Chapter 4- Anteiku

Kaneki stopped just before the entrance to Anteiku, somewhat hesitant to go any further. A village of Ghouls, he thought to himself, narrowing his eye's. He had never seen so many in one place before, let alone living as a community. He should have felt safe at this place, but the truth was that he was just as on edge as he was when surrounded by Humans, maybe even more so. Because, despite having a Kagune, the physical traits, and abilities of a Ghoul, he was just as viable a meal to a Ghoul as any Human.

"Mister Kaneki?" he heard Hinami address him. He didn't look down at her, he simply shook the horse's reigns once more and continued into the village.

Touka stared out the window of the pub, watching as her neighbors packed their bags and loaded up their wagons. A meeting between the village leaders had been called yesterday, sometime after Ryuko and Asaki had shown up. Touka hadn't been allowed in, but she could guess what it was about. The decision had been made that they should abandon the village and make a journey towards the east, towards the kingdom of Osaka, to escape those "Holy Hunters of Tokyo" that attacked the village that the Fueguchi's lived in. That may or may not have killed Hinami.

Touka grimaced at the thought, turning away from the window. She prayed that Hinami escaped and was on her way here. She was innocent, she'd never even thought of harming a person before, that Touka was sure of. She didn't deserve to die.

"Worried about little Hinami?" Koma asked, from behind the counter, calmly cleaning the glasses. Yoshimura had told him he should get home and pack up, but the bartender refused, telling the old man that he would leave once he made sure there were no stragglers left behind.

"Yeah," Touka nodded, taking a step away from the window.

Koma grunted in agreement, setting down the glass gently into a bag. "I am too," he told her. "But Hinami is a smart girl, like you said. I'm sure she'll find her way here."

Touka nodded silently. "Who are the Tokyo Holy Hunters?"

Kama stood still for a second, looking towards the counter, his expression a mixture of fear and contempt. "They call themselves 'Holy' Hunters, but they don't fight for any religion," he began to explain, his tone shifting from hopeful to something akin to fear. "They are Human's more dangerous than most Ghoul's and even more barbaric. Once they catch wind of a Ghoul's presence they attack. Even if they are Human, they will hack down anyone in sight, their pleas falling on deaf ears... The only thing holy about them is that they let God sort them out. They wipe out entire towns, sometimes for the sake of just one Ghoul."

Touka felt a chill run down her spine. There was something terrifying about a creature so hell bent on your extermination that they would hack down their own kind without a second thought. "So, have you ever faced one before?"

"Once," he answered, almost reluctantly. "I was young , then known by the nickname; 'The Devil-Ape," he paused, stroking his chin a bit in remembrance, "At that time it was only a single hunter. I, being the cocky kid I was, thought nothing of this stranger in a white hood holding a mysterious red blade." Koma chuckled a bit, laughing at his own foolishness, "I lost an ear and a leg in that fight. The only reason I survived was because I fell off the side of a cliff."

"I bet you got a few good hits in though, right?" Touka asked, with a nervous chuckle.

Koma laughed. "Are you kiddin'? I couldn't even touch him."

The sound of the door creaking open ended the conversation, prompting the two Ghouls to shift their attention to the newcomer.

It was Yomo, carrying a bag full of food slung over his shoulder. He was in a black hood, which was customary for going out to get food as it normally hid the blood. He stepped further in, closing the door behind him silently, and walking towards the storage.

"Welcome back," Touka greeted.

"Where is everyone going off to," Yomo inquired, not greeting Touka back. "Did something happen?"

Touka was about to open her mouth, when a familiar old voice interrupted her.

"Rather, It's something that could happen," he began, gaining Yomo's attention. "Yesterday, while you were gone, the Fueguchi's arrived. Their village had been attacked by the Holy Hunter's of Tokyo."

Touka saw Yomo tense, his fist tighten, and suddenly she began to grasp just how terrifying these hunter's could be. To make someone like Yomo stiffen like he just had... She'd never seen anything scare the silver haired Ghoul before.

"The Holy Hunters," Yomo questioned, "Are you sure?"

"That is what Asaki told us," Yoshimura replied, folding his hands behind his back and sighing.

"Then why aren't we packing up?"

