The bright fluorescent lights of the supermarket were almost blinding.
Pushing a shopping cart lazily through the aisles, Ren headed straight for the candy section.
Inside his mind—
Carnage was already getting excited.
[…Over there…]
[…The black ones…]
Its attention immediately shifted again.
[…That row… the red ones…]
"Alright, alright."
Ren sighed and casually tossed several boxes of chocolate into the cart.
"…This one looks good too…"
"I'm taking it."
"Now put your tentacles back."
He lowered his voice sharply.
"…Oh…"
Carnage reluctantly obeyed.
…
At the checkout counter—
The cashier stared at the mountain of chocolate bars piled on the conveyor belt.
Then she glanced at Ren's slightly pale face.
Her expression slowly filled with concern.
Ren pretended not to notice.
He quickly paid and left.
Once outside—
Carnage spoke again.
[…That girl…]
[Her eyes were strange…]
"Take a guess why."
Ren lifted the heavy shopping bags.
His tone was full of resignation.
…
Night gradually fell.
Neon lights illuminated the streets.
After walking for several minutes, Ren turned into a quiet side street.
At the end of the alley stood a bar with a flickering neon sign.
Crow's Nest.
Dim light and faint music seeped out through the door.
He stepped forward.
Just as he was about to enter—
Carnage suddenly spoke.
[…Wait…]
"Hmm?"
He paused.
[…Blood…]
[The smell is strong…]
[Deep in the alley to the left…]
Ren waved dismissively.
"Probably ghouls hunting."
In the world of Tokyo Ghoul, such things were routine.
He had no interest in interfering with normal ghoul predation.
Carnage continued.
[…Two familiar scents…]
[A weak ghoul being hunted…]
[And… your little colleague…]
Ren stopped.
"…Touka?"
Carnage hummed softly.
[Should we take a look?]
He sighed.
"Fine."
"I was hoping to have a peaceful drink tonight…"
…
Following the scent deeper into the alley—
The scene quickly became clear.
Under the dim streetlight stood Touka Kirishima.
Opposite her—
Nishio Nishiki.
The tension between them was obvious.
Both of their eyes glowed crimson.
Nearby—
Ken Kaneki knelt on the ground.
His hands clutched his throat as he coughed violently.
Two corpses lay nearby.
One of them was a ghoul.
Its head separated cleanly from its body.
"…So that glutton is really dead."
Nishio's ghoul eyes burned with irritation.
"And this territory belongs to your little coffee shop now?"
Touka's voice was cold.
"The food source Rize used to monopolize was meant for weaker ghouls."
"The 20th Ward is managed by Anteiku."
"What?"
Nishio scoffed.
"You and that group of weaklings from Anteiku?"
"What right do you have to lecture me?"
"This area originally—"
"Pfft."
A sudden snicker broke the tension.
Both Touka and Nishio turned instantly.
"Who's there?!"
Their gazes locked onto the shadows.
Carnage whispered.
[…You've been discovered…]
"…Well."
Ren raised both hands as he stepped out of the darkness.
His expression looked awkward.
"Did I arrive at a bad time?"
"Ren?!"
Nishio's expression changed immediately.
The crimson in his eyes faded.
Shock—and panic—appeared on his face.
"What are you doing here?!"
"Leave!"
"Now!"
His voice was almost a growl.
Clearly—
He didn't want his human friend discovering the truth.
Touka remained silent.
Her eyes studied Ren carefully.
Unlike Nishio—
She knew exactly what he was.
"I was just heading to the bar."
Ren pointed casually toward the neon sign.
"I heard a lot of noise here."
"So I came to check."
His gaze drifted toward the corpses.
"…Is this a murder scene?"
Silence filled the alley.
Touka and Nishio briefly exchanged glances.
Neither hostility nor suspicion disappeared.
"Ren."
Nishio forced his voice to remain steady.
"This isn't your business."
"Go."
He emphasized the last word.
Nishio Nishiki rarely trusted humans.
After losing his sister to human violence, he had closed himself off emotionally.
Aside from his girlfriend Kimi Nishino—
Ren was one of the few humans he tolerated.
The thought of that friendship collapsing—
Of seeing fear or disgust in Ren's eyes—
Terrified him more than fighting Touka.
"Alright, alright."
Ren raised his hands in surrender.
"I'm leaving."
"It's late anyway."
"You two should head home soon."
He turned and walked away from the alley.
…
Carnage sounded confused.
[…You're really leaving?]
"Of course not."
He stopped in the darkness near the alley entrance.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let's find a good seat."
"And watch the show."
Carnage chuckled.
[…As you wish…]
Two crimson tendrils emerged silently from his back.
They latched onto the wall.
With a sudden pull—
His body lifted effortlessly onto the rooftop above the alley.
From there—
They watched.
The battle below ended quickly.
Touka's speed overwhelmed Nishio.
Within moments—
He was wounded.
Blood dripped from his side as he staggered backward.
His ghoul eyes burned with frustration.
Then—
He fled into the darkness.
Carnage clicked its tongue.
[…Disappointing…]
[I thought he was stronger…]
Ren crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"…Yeah."
"For someone who acts like a boss character…"
"He couldn't even beat Touka."
Strange.
…
Once Nishio's presence completely vanished—
Ren jumped down from the rooftop.
Carnage absorbed the landing impact effortlessly.
The soft sound made Touka spin around instantly.
Her ghoul eyes flashed.
Then faded when she recognized him.
"Why did you leave earlier?"
Her tone remained cold.
But there was genuine confusion beneath it.
"Nishio is an important friend."
He met her gaze calmly.
"He didn't want me discovering his ghoul identity."
"And I…"
He paused briefly.
"…haven't figured out how to explain that his human friend is actually a ghoul."
Touka stared at him.
The situation sounded absurd.
Two people—
Both hiding the same secret.
Pretending to be human for each other.
It made no sense.
She shook the thought away.
Her gaze shifted toward the ground.
Kaneki still knelt there.
His body trembling.
"Forget that."
Ren followed her gaze.
"What do we do with this guy?"
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