If one followed Aogiri Tree's original path, Furuta's thinking was essentially similar to Aogiri Tree's anyway—both required creating a one-eyed ghoul and forcing them to grow.
This would be accompanied by countless tragedies...
Rize, Yoshimura, Kurona and Nashiro, Takizawa and his sister and mother... even half of Tokyo's human population had been consumed when Kaneki transformed into Dragon.
All of them were "sacrifices," too many to count.
Yet despite sacrificing so many, all that was achieved in the end was a brief, relative peace. When that final batch of Dragon Orphans evolved into humans—or more precisely, evolved into ghouls—that brief peace would only collapse.
The world would fall into a new cycle, like the rise and fall of dynasties...
Possessing a better solution, Byakuya naturally could not approve of Aogiri Tree's plan.
Of course, he wasn't dismissing Aogiri Tree's efforts as worthless. He understood that this world's limitations had left Aogiri Tree with no other choice. Only he, as a transmigrator, could break through this world's limitations—and that was the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"Oh? You mean you really do see us Aogiri Tree as a joke?"
Eto asked.
"No... that part was indeed an act. What I wanted to express is that I will only change this world according to my own ideas."
Byakuya clarified.
"Setting aside such distant matters, I'm more interested in knowing what was going on with your kakugan and kakuja transformation back then. Aren't you human?"
Eto smiled with sharp eyes. "I never noticed before~ So Amaha-kun is actually a half-ghoul~"
Byakuya then said, "You've already explained it for me. The fundamental reason for all of that is what you call 'half-ghoul.'"
He would simply identify as a "half-ghoul" from now on, using it to conceal his Mangekyo Sharingan and Susanoo.
"But there's one strange point: how can you pass through the CCG's RC Detection Gates, Amaha-kun? Don't you investigators have to go through the gates every time you enter and exit the CCG?"
Eto immediately raised the most difficult point to explain.
"Bodies differ from person to person. Perhaps because my constitution is somewhat special, my RC cells are different—they can always stay within the normal human range."
Byakuya explained in a calm tone.
"Is that so..."
Eto was half-convinced.
His explanation wasn't impossible.
At the very least, it was far more likely than him having Washuu blood.
If he really had Washuu blood, the Washuu Clan producing a "natural-born half-ghoul" would be enormous news. There was almost no way Arima wouldn't know about it.
She tentatively accepted this explanation.
"But speaking of which, how does Takatsuki-sensei know so much about half-ghoul characteristics?"
At that moment, Byakuya suddenly posed a pointed question.
He wanted Eto to voluntarily admit her half-ghoul identity. This way, it wouldn't seem like Yoshimura had sold out his daughter, and more importantly, if Eto was willing to admit it herself, it would mean she had come to trust him.
Of course, gaining Eto's trust was by no means easy, so he didn't expect her to admit her identity right now.
Eto gave Byakuya a meaningful look, a composed smile on her face. "Don't underestimate our Aogiri Tree's intelligence capabilities, Amaha-kun."
Sure enough, Eto wasn't willing to reveal her identity just like that.
Even so, her trust in Byakuya was steadily increasing.
Especially after learning that Byakuya was also a "half-ghoul."
He was probably the only other one of her kind in this world.
And their situations were so similar. Due to his half-ghoul identity, he was inherently under threat from the Washuu.
She didn't know what Byakuya had experienced in the past, but it probably wasn't anything good. Otherwise, why would he bother opposing the Washuu for no reason?
By ordinary thinking, one would more likely hide their half-ghoul identity from the Washuu. That way, at least one could keep surviving.
"By the way, I've heard the Washuu have always desperately wanted half-ghouls. What do you think would happen if they discovered your half-ghoul identity?"
Eto asked in a purely curious tone.
She was simply trying to continue the conversation, with no hint of sarcasm or threat.
"I actually know this. Don't the Washuu want to become human? They probably see half-ghouls as an achievable form of humanization. I can imagine they would capture me and turn me into a dedicated 'breeding machine,' wouldn't they?"
Byakuya's tone was very calm, as if discussing something trivial.
Hearing this, Eto's lips curved slightly. This guy knew quite a lot.
"Since you clearly know you'd be persecuted by the Washuu, why do you still dare to oppose them? Aren't you afraid? Or did something happen in the past that made you stop being afraid?"
Eto continued along this topic.
Byakuya chuckled softly. "So this time it's Takatsuki-sensei's turn to probe me for information..."
Last time he had been the one probing. Now the tables had turned.
"Well... I'm quite curious about what you've experienced. If you can tell me about it, I can also give you some very sincere intelligence in return."
Eto spoke with a serious expression.
She was genuinely curious. After all, the young man before her was practically the only other one of her kind in this world.
Just as Yoshimura had sensed, Eto was lonely. Originally she had been the only natural-born half-ghoul. Whether in human circles or ghoul circles, she always felt somewhat out of place. She even felt that an aberration like herself shouldn't have been born into this world...
So after learning that Byakuya was her fellow half-ghoul, she instinctively wanted to know more about what had happened to him.
"If Takatsuki-sensei is willing to share first, then I'll accept."
Byakuya said.
"Fine, you said it."
Eto seemed to accept Byakuya's condition.
Her expression turned serious. Hands clasped, elbows propped on the table, she looked like she was about to say something very important.
But the next thing she said instantly struck Byakuya like lightning.
"I'm... wearing pure white panties today~"
...
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