Part 3. The Beginning of the End. Chapter 3: Rebirth for Burial

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Give me the stones.

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I stood in front of her and couldn't utter a word. The way she was looking at me was completely off my mind, leaving me confused.

- I suppose..." I began, smiling happily. - I should say..." I ran my gaze across the rooftops, trying to find a word. - It's been a while, hasn't it?

Akame remained silent, staring at me steadily.

- You haven't changed a bit. - I grinned. - You're still as silent as ever.

The silence continued.

- Yeah, judging by your reaction, I really should have stayed in the shadows...''

Akame abruptly jumped towards me... slapping me in the face. I didn't dodge, as the girl needed a release right now. And though I didn't move, my head felt pretty bad. My hair, combed back to keep it out of my eyes, fell over my eyes again, covering them.

- I guess I deserve it. - I admit it.

- You're... not an illusion? - The girl asked cautiously, her voice a little shaky.

- Well... I can fix your memory and you won't remember me at all. So it's your choice. So, am I an illusion or not?

Akame looked at my face carefully, however she flinched and her palm touched my hand.

- 'Akame... I...' I whispered, wanting to kiss the girl standing close. - I don't know what to do. I don't want to ruin your life. You...

I was abruptly silenced with a kiss and I only sighed, answering and clutching Akame in my arms. We stood there for about a minute, and Akame started to run out of air. I didn't have that problem, so I regretfully let her go.

- I missed you. - I smiled, resting my forehead against Akame's head. Well since I was a bit taller (Akame's height was 164cm. The pruf is written at the end of chapter 75 of the manga. GG's current height is 175cm).

- Jerk..." the girl sobbed, clutching me in her arms.

Suddenly, Akame's hair evaporated, becoming short and taking on a slightly purple colour. I shook my head slightly, chasing away the memory of an exact replica of what was happening now. I smiled slightly, remembering the night I'd come to Anteika after talking to that Ghoul.

- I was in pain. - It came to me. - A lot. With each passing day, after your... your disappearance, I lost hope that you would return as if nothing had happened. How did you survive?

- I spent almost a week in the form of blood.... - I began to recount, stroking the girl's hair.

The next day...

So, what are my plans? There is only a month left to fulfil the contract with the "god", but I have not made any progress in my plans. I'm ready to attack, but it's not certain that I'll be able to reach the targets in time.

First of all, I think I should tell about my plan to kill Khalizard to my brave comrades, and then we'll see. What have I learnt so far? There are two emergency exits and three main exits. One of them I'll go to, the second one I can send Lubbock with his threads and Leone and Felicia for support. Wade and Kurome and Laura can go to the third one, and Akame and Esdes can take the 2 alternate exits. Also, it's worth sending Mein to one of the city towers, there will definitely be a view of the 2 exits she can support.

I'll be on the lower levels at this time, destroying the labs, and the scientists who manage to avoid me and my nose will be destroyed by my associates.

Akame, Esdes, and I were lying on the bed in my cabin, with Felicia rummaging around on the ground floor making breakfast. Yeah, it was like being back in time. Somewhere on the ground floor, there was an eerie rumbling sound, followed by Lubbock's pained, sleepy cry of, "What for????". "Y-y-yes... how dare you... touch me in there!!!" - Maine's roar served as her reply.

Yes, Akame had introduced me to the people yesterday, subsequently receiving a boozy reception from Lubbock in honour of my return. I was hemmed in, cried on, and kissed on both cheeks (the latter, only from Leone). We then proceeded to my cabin, sending me to rob the bodega on the way (as soon as they found out about my ability to disguise myself, those goats and assholes started thinking up a hundred ways to use me). As a result, everyone got drunk and went to sleep on the floor. I, as the only one who was immune to alcohol after evolution, was the only one adequate and carried Esdes and Akame into the bedroom, where... we just slept. My girls were in the wrong state of mind.

I carefully climbed out of bed, creating clothes on myself before tucking my fringes to the side and quietly slipping through the slightly ajar door. When I came down, I found Lubbock in the corner with a look of sheer terror on his face, and a terribly angry Mein aiming at him from the calandor.

- They haven't changed a bit. - I hummed, drawing attention to myself.

The dumbfounded looks of the couple turned towards me, but after a couple of seconds, they began to see the brightness in them.

- Kaneki... - Maine lowered her kalandor tiredly, sighing. - You still like to appear from the back as well.

- Well, actually, it's just male solidarity. - I waved my hand.

Myne turned sharply to Lubbock, but he had long since scurried away, before nodding gratefully at me.

- You! - shrieked Maine in anger. - You ran away! - With that, the girl took off down the street in pursuit of the poor Lubbock who had "dishonoured" her.

- Mmm..." I heard from behind the couch.

Well, it's going to be a long wake-up call....

***

I looked at the pensive faces of my mates and wondered if I should clear their heads. I had just told them about my plans to assassinate the Emperor, so their state of mind was understandable.

