I do not own One Punch Man.
I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.

One Punch Man belongs to ONE.
Tokyo Ghoul belongs to Sui Ishida.

| Flavor of Fear |

'Sensei. Don't tell me that you have a crush on Garou-kun!'

'I-I'm not!'

'But why you're blushing. Oh, I see… Investigator Kasuka Mado is right. You were a tsundere.'

'Grrr… Shin-san! What an ungrateful student you are! Why you talk about Kasuka-chan?!'

'It's not about her. It's about you! Oh… Please, Sensei… You shouldn't act weird. Your career might be in trouble. And lately, I heard from Amon that Garou-kun is being crowded by girls!'

'So what!?'

'I know this is very rude, but you should remember how young he is!'

'Then, do you have any idea!?'

'Well, in my opinion as a parent, why don't you act like he is your son? I guess that way is more natural and acceptable than maintaining an unhealthy relationship. Oh, yeah… Like how you treat your nephew, uh… Who's his name…? Shinsanpei, right? I think he will be more than happy to see you that way. So, please… Don't act weird!'

Investigator Kiyoko Aura was immersed in her thought as she stepped closer to the Ghoul Investigator Academy in 5th ward. After all, Shinohara was right. It would be odd or even creepy to reach the young man like what the female cadets were doing.

Were she 30 years younger, that would not be a problem. But now such an act might mess her career as a high-ranked investigator in CCG. Not to mention how people would look at her. Worst, it drove her into an unimaginable scandal.

She shrugged that bad thoughts as she held a bag in her hand. Hopefully, he would take the small gift.

"As expected, Garou-sama can always come with an amazing answer." A cadet exclaimed as he walked out from a general-lecturing room, together with his friends.

"Of course. And what made me almost laugh was investigator Fura's priceless face!" One of the cadets snorted. "It's like he'd lost his wallet."

"Hahahaha…"

The man who was being addressed however had left the room earlier. He couldn't stand from the adoration the cadets hailed upon him. It made his days in the academy become uncomfortably horrible.

Right after the general lecture was over, Garou quickly fled and went immediately towards his locker. Lately, that particular spot had become a source of his annoyance.

Upon reaching the metal box, he opened it and like the other days during that month, a bunch of mails flooded out. Most of them – if not all– were wrapped in pink envelope. From a glimpse, people could tell that their content were nothing more than a letter of confession. It was something which enraged the very man who had gave out his humanity in exchange of power.

Since his popularity as the top cadet skyrocketed, many girls in the academy tried to approach him. For those who were brave enough, they offered him some free meal which he always ignored. Few others who had lost their sanity even tricked him into a blind-dating, forcing him to threaten these predatory women. However, others who couldn't bear his menacing aura resorted to word out their feeling through these fan-mail.

For once, Garou opened one of them out of curiosity. It was a regrettable mistake. He never prepared himself for flowery words. It disgusted him to no end.

Ignoring the stares and whispers from fellow cadets passing near him, he grabbed a plastic trash bag and shoved all the letters into it. Its destination was obvious. The dumpster at the backyard of the compound had always been the grave for the fluffy poems of those girls.

Garou was a man, forged by his world's twisted environment. It was normal if he didn't have time for such a trivial form of affection.

He dusted his hands as he walked away to go back to the academy. He took a different path and saw a bench under a tree. It was such a nice spot for relaxing, especially after doing thing which oddly tired out his mind. The moment was also very perfect since it was a lunch break.

The martial artist decided to sat in the bench. As he heaved a sigh to release his mental exhaustion, a very familiar face came into his sight. It was investigator Kiyoko Aura in her formal attire. In her hand was a bento. Garou didn't give any thought about that at first, but to see that it was the person who brought back a piece of sweet recollection from his old world surprised him. His skin tightened in anticipation.

'Yes… Finally!' Kiyoko Aura on the other side mused in jubilation. 'Hope that he would take this!'

The wielder of Zebisu was beyond glad to find the young man she was searching for. The universe seemed to grant her a full support since everything ran smoothly until this point. She only wished that she wouldn't mess up in her "bonding" attempt.

"Good morning, Garou-kun." Aura greeted Garou as she walked towards the bench.

"Good morning, investigator Aura." Garou straightened up on his seat.

