Nishio Nishiki's legs went limp, his body collapsing heavily onto the ground.
"You're just too weak," Fushimi Kyo said indifferently.
He bent down, his five fingers curling into claws, and plunged them brutally into Nishio's body.
"AAH !"
Nishio let out a shrill scream, then spat out a mouthful of blood with a wet splatter.
Kyo slowly straightened up, a mangled, blood-soaked organ held in his hand the kagune sac.
He brought it straight to his mouth.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host. Devoured A+–rank ghoul kagune. Evolution Points +5.
Ding!
Congratulations, Host. Devoured A+–rank ghoul kagune. Evolution Points +3.
Ding!
Congratulations…
By the time Kyo finished consuming the entire kagune, he had gained a total of 30 evolution points.
"Tch. As expected," he frowned.
"Once resistance kicks in, this is all I get."
Not far away, Kaneki Ken had witnessed everything from start to finish.
"How is this possible…?"
"Isn't he human? How can he eat a ghoul's flesh?"
"…Could he be a ghoul too?"
Because he often watched the news, Kaneki knew there was a phenomenon among ghouls known as cannibalism.
What Kyo had just done looked exactly like that.
Kaneki unconsciously staggered back a few steps, fear creeping into his gaze as he looked at Kyo.
"Heh. A post-op one-eyed ghoul," Kyo wiped the blood from his mouth and said calmly.
"Doesn't look that special."
"Eh?" Kaneki froze.
"Post-op… one-eyed?"
Seeing his confusion, Kyo figured some explanation was necessary.
"When a human has ghoul organs transplanted into their body, there's a chance they'll become a one-eyed ghoul," Kyo said casually.
"One-eyed ghouls are just like regular ghouls; they need human flesh for nutrition."
"The difference is that one-eyeds have much higher potential. They're considered a particularly dangerous type of ghoul."
"…Need to eat human flesh?"
Kaneki's face instantly turned pale.
Eating people was something that completely shattered his values.
He simply couldn't accept it.
"What, you can't accept that?" Kyo asked flatly.
"I figured as much."
"There is another option," he added.
"There's… another way?"
Kaneki's eyes lit up instantly, hope flooding his expression.
"Of course. And I'm sure you've already heard of it."
"I have?" Kaneki asked blankly. "What is it?"
"Cannibalism."
"If ghouls eat other ghouls, that means it brings huge benefits, possibly even greater than hunting humans."
"You'll understand that someday."
Hearing that the alternative was this, Kaneki shook his head violently like a rattle drum.
"No, no, no!"
"I won't eat humans, and I won't eat ghouls either!"
"I can't do it. I really can't!"
"Can't?"
Whoosh.
Kyo appeared in front of him in an instant.
His hand clamped around Kaneki's throat, lifting him straight off the ground.
"Do you know what happens if you don't eat?"
"You've already experienced extreme hunger, haven't you?"
"That feeling eats away at your sanity. Eventually, you'll completely lose control."
"And once you do," Kyo said coldly,
"you'll kill anyone near you."
"That blond kid. Your classmates. Or some random passerby brushing past you on the street."
"They'll all die because of you."
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled Kaneki to the ground.
"Now choose," Kyo said flatly.
"Human flesh, or ghoul flesh?"
"I won't eat!" Kaneki roared.
"I choose neither!"
"I'm human! I won't hunt humans like a beast, and I won't devour my own kind!"
"Heh," Kyo chuckled softly.
"Good thing you don't have that scent on you yet."
Ever since the beginning, Kyo had used one simple criterion to decide whether a ghoul deserved to die
Did they emit a scent that tempted him?
After so many hunts, he had more or less figured out why that scent appeared.
There were only two possibilities:
First
The ghoul had recently hunted humans.
Second
The ghoul possessed innate hostility toward humans.
Maybe only one condition was enough.
Maybe both were required.
But either way, any ghoul who met those conditions could be killed without the slightest guilt.
After all, he was human.
Every morning, Kyo woke from the same recurring nightmare.
In it, his parents were brutally slaughtered by ghouls.
Over countless repetitions, that memory had hardened his resolve.
Against ghouls who preyed on humans, he never hesitated.
But people like those at Anteiku, or the Fueguchi family, never stirred that killing impulse.
That was why coexistence was possible.
Kyo glanced at Kaneki, collapsed in the corner, and a trace of pity flashed through his eyes.
This guy really had it rough in the original story.
Parents dead, turned into a ghoul against his will, tortured by Yamori…
Forced again and again to consume kagune he couldn't accept.
Not far away, Nishio Nishiki had actually crawled several meters away while the two were talking.
Although his kagune had been removed, his injuries weren't immediately fatal.
If he could eat human flesh, he might still survive.
But Kyo was never going to give him that chance.
In a few strides, Kyo stood before him.
"This world works on survival of the fittest," he said calmly.
"You fed on humans and treated their lives as worthless."
"So now I feed on you."
"You don't really have the right to complain."
"Next life," he added indifferently,
"hope you get a better draw and don't run into me."
His foot came down hard.
CRACK.
It was over.
After dealing with Nishio, Kyo tore off a large chunk of flesh from the corpse and walked step by step toward Kaneki.
"W-what are you doing?!" Kaneki trembled, screaming in terror.
"Helping you make a decision."
Kyo stuffed the blood-soaked flesh straight into Kaneki's mouth.
No matter how violently Kaneki struggled, it was useless.
Minutes later, Kaneki had been forced to swallow the entire chunk.
Only then did Kyo straighten up and say calmly:
"That should take care of your hunger for now."
"If you really don't know what to do," he added, turning away,
"go to Anteiku and look for the manager."
"He'll help you."
"But don't tell him I sent you."
With that, Fushimi Kyo walked out of the alley without another glance back.
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