Co-Written with Demons Anarchy of Pride, the writer of many brilliant stories that I highly recommend.

If you choose not to…then you're missing out on many masterpieces. Your loss.

You rock, man! Thanks for the help in putting this, and many other stories together! Eternally Grateful!

The OC's, Takeshi Uhara, Shi, and Raijuu were all created by Demons Anarchy of Pride.

The Idea of Eto being in Anteiku instead of Aogiri was inspired by IForgotToUsername's Unraveled Bandages.

Like, Follow, Favorite, Review, and tell us what you guys think! Thank you to Everyone who continues to support this story.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Stop right there, Phantom!"

The night was especially dark, specs of light being the only source of illumination from a bird's eye view. In this veil of shadows, a figure was running across the rooftop, his coat flapping and trailing from behind him before coming to a full stop, his feet coming to a halt. He was at the edge, looking over it and out in the distance before turning to his pursuers, both adorned in long trench coats with briefcases in their hands.

"Well, I have to hand it to ya..." the figure smiled playfully, clapping his hands. "You Investigators really don't give up, do you? By any chance, are you related to hunting dogs?"

"Shut it you damn ghoul!" The investigators opened their metal cases, revealing their Quinque weapons of various types. "We're taking you in!"

"Oh? Can you now..."

For a brief moment, a light shined down upon them, revealing the figure's form.

He appeared to be a young man, possessing a slim build, to the point of being lanky. He had messy black hair. His outfit consists of a black trench coat with a gray collared shirt, black trousers and boots, and a pair of red gloves. His mask is a white bird-shaped mask with a black design around the eyes.

"Hate to break it to ya..." the teen said, his playful smile never vanishing as a pair of misty-like black wings emerged from his back. "But when it comes to tag, ya can't catch me!"

He stuck out his tongue, and allowed his body to fall off the roof.

The investigators rushed to the edge of the building. They looked over, only to see nothing. "Damn it! He got away again!"

"This is the 24th time!" One of the investigators complained.

"Grgh..." The Investigator growled, putting a hand to his ear. "Sorry sir, he got away!"

"That is to be expected." the calm voice of his superior responded in kind. "Phantom has managed to evade the police and even the most skilled of detectives... return to HQ. We should expect his handiwork in the morning."

"Yes, sir." the man nodded, lowering his hand and sighing. "Ya know, even after all this crap, I still don't get it." he said. "I mean, what kind of Ghoul becomes a thief?!"

"Kinda makes you wonder what actually goes through their heads." His co-worker commented.

"Ain't that the truth! But anyway, let's just go. We'll get him next time..."

With that, they made their way to the exit. The sound of a door opening and shutting close echoed in the silent air.

After five seconds passed, the figure reappeared, his wings dispersing. "Man, talking about me behind my back..." the teen sighed as he removed his mask, revealing a pair of sharp, pale eyes. "Investigators... no tact at all!"

Sighing, he dug inside his pocket and pulled out what looked like a USP hard drive. He chuckled. "Man, that doctor is gonna be pissed when the world finds out what exactly he's been doing with the hospital's money...!"

He already knew what was going to happen. The corrupt doctor's actions would be discovered, his assets frozen, and his ass hauled off to prison. Oh how he enjoyed this hobby of his. It gave him the feeling of excitement and accomplishment that nothing else could even compare.

He pocketed the USP and left the area.

The next day, the news had only one headline that made everyone interested to watch:

THE PHANTOM STRIKES AGAIN!

Chapter 4: Gathering

Kaneki sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. "I still think I look ridiculous." he said.

Kirito clucked his tongue, shaking his head. "Oh, please." he said. "You look fine."

"Easy for you to say..." The boy complained to his friend. He was dressed in a normal waiter's outfit, complete with the white dress shirt, black vest, black slacks, and black bow tie. He was envious that Kirito was able to pull off such a look.

"You need more confidence in yourself. Seriously, you look fine." Kirito reassured.

"Are you sure?" the younger of the two asked, unsure. "I mean... I've never really wore a suit before."

"Relax, you'll have women swooning over you in no time." Kirito grinned. "Now, onward!"

With that, they entered the cafe. Suffice to say, it was packed with several guests, but Kaneki had expected this. It wasn't completely full, but it was still busy.

