And here we are with Chapter Seven of our tale of the Demon Emperor who has lost his humanity. This story has been getting a bit popular as of lately, and I have to say, I'm impressed! In fact, I'm glad it's receiving this sort of reception! Anyway, this chapter will have interactions between Tsukiyama and Lelouch, with the Ghoul Restaurant happening next chapter, and after that, the whole church scene, and then the Doves introduction. Suffice to say, I've got a lot on my plate.

And away we go with TOKYO GHOUL: Requiem for a Demon!

Episode 7: The Gourmet

"Tsukiyama-san." Yoshimura greeted the man, bowing his head while Lelouch kept a careful eye on him. "What can I do for you?"

The man named Tsukiyama chuckled as he performed a dramatic bow, swinging his arm around until reached his chest. "Ah, Yoshimura-san!" he greeted enthusiastically. "It's been a long time!"

"Hey, Kirishima..." Touka looked at Lelouch, who had leaned in a bit towards her, keeping his voice low. "Who's this weirdo?"

If the look of disgust she had on her face said anything, it was clear that she did not like the man at all. "Shuu Tsukiyama, a Ghoul here in the 20th Ward." she informed him, scowling as she watched the man and the old Ghoul converse. "He comes from a long line of Ghouls, and they're all pretty strong, so naturally, he's one of the big shots here. He also runs a Ghoul Restaurant."

Distaste washed over Lelouch, narrowing his eyes on the man. Outwards, he looked kind enough, in fact almost the definition of a gentlemanly character, but his eyes reminded him of a familiar sight, something that still haunted him. "I've heard it from Itori." Lelouch muttered bitterly. "They lure in humans with unique traits, then serve them to the guests. I also heard that some of the guests bringing enhanced humans called Scrappers to chop the poor bastards up and then toss whatever's left to them."

"Yeah," Touka nodded, her scowl deepening. "And Tsukiyama's the boss."

Well, that certainly explained a lot of things. 'I had better watch myself around him, then.' Lelouch decided. 'After all... he reminds me much of Mao, and that in itself is reason enough to be weary around him. I wonder if a One-Eyed Ghoul is considered a high-quality meal by people like him...'

"Ah, and you must be Lamperouge-kun." Lelouch snapped back to reality when Tsukiyama addressed him, his hands now at his sides, and his gaze calculating. "I've heard quite a bit about you, especially from some of my patrons from Helter Skelter. I must say, you're... not what I pictured."

"Oh?" Lelouch mused. "How so?"

"Well, as I understand it, when they told me about the part-timer, they said he was forced to wear a-"

Lelouch immediately cut him off, his face bright red. "I didn't wear that damned outfit because I wanted to!" he screeched. "That damned woman made me! And if I didn't, she'd make me wear a damn speedo!"

Everyone, all save Tsukiyama, who looked amused, and Yoshimura, who sent him an apologetic look, stared at him in confusion, though Touka seemed to be an exception, smirking. "Oh, this I have to hear..."

"Hahah, please, settle down, Lamperouge-kun." Tsukiyama chuckled, a hand at his mouth. "I didn't meant to insult you. Still, I didn't imagine I'd have the pleasure of meeting you today, especially here at Anteiku." The man extended a hand to him in greeting. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I am Shuu Tsukiyama."

Lelouch grumbled something about she-devils and idiots before he clasped his hand around the man's. Almost instantly, a sense of danger flooded his senses, and Lelouch's assessment of the man changed. His grip on his hand tightened slightly, and fingers rubbing against his skin, as if wanting to feel the texture. "Lelouch Lamperouge."

"A pleasure, Lamperouge-kun." Tsukiyama said, smiling as the two let go. "I hope we get along in the future, should we meet again."

Lelouch didn't reply, rather he stayed silent and watched as Tsukiyama bid farewell to them, and left the shop, closing the door behind him. Once the man was likely out of earshot, Touka sighed. "Didn't think the freak would show up here..." she groaned, shaking her head. "What the heck was he doing here anyways?"

