---

In the end, the beast triumphed over reason. Hana watched as the new ghoul finally decided to snap and attack Takumi. It possibly was related because Takumi still smelled delicious, humanlike, and Hana herself would've been tempted to chew his succulent face off at times, had she not know the truth and was a tad feral like this woman who was attacking.

All masks had fell, and the pretenses of goodwill and politeness had tumbled down and crashed. Ghouls, in the end, were pitiful beasts, always prone to lash out answering their hunger. Unable to realize their potentials. Takumi was a gentle soul, one that had been forced to walk the path of ghouls despite being humans. Asoka had momentarily halted her desire to control to give this chance.

Only to fail.

Hana's Wrath was patent, as she sprung forth into action, the six Kagune knives she had produced earlier being tossed with surgical precision at the target. She had chosen only two weak points, having to eschew targetting the back of the neck due to how her target was moving. Even so, with her back turned at her, she would never notice how swiftly three shards embed deep into the base of each wing, with the intention of trying to damage the Kakuhous producing each of the Kagune's pieces.

But, that was far from Hana's action. No, that was just the opening of the attack, as Hana's Kakugan sprang to life, her Kagune bursting violently. With the speed of an Ukaku, she also sprung forth and lunged, her bee-like wings a sparkly blur closing the distance between her, and the struggling duo.

Bits and bobs of the pyjamas torso scattered everywhere, having the unfortunate consequence of partial nudity, but for Hana, nudity was just a human issue. Ghoul's skin was bulletproof, after all. Twin red eyes bore a hole in the skull of her target, a pronounced scowl full of disgust, and killing intent patent in her.

I had better hold back my most powerful attack a bit, lest I wreck the clinic or Takumi, although I have to resign to collateral damage. Anything less than .3 won't hurt this freak Her mind raced through calculations as she exhaled strongly...

...Unleashing a good thirty percent of her Kagune RC cells in a single attack eschewing even limits set by feral ghouls and usual common sense. The subsequent flechette explosion peppered Miyako's body, part of Takumi's and part of the clinic. It never hurt to use a strong double tap to be sure. If her opponent was a normal Ukaku ghoul, she'd be a hamburger by now.

But, alas, this was a kakuja who had sent Itsuki reeling.

"The nerve of some people! A-chan! Negotiations have fallen through!" Hana hollered. Others would have stood up and gloat, but not Hana. Her scowl now had an eerie feeling... It was similar to those of the Doves.

Please don't get up. Please stay down you freak

They still headed back towards the clinic even after Rin told him that he didn't need to pay attention to her and just do his own things. She was sort of his guardian at the moment she thought so herself. Walking after him they both became quiet making it quite awkward for the both of them. Itsuki broke the silence though with a normal question. Rin mumbled back at him while their feet taped along the pavement.

---

With that warning, she would enjoy a seat back at the kitchen with a new serving of whatever coffee Hana had in store for her guests. At this point, Asoka had zoned everything out and conferring babysitting duty to the more 'righteous' and 'diplomatic' ones of the gang. The inevitable ruckus they would produce would leave her absolutely unfazed to a point where she'd simply read articles as if she were in a peaceful spot in a tranquil park. Considering her student life and orientation toward the more shady businesses, it wasn't uncommon for her to come across such commotions in a regular basis. It was all a question of mindset at this point.

How to lose that pesky thigh fat in five easy steps? Pffff, I wonder how the ghouls in America feel with all that disgusting fat filling at least ... Half the population.

She mused as the real craziness began just a room away. Kagunes were being released, people being headbutted and doctors losing their shit. The next page was turned, and only giggles would escape Asoka's lips with the occasional sip from her coffee mug. She truly wasn't bluffing when saying she'd stay away from it all for the period of time she had given to her fellow ghouls. Though it seemed the Mercury had not been wrong with her approach from the very start. Perhaps one day they would all learn the wonders of Asokaism and convert to the one and only religion.

A few stray Ukaku shards would blast through the corridor's exit that led to the Kitchen, causing a suspended clock to fall over and crash. They prompted Asoka to only peer over at the destroyed decoration. Eyes squinting, the short ghoul noted that they were quite powerful for some casual Ukaku barrage, especially considering the completely obliterated state of the shattered machinery. Hopefully that newcomer ghoul wasn't THAT strong, otherwise there'd actually be some asses to kick.

Then Hana called, confirming what the Bikaku had been hearing all this time. The tyrant smirked before turning a page again. She didn't respond just yet, she let a little pause occur in case more interesting carnage was to be captured by her acute hearing.

"Huh? 'Kay."

Would be the response given to Hana, one completely indifferent to the whole situation.

Soon they'll learn~ Just four more to go ...

"That's something I'd rather not get into, so let's just say that things could've been better and leave it at that. Itsuki was aware that this sounded harsher then he meant it to, but he didn't wish to burden Rin with stories of how badly his life had gone to shit after they all had lost contact with each other. Not only that, but he didn't think he would be able to do it without having another breakdown, something he wasn't very eager to do. As the two walked, he tried to think of something else to ask or say to his youngest sibling. "Do you still go to school, like Asoka, or are you just working and surviving like Hana."

Speaking of his other siblings, he couldn't help the feeling of incompetence that washed over him. He hadn't done anything notable with his life, not even in the slightest, while it seemed like everyone else seemed to make something of their lives after losing the old man. While it may not be all in line with the old man's wishes, they were at least living like civilized human beings. Itsuki, however, was merely surviving, fighting for every day like a lone wolf, knowing that his end could come at any moment. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to live any other way after his stint in what was likely the closest approximation to hell that he could even imagine. Every day had been a struggle, restful sleep was a pale dream, and he had let his humanity shrivel and die in the name of hollow revenge. All I can do, it seems, is kill , feel sorry for myself, and think about better days. No matter how hard I tried to change myself, these have always been parts of myself that I can't divorce myself from. *Sigh* Truly a rather self-absorbed world view.

@Liferusher



Takeshi was, for lack of a better word, rather surprised by the outcome of the current confrontation. Not what happened, as he hadn't trusted the suspicious ghoul the moment she'd popped in out of nowhere. No, what surprised him was how fast and vicious the situation seemed to be handled, with the nice guy from before suddenly bashing his head into that of the other ghoul while Hana burst into action. He was behind her, so he was spared from the torrent of razor sharp shards. That didn't leave him any less terrified by the display of power. Really glad I didn't get to close to that, or else I'd be dead. No way I'd be able to avoid any of those.

The sound of the ruckus brought the rest of his family to the fore, with Kazuya seeming ready to charge right in, but Takeshi made a quick motion for everyone to stay in their rooms. Kazuya paid him no heed, walking out of his room with his Kagune at the ready, while Mii and the Twins just looked on from their hidings spots, staring at the destruction with worry on their faces. Ignoring his brother, Takeshi kept his Kagune out, though in a more defensive stance then the other, not even hazarding the thought of getting into the middle of the coming clash. It would only end with him either getting killed or getting in the way, quite possibly both, now that he took the time to think about it.

_{"Kazuya, don't do anything stupid! We don't stand a chance if we get involved in this.} Takeshi whispered, getting an annoyed glare from Kazuya as his brother stated the obvious.

_{No shit, but there's no fuckin' way I'm going to just stay in the room and wait around while shit goes down. Besides, you're almost hopeless by yourself when it comes to fighting, so leaving you by yourself as a buffer between us and this crazy bitch isn't going to do much, is it?"}

Needless to say, Kazuya's statement brought out a significant amount of anger from Takeshi, but he just barely managed to keep himself in check due to the dire situation at hand. While he was pretty sure that three ghouls would be able to hold things down pretty nicely, he also knew that a cornered ghoul was much, much more dangerous, and thus they had to thread softly lest she suddenly lashes out with something they're not expecting.