"Ah, there you two are!" Kaya Irimi, one of the workers, a woman with long hair, smiled when she saw them. "Just in time!"

"I got to admit, you two guys look dashing." Kaya complimented.

"Thank you, Kaya-san." Both raven haired teens bowed.

"Man, gotta say, I'm jealous." Enji Koma, a burly man sporting a punk hair style, chuckled. "I wish I was that young." He looked at Kaya. "Don't you?"

"Oh please." the woman rolled her eyes. "We're still plenty young."

"I know, I know..." Koma waved it off. "But even this guy can dream, can't he?"

"Just get back to work,"

"Hai, hai..."

Kirito chuckled. "Koma-san's pretty laid back, isn't he?" he asked. Kaya giggled. "Trust me, he wasn't always like that."

"So, er..." Kaneki fidgeted, adjusting the tie around his collar. He was so nervous it felt like it was choking him. "What do we do?"

"Kaneki-kun, you go and take orders." the woman instructed. "Kirigaya-kun, you man the counter and help me out."

"Okay." Kazuto nodded. "So long as you don't want me to make coffee the way Yoshimura-san does. I failed at it. Epic."

"Haha...believe me, I know the feeling. None of us have ever gotten to his level yet." Kaya assured him.

"Wait, really?" Kaneki asked, surprised.

Kirito patted him on the shoulder. "Let me put it to you this way, Kaneki..." he said with a look of revere. "It is heaven in the form of liquid."

"Alright, enough gawking, you two!" Touka snapped. "Let's get to work!"

"Hai!" the two One-Eyes spoke in unison.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sen Takatsuki sighed as she reclined in her chair. "Allllllllll done!" she said in relief. "Whew, talk about one busy day!"

"Well, we wouldn't even be this busy if you hadn't shown up late!" her manager said, annoyed. "Honestly, Takatsuki-san! Why do you ALWAYS show up late?"

"Mou, it's not my fault..." the author replied with a pout. "Do you realize how late I stay up working on my chapters?"

"Well, that may be true, but you still have an alarm clock, right? Could you at least try to be punctual?" The man lightly begged.

"Sorry, sorry! I just keep sleeping through it!"

"Maah, why do I even bother..." the man said in exasperation. "Listen, Takatsuki-san, you're next book signing is set for the week after next month! Try to be on time!"

Sen nodded, smiling as she packed up her things and bid her manager good-bye, walking out of the book store.

For those that don't know, Sen was an accomplished author, having written three books, all of which recorded as best sellers. Her first book, Dear Kafka, was sold in Japan and overseas, having become what earned her success. In honesty, however, she really never paid attention to that stuff. She had more important things to focus on.

For example, checking up on her father and her friends at Anteiku. She was messaged by Irimi that they recently got two new works, both of which were, to her disbelief, artificial Ghouls. They didn't know the specifics, but from what she knew, they were both given organs from two Ghouls, one from Bushido, and the other from Rize Kamishiro.

Even more than that, the two who received the organs were originally human. After the transplant, they became One-Eyed Ghouls.

In all of her life, Sen only knew two One-Eyes. Speaking of which, one of them had just made the news, doing what he did best: stealing.

She giggled at the thought. The one on the news always had the skills of a master thief. He always stole anything that caught his eye with refined skill. Ah...memories...

As she thought this...her mind couldn't help but turn to her other acquaintance. She hasn't seen him in years...

"Who knows, maybe I'll see him at Anteiku?" she wondered aloud before returning to reality. "Well, to work I go!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ayato Kirishima gasped for air, his hands at his stomach. "Gagh...!" he breathed, every inch of his body in pain.

His opponent sighed, shaking his head. "Ayato-kun, that won't do at all..." he said in a soft voice. "You have to be more ruthless than that..."

"S-sorry..." the young man apologized, trying to get up on his feet. "One... one more time!"

"No, we are done for the day." the man before him stated, snapping the book in his hand shut, earning a wince from the Ukaku Ghoul. "You've made plenty of progress."

"P-progress?!" Ayato repeated. "But I didn't even land a solid hit once!"

"That may be...but you lasted much longer than last time."

Ayato faltered. He was right, the last time they went at it, he had lasted only three minutes. Now, he was able to stand against him for seven.

