Rest

While Megumi Fushiguro was away.

Okkotsu explained what the Culling Game was, along with the plan everyone had discussed.

"Our tentative plan is..."

Okkotsu began, "When the time comes, Kaneki, you, and I will enter the Culling Game barrier together."

On that point.

Kinji Hakari had no major objections.

He merely looked at Ken Kaneki with doubt in his eyes. "Can you handle it?"

He remembered, after all.

This guy had only awakened his cursed technique recently.

At that.

Kaneki offered no explanation. He simply reached his hand slowly toward Kinji Hakari.

Kinji Hakari did not dodge.

Instead, he studied Kaneki's transformed Kakugan with curiosity.

Then...

He felt an incredibly familiar power emanating from that hand.

[The power to stop]!

Realizing what it was, Kinji Hakari's eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face.

"I can acquire other people's cursed techniques."

After that brief explanation, Kaneki got straight to the point. "Currently, I have [Limitless], [Ten Shadows Technique], [Projection Sorcery], and Special Grade Sorcerer Yuki Tsukumo's cursed technique."

He did not mention the others.

When they heard [Ten Shadows Technique], both Hakari and Kirara Hoshi turned to the head of the Zenin Clan.

Seriously?

You're just letting him do that?

After hearing all that, Hakari also believed Ken Kaneki had the strength to enter the Culling Game barrier with them.

"When the time comes..."

Seeing his reaction, Okkotsu continued, "Kaneki will also acquire Todo's and Inumaki's cursed techniques."

Now.

The two of them understood.

They could say... he alone could match a whole group from Jujutsu High.

The only problem was.

He had possessed those techniques for too little time.

Otherwise.

If he had enough time.

Kinji Hakari felt they would not even need to get involved this time. Kaneki could settle it alone.

Another guy whose strength shattered sorcerers' understanding, just like Satoru Gojo!

Next.

Okkotsu continued going over the information they currently had.

Kaneki turned to Kirara Hoshi and asked, "You can freely adjust the order in your cursed technique, right?"

"Yes."

Kirara Hoshi paused, then nodded.

Kaneki nodded. Kirara Hoshi's cursed technique could serve as an extra safeguard.

As for information about him.

Kenjaku probably knew it too.

It would not trap them for long, but it would be enough to buy some time.

With Kirara there.

Sukuna would have a hard time getting close to Megumi Fushiguro within one minute!

After hearing everything, Kinji Hakari pointed at Kaneki and looked at Okkotsu. "If we each take one, who am I fighting?"

"Uraume."

Kaneki answered.

As he spoke, he looked at Kinji Hakari. "In the future I saw, you held Uraume off."

"Held them off, huh..."

Kinji Hakari murmured to himself.

That also meant he was on the same level as this thousand-year-old sorcerer named Uraume.

"Besides."

Kaneki continued, "We might be facing more than just those three."

Kenjaku had not activated [Idle Transfiguration] remotely until that morning.

In the intervening time.

He must have revived more ancient sorcerers through incarnated vessels.

The number of players this time was surely over a thousand.

"Go on..."

Kinji Hakari spoke bluntly. "What other plans do you have?"

"I don't think the three of us can handle that many ancient sorcerers."

"It won't be just the three of us."

Okkotsu said, "We might have one or two more people by then. You only need to hold Uraume off."

The exact number would depend on the situation.

"Okay."

Kinji Hakari nodded.

If all he had to do was hold Uraume off, he had no problem with that.

After entering the Culling Game barrier, they would first search for Angel. If they encountered Kenjaku and the others, they would fight if they could, and retreat if they could not.

If they did not encounter Kenjaku.

That would mean Kenjaku was very likely attacking the Tombs of the Star Corridor.

At that point.

They would have to earn enough points as quickly as possible to change the barrier's conditions.

Then Kaneki would take people back to the Tombs of the Star Corridor.

Okkotsu and Kinji Hakari would remain behind to earn points and rescue Megumi Fushiguro's sister.

That was right.

Kaneki planned to acquire Ui Ui's cursed technique.

That way.

As long as they earned enough points, they could change the barrier's conditions and let him use Ui Ui's cursed technique to leave the Culling Game barrier.

They would leave the crows behind.

That way.

He could bring people back as reinforcements at any time.

The original story had made it clear that Maki Zenin was the only person who could freely enter and leave the barriers.

Because.

She had a heavenly restriction.

She had lost all her cursed energy.

Even Ui Ui could not escape the Culling Game barriers.

So.

In the original story, he could only work with Maki Zenin to relay signals.

As for.

How to acquire Ui Ui's cursed technique.

That was even simpler.

Kaneki lacked everything but money. As the creator of "Tokyo Ghoul," he had money to spare!!!

If necessary.

He would also pay to buy Mei Mei's cursed technique.

It grew later and later.

Their scheduled rest time had passed, yet no one went inside to rest. Everyone kept working according to the plan.

Because.

Kaneki had not rested.

Everyone present except Ken Kaneki had gotten at least a few hours of rest.

Only Kaneki had not slept at all.

He was pushing himself too hard.

He had not slept since the beginning, and had even gone out twice in between.

Everyone understood.

If they did not give it everything now, they would lose their lives later!

They had no choice but to push themselves.

Shoko walked over with a cigarette between her lips and told Kaneki, "Go get some rest..."

As she spoke...

She looked at the others nearby, who were also visibly tired. "If you don't rest, they won't feel comfortable resting either."

"And another thing..."

"If you don't get yourselves rested, how are you going to face Kenjaku if he launches a surprise attack?"

At that.

Kaneki realized how serious the problem was. "All right."

He had already been sleeping poorly because Kenjaku had not come looking for him. On top of that, he had barely closed his eyes for two days, leaving him unable to concentrate.

Reverse Cursed Technique could ease his physical exhaustion.

But when it came to his brain.

He did not dare do anything to it beyond healing cursed technique burnout.

Once Ken Kaneki went to rest.

Aside from a few people who had already rested and stayed behind, everyone else went inside to sleep, one after another.

Tengen also changed the surroundings within the Emptiness Barrier.

Day became night, allowing them to sleep peacefully and comfortably.

He had not been asleep long.

Kugisaki and Kasumi Miwa, who were keeping watch outside, heard a series of pained, muffled groans coming from inside.

The two followed the sound with their eyes.

They saw Kaneki lying in bed with a pained expression, strange sounds rising from his throat.

It looked...

As though he was having a nightmare.

Before long.

Kaneki jolted awake, and those strange sounds turned into dry heaves.

Once awake.

Kaneki rolled over toward the floor beside the bed and kept retching, but nothing came out.

Soon...

Kaneki realized his retching was loud enough to wake the others, yet he could not stop.

Crack!

He forcibly snapped his own finger.

The intense pain made his body temporarily ignore the dry heaves brought on by nausea.

Now.

The retching in his throat turned into pained groans.

Only after taking a long while to recover did he lift his lowered head, revealing eyes flooded with tears from retching.

He glanced at the stars outside the window.

Then he lay back down.

He did not use Reverse Cursed Technique to heal the ring finger he had snapped and left horribly twisted.

He simply lay there, gradually drifting off to sleep.

A quick aside.

I don't know if it was because I've been writing this novel, but I really did dream that I had the cursed technique [Brain Devouring].

I asked for an arm.

It was cut off with a sickle.

I didn't dare look.

When I took it and ate it, it felt like eating braised pork, really springy and chewy.

It didn't taste like much.

But it was incredibly disgusting.

I wolfed down a few bites, then couldn't stop myself from wanting to throw up, so I wrapped the hand in newspaper and tossed it into the trash.