There were a lot of questions, and I spent almost half an hour covering them. Now, it's up to me to find out who will come with me and who won't. In fact, they all have a reason to. I gave them the information I had managed to find out about Khalizard, or rather his "dark" side, then backed it up with words as well, making that side even darker, smoothly rounding off his good sides.

Selfish? Yes. Except, I'm in no position to delay in finding helpers right now. I don't have much time left.

However, as far as I know, there'll be a minimum of guards in a month's time, in honour of some holiday. Which means it's better to attack at that moment. Except then I'll only have one chance. It turns out that the treaty will be enforced on that day, around 5:00 p.m. So, I should be able to do it in... 2 hours, because the celebration starts at 3 o'clock.

- I think-- Kurome spoke up. - Wade and I can help. He's done things like this.

- Shelly and I will, too. - Maine said with a frown, followed by a nod from Shell herself.

- Hmmm... Well, yeah. Lubb and I - Myne glared angrily at the boy - are also willing. - Leone raised her hand in a scowl, then broke out into her usual smirk. - I haven't had a good fight in a long time!

- Great... - I smiled. - So...

- I want to. - came from Tatsumi. Hmmm... should I let a potential husband for Akame in, or should I leave him out to avoid his demise?

- Your participation is at Akame's discretion. - I waved my hand. - When she wakes up, you can ask her. She's your mentor, not me.

- So you already have a plan? - asked Felicia, who did not say out loud the obvious about her participation. She's ready to follow me anywhere, and after watching "memory cartoons" ...

- Bingo. - I nodded.

***

3 weeks later...

I was sitting on the roof, looking out over the palace. Esdes and Akame and Felicia were nestled next to me, each with their own thoughts.

- Kaneki, Akame spoke up. - Why are you in such a hurry?

- М?

- You're so eager to kill him as soon as possible... what's this about?

Hmm... That's too bad. How can I get out of it now?

- Well... let's just say I hate the thought of someone doing experiments trying to make people like me. - Once again, I lied.

- Tell me about your homeland! - Felicia suddenly exclaimed, and I thought about what she said. Tell? All right, I'll tell you.

- If you mean the country where I found my kind, we have both Ghouls and humans. And they're at war. The Ghouls hide amongst the humans and hunt down civilians from time to time. Opposing them is a kind of "police for Ghouls" called CCG . More precisely, they are engaged in our extermination with a special weapon, the Quinque. It's made from a special Ghoul organ, the kakuho, from which the kagune emerges. These weapons are sharper, stronger and can cut through our flesh like normal human flesh. You know... earlier, when I told you about my life, I had to lie about a few things.

- Like what? - Akame asked calmly.

- Everything. There was no village. I was born in the same Ghoul country where I've survived all my life. Except, something wasn't quite right. I was a bit tough from birth, but I didn't learn about being a Ghoul until closer to 18, having lost my parents quite early. A half-breed, a mixture of human and Ghoul... later on, I found the Anteika Cafe, which secretly acted as a cafe for Ghouls. Their hidden base, which was also frequented by humans. I managed to find family and friends there.

- And what happened to them? - Felicia asked slowly, and all three girls immediately became wary.

- Nothing... They still work there. I escaped from there... for a very good reason. Or rather, I was forced to flee, otherwise, sooner or later, they would have found my connections to Anteiku and destroyed him.

- Do you... want to go back? - Akame asked cautiously.

- Yes... I want to go back very much.

I breathed in the cool air of the wind, covering my eyes. Tomorrow, we will attack the palace. I will kill my target, erase all knowledge of the Ghouls, and find the peace I should have had a long time ago, back when I was in Fiore.

There is much to be done in these last 24 hours. Many to kill. Laura will die like a Ghoul, and Najenda should be killed last. She supplied me with a lot of information, but she's no longer useful. Tomorrow, she is to strap herself with the most powerful explosives stolen from the armoury the day before, and then come to the Emperor's 40 Teigoyuzers' lounge, where she will blow herself up. Kind of Alahovian, but with a much more strategic purpose.

- Is your family waiting for you there? - Akame asked.

- How can I tell you this?" I hesitated. - Time passes differently for them. It's possible that I disappeared for a week or a month, but not for three years.

- How so? - Esdes was surprised.

- A different understanding of time. In those parts, a second equals an hour, or something like that, I don't know exactly. Anyway, that was in the past, and now.....

- Let's have dinner! - Akame suddenly suggested it. - Still... perhaps some of us won't be back....

- Indeed. - I nodded. Good idea.

- Make everyone's favourite dish! - the girl smiled brightly at me. - ah... and you...

- I've become an omnivore now after evolution. So, I want... mashed potatoes with onions and cutlets!

- Erm... - I heard from all three of them.

- With a pickle... and freshly baked bread. And all this with a glass of vodka. - I began to fantasise openly. - By the way, do they even make vodka here?