Mint Candy

Outside the window.

Where Kaneki couldn't see them.

Kasumi Miwa clamped a hand over her mouth, while Kugisaki stood across from her with a grim expression.

Neither of them made the slightest sound.

They had both guessed what Kaneki had dreamed about.

That night.

The dry heaving sounded five times in all, each time accompanied by the sharp crack of a finger being broken.

After the final bout.

A little while later.

Kaneki walked out of the room. Seeing their expressions, he knew they had heard him.

"Anything else you want me to get?"

At those words.

Kasumi Miwa nearly lost her composure, tears welling in her eyes.

This guy.

He was younger than they were, yet he had taken on this responsibility himself.

Kugisaki calmly rattled off their orders.

The slight tremor in her voice betrayed that she wasn't nearly as calm as she appeared.

"Oh, right."

Seeing Kaneki about to leave, Kugisaki stopped him. "Get some mint candy, too..."

"Okay."

Kaneki nodded.

Then he told them, "Get some rest, too. I'll have someone call you when I get back with the food."

With that.

He slowly walked out of the Emptiness Barrier.

He could have left this to someone else, but he thought Kenjaku might target them.

He might even.

Poison the food.

So he chose to buy it himself. That way, he could rest easy without worrying about losing anyone over it.

Keeping watch.

Was partly about guarding against Kenjaku, and partly about keeping an eye on Tengen.

On the surface.

The two girls were in charge of the night watch.

In reality, Yū Shinji was keeping watch. Their presence was meant to ease his burden.

At present.

Yū Shinji's puppets were stationed both openly and covertly in every occupied Emptiness Barrier.

If anything went wrong.

Yū Shinji would notice immediately.

Before long.

Kaneki returned to the Tombs of the Star Corridor. By the time he came back, everyone from Jujutsu High was awake.

Kaneki took breakfast out of his shadow.

He had written down everyone's orders the night before. Notably, they had all chosen very light food.

Even the buns they chose were vegetable buns.

Not a single meat bun.

Of course, Kaneki knew they were trying to spare him the sight of meat.

After handing out the food, Kaneki brought meals to Itadori and Choso as well.

Only then...

Did he go to the other Emptiness Barrier.

When Megumi Fushiguro saw Kaneki take breakfast out of his shadow, he jolted.

This was actually... [Ten Shadows Technique]!

Shocked as he was.

He still didn't ask about it.

"I can acquire other people's cursed techniques." Seeing his confusion, Kaneki volunteered an explanation. "While you were unconscious, I acquired yours."

"Oh..."

Fushiguro calmed down. "You're just telling me that? Aren't you worried about leaking information?"

Yesterday.

Principal Yaga had explained to him why they had been ignoring him.

"It's fine," Kaneki said. "The enemy already knows what my cursed technique does."

Knowing what his cursed technique did was useless on its own.

Knowing how many cursed techniques he possessed was what mattered!

After greeting the others, Kaneki headed back down the passage.

He came to the table.

Opening his meal box, he found steaming white rice porridge dotted with vegetables.

A fresh fragrance wafted up.

It eased his discomfort a little.

When he picked up his spoon, the others around him weren't looking directly at him, but they were all watching him out of the corners of their eyes.

They watched Kaneki scoop up a spoonful of porridge and put it in his mouth.

"Urgh!"

The moment he swallowed, a brief retch rose in his throat, which Kaneki forcibly suppressed.

His face turned red with the effort.

Seeing this.

Kugisaki took out the mint candy she had asked Kaneki to buy and offered it to him. "Here..."

Mint candy could neutralize unpleasant tastes.

It could also ease nausea.

She had learned that from Shoko.

Kaneki thanked her, took a mint from the box, and slipped it into his mouth.

The moment it touched his tongue.

The mint flavor quickly spread through his mouth, gradually dispelling his discomfort.

With the mint candy to help.

Kaneki finished a bowl of vegetable porridge.

After the meal, everyone started training on their own without needing to be prompted. Kaneki could tell they were working even harder.

At noon.

Kaneki didn't buy the light food they had requested. Instead, he bought dishes with meat.

After all.

Intense training required meat to replenish their nutrients.

He wasn't eating it, but he couldn't make everyone else abstain along with him.

To his surprise...

After he brought the food back.

Without even discussing it, they all avoided the meat dishes and ate only vegetables.

Their actions told him: whatever you eat, we'll eat, too.

Honestly...

Kaneki was touched. This was also why he had saved them.

Because.

They were worth saving!

After the meal, Kaneki signaled for Tengen to close the passage leading to Megumi Fushiguro.

Tengen complied.

The Emptiness Barrier where Itadori stayed was kept closed, opening only when Kaneki brought him food.

Then.

Kaneki gently brought his hands together.

Mahoraga slowly emerged from the lengthening shadow behind him.

At the sight.

Everyone present froze.

Naobito Zenin shouted in astonishment, "You... actually tamed Mahoraga?!"

Taming Mahoraga.

Over the past thousand years.

Only Ken Kaneki, standing before them, had accomplished it.

"I just got lucky," Kaneki said. "I awakened a cursed technique that lets me possess multiple cursed techniques."

"If..."

"I'd only awakened [Ten Shadows Technique], I never could have tamed Mahoraga."

In his previous life.

He had read a comment somewhere.

It said that taming Mahoraga with [Ten Shadows Technique] alone was impossible.

He didn't know whether it was true.

Everyone else looked equally stunned.

Simply sensing Mahoraga's cursed energy told them how powerful he was-stronger than they were.

"Okkotsu."

Kaneki looked at Okkotsu. "I need you to use [Dismantle] from [Malevolent Shrine] on Mahoraga so he can adapt to [Slashing]."

"Okay."

Okkotsu didn't hesitate.

He immediately summoned Rika in her fully manifested form, also known as White Rika.

"Just use [Dismantle]," Kaneki added. "Don't use [Eightfold] or [Open]."

"Okay."

As he spoke, Okkotsu unleashed [Dismantle] at the motionless Mahoraga!

The next second!

A bloody gash opened across Mahoraga's chest, then rapidly healed.

Click!

The Dharma Wheel above Mahoraga's head turned once.

He had already begun to adapt.

What followed was not only an opportunity for Mahoraga to adapt, but also a chance for Okkotsu to grow more proficient with Sukuna's cursed technique.

The onlookers could clearly see Mahoraga healing faster and faster, while the wounds inflicted on him grew shallower.

Soon...

The slashes could only knock Mahoraga back, no longer dealing any meaningful damage.

"That's enough."

Kaneki stopped Okkotsu. "That'll do."

Okkotsu stopped attacking, still looking astonished by Mahoraga. "Doesn't he need to adapt to [Open]?"

"No."

Kaneki explained, "[Open] is too powerful. A single hit could kill Mahoraga."

As he spoke...

He dismissed Mahoraga, letting him return to the shadows.

Seeing this.

Okkotsu severed his connection as well, and the fully manifested Rika dissolved into black smoke.

The reason Kaneki wasn't worried about Kenjaku coming.

Was that Kenjaku was busy.

Yesterday had been his best opportunity. Since Kenjaku hadn't come, he would have to wait until they split up.

Besides...

The period following the start of the Culling Game was a busy one, too.

That was also why Kaneki dared to have Okkotsu connect with Rika to help Mahoraga adapt.