Unraveled

#22: From the Depths of My Heart

1st Ward

Rikina walks with her hand inside her pocket. It was a rough week with ghouls and former investigators bickering against each other. She already left Amon and Akira to bring her parents with them in a safe place.

Then, tell me. What should I choose to do?

I'll just say it once. You don't have to and that might also be the right thing to do.

She gave a small chuckle and felt a hand dropped on her shoulder. The lady was wearing a civilian and she doesn't know a lot in the first ward aside from the investigators. Rikina turned and was prepared to throw a punch but retracted it upon seeing the person. "You gave me a scare", she sighed and stepped back to give a generous amount of distance. "Why are you roaming around?", the raven-haired pressed his lips. "Urie, it's daytime. The sun is so high. I wonder why you're outside with full-geared uniform", Rikina knew that most investigators sleep in the morning to prepare for the night's patrol.

"We're not chasing vampires. Ghouls can walk in broad day light", Urie said with a straight face. Rikina laughed as if it was a joke. "That was a good one", she pressed her stomach and gave a thumbs up to Urie. "I always know you have a knack for humor", Rikina commented and her expression softened. "You didn't kill any investigators. There was no issue of you being a rouge. I don't think you're an enemy", the man gulped and stared at the lady's eyes to get a confirmation.

"One thing is for sure. You're not my enemy, Urie", she leaned closer. The man felt warm on his cheek and tried to look at Rikina's expression. She was just calm and composed.

Re:Cafe

"What is it that you want to talk about?", Touka already knew who the lady in front of her was. She also had the same stares as Kaneki when he was still Haise. She's already prepared to activate her kagune. She was about to charge but Mutsuki kicked her in the stomach. The dark-haired woman coughed blood. Mutsuki had her awakening on the island. She now had complete control of her strength.

"I heard you were friends with Special Class Imai. I mean, she is no longer an investigator. I heard that she became a ghoul. I have to correct that again. She had always been a ghoul", the investigator furrowed her brow upon that realization. "She's not my-", Touka was about to deny to save her friend's face. "And what if she's my friend. It's not you can do something to catch her if you think she did something wrong", Touka smirked and held onto her abdomen. Mutsuki felt annoyed with her smirk and stabbed Touka's shoulder. The investigator slammed her on the coffee table.

"This is a place that Kaneki loved to visit even when he lost his memories. I won't let you just trample on it", Touka's half-wing kagune was activated and shards attacked Mutsuki. The lady was able to evade them and used her blade to give a counterattack. One blade was about to hit Touka's eyes but someone caught it barehandedly. "That's enough", the voice made Touka's eyes soften. "I already told Yomo-san that this place has to be closed. They're waiting for you outside", Rikina informed Touka. "You're coming with me", the dark blue haired tried to drag her as well. "Let me just talk to my underclassmen", Rikina is referring to Mutsuki and Urie who is hiding behind the door.

"You're just another bitch who wants to have Sensei", Mutsuki roared and stabbed Rikina with her kagune. The lady didn't budge and just allowed it to pierce through her. The door opened and Urie tried to stop Mutsuki. Soon, other ghouls appeared and had an encounter with the investigator. The ghouls ganged on Urie having him pinned on the floor. A small investigator also rushed inside the cafe and used her hammer to ward off the ghoul away from the man. Urie reached out to her former senior even with his wrecked condition. Rikina walked closer to the eye-patched investigator. "Don't. Please, Imai-san. I am vouching for Mutsuki", Urie bit his lip. He is helpless and cannot think of any way to defeat his former superior. The lady slapped Mutsuki's face with control. "I wanted all of you to live your lives", she held on to her bleeding stomach. "As long as possible. You, Sakio-chan, Urie, and believe it. I also wanted Shirazu to live longer from the depth of my heart", she hugged Mutsuki and smiled. Saiko ran to Rikina and hugged her as well. "Kina-sama. I know you're not going to hurt any of us", she burrowed her face on the lady's back.

The organization of V gathered around and surrounded Rikina. "All of them are ghoul", the leader informed. "We are under the quinxie project", Saiko said with a worried tone. Rikina activated her quinque and housed them. "My quinque can only hold a small space like this. Don't fight amongst yourself", she flicked their forehead and made a small hole for her to exit. "I'll be going", she said with a serious tone. "We'll be waiting for you, Kina-sama", Saiko waved her hand.

The walls that the quinquie created collapsed. Urie finally gained some strength and looked around. He was startled to see such a bloody place. The entire floor was flooded with blood. Rikina cracked her neck and turned to face the man. Urie gulped as he saw her with ghoul eyes. "Peek-a", the lady covered her face and then opened it. "Boo!", she reverted her eyes back. "What are you planning to do now?", Mutsuki still cannot look into her eyes. "I am in the in-between, Tohru. I am still a human who doesn't want to get eaten but then I am also a ghoul who doesn't want to get killed", she smiled and suddenly disappeared.

GOAT HIDEOUT

Kitchen

"You're cooking", Hinami watched the lady chop some vegetables. "Unlike most of you, Hirako-san and the rest still need to eat", Rikina explained while mixing the stew. "How is it that you are able to eat human food?", the younger lady asked. "I asked my father about it. He is the first ghoul who slightly succeeded in becoming a human but it came with a large price. He's not too proud of the sin he had to commit. For some years, I was able to suppress the RC cells but when I nearly died, the cells were re-activated", the lady explained.

"Will there also be a way for ghouls to be human without having to sacrifice so many lives", Hinami got what it cost for Akihiro to become a human. "We will work for that, Hinami. If not in our generation, let's look for a way", the lady nodded in agreement to her own words. "You're so positive, Imai-san. Even when I saw you for the first time. You're like a ray of sunshine", the girl commented. "I'm so embarrassed hearing it from such a sweet lady like you. But then, Hinami-chan. I needed to be stronger so that I could continue to hope for the future", Rikina stopped mixing and patted the girl's head.

"I'll be having some sparring with Naki and the rest. Want to join us?", the lady invited.

Chapter end.