Pink. Pink. Pink.
She realized how glaring the color was. Even worse when she spread them out on the counter.
Gas, electricity, water, and other miscellaneous fees aside, her headache was the admission fees in her hand. If they didn't pay it within a week, the pre-school, which they had registered Haruta in, would lose their spot.
Oh God! She even tried to convince Amon to hire a therapist for Chibi.
Their budget had been tight since six months ago, when the bounty contracts hadn't come in as often as they used to. It didn't matter if the A-Owl had unintentionally overstayed in the prefecture. As long as he was around, even a petty thief would behave.
She turned around and looked up, where one of the cabinets was open. Amon seemed to think that somewhere high was the best place to hide the notices.
That was insulting.
It accounted for why he chose to outrun her to the phone and stood at the door waiting for the mail. Had Amon been a better liar, he could've gotten away.
She didn't ask. She thought if she could keep a blind eye long enough, he might come to her. That never happened.
The light went out. A cry came from upstairs. Akira felt her way around the kitchen, pulled out a drawer, and rummaged for a match box. By the time she had a candle lit, the crying stopped.
Still worried, Akira went up, bringing the candle along. She arrived at a room which was glowing with candlelight. She stepped back, and blew out the candle she was holding. While staying behind the reed screen, she peeked into the room.
"Jacob went on his journey to his uncle, Laban, who lived in the east. There, he met a shepherdess, Rachel, the beautiful daughter of Laban." Amon was sitting on the tatami. He had gathered the children to himself. Surrounding them were clusters of candles.
"Ow."
"Did Jacob marry her?"
Akira shook her head, smiling. Akane, though only four, was more mature than the siblings of her age. The girl had once pulled Akira aside and whispered to her. She wanted to know how Amon tasted like when Akira kissed him.
Then came a slam. "Why didn't you mention that Laban had another daughter? But Jacob didn't like her because her eyes were weak!" Hikari lashed out. All eyes were staring at Hikari, including Amon.
There was a long pause.
"He did," said Amon, just when Akira was about to step in, "but there was a condition…"
As the story continued, the children soon forgot about the ruckus that occurred a while ago.
Amon's undulating arms drew an invisible river. He made the children his flock. They bleated when he picked up Doujima as his staff to shepherd his sheep.
Akira dipped into her pocket and took out a card. She studied the details with the aid of flickering light behind the reed screen. Printed on the center of the card was Matsuoka's logo.
The fusuma pulled open. A man, whose beard was trimmed to a peace sign, came out.
"How is he?" Nishio was leaning against the wall. Both hands tugged into his waist pockets.
"I've stemmed the bleeding." Banjou rubbed his nape. "But his kakuhou..."
Nishio knitted his brows. A ghoul's kakuhou wasn't just a weapon. His life depended on it. "Can't you do something about it?"
Banjou shook his head. "I can't get to it without paralyzing him."
A squeak drew their heads to the dining table. Yomo had risen from his seat and was on his way out.
"Yomo?"
"Keep this among us for the time being," Yomo glanced to Banjou and Nishio.
"Sure... What about Hinami-chan?" Banjou asked.
"She's on a trip with the children," said Nishio. "We have a few days," which was a relief. Even if Hinami knew, her worry wouldn't help Ayato's situation.
Yomo stopped at the door. "You come with me." Yomo pushed the door open.
Yusa stared at Yomo. The latter didn't look at anyone when he gave that order but Yusa was the only person standing closest to the door. Obliged, Yusa uncrossed his arms and followed the man out of the apartment.
They didn't know they were watched from miles away.
A man in a black cape crouched on the blue ceramic roof. The right side of his mask basked in the sunset, tinting the white mask to golden yellow. On the roof cast the lengthened shadow with a pair of long horns on the head. Sharp fangs protruding from the jaws.
As soon as the sun breathed its last, more black capes leaped out from his left and right. They skipped roof to roof, charging towards the same direction.
Watching Yomo's back, Yusa thought that Yomo was looking for somewhere quiet. But Yomo didn't stop. When they were almost leaving the building, Yusa finally couldn't stand it. "Where are we going?"
"I don't want to scare the kids."
You scare me.
Yusa and Yomo barely exchanged words when Yusa defected under Hirako's lead and became Kaneki's bodyguard. That hadn't changed since.
Unlike other ghouls, Yomo wasn't as verbal and expressive. He had been keeping distance whenever there were humans among them. Perhaps in his eyes, peacekeepers were still the treacherous doves.
Yusa pressed the button hidden in his ear. Just in case... "I think we're far enough." They stopped at the park.
Yomo didn't face him. "Ayato mentioned the Reaper. Do you know? Is Kishou Arima still alive?"
"I watched him die, if that's the answer you want."
In a blink of an eye, Yomo spun and lunged at Yusa. His fingers curled and dug at the latter's jugular veins.
Suzu and Ryuusen landed behind Yomo. The Quinx had their quinques unsheathed.
"Two more won't make a difference."
Though Yomo had a taller and stronger physique, that didn't intimidate Yusa. "Is this how you treat an ally?" His cold eyes didn't blink.
"Kaneki trusts you," said Yomo. "Not me."
