Tokyo, Ward 20.
"So I really did transmigrate..."
Taking in his surroundings—unfamiliar yet strangely recognizable—Amaha Byakuya emerged from his brief contemplation with a clear understanding of what had happened.
What truly confirmed it was the young woman who looked impossibly familiar.
Long, silky purple hair cascaded down her back, tied with a ribbon shaped like rabbit ears. Red-framed glasses perched on her nose, a white dress hugging her tall, elegant figure. She radiated the air of a refined, intellectual beauty.
That purple hair, those purple eyes... Isn't that Rize Kamishiro?
The place Byakuya found himself in was Anteiku—the so-called "peaceful ward's" coffee shop.
The last thing he remembered was getting obliterated by a truck, then darkness, and now... this. Clearly, he'd landed in the world of Tokyo Ghoul. Having watched the series, he recognized both Rize Kamishiro and this café instantly.
[Ding! Host has successfully activated the System. Default fusion: Uchiha Madara!]
A cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed through his mind.
A system interface materialized before his eyes.
[Host: Amaha Byakuya]
[Identity: Human]
[Age: 18]
[Fusion Target: Uchiha Madara]
[Fusion Progress: Lv1 (0/100)]
[Equipment: None]
[Abilities: One-Tomoe Sharingan, Hashirama Cells Lv1, Taijutsu Lv1, C-Rank Ninjutsu "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique," C-Rank Ninjutsu "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Technique," C-Rank Ninjutsu "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Technique," D-Rank Ninjutsu "Body Flicker Technique"]
[Fusion Points: 0]
[System Shop: Locked]
Byakuya felt a surge of excitement. I actually got Madara's powers!
And as his fusion progress increased, he'd surely unlock even more of Uchiha Madara's abilities.
The System also fed him some additional information. Despite having transmigrated into this body, he now possessed legitimate Tokyo citizenship and fluent Japanese. How? The System could do anything, apparently.
While Byakuya was still processing the interface, Rize Kamishiro glanced his way and smiled—a sweet, demure expression that practically radiated elegance.
But he knew better. Behind that gentle, intellectual façade lurked a vicious ghoul—an S-rated "Binge Eater."
In this world, creatures called "ghouls" walked among humanity. Nearly indistinguishable from humans in appearance, they fed on human flesh, couldn't consume normal food, and possessed strength far beyond ordinary people.
Most ghouls were already brutal by nature. Rize Kamishiro was among the worst of them.
[Ding! Host has activated a quest. Initiating Divine Selection!]
[Option 1: Ignore Rize Kamishiro's smile. Reward: 1 Fusion Point!]
[Option 2: Glare back menacingly and shout "What are you looking at?!" Reward: 10 Fusion Points!]
[Option 3: Walk over and confess your love to Rize Kamishiro passionately. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
Byakuya studied the three options for a moment, then made his decision.
He stood up and walked straight toward her.
Under Rize's slightly puzzled gaze, he spoke with utter sincerity: "Miss, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I fell in love at first sight."
God, I'm making myself cringe.
His voice carried across the café, drawing the attention of nearly everyone present. They stared at him with expressions ranging from bewilderment to disbelief.
What most people didn't realize was that the majority of customers here were ghouls. Occasionally, a human would wander in by mistake, but thanks to the rules set by the SSS-rated ghoul who "managed" Ward 20, no ghoul would harm humans who stumbled into the shop.
Because they were all ghouls, they knew exactly what Rize Kamishiro truly was. Watching a human confess to this greedy, savage S-rated Binge Eater? Their internal reactions were nothing short of spectacular.
Some ghouls already pitied the poor boy. His fate was going to be horrific.
Byakuya felt the awkwardness acutely, but for 50 Fusion Points? A little embarrassment was nothing.
He knew Rize inside and out. Confessing to her wasn't as mortifying as it might seem—after all, she wouldn't reject him like a normal girl would. She'd just see him as food.
No rejection meant less awkwardness. The logic was weird, sure, but it tracked.
[Ding! Host has completed Option 3. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
Got it. Byakuya felt vindicated.
Just 50 more points and he'd reach Lv2, unlocking more of Madara's powers.
In a world as dangerous as Tokyo Ghoul, he needed the strength to protect himself. Otherwise, he'd end up as some ghoul's dinner—and what kind of pathetic transmigrator would that make him?
His sudden confession had clearly caught Rize off guard. Surprise flickered across her face.
"Alright then," she said, maintaining her refined, ladylike demeanor with a gentle smile. "If you really like me that much, perhaps we could try dating?"
That was fast. Byakuya hadn't expected her to agree so readily.
He'd assumed she'd play hard to get for a bit.
She probably thinks I look delicious and wants to dig in as soon as possible.
Whatever her reasoning, he knew her endgame. Rize Kamishiro's only goal was to devour him.
"That's wonderful," Byakuya said, his expression brightening. "But I still don't know your name..."
Rize was acting. So was he.
Sure, he'd already secured the Fusion Points. There wasn't much point in continuing to engage with her. But what if spending time with Rize triggered more Divine Selections and yielded even more points? That would make it worthwhile.
"I'm Rize Kamishiro. And you?"
"Amaha Byakuya."
And just like that, they became a couple.
It seemed sudden, almost absurd—but both of them had hidden agendas.