"What on earth is this human saying?"
"Could it be that he's too terrified, and the fear has driven him insane?"
"Most likely. Just look, he's already babbling nonsense."
At those words, the noble ghouls in the audience began whispering among themselves.
In their eyes, Hayashi was clearly already insane.
After all, they were about to eat him — and instead of begging for his life, he was thanking them?What kind of twisted logic was that?
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Tsukiyama, seated at the highest point, suddenly grew intrigued.He had tasted more humans than most people had eaten bread.He had witnessed countless final screams, endless pleas for mercy.He had seen too many people abandon all pride and dignity in order to cling to life.
But never once had he seen anyone, at the brink of death, express gratitude.
'What an amusing human…'
The thought stirred his curiosity, his eyes glinting with interest. Under other circumstances, he might have wanted to get closer to this peculiar man. But right now, his hunger was too great, and his patience had already worn thin.
Still, he thought he had figured out what Hayashi was thanking him for…
"You're thanking me for presenting you to everyone as the ultimate delicacy, aren't you?"
Tsukiyama's face bloomed with intoxicated delight as he spread his arms wide, addressing the nobles below.
"So that's what it is! This human really is amusing."
"Yes, yes, and looking closely, he's rather handsome. If MM hadn't brought him here, I might've taken him home as a bed-warmer."
"Indeed, there aren't many handsome young men like him around."
"Well then, that's all the more reason to eat him right away."
At those words, realization struck the audience, and they began discussing eagerly.
"You don't need to thank me for bestowing this honor upon you. This is simply what you deserve~"
Facing the dazzling lights above, Tsukiyama's voice grew more and more ecstatic.
"Come! Let us give our applause to this brave man — this one chosen to receive such glory!"
The nobles were swept up in the fervor, shouting wildly. Applause thundered through the arena, the atmosphere turning feverish.
"Mr. Tsukiyama, you've misunderstood me. That's not what I meant."
Hayashi shook his head, cutting through the roaring applause.
"Misunderstood?"
Tsukiyama froze, genuinely confused. Aside from gratitude, what else could this human possibly mean? Could it be he wished for death — perhaps even longed for suicide?
"I was thanking you for preparing such a marvelous banquet… for giving me such a grand stage."
Sweeping his gaze across the audience of noble ghouls, Hayashi smiled faintly.
"For giving me… the chance to kill freely."
Kill?
The moment those words left his mouth, every ghoul present thought the same thing: he was completely insane. A frail, weaponless human daring to boast about killing them? That was the sort of nonsense only a broken mind would utter.
"A chance to kill?"
For a moment, even Tsukiyama was stunned, unable to react.
"Hayashi, Hayashi… I don't know what you're thinking. But if you believe acting insane will save your life, then I can only say… you're far too naive."
Sighing softly, Tsukiyama shook his head. For a brief moment, he had thought he'd met a human who understood his refined tastes, one who grasped the true artistry of gourmet dining. But in the end, it was nothing more than a delusion — just another fool driven mad by fear of death.
"Let's not delay. Dismemberer, begin the feast!"
Perhaps for the sake of ritual, Tsukiyama dabbed his lips elegantly with a handkerchief.
"Taro, hurry and cut him to pieces. Mama's hungry~"
From the noble seats, the green-glasses-wearing Lady A urged impatiently.
"Mama!"
The words sent Taro into a frenzy of excitement.
"I'll saw you, I'll saw you, I'll saw you apart!"
Like a moving mountain, the massive figure hefted his enormous saw and swung it down with brutal force.
The blade cleaved through the air with a shrill howl. But Hayashi did not dodge in the slightest.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact shook the entire coliseum. Dust billowed as the ground trembled.
Gulp~
Perhaps already savoring the thought of fresh meat, the noble ghouls licked their lips, eyes gleaming with hunger and anticipation.
"Though I truly like you, if you were a ghoul, I think we would've gotten along splendidly~"
Tsukiyama sighed with faint regret.
"But alas, as a mere human, you are far too weak…"
"Farewell, Hayashi. I will savor you well."
Yet just then —
The dust settled. And the scene they expected… did not come. Hayashi's arm had caught the massive saw head-on. He hadn't suffered a scratch.
"What?! How is this possible?!"
"A mere human, with such strength?!"
"He must be a ghoul! There's no way he's human!"
"He… he's practically a superhuman!"
The nobles erupted into chaos, their voices rising in disbelief.
"Taro, you useless oaf! Kill him, kill him at once!" Madam A screeched in panic, her composure unraveling.
"Mama, mama don't worry! I'll saw him, I'll saw him right now—"
Taro roared, veins bulging with rage. But before he could finish—
"You've all been chattering endlessly since earlier. How irritating."
Hayashi's cold eyes swept over him, carrying a chill that froze the blood. In an instant, Taro's massive frame quaked, a shiver running down his spine as if plunged into an icy abyss.
"It's all… far too boring."
The moment those words fell, Taro's enormous saw shattered into countless fragments.The very next second, his hulking frame was ripped apart like paper.
Blood gushed like a fountain, raining down across the arena. The floor turned crimson in an instant.
"What's happening?!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
As steaming blood splashed onto their faces, the nobles stared in horror. Taro — their entertainment, their butcher — had been torn to shreds.
Panic erupted as nobles scrambled for the exits.
"Mr. Tsukiyama" Hayashi's calm voice cut through the chaos, his handsome face adorned with a faint smile.
"I told you already — this is not just a banquet. It's a massacre."
"And I also told you…"
"Not a single one of you will escape. You'll all remain here."