He released a sigh. "Fine... Damn, no wonder they say you're the King's right hand man."

The figure merely smiled at the Ukaku Ghoul, slipping his book into his back pocket as he stepped forward, offering a hand. His features were now revealed, having stepped out of the dark.

He was a young man, presumably in his mid twenties with ebony hair tied back into a ponytail and deep red eyes. On his person was a bloody red jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a buttoned shirt underneath, and a pair of formal black slacks. Even though they were fighting for eleven minutes, it looked like he wasn't even touched due to the pristine condition of his attire and complexion.

The man before Ayato was one of the strongest members, if not the most powerful, in all of Aogiri... Raiju, otherwise known as the One-Eyed Dragon. In truth, Ayato knew nothing, other than he always had a smile on his face, and acted respectfully... but beneath that was a cruelty that far outmatched even his being as a Ghoul. He inspired both awe and fear into the hearts of everyone that laid their eyes on him.

Ayato revered the man as if he were a god.

"Come now." Raiju said. "I may be strong, but I hardly think of myself as the King's second."

"Che!" Ayato scoffed, clasping his hand around his superior's and pulling himself up. "Everyone else says otherwise!"

"Well...that's just their opinion. No idea why they all think that, though." Raiju chuckled, as if it were all a joke.

The young Kirishima rolled his eyes. He should have gotten used to this trait of Raiju. The man always disregards what everyone else thinks.

It had been two years since Ayato first joined Aogiri. Those years hadn't been fun, but they had taught him more than enough to know and reinforce what he believed in. Power was everything, it was absolute. Those who were weak were crushed and left out to rot and die. Of course, despite having all of this power, Ayato thought that he was weak, having been unable to protect his older sister when the time came.

He hated feeling weak, a feeling he never wanted to feel.

"You're showing it again." Raiju pointed out, startling the youth. "Whenever you start to think about something serious, you have this deep scowl on your face. I take it this has to do with Touka Kirishima of Anteiku?"

Ayato flinched slightly as Raiju's words hit right on the mark.

"And by your sudden flinch, I would assume that I'm right. Right?" His superior grinned.

"...Maybe..."

"Haha, you've always been so easy to read." Raiju chuckled. "Although, I suppose it must be nice to have siblings."

'I haven't seen mine in so long...'

True enough...it has been years since he last saw the two people he could call family. However, he had heard that they have been doing fairly well. One of them was a master thief that had the CCG tearing their hair out, something he thoroughly enjoyed, while the other become a successful author.

While he was one of the Executives of the most dangerous group of Ghouls in the world.

"Well, I suppose I better get going." Raiju decided. "I'll be taking my leave. Please inform Tatara that our next target will be the 8th ward."

"Hai, Raiju-sama!" Ayato nodded, watching his superior leave.

Once he entered the hallway, he felt himself smile. "Perhaps I should visit Anteiku..." he wondered. "It's been quite a long time since I've had a talk with Kuzen."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Whew...!" Kirito breathed a heavy sigh of relief, leaning back against the wall. "We made it...!"

"Oh, quit your bitching, Kuro-baka." Touka grunted, folding her arms. "This was a piece of cake."

"Easy for you to say, you actually have experience with this job. Today's our first day, right Kaneki?" Kirito looked to his friend, and sweat dropped upon seeing him conked out in a booth. "Never mind..."

"Well, he's not really used to this kind of job." Koma chuckled. "Still, you did pretty well, Kirigaya-kun. Although... that coffee of yours is pretty damn spicy. I'm surprised people actually like it!"

"Eh?" Kirito frowned, tilting his head. "What do you mean by 'spicy'? I tasted it myself, and there was nothing out of the ordinary."

"Says you! It felt like my tongue was going to melt. And I'm a ghoul for Christ's sakes! just what did you put in it?!" Touka yelled.

"I just added a few spices to give it some kick. But...it didn't seem to do anything. I mean, it still tasted the same."

Kaya chuckled nervously, sweat dropping in sync with the others. "Either you are used to hot stuff... or your taste buds have gone dead." she said, earning a nod of agreement from Touka.