"Likely checking out Lelouch-kun here." Koma guessed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Guys like him take whatever looks delicious and then serve it up at that restaurant. I guess he thought Lelouch-kun looked delicious, and thought he'd whipped him up!"

"Let me guess..." Lelouch drawled out, looking at the Devil Ape. "People like Tsukiyama are commonplace?"

"Only the touched ones." Kaya nodded her head at his inquiry. "They're known as 'gourmets', Ghouls who seek the ultimate meal. I don't know how appetizing a One-Eyed Ghoul is, but considering they're nothing but a rumor, they're very sought-after."

Lelouch sighed, face palming. 'Great, just what I need...' he thought in annoyance. 'When you think you've gotten used to being a hybrid, you learn you've got a psycho after you... This is reminding me a bit too much of Mao at the moment.'

There were several differences between them, but they were certainly alike. If what Kaya said was true, then Tsukiyama sought perfection and would stop at nothing to obtain it. One-Eyed Ghouls were a rarity, thought to be non-existent. If Tsukiyama learned of what he was, albeit an artificial one, then he would no doubt do whatever it took to obtain him. He was similar to Mao in that regard. C.C. was everything to him, the time they had spent together, and the sweet whispers she told him had made him delusional, thinking that she loved him, and did whatever it took to get her back, even using Shirley and Nunnally to do so.

In all honesty, Lelouch thought being shot in the neck was too lenient... he deserved a thousand times than what he received from C.C. 'I wonder if anyone who passed away in my world is here as well?' he wondered curiously. 'If this death and reincarnation thing is true, then it might be possible that those in the Black Knights are here... Maybe even...'

He stopped that line of thinking almost immediately, clenching his hands together tightly. No, he couldn't think like that. Besides, even she was here, he would not drag her into his own affairs. He had become a monster, even if he retained some humanity. He was a demon, a being that brought misfortune wherever he went. He was a Ghoul, a creature that devours humans to survive. The CCG hunted creatures like him, thinking them to be abominations.

He knew what Shirley would do if she was here, and saw him as he was now... she would choose to stand by him, and the likelihood of her getting killed even higher. That very thought terrified him. He didn't know if he could handle that... seeing her die in his arms had been enough.

More than enough.

"Lamperouge-kun?" Yoshimura's voice brought him out of his morbid thoughts, and looked up at the old Ghoul. "Are you alright? You looked rather tense for a moment." The man's face became hardened. "If you are worried about Tsukiyama-san, then allow us to handle the matter. I may be old, but I still have a few tricks to deal with gourmets."

Upon hearing this, Lelouch couldn't help but smile. Koma cackled, throwing his head back. "Oh man, the feared Owl sounds like he wants to pick a fight with the Gourmet!" the Devil Ape continued to laugh. "That'd be the most hilarious fight ever, 'specially since he'd get his ass kicked!"

'Owl?' Lelouch raised an eyebrow, looking at Yoshimura. 'That must have been what Yoshimura was called in the past... Still, I have to admit, Koma has a point.' the king mused. 'An old man, defeating a chef... that's irony in and in itself, especially since said chef is a monster that eats humans and turns them into fine cuisine.'

"Well, enough about that." Yoshimura pushed the topic aside, turning to Touka. "Touka-chan, I know you are busy this week, but do you think you can bring Lamperouge-kun to Uta-san and have him get a mask? There's been a rise in Dove activity in the last couple of days in the neighboring Wards."

"What?!" Touka squawked, looking at Yoshimura in disbelief. "Why me?! Why can't you have Irimi-san or Koma-san do it?!"

'She acts more like Kallen every day...' Lelouch mentally sighed. 'What's next? She has a deceased older brother and/or has parental problems? Actually, I don't know much about Kirishima's past at all. I know only how Anteiku began from Koma and Kaya, and I know little to nothing about Yoshimura.'

