Chapter 22 – Their World
Another beautiful day!
Bright sun, a cool breeze!
Kaneki Ken stood before the full-length mirror, straightening his clothes.
It was a sharp, refined suit; every thread had been chosen with care, and even the tiniest details invisible to most eyes hid a designer's ingenuity.
Yet on Kaneki Ken it felt wrong, no matter how he adjusted it.
Every line hugged his body perfectly, but the figure in the glass looked… ill-fitting.
'What's going on?'
A nameless irritation flared; he yanked at his cufflink far more roughly than intended.
Crack!
The gold cufflink, stamped with the New Aogiri Tree crest, hit the floor.
Kaneki bent to retrieve it. From the corner of his eye the mirror showed a stranger—something terrifying—standing behind him.
He snapped upright, spun into a fighter's stance; only an open window met his eyes, mild wind stirring white curtains.
A second glance at the glass showed nothing but his own shaken reflection.
Everything looked exactly as always.
So why did the familiar sight make his heart lurch?
'What's wrong, my Grand Knight Commander?'
A soft body pressed against his back, steadying him.
He turned, embraced his wife, breathed the familiar scent of her hair; the unease ebbed.
'Nothing. Work's been stressing me lately, that's all.'
Kirishima Touka rose on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. 'And you, great man that you are, still insist on carrying the world alone? Trusting your comrades isn't so hard.'
'Ha! I've always been a self-important fool.'
Still bantering, Kaneki swept her up and carried her toward the dining table.
The aroma of food hit him; saliva flooded his mouth, his stomach growling.
'Let's see what feast you've made!'
Touka lay in his arms, smiling, and tapped his chest. 'Steak.'
Delight lit his face. On the table sat two glistening, fragrant cuts that made his fingers twitch.
'Wonderful!'
He hurried over, seated her, then dropped into the chair opposite.
'Smells incredible—your cooking's the best, Touka.'
She rested her chin on laced fingers, watching him. 'Eat before it gets cold.'
'Mm!'
Kaneki forked a juicy piece into his mouth—and, to her squealed protest—swallowed.
'Delicious!'
The steak vanished in moments. Leaning back, the two sat in companionable quiet.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell shattered the calm.
Touka gathered the plates. 'I'll wash; you greet our guest.'
Kaneki smiled and agreed.
Outside stood his lifelong friend, Nagachika Hideyoshi.
'Hide! What brings you? Come in!'
'Grand Knight Commander…'
The formal address—and the sorrow in Hide's eyes—sent a chill through Kaneki.
'W-what is it? Why call me that?'
Hide opened his mouth; no sound emerged.
At last he managed, voice flat: 'Recon picked up a signal in Cathedral Ward. They sent the location to Nishio and Ayato on patrol.
The thing had already killed a dozen civilians. Nishio lost his temper, went in alone…
It was too strong. First blow put Nishio down. When Ayato arrived with The Knights, they couldn't stop it either.
In the end… they both…'
He didn't finish; his face said everything.
Kaneki gripped the doorframe as the world lurched.
Crack!
From inside came the sound of porcelain shattering on tile.
'Damned pests.'
Roland, momentarily free of pursuit, stood atop a ruined high-rise and watched tens of thousands of Ghouls, Monstrosities and Clones sweep the broken streets below, hunting him.
'Monstrosities sit between A- and S-rated Ghouls; the one-eyed Clones are SS-Rank or higher.
Guys like Kirishima Ayato and Nishio Nishiki? In a straight fight they're solid SSS.
Individually I can drop any of them in ten seconds with Breathing Technique—but their numbers…'
Memory of the earlier clash darkened his face.
After he'd killed Ayato and Nishiki, more canon characters had jumped in: Tatara and Kuzen from the old Bronze Tree, 'Devil Ape' and 'Black Dog' from Anteiku, even CCG's Kuroiwa.
Former enemies now fought side-by-side, pressing him in perfect coordination.
Judging by the kill-prompts, every named character had thrown in with the New Aogiri Tree and received massive power-ups.
Add the hordes of Clones and Monstrosities, and grinding through them would burn resources he needed later.
So he fought a delaying retreat, weaving through rubble while edging toward The Nest at the city's heart.
'Their numbers keep climbing! They've some way to track me—pushing deeper is impossible; I'll have to thin them here.'
'He's here!'
A nimble Ghoul scaled the tower and shouted.
Instantly Roland was flanked.
Left: Devil Ape vaulted high, torqueing a piledriver fist.
Right: Black Dog swept low, claws flashing up toward his vitals.