The One-Eyed White Demon

by jy24

It used to be simply: the devilish beings that plan your species' demise are your enemies. That was what the Holy War was about, wasn't it? Light against darkness. Black and White. Humanity against extinction. However, could the same be said to the creatures cast into the world where cruelty comes in unexpected forms? This is something Allen has to learn in order to survive.

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sinner's Paradise, Fifth Lowest floor (26:05:44)

Allen's POV

"YOU AGAIN?! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!" I knew who it was before he even finished his sentence. Turning around to face him, I was met with a ghoul who I had begrudgingly took a bite out of after knocking him out. He looked the same as the last time I saw him: a dirt-covered shirt with blood stained from our fight on his back along with his black shorts. His black hair was more disheveled but the hairs that framed his face remain undisturbed.

I resisted the urge to sigh, of all the ghouls I must encounter again, it had to be him. We crossed path five days ago, both of us looking for a way to ascend to the next floor. He had a rather smaller build than most ghouls I've seen here, but still larger than mine. He put up a good fight, but it was his inexperience that failed him then.

"Well, not looking to fight you again, for starters." I snapped back, I was in a foul mood to deal with his type that day. It took forever to find the staircase leading me to this floor and I also had to avoid getting detected by hungry cannibalistic ghouls patrolling for any remaining weak ghouls for the picking and they were not making my hunger any better.

The ghoul sneered at me before releasing his Ukaku wings, purple tinted with green flames crystalized on his back. And just like last time, he was cautious about me from just getting a trace of my scent. But that also make him noticed how weak I had become after our fight five days ago. He was one of those that looks for payback and that was a golden opportunity for him then.

"Too bad. I was looking for a way to let off some steam so you'll have to do, cannibal." He smirked before shooting rains of shards at me. They didn't faze me; I got used to it. I dodged them and charged at him immediately. He wasn't expecting me to not get my Kagune out and that surprise led me to victory against him, again. Punching him in the gut once was all it took to disarm him, his Kagune faded into thin air like ink dripped into water.

It was getting scary with how much I was adapting to this, how emotionless I was becoming with how I could hit someone so easily and close to my age like that. Before the surgery, I could never do this to anyone. But things changed and survival is what matters most down here. It had to be done, for everyone's safety back in the Order.

It still seemed that I had a long way to go before I even reach the first floor, this floor was damp and cold, meaning I was still very deep down. And the number of ghouls around here have decreased as well, they could all have gone up with the idea of getting out of here and have the humans on this island for lunch. Lucky or unlucky for me, this ghoul's flesh might help me gain back my strength for the time being. I need all my might if I were to get out.

As I lean down ready to take a bite from his shoulder, hands suddenly found themselves gripping around my throat tightly. I stared up in shock at a pair of blazing Kakugans with hatred burning behind them. My hands flew up to his arms instinctively, trying to get them release my throat from suffocation. How could I let my guard down like that after all the training Cross gave me, he would be laughing his ass off right about now if he were to see me like this.

"All of you…every damn last one of you…you're all the same…" The ghoul chocked out his words with so much venom that I had heard from so many people who had lost their love ones to the Akumas. What was he so mad about? He couldn't be talking about ghouls, now would he? He's one too.

I was starting to lose air and my grip on him weakens as he twisted and changed our position to have a better hold on me. It was getting dangerous now. "I'll kill every one of you until you all gone extinct!"

He had me on my back against the ground and him straddling on my hip, limiting my movements. I struggled against his hold but nothing seems to budge him. I couldn't summon my claws with my back blocked by the ground. I can't die now, not when I have people to go back to, not when I must save them from this fate. I had promised myself to at least do that…I…when I promised her…

Please don't disappear like that again, okay? It's lonely without you, Allen.

Lenalee…

With that thought followed by a tingling sensation on my tailbone, I knew what I had to do. Trusting my instinct and relaxing my body, I felt the familiar feeling of something slowly being released. The ghoul holding me down was confused for a moment with my sudden lack of resistance, it was short-lived after a tail swiped him off to the wall beside us. Taking in large gulps of air and heaved myself off the ground, I focused on the new appendage that apparently had saved my life.

A black scaled Bikaku tail with a harden tip that strangely resembles a snake's head with four extended barbs on all four sides of the tip facing backwards, it even opens up like a claw when I tried experimenting it. Weird that I could make a new Kagune when I was getting hungry and low in energy, but it saved me nonetheless. I heard a groan and saw that the ghoul was sitting up with his back against the wall. He looked at me with a slight grimace and unconcealed surprise when he saw my new Kagune with his eyes returning to their original dark blue.

"YOU'RE A CHIMERA TOO!?" Came his surprised shout, which also startled me because first: he said 'too'. Was he one as well, a 'chimera'? And second: that was seriously his question? The first thing he ask was that after he nearly killed me? And this was the same guy that seem to hold a grudge against me. Still, it was better to know more about types of ghouls this way.

"So, you're a 'Chimera'?" He looks up at me when I asked, still looked surprise at my right Kakugan. All the ghouls focused on that when I activated it, said that something was wrong about me and that my scent was all wrong. But that would be a question I would tackle another day when I am not trying to survive in this hellish place.

"Yeah, though, I thought we are the only ones…" I decided to not point that out, he must be talking to himself if he was mumbling like that. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything other than hatred and hunger while trying to survive here. Ghouls that might be reasonable were thrown in here as well. I guess that would make sense if someone wanted a diverse ecosystem. But with how things turned out in here, it was better to leave things like that, in my opinion, not getting too attach. He seemed fine for a ghoul, childish even, but who knows what he'll do when he escapes this place. I can't take any chances if I could help it.

"I'm sorry, but this had to be done." With a heavy heart, I posed the tail high above me, making me looked like I was going to kill him. I planned to knock him out and then have myself a bite out of him to replenish my strength, making a new Kagune out was tiring. He looked up in anger again but made no move to stop me. He was making this even harder for me to even look at him in the eye at this point.

"Go on, do it. It's what your kind are best at. You don't feel the pain you caused to others, you heartless monsters."

"You said that like you're not a ghoul."

"What? Are you…I meant you cannibals, idiot! Eating you own species when there are humans around to hunt. Freaking moron…" I lowered my Kagune after hearing that, so it means that this ghoul was not into cannibalism. That explains a lot about him. But that also means that this ghoul had not been eating for nearly twelve days. Either way, I'm still a cannibal whether I eat one or the other.

"All of us had no choice: that's what happens when you put territorial ghouls together in a fighting ring with no food. It took me a while to get here and my hunger's getting worse. Ghouls are all I could eat but I don't want to kill anyone if possible." I answered honestly, I didn't know why I told him that when he is a ghoul himself, he would no doubt know that.

I must have sounded strange when he looked back at me skeptically, he took another sniff at me again when I sat down in front of him and his features frowned. I guess he must be trying to decide what I am.

"That's true, can't blame that. So that's why I was left alive after our fight, what a strange ghoul you are. By the way, how is it possible for you to have a bunch of both male and female scents on you? And not to mention the human ones, we are all stuck down here too long for any scents like those to stick around." Despite his earlier outburst, he was observant. And what he said was about my scent was concerning, just how many lives did that doctor took to make me as who I am today? Anyways, since he wasn't going anywhere with those injuries taking their sweet time to heal, might as well entertain him until it was time for me to head out.

"I'm human." Or at least, part human. He looked unconvinced but didn't say much after that. I took it that he accepts my short explanation for the time being, like he understands it in some ways. "Things happened and then I was thrown in here, locked up with ghouls fighting all over the place. Now I wander around trying to find a way out of here." And stop Central from making what would be their biggest mistake.

It was quiet for moment, not an awkward silence. It was…nice, dare I say. For a moment to just sit down and rest. Not having to fight for survival or eat others to live. If this guy wasn't a ghoul, we would have become friends, he might even get along well with my friends.

The isolation must be getting into me, now I crave for any interaction. Maybe that was the reason why I hadn't knock him out and be done with it yet. It was better than nothing, I supposed.