Just then, Yoshimura came in, coming in from down the stairs. "Oh, manager..." Touka greeted, bowing her head respectfully. The others followed suit. The old man smiled at them before noticing Kaneki's sleeping form. "I see someone was tired from all this chaos..." he mused before looking over at Kirito. "By the way, excellent job well done for your first day here, Kirigaya-kun."

"Arigato, Yoshimura-san."

"Although...That coffee of yours was...unusual. What inspired you to use spice in your blend?" The elderly man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just wanted to add a bit of kick to my coffee. But it didn't really seem to work. To me it tastes the same." Kirito folded his arms in confusion.

"I still call bullshit!" the hot-tempered Ukaku growled. "Just how in the hell did you make it so damn hot?!"

"And I keep telling you!" Kirito growled. "It! Was! Mild!"

"It sure as hell wasn't, Kuro-baka!"

"Will you stop calling me that?!"

Kaya sighed. "Oh boy... I know where this is gonna go." she muttered, earning a nod from Koma.

"Reminds me of how we used to be back during our glory days."

While the two were engrossed in their arguement, Yoshimura walked over to Kaneki, gently nudging his shoulder. The boy stirred. "A booth isn't exactly the best place to take a nap, Kaneki-kun." the old man advised with a smile.

"Oh..." Kaneki yawned. "S-sorry, Yoshimura-san..."

"It's understandable, since today is your first day." Yoshimura said.

"Gah, you are so annoying!"

"Look who's talking, Dobe-Shima!"

"D-Dobe-Shima?!" Touka glared, her Kakugan flashing. "Oh, that is IT! Bring it you black bastard!"

"Anytime, anywhere, witch!"

Yoshimura sighed in annoyance. "Oh, for heaven's sakes..."

The sound of the bell ringing signaled the coming of a new customer. "Ohayo!" a female voice greeted before faulting, seeing the spat between Kirito and Touka. "Ano... Did I come here at a bad time?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, everyone, aside from Kirito and Kaneki immediately whipped around to see who it was. The two raven haired teens looked on in confusion.

"Oh, welcome back Eto." Yoshimura smiled.

"Hi Dad!" The green haired woman waved cheerfully. She then noticed the two new faces. "Ara? Are these the new workers you told me about?"

"Indeed." the Ghoul nodded. "Allow me to introduce Anteiku's newest workers: Kazuto Kirigaya and Ken Kaneki."

The woman smiled. "Nice to meet the both of you!" she bowed humbly. "I'm Sen Takatsuki, but everyone just calls me Eto! Nice to meet you!"

Kaneki's eyes immediately went wide. "T-T-Takatsuki-san?!" he cried in shock. "You mean THAT Takatsuki-san?! The author of The Egg of the Black Goat?!"

"Wait, so she's famous?" Kirito frowned, tilting his head before something registering. "...Hold up, did she just call you Dad?"

"That's right, Kirigaya-kun." Yoshimura chuckled. "Eto is my daughter."

Kirito looked at the Green haired woman, then to Yoshimura. He didn't think they were lying...but he couldn't quite see the resemblance. Still, he didn't let it bother him. If Yoshimura says so, then there is no room for doubt.

Kaneki, however...was still caught up on the fact he was meeting THE Sen Takatsuki! His favorite author...in person!

"Oi, Kaneki." Kirito waved his hand in front of the still shell-shocked boy. "Hello? Anyone there?"

"Probably in shock from meeting her." Koma shrugged, grinning as he turned to Eto. "Looks like one of your fans is one of our workers, Eto-chan."

The girl giggled. "So I see... Oh, wait, I've seen you before!" she recalled, smiling brightly as she walked over to him. "You were at my book signing for Dear Kafka!"

"E-eh?" Kaneki finally snapped out of his stupor, and bowed. "H-hai! It's-it's an honor to meet you!"

"Oh, don't be so uptight!"

"So, if you're the manager's daughter..." Realization dawned on him. "Then, does that mean you're..."

"Heehee~ Yep." Eto nodded. "Take a look."

In one second, the Kakugan appeared... except what shocked both Kirito and Kaneki was that she only had one of them manifested, resting in her right eye.

She was just like them?!

"Y-you only have one eye...?" Kirito stuttered.

