Everything Is Under Control

After finishing his conversation with Byakuya, Arima returned to Minami's side.

He unlocked the handcuffs restraining her.

"This is... Why?" Minami was visibly shocked.

"You'll be given some time. After your exams are over, I'll come to take you into custody" Arima explained.

"!!"

Minami was both surprised and elated, "Thank you so much!"

"No need to thank me. It was Byakuya who gave you this chance" Arima spoke matter-of-factly.

"That must be because Arima interceded for me. Otherwise, Byakuya wouldn't have known about this" Minami insisted.

"No, I simply reported the situation as it was" He denied, his tone detached.

"Alright then..." She thought to herself how cold and distant Arima seemed.

"You can go home now" Arima dismissed her as though nothing unusual had occurred.

He wasn't worried about Minami escaping. Now that her identity as 'Lantern' was exposed, he could easily track her down again unless she completely vanished from human society.

"I'm still afraid of that ghoul from earlier. Arima, could you walk me home?"

She requested hesitantly.

"...Fine"

Arima agreed, as his mission was to ensure her safety until capture. He didn't want her killed by another ghoul.

"I'll head off then. Arima, you escort Minami home."

At that moment, Byakuya also chimed in.

"Understood" Arima nodded.

...

[Ding! Quest Completed: "Quest 3: Alter Uruka Minami's Fate" Reward: 20 Attribute Points!]

The turn of events was entirely under Byakuya's control.

To put it bluntly, he had disguised himself as a ghoul to directly push the story forward.

Otherwise, with Minami's personality, she would have continued playing the "Ghoul Investigator" game for a long time, such as betraying other ghouls to him and Arima to lower their guard, and then looking for an opportunity to eliminate them.

Byakuya had no interest in wasting time on such a charade.

There were other ways, such as exposing Minami's identity as 'Lantern' through direct confrontation as a ghoul investigator.

However, CCG investigators were prohibited from acting against civilians without absolute evidence. Even if the civilian was secretly a ghoul, doing so would damage their reputation. That was why Arima, despite his strong suspicions about Minami, had not acted on them.

CCG regulations were clear: no action could be taken against someone unless there was undeniable proof of ghoul activity.

By posing as a ghoul, he not only pushed Minami to recognize Arima's strength but also prevented her from making reckless moves against him. This greatly reduced the likelihood of her death.

In the end, this was the best approach.

He had efficiently and smoothly changed Minami's fate.

Whether she ended up confined in a ghoul detention center or not, at least she wouldn't die.

However, Byakuya still preferred that Minami seek refuge in the 20th Ward with Yoshimura, the manager of Anteiku.

...

Through the subway, Byakuya returned to the 2nd Ward.

He had just finished preparing dinner when Eto appeared at his door.

"Miss Takatsuki, you're early today. I was just about to eat" Byakuya remarked, slightly surprised.

"I couldn't wait to gather material. By the way, mind if I grab a bite?" Eto casually asked, hoping to share his meal.

Of course, she wasn't just hungry, she wanted to naturally dispel any suspicion Byakuya might have about her being a ghoul.

After all, ordinary ghouls couldn't eat human food. Only half-humans and half-ghouls were exceptions. However, most investigators didn't even know about the existence of half-humans or half-ghouls.

Ironically, both Byakuya and Eto fell into those rare categories, one a half-human, the other a half-ghoul.

"Of course" Byakuya agreed readily.

His apartment was modestly furnished, with a small dining area suitable for just two people.

"Your cooking skills are impressive" Eto praised after tasting a few bites.

As a half-ghoul, she could genuinely enjoy the flavor of food, unlike ordinary ghouls who had to fake their appetite.

Though human food didn't harm her, it couldn't sustain her strength the way human flesh or cannibalism could.

"I'm glad you like it"

Byakuya replied humbly. Whether her compliment was sincere or not, he prided himself on his cooking skills.

In his previous life, he often cooked for himself. Now, with his sharingan enhancing his precision and focus, his culinary abilities had naturally improved.

"So, how did things go today? That ghoul girl, what's her situation?" Eto smoothly shifted the topic to the main issue.

"Her ghoul identity has been fully exposed" Byakuya replied.

"I see... So, it's game over for her, isn't it?" Eto asked, her tone laced with regret.

"Not quite. I spoke with my partner, and we agreed to let her finish her exams next week. But honestly, I'd prefer for her to go to the 20th Ward"

Byakuya admitted.

His hope lay in the unique system established by Yoshimura in the 20th Ward, where ghouls refrained from hunting humans, instead subsisting on suicide victims and accident casualties.

Under Yoshimura's guidance, the 20th Ward enjoyed relative peace and had a low predation rate, leading the CCG to largely ignore it.

If Minami could adapt to the 20th Ward's rules and avoid harming humans, the CCG would eventually lose interest in her. With limited resources, they prioritized more dangerous ghouls over ones like her.

"You seem to really hope she can integrate into human society, don't you?" Eto scribbled notes in her journal as she spoke.

"Only if she stops attacking humans. If she doesn't, I won't be able to protect her"

"Fair enough... By the way, is your partner as lenient as you?" Eto asked curiously.

"More or less, though not entirely" Byakuya replied.

Arima, unlike him, was tightly controlled by the "V". The pressure left Arima emotionally cold and strictly bound to follow CCG orders without hesitation. It had nearly erased his humanity altogether.