"Of course! Of course, we can do it!"
At this point, they no longer cared about the honor of the Washuu Clan — keeping their own lives was the priority.
"Good"
Byakuya nodded slightly.
This was why his plan was already successful.
With the Washuu Clan's identity as ghouls exposed to the world, their rule would inevitably collapse.
After that,Byakuya sent Yoshimura and Eto back.
He and Arima, however, remained at the CCG.
After all, there were still loose ends to tie up.
If they simply walked away, the entire CCG would fall into chaos.
At this moment, every ghoul investigator at the 1st Ward CCG was in complete shock.
They never imagined that Byakuya and Arima were actually working with the One-Eyed Owl.
In comparison, the fact that there were two SSS-rated Owls, or that Byakuya had seemingly returned from the dead, all seemed like minor details.
"Investigator Byakuya, Investigator Arima... can we still trust you?"
The investigators were at a loss as they faced Byakuya and Arima.
"That's up to you to decide" Byakuya said calmly. "But before that, wait for the other Special Class Investigators to return. I have something important to announce."
None of them dared to object, so they simply waited anxiously.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the remaining Special Class Investigators arrived.
"What exactly is going on? Why is everyone saying that you and Arima have betrayed us?"
"I can tell you're not hostile, Investigator Byakuya. Can we sit down and talk?"
"This must all be some sort of misunderstanding, right?"
There were only a handful of Special Class Investigators within the CCG.
Before arriving, they had already heard about what happened in the 1st Ward. It was difficult to believe that Byakuya and Arima had defected.
But then, one of them — Itsuki Marude — noticed the people standing behind Byakuya and Arima.
"Wait... these people..."
He recognized them instantly.
Weren't these high-ranking officials from the 1st Ward headquarters?
The CCG wasn't just made up of ghoul investigators—above them were the executive decision-makers, Yoshitoki and Tsuneyoshi.
They were the ones who issued orders to the investigators.
Although the leadership had always been controlled by the Washuu Clan, things had run smoothly for so long that no one ever questioned it.
Now, Marude was confused.
Why were these high-ranking officials here?
Had they been captured by Byakuya and Arima?
They didn't appear to be injured, aside from their slightly disheveled clothes, but their faces were filled with fear.
"I brought you all here to have a proper discussion" Byakuya said, breaking the silence.
Then, he turned to the officials standing behind him.
"I'm sure you all recognize these men. They are direct members of the Washuu Clan. But have you ever considered the possibility that the Washuu Clan... aren't actually human? That they are, in fact, ghouls?"
"...Ghouls? That's impossible!"
"Yeah! If they were ghouls, they wouldn't be able to pass through RC scanning gates!"
The Special Class Investigators were in disbelief.
After all, the RC scanning system alone would make this impossible.
Not to mention, none of them had ever noticed anything suspicious about the higher-ups.
"What if I told you... that the RC scanning gates were modified by the Washuu Clan?"
Byakuya continued, his tone indifferent.
"And just so you know, both I and Arima are not human either. But we aren't ghouls — we are half-humans, born from the union of humans and ghouls. Our RC cell levels are high enough that we should trigger the RC scanners as well."
By this point, there was no longer any reason to hide his and Arima's identities as half-humans.
"...Half-humans..."
The Special Class Investigators were well-informed enough to have at least heard of half-humans.
But they had never seen one with their own eyes.
And even if they had, they wouldn't have been able to recognize them.
However, they did know that both Byakuya and Arima came from a place called Sunlit Garden.
Now, it seemed likely that Sunlit Garden was somehow tied to half-humans...
"To be specific, both Arima and I have Washuu blood in our veins. The RC scanners in all CCG facilities have been modified by the Washuu Clan to ignore ghouls and half-humans who share their lineage, as well as anyone they consider 'useful.'"
Byakuya explained this at a steady pace, allowing the information to sink in.
The Special Class Investigators exchanged uneasy glances.
It was clear that they were struggling to believe what they were hearing.
Which was only natural — Byakuya had yet to provide irrefutable proof.
"Now, it's time for you to put on a little performance" he said, turning to the Washuu executives.
The officials immediately understood.
The next moment, they revealed their ghoul eyes in full view of the Special Class Investigators.
That alone was enough.
They didn't even need to reveal their kagune—just their glowing red kakugan was undeniable proof.
The Special Class Investigators finally understood the truth.
"This... what the hell is this..."
"The CCG was founded by a ghoul family? This is the biggest joke in history..."
"So the Bureau Director and Chairman are ghouls too...? I can't even process this right now..."
For a moment, the room was filled with stunned silence.
"The Washuu Clan created the CCG for one reason and one reason only — to maintain their own rule. Every investigator, including half-humans like Arima and me, were nothing more than pawns in their grand scheme."
Byakuya continued, his voice steady.
"That's all I have to say. Now, you all know the truth."
With the highest-ranking Special Class Investigators witnessing the Washuu Clan's true nature firsthand, the rest of the investigators would soon learn the truth as well.
Looking at their stunned and conflicted expressions, it was clear that they needed time to process this bombshell revelation.
"...What about the Bureau Director and Chairman? Are they still here?"
Marude was the first to regain his composure and asked Byakuya directly.
"They've already fled" Byakuya answered.
Marude frowned.
"That means the CCG is leaderless and in chaos. We need someone to step up. Investigator, for now, you should take over as director."