Chapter X: Puppets and Puppeteers
In the darkness of the underground tunnel, Souta breathed. The slow thrum of his heartbeat, the maddening silence of the scenery around him, everything seemed dead. Above all that was the unbearable hunger he's been experiencing right now. He's craving not only for fresh human flesh but also for the knowledge to where he can find the one eyed king that Eto Yoshimura is so fond of. Not even the clowns know where they could find the one eyed king. Worst, it might not even real, the one eyed king that is. An uncharacteristic frown appeared across his pale face. He stopped once he reached his destination. He knock on the door thrice and when there was no answer, Souta had decided to use his own key. After inserting the keycard, with a click, the door slid open. He walked inside the clandestine group's main hall, his footsteps echoed.
"Nimura" Kaiko is surprised to see the child especially at how busy he should be because the Tsukiyama raid is about to start two days from now.
"I have a favour to ask you, Kaiko-san" Nimura's dark coloured eyes are filled with malicious intent. His deadpan expression somewhat reminded Kaiko of Kishou Arima and there is no doubt that they are Tsuneyoshi's sons. There's a big resemblance.
"Speak up" For the second time of this day Kaiko is surprised again. He knew Nimura since the boy was still a child and he never heard him not even once asking for a favour. Not from him at least.
"I want you to convince Tsuneyoshi to send Haise Sasaki with Kishou Arima's group"
"Why would I do that?"
"It's concerning the one-eyed owl and one-eyed king"
"?!" Several eyes of the senior investigators widened at the affirmation from the younger investigator.
"I'm asking you for a small favour and I don't think that will be too much for you to do. Unless—" Nimura pressed his fingertip to his lips and he stared at Kaiko. "You can't do such simple task" He is aware that Kaiko will agree one way or another. Slowly the chess pieces are all falling into right place. Soon his SUPER PEACE will prevail.
"Very well" Kaiko said without arguing with Nimura, a rare occurrence.
"You have my thanks" He smiled but without mirth.
On the day of the raid, Haise is supposed to be participating in the Tsukiyama raid when Koori Ui informed him that he'll join Kishou's squad in making sure that the Quinque metals will be delivered safely while the Quinx will participate in annihilating the Tsukiyama family and its conglomerates.
"…" Haise for the first time looked upset with how he'll not be there for the Quinx. He wished them good luck and hugged them one by one. He told Shirazu a few instructions before he left the Quinx on their own.
Eto instructed Noro to where he must go. A moment earlier, she released Kanae von Rosewald too so she could fulfill her role in this game. Unknown to her that Furuta already pulled the right strings using Kaiko and Tsuneyoshi.
"You'll go and find Quinx. Take one of them and bring them to Kanou" Eto pointed to where the Quinx are still fighting the lower rank ghouls of Tsukiyama family. "Go back to the base as soon as you got one"
"…" Noro crawled from one building to another until he reached the upper floor and trapping Itou's squad and the Quinx.
"…" Kishou is surprised too when Haise approached him.
"Special Class Ui informed me that Chairman Washuu wants me to join the zero squad in protecting the Quinque metals" Haise showed his superior the memo with Tsuneyoshi's stamp.
"…" Kishou slowly nodded his head and yet he glanced at Hirako for a moment. Something is not right especially at how Tsuneyoshi suddenly changed his mind. Eto's plan is going to fail because her main target is with him.
"?!" Eto did not expect the sudden changes in CCG's plan. Haise Sasaki is not going to attend the raid and worst, Eto's precious Noro was destroyed along with Kanae. She fled as soon as she found out about the sudden changes in CCG's plan but on her way to her escape route, her eyes met Nimura Furuta's calculating gaze from where he is standing inside the building. The man smiled towards her kakuja's direction. Eto clicked her tongue. Her nemesis is indeed not something to be underestimated especially with the amount of influence he has everywhere.
"Abort mission" Tatara signaled Naki, Ayato and Miza to follow him along with a handful of Aogiri Tree's dogs.