@Pirouette@AtomicNut@Savato

Letting Loose - 3rd Ward - Hana's Clinic

---

Miyako was a bit taken by surprise as the friendliest Ghoul in the room quickly turned his fate around and went on the offensive. The hard bash of the man's forehead certainly didn't feel nice, but it did sort of snap Mi out of her trance-like state for a moment. Unfortunately it was only to fully survey the sullen turn of events that were happening before her. She had no qualms with fighting and killing, even if parties were innocent, but all of this seemed an unnecessary strain on her already depleted body. It was frustrating to think she was powerless to prevent these malicious urges as it only made things harder.

Of course that wasn't the only thing Mi got to experience fully.. as if her other side had known what was coming, Mi felt a series of sharp pains in her back as six knives were stabbed at the base of her wings. Mi let out a pained yelp, sounding mostly in shock but also hurt. At the moment, she couldn't fathom what had just happened as her and Takumi stopped their struggle for a moment. The whole sequence could not have been choreographed better as Mi turned her head around to see that the pyjama-wearing Ghoul had come up from her wailing and sprung forth. Held in place, Mi wanted to move to avoid an incoming attack and turned back to face the man just at the moment Hana had let forth her shrapnel explosion.

Mi, of course, took the worst of the explosion, feeling shards of RC cells shredding her backside and Ukaku, spraying a fine mist from of her own RC cells on and around Takumi. Who, speaking of which, had also probably taken some damage as Mi was released so that she fell forward almost falling flat on her stomach but catching herself just before with her hands just before her face impacted.

The damage, visible through her now shredded shirt, was extensive as her backside had been ripped apart as her many wounds began to bleed. A faint labored pant could be heard if the others present strained their ears to listen, otherwise, her chest and back pumped with each breath. As Mi quietly reflected, she could feel the blood trickle down and soak her shirt or drop to the ground beneath her. Her head still ached from that earlier rattling it received but that was nothing compared to the sharp, throbbing pain those daggers and shards were doing each time Mi took a breath in and out. Things looked desperate and when things looked this way, Mi had only one option left...

There was never really a time that Mi had to let loose and retaining at least some control was always preferred, but sometimes the situation called for Mi to just... let go. So without a pang of regret, Mi did just that fully expecting that her fate was still up in the air. With a deep breath, she felt her consciousness drift back into her head as something else began to take over. Her Kakuja, released fully.

The quiet rhythmic breaths of Mi were not interrupted by the sound of what seemed like crunching bone. It probably wouldn't take the others present to notice but a sort of crystalline bone was growing over Mi's arms and legs. After the process started, a faint giggle started coming from Mi before it got loud enough for everyone present to hear. "...Heheh. You guys play very rough.", Mi said in between giggles as she lifted herself up to her knees presenting the almost complete transformation to Takumi. Her face was now covered with something that looked like a deer's skull as horns continued to grow from the top of the head. Her arms were encased in that bony crystal as well as her feet, forming sort of talons now. Her body was still forming a sort of ribcage around itself.

It wasn't visible but Mi was now smiling, apparently delighted with everything. She lifted her arm and pointed at Takumi, making a gun shape with her fingers. "Bang.", she said suddenly snapping her hand upward, and without warning, the gooey RC liquid that Miyako had been secreted this whole time suddenly and violently all sprouted crystalline spikes over varying lengths, diameters, and even direction of growth as each crystalline spike randomly sought out to impale an unwary Ghoul. Takumi was likely to get the worst of it as Mi had shed plenty of cells in his direction when Hana blasted her from behind. Mi, of course, was spared as she was always careful not to trigger the traps around herself.

This wasn't all Mi had planned, either. With her sudden trick likely surprising all, she quickly leapt to her feet and charged Takumi with a greater speed and reaction time before. This time when charging him, she leapt her and spun, flinging her leg looking to slam her now taloned foot into the side of the man's head. In one fluid motion, however, she would continue her spin and face Hana before firing off a barrage of her own shards towards Hana before, again, using her momentum to spin around and look to violently slam her taloned fist into Takumi's head to further daze and wound him.

The children off in the corner hadn't gone unnoticed and after Mi was done with Takumi, she turned to charge at them. Interested to gauge their strength, she would fire a barrage of her crystals to 'soften' them up for her approach. But Mi had a more devious plan in mind as she aimed to lure Hana in closer to fire a point blank volley of RC cells.

Takumi Miyamoto - Overgrow
Third Ward, Sakura Clinic, Fourth Floor

---

Takumi’s eyes locked on his opponent, ensuring that even the slightest of her movements could not escape his vigilant gaze. Naturally, the fact that she had suddenly been sent reeling by the sixfold set of blades lodged into her back did not escape him either. Still, the surprisingly hurt - almost regretfully so - nature of her reaction captivated him for a few scant seconds. A look crossed his face, looking not too dissimilar to the confusion painted by his enemy's expression, before being erased by a mental shake of the head. Inwardly, he chided himself for failing to seize the opportunity and growing so dreadfully soft these days. He was all too aware of the impact that mere moments could have on the tide of battle. He quickly glanced to the knife thrower himself.

The look on Hana’s face and the preparatory sounds of her kagune gave Takumi an inkling as to what would come next. He quickly let go of the girl, and crossed his now-free arms protectively over his exposed body parts - the face and upper torso - as he dug a heel into the carpet - all to brace himself for the coming attack.

“...Kuh...!”

He’d been expecting something big, but perhaps not quite as explosive as that. Of course, he was larger than the target, and inaccuracy was an unavoidable consequence of initiating such a high-yield offense, so he couldn’t fault Hana for the flechettes cutting into his arms, and leaving shallow incisions along the outline of his body. Fortunately, his opponent took the brunt of the blow for him.

Takumi let out a long, hiss-like exhalation before straightening back out, ready for another round. In that moment, it was as if he had exhaled pain rather than breath. And with crimson spatter across his face and arms dripping in sanguine, he was looking more and more like an implacable monster.

The irony was not lost on him.

‘Damn it,’ the half-ghoul thought, pulling shrapnel from his arms during the unspoken ceasefire between himself and the girl. He bore an expression of visible discomfort - not from pain, but from the increasing awareness of his own stomach churning. He took another breath to center himself. This pause wasn’t doing him much good; all these feelings and thoughts were throwing him off. Right now, the only things he needed to concern himself with were his opponent and the people he had to defend. Everything else could come later.

But first, there was something he had to do.

“Hey, Ukaku Girl,” Takumi called out to the wounded ghoul, “It’s fine if you wanna call it quits. I’m not particularly in the mood for murder tonight.” It was true enough, even if they had, based on any rational assessment, clearly already gone beyond the point of no return. There wasn’t even an inkling as to what the terms of such a surrender were; to everyone else it would seem like he was talking out of his ass - or maybe that he was just naive enough to not account for anyone else’s less scrupulous ideas.

But Article 13, subsection two of the Ghoul Countermeasures Law stated that an investigator wasn’t to cause a ghoul any more harm than necessary, and although he wasn’t operating in any official CCG capacity, not offering would’ve left a bad taste in the young man’s mouth.

“Alright.” The resulting sound of bone crunching into place, and the first glimpses of the crimson crystalline exoskeleton were the silent answer he needed, but wasn’t necessarily looking for. ‘Kakuja? Suits me just fine,’ he thought cockily. The more ghoulish an enemy became, the more well-suited to fighting them he’d be. At least in theory.