Fortunately, Aura had prepared the next line. The most important thing was how she should act naturally and not make it awkward. She was still swayed between her own ego and Shinohara's advice, but seeing the young man tensed before her, she fixed her choice on the latter.

Meanwhile, Garou felt a weird sensation when he saw Aura's behavior. He was certain that she was a typical bubbly lady when he met her in V14 – a woman who could befriend everyone. This time however, he sensed something different as if she was one among the thirsty girls he snapped at the previous day.

"Actually, this place is my favorite spot for enjoying my lunch whenever I visit this academy." Aura stated as she avoided an eye-contact.

Such polite way of banishment became a cue for him to flee. He didn't want to attract any more trouble. Dealing with constant threat from the girls was enough to tire him. Now, added by an investigator? Probably getting Darkshine's Super-Alloy Bazookaright to the chestwasn't really bad. Better run than sorry.

"Sorry… I don't know about that…" Garou lifted his rear as his feet was ready to take him out.

"Oh… No, no, no…! You don't need to leave." Aura waved her hand as she kept her smile. "And… Since I bring some bento, wanna have some? This morning, I want to bring this to my colleague, but she had an urgent meeting, so I'm looking for someone to share with."

The former Hero Hunter knitted his brows. He still picked up a faint hint that Aura was up to something, yet he decided to brush it off. He could give some more thought before he took the offer. However, what's the pain in taking the offer?

"Uh… Is it okay?" Garou rubbed his nape while his lips formed a crammed smile.

"Of course." Aura took a seat beside him and opened up the bundle to reveal two homemade bento boxes. "I make it by myself. Here…"

Garou took the box and the chopsticks handed by Aura. His hands could feel the warmth of the content, making him stagger for a moment.

"Oh, come on, Garou-kun. Don't be shy." Aura smiled at him as she held her chopsticks.

Garou opened the box and to his bewilderment, it was a simple meal. Rice, vegetables and some yakiniku. Despite its simplicity, his drool almost ran out from his mouth. The lunch packet looked very tasty.

"Mm… alright. Itadekimasu…" The martial artist gathered his hands before he took his chopsticks.

He took a pinch and put it into his mouth. He also added a piece of vegetable as well. He chewed them and the taste leaped beyond his expectation. Even the most delicious hot-pot made by Bang and some delicacies he ever chomped down in Tokyo were nothing. Aura's bento was heavenly. It made him smile as he savored the taste.

"Oh… How do you think Garou-kun?" Aura asked as she looked at Garou while putting a content smile.

Garou didn't give a respond at first. He continued munching and took a bite from a piece of yakiniku. It was so scrumptious that he tried to savor them slowly before he swallowed it. He never thought that he could ever taste this kind of simple yet delicious meal. As he gulped, he turned his head to Aura.

"This is very delicious, investigator Aura. You must be a good cook, huh?" Garou remarked as he pointed his chopsticks at the meal.

The lady couldn't restrain a triumphant smile from crawling onto her face as she tried really hard to maintain her composure. Her heart almost like being flung to the clouds upon hearing the compliment. As a result, her blood was drown up to her head, coloring her cheeks red.

'Come on… Don't act weird!' She reprimanded herself as her body fidgeted slightly on the bench.

Fortunately, the young man didn't seem to put any attention to her. Her cooking skill acted like a charm since the man kept munching the food.

"Well, I guess…" Aura chuckled nervously. "I'm glad that you like it, Garou-kun."

While Aura had a joyful conversation with Garou as they enjoyed the lunch, a certain pink-haired investigator was watching the event from around the corner of the main building. She gritted her teeth as her hand squeezed a soda can, flat. Her envy went to its summit as she witnessed the senior investigator got chummy with the silver-haired man.

'Cursed you, old hag! How dare you bite Garou-kun for yourself!' Hairu Ihei cast an envious glare at Aura.

As the sun had reached its setting place, a man in a full set of gray suit was standing near a bus stop in 7th ward. Other than his appearance which told that he was a young businessman, the most striking feature on his person was his silver hair, shaped like a letter V. Behind the brown lens of his glasses, his piercing golden eyes were darting around to study the surroundings.

After waiting for a minute on that spot, the man pulled out his flip-phone as he walked to a certain direction. He headed towards a settlement area with a steady pace.