"Yep! Although...I'm what you would call a natural born one-eyed Ghoul. My mother was human. My dad...you already know." Eto explained. "Still, this is my first time meeting artificial one-eyed ghouls...two of them in fact." The woman took a closer look at the two in fascination.

Wait...natural born?

"So, hold on..." Kirito paused. "You mean... One-Eyes aren't artificial?"

"No." Yoshimura shook his head. "There are cases of humans and Ghouls coming together, but as far as I know, there are only three, my daughter being one of them. Speaking of which..." The old man chuckled. "It appears young Uhara-kun is stirring up a ruckus again."

"Eh, what can you do, Dad?" Eto shrugged her shoulders. "No changing him, especially when he's got a rep to uphold!"

"Sorry, but who's Uhara?" Kaneki asked curiously.

"Oh, he's-!"

Just then, the door opened again. "Excuse me," a polite voice spoke from behind. "Are you still open?"

Everyone looked to the door once more. This time, they found a young man with messy black hair and dark gray eyes behind a pair of square rimmed glasses. He was wearing a black blazer with a white turtleneck underneath it, along with a leather belt keeping his plaid red and black striped slacks in place, and leather shoes. In his hand was a black satchel. By his appearance, he seemed to be a student in High school. To everyone else's surprise, Kaneki recognized the newcomer.

"Takeshi?"

The young man blinked alongside Eto, who craned her neck and stared at his face.

"Oh, Kaneki-san!" the young man, Takeshi, smiled. "I didn't think I'd see you working here... Wait, Eto is here too?"

"Ooh, it IS you!" Eto smiled brightly, running up and bringing the young man into a hug. "Oh man, you've gotten taller! ...It's not fair! You used to be so huggable, just like a teddie bear!" she squealed, a blush on her cheeks while Takeshi's face turned red, looking away and scratching his cheek.

"So..." Kirito chuckled. "I take it you and Eto-chan know him?"

Kaneki nodded. "Yeah. Even though he's in high school, he's pretty popular, even at Kamii. He's the role model student at Suenji High School. His name is Takeshi Uhara."

"And he's also the second one-eye I mentioned earlier." Yoshimura chuckled. "I believe you know him better as "The Phantom"?"

The two blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

Then their jaws dropped.

"WHAAAT?!"

"Y-y-y-you mean...You are the very same master thief that's been featured on the news?!" Kirito shakily pointed a finger at him.

"A-a-and...you are a one-eyed ghoul...like Takatsuki-san?!" Kaneki added. He was just starting to get used to his new life. He really didn't need another rug puled out from under him.

"Hehe...yeah..." Takaeshi rubbed the back of his head.

"Not just that, but he happens to the cutest, most adorable little brother I've had the pleasure of having!" Eto gushed, pulling further into her embrace, thus making the boy uncomfortable.

"Gah, come on, Nee-san... You're embarrassing me here..."

"Eh? Nee-san...?" Both teens titled their heads in confusion.

"What my daughter means is that Takeshi-kun is one of her close friends from childhood. She was older, and was often the big sister of the group. Ah...memories..." Yoshimura spoke of the past, a smile gracing his lips. If only it was possible to return to those beautiful memories.

"Oh, I see..."

"Well, I suppose it's nice to meet you." Takeshi smiled once Eto finally released him, much to his pleasure. "I'm Takeshi Uhara, but you can call me Takeshi."

Kirito chuckled, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kazuto Kirigaya, but you can call me Kirito."

Takeshi's eyes widened. "Kirito... By any chance, are you the Hero of Aincrad?" he asked curiously. Kirito nodded. Almost instantly, Takeshi smiled brightly. "Unbelievable... To think I'd get the chance to meet the guy who beat SAO... Man, what a small world we live in!"

"Aha...I take you've heard of me." Kirito mused.

"Of course. I heard all about you around school. You were the same person who defeated that Death Game and saved the 6,000 survivors. You were also well known for the ALO incident, saving the 300 players who had yet to wake up and expose that bastard Sugou Nobuyuki's experiments for brain control. Seriously, if you hadn't I would've taken that guy out myself, so I respect you for taking care of that scumbag!"

"Whoa, hold up, wait, back up!" Touka shouted, holding up her hands and staring at Kirito with disbelief. "Are you telling me Kuro-baka is the guy who beat Sword Art Online or whatever?!"

