As the saying goes: lolis have three virtues—delicate, soft, and easy to push down! Any girl who qualifies as a loli can't escape these three traits.
Thinking of this, Hayashi nodded to himself, a flicker of approval flashing through his eyes. And Eto clearly fell into that category. After all, her petite body and short height were the perfect proof.
Granted, her true personality was undeniably violent, tinged with a yandere streak. But Hayashi wasn't panicked in the slightest — he was completely calm.
Because once he drew the Horse Talisman and the Dog Talisman, he would basically have infinite healing and literal immortality. Even if Jesus himself came down, he wouldn't be able to kill him—let alone Eto.
With that thought, Hayashi sank into contemplation. He couldn't help but wonder whether Eto had noticed him, or if she was even interested in him at all.
Judging from what had happened with Rize, his natural attraction to ghouls was pretty strong. The only question was — was it the pull of love that was stronger, or the pull of appetite...?
[You have successfully completed the mission: "The Story Between Me and Sen Takatsuki"]
[Ding! System detected that Takatsuki Sen has developed a strong interest in you. Mission overachievement. Reward upgraded!]
Hearing the system prompt, Hayashi felt his heart sink.It seemed his performance had earned him a spot on Eto's "must-eat list". He was already fully targeted.
Just the thought of it gave him a headache.But what was done was done. Better to check the reward—at least it wouldn't be all for nothing.
[Mission reward being distributed...]
[Congratulations, you have received: Starburst Stream (Legendary Skill)]
[Starburst Stream (Legendary Skill): A peerless sword technique once wielded by a legendary figure. After acquiring this skill, you must prepare two long blades. Upon activation, you will unleash sixteen consecutive high-speed slashes in a short time frame—devastatingly powerful with overwhelming lethality.
Background: In days past, this legendary swordsman used this technique to protect his companions. As long as you have unwavering conviction, this skill will shatter any enemy that stands before you!]
'Starburst Stream?'
Hearing the system's announcement echo in his mind, Hayashi froze for a moment. If he remembered correctly, wasn't this one of Kirito's signature skills from Sword Art Online?
He still remembered the first time he'd seen it on screen—it had blown him away. Never in his life did he think he'd obtain it in the world of Tokyo Ghoul.
Just imagining it made him swallow hard. He couldn't even picture how ridiculously cool it would look when he used it.
But if he recalled correctly, this skill required dual wielding. Ordinary weapons wouldn't cut it. Luckily, he had already killed Jason at the start, so he could use Jason's kagune to forge a pair of blades.
At that thought, Hayashi silently offered thanks to Jason's departed soul.
Carrying this sense of satisfaction and excitement, he soon found his way back to his newly moved-in home. The apartment complex was stylishly decorated, clearly expensive,and the surroundings were quiet—no night markets or noisy bars nearby.
It was a truly ideal and wonderful living environment.
But after surveying the area, Hayashi couldn't shake the feeling that something looked strangely familiar. Following that instinct, he backed up a few steps and wandered down a side street.
The deeper he went, the stronger the sense of déjà vu became. Finally, he slowed his pace and came to a stop.
"This place is…?"
Looking up at the familiar signboard before him, Hayashi swallowed hard. Could his luck really be this absurd?
That building he'd seen countless times in the anime — its elegant, vintage design…Yes. Standing right before him was none other than Anteiku Café,the very heart of the 20th Ward and the main gathering hub for ghouls,a place where they exchanged information and found refuge.
Anteiku!
Staring at the large signboard letters, Hayashi swallowed again. His new home was practically next door to the biggest ghoul gathering spot in the ward. He never expected that.
This meant that meeting the characters from the anime wouldn't be too difficult. After all, Touka, Hinami, Rize, Itori, Eto, Irimi — all of them had appeared at Anteiku at one point or another.
Thinking of this, Hayashi's pulse quickened with a strange excitement.
That night, after returning home, he took a hot shower, devoured eight cups of instant noodles, and collapsed into bed.
...
The next morning, Hayashi was jolted awake by his alarm clock. Switching it off, he stumbled out of bed, washed up, got dressed, and headed out.
By the time he arrived at CCG Headquarters, preparations for the commendation ceremony were already underway. Even though it was only nine in the morning, the entire building was buzzing with activity.
But as soon as he stepped into his usual office, he immediately noticed the atmosphere was off. Every pair of eyes turned toward him the moment he walked in.
Clearly, everyone already knew what had happened the night before.
And it made sense — after all, a rank 3 nvestigator single-handedly taking down a S-rated ghoul was unprecedented. The only others with such feats to their names were Juuzou Suzuya and Kishou Arima.
"Hayashi, you bastard, hiding your true strength all this time!"
A fellow investigator slung an arm around his shoulders, grinning.
"Yeah! With that kind of power, not telling your brothers — that's just wrong!"
"Exactly! Once you get your promotion, you're buying dinner for all of us!"
"Damn right—your treat, and you pick the place!"
Soon the whole office joined in, laughing and teasing, though their eyes held genuine respect.
It was natural. For CCG Investigators, fighting ghouls was always a matter of life and death. The mortality rate was sky-high.
Strength was everything here.And the strong were always admired.
"investigator Hayashi, Investigator Special Marude is asking for you."
A clerk carrying reports knocked on the door and stepped inside.
"Understood. I'll head over right away."
After exchanging a few parting words with his colleagues, Hayashi squeezed his way out of the crowd.
On his way to Marude's office, investigators and clerks alike nodded respectfully as he passed. Even first class and associate special class Investigators greeted him directly.
The scale of this "achievement" was even more earth-shattering than he had expected.
Lost in thought, he finally arrived and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The familiar deep voice came from inside. Hayashi pushed the door open and stepped in.
"Sit."
Marude Itsuki gestured at the chair in front of his desk.
"Investigator Special Marude."
Hayashi nodded and took a seat.
"You did excellent work last night" Marude said, a note of admiration in his eyes.
"You didn't just take out one S-rated — you also drove another out of the ward. That removed a huge threat for headquarters."
"Talents like you won't be buried here. We've already decided — as of tomorrow, you're promoted to first class investigator."
'First class investigator?'
Hayashi blinked in shock. Wasn't this pace a bit too fast?
He'd only been with the CCG for less than six months, by his memory. And now, skipping straight from rank 3 to first class in one jump?
Apparently, the weight of killing a S-rated alone was greater than he had thought.
"Don't be nervous. Your strength already surpasses First Class standards."
"Work hard, and the position of special class will be yours someday."
"Young man — I admire you."
Marude stood up, clapping him firmly on the shoulder.
"Other than that… was there something else you wanted from me?"
Hayashi looked up, curiosity flickering in his eyes. He had a feeling this meeting wasn't just about praise and promotion.
"You really can't be fooled, can you?"
Marude chuckled, shaking his head. His hands folded together on the desk, his expression turning serious.
"The 11th Ward has been stirring. Ghouls there are moving in an organized fashion. We suspect this is just the precursor to something larger. A war is inevitable."
"So…"
His gaze sharpened.
"I want you to raise your strength as much as possible in the coming days."
"When the time comes, you'll be on the frontlines."
"The duty of the CCG… is to drive every last ghoul out of Tokyo!"