Unification
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3 days later...
- HEY!!! - I heard Minene's voice, managing to break through the insanely loud sounds of heavy machine gun fire in Metro 2033.
Pausing the game, I lazily took off my headphones, glancing at the girl who had torn me away from the game.
Uryu had already settled in my house and started to observe the entertainment she had not been able to enjoy before. Movies, TV series, games, that sort of thing. For some reason, however, she didn't want to watch anything but action films.
- What do you want? - I reluctantly stretched out.
- How long are you going to sit here?!
Minene was indignant. The reason is not clear to me. I mean, there's bread, there's entertainment, what else does she want?
- Do you lack something? - I raised an eyebrow. - Is it the chle...
"PHEW!"
I lazily caught the trainer flying at my head, inexplicably coming from the girl's hands.
- Posh!!! - angrily shouted Minene, and I involuntarily remembered the incident that took place three days ago.
Anyway, the cops came to our house. The caring neighbours, having heard a gunshot in my house, dialled the right number and half an hour later the police were busting at the door. Thank all the gods I know that the only neighbours who were at home at the time of the shot were a grandmother and an old man, the latter half-deaf. So, I didn't have to try to spout off about really cool clappers and the like, just saying it never happened. The cops didn't need anything else, they didn't even come round. Then again, it was because there wasn't an ardent fighter for justice and a paranoid person among them, who would have insisted on checking the flat.
- Well, everything else is there. - I shrugged, getting up from my chair. - Then again, you have what I suggested, too. - I expressively patted myself on the thigh, which made Minene even more furious.
Yeah, this way of making fun of her still doesn't bother me... and it won't until she doesn't care about it. Then I'll look for other ways, hee.
- GRRR!!!
Minene abruptly tore towards me, grabbing me by the collar and starting to shake me. I nonchalantly jerked to the beat, so as not to upset the subversive woman's desires. After a moment, breathing heavily, she let go of me, dropping to the bed.
- Minene Uryu's tired, unable to fight back body..." I began to hiss snakily from the floor. - was in the lustful hands of Kaneki Amano, who had long plotted his actions to achieve such a result!
- Loads... - said the girl a little hoarsely, trying to catch her breath.
- And yet, what's gotten into you? Or rather, why did you come to me with such a question? - I asked with interest.
- You are the Thirteenth! - Minene again lit up, as if offended for something. - So many words have been said, and you've spent the last three days just sitting around... playing games! And you won't let me go anywhere!
- Indeed... - I nodded thoughtfully. - I should walk you on a leash and with a muzzle, you deserve it.
"BOO!"
Minene's elegant foot smashed into my nose, causing no pain in the process. However, I did prostrate myself on the floor.
- Regarding your question. - I continued seriously, not getting up and looking at the ceiling. - Why go anywhere if you can wait and kill the remaining players, have you thought about that?
- You mean hide in a corner like a rat waiting for the moment to stab me in the back! - Minene flared up.
- Hmm... I guess so. This is life, not a super hero comic book. - I smiled slightly, getting up. - Don't worry, all the players are right here in this city right now. I know the Second one personally, and she hasn't joined the fighting yet... as far as I know.
- What about the others?
- I don't know... - a light breeze blew in from the open window, bringing a familiar scent with it. - tz..." I smirked. - Speak of the devil...
- What are you talking about? - Minene asked in surprise, rising from the bed.
- The smell. Someone came to see me. - I smiled. - Get ready, now I'll introduce you to the Second.
- Wh-What?!
- What you heard. Don't fight with her, I don't need to separate you two. And... don't give her any hint of a connection between you and me that's more than friendship. She's got a very strong possessiveness skill set.
- Are you... really? - Minene asked dumbfounded. - Is she... like, your girlfriend?
- No." I waved my hand. - Just a girl who has a reason to marry me and have a bunch of kids. And I'm quite serious, she'd slaughter you if she suspected anything between us.
A couple of minutes later, I was already sitting in the kitchen, brewing coffee and two teas, waiting for Yuno to stop squirming at the door and knock. Still, though she's cute, she's a little too reserved... however, that's indirectly due to the fact that she and I are sort of strangers after the gods have broken the causal chain.
- Minene. - I said without looking at the girl sitting at the table. - How many spoonfuls of sugar do you want?
- Two.
- Mm-hmm.
"KNOCK." "KNOCK." "KNOCK." "KNOCK."
Grinning, I set the jar of sugar aside, slowly heading towards the door. Ugh... this is going to be fun. With that thought, I opened the door.
She...looked...prettier. To tell you the truth, these past year and a half, I hadn't really watched her much, just an occasional glance, but... ahem.
- Hi. - I smiled slightly.
- H-Hi! - A sincere smile appeared on the girl's embarrassed face. - I... I'm Yuno Gasai... from the class....
- Yes, I remember you. - with a smile, I interrupted Yuno's stammering. - You're a classmate of my brother, Yukiteru. I take it you're here to drop off his homework?
- Y-yes. - The girl nodded hurriedly, blushing.
- Hmm... - I grinned even more. - All right, come in.
I stepped aside, letting the girl past me and closing the door.
- You go into the kitchen, we were just about to have tea. The room on the right.
I paused for a few seconds, locking the door... but it didn't matter when I heard the click of the safety on Minene's gun. Already rushing after Yuno, the thought flashed through my mind, shouldn't I wait a bit? After all, if I'm going to save both Minene and Yuno, I'll still have to choose in the end. And if Uryu is shot by Gasai now, I won't have to choose... Ugh, what a thought!
As I flew out into the kitchen, I abruptly yanked the shoulder of Yuno who had frozen in the passage, standing in front of her and frowning at the angry Minene holding a gun.
- Minene, I thought I said "do not engage in combat." - I said glumly.
