The man who appeared before Uchiha Byakuya was a burly, imposing middle-aged man dressed in martial arts attire.
This was none other than Kamishiro Matasaka, the leader of the 6th Ward, an SS-rated ghoul known by the alias Shachi.
Upon seeing Kamishiro Matasaka, Byakuya immediately released the ghoul he had captured earlier; he was a man of his word.
That ghoul wasted no time disappearing without a trace.
He thought this Special-Class Investigator from the CCG had come to make trouble for Kamishiro Matasaka, and he wanted no part in it.
"What do you want with me? This should be our first time meeting, right?"
Kamishiro Matasaka asked as he studied Uchiha Byakuya.
At the same time, his gaze briefly lingered on Furuta and Rize.
He found it strange, why had this man brought two children to the 6th Ward under his control? And why was he looking for him?
"That's right, this is our first time meeting."
Byakuya said calmly. "But Yoshimura Kuzen is my senior, so I know of you."
"…Who exactly are you?"
Kamishiro Matasaka fell silent for a moment, his expression turning wary.
"At least until today, I was still a Washuu puppet."
Byakuya made no effort to conceal the truth and revealed his identity outright.
"I see…"
The moment Kamishiro Matasaka heard the words Washuu puppet, he immediately understood. After all, his old friend Yoshimura Kuzen had once been in the same situation.
There were quite a few ghouls who knew the Washuu's secret. Kamishiro Matasaka was one of them.
But he never spoke of it, he valued his life.
As long as he kept his mouth shut, the Washuu wouldn't bother wasting their time on him.
"So, are you under orders to eliminate me?"
Kamishiro Matasaka asked in a deep voice.
"Of course not. I just have a request."
With that, Byakuya pulled Furuta and Rize forward.
"These two children are both from the Washuu and have highly unique backgrounds. Because of them, the Washuu now see me as a 'traitor.'"
"…"
Kamishiro Matasaka was naturally not the type to trust a stranger's words so easily.
"And what's in it for me? If what you're saying is true, wouldn't this only put me in danger?"
"That's true. The only benefit to you would be gaining a foster son and daughter."
Byakuya said bluntly.
"I came to you because I believe you're trustworthy. But if you're unwilling, I'll find another way."
He spoke with complete honesty; there was no deception, no empty promises.
Hearing the man address him by his surname, Kamishiro Matasaka felt increasingly convinced that he was telling the truth.
"The 'Black Reaper' who appeared at that auction… that was you, wasn't it?"
Kamishiro Matasaka asked.
The auction incident had shaken the entire ghoul community.
Nearly all the upper-class ghouls had been wiped out in one fell swoop.
Among them, a black-clad investigator had gained notoriety for killing the high-ranking Madame, and given that he was a Special-Class Investigator, the moniker had stuck.
Kamishiro Matasaka had heard the rumors.
And after piecing together various accounts of the Black Reaper's exploits, he strongly suspected that the man standing before him was the one from those reports.
"That's right."
Byakuya nodded.
"Going against the Washuu is hardly a wise move. But… I'll watch over these two little ones for now, as a favor to Kuzen."
Kamishiro Matasaka agreed.
"Thank you, Kamishiro-senpai."
Byakuya then turned to Furuta and Rize.
"For now, you two will stay here in the 6th Ward. Once I've taken care of everything, I'll come back for you."
"Can't Byakuya-nii just stay here and hide with us?"
Furuta couldn't help but ask.
Byakuya shook his head slightly.
"Hiding like this isn't a real solution. With the Washuu's reach, they'll find us sooner or later. Besides… it's about time I settle things with them."
"…Alright…"
Furuta understood that Byakuya-nii was right.
At the same time, the Washuu family had already received word that Byakuya had been successfully exiled.
But since Furuta and Rize were still missing, they could only investigate in secret; they didn't dare let V act openly.
Even the CCG's investigators couldn't be mobilized, as there was no justifiable reason to send them after two children.
This was precisely why, in the original story, Kamishiro Rize was able to roam freely, hunting as she pleased, without the Washuu recapturing her. The fact that the CCG had labeled her Binge Eater showed that she was being treated as just another ghoul.
Frustrated by the situation with Furuta and Rize, the Washuu family handled Byakuya's "aftermath" in a rather straightforward manner.
Publicly, they simply announced that Uchiha Byakuya had died in the line of duty, without revealing any details.
They didn't even bother smearing his name; not out of respect, but because they simply didn't care enough to.
"No way… Special-Class Uchiha is dead? That… that's way too sudden…"
"I never thought even Special-Class Uchiha could fall. The CCG just lost one of its most important commanders."
"I heard Special-Class Uchiha was investigating Aogiri Tree in the 24th Ward. If he's dead, Aogiri Tree must be responsible. They might be the biggest threat we face right now."
"Sigh… this is just so unexpected…"
"…"
Within the CCG, a somber mood settled over the organization.
It wasn't unusual for ghoul investigators to die in the line of duty, but the loss of a Special-Class Investigator was on an entirely different level compared to the death of a Rank 2.
Losing a high-ranking commander like this was bound to affect morale.
Among those struggling to believe the news the most were Mado Mei and Mado Akira.
They couldn't accept that Special-Class Uchiha would just die so easily.
The only one who could vaguely guess what had happened was Arima Kishou.
It was clearly something to do with the Washuu family.
Still, he hadn't expected Byakuya to die so suddenly.
It seemed Byakuya had been doing many things behind his back, and now, everything made sense; no wonder V had mobilized almost their entire force today.
Now that Byakuya was gone, their hopes of forming an alliance with Aogiri Tree had become even more uncertain.
But Arima had no intention of giving up.
Even if the true leadership of the CCG lay in the hands of the Washuu family, he still had to put on a show for the human investigators.
And so, following protocol, the CCG prepared to hold a funeral for Uchiha Byakuya.
At the same time, they began sending out the letters he had left behind.