"Yes. That's right!" Takeshi nodded. "He was also the guy who solved the Death Gun Incident. Man, you really saved a bunch of people with that one."

"Oh, come on..." Kirito blushed, scratching his cheek. "Anyone could have done it!"

Kaneki chuckled. "Sorry, Kazuto-san, but I think only someone like you could do all of that." he said, smiling. "I mean, if it weren't for you... I would probably still be a mess."

"And a whiny bitch." Touka added, causing Kaneki to wince and Kirito to scowl.

Eto sighed, shaking her head. "Oh for Pete's sake, Tou-chan, we all know you love the boy, but can you show you're affection elsewhere?" she asked, almosting mockingly.

'Ah, sweet revenge...' Kirito grinned, finding the look on the girl's face to be absolutely priceless.

"Sh-shut up, Eto!" Touka sputtered. SHe loved The green haired woman like a sister, but there were times when she just pressed her buttons.

"Aha! See what I mean?"

"Ah, love..." Takeshi sighed, a teasing grin on his face. "So... when's the wedding?"

"Shut it you!" Touka barked at him, throwing the rag she was using to clean the tables at his face.

Takeshi, however, easily dodged it. "Woho, hey now!" he chuckled. "No hitting the face! I want to keep it intact, thank you!"

"Can it, Four-Eyes!"

"Wow, three seconds and he's already pissed off Touka." Koma remarked, whistling. "Nicely done... though, aren't you protesting too much?"

"That, and her face is red." Kaya giggled. "I'm surprised. I didn't think Touka-chan would go for the meek, innocent type."

Kaneki frowned. "Wait... meek?"

He thought back to when he first met the girl. He distinctively recalled her calling him a wuss and other things. Was she really thinking otherwise...?

"D-dammit, not you guys too!" Touka cried in disbelief, her cheeks tinged complete with scarlet. "I'm not into that pansy!"

"Hot damn, would you look at that face!" Kirito laughed. "Touka and Kaneki, sitting in a tree~ K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"THAT'S IT KURO-BAKA!" the girl howled, her face splashed with rage. "YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD!"

Kaneki, proudly taking advantage of his proclaimed cowardly trait, did the smart thing and took refuge in another booth, hiding behind a table while Eto sat next to him with a grin on her face. "Heehee~ Anteiku sure has gotten interesting!"

Yoshimura nodded in agreement, a warm smile on his aged face. "Indeed it has..." A moment later, he sighed. "Although, I do have the feeling that I may need to get some insurance, should this become a daily occurence."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, he's at it again, huh?" Amon mused, a slight scowl when he saw the news report. "I know Ghouls are unpredictable... but why is one acting like a thief?"

Mado chuckled. "When it comes to Ghouls like that, Amon-kun..." the old man said with a crazed grin as usual. "I'm afraid trying to understand them is the same as asking for a headache. Still, I wonder why The Phantom steals information that most people wouldn't want the public to know. It certainly raised quite a lot of questions."

Indeed it does. What the ghoul, Phantom, has accomplished was revealing the secrets of corrupt political leaders, directors, doctors, policemen, etc. All that he's been doing was exposing their conspiracies and having said humans arrested and punished to the fullest extent of the law. To the victims, it was like an angel had brought forth well deserved justice, to the investigators...it was mind boggling as hell.

Why would a ghoul go so far to help humans? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Of course, Amon never really did understand ghouls all that well. It was a given, considering his past experiences. However, there had been one Ghoul that he had been interested in, one that defied everything he knew about them.

"Mado-san..." Amon spoke up, his tone serious. "Is there any new information on Shi?"

Mado raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "No. We haven't caught a whiff of him since he killed that pesky little vermin we were chasing back at the 12th Ward." The older Investigator turned to his partner. "I have been meaning to ask this for a while now, Amon-kun... What is your fixation on that Ghoul?"

"It's because...He is the only Ghoul Known to us that solely kills his own kind, leaving humans alone."

It was true. Shi was the only Ghoul the CCG had data on that stated that just about all of his victims were his fellow ghouls. There were practically no humans that were victim to him.

"I doubt that is the only reason." Mado drawled. "Shi isn't just a regular Ghoul, he wasn't made into an SS for no reason. He is like a war veteran, he knows how it goes on the battlefield. Even more than that, he takes jobs that involve him slaughtering his targets."