- She tried to kill me!!! - Uryu exclaimed angrily. - And you're telling me not to touch her?!
- Tried to kill her? - I asked in surprise.
***
Fuck... It turns out Yuno tried to nail Minene after she left my abode back in the winter. Trapped her in an alley, and nearly slit her throat with a knife. In the end, Minene miraculously managed to shoot Yuno in the leg, immediately escaping. Huh, and I thought she'd never been seen by Gasai, but in the end... well, I underestimated the young follower of Chikatilo.
- Yeah..." I said sourly, standing at the kitchen counter and sipping my coffee.
Yuno sat at the table with her head down, clearly one step away from hysteria. Minene stood in the opposite corner of the room... with a gun. After some thought, I decided not to take it from her, changing the injunction from "do not engage in combat" to "do not kill".
- Okay, I should have expected something like that from you. - I hummed, pouring another mug of coffee. - Minene and I have nothing but dirty jokes, so you don't have to worry. Oh, yeah, if you kill her, I'll be offended. I'll be very offended.
- You say that so calmly. - snorted Minene, pulling out her diary, checking it. - I don't feel sorry for you at all.
- You survived a night in the same house with me and still remained a virgin, and I, by the way, am the creepiest contagion to be found in all the land!
- Pfft! Well, deal with her yourself, I'm going upstairs. - threw Minene as she left the kitchen. Eh... and I was hoping they'd get to know each other normally....
- Hm... - I gave Urya a glance before turning my head to Yuno who was looking at me with fear. - I don't understand, why did you try to kill Minene if you knew she would participate in the game?
- W-what? - Yuno interjected.
- Don't play dumb. - I said slightly irritated. - The Second, or rather, the Second from the other world, you knew that Minene would be one of the participants, but why did you try to kill her? That would have caused complications to your knowledge of the future, right?
Yuno looked at me with horror, but again, like the fear before, that emotion was directed at the thought of me pushing her away, if interpreted in human terms.
- But..." she began timidly, but I interrupted her futile attempts at denial.
- I'm Thirteen. I know almost everything about you, and don't worry, I'm not accusing you of anything. Life happens, I've been through worse.
- Ka... neki..." Yuno said in a daze. - I... I...
- I killed my parents, I killed a lot of people... you killed me too, didn't you? - Yuno shuddered, looking at me fearfully again. - But... I guess I was completely different in that world, right? - The girl nodded slowly. - I was the First? - nodded again. - As you can see, this world is different, as it is as alien to me as it is to you. I am not Kaneki Amano, not Yukiteru, but a completely different person. - I didn't realise I was starting to get carried away. - and you know what the big problem is for you? You destroyed the world for nothing. There's no lover in this world, there's only me. You can try committing suicide out of grief, or you can try to win the game again and destroy an entire world again, then move on to another one where your Amano will be alive. Again, your chances will depend entirely on my preference.
Blinking, I wondered, what the fuck did I say all that for? No, everything that had been said was already known, since Deus had told them all about my 'abnormality'. But still... yeah, I got carried away. It wasn't too bad though, it was more like I was giving Yuno a 'test'.
Hmm... apparently... this world is already affecting me too much. No battles, no taste of death... just boredom.
- Okay, Second, I only have one question left. What are you going to do?
- Ka... neki..." Yuno whispered dazedly, and tears began to gather in her eyes.
She got up from the table and walked over to me... hugging me, while sniffling her nose. For some reason, I could see Akame doing the same thing after my fight with those two teigoyusers, after which Esdes dragged my half-dead body back to the base. Yes... I miss them very much.
- I'll follow you anywhere. - whispered Yuno. - And I'll do anything you want. But... please... don't kick... me out..." the girl finished somewhat, starting to cry again.
Smiling sadly, I hugged her back, thinking about what Touka would say if she saw me like this. Hmm... and yet, besides them, there is no one else... no one at all. Everyone who was in the other worlds is dead, Gremory, Tepesh, Vallier, Fey... all of them... though no... there is one girl who still remembers me... I wonder... was she able to do what Krul once told me? Was she able to restore peace? Haha... perhaps she's the one I'd most like to see right now.
***
It's been two days since Juno moved in. Minene argued, Minene was angry, Minene threatened to shoot her and then me, but she got over it, especially after I told Yuno "don't touch Urya, or I'll get frustrated, angry and kill her". After saying that, Gasai stopped even looking in Minene's direction. Instead, she followed me around all the time. She even crawled to me to sleep the first night, dragging a futon over to my bed at around midnight.
However, those days didn't go in vain for me either. All the while, I was pondering over my plan of action. And as a result, the thought came to me that... everything was boring. Therefore.
- Minene, have you got the grenades?
- You bet! - the terrorist smirked.
- Juno?
- Four Berettas, one MP-5, a Nova shotgun. - with a smile, the girl gave a cheerful account of her stockpile.
- Great, then let's go. - I nodded, looking at my Ghoul mask, which was in my hands. - Minene, go start the car, bring it to the exit. The keys are on the bedside table under the mirror. Juno, please go upstairs and get a couple more hunting knives.
The girl skipped upstairs with a smile, and I took the two bags full of weapons and headed for the front door.
I decided to take action. First, we would visit Eighth's house, as she had a role in Eleven's plan, and her daughter's diaries could be... problematic. Next, the Fourth, who would also be dead, would probably come to the call. With any luck, it would be possible to catch Seven as well. A few birds with one stone.
Later, we should attack the Sixth. With her, we can find and get rid of the Fifth. And then... then only the Eleventh and the Tenth will be left. In a week's time, I'd be waking up in the arms of Touka and Esdes, studying with Hina and chatting with Juzo.
- I guess I am really tired of life. - I smiled, swinging the door open and walking to the car where Minene was sitting grinning in anticipation.