"Loved?"
Kaiko was momentarily stunned, assuming the Owl was referring to Ukina.
After all, they were the ones who had driven Ukina to her death.
He had no idea that the "one she loved" whom Eto was talking about was actually Byakuya.
"Well, it's your choice—seek revenge for Ukina or save your own life" Kaiko said casually.
Eto had no patience for pointless chatter. Despite being outnumbered by nearly thirty V operatives, she charged forward without hesitation.
In a world like Tokyo Ghoul, the higher the level of combatants, the faster the battle.
There were no prolonged fights that dragged on endlessly without a victor.
"So there's nothing more to discuss, huh...?"
Kaiko's grin disappeared, and his expression turned cold.
The V operatives, led by him, attacked her all at once.
Each of these operatives was at least Special-Class level, and with nearly thirty of them, even Eto in her current kakuja form stood little chance.
Only her Tokyo Ghoul:re final form could have realistically overwhelmed the V organization when neither Arima nor Furuta was present.
Eto's kakuja had evolved multiple times. The form she had during the Aogiri Tree era wasn't even her strongest.
Her final form emerged during the Rushima Invasion —the same battle where Kaneki defeated Arima and became the One-Eyed King.
That monstrous form was at least ten meters tall, with six legs and two kagune-like arms, dwarfing her previous kakuja.
In that state, she had effortlessly wiped out Special-Class V operatives, though she was ultimately killed by Furuta, who had been implanted with Rize's kakuhou.
That level of power was still over a decade away.
Right now, Eto was being overwhelmed.
After taking down a few operatives, she was caught in a pincer attack, and Kaiko's ukaku quinque blasted through her kakuja armor.
Her human form was exposed.
"Oh? So you're a girl after all" Kaiko sneered. "Looks like Kuzen raised a rather rebellious daughter. I'll have to discipline you properly."
As he spoke, Kaiko charged another RC projectile.
His quinque was incredibly powerful, but its drawback was its long cooldown time before it could fire again.
However, Eto's regeneration was no longer keeping up—her kakuja armor had been completely blown apart.
Now, in her human form, she had nowhere to escape. She could only watch as another RC-concentrated blast hurtled toward her.
"..."
Despite her frustration, a faint smile appeared on Eto's face.
At least she had avenged some of her grievances.
She didn't shut her eyes in fear but faced death head-on.
At the very least, in these last few months of her life, she had met Byakuya.
Her life had not been entirely suffering — there had been moments of happiness.
She just regretted that she wouldn't have the chance to reminisce about those moments ever again...
"Byakuya, I'm coming to join you..."
Eto whispered.
But then—
At that moment, Byakuya appeared before her.
"Am I late?"
Eto scoffed at herself. She hadn't expected to have such childish hallucinations in her final moments.
She could even hear his voice.
"You bastard, even in death, you still mess with me..."
She sighed in annoyance. She at least wanted to die with dignity.
But then—
Byakuya turned his head slightly, his Mangekyō Sharingan spinning in both eyes.
His left eye locked onto Eto.
His right eye opened a spiraling vortex.
The RC projectile was swallowed whole into the Kamui dimension.
"...?"
The expected explosion never came.
Instead, the battlefield fell eerily silent.
Kaiko frowned in confusion.
The next moment, he noticed the figure standing in front of The One-Eyed Owl.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
It was the one person who shouldn't be here.
"Byakuya?! But you were supposed to be—?!"
Kaiko was stunned.
So were the other V operatives.
They had personally seen this kid reduced to nothing but ash.
If he had fled, there was no way they wouldn't have noticed.
How the hell did he survive?!
"You all thought I was dead?"
Byakuya's voice was calm.
"Unfortunately, I'm still alive"
Eto finally snapped out of her daze.
She wasn't hallucinating.
Byakuya was real.
"You... You're really alive?"
Her heart wavered between disbelief and hope.
"Of course I am" Byakuya said, turning toward her.
He reached out and pulled Eto from her shattered kakuja armor, lifting her into his arms.
It was only then that she truly believed it.
If this were just an illusion, it wouldn't feel this real.
"Not running?"
Eto's reaction was swift and rational.
She didn't blame Byakuya for not revealing himself earlier.
She didn't complain.
She simply focused on the situation at hand.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was dealing with the V operatives.
She sensed that Byakuya had no intention of running.
"Then put me down" she said calmly. "I don't want to slow you down."
"You're safer like this" Byakuya replied.
"Is that so...? Then do as you like."
Eto didn't question it further.
Byakuya had always pulled off the impossible.
For some reason, she trusted him.
She simply tightened her grip, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Kaiko, meanwhile, finally noticed something strange—
Byakuya's eyes... were blood-red, like a ghoul's kakugan.
But he realized it too late.
The next instant—
A massive Susanoo burst forth.
Giant ribcages and arms materialized, shielding both Byakuya and Eto.
But he didn't stop there.
The skeletal frame expanded rapidly, its colossal form growing larger and larger—
Towering over the battlefield like an unstoppable force.