"Oh, come now, Touka-chan." Yoshimura smiled at her. "I'm sure you can spare at least a little time. Besides, I figured a break from studying would be best for you." At the mention of studying, Touka's cheeks became tinged with pink, and turned away, embarrassed. "I recall that mid-terms are coming up sometime this month, correct?" he asked her. "English was never really your strong suit, and you've been studying the subject for nearly a week now. Take some time off."

Touka contemplated the idea for several minutes before sighing, lowering her head in defeat. "Fine..." she muttered before looking at Lelouch. Due to having one of her eyes covered, the look she was giving him would be considered menacing; especially with the way her bangs shaded her left eye. "Oi, Lamperouge... If you're late, I'll kill you."

Lelouch gave a 'hmph' in response to her threat. "If you're late, you'll have to buy me a latte."

The three adults could only laugh as the two bickered, a smile plastered over Yoshimura's face. 'Ah, this is a nice atmosphere...' he thought warmly. 'Still, I can't help but wonder what kind of mask Uta-san will make him? He usually makes them based on a person's views, circumstances, and outward personality.'

TOKYO GHOUL: Requiem for a Demon

The next day, Lelouch and Touka departed for Uta's mask shop. The blue-haired girl was scowling deeply, stomping her feet while Lelouch happily drank his latte. "And you tell me to be on time." the king said with a condescending tone laced with a teasing hint. "Learn to follow your own advice, Kirishima."

"Shut up, shitty halfer!" Touka growled back, glaring at him over her shoulder. "I was late because I overslept!"

"Studying, I take it?" Lelouch asked curiously, lifting an eyebrow. "You never, I never asked... what do you do on your free time?"

Touka scoffed, looking back ahead. "And what makes you think I'll tell you anything?" she said angrily. "It's not really any of your business, is it?"

"I guess not," the black-haired Ghoul shrugged his shoulders. "But it doesn't really hurt to ask. Listen, Kirishima, I don't know why you seem to hate me so much, but like it or not, we're co-workers, so you're stuck with me until Yoshimura gets tired of me or until I leave."

Touka grinded her teeth together harshly. Hate was too kind a word to describe how she felt towards him. His attitude always managed to piss her off somehow, and the way he acted was enough to make her skin crawl. He always acted so fucking haughty, like he was some prince or a king of a goddamn country. However... the reason she hated him wasn't because of how he was acting, it was how easily he could just accept what he had become.

She stopped, her hands balling into fists. "Something the matter?" Lelouch asked, not calling her out on her own anger. "Or maybe what I said struck a nerve?"

Touka's eye nearly flared into a Kakugan before she repressed it. She didn't want anyone seeing what she really was. If they did, then Yoriko... she would... "You want to know why I hate you so much?" she spat out icily. "It's because of what you are."

"You mean being half-ghoul and half-human?" Lelouch shrugged his shoulders, not bothered. He had enough time to both accept and acknowledge his newfound demonic self. "I'm rather used to it. Or, do you have something against One-Eyed Ghouls in general?"

"No." She stepped a bit too close for comfort towards his face, her hate practically seething in her glare. "How the hell can accept that you're a Ghoul now? Just like that?"

"Eh?" Her question had caught him off guard. That was what was bugging her? How he could accept being something that wasn't purely human anymore? She was angered over such a trivial detail such as THAT?

"You act like you're better than everyone else, and you just think you're one of us now?" she growled. "Look, I personally don't give a damn what Yoshimura-san thinks, you're not human, but you're not a fucking Ghoul either..." She didn't know what to call such an existence other than a... "You're nothing but a damned monster. You got that?"

Lelouch said nothing. It only took a few moments for Touka to calm down and internally scream in her head. Crap, what the hell had she done? Sure, she was pissed off with him, but she didn't mean to come off so harsh. Now what was she supposed to do? She couldn't think of an apology or anything. After all, like he had said, they were co-workers, but more than that, they were allies. In combat, if you can't trust your partner, especially up against Doves, you're practically screwed. If the time came when she had to trust him to watch her back...

Before she could say anything, something that could at least erase some of the negative image he might have had against her, Lelouch began to laugh. It started out quiet, but it quickly increased, right to the point where he threw his head back. "W-what the hell are you laughing for?!" she barked, wondering if he was touched in the head or something.

