Chapter 3: Ghouls
{Tokyo City: November 20th, 2020, 8:30pm}
"Move!"
The scent of blood, the crackle of broken glass and rubble, and the roar of flames and monsters of the night, the crisp, cold, and bitter air of November nipped at their skin and throats as they ran through the streets and raced towards the location of the others that were slowly heading towards the center of Tokyo. Ghouls and Humans alike fought their way through the beasts, and now they were beginning to see less of the monsters and more of the true evil that lurked within the city. The vampires had come to play at last, and the Moon Demon Company wasn't very keen on what they were seeing. Yuu rubbed the back of his hand against his busted lip before glancing towards the others.
Admittedly, the ambush had been expected, but it seemed that the vampire Noble wasn't playing games anymore so much as toying with them for his own entertainment. For those in their group who had been the play things of vampires before, the notion lit a fire in their veins and set them ablaze with rage at the fact that this haughty beast believed that it was within his right to hurt them, to take from them and cause harm to those they cared for. Mika shook a vampire off, slashing through it as if it was nothing while he went back to back with one of the Ghouls and the others seemed to still, preparing for another attack as Yuu glanced to Kaneki who was nearest to him while the white-cloaked vampires that Hans Weisberg had sent circled their group of twelve.
"So… how good are you at tag-teaming?" a brimstone black and hellfire red eye locked onto an electric green one.
"Fairly well… do you Ghouls think you can keep up?" the Ghouls let loose their Kagune.
"One way to find out…." The clink of weapons taking form became present.
"Alright… let's have a little fun, instead!"
Yuu and Mika raced forward, jumping into the crowd of vampires as the Ghouls came up behind them and the others followed suit. They were at the end of a street that lead directly to the CCG tower, and finally, they stood a chance at meeting up with Akane and Ayato again. The other Ghouls and their group launched towards the vampires, taking them out as swiftly as possible as they struggled to get towards the end of the street where the white tower stood, lit up like a beacon of hope in a maelstrom of nightmares.
Shinoa tore through the vampires, seeing an opening and taking it, she jumped forward and sent out an attack from the air while the others attacked as well. It was as she fell to the ground that she was caught by Yuu who skidded to a halt across the broken-up pavement and started towards the tower with the others. Kaneki turned upon his hands, striking the final two vampires down before joining the others as they ran at full speed towards the tower. It was as they were at the edge of the street that two other figures appeared and they were able to see none other than Akane and Ayato present.
"Yuu! Mika!" Akane called to them and the two boys ran towards her, the others following swiftly as the girl jumped at her brothers who returned her embrace.
"Good to see your both still in one piece." Ayato shrugged.
"This was a cake-walk compared to what it seems like you guys have been going through. Look at what you're up to...hell, your all banged up," Ayato stated as he looked at them and then Akane as she let go of her brothers.
"Mika, you've got a cut in your side, and the rest of you...what the hell happened to all of you?" Shinoa sighed as she brushed her hand across her forehead.
"We ran into a few unexpected guests... and a Tyrant Horseman... but other than that, we're perfectly fine," she said. Akane sighed.
"You all need some help." The brunette girl tensed a bit as she glanced towards the Ghouls who seemed to be dealing with the brunt of their recent battles as well.
"Unfortunately, we don't have time to treat our wounds…. not to mention, you said something about a secondary signal? Akane?" inquired Ayato as he looked to her.
"Oh…. right… the one for the second unit to enter the city…." She looked to the ground, unsure if she was comfortable with the idea or not.
Everyone was getting hurt. Naturally, she was well aware that there would be injuries if not casualties; however, Akane had full belief that sending in more people than necessary would only cause a greater death toll. Her brown eyes turned towards her brothers as a frightful thought came to her mind: would they be expected to save these people? Yuu and Mika had stated often that for all their abilities, they couldn't bring back the dead. They may have been Seraphims, but they weren't Gods; they had limitations on what they were capable of doing: they were still human for the most part. Taking in a deep breath, Akane tried to assure herself that because it was Guren's Unit that was entering the city, she had little to nothing to worry about; however, she could never be certain. Once again, she glanced towards her brothers and then steadied her nerves.
"Akane? You alright?" asked Mika.
"I'm fine…. I just… Guren's Unit is the one entering the city… they need to meet up with us, but they don't know where we are, and we can't stay in one place to long…" Kaneki glanced her way.
"I think I might be able to help out with that," he stated as he turned towards one of the buildings and waved his arms over his head as if to signal someone.
