The One Eyed King

Into the dragon's jaw

Kaneki's transformation into the Dragon Kakuja was nothing short of a nightmare made flesh. The air around him thickened, his body convulsed, and the searing pain that tore through his flesh was like a thousand knives driven into his bones. Every inch of his skin felt like it was burning from the inside out as his kagune surged out, uncontrollable, ravenous. His fingers twitched violently as his nails lengthened into jagged claws, his bones twisted, stretched, and cracked, reshaping into monstrous forms. His spine arched unnaturally as the kagune merged into his flesh, wrapping him in layers of grotesque armor.

His thoughts were fractured, barely human, only fleeting moments of clarity as the pain gripped him. The monstrous kagune tore through his body and lashed out, obliterating anything in its path. He could feel it. He could feel the destruction spreading, the screams, the terror of the people as buildings were reduced to rubble, the streets split apart like fragile glass, and bodies fell broken under his uncontrollable rampage.

The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as his own teeth cracked and reformed into razor-sharp fangs. Every time his body expanded, growing to monstrous proportions, the agony only increased. He could hear the bones in his arms shattering, reforming, and breaking again in an endless cycle, his skin ripping and knitting itself back together in an unholy loop. His vision blurred, the world around him spinning, and yet, the overwhelming sensation of power, raw and insatiable, clouded his mind.

Kaneki screamed, no, roared as he felt the dragon's consciousness, something ancient and primal, surge within him. It was like being consumed from the inside out, his mind submerged in a tidal wave of bloodlust. His body no longer felt like his own. He was losing himself, piece by piece, each fragment of his humanity crushed under the weight of the dragon's will. The sound of his own bones breaking was drowned out by the cries of the dying around him. He could feel their terror, their desperation, and he could do nothing to stop it.

The sensation of becoming the dragon was too much. His mind, already frayed and broken, finally gave in, plunging him into darkness as his consciousness faded into oblivion.

—

When Kaneki awoke, it was in an alleyway, the stench of rot and dampness assaulting his senses. His vision was hazy, and he blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. His body, though intact, ached in a way that felt unnatural, as though the transformation had left him bruised deep into his very soul. He raised a trembling hand, staring at it, half-expecting it to still be twisted and monstrous, but it was just his hand.

His breath quickened. Where am I? The last thing he remembered was... the destruction, the pain, the screams. The others!

Kaneki bolted to his feet, his legs shaky but driven by panic. Touka... Hinami...Hide! His heart pounded in his chest as he stumbled toward the light at the end of the narrow alley, his hand outstretched as if the sunlight itself might offer answers. His surroundings were alien, nothing like the shattered Tokyo he'd known moments ago.

As he stepped out into the open, he tripped, his knees hitting the concrete hard. His breath left him in a sharp exhale as he landed face-first on the ground. What the...? He lifted his head, eyes widening as he took in the scene before him.

Hundreds of people walked down the bustling street, laughing, chatting, enjoying the day. It was... peaceful. No destruction? No bodies? His confusion grew into fear. This couldn't be real, none of it made sense. And then he saw it.

A hulking man with the head of an elephant strolled casually through the crowd. His deformed, leathery trunk swung lazily as he walked, the unnatural sight sending a wave of panic through Kaneki's already frazzled mind. What the hell is that?

His body tensed, instinctively backing away, still on the ground, as he locked eyes with the grotesque figure. His heart hammered in his chest. "Get away from me!" Kaneki's voice was raw, his breath ragged.