Irimi spoke up now, "Because Hinami is missing."

Yomo turned to look at Irimi, who held a look of sadness in her black eye's. Yomo frowned slightly, "I see. How are the Fueguchi's doing? Were they hurt?"

"No," answered Yoshimura, "The only damage is in their hearts. Ryuko is upstairs with her husband. They wish to be alone."

"I think we should form a search party," spoke up Touka, "Go back to the Fueguchi's village and search for Hinami." This talk of "Holy Hunter's" had begun to worry Touka. As smart as Hinami was, Touka wasn't sure she could elude those monsters, not for long anyway.

"No," answered Yoshimura, bluntly.

"W-Why!?" Touka exclaimed, surprised by his answer. "Hinami could be out there somewhere, scared and alone!"

"The risk is too great, Touka," the old man began to explain, "Beyond that, there is no telling where she could be. Jepen is much larger than what you know." He paused, looking to the floor. "I'm sorry. We will wait till midday tomorrow, and if by then she has not shown we have to leave. Staying here any later would be a death sentence."

Touka was going to open her mouth, going to protest, but she thought against it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and balled up her fist. Yoshimura had a point, Jepen was massive... In the end all they could do was pray.

"The villagers plan to leave tonight," Yoshimura spoke, now looking to Yomo. "We've agreed to make sure no one stays behind, once we have then we will begin our preparations for leaving."

Yomo nodded, continuing his walk to the storage.

Touka clasped her hands together, and closed her eye's. Please Hinami, be safe.

Kaneki rode slowly through the village, keeping his eye's on the residents. He was receiving many looks, but none of hunger really. No, the faces these people bore were that of fear. So this is a village of ghouls, Kaneki thought to himself. I'm not sure what I expected, but this seems about right.

Suddenly, Hinami once again began to tug at his cloak, pointing to a building that looked like a large cottage with double doors. "Th-There it is!" she spoke excited, practically bouncing on the saddle.

Kaneki kept his eye's fixed on it and began to sniff the air. It was faint, but the smell of flesh wafted into his nose and mouth began to water. He smiled lightly at the scent. Guess she wasn't lying, Kaneki thought to himself and made the horse pick up the pace a bit, leading it to a small shed.

Ryuko and Asaki had come downstairs, the latter of which insisting that his wife get up and moving. Ryuko had agreed, albeit reluctantly. Now, they were sipping coffee, talking to Yoshimura about getting on the move.

"I'm sorry," Yoshimura apologized in advance, taking a seat at one of the benches, "but the decision has been made that if Hinami doesn't show up by midday tomorrow, we have to leave without her." His voice was filled with regret. "You're welcome to stay of course," he added, "but, we will be leaving tomorrow."

Touka watched Ryuko's eye's drop and her face pale. It must have been awful. To be told that your child would have to be left behind. "I understand..." Ryuko spoke, trying hard to keep herself from weeping. It tore Touka apart to see it. These people didn't deserve this. She dug her nails into her bicep in anger, breaking the skin a bit.

"Take Ryuko with you." Spoke up Asaki now, gripping his wife's hand and squeezing it. "I'm going to stay here for Hinami."

Ryuko's eye's bulged. "Dear-" she spoke, about to protest, but Asaki cut her off.

"I left without Hinami, it's only right that I stay here for her," he insisted, looking over to his wife. "I'll be fine. I promise."

Yoshimura nodded. "And... If she doesn't show up?" He put the possibility out there that no one wanted to ask, but everyone wanted to know the answer to.

Asaki looked back to Yoshimura, determination in his eye's. "Then I'll go find her."

Suddenly the doors swung open, almost smacking against the walls and in rushed a small head of brown hair. "M-mommy!?" it called out.

Ryuko looked over to it, staring in disbelief. It was her daughter, completely fine. Ryuko then suddenly felt a rush of relief wash over her and she practically jumped out of her seat and rushed over to Hinami, who's eye's were now spilling with tears and embraced her in a hug so tight that Hinami might as well have melted to her.

"Oh God, Hinami!" she cried out, crying tears of joy at the sight of her daughter. "I can't believe you made it here! Oh God, I thought I'd never see you again!"

