Three days from now it's the weekend. If I'm going to another world, shouldn't I tell my family something?
But what excuse?
Say I'm joining a mysterious magic-tournament spectator trip? They'll think I've lost it.
Say I'm meeting an online friend? Mom and Dad will question me to deathand it sounds even more dangerous.
Say I'm going to a closed music boot camp?
That might barely work?
But I'll need Ritsu and the others to back me up.
"Ugh such a pain"
Mio unconsciously rubbed her cheek against the bass case and let out a mosquito-soft sigh of girlish frustration. Her black hair fell forward, hiding her thoroughly tangled expression.
Chapter 873: Problem Kamishiro Rize's Bring...
[Thank you Mooh Van Den Bosch, Dakota Scheeler, Joel Vincent, John David, Jacob Plahtinsky, Feng Zhao, kutetsu Kutetsu, Klaus Skandov, Nitorxs, Jeff_Maxilom, Bram Mols, zeref, Su freaks, Kynx, Jay Moore, blackwar789, faintmeteor, Gill, Yvros, Fuad Mammadov, Temnizziv, John David, Arfel Santos, Artheryia, Blizzard, Irakli Jishkariani, Fr0sTyy4192, and more for Joining the Patreon!
Joining the Patreon, even at the lowest $3 membership, gives you access to over 70+ Advanced Chapters! Join now and read Continuously!]
~~~
Tokyo, 20th Ward.
Anteiku caf.
In the cramped attic, Touka Kirishima slowly let out a long breath, pressing downfor nowthe shock and faint longing stirred by the magic she'd just felt through the group chat from another world. She rubbed her tired eyes and closed the group interface in her mind, the one only she could see.
Going to another world to watch magic duels it did sound temptingespecially for someone trapped in the brutal swirl of ghoul vs. human and ghoul vs. ghoul. A display of power within rules carried a luxury of civilization she rarely saw.
Rei Ao would be taking them, and that sparked a quiet thread of anticipation in her heart.
But that would have to wait.
Break time was over. Work called.
She quickly changed into Anteiku's dark server uniform, smoothed her short navy hair, and tried to rein in the chill that belonged to a ghoul, making herself look more like an ordinary, slightly aloof part-time waitress.
She pushed open the attic door and headed down the narrow stairs. There were more customers than before in the afternoon rush, and the air was richer with the smell of coffee and pastries.
But as she reached the turn of the stairs, ready to step into the first-floor dining area, a figure blocked her path.
Renji Yomo.
He still wore his server's apron, but the usual gentle smile was gone from his face, replaced by rare gravity and caution. He gave Touka a small nod, signaling her not to go down yet, and flicked his eyes toward a spot by the window.
Sensing trouble, Touka's heart tightened; she followed his gaze.
At the booth by the window, the clumsy human part-timer Ken Kaneki was standing there, looking a little ill at ease. Sitting across from him was a woman.
At first glance she seemed the picture of gentle composure: a well-tailored white dress tracing an elegant figure; a waterfall of smooth purple hair with softly curled ends; rimless glasses over eyes that curved like they were smiling. She lifted a delicate coffee cup with her pinky slightly raisedher posture flawless. Sunshine streamed through the glass, wrapping her in a soft halo.
It looked peaceful and lovely, like a scene from an art film.
But every muscle in Touka's body went taut in an instant.
A deep-red glinther kakuganflashed in her eyes and was forcibly suppressed.
Ghoul.
And not an ordinary one.
Beneath that gentle facade seeped a tightly veiled yet almost tangible stench of bloodthick, chaotic, crazed with hunger. Like rotten roses mixed with iron rust. Even across the room, it stabbed at Touka's sharpened ghoul senses.
The mood in the caf shifted. Other patrons kept chatting or sipping coffee, but Touka could feel it: the ghouls among them were watching the purple-haired woman with open warinessand the faintest hint of fear. Their bodies were coiled, prey in the presence of a natural enemy. Even the soothing jazz in the air seemed to tighten a string.
"Who is she?" Touka asked under her breath, teeth almost clenched. She'd never seen this woman in the 20th Ward, but the strength and danger rolling off her triggered a primal unease.
Yomo's gaze stayed locked on the seemingly harmless figure by the window. His voice was very low, heavier than she'd ever heard it. "Kamishiro Rize. From the 11th Ward. A binge-eater whose appetite is out of control. Codename'Glutton.'"
Glutton.
Touka's pupils shrank hard. The name coiled around her heart like a cold snake.