"…let's just say I believe you, what are you going to do with us who were trapped here after you got out? Are you going to kill us all off like we are nothing but pests?" I…didn't think of that. When the Black Order finds out, they surely will exterminate everyone here. If not, the ghouls are going to kill everyone.

"I… don't know yet, we'll just cross that bridge when we get there." Conflicting thoughts filled my mind then. Ghouls are just another living beings just like humans, and vice versa. But you can't put these two together, just like how you can't put a fox in a rabbit's pen. But what does that describe about me? Am I…allowed to be back in their lives? I know I won't think of them as food under any normal circumstances, but this was no normal at any degree. Would I think of them as…food when I go hungry? Would I…attack them without a moment's notice? Would I…kill them without hesitation?

"What do you mean 'we'?" I was glad for the interruption, saved me from thinking those unpleasant thoughts. I flashed a smile at his way, conveying my meaning to his thoughts. "'We', as in 'us', journeying back to the surface, together?" I nodded and his frown deepens. "Why?"

"We are both stuck down here in this complex maze, surrounded by cannibalistic ghouls in all four corners and fighting for survival with each other. I say working together seems like a better option than going solo from here on out." I explained to him, hoping he would get the hint. Strategically speaking, the chance of surviving will be high. "Plus, you're injured. How long do you think they are going to leave you alone?"

He paled before trying to get back up, he hesitantly took my arm when I offered for him to lean on me. Once he got his footing, we continue from where we left off. It would've seemed that we had the same idea with marking the paths we took. We chose a path to try and see if it leads anywhere, hoping to anyone that's hearing our prayers that we won't encounter another ghoul.

"By the way, it may be a little late for this but, my name is Allen. Allen Walker."

He looks genuinely surprise, but I saw the corner of his lips twitched upwards.

"You can call me Caleb, then. Good to meet cha!"

Hamburg, Germany (25:02:54)

Tyki's POV

Another Innocence destroyed, but still no sign of the Heart, as usual. Dusting my gloves off clean of the pathetic dusts, I stared at the corpses of the Exorcists that I just killed in disdain. They aren't as fun as those friends of the Fourteenth's host. Another week had passed, nothing had changed with Allen Walker's current predicament.

With how things had gone back to the way it was, I couldn't help but felt that there was something amiss. The connection I felt with the Fourteenth was the strongest and yet, I could feel another presence made itself known within this bond. I don't know if the others had felt it or not, but I won't share it with the Earl just yet, not until I know what it was.

"You will get wrinkles if you keep making that face, Tyki~." Lighting up the cigarette that I'd already placed between my lips, inhaling a deep breath of the wonderful fresh air before making smoke rings at exhale. Ah, what would I do without these in my life. "Can we go get some candies now?"

"Go get them yourself, Road." Even if she's back after so long, I am not going to be her personal errand boy, there are Akumas for that. "I'm busy." In truth, I don't really care at all.

"Humph, you're no fun than these sub-humans." I should feel insulted by that, but all I could managed was an unconcerned shrug. Seriously, why did the Earl sent us to this mission? Although we did destroy some Innocences, but was this the only reason for us being here?

Without waiting for her, I walked away from the blood-soaked town square with the Black Ark's gate in mind. I don't need to turn back to know Road was right at my heels. I wasn't expecting, however, something pulling my sleeve that halted me on my track. We were in some dark alley with a few corners to go. I looked questionably at her while she answered with a finger on her lips. She pointed behind us with a glint in her eyes. I looked up and saw what had peaked her interest, which had stolen my curiosity as well.

Hovering above the corpses was a figure of an old man, a beggar, perhaps. Wearing old tattered clothes that had seen better days. I continue to observe in interest as the beggar dived in to search their pockets for anything useful, muttering to himself all the while.

The beggar made a cry of joy when he dug out the silver buttons from the coats, found out that those were made from actual pure silver. His happiness didn't last long, same goes for the shine in his eyes that were losing their brightness as time ticks by. The beggar hacked silently while his body slowly slumped down onto the corpses, revealing another smaller person behind him.

My eyes drifted to a smaller figure of a young man with what looks to be two huge baby blue ribbon-liked blades surrounding his right arm, coated with the blood of his victim. Smiling at the scene, I take it that the newly arrived ghoul had hit the jackpot and was admiring my work on the bodies. Crouching down on the body of the recently dead old man, the ghoul ate with gusto.

I had never seen a ghoul before but I felt like I had somewhere in the past; the sight of it was beautiful. The eyes, so dark and sinister, so like and unlike the lifeless eyes of the Akumas. The blades, the styles and the color, so new and fresh. And the way it devours the sub-humans, it was pure savage. Nature's only true defense against the selfish sub-humans, other than us of the Noah Family, are truly a work of art.

"Hey, Tyki? Will Allen become as beautiful as that when he's free from the hands of the Black Order?" Oh, now won't that be something else. Something as dangerous as the Fourteenth that could use both the Innocence that I failed to destroy and the Dark Matter that killed almost all the previous members of our family, acquiring a ghoul's strength from years of evolution, making our wait for the Fourteenth's return even more interesting.

"Maybe…" With that said, we continued our path back home, leaving behind a ghoul with his bountiful meal.

We are waiting for you, Allen Walker. Or should we say, Fourteenth.

Cambridgeshire, England (25:01:12)

Krory's POV

The Akumas appearing in this area had become more active since we were assigned to be stationed here, it was a good thing that they were mostly Level 3s and 2s. Not a single Level 4, what a relief.

For two weeks now, we had yet to receive news about Allen and it was worrying me. It was frightening to think that the Black Order could even do such a thing to him after all the things he had done for us, for humanity. But it was always never enough for them, now is it.

That includes us too, they don't trust us as much as before. Or was it that they never did trust us in the first place. Every time an Exorcist was sent to an assignment, a minimal of two hooded figures, known as CROWs, will be assigned. I guess that Central worried about the fact that some of us might try to escape while on missions. There seem to be the trend now that Finders had been disappearing as days went by without a trace, all except the letters of resignation on Komui's desk. It was just endless pillars of them nowadays.

Right now, me and Timothy along with the three CROWs had stopped for the night at a motel paid by the order. We were given a room to accommodate, but I know for a fact that it made it easier for them to observe us while we sleep. For the time that I came to know them, they had never slept, not once. They just stood at the door or at a dark corner of a room unmoving till dawn. They really spooked me more than Allen did, if I was being honest with myself. Even after witnessing what Allen was forced to become, I will never be afraid of my first friend.

"Krory…?" I looked away from the window when the voice sounded, Timothy was bundled up on his bed on the other side of the small room, the opposite side from mine. The CROWs had stationed themselves around the premise: two at the door and one outside the window. They aren't even trying to conceal their presence, if they were, I won't be able to detect them so easily.

Pushing those thoughts back, I focused on the matter at hand. I smiled tiredly at my young friend, asking him if there was something bothering him. He hesitated, going through rather or not to tell me something that has been plaguing his mind.

"Was it about Allen?" He looked sheepish for being found out for quickly, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket between his fingers. I thought back to the time when Allen went berserk, I think I did saw Timothy trying to use his powers to possess Allen to calm him down. Something happened back then causing Timothy to become quieter than usual, it worried us when it happened and he doesn't want to talk about it so we didn't push it. Now it would seem that he is ready now.

"Are you afraid of him?" He bit his bottom lips before nodding guiltily, trembling as he did. As gently as I could, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders trying to calm him before letting him speak for his mind. "There's no shame in admitting that you're scared, all of us were when that happened. We truly thought for a moment that the Fourteenth has finally taken over."

"…it wasn't him…"

If it weren't for my enhanced hearing, I would have missed that. I kept myself silent for him to continue, he started shaking slightly then.