"Oh..." he said, trying to calm himself down. "My dear Touka..." Said Ghoul's eyes widened. That had been the first time he addressed her by her first name, but what startled her was the seemingly demonic grin that appeared on his face, and the dark glint in his eyes.

What he said next shocked her to her very core. "I was a monster long before I became a Ghoul" Lelouch told her, moving past her, and tossing his now cold latte away in the trash can next to the telephone pole. It took Touka a few seconds to regain herself, and chase after the condescending bastard.

'Lamperouge... Lelouch...' Touka corrected herself, her eyes trained on his back. Her eyes softened, and for a moment, she could see someone else. Their back was turned to her, a flowing scarf around their neck, and a leather jacket. 'What did you mean by that...?'

She didn't why, but Lelouch Lamperouge had begun to remind her of her idiotic little brother that day.

~~~Requiem for a Demon~~~

When they arrived, Lelouch had to admit, the shop was not what he had expected. At the front entrance, it seemed like the kind of store a cop would walk out of with a scowl on his face, busting a shady looking guy that did something illegal. The entrance was a stairway leading downwards besides a wall with graffiti plastered all over it, the name of the shop written in plain view.

The interior of the shop was like something you'd see at a demented carnival. There were masks of several different kinds, some hanging on racks and hangars while others hug on the walls. The walls were painted red, and the floor black and white, checkered like a chess board. "Uta-san?" Touka called out as they entered. "Are you in? Uta-san?"

'Itori and Yoshimura were not kidding when they said he was a mask maker...' Lelouch thought, marveling over the designs. Some of the masks were given a specialized touch, as if to represent something. The one he was looking at was a black mask that hid the lower half of the face, binding all the way down to the neck. It lacked lips, and was given fake teeth with a zipper lined in between, bolts sticking out from the jaws. Strangely, there was an eyepatch over the right side. In a way, it rather reflected himself a bit. He was much like Frankenstein, created by human hands, yet despised by many. He was walking between the world of humans, and the world of Ghouls. His left eye saw things the way a Ghoul saw the world, and his right saw the world as he saw it before he awoke as a monster... the way a human saw the world.

"Do you like it?"

Lelouch damn near leaped out of his skin, his feet lifted off the ground as he whirled around to see Uta standing there behind him, leaning in with his face directly invading his comfort zone. "That was actually one of my latest creations, you know." Uta informed him, his Kakugan still active. "It was based after you, believe it or not. The eyepatch is merely for looks. I wandered how you would see the world, purely as a Ghoul, and not as a human."

Lelouch, after calming himself down, smiled as he looked at the mask. "Well, you certainly captured the image..." he chuckled, crossing his arms. "Though... to be honest, I'd preferred if it looked a bit, I dunno, demonic?"

"Huh." Uta remarked, eyes wide slightly as he filed away that piece of information for later. "Didn't know you liked demons."

"Oh, Uta-san, there you are." Touka said, walking up to the two from behind a nearby rack. "Where were you?"

"In back." the mask-maker answered nonchalantly. "I was getting what I needed. So then, Lelouch-chan needs a mask, right?" The girl nodded, and Uta walked over to the counter near the back of the room, pulling some things out from it. "Well, let's get started then." Uta said as he gathered the tools needed, along with a stool, placing it next to a table, and laying them there. "If you'd be so kind, Lelouch-chan."

The raven-haired Ghoul nodded, and sat down on the stool. Uta pulled out a few odds and ends needed to gather the measurements, moving around Lelouch at different angles. Strangely, however, he was nibbling on what looked like an eyeball. It unnerved Lelouch a bit, questing whether or not the man was really as sane as he appeared. "So, are you allergic to anything? Cloth? Leather?"

"No."

"Do you have any color preferences? Red? Blue?"

"Black."

"Nice choice." Uta smiled a bit as he wrapped some yellow tape around the boy's forehead. "Black is a good color. It's a very dark shade, and if you dress right, you can terrify your opponents, make them give in to fear. It's a rather good tactic."

"Do you always make comments about people's favorite colors?" Lelouch asked jokingly, earning another smile from the mask-maker.

"A bit, though it helps me come to understand who I am working with." Uta looked over at Touka. "When I first met Touka-chan, she was more cold and dangerous than she is now. Anything that could remotely piss her off was turned into a pin-cushion seconds later. But..." he leaned in, whispering in the boy's ear. "She actually has a soft side for cute things, like any other girl. For example, did you know she likes bunny rabbits?"

Lelouch nearly bursted out laughing. He stifled it into a snicker, earning a confused look from Touka before she simply shrugged it off and continued to look at the masks, taking off a few of them from their racks and placing them over her face. With the way she acted, he never would have guessed she had a soft spot. Then again, it just proved she was a girl on the inside after all.