"That is true..." Amon nodded in agreement. "But, there is something more than that."

"Oh?"

"Shi..." the young man frowned. "It is almost as if... he despises Ghouls."

Mado actually raised an eyebrow. A Ghoul that despises his own kind? Such a thing never came across his mind. Ever since the Owl Incident, that mere idea never occurred to him. He always perceived Ghouls to be monsters that need to be put down. "...And what makes you say that, Amon-kun?"

"Why does he only go after Ghouls?" Amon brought up the million dollar question. "I would understand if it was cannibalism, but none of our records show he actually eats them. In addition, the deaths are... brutal... to say the least."

That had been an understatement. The kagune was absolutely torn and shredded like someone tossed it to the meat grinder, and then tossed the body inside before pulverizing it into a bloody mess. Were it not for the RC levels, no one would probably be able to tell if it was a Ghoul or not.

"...I see." His partner nodded. "Then again, we do not know the mindset of Ghouls, so it's hard to say if that is truly his way of thinking. You may be onto something, but I'm going to give you advice Amon-kun. Do not let your hunches get in the way of your duty."

"Learn to take your own advice, Mado-san." Amon retorted back with a smirk, eliciting a chuckle from Mado.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wait, p-please, wait-!"

SHING

It was a quick slash, one that brought his life to an end. The Ghoul's head rolled to the floor, bouncing off the ground while the body fell forward with a loud thump.

The figure sighed, shaking his head. "Never beg for your life." he said with a cold tone as his Kagune, a Koukaku in the shape of a scythe, slowly receded into his shoulder.

He was wearing a black trench coat over a dark blue blazer red buttoned shirt, complete with dark gray, worn jeans and black heavy combat boots, a black belt hanging loosely off to the side, along with dark red gloves. His mask seemed to be the personification of death. The mask itself is pure white with a slim red slit acting as a mouth, and two black eyes. Written along the left cheek is the Kanji for Death. His hair is black, and reached down to the collar of his jacket.

The black-clad Ghoul, known only as Shi, looked at the corpse before leaning down, taking out what looked like a silver scalpel, and driving it into the base of the neck. With a quick pull, the knife was released, covered in crimson liquid. "This should do..." Shi muttered before standing back up, turning around to leave.

Only to be met with opposition. "We've found you, Shi!" the Investigators, two wearing trench coats and armed with Quinques, stood at the doorway. "Give it up!"

Shi sighed. "You are not my enemies. Stand aside."

"Like hell we're going to listen to a Ghoul like you!" The one on the left said. "Now just give up and come quietly...or things WILL be messy!"

The man sighed, shaking his head. "I have no time for this..."

He unleashed his Kagune. "I prefer not killing humans. I apologize if this hurts."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" The investigator on the right questioned. But before he could finish that sentence, Shi was already behind him. Using the blunt side of his Kagune, he smashed into the man's arm that held his Quinque, shattering the bone.

"GAAAGH!"

"Roku!" his partner cried with fury. "You son of a-!"

He barely managed to dodge Shi's kick. The impact from the sheer strength alone created a large dent in the wall. "As I said, I have no time for this." Shi said once more. "I have no quarrel with humans, especially Investigators such as yourselves. I shall say this only once more: Stand aside."

"Sh-shut up...!" The man stammered, shell shocked from the brute strength shown by Shi. "As if we'd adhere to the words of a monster like you! I won't lose!"

"...Such stupidity..." Shi sighed.

Truly, he regretted having to deal with fools such as this. You try to act as the peace maker, and instead, they try to pick a fight with you, all because you are a Ghoul.

This was among the times he wished he was born as a human.

"Kasei!" the frightened man's partner shouted, overcoming the pain in his arm and tossing his Quinque into his hand. "Let's do it! The combo!"

"Right!"

Shi raised an eyebrow as he watched the two act in perfect sync, prowling around him. 'Interesting...' he thought. 'But in the end...'

The charged.

"Useless."

The moment they were within range, a gleam of silver dashed all around him.

The sound of their Quinque's shattering right before their very eyes were music to his ears.

"Wh-what?!"

"But...how?!"