"When…I was in his head…it was…it was really dark…and cold…it was so different from the times the last time I possess him…" Timothy won't stop fidgeting that I started to get worry, but it won't do me any good if I stop him now. "There was something in there…something was watching me." I sat myself beside him, letting him lean on my frame for support, he was so fragile then, and it was my responsibility to look after him liked I promised General Klaud before the assignment.

"Maybe it was the Fourteenth?" The boy shook his head tiredly at my suggestion, but at least that knowledge alone relieved me to some extent. He yawns and snuggled closer to my warm body, trying to keep the imaginary cold at bay.

I circled my arm around his shoulder and patted him, comforting him and telling him that things are going to be alright even when they aren't. It calms him greatly and stopped his shaking as his eyes started drooping. I guessed he had way passed his bed time.

"It was…something much, much darker…" Timothy muttered the last part before his exhaustion wore him out. I tucked him in soon after, making sure he was comfortable before I left his side in favour of looking out the window again. I couldn't help but feel that there was something out there. Whatever it was, it wasn't coming for us so it should be fine. If it were an Akuma, my Innocence would have warned me so.

Nobody's POV

Just as the elder Exorcist left his place before the window, a pair of Kakugans peeked out of a corner of the alley on the opposite side just to watch him leave. They looked around and saw watchers eyeing the perimeter from their watch post. The owner of the eyes decided that it wasn't worth the risk against unusual prey today, not when its strength isn't in its prime.

It left its hiding spot in search of other more less complicated prey to feast on before others like him gets the same idea. Preys are hard to hunt nowadays with that new gang dominating the best hunting grounds and food becoming more aware of their presence.

"Come along, pup. This one's no good." It called out to someone in the darkness. "Your brother would kill me if he comes back and saw how skinny you've become." A little girl came out from her hiding spot at his comment, or could have been a normal little girl if her eyes were not the same as the one talking to her. "It's scavenging night for us, it seemed."

"Why…did you help me?" The little girl asked quietly, not sure about the young teen's intention. The teen just let out a sigh and walked pass her, but paused for a moment for her to catch up.

"Let's just say we made a deal. A deal he's going to own me…" The bright haired teen mumbled, luckily the little girl was oblivious to the last part. 'You better get your ass back here soon, Caleb. Things are getting hectic around here and I can't deal with this shit alone.' The teen thought as he led the girl away from the motel.

Black Order European Branch HQ – Morning (16:00:15)

Komui's POV

"Komui! Get your lazy ass off that chair and finish all this paperwork! These are due tomorrow and not even one of them had been signed! Did you hear what I just said?! GET WORKING!" Reever sure was loud in the morning, especially when he was clearly not a morning person. I continuously took sips of my daily dose of Lenalee's coffee, my sweet dear sister's coffee is so delicious, it just takes all my worries away~.

"KOMUI!"

Well, almost all of them.

Looking at the stack of papers that Reever had just dumped on my desk, I imagined how much money we could have save if we could use all these papers as fuel for the heater during the winter season. Now that just solved all our problems, doesn't it?

"DON'T YOU FREAKING DARE EVEN THINK ABOUT USING THESE 'IMPORTANT' DOCUMENTS AS FUEL FOR THE WINTER. ME AND THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT ARE STILL TRYING TO RECONSTRUCT THE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU DELIBERATELY USED AS TOILET PAPERS! The horror it filled our minds…" It's not my fault that we ran out of toilet papers, I was just improvising and this was the thanks I get? Talk about being ungrateful.

"Calm down, Reever. I'll get on with it when I finish my delicious coffee that was made by my beautiful and sweet Lenalee~." He just rolled his eyes on me, looking more defeated than before if that was even possible.

"That's what you said for the past 2 hours." He sighed again, he's been doing that a lot lately. He should follow my example if he wants a stress-free life style. "Anyway, I got work to do unlike someone I know. The papers better be signed when I got back or I will bring Lenalee here to preach you." Hearing that, I quickly took my pen and started signing them from the top. "That's more like it. Now, to my next disastrous stop." Reever mumbled to himself as he shut the door lightly behind him.

When I was sure he wasn't listening by the door, I allowed myself to stop signing. I heaved as I slumped onto my desk, not caring when the papers all tumbled down onto the already paper-covered tiled floor. I mean, why do they need my signature to agree on anything when they just do it even without my consent. I guess this was just the way of how the Order works to give some sense of control to the people working here, as if we all had any left.

For a peaceful moment, everything was silent. No frantic footsteps outside, no one barking orders, no heated arguments filling the quiet hallway. It was total silent, and I hated it. I hated the silent, for it reminds me the ugly truth of what had transpired to all of us that were under the rules of Malcolm C. Lverrier. For what had been done to Allen Walker, one of the most devoted Exorcist of us all.

The files that I had read in K's office just confirmed my suspicious, but it still doesn't prove anything unless I get more evidences of his misdoing. But so far, the golem that I had left in there still hasn't pick up anything useful, not a snippet of clue at all. An inconspicuous device I left on the corners of my desk golem started to blink, signalling that someone had entered the K's office. The spy golem had worked well and I was grateful the no one from the Science Department had found out about my latest invention. I stained my ears to listen closely to whoever was on the other side of the line.

"Ah~, at last. Nothing like a quick nap would get me right back up." That was K's voice, and he seemed to have just returned from who knows where. What could have kept him awake all night long? There were some shuffling noises which could mean that he was changing out of his lab coat. The small screen was dark, probably because the golem had hidden itself somewhere in the book selves.

Few moments past before a high pitch ring sounded through the speaker, it goes on a few seconds before it goes silent.

"Straight to the point; is something wrong with the preparations?" 'Preparations'? What could he be talking about? Moreover, who was he talking to? The phones here in the Order are all wired to the main control, meaning what was said in the line will be recorded in logs and examined by the CROWs. Could he have not known about it?

"Them again? How much did they took? ...Only in that sector… Are the packages safe? …good. They are starting to gain on us. Do whatever you can to slow them down and protect the packages, they must never get a hold of them… Oh, is that so? So, they have come to that. Clever, I must say… reschedule the transport to tonight, we can't afford to lose another second in delaying this…Good." A click at the end of the conversation concluded that K had ended the call.

Something about that one-sided call send a sense of dread over me, and I don't like a single bit about it. If K was aware of being overheard, then he was confident enough that he won't get caught or question about it. I sincerely hope that was the case and not what I had in mind.

Whatever the reason was, I had to find a way to get Allen out of that place tonight. Whatever K was planning, I trust my gut on this, it's going to destroy the Allen we all know and love. The Fourteenth might come and take over which isn't really helping the situation. And I would never want a repeat of that event, ever again.

The sound of someone knocking roughly on my door brought me back to reality and soon I realized too late that it was Reever. He sounded angry about it too.

"I CAN'T BELIEVED THAT I TRUSTED YOU TO DO YOUR OWN DAMN WORK! JOHNY! GET THE ROPES! WE'RE MAKING HIM DO HIS PAPERWORKS EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING WE DO!" I didn't know what happened in the next second, but I found myself running away from the Science Department while said department was screaming bloody murder right behind me.

"KOMUI! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND DO YOUR GODDAMN WORK!"

"Why are you doing this to me, Reever? Can't I just enjoy some little time off?" That seemed to enrage him for some reasons that I couldn't fathom, which also gave me more reason to run faster least I want to get strangle by him.

"GET HIM!"

K's Private Office (15:55:57)

Nobody's POV

A golem with four long thin legs like a spider was being played around on a palm while K was going through the files, organizing them in two separate piles. It seemed that K's suspicious were accurate and that the possibility of a minor setback was high.

"He probably heard what I said and read about the files. But that still won't do anything to me, so exterminating him won't be necessary." The files were neatly set apart, like nothing had ever touch them before. Just the way K likes it. "Now don't give me that, your way would only delay things and you know how I hate that."

To any passer-by, K would have sounded like he was talking to himself all alone in his office. To the staff working in the Science Division, it would have been a normal occurrence that could happen to any one of them under stressful situation.

