"They're classmates doing the internship with me. Is something wrong?"
Byakuya explained with a calm expression.
"Nothing really. I just find it interesting that you keep saying you like me, yet you're getting so close to other girls."
Rize's tone was equally casual, as if she didn't particularly care and was merely teasing him.
Through scent alone, she could tell those two girls had definitely been in close physical contact with Byakuya—their scents were by far the strongest on him.
Obviously, this was the result of Kurona and Nashiro falling asleep on Byakuya's shoulders.
No matter how much Byakuya fought ghouls or chatted with Shio Ihei, those scents wouldn't be nearly as concentrated as the Yasuhisa sisters'.
"That's probably because we were fighting side by side during combat. That's why their scent got on me."
Byakuya explained with a completely straight face.
He said it as if it were the absolute truth—when in fact it was complete nonsense.
But he simply didn't want the hassle of explaining everything to Rize, so he'd made up a convenient excuse.
"Is that so..."
Rize was highly skeptical. She could even pinpoint exactly where those two women's scents were concentrated on Byakuya's body.
Mainly on his arms and shoulders—even his hands had traces. And scents that strong didn't accumulate in just a short while.
No amount of "fighting side by side" should result in that.
Still, Rize didn't press further.
"Speaking of which, you've heard of the Washuu Clan, right?"
After a moment, Rize suddenly brought up the Washuus.
"I know of them. The family that founded the CCG."
Byakuya replied.
"Everyone knows the Washuu Clan founded the CCG. People think they're humanity's greatest heroes in the fight against ghouls. But no one knows the truth about that family."
Rize said with a sigh.
"The truth? You mean the Washuu Clan isn't as noble as they appear?"
Byakuya continued feigning ignorance.
"Exactly. But are you sure you want to hear it?"
Rize emphasized the consequences. "Once you know, there may be no going back. You might end up falling into the abyss alongside me."
Her expression remained placid, seemingly unbothered by sharing the Washuu Clan's secrets with Byakuya.
After all, she'd already burned her bridges with the Washuus. Even if she violated this ultimate taboo, it meant nothing to her.
But for Byakuya, it was different. Once he learned the truth about the Washuu Clan, there would be no turning back.
"I'm sure."
Byakuya spoke without the slightest hesitation. "I already said I'd protect you. What's falling into the abyss together?"
He already knew the Washuus' true nature, so Rize's warnings were meaningless to him.
However, having Rize tell him directly served an important purpose—this way, he'd have a legitimate reason for knowing the truth, which would benefit his future plans.
His resolute tone was also meant to encourage Rize to reveal everything.
Hearing this, Rize was taken aback by his decisiveness. "...Looks like you've made up your mind. Even if you want to take it back later, it'll be too late~"
Rize leaned in close to his ear and whispered the truth very softly: "The Washuu Clan... are... ghouls."
Byakuya feigned shock, widening his eyes slightly.
Seeing him go silent, Rize assumed he was stunned speechless.
This was exactly the reaction she wanted to see. It made things interesting.
Rize suddenly embraced Byakuya. "Now we're both accomplices. We've violated the Washuu Clan's greatest taboo. There's no way out for you—you can only face their endless pursuit and revenge alongside me."
"I warned you earlier. Even if you regret it now, you don't have the slightest chance to take it back."
She held him tightly, as if to prevent any escape.
[Ding! Host triggered a quest. Initiating Divine Selection!]
[Option 1: Say nothing, do nothing. Reward: 1 Fusion Point!]
[Option 2: Push Rize away and distance yourself from her. Reward: 10 Fusion Points!]
[Option 3: Hold Rize tight and honor your promise. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
Without any hesitation, Byakuya wrapped his arms around Rize. He felt her body tremble slightly. "...I understand. Of course I don't regret it. This is my answer."
[Ding! Host completed Option 3. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
The generous reward was likely because taking this step meant his enemy would now be the entire Washuu Clan.
The Washuus' power was immense—they controlled both the CCG and the V organization. Moreover, all Washuu ghouls were natural-born kakujas.
As for why Rize had never manifested a kakuja form—that remained a mystery. Only the manga author would know. Perhaps she simply never had the chance to display that power before Furuta's ambush stripped away her freedom.
If that was the case, the CCG's S-rating severely underestimated Rize. A kakuja-class ghoul would be at least SS or even SSS-rated.
No wonder Furuta hadn't attempted another attack on Rize after his initial failure—now that she was on guard, succeeding would be extremely difficult.
In the later timeline, Furuta only became so powerful after transplanting Rize's kakuhou. At this point in time, it was hard to say whether Furuta could actually defeat Rize in a direct confrontation.
In any case, the Washuu Clan was undoubtedly the most formidable antagonistic force in the Tokyo Ghoul world. Their downfall in the original story was mainly due to internal collapse.
Yet Byakuya didn't fear the Washuus. In fact, he'd resolved from the very beginning that he would inevitably clash with them—otherwise, this world's tragedies would only continue.
Rize couldn't help but smile. "You really are surprising. Should I call you naive or something else? But I don't dislike fools like you."
She still suspected Byakuya didn't truly understand how terrifying the Washuu Clan was. After all, she hadn't revealed all their capabilities yet. She'd need to emphasize that later.
But for now, she wanted to clarify something else first.
"I've told you my secrets. So can you tell me more about those two girls?"