"Mr. Arthur, I wish you a pleasant stay in Japan."
"Thank you, Mr. John."
At the entrance of the American embassy in Tokyo, Altair shook hands with a genuine American, bidding him farewell.
Using the travel funds kindly provided by Yoriko Kosaka, Altair had made his way to the embassy. He approached a staff member, explaining that he'd lost his passport and wallet, leaving him without identification. A few gold pieces later, the enthusiastic Mr. John swiftly arranged a new passport and identity, officially making Altair an American citizen.
Arthur Pendragon, a name tied to ancient British legend, was now, ironically, the name of an American. John didn't care what name Altair chose; as long as the payment cleared, he could've called himself Napoleon.
"All right, now it's time to officially start our life in this new world." Altair said, passport in hand, ready to embark on his adventure with Est.
At the embassy, he'd also gleaned crucial information about this world. John's offhand remark had been telling: "Tokyo's not like America. It's a bit chaotic. There are man-eating ghouls here, so please stay safe, Mr. Arthur."
That single warning clicked everything into place. This was the world of Tokyo Ghoul, a place where humans were prey.
In this world, ordinary humans were just that: ordinary. Ghouls, however, were humans who ate humans. The difference lay in RC cells, a unique type found in everyone's body. Normal humans had low RC cell counts, averaging 200–500, while ghouls ranged from 1,000–8,000. These cells, flowing like blood, were harder than teeth. Ghouls consumed humans to store RC cells, which were processed in an organ called the kakuhou, forming their unique abilities.
High RC cell concentrations gave ghouls immense strength, but to maintain it, they had to keep eating humans to keep their RC cells active. Some ghouls even preyed on each other, as a single ghoul's RC cells could equal those of ten humans.
Ghouls' relentless predation threatened humanity, prompting the creation of the CCG, the Commission of Counter Ghoul, a government agency of investigators tasked with hunting and eliminating ghouls. But the organization was more complex than it seemed. While the CCG outwardly fought ghouls, its upper echelons were secretly controlled by them.
Altair's memory of Tokyo Ghoul's plot was fuzzy, but he recalled the broad strokes: the protagonist becoming the One-Eyed King, fighting for coexistence between ghouls and humans, and clashing with various villains. Could ghouls and humans ever truly coexist here? In a place like Japan, with its rigid social dynamics, Altair doubted it. Ghouls, empowered by their strength, would likely cling to a sense of superiority, sneering at humans as lesser beings. Meanwhile, humans, driven by their own cultural mindset, would decry ghouls as monsters unfit to exist.
The result? Endless conflict, humans versus ghouls, each side shouting about purging the other for a "pure" world.
To bring peace, Altair saw two paths: eliminate humans, turning everyone into ghouls to let them fight among themselves, or wipe out the ghouls entirely, leaving humans to their own squabbles. He chose the latter.
Most ghouls, drunk on their power, killed and ate humans without remorse. In Altair's eyes, over 90% of them deserved no pity. In a country like Japan, where death was commonplace, ghouls could scavenge rather than hunt, but their choice to actively kill stripped them of any redemption.
Joining the CCG was the logical move. It offered a legitimate way to hunt ghouls and a cover for operating in this world. With his plan set, Altair took Est to the CCG's headquarters.
"You want to join the CCG?" The receptionist at the headquarters' front desk asked, bewildered, staring at Altair.
"Absolutely. I've heard the CCG fights to protect humanity from savage ghouls. I admire that!" Altair declared, slapping his American passport and ID on the desk. "It's chivalrous, fighting evil to protect the people, even at the cost of your life. That's human glory! I respect it so much that I'm here to join you and help."
The receptionist froze. An American passport? She was just a CCG employee, a civil servant, and facing an American put her at a disadvantage. She couldn't just dismiss him.
"Um, I'm just the receptionist. I can't make that call. Could you wait a moment while I check with my supervisor?"
"Sure, go ahead. I'll wait." Altair replied.
The receptionist scurried off and soon returned with a senior official. Hearing an American wanted to join the CCG, the official's brow furrowed. Why did it have to be an American?
"I'm sorry, we're not recruiting right now." He said, attempting to deflect.
"Not recruiting? I've heard you're always shorthanded from losses in ghoul battles." Altair countered. "But if you really don't want me, that's fine. I don't need to join the CCG to hunt ghouls in Tokyo. I'll do it anyway, out of respect for your chivalrous spirit!"
His resolute stance left the official exasperated. I'm trying to keep you out of trouble, he thought. You're American, if you die, I'll have a mountain of paperwork. Now you're saying you'll hunt ghouls on your own? That's even worse.
With no other choice, the official relented, admitting Altair into the CCG.
And so, Arthur Pendragon, an international friend from America, officially joined Tokyo's Commission of Counter Ghoul.
***
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