"Best be gone now, you are still on your mission. Like before, don't let them catch you." K finally look away from his desk and towards the only other person in the room. "Seeker."

The golem was crushed without a second notice, the draft of a nearby opened window waved for a moment before becoming still. K rearranged the pencils he placed on one side of his desk, it rolled for an inch or two before it was stopped.

"What am I going to do with that young fellow? Obedient, but not as much as it's parents were." K chuckled lightly, are all the adolescent pups like that?

"Now, on with the subject." Just like that, K's schedule went back to normal. He shuffled through his desk for a while until he came across what he was looking for and puts it on his ear. The feeling was a bit weird but it did not affect him a single bit, like he was used to it.

"When this reaches you, then you know it's time. Liked how we agreed upon. But if possible, make it more... 'unforgettable'." The doctor chuckled softly, he waits till he calms down to continue. "The brain won't try to push to its limits if the right stimulus wasn't applied and thus the result that I seek won't show itself. This would put a dam to the plan and I can't afford to organise a second attempt." He stops for a deep breath, calming his mind down for a bit. "It's happening tonight and I want him to be there. I want him to watch the carnage and take a part of it. The development is slowing down so this will jumpstart it to the pace most suited."

K stops to read and compare his notes for a bit, finding nothing wrong with the data, he resumes back. "Be there and you will receive you prize. It's a golden front row seat, you won't be disappointed." With that done, he pulls the thing out and set it on the desk.

It looked like an organic ear piece, like the ones the guards in the Order used except it wasn't as living looking as what K had. It was motionless for a second or two, until it started to wiggle like a worm. It changed its appearance of that to a small red snake without eyes. It slithered away as K watched it, not moving to help it escape. It found its way through the cracks between the tiles, borrowing in with its tail the last thing K saw before it completely disappeared from his sight.

"Detached Kagune…what a convenient skill to learn." And so, the doctor went to take a nap, he wants to be well rested before the big event starts. Something in his being felt that he better gets all the rest he could for this might be the beginning of something unimaginable.

Sinner's Paradise, Seventh Lowest floor (10:40:56)

Allen's POV

"Who knew following that helped us skipped a floor? I guess luck is on our side for once. Right, Cannibal?" I groaned at his new nickname he gave me, but there was no hostility in them so I let it slide. He was right for following the blood trail, I was glad that I got a companion who knows his way around.

Now that we were here, the walls surrounding us felt less damp and it wasn't as cold as it was down below. Hope raised at the thought that I might be closer to the surface and we would get out of here soon. As it turns out, Caleb wasn't such a bad person to be with. If one were to ignore the rough edges of his personality and that he needs to eat people to live. Comparing to Kanda, I would gladly accept the ghoul than that prick any day.

We talked for a bit while following the trail and found out that most ghouls live in the street while others mingle with humans that had heritage from the previous generations are the ones humans had to fear the most because of their sly ways to hunt prey. And not only humans but weaker ghouls as well. The rich would trick the poor with an invitation to an exclusive restaurant reserved only for members to taste test some of their dishes, only to find out in the end that they were the ones being served for the members. I couldn't help but compare the similarity with the nobles and the commoners, ghouls and humans aren't that different at all.

While talking, I noticed that he would get all fond of someone he mentioned back at home waiting for him. He had an old locket around his neck that I somehow missed when I first met him, I thought that it was his lover until he told me it was his little sister. He was worried about leaving for all alone and I could only imagine how dangerous it would be for a young ghoul like her to be alone without any protection other than her own Kagune.

When we get out of here, I would make sure he made it back home. Made it back to his sister, safe and sound. Together and that nothing would tear them apart.

Mana…

Now's not the time to think about the past. I will not let that happen again, not to anyone or myself.

To lift the mood, I told him a bit of my live and how I'm an Exorcist, even if others didn't really think that of it like that anymore. How me and my friends hunt Akumas to release their souls and to keep people safe from the grasps of the Millennium Earl. Then he asked if ghouls were among those 'people' we keep safe. Others would have answered no, they would have said that ghouls aren't people and that all ghouls deserved to die. I'm not like the others, they didn't know how ghouls live their lives in fear of being found out, and my answer was yes.

"Hey, did you smell that?" Caleb suddenly asked which snapped me out of my thoughts. I took a long sniff and caught a scent. It was familiar, but tinted with something else. Something…strange. We got the same idea and so we followed it until it led us right to the end of the blood trail. There, we found a corpse. Half eaten but mostly intact and a cloth that was barely doing its job.

"I am not eating that! I don't care if it's human, I am not touching that." I was a bit concerned about his health, for he had gone without food longer and was becoming weaker. And the fact that he felt disgusted about the corpse was even more unnerving. I went to see what got him so uneasy and looked.

All I saw was that it was mangled with blood pooling around it, the walls were drenched with blood making it looked like someone was having a frenzy and suddenly changed their mind about eating this. I smelled the blood, and I had to agree with Caleb, it was a bit strange. Not quite human, but not quite ghoul either. I turned the body onto its back so I could look at the face, what awaited me nearly shocked me out of my mind.

On the face of the body was what appears to be the face of Nicholas, a Finder that I used to work with on one of my mission. But he doesn't look like the same guy I've met, for I was sure that Nicholas did not have a tumour on his face. And his scent didn't match either. So, it could just be my imagination.

"Anyone you knew?" I turned to see Caleb leaning on the wall for support, he was starting to become weaker. We need to leave as soon as possible and find food for him. I stare back at the body, for some reason it started to look more appetizing.

"I think so, but I'm not so sure. Could be someone that had his looks." Caleb snorted at that, looking elsewhere, probably hoping to catch a scent of human flesh. "You know, you could take a bite to get your energy back. Just a bit to curb the hunger."

"Nu-uh, no way. I am not eating that…thing. The hunger won't set in until I'm at my last stand. So, quit worrying about me and help yourself if you want because I planned to not become someone's dinner." He smirked when he saw my bemused face, he was being very difficult with an attitude like that. Anyway, I was hesitating for a moment. I really hoped that this was not who I thought it was. Silently praying for whoever it was that I was about to eat, I slowly descend onto the arm first and bit down.

An explosion of flavour drowns my senses, enough to stunned me for a second. It was so heavenly good that it could be compared to Jerry's cooking. Taking another bite resulted in the same and I kept stuffing myself until my hands weren't fast enough in taking the delicious meat into my mouth. I outright devoured the whole corpse, it was as if I haven't been eating for so long. It was so good that I could stop myself even if there weren't any flesh left to eat. Even the bones weren't left out from my wrath, I gnawed at them to the very last.

…yES…eaT…

Releasing my breath when I was done, I saw the only thing left were the shredded cloth that was barely covering the body on the cold blood covered floor. It was after a moment or two that I just realised something, I was actually enjoying it, I enjoyed eating someone else. I did not feel bad about it, I did not regret it. I really thought the corpse as merely food, and not someone who once had a family, a friend that I might know, just food for me to eat.

…WanT moRe…yOu…

No, not again…get out…

That voice was back, it was luring me again. I must resist the temptation, he wants me to eat with no remorse at all.

…MoRe…ThErE Is…

I…I have eaten a body…that is enough…

He's the hunger that couldn't be satisfied. But I won't give in that easily. Not when he had done something to both Crown Clown and the Fourteenth.

…tO yOu…Not…mORE ThErE iS…RIghT tHErE…

My head was moved by an invisible force, it made me look at Caleb who was staring at me strangely. I knew what the voice was telling me to do, but I won't do it. I won't eat my friend because he isn't food to me. But the voice just won't listen.

…fOOd…he Is…

"Hey…you okay there, Allen?" Caleb's concerned voice gave a slight relief from my inner turmoil. I nodded at him but he was still tensed. "Alright…let's just go. I had a really bad feeling about this place."

As if a fog was lifted, the presence was gone. I didn't know why but the dread that I felt still cling onto my being. It was an effort but I was able to get myself composed before allowed myself to move from where I was kneeling.