"M-mommy!" Hinami cried into Ryuko's shoulder, gripping her mother even tighter.

Soon Asaki joined them, embracing his wife and daughter together.

Touka smiled, feeling tears threatening to leak from her own eye's. What perfect timing, she thought to herself, wiping at her face. She looked to the manager and the others, noticing that the sentiment was mutual. Even Yomo had a grin on his face.

Ryuko reluctantly released Hinami, still keeping her hands on her shoulders, as if she would float away if she didn't. "H-how'd you get here?" she asked, through watery eye's, her voice happy.

Hinami wiped her brown eye's and pointed over to the doorway, to a slightly sillouhueted young man in a sage green cloak. His hair was as white as snow and his skin was almost pale enough to match it. He had some muscle to him as well. You could tell by looking at him that he had seen his fair share of combat.

"He helped me," she told her mother, sniffling a little bit.

Kaneki took a step inside, taking a look around. The pub was very spacious, with a bar that took up an entire wall, curving only at the end. The walls were brick while the floor was wooden. It seemed like a place that was meant to be seen mostly during the night, in the luminance of a lantern.

Suddenly, the woman hugging Hinami, whom Kaneki had figured was his mother came to greet him. "Thank you, for helping my daughter," she said, grabbing his hand with both of hers and tightly shaking it.

The approach surprised Kaneki. He had never been so openly greeted by anyone before. This woman didn't hesitate to meet him though. She even talked to him as if she knew him. It somewhat annoyed Kaneki. A little forcefully he pulled back his hand, setting it by his side.

Now an olderman approached him. His eye's appeared closed, but he carefully took each step, keeping his hands behind his back, giving him the appearance of some sort of royalty. Kaneki began to feel more annoyed at this. He hated royalty. They were nothing but empty promises who didn't fulfuill their end of the bargain, sometime's shorting on the pay, or not even paying at all. Kaneki much preferred working for military commanders, or even other mercenaries. At least they could grasp the idea of what it was like on a battlefield, and just how valuable a soldier was.

Extending his hand, the old man said, "Hello, my name is Yoshimura," in a calm, happy tone.

Kaneki studied the man for a second longer. He may walk like royalty, but Kaneki could tell that this man had earned his way in life. From the calluses on his hand to the sun damage wrinkles on his face. Somewhat apprehensive, Kaneki took the man's hand. "Ken Kaneki."

The old man smiled. "Well, Ken Kaneki, we are grateful for you helping our young friend here," he began, motioning over to Hinami with his hand. "We'd like to repay you in anyway we can... Unfortunately, we are strapped for cash at the moment, but if anything else suit's your desire we would be happy to help."

Kaneki looked around, at all the staring faces. None seemed to threatening, apart from a silver haired Ghoul, who kept his sharp gaze on Kaneki from the back. He was about to open his mouth when Hinami interrupted.

"I-I promised him food," she answered, sounding a little guilty. "I told him, if he helped me, we could supply him with food."

"Hinami," the mother began to scold, "You know better than to offer Yoshimura's services to people. It's not yours to give."

"It's quite alright, Ryuko," Yoshimura insisted, chuckling a bit. "I'd be more than happy to give this young man some food. I'll even add on a spare wagon for his troubles."

"I was also hoping I could stay here for a while," Kaneki added.

Yoshimura frowned. "Well, you are welcome to stay as long as you like," said the old Ghoul, "but we won't be here much longer and I reccomend that you leave as well. It is very likely that the Holy Hunter's of Tokyo will be marching over this village very soon."

Kaneki raised an eyebrow, "The 'Holy Hunters of Tokyo'?"

Yoshimura nodded, "Ghoul hunters. They roam the lands in search of our kind, constantly hunting."

Kaneki scoffed, "I can handle some hunters."

Yoshimura smirked a bit in amusement, "I see. Well, you are welcome to stay in this village as long as you like, and you are welcome to eat as much as you want tonight, but come midday tomorrow, we will be on our way and I suggest you follow a similiar path."

"I'll keep it in mind," Kaneki told him, paying no mind to the old man's warnings.

Yoshimura turned to face Touka, "Touka, prepare the spare bed in your room for our guest."