"Her mask is meant to look plain, but it's also meant to let her opponents drop their guard. Make it look silly, they underestimate you." Uta said before measuring Lelouch's neck. "How about you? What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Reading, mostly." Lelouch shrugged. "Works of Shakespeare, and as of recently, Sen Tatatsuki."

"Oh? Which book would you say is your favorite, out of all of her works?"

"The Black Goat's Egg." Lelouch smiled. "It's very attractive... It perfectly describes the lives of Ghouls, wouldn't you say?"

Uta chuckled, closing his eyes. "How true... Anything else?"

"Chess. It keeps me sharp. I always lacked physical strength, so I wanted to make up for it with smarts. Brute force is well and good, but useless without a plan."

"I heard from Itori you beat Yoshimura." Uta recalled. "I'm rather surprised. I never would have imagined the old goat would have lost. When it comes to chess, he's as dangerous as they come. Almost like a hawk."

"Or an owl if you ask Koma." Lelouch replied, a frown appearing a moment later. "Was that what he was called in the past?"

Uta was silent at first before speaking. "...About ten years ago, there was a Ghoul that attacked CCG Headquarters, out in broad daylight." Lelouch raised an eyebrow, but listened. Uta's tone was deadly serious, but at the same time, reminiscent as if recalling something from the old days. "This Ghoul was unlike all the others they had faced. It was powerful, absolutely deadly. Several Investigators, some of which the best CCG had to offer, were killed that day. At first, this Ghoul was called X, and was classified as an S-Rated Ghoul. Ghouls in that ranking are usually dangerous, no matter who they are. However, when they saw X's Kagune, an Ukaku, they later referred to him as Owl."

"Wait, Yoshimura attacked CCG?" Lelouch asked, eyes wide. 'Unbelievable... I never would have imagined that Yoshimura was that ruthless... Still, ten years can change a man. I wonder what happened to change his views?'

"Just wait." Uta chuckled at his impatience. "When they saw his Ukaku, and designated him as Owl, he was later bumped up to being an SS-Rated Ghoul. They're among the most lethal of us Ghouls, so much so that it usually takes a 1st Class Investigator with a Special Associate Class, or a Special Class, to defeat just one. However, there was one very important fact that later changed his designation once again, and became the most dangerous Ghoul to have ever existed to CCG, an SSS-Rated Ghoul." Uta's dark grin made Lelouch curious. Obviously, this showed, because Uta's grin grew, and lowered his tone as if to add effect. "Owl... had only one Kakugan."

'One Kakugan?!' Lelouch's eyes went wide with shock. "Then, you mean...?!"

Uta nodded. "The One-Eyed Owl, a Ghoul so dangerous that only the CCG's Reaper could stand against him. The first attack he made on CCG, he killed nearly all the Special Investigators, along with several other small-fry. It was probably the worst incident the Commission ever suffered, especially since the Ghouls themselves grew more bold by this attack. When the second attack started, however, there were several casualties, yet strangely, nobody was killed. It was also on that day when we learned about the Undefeated Ghoul Investigator, otherwise known as CCG's Reaper."

"...Kishou Arima." Lelouch said, closing his eyes. "I've read about him online. He's the youngest person in history to reach the rank of Special Investigator. There was also a report that stated he killed over thirty Ghouls by himself, with no outside assistance at all."

Uta nodded. "Well-informed. That's good."

'Still though...' Lelouch thought, lifting his hand to his chin. 'Two attacks... the first had several deaths and casualties, while the second never had any. There were injuries, but no deaths... And he had only one Kakugan...' Though he had not seen the other eye opened, the possibility that Yoshimura was a One-Eyed Ghoul was high. It would certainly explain why he was willing to let Lelouch work at Anteiku. They were similar, in a way, but to learn that Yoshimura was that powerful...

"I almost forgot to ask..."Uta spoke up after a period of silence. "Say it was the other way around, that we Ghouls were dominant, and the humans were inferior, and that the humans were monsters, but could easily beat us. Would you side with Ghouls, believing in justice, but never able to defeat evil, or would you become a darker evil to destroy evil itself?"

Lelouch was surprised, but found a grin on his face. How ironic... he once asked that same question himself. "It wouldn't matter. No matter what you do, evil will exist... but to answer your question, I would become an even greater evil to destroy evil. After all... once a demon, always a demon."

Uta raised an eyebrow, but smiled in satisfaction, offering Lelouch one of his eyeballs. "Want one?"

Lelouch frowned, but took it regardless, tossing it in his mouth. He failed to notice the malicious smirk on Uta's face, though it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. 'Nico... I do believe we've created a masterpiece.'