“In-ter-es-ting,” Takumi half hummed, “And I thought the Tengu would be the only bird of prey here.” While Miyako was busy showboating her new form, the half-ghoul began assessing her kakuja for weaknesses. If he could land a good strike on her core vitals before the ribcage fully extended, he’d be golden. With the armor up, she’d be faster and tougher than before. He’d have to adjust his timing to compensate for the speed deficiency. Subtly, he took a slight step forward and-

“Bang.”

-was promptly assailed by the pain of a thousand needles. ’Shit, kagune trap,’ he cursed, huffing and staring down at his punctured body.

...In the back of his head, he could hear her voice scolding him, telling him that he was doing it wrong.

Fortunately, the nature of their positioning during Hana’s attack ensured that the RC cell spread was kept away from his core vitals and his brain. Instead, the brunt of the crystalline needles dug into his obliques, posterior forearms, and thighs. Perhaps not as directly crippling as his opponent had hoped, but sufficient to disrupt his mobility.

It was a shame; he’d really have preferred freedom of movement right now.

“Grrh…” Takumi threw his torso to the side inelegantly, causing spikes in one side to dig deeper and spikes on the other to be shorn short. But even if it hadn’t hit his head, it had still brought him to the floor. He brought a hand to his side, where once circular pinpoints were now torn flaps of flesh, slowly regenerating. “Neat... trick...” With every pause and breath, he grabbed a fistful of spikes and snapped them into stubs, allowing for freer movement. He still had the spikes embedded into him, but he could deal with pain easier than a mobility handicap.

That decision certainly came in handy when he rolled out of the way of the talon aimed to crush his face.

He caught the kakuja ghoul turning her attention to the children, and for the first time in this fight, he begun to fear. In a fraction of a second, he replayed the battle in his mind’s eye, and in doing so, he began to realize how he’d been brought so low by such a diminished opponent: he’d grown complacent. Although he was of superior condition, he had underestimated the strength of a cornered rat. And now the kids would pay.

Although it might have been too late, he refused to allow others, let alone the children, to suffer in his stead

Takumi steeled his expression, and in these tumultuous seconds, found himself turning to comforting familiarity. He was unobtrusive in getting to his feet. His left eye went dark and a metallic slithering sound emanated from his shoulders. ‘The target is ~SS-rate “Crazy Ukaku Bitch”. ‘ With her attention focused on the kids, her relatively unarmored back was laid bare to him. He broke out into the fastest sprint he could muster in his condition. The metal tentacle became a polearm in his hands, and his mouth uttered two words that would chill the blood of any ghoul:

”Begin extermination.”

From behind the charging she-ghoul came Takumi, aiming to levy a powerful koukaku slash across her exposed back before she could reach the kids, followed by a quick thrust to the heart. No, that was wrong. He would hesitate - but from which kind of weakness, he couldn’t tell - and the trajectory of his thrust would be altered to strike towards the right lung instead.

---

She did get up, and she was transforming. Even after all this damage, she was still going to retaliate. Hana's scowl intensified as she witnessed how her all-out sudden attack had failed to take the other ghoul out, pissing her off in the process. Cautiously, she wasted no time in putting distance as the other ghoul went to transform and had a couple of one liners in her spiel.How can she even talk after that!!? She thought.

Worst of all, there would be no reinforcements. That self-centered bitch of Asoka was still in the kitchen, being smug.

Hana's scowl was briefly replaced by shock when the subsequent Kagune trap erupted around her. While she was far enough to avoid the worst of it, it seemed that the crazy female had double tapped Takkun after her initial vicious attack had inflicted a bad case of friendly fire. It seemed that Hana was far from the only tricky one in this fight, she thought while avoiding the ukaku flechette fire with minor cuts.

What's she doin---OH no, NO NO NO!!! Hana mentally screamed, as in a fit of panic after she went around the kids. The only ones whose innocence could not be questioned, and preferably the ones that should be spared. Young fledlings of the ghoul race. In Hana's warped sense of duty and morale scale, this was the one thing she valued above her own life and intelligence.

This probably was her plan all along, but Hana had no choice but to jump headfist into the bitch's trap. Spreading wide her arms and Kagune, she took all the shards that were aimed at the kids, and sending herself reeling and wounded.

"GET INTO YOUR ROOMS!" She urged at the wide eyed youths, as she hacked blood. Bitch had even managed to puncture a lung with so few shards. And this was probably an opener. Hana felt a sensation of dread. Flatfooted against her opponent, speeding, and about to mince her to meat.

The worst possible condition. She readied her Kagune, or whatever hadn't been affected by the flechette storm, and crystalized all of it at once. With a swift move, she interlocked her bee wings above her head and shoulders, protecting the back of her neck.

"I don't play." Hana finally answered to her opponent, as she threw headfirst towards the wild Ukaku in a very low stance, her wings as shield. The Kagune was to be sacrificed. Her legs could be sacrificed. Her arms could be torn. She didn't need it for this kind of attack. An attack primal, brutal, but incredibly pragmatic.

While Kagune were a favoured means of attack, there was only other thing a ghoul had that could pierce ghoul flesh and skin.

Her teeth.

And Hana would waste no time in boring her way into the Ukaku's uncovered Navel. She knew anatomy with her eyes blindfolded. She knew where to aim. And like that, Hana, the ghoul doctor, threatened to tear the Kakuja's LIVER with her bare TEETH.

Takeshi

"W-What the hell!?!?" Takeshi whispered under his breath in fearful awe as the crazy ghoul not only got back up after taking a crazy amount of punishment from the two adult ghouls, but then she began to transform, the sounds of bones cracking in and out of place as a crimson armor began to adorn her slender frame. Takeshi was frozen in fear by the mere sight of what he'd come to know as a Kajuka, and as it bwgan to display it's power by slamming down on Takumi, Takeshi was thinking that this was the end for him. This thought only seemed to become all to real as the monstrosity turned her gaze towards him, the empty sockets of the deer skull seeming to burrow a hole right through his soul.

As she launched herself forward, she sent a barrage of Ukaku shards barreling at the two at speeds faster than they could ever hope to dodge. Takeshi couldn't move a muscle, frozen like a deer in headlights, while Kazuya turbed and began to pull his brother to him, planning to shiekd him with his own body. However, both were surprised when Hana seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of them, taking the entire barrage upon herself as she screamed at them to run into the room, way too much blood flying from her mouth as she spoke. Kazuya simpkly nodded, dragging the shell-shocked Takeshi behind him into the room with Mii and the twins, who were currently huddle by the bed, terrified. It wasn't until the door slammed shut that Takeshi came to her senses, suddenly turning to make a grab for the door handle, only to get a fist launched into his face by Kazuya, his face quickly shifting from shocked disbelief to anger as he pulled his younger brother up by his collar, screaming in his face as he seemed about ready to punch him again.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? THAT WO-HANA JUST SAVED OUR FUCKIN' LIVES BY TAKING THAT HIT FOR US, AND YOU'RE ALREADY TRYING TO FUCKING LOSE IT AGAIN!!!

THAT'S WHY I CAN'T JUST SIT HERE AND HIDE!!! DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER OUT THERE? SHE COULD DIE, KAZUYA, AND IF I DON.T GO OUT THERE-"

"Then nothing will change, except you throwing your life away and making her sacrifice that much more wasted." Takeshi's response was cut of by the low, cold tone of his sibling, the two looking each other in the eyes with a fierce intensity. "You said it yourself, Takeshi, we can't do shit to anyone on the otherside of that door. I know you want go help her, hell, I want to rush out there and give that fugly bitch a piece of my mind. But I can't, and neither can you. We're weak, Takeshi, and all we can do is wait . . . and hope.

