After ending his brief conversation with Carnage, Ren remained standing in the blood-soaked alley.
Two corpses lay at his feet, their bodies slowly cooling.
Moonlight filtered down between the narrow buildings, stretching warped shadows across the walls stained with fresh blood.
He looked down at his hands.
They were drenched in dark red.
His clothes were no better.
His shirt clung to his skin, soaked through with blood.
Right now, the most urgent problem was how to deal with the aftermath.
Of course, he could simply leave.
But doing so would inevitably create unnecessary complications.
After a brief moment of thought, Ren took out his phone and dialed the police.
"This is the 20th Ward Police Department."
A professional female voice answered.
"I'd like to report an incident in Aoba Alley…"
After finishing the report, he hung up and exhaled slowly.
The dispatcher clearly understood that the case involved ghouls.
In such cases, the police rarely handled the investigation directly.
Instead, the matter would quickly be transferred to the Commission of Counter Ghoul.
She therefore advised him to leave the area immediately.
That saved him a great deal of trouble.
After all, he was covered in blood.
If anyone saw him like this, explaining the situation would be extremely difficult.
According to his estimation, the case would soon fall under CCG jurisdiction.
Sooner or later, investigators might summon him for questioning.
But he wasn't worried.
He wasn't a ghoul.
His body contained no kagune organ.
And his RC cell count would fall within the normal human range.
From the CCG's perspective, he would simply be a lucky survivor.
Once his innocence was confirmed, even if something unusual happened later, suspicion would rarely fall on him.
…
[…Trouble…]
Carnage's voice echoed in his mind again.
[We could have killed everyone who saw it…]
"That would make us wanted criminals."
Ren replied patiently.
[Wouldn't that be even better…]
Carnage chuckled inside his mind.
[Then we could have an even grander massacre…]
"…."
Ren chose to ignore him.
Carnage's mind revolved around one thing.
Killing.
Although the symbiote could communicate normally, its instincts were still those of a perfect predator.
Carnage might enjoy being hunted.
But Ren certainly did not.
After confirming that he had left nothing behind, he turned and walked toward the alley entrance.
…
[…Where are we going now…?]
"Home."
Ren stepped out of the alley without looking back.
Although he had transmigrated into this world, the system had already arranged an identity for him.
Ren.
Second-year pharmacy student at Kamii University.
He lived alone in a nearby apartment not far from Anteiku.
Because he frequently visited the café, he had gradually become a familiar face there.
"Now that I think about it…"
He murmured to himself.
"Nishiki Nishio is also a second-year pharmacy student."
"…And apparently we get along well?"
He shook his head.
"Forget it. I'll think about that later."
Exhaustion suddenly washed over him like a rising tide.
Too many things had happened today.
All he wanted now was to go home and sleep.
…
Night had completely fallen.
Under the quiet starlit sky, the streets of the 20th Ward were calm and empty.
A cool night breeze brushed against his face.
But the moment he stepped out of the alley—
He froze.
A familiar figure stood ahead of him.
Watching him silently.
Amethyst-colored eyes reflected the moonlight.
It was Touka Kirishima.
"Good evening, Miss Kirishima."
Ren forced an awkward but polite smile.
…
Touka Kirishima was equally surprised.
Inside Anteiku earlier, everyone had noticed that the two ghouls had targeted him.
No one believed he would survive.
Even she had assumed the outcome was inevitable.
While conducting her usual patrol of the 20th Ward, she had heard the sounds of fighting nearby.
She rushed over.
But what she saw now—
Was the very human who should have been dead.
Standing alive in front of her.
The bloodstains on his clothes told a silent story.
"You…"
Touka began to speak.
But Ren raised his hand calmly to stop her.
"As you can see, Miss Kirishima," he said lightly.
"I'm still alive."
"As for those two ghouls…"
He tilted his head toward the alley behind him.
"Their bodies are inside."
"You're welcome to check."
Then he added calmly,
"Right now, I just want to go home and rest."
"…Could you let me pass?"
His gaze rested calmly on her.
Touka hesitated.
But eventually—
She stepped aside.
Even if the two ghouls were truly dead, the situation would clearly fall under self-defense.
She had no reason to stop him.
"Thank you for understanding."
Ren nodded slightly.
Moments later, his figure disappeared into the night.
…
After he left, Touka slowly walked into the alley.
What she saw made her pupils shrink.
Blood covered the ground.
Signs of violent struggle were everywhere.
Two headless corpses lay motionless.
Judging from their clothing—
They were indeed the same two ghouls who had followed Ren.
"How…?"
Her mind struggled to process the scene.
He killed them?
But he was supposed to be human.
She had never once smelled the scent of a ghoul from him.
Yet the evidence lay directly in front of her.
What disturbed her even more—
Was that the kagune sacs were missing.
"…A ghoul?"
…
"Beep—Beep—"
The sharp cry of sirens suddenly pierced the silent night.
Touka frowned.
The CCG investigators had arrived.
Before the so-called "White Doves" could seal the area, Touka quickly retreated into the darkness.
Moments later—
CCG vehicles surrounded the alley.
The investigation began.
…
Meanwhile—
A key turned inside an apartment door.
Click.
Ren stepped inside.
The lights flicked on.
Warm yellow light filled the room.
The apartment wasn't luxurious.
But it was clean.
Comfortable.
Everything was neatly arranged, as if someone maintained it regularly.
The only surprising detail—
It was a two-bedroom apartment.
In Tokyo, where land prices were famously outrageous, that was unusually generous.
But he didn't have the energy to think about it now.
He kicked off his blood-stained sneakers and walked straight to the bathroom.
Hot water washed away the blood.
Standing beneath the shower, he examined his body carefully.
The wound that had pierced his chest earlier—
Was completely gone.
The symbiote's regenerative ability had healed it perfectly.
After finishing his shower, he changed into clean clothes and collapsed onto his bed.
He desperately needed rest.
Carnage had been silent ever since they returned home.
Ren assumed the symbiote was digesting the kagune it had consumed.
Then suddenly—
[…Would you like a bedtime story…?]
Carnage spoke.
"…Weren't you digesting?"
[Those things called 'kagune'… digest very quickly…]
Because of their symbiotic bond, Carnage immediately understood his confusion.
[Their power… has increased ours…]
Ren understood immediately.
So ghoul kagune could indeed strengthen the symbiote.
But something else felt strange.
Carnage—
A creature born for slaughter—
Was offering him a bedtime story.
"…You seem to have something on your mind."
A dark red mass separated from his arm.
The liquid symbiote slowly formed a grotesque head.
Its mouth stretched unnaturally wide.
Almost to its ears.
Ren studied the creature quietly.
To be honest—
This Carnage felt different from the one he knew.
The Carnage bonded to Cletus Kasady was a pure embodiment of madness.
But the symbiote before him—
Although still monstrous—
Seemed slightly more… human.
Perhaps the symbiote's personality truly was influenced by its host.
Since he was not Kasady, the Carnage born from their union had changed slightly as well.
After all—
He was just an ordinary college student.
"It's nothing."
Ren shook his head.
[…So… a bedtime story…?]
"…No, thank you."
He sighed.
"…What a pity…"
Carnage slowly merged back into his body.
"…I prepared an art of dismemberment…"
"Shut up and go to sleep."
Soon—
An overwhelming fatigue washed over him.
His consciousness slowly faded.
"Goodnight, world."
Just before sleep claimed him, he vaguely heard Carnage whisper beside his ear.
"…You really know how to talk…"
"…If you speak again, I'll soak you in sodium hypochlorite."
This time—
Carnage truly fell silent.
The night passed without incident.