"..."
Byakuya was about to deny any relationship with Eto, but she beat him to the microphone.
"Yes, yes we are~ Byakuya and I are still very much in love~"
This woman... here we go again...
Byakuya felt somewhat helpless but was used to it by now.
"So you are still together. Director Amaha and Takatsuki-sensei's romance is truly touching."
The reporter continued pursuing this angle. "So when do Director Amaha and Takatsuki-sensei plan to get married? A human and a ghoul registering for marriage would be a first in history, wouldn't it?"
This pushed the topic to its peak.
"Yes, when will we get married, darling~?"
Eto rested her chin on one hand, tilting her head slightly toward Byakuya beside her.
"...I'm sorry, that's a private matter. I'd rather not answer."
Byakuya was silent for a moment before declining with an impassive expression.
This was all Eto running her mouth—why should he have to answer such questions?
"Alright then..."
The reporter couldn't press further.
Next, another reporter raised the topic of Dragon Orphans.
"We've heard about creatures called Dragon Orphans that the CCG has defined as a common enemy of both humans and ghouls. Where did they come from? Wasn't Ward 24 originally territory ruled by ghouls?"
Finally getting to the real subject.
Byakuya answered with a serious expression. "They emerged from the underground world—which is to say, Tokyo from a hundred years ago..."
He proceeded to explain how the Washuu Clan's One-Eyed King from a century ago had caused Tokyo to sink underground, forming a subterranean world beneath their feet.
"The original Tokyo sank underground? That's news that could shock countless people. But it's only been about a hundred years—why does our generation know nothing about this?"
The reporter looked stunned.
"The Washuu Clan undoubtedly concealed this from everyone. The citizens of old Tokyo were either killed or sank with the city. Once the new Tokyo was rebuilt, they simply repopulated it through immigration and similar measures. During the transition, certain important figures likely assisted the Washuu Clan..."
Byakuya shared his speculation.
Though it was speculation, it was probably very close to the truth.
The Washuu Clan had virtually unchecked power in Japan's capital. It would be impossible for them to have no dealings with certain powerful figures.
After all, the so-called Self-Defense Forces were practically helpless against the Washuu Clan. Even the CCG—the only organization capable of fighting ghouls—was under Washuu control. And Japan possessed no nuclear weapons. Simply put, the Washuu Clan held unmatched military might.
If they'd wanted to rebel, taking over the Japanese cabinet would have been child's play. But doing so would cost them popular support, and exposing their ghoul identity would cause CCG's human investigators to revolt...
So the constrained Washuu Clan was destined to cooperate with those cabinet big shots.
An entire Tokyo had sunk a century ago, yet the public knew nothing about it. The Washuu Clan alone couldn't have pulled that off.
Politics, more often than not, is dirty...
Hearing Director Amaha's words, the reporters' expressions shifted.
"Um... Director Amaha, this topic seems rather dangerous..."
One reporter warned quietly.
This was a live broadcast. Once aired, there'd be no post-production editing—every viewer was watching in real time.
"Does it? I was just joking..."
Byakuya maintained his pleasant smile.
"Oh, just joking? That's a relief, ahaha..."
The reporters laughed awkwardly.
They all knew perfectly well—with how explicitly he'd just spoken, that was no joke...
But none of them dared say anything or ask further.
Otherwise, at best they'd lose their jobs. At worst, they'd be "invited for tea."
Meanwhile, Eto didn't interject on this topic.
She could tell Byakuya was warning those important figures. Only a fool would believe he was joking.
"So the CCG's cooperation with Aogiri Tree is also because of those Dragon Orphans?"
A reporter quickly changed the subject.
They didn't just fear personal repercussions—they didn't want this broadcast forcibly cut off because of the previous topic.
"Correct. There are enormous numbers of Dragon Orphans, and they're powerful. Currently, the CCG must not only contend with hostile ghouls but also guard against Dragon Orphan attacks. We're severely understaffed."
Byakuya explained. "When we brought down the Washuu Clan, Miss Yoshimura provided considerable assistance. We're on the same side."
"I see. Director Amaha's bold initiative could be a turning point in changing the living conditions of both humans and ghouls..."
The reporter sighed with emotion.
Cooperation between a human organization and a ghoul organization—something that would have been unthinkable during the Washuu era.
...
The press conference continued for some time, discussing Aogiri Tree and the Dragon Orphans, before finally concluding.
Thanks to this conference, the situation facing the CCG had stabilized somewhat compared to before.
Part of the reason was Eto's identity as Sen Takatsuki. The fact that protesters had previously jammed CCG's phone lines showed just how popular she was.
Even with her ghoul identity exposed, she still had massive support.
Having such a popular figure as Aogiri Tree's public representative made the arrangement more palatable to the masses.
Of course, controversy remained. Previously, Takatsuki's supporters and detractors had split roughly 60-40. That 40% still harbored considerable discontent about CCG cooperating with ghouls.
On this point, only Aogiri Tree's actions could demonstrate sincerity.
As for the trust crisis the Washuu Clan had created, that had faded somewhat with the Dragon Orphans' emergence. Public attention was now focused on these strange new enemies.
As long as CCG handled the Dragon Orphan situation properly, the trust crisis would resolve itself.
However... beyond public opinion, there was another issue...
Byakuya's statements at this press conference had displeased certain important figures.
But those important figures weren't fools either. Anyone who could wipe out the all-powerful Washuu Clan could just as easily wipe them out.
So they would need to find other methods to deal with Amaha Byakuya...
...
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