~~~Requiem for a Demon~~~

Tsukiyama had never been so interested in someone before.

He was currently in the dining room in the restaurant he owned, which was, in truth, his family's mansion. The Tsukiyama family, a long line of Ghouls, had long infiltrated human society, being often referred as high-class social workers and the likes. Shuu Tsukiyama was no exception. He was brilliant, smart, able to pass anything that came his way. Of course, this was what he was supposed to be, in the eyes of human society: perfection.

In his true social circle, in the eyes of the Ghoul community, he was the gentlemanly type, courteous, but also very dangerous, considered to be among the highest-ranking in the Ghoul's elite standing. Several wealthy nobles, ranging from those that owned hospitals to the ones that simply had the talent and power. Tsukiyama was a bit of both, being perfection to humans and an elitist to Ghouls. He had preferred to enjoy the finer things in life, hence why he established the Ghoul Restaurant. Ghouls could enjoy the finer things, the most delicious things they could ever hope to achieve, things that could catch their interest.

Among those interests was the mysterious Lelouch Lamperouge, the one that had caught his eye. He had first learned of the boy from one of his fellow connoisseurs in Helter Skelter. At first, he thought the boy to be amusing, having heard that Itori had forced him to wear rather skimpy butler outfit, except the jacket and buttoned shirt were gone, leaving only the gloves, slacks, and the bowtie.

However... when Tsukiyama saw him, he was not like what he imagined. Hair as black as the feathers of a crow, eyes as deep and lustrous as the violet gems they took after, and a noble, regal air that danced around him. It was as if the boy was not anything remotely common, as if he had lived a life surpassing all of theirs.

It only made him wonder how he would taste. "Master Shuu?" his family's servant, Kanae, asked him with a look of worry on his face. "Is the food not to your liking?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Kanae-kun..." Tsukiyama assured the man, a smile plastered over his arrogant mug. "The meal itself is divine..."

'I've simply found a meal that could provide interest...' The smile became cruel, and a dangerous glint dashed in his eyes, which could easily be seen behind his crescent white mask. "Lelouch Lamperouge, eh...?"

Next Time: The Last Supper

I am very sorry about this guys. I didn't mean to leave you all hanging for so long. I just got done with CAHSEE's, and now I am on my way to midterms. However, because Spring Break is coming up soon, I will have more time to focus on my story. Anyway, next chapter's title will involve the Ghoul Restaurant, and Lelouch raising hell. In other words... the badassness that is the Demon Emperor will resurface. Enjoy the wait~ XD

Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter of TOKYO GHOUL: Requiem for a Demon!