Tokyo Ghoul DxD
"Whoa, SHIT!"
Issei slammed his fist into the ground, the earth shattering and shooting him into the air, avoiding him from being skewered and torn apart. Red tendrils and armored tentacles tore where he once stood to shreds, debris flying everywhere and slicing up his clothes and skin in the process. It only took a few moments before his skin reknit together, and his feet returned to the ground. Sweat poured down his face, his breathing heavy as he looked at Haise, who simply stood there in a crouched position, his hands on the ground, and his lone Kakugan staring at him in both madness and hunger.
"M-my fingers..." Haise growled, his Kakuja returning to his side, shaking uncontrollably, and saliva dribbling down his chin. "...On the bench... C-centipedes... crawling... in my ears..."
"Geez..." Issei complained as he prepared himself for another round. "If I make it out of this alive... I am NEVER going near centipedes again!"
"Remind me again..." Haise said, his eye twitching as he and Issei walked behind Rias and her group, the two carrying overstuffed bags. "Why are we carrying your luggage?"
"...Lost bet." Koneko answered plainly, walking up from behind them, carrying the same, if not larger, bag as them. "Losers pay up."
"Man, Koneko-chan is so lucky..." Issei groaned, the stress in his shoulders building up. "How come I'm not allowed to promote to a Rook?! This would be so much easier!"
Haise shook his head, but he had to agree. Koneko had the obvious advantage over them, being able to receive a great deal of damage, and then release the same amount. In short, she was a giant powerhouse in the form of a small girl who could break a guy in half, provided he was human. "Looks like good things do come in small packages..." Rize said with a lop-sided grin, swinging her legs from atop Haise's bag. "Haise-kun, could you move a bit faster?"
Damned witch... Shironeki growled. She's just as lazy as she is here! All she does is lay around and read books all damn day! Can't she help us clean it up?!
'Clean up?' Haise frowned internally. 'You mean Anteiku gets dirty?'
Only when you are stressed or worried or depressed or really, really sad. Kuroneki informed him, smiling sheepishly. And when you are in grieving, the water system stops working right... and then everything starts to leak out, and, well, it's kind of a pain to clean up.
Oh, so NOW you decide to complain! the Ghoul manifestation of Haise Sasaki shouted, throwing his arms into the air. Oi, Sasaki! Hurry up and accept me already! I'm getting freaking tired of seeing this brat's face!
B-brat?! Kuroneki retorted in disbelief. You're not any better, Kaneki! Also, if he accepts you, then what is he supposed to do when he meets Touka-chan and everyone else?!
Haise immediately cut off the connection, realizing they were about to go into another all-out debate, and shook his head. How come he had to get manifestations of himself, Rize included as she represented another Ghoulish part of him, that were bickering in his head?
"Ne, Haise-san..." Issei's voice brought him back to reality, the Oppai Dragon (coined by Rize. In all honesty, he agreed.) was looking over at their two new companions, them being Kurona and her sister, Nashiro. The white-haired girl was practically a carbon copy of her sister, and even wore the same thing as she did, except in an inversed color. While Kurona wore a simple sleeveless black sundress with white checkered marks along the hem, Nashiro had a white sleeveless sundress with black checkers at the hem. "You never told us how you know those two."
Ah, he had not explained that to the boy yet. When Haise learned that the two, who were supposedly his sisters through Kanou's experiments, had been living in a love hotel of all places, he immediately took them back to his apartment with the intention of taking care of them. As fate had it, Arima had decided to visit him today, about to inform him that a member of Aogiri Tree, an executive named Naki, was in town when he saw Kurona and Nashiro. Haise explained everything, and Arima decided it would be best if they stayed with him, giving them the same sort of agreement that Haise had with CCG.
Don't eat any humans, you don't get killed. It was simple, it benefited for both of them. Doves didn't have to do any work, and the Ghouls in question got to live. The twins agreed, and since then, they had been staying with Haise. Of course, the boy hadn't expected to see Rias and her group come to visit him shortly after Haise left. Issei had not been present when he explained everything, although Akeno the moment she saw how attached they were to Haise had dubbed him a 'siscon'.
He had to listen to Shironeki curse for an hour afterwards, vowing to make Akeno Himejima his next meal.
It was agreed that Haise would help train the peerage for ten days, in preparation for what was to come in their battle against Riser. He was more than happy to, after all. Kuroneki was in agreement with him on this: arranged marriages were a blight on the very name of love, and thus, he would do his best to make them into the ultimate team.
Of course, the training mostly focused on Asia and Issei, seeing as how they were still relatively new to the powers of Devils, especially the former nun, since she only recently joined. Since Asia was a Bishop, Akeno and Rias would mainly supervise the training, since they were more versed in magic than everyone else in the group. Koneko, Kiba, and Haise would supervise combat training for Issei, since he had no proper fighting style.