Last night's findings: SS rating, frenzied feeding, a Special Class "Dove" investigator stationed in the 20th Ward
It all connected.
The source of the ward's chaos and danger was sitting at Anteiku's window like a refined lady, chatting and laughing with their clueless human part-timer.
The scene was wrong. Completely at odds with everything "Glutton" meant. A shameless madwoman who devoured humans for sportwhy would she patiently sit there, smiling gently, and make small talk with an ordinary teenage boy?
There was only one answer: the prey had entered the predator's sights.
Ken Kaneki.
The little white rabbit who'd wandered into a ghoul's den, trailing an irresistible scent, had already been added to Kamishiro Rize's hunting list. That gentleness was nothing but a cruel gamethe tease before the kill.
Touka looked at Kaneki again. He seemed soothed by Rize's tenderness; some of the tension had left his face. He even showed a small, shy smile, listening intentlyeyes behind his glasses full of guileless innocence and stupidity.
Pitycold and edged with irritationrose in Touka's chest. This human kid had no idea what kind of monster he was talking to. He was one step from death.
"What do we do?" Touka's voice came out dry. She looked to Yomo, a deep crimson flicker ghosting in her eyes. Were they really going to let the culprit behind the ward's unrest do as she pleased?
Yomo shook his head, heavy with helplessness. "Manager says hold position. No rash moves. Kamishiro Rize is too dangerous. For now, we can only watch from the shadows."
He stressed those words, and the powerlessness in his tone was clear. Protecting Anteiku and the people under its roof took absolute priority. To provoke an SS-class lunaticand the Doves who could show up at any timejust for a human?
The price was too high.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
Currently You can Read 220+ Chapters Ahead of Others!
Chapter 874: Kaneki is getting Seduced...
Touka Kirishima fell silent.
She understood the manager's decision. She understood Yomo's helplessness. But staring at that scene by the windowpeaceful on the surface, deadly underneathand at the culprit she couldn't touch, a hot mix of frustration and anger burned in her chest.
Touka clenched her fists until her nails nearly bit into her palms. In the end, she only managed a hard nod and forced out a single word from her throat: "Mm."
Her gaze drifted, almost against her will, to the floating group-chat interface deep in her mind. The name of the group owner, Rei Ao, rested quietly at the top of the list like a lighthouse in the dark.
Pay the price yourself If it was to protect her family, she might pay any price. The thought sprouted in her heart like a creeping vine.
Afternoon sun cut bright geometric shapes across the floor through Anteiku's front windows. The air was thick with the rich scent of roasted coffee beans, threaded with the faint dryness of old paper, wrapping the room in a lazy, reassuring mood.
The wooden tables and chairs gleamed from a fresh wipe. In the corner, a turntable spun softly, letting mellow jazz lay a gentle filter over the space.
Ken Kaneki sat by the window, fingers curling a little too tightly around his warm coffee cup. The heat seeped into his fingertips, but couldn't quite chase off his jitters.
His eyes kept driftingalmost on their ownto the woman sitting across from him: Rize Kamishiro.
Today Rize wore a well-tailored off-white dress, delicate lace trimming the neckline and framing her slender throat.
Her hair fell smoothly over her shoulders; sunlight danced on the ends, gilding them in warm gold. Slim frames rested on her nose; behind the lenses, her eyes seemed to hold liquid light.
Whenever she looked at Kaneki, there was just the right amount of gentle warmth in her smile, as if it could draw a person's soul right in.
"Kaneki-san, you seem to really like Takatsuki Sen's novels," Rize said, her voice soft and pleasant, like a feather brushing the tip of his heart. "Your eyes lit up just now when you mentioned her."
Kaneki snapped back to himself. His cheeks warmed and he ducked his head, flustered. "Ahr-really? I just think her writing really hits home."
A lie. He was simply captivated by Rize. His voice came out a little dry; he was embarrassed by how much he'd spaced out. He almost never lost composure like thisespecially not in front of a girl.
"I like her too." Rize gave a small nod, picked up the little silver spoon, and lazily stirred her coffee. Brown liquid rippled out in circles. "That sense of detachment from the world, the questioning of one's own existence It's heavy, but strangely compelling, isn't it?"
"Y-Yes!" Kaneki's eyes lit up as if he'd found a kindred spirit; a lot of his earlier tension evaporated. He didn't really understand, but agreeing felt safe.
"I've always thought anyone who can write like that must have an incredibly rich, delicate inner life," he said. "Sometimes when I read her, it feels like she's pin-pointing certain emotions in me. It's a curious feeling."