Kazuya simp y dropped his Takeshi as he finished speaking, closing his eyes before finding a place on the wall to sit against. All the while, all of the childrem could see how much he, the Oldest of them all, was shaking like a leaf.

Looking diwn at his own hands, Takeshi could see his body was doing much the same, no matter how much he tried to will it otherwise. As Kazuya's words sunk in, tne red haired boy couldn't help but cry, ashamed at his own weakness. And as he deteriorated into a sobbing, fearful mess, he waited for the door befiore him to open . . . and hoped that Hana would be the one to do it . . . or Takumi, hell, even the tiny Tyrant would be preferable to what awauted them if it were that . . . that thing.

Stomach Pains - 3rd Ward - Hana's Clinic

---

The little monster would cackle as she took full advantage of the weak fledglings and forced the female Ukaku to expose herself to Mi’s attack. The thrill of her revenge only just now starting just about distracted her enough to forget about the boy wonder who had also sprang into action behind her. The man’s feet slapped against the floor was Mi’s first clue and as she began to turn around, she saw the man charging in her peripheries. However, despite the man’s head start with his full on charge, Mi, due to the disparity of her speed with Takumi’s, was fully capable of turning and leaping away. It was a close, for sure, as Takumi’s kagune would grind up against the front of Mi’s chest armor, grinding off particles from her armor with a spark. The force of the action had the unintentional effect of spinning Mi about just enough to see Hana charging forth, teeth barred…

It wasn’t the first time Mi had someone bore into her like this. Hana’s teeth found it’s initial mark and bit right into Mi’s stomach, but she held on as the two began to fall to the ground. Despite everything about Mi’s Kakuja being much stronger than the other, getting surprised mid leap and being quite the bit of a lightweight, there was still nothing she could really do to prevent Hana from knocking her momentum out from under her feet so that she would fall backwards with Hana bearing down on her.

Mi landed with a thud with Hana landing on top of her. Her head still buried into Mi’s stomach in a tight bite, but now that they had stopped moving, Hana began violently using her teeth to tear into Mi’s unprotected flesh. Mi shrieked from the surprise because no matter how demented you were, being eaten was always sort of a shocking thing.

Miyako didn’t waste any time in prying off her assailant and quickly reached down and grabbed Hana by the roots of her hair. She pulled hard on the other’s head, trying to yank Hana up from her stomach, and then to further her defense, Mi stuck out her thumb on her other hand and violently tried to ram it right into Hana’s eye using her boney armor around her thumb as a weapon. Regardless of hitting the eye or not, the hard impact from the sharp crystalline bone would probably cause some bad facial damage and enough for Mi to continue to pull the ravenous Hana from her stomach and toss her aside by the roots of her hair.

Takumi Minamoto - Stop
Third Ward, Sakura Clinic, Fourth Floor

---

A sharp exhalation matched the pitched screech of Takumi’s spear clashing with Miyako’s kakuja breastplate. The brief clash between himself and the target quickly revealed that he couldn’t simply rely on compatibility to compensate for the vast difference in ‘ghoulishness’ with his opponent. Perhaps if he were better fed and less wounded, but those weren’t issues that he had the liberty of addressing at the moment.

’A few centimeters more accurate and perhaps I could have dealt more than a glancing blow,’ he noted, very intentionally using his remaining forward momentum to slip past the kakuja ghoul. Although this left his back quite exposed, it soon became clear why he had done so: if he had remained, he would have been caught in the savage struggle between Hana, her teeth, and the kakuja’s organs.

In other words, the improvised flanking maneuver had been executed successfully, albeit not quite in the way he had expected.

With an unnecessarily dramatic spear-twirl, Takumi shaved off excess momentum, ensured his spear didn’t end up buried in Hana’s nice wallpaper, and turned back around quickly and elegantly. Without wasting time, he connected his false quinque to his kagune, altering it as he assessed the situation.

The opponent was armored, fast, and had the capacity to release kagune traps - perhaps having something to do with those strange secretions of hers? - but also wounded, and more importantly, immobilized. Therefore, speed was now a non-factor. Taking the potential of friendly fire into account, that meant what was required here was a precise strike that could disregard armor.

And so, the head of the spear became the head of a warhammer.

Concussive force was something that even the hardest of armor wouldn’t be able to defend against. The weight characteristic of koukaku kagune would ensure maximum kinetic energy distribution. The shape of her mask would ensure a large target area, or a focal point to focus that energy in the “nose”. Immobilization would force her to choose between trying to throw Hana off and catching his attack with her wings, which would sustain the damage instead. And he could always attack again.

As the two girls struggled for dominance, they might have noticed Takumi’s shadow slowly encompassing them. “Please try holding her down for a little bit longer, nee-san,” Takumi requested politely, raising the koukaku hammer skyward and lining up the shot on her head. “Kakuja-chan needs to take a brief rest.”

Then he dropped the hammer.

Ad nauseum.

---

Nauseating. Wet. Smelly. Gross. Chewy. Rough. Unsanitary. Hana dug inside the other ghouls' belly resisting her urge to puke, her taste and smell flaring up as they gave obvious signals of discomfort. Utterly coarse and disgusting, that was how ghoul meat was like. And yet, with each bite, the grip on her opponent faltered. She was inching closer and closer. Her last ditch effort doubled in intensity as she realized she had pinned her opponent down, and no further damages had been taken. A turn of events, as a rush urged her to continue. Feast on the fallen.

She felt disgusting, and filthy. Something seemed to have died inside. Was this how Kakuja were born? Out of self-loathing and desperation?

And then, a sharp tug announced that her opponent was not done her. Indeed, for how fierce her bite was, it was quite the labor to tear apart the muscles protecting the visceral cavity. The overaching, maddened strenght of her opponent, no, prey was threatening to rip her scalp apart as she yanked her outside her objective...

And she swallowed. For all the love of the world. She swallowed that disgusting meat in surprise, feeling it crawling in a slow but nauseating spiral towards her stomach. That sprung up to her senses, just in time to notice a claw that ravaged her left side of the face, avoiding the loss of an eye by a tiny margin.

Takumi's words were like an echo, as the kakuja was clearly going to counterattack. Hana was tired. She was disgusted. Her fire was extinguishing. She knew... she couldn't win as is. She was going to die, despite the cannibalism act rejuvenating her wounds somewhat.

"So...sorry." She managed to utter as she was being pried apart. She, as a ghoul, couldn't beat such a foe. It was then when it dawned on her, as she eyed the gaping wound of the other ghoul. She had two hands.

She had tools.

She had knowledge.

Crimson exploded in front of Miyako, as Hana's scalp was torn apart, cleanly, with a cut. Hana's hand bore a bloody-scalpel like shard, her exposed head bleeding profusely now. Just a little more. She could do this.

The armed hand dived in Miyako's midsection. Her other hand locked on the open wound.

"LIVER! PANCREAS! PORTAL VEIN! STOMACH! SPLEEN! KIDNEYS! AORTA!" She yelled in top of her lungs, with all her rage, pain and spite. She cut and cut. She had no regard for finesse. All it mattered was putting as many cuts and destroying as many internal organs as possible before she run out. The kagune dagger broke, her naked hand now worming her way in.

"AND HEART!" She added, hysterically. But she could never finish her target properly, as she passed out, her body going limp like a marionette after the effort.

Itsuki snapped to another tone when Rin asked what he was up too. He definitly didn't want to talk about what had happened in between the times they met. Rin averted her gaze from his and turned her head slightly away from him in hurted manner but didn't seem all that bothered by it. There was a small silence after he ended his line but he didn't want to leave the mood at that and continued their small talk while they kept the same pace back towards the clinic.