When I made a move to follow him, something moved at my peripheral vision. When I turned to investigate, it was gone. Not wanting to keep my friend waiting, I caught up with him but not without looking over my shoulder to check it again.

"Paranoid much?" The playful tone was tinted with slight hesitation, but he tried to hide it.

"Probably just my mind playing games with me." How true that was. We checked the area for any clues or at least something that could tell us what happened here but came up nothing. However, all the search did yield us something to follow.

Bloody shoeprints leading away from the corpse, and there was only one ghoul I know that still wears shoes here after so long. He seemed to know his way around and for his tracks leading what might be the exit was a godsend. We followed the track and I silently pray that we won't cross path with that ghoul, he was dangerous since I met him. Hopefully Caleb knows not to engage that ghoul too.

Nobody's POV

"…a golden front row seat, you won't be disappointed."

"A 'golden front row seat', you say? How you like play with words, K. How you like to play with them." Warden whispered to himself before peeking out from the corner and watched both the ghoul and half-ghoul getting excited about discovering another set of stairs. "He seems decent enough, but will he be up to my expectation? Entertain me, half-breed. Show me how long you can last with your make-believe." He snickered while putting his mask back on. "It's show time."

With that in mind, Warden sticks to the shadow and used another secret passage to skip to the last floor, the only floor left before reaching to the surface. He would wait there, he would wait until the clock strike midnight. Until then, he should think about redecorating the place. Only one colour comes to mind: red.

Komui's Office (06:00:35)

Kanda's POV

"Good work, Kanda. That makes your sixth Innocence found since becoming a General." Stupid Komui kept babbling on, what was the point in that anyway? Not wanting to spend another second with the mad man, I turned towards the door with a clear intention of going back to my room until I was stopped by the very man I wanted to get away from.

"By the way, Kanda. Could you fetch Lavi for me? There's a mission that only the two of you could complete." I was about to snap at him to get Lavi himself but I closed my mouth just in time after reading the words he wrote on a small piece of paper he held in front of him while still smiling sickening sweet at me.

They are listening and watching. It's about Allen. Meet me in the room at the west wing on the second floor, the third door to the right. Bring Lavi and Lavi only.

"Tch, fine." I spat before slamming the door behind me. Storming to the library as I go, my mind wondered towards useless thoughts. It was obvious that Komui didn't want his sister to know about this, and Lenalee would want to know about this too. I could almost feel a migraine forming, I shouldn't be thinking about this too much. That was the stupid rabbit's job. It was then my mind brought up the talk we had before I went to a mission. **** my brain for bringing that up.

"Heard anything from Komui about Allen?"

"…"

"You're worry about him, I know you long enough to tell."

"Mind you own **** business, Rabbit."

"He's going to turn him into a weapon. A weapon that not even the Order could ever dream of stopping."

"…"

"Who knows? That might be his plan all along. Play on Lvellie's good side until he gets a suitable subject to play God with. If his goal wasn't to help win this endless Holy War, what was it then?"

"You think too much of it, Lavi. Mind your own duties."

"Funny, you started to sound like Gramps. However, even he is getting worry about this. This thing wasn't even meant to happen, it's not even in the realm of possibility to occur."

"Why are you telling me this then, it changes nothing."

"That may be, but it's something to believe in. I may be a Bookman Apprentice but I also know that something is amiss and the answer is right in front of us."

"So? Think the answer yourself."

"Kanda, did Doctor K knew all along that his newest subject was going to be a host of a Noah? Did he know about Allen's parasitic Innocence as well?"

"It could just be coincident."

"Coincidence is fate's favourite tool. If it were, then Allen had the worst fate than anyone else."

"Tch, so what are you getting at."

"Kanda, if anything happens to Allen, we must not let Lenalee see him. Let her remember him as how he was before. Before everything that had happened to him. Allen would have wanted that. He wants her to remember him as a human, not a monster. Not a host to a Noah and not an experimented half-ghoul, but a family, a friend. Can you help me with that?"

"What are yo-"

"Kanda."

"…Fine…"

"Thank you, Kanda."

"Just don't die and leave a mess for me to clean up after you, for I will find you and drag your soul to Hell."

"Hmm, violent as ever, typical Yu~."

"You're dead, Rabbit."

"Damnit, thinking about that after all this time." I cursed under my breath as I look for that stupid rabbit. Just as I thought when I reached my destination, he was sitting on an armchair beside the fireplace with a leather book resting on his lap. He was concentrating so shouting at him won't get his attention, and ******* waiting for him to finish won't get us anywhere either.

The beginning of a headache was what I felt when I walked over to him and shoved him off his seat, the loud thump that followed was satisfying but not for long. And within seconds, the stupid redhead was already whining his ass off about the pain and about being bullied. Why didn't Komui ask for Noise or Krory, at least they don't whine like this idiot. Oh wait, I forgot. They were conveniently out on a mission along with that German woman, which leaves that idiot Chaozii, this lazy rabbit and Lenalee the only ones here, including me.

"Why you do that, Yu~? It hurts!"

"Shut that annoying hole you called a mouth and follow me, Komui wants to see us." I growled out at him and as expected, he was used to this. I didn't bother to look back as I walked out, already aware that he would catch up liked always. On the way, I saw Bookman watching us carefully. I ignored his stare when we walked by, but then he stopped Lavi by grabbing the loose sleeve on his left arm.

"Wait outside while I talk to my apprentice, it won't take long." That was all Bookman said before he ushered me out of the library. Clicking at my tongue at the delay, I waited by the door. Not a single sound was heard during the entirety while I waited, I didn't know why but something important was going on between the two. But it wasn't my business so I discarded the fact and glared at the night sky through one of the large windows. The moon was full that night, not a single cloud obstructed its pale light.

"Tch." Even when he's not right here, nearly every darn thing that were white reminds me of him. Before I could ponder furthermore, the door opened with Lavi closing them gently behind him. When he saw me waiting for him, he smiled at me with that knowing look on his face.

I really, really, really want to wipe off that smile.

So, I settled it with a kick to his shin, that did the trick, for now. Not bothering to wait at all, I stride over him and kick his other shin for good measure. It was a good feeling after hearing him fall over. Stupid rabbit, what did your master tell you to do now?

Komui's Secret Lab No. 10 (05:46:55)

Nobody's POV

The door to the lab was locked shut quietly along with few of Komui's invention that scrambles transmission if there were any planted inside the lab. It was an unused place, the furniture and apparatus in the lab were covered in dust from top to bottom. The only decently clean spot was a table with a glowing lamp on top at the corner beside a machine that looks dangerously close to collapsing.

Making sure for the umpteenth time, Komui finally deemed the place safe enough to converse privately. With him was an envelope tucked safely under his arm as he waits for the other two to get comfortable enough before he begins.

"We can't stay for long, the CROWs might find us here if we don't hurry." Komui whispered urgently as he took the content from the envelop and gave it to Lavi. "I believe you will understand the writings on this to do what we all wanted to for so long."

Being the one to here such urgency from the usually carefree man, Lavi was sceptical about being chosen for this. No doubt he knew what the content was or what they were about to do would entitle. "Why me, Komui? You know what I'll do with this information."

"Because I trust you." Komui said with a sad smile, these kids weren't meant to go to war. Especially Allen, the only one who suffered the most from the Black Order. "Plus, I know you wanted to help Allen as much as everybody else. You may not show it, but I know you care deeply for the boy."

"Tch, not me." The only other occupant grunted, but was mostly ignored by the other two. However, he had heard what he needs to hear and was already on edge to go and get it all done. The time could not be more perfect as it was close to dinner, meaning most of the guards would leave their post to get their meal. "The place you want the Beansprout to stay is far enough that that bastard Lvellie won't suspect to look for him and close enough for you to contact him if you ever need to. Just stop stalling and let us go now." Komui was glad that even Kanda understood the plan well, he was just hoping that both boys know how grave the situation would be if they got caught. He was looking out for them too.