The vicinity grew darker and the streetlight turned on as his uneventful walk finally brought him to a house with European style. It wasn't grand for its type, nor did it stand out from among the surrounding buildings, oddly. It was humble, yet neat. Roses and shrubs decorated its front yard, giving the impression that the owner of the property loved a moderate fanciness.

The man stepped closer to the gate and a violet-haired man in white suit came to see him. He smiled really wide as he saw his dear guest.

"Welcome to our humble lair, Monsieur Kiba."

"I hope you won't disappoint me, Tsukiyama-sama." The guest smirked as the owner of the property led him into the manse.

After a silent walk through some corridors, Garou reached an extravagantly decorated chamber. When they got seated on some expensive-looking sofa, Tsukiyama opened a talk with him about the house they were in.

The talk eventually drew into some trivial subjects which annoyed Garou. When he couldn't bear it anymore, he pulled Tsukiyama by his collar.

"I come here not for a rubbish bullcrap about this shack!" Garou glared as his face contorted into a deep scowl. "Just get to the point and spit about what should I do!"

"Al-alright…" Tsukiyama gulped. "Just please, let go of me so that I can explain, Kiba-sama."

Garou shoved Tsukiyama back to the seat and went back to his own. As he sat back, three fingers of his right hand formed a claw, ready to unleash Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist were the dandy ghoul talk nonsense once again. His mood at that moment was really bad.

Tsukiyama cleared his throat. "Firstly, tonight we… I mean ghouls… Will have a banquet. And, I suppose you know what I mean."

"You lot wolf-down human. Gross…" The martial artist scoffed as he darted his gaze towards the curtains. "Then?"

The indigo-haired ghoul was uncertain about how he should proceed to point out his offer. There was no telling that his guest would not exterminate him with a single move if he screwed up. He tried to calm his nerves and recomposed himself. He built his next line while hoping that the guest would find his words acceptable.

"…We make it looks more like a show, however. A gladiator show to be precise."

Garou raised his eyebrow in response. "Do you mean, there will be a fight in an arena?"

"That is correct." A smile of restrained confidence with a mix of relief rose on Tsukiyama's face. "We host a program akin to a tournament where…"

"Your meal will fight against one of you while others cheering at them. Guess that's the real deal." The golden-eyed man deduced as he nodded. "I should admit that your kind is very civilized. I'm impressed."

The heir of Tsukiyama family swallowed a lump in his throat at the sarcastic remark. His guest appeared to be entertained by something related to a fight. It was good in itself, but he should keep phrasing his speech with extra care.

One wrong move and he was as good as a pretzel.

"By the way, when will this show start? Don't tell me I still need to wait?" Garou inquired as a menacing grin manifested on his face.

A maidservant in white mask entered the room at the same time. She bowed at Garou and informed the master, whispering at him. Tsukiyama inwardly sighed. He was saved.

"Just five minutes, please." Tsukiyama answered as he glanced at his wristwatch, ushering his servant to leave. "The show will commence as soon as our last performers is ready."

"Good. Should I greet him?" Garou relaxed his guard as he crossed his legs.

Tsukiyama shifted nervously in his couch as a sweat bead rolled down his cheek. "I… I'm afraid that you can't."

"Why?" Garou squinted his eyes.

"… He is a very special performer." Tsukiyama reached a folded handkerchief in his side pocket of his suit and held it in his hand. "Besides, you should be present with the rest of guests. It wouldn't be wise if–"

"What's special about this thing? Tell me!" Garou demanded, ignoring Tsukiyama's frightened look. "I don't care if I come out with your food. Well, instead, now I get an idea to accompany 'the dish.' Besides, last time you also wanted to eat me, right? So, how does it sound if you count me as a dessert?"

Tsukiyama opened his mouth in exasperation, unable to argue Garou. He found the idea was crazy and it might break everything before the show begin. Alas, he didn't have any choice for the man before him could end him right in his couch if he refused.

Of course, he should also surrender his main dish.

"… Very well. If that is what you wish, then you might see the performers in person, Kiba-sama." The heir bowed in resignation.

"Alright. Then, bring me to those guys."

A masked servant led Garou to the chamber where the foods were stored. The place was less decorated than the previous one, but it was still quite lavish. Something that Garou didn't really like.