Rin turned her gazed to the pavement in front of them and displayed a small smile. She was at least a little happy about her situation. Never back to that horrible time from before, that is what she was striving for. Rin turned quiet again, she wasn't much of a talker.

---

"Uhhhh. . . make any friends?" Itsuki asked, noting with reluctance that this conversation was going rather poorly. Looking around for something to direct his attention to as they walked, he noted a some children walking across the street. They were young, and seemed to be on their way to school given the uniforms. As he watched them walk, he thought back to the days back when the old man was still alive. Could they ever have those days back, he wondered, ever get along like they used to? Takumi seemed to be okay, though also seemed to be struggling a bit. Hana had changed a bit, and while he still pissed with her, after sometime to cool off, he understood why she'd gone after him like that. He was being a bit difficult, seeking into self-pity and being less then helpful. That being the case, he didn't really think she was entirely justified either. She was pressing him for information on a ghoul he'd only just met as if it was going to be a problem. She was just some random crazy, they were a dime-a-dozen in the ghoul underworld, so why get so hooked up about it.

Thinking about that Crazy Ukaku Bitch brought his mind back to the fact that he was without any shelter for the night. That wasn't a huge problem, but it would be annoying if the weather turned bad. He considered asking Rin if he could stay with her for a bit, but rejected the thought, not wanting to impose on her. Besides, he doubted that he'd make for a good house guest either if the previous night was anything to go by. Coming out his thoughts, he scratched at one of the wounds under his shirt, which were done healing up for the most part by now.

"Rin, you been in any fights since the old man died?

@liferusher

Finishing Touches - 3rd Ward - Hana's Clinic

---

There was something to be said about the tenacity of that pajama wearing freak. To have sustained such injuries at this point, scalp herself, and still going was nothing short of remarkable but this was a detail that was completely missed by Mi at this point as Hana plunged her hand down into the Mi’s open wound. Mi wailed a pained cry as she felt the reckless butchering inside her abdomen that slowly was cutting upwards towards more vital regions.

It was honestly better that Mi, herself, had taken the backseat at this point to her other side as the amount of beastly adrenaline and psychosis had prevented Mi from passing out. Mi spattered blood from her mouth as Hana’s dagger found some sensitive organs. Feeling threatened, Mi used her now free hands to grab ahold of Hana by her bicep, talons sinking in as she tried to hold Hana’s arm in place in order to prevent it from sinking in further. Although weakened, Mi was still capable of holding Hana at bay, perhaps even to remove her arm from her stomach as well. However, there was that other one to contest with as his looming shadow was finally noticed by the struggling Mi, but a moment too late…

Takumi’s koukaku hammer was in mid-swing by the time Mi had realized what he was doing. At this point, her options were a bit limited with Hana’s arm elbow deep in Mi’s abdomen, so she let instinct take over. Hana’s resistance had slowed, even halted now as the pajama-wearing butcher had fainted. Mi still kept one hand around Hana’s bicep but felt safe enough to use the other to withdraw and protect her face.

Perhaps there were better plans for dealing with this, but the only one Mi had confidence in was the swiftness. Her arm could be in a better position to protect her head than her Ukaku, which would have taken considerably longer to swing around and harden before the hammer came down. Time, Mi probably didn’t have. So she positioned her forearm to protect her face and closed her eyes hoping for the best.
Full force of Takumi’s hammer came down on top of Mi’s armored forearm. It shattered her armor as it continued its swing down to Mi’s arm, which trapped between the hammer and Mi’s armored forehead, broke in a nauseating crunch as her ulna was crushed underneath the head of the hammer, ushering a pained grunt from Mi. Despite the damage, Mi’s head was protected as the remaining force from the hammer only managed to slightly crack the boney head plate around the eye socket. But she survived and now wasn’t too pleased.

Mi’s Ukaku hardened and she turned just enough to fire a point blank volley to Takumi as she delicately pulled Hana’s arm from her midsection. Once free, she pushed the unconscious Hana aside and quickly tried to scamper away and put some distance between her and Takumi in addition to returning to her feet. However, she only managed to turn over onto her healthy hand and knees before she pretty much vomited blood from her mouth as the shifting remains of her organs rattled inside. Blood had also began to pour out of Mi’s midsection as severed arteries leaked her fluids. With all her damaged sustained, she collapsed down onto her stomach before managing to roll to her back. Her healthy arm reached around and tried to cover her midsection.

A keen eye could see some faint smoke creeping out of her stomach as her Ghoul anatomy allowed healing wounds at a rapid pace but at this point Mi was too depleted. She could feel it and had to prioritize the regeneration of her damaged internal tissues in order just to survive the next few minutes. But this was it. Even Mi’s Kakuja could see how grim the situation was. Even if Takumi had sustained serious injury from that short burst of fletchette fire, the kids or that other naggy ghoul could easily finish Mi off. She was pretty much spent. Thus, Mi’s other side resorted to a tactic that prioritized survival, at least that’s how an outsider might see it. To Mi, it was just another cruel trick that it liked to play on poor Mi.

Miyako, the real Miyako, had suddenly rushed back into focus as her Kakuja relinquished control to her. Almost immediately, Mi felt the agony of her insides and whimpered as she painfully leaned up just enough to witness her blood (probably some of Hana’s, too) drenched in the remains of her clothes and pooling around her at the moment. Mi fell back down onto her back as her mind quickly tried to catch up with everything, trying not to panic as the increased breathing rate pained her each time she heaved in and out. Mi was so distressed, that she hadn’t even noticed her arm was broken as she moved it over her midsection, her lower part of that arm hanging limp as it flopped onto her abdomen.

This was it, Miyako thought to herself. She was probably going to die here and despite all of Mi’s very controlled and quiet nature, this was the one thing that broke her. Realization that she was going to die. Mi’s chest heaved as she stuttered while her eyes began to water. “I-I-I di-di-didn’t w-want this!” She cried out as she began to quietly weep as she turned to find Takumi, remembering his earlier good nature. “P-p-please…I-I don’t want to.. B-but I couldn’t help it. I-I just don’t.. want to die.” Mi begged, trying to recover from yet another disaster that her Kakuja had put her in.

Rin turned her head to look away from Itsuki, her expression harsher than before. She never was really good at socializing with others. She doubted anyone would want to see her twice after the things she did and said to others. Things just flopped out of her mouth without realising how hard it could come over. Rin shifted her head over towards the front of her.



Rin turned her head further towards Itsuki to look up at him with a somewhat curious expression over head face. If that was to describe from her monotone looking expression all the time that is.

Rin her nose twitched for a moment. She was sure she was smelling something, must have been everyone at the clinic since they were getting closer.

Itsuki asked her if she had been in any fights, she wasn't sure how many it had been. A fight every so often was regular to her so it was difficult to keep up on how many times it had been. If she perhaps had to go to a doctor it was easier to keep track off but that was out of the question as ghoul.



A small silence fell before Rin sniffed a few more times. She could tell that everyone was still there but also the strong smell of blood and another presence other than there were before. This could mean business. Blood was never good other than for food.



Rin told Itsuki in a clam monotone tone. She looked a little more serious about this then she did before.

"It just . . . happens, I guess." Itsuki shrugged at her question, quite unsure about that himself. He'd had never really had friends himself, to be honest, tending to keep to himself more often then not. As Rin went on about the fights, however, Itsuki found himself distracted by a familiar smell. He couldn't place it at first, but the more he focused on it, the colder he began to feel. Without conscious thought, he started walking faster, his eyes dilating as the scent kept getting stronger and stronger. He didn't even hear Rin's second question, not stopping as he burst through the doors, much to the displeasure of those working the clinic.