"Remember: your window of opportunity lies at midnight. While K's shipment comes in, whatever it is, take the chance to sneak in and get Allen out of whatever place they had left him in. We don't have much to go from here so it's up to the both of you to analyse the situation and take the best course of action."

"Got it, Komui." Lavi answered seriously, taking in every detail provided by the chief. Based on what he got, it might be simple if the shipment was delivered by normal escorts. "But what about Lenalee? This isn't something to be kept from her. And she cares about Allen too deeply to ignore this." It was no secret to the Order that Lenalee cares about Allen much more than any of them realises, even if her brother doesn't know a thing about it, or he was just denying it.

Komui already had a plan to keep Lenalee out of this situation. Before coming here, he had asked Lenalee to go to town to fetch a few things for him. It would take at least three hours to gather all the things he asked for and another one hour for her to return from town.

"It's best that she doesn't know any of this." The head chief said as he silently unlocks the door. "Now hurry, before they start to suspect us." The man ushered the two out before he waits for another five minutes before he himself leaves the room. No one was patrolling the halls, it gives Komui a sense of slight relief about the fact that no one would be able to report any strange behaviours.

If only Komui double-checks the hallway before he leaves, he would have spotted a pair of watchful eyes spying him from the stairs connecting the third floor with the second. Said eyes turned to watch Lavi and Kanda parted ways when they reached an intersection, debating on who to follow. It was almost like the old days.

"What could the chief want with Bookman's apprentice and General Yu Kanda?" They asked to themselves before leaving swiftly as to follow the apprentice, blond hair flown behind them as they moved.

Sinner's Paradise, Eighth Lowest Floor (0:12:18)

Nobody's POV

Both the Allen and Caleb found themselves uneased with the atmosphere of the floor they just found themselves in. They were silently taking in the sight in front of them, not a word spoken since they first step on this floor.

"Hey ah…, Allen? Do you ever get that feeling of that…despair thing? You know, whenever you got that feeling when things aren't looking real good?"

"…I'm an Exorcist, it's part of the job description."

"Ah…yeah, of course. Fighting those…Akuma things…"

"…"

"…"

"We'll make it, right?"

"Again, part of the job description. We will get through this."

"Okay, not reassuring but good enough."

"…"

"…"

Allen pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply as he breaths. They were not getting anywhere if they feared the carnage that laid before them. Based on smell alone, Allen could already detect the stench and aroma of both ghouls and humans. They were all killed around the same time, but it wasn't a quick death. Their bodies were laid to waste as the rot starts to come in, fetid smell wavered the air and it worsen Allen's headache. He could already hear the whisper of that one voice, calling him to give in and satisfy its hunger.

"This doesn't look like a turf war, bodies were usually eaten after the fight ends. And the food, they just left it here, not a fight for the right to feed then." Caleb investigate the bodies, although it left a bad taste in Allen's mouth when the ghoul still sees humans as merely food. However, the fact that Lvellie would even allow this to happen was beyond him, putting humans in here to satisfy the ghouls who managed to get to this floor only to be slathered alongside with their prize. Allen wasn't sure if that man knew about other ghouls living here, but the inspector no doubt believed that Allen would kill these people for food to survive. It made Allen feeling sick of the man, thinking that he knows all about Allen enough to manipulate him to do his dirty work.

"Whatever did this must not want anyone to continue on. It's strong, for what I can tell so it is wise for us to prepare ourselves." Allen solemnly told Caleb while looking at the corpses as if begging for forgiveness for whatever they were about to do. "We better eat up while we can before we face the inevitable." Allen then crouch down and began to eat a dead ghoul's arm. Caleb hesitated before coming closer to him and started to eat a detached human arm near where Allen was feasting, chewing on the flesh that had yet to rot while keeping an eye on Allen as he eats.

They ate in silent, not wanting to talk anything that might upset the other as they feast. Caleb was glad for that, he was finally able to fill his empty stomach that had him starved for two weeks. With his strength coming back, he might be able to keep himself intact if his companion ever decides to eat him. He shuddered at the thought before stuffing himself to keep those useless thoughts away, he knew that the other wasn't like that but it was safer to be sorry than dead.

On the other hand, Allen was feeling disgusted with himself for enjoying the feeling of being filled with flesh of another being. It may not be human but it was still a person, someone with feelings and intelligence. A being that was almost human, and he was eating it like it was normal. He steeled himself as he continues to eat, he won't let anyone go through this, he won't let anyone suffer for someone else's entertainment.

'Get my strength back and get out of here, that would be my goal for now. Got to get out of here before I could stop the project and K from doing this to anyone else.' With that thought in mind, Allen ate with determination. With the first body gone, he set upon the next one closest to him. If Caleb had saw the sight of it, he didn't say a word about it either.

They were almost full when a noise caught their attention. Their movement ceased as they listen to their surroundings, suddenly jumping out of the way when two large blades slashed the exact spot they were moments ago. Once the scene was clear, Allen and Caleb stood on their battle stance as the one who attacked them was none other than Warden himself.

'…my job is to keep you alive until you can kill me off and get the Hell out of here.'

The conversation Allen had with the ghoul two weeks ago played back in his mind, making him more worried on what the old ghoul might try. Although Allen had fought countless of ghouls while surviving this harsh place, he had yet to kill any of his opponents before taking a bite from them. Now that Warden was here to kill them, it could mean that it's time to follow the one golden rule of ghouls: to eat or be eaten.

"I see you didn't take my advice. Instead, you did half of it. Eating a tiny bit part of them does no one justice, little half-breed." Warden stated calmly while casually walking towards them, closing the distance until he received two separate growls of warning from the youngsters. "Are you really ready for what's to come?"

"Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain after all this?" Allen didn't understand that why anyone would want to let themselves be imprison for the sake of killing others. Warden may be a ghoul, but even ghouls have limits as how much violent they could take. "Why help a human achieve his goal when you know that he's just using all of us for the sake of creating a weapon?"

Warden chuckled under his breath, taking a moment to calm himself before answering. Even with his mask on, Allen could feel the sinister smile that no doubt plastered on his face. "You really don't know anything, do you?"

If they could get through this one ghoul, the outside world won't be too far away. Allen subtly looking at Caleb at the corner of his eye, seeing how determined the ghoul looked while facing a strong enemy that he might unable to win against. Warden was just standing there, watching them as they ready themselves against him. Allen knew that it won't be a fight like the many others he had fought before this. Caleb too sensed that the coming fight won't be anything like he had ever experienced before, and that alone left him on edge.

'I will get you out of here, Caleb. I will reunite you with your sister.' Allen vowed to himself and intended to see it till the end. His Koukaku claws materialise themselves, sharpen until the tips were like razors. For reasons unknown to him, his Kagunes had become much more stronger and faster with each bite he took from ghouls. He may felt weak from the constant hunger, but the power surged he gets each time he eats was enough compensation for that. The more he feasts, the stronger he becomes. The stronger he becomes, the less of him remains until nothing is left to forget.

He could already feel himself slipping away as the other persona was slowly creeping into his mind, bothering his concentration while he focused on Warden's movement which had yet to make any form of attack. Just as he finished that thought, Warden charged at them with his blades dragging on the ground creating sparks. The sound it created forced Allen and Caleb to shied away instinctively.

It was their first mistake as the Warden thrusted his blade at Caleb who barely intercepted it with his greenish Rinkaku tendrils. Those three tendrils tried to get a swipe at the offensive ghouls only to be blocked easily while he was on a standoff with Allen when both of their blades were blocked. Thinking that the Warden was distracted with Allen, the chimera ghoul took out his Ukaku wings and starts shooting crystals point-blank. The old ghoul surprised both young ones with his experience as he slides down and let the projectiles jumping off from Allen's claws which he pulled up to protect the rest of him at the last second.

"Too slow."

