"I can't believe I've landed in this world."
Standing on the rooftop of a three-story building and watching a giant screen across the street, Daniel Davis let out a quiet sigh. After spending a few good days with Yan Lingji in the American Sword IV world, he had resumed his journey through the multiverse.
Judging solely by the nearby surroundings and architecture, it was hard to tell exactly where he was—so many modern worlds looked alike. But one word flashing across the screen made it immediately clear: Ghoul.
The screen featured a doctor explaining the characteristics of ghouls while reminding viewers that one could often tell if someone was a ghoul simply by observing whether they could digest normal human food.
"This is one tragic world—worse off than Demon Slayer," Daniel mused.
In Demon Slayer, aside from a few demons who might earn a shred of sympathy—like Nezuko—the rest truly deserved their fate. But ghouls were an entirely different matter.
Even though, thanks to Kaneki's efforts, it appeared that humans and ghouls had reached a state of coexistence, it was nothing more than a temporary, deceptive peace forged by a mutual enemy. Given enough time, that fragile truce was bound to collapse.
In the Marvel universe, even Inhumans and ordinary people struggle to live together peacefully—let alone a species that feasts on humans. If true harmony were ever to be achieved, there was only one solution: fix the ghoul food problem. Humans can coexist with nearly any race, but they simply cannot live side by side with a species that sees them as a meal.
Of course, Daniel wasn't the only one who thought so. No one is that naive; with advancing technology, completely resolving the ghoul dilemma might not be impossible. Then again, to be frank, even if a perfect solution existed, some people might never be willing to see it implemented.
"I wonder if that guy Kaneki has truly become a ghoul by now…" Daniel pondered.
Although this world offered him no chance to boost his own strength, since he was here, he might as well help Kaneki avoid the looming tragedy. After all, even though Kaneki later claimed he didn't regret encountering Rize—at least in that old Jiudo Erfu incident—the truth was, if he could choose again, he'd undoubtedly opt to remain human.
And then there were the other tragedies of ghoul existence. Now that Daniel had the ability to change things—and without wasting too much time—why not seize the opportunity?
"Since I'm here, I might as well become the savior of this world."
With that thought, Daniel activated his Observation Haki—a power he might be hesitant to use in other fields, but when it came to ghoul cells, bolstered by his Surgical Fruit ability, he was absolutely confident he could handle the situation.
"I hear gunfire—let's go check it out," he murmured. His heightened senses picked up the sound emanating from about two alleys away, and with a hint of curiosity, he headed straight for the source.
Arriving at the origin of the gunshots, Daniel found, in a narrow alley, a beautiful woman with long brown hair slumped on the pavement. Beside her, a pair of winglike appendages—almost as if shielding her—glimmered. On each side of the alley, two individuals stood guard, making a total of four surrounding her.
Of these four, two were relentlessly firing pistols at the woman, but no matter how many bullets they shot, none could penetrate the winglike barrier protecting her.
"This scene is all too familiar… It seems we've reached that point. Looks like Kaneki Ken has indeed become a ghoul," someone observed from the edge of a nearby rooftop. Their words, combined with the unfolding events, made it instantly clear to Daniel what was happening.
It was the very scene of Hinami's mother being murdered. There, a grinning old man—undoubtedly Arima—was present, flanked by a young man who must be Amon Koutarou. (Daniel couldn't recall the name of Hinami's mother, though.)
"Seems like today's my lucky day," Daniel thought.
If it had been just any ghoul, he wouldn't have interfered. But since it was Hinami's mother at stake—and with both Hinami and Kaneki watching covertly from a distance (as his Observation Haki had picked up their hidden presence)—he couldn't let it slide.
In that moment, Daniel casually swept his left hand across his face. A wooden fox mask materialized, concealing his features. Though he wasn't afraid of the CCG, he preferred to keep his identity hidden to avoid unnecessary complications.
"You disgusting, man-eating monsters—drop dead!" he shouted.