Itsuki made a beeline from the man from before, grabbing his shoulder and turning him away from his patient and towards the elevator. The man, of course, tried to struggle but Itsuki cut him off with as concise an update as possible, keeping enough in mind about where he was to whisper the information to him.

_{"I smell blood upstairs. Lots of it.}

The implication was clear, and the man was quick to let himself be dragged into the elevator, inserting the key in order for it to go all the way up to the needed floor.He waited just long enough for Rin to get in if she was following him, then gave the man a solemn nod as he pressed the button for the 4th floor. As the doors closed and they were taken to the selected floor, all that could be heard was the rapid tapping of his foot, the panic he felt slowly, but surely, slipping though the cracks in his composure.

It's my fault. This is all my fault. I never should've come here. Taking a breath in an attempt to calm himself, Itsuki began to gnaw on one of his fingers, the force he exerted onit being enough to actually draw blood. If anything happened to them, then that Crazy Bitch won't live to regret what she's done.

The ding of the elevator arriving at it's destination shook him out of his thoughts, but before the doors even opened, he knew all he needed to know. The scent of blood was thick, and as the doors opened to reveal the bloody scene before him, it was all that was needed to whip him into a furious rage. Stepping out into the small area, his white Kakugan nearly glowing from the intensity of his glare as his Kagune burst from his back, all six of them whipping about like a nest of angry vipers. As soon as he was close enough, they'd converge on Mi's downed form, the clawed appendages sinking deep into her flesh as she was pulled upwards into the air. Within moments, she'd be wrapped up by Itsuki's Rinkaku, the jagged scales painfully tearing into any exposed skin and the open wound in her side, along with a great amount of force being exerted on crushing her small frame. Bracing her against the wall, his eyes burning with white-hot rage,Itsuki would silently wrap his fingers around her throat, squeezing down with all the force he could muster. Between his Rinkaku and his hands, he didn't think it would take long, especially in her current condition.

How dare you do this. The thought ran through his head. How dare you come in here and hurt my family!I'll kill you. I'll kill you, I'll tear you're body to shreds, I'll paint these halls red with your blood for what you did.

As Itsuki squeezed tighter and tighter, a small grin began to from, a look of hunger shining in his dead white eyes. The pulse in his veins was racing, his breath was quickening, synapses were firing in his brain. Somewhere, deep in his mind, he knew that this wasn't right, that he wasn't killing this girl for what she did to his family. No, he wanted revenge, bloody, bloody revenge.

And more than that. . . he missed this feeling. No matter how much he denied this to himself, deep down, he missed this. The feeling of power, of control, of total domination that could only be obtained when you had another life in your hands. He had discovered this power deep in those dank sewers, and it grew alongside with his desire for vengeance, pushing him deeper and deeper into the darkness of his own heart.

He wasn't the same as before, when his parents died, when the old man died, when Hiyori died. He had been weak then, but this strength that he had cultivated, this power that he had groomed and perfected. . . it made him strong. This girl's life was now his, and as she struggled pitifully against him, he savored every last bit of this moment, every little breath before the end.

@liferusher
@Pirouette
@AtomicNut
@Grey
@Savato

That wasn't really a great answer so to say but hearing something like this from her made her a tad more sure that he didn't make all too much friends either. Rin shifted her head to the side and made a small pout. This wasn't satisfying at all.

Without a word Itsuki moved faster towards the clinic. Rin almost couldn't keep up with her smaller legs but still arrived only a little later at the front of the clinic. The intense smell had already made clear that there was a lot of blood on the top floor that was still fresh. There was no time to waste waiting for a stupid keycard or the elevator. The stairs would likely also be locked off. Instead Rin went into the alley at the side of the clinic. Her back and lower back began glowing a bright purple before clothes shed and dark purple kagune burst out of her body.

The bikaku wrapped around her leg as she came up to the jump point. She looked up and squatted. Her bikaku launched her up to the top floor of the building with ease. She either went through a window that was still open or smash it to get into the living room. Once there she took stance. Her bikaku still around her leg while her rinkaku floated in the air behind her. Her eyes sharpened at the sight. What had this woman done to Hana...

Rin lightly walked up to the other to see Itsuki arrive too at the front door. The attacking woman was lying defeated on the ground with everyone holding their kagune at her. She gave a small sigh and stepped past the others. Her rinkaku in defense of her family and her bikaku unfolding up into the air in front of her. The long speary kagune pointed at Itsuki in front of her. He definitly looked scary with his



She quietly muttered, no one has died yet so it was fine in her opinion to let the woman stay alive too.

Takumi Minamoto - Break
Third Ward, Sakura Clinic, Fourth Floor

---

The beast had finally been defeated. He’d felt its arm and armor shatter with a sickening crunch under the weight of his attack. He’d felt the defiant weakness in its last attack, the rounds of which tore into his abdomen like stinging bees, but were otherwise unable to fell him. Now, the finishing blow was his.

But he couldn’t take it.

Takumi had the hammer raised over his head, ready to put the ghoul out of its misery. If his instructors from the Garden were here, they’d call this a textbook example of why the CCG told their investigators not to speak with ghouls. Sympathy was a powerful weapon against the uninitiated. They were the ones who’d forced the girl (’Ghoul,’ he reminded himself) into a more confrontational stance, right? It was their fault, wasn’t it?

Takumi’s hammer fell, but slowly and to the ground.

Unbeatable, unbreakable, and unstoppable - that was how Takumi was should have been feeling in the aftermath, right? It was a fight. Not only that, it was a fight that he’d emerged victorious (from a certain perspective, at least). He should’ve been feeling good, great even. The boiling of blood and the clash of arms was supposed to be the one constant that he could take solace in, no matter how bad or how confusing the rest of his life became.

That was the ideal. Unfortunately the reality was far more unfulfilling than that. After all, the aftermath of battle is when you begin to count up your losses, when you lick your wounds, and when you take your good look of the consequences and wonder. If he were in a better state of mind, maybe he would’ve thought it was funny - or disgusting - that he only knew the situation was off because there was no catharsis nor thrill of encountering such a wonderful opponent to be found there. Not the eviscerated face of his sibling, not the girl with the hanging arm and the pleading eyes, but the fact it hadn’t left him satisfied with the result.

The only thing it had left was the storm.

Takumi blinked, gaze blankly locked on the crying kakuja girl and the sister with the shredded face. “...Ah...” he uttered softly. He was completely at a loss of what to do, even with the thin, ever-cracking veneer of serenity. For all that poetic waxing about justice and sacrifice, he’d never actually saved a life, at least not in this way. Slowly, his breathing began to intensify. ’Calm down, calm down…’ he thought, snapping himself out of his stupor, ’I'm better than this. I need to thinkthinkthink!’

Time was of the essence. Takumi was no medic, but even he knew that much. But Takumi was no medic, so he didn’t know enough to do anything good about it. But he did know one important thing. He stared down at his left arm. A half-ghoul was effectively a human in composition, or so he’d been told. If that was true... Could he do something about this? Almost unconsciously, his kagune slithered from his shoulder blade and connects with his hammer, warping the shape into a short, wicked edge.

Justice and sacrifice, right?

