DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul Root A and Tokyo Ghoul:re and other products related to the TG Series are all owned by Sui Ishida, Shin Towada and Shueisha.
F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.
Chapter 24: Under a Silver Moon
Ken Kaneki's mind was free falling onto the chaotic sea of madness created by Rize and Yamori.
A vortex of pain, confusion, lucidity and realisation.
If there was something the one-eyed ghoul had so much prized to have was his untainted soul be kept alive against the waves of the torture.
It's been just a week since he had tried to escape together with Banjou and the supposed Anti-Aogiri group and the fiasco was a fresh wound upon his hopes of returning to the abnormal but quieter life he had at Anteiku.
A pipe dream. Rize mused with her sadistic smile.
For a week he had been sure that she was just a spectral representation of his attempted murderer, as if to remind him that he should have died there.
For as much he tried to keep his humanity whole against the horrible truth that was his new natural state, Ken knew from the very beginning that he was never a normal human being.
The torture session had indeed returned to him memories that had been painfully sealed away from his naive self, as a way to have a chance in his life after his terrible childhood.
His mother had always worked to make others be happy, but denied her son the same kindness by merely treating him like an useless trashcan.
The slaps, the punches, Ken could remember perfectly the day his mother died by overworking herself.
Tears were flowing out of his eyes, yet his eyes lacked the sadness a child would have felt in his situation.
That dead corpse, lying on the table with that glassy expression... it brought emptiness.
He wasn't sad, neither he was happy.
A paradox of self, a moment where he truly felt that his life was meant to change from the regular pain.
His new life was similar to the previous one, the abuse limited to him being compared with his lazy pig of a cousin.
His aunt was a terrible woman, that was certain in his mind. A woman so vain and greedy that she merely spared a sad look to the lifeless body of her sister, sprouting some meaningless words of apology to no one, not even herself.
Yet something happened that gave him hope in that late part of his childhood.
A young, blonde boy with that nervous smile he had seen few times in fellow children.
Hideyoshi Nagachika.
...Hide...
His vision blurred, watered as tears flowed now from remembering his best friend.
What a waste of fresh meat, Kaneki-kun~
Her voice made his body tremble in fear of self, almost forcing upon him how much close he had been close to actually kill the closest thing he had of a true family.
He had betrayed his trust, he had endangered him.
He wasn't worth of Hide's friendship.
A loud bang took his mind back to reality, back into Yamori's play room where his warden walked towards him, this time lacking his usual murderous smile.
"It's seems our time together is coming to an end, Kaneki-kun. The CCG is knocking at our door quite rabidly as of now."
The man picked the fliers he had used to cut his fingers, his toes, to crush his knuckles until he bleed and regenerated back.
Kaneki stood silent at the words of the twisted Ghoul, his eyes staring once more to the chess-toned floor with an absent-minded expression.
"It's time to finish up and pack up before they arrive there. So, please DI- Who is there?!"
The sound of the doors opening interrupted Jason as a familiar figure entered the room.
"Y-Yamori.." Kaneki's eyes moved up to stare at the man that had tried to help him out of Aogiri, donning a red cloak like everyone of the group.
"B-Banjou-san?" The man gulped as Yamori advanced towards him.
"I thought I told you to not interrupt my session, weakling. I hope you have some good reasons if it's anyone else asking- Oh?"
The door closed, a second figure known to the tortured youth entering in his sight.
"Y-Yoshi-imura-san?" The old man nodded in his direction before staring directly into Jason's eyes.
"I am here to take him away, Yakumo-san."
The mad Ghoul stood silent for few moments, then a laugh within his mask started to grow into a full-fledged one.
"Really?! Then that's good, Kuzen-san!" The manager flinched for a moment to his former name. "Yet I cannot help but ask you something."
Jason cracked his fingers. "How did it felt when that human whore of yours died?"
In a split second, Yamori pushed his Kagune upon the old man and the traitor, already tasting the flesh of the great Kakuja and achieve his own full form.
In that very split second, Yamori's Rinkaku and left arm were cut effortlessly by a scymitar-like purple tendril.
It was far too quick, pain had yet to reach the rabid monster's head when the Ukaku cleanly decapitated the sadist from his body.
Yamori's corpse fell like a stringless puppet, leaving just three people in the room.
Silence lingered for a while, rage-filled eyes that were the manager's sending shivers to Kaneki and Banjou.
Then, the Ukaku retreated back into the Kakuhou and the old man sighed.
"We need to go, quickly. Soon doves will storm the area."
Yoshimura quickly reached the young man and removed the restrains in his hands and legs.