When Hinami's mother failed to respond to his words, Arima finally couldn't hold back any longer. He activated his quinque, preparing to kill her.
"That transforming weapon ability… it's really something," Daniel remarked, watching as Arima pressed a button on a white case. Instantly, the case unfolded into a weapon—a quinque, as it were, a term for the standardized arms wielded by CCG operatives, said to be crafted from a ghoul's kagune and serving as the primary tool against ghouls.
"Monster, your current form is the true monster here. I wonder what your wife and daughter would think if they saw you like this," Daniel taunted.
At that moment, Arima lunged—but Daniel was faster. He appeared right by Arima's side, wielding a green bamboo stick. With a single well-placed strike, he knocked Arima back. Of course, Daniel deliberately held back; otherwise, that blow might have completely shattered him.
Although Daniel harbored considerable resentment toward Arima, he recognized that Arima was, after all, a CCG operative—one dedicated to hunting ghouls (a task most ghouls posed a danger to humans).
"Who are you?" Arima demanded.
"Mr. Arima," came the curt reply.
The sudden turn of events spurred Amon Koutarou into action. He immediately unsheathed his quinque—a long-handled weapon with a cylindrical head that he had kept concealed until now.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Meanwhile, the two other CCG members, noticing Arima being sent flying, switched their focus to Daniel. However, perhaps due to having fired too many rounds at Hinami's mother already, they managed only four shots before having to reload.
As those two exchanged fire, Amon swung his weapon with force, the whooshing sound of his strikes attesting to his considerable strength as a seasoned CCG investigator.
"Could it be that in this world, those with ghoul cells are naturally stronger? That definitely merits further study," Daniel mused.
Ever since watching Tokyo Ghoul, he had been curious about one thing: how could CCG investigators, armed only with quinques, possibly subdue ghouls when a ghoul's physical prowess far exceeded that of any ordinary human?
This wasn't like in Demon Slayer, where the Demon Slayer Corps relied on specialized breathing techniques—and even then, they were at a disadvantage. In this world, no such techniques existed.
If it were just an anime, one might overlook that detail—but in reality, it made all the difference.
With that thought, Daniel casually flicked his left hand and caught four bullets out of mid-air. Simultaneously, with his right-hand bamboo stick, channeling the sticky and supple techniques of Tai Chi, he swept through Amon's quinque—snagging it and sending both Amon and his weapon crashing into a nearby wall.
"Another monster, huh?" someone remarked.
After Daniel sent Amon flying, Arima managed to stagger back to his feet. Gazing at Daniel—whose face was still hidden behind his mask—Arima's expression twisted into a bizarre smile. Clearly, they now mistook Daniel for a ghoul.
"Only those with twisted souls are true monsters. I wonder what your wife and daughter would say if they saw you like this," Daniel taunted.
Among CCG investigators, crazed types like Arima weren't uncommon. Notable among them were Arima himself and that guy partnering with Jiudo Erfu—who, by all accounts, was even more deranged than Arima.
"Drop dead," Daniel ordered.
His words seemed to hit a nerve. Arima's quinque suddenly extended rapidly, lashing out at Daniel.
"Hey, have you lost your will to live?" Daniel remarked coolly.
He paid little mind to Arima's assault. Yet, he was bemused that Hinami's mother remained utterly unresponsive. A smarter person would have taken the chance to flee by now.
"If you want to die, don't you care about your daughter at all?" Daniel chided.
With another casual swing, Daniel deflected Arima's incoming quinque using his bamboo stick. Then he moved toward Hinami's mother, grabbing the winglike kagune protecting her. At the mere mention of "daughter," her previously vacant eyes finally flickered with some semblance of life.
Without hesitation, Daniel swung his arm again, hurling Hinami's mother away—directly toward the hiding spot where Kaneki and Hinami were concealed.
"Leave this to me. Amon, you and your guys go after her—under no circumstances should she escape!" Arima bellowed as he watched the woman's protective kagune being whisked away. He had his eyes set on that very kagune; though it didn't look particularly lethal, its defensive potential was undeniable. Incidentally, Hinami's kagune was a rare blend of her parents' finest traits—a perfect balance of offense and defense.