Touka blinked in surprise. Why did she have to do it? Couldn't he stay in the cellar? She didn't want to share her room with some stranger she'd just met. She was going to protest when she saw the old man's face harden and thought better of it. Sighing, she started up a small stairwell towards her room. "Alright."

Kaneki sat his bag down on the foot of the mattress. It wasn't really so much a bed as it was a mattress on a spring stand, but it would do. He then sat down on the mattress, feeling a weight that had been weighing on him release, and relaxing.

"This, is where you'll be sleeping," The girl, no less than three years his junior told him, her arms folded in minor annoyance. "We'll be rooming for tonight."

Kaneki nodded and unhooked his sword from his waist, setting it on the side of the bed opposite of the girl. "That's fine," he told her then kicked off his boots, allowing his toes to stretch after being cramped up inside of his smelly footwear for three whole days.

The girl coughed once and straightened her back. "Thank you," she began, "For helping Hinami."

Kaneki fell back into his bed and shut his eye's, keeping his other sense's active, but relaxing into the matt all the same.

"You know," Touka began, "You should come with us. You'd be safer than you would in this place, and we could use someone like you."

Kaneki raised a brow, still keeping his eye's closed, "Someone like me?" he asked.

Touka nodded, knowing full well he couldn't see it. "Well, you are a mercenary aren't you? I could tell when you walked through the door. How you carried yourself. You seem capable. We don't have much money, but we could pay you in increment's-"

The sound of snoring filled the room, interrupting Touka. The she-Ghoul furrowed her brow in annoyment and gritted her teeth. That was rude, she thought to herself, leaving the room, making it a point to slam the door behind her. Kaneki didn't even twitch.

The sun had gone down now, being only a feint glow over the horizon in the west. Many of the villagers had already gone on their way, but a healthy portion still remained. Touka sighed, leaning forward on a barrel as she watched them pack their wagons and soothe crying babies. She had lived practically all her life in Anteiku, it would be hard to let it go.

"Taking it all in one last time?" Irimi asked from behind.

Touka didn't look back, instead she simply sighed. "I don't understand why we have to leave. They may never even learn of this place, let alone find it."

Irimi shook her head. "Touka, they will find it," she assured her. "The Holy Hunters of Tokyo are just that- hunters. They specialize in tracking, locating, and killing Ghouls, even when there is no more to go on than a corpse."

Touka frowned, "Yeah, Koma explained to me what they are already," she replied, annoyed. "But, we don't even kill our food, we take it from the 'Forest of Death', how could they find us then?"

Irimi placed a hand on Touka's shoulder, "Touka, the decision is final. We have to leave. It's for the best."

"I just don't understand 'why'."

Irimi paused, her face turning soft. "I hope you never have to."

Suddenly, a blood curdling scream broke the silent packing of the town, causing all the villagers to stop in their tracks and look towards the sound of the screaming. Irimi's grip suddenly tightened on Touka's shoulder and the older Ghoul tensed up, listening.

More screams could be heard and the villagers were all thinking the same thing, but none dared to say it. They didn't need to.

Suddenly, a frantic voice called out into the sky, causing the hair on Touka's body to stand up. "H-Hunters!" it screamed, followed by the sound, and visible dust of a cottage being destroyed.

"They're here already!?" a voice asked.

"Hurry! Let's leave with what we have!" screamed another.

Soon, the voices turned to screaming. And the villagers ran around in a mixture of fear and chaos, reminding Touka of what happen's when you step on an ant hill. It had all happened so fast Touka barely had time to process what was going on. Or that Irimi gripped her wrist and ran with her back to the pub.

A large boom woke Kaneki, forcing him to jump out of bed. He then rushed to the window to try to get an idea of the situation. Outside he saw the villagers. They were running frantically, knocking each other over, and hurrying to get to their wagons or horses.

The hair on the back of Kaneki's neck stood on end. He began to wonder what exactly could make a village full of Ghouls run around in terror, like a headless chicken.

Quickly he strapped on his boots and grabbed his sword, unsheathing it, getting ready to run out into the chaotic town below. Then he heard it, and began to understand what was going on.

"Look A Hunter!" a villager cried.