Kaneki blinked in surprise as the manager picked him up and started to walk away from the building, from the Aogiri's defeated base, Banjou following them silently as he stared briefly at the origin of the shouts and fire he was seeing from afar.
The flight back to her appartment had been quite draining, Eto grimaced as her body fell sore onto the couch of her small living room.
She had overly underestimated the potential of that red-haired fiend that had left her so much in pain.
Wounds were slowly closing thanks to her regeneration, yet the pain was there to stay for a while and so sleep was not allowed to her that very night.
What an hindrance, she mused, what an interesting human.
When she had noticed his presence in that strike force, she had expected very little from the unexperienced engineer, yet that former thought had almost costed her life and plans.
What an annoying pawn- no, Shirou Emiya was not a pawn.
In that so graceful, yet so deadly dance, the leader of Aogiri saw something that she had seen just once in her life.
The cold fury, the silent brutality, it had Kishou Arima all over it.
Was this what had truly made the little Reaper so much nervous in the last meetings? His pet project was indeed endearing to see and test, yet she felt that something was missing from the equation.
His red hair wasn't original in the Washuu's breed, his complex was also not as pale as theirs.
An apprentice? Possible, yet his feats passed easily as beyond human to her eyes.
What a magnificent enigma had fell upon her eyes, what a precious gift Kishou was packing up for her.
She giggled but paused with another grimace. Laughing hurted.
With a quick glance to the alarm in the room, the young woman sighed relaxing her head on the pillow it was sitting.
It was going to be a long, long night for her.
Arima frowned as he read about the curious phenomenon that had happened during the Suppression of the Ghouls in the 11th Ward.
Once again, the King proved his worth by almost killing a cocky Eto. That was good.
Once again, the King almost screwed his own standing in the company. That was very bad.
His mind worked the possible solution and in the end sighed as he picked up his phone.
A plan was hatched to both cease the Washuu's suspicions and seal Shirou in his role.
"Yoshitoki-san? Yes, this is Arima."
"Kishou-kun, it's quite late. Shouldn't you have gone home now?"
His lips twitched in silent anger at the reminder of his family 'house'.
"I was going soon, sir. I wanted to discuss about something I've kept secret for a while."
Silence reigned for a while. "Sure, speak freely."
A sigh left his throat. "Sir, I might have trained someone in the last few weeks without your permission."
Hook, Liner...
"Was that Shirou Emiya?"
..and Sinker.
Arima almost chuckled at how easy Yoshitoki could be manipulated. "Yes, sir. I heard about early reports of his unusual skills with Quinques and I decided to come clean to you, me and my student."
"That is.." A pause. "..not something truly wrong, to train someone else to replace you in the future.. but I don't think it is wise to choose someone we know little about."
Someone coughed on the other side, causing Arima to blink in surprise, having expected the director to have been alone during that time.
"I-I mean, it's alright, Kishou-kun. You are more than free to choose your own apprentices."
The reaper nodded, confusion leaving him speechless for a moment.
"Then I bid you a good night, Yoshitoki-san."
"S-Sure, goodnight."
The call ended and Arima was left to merely think whom could have pushed the director to back off from his attempt to damage his reputation.
Whoever did this... was someone that could scare Yoshitoki without speaking.
AN
Kaneki being as melodramatic as lil' kuroneki is supposed to be? Check.
Anti-climatic battle? Check.
Eto's butthurt monologue? Check.
Arima's planning in the shadows? Check.
Lack of Shirou in this chapter? Yep! We got everything!
Anyway, I think I heard from both the reviewers from Human King and CCG Repairman that the chapters should have more characters speaking and all. Thus I will make an effort to put more people speaking without creating inane messes in the process.
Also, the reason why Jason didn't get to fight supercoolish against Kuzen is:
1) Yoshimura is stronger and far faster, the latter mostly because he is an Ukaku;
2) I think Canon fight between Shironeki and Jason was so much long because it was meant to satisfy the people watching, knowing that the watchers wanted the blood of the arse who hurted so much the protag. Yamori was underclassed in both occasions.
Review Q&A!
PervyPanda: Arima wrapped it up! Now it's going to be funny how I planned next chapter to unfold. At the moment there are two very interesting ways I can go... but I will tell no more! xD
Ezeakel: You're welcome.
Kayen1024: No. I have read to have some more context of the 11th Aogiri Tree base from the wikia and it was a complex of buildings. The one in which Shirou fights Eto is the parking lot's roof, while Canon Kaneki vs Ayato was set few buildings away.
KRKing: Yup and yup!