Tokyo Ghoul - NEST

The Cruel One (Bonus Questionnaire)

"Man - a being in search of meaning."
- Plato

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Kaneki POV

It was silent as Arima took his sword in hand and stared me down. I felt paralyzed, like I was infused in ice. My hands began to sweat as my nervousness grew.

But this was perfect.

If I can hold him off as the others escape, wouldn't that be better? Riki is fighting off Furuta, but the others with Ayato should be able to find her. And based on what I could see from this hall I was searching, she had been moved.

All of the rooms were empty, and the hallway was silent except for the man in front of me, his foot steps echoing off the metal walls. I let my kagune come loose, and I stand ready.

This man is undefeated. He has never been bested. But, if Levin was able to scratch him, even a little... then I have a chance. While Levin has a lot of fire power, I have more experience.

Arima suddenly stopped, then with one step forward, he rushed at me. So he was going on the attack first? I jump over him, trying to slash at him from above as I travel over, but he blocks with his sword at his back, as if he knew what I was going to do.

As I land he turns and slashed my shoulder, I quickly scramble away. But Arima is smart enough not to let his prey go. He kept coming at me, slashing my Kagune apart as I kept growing more.

I roll to my side and try a jab at his hip, but he slashes my Kagune aside and keeps pressing towards me. This whole time, as he comes closer, he still has that blank look on his face.

Slashing from both sides, he ducks under them and stabs my thigh. Shuffling my scream, I try to get away once more, to gain ground, but her quickly slashed, cutting one of my legs clean off.

I'm about to scream, but next he kicks my gut, making me topple over and roll across the ground. I grasp for my leg, but my hand is sliced off also as I reach for it.

Getting up on one arm and one leg, I get to my knees, but all I'm met with, is a assault of slices, all over my body. My hips, head, eyes, nose, mouth, shoulders, arm, leg, foot, chest, back. All of them were sliced in a mere two seconds of swift movement, so fast one would think not to be possible by even a ghoul.

I couldn't feel my body, but I still tried to grab for my leg with my other free hand. Behind me, Arima speaks.

"645 times." He said, his voice lingering in my head. "645 times I could've killed you."

This moment, I can see my earpiece that had fallen out on the floor beside me. I can hear the slight voice coming from it, was it Ayato?

"We've found her! We're heading up top, anyone who can hear this, escape!" I heard, just as Arima looked down at it with a bored expression.

The hallway fight had continued to an open field in Cochlea, full of flowers. Pillars held up the whole large room, and the feeling of it made me feel melancholic for some reason or another.

I crawl away slowly, Arima watched me with that blank expression of his. But why am I struggling? I should just let him end it. Let him kill me.

They found her. I was able to...

Give my life for someone else (Die in Style).

With my hand I reach for my ear piece, and put it in my ear. I need to make sure, before I die, that their all safe. But to my surprise, I hear a different voice than I expected.

"Kaneki?! Can you hear me?! Get up here now! We're not leaving without you, you here me! Your coming home!" Said the voice. It sounded scared, yet beautiful.