6 Tragedy

A clicking melody resounded in a rather vacant room. A troubled mind, drained and burdened like never before. His face wrinkled as though late years arrived and took him by surprise.

Tick,tick...

Nagachica's eyes, uneasy and distressed portrayed his restlessness, he was unable to catch any sleep, as he contemplated.

"Kaneki… will he be alright?"

Helplessness overtook him. He could only stand and watch. Beholding his dearest friend go through such arduous times, alone. Like a damaged and frail leaf, holding stubbornly to a humongous tree, rebelling against the golden autumn that might never leave.

"No! I can't do this anymore, I better think of something or I'll be too late! "

Nagachica understood the complication of Kaneki's new identity, his hands tightly clutching the bed sheets.

Their plush texture, squeezed with ease as if reflecting the brittleness of their lives, relationships and futur.

"Sooner… or later he must choose, whether he likes it or not."

The pitiful Nagachica, was so worried and preoccupied that he forgot he also had a life too.

How dear a person needs to be for you to willingly sacrifice everything for him? That's how this man was, but how would he react if he discovered that his beloved friend was no more and a complete stranger colonized his body and soul.

Like a nation that developed for thousands of years only to fall in a day, that's this stranger's doing, he destroyed years of friends, of love, and support as he invaded this world.

This secret though doesn't matter as long as the new Kaneki keeps it to his heart, and uses his cards well. But will he Nagachica come to hate him if he knew this? or will he feel that his life was as useless as it could be?. The human heart is hard to predict after all.

Meanwhile, While Nagachica strained his mind to think of a solution in the comfort of his house.

Kaneki stood in the middle of the forest as he questioned himself.

"Am I gonna die…getting killed just I've arrived here…HELL NOO"

He struggled to find a way out of this situation, the ghouls in front of him were the elites of the elites, other than that there was a huge gap between their strength. They had more experience in fighting, they had the advantage in numbers. Kaneki couldn't find a way of surviving in the countless simulations going through his head.

" My assumption was wrong, I'm much weaker than Jason, just how the hell did the previous kaneki defeat him!! This is complete nonsense, where is Rize, why doesn't she appear anymore! Fuck…"

Kaneki, already exhausted from the previous battles, felt helpless, even though his body was in perfect shape, his mind wasn't.

Interrupting his thoughts was the metallic scent of blood penetrating his nostrils, almost as if igniting a desire, a hatred so intense it wiped away the fear and terror that slowly consumed his mind and soul. 

In that fraction of a second, his previous life's memories flashed before his eyes.Impoverished and deprived was his childhood, ignorant parents too weak to face the cruel world and venting their anger on his pitiful self every single day.

After their death, he was released from his small cage only to get locked in a much larger one, he felt relief but at the same time an excruciating pain assaulted him, they were his parents after all.

All that remained was an eight years old boy, lost in the dangerous slums and obliged to survive, but too innocent and weak to shoulder that responsibility which wasn't too rare in that filthy place.

Despite all the setbacks he struggled and fought his way to the top, to a place where he could finally rest, and have the loving family he always wished for. Only for everything he built throughout the years and decades to vanish in less than three years after the birth of his twin daughters.

" I only wanted a good life, a place where I can call home, and not live tragically like this. What have I done to deserve this, am I not worthy?! His face morphed in anguish for a while before it returned to normal… as if he found the solution out of his suffering.

" I have to survive…" he muttered.

His body hidden by darkness looked detached and lonely.

" Come!! I will fight till my last breath,I…will not be on the receiving end anymore. You fucking bastards!!! " He no longer cared about their motives or how they surrounded him so quickly, as he vanished.

" Kill him as soon as possible!!" The leader signaled and four men in black cloth swiftly leaped in the air with insane speeds as they interjected Kaneki's attack.

Bang!!

A loud sound was heard and a strong shockwave quickly followed, uprooting multiple large trees as they flew in the air.

One of the men in black cloth flew across the forest like a broken kite before his body slammed hard on the ground. 

Bam, Bam…

His body, destroyed parts of the forest before he eventually stopped.

"Ohh.. fuck!" Kaneki looked at his torn hand, with a thud, it fell to the ground.

"Ahhhhhhhh" 

He screamed in agony as blood flowed to the ground.

" Why is the wound regenerating so slowly?!!!" He said feeling flabbergasted 

The other three men gained their footing and attacked again.

"Damn you!!" the fastest, said as a long tentacle emerged from his back and sliced through the air, instantly making contact with Kaneki's kagune.

" Ugh, What is this !" Pain traveled throughout his nerves. And a large meaty section of kagune was cut.

Splash!

Large amounts of blood covered the ground as the new wound, also regenerated very slowly.

Before he could find the answer to this abnormal turn of events, another man in black suit suddenly accelerated to an insane speed and performed a round kick aimed at his head.

Kaneki hastily dodged the attack and a strong current of air made his hair flutter giving him goosebumps.

"That was so close!!"

Just as he moved his kagune to pierce through the man in front of him, another attack came from behind.

He directed his tentacles to face the incoming attack, only to miss an sneaky hand that came from below him, a punch so fast moved as it forced its way into his stomach.

Boooom, ughhhhh

His body traveled dozens of meters in the air before he landed roughly on the muddy ground, the moist taste of the soil merged with blood overwhelmed his senses and woke him from his grogginess 

" Damn it , I'm done for, they have Bikakus , all of them" Only after this blow did his mind somewhat clear up, his opponent clearly had the only thing that could counter his insane regenerative abilities, unfortunately all four of them had Bikukas, their kagune had one tentacle and it almost deactivated his regenerative abilities every time they attacked.

Kaneki stood up and touched his bloody stomach, it spilled his blood and guts but soon it completely regenerated,after all this was a physical attack and not through the use of their kagune.

"Fuck…"

His previous injuries weren't that severe, so he could barely bear the pain, but right a searing and agonizing pain consumed his mind. He felt his concentration slowly dwindling from the immense exhaustion he felt, he fought too much and his willpower was at its limits.

An overwhelming feeling of suffocation seemed to engulf him as he looked at analyzed his helpless situation.

The guy he sent flying was already back, and the three other assassins that seemed much stronger were making sure he wouldn't escape as they stood in a close formation.

He stood there frozen, the musky smell of sweat attacked his nose, and slowly the four men approached.

Moments ago he was the one enjoying massacring those hateful ghouls, but now he could hardly say he has the ability to survive.

The assassins swiftly reached him, they nodded to each other in understanding as they tactfully attacked.