After the banquet ended, Matsuri sought out Byakuya.
"Director Amaha, I'd like to return to the Washuu estate. I hope you can make an exception."
Matsuri made his request.
"No problem. You may give them a proper burial."
Byakuya nodded.
"Thank you."
In his current situation, Matsuri still had to thank Byakuya.
...
With Byakuya's permission, Matsuri immediately headed to the Washuu estate.
The massive boulder and crater left behind by Super Almighty Push and Planetary Devastation remained.
The entire area had been cordoned off by the CCG—no unauthorized entry allowed.
Even Matsuri needed Byakuya's explicit permission to come here.
At the moment, Matsuri stood alone at the scene.
Looking at the enormous spherical rock before him, he knew his clan members and the entire Washuu estate were entombed within it.
"..."
Matsuri stood in silence for a long moment, then suddenly broke into anguished, wracking sobs.
"Dad... Daddy!"
Tears and snot streamed down Matsuri's face, forming a stark contrast with his usually stern appearance.
But it wasn't long before the Quinx Squad members assigned to monitor him arrived.
The moment Matsuri sensed someone behind him, he immediately stopped crying and quickly wiped away his tears and mucus with a practiced, barely noticeable motion.
By the time Urie and the others reached his side, Matsuri's expression had completely returned to its usual composure.
Urie and the others noticed nothing unusual.
"Give me some time. I want to arrange for my clan members to be buried."
Matsuri spoke.
"Understood."
Urie knew Director Amaha had given permission, so he had nothing to add.
Afterward, Matsuri had workers fill in the crater along with the massive boulder.
Trying to extract the bodies of his clan members from within the rock would be far too time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Besides, this was the original location of the Washuu estate—burying them here made perfect sense.
In a way... Byakuya had already given the Washuu Clan their burial with Planetary Devastation...
...
Rushima Island.
This was Aogiri Tree's main base.
Today, Byakuya brought a section of Dragon tissue from the underground world to Rushima and placed it before Dr. Kanou.
"Dr. Kanou, although what you did to Kurona and Nashiro was inhumane, your medical expertise is still worthy of respect."
Byakuya opened a spatial portal, transferring the Dragon tissue from his Kamui dimension.
Though he'd sealed all the entrances to Ward 24, he could retrieve Dragon tissue from the underground world anytime using his Mangekyo Kamui's teleportation ability.
"Your lifelong ambition has been to apply ghoul biology to medicine, hasn't it?"
Byakuya spoke evenly. "Now that the cage imprisoning this world has been destroyed, you can freely research this."
"This is..."
Kanou didn't bother asking how Byakuya had conjured the Dragon tissue out of thin air—his attention was completely captured by what lay before him.
Though he'd never seen this before, his extensive experience told him instantly that it was connected to ghouls.
"This was left behind by the Washuu Clan's One-Eyed King from a hundred years ago. You should know about him."
Byakuya explained.
"Mm..."
Kanou didn't deny it.
During his collaboration with Furuta, the man had told him many secrets—including the matter of the One-Eyed King.
Having worked so closely with Furuta, Kanou naturally knew quite a bit.
"You no longer need to research things like half-ghoul transformation surgery. From now on, Aogiri Tree will cooperate with the CCG. Come work for us."
Byakuya extended the invitation. "Of course, you're free to refuse..."
"Do I actually have a choice? It's either accept or die, isn't it?"
Kanou asked calmly.
Byakuya shook his head slightly. "No, I have no intention of killing you. You'd simply be tried and imprisoned."
"I see..."
Kanou wasn't particularly surprised. "Then I look forward to a pleasant cooperation."
Though death didn't frighten him—he could easily put a gun to his head right in front of Byakuya and pull the trigger—Kanou believed there was still something he hadn't accomplished.
That was to advance medicine in the direction he envisioned.
This was the resolve he'd made when his mother died of an incurable disease all those years ago...
The Dragon tissue before him represented tremendous hope.
Even if Kanou had resigned himself to death as his ultimate destination, he would at least fulfill his ambition first...
"Very well. I look forward to working with you."
Byakuya extended his hand, and Kanou shook it.
That was all Byakuya needed to discuss with Kanou. He prepared to leave.
He would give Kanou time to prepare, and there was considerable paperwork involved in having someone with Kanou's criminal record work for the CCG, so there was no rush to take him immediately.
But as Byakuya turned to leave, Kanou suddenly called out to him.
"Director, thank you for looking after Kurona and Nashiro all this time. If possible... I hope you'll never mention me to them."
Kanou made his request in a flat tone.
He was fully aware that everything he'd done was utterly unforgivable—especially to Kurona and Nashiro...
However, he felt no regret or remorse, nor would he ever seek anyone's forgiveness.
Because he was a true villain who believed everything he'd done was absolutely correct. Without those necessary sacrifices, there would be no new world. He had no desire to whitewash his actions.
In fact, without the "transmigrator" Byakuya, everything Kanou had done would indeed have been necessary...
In Kanou's eyes, Kurona and Nashiro had always been tools—means to an end.
He felt not a shred of familial affection for them. It was better for them to continue hating him forever.
"Understood."
Byakuya acknowledged this, then vanished before Kanou's eyes.
After Byakuya disappeared, Kanou immediately threw himself into researching the Dragon tissue, as if nothing had just transpired.
...
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