Generally speaking, when a human and a ghoul have a child, the offspring will be either half-ghoul or half-human. Which one results is simply a matter of probability. As for whether a "pure" human child could ever be born—well, that's hard to say. Even if the chances are extremely low, they are not zero.
As long as the probability isn't zero, it remains possible—life is full of miracles. For example, consider Yamato, the experimental subject deemed "unqualified" by Orochimaru who eventually managed to successfully fuse with wood release techniques. Or take the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park—although their DNA was supposed to be locked away so that reproduction would be impossible, they still broke free of their genetic constraints.
When it comes to the secrets contained within the human body, even though Daniel possesses the Surgical Fruit, he wouldn't dare claim to have mastered them. And yet some scientists become so self-satisfied that they insist they've uncovered the mysteries of genes and DNA—it's hard to know what to say about that.
It's not impossible that Ryou Shusei (和修政) might actually be human. Of course, there's also the possibility he could "turn green" (i.e. become a ghoul). Interestingly, Ryou Shusei turns out to be none other than Kyudo Nibifuku's nephew—a fact Daniel had never imagined before. He had originally assumed that Ryou Shusei would be Kyudo Nibifuku's uncle.
"Hey, what are you all doing? Do you need me to call the police?"
Daniel pushed open the door of the Antique Coffee Shop and, surveying the scene inside, spoke in a measured tone. In the café, a figure clad in a white suit with a twisted smile was savagely tormenting Kaneki Ken, while on the other side, Touka lay sprawled on the floor beneath a young man with short, purplish-blue hair.
Besides these, three unfamiliar individuals were huddled in a corner, trembling. It appeared that the only regular occupants of the café present were Kaneki Ken and Touka; everyone else seemed to have vanished.
After a quick scan of the café, Daniel immediately understood what was going on: this was an attempt to capture Kaneki Ken. The only thing that surprised him was why none of the other café regulars were there. Had the manager, Shifang Lianshi, Yumeng Yuanyue, Iru Jianxuan, and the others been present, then with the combined strength of the Gecko and the "transvestite fighters," whisking Kaneki away would not have been so easy.
In terms of sheer fighting prowess, aside from being outnumbered by the Bronze Tree faction, the combatants here were not lacking compared to those of the Bronze Tree.
"Run!"
Touka, sprawled on the ground, never expected a human to arrive at that moment. Without pausing to think, she cried out loudly—but almost immediately, Wujima Ayaka clamped her head down.
"Humans… they're truly fascinating," observed Gecko, whose cruel smile deepened as he saw Daniel enter. He then hurled Kaneki Ken out, and in the blink of an eye, as swift as a gust of wind, charged at Daniel, thrusting his right hand toward Daniel's chest. His fingers, adorned with golden-gloved covers, gleamed with a brilliant golden light.
Meanwhile, the three trembling strangers closed their eyes, unwilling to witness the brutal scene unfolding.
Boom!
A sudden, resounding crash made the entire café shudder, and then everyone present fell into a stunned silence. The human who was expected to be ruthlessly tortured by Gecko instead stood there, completely unharmed, while Gecko himself lay face down, embedded in the café floor.
"Ah… ah… ah…"
Gecko, though lying on the ground, did not lose consciousness; instead, he roared in fury. With that roar, enormous scale-type kagune shot out from his back. Gecko had never been so incensed—he was livid that a human had, by some unknown method, knocked him down. Daniel's intervention had been so fast that even Gecko didn't have time to see his attack coming.
"Shut up—you're making too much noise," Daniel snapped. With one swift stomp of his left foot onto Gecko's back, he forced Gecko's body to become flush with the floor. The protruding scale kagune immediately recoiled under that pressure. Not wishing to render Gecko completely useless, Daniel merely shattered most of the ghoul's bones; even a ghoul's remarkable regenerative ability would be stifled under such circumstances.
"White Dove,"
a single word escaped from one of the three trembling strangers. In the ghoul community, it was widely believed that only CCG investigators—colloquially known as "White Doves"—were capable of defeating ghouls. Ordinary humans simply couldn't fight them. Not everyone has someone like General Arima on their side or wields a Cookin weapon that can take down a ghoul.
"It looks like my luck is really good today—I've caught a big one. Not only do I have Gecko, but also that transvestite Nick from the Clown Organization, a cadre member of the Bronze Tree."
Hearing himself called "White Dove" stirred something in Daniel. With a swift flick of his right hand, a Cookin longsword materialized in his palm.
While researching how to transform ghouls back into humans, Daniel had also been studying the manufacture of Cookin. Thanks to Kyudo Nibifuku and Dr. Kanou, his laboratory was stocked with ample Cookin steel—a type of "memory metal" that also served as the main material for Cookin.
