Card Chapter 19: Kaneki Ken (Patreon)

[Please begin crafting your story.]

…

[Ken Kaneki was, at first, an ordinary male university student, no different from anyone else.]

[By chance, he met a girl his own age, Rize Kamishiro, in the coffee shop “Anteiku,” which he visited often, and he fell in love with her.]

[Unfortunately, Kaneki had no idea that Rize Kamishiro was the flesh‑eating ghoul of urban legend.]

[After their date, as they were parting ways, Rize revealed her true nature and gravely injured Kaneki.]

[Fortunately, some falling steel beams crushed Rize, and Kaneki survived.]

[In the hospital, to save Kaneki’s life, the doctor transplanted Rize’s organs into him.]

[Thus Rize’s kakuhō was placed in Kaneki’s body, and he became a one‑eyed ghoul.]

[At first Kaneki noticed nothing strange, until he tried human food.]

[He found he could no longer stomach it, and in the street he suddenly felt hunger for those who had once been his own kind.]

[At last, one night, he could no longer suppress his desire and went out to hunt.]

[On the way he ran into Tōka Kirishima, a waitress from Anteiku.]

[Tōka naturally knew Rize’s identity and was astonished that Kaneki was still alive.]

[By chance, Kaneki learned that his senpai at school, Nishiki Nishio, was also a ghoul.]

[Nishiki tried to kill Kaneki’s friend Hideyoshi Nagachika (Hide).]

[This enraged Kaneki, who for the first time unleashed Rize’s kagune.]

[The berserk Kaneki defeated Nishiki, but at the last moment was stopped by Tōka.]

[After this, Kaneki began working at Anteiku and met the mother‑and‑daughter ghouls Ryōko and Hinami Fueguchi.]

[Gentle‑hearted Kaneki quickly became friends with Hinami.]

[One day, while Ryōko was taking Hinami home, Kaneki saw CCG investigators kill Ryōko.]

[From then on, Kaneki began training, vowing never to regret his weakness again.]

[Tōka and Kaneki fought the investigators to avenge Ryōko; Kaneki defeated Investigator Kōtarō Amon.]

[One day, Rize’s follower Kazuichi Banjō came looking for him, warning Rize to flee Aogiri Tree’s pursuit.]

[At the same time, Aogiri officers Ayato Kirishima and Yamori (“Jason”) arrived.]

[Yamori smelled Rize’s scent on Kaneki and took him away.]

[In Yamori’s hands, Kaneki suffered inhuman torture.]

[Nearby, Banjō secretly signaled that he would rescue him.]

[But the crude plan had long been seen through by Yamori.]

[In front of Kaneki, Yamori tortured several people to death, driving Kaneki to collapse.]

[In a daze, Kaneki saw Rize and, guided by her, reviewed his unhappy childhood.]

[He finally understood: the one at fault was not him, but the world.]

[In his mind, he devoured Rize; the black‑haired boy turned white overnight.]

[When Yamori returned, he met the now “darkened” Kaneki and was easily defeated.]

[After helping Tōka and the others who came to rescue him, Kaneki told her he would not return to Anteiku and joined Aogiri Tree.]

[Kaneki next appeared with Aogiri Tree in an assault on Cochlea Prison.]

[Reaching the cell that held Shachi, he meant to free him, but Shachi, sensing Rize’s scent, attacked; Kaneki was driven into peril by the onslaught.]

[Finally, Kaneki released his kagune, “Centipede,” defeated Shachi, yet fell into madness.]

[In his frenzy he defeated Investigator Shinohara, but was brought down by the furious Kōtarō Amon.]

[At that moment Aogiri’s leader, the One‑Eyed Owl, appeared and carried him off.]

[Not long after, the CCG prepared to purge the 20th Ward.]

[During the CCG’s operation, Aogiri Tree suddenly intervened.]

[Kaneki fought his decisive battle with Kōtarō Amon and won.]

[But among the investigators was the ace, Kishō Arima.]

[Kaneki was defeated by Arima, lost his memory, and ultimately joined the CCG.]

…

The story ended here. Russell let out a long breath—this was the first time he had penned such a lengthy tale.

He did not plan to go further; the materials he had were not enough to craft a version of Kaneki from the Investigator or One‑Eyed King eras.

The mysterious space likewise approved Russell’s story.

Back in reality, a shy, black‑haired boy first appeared before Russell.

Then, amid black‑and‑red, centipede‑like tendrils, the boy instantly became a white‑haired madman.

At last, everything condensed into a single card floating silently before Russell.

Most striking was that the two illustrations on the card were different: one side showed the black‑haired, inexperienced student; the other, the white‑haired, deranged ghoul.

…

[Centipede - Ken Kaneki]

Rank: Black Iron
Rarity: Red
Category: Creature

Skills
[Rinkaku · Rize Kamishiro] – Four tail‑like, razor‑sharp kagune identical to Rize’s, with great power and wide reach.

[Rinkaku · Centipede] – After extensive “cannibalism,” Kaneki’s RC cells mutated, producing a centipede‑like kagune of terrifying speed, destructive force, and remarkable defense.

Traits
One‑Eyed Ghoul – A half‑human, half‑ghoul body whose physical ability and kagune strength exceed ordinary ghouls’.

High‑Speed Regeneration – Torture further heightened a ghoul’s already strong healing; non‑fatal wounds close completely in a short time.

Half‑Kakuja – A half‑kakuja may rampage uncontrollably in battle, but the kagune strengthens dramatically.

Introduction: All misfortunes in this world arise from the lack of ability of those involved.

Evolution path: Black Iron [Centipede · Ken Kaneki] → Bronze [CCG Investigator · Haise Sasaki] → Gold [One‑Eyed King · Ken Kaneki].

Bonds: Fielded with the [Tōka Kirishima] series: activates [20th Ward].

Bonds: Fielded with the [Takatsuki Sen] series: activates [Aogiri Tree].

…

Russell stared at the card information, stunned; it was the first time he had seen such a powerful card—three traits, no less.

Suppressing his excitement, he absorbed the card into his mind.

In the next instant, a white‑haired youth in a black short‑sleeved hoodie stood before him.

The youth’s single crimson eye was most striking, yet Russell felt no fear: Kaneki was gentle toward friends, and cards could not harm their holder.

Indeed, whether cards possessed self‑awareness was still unsettled among Card Crafters.

Thinking of this, Russell smiled at Kaneki. “I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

Kaneki returned a gentle smile. “Likewise.”

After greeting him, Russell stored Kaneki back in his mind.

“Creature cards should do for now,” Russell mused. For the moment he still had a [Flesh Demon] (Gold) and over three hundred thousand in cash—enough to make an item card for Yoriichi Tsugikuni or for himself.

But there was no hurry. Crafting Kaneki’s card had exhausted him today; he would think about it another day.