It took a few minutes, but soon, a figure climbed down the building and fell towards the ground before rushing towards them. It was a woman clad in black with a dog-like mask on her face. She had long dark-brown hair, and her eyes were inverted like Kaneki's singular eye. She nodded her head towards him and then looked to the rest of them, eyeing their wounds and examining their current states. Without question, they all knew they looked rather torn up. Their uniforms were dirty, their faces smudged with ash, dirt, and blood. Their hair mused and messed while their eyes looked tired and their skin a bit pale. Yuuichiro glanced her over quickly, trying to check over the woman who seemed so content to merely stare at them just a moment longer.
"What's the plan?" she asked.
"We need you to go to the defensive line outside of the city and inform Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose Guren of our destination and guide them to us as safely as possible. We need to finish this as quickly as possible and the Noble is getting on our trail… Irimi… please hurry to them and help get his Unit to…."
A loud crash went off near them, causing the group to scatter as they saw a swarm of werewolves burst from the ground under them. Mika turned mid-air and drew his sword which glinted a sharp, ice-blue as he focused upon landing in preparation to do battle. Hide jumped away from a swipe, laughing a bit as he did while Yoichi took point near the top of the rubble and the others scattered about. Shinoa ordered everyone into a formation, keeping them near one another and checking the Ghouls who were armed with their Kagune to fight.
Usagi flared her wings out, turning the fire to a crystal-like substance as she remained near her brother while the others drew their weapons up and prepared to strike. Nearby Yoichi was Cho, who stared onward at the large pack of wild wolves while Akane, Mika, and Yuu were near one another while Shinoa, Mistuba, and Kimizuki weren't far away. Irimi prepared to fight, but was stopped by Kaneki who had his Rinkaku posed to strike.
"Meet us at the park! We'll regroup there!" he ordered, and she nodded before taking off up towards the buildings, a few of the werewolves attempting to follow, but being stopped by Mitsuba and Shinoa.
"I don't think so you bad dog… stay right where you are." Yuu felt his body tense, knowing very well that if one of the group was bitten then they didn't have a prayer against the curse.
"If they get bitten, I can't change what's been done to them…."
"Mika…" he started to speak to the blonde who nodded as he glanced to his brother momentarily before returning his gaze back towards the werewolves.
"I know… we're in a bit of a bind…" Hide remained crouched a bit, preparing to tangle with the creatures.
"There's got to be at least twenty of them… if not more… how do we deal with these bastards?" muttered Nishiki as he glanced towards Verglas.
"Yuu…remember the thing you did in Osaka? Do you think it'll work?" emerald eyes glanced towards Shinoa before looking back at the werewolves who were waiting for one of them to make a move.
"It's worth a shot, but there was only a few of them…. this pack is bigger…"
"That's never stopped you before… the bigger the opponent, the greater your desire to fight them normally is. What? Getting cold feet?"
"This really isn't the time to be making jabs at me Asuramaru… some advice would be better…" he could practically feel the demoness roll her eyes.
"Then you need to use your traits… Ghouls present or not, your wings show them what you are, and they would view you as the bigger predator, same for Mikaela. I think the two of you need to show them that you're not humans… the Ghouls are your allies, aren't they?" he sighed.
"Fine, annoying demon… I swear…." Yuu glanced to Mika.
"Yuu?" he took in a deep breath.
"Remember last time we faced off against these bastards?" he asked.
"Yea… wait… you're not suggesting we…." He nodded.
"I am… the others can't do this alone and the Ghouls may be the natural predators of the vampires… but what we are is the natural predator of most of these creatures…" Mika looked down, gritting his teeth.
"Are you sure?" he shook his head.
"Not really, but…."
One of the werewolves charged only to be knocked aside by Kaneki's Rinkaku. The white-haired Ghoul swept the wolf aside and then prepared for the next attack as the others started to circle them and they prepared to slowly ease their way towards what they believed was prey. Mika glanced to his brother, knowing that if his plan worked, the chances of them facing infection from the Lycanthrope Virus was slim to none. Taking in a deep breath he looked at him and nodded before Mitsuba came in and chopped one of the wolf's head's off before blocking another attack. His eyes inverted before he could help it and the black-haired boy beside him nodded to him, his eyes inverting to where his eyes had dimmed, and his sclera had turned a bloodshot red.
"Ready? Fenrir, we're going to need some assistance…"
"But of course, just give the word Mikaela…"
"Let's clear the path, Asuramaru…." The blade glinted in Yuu's hand as he looked towards the wolves.