"Yet he's your king. Are you going to defy him?"
Yomo didn't answer. Instead, he loosened his grip and withdrew his hand. "If I find out that this is another ruse by the Dove—"
"Check his grave. You'll be disappointed."
"I will. If I don't find him there, I'll hunt him down and drag him into it."
Yusa hoped that Yomo meant it figuratively. Arima was dead. Yusa was very sure. Even if Arima was still alive, he feared for Yomo's fate, though he barely knew him.
Yomo turned to his back. The crow perching on the roof watched him. It spread its wings and croaked. The call stopped Yomo. When he looked up, the doves feeding nearby the park flew away, pulling up a veil of feathers before him. Piercing through it was a white mask with crying eyes, just an inch away from Yomo's face.
Yomo cocked his head, just in time for a blade behind him gliding next to his ear. Yusa's face followed. As the tip of the blade touched the mask between the eyes, a pair of scaled tentacles pushed the blade up then slid along it, spitting sparks.
Yusa pulled back just in time before the kagune reached the hilt. The sharp tentacles had altered their course and U-turned, lunging at Yusa's back as he leaped away.
More rope-like kagune wrapped the tentacles, forcing them to a stop.
While Suzu was wrestling with the tentacles, Ryuusen, with his raised quinque, came down on the tentacles, severing the sharp ends.
The masked man retracted his kagune, but a hand came through his sternum.
Yomo withdrew his hand. The masked man staggered, trailing the road with blood that gushed out of his chest. He remained standing.
"Who are you?" Yomo watched his enemy's wound sealed off within seconds.
After a spin, the enemy tilted his head as if he had a neck of an owl.
Dozens of black capes jumped off the roof, surrounded them.
Yusa swung his quinque down. Steadying his grip with both hands, he glanced at Yomo. "I don't suppose they are your friends."
Yomo spread his bat-like wings and charged ahead.
Banjou switched off the light and gingerly closed the door. He kept his eyes on Ichika. The white rabbit stuffed toy in her arm had a magic spell that could take a child to dreamland anytime.
"You think it will leave a scar?" Nishio was standing behind Banjou.
"Being born to a ghoul mother and a human father, she's not as naive as we think." Banjou turned around. "With that being said, she's still a child."
Nishio might not have a human parent, but growing up as a ghoul was rough. He just couldn't bear to see that happen to a worry-free child like Ichika.
The bell rang.
"Must be Yomo." Banjou jogged the door.
Nishio frowned. He then looked alarmed and reached out his hand to Banjou. "Banjou! Wait—"
Wringing the cloth in her hand, Touka turned to her brother, who was resting on a futon. Her frown deepened as her fingers traced the blood-soaked bandages that wrap about his chest. There were many questions to be answered but only one that was important.
When was the last time she had taken a good look at her only brother?
While she was happy with a family of her own and a new baby, her brother almost died. If she lost him, how was she going to face her parents?
Touka knew staring at her brother wouldn't change anything. His breathing, as she had noticed, was smoother than before.
She let out a breath, and realized the cloth in her hand turned cold. She dipped the cloth into a bowl of hot water again. Wringing the cloth dry, she resumed cleaning the dried blood off Ayato's face.
Boom!
She was taken aback. Her heart raced.
Her children!
By the time she slid the door open, Banjou was knocked out. A giant metallic claw had him pinned down, punching holes in her wooden floor. Nishio was next to him, sitting and leaning against her fridge, which had a dent so deep that the fridge bowed. Watching Nishio's drooping head, Touka hoped that he was still alive.
And her biggest concern...
"Mama!"
A pair of Hessian boots stepped out from the children's room. The man was wearing a short-fronted tailcoat to pair with his black top hat, while his face was covered by a bronze mask. Cogwheels of different shapes and sizes nested on his right eye, allowing only a glowing red dot to pierce through the machinery. The complexity paired well with the simple monocle on his left eye.
The kidnapper had Ichika clamped to his waist. Ichika still tried hard getting away from his clutch, kicking and crying. Nestled in the crook of his other arm was Hiro. Surprisingly, the baby hadn't made much of a noise.
There were a few seconds that Touka's reflection grew on his mask. He heard her battle cry.
Touka's eyes turned black. Red amber flared from her shoulders. Her wing has curled, aiming at the exposed skin on his jugular.
Without warning, the kidnapper dashed to the window, breaking it as he leaped out.
"Ichika!"
The giant claw that tethered to his lower back released Banjou. Touka chased after it as it withdrew through the broken window. She jumped off without a second thought.
Once touching ground, Touka lifted her head and locked her eyes on the kidnapper.
The chase began.
The kidnapper was running at an amazing speed. Ghoul? Quinx? It was hard to judge. Touka just knew she had to catch the man before she ran out of stamina.
It seemed like he had read her mind. The kidnapper willingly leaped over fences and vanished in a crowded street.
Touka stopped. Her ears deafened by the honk. When she turned to the source, a truck had skidded too close to her...
The kidnapper stopped briefly when he heard a loud bang.
"Ma…ma…" A whimper distracted him.