"You weren't there when I told them, so it's obvious you wouldn't know." Haise said. "They're my sisters, or rather, half-sisters. The one with the black hair is Kurona, and the white one is Nashiro."
"So, Kuro-chan and Shiro-chan, huh?" Issei said before a familiar grin settled on his face. "Man, they're so freaking cute! I never pegged you for a siscon, Haise-san!" Haise resisted the urge to face palm, and let out a low growl of annoyance. "And they're not lacking in the boobs department either! Heehee~
"...I shall always remember the Oppai Dragon fondly." Rize said, letting fake tears fall from her face. "Oh, he died too young!"
"Be sure to write your testament, Hyoudou." Haise said as he picked up the pace. Issei frowned and tried to keep up with him. "Eh? What do you mean, Haise-san? Seriously, why should I write my will? Haise-san? Haise-san?! Hey, come on man! Don't leave me hanging! Why should I write my will?!"
Further ahead, Akeno giggled into her hand while Rias watched the spectacle with an amused smile. "They are quite a lively bunch, aren't they, Buchou?" the sadist of the group asked.
Rias nodded. "Indeed they are, especially whenever Sasaki-kun and Issei-kun are together."
"Still, I had no idea that our adorable little Ghoul was actually a siscon!" Akeno giggled harder. "And twins no less!"
At this, Rias sighed, shaking her head. "I sincerely doubt Sasaki-kun has a sister complex."
"You never know, Buchou~"
It had been a couple of days, seven to be exact, since Issei's training began. In the morning, he would practice sword combat with Kiba, improving on coordination, reaction, and speed. These fundamentals were probably among one of the most important rules in battle. If you thought quickly on your feet, you would keep your head. If you moved quickly enough, you could evade a fatal blow. If you could react quickly enough, you could counter the next blow. However, Issei's skills were severely lacking at first, unable to keep up with Kiba. Rias admitted that it seemed unfair at first, but Kurona and Nashiro both agreed it would be feasible for someone like Issei.
Haise agreed with them. Being outmatched made Issei completely unpredictable, something they could rely on in battle. After all, he had Boosted Gear, a weapon capable of slaying both God Almighty and the Great Devils. This fact alone made him powerful.
When the first portion was done, they moved onto magic exercises. Issei had no experience with magic, thus he lacked in it. Unfortunately for him, however, Asia proved to be exceptional, easily understanding the basics. Akeno herself admitted that Asia becoming a Bishop was a good choice, and that her magical prowess could likely extend and increase further.
The last portion of training was, in the twins' opinion, complete overkill. It didn't matter with him at all... but it had been amusing to watch. After all, seeing Issei getting his ass handed to him by Koneko of all people made things worth it. The purpose for this exercise was to increase his strength and stamina, and so far, it yielded in only the latter area. Issei was barely able to compete with Koneko's vast strength, but it was to be expected. She was a Rook, after all.
"So then, Sasaki-kun..."
Haise was snapped out of his musings as he looked over at Rias. They had been discussing about other factors that could help Issei and Asia improve, though to be honest, he was more worried about the boy. Rias saw this, so she thought it might be good for him to try and train him in something that could help him. The main question, however, was what he could help him with.
"Have you thought about what could help Issei-kun improve?" Rias asked, taking a sip of her tea. "I have to admit, seeing him motivated is certainly refreshing... but his lack of progress is concerning. The good news is, he's starting to grasp the concepts of the magical arts. It shouldn't be long before he figures out how to apply this to real combat."
Yes, that was reassuring... if only mildly. Haise had thought of several ideas of how he could help Issei. The boy certainly showed promise, and if what Rize observed meant anything, he was very reminiscent to himself, bearing a resemblance to both aspects of Ken Kaneki. He was strong, not wanting to hurt others, but he would risk his very life to protect the people he considered to be most precious. In retrospect, he was brave.
And that was his problem: he did not know fear. He did not fall into despair and helplessness. Being brave is well and good, it makes you not think about the consequences... but fear is what keeps you alive. It's what keeps you aware. It's what makes you think smarter.
Issei lacked this. Haise even pointed this out to her.
"Hyoudou lacks fear."
Rias frowned, lifting a curious eyebrow.
"Fear is natural for everyone, regardless if you are Devil, Angel, Human, or even a Ghoul." Haise said, taking a small sip of his coffee. "Without fear, you make mistakes, and you begin to underestimate a foe that could bring you to your very knees. Without despair, you rush in blindly, thinking that you are invincible so long as you possess courage."
He looked at the red-haired Devil, straight in the eye. "Hyoudou does not know despair... and that will be his downfall."
"That is a rather morbid way of thinking, Sasaki-kun." Rias said solemnly before a sad smile appeared. "But not untrue. You are right about fear and despair being aspects that keep us focused and aware that not all of our opponents are easy to defeat simply by believing in yourself and that you can win."
