~Hayashi's POV~
When I first joined the East Mountain Group, I expected it to be the stereotypical Yakuza experience. And while I wasn't entirely wrong, over the years I had seen fingers chopped off piece by piece and witnessed both the best and worst of our gang. I was still scared though that is until I met the 6'8 silent bear known as Katsuragi Takeshi.
His name wasn't even his own, it had been given to him by the Third Boss, Inoue Takeshi. Back then, Katsuragi wasn't a Lieutenant yet, just a "Big Brother." Even so, he was one of the youngest to ever hold that title, and both literally and figuratively, everyone looked up to him. Though not the highest ranking member, Katsuragi was by far one of the most well known.
This was partly because of his sheer inhuman physical abilities. Whether it was his speed or strength, it always bordered on impossible. One story in particular still gets told: the time he fought for twenty days straight to reclaim lost territory, driving out the usurpers single-handedly. Some whispered that he was blessed by the deities, others believed it was his insane dedication to the gang that pushed him beyond human limits.
Another reason for his fame was his gentle nature, at least to those who hadn't crossed the Yakuza. To most kids, he was a jungle gym or a giant a radiator in the harsh winters. I'd even seen him tie a plank to ropes and use his arms as swings for them.
But now, as I led the backup squad, I couldn't shake the worry gnawing at my gut. The black cloud of silence looming over the warehouse we'd left behind made it worse.
"We're almost there!" I shouted to the group behind me.
Some of the older members, the ones who had raised Katsuragi when he was young, nodded grimly. It felt strange worrying about a man who could flip cars over to use as cover in a gunfight, but it was justified this time. He'd been poisoned—tricked by a woman who had lured him in.
"Don't worry, kid. He'll be fine." said an older man in his forties, carrying the Boss on his back.
I gave a hesitant nod, my gaze briefly meeting his. He snorted.
"I'm not going to gouge your eyes out, brat. The big idiot wanted you and the others to escape for a reason."
His words didn't reassure me. My frown deepened as I glanced back at the warehouse that now stood eerily silent. I couldn't help but voice the question that had nagged at me for years.
"Why doesn't the Lieutenant speak?"
There were rumors, of course. Some said it was a punishment handed down by the Boss, which was quickly debunked the moment older members heard of it. Others believed he'd lost his voice to surgery or torture.
The Boss gave me a glance but didn't answer. Instead, the man carrying him spoke.
"He chooses not to."
I blinked, surprised. "Chooses not to?"
"For what reason would he need to speak?" the man continued, his scarred face softening into a faint smile. "Everyone knows who he is and what he's capable of."
He shifted the Boss slightly on his back and glanced at me. "He is a pillar that holds us up. Just like everyone here."
The smile faded as he turned his gaze toward the warehouse. "Focus. We're almost there."
I nodded, swallowing my unease, and whispered a silent prayer.
'Be safe, Lieutenant.'
~Takeshi POV~
wheeze wheeze
I stood over the pile of bodies near the entrance, holding a man by his broken neck. With a final glance, I let him drop and looked around through blurred vision. My remaining eye burned with exhaustion. 'Not like the rest of me isn't.' I thought bitterly, clutching my chest where a tanto had nearly pierced my heart before I tore the attacker's arm off and used it to beat him to death.
I sighed but it turned into a wheeze, my collapsed lungs protesting. 'Doesn't seem like there's anyone left.' Relief washed over me, though my battered body barely registered it. But then I heard muffled footsteps echoing from the warehouse entrance.
"Lieutenant!"
'Hayashi?'
Through my blurred vision, I made out a mop of messy brown hair rushing toward me, accompanied by others, backup finally. With a trembling hand, I raised my index and middle fingers, then pressed my palm flat against my chest before extending it outward—Safe, stand down.
He let out a weak laugh that quickly turned to a gasp as he got a closer look at me. "Y-you…" His voice cracked, eyes widening as they dropped to my torso.
I followed his gaze, seeing my own organs partially hanging out, barely held in by my shredded, blood-soaked shirt and the bleeding stump of my arm. Despite everything, I met his horrified look with a calm smile.
"Takeshi!"
The familiar voice made me slowly turn my head, the effort almost too much for my battered body. I recognized Takemura, carrying the Boss on his back. The sight of me made Takemura freeze, and without a word, he carefully set the Boss down who yelled with worry.
"No!"
To my surprise, the Boss sprinted forward, faster than I thought someone in his condition could manage. As he reached me his already pale face turned ghostly white. His trembling hands reached out, gently grasping the tattered remains of my shirt.
"Fuck… Takeshi, I—I…"
His voice faltered, and his eyes met mine as I tried to offer him a faint smile. For a moment, he just stared, then took a deep breath, standing tall. With his fist clenched over his heart, he stepped back, and the other members, who had now gathered around us, followed suit.
