84

Chapter 84: Using Blood To Save Nashiro

"Where are you? I'm coming now."

Kanzaki Ryoma didn't hesitate. His voice was sharp and to the point.

Kurona gave him her location without delay.

"Stay right there. I'll be there soon."

He ended the call and immediately took off, heading straight for the coordinates she gave him.

There was no way he was letting Nashiro die because he was too slow.

...

It didn't take long before Ryoma arrived at the spot Kurona had described.

Overgrown weeds surrounded a crumbling, abandoned house, far removed from anyone's path.

Inside, amid dust and shadows, Kurona sat clutching Nashiro tightly.

When she saw Ryoma enter, still carrying his Quinque suitcase, she instinctively held Nashiro closer, her body tensing.

Kanzaki noticed and silently placed the case aside before approaching.

"Let me check her condition."

He crouched before the two sisters.

"It's not good. I don't think she has a chance..."

Kurona's voice trembled. "If there's no other way, maybe I could absorb her into my body, just to keep her alive..."

"That won't work."

Ryoma shut it down immediately.

He knew from experience. That wouldn't save her now.

Without another word, Ryoma pulled out a sealed vial marked "Leech 1/76" from his inner pocket, used it to slice a shallow cut across his palm, and let his blood drip into Nashiro's mouth.

Since she was unconscious, she couldn't bite him on her own.

That's right. He was going to use his own flesh and blood to save her.

His body carried Hashirama cells— biomatter capable of radically boosting regeneration. For ghouls, it wasn't even comparable to regular human tissue.

Even with 70 percent of her kakuhou destroyed, if it could regenerate even slightly, there was still hope.

Blood wasn't as effective as raw flesh, but it would buy time. Once Nashiro regained consciousness, the real treatment could begin.

"Is this... really going to help?"

Kurona asked, doubt creeping into her voice.

But then she paused. Ryoma's scent hit her all at once—intoxicating, almost overwhelming.

She nearly had the urge to bite him herself.

But Nashiro was still critical. That urge didn't last long.

"It'll work. Come home with me. When Nashiro stabilizes, I'll make sure she recovers fully."

Ryoma's voice carried conviction.

"Alright."

Kurona nodded. Despite this being her first time entering a man's home, her only concern now was Nashiro.

...

The sisters had been wearing black and white robes. Kurona adjusted her hood to hide her face and pulled one over Nashiro as well.

She carried her sister in her arms and followed Kanzaki closely.

What caught Kurona off guard was how physically strong Ryoma truly was. Despite being human, he moved with more ease and endurance than she or Nashiro could manage as ghouls. He deliberately slowed down so she could keep up.

She'd assumed his strength came from the Quinque alone when they fought. But now it seemed Ryoma could outmatch them with just his body.

If Nashiro weren't her priority, she might have asked what he really was.

They traveled in silence through dark alleys and empty streets, taking care not to alert civilians or CCG patrols. Eventually, they reached the edge of Ward 20.

When they arrived at ryoma's home, Kurona noticed something.

Nashiro was breathing more evenly. Her expression had softened. It was as if she was merely asleep.

"She's out of danger!"

Kurona gasped, eyes wide with hope.

Ryoma let out a breath. "Told you. She'll recover. Now we just need to let her rest."

But her kakuhou was still far from healed. That was another matter entirely.

"Yeah…"

Kurona smiled faintly, holding back tears.

She stepped into ryoma's home and murmured, "Sorry for the intrusion."

But someone was already inside.

Kamishiro Rize stepped into the hallway, surprised to hear a second woman's voice. She had assumed Ryoma was returning alone.

She wasn't wearing her glasses... they were only for show anyway. Without them, her sharp violet eyes caught Kurona in an instant.

A playful smile touched her lips.

"Dear, what's this? Bringing another girl home all of a sudden?"

Dear...

Kurona froze.

"That's... a long story. I'll explain," Ryoma said, brushing past the awkward tension. Then he turned to Kurona. "Lay Nashiro on the bed. Let her rest."

Rize noticed the unconscious girl was injured and didn't press further.

Ryoma guided Kurona to his room, where she gently laid Nashiro down and let her drift into peaceful sleep.

While they waited, Ryoma gave Rize a rundown of everything that had happened.

"So that bastard Kanou used these girls for half-ghoul experiments? And the donor was from the Tsukiyama family?"

Rize's eyes narrowed sharply. Her tone turned cold.

She stepped closer to Kurona.

"Show me your kagune."

There was urgency in her voice. If this was true, then Furuta...

Rize hadn't forgotten the sudden attack Furuta had launched on her. Could it be he planned to use her for similar experiments?

Kurona hesitated. She didn't know this woman, and Ryoma hadn't introduced her.

"It's alright. Let her see."

Ryoma gave her a nod.

"Okay."

Kurona finally nodded and extended her left arm.

Four dark red scale-type kagune unfurled from her waist, gleaming under the dim light. Her left eye glowed with that familiar ghoul-red hue.