"Correct." Haise nodded. "And that is why... I will teach him fear." Again, she raised an eyebrow, and grew disturbed when she saw an unsettling smile appear on his face. "I will show him the very depths of despair."
"And..." she paused, likely trying to understand what he means. However, internally, she wandered if she really wanted to know what someone who was broken and confused about his past was thinking. "...how will you teach him?"
His smile only grew. "Tell me, Gremory-san... how familiar are you with a Ghoul called Centipede?"
It was on the eighth day that Haise began his training. Issei was practically jumping up and down in joy as they made their way to the forest, where they would not be disturbed. "Man, I can't wait to get started!" Haise had figured as much. When it came to him, Issei was excited by anything that could allow him to spend some time with the white-haired Ghoul, even the possibility of him getting interested into harems and boobs and whatnot.
...Not that it mattered to him.
"So, what are we learning today?" Issei asked his teacher eagerly, stars in her eyes. "Me and Ddraig are ready for anything!"
Haise paused a for a moment. "Ddraig?"
"Oh, right, forgot." the Red Dragon Emperor scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "I didn't tell you. You remember how that guy, Saji, he mentioned that the dragons that wreaked havoc during the Great War are supposedly inside their respective Sacred Gears?" Haise nodded, recalling the conversation. He also remembered that apparently Ddraig had jilted a dragon named Tiamat, and thus, she was not happy. "Well, turns out, he was right! Ddraig's been sleeping away, but he woke up during my training! Pretty cool, huh?"
Haise smiled. "Good... This just means your chances at survival have improved." Issei's enthusiasm immediately dampened, and confusion began to settle in. "Issei... this training will last for three days, non-stop. Your goal... is to survive."
"S-survive...?" Issei frowned. "W-what do you mean, Haise-san? W-what are we gonna do?"
Haise developed a dark, sadistic grin. Shironeki slowly started to manifest within him as he cracked his middle finger, and his Kakugan began to form. "Easy..." he said, his voice becoming distorted and crazed.
What happened next was enough to make Issei take a step back, fear beginning to rise up in him as color drained from his face, and sweat began to fall. Haise's back hunched over, red tendrils breaking through the skin. However, they were quickly degrading, red strands slowly hanging around. But, this was not what terrified Issei so much. It was that the Rinkaku began to lash around wildly, and Haise holding himself, his body shaking. His voice sounded so strained, aching in pain. "I-I'm gonna try to eat you..." he groaned as he fell on his knees before he reared his head back and let out an ear-piercing scream.
Two new tendrils erupted from his back in a painful, flesh-tearing manner. Unlike the four before it, these were much larger, covered in dark armor plating with glowing red beneath, steel legs shaking and twitching at the sides. They looked like demonic centipedes. Haise continued to scream, the six tendrils continuing to lash around.
Issei immediately threw himself to the ground, one of the centipede-like tendrils aiming straight for him and impaling into the ground. Shards of debris and shattered earth flew, some of them embedded in his skin and causing Issei to hiss in pain. Already, the regenerative abilities he had were kicking in. Slowly, his flesh reknitted.
"H-Haise...san...?" Issei's voice was barely heard, hushed like a whisper. Haise's back was turned to him, his hands covering his face. The tendrils stopped lashing, but there was a sense of newfound madness and insanity spreading out from him.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha..."
It terrified him.
"W-what's one thousand..." Slowly, Haise turned to Issei, and the boy's eyes widened in horror. A purple mask covered half of his face, the right eye completely blank and accompanied by a deranged smile, blood leaking between the teeth and dribbling down from the chin. The mask had a single eye located in the center, as if plastered in the middle of the face, and it carried the familiar red eye of the Kakugan. "...m-minus s-s-s-even...?"
"W-what's..."
"This, Issei..." the deep, booming voice of the Crimson Emperor of the Dragons spoke, Boosted Gear manifesting over Issei's arm. "...is why Ghouls are both revered as kings of destruction... and feared as beasts of madness. When Ghouls devour one another, their power increased, and eventually, they gain a great power..."
Haise's body shook as he continued to laugh, turning fully to Issei. "These individuals, who are stained with madness and overcome with power..." Ddraig said in a hushed tone of pride and slight nervousness. "We call them... Kakuja."
"H-hunrgy..." Haise growled as he lowered himself, about to pounce. "So... hungry..."
"Ready yourself, Issei!"
The Red Dragon Emperor barely had time to pick himself up before Haise launched into the air, the Kagune and Kakuja ready to pierce into his flesh and tear him apart, teeth spread open to bite into flesh and saliva flying from his mouth, wanting to taste the sweet, succulent red taste of blood.
"EAT!"
[BOOST!]
Issei reared his arm back, clenched his fist tightly, and thrusted it with all of his might, colliding with all six tendrils.