Turned out, there were three human for the feast. An average-looking man, a scrawny boy and a fat woman, all dressed in party suits. Their faces had a hint of uncertainty, probably clueless about what kind of thing the ghouls had prepared on them.

'So these are the menu for your dinner?' Garou smiled grimly as he eyed the unsuspecting people. 'You truly had picked the best meal, Tsukiyama.'

"Dear Sirs and Lady, would you like to follow me." The servant clapped his hands to beckon the people. "The main course is about to begin."

"Oh… I cannot wait anymore. I wonder what kind of menu they offer for us." The everyday-looking salaryman exclaimed.

The woman was silent while the boy only put a wry smile. Garou noticed that the kid looked nervous and fidgety. He dismissed it and joined the foods behind the masked servant's lead.

They walked while chatting, mostly between the scrawny boy and the salaryman. The fat woman and Garou kept silent most of the time. When salaryman struck a conversation with him, he gave the man his fake card.

"Oh… Kiba Sasahara-san from Silver Fang Security Company! And your base is in Akihabara!" The salaryman spoke with glee, garnering the boy's uncomfortable look. "What a prestigious company! It's an honor to meet you, Sasahara-san!"

"Yeah. Nice to meet you too." Garou responded plainly as he rolled his eyes.

They walked through a long corridor with brick wall. From this setting, the former Hero Hunter was aware that this house wouldn't let the preys to escape. It was pretty conventional but quite effective if the catch were normal humans.

Were the one who took the place of the food a hero from his world however, things surely would be different.

After some minutes of walk, they saw a single door at the end of the corridor. It looked like a typical hatch door in a military vessel. Nonetheless, the guests were either ignorant or simply convinced at this unique service. Garou silently clicked his tongue at how foolish these people were.

"Please, come in." The servant let the guests to enter the room.

The chamber was quite large but lacked any ornamentation. It was painfully plain with gray limestone tiles and some lighting illuminated the room. What made it even more suspicious was the absence of a feature as a proper restaurant. There was only a single table near the hatch door and a roaster.

Garou sniffed and he caught a very faint lingering smell of blood. He frowned at the guests. Actually until how long he should bear their unawareness?

"Oh, a table for us and a roaster? Quite a unique arrangement." The talkative salaryman remarked as he looked around the large room. "I wonder what kind of menu they will bring. A barbecue?"

The boy looked around in worry as the salaryman and the woman were going to sit in the chairs. His anxious look wasn't for nothing since in a moment, the ceiling of that room began to slide open, revealing some levels of watching spot like in an arena. There were spectators in party dresses and masks who ogled the perplexed guests as they chattered.

"… As you can see Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight, we have not only three, but four dishes! Of course each has its own of flavor!" The host of that show announced as the roof opened completely. "The first, is a special guest from a respectable editorial board of a local cuisine magazine, with the intermediary… Mister TR!"

"Thank you, Dear Sirs and Ladies! This special one I picked never missed a weekly exercise. I believe, the sensation of his delicious sinewy flesh would bring you utmost joy." Mister TR elaborated and closed his speech with a quick bow. "So now, I would like you to partake in this special treat. Please, enjoy!"

"WHAH…! WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS!?" The salaryman shouted in utter exasperation. "I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!"

"Don't you know? You've been fooled. They're ghouls." Garou spoke coldly as he faced the salaryman. "They'll eat us."

The boy gasped as he turned around to see the expressions of twisted joy on the spectators' masked faces. He could not fathom the absurdity and fear he was feeling from this spectacle alone. His legs trembled as the announcer went on to the next guest and the intermediary who wore a clown's mask.

"DAMN YOU, SHOUTA! I THOUGHT YOU'LL GONNA MARRY ME! YOU…!" The fat woman threw some profanities as she flailed in fury.

"SHUT UP! PIG SUPPOSED TO NOT TALK!" The clown-masked man snarled back with the same venom before he bowed to the audiences. "Now, Dear Guests, I hope you would enjoy the taste of her greasy meat."

"And now, let us welcome the main host of this delightful event and our main contributor… Mister MM!"

The time for the main host of the event at long last came. Tsukiyama made a flashy appearance and delivered a brief speech about the boy who would become their main dish. He threw a handkerchief to the spectators below. They seized it, sniffed it, and expressions of surprise and joy occurred on their faces.