"Right…"
The group knocked back a couple of the werewolves before a burst of emerald flame and black wind flew by them alongside a blast of ice and shock of silver ash. The Ghouls turned back as they looked to the two teenagers who were braced for another attack. Mika crouched, darting forward and between some of the Ghouls and the others before blocking one of the wolves' attacks. In that instant, the group froze as Mika flared his wings out and the wolf howled in shock before backing away as he posed to attack with Fenrir in his grasp.
"What the…." A gust of wind came by.
"You may want to look up mutts, he's not the only one here!" called Yuuichiro's voice from slightly above them.
Standing upon an outcropping chunk of asphalt stood the boy with his wings splayed for the group and the wolves to see as he kept Asuramaru at his side, the blade glowing with energy as he stared onward at the werewolves who were slowly backing away. The Ghouls stared in a midst of shock and amazement as Mika started to move closer towards them as Yuu jumped down from the outcropping and landed near his brother with a sharp glare upon his eyes as he braced himself for their next move. The werewolf's leader raised its hackles and growled at them which was returned by a similar sound from Mika who bore his teeth at him while Yuu followed the manner, his irises lighting up to a sharp electric-green as he braced himself with Asuramaru.
The other members of the Moon Demon Company came to stand behind and beside the two teenagers as the Ghouls stared onward in shock, their Kagune still present as they braced themselves for the next wave of attacks. A singular wolf treaded forward daringly before Yuu flared his wings in a menacing fashion as he narrowed his gaze upon the creature. The wolf cowered away as he glared it down and soon the wolves were beginning to step away from them as the Ghouls bore down upon them with the others before attacking alongside them. The sweep of ash, fire, wind, and ice was accompanied by the attacks from Yoichi, Kimizuki, Shinoa, Mitsuba, and Akane while the Ghouls rounded them off and prevented the wolves from retreating to come back for them later.
Between the fourteen of them, the wolves were slaughtered in a matter of minutes, the level of attacks increasing in strength from the winged teenagers beside them. As the last wolf fell, Yuu and Mika sheathed their weapons and took in a deep breath and then were promptly stared down by the Ghouls. They glanced to one another, feeling a bit anxious about the details.
"What the hell are those?!" asked Nishiki as Hide stared at the two of them. Yuu and Mika glanced at one another, knowing that there was no hiding them due to the lights within the city being on at full power.
"Our… wings…." The teenagers glanced around before Hide moved towards them and then walked around the two of them, observing the wings in fascination.
"Wings? You two…. but how?" questioned Usagi. Kaneki glanced to her.
"Touka… please… just let them explain…" Akane glanced to her.
"Your name is Touka? That's pretty," she stated. The girl glanced her way before smiling ever so slightly.
"Thanks…." Ayato felt his mouth open just a fraction as the group tried to pinpoint what was happening.
"We're off topic… how the hell do you have wings?" asked Nishiki. Hide glanced them over once more before snapping his fingers.
"It's because we're…" Mika started to explain, but was interrupted by Hide.
"Your Seraphs!" the boys blinked, surprised by the words.
"How did…." Hide smirked.
"I read about the research… something about two Seraphims that were supposed to protect humanity… not to mention that you're the big predators out there…. pretty impressive," he stated.
"Well, kind of…." He hummed, folding his arms across his chest.
"Let me guess, you weren't created but born this way? If so, that just makes you really unique…. there's only four of your kind in the world as of now," Hide explained as the group stared onward at the two.
"Yea… two of us on the sides of the humans… myself and Mika…and then there's two that are a big threat…we don't know much about them, though…" Kaneki smiled a bit and then, Verglas looked to the two boys before stepping towards them, noting their slight hesitancy before she placed her hands upon their heads, threading her fingers through their hair in a motherly touch.
"Your wings are so beautiful… and your both very sweet… thank you for helping us out so much… if it wasn't for your unit and the others from the Moon Demon Company… we wouldn't be escaping this city and being welcomed back into civilization… thank you, for giving us all a chance," she said as she hugged them. Yuu and Mika stared momentarily surprised as Nishiki sighed.
"That's Kimi… my fiancé… she's a real treasure… and she's right. If your leader hadn't chosen to take a chance on Kaneki and Ayato's observations, then we wouldn't be working with you and escaping Tokyo City and getting to be around people again." The group smiled a bit.
"It's no problem…. we're glad to have such helpful allies," Yuu said as he gave them a warm, sincere smile.
"We've got to get there before this Noble decides to attack." The group nodded and headed down the street, the screeches of Chimera and the clatter of footsteps from the vampires not far from them.