The kagune of Shikan and the "Mother of Chaos" Roma had been converted into Cookin for use by the black-and-white twins—serving respectively as weapon and armor. In the CCG, these are known as the new "armored Cookin."
Daniel observed that Cookin—similar in many ways to Venom—was a bioengineered weapon capable of forming biological armor and related gear. The new Cookin used by the CCG was particularly formidable in terms of defense.
Through his study of Cookin, Daniel understood why humans could effectively counter ghouls: Cookin bonds with its user much like the toxin he had developed, drawing on the user's physical strength to maximize its efficacy.
Daniel himself had kept a sword on hand—a curiosity he'd once stored in his spatial ring. As long as it remained untransformed, it occupied very little space.
Although transforming weapons like Cookin weren't of much personal use to Daniel—since, after all, he was now the Emperor of the Great Tang and had to concern himself with state affairs—they were invaluable for others. Standard Cookin fashioned as swords, scythes, or sickles might be ordinary, but certain specialized Cookin were altogether different.
For instance, General Arima's Cookin could transform at will during battle and even release lightning attacks. Daniel was already contemplating whether he should ask General Arima if he might borrow his Cookin for closer inspection.
If possible, Daniel hoped to forge his own "Fei Gong" (a legendary weapon) using mechanical techniques—though technical constraints meant that only a limited number of transforming devices were feasible. But if he could incorporate Cookin into his design, perhaps he could craft a multipurpose Fei Gong capable of morphing into any of eighteen weapons.
"You know me?"
The transvestite Nick looked at Daniel with a face full of astonishment. This unfamiliar investigator actually knew his true identity, which shocked him—after all, on the surface, he was merely a cadre member of the Bronze Tree.
"Of course. Roma has missed you very much," Daniel replied, not giving Nick a chance to speak. In an instant, Daniel appeared beside him and, using the flat of his sword, struck him down, rendering him unconscious. Transvestite Nick's unusual ability—rare among ghouls—enabled him to heal others.
Besides him, there was also that priest confined in the CCG's Kuikulia Prison. His power was equally intriguing: by using his fingers, he could create clones. Given the close relationship between the manufacture of Cookin and kagune, it was entirely conceivable to use that kagune to produce Cookin with similar abilities.
"Damn it, hurry up and take her away—I'll buy us some time." Seeing Gecko and transvestite Nick fall, Wujima Ayaka no longer cared to comment on Nick's affiliation with the Clown Organization. Instead, she immediately ordered the three people nearby to take Touka and leave.
Wujima had joined the Bronze Tree primarily to protect his elder sister, Touka. Even if it meant clashing with his own sister, his actions were fueled by anger at Touka's self-destructive tendencies.
In Wujima's eyes, Touka—living in District 20's Stability Zone—was sinking by her own choice. Ever since their father was killed by a CCG investigator while protecting them, Wujima had devoted himself to the pursuit of strength. As the saying goes in this world, all disadvantages arise from the inadequacy of those involved. If their father had possessed sufficient strength, he would never have been killed by the investigators.
After witnessing the sorrowful tears his sister shed over their father's death, Wujima swore to himself that he would never allow such a tragedy to recur.
"I understand." Seeing that Wujima had entrusted Touka to him, one of the three women immediately stepped forward to support her, while the other two helped lift the fallen Kaneki, intending to take him away together.
Wujima, upon noticing that these three were trying to save Kaneki, wore a grim expression but said nothing further. Instead, he fixed his gaze intently on Daniel, while simultaneously unleashing his wing kagune to full capacity.
"Your wing kagune isn't good enough—it's not beautiful enough." Although Wujima's wing kagune was similar to Touka's, there were subtle differences. Even though Daniel had not seen Touka's wing kagune in this world before, he still recalled that Touka's wings resembled those of a fiery red butterfly—someone once praised their beauty and narrowly escaped disaster.
"Alright, calm down. I'm not here as a White Dove or as an enemy of ghouls. In fact, I've come bearing good news: Touka, you don't need to run—after all, I just saved you." Seeing Wujima's tense, watchful expression, Daniel smiled and sheathed the Cookin longsword in his hand.
"You knew all along that we were ghouls?"
After a brief pause, Touka spoke up. Though her injuries appeared severe, they were only superficial. Wujima would never harm Touka too harshly—previously, when he struck her, it was merely to prevent her from intervening to save Kaneki and Gecko. He always held back; unlike Gecko, who never did.