’If Aso-’ Then it hit him. Asoka. Kitchen. Dick-eating Itsuki. Human remains. Leftovers. Regeneration. The gears of his masterstroke were turning. ’...Nee-san is going to disapprove of this,’ Takumi quickly turned to the kitchen, his final source of hope in this worrying time, ’But this is much less needlessly masochistic on my part.’ By the looks of it, things were finally starting to go his way! (...Sort of.) But the question was: could the ukaku girl wait? He looked to her distraught visage, and back to his arm. '...It's insurance.' He sighed, made a face, and cut a chunk of flesh from his left hand. “I’ve got. Got some stuff to do,” he explained, his wavering voice and nervous smile doing their best to bring levity to this grim situation, “Just. Just try to stop thinking about dying. Or just. Try not to die in general, please?” He dropped the small morsel into her mouth. “I’ll be right back!” he called out, rushing over to the kitchen as fast as his wounded body could carry him.

---

“Nothing is going wrong,” Takumi explained calmly to Asoka as he bled a trail over to the freezer, “Your elder siblings have everything under control.” He popped open the freezer and withdrew the container with the preserved part from last night. “...Still here.” He closed the container and tucked it under his arm - the one with the mangled hand - before turning to face Asoka, “No need to worry about us.” He gave a particularly pathetic thumbs up, then he walked right back out to the fray, leaving bloody footsteps in his wake.

---

Slipping on a pool of blood, Takumi skidded to his knees in front of Hana’s mangled body. His body was shaking, but his right hand was firm and purposeful as it gently opened the container and lifted the appendage. Then, rather inelegantly, he forced it in Hana’s mouth and down her throat to kickstart her regeneration. Now he had to wake her up. First came one slap with all his strength - probably not a good call given her condition, but he was desperate - then the shouting: “WAKE UP!” He was almost so absorbed that his keen ears didn’t catch the elevator opening.

Takumi’s head whirled to the door, where there stood none other than Itsuki himself. Even with his self-perceived inability to really understand these people, he knew what those eyes meant. He’d seen them before, in the eyes of investigator and ghoul alike. Unbridled rage, fueled by a desire for vengeance against the girl. He was helpless and left only to watch the events unfold. Then another presence. He looked to Rin, eyes containing some combination of desperation, hope, and confusion.

“I CAN EXPLAIN!” Takumi screamed - he didn’t mean to, but there wasn’t much room for control right now - at Itsuki, trying to get through to the mind-addled young man. Except he couldn’t explain, not really. But he’d do his best, because the girl definitely. “She came here for help!” he said, voice hoarse and raw, “We provoked her. This our fault! AAAAAAAH!!!! AAAAAAAAAH!!!!!” This wasn’t going to work, even he could see that. He wasn’t smart enough or charismatic enough for this. ’Dammitdammitdammitdammit!’ He scanned the room for someone or something, anyone or anything, to get Itsuki to let go. Itsuki. He could use Itsuki. Appeal to his interest. What did he know about his bro- "I brought her here!" Takumi crawled forward, pathetically reaching out for the two, "She's... I... She's like what that girl of yours is, but for me. Just let go. Please."

Itsuki paid little heed to the beginning of Takumi's shouting or Rin's quiet plea. His anger, his hunger, were too powerful to subdue just like that, and besides, this wretch didn't deserve mercy. She had come into this place and attacked his family. She had come after him, seeking whatever it was she wanted from him, and had hurt the only people he had left. Nothing either of them could possibly say that would stop him from ending this Crazy-

"She's... I... She's like what that girl of yours is, but for me. Just let go. Please."

As soon as that was said, a thick wave of tension rolled throughout the room as Itsuki's back became ramrod straight. His hrip around the girl loosened considerably, though he didn't dare let her go. Now, he didn't believe Takumi for even a second, given the situation, but not only did what he say strike a chord in Itsuki's soul, but so to did the way he said. For whatever reason, the desperation to save this girl was real for him. For whatever reason, he cared for her. . . or perhaps, unlike Itsuki, he still retained a shred of innocence. Looking down at the girl, he found that she was no longer the woman he held in his cruel grasp. Instead, Hiyori lie before him, looking up at him, her face broken and disfigured, her eyes filled with fear. As Itsuki recoiled away from the person he held, in the moment it took for the them to hit the floor, a memory would play out before his ivory eyes.

---

He had been dying. He felt it throughout his body, the slow drain of life of will that signaled the coming of the end. Above him stood his foe, his vendetta for going on 4 years. He thought he'd been ready. He thought that his vengeance was close at hand. . . but this man wasn't like his brother. He was a Kakuja, and he had only realized the many worlds of difference that title made when it was too late. He had put up a valiant effort, and had even managed to do some damage to the his foe, despite the odds. But in the end, he had never stood a chance, and Itsuki knew the man knew it. Standing over his defeated body, the man gazed down at him with amusement dancing behind those Crimson-black spheres.

I must admit Lover Boy, you did good for a wimp that's only been down here for 3 years. You were able to kill Tatsu and, if you'd waited a bit longer, you might've even been able to actually kill me. But you got cocky. Got it into you're head that because you took on Tatsu, you could take me on right away. The man's chuckling laughter echoed through out the cistern where the two of them had battled, the rushing waters of Tokyo's deluge flowing through the canals, carrying with them the fetid stench of decay and filth. And then it suddenly stopped, as the man leaned in real close to Itsuki, his eyes shining with a mad gleam. Do you want to know why we took your little slut? Cause I think you would want to know before you die, just why we took her like the little bitch that she was.

Itsuki could only glare at the man, his rage growing so potent that his body began to shake and shiver as he tried to move, wanting to rip the bastard's throat out with his teeth. But before he could get far, a nard boot to his face would bring him back to the ground, the man above him reveling int he power he held over the younger one before him.

You see, we ghouls can be split into three categories. You have those who like to play pretend up above, acting like they're human, going to school, and trying to live a normal life. Then you have the ghouls like me, who realize that we aren't human, and that we don't have to play by their rules. We take what we want, kill who we want, and respect strength and brutality above all else, cause that's what wins down here. And finally, the man's booted foot ground Itsuki's face deeper into the stained concrete floor, as if to emphasize the point. We've got ghouls like you, who pretend to pretend. You pretended you loved that girl, you pretended to enjoy spending time with her, you pretended that you would've been happy with that kind of life, but was because you didn't know the truth. You didn't know what you wanted until the false life you lived in was taken from you and all that remained was cold reality.

I've been watching you, Lover Boy, for longer than you could possibly know, and I've seen the way you fight, the way you kill. You aren't a machine, killing because you have to, ripping bodies apart like. You aren't eating those ghouls, a zealous grin plaster on your face as you do it, because they're the only food source around.The man's smile grew with every word he spoke, the madness in it seeming to split his face wide open as he continued his monologue, talking down to Itsuki as if he were an ignorant child. You're doing these things because, for the first time in your life, you've been able to be yourself. For the first time, you're free of the restraints that bound you before. Just face it, you may have called me a brute and a savage, but you're no different. Hell, you should be thanking me, Lover Boy. I made sure she didn't die a virgin, since you obviously didn't have the balls to hit that ass. Or were you waiting till marriage?

Laughter once again filled the cistern, only this was a loud, violent outburst of insanity, a deep rumbling laugh that spoke of only the deepest joy in accepting the darkness in one's heart. And it wasn't alone for very long, as Itsuki began to laugh as well. As the laughter rocked his body, bolts of pain rushing though him as his Kagune Sac suddenly began to surge with activity, as his conscious mind began to recede into the depths of his subconscious, Itsuki looked up at the man before him. But he couldn't see the man. He only saw himself, laughing down at him like a devilish overlord, repeating just a single word over and over between choked laughter.

Free.

