What kind of scene was Tsukiyama Shuu witnessing?
Two blinding spotlights illuminated a lone boy dressed in a high school uniform.
The teenager was drenched head to toe in blood. His pale, sharp-featured face carried a faint, twisted smile.
A thin stream of blood slid slowly down the length of the katana in his hand, dripping onto the floor with a soft plap.
The hall was deathly silent.
So silent that Tsukiyama could hear that single drop of blood striking the ground.
All around the boy lay severed limbs and shattered bodies. Tsukiyama could clearly see the terror frozen in the ghouls' eyes at the moment of their deaths.
The stench of blood completely engulfed the hall.
And yet despite being a ghoul who reveled in slaughter, Tsukiyama felt no exhilaration.
Instead, an inexplicable chill crawled up his spine.
"Tsukiyama Shuu,"
Fushimi Kyo lifted his head and looked up at him, flashing a wide, toothy grin.
"Nice to finally meet you."
Beside Tsukiyama, an elderly man with a neatly groomed white beard felt his heart pound violently.
So many ghouls… all dead?
Who in the world was this boy? How could he slaughter them so mercilessly?
The old man knew Tsukiyama had kidnapped a human but he had never seen this human's face before, and thus failed to recognize Kyo.
Tsukiyama, however, recognized him instantly.
Thanks to Chie Hori's surveillance photos, Tsukiyama knew at a glance that the blood-soaked youth below was his target
A human who fed on ghoul kagune.
A rare, priceless ingredient he had longed for beyond reason.
Only now… this "ingredient" looked far more difficult to consume than expected.
Even faced with a sea of corpses, Tsukiyama was not repelled.
On the contrary his eyes lit up with feverish excitement.
If he eats all of their kagune…
And then I eat him…
What kind of flavor would that be?
That would be extraordinary.
Just imagining it made his body tremble.
Swallowing hard, Tsukiyama smiled gently and spoke down to Kyo:
"Fushimi-kun… please eat all of their kagune."
Kyo froze for a moment.
Is this guy insane?
Didn't he just watch me butcher all his 'guests'?
I destroyed his precious restaurant how is he not angry at all?
Even with full knowledge of Tsukiyama's deranged personality from the original story, Kyo was completely dumbfounded.
"What are you trying to say?" he asked coldly.
"After you consume their kagune," Tsukiyama said dreamily,
"your flesh will surely ascend to an even higher level."
"A human who devours ghoul kagune then I devour that human."
"Hahaha! What a perfect harmony!"
"Such a dish would ignite my taste buds beyond imagination."
"Aroma? Richness? Depth?"
"Just thinking about it makes me unbearably excited."
Kyo was done.
Utterly speechless.
This man truly couldn't read the room.
With Tsukiyama's bottom-tier S-rank strength, how could he possibly stand against him?
Kyo decided to end it quickly.
But before he could move, Tsukiyama leapt down from the upper floor.
He casually grabbed a ghoul corpse, plunged his hand inside, and tore out the kagune with a wet rip.
Holding it, he walked toward Kyo step by step.
"Look, Fushimi-kun," he said softly.
"I've prepared it for you. Eat it."
"Damn it you sick bastard. I've had enough."
Whoosh.
A faint gust passed by.
In the blink of an eye, Kyo appeared right in front of Tsukiyama and drove his elbow into the man's abdomen.
"Ugh !"
Tsukiyama's face instantly turned purple. His body folded like a shrimp as he was sent flying.
Bang!
He slammed into the wall, cracks spreading like spiderwebs across its surface.
Supporting himself with trembling hands, Tsukiyama staggered upright and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Young Master!"
The white-bearded old man leapt down from above, panic etched across his face.
Tsukiyama wiped the blood from his lips, staring at Kyo with a dark expression.
Such overwhelming strength…
Now I truly believe he killed Jason… and defeated Rize.
The haze of obsession finally lifted.
Reality came crashing back.
"Young Master, we must leave!" the old man urged anxiously.
"This man is far too dangerous. If anything happens to you, how can I face the family head?"
He knew better than anyone how reckless Tsukiyama became when confronted with "gourmet."
"…Fine."
Tsukiyama glanced at the carnage around him, then looked back at Kyo one last time before turning to flee.
Then
A cold, low voice echoed from behind him.
"Tsukiyama Shuu."
"Are you satisfied with the gift I prepared for you?"
"You've accepted the present… and now you're just leaving?"
"Doesn't that seem a little rude?"
Tsukiyama's pupils shrank.
Terrifying speed…
I didn't even see him move how did he close that distance in a single step?
Rize's warning resurfaced in his mind:
"He's extremely strong. Attack him without preparation, and you'll die."
For the first time in his life, Tsukiyama felt genuine fear.
"F-Fushimi-kun…" he asked shakily,
"What… do you want to do?"
He didn't even realize his voice was trembling.
Kyo tilted his head, feigning thought.
"Hm… let me think."
Then he looked up sharply, eyes gleaming.
"How about this?"
"You leave your kagune behind."
"Let's call it a return gift."
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