Tokyo Ghoul: King

Chapter 20 - Epilogue

It was a world where humans could live in peace, knowing that they would not end up as someone's lunch, and where ghouls could live safely without having to worry about death or imprisonment.

Not long after ghouls were given human rights and the refugees and residents of the 24th ward moving out to live in the city, there was a small boom in ghoul population, with many hospitals having their maternity wards full for some months.

Somewhere in the city of Tokyo, a man and a woman both sit at a park as they watch their child play with the child of another couple that was having a picnic not too far away from them. 

The two children look something like their parents. Both of them are ghouls, but the other one has straight, black hair while the other child's hair is a light shade of green. 

When you and Eto heard the good news about ghouls gaining human rights, you both knew that you two could fulfill her dream of having a family.

You'd always remember the first time you saw your child's eyes on that fateful day.

"It's beautiful." Eto spoke. She looked the same as she always had, but her hair was shoulder-length and neatly combed.

"What is?" you ask. You look roughly the same as you did three years ago, but the scars you have are less prominent, as they've had time to heal over time. 

"This." she replied, "We're living in peace, and we have a family of our own." 

"Ah, that." you said, "It is pretty beautiful. Shame she won't have any grandparents to talk to." 

"What makes you say that?" the soft-spoken voice of an elderly man speaks. You look behind you, and find an elderly man with swept back white hair there. While his age is evident in the wrinkles he has, he has the most genuine smile one can have at his age. 

"And you are?" you ask him. 

"Father." Eto said as she turned around to look at the man, "(First), this is my father. Father, this is (First), the Horned King." 

"A pleasure to meet you." you told him, extending a hand. 

"The pleasure's all mine, your highness." he said politely, giving a small bow as he extended his own hand.

You two shake hands, but he slightly winces in response to your firm grip. 

"Oh, sorry about that. Old habits die hard." you say with an awkward smile

"I understand." Yoshimura replied, "But I take that she has your hair, Eto?" 

"And her father's tenacity." Eto said as she watched her child tackle the other child. 

"I can see that." the old man said, "I suppose you two won't mind if this old man wants to help raise the next generation?" 

"I won't mind." you said, "What about you, Eto?" 

"Let bygones be bygones." she said, "Welcome back, father." 

"Thank you." Yoshimura said as his smile grew even more radiant. 

You chuckled as you looked into the sky.

'I did it, mom and dad.' you thought as you smiled happily, 'If only you were here to see your granddaughter.'

You looked up to the sky for a moment.

'Well, at least I know I made you guys proud.'

"What do you see?" you heard Eto ask you. 

"A bright future." you said.

And so ends the tale of the Horned King. From a nobody to a survivor, from a survivor, a fighter. From a fighter, a monster. From a monster, a king. 

And from a king, a legend. He left behind a dynasty of powerful ghouls, who would remember their ancestor as both a warrior and a lover. A man who hated but also loved. A good person in a harsh world who managed to claw his way out of despair and take back what some could never reclaim. A ghoul who despite his actions was more human than many humans of his time. 

They would remember the Horned King as the true hero of all ghouls.