"Lieutenant Katsuragi Takeshi." the Boss said, his voice trembling but steady. "I thank you for your service over the past seventeen years."
The others echoed his words, tears streaming down their faces. Even Hayashi, clutching my remaining hand, was openly sobbing.
The Boss's lips trembled as he took another deep breath. "From the moment I found you when you were two years old, I knew you would be the strongest person, both in spirit and body, this world had ever seen. From the time you broke a grown man's fingers at age three to the day you aided the Imperial Family and earned a kiss from the Empress herself, you have always been exceptional."
His voice cracked and he paused, his chest rising and falling unevenly. "You are a true member of the East Mountain Gang, and a son... to me."
My vision began to fade, and my body sagged as the weight of exhaustion took over. Even so I stood back up with determination and I managed to hear his final words, spoken with a deep, pained sincerity.
"I thank you my son, for everything."
~Scene Change~
Waking up in an alleyway wasn't something I ever expected, but here I was. Phantom pain from long forgotten injuries wracked my body as I gritted my teeth and pressed a hand to the wall for support. 'What happened?' I scanned my surroundings, trying to recall. 'I was fighting... then...' My gaze drifted to my chest, where my black shirt, now looking freshly cleaned, clung to me. 'I died.'
The thought struck hard but I sighed, pushing it aside. My hand instinctively went to my neck, searching for the familiar necklace gifted to me by a member's late wife. My chest tightened when I realized it was gone. 'It's not here?' Feeling only bare skin where the chain once rested, I sighed again and shifted my focus to a tattered newspaper on the ground.
Picking it up, I scanned the front page. My frown deepened. 'Still Kyoto, but a different year... 2012?' The headline mentioned strange sightings of "ghouls" the word sparking faint recognition. 'Why does that sound familiar?' Scratching my cheek, I shrugged and tossed the paper aside. 'First things first. If the gang is still active, someone should be nearby.'
Stepping out of the alley, I bumped into a businessman, sending him stumbling to the ground. He glared up at me at first but froze the moment he looked up, his expression quickly turning to panic as my shadow engulfed him. "I-I—"
Raising a hand, I pulled him to his feet, brushing off his shoulders and fixing his tie where it had gone askew. "S-Sorry?" he stammered, his voice small and shaky. I gave him a reassuring thumbs up and a faint smile before turning to leave.
As I walked away, I heard him shout, "T-thank you, sir!" Turning briefly, I saw him bow deeply, nearly a perfect ninety degree angle. I returned the thumbs up and continued on my way. 'Hopefully, the gang still owns that ramen shop. I'm starving.'
My stomach growled audibly, drawing curious glances from passersby. Their gazes didn't linger though, they turned away as soon as they realized how much I towered over them. As I walked, my thoughts returned to the newspaper. 'If it's really 2012, I can change things. Prevent the others from getting poisoned.' My jaw tightened at the memory, but I quickly masked the frown as a baby wailed at the sight of me.
Turning a familiar corner, I spotted the ramen shop. It looked the same as ever, run down with barely any customers, but something was off. The hidden crest that signified East Mountain Gang protection was missing from the sign. 'Odd.'
Shrugging it off for now, I ducked through the doorway, barely fitting inside, and took a seat at one of the worn stools. My eyes flicked to the old TV mounted above the counter, currently playing the news.
The cook, a man I didn't recognize, approached. "Fuck, you're tall!" he exclaimed, then laughed nervously, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "So, what'll it be? And how many servings?"
I frowned, which seemed to startle him more, then gestured for the pen in his hand. He handed it over quickly, and I scribbled my order on my palm before showing it to him.
"T-twenty bowls of miso?!" He stared at me, his jaw slack. I pulled out my wallet, still miraculously intact, and handed him the money. He bowed hurriedly. "Your order will be ready shortly!"
I nodded and turned my attention to the TV. A man with white hair and glasses appeared on the screen, wearing a neutral expression. He spoke about ghouls, and the video shifted to footage of a creature with a red tentacle like appendage that seemed to come from his body flipping cars as though they were weightless.
'Weird.' I watched as people in white suits engaged the creature, their movements efficient but deadly. Something about this scene tugged at buried memories. My brows furrowed as the man on the news continued, his calm voice sharp and authoritative.
"Do not worry." he said. "The Commission of Counter Ghoul has swiftly neutralized the threat."
The footage cut to the ghoul's lifeless body, surrounded by four individuals in white trench coats. Recognition hit me like a punch to the gut.
'I'm in Tokyo Ghoul.' The realization jolted me, and I bit my tongue in shock.