Stepping Out of Anteiku
The three sisters felt as if they had stepped into a whole new world.
After spending so long in the pitch-black underground, everything on the surface seemed almost unreal.
Byakuya and Eto took the sisters for a walk through the city, letting them take in the sights.
As they walked, the sisters encountered crowds of people bustling through the streets.
"There are so many people here...!"
"So these are real humans... they all have such a sweet scent."
"If only we could just take them whenever we wanted. Then we'd never have to worry about food again."
They whispered among themselves as they observed the passersby.
"You three should be careful what you say out loud"Byakuya warned them. "Even if I don't stop you, there are plenty of others here who could—and would. There are many people much stronger than you."
"Really? Well... okay then..."
Despite their initial hesitation, the sisters trusted Byakuya's words and obediently fell silent.
As they walked past a clothing store, Eto suddenly suggested, "How about we get them some nice new outfits? It might help them appreciate what the surface world has to offer."
"That's a good idea."
Byakuya nodded and turned to the sisters. "Come on, let's get you some new clothes."
"New clothes?"
They had only ever worn the same kind of dark robes—clothing designed for stealth, survival, and blending into the shadows. If they had worn anything else, they might not have survived this long.
The underground had no concept of "fashion" so the idea of beautiful clothes was foreign to them.
That was, until they laid eyes on the store's display.
Through the glass, they saw racks upon racks of colorful, intricately designed outfits—each one more dazzling than the last.
They had never seen anything like this before, and their gazes were immediately drawn in.
"Wow, so pretty! These are the clothes people wear on the surface?"
"I want one... how do we get them?"
"Do we have to trade something for them?"
Since the underground had no currency system, the people there survived through barter. The sisters had no concept of money.
"I'll buy them for you" Byakuya said. "Consider it part of your introduction to the surface world."
"Really? That's amazing!"
The sisters' faces lit up with joy.
Alia was so excited that she immediately hugged Byakuya, and for a moment, it even seemed like she was about to give him a kiss.
However, Eto quickly and effortlessly pulled Alia away, her ever-present smile still on her lips.
"He belongs to me, little one. No sneaky bites allowed~"
Alia froze.
Though Eto's expression was as cheerful as ever, there was an unmistakable chill in her voice.
Amy and Echo didn't quite understand what had just happened, but they could sense that this woman was... intense.
"You're scaring them" Byakuya sighed. "And also, I'm not some kind of object. What is this 'exclusive possession' nonsense..."
With that, they entered the store.
—
The store employees immediately took notice of the sisters' strange outfits, wondering why anyone would walk around dressed like that.
"Welcome! Oh my, are these three your daughters? They're absolutely adorable!"
The salesperson greeted them with a warm smile.
Byakuya's eye twitched slightly.
"...No, they're not my daughters."
Daughters? That would be ridiculous.
He and Eto were barely adults themselves... though, to be fair, Eto's demeanor and presence made her seem far older than she actually was.
"My mistake! Sorry about that!" The employee laughed awkwardly. "In that case, what can I help you with? We're having a sale today!"
"We're just looking for now."
Byakuya let the sisters roam the store freely, encouraging them to pick whatever they liked.
—
Despite being sisters, the three of them had very different tastes.
Amy preferred denim and jeans, Echo was drawn to sporty tracksuits, and Alia was enchanted by cute, frilly dresses.
Once they had picked their outfits, Byakuya paid for everything.
"That's it? We can just wear these now?" Echo asked in disbelief.
"Yep. I bought them, so they're yours now."
Byakuya nodded.
After changing into their new clothes, the sisters continued to explore the city, marveling at everything they saw.
After a while, Byakuya finally said, "Alright, that's enough for today. Can you take us to meet your people now? I plan to bring them all to the surface."
"Okay!"
The sisters had no objections.
In just this short time, they had already realized how much better the surface world was compared to the underground.
"Before that, let's stop by the café again."
—
Back at Anteiku, Yoshimura had prepared three cups of coffee for the sisters.
He had even added specially formulated RC suppressant cubes to them.
"Try it" he encouraged.
The sisters hesitated for only a moment before picking up their cups and taking a sip.
The taste wasn't exactly delicious, but it was far better than raw flesh—and, more importantly, it filled their stomachs.
"This is food?"
They had assumed the coffee itself had somehow made them feel full.
"This is called coffee" Byakuya explained. "The drink itself is just a beverage, but the cubes inside are made from human meat. That's what's filling you up."
He then took the time to explain what he meant by "a stable food source."
Essentially, the human suicides in the 20th Ward were enough to sustain the ghouls in the area without the need for hunting.
Once the sisters had finished their drinks, Byakuya used his Kamui abilities to teleport them back to the underground.
From there, they led him and Eto toward their settlement.
—
"Halt!"
Two guards immediately stopped them at the entrance.
"Who are these two? Why did you bring strangers back here?"
"They're not bad people!"
"They're from the surface, and they even shared really tasty food with us!"
"Yeah! Look at our clothes! They gave us these too!"
The sisters excitedly defended Byakuya and Eto.