Watching Byakuya casually throw a dagger and kill a ghoul with a single blow, Akira's eyes flickered with something like admiration.
She'd long heard that Byakuya possessed the strength to fight the One-Eyed Owl. This kind of performance wasn't surprising.
Byakuya tossed the corpse—the ghoul he'd killed with Hiruko 1/76—into another room. Then he and Akira quickly descended into the hidden passage.
Past the entrance stairs, a spacious corridor stretched before them.
The passage was brightly lit, lined with several closed doors. There was no telling what lay behind them.
Byakuya and Akira walked to the end of the corridor, where it branched left and right. Ahead stood a large door.
The door wasn't locked—it seemed it could be opened directly. From beyond it came the sounds of a noisy crowd.
"The Ghoul Restaurant is probably on the other side of this door. I think we've gathered enough information to head back."
Akira spoke in a low voice.
She sensed danger. If they forced this door open, they'd almost certainly face a swarm of ghouls.
They hadn't come here to fight—they'd come to investigate. The Quinques they'd brought were for self-defense. Any assault would require proper confirmation first.
While they couldn't definitively confirm this was the Ghoul Restaurant yet, they could at least confirm a large gathering of ghouls was present. The ghoul they'd encountered at the passage entrance was evidence enough.
"Mm..."
Byakuya said little.
He'd told Fura this was just reconnaissance—otherwise, the CCG would have sent a whole team of investigators to back him up, which would mean fewer Fusion Points for him. He preferred no interference.
That's right—from the very beginning, this had all been a setup between him and Tsukiyama.
Including the ghouls gathered here tonight, carefully arranged by Tsukiyama.
Tsukiyama had earned his trust. In return, Byakuya would reap a windfall of Fusion Points.
It's time...
Sure enough, just as he and Akira turned to leave, they found their path blocked.
"Those cases they're carrying... No wonder Mr. MM told us to be careful tonight. So 'Doves' really did sneak in."
"Just two Doves? Don't let them escape!"
Several masked ghouls blocked Byakuya and Akira's retreat.
"They found us..."
Akira's gaze sharpened. These ghouls had clearly been warned in advance that investigators might come.
"The 'Gourmet' probably noticed us. If I recall correctly, 'Mr. MM' is the Gourmet's alias."
Byakuya spoke calmly.
"Should we break through? What do you think?"
Akira looked to Byakuya.
"No. Since we've come this far, we might as well eliminate them all—including every ghoul in this Ghoul Restaurant."
Byakuya's voice was low and resolute.
This was his true purpose: using his authority to investigate the Ghoul Restaurant, combined with Tsukiyama's inside cooperation, to wipe it out entirely.
Since tonight's "event" had been organized by Tsukiyama himself, the attending ghouls were all his invitations. After careful screening, they were ordinary ghouls with unremarkable backgrounds but extensive criminal records—all A or B-rated.
"This is..."
Akira felt Byakuya's proposal bordered on madness.
But given his strength, he had every right to say such things.
"Stay close to me."
Byakuya gave Akira a warning, then turned and smashed through the large door.
Akira had no choice but to follow him through.
On the other side, they found a crowd of masked ghouls. The venue's layout was unmistakably that of a Ghoul Restaurant.
Byakuya and Akira's sudden intrusion momentarily stunned many of the ghouls present.
"Akira. We begin now."
The moment he finished speaking, Byakuya charged into the fray.
The entire Ghoul Restaurant descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, Tsukiyama had already slipped away through another passage.
[Ding! Host has defeated an "A-rated ghoul." Reward: 10 Fusion Points!]
[Ding! Host has defeated a "B-rated ghoul." Reward: 5 Fusion Points!]
[...]
Wielding 13's Jason, Byakuya cut through the Ghoul Restaurant like a god of death.
Akira, by contrast, was struggling. There were simply too many ghouls.
In a one-on-one situation, she could hold her own against an S-rated ghoul. The Quinque she and her father had researched and modified was unlike standard models—it combined koukaku and bikaku, making her far stronger than an ordinary Rank 2 investigator.
Her Quinque was called "Amatsu/Amaz," indicating it was made from the kagune of two different ghouls. It could switch between a whip-form bikaku and a sword-form koukaku.
While carving his way through the battle, Byakuya kept constant watch on Akira's situation.
If Akira got hurt, it would be his responsibility—after all, this entire incident was something he and Tsukiyama had orchestrated.
Since he'd brought Akira into such a dangerous situation, he had to ensure her safety.
Just then, Byakuya noticed Akira was about to be overwhelmed by several ghouls attacking simultaneously.
He immediately moved to assist, gripping 13's Jason in sword form and sweeping horizontally to send the ghouls flying. Another wave of Fusion Points secured.
"You don't need to worry about me. I can still manage."
Akira spoke up.
But her heavy breathing betrayed her lack of composure.
"Besides, I don't want to be a burden..."
She didn't want Byakuya protecting her, because she didn't want him distracted on her account.
And this Ghoul Restaurant—she was the one who'd insisted on investigating it. Getting surrounded by ghouls was her own responsibility.
Of course, that was from Akira's perspective. She had no idea her superior was actually working with the Gourmet.
"How could I possibly ignore you, as your superior?"
Byakuya responded while fighting off the ghouls rushing toward them.
Since he and Akira were blocking the main door, and Tsukiyama had locked the other passage, the ghouls' only escape route was through them. This mob of disorganized fighters, emboldened by their numbers against "just two Doves," had grown reckless.
"No matter how talented you are—whether you were second-ranked or top of your class—you're still a Rank 2 investigator. Your abilities have limits, and that's not your fault. If you didn't need anyone's protection, what would be the point of having a superior like me?"
Byakuya continued, "So stop overthinking it. I won't let you get hurt—or die. Fight without worry."
Despite his calm demeanor, his real concern was that Akira might spiral into self-blame. The pressure from a crowd of ghouls was nothing compared to the weight of "Akira's guilt."
Because this whole situation was his doing, yet Akira was blaming herself for it. That's why he was being so insistent.
However, his words landed differently in Akira's ears...
...
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