Chapter 16

Morie stood as still as a statue within the pristine shower as the hot water cascaded down her body. Upon arrival both she and Kaneki were taken aside and instructed to bathe themselves in different secluded shower rooms. Kaneki thought it strange but agreed anyway whilst Morie at first refused until Kaneki told her it would be fine. She wanted to sock him.

The soaps and shampoo on the shower shelf we all some fancy brand Morie hadn't heard of nor cared about. She grabbed a bottle and vented some of her anger by squeezing it so tightly that the pearlescent substance splattered onto her hands then dripped to the tiled floor. With what remained in her hands, she used it to clean herself.

A sapphire dress was hung on a hook by the door and it was paired with a set of heels that were neatly place below it. After drying herself off with the fluffy towel provided, she ran a hand across the fold of fabric that acted as the single sleeve and felt the weave of the material. It was heavy and dense. As for the shoes Morie looked at them with disgust. She had only every worn heels a few centimetres tall for the fancy events the CCG rarely held but before her were stilettoes. Made from a black fabric that felt like peach fuzz and with two straps, one with a buckle, Morie could only think that they were shackles.

She wore everything anyway.

Upon stepping out of the room a ghoul wearing a simple maid outfit greeted her with a bow. Like every other staff member Morie saw this woman was wearing a mask that was a smooth white and looked like a doll's face with all the factory paint removed. "I shall take your belonging for storage now." The maid held her hands out for the tray Morie carried which had her clothes thrown inside.

Morie gave the maid the tray without a second thought. Before heading out of the bathroom she looked herself over in the mirror and eyed the gap created between the fabric and her chest. It was thin like the gap between breast and bra; thin enough to slide her scalpel between. Handing over the tray was no longer an issue for her.

The maid directed Morie towards a door and opened it for her. Clumsily, Morie stepped inside and before she could look back, the door was swiftly closed. Although the room was large there still was an effort to make it look cosy. A set of cushioned chairs on a Persian rug and coffee table were the main centrepiece. Other knickknacks like a potted plant and paintings helped give it a more homely feel. Yet as her eyes scanned the room, she saw no windows nor air vents which made her bite her inner lip in frustration.

Morie was greeted with a hello from a man wearing a suit whose nose was a tad too large for his face.

Hearing this Kaneki peaked his head around from one of the chairs. "You're here, Morie."

Taking a step forward and nearly tripping Morie eventually managed to awkwardly make her way to Kaneki. Before saying anything to the boy she looked around only to find a fourth member with her head to the side and arms crossed.

"Who are you?" she asked bluntly addressing everyone but Kaneki.

The other woman just turned her head away more and crossed her fat legs. On the other hand, the man who first greeted her stepped with a smile. "Quite a fetching miss! Kobachi from the Shouei company's magazine ''Tokyo Gourmet''. I have been invited to write an editorial on tonight's meal." He held out a business card which Morie plucked from his hands and stuffed into the top of her dress.

After the interaction she turned back to Kaneki, leaned close to him and hissed into his ear. "Congratulations. We are tonight's main course."

His eyes widened as he gulped. "W-what do you mean by that?"

Morie put a finger to her lips. "Quiet. Don't alert anyone. Don't do anything that may compromise your health. I intend to get us out alive somehow. Keep an eye out for a vent or window or anything that can be used as an exit."

The CCG had always talked about such places where ghoul's fed live humans to the patrons of these restaurants and due to the sheer number and different factions they often became targets of raids. Investigations were always conducted on trying to find them so that information made it to her ears occasionally.

There was a knock by the door as the same maid that assisted Morie came in wheeling a cart covered by a pristine white cloth. Placed upon it was a silver teapot, four china cups and a plate of neatly arranged biscuits. The cart was stationed by the coffee tables and chairs. Apparently, the offerings were a pre-dinner snack to enjoy whilst the main dining room was being prepared.

With a cheerful smile and energetic movement Kobachi picked up a checkerboard biscuit and took a bite. After chewing a few times, he declared that they were a tad dried out and weak tasting. He still ate a few more along with his cup of coffee.

The other woman held her head high even though she was short. Thinking herself to be mighty she pushed her body past Kaneki who was carefully reaching out to pour himself a drink. She then returned to her seat and crossed her legs again before daintily picking up with cup with a pinkie held out.

As she pushed past with her cup Kaneki could smell a strange substance that originated from the liquid and decided that he wouldn't have a cup. Curiosity came to him so once he returned to his chair, he looked up at Morie who stood beside him. "Can you smell that too?" he asked her in a hushed voice.

Morie nodded. "I can."

