The CCG had told him the academy wouldn't start for another week. Paperwork, processing, whatever.
So for now, Nile decided to keep living Kaneki's life—or at least, the version people expected. That meant getting up, walking halfway across the 20th Ward, and showing up to Kamii University in time for morning lectures.
He took his usual seat near the middle of the lecture hall, blending in with the kind of posture that said don't talk to me unless you're the professor. A few people glanced over. No one spoke.
It was the same in literature, art, and the awkwardly large psychology seminar where the only thing Nile learned was that Kaneki had the handwriting of a nerd and the spine of a pudding cup.
Still, he sat through them all, mostly thinking about his next system upgrade, or how many quinques it would take to kill Rize.
After one of the classes, a voice broke through the buzz in his ears.
"Yo! Kaneki!"
Nile turned, and there he was Hide Nagachika, Golden hair messy like he didn't bother with a comb today, his eyes had a playful glint in them. His grin was easy, boyish, the kind that made you lower your guard. Clothes casual and posture relaxed.
"Oh. Shit," Nile thought, blinking. "Hide."
"Where've you been, man?" Hide said, walking over and clapping his shoulder. "You vanish for ages, no texts, nothing. I thought you finally joined a cult or something."
Nile blinked for half a second too long before saying, "Yeah, I just... had some things. Personal."
Hide narrowed his eyes slightly."'Had some things'? Huh. Okay."
He was still smiling, but something about his eyes shifted.
Kaneki usually tells me everything, Hide thought. Maby he finally lost his virginity to that women from Anteiku or something, my man, Hide chuckled to himself
he looked Nile up and down.
"Damn, Kaneki. You're looking kinda big, bro. Did you start going to the gym or something?"
Nile scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "I don't know. Haven't even gone. Maybe I'm just developing late or something"
Hide laughed, but the laugh didn't quite reach his eyes."Alright. Weird, but I'll take it. You free this weekend? We should catch up."
"Yeah," Nile said. "Sounds good."
As Hide walked off, he glanced back once.
Something's different. But… whatever. He's probably just going through something, late assignment probably.
Later that day, on his way back to the apartment, Nile made a stop near the station's underpass.
He browsed a small outdoor vendor, ended up buying a few cheap posters—a landscape, a comic panel, some gritty black-and-white photo of Shibuya from above.
If I'm living here a while, So I should probably make it feel more like my place, he thought.
He was halfway to his apartment when he heard it.
Crunch.
A wet, disgusting sound from a nearby alley.
"...Fucking hell," Nile muttered.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, dragged a hand up over his ears, and exhaled slowly. A few high school girls passing by looked back at him, startled at the random curse.
He caught their eye and gave a sheepish shrug. "Sorry, valid reaction to that."
They giggled and walked off.
Then his vision buzzed.
A soft hum and a glowing blue light appeared in the corner of his eye.
[New Mission: Intervene – Investigate the sound]Reward: 200 Fusion Points
"Of course," Nile muttered. "Could be a fucking S-class ghoul down there for all I know."
He turned toward the alley and stretched his neck side to side.
Well, if it's something low-tier, maybe I could stop them before they kill whoever it is that's being eaten, that's if they aren't already dead. If it's Rize again... Whoever it is, if there strong I wont be able to do shit, even though I want to.
He gave the girls a casual wave and stepped into the alley's mouth.
As he crept deeper, the air grew Viler.
That's when he smelled it.
Blood.
Thick and coppery, like pennies soaked in rot. It hit the back of his throat.
He pulled the symbiote lightly over his eyes and nose, forming a thin membrane—like pulling down goggles. His vision sharpened and it didn't smell so bad anymore, he peeked around the corner.
What he saw made him gag. though he covered his mouth so he didn't make a sound.
A man crouched low over a blood-soaked woman, still breathing but barely. He was tearing chunks from her side, blood dripping from his mouth, his fingers red up to the knuckle. His clothes were torn but stylish—jeans, a black jacket, a university ID half-visible on the ground.
Nishiki Nishio.
Mid-tier ghoul. University student. Not an S-class... but not weak either. Class C, maybe C-plus. Still enough to Probably kill me with one shot if I'm stupid about this.
The woman was twitching weakly.
Nile ground his teeth.
I could leave. But I need those points. And—hell. She's still breathing, I cant just leave her there to die.
He focused.
I've got to Surprise him. But I don't have time to think, that women's dying.
With no warning, Nile stepped forward and sprinted down the alley. Just as Nishiki looked up, fangs bared—
Crack.
Nile slammed into him with a hardened elbow to the temple. Nishiki stumbled back.
"Back off, Nosferatu," Nile said, breath tight.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Nishiki snarled. "What is it with people interrupting my dinner?"
Nishiki snarled and released his kagune—two reddish-purple Rinkaku tentacles erupting from his lower back, whipping through the air like twin eels made of muscle and bone.
One tentacle launched straight at Nile's gut.
He barely reacted in time.
With a thought, the symbiote surged to his abdomen and hardened.
Clang!
The blow struck. It didn't pierce, but the force sent Nile rolling sideways, pushing off the ground with his hand as he flipped back and landed hard—but clean. that fucking hurts!, he thought, nearly dropping to one knee as the pain caught up with him. If I keep taking hits like that, the symbiote won't hold up.
But still Holy shit. I didn't even know I could do that.
"CCG?" Nishiki growled, stalking forward. "You don't smell like one of them."
"Maby I am Maby Im not, right now I just wanna save that nice women your eating!" Nile half said half shouted
"Screw you you fucking nobody" Nishiki growled,
The fucker lunged again. Nile dodged left, a tendril of black symbiote slashing across to deflect the second kagune.
Then he stepped in, hardened the symbiote over his right hand, and drove a hook into Nishiki's jaw.
A splash of blood. The ghoul reeled, stumbled—and Nile swept low with a kick, tripping him into the wall.
"Fuck off with your tricks," he spat. "and The fuck is that Black goo, has to be a new type of quinque"
"Yeah," Nile panted. " "I guess you could call It a quinque, now can you fucking go down." Nile panted as he swept Nishiki's legs and threw his weight into it. The ghoul hit the wall hard — his head cracked against the bricks.
He slumped.
'I didn't expect that to actually nock him out' thought Nile as he went to scratch his head and then remembered "Fuck, the women!"
He moved to grab her, lifting her carefully.
He ran towards the exit of the alley
That's when it happened.
A kagune came from behind — not fast, but fast enough.
Shit—
He half-turned, symbiote crawling up his back — too slow.
Whack.
He flew forward and hit the wall chest-first, teeth clacking. The symbiote absorbed most of it, but pain still flashed up his spine.
Nishiki stood again, bloodied but upright, grinning.
"You thought that was enough to Nock me out? You're green."
Then—crack.
A kick, like thunder, slammed into Nishiki's face. He flipped sideways and crashed into the far wall.
Nile turned, groaning.
A girl stood in front of him now, fists clenched, blue eyes burning.
Short Purple hair. School uniform. with a Cold gaze.
...