I don't know why, but you guys smell... really nice."
One of the girls couldn't help but say.
"Of course. You're ghouls, so naturally, the scent of food smells good to you."
Byakuya explained.
Though he was a half-human and Eto was a half-ghoul, neither of them were full-blooded humans.
But their flesh would still be considered a delicacy to ghouls. Only pure-blooded ghouls had flesh that tasted bad to their own kind.
"Food?!"
A short-haired girl misheard him, assuming that he was referring to her as food.
Luckily, the other two quickly explained, preventing the misunderstanding from escalating.
"What's a ghoul? We're human."
As expected, they truly believed they were human.
"You should be able to release your kagune, right? That weapon that extends from your back?"
Byakuya patiently explained.
"You mean this?"
The blonde-haired girl tilted her head in confusion before releasing her kagune—an elegant, golden rinkaku.
"That's right. Normal humans don't have anything like that."
Byakuya said.
"Impossible! Everyone has one!"
The blonde girl protested, unable to believe it.
"Hold on, let me show you something."
Before they could react, Byakuya vanished into thin air.
"Where did he go?!"
The three girls frantically looked around, unable to see where he had gone.
At that moment, Byakuya used Kamui to teleport directly to his home.
He opened his fridge, took out three neatly preserved boxes of fresh "meat" and then teleported back, reappearing precisely where he had left.
The girls were still looking for him when he suddenly reappeared, startling them.
"You! How are you doing that?!"
"That's not important. This is."
Byakuya handed each of them a box of "meat".
"It smells amazing!"
Even through the sealed containers, the rich aroma filled their noses.
It was a scent unlike anything they had ever encountered—far more appetizing than the meat they were used to eating.
In the underground world, ghouls could only feed on other ghouls. But ghoul flesh was bland, even repulsive.
This, however, smelled like a feast from heaven.
"Take a guess. What kind of meat do you think this is?"
Byakuya asked in a mysterious tone.
"No idea. But it's definitely not human meat—human meat tastes awful!"
"Yeah! If we had a choice, we wouldn't eat our own kind."
"I heard from the elders that long ago, the world had many kinds of animals, and their meat was delicious. Could it be that?"
They had no idea that the "meat" they held was, in fact, real human flesh.
"You're all wrong. What I gave you is actual human meat. Which means… all this time, you've been eating ghouls."
Byakuya stated.
"And because she and I are technically human, that's why we smell so good to you."
"This... If we're not human, then what are we...?"
The three little girls struggled to process this revelation.
For as long as they could remember, they had believed they were human. Their entire worldview had just been shattered.
"You're ghouls."
Byakuya answered for them.
"But whether you're human or ghoul doesn't really matter. Look at us—on the outside, we're practically the same, right?"
He reassured them.
Then, pointing towards the enormous "dragon" corpse that stretched across the underground city, he continued:
"You were originally supposed to be human. But that thing turned your ancestors into ghouls."
"Naagaraji?"
The girls exchanged confused glances.
They knew that Naagaraji was responsible for the world's destruction, but they hadn't realized it could also change humans into ghouls.
"Yes. That Naagaraji of yours released a toxic miasma that permanently turned humans into ghouls. Your ancestors were transformed this way, and so were all their descendants."
Byakuya explained.
"I see… So… can I try this?"
The short-haired girl, nearly drooling from the smell, hesitantly asked.
The other two also looked up at him with eager, pleading eyes.
"Of course. Eat as much as you want. But it's not for free—once you're done, you'll need to help us with something."
Byakuya said.
"Okay!"
They didn't care what the favor was. Right now, their only focus was the food in their hands.
Besides, the big brother in front of them didn't seem like a bad guy—after all, he had just given them something delicious.
Without hesitation, they tore open the containers and began devouring the meat.
Food had become increasingly scarce in the underground. Their only source of sustenance was their own kind.
But, of course, they would prioritize eating their enemies first.
Because of this, they had been living in a constant state of near-starvation.
Now, with a meal like this in front of them, they had no room for restraint.
"This is amazing!"
"So good!"
Watching the girls feast, Eto smirked playfully at Byakuya.
"You're luring little girls with food, huh?"
"That's not luring. It's a mutual exchange."
Byakuya replied indifferently.
"But, now that I think about it… if the dragon toxin can turn humans into ghouls, then if the Washuu clan actually manages to awaken 'Dragon'... wouldn't that mean they could ghoulify the entire world?"
Eto suddenly brought up a terrifying possibility.
"If that's what they want, then yes... theoretically, it's possible."
Byakuya nodded.
If the Washuu Clan successfully revived Dragon and protected its core, then there would be no one left who could stop it.
At that point, all of humanity would eventually become ghouls...