Kobachi placed his cup down before grabbing the two clean ones and the pot. "Are you two going to have any? I will pour some for you if you do."

Kaneki nervously turned his head towards the man. "Um… No thank you. Err you see…"

"We already had afternoon tea today so we are waiting for the main course," Morie stated in a level voice. "Coffee and cookies would just fill us up."

"Ah, a wise choice I see," said Kobachi.

Fifteen minutes passed before the door was opened again. This time instead of the maid it was a masked butler who escorted everyone out of the room and after walking down a long hallway, they were directed into another room. The whole time whilst walking and looking for an exit Morie had to hold her hand up against the wall in order to steady herself due to the shoes she was wearing. The room itself made Morie stand on edge. There was nothing inside the large room but a circular table with four chairs and a teppan angled in such a way that anyone who sat down would be able to watch the cooking show.

The butler bowed before taking his leave and closed the door behind him.

Every cell in Morie's body screamed at her to stay away from the table and teppan so she hovered closely to the door unlike Kobachi who eagerly strode to the table and pulled out one of the chairs to sit on. "I wonder what we'll have. Steak? Seafood? I can't wait!"

Morie was about to grab Kaneki's wrist but he had already started moving over to the man with a smile as the overweight woman tugged at the door. "It's locked!" she gasped and growled before attempting to kick it open.

Morie observed the woman's actions with her arms still crossed. She looked at the woman with a scowl. "What do you expect? This is a-"

Before Morie could finish talking a loud black speaker sounded. "Apologies for the wait. Dinner preparations have been finalised."

Kobachi cheered as with a clang the ceiling above them receded. Bright spotlights were cast down on them as the snooty chattering of the crowd leering above them met their ears. All the nobles were wearing a variety of masquerade masks and held wine glasses brimming with fermented blood. They raise their glasses as the ceiling fully retracted.

Morie could feel herself shrinking from the magnitude of the spectacle. Thinking she had more time to comprehend the situation, Morie felt her plans shatter as the noble talk berated her.

The announcement continued. "Tonight, you shall feast on these four! The man at the table is an editor of a gourmet magazine." Kobachi started shivering. "He never fails to go to the gym even if he is busy so his perfectly primed body shall have a chewy texture excellent for what we have lined up for you. The intermediary is Mr TR." A man with a crying mask stood up and bowed as he was met with a round of applause.
"In contrast to the previous course we have the portly lady on the right. Her meat shall be soft but since she refused to take a shower her body is covered in excessive oils. These oils will be removed before serving so please relax. The intermediary is Mr PG."

After being frozen still out of shock the woman ran to the centre and shouted up at the balconies. Tears of shock streamed down her face along with snot and sweat. Pointing up to the ghoul who was waving and wearing a clown mask she yelled, "Souta! YOU LIED TO ME! What about your promise to marry me!? Today was supposed to be that day."

The clown just put an elbow on the railing and propped his chin on his hand. "Such lofty ambitions, my dear Ami." He sighed as he moved his hand to fiddle with his checkerboard collar then laughed. It was light hearted yet cruel, soft yet loud and he held each chuckle for a tad too long. "I honestly can't see a boar as an object of romantic interest so I could never love you~"

The overweight woman's eyes bulged as her finger shook. All she was doing was screeching out of desperation and the clown continued to laugh. He leered down at her and the angle made the fake, red lips of his mask look all too wide. "The pig is oinking. How delightful. I want everyone to have a tasty bite of her oily fat!"

The woman wouldn't stop screaming. It drew the audience's attention so Morie took the moment to try and move as indiscreetly as possible even though the arena was mostly bare and the lights were focused down on them. As she took a step towards Kaneki her foot slipped. The shape of her shoe and the slip forced her right foot to bend at an unnatural angle and as she cried out in pain, her body tumbled to the ground. Kaneki rushed closer to her.

All eyes were now on Morie.

The announcer continued his spiel. "I am afraid that the show for this woman will be dull due to unforeseen events nonetheless the fallen woman is Morie Masuda; an unexpected side dish to the main course. The intermediary is Mr MM."

With that a ghoul stood up from a private balcony. Half his face was covered by a crescent moon and the applause that greeted him was greater than the other intermediaries. "If I may say a few words." He gestured out to the crowd then used his arms to direct their attention to Morie. Through her pain, she glared up at the man whom she recognised as Tsukiyama. "Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to watch this lady for she is rather peculiar."