Those questioned were left unanswered as Shi swung his Kagune, the non-lethal side striking them in the back of their heads, effectively knocking them out.

Once they were on the ground, unconscious, he slipped his Kagune back, and sighed once again. He had been doing this a lot lately. "I do not have time for such tomfoolery." he muttered, and made his way to the exit.

XXXXXXXXXX

Asuna couldn't sleep.

This had been a recurring event. Every time she tried to close her eyes and be whisked to dreamland, the terrors of a recurring nightmare haunted her. It kept repeating the same scenario, yet each time leaves a lasting effect as if she's never seen it till now.

Every time she tried to go to sleep, the sight of her beloved Kirito being slain by Bushido filled her head. She tightened her grip on her pillow at the mere thought. She had seen him cut up by the fiendish Ghoul, his limbs lacerated, his internal organs spill out through the slits, him drowning from his own blood filling his lungs...and him being devoured alive...

Tears spilled out from her eyes...realizing that her nightmares may not be far off from the truth.

"Kirito-kun..." she whimpered. Realizing she may not be able to fall asleep again, she sat up and turned on the small TV set in her room.

"Our top story today..." the anchor woman said in her usual professional tone. "A few days ago, Doctor Akihiro Kanou performed two operations that saved the life of two young men, who's names have not been divulged to the media as of yet. From what we know, Doctor Kanou had not asked permission from the next of kin, and as a result, is suffering from major backlashes. We were able to interview him, asking him why he had performed the operation without consent."

After the anchor woman finished, a new video feed popped up. It portrayed a middle aged man, presumably in his fifties, with a full head of silver hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a white doctor's coat and had someone interviewing him. Asuna assumed that this was Akihiro Kanou.

"In all honesty, I don't care about what my colleagues and what the public may think." Kanou said with a stern expression. "Saving those boys' life was my top priority as a doctor."

"Doctor, who exactly were the organ donors?" the camera man asked.

"The donors were both victims, but unfortunately, they couldn't be saved." he said regrettably. "We didn't have much of a choice."

"Can you give us the name of the young men who you saved?"

"I'm sorry, I can't disclose that." Kanou answered. "Patient confidentiality. I am sure you understand."

"There are rumors that the young boys were attacked by Ghouls, is that true?"

Asuna froze, her hands clenching tightly at the pillow between her chest and legs. That had been the absolute last word she wanted to hear.

"I'm afraid so..." Kanou nodded grimly. "...There was so much that I was able to do...but in the end...I was unable to save the donors. They were already killed long before they were taken in to the E.R."

"Doctor Kanou, is it true that, among the four victims, one of them was the SAO Survivor Kazuto Kirigaya?!"

"As I said, I can't...!"

Asuna shut off the TV, her bangs shadowing her eyes.

The silence in her room weighed down heavily. But it was eventually broken. She was holding onto the pillow in dear life, as if it were Kirito. She was biting down her lower lip hard to muffle her sobs. Tears spilled from her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks before finally dripping onto the pillow case.

Her nightmares had terrified her...but the news she just saw outright petrified her. She never should've turned on the TV. If she didn't then she wouldn't have learned that Kirito was part of the victims.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Wiping away one of her tears, she reached out for it.

The caller was Suguha.

She grew hesitant. She possessed mixed feelings. On one hand, she wanted someone to talk to. On the other...she didn't want to discuss such a thing with her beloved's cousin. Still...if Sugha hadn't seen the news yet, then she probably deserved a right to know.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she answered the call.

"...Hello?"

"Hey, Asuna..." the saddened voice of her lover's sister gretted. "H-how... are you feeling?"

"In honesty...?" Asuna laughed mirthlessly. "I don't know... did you see the news?"

There was a slight pause. "...Yeah, I did... Do you think that... Onii-chan..." She could hear the choked sobs slowly starting to appear.

"...I...I don't know...Suguha...But...I really don't want it to be true..." The chestnut haired girl responded...a sob escaping.

"Neither do I..."

"I... I talked with Rika-san earlier..." Suguha managed to say without any sort of teariness in her. "We…decided on something."

"What...did you decide on...?"

"...We're going to become Ghoul Investigators."

To Be Continued…

"A date which will live in infamy..." -President Franklin D. Roosevelt