The earth shuddered, the ground split apart, and for a brief moment, any that saw this spectacle could see a bloody red Centipede facing a Crimson Dragon, each ready to slaughter the other.
The Dragon reared its head back and roared, power exploding from its very body, flames flowing from its nostrils, ears, and jaws, wings bathed in the inferno, and scales burning in red laps of fire. The Centipede's armor grew darker, blood beginning to fall from its talons, and its body growing larger.
The outcome was unclear... but it was just as terrifying as the bout between the beast known as the One-Eyed Owl and the Commission of Counter Ghoul's Reaper, Kishou Arima...
Rias dropped her teacup.
Koneko took refuge behind her King.
Akeno's body shivered from pure excitement and ecstasy.
Asia looked close to passing out.
Kiba looked as if he had just looked at the very face of Death, and barely escaped with his life.
Kurona and Nashiro looked shocked and surprised, but not for the reasons the others would have expected. They were "born" shortly after Kaneki had been "born", but he had only but half a year's experience with this newfound darkness, which he had begun to embrace.
"So, Onii-chan became a Kakuja..." Kurona said.
Nashiro nodded. "Seems like it... I didn't think he would be that strong already."
"Do you think that maybe Papa knew about it?"
"Maybe." the white-haired twin said, shrugging her shoulders. "But... what do you think will happen to him now that he's like this?"
Kurona looked at her strangely.
"Onii-chan doesn't remember who he really is yet." Nashiro explained, looking slightly sad. "He's been living as Haise Sasaki... When he's like this, he's Ken Kaneki. Neither of them can exist at the same time. One of them must disappear."
"If that's the case..." Kurona closed her eyes. "Which one of him... is our Onii-chan?"
Nashiro didn't answer.
After all, it was impossible tell. They could only wait and see, as they watched the Ghoul known simply as Centipede begin his conquest to devour the Red King of Dragons.
Tsukiyama sighed as he reclined in his chair, looking at the magazine in his hand. It was one of the latest issues of a culinary magazine, showing some of the finest foods that chefs had the pleasure of creating and serving in restaurants far and wide. Though he couldn't taste human food, reading such things could give him ideas about what to serve.
"No matter what I read, I just can't find the perfect way to serve up Kaneki-kun..." the Gourmet said, a smile appearing on his handsome features. "Oh, wait, I suppose it's Sasaki-kun now. Either way..."
A disturbing grin appeared in it's place. "This dish will be like El Dorado, the ultimate paradise and treasure that I've been seeking for so long...!"
Snapping the magazine shut, Tsukiyama placed it on the table beside him and stood up, walking over to the window. "I'm waiting for you, Sasaki-kun..." he giggled, an arm resting against the glass as his eyes peered out past the city of Kuoh. "It's almost time for our reunion... Hahah, I'm looking forward to it!"
Standing atop a school building on the campus of Kuoh Academy was a young man. He was dressed very differently than the students, wearing what looked like a black leather jacket with a red scarf wrapped around his neck, the ends torn and shredded. A purple v-neck was found underneath the jacket, along with worn, dark jeans, a black studded belt hanging lazily off to the side. His hair was dark blue, messy and unhinged, and a scowl marred his features.
"Damn, what a dump..." the boy complained, waving a hand in front of his nose. "Fucking place reeks like a pig pen... So, this is where Eyepatch is, huh?"
The scowl quickly became a feral grin, and both of his eyes changed. His sclera changed from white to black, and blue eyes became bloody red. "It's just about time for a rematch... As much as I'd like to pay him back, if I banged him up too much, Aneki might get pissed." He shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, whatever. Doesn't really matter to me. After all... a fight with Eyepatch is what I've been hoping for."
Sprouting from his back were two dark purple wings, flowing upwards like a pair of wings. A gust of wind passed by, causing his jacket to flap. Along with a belt, a black mask resembling what looked like a rabbit with pointed ears and a rounded snot curled upwards hanged off of it.
"You better be ready..." Ayato Kirishima growled, his grin growing. "Cause this time... I'm not holding back."
The Black Rabbit of Aogiri Tree had arrived.
-Chapter END-
Three chapters left folks. Ayato has arrived, Haise has descended into the madness known simply as Kakuja, and the anime is almost over! We've got only two episodes left, and holy crap, Ishida does not disappoint. I am excited for the end!
The title has been determined. The sequel will be called Tokyo Ghoul DxD NEW: Root A. I'm sorry if you guys wanted some action, but I am on a time-crunch here, and it really doesn't help that I have CAHSEE's coming up in a couple of days. Also I apologize for not updating in a while, been busy with school and studying.
The Tenth Night will be arriving shortly. It's the anticipated answer to the question: Who will take their rightful place as the One-Eyed Ghoul? Haise Sasaki? Or Ken Kaneki! Prepare for the tenth chapter, My Name!