Eagerly waiting the audience leaned closer to the railings from their chairs and paid attention to the woman in the blue dress. The area round her right ankle bulged out and was turning purple. As Morie grit her teeth she reached into the top of her dress and pulled out the scalpel. Fed up with the shoes she bent down closer to the shoes, stuck the blade between the straps and pulled up. The blade cut through the bands and freed her feet from their confinements. There were gasps and "Ooo"s from the crowd as they watched her actions. Some questioned where she got the weapon from but they were swiftly drowned out by the ghouls around them.

The show wasn't over for them though as the purple around her ankle faded. The foot then twisted back to normal before their very eyes. Feeling the pain vanish she tested putting weight on the foot but Kaneki insisted against it. Morie ignored him as she leapt to her feet, picked up a stiletto and threw it at Tsukiyama. He easily dodged by tilting his head to one side. The noise from the audience escalated as a roaring laughter was added to the jeering.

Morie knew her face was getting redder by the second from the rage and humiliation she was feeling. It built up inside of her until she exploded. "THIS IS A PERFORMACE FOR YOU ASSHOLES! You stand up there high and mighty looking down on the people you think are livestock but in reality, you live in fear! The CCG will have you all screaming and running if they turned up here so enjoy your pathetic existence whilst you can," Morie huffed as she caught her breath from the outburst.

Tsukiyama took Morie's silent stance as an opening. "You can see for a human, she has remarkably fast healing capabilities. It shall surely make for a grand dismemberment," Tsukiyama said before gesturing back to the announcer. He remained standing.

With an "ahem" from the announcer he began to introduce the next menu item. "The final dish of the day has quite a meat for it is that of a ghoul." The crowd started to whisper amongst themselves. "Like the previous item the intermediary is Mr MM."

Tsukiyama once again addressed the crowd as the hushes died down. "I assure you it is not unreasonable for one to feel bewildered by the mere thought of eating a ghoul for the meat is coarse and flavourless. Every guest here is an epicure so I am sure you will be able to appreciate this. The thing I noticed about this man was his 'scent'" With a flick of his wrist the handkerchief from the café was held high, a red splotch visible on it. With another flick he tossed it into the crowd. Catching the smell of blood, the ghouls rushed to grab the cloth each taking a turn to sniff it before the next person yanked it out of their hands. The cycle repeated as Tsukiyama kept talking. "Although he has the body of a ghoul, he gives off the distinct scent of a human.
My fellow companions are you interested now!? Imagine what taste sensation a ghoul who has the scent of a human shall bring to the table. An unknown taste will stimulate your senses, excite your mind and immerse you into a whole new world! Both of my offerings have been prepared through exercise and coffee so their meat will fall apart easily and supply us with a fragrant flavour." He held his arms up and took a bow. "NOW, ENJOY YOUR GOURMET MEAL!"

Applause erupted.

A clang followed by a rumbled alerted the four in the arena to a metal shutter located at the far end of the area. As it opened the ground continued to shake and a human blob of fat and muscle came into view. A mask made of leather was draped and buckled so the face was hardly visible apart from the crocked nose and misaligned ears. Hanging from the waist was a pouch containing blades such as scissors and knives and in addition to that a saw was clutched in gloved hands. In a low voice the creature slurred, "Nisch to meet choo." It was introduced as tonight's 'scrapper'.

As it stepped closer to the table everyone but Morie was frozen stiff.

In disbelief Kobachi started laughing and clapping. "An event restaurant! What a surprise. Exquisite food and the excitement of being shocked."

"Get away!" Morie ordered as she grabbed Kaneki by the wrist and pulled him away from Kobachi.

Her voice was lost on the reviewer as he was yanked upwards with both of the scrapper's hands. A hand at Kobachi's shoulder and a hand at Kobachi's hip the scrapper began to pull and pull as the man started screeching in pain. He was then slammed to the ground where his left arm was tugged up. His screaming got louder and louder as the saw was brought down. The sick sound of blunt teeth tearing away on flesh and the humming of the blob echoed around the arena. The sound then mixed in with the shouts from the crowd as the dismantled limbs were thrown their way. It ended when Kobachi's head was tossed leaving lines of splattered blood on the floor and walls.

Morie was scowling as she forcefully escorted Kaneki away from the scrapper. From the looks of it Morie couldn't see anything that could be used as an effective long-range weapon on the scrapper so she figured keeping her distance was the best option for survival.

Kaneki had other plans though and twisted out of her grip. He ran up to the woman who was still frozen stiff as Morie shouted at him to come back. He skidded to a holt in front of Ami and brought himself into a fighting stance. Kaneki keeping his eyes on the scrapper who was stepping closer with every second spoke to the woman. "P-please stay behind me."

