33 Chapter 39: dinner party

The two entered the church to find Kimi draped across the alter like some human sacrifice and Tsukiyama playing the piano the church owned; not even looking at them as he finished his song. Once finished, he paused for a second, eyes closed, as if he was soaking up the atmosphere. Finally with a gentlemanly smile he turned around to welcome the arrivals. Though it did falter a bit at the fact that the wrong male had arrived.

"Good evening my dear Kuro. I am so happy that you accepted my invitation. But still, it is a shame that you brought the wrong escort with you tonight? Where is your older brother?" Kuro growled at this man. She seemed to be growling a lot recently. Kuro replied, "My brother doesn't have the time to deal with you. And neither do I for that matter. So give us back Kimi and go crawl back into whatever Hellhole you came out of!"

But the offending ghoul just smirked at this and wagged his finger like a scolding parent would. "Non, non, mademoiselle Kuro. You shouldn't let such foul language grace your succulent lips. It's like seeing infected puss coming out of a slice of fresh meat. Such a waste." His attitude only angered her even more but before she could retort, Nishiki stepped forward; glaring at Tsukiyama.

"What the hell do you want with Kimi!? I swear if you've done anything to her…"

"Don't worry monsieur Nishiki. I have not yet harmed your darling pet. In fact, if all had gone as plan, then I would have returned her after all of this was over. You see, today she's nothing more than a bit of garnish. Lovely looking but of no real substance to the meal itself. No, the real meal was supposed to be Kuro and her dear brother."

Kuro felt unsettled by the way he said this. Like there was something more to that line so she asked, "So… you just wanted to get us here when we were weakened to kill and eat us both?" But Shuu just began to laugh at this. The laugh itself was one of madness; chilling Kuro to the bone. "No my dear. Such a simple meal as you described wouldn't be worthy of either you or myself. No I want the greatest dish. One of paramount excellence. With true spice." He grinned at her before finally stating,

"You see Kuro, I wanted to eat you as you ate your brother." Tsukiyama then posed as if in agony. "Alas, you left your brother behind and instead brought something truly inadequate to replace him. What am I to do now?"

Both Nishiki and Kuro found themselves frozen in shock at what he had just said. It was insane. Did he really think that she would just have gone along with his sick, twisted plan?! Kuro finally was able to overcome her shock and yelled back at him, "You perverse bastard!" Shuu looked back to her and smiled, "Perverse? Me? Perhaps I am. But you're the one that made me this way." He took advantage of their still stunned reactions to slip into their guard. He threw Nishiki with barely any resistance and yanked Kuro forward into a knee to the sternum. "So shouldn't you take responsibility for it then?"

Kuro could let out an animalistic scream of pain as her sternum shattered and pieces slashed into lungs and other innards; blood flowing out of her mouth from the huge injury to her respiratory system. She was left defenseless. Her body's healing went into overdrive. Her ghoul nature keeping her alive as it knitted her lungs back together. She knew though that this was bad. Even if it healed enough for her to fight, she'd still have to deal with some damage. Such a hit would take hours to fully heal. "Perhaps just a taste." she heard before, to her disgust, she felt Shuu's tongue lick up some of the blood on her chin and lower cheek. He let her fall to the floor as he hugged himself in ecstasy. "Tres bein!" he screamed. "Such an inconceivable flavor. Such harmony. So decadent. Truly you and your family are masterpieces. Gifts from Inari. No! From the mighty Dionysus himself!"

He looked back at where Kimi laid. He grinned madly while a plan formed in his warped mind. "Perhaps we could still make this work. I'll just have to change it from you eating your brother, to eating this woman here." He turned to grab Kuro but thankfully she had gained enough strength to fight back and jumped up with a powerful kick to the gourmet. He was taken by surprise by it but still blocked enough of it to not be thrown away completely. Kuro got into a defensive position but was still breathing heavily. She refused to go down without a fight and with a battle cry charged at the man.

Despite her still sore chest, Kuro unleashed an amazing barrage of kicks and punches. She even was airborne a few times. But to her frustration, Tsukiyama proved very proficient in hand to hand combat as her. He blocked all her attacks without ever losing that stupid grin of his. "Impressive my dear Kuro," he said to her. Kuro gritted her teeth and shouted, "Stop calling me your dear!" She swung a massive kick at the man with all of her strength. But he caught it; despite the sound of things cracking, snapping, and breaking in his hand. "But still, for fighting a koukaku in hand to hand, this isn't enough at all my dear. You should put way more power in your punches. Like so." He punched her across the cheek. Sending her flying into the pews and causing her to see stars. But she recovered fast and charged back at him only to be hit by the very same type of kick she had tried; now fracturing or completely breaking over half of her ribs and flinging her into the pews on the other side of the church. "And this is how you should kick."

Kuro grunted as her ribs began to realign themselves. She was starting to wonder if she could really win. Her eyes started to tear up. Being so tossed around so easily brought back some old fears. Was she really worthy of being part of the Kaneki family? Or was she really just a burden? These and similar thoughts flood her mind as she began to panic slightly.

She heard the sounds of Shuu's footsteps approaching her. Part of her just whispered that it would be better to give up but she ignored it. She tried to get up. But when she was only halfway up, she heard Nishiki shout and saw him charge at Tsukiyama.

It was an admirable try. Nishiki pressed his attacks and even when knocked back, he just charged right back into the fight. He didn't stop as bones broke and skin was pierced. In fact said wounds didn't even register to the ghoul. His mind was elsewhere. In memories of his sister that was lost to the doves because of the betrayal of some human. The dark times he suffered through after that. Of when he had stumbled on Kimi and how despite his original plans, she had become a small light of hope for him in his lonely life. Something precious that he wouldn't ever let go of; even if he died. But his attacks were futile and finally, with the use of his kagune, Tsukiyama was able to stop the determined ghoul's half-conscious assault.

