"Where are you? I'm coming now."
Byakuya wasted no words.
Kurona gave him the location.
"Don't leave there. I'll arrive soon."
He hung up and headed toward them at maximum speed.
He certainly didn't want Nashiro to die because he was too slow.
...
Soon, Byakuya reached the location Kurona had described.
Overgrown with weeds, nearly deserted.
Inside an abandoned building, he found Kurona holding Nashiro.
Seeing the Quinque briefcase in his hand, Kurona instinctively tightened her grip on Nashiro, clearly afraid.
Byakuya noticed and set the briefcase aside before approaching.
"Let me check Nashiro's condition."
He crouched before them.
"It's bad. She might not make it..."
Kurona spoke with pessimism. "Maybe I should absorb Nashiro into my body to keep her alive."
"That won't work."
Byakuya spoke directly.
The original timeline had proven that much...
He immediately used the "Hiruko 1/76" he kept in his inner pocket to cut his palm, letting blood flow into Nashiro's mouth.
Nashiro was unconscious and couldn't eat his flesh on her own.
Yes—Byakuya planned to save Nashiro with his own blood and flesh.
His body contained Hashirama Cells. The restorative effect on ghouls would be completely different from ordinary humans.
Nashiro wasn't completely beyond saving. Though her kakuhou was seventy percent damaged, she could recover if regeneration kicked in.
Blood wasn't as effective as flesh, but this was emergency treatment to sustain Nashiro's life until she woke up.
"Will this really work?"
Kurona was skeptical.
But then she suddenly noticed—Byakuya smelled incredible.
She could barely resist the urge to bite him.
But with Nashiro's condition still critical, she couldn't afford such thoughts.
"Of course it will. Come back to my place for now. Once Nashiro wakes up on her own, I can help her fully recover."
"Okay."
Though this was Kurona's first time going to a guy's home, under these circumstances, she couldn't worry about that.
...
Kurona and Nashiro were already wearing black and white robes respectively. Kurona pulled up her hood to obscure her face and helped the unconscious Nashiro do the same.
Then she followed close behind Byakuya, carrying Nashiro.
What surprised Kurona along the way was that Byakuya's physical capabilities exceeded even hers and Nashiro's as ghouls. He was clearly slowing down for her—otherwise she couldn't have kept up.
During their earlier fight, she'd felt his overwhelming strength and assumed it came from his Quinque. But now it seemed his physical abilities alone surpassed theirs...
If Nashiro's situation weren't more urgent, Kurona would have demanded an explanation.
Carrying Nashiro, Kurona followed Byakuya all the way to Ward 20.
They moved covertly the entire way, avoiding ordinary people and especially the CCG.
At his front door, Kurona suddenly noticed Nashiro's condition had significantly improved.
Her breathing was no longer labored, and her expression looked peaceful rather than pained—as if she were merely asleep.
"Nashiro's out of danger!"
Kurona couldn't help exclaiming.
Byakuya also felt relieved. "I told you she'd gradually improve. Now we just need to wait for her to wake up."
This didn't mean Nashiro was fully healed. Her condition had stabilized, but her damaged kakuhou hadn't recovered—still a serious problem.
"Mm."
Kurona nodded happily.
She followed Byakuya inside, automatically saying, "Pardon the intrusion."
But someone was already home—Rize.
Expecting only Byakuya, Rize heard another woman's voice and came out to investigate.
The next moment, Rize and the Nashiro-carrying Kurona came face to face.
Rize rarely wore glasses at home—she wasn't nearsighted. Before, glasses had been part of her "bookish girl" act to lure prey.
A faint light flickered in Rize's eyes, and a subtle smile appeared. "Darling, what exactly is this situation? Why did you suddenly bring other girls home?"
Darling?...
Hearing that word, Kurona couldn't help but take notice.
"It's a long story. I'll explain everything later."
Byakuya then addressed Kurona: "Kurona-san, put Nashiro-san on the bed to rest."
Rize could see the white-haired girl was injured, so she didn't press the matter.
Byakuya had Kurona put Nashiro directly on his bed to wait for her to wake naturally.
While waiting, he gave Rize a general explanation.
"So this Dr. Kanou experimented on these two girls to make half-ghouls? And the experimental donor was someone from the Washuu Clan?"
Rize immediately grew interested. She turned to Kurona: "Show me your kagune."
She urgently needed to confirm this. If it was true, then Furuta's earlier attack on her...
Rize now connected Furuta's inexplicable ambush—had it been to turn her into such an experimental donor?
Kurona hesitated. She didn't know Rize, and Byakuya hadn't introduced her.
"It's fine. Show her."
Byakuya told Kurona.
"Okay."
Kurona nodded and released her four dark crimson rinkaku tentacles. Her left eye transformed into a kakugan.