{Outer Rim of Tokyo: 9:45pm}
Guren and his troops stared onward at the mangled corpses of each feral Ghoul, Chimera, and werewolf that the Noble Hans Weisberg had sent their way. The only remnants of the vampires who had attacked were randomized scraps of clothing and a few meager weapons that had been left behind. The Lieutenant Colonel smiled in a satisfactory manner as he brushed back his bangs and set to assessing his team while he did so. Sayuri, naturally, was perfectly fine, as was Shigure, Mito, and Goshi; lastly, Shinya was standing there as if nothing had happened. The blonde only smiled, seeing the others standing and brushing off their faces, cleared of most injuries.
"Well, that's a fight I don't want to relive…" muttered Goshi.
"Yea, well, we're still waiting on Akane's second signal…." Sayuri glanced around them at the carnage.
"Do you think their okay? The kids I mean," she questioned.
"They'll be fine…" Goshi smirked.
"Between Yuu, Mika, and Kaneki…those kids are more likely to make it out of this than we are," he stated.
"If you say so…" a sudden sound nearby caught their attention as a singular Ghoul started towards them.
"Looks like another one is…"
"Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose Guren?" asked the Ghoul in a calm tone. The group of six was well aware of the fact that the Ghoul was a woman, and seemed to be searching for their leader. Guren rose an eyebrow and stepped forward in questioning, his hand laid against his sword to be safe.
"Whose asking?" the woman bowed politely.
"I am Irimi Kaya, I am a friend of Kaneki Ken and the Antique Ghouls. I was sent by him and Hyakuya Yuuichiro to assist you in meeting up with them in Tokyo Park. They will be waiting there," she stated.
"I see, and, if I may…what was the password used by our allies?" the woman looked to him, removing her mask and reverting her eyes as she did so.
"Amane…." Guren smiled.
"Alright, Kaya, please update us on the current situation inside the city," he said.
"Though the battles have been remarkably tough, the group has been able to meet back up with our companion Kirishima Ayato, or Kuro-Usagi, and Hyakuya Akane. They now are heading towards Tokyo Park to regroup with you there…in addition, the Noble, Hans Weisberg seems to be sending out randomized attacks in order to kill us or delay our progress through the city." Guren nodded before looking to his unit.
"Alright, you heard the lady, the rookie's need our help so here are our orders: don't let anything get past you, kill it if it's not an ally. Show no mercy, none of these beasts inside the city are planning on showing you any… from here on out its kill or be killed. Our obligation is to make it to Tokyo Park to rendezvous with the A-Unit and head to Ward One where we will kill the Noble Hans Weisberg. Now, let's move out!"
"Sir!"
Within the city, following the group of teenagers tearing through the streets towards Tokyo Park as fast as they could go. The man stood in a white doctor's coat, his grayed hair combed back neatly as he watched through the binoculars granted to him by the girl in bandages and a deep-pink dress. She hummed, kicking her legs over the side of the rooftops as she did so while the man observed before laughing just a fraction, causing her to look at the person beside her. Momentarily, she paused in her humming before continuing as she watched the man's targets move down the street.
She smiled, propping her arms up on her thighs while she continued to see what the man was so interested in. The two they were focusing on were quite fascinating specimens. The girl was rather small; however, she was strong both physically and in her will, which would make her powerful and highly useful. Then, there was the boy who also was on the lithe side of his build, his determination, strength, prowess, and abilities making him quite a catch and an equally powerful subject. She grinned beneath her bandages, looking at the sight of the two before glancing back at the man who seemed pleased with his choices.
"They're really pretty…. especially that boy…. he has such lovely emerald eyes… and his hair is such a pretty black shade…. the girl looks nice too. Her eyes remind me of citrus… and her hair is a good shade…. they look so good together," she said in a childish manner.
"So, they do…their strong, healthy, and capable. Those two are the perfect subjects for the next step in my experimentation. This should be quite interesting to watch their progression… wouldn't you think so? Eto?" the girl smiled.
"Oh, most certainly Doctor Kannou… but you know…. they'll be pretty hard to get away from the others," she pointed out.
"No worries my dear…I already have a plan devised. I believe my favorite child will be thrilled for him to have more siblings…" the girl got up and started to skip away.
"Yes! I'm sure Kaneki-niichan will be absolutely delighted! Ha-ha-ha~" with that the doctor walked away and he and the girl vanished into the shadows.
{….}
I have seen an empire falling…
{….}
Author's Note: So, yea…. just don't hate me guys. I think everyone knows what Dr. Kannou being here will mean in the long run, but I'll let you decide where that's going to ultimately go. Now, I hope everyone is enjoying this annoyingly long-awaited update for Seraphim Blood II, and I hope to hear what you guys are thinking about the progression. Have fun! And Merry Christmas
Chapter 4: Identities