"Of course, it's true. I haven't read many of Takatsuki-sensei's works, but after finishing The Black Goat's Egg, I was hooked."
Ryoma smiled as he spoke, pulling out a chair and sitting across from Kaneki Ken. "Mind if I sit here?"
It wasn't because of the system's reward. He had already completed the god-tier choice. He could have just walked away.
But he didn't.
He simply wanted to talk to Kaneki Ken—no other reason.
"Of course! Please, go ahead," Kaneki replied, though his voice was slightly reserved.
His naturally introverted personality made it difficult for him to relax around strangers.
And on top of that, Ryoma was Kamishiro Rize's boyfriend. That fact alone made him feel an odd sense of pressure.
"You look like a student. Are you from Kamii University?" Ryoma asked, even though he already knew the answer.
He couldn't just act like he knew everything about Kaneki from the start. That would be suspicious.
Kamii University was the nearest school, so his question wouldn't seem out of place.
"Yeah, I am. Are you also a student there?" Kaneki asked curiously.
Ryoma nodded. "Yeah, I'm in the Literature Department. My name is Kanzaki Ryoma."
Kaneki blinked in surprise. "I… I'm also in the Literature Department…"
For a moment, he found it hard to believe.
Not only were they classmates, but they were also both fans of Takatsuki Sen.
It felt like too much of a coincidence.
"My name is Kaneki Ken. Nice to meet you," he said, bowing his head slightly.
Kaneki wasn't used to socializing, but talking to someone who shared his love for books felt refreshing.
He had only ever had one close friend—Hide. And since Hide wasn't into literature, there was always a gap in their interests.
But now, with Ryoma, it felt different.
Even though he was that girl's boyfriend…
[Ding! Host has befriended Kaneki Ken. Reward: 2 Fusion Points!]
As they continued chatting, they found themselves naturally engrossed in discussing Takatsuki Sen's works.
Kaneki, who was usually reserved, became completely absorbed in the conversation.
For a while, he even forgot that Ryoma was dating Rize.
And even if he did remember, his personality wouldn't allow him to entertain any improper thoughts.
Not only did he lack the confidence to pursue someone already taken, but now he had also befriended her boyfriend.
The idea of interfering in their relationship would never even cross his mind.
---
Evening
After borrowing another book from the café's shelf, Ryoma spent the rest of the evening reading.
[Ding! Host has read The Black Goat's Egg. Reward: 1 Fusion Point!]
[Ding! Host has finished The Black Goat's Egg. Reward: 1 Fusion Point!]
By the time the café was closing, Ryoma and Kaneki both decided to head home.
Though they had spent most of the time reading, they had occasionally exchanged thoughts on Takatsuki Sen's writing, deepening their mutual appreciation for literature.
Kaneki, in particular, was in a great mood.
For the first time, he had found someone who shared his passion for books.
Hide was his best friend, but Hide had never been interested in reading. With Ryoma, he could finally talk about the novels he loved without holding back.
Meanwhile, Ryoma walked the same route as the night before, passing through the quieter streets and alleys of the 20th Ward.
---
The city was eerily silent at this hour.
There were barely any pedestrians around.
Especially in the alleys.
Most people avoided deserted areas at night, fearing ghoul attacks.
Ryoma remained on high alert.
If he encountered an S-rated ghoul or higher, things could get tricky. With his current fusion level, he wasn't sure how well he would fare against a truly powerful opponent.
Ghouls looked human, but their strength was on an entirely different level.
At this point, his fusion progress was only at Lv1—which meant he had barely unlocked a fraction of Uchiha Madara's power.
At best, his abilities were comparable to a lower-tier Uchiha.
It was like comparing a One Tomoe Sharingan to the fully evolved Rinnegan. There was an enormous gap in power.
That being said, it was unlikely that he'd run into anything too dangerous here.
The 20th Ward was relatively stable, thanks to Yoshimura Kuzen's influence.
Most ghouls in this area followed his rules, avoiding unnecessary trouble with humans.
The only real exceptions were outliers like Kamishiro Rize—reckless predators who ignored the unspoken laws.
And Rize, for all her viciousness, wouldn't attack him just yet.
That would be too boring for her.
Still, Ryoma decided to take a detour—just in case.
But before he could exit the alley, he heard something.
Footsteps.
Someone was behind him.
Turning around, he saw a man approaching.
His expression was rough, his demeanor unsettling.
Though his eyes hadn't turned into a ghoul's kakugan yet, Ryoma could sense it.
This guy wasn't human.
"Man, those idiots at Antique have all these stupid rules," the man muttered to himself. "No hunting humans in the Ward, no eating fresh meat… I'm sick of feeding on corpses."
His complaint made no sense to a normal person.
But to Ryoma, it confirmed everything.
This was a ghoul.
His expression hardened.
The guy was looking at him like prey.
"If you're planning to eat me," Ryoma said flatly, "then go ahead and try."
The ghoul smirked.
Judging by his unfamiliar face, he wasn't one of the more powerful ghouls in the Ward.
Ryoma had memorized the identities of all the high-ranking ghouls in the 20th Ward.
If this guy had been an S-rank or above, he would've known about him.
That meant this was just some low-tier ghoul looking for an easy meal.
Perfect.
This would be a good chance to test out his abilities.
"Oh?" The ghoul chuckled. "You already figured it out, and you're not running away?"
He looked Ryoma up and down, puzzled.
Any normal human would have panicked.
Would have tried to escape.
But this kid was standing his ground, completely calm.
If it weren't for the fact that he didn't have a quinque, the ghoul might have mistaken him for a CCG investigator.
"Bluffing, huh?"
The ghoul scoffed and lunged forward.
At the same time, his eyes transformed.
His irises turned blood red, while the whites of his eyes darkened.
A deep green Rinkaku kagune burst forth from his lower back, forming a long, whip-like appendage.
It was fast.
Stronger than human flesh.
A single strike could tear through steel.
But Ryoma's expression didn't waver.
Instead—
His eyes shifted.
In an instant, his once-dark pupils turned crimson.
A single tomoe spun within each of them.
The ghoul froze mid-attack.
His breath hitched.
His body tensed.
? !
For a brief moment, his mind went blank.
What… the hell… is that?!
=====
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