After Hayashi said that, Tohru's eyes widened.
Under Tohru's gaze, Hayashi tore off a piece of meat.
Then, with one hand, he pried open Kamishiro Rize's mouth and stuffed the meat directly down her throat.
Since she was unconscious and had no swallowing reflexes, Hayashi had to use two fingers—yes, the two longest ones—to push it in.
As soon as the meat reached her throat, her biological instincts kicked in, and the food slid into her stomach.
In an instant, the honey-infused energy in the beef began to take effect!
Rize's depleted kakuhou started to recharge!
Her injuries also began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Can a ghoul's "severe injury" really be called severe?
Can a ghoul's "fatal wound" truly be considered fatal?
As long as they're not dead, as long as the kakuhou isn't drained dry, their HP is basically like an MP bar—ignore the MP and the HP will never run out!
Unless the brain is gone or the heart is destroyed, then it counts as death.
So, one piece of specially-prepared beef entered her stomach.
Rize quickly absorbed the energy Hayashi had imbued into it.
Her wounds healed rapidly. The bleeding stopped. The flesh regenerated. Her face quickly regained its color.
Tohru found it incredible. "So ghouls really have insane regeneration."
"Yes, and not just ghouls. Demons too," Hayashi nodded.
Very quickly—just a few minutes later—Kamishiro Rize gradually regained consciousness from her near-death state.
She opened her eyes and looked around.
Upon seeing the two people in front of her, the first thing she did was find Hayashi.
She reached out with both arms, as if to hug him. Her voice was weak from exhaustion, but soft: "Hayashi-kun…"
Hayashi: ?
That's not right.
This girlfriend-like demeanor… did she get brain damage?
Was this really the Kamishiro Rize he knew?
Tohru's face changed the moment she saw this.
She stepped forward, pressed down Rize's arms, and helped her sit properly on the sofa.
Then, in a serious tone, she said, "You're still badly injured and weak. You need to rest, Miss Rize."
Rize was pinned on the sofa.
Her physical wounds had all healed.
But after burning through her kakuhou and body's regenerative ability, there was a significant period of post-recovery fatigue.
Like a temporary weakness debuff had been applied.
Still, Rize didn't seem to care.
She kept looking at Hayashi like he was a priceless treasure, like she had lost him and found him again.
"Hayashi-kun…"
"Alright, alright." Hayashi sat to the side, crossing his legs. "Tell me what happened. Why's your body full of holes?"
Hearing that, Tohru also sat down to listen carefully.
Rize leaned her head on the sofa, her gaze a bit dazed as she looked at Hayashi. But she still spoke clearly.
"Last night, I went to see a single-family home."
"It had a nice basement. Belonged to a ghoul faction, so it was convenient to purchase."
Hayashi nodded. "So you were planning to move?"
Rize continued, "The basement was beautiful and spacious. I was planning to use it to lock up Hayashi-kun."
"But during the final transaction, the seller admitted to being a lackey of the Washuu Clan and started to…"
"Wait, wait, wait." Hayashi interrupted suddenly.
Tohru also stared wide-eyed at Rize. "Hayashi-san, this is the real hentai pervert!"
Hayashi rubbed his temples.
"Say that again—what was the basement for?"
"To lock up Hayashi-kun," Rize answered sincerely.
A bit too sincerely.
What the hell?
You planning to do some twisted dungeon play?
This is way too messed up. If you played it straight, maybe Hayashi could go along. But this? Who the hell is going to play with you?
Tohru couldn't hold back. "Why would you lock up Hayashi-san?"
"Because the risk of Hayashi-kun being exposed is growing," Rize still looked at him. "Not just now. Once ghouls find out, they'll all want to take him."
"But now it's not just ghouls—even demons are trying to snatch Hayashi-kun."
"I can't bear the thought of him disappearing one day, so I wanted to tie him up and keep him all to myself."
Hayashi was already biting his finger in shock after hearing that.
Tohru, terrified, hugged her own tail and clung to Hayashi.
The evidence was clear—this girl was a real pervert.
Even more perverted than before.
She really wanted to play Dungeon Ghoul!
"Ahem." Hayashi took a deep breath and calmed down. "Go on, finish the whole story."
Rize seemed reluctant, like she still wanted to say more sweet nothings.
But she continued explaining.
She told them how she had escaped from the Washuu Clan, explained what the Washuu Clan actually was, what CCG's current situation looked like, and roughly who came after her this time.
After hearing it, Hayashi nodded. It was more or less as he had suspected.
Kaneki had been a coincidence.
Rize was the real target.
Under the original storyline, if Rize had been captured, she would have definitely become the "Dragon."
But now, they had failed—and Rize had turned the tables.
"CCG is completely rotten," Hayashi concluded. "Even Kishou Arima can't control it anymore."
Rize nodded in agreement.
But Hayashi added, "Not surprising. Honestly, the current upper echelons of Japan are either ghouls or people who've made contracts with demons. It's all rotten to the core."
Rize: "!"
They're connected to demons too?
That part, she really didn't know.
The only reason she had access to so much information was because she was at the center of the storm. She had no clue beyond that.
Hayashi looked at her and asked, "Still want to lock me up in the future?"
Rize thought for a moment. "I still want to, but I won't actually do it anymore."
Got it—just going to fantasize about it now.
He asked again, "What do you want to do next, after recovering?"
"I want to protect you. I can't bear the thought of you disappearing someday," Rize looked at Hayashi. "I'm already addicted to your flesh. I can be a ghoul that you raise and keep."
Hayashi shook his head.
Rize's pupils shrank—she thought Hayashi was rejecting her.
But he said, "I actually don't need you to protect me. Tohru, give her a taste of your aura."
Tohru suddenly locked her gaze onto Rize.
In that moment, Kamishiro Rize felt like she was being stared down by a wild primordial beast.
Then, Hayashi turned to the Paw Patrol at the door.
"Pochita, give her a real scare too."
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