Even though the third option came with immense responsibility, Kanzaki Ryoma realized the rewards were granted immediately upon choosing. It wasn't a conditional reward. He didn't have to prove himself by saving the manager's daughter or protecting the whole of Anteiku first.
And frankly, Ryoma always thought the tragedy between Yoshimura and Eto was one of the greatest regrets in this world.
Even if there were no rewards, no expectations, no pleas—he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
"Manager," Ryoma said with a faint smile, despite the weight of the moment. "Why are you acting like death is the only outcome?"
Yoshimura's face remained calm, but sorrow traced the edges of his voice. "I know my sins. One day, I'll pay for them."
He had made peace with the end. Though strong enough to escape, he no longer had the will. All he wanted was to stall—give Touka, Hinami, and the others a chance to live.
"Don't be so sure about your ending. I'll protect everyone in Anteiku. That includes you. And if there's any chance, I'll do everything I can to save your daughter."
Ryoma's words came easily, his tone steady.
He was a ghoul investigator. His loyalty was supposed to lie with the CCG. But there were things bigger than law.
Yoshimura blinked. The sincerity was undeniable. "Why?" he asked, his voice quieter. "Why go that far, Ryoma-kun? You'll be putting yourself in danger."
"For Rize."
"Rize?" Yoshimura echoed in surprise.
"I promised to protect her. And she has come to take a liking to this place, isn't she? Besides…" Ryoma smiled faintly. "You don't always need a reason to help someone."
The old manager laughed softly. "Yes. That's true."
He had helped many over the years—Renji Yomo, the Kirishimas, even strangers who wandered into District 20 with nowhere else to go. He never needed reasons. Still, Ryoma being human—and an investigator at that—made his kindness feel unexpected.
"If you can… please save her," Yoshimura said quietly. "I don't have the right to ask, but I'll offer what I can in return. Protection, information… anything. Even Rize's safety, if it comes to it."
Yoshimura's voice trembled slightly. As a father, he had failed. He couldn't be the one to save Eto. But maybe, just maybe, Ryoma could.
"No problem," Ryoma replied simply.
[Ding! You have selected Option 3. Reward: 200 Fusion Points!]
[Note: Failure or abandonment of this path will result in loss of Fusion Points.]
Their conversation ended there.
When Ryoma returned downstairs, he saw Kirishima Touka locked in a tense standoff—with Nico, the flamboyant ghoul with questionable fashion and even more questionable mannerisms.
"Hey hey, long time no see, Ryoma-kun~"
Nico waved dramatically the moment he spotted him.
Touka, meanwhile, was anything but amused. "I asked you a question. Why the hell are you here again?"
Her voice was sharp, her eyes sharper.
Touka always assumed Nico was part of Aogiri Tree. And given what Aogiri had done, she wasn't in the mood for games.
"Ara~ those eyes are so intense~ Don't glare at me like that, girl~"
Nico made a mock-weepy face, dramatically fanning his cheek.
It was one thing for a woman to act like that. But coming from Nico, who didn't fit in any category neatly, it was just unsettling.
Nearby, Roma Hoito watched with amusement. Of course she recognized Nico—they were both from the Clowns. She had only recently reconnected with him.
"Relax," Ryoma said to Touka. "He's not our enemy. At least not now."
"You sure?"
Touka didn't sound convinced.
"Of course I'm not," Nico chimed in. "Ryoma-kun is always right~ I'm not part of Aogiri Tree."
"Don't lie. You were walking with Aogiri members before."
"That's true. I came here with those two punks last time. But only because I wanted to see who killed 'Yamori.' Totally different from Aogiri's mission."
Nico's tone shifted slightly. "I met Yamori at a club once. We had… a connection. He let me hang around, and I ended up helping Aogiri here and there. But I never cared about their goals."
He brushed a hand through his oddly colored hair. "I only care about one thing— beauty. That raw, trembling kind. I saw it in Yamori. Such pain, such madness. I'll never forget the look in his eyes."
Nico's voice cracked. "I still wonder what name he called out before he died…"
Ryoma resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That "beauty" Nico chased was nothing but grotesque obsession.
"So? You here to avenge him?" Touka pressed.
Nico gasped. "Of course not! I'm a free spirit now. Just came to visit. And oh—fate must be real. Fancy running into Ryoma-kun here~"
He winked shamelessly.
Ryoma took a step back. "No thanks. I'm straight."
"Rude~ I'm obviously a girl~"
"You keep telling yourself that."
Touka stayed quiet, but she noticed Nico didn't carry any hostile intent.
"If you still don't trust me," Nico said with a grin, "I can spill everything I know about Aogiri Tree."
Touka perked up. "You'd really tell us?"
"Well… I'll start with what I know. The organization's full of warmongers. Most of them came from the 24th Ward. Their leader is the One-Eyed King. I don't know his real identity, but I suspect he's from the same place…"
He glanced at Ryoma. "Oh. And there's that plan. The Cochlea raid? They wanted to grab Dr. Kanou or Rize? Either one."
Ryoma's expression didn't change, but he noted Rize sitting nearby, quietly listening.
"And their goal?" Touka asked.
Nico raised a finger theatrically. "They said… 'Find the liar.' Whatever that means."
Touka frowned, no more enlightened than before.
"Still not satisfied?" Nico leaned in close to Ryoma, whispering in his ear. "Fine. Just for you. The One-Eyed King… is Takatsuki Sen."
He giggled, like he had just shared the world's juiciest secret.
***
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