The masked figures moved with terrifying speed, each one a blur of motion as they surrounded us. The air hummed with tension, the weight of the fight pressing down on us like a storm cloud ready to burst.
Kaneki was the first to react. His kagune unfurled with a fierce snap, his eyes gleaming with cold determination. Without a second thought, he launched himself toward the nearest figure, his movements fluid and deadly. The figure barely managed to dodge, but Kaneki's strikes were relentless, forcing them back.
Touka, as always, was beside me in an instant, her kagune flaring out like twin crimson wings. She charged toward another figure, her movements precise, calculated. The sound of her kagune cutting through the air was sharp, like the hiss of a predator closing in on its prey.
I stood frozen for a moment, my senses overloaded by the rapid movement and the adrenaline coursing through my veins. But then it hit me—I couldn't just stand there. I had to fight.
With a deep breath, I summoned my own kagune, the tendrils of dark energy rippling around me. The moment I made the decision to fight, everything clicked into place. My instincts surged forward, my body moving in synch with the power within me.
One of the masked figures darted toward me, their blade gleaming in the dim light. I parried their strike with a swift motion, my kagune wrapping around their weapon and wrenching it from their grasp. Before they could react, I struck, knocking them to the ground with a powerful blow.
But the fight was far from over.
The remaining masked figures regrouped, their eyes glowing with a dangerous intensity. They didn't seem to be ordinary ghouls. There was something different about them—something unnervingly powerful.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the chaos of the battle.
One of them, a tall figure with sharp features, stepped forward. They tilted their head slightly, as if considering my question. "You really don't know, do you?"
I narrowed my eyes, sensing the truth in their words. "I don't care who you are. All I care about is stopping Miyu."
The figure smiled, but it was a cruel, almost pitying smile. "Miyu is more than just a name. She is the beginning of a new era. You can't stop what's already in motion."
I felt a pang of frustration gnaw at me. These words, these threats—they were meant to shake us, to make us doubt our resolve. But we couldn't afford to hesitate. We had to push forward, no matter what they said.
Touka, her face set in a determined expression, called out to me. "Don't listen to them! We've got a job to do!"
Her words snapped me back into focus. We weren't here to question Miyu's motives or philosophy. We were here to end it.
With renewed determination, I charged at the nearest figure, my kagune lashing out like a whip. The figure blocked my strike with a blade of their own, but I could feel the pressure mounting. They were strong, but they weren't invincible.
Kaneki was still locked in battle with his opponent, his kagune flashing in the moonlight as he moved with deadly grace. The sounds of clashing steel and the hiss of kagune filled the air, and I could feel the shift in the atmosphere. This wasn't just a skirmish. This was war.
I dodged another strike, this time a fast-moving slash aimed at my side. My kagune shot forward, wrapping around the masked figure's leg and pulling them off balance. With a quick movement, I kicked them down, my kagune retracting just in time to avoid the counterattack.
But just as I thought we had the upper hand, the tall figure who had been taunting us earlier stepped forward, their voice cutting through the noise of the fight.
"You really think you can defeat us?" they sneered. "We are the harbingers of change. You're nothing more than obstacles to be removed."
They raised their hand, and I immediately felt a sharp pulse of energy—a power unlike anything I had encountered before. The ground beneath us trembled, and I felt a sudden surge of dizziness.
"Fall back!" I shouted to the others. "This is—"
But before I could finish my sentence, the energy surged again, and the world seemed to spin. A blinding light erupted from the figure, and everything around me went white.