"That's it, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! Do you not desire to grasp this perfect harmony?" Tsukiyama exclaimed as he made a theatrical poses over the balcony as the spotlight fell on the boy.

The revelation about the boy only piqued a little interest in Garou. Mix-blood and cannibalism were things he had expected. Everything was possible and it was nothing special. He cared not for he had something to do in this spare time.

The ghouls kept making a fuss about Tsukiyama's special menu. Garou didn't bat an eye at that depravity. He was fed up with all this farce, but he was still patient enough to wait for his queue.

Because anyway, he would wash his hands with their blood tonight.

"… And to accompany our delectable main course, I also have prepared a special menu which peculiarity of its taste would reach an extremity you would never imagine, I assure you." Tsukiyama continued his hyperbolic speech as the limelight fell over Garou, forcing him to put an irritated look as he put his hands into his pants pockets. "But beware, for this one is like the heaven's forbidden fruit. Once you taste him, I am certain that you would forget the word enough."

All the spectators' eyes landed on Kiba Sasahara. He managed to switch his countenance into an indifferent one, but the impulse to crush these bugs grew stronger. He sighed and pushed his glasses up his bridge, telling himself that he would take his time to cut those degenerates later on.

"And without further ado, let's welcome our scrapper for tonight, presented to you by Madam A!" The announcer spoke as soon as Tsukiyama closed his speech.

Cheers boomed throughout that arena. The main performance at last came as the hard wooden gate at the end of that place opened. The humans who supposed be the dish for that party trembled in fear when an ominous figure trudged out from the gate with its oddly wobbly gait.

Grotesque was the first impression the humans acquired from the figure of designated the scrapper. Standing at almost three meters, the person, or thing, sported an obese body. Red cloth mask covered his entire face. His outfit was just a pair of black pants, fastened to his meaty shoulders with red straps. On his hips, articles for butchering flesh hung, stains of their previous victims marred them.

This human, if it could be called so, was the embodiment of one among many most twisted sides of humanity: a craving for the suffering of others. Tormentor was the simplest way to address it.

"Nice and slow. Nice and slow. Whoop!" The scrapper ceased his pace before the humans.

His behavior turned out betraying his look. His mind was obviously retarded, with the intelligence level of a five-year-old. The former Hero Hunter guessed that the broken thing was unnaturally cultured to serve the ghouls' need.

It only made his rush to eradicate the flesh-eaters aflame.

"Good luck, TARO!" The woman in red dress called madam A cheered her pet.

"TARO WILL DO IT, MAMA!" The scrapper replied happily.

Garou glanced from above his shoulder. The fellow dishes were trembling in horror. They weren't meant for this, so nothing he could do except leaving them at the sideline. He looked at the scrapper, and that bloated human had drawn a cleaver.

"Hello!" The scrapper surprisingly greeted the martial artist.

"Yo." Garou replied blandly as he raised his hand.

"Hip–Hooooo!" Taro slashed Garou, but it missed. "Huh?"

Taro slashed Garou again and again, but the bespectacled man kept moving. Garou drew Taro until his back was mere inches from the arena's wall. For a brief moment, Taro paused. The scrapper raised his cleaver for a mighty slash.

"Got youuuuu!" Taro swung his knife.

Instead of gushing blood, what the scrapper found was his broken knife. Its blade suddenly fell onto floor with loud clinks. He raised his cleaver which remained as a handle in surprise.

"What…? What did you do to Taro's knife!?"

"Nothing." Garou mumbled.

"Whaaaaaah! Taro's knife is broken! Someone, get me a new one! MAMAAAAAAAA!"

The thing began to throw a tantrum. Garou only watched it in distaste. As the scrapper flailed his arms, a masked man hopped in with a large metal briefcase. He spoke quietly to Taro and instructed the scrapper on how to use the thing. The bloated man nodded and pressed two buttons which secured the rectangular container.

"A quinque, huh?" Garou observed when a giant saw popped out from the box.

"Now Taro can cut you…!" The scrapper exclaimed as he raised his saw.

"Sure. Just try." The martial artist casually responded.

Taro swung his saw, but it missed. Garou casually sidestepped the attack and leaped backwards. He smirked and gave a middle finger at the scrapper, taunting him.