Warden then grab Allen by the ankle and threw him at Caleb, tangling them into a heap before dashing towards them once more. They saw him coming, they quickly dodge the attack before they descend themselves onto the fray again. The way the three fought was like a dance, deadly and swiftly as blades descended upon claws. Sparks flew in all directions when Kagune meets Kagune, neither one of them dares to blink for a second as one of them may get killed just by looking away for a second. It became obvious to Warden and Caleb that the only one who wasn't aiming to kill was Allen, it frustrates Caleb to think that Allen would give mercy to a ghoul who slathers mercilessly.

"You won't be able to save anyone with that mind-set of yours." Warden stated the same thought as Caleb, nicking the young ghoul's hip as he did. It wasn't a deep wound, but it did show how much Caleb was losing energy the losing the fight goes. Allen doesn't seem to fare much better, the rag he called a shirt was in tatters and were falling off with each second passing by. The scars from his past fights showed on the pale skin of his and so was the arm where his Innocence rested. The other two showed no interest or didn't care about it, continued their one-sided fight aiming to kill the other.

A Binkaku tail appeared and grabbed Caleb just before he could be sliced into half. Allen took his place and began his assault while protecting the young ghoul he had in his Kagune. Even if he won't admit it, Caleb was glad for the rescue and took a much-needed breather. Allen could see the strain it left on his partner's body, he really hoped that Caleb would get enough time to get back in shape and help him defeat Warden. He refocused back to the older ghoul only to see him taking a few steps back. Raising an eyebrow, he was about to state his confusion when he heard the Warden speaking.

"You're still too soft and dependent on others. Maybe this will toughen you up." In the next moment that transpired, Allen saw a blur and then he could feel his tail no more. He turned to see what happened, and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Caleb was hung by the neck with Warden's blade running through it, blood was slowly pouring out from around the blade and the corners of Caleb's mouth. His silent scream didn't go unnoticed when he looked up with much effort and stared at Allen's horrified and mismatched eyes. He smiles at him, despite the immense pain from the wound and from the blade that pierced into him.

"Ta…ke…good...ca-care…of…Co-Corne…lia…i-in…my…place…" With his last breath, Caleb's body goes limp. His eyes were half closed and they had lost their shine in them. Warden pulled his blade free and watched with glee as the body crumpled onto the ground with blood pooling around it.

"You know, it's your fault for not wanting to take my life. You're part ghoul now, it's only natural for wanting to kill things for fun from time to time. Basically, if only you had the desire to kill me or any other ghouls here, they won't have to suffer a slow and agonizing death." Licking the blood off his blade, Warden slowly makes his way towards Allen's still form that was still watching Caleb's body. "But then again, if you do, I won't be able to enjoy their plead as they begged to be let out of here. It was like an orchestra, and I enjoyed. Every. Second. Of. It."

HQ Underground Corridor (00:01:10)

Lavi's POV

Me and Kanda followed the map that would lead us to where Allen had been kept and I must say, they weren't kidding about the security here. It was much more secured than it was with the Innocence Chamber, so it was a little surprising. The number of CROWs patrolling around here was half the total of them guarding the HQ. We didn't have clearance so we managed to come here by sneaking in when they were changing shifts.

The corridor was elaborated, and there were old signs hanging by the door. Rusted and unreadable, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what each room was used for in the past since there were information panels on the side of each door with Lvellie's signature on each and every one of them.

It was a minute before midnight and we had been following a group of escorts pulling the chains of about six people whose heads were covered up by a sack. The lead CROW showed no signs of stopping at any door they crossed, giving me the idea that they have been doing this for a while now. I could only imagine what they were going to do to those people once they've reached their destination.

"Those ******!" I heard Kanda harshly spat while glaring at our target, it was a miracle that none of them had found us yet with how much bloodlust Kanda was releasing. In fact, I felt that we were lucky enough that no one had noticed our disappearance. Maybe it was Komui's doing, make sense. We were almost to the place when we spotted the door was practically barricaded with heavy wooden beams and steel locks. It was much larger than the rest of the door we have seen here so far, makes you think that they were taking careful measure to keep whatever's inside, inside.

"I know you're excited about seeing Beansprout again but could you turn down the heat a little, it's getting unbearably hot here." I teased him as we waited for the CROWs to open the large steel door, only to be rewarded with a snarl and a blade pointed at my noise. "Okay, keep the temperature going until they find us, Yu."

"Shut up or I'll cut you into pieces!" Kanda was about to continue until we both heard someone shouting at our direction. Kanda was about to pull out his sword and attack whoever just shouted, I managed to pull him back down when I realised that it was a CROW and he was facing something behind us.

"What do you think you're doing here, Apostle! This is a restricted area, leave now or I will report to the inspector." The CROW stated warningly at the Exorcist who I was least expecting to see at the moment. She wasn't supposed to be, how could she had returned in such a short while?

"Sorry, I was a little lost. Could you tell me the way back upstairs?" I knew that Lenalee was lying, since she had clearly been following us this whole time. I wondered how me nor Kanda couldn't have found her. Her eyes looked slightly to the left, subtly looking at us for help. I guessed Komui's trick didn't work if she's here and knew about us, so it was part of our duty to protect her if we ever wanted to stay away from Komui's deadly experimenting table.

Just before we could surprise the CROW and save Lenalee from getting into more trouble, a piercing bellow sounded around us. It caused the walls to vibrate and forced us to cover our ears as it echoes on. We didn't know how long it lasted, but it caused small damages to our surroundings. When it was over, the CROWs had spotted us. That was the least of our concerns.

Something was wrong, for all my years as an apprentice I have never heard of a sound like that. Lenalee must have agreed on my sentiment, activating her Dark Boots to throw off the CROW and flew towards the door at record speed. The captives all shouted profanity at the noise while helplessly trying to run away from the source.

Kanda and I took care of the guards and released the captives only to discovered that they were actually young teens, all dirty and scruffy. I couldn't believe that the Order was willing to use kids as sacrifice to feed Allen, was this what they had been feeding him all this time? Kanda was already breaking the chains that bounded them, snatching the map off my hands and threw it towards one of them. Telling them to just find an exit and get out while they still can.

"Why should we listen to you?! You work for the church! The very same people that kidnapped us and putting us down like dogs because of excuses like money problem! We aren't listen to a word you say!" A boy with black messy hair shouted while throwing the map onto the ground and stomping it for good measure. Most of the others agreed with him from what I could see, but there was uncertainty in their eyes.

Kanda was losing patient and I know that things are going to get messy if this goes on so I decided that it was my turn to calm the mood down before it happens. Just when I was opening my mouth, another bellow cried out. Unlike the first one, it was louder and almost broke the door down. Whatever it was, it had gotten to the other side of the door and was trying to break through.

I picked the piece of paper and crushed it onto the boy's palm, there was no time to act defiant. "Get everyone out of here, we will try to buy some time for you guys while you run. Whatever happens, don't look back." I let the gravity of my words sink into his mind, when he gets the urgency in them, he ordered the others to follow him. I watched as they vanished to the doors they were brought from, hoping that they would get out safely and someone else would keep they from getting caught by any Lvellie's lackeys.

"Get your ass here, you stupid rabbit! Something's coming!" Kanda hollered as he draws Mugen out and watched as the door starting to break violently. Lenalee was hovering slightly off the ground, preparing her attack as she watched the door nervously.

"How did you know where to find us?" I asked her while keeping my eyes on the door as I watched the splinters flying off in different directions.

"I knew that Komui was trying to keep me away from HQ the moment he told me to get something. Knowing him, I eavesdropped you guys from the other lab. They weren't soundproofed as Komui claimed them to be." I could already feel myself sweat dropping at the blunt respond. We really couldn't keep anything from her, it seemed.

The door shook again as the bolts were falling off from their place, the next hit might just take down the whole door. We ready our weapons, wondering what could it be that was waiting for us on the other side.

The last crashed brought the door down like a wall and something flew out from the clouds of dust and crashed onto a wall down the corridor. Kanda was about to inspect what it was that flew by, however, there was something standing at what was left of the large door and it was something we had wished to never see.

