"Th-That's…! Investigator Byakuya?!"
"Isn't Investigator Byakuya completely fine? Why did the news spread that he had sacrificed himself?"
"It was the higher-ups who confirmed his death. They even planned to hold his funeral tomorrow… This is a massive blunder!"
"This is great! Not even two Owls can possibly stand a chance against Byakuya and Arima!"
"..."
The investigators were both shocked and overjoyed.
Byakuya's sudden return was an enormous morale boost.
But what they had yet to realize was that Byakuya wasn't here to help them fight against the Owl—if anything, it was quite the opposite...
...
"Manager, sorry for making you all worry."
Byakuya addressed Yoshimura.
However, Yoshimura hadn't reverted from his kakuja form yet.
The investigators also hadn't noticed that Byakuya was speaking to the Owl.
But even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered—Byakuya was already prepared to wage war against the Washuu Clan.
"Eto... she's in danger..."
Yoshimura spoke, his tone urgent.
He wanted Byakuya to hurry and save Eto.
"I know. I'll head over now."
Before leaving, Byakuya turned to Arima and left him with a single sentence:
"Arima, do whatever you truly want to do."
He had deliberately said this to Arima because he knew that it would be difficult for him to fully believe in their chances of toppling the Washuu Clan.
If they failed, Arima and Minami would be in grave danger.
So, this was an important choice for Arima—whether to fully commit to this rebellion or to remain loyal to the Washuu Clan.
Even if Arima chose to stay with the Washuus, Byakuya would understand.
"Mm…"
Arima nodded slightly.
In the next moment, Byakuya disappeared into thin air—actually, he had shifted into Kamui's dimension.
Once he vanished, the surrounding investigators finally began to sense that something was off.
"Why did Investigator Byakuya suddenly disappear again? And why do Arima and the Owl seem… strange?"
"Yeah… It almost feels like they reached some kind of agreement."
"Did the Owl surrender the moment Byakuya appeared? He doesn't even look like he wants to fight anymore!"
"..."
Though they felt something was off, they didn't think too deeply about it.
...
Meanwhile, Yoshimura remained in his kakuja form, unsure if the blue-haired young man before him was a friend or foe.
From Byakuya's conversation with him, Yoshimura could tell that this person's stance was still unclear.
If he needed to keep fighting, he could hold him off for a little longer…
But in the next moment, Arima simply retracted his quinque and placed it back into his briefcase.
"Let's go in and back up Byakuya."
Arima made his decision without hesitation.
Though he knew this action was reckless and lacked any solid plan, he had already made up his mind when he initially allied with Byakuya and Eto.
There was never a choice to be made—he had decided long ago.
If they failed, he would find a way to protect Minami on his own terms.
Yoshimura was surprised by Arima's clear stance.
Then, without another word, the two entered the depths of the CCG headquarters.
...
The investigators who had retreated inside were completely dumbfounded.
They couldn't believe their eyes—Arima was walking alongside the Owl?!
"What the hell is going on? The Owl doesn't even look like he surrendered—he's still in his kakuja form!"
"I don't know! There's no way Arima would betray us… right?"
Panic spread among them.
If Arima really had switched sides, then they had no one left who could stand against the Owl.
In fact, even without the Owl, Arima alone could slaughter them all.
Fear overwhelmed them, and they instinctively took steps backward.
Against an insurmountable power gap, who would dare to stand in Arima's way?
They were convinced they were about to die.
But Arima and Yoshimura showed no intention of attacking them.
...
"Investigator Arima, what's going on…?"
One bold investigator finally mustered the courage to ask, "You're still on our side, right?"
"...The Owl isn't our true enemy. The Washuu Clan — the upper echelon of the CCG — is entirely made up of ghouls. They've been using all of us. As for whether I'm still your ally… that's up to you to decide."
Arima spoke in a calm, emotionless tone after a brief silence.
His words were like an earthquake to the investigators.
The Washuu Clan… are all ghouls…?
Was this some kind of joke?!
Their eyes trembled in disbelief.
The CCG was the Commission of Counter Ghoul—the very organization created to fight against ghouls.
And now they were being told that its founders were ghouls themselves?!
No one could believe it, but Arima's words carried undeniable weight.
They stood frozen, their minds thrown into chaos.
If what Arima said was true…
What were they supposed to do now?
Who was their real enemy?
Was it Arima, a human?
Or was it the higher-ups of the CCG… ghouls in disguise?
...
Meanwhile.
Eto had ventured deep into CCG's headquarters, but before she could reach the Washuu elites, a group of black-clad enforcers from V intercepted her.
Leading them was Kaiko.
"If the Owl fighting Arima right now is Kuzen, then that must make you his child."
Kaiko smirked confidently.
"Kuzen sure is impressive. After all these years, Washuu never managed to create a natural-born half-ghoul… but he succeeded."
"Fighting is so exhausting. Why not just pledge loyalty to the Washuu Clan? That way, both you and Kuzen get to live—and you'd be spared all the suffering."
There was an arrogant edge to his tone.
Eto let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"I will never forgive the one who killed the person I loved!"