"OOOOOHHH! YOU DARE TO MOCK TARO! TARO WILL CUT YOU!" Taro roared and ran after Garou.

Taro frantically swung around the giant saw. Garou only dodged the uncoordinated slashes without much effort and even ran onto his arm. For some seconds, he perched atop Taro's shoulder, putting the spectators in a daze. The show turned rather interesting since there was a meal who could play around with the scrapper in a spectacular manner.

Garou leaped around the place and kept the scrapper at his tail, leaving the other humans with slacking jaws. For a moment, he found a little joy in bullying the poor thing.

"Taro! Hurry, catch him! Mama and the people here cannot wait any longer!" Madam A cheered her dear pet.

"Please wait… Mama!" Taro slowed down his run as he caught a breath. "Hey… Stop! Taro… cannot… cut you… if you run!"

"Hoh? You cannot cut me? Don't worry, big boy!" Garou chuckled menacingly as he turned back to approach Taro. "Because I'll cut you."

Garou sent a weak kick at Taro's wrist, prompting the scrapper to lose his grip on his saw. The weapon flew and fell with clatter as the bloated guy winced in pain.

"TARO…!"

"AUUUUGHHHH…! It hurts…! MAAAMMAAAA!" Taro stared at his hand and fell on his butt, thrashing his legs like a crying toddler.

"See! That toy isn't for you. That stuff is for adults like us!" Garou laughed as he pointed his thumb at himself. "Get up, big kid! You sure have a giant body but you lack brain!"

"WE'RE NOT HERE TO SEE A GLADIATOR SHOW!"

"JUST GET IT DONE ALREADY!"

"WHAT THE HELL'S THIS!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THIS, MADAME A!"

It appeared that Kiba had played too long with Taro. The spectators grew impatient as Madam A's pet didn't seem to budge from his place, rolling around in pain instead. These predators came to this banquet to enjoy delicious cuisine, not a show of a miserably failed product of a man.

Hearing the shouts of impatience, Garou came over the writhing scrapper. He kicked Taro's bloated body and sent the masked-man to the wooden gate of that arena. The scrapper crashed violently and broke the gate.

"WHAAH! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS!"

"OI! THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT?"

Shouts of utter disbelief echoed throughout that arena. Most of them stared at the unexpected turn of event with rage. Others with bubbling apprehension since there was no way a mere human could beat a scrapper effortlessly.

"TARO! GET UP!" Madam A yelled as her hands coned around her mouth.

The puff of dust began to disperse, but Taro didn't move.

"TAAROOOOO!" His owner screamed in agitation, but no answer came.

The mist cleared completely and the sight it revealed was repulsively horrid. The scrapper was lying with his stomach caved in. The horrible wound was likely the thing which killed him.

"Oops… Guess I went overboard. But don't worry, cause tonight…" Garou slung the scrapper's giant saw over his shoulder as he grinned. "I'll take the lead performance, so rejoice, ladies and gentlemen!"

"HEY, DON'T JOKE WITH ME! WE'RE HERE NOT FOR THIS BULL–!"

The words of the agitated spectator never finished. His head tilted below, finding his marine-blue suit was soaked red. His head inadvertently perked up and the figure of the dead angel had been standing before him, grinning while brandishing his scythe in the form of a huge saw.

"S-since when…?" His speech only reached his throat as he toppled down, blood gushing out off his guts.

Screams chorused as the spectators trampled the ground, fleeing away in a fit of mass panic. Fear consumed them, clutched them tightly as their legs brought them into a frantic run. Those who still maintained a composure released their kagunes. Others who found no chance for resistance kept their run.

Alas, it was futile for the dead angel swung his serrated scythe with in wide arcs relentlessly, cutting his victims like a row of crops. He chased his preys with unimaginably swift steps, ferocious like a beast yet soundless like a ghost.

His countenance went stoic when he found no meaningful resistance from his game. That neutral expression scrunched into an annoyance as minutes passed. He regarded the slaughtering with distaste when his victims fell to the ground, begging for their lives.

Needless to say, the remaining humans who witnessed the unspeakable carnage were petrified in their place. The mortifying sight crushed their common sense. It was a literal rain of gore before their eyes. Their jaws slacked as their vision went blurry, unable to bear the inexplicable brutality.