"Tch damn that CCG white reaper" Ayato cussed, he is holding his broken arm. Miza is running behind him along with Naki.
"Ayato go with Miza and inform Eto that our mission failed" Tatara ordered.
"They failed?" Kanou asked again to the person who is at the end of his line.
"Yes but I know a way how you can obtain the corpses" He stared at the escaping owl as he talks to his fun-partner. He shivered in delight when the owl halted for a second and it stared back at him.
"Stop playing too much" The mad scientist scolded the boy for toying too much with everyone. The child laughed and he had to end his call because he has no time to indulge his partner-in-crime with everything. His phone vibrated a minute later revealing the route that the transport vehicles will take on. Kanou chuckle and he alerted Eto's group about the route that the transport vehicles containing the Quinx's body will take.
Nimura is leisurely browsing his phone until he heard the screams of dying doves and his lips quirked up. The vehicle containing both him and Hairu is also attacked along with the rest of the transport vehicles containing the wounded doves, dead doves and dying doves.
"We found someone interesting Big Brother" Naki's underling said as they opened the door and there they saw the still unconscious Hairu and Nimura who is whimpering but even before they can pull out Hairu. The White Suits' ghoul became a dartboard.
"Why you—" Another ghoul came closer but Furuta ducked his head backwards.
"Careful with that!" Nimura screamed and yet he killed another ghoul using a quinque knife with a dark blade. It was given to him as a birthday gift when he was still a child by Kaiko.
Tatara narrowed his eyes towards the child who scraped his cheek and his kagune protected him from the series of flying knives. King's brother— Tatara thought.
"…" Souta eyed the escaping ghouls who left as soon as they managed to take what they need and they left Hairu in Nimura's care.
Kishou is correct something is not right especially how Hairu was almost killed and Shirazu was killed. Their misfortune is not a coincidence. Someone is pulling the strings. They heard what happened to Hairu and how Aogiri Tree stole the corpses of the fallen doves. No wonder the Washuu patriarch is angry because they lost their dinner.
Ui rushed to where the transport vehicles were ambushed. The moment he heard the news, Ui's heart became restless and all he can think of is if Hairu is fine. Hairu, the girl he is partnered with since his time as a zero squad member. The bowl-cut investigator has always loved the girl since then even though he is well aware that she will never reciprocate his feelings because all she ever loved is Arima Kishou.
"Hairu?" He asked the nearest dove. Ui can remember him. He is Kijima's partner and the one who killed one of the Tsukiyama family's bodyguards. The same person who spared Hairu from death.
"She's fine. Chika's group arrived a few minutes after the Aogiri Tree left." Unhappy, Nimura answered. He doesn't like how Ui shook him and yet he makes sure to put on his well-accustomed façade.
"I see." He looked confused on why Furuta Nimura knew Yoshitoki's given name and he is about to ask him when he realized that Furuta winced. "Is there—" His eyes widened in horror. That's right Furuta broke a few of his ribs during his battle with Tsukiyama's bodyguard. "Why are you still here? You should have gone to the hospital"
"What can I do? No one ever offered a ride unless you are expecting me to walk from here to the hospital" He gently nestled his chest area using his hand.
"Let's go" Ui grabbed his arm as gentle as he could and he sent him to the hospital. Nimura said he'll be fine as soon as they arrived and told him to leave. Ui at first is about to argue but he decided that he need not to stress the child more than he already is.
Haise arrived at the Lunatic building and the moment he stepped to where he Quinx squad is mourning for Shirazu whose body was also stolen by Aogiri Tree. Urie screamed at him. He is angry and Haise knew why because they felt that they were abandoned by him. Now even Shirazu was killed. Haise will never blame them if they were to hate him because this time around he knows that he is at fault.
"Maman!" Saiko hugged him, the small girl cried.
"I am sorry. I am sorry that I am not here to protect you. I am sorry I wasn't been able to stop Aogiri Tree from taking Shirazu's body"
"…" There is an awkward silence between them. Eto did not doubt in the least that Kishou can recognize her and doesn't have any plans to show mercy either. The owl chuckled for it reminded her of the time when they first met 14 years ago. Kishou dodge to his left without exerting much effort. The CCG's undefeated investigator has no qualms that he could kill her if he wished for it and they are both aware of it.
