Standing before Byakuya was a tall, imposing middle-aged man dressed in a martial arts gi.
This was Matasaka Kamishiro, the leader of the 6th Ward, known as Shachi, an SS rated ghoul.
Seeing Shachi, Byakuya let go of the ghoul he had just captured—he was a man of his word.
The ghoul bolted without a second thought, vanishing into the darkness.
He had assumed that a Special Class Investigator from the CCG had come to deal with Shachi, and he wanted no part of that mess.
"You looking for me? Pretty sure this is our first meeting."
Shachi eyed Byakuya, then glanced at the two kids by his side — Furuta and Rize.
He was puzzled. Why had this guy brought two kids into his territory? And why was he looking for him?
"Yeah, first time meeting" Byakuya replied calmly. "But Yoshimura is my senior, so I know who you are."
"…Who the hell are you?"
Shachi's expression darkened.
"Up until today? Just another one of the Washuu's puppets."
Byakuya didn't bother hiding the truth.
"I see…"
Hearing the name 'Washuu' Shachi instantly understood what Byakuya meant.
After all, his old friend Yoshimura had once been in the same position.
Many ghouls knew the secret of the Washuu Clan. Shachi was one of them — but he had the sense to keep his mouth shut.
As long as he didn't say anything, the Washuus wouldn't bother wasting their time on him.
"So, what? You're here on their orders to take me out?" He asked, his voice low.
"Of course not. I actually need a favor."
Byakuya pulled Furuta and Rize to the front.
"These two kids — both from the Washuu Clan. And both… special. Because of them, the Washuus now see me as a traitor"
"…"
Shachi wasn't about to trust a guy he'd just met.
"And what do I get out of this? If what you're saying is true, all it does is put a target on my back."
"That's fair" Byakuya admitted. "The only thing in it for you is two kids who could see you as their adoptive father. I'm only asking because I trust you, Matasaka. If you're not willing, I'll find another way."
He didn't sugarcoat it or try to bait Shachi with empty promises.
Hearing his own name spoken so directly, Kamishiro began to believe that Byakuya was telling the truth.
"That 'Black Reaper' at the auction… that was you, wasn't it?"
He had heard about the infamous Auction Raid — a high-profile event that had shaken the entire ghoul underworld.
The "Black Reaper" had slaughtered countless powerful ghouls, including the high-ranking "Madam" and gained notoriety as a Special Class Investigator.
Based on that and other rumors, Shachi had a strong hunch this man was the same person.
"Yeah" Byakuya confirmed.
"Going against the Washuus isn't exactly a smart move. But fine, I'll watch over these kids for a while—for Yoshimura's sake."
Shachi finally gave his answer.
"Much appreciated"
Byakuya turned to Furuta and Rize.
"You two will stay here for now. Once I take care of things, I'll come back for you."
"Why can't you just hide with us?" Furuta asked hesitantly.
Byakuya shook his head.
"Hiding forever won't solve anything. The Washuus will find us eventually. It's time I settle things with them."
"I… I see…"
Furuta couldn't argue with that logic.
....
Meanwhile, the Washuu Clan had already received word that Byakuya had been successfully "removed."
But Furuta and Rize were still missing.
They couldn't afford to let V search for them too openly, so they investigated in secret.
Even using CCG operatives was out of the question.
After all, how could they possibly justify ordering investigators to hunt down two kids?
This was the same reason that, in the original timeline, Rize had been free to roam and devour as she pleased—despite being labeled "Binge Eater" by the CCG.
Because as long as the Washuus didn't officially intervene, CCG simply treated her as a regular high-priority ghoul.
Frustrated with the situation, the Washuus decided to handle Byakuya's "death" in a simple, clean manner.
To the public, they merely announced that Byakuya had sacrificed himself in battle.
No details. No scandal. They didn't even bother trying to smear his reputation—frankly, they didn't have the time or patience to care.
"No way… Special Class Byakuya is dead? That… that came out of nowhere…"
"Even someone like Byakuya lost his life on the battlefield… This is a huge loss for CCG."
"I heard he was investigating the 24th Ward's Aogiri Tree. That must be who killed him. Aogiri is our biggest threat now."
"Damn… I still can't believe it…"
"…"
The atmosphere in CCG was heavy.
Investigators dying was common. But losing a Special Class? That was an entirely different level of loss.
It was like suddenly losing a general in the middle of a war.
Morale took a serious hit.
Among those struggling to process the news, the most shocked were Kasuka and Kureo.
They refused to believe Byakuya had died just like that.
The only one who had a decent idea of what had really happened was Arima.
It had to be the Washuu Clan.
He hadn't expected them to move so quickly, though.
Clearly, Byakuya had been making moves behind the scenes — moves that Arima hadn't even been aware of.
No wonder V had gone all out today…
Now that Byakuya was dead, their plans to collaborate with Aogiri Tree seemed more impossible than ever.
Still, Arima wasn't about to give up.
On the surface, the CCG was controlled by the Washuus.
But as long as human investigators were watching, they had to keep up appearances.
So, as per protocol, the CCG prepared a formal funeral for Byakuya.
And along with it, they sent out his final letters.