"Oh god, what had they done to you…?" Yes, Lenalee. What have the Order done to you, Allen.

(00:00:00)

Allen's POV

I am hungry, so hungry. He smells really good. He looks appetizing as well. Oh man, I could eat him whole! What made me this hungry? It was like I haven't been eating for weeks! He looks even more delicious than any dishes Jerry could have cook up for me! Wait…who was Jerry? Who is he then? Who is the food I'm about to eat? He looks…familiar…he makes me…angry. What did he do? Who did he hurt? Ca…Ca…Caleb? Who was that? I don't remember, and I frankly don't even care. I want to eat. I want to. Eat. HIM!

…go aHEad…hE'S aLL YoURs…

All of him?

YeS…alL of Him…

Yes~ I want it all. Which means they can't have any of him. The people standing right there and staring at me, they want a piece of him too. But they smelled good too. My stomach rumbled, it agrees with me. I want them all, every last one of them.

Warden's POV

I might have bitten more than I could chew, the kid's tougher than I thought. He threw me liked a rag doll. Using me to break that freaking door down. It's not like I didn't expect him to do that, it just surprised me at how quick he turned his aggression onto me. While he does just that, his body started to undergo changes. If it was what I thought it was, that human doctor is going to have a field day with this.

I don't care what you are. As long as you love me as much as I do you, I'll be by your side.

Shit, why of all times that has to come up. And there were even humans here, must be the half breed's friends. I wish I could see their faces when they saw how much he had changed because of their own ignorance.

As I lay there waiting for my body to heal itself, I took a peak at the scene and was glad that I agreed to the madman's experiment. He was right in a way, I did get a front row seat.

Nobody's POV

Standing with his back hunched was the one person the Exorcists had come to rescue. Their friend looked nothing like they had imagined, the atmosphere around them dropped as he turned to properly look at them. A large Kakugan located on his forehead stares at them with a glint of hunger in pure insanity.

Why won't you tell me,

Won't you tell me.

The truth of what you see.

Of what exists in me,

A monster or a dream.

The broken mask sat upon his face was similar to Crown Clown, except for the extra two long fangs extended from the lower part of the mask where his mouth was visible and stained with blood. The left side of his face was covered up, leaving the right side exposed and the Kakugan for all to see how wild it had become with its counterpart on his forehead.

My world is twisting, slowly crumbling.

Distortions cloud my view.

Though with each breath I scream,

My voice will not reach you.

I'm struggling, just to speak again,

could these words be my last?

I'm terrified to surrender my soul,

I must let you go – Freeze.

Half of his body was covered by some sort of living armour plating, constantly flowing with the movement made by the body. They were vibrating amongst themselves the longer he stares at the humans, creating a noise that could be mistaken for a rattling snake.

I'm breakable;

Unbreakable.

I'm shaking yet;

Unshakable.

Psychotic,

But I'm not insane.

Something moved from the dust and out came two large shield-liked pincers posing for a strike, both had fresh blood on the tips and were twitching eagerly for something to grab and crush. It was something they had never seen before, Lavi's eye followed the tendrils connected and found out that those must be Allen's new Rinkaku. He had evolved yet again.

I'm standing,

Watching the world cave in around me.

Open your eyes, to see what I see.

The one you're searching is gone and can't be found.

Who I used to be.

The Koukaku claws had advanced since the last time they saw it, they looked even more heavily armed. They hoped it would make him slower as they were a bit fearful with how Allen handles with heavy weapons like lightweights. Kanda on the other hand aimed to cut those plating off first before he goes for the weapons. His slight movement caught Allen's attention and the next second, Allen charged straight towards them as if those heavy armours didn't even slow him down.

Those pieces of humanity could only chain me,

Your unbroken reality could not contain me.

I'm drifting father, to where there's no return.

I cannot return.

The endless pain of solitude,

Wraps tight around my fortitude.

Each memory in my embrace,

A jagged knife piercing me through.

I can't escape

I can't escape

I can't escape

I can't escape

I can't escape

I can't escape this

Unravelled ghoul!

Allen first came at Kanda and he was already releasing hits and strikes that Kanda barely managed to counter them all in time. Lenalee and Lavi goes to help their friend only to be stopped by two clawed tail moving independently. They could only be differed by their slight colourations but they were as dangerously looking as the other.

I'm breakable;

Unbreakable.

Breathless and

Living in this world.

A live divine;

Unmerciful.

Shattered and

Indestructible.

I'm shaking yet

Unshakable

Surrounded

Bleeding all alone

In heaven and

In hellish pain

Mugen couldn't pierce through the plating and neither could it dislocate any of them, Kanda grinded his teeth in frustration at the level of difficulty he was facing. Lavi and Lenalee weren't faring as well from what Kanda observed, and it won't be long before Allen seriously hurts them or worse, kills them.

I'm standing,

Watching the world cave in around me.

Open your eyes, to see what I see.

The one you're searching is gone and can't be found.

Who I used to be.

Those pieces of humanity could only chain me,

Your unbroken reality could not contain me.

I'm drifting father, to where there's no return.

So hold onto your memories

Allen fought like a starved animal, he was laughing and shouting at the top of his lungs while foam flew whenever he suddenly changes directions to face the others. All the while none of the Exorcists could predict his next move. Or maybe it was because he wasn't thinking at all.

Please don't forget me

Please don't forget me

Please don't forget me

Please don't forget me

Who I once was and what I am are not the same now.

So stay away, what I've become will finally break out.

Please leave with the sight of who I used to be.

As sudden as his unpredictable movement could allow him, Allen stole Mugen from Kanda's grip and used the blunt edge to counterattack Lavi's incoming hammer. Kanda's Innocence shattered upon impact while Allen used his Koukaku claw to grip and crush Lavi's hammer. With their weapons gone, Lavi and Kanda couldn't do a single thing against him. They were shocked about the fact that Allen could destroy their Innocence as easily as a Noah could and how he disregarded the Innocence as if they were a nuisance to him.

Allen looked up at Lenalee, the only food left with a way to escape. One pincer shot up like a bullet and had Lenalee's ankle caught in its claw. Kanda and Lavi watched in alarm at the potentially deadly move while Lenalee was panicking as her mind conjure up unwanted thoughts about what was going to happen to her and her friends.

Won't you tell me,

Won't you tell me,

The monster that you see, is nothing but a dream?

With just tightening his pincer, Lenalee would then have her feet severed from the rest of her body. With just one working Dark Boot, she could not escape and get help. With her trapped like Kanda and Lavi, they couldn't stop Allen from eating them. Allen insane grin widen, he was going to have his fill today.

Just as he was about to render his final dish's disable, numerous paper slips and needles appeared from the corridor to their left. They plastered and stick themselves onto the ground and walls around Allen before a bright light blinded everyone. Surprised by the sudden assault, Lenalee was released and she quickly flew back to a safer distance. Once the light dies down, they heard angry screeching coming from Allen. They turned and saw him paralyzed on the spot, unable to move except turning his Kakugans to glare at them with anger.

"What just…"

"Run while he's immobilised! Those can't hold him for more than a few minutes!" Lavi glanced and saw a CROW that he was so glad so see at the moment, Link. The blond male was chanting an unknown language and the field around Allen brightens with sparks appearing all around.

"How did you know where to find us?" Lavi asked, he thought that he and Kanda had been discreet enough to not get noticed.

"I'll explain later, we have to move now. The spells are already breaking!"

"But what about-" Lenalee didn't get to finish when Kanda snatched her wrist and pulled her to the direction out.

"We'll figure something out after we get out of here alive." Kanda said harshly as all of them quickly leave Allen behind when they heard something cracking. No sooner than that, they were knocked forward by a weak blast from behind. Lenalee looked back and saw how their escape had influenced her friend. He was already hungry when they fought, but he was now furious for interrupting his meal.

Stomping on the ground to show his dominance, he bellowed for all to hear his rage. He will get what he wants, one way or another.