Morie was running back to retrieve Kaneki but her face twisted in disgust at she saw Ami kick Kaneki to the ground. Out of panic she threw her scalpel at the scrapper in an effort to stall for time so she could get Kaneki out of there. The blade imbedded itself in the side of the scrapper's cheek but it proved to be ineffective due to the cheek being layered with cushioning fat. All the it did was make the scrapper say "Ow, that wasn't very nisch." With meaty fingers it pulled out the scalpel and threw it to the floor.

Ami was laughing at Kaneki and calling him a decoy before she took off sprinting.

As Morie whispered "bitch" under her breath the audience picked up their laughter and started to jeer at the fat woman whose behaviour was so trashy. It was like reality TV for them.

Although Kaneki was on the ground the scrapper walked past the boy and started running after the woman with his arms outstretched. The scrapper laughed as it chased her. They ran laps around the centre of the arena leaving Morie and Kaneki alone. Kaneki picked himself up using Morie's hand which she held up and once he was standing on his two feet Morie rushed to retrieve the scalpel.

As the scrapper and Ami ran a woman stood up. "Run Taro-chan~! Run for momma~"

It made the scrapper run faster but it still couldn't keep up with the fat woman that was until Ami collapsed to the ground. Her legs felt numb and she clawed at the ground unable to get up again. She wiggled across the ground like some kind of worm.

"Look's like the poison has started taking effect," informed the announcer. "Rest assured that her stomach will be cleaned out before consumption."

Kaneki and Morie looked at each other both now realising what the strange smell they smelt when the coffee was served.

Taro caught up with Ami, picked up her body which was going limp then threw her down face first onto the teppan. All the sweat that coated the woman sizzled before evaporating. Meanwhile her skin was searing. Ami's flailing limbs slowed down as her body was cooked to death.

Most of the crowd held a hand to their mouths as they grimaced not due to the method of murder but because the scrapper wasn't following instructions.

Kaneki looked like he was about to be sick and was once again frozen to the spot. It was only when Morie shouted at him to get down did his knees buckle. Whooshing above his head Taro's saw was swung.

The woman who cheered the scrapper cried out again but this time it was in anger. "The other one! The other one first!"

Taro looked up. "Yes momma."

Hearing this Morie gulped and began to move around the scrapper. Taro's movements were slow and clunky and she knew this. Once behind its back she bent down low and pointed the scalpel. With a slash she cut through the skin of Taro's right ankle. She growled when the cut wasn't deep enough to slice away at the Achilles tendon. Whatever happened to the person Taro once was made its skin thick.

"Owwie…" Taro said as he sluggishly turned around to face Morie.

Morie was about to jump back but the scrapper's meaty hands grabbed her waist and she was flung into the air. A scream escaped her mouth as her eyes widened in fright. A leg was caught and her body crashed to the ground. Air escaped her lungs as she was winded and Morie started gasping for air as weight was pressed against her back. Like Kobachi before her, an arm was yanked up and the teeth of the saw ground against her muscles. Her cries of pain escalated.

Kaneki not fully knowing what to do took a running start before kicking Taro in the thigh with all his might. The attack did nothing as the scrapper kept moving its arm back and forth. Running out of options Kaneki then tried to grab the sawing arm and pulled it towards himself. Taken aback by the force, Taro's arm straightened and his wrist was twisted up to the ceiling. The scrapper lifted his arm, picking up Kaneki with him as Morie's arm was dropped leaving her panting. Kaneki swung a leg up into Taro's elbow and with a sickening crack, the scrapper's elbow was broken and dislocated. It fell back howling in pain.

Morie's legs were pinned down by the weight of its body. She struggled to try and pull herself out but it just resulted in her frantically waving her arms out. Kaneki raced to her side and grabbed the arm that wasn't injured and started to try and tug her out.

As the so called ''mother'' of the scrapper cried out Tsukiyama started cheering. "Amazing! Knowledge from the books you read and the application is truly magnifique!"

He snapped his fingers and a butler handed Tsukiyama a silver suitcase. With the click of a button the case opened and a new, larger saw with a purple blade was tossed downwards. It embedded itself into the concrete floor near Taro. The ghouls watching began muttering to themselves as the quinque glistened.

"Such a tool will greatly help this scrapper in the dismemberment ahead," explained Tsukiyama.

Kaneki was still trying to free Morie but with every second passing his body felt weaker and weaker until his legs gave out. Morie's face fell as she saw this and tried her best to reach out for him.

"As expected of the illustrious Mr MM the plans to emit a gas as a special precaution was indeed a wise choice. Although slow acting, those who did not drink the coffee will now start to find their movements futile," the announcer informed.