Rize listened patiently, a faint smile at her lips, her gaze fixed on his face as if every word he said was interesting. The feeling of being fully heard and understood was new to Kaneki.
He was introverted by nature, not good at socializing, with few friendsand almost never got to speak his mind so freely. Rize's presence was like a warm light brightening his gray little world.
Love at first sight. So this is what it feels like.
He watched the slight tilt of her head. Sunlight traced her soft profile; long lashes cast a small shadow beneath her lids; her nose was straight; her lips curved like a careful sketchso beautiful he couldn't look away.
Kaneki drifted off again. His heartbeat picked up, a little deer thudding around in his chest. In the quiet caf he could almost hear the drum of it himself. The instant his eyes met Rize's, he panicked and looked away, pretending to study the street outside, while his cheeks burned hotter and hotter.
From an angle he couldn't see, Rize's gentle smile seemed to freeze for an instant. Deep in her pupils, a faint, almost playful, evil glint flickeredan undercurrent beneath a calm lake. She hid it perfectly, so fast it could've been a trick of the light.
Looking at the tips of his ears reddening and the fluster in his eyes, a flash of knowingand contemptpassed through her. But her tone stayed gentle: "Kaneki-san, you have a unique eye for literature. Listening to you is quite interesting."
"R-Really? Th-thanks" Kaneki stammered, even more embarrassed.
They kept chatting, on and offliterature to film, music to the city's narrow back alleys. Time slipped by before they knew it. Outside, the sunlight softened, warming to orange-red. The afterglow painted everything inside the shop in a hazy gold.
"It's getting late, Kaneki-san." Rize lifted her head toward the window, her voice carrying the faintest trace of regret. "I should be going."
The words flipped a switch, snapping Kaneki out of the spell of their conversation. He glanced outside and saw the sun already sinking between distant buildings, the sky ablaze with orange. A strong reluctance welled up in him. Time had flown; there was still so much he wanted to say to her.
Chapter 875: Hope the kid still alive tomorrow...
"Ah it really is late."
Kaneki stood up in a fluster and, almost without thinking, blurted, "Should I walk you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted themworried he'd been too forward and might put her off.
Kamishiro Rize's eyes flickered. Her gaze drifted, seemingly casually, over the other customers in the caf.
In the corner, a short-haired girl with bluish-purple hair in a server's uniform was quietly polishing a glassexpression calm.
Beside her, the older waitress, Irimi Kaya, carried a tray; her eyes glanced their way now and then, a cool look on her face.
Rize's lips soon curved back into that gentle smile. She nodded. "All right."
"!!!"
At her answer, Kaneki's heart seemed to skip a beat. Joy washed over him in an instant, and he got so excited he could barely string a sentence together.
"II'll just go get changed!"
He spun around and hurried toward the staff room, his steps almost springy.
Watching his retreating back, Rize's smile thinned. She lifted her cup and took a light sip, her eyes once more, almost imperceptibly, sliding toward Touka and Irimiassessing.
A moment later, Kaneki emerged in his own clothes: a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking clean and boyish.
Rize stood, picked up her small handbag, and smiled. "Shall we?"
"Mm!"
Kaneki nodded hard and walked beside her toward the door.
After the two of them left, the caf settled back into quiet, though a faint tension still clung to the air.
"Sigh." Irimi set down her tray and let out a soft breathquiet, but loud enough for Touka Kirishima beside her to hear. "Let's hope that kid's still alive to show up for his shift tomorrow." Her tone held resignation and regret.
Touka paused, looked toward the entrance, a complicated glint passing through her blue-violet eyes. She nodded in grim agreement.
Not once had she considered stopping Kaneki. She knew exactly who Kamishiro Rize wasa ghoul infamous even among ghouls for her brutality and greed, called the "Glutton."
Anteiku might shelter some ghouls and hold to a rule of not killing, but that didn't mean they'd offend someone as dangerous as Rize for the sake of a human they'd only just met. That would drag the entire caf into peril.
Such were the survival laws of the ghoul worldcruel and real.
Touka simply turned back and kept polishing the glass, as if nothing had happened.
Kaneki and Rize walked side by side down the evening street. The afterglow of sunset stretched their shadows long, weaving together and parting again with each step.
At first, Kaneki was still basking in the joy of getting to walk with Rize. But before long, regret and awkwardness crept in. His social skills were hopeless. All the topics he'd prepared back at the caf had already been talked to death. Now, racking his brains as they walked, he couldn't think of anything new, and could only follow in silence. The atmosphere turned heavy.
