, then you become a Special Class Investigator."
With that, he turned and headed toward the door.
"Come with me. I'll take you somewhere."
With no choice, Hayashi followed.
Soon, the two took an elevator down to the underground level. After passing through a heavy iron door that required keycard access, an enormous open space appeared before them.
The floor and walls were reinforced with ultra-high-density metal. There were no obstacles—completely open and barren.
Notably, dark red blood stains still marked the ground.
It was obvious that brutal battles had taken place here. Deep claw marks scarred both the walls and the floor.
Seeing this, a spark of excitement flickered in Hayashi's eyes.
"Alright. This is the place," Arima said, stepping inside.
"So how are we doing this?" Hayashi rolled his shoulders, loosening up.
"Bare-handed combat? How do we determine victory—knockdown or surrender?"
"No rules."
Arima looked at him expressionlessly and pressed the latch on a white suitcase in his hand.
Hiss—
Steam billowed out as golden lightning crackled within.
A quinque emerged from the case.
Narukami. An S+ rated quinque, and Arima's primary weapon.
The moment he brought it out, it was clear — He wasn't holding back.
"Wait—Do you really need a quinque to fight me?"
Hayashi froze for a split second.
And then—
A crushing wave of pressure mixed with overwhelming killing intent surged toward him.
The instant Hayashi sensed it, his body reacted on instinct — he stepped back.
Flash—
A dazzling blade of light sliced through the air.
So fast it was almost unreal. Even the air itself seemed to split apart.
"Holy shit!"
After narrowly avoiding the strike, shock flashed across Hayashi's face.
Arima was far faster than he had imagined.
That single slash was faster than any attack Hayashi had ever faced before.
So fast it left no time to react.
It was terrifying to think that this speed belonged to a human.
"Your speed is impressive," Arima said calmly, offering what could barely be called praise.
"But that's good. I was worried you wouldn't even survive the first strike, so I held back a little."
"Now it seems I was overthinking things."
"The next attack… I won't hold back at all."
He raised Narukami slightly.
"I hope…""…you don't die too quickly."