Hearing this Morie's breathing started to quicken once again and soon she began hyperventilating. Her eyes were closed tight but she opened them again quickly revealing her kakugan. Kaneki in front of her was struggling to reach out to her with a shaking arm. With a cry of anger and panic she felt her pressure building in her lower back. Bursting out from the confinements of her dress a tendril of black started flicking from side to side wildly. The crowd gasped and whispered amongst themselves but it soon turned to haughty laughter once the tendril was flicked wickedly and too fast to a side. The shiny, jagged surface broken into a shower of crimson dust that showered both Morie and Taro.

Tsukiyama leaned forward in interest, his eyes widening with surprise as his grin widened. Two ghouls who smelt of human and one of them had spice he could add to his meals.

Taro groaned, came to his senses and managed to flip his body over. Now standing it fumbled towards the quinque as Morie rushed to Kaneki, her mid back spewing the red powder that was gradually forming back into the black tendril. She bent down towards Kaneki and lifted him onto her back with a grunt just as the saw was swung above her head. Kaneki in a burst of energy wriggled himself free and in the process pushed Morie down to the ground once more. The move made both of them avoid being sliced in half.

Kaneki's body at this point was starting to fight off the poison. He scrambled to his feet as another blow was aimed his way. The blade imbedded itself into the ground where Kaneki once was. As Taro was struggling to pull the weapon free Kaneki ran up to his side and with a leap, he sent his clutched hands into the back of the scrapper's neck.

It howled in pain as it yanked the weapon and took a swing at Morie who was running up closer to it. Morie's kagune had taken its shape again and she twisted it so it could land a hit on the behemoth. Although not well aimed it still made contact with the side of Taro's torso, slicing it open before it crumbled into powder again.

The scrapper continued its wobbling attacks but as it started to sway from side to side blood started trickling from the gaps in its leather mask. Morie and Kaneki watched in interest but the two charged in for one more attack. With a shout of excursion, the two threw uppercuts which sent Taro back down to the ground. There was a cough as more blood spluttered from the scrapper's mask. It remained motionless as Kaneki and Morie panted in the centre of the area. Both of their eyes shone with kakugan eyes.

The crowd grew wild upon seeing Kaneki's eyes.

"A one-eyed?" someone gasped before being joined in by more ghouls. The chatter echoed all around the pair in the area as they tried to recover from their fight.

"SEND IN ANOTHER SCRAPPER!" another person shouted as he gazed towards the ''mother'' of the previous scrapper.

"KILL THEM!" Another look.

"TEAR THEM TO SHREDS!"

"WE WANT TO FEAST!"

The tapping of a microphone followed by interference silenced the crowd. The crowd looked towards Tsukiyama as he gracefully jumped into the arena with perfect form. He raised a hand and pointed it toward the scrapper's corpse. "I apologise. It seems that I have caused quite a commotion… I assure you that it was never my intention to endan-"

Tsukiyama had to leap out of the way of the incoming attack coming from Morie. Her kagune had reformed and she took the opportunity to try and strike Tsukiyama down where he stood. The rinkaku crumbled once again as it chipped away at the concrete floor.

The Gourmet gasped at her uncivilised attack. "My how vulgar. Can't you remain still when one is talking?"

Morie said nothing but she continued to glare at Tsukiyama, watching his every more.

He cleared his throat to continue. "As I was saying, it was never my intention to endanger a living legend amongst our kind. I shall take full responsibility for this error." He gave a deep bow before once again pointing a hand towards Taro's body. "That being said, our dinner shan't be ruined. I propose we dine of Madam A's scrapper."

The crowd began chattering again.

Tsukiyama turned his head towards the ''mother'' of Taro. "I shall provide you a new pet to your liking as an apology for this unfortunate miscalculation. How about a handsome man from Europe or an elite from Arabia?"

After a few seconds of thinking the woman he was addressing shouted her agreement to proposal.

With a snap of his fingers the door leading out of the arena creaked open. Tsukiyama changed his attention to Morie and Kaneki as he stepped forward towards the two. In a quiet voice he said to the pair, "I had intended this to be but a petty joke. I understand it might be a bit difficult to do but could you find it in your hearts to forgive me?"

Morie picked up her scalpel from the floor and brushed past Tsukiyama's form. "Not on your life," she growled to him as she marched towards the door with Kaneki wearily following.

A few days later when a cleverly crafted CCG raid squad burst into the restaurant and gazed around the balconies. Littered between tables and chairs were bodies of nobles with dried blood clinging to their faces that had trickled from their noses and mouths. Upon autopsy it was revealed that their own bodies attacked their organs leading to organ failure and internal bleeding. Within all of their stomachs was the flesh of Taro the scrapper along with traces of a red powder.