But this had given Kuro enough time to heal up. She decided that she had couldn't give up now. Shem in fact, could never give up. She was going to put everything on the line and win or die trying. She released her kagune and had it wrap around her body much like how she had used it in the raid. Tsukiyama seemed impressed by this and prepared to meet her attack with his own kagune. But he had failed to notice something. Another figure had snuck into the upper levels of the church. One that Kuro had only noticed herself while Nishiki had been attacking Shuu.

Shiro released her own kagune and jumped down; sending her rinkakus in a mass attack of Tsukiyama and forcing the gourmet to dodge and lose focus. "Kuro!" she screamed but her sister had already moved and was able to deliver a powerful kagune enhanced punched and kick to Shuu before she yelled and upper cutted the ghoul into the pews. He barely had time to get his bearings before both twins moved in again. Quickly the fight turned around.

Against one, Shuu would probably have had the advantage. However working together both girls proved to be a dangerous combination. He soon found himself being thrown around. Shiro's kagune constantly forced him on the defensive, many times just missing a clean hit. But this break in his rhythm, gave Kuro the openings she needed to score several blows on the man. Still Tsukiyama began to laugh. He seemed to almost be enjoying this. At one point Shiro was able to grab him with her kagune and slam into the church stone floor. He laughed even harder after this though though. "To think you'd push me this far. Haaaaah. I didn't want to do this. But," Tsukiyama began to run back towards Kimi, "I need just a bite."

But as he ran to her, Nishiki grabbed him by his tie; holding them there for the twins to hit. With venom in his voice, Tsukiyama shouted, "Nishiki-kun! Are you a zombie?!" He started to kick the other man and demanded that he let him go. But Nishiki held on to him. He held on until the twins, seeing their chance struck at the gourmet with their kagunes; both of them formed into the shape of one large sword. They ripped into his flesh and even sliced off one of his arms.

Now it was Tsukiyama's turn to be in shock. Eventually, his laugh rung out in the building one more time. "This isn't good at all," he stated to no one in particular. "I lost my arm. And so much time has passed. Seems hopeless doesn't it." He slowly turned to where the two twins watched him with both of their kakugans completely out. "Ne, Kaneki-chan. If this is the afterlife… would you give… me… one bite… just… one…" Shuu finally collapse. Both twins allowed their kakugans and kagunes to recede as Kuro snidely told him, "Go eat your own flesh. Shitty gourmet."

Both twins turned to each. Exhaustion was evident in both of them; especially Kuro. They didn't say a single word. They just jumped into each other's arms and hugged it out while sniffling slightly. Shiro's face was openly relieved with the fact that her sister was safe. But Kuro's face was a bit more solemn. She felt her mind wonder over the fact that she had had to be saved again. She could almost hear the word "worthless burden" whispered in the wind. But she chose to ignore that for now.

While they hugged, Nishiki hobbled over to where Kimi was and began to untie her. But he was stopped by the presence of yet another figure. Behind him, Touka now stood with her kagune out in its full glory. Both twins hoped that she wasn't here for what they thought but these hopes were dashed Touka ordered, "Nishiki. Move." She was here to kill Kimi for knowing about them. "Touka don't!" Shiro shouted out but the other girl gave her a look that silenced her. "All of your identities have been discovered haven't they? And the rest of Anteiku as well?! It's too dangerous to let such a human live. We have to eliminate her before she reports us all. Nishiki, if you don't want to die then…" but she stopped talking when she saw his determined face. There was nothing else she could say to him to get him to move.

This time Kuro tried to stop her with, "Touka please. Kimi is… she's like Yoriko is for us. I understand the risks but still… you can't. Please Touka. Would you be able to kill Yoriko if she found out your real identity?" Touka clenched her fist and didn't turn around. "SHUT UP! You don't understand. I have to kill this person… so that that doesn't happen!" she screamed and unleashed a barrage of shards. But Nishiki moved into the way; protecting Kimi with his own body. Only one slipped through and only cut the blindfold over her eyes. The first thing she saw was Touka with her fiery wings behind her. The first thought that came to her mind, and escaped her lips, was "How beautiful."

Those words stopped Touka. Stopped everyone. Kimi seemed to just then realize what she said. Still it was enough, and Touka, unable to handle this anymore, turned and fled out of the church. Kimi watched her go before asking, "Is that girl… the same as you Nishiki?" However Nishiki didn't answer and she turned to see that he had passed out due to his injuries. She screamed for him to respond but he didn't wake up.

The group of four (Nishiki, Kimi, Kuro, and Shiro) finally reached the back door of Anteiku. It had been a difficult and time consuming journey. They had been forced to the take a roundabout way to avoid being spotted by civilians or the now increasing presence of the doves in the ward. They would be easily spotted with the damage to the clothes of three of them. And with Kimi they couldn't just take the rooftop route. But thankfully they had not been spotted and were now just inches from safety.

But before Kuro could reach for the door handle, it opened up and her brother appeared in doorway; looking substantially better than he did earlier. "Big bro," she yelped. But he ignored her and his eyes immediately went to the sole human now behind the others. Nishiki and the twins quickly jumped between Ken and Kimi. Was it possible that he thought like Touka and wanted to kill her? Shiro tried to persuade Ken. "Please big brother. If you think about it, isn't this just like mom and dad got together."

"Please don't kill her," Kuro begged.

Both she and Kuro put on their best puppy dog eyes while Nishiki continued to stare down the other male in challenge. But Ken just smirked and turned to head back inside.

"Come on. Hurry up and get inside you idiots. The coffee is getting cold."

"Who are you calling an idiot?! Idiot!"

"You. Now hurry up and get in before a dove sees you."