Chương 21: Partnering with Kishou Arima
"Akira, this is your dad and mom's colleague" said Kasuka, introducing Byakuya to her daughter, Akira.
Hearing this, Akira nodded obediently, and the cautious look in her eyes softened as she warmed up to Byakuya.
"This is my daughter, Akira Mado" Kureo said apologetically to Byakuya. "She can be a bit wary around new people, I hope you don't mind"
He had trained Akira from a young age to be vigilant and cautious around strangers. He even started teaching her techniques for escaping ghouls, as well as basics about RC cells and quinques. But he hadn't expected her to act so guarded around Byakuya today.
"No problem" Byakuya replied with a light smile. If he remembered correctly, Akira was only eleven at this point in the timeline, yet she already had a sharp and perceptive personality.
Byakuya stayed with the Mado family for afternoon tea and later enjoyed a hearty dinner prepared by Kasuka and her daughter, Akira. During this time, he and Kureo discussed quinque designs and ghoul-related topics, and it became evident how deeply knowledgeable Kureo was about it. However, his intense obsession with them could also be seen as problematic…
"So, Byakuya, what's your perspective on ghouls?" Kureo asked, bringing up the topic suddenly.
"How I see them…" Byakuya began thoughtfully. "Currently, there's an unresolvable conflict between humans and ghouls. The irreplaceable need for human flesh is not the only reason for this; after all, there are ghouls who only consume corpses and avoid killing. But there's another crucial issue—ghouls are generally much stronger than humans. For average people without quinques, facing even the weakest ghoul is a life-threatening situation. This power imbalance tempts many ghouls to commit violence, especially those with malicious intentions"
He went on, "Imagine that a creature surpasses humans in strength, similar to how we surpass chickens or ducks. Kind humans don't harm them needlessly, except to meet dietary needs, but there are always those who act cruelly… It's the same with ghouls. Without CCG investigators equipped with quinques, ordinary humans stand no chance, which inevitably leads to ghouls ruthlessly preying on people. Conversely, there are also investigators who, driven by hatred or psychological issues, mistreat even peaceful ghouls. This fuels an endless cycle of animosity"
As humans, it's natural to view ghouls as enemies who deserve to be eradicated. That perspective isn't exactly wrong. But what if you're caught between the two worlds…
For example, Eto Yoshimura, a half-Ghoul, Kishou Arima, a half-human, or Ken Kaneki, who became a one-eyed ghoul through a transplant. They've lived among both humans and Ghouls, seeing that both sides can coexist and even become family.
Their unique identities allow them to see from the perspectives of both humans and Ghouls, which is why each of them desires to change the world.
As a "half-human" himself—and with knowledge from an outside perspective—Byakuya shared a similar vision of reshaping this flawed world.
"You have a clear insight, Byakuya" Kureo responded, agreeing with his view. "That's why we investigators strive to protect humanity by driving out the ghouls"
"However" Byakuya added, "The fundamental issue is food. If ghouls didn't need to eat humans, the conflict would significantly lessen. The strength imbalance is something we investigators should address to keep regular people safe from violent ghouls"
"The food issue… That's a tough one to solve. Not all ghouls are willing to live off human corpses, especially since they're not fresh and often insufficient to maintain their strength. Plus, allowing them to consume bodies is seen as disrespectful to the dead"
Kureo shook his head slightly. Although he didn't yet have the intense hatred toward ghouls that he would be later in the original story, he still saw reconciliation as impossible and ghouls as deserving of death.
"Right now, ghouls haven't found an alternative food source" Byakuya said confidently. "But I believe one day they will"
In the original timeline, by the end, a food alternative was indeed developed, leading to a tentative peace between humans and ghouls.
"Byakuya, you're quite optimistic" Kureo said. "If that day ever comes, I'd look forward to it"
Having nearly lost his wife, he had also started to hope for a world where humans and ghouls might live in peace…
...
Just as Byaakuya was about to leave the Mado household, he received a message.
The CCG had assigned him a partner named Kishou Arima.
When he learned that his new partner would be none other than Arima, he couldn't quite believe it. Though he wasn't sure of the CCG's motives, partnering with Arima wasn't a bad thing for him. Arima wasn't a person who saw the world in simple black and white, in some ways, he shared a similar vision with Byakuya to change the world for the better.
That night, Byakuya met Arima at CCG's headquarters in the 1st Ward.
"Investigator Byakuya, I'm your new partner, Kishou Arima" Arima said flatly, his expression impassive.
At this time, Arima was still young with blue hair, not yet the white-haired figure from the original timeline. In the original story, by age 29, he had already begun to age rapidly due to his hybrid physiology, as half-humans start to deteriorate after their early twenties, reaching the end of their lifespan in their mid-thirties. This meant that Arima, in his teenage to early twenties, was at his peak physical condition, even though he hadn't yet been granted the highest-rated quinques.
He wore a white suit, with refined features and glasses that gave him a scholarly appearance.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Investigator Arima" Byakuya replied simply.
Since both were not particularly talkative, they exchanged only brief introductions and then fell into silence.
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