Tokyo Ghoul: The True Story of a Ghoul

Two - Fallen Angels

"Delicious," Natsume mumbled beneath her breath. Wiping her bloody lips on the sleeve of her dress, she rose, glancing down at the carcass at her feet.

"We're finished here," she announced. Facing her subordinates, she silently observed the rest of her gang clearing up the scraps. After these three years, we've come this far? She thought. After I came to Japan to start a new life, and my family taken away from me...

Life can be so cruel.

Reliving those bittersweet memories had always brought fresh tears to her eyes. Stop it, she scolded herself, this isn't the time to be emotional. Brushing away her thoughts, her mind wandered yet again.

My ghoul gang... the Fallen Angels.

The group was easily identifiable by their uniform, which consisted of a white, floor-length gown, a matching hood and a drama mask. Known for their brutal and merciless killing rampages, the Fallen Angels were infamous throughout Tokyo, and quickly became a prime target for the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG), the government organisation tasked with eliminating every single ghoul in Tokyo. Led by Natsume, who was given the alias "Ribbon Angel" due to the appearance of her two kagunes, their outward resemblance to angels had the CCG name them "Fallen Angels", as who could simply name a gang of ghoul serial killers "angels"?

Even though Natsume, aged thirteen, was the youngest in her group, she was, by far, the most powerful. Hell, she sure as heck knew what it meant to be a leader, and besides being the founder of the Fallen Angels, she had led them to countless victories in battle during the past three years.

"Lost in reverie, huh?" A painfully familiar voice snapped her out of her trance. Hastily, Natsume slipped her mask back onto her face, and spun around to face the intruder.

Grinning behind his beaked mask, the leader of the Dark Eagles, the Eagle King, stepped out. "And so, we meet again, Ribbon Angel," he sneered, and added scornfully, "though I've always wondered why they call you 'angel'. What an irony."

"That's none of your business, you twit," Natsume snapped. The Eagle King scowled, before noticing his rival's kagune glistening with blood in the moonlight and the body sprawled before her.

"Well, I see you had enjoyed a meal earlier. On our feeding grounds. And the thought of my well-acquainted nemesis trespassing on my grounds," he frowned, "makes my blood boil."

"Prowling the streets of Tokyo late at night is my specialty," she smiled smugly, "and I don't happen to know that this particular alley belongs to you and your gang."

"Don't you dare bullshit!" He flashed his kakugan and released his koukaku kagune, and lunged at her. Before she could react, a large, shadowy figure appeared in the alleyway, and swiftly blocked his incoming attack.

Both Natsume and the Eagle King had definitely not expected anyone to find them there, much less interfere in their affairs, and in the stunned moments that followed, the Eagle King managed to spit out three words, "Who are you?"

The mysterious man chuckled, and lifted the dark veil covering his face. His face was heavily textured, full of wrinkles, and the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. "Don't worry, I'm ghoul too. But, there is no point in fighting someone your own kind, no?"

"People who fight each other have no goal in their lives, all they're doing is contributing to their own demise," he continued, gazing into the distance, "and I believe the same applies to us ghouls too. So, rather than killing humans and your own kind, why not both of you join me in Anteiku as waiters and waitresses? It is a safe haven for ghouls who wish to live in peace with humans, although we do cater to human customers too. You'll be able to live a rather guilt-free life as a ghoul as we consume the bodies of people who had decided to throw their own lives away as food instead. I'm Yoshimura, the manager of Anteiku and you're more than welcome to join me," a secret smile played on his lips, "besides, this isn't the first time I'm doing this."

"Why should I listen to you?" The Eagle King scoffed.

Yoshimura's expression turned serious. "It is up to you to decide for yourself if you want to join, but I strongly urge you to think about my advice and make a wise choice. You never should regret the decisions you make in life."

After a long, pondering silence, Natsume grumbled, "I'm in."

"Count me in, too," the Eagle King muttered.

Looking away from them, Yoshimura smiled.

Thank you for making the right choice.