Rize Kamishiro left immediately with the experimental subject, without any verbal or visual exchange with Byakuya.
This was because Byakuya had already discussed the action plan for Kanou's basement with Rize and the others beforehand.
Rize was simply following his plan. There would be no mistakes.
Tsukiyama Shuu, Matsumae, and Kanae were standing by in the shadows. If anything unexpected happened, they could protect Rize.
Seeing the experimental subject taken away, Dr. Kanou felt it was a pity, but "Eto" remained unmoved.
She didn't value that experimental subject. Her plan had always differed from Nimura Furuta's. She and Arima wanted to create a "One-Eyed King" whose strength and prestige could lead all ghouls, while Furuta's ultimate goal was directly "becoming Dragon."
There was a fundamental difference. A powerful "One-Eyed King" didn't necessarily require a Washuu ghoul as the experimental subject, but for "becoming Dragon," a Washuu ghoul was essential.
Eto probably didn't fully know all the secrets about "Dragon" at this point. This was likely one of the Washuu's most closely guarded secrets. For instance, when she met Furuta later and asked what his purpose was, Furuta answered "super peace"—this showed Eto didn't know Furuta's goal was to create "Dragon."
The appearance of Kurona and Nashiro—two artificial one-eyed ghouls—had shown Eto a possibility. But she felt the experimental subject Kanou had chosen wasn't strong enough, which limited Kurona and Nashiro's strength and potential. They couldn't grow into the "One-Eyed King" she hoped for.
Then there was another, stronger—even optimal—choice: Yoshimura.
With CCG's internal undercurrents moving toward a suppression of Anteiku, Eto had already secretly planned with Arima to stage a performance during the upcoming "Owl Suppression Operation." They would seize Yoshimura after CCG had surrounded and incapacitated him, making him the new experimental subject.
...
Meanwhile, Akira's battle had also ended. When they had Naki on the ropes, "Noro" suddenly appeared and whisked away Naki and his two underlings. Noro was too fast for them to pursue.
"...Can't be helped. Let's leave them for now and find First Class Amaha. I don't know where he went."
Akira decisively gave up chasing Naki and said calmly.
"Mm, I hope Byakuya-oniichan is okay..."
Nashiro immediately worried about Byakuya's situation.
"He'll be fine. Byakuya isn't that fragile."
Kurona said.
Of course, this was just an act the sisters were putting on for Akira and Kiyoko.
But then, seeing Kiyoko about to follow them directly, Kurona expressed genuine concern: "Special Class Aura, are you sure you're okay like this?"
"I'm fine. These minor injuries don't affect my movement. I don't want to drop out here."
Kiyoko said with determination in her eyes.
"Alright, but don't push yourself too hard."
Kurona said.
The worried Kurona and Nashiro tore some cloth strips from their own clothes to give Kiyoko a simple bandaging.
Then they set off to find Byakuya.
...
On Byakuya's end, "Noro" had already arrived with Naki, directly taking Dr. Kanou and "Eto" away.
But before leaving, "Eto" said to Dr. Kanou: "Those 'failures' are useless anyway. Just let them eat that guy~"
Dr. Kanou didn't think much of it and pressed a button in his hand.
In an instant, Dr. Kanou was carried away by "Noro." All the cultivation tanks opened simultaneously, and the horrifying "failed experiments" inside came rushing out, immediately surrounding Byakuya—the only human present.
Byakuya was somewhat surprised. "Eto" had actually just done him a favor.
He'd come here to farm Fusion Points, and "Eto" had even gotten Dr. Kanou to release all those "failed experiments." Now he could really rack up the points.
Of course, Eto didn't know about Byakuya's need to farm Fusion Points. She simply thought that as a mutated half-ghoul, Byakuya would need these things—he could grow stronger through "cannibalism."
In the original story, Ken Kaneki had eaten his way to the half-kakuja "Centipede" form right here. Unfortunately, that "Centipede" form was like a trial card—after losing his memories and becoming Haise Sasaki, it never appeared again. Only during the later "Dragon" transformation did he become a dragon resembling a centipede.
"Come to think of it, if Kaneki had been a bit more cold-blooded and brutal, if he'd forced himself to eat until reaching full kakuja 'Centipede' form before the Owl Suppression Operation, the Manager's fate might have been different..."
Byakuya suddenly reflected.
The numerous failed "half-ghoul" experiments surrounding him posed no pressure whatsoever. He even had the leisure to think about other things.
The possibility he was considering did exist. At the time, Kaneki had been blocked by Koutarou Amon wearing the "New Proto" armor, wasting precious time. This made his support too slow, and on his way to the Manager, he happened to encounter Arima. If he'd been in full kakuja form, there wouldn't have been a time problem.
Thinking this, Byakuya stopped letting his mind wander. He reversed his grip on his sword and bisected the nearest "failure" at the waist.
Then he began his slaughter...
[Ding! Host defeated a "failed experiment." Reward: 5 Fusion Points!]
[Ding! Host defeated a "failed experiment." Reward: 5 Fusion Points!]
[...]
Several minutes later, Akira and the others finally traced the sounds of battle to this location.
By the time they arrived, Byakuya had just finished off the last "failure."
Seeing corpses strewn everywhere, blood on the ground nearly forming a small river, with only Byakuya standing there alive—covered in so much blood he looked like a blood-soaked specter.
Akira's pupils trembled slightly, but she also felt relieved.
"You..."
Akira walked over and was about to speak,
When she heard Byakuya say first: "Dr. Kanou was taken by Aogiri Tree. He also released all the 'failures' here..."
But Akira suddenly reached out with her slender finger and pressed it to his lips. "I'm not asking about the mission right now. I just want to make sure you're safe first."
...
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