Just a moment ago, they were the one who should be the sacrifices. It flipped in a blink when one of them seized the flow of the event and painted the stage completely red.

There, the first one who fell was the boy. He hit the floor with a thud, losing all his bearing before the massacre.

Kaneki woke up with a gasp. He looked at the surroundings and found himself in his old apartment, surprisingly. He tried to scrounge his recollection about the last event before he went to sleep in his bed, but everything was obscure. Slowly, he got up from his bed and felt the bright sun ray had entered through the crevices of the curtain.

No idea came onto him until his flustered stare landed on a figure who perched himself in Kaneki's chair. The lone man was reading one of his favorite collections, Black Goat's Egg, seemingly without showing any care for him.

"Yo." The man simply greeted him without even averting his gaze from Sen Takatsuki's writing.

Kaneki widened his eyes. The horrifyingly nightmarish memory from last night flooded him like an exploded dam, filling him with dread. He began to sweat profusely as his face contorted into a terrified grimace.

"Y–y-you…!" Kaneki let out a stutter between his trembling lips.

The man closed the book and put it above the desk. He slowly turned to face Kaneki. His face was neutral, but his gaze bore deep into Kaneki's eyes, sending an icy shiver down his spine. Kaneki trembled even more as the man turned off the studying lamp and began to stand.

"You're lucky, huh? Tsukiyama really wants to eat you." The man informed as he took his suit jacket.

"Eh?"

Kaneki failed to register what the silver-haired man had spoken. He was too scared by Garou's presence.

Garou sighed. "I know, you really look like a meal, through and through. You never get yourself into a fight, very delicate. No wonder he picked you as his menu."

Kaneki blinked in confusion. This weird guy seemed to be caring for him. Did this man last night carried him to his home?

Ken Kaneki gathered his courage as he gulped. The man before him who butchered ghouls like a madman was unbelievably frightening in a different level, but he didn't seem to be harmful towards him. Maybe he could try to talk.

"Um… S-sorry…" Kaneki began.

"Sorry for what?" Garou's eyes slightly narrowed, making Kaneki flinch.

Being a meek child as he always be, Kaneki never faced this kind of awkwardly tense situation. Kaneki glanced around, having a hard time to find a word to answer Garou.

"… Sorry… For putting you in trouble…?"

The former Hero Hunter sighed. He hated meekness, but this kid before him somewhat had an issue of inferiority complex, or rather failed to cope with Tsukiyama's treatment. He didn't like to take the role as an active talker, but Kaneki was clearly still spooked by his action.

Maybe being patient for a while wasn't bad. He learned that from his interactions with his colleagues in the academy.

"Trouble? Everybody lives with trouble." Garou simply stated. "Besides, are you going to stay with your predator?"

Kaneki's jaw unhinged and soon, a cringe of embarrassment crept onto his face. No matter what, this guy would never accept his reason. Everything he learned from books would never work in this conversation.

Nonetheless, it was quite a relief to know that Garou didn't seem to be as terrifying as he thought. Sure, he looked fearsome, but he didn't show any belligerence.

"N-no… Of course not." Kaneki smiled sheepishly. "I mean… Thank you for saving me."

Garou didn't react. His face remained stoic. After a pause, he only raised a brow and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well. Don't mind it. Just don't get yourself eaten." Garou turned to the door as he slung his jacket.

Before his savior reached the door to leave, Kaneki went out from bed.

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

In all his life, the boy named Kaneki was a person who never get himself in a real life-threatening struggle. It was just recently after the fateful night that he knew the meaning of suffering. After saying farewell to his life as a human, his days seemed to become tougher and tougher. His life was like climbing a steep trail of a mountain. To overcome it, he needed to get stronger.

And the answer was lying before his eyes.

"Please, teach me how to get stronger! Tell me what to do… Sasahara-san!"

Author's Note

Greetings, My Faithful Dear Readers. It's truly shameful that I practically stopped to update this story after I wrote Void Shield Hero, a year ago. For this negligence, please accept my apology. ;'-[

I cannot say much, but I guess this is the important point where our Hero Hunter at long last meets our future One-Eyed King. What things which might unfold after this? Let us see in the next update. |-D

I do wish you enjoy this story and I thank you for your support. Hope we can see each other in the next story, soon. ;-)