"Of course. The reason District 20's Stability Zone exists isn't solely due to the CCG's efforts—it's also thanks to the Antique Coffee Shop's work." On the surface, the calm in District 20 might be credited to the CCG, but in reality, it was the effort of the Antique Coffee Shop. Through the cooperation of the Monkey and Black Doberman organizations, they managed to eliminate the predatory ghouls while sparing those ghouls who wished to live peacefully.
"What exactly is your objective?"
"I believe I've already told you—my method is to completely eradicate ghouls. Although I haven't yet achieved complete success, I have made some preliminary progress." Saying this, Daniel pulled out a syringe containing a red liquid. Although the drug he developed could be ingested, injection produced a faster effect.
"This is a drug that enables a ghoul to subsist on human food for five days. Miss, would you like to try it?"
"Sure." Upon hearing that she could eat human food, Touka immediately looked excited and stepped forward to take the syringe from Daniel's hand.
"Wait a minute—do you trust him that easily? What if it's poisoned?"
Wujima reached out and blocked Touka's hand.
"No matter what, I'm willing to try." Touka brushed aside Wujima's hand with determination and walked over to Daniel. Accepting the syringe, she pressed it against her arm. The syringe Daniel had prepared was of a military grade—simple and portable; on the battlefield, there's no time for fuss.
"Just wait five minutes."
"Now you can try eating human food." Five minutes later, after Daniel signaled, Touka dashed to the back kitchen of the café, where an abundance of human food—cakes, sandwiches, and more—awaited. The café wasn't just about coffee.
Moments later, Touka returned carrying a generous assortment of sandwiches and cakes. At that moment, her eyes filled with tears, and traces of cake still clung to the corners of her mouth.
For a ghoul like her, aside from the occasional sip of coffee that allowed her to taste the flavors of human cuisine, almost any other food was like poison. Compared to others, Touka had suffered greatly in this regard—after all, she had a human best friend at school who constantly devised new ways to get her to sample delicious foods. Not wanting to disappoint her friend, Touka would always eat the food, only to spend hours in the restroom retching.
Now, she could finally enjoy the true taste of food—and savor it with her friend.
"It really works." Watching Touka eat her sandwiches with a look of heartfelt gratitude, Wujima and the other three fell silent. Given the choice, no one would want to be a ghoul.
"Uh…" Soon, the others looked at Daniel with excited expressions, while the severely injured Kaneki was left aside, unnoticed for the moment.
"These are for you." Daniel said as he pulled out a box and retrieved four syringes. Even Wujima did not refuse, and the four of them immediately rushed toward the food in front of Touka—prompting her to gather even more food.
"Wujima, this one is for you—deliver it to your leader, Ait." Although encountering Wujima here was unexpected, for Daniel it was a good thing; it meant he no longer had to specially seek out Takatsuki Izumi.
"Alright."
Such a boon, Wujima naturally wouldn't refuse. If he could live in harmony with humans, he certainly wouldn't want to fight them.
"I was hoping to savor another cup of your coffee, but now it seems inappropriate. In five days, I'll return to fully enjoy the pleasures of living as a human." After Wujima left with the drug, Daniel departed along with Gecko and transvestite Nick. Next on his agenda was further research and using the kagune from Gecko and Nick to manufacture corresponding Cookin.
While Daniel immersed himself in research, the Brass Tree faction suddenly fell silent, leaving many perplexed. Meanwhile, the CCG tightened their security, gathering personnel to prevent the Brass Tree from plotting a larger scheme—after all, such behavior was uncharacteristic of the Brass Tree's usual methods.
"General Arima, Takatsuki Izumi—your joint appearance really takes me by surprise." Inside the Antique Coffee Shop, Daniel—savoring Touka's specially brewed coffee—was quite startled to see Takatsuki Izumi and General Arima walk in one after the other. Simultaneously, the atmosphere in the café tensed instantly. Everyone—manager, Yumeng Yuanyue, Iru Jianxuan, and the like—knew very well who General Arima was. Even though Daniel's drug allowed them to eat human food, it hadn't changed the fact that they were, at their core, ghouls.
"You're the one who truly astonishes me," Takatsuki Izumi said with her signature smile directed at Daniel. After years of painstaking planning, nothing had materialized—and even if the situation turned out better than expected, Takatsuki Izumi couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
"Your life is nearly over. Come spend a few days at my research institute—I'll see if I can help resolve your issues. In an era when the conflict between ghouls and humans is finally nearing its end, wouldn't it be a pity for you to collapse like this?"
"There's no need for that." To Daniel's surprise, General Arima actually refused.
"Kyudo Nibifuku and Xiu Changji are with you." "Indeed—they're now my test subjects. If you have time, you should come take a look." "Alright, let's go then."
(End of Chapter)
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