The kidnapper turned his gaze to the girl. Her body draped over his arm. She was still emitting sound that waned quickly. It didn't matter if the girl was still awake. Soon, they would be out of sight.
He took off. With his head up, the lens in his monocle was projecting targets on his surroundings. The diameters of the circles shrunk and locked onto the cables, and some ledges.
Like a flea, he launched himself off the ground. The big claw emerged from his back and locked onto the bundles of cables. He swung himself up. The claw released. For seconds, he was airborne, until a shadow loomed over him.
He turned his head to look at his back. A hand almost grabbed him, but the claw latched onto a flat roof and pulled the kidnapper abruptly.
As soon as he touched down on the concrete fence, so was his chaser. He angled his foot away from him to get a better stance, stretching beyond the boundary of the thin wall. If he tipped even slightly to his right, the nearest surface would be ten stories beneath him.
Eyes on his opponent, he cracked a smile behind the bronze mask.
Huffing and puffing, Touka hadn't taken her eyes off the kidnapper. The blood trickled along her temple and dripped onto the white wall. She was at her limit.
Despite the odds, she spread her wings.
The kidnapper remained still. Keeping cool was the first step to win, and he had his next move planned.
The baby broke the silence. His cry distracted Touka.
She didn't know that the claw had crept up on her. Its sharp steel blades gleamed in the fainting light, thirsting for a taste of a ghoul.
At once, the claw pounced on Touka. The impact was so great that it destroyed the wall and floor.
The dust cloud engulfed the kidnapper. It was over now. He stepped back, prepared to leave.
Turning his back was a wrong move.
He leaped just in time. Tentacles, three maybe four. No, more than that. One after the other, they were coming at him, as if they could read his mind. He was so close to getting gored, dancing in an erratic rhythm and random directions—a choreography by an enemy whom he couldn't locate.
It wasn't a big deal. As long as he had the children in his hands, he wouldn't—
He choked and looked down, watching a foreign object pierced through his chest. From of his blurry vision, he watched his surroundings rotated and there stood a man with a head full of white hair and an eye of a ghoul. Touka was carried in his arms.
One-eye ghoul? When did he sneak behind him?
Kaneki put down Touka. "You think I couldn't do anything to you?" While drawing his prey towards himself, Kaneki wrapped his kagune around the giant claw that tethered to the back of his prey. The steel claw groaned, desperately resisting before it shattered into chunks of scrap.
The kidnapper went limp and lost strength in his grips.
"Ichika! Hiro!" Touka ran and grabbed the children just in time before they hit the heap of rubble.
"I would've played with you a little longer, had you not gone for my family."
The kidnapper gazed at the cold, glowing red eye. Now that he had lost his hostage, there was nothing that would stop Kaneki from destroying him.
So that was how it was like to look into death. It was a strange serenity that drew him to it.
"Just die!" With widened eyes, Kaneki roared.
The calmness didn't last long. The air began to stir. When the breeze kissed Kaneki's cheek, he found himself withdrawing all of his severed kagune.
His prey was gone, leaving a pool of blood.
Kaneki immediately brought up his hands and pressed the palms together right above his head.
A katana's blade was caught in between his palms. His feet sank into the crushed floor.
It had been a while he had found an opponent his equal. That brought back old memories.
The mask of a devil. Kaneki made sure to remember. Even though it was just for a second, the mask seemed to reciprocate his feelings before vanishing into thin air.
"Kaneki!" That voice snapped Kaneki out of his thought.
With her arms wrapped around her children, Touka couldn't leave. But her face had expressed every concern she had for Kaneki.
The first thing Kaneki did was to run to his family and embrace them. "Are you alright? And the children?"
Touka nodded her head. She was about to say something when they heard the chopper. They watched it fly into the setting sun.
"Let's go home," said Kaneki.
The Devil turned his face away from the window as the chopper steered eastward.
"Did you get them?" The voice cracked from his earbud.
His leather-gloved hands reached to the back of his head, pulled the strap, and removed his mask.
"Well?"
He set the mask down, on the seat beside him. Gazing at the gauze that was soaked red, he said, "No."
"That's not acceptable. You do know the consequences."
Kaneki's face invaded his mind. If he had stayed and fought, would he get the answer he was looking for?
"Answer me, Shou."
"Understood."
The connection ended.
The medic got down on their knees, thrusting his palms rhythmically at the patient, whom the Devil had rescued.
He couldn't care less if the patient expired. His interest was what the patient had carried.
The Devil looked at the transparent bags with bundles of glass tubes that were capped with various colors. Each was filled with a dark red liquid.
He supposed he could turn in the spoils he had recovered. Since he doubted that would make a redemption, why not make use of what he had found for himself?
So this was how defiance felt like? He wanted more.
The Devil glanced at the stretcher laid in parallel to the coding patient. There was a man with dark blue hair.
It didn't matter if he was a failure. To him, he had a good harvest.
Touka looked at the vacant futon, the shattered glass over the low shelf and the floor. Her eyes blurred at the big hole that had replaced her windows. She then found her husband's face.
It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. She was fighting against the answer that forced itself into her head. Her heart screamed, but she couldn't make a sound. Until...
"AYATO!!"