"My head is about to explode" Owl's kakuja muttered repeatedly still it did not stop attacking the reaper and avoiding the man's attacks.
Arima swiftly dodged each attacks from the owl and pointing Narukami towards the heavy weight kakuja.
Roma swerved; Tatara's kagune is pointed directly at her. The man's attention is later on divided between her and Houji. The stoic ghoul wants nothing but to avenge his fallen family. Orphaned because of doves, Tatara swore that he'll take everything from them too.
Uta and the clowns as per usual play a lot. Static noises came up next from the speakers. Haise is screaming at least that was what they all heard coming from it. A phone is amplified to the set of speakers while the caller on the other line triggers Haise's memories. They eyed each other knowingly. Their plan has become fruitful because their fruity friend breached cochlea and is about to free their long lost friend. Soon enough the clowns will have their last laugh.
"Is that First Class Sasaki?" Ui asked Akira who fended herself from Takizawa.
"He's at cochlea" Akira muttered and Takizawa glazed her cheek.
"Ooooooooohhhhh" Eto groaned, Haise's voice is like a chime to her ear. Whatever is happening must be interesting. She wants to go to where Haise is and to watch him screaming in despair. They can hear a conversation from an unknown voice and Haise. Eto had a feeling it is Furuta. She has yet to meet the man face to face but there's only someone who is crafty enough to toy with CCG and Ghouls aside from Eto herself.
"…." Kishou narrowed his eyes. He understood now what is happening. This place is a trap and their main target is cochlea and Haise. Kishou was alerted to leave the battlefield and to go to cochlea. He signaled the zero squad to follow.
Meanwhile inside cochlea Haise screams. His head is full of unwanted memories that are playing flashbacks upon flashbacks. The ghoul in front of him stares at him, behind that clown mask is the face of cruelty. His kagune spread wide enough that he almost hit even the remaining Quinx.
Urie did not know why this is happening to Haise but one thing is for sure the clown who breached cochlea among with handful ghouls from Aogiri Tree was part of Haise's past.
Haise and the Quinx heard the alarm. Intruders fall from above. Aogiri Tree ghouls killed as many as they can. They are about to mop up these ghouls when Haise saw a clown. Donato standing behind the said clown, a sadistic grin curved up his lips. Haise signaled for Quinx to be careful not only SS rate clown escaped; there is also a new clown. They never saw him in the archives so they suspected he is new to the clown hierarchy. New ghoul will always mean danger and disadvantage for they know nothing about the new ghoul.
"We are in a hurry please get out of our way" The clown said. Donato remained quiet behind his friend.
"I can't allow you to take Donato Porpora-san and you cannot leave cochlea either, ghoul" Haise remained alert in case they strike them.
"Ghoul?" The ghoul clown laughed out loud for good one minute. "And are you not one?"
"I am human"
"Hnnn is that so Ken Kaneki?"
Haise stiffened at the name that the clown said. Voices whispered something inside his head. It's him. Kaneki said. Haise was confused why Kaneki is angry. It's him, the ghoul who caused our tragedy along with Rize Kamishiro. The voice said again. He was the one who dropped those steel beams. Haise then had a flashback of that night. He screamed. He can also remember the clown, the same ghoul who offered his human girlfriend to be a food to the greedy ghouls to the Gourmet restaurant's compatriots. A faceless woman's words echoed inside his head. She once said that there is someone standing above the building and Rize accident isn't really an accident. They knew because they are clowns.
"We need to leave" The Washuu king ordered. Donato followed suit. The Quinx were hindered by Haise's berserk state. They prioritized stopping the berserk ghoul instead of following the escaping clowns.
Kishou Arima arrived thirty minutes later. Quinx are all beaten up. Haise is way too powerful but luckily they aren't dead yet. The white reaper did not show mercy and he chopped the berserk ghoul till he came back to his senses.