Kaneki stopped in his tracks, then sprinted back to the window. Looking outside, he saw a man in black robes standing in the center of the street, Ghoul's running away from him in all directions. He didn't seem to care, instead he simply stood there looking around him, almost as if he were confused.

Then, suddenly, he whipped out a long, thin, sword with a toothed blade. Kaneki couldn't believe his eye's when the blade began to glow with red, vein-like lines and the man slung it over his shoulder and then forward. It broke into segmented blades, connected by a wire. It was like a mixture of a sword and an insanely long whip.

Kaneki watched as it slid through villagers like they were but blades of grass. Ghouls fell, cut in half, on the floor dead. The man then turned and repeated the action in the opposite direction.

Kaneki smiled. He felt his blood pumping, a rush of adrenaline pumped through his body. He'd never seen a warrior with such a weapon before. As a warrior himself, he had to test his metal. If these hunters were as tough as they were made out to be, then he was going to enjoy fighting them.

He burst through the window, landing in the center of the street, directly in front of the hunter, assuming a stance, his sword held out in front of him.

The hunter didn't even bother getting into the stance. He simply raised his arm slightly towards Kaneki.

Touka watched in surprise as she saw the mercenary from upstairs barrel out of the window and land in front of that monster in the middle of the street. Getting ready for a fight, no less! Didn't he see how he cut through those villagers?!

Touka looked back over to the lifeless bodies lying in the street. Staining the grass dark red. Women and children, people Touka had known all her life, suddenly murdered, running from a nameless stranger who killed them with ease.

She began to grip the wooden railing on deck of the pub. Her anger was bubbling to the surface.

Irimi then grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the rail. "Touka! We have to leave! Now!"

Then, Touka caught a glimpse of Hinami running out of the side entrance to the pub. Her, the Fueguchi's, and the rest of the pub staff. Irimi then began to run to the wagon, pulling Touka along with her, pracitcally tearing her arm off.

Hinami looked out to the middle of the street, where, surrounded by dismembered bodies, stood a man in a black cloak and- Mister Kaneki! Hinami's eye's bulged in fear and she called out his name, "Mister Kaneki! Run!"

Kaneki heard Hinami's voice, but he ignored her, instead he gripped his sword tighter, and kept his eye's unblinking, focused on the hunter in front of him, deciding if he should make the first move or allow the black cloaked man do it for him.

His sword cut through those Ghouls like they were air. My sword wouldn't last a second against it, He thought to himself, formulating a plan. Kaneki then recalled how, when swung, the sword would segment itself and swing like a whip. Thing's probably hard to use at close range, Kaneki thought to himself.

The young mercenary gritted his teeth, tightened his grip even more, and rushed the hunter.

As expected, the hunter swung his sword like a whip. Kaneki watched it elongate, segmenting, heading towards Kaneki's neck. Kaneki ducked it, clearing the distance in seconds, smirking triumphantly. So much for these terrifying hunters, he thought to himself.

Suddenly, the hunter yanked on the whip-sword, pulling it back towards him. Kaneki didn't even have time to think as the segmented blades were dragged along his back, digging in deep and tearing up his back.

Kaneki's eye's bulged and he stumbled forward, feeling nothing but intense pain all over his body. In the distance, he thought he heard someone call his name. But that was neither here nor there. He looked up at the hunter, feeling fear for the first time in a long time. His face didn't show it, though. It showed only anger.

The hunter raised his sword, ready to deliver the final, fatal blow, when a giant wall of fire emerged between the two.

Kaneki's eye's bulged in surprise and suddenly, to his right, was a man in a gray hood, arms raised, with a staff in his left hand, summoning the fire that had shielded Kaneki. Kaneki looked at the man with wide eyes. He was suddenly filled with rage. He knew this man. How could he ever forget? This was the man that ruined his life.

Finding a new source of strength, ignoring the deep gash in his back, Kaneki picked up his sword and lunged for the man. Hunter forgotten, pain forgotten, surrounding forgotten. The only thing he knew in this moment was hate.

Suddenly he was frozen in place, despite his best efforts, he could barely move an inch. Then, he was in the air, levitating, the next the thing he knew, he was sent flying back into the pub, then; darkness.