Faced with Shiro Sakamaki's request, Dr. Akihiro Kanou didn't ask a single question. He agreed immediately—because he knew full well he didn't have the power to refuse.
He understood this more clearly than even Itori ever did.
"That girl just now—she's the eldest daughter of the Anjiu family, isn't she?" Shiro asked suddenly.
Kano froze, surprised by the shift in topic. Still, he answered truthfully, "Yes. After Mr. Anjiu was killed by a ghoul, I took in his daughters."
"There's another—Kurona Yasuhisa—she's still upstairs. Want me to call them down?"
Kano glanced at Shiro, drenched from the rain but composed. He looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. The mention of Kurona and Nashiro made something click in his mind.
Shiro shook his head. "No need. We'll talk about it next time."
"By the way," Shiro continued, "how are your experiments going?"
"Which ones?"
"The one where you're trying to turn humans into one-eyed ghouls. Like that boy from before. Any progress?"
In a way, Kano's research also counted as a form of physical transformation, though unlike the forbidden techniques in the Cthulhu Original Codex, which recklessly fused beings together, Kano's approach still respected biological structure—at least for now.
"It's... not going well," Kano admitted. "The mortality rate is still extremely high. So far, only four test subjects have survived—including that boy."
"I see."
Shiro walked over to the operating table and glanced at the lifeless body lying there. "You're not using this anymore, are you?"
Kano hesitated. "No, it's a failure."
Without another word, Shiro reached out and thrust his hand into the corpse's chest.
Spiritual power surged.
He activated a forbidden transformation technique from the Cthulhu Codex, attempting to forcibly fuse the corpse with the kakuhou embedded in its body.
Kano's eyes widened in horror.
Muscle fibers twitched. Then squirmed. Then rapidly began to regenerate and grow.
Crimson thorns burst from under the skin, spreading wildly, distorting what had once been a humanoid form. The growth pattern was unlike anything ghouls normally exhibited.
Tentacle-like kagune flailed madly in the air—but not a single one dared to touch Shiro.
The body, which had clearly been dead moments before, began to stir.
Its eyes opened—black sclera with blood-red irises.
Shiro pushed further, trying to test the limits of the technique. But he had clearly overestimated his control.
What had started smoothly quickly began to unravel.
The kagune multiplied at an uncontrollable rate. The body swelled, becoming a pulsating mass of meat, covered in twitching tentacles and dozens of bloodshot eyes.
It was grotesque. Unstable.
Realizing it had gone too far, Shiro pulled his hand back and severed the energy flow.
Immediately, the semi-fused ghoul went berserk, devouring the residual spiritual power within.
The meat abomination doubled in size within seconds.
Without flinching, Shiro summoned a spiritual barrier, shielding himself and Kanou from what was to come.
BOOM!
The abomination exploded in a fountain of blood and shredded flesh.
Shiro stood calmly within the barrier, untouched. Kano, still shielded, could barely suppress his shock. His throat was dry, and he swallowed hard.
But beneath the initial horror… a dangerous glint of mad curiosity began to sparkle in his eyes.
He didn't fully understand what Shiro had done.
But wasn't this the very thing he'd been trying to achieve?
---
After leaving the lab, Shiro made his way toward Kobayashi's home.
His thoughts lingered on the experiment. The technique had started out stable, controllable even. But near the end—something shifted.
"I lost control... why?" he muttered.
After thinking it over, he chalked it up to inexperience and let the question go.
These secret techniques… they seemed safe under the protection of the Elder God's blessing, but he couldn't trust that safety would last.
For now, he'd focus on body transformation alone. That much was manageable.
When he arrived at Kobayashi's house, the door opened before he knocked.
A flash of white darted toward him.
Kanna Kamui leapt onto his shoulders with a beaming grin. "You're late!"
"Sorry, sorry," Shiro chuckled. "I had something to take care of. Did you have fun today?"
"Yes!" she nodded enthusiastically. "But Kobayashi doesn't have enough snacks. Let's go back soon."
From behind her, Kobayashi appeared, looking slightly embarrassed. "I really am sorry about that. I didn't realize she had such an appetite."
Shiro smiled and bowed slightly. "Thanks for watching her today, Kobayashi. I'll take Kanna home now."
"Wait," she said after a pause, "I know she's happy with you, but this isn't a long-term solution. Have you thought about school?"
"I have," Shiro nodded. "It's just... Kanna's identity needs some paperwork. Give me a day or two."
"Alright. By the way, where's Tohru? I thought you two were always together."
"…She said she was visiting some friends," Kobayashi replied, trying to sound casual.
Right on cue, a flash of energy streaked across the sky.
A massive dragon descended, transforming mid-air into a young woman just as she landed.
Tohru had returned.
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