In the original story, Furuta orchestrated Kaneki's transformation into the dragon, clearly intending to turn all of humanity into ghouls.
This would bring about a complete and radical change to the world—if humanity as a species ceased to exist and only ghouls remained, then the conflict between humans and ghouls would naturally disappear.
However, while the dragon could transform humans into ghouls, it would also spawn countless grotesque creatures known as Dragon Orphans.
These Dragon Orphans didn't just attack humans; they also posed a threat to ghouls, making them a common enemy of both sides.
So, if the dragon were truly left unchecked, Byakuya would become the ultimate sinner.
But that wasn't what he wanted. He wasn't some extreme villain aiming for absolute destruction, nor did he wish for the complete eradication of humanity.
"You think... this could be a perfect solution? A way to change the world once and for all?"
Eto asked for Byakuya's opinion.
"It is certainly the most thorough approach, but the sacrifices it demands are beyond excessive. I believe there's a better way," Byakuya replied.
"What kind of plan?"
Eto asked immediately.
"If the dragon gives birth to countless monsters—monsters that threaten both humans and ghouls—then humans and ghouls will naturally be forced to unite against a common enemy" Byakuya explained.
In the original story, achieving a relative peace required more than just developing special food that ghouls could consume. Another crucial factor was the existence of the Dragon Orphans, especially powerful ones like Rize, who became the ultimate common enemy.
Furuta, the mastermind who pushed Kaneki into becoming the dragon, could be considered the key figure in all of this—his role was just as significant as Eto and Arima, who paved the way for Kaneki's reign as the One-Eyed King.
However, it was unclear whether Kaneki's awakened sword form was part of Furuta's plan, or if he had miscalculated…
"This approach does make sense… So, you're planning to wait for the Washuu clan to awaken the dragon?"
Eto nodded slightly, finding this strategy feasible.
"Yeah… But they won't be able to find the dragon's core that easily. Before that happens, we need to make thorough preparations."
Byakuya could already guess that if the Washuu clan wanted to awaken the dragon, they first had to locate its core.
As for the so-called thorough preparations, they involved things like evacuating civilians—moving Tokyo's residents into shelters or out of the city entirely—to minimize casualties when the Dragon finally emerged.
At that moment, the three girls had finished eating the meat from the boxes, patting their stomachs with pure satisfaction.
"It's been so long since we've eaten this well… and it tasted amazing!"
"But the meat looked just like our own kind… yet the taste was completely different. I guess that guy was right—we aren't human after all… We're ghouls."
"Whatever… It doesn't matter. Ghoul or not, it doesn't change the fact that we were starving to death before this."
For them, whether they were human or ghoul didn't make much of a difference. It was just a hard reality to accept at first.
Regardless of what they were, their struggle to survive remained the same.
At the very least, they got to enjoy one last good meal.
Byakuya was about to hand them some napkins when he noticed them licking the blood and meat scraps off their fingers, unwilling to waste even a bit.
"...Do you want some tissues?"
Byakuya hesitated for a moment before offering.
"Tissues? What's that?"
Clearly, they weren't familiar with the word—probably due to a language barrier.
"This—something to wipe your hands and mouth with."
Byakuya handed them some tissues.
"Ohh!"
They recognized the item but hadn't understood the word he used.
After cleaning up, one of the girls looked straight at Byakuya and asked, "Alright, what do you want from us?"
"Take us to meet your people" Byakuya replied. "I have no ill intent toward any of you. If anything, I want to bring you all to the surface world."
If the dragon was going to be awakened, then the underground world would no longer be safe. Before that happened, he intended to move all the underground dwellers to the surface.
"The surface world? What's that?"
The girls were once again confused.
"Look up. Everything above us is just layers of rock and soil. But beyond that, the surface world has the sun, clouds, and at night, you can see the stars and the moon. And most importantly, there's enough food" Byakuya explained.
In this dark and suffocating underground world, the only source of light came from dim, glowing objects. The entire environment was bleak and oppressive.
"Really? There's enough food?!"
"I've heard of the sun and the moon before… that when the sun rises, the world is bright, not shrouded in endless darkness like this…"
"But where is this surface world?"
Byakuya smiled at their curiosity and answered, "The three boxes of food I gave you earlier came from the surface world. And where is it? Well… right above your heads."
"Above…?"
They looked up, seeing nothing but endless darkness.
"If you want, I can take you there first. Once you've seen it for yourselves, you can decide whether or not to introduce us to your people."
Byakuya had already shown plenty of sincerity.
"Then take us there!"
It wasn't that they didn't trust Byakuya—those three boxes of delicious food had already won their trust.
They were simply too eager to see the world he described.
"Alright. Grab onto me, and close your eyes—you might get scared otherwise" Byakuya instructed.
Using Kamui's teleportation was incredibly convenient, saving them a great deal of time.
"Okay~!"
The three girls randomly grabbed onto parts of Byakuya's clothes.
Eto, on the other hand, simply took Byakuya's hand.
In the next moment, Byakuya activated Kamui, transporting them instantly.
Eto remained calm—this wasn't her first time experiencing this technique.
The three girls, however, were completely unprepared for the sudden disorienting sensation of teleportation.
Panicking, they instinctively clung to Byakuya and Eto.
Two latched onto Byakuya's legs and arm, while the third clung to Eto.
And just like that, they arrived at the 20th Ward…