---

Mi's body fell unceremoniously to the floor as Itsuki glared down at her with no less rage then before. However, after a few deep breaths, he managed to turn away. The beast inside him let it's anger be known, thrashing around within the cage of his mind, causing him to twitch uncontrollably, but he denied it. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't that scum of a man, and he would never become that man either. He wouldn't. . . he couldn't . . . I can't.

". . . Takumi," His voice was quiet and was absent of any emotion aside slight irritation, at least on the surface. If one knew how to listen, they could hear the strain and sorrow that was built within it."Your silly ploy worked this time, but you will not ever invoke her in anyway, ever again. Understand. It wasn't a question.

Turning away once Takumi responded, he looked to Rin. "If you see her make a move that even looks threatening, then kill her. Or if you still need an explanation, then incapacitate her. I don't care what any of you say, she's rabid, a threat, and in my opinion, should be put down." So the pot says to the kettle. Itsuki finally walked over to where Hana was, either helping her up if she was still on the ground, or simply looking at her if she was up on her own. [b]"Come on, let's get you somewhere were you can rest while the rest of us scrounge up some food for you. And before you say it, I apologize for being difficult earlier. I should've just listened and told you what I knew without complaint. This is all my fault, and I take full responsibility for it. In other words I'm . . . I'm well and truly sorry, for as little as that might mean to you right now."

After he had helped Hana in whatever way he could, he'd turn his attention to Asoka, who he noticed was rather immaculate. A low glare settled on his brow at first, before he let out a low sigh. He honestly couldn't say he was surprised. She had changed a lot form the small girl she'd been before, perhaps even more than he had, and this Asoka wasn't the type who could be lectured or hurt with guilt. If she didn't help, it was because she didn't care, and if she didn't care, then Itsuki had nothing to say to the little Tyrant.

Nothing that couldn't wait, anyway.

and Kazuya

The children waited silently as the sounds of battle died down, and at first were too scared to look out the door too see if it was over. The first to attempt was Kazuya, though Takeshi followed shortly after. Opening the door just a crack, they saw everything from the Scary Kajuka begging to Itsuki's sudden assault, as well as his equally sudden about face in terms of emotion and action. While Kazuya seemed to simply be glad that it was all over -letting out a deep sigh of relief and patting him on the back- , Takeshi couldn't help but feel the image of Hana's injuries burn in his mind. She'd been so nice to them, had fed them, and while he hadn't trusted her, had even been rude to her, she had protected them. No one outside of their family had ever done that, and it left a big impression on them, especially on Takeshi.

So why was the person who almost killed her being left to live because of what he could only see to be crocodile tears. She was a monster, her transformation had been enough to prove it to Takeshi, and her actions afterwards had only furthered that impression. So why. . . why were the sparing that. . . that thing. Takeshi was much too afraid to attempt to attack the beast himself, especially since that Takki guy was on her side. . . but he wouldn't ever forgive her. Never.

---

"Yo guys, I think it's okay to come out now." Kazuya whispered back to Mi and the twins, motioning for them to come up. "But don't forget that we may still have to be careful. The adults seem to have things handled for the moment, but we've seen how fast this girl can act. Stay behind me and Takeshi, and stay on your toes."

"That's no girl." Kazuya turned to look at his younger brother, eyes quirked up ever so slightly as he wondered what the hell his brother was talking about.

"Okay, unless you saw something I didn't back in that fight, I'm pretty sure that's a girl."

Takeshi didn't respond to his jest, not even a single glare. . . well, not directed towards Kazuya at least. No, all of his younger brother's glaring potential was being redirected towards the downed girl at the moment, and Kazuya was a bit worried about that. While Kazuya didn't understand why they were letting her live either -she's clearly of the unstable variety of ghoul- he wasn't really that mad at her for doing what she did. The ghoul world was dog-eat-dog, that's how things were and there was no point in getting mad at someone for following the way things were.

As the two led there others out of the room and towards the adults -making a wide berth around where Mi was currently lying, Takeshi actually activating his Kagunein preparation for whatever might happen- Kazuya's gaze turned towards his younger brother every now and then. I'm gonna have to watch him now, aren't I? He's going to do something stupid if I don't . . . *Sigh* Man, why can't you deal with this stuff Tora. I'm no good at talking sense into this knuckle head.
@Savato
@Grey
@liferusher
@AtomicNut
@Pirouette

---

Hana shifted somewhat, her limp body once again twitching back to life. Slowly but surely, her senses and the flaring pain that accompanied them were once again in her mind. How long had she passed out? She didn't know. A hit that rattled her face. A slap? Yes, she was being slapped, and yelled at. Her eyes tried to open, but the eyelids felt like lead. She couldn't move nor open her eyes. There was some more yelling, the shuffling of feet. Someone put something thick and meaty in her mouth. Savoury human flesh, which was cold. She recognized the part with mild horror, as she had it forcefully fed through her throat.

The memories of a past event resurfaced. She had been so weak as a teenager, after leaving the old man's place. And they were three. But there was no use in remembering the past, besides those three had already been dealt with long ago. As vexing as the situation was, the meat was more savoury than the ghoul flesh bits she had eaten earlier. Colour came back to her face, as smoke began to indicate her regeneration. Her eyes opened, decided, the kakugan active still. She got up, the hands of someone helping her to stead her gait.

She narrowed her eyes upon finding who the hand belonged to, and unceremonously slapped it away. "Hmph. What the hell are you talking about, Itsuki? This is my clinic. I can't rest with this mess still going on. My wounds look worse than they are." The female elder ghoul replied as she tossed the remains of her miracle drug into Itsuki's face. Her sight dropped on Takumi, whom she recognized as the artificer of her sudden awakening.

"My, Takkun, you were really desperate for action, forcing that thing down Hana's mouth..." She said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she picked up the discarded scalp, and after examining it and cleaning it somewhat, comically pressed it against the skull, like if it was a hat, reattaching it with ease.

Hana then began to advance towards the limp and mangled body of her opponent, as she touched her face. "I guess, I'll have to fix my face later." She added, reaching for her shoulderblade, her unblinking kakugan stare facing the distressed kakuja woman. "You deserve to die, you know. I made sure your wounds were a death sentence." She added, glaring both at Rin and Takumi. "However, since you're actually repenting, this looking more a case of being mentally ill, and my dear Takkun and RinRin want you to live, I shall save you. Just this one time." She added as she yanked a new kagune shard from her shoulder. However, this one did not have the shape of a dagger, instead being rather thin and long. A needle. Yanking with force, she snapped one of her hair strands as she knelt down, threading the kagune needle with her hair.

"Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life." She said out loud, as she dug her hand into the other ghoul's open abdomen. Clamping the hemorrhages. Stitching her own butchering on the other ghoul's flesh, with her Ukaku speed. " Sun Tzu, I believe it was..." Hana added, as she then eyed out the rest of the gathering of the ghouls.

"Takkun, third drawer on my desk. Grab the elevator key. Twist it counterclockwise in the elevator and press the hidden button in the underside of the panel. You'll be taken to a basement. Search for a keypad freezer and type in 5-4-2-1. Grab five flasks of the GBP solution, and two RCS formulas. You're the one I trust the most with this. Now go, I can only buy minutes with this." She said in a commanding voice, as she kept applying pressure and stitching to avoid the other ghoul's fatal bleeding.

"Rin, could you be on standby here and wash your hands? I might need an additional pair of small hands. Also watch the kids." She added, as she kept a watch on Miyako's life signals. "Itsuki, and Asoka. Don't try anything funny. Now is not the time for mischief." She finally added, as she sighed.

I really hope you're worth sparing and you survive, because your corpse won't be enough to cover the damages. Hana added mentally.