47

Chapter 47: Kamishiro Matasaka

"I already told you, they're just my fellow interns," Ryoma said flatly.

He hadn't expected Rize to bring the topic back up — he thought she had let it go.

"You said it was because you fought side by side with them," Rize remarked, her tone playful yet sharp. "But from the scent I picked up, it's strongest on your arms and shoulders. How exactly did you 'fight side by side' in a way that leaves that kind of scent?"

"...Well..." Ryoma hesitated, realizing he couldn't dodge this anymore. "They accidentally fell asleep on my shoulders while we were on the subway."

Rize's expression softened.

"I see," she muttered with a faint smile.

That explanation made sense — and for now, she chose to believe it.

"Alright then," Rize said, shifting the conversation. "Next, I'll tell you everything about the Washuu family... so you don't end up acting recklessly out of ignorance."

Though Ryoma already knew the details, he kept his expression serious, playing the role of a good listener.

Rize began explaining the Washuu family's influence — their control over the CCG, their ties to the shadowy organization known as V — and the twisted hierarchy within their bloodline.

"As a family of ghouls, they worship human blood. The purer your ghoul bloodline, the lower your status. Don't you think that's ridiculous?"

Rize didn't directly mention her own experiences, but Ryoma understood her meaning.

"Yeah... But is that what you personally went through?" he asked.

"It seems I was a little too obvious," Rize replied lightly. "Yeah, that's my story. That's why I never want to go back to that disgusting place. Escaping from there was... difficult."

She paused briefly before adding, "By the way, if you hadn't saved me back then, I'd probably still be caught up in that twisted fate."

"Although I don't know exactly what that bastard Furuta is planning... whatever it is, it's nothing good."

Her voice was calm, but the bitterness in her tone was unmistakable.

"Maybe things could've turned out worse," Ryoma said quietly. "But it's in the past now. I'll make sure you never have to suffer like that again."

He wasn't just trying to comfort her — Ryoma genuinely believed that.

The "worse outcome" he referred to was Rize being used as an experimental subject.

Being forced to bear the Washuu family's twisted offspring was undoubtedly horrific, but becoming an experimental donor was a different kind of hell altogether.

In the original story, Rize had her kakuhou forcibly extracted thousands of times. Each extraction brought excruciating pain and endless starvation — a brutal cycle of physical and mental torment.

By the time she was reduced to the core of the Dragon, her suffering had reached its limit — death almost seemed merciful.

Ryoma didn't see the point in comparing which fate was worse. Both were nightmares — and he would ensure Rize never endured either one again.

"I just told you how powerful the Washuu family is... and you still say things like that?" Rize sighed. "I don't know where you get your confidence... but I'll believe you for now. After all... you're the only one I can rely on."

"By the way... you mentioned your 'father' before. How's he doing now?" Ryoma asked, steering the conversation.

"Him?" Rize's expression shifted slightly. "I haven't seen him since I left the 6th Ward. I heard CCG caught him... but I don't know if that's true."

Her voice carried a hint of indifference — as if she'd tried not to care.

"The 6th Ward... so he's not your biological father?" Ryoma pressed. "And since your last name isn't Washuu, I'm guessing you inherited 'Kamishiro' from him?"

"Yeah," Rize said, her voice softer now. "I met him after I escaped from that place. He gave me the Kamishiro name... and taught me how to fight. But... he was also kind of a stubborn old man."

She paused, reflecting.

"...But maybe... his preaching wasn't all wrong," she added quietly. "If I hadn't been so reckless with my hunting... Furuta wouldn't have had the chance to trap me."

"With his strength... if he really was caught by the CCG, I doubt they'd keep him alive," Ryoma said thoughtfully.

He recalled something important — Rize had once called Kamishiro Matasaka "Dad" before Matasaka himself saw her as his daughter.

It reminded Ryoma of Kurona and Nashiro — children drawn to a father figure out of a desperate need for love.

Rize's rebellious nature had always clashed with Matasaka's overbearing lectures, but that didn't mean she didn't care.

"I hope you're right... He'd only let himself get caught if it meant protecting weaker ghouls," Rize muttered.

She knew better than anyone how Matasaka operated. As the leader of the 6th Ward, he always protected the vulnerable.

If the CCG truly captured him, it was because he willingly took the fall — sacrificing himself to shield the remaining ghouls.

Unless the CCG had sent someone like Kishou Arima... but that seemed unlikely.

Arima only moved when the Washuu family or V demanded it — if he had been dispatched, Matasaka wouldn't have been captured. He would've been killed outright.

In truth, the real reason the CCG had targeted the 6th Ward in the first place was because of Rize's reckless feeding habits — a consequence that still weighed on her.

"...Anyway," Rize said suddenly, snapping Ryoma from his thoughts. "I'll be staying with you from now on. I'll move my stuff here tomorrow."

She stated it so casually that Ryoma nearly laughed. Asking permission clearly wasn't her style.

Not that he minded.

"That's fine," Ryoma replied. "It'll be easier to stay in contact that way."

"But let's be clear," Rize added with a smirk. "Don't forget what you promised me. I've been waiting for my turn to 'enjoy' you."

Ryoma coughed awkwardly. "Yeah... I haven't forgotten."

"Good," Rize murmured. Her smile sharpened. "Because before that happens... I won't let any other ghoul take you from me."

With that, she leaned in close and bit his collarbone — just enough to leave a faint mark behind.