"I already told you—they're classmates doing the internship with me."
Byakuya hadn't expected Rize to keep pressing on this topic. He'd thought the matter was settled.
"You said it was from fighting side by side, but based on the scents I detected, the concentration is highest on your arms and shoulders. What kind of 'side by side fighting' results in that? I'm having trouble imagining it."
Rize spoke with a hint of playfulness.
"Fine... The truth is, while we were on the subway, they accidentally fell asleep. And they happened to fall asleep on my shoulders."
Byakuya had no choice but to confess.
"I see."
Rize nodded slightly.
This explanation she could believe.
"Let's leave it at that. Next, I need to tell you more about the Washuu Clan's power, so you don't go doing something reckless without knowing what you're up against."
Rize said.
Though Byakuya already knew everything, he still put on an attentive expression.
What followed was Rize detailing the Washuus' resources—the CCG, the V organization, and so on.
She also mentioned her own background.
"A ghoul family that worships human bloodlines. The purer your ghoul blood, the lower your status. Doesn't that sound ridiculous?"
Rize hadn't explicitly stated this was her own experience—she was just asking for Byakuya's opinion.
"Yeah... but is this something you personally went through?"
Byakuya asked.
"I suppose I made it too obvious."
Rize said softly. "Yes, this was my experience. That's why I never want to return to that disgusting place. It took everything I had to escape."
"Come to think of it, if you hadn't saved me before, I'd probably still be living out my original fate."
"I don't know exactly what Furuta was planning, but it definitely wasn't anything good."
Her words were calm, but underneath lay profound disgust for the entire Washuu Clan.
"Things might have turned out even worse. But that's all in the past now. From here on, I definitely won't let you suffer like that again."
Byakuya said solemnly.
By "even worse," he meant becoming an experimental subject.
Being a "breeder" for the Washuu Clan was certainly miserable, but being an experimental subject brought indescribable suffering of its own.
In the original story, Rize had her kakuhou harvested at least several thousand times. Each extraction brought agony, and the prolonged starvation was both physical and psychological torture.
In the end, being destroyed as the "Dragon Core" was actually a release for her.
Byakuya didn't want to compare which fate was more tragic—breeder or test subject. He only needed to know that Rize's destiny was unbearably cruel, and he wouldn't allow either scenario to happen.
"After everything I've told you about the Washuu Clan's power, you can still say something like that?"
Rize mused. "I don't know where you get such confidence, but I'll choose to believe you for now. After all, you're the only one I can rely on."
"By the way... you mentioned your 'father' before. What's his situation?"
Byakuya deliberately brought this up.
"Him? I haven't seen him since I left Ward 6. I heard he was captured by CCG investigators, but I don't know if that's true."
Rize's tone was somewhat nonchalant.
"Ward 6? So he wasn't your biological father? And you don't have the surname 'Washuu'—is 'Kamishiro' inherited from him?"
Byakuya continued probing.
"That's right. After I escaped from that place, I met 'Father.' He gave me my surname and taught me a lot of combat techniques. He was pretty naggy though... but..."
Rize suddenly felt something had changed within her, just slightly. "Maybe his lectures were right after all. It was my reckless, uncontrolled feeding that gave Furuta the opportunity to ambush me."
"Given your father's level of power, and his connection to you, the CCG probably wouldn't do anything to him. You'll likely have a chance to reunite."
Byakuya said.
He recalled a detail—it wasn't that Shachi had first considered Rize his daughter, but rather that Rize had first called him "Dad."
Actually, it was similar to Kurona and Nashiro's situation. Perhaps it was all a manifestation of being "starved for affection"?
It wasn't that Rize felt nothing for Shachi—but her rebellious nature was too strong. Shachi's constant lecturing naturally grated on someone like her.
"I hope so. I didn't expect him to get captured by the CCG. He was probably protecting those weaker ghouls."
Rize sounded somewhat helpless.
She knew exactly what kind of person her "father" was. As Ward 6's leader and caretaker, he always put the elderly, sick, and vulnerable ghouls first.
With Shachi's strength, he could have easily escaped the CCG. But he'd probably chosen to surrender voluntarily, taking all the blame to protect Ward 6's remaining ghouls.
Unless the CCG had deployed Arima—but that wasn't realistic. Arima typically only acted on orders from V or the Washuu Clan. He'd only go after Shachi if the Washuus commanded it, and in that case, Shachi would certainly be killed, not captured. So that scenario was unlikely.
In truth, the reason the CCG had mobilized heavily in Ward 6 was because of Rize's uncontrolled feeding.
"Also, from now on I'll be living here with you. I'll move my things over tomorrow."
Rize suddenly changed the subject.
As for asking Byakuya's permission? That wasn't happening. She did whatever she wanted.
Not that Byakuya would refuse anyway.
But thinking about it—this basically meant they'd be living together, didn't it?
"That works. It'll be much easier to stay in contact."
Byakuya nodded.
"Just remember—a deal's a deal. Don't forget what you promised me. I'm still looking forward to the day I get to enjoy you."
Rize made sure to emphasize this.
Byakuya found himself somewhere between amused and exasperated. "Don't worry. I'll keep every promise I made."
"Until then, don't let any other ghoul get to you first. Only I get to enjoy you."
With those words, Rize leaned in and bit lightly on Byakuya's collarbone, leaving a faint mark.