"That won't do. Hold onto it," Arima ordered.
Not allowing Amon to leave with the two investigators, Daniel appeared right beside them. In one swift motion, he struck three of them down, disarmed the other two, and even grabbed Amon—using him as a human shield in front of himself.
Seeing his subordinate, Amon, held hostage, Arima paused. Although he was known for his ferocity toward ghouls, when it came to his colleagues, he was not yet willing to sacrifice them.
"Mr. Arima, don't worry about me," Amon pleaded desperately, struggling as if his very life didn't matter. But against Daniel's might, his struggles were futile.
"What is your purpose?" Arima demanded, his voice regaining a note of cold rationality. Daniel's earlier display had clearly been restrained; otherwise, all of Amon's men would have been finished. Strangely, Daniel hadn't even used his own kagune throughout.
Though Arima was unhinged, he was a clever man—otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hunt so many ghouls. Even later, when facing opponents like Dong Xiang and Hinami, he had never anticipated the sheer ferocity of Hinami's kagune, which ultimately led to his miscalculation.
"My purpose? I have no ulterior motive. But I do have a secret—if you're brave enough to hear it."
Seeing that Arima had halted, Daniel shoved Amon aside, no longer needing him as a hostage.
"A secret? There's nothing I wouldn't dare to know," Arima retorted, implying he was ready for the revelation.
"Then I hope you won't regret this: the upper echelons of the CCG are entirely made up of ghouls," Daniel declared.
"Nonsense," Arima snapped.
Before Arima could respond further, Amon couldn't hold back any longer. "Believe it or not—it's true! The entire top tier of the CCG is composed of ghouls!" he blurted out, a claim so outrageous it was hard to fathom.
"Take it or leave it; I've told you the secret. Oh, and one more thing: the One-Eyed Owl was once the weapon of their choice," Daniel added before turning on his heel and walking away. Amon tried to stop him, but Arima intercepted the attempt.
"One last word—watch yourselves. Lately, you'd better prepare your last wills in advance, lest you meet an untimely, unexplained end."
Stepping out of the alley, Daniel suddenly paused and turned back to the ever-changing expression on Arima's face. With his keen insight, Arima immediately understood what Daniel meant—that it was the top brass of the CCG who were responsible for his wife's death.
"I wonder how far they'll go... Will they silence people with murder?" Arima murmured.
Removing his mask as he merged into the crowd, Daniel couldn't help but speculate about the changes Arima might bring. It was ironic—here was the head of the department charged with controlling ghouls, and yet the highest-ranking leader turned out to be a ghoul himself.
"Figures, this is District 20. Since I'm in this world, I simply must hit up an antique coffee shop," Daniel mused.
Inside a nearby bookstore, he managed to buy a map showing the layout of all 24 wards of Tokyo. It turned out that he was in District 20, known as the Stability District—a term not coined by the ghouls, but by the CCG, referring to areas where ghoul activity was rare and life remained stable.
Of course, being just a regular bookstore, the map only offered a brief rundown of the 24 wards—notes on which districts were chaotic, which were safe, and so forth. District 11 was noted as the most tumultuous; by night, a curfew was strictly enforced.
While there wasn't much information on ghouls per se, there was plenty regarding the CCG—details about their headquarters, the number of branches, etc.—which was typical for an official organization.
"First things first, I need to find a place to stay. Then I can begin my research. But before that, I must learn how far the study of ghouls has progressed in this world."
Starting research from scratch wasn't out of the question, but it would be a waste of time. If I could tap into the CCG's own research on ghouls, it would save me a tremendous amount of effort.
"I recall that guy who performed surgery on Kaneki had deep insights into ghoul biology. It'd be ideal to find him—but for the life of me, I can't remember his name. Looks like my first stop has to be that antique coffee shop," Daniel concluded.
(End of Chapter)
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