"Associate Special Class Mado, let's stay here and wait for the search squad to return and rescue us."
At that moment, Uchiha Byakuya walked over and spoke to Mado Kasuka.
He was certain that the search squad would definitely return with reinforcements soon, so the best course of action was simply to wait here.
He wasn't familiar enough with the 24th Ward's labyrinth, and wandering aimlessly could easily lead them into another ghoul ambush.
Neither retracing their steps nor exploring further was a good option.
"Alright."
Mado Kasuka agreed, waiting for rescue was indeed the safest choice.
"Also, I should return your quinque."
Byakuya immediately handed back the S-rank spear-type quinque he had borrowed.
Mado Kasuka held it for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"...Even though this is my quinque, you clearly wield it better than I do."
She hadn't expected things to end up like this.
She had been ready to sacrifice herself to protect her subordinates yet in the end; it was her subordinate who ended up saving her.
If it hadn't been for Uchiha Byakuya then she would have died a horrible death.
After experiencing the sheer power of the One-Eyed Owl's kakuja form, she had no doubts about what would have happened if she had fought alone.
The best-case scenario?
She would have at least been left with a corpse.
The worst-case scenario?
She wouldn't have left a single piece of her body behind.
"I have a radio. I'll contact them now and report our status."
Mado Kasuka activated her communications device.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
The moment the search squad escaped from the 24th Ward, they realized:
Something was wrong.
The number of people in their group didn't seem right.
Besides Associate Special Class Mado, someone else was missing.
"Wait... Is someone still inside?!"
For Marude Itsuki, this was a critical mistake.
It wasn't just about protocol; if someone had failed to escape, it meant that Kasuka's sacrifice had been in vain.
In the worst case it could even be considered a pointless death.
"Quick, confirm who's missing!"
The search squad hurried to cross-check their members.
Moments later, the result came in; the missing person was Uchiha Byakuya, Second-Class Investigator.
Marude felt a deep sense of unease.
At the time, he had been too busy restraining Mado Kureo, which had caused him to overlook Byakuya's absence.
But logically, Byakuya should have been able to keep up.
So why had he not escaped with them?
Marude glanced at Mado Kureo, who sat on the ground, head in his hands;
His face was pale.
His eyes were empty.
The man was in shock.
Marude sighed deeply.
"We'll have to wait for the reinforcements before going back in…"
It was too dangerous to re-enter the 24th Ward now.
If they rushed in recklessly, then Kasuka's sacrifice would truly be for nothing.
But realistically, none of them had any hope that she was still alive.
The CCG had fought the One-Eyed Owl before.
They knew exactly how strong she was.
To believe that Kasuka could survive against that monster alone was pure fantasy.
Even Mado Kureo had given up all hope.
His eyes were lifeless.
Though he had stopped screaming, he had not calmed down-He had simply descended into complete despair.
He did not dare to imagine what they would find when they returned to F124.
What Kasuka's body would look like.
Or worse; ifthere would be anything left at all.
However…
At that moment; Marude's radio suddenly crackled to life.
At first, he thought it was just CCG HQ checking in.
But the next moment,he heard a voice he never expected to hear again.
Mado Kasuka.
"Special Class Marude, the 'One-Eyed Owl' has retreated."
"What?!"
Marude Itsuki was utterly stunned.
The One-Eyed Owl actually retreated?
Could it be that Associate Special Class Mado Kasuka had forced her back?!
Hearing Kasuka's voice, Mado Kureo's entire body trembled.
His eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face.
Just moments ago, he had completely lost hope; Now he was receiving a miraculous revelation.
The overwhelming emotional shock was so intense that he couldn't stop crying.
"Wait… so Associate Special Class Mado actually drove the 'One-Eyed Owl' away… all by herself?! That's incredible!"
"Even though First-Class Iwao defeated her before, that was with the entire 2nd Ward's elite squad backing him. In comparison, Associate Special Class Mado's achievement is even more astonishing!"
"That said… Iwao did heavily injure the 'One-Eyed Owl' previously, so that probably helped weaken her… still, it's unbelievable!"
The other investigators were in complete awe.
However, no one even considered Uchiha Byakuya's involvement.
After all- Second-Class Investigator was expected to barely survive such an encounter, let alone contribute to driving off an SSS-rated ghoul.
"This is amazing, Associate Special Class Mado! After this, you're sure to be promoted to a full Special Class!"
Marude congratulated her.
But in the next moment; Kasuka's response shattered their expectations.
"No… I had almost nothing to do with it. It was Second-Class Investigator Uchiha who fought and drove off the 'One-Eyed Owl' alone."
"...Oh…oh-what?!"
Marude was completely dumbfounded.
Uchiha Byakuya… defeated the 'One-Eyed Owl'?!
A Second-Class Investigator… against an SSS-rated ghoul?!
How was that even remotely possible?!
The entire squad stood there in absolute disbelief.
Everyone exchanged glances, seeing the same shock and incredulity reflected in each other's eyes.
Marude was the first to snap out of it.
This wasn't the time to be stunned; they needed to get back to Kasuka and Byakuya immediately.
Even if the One-Eyed Owl had retreated, both of them could still be badly injured.
If another S-rank or higher ghoul attacked them now, they would be in serious danger.
"No matter what, our top priority is to reach F124 and escort them both safely out of the 24th Ward! Understood?!"
"Understood!"
Without hesitation, the squad rushed back into the labyrinth.
Mado Kureo was running the fastest, the others struggled to keep up.
Before long, they arrived at F124.
There, standing completely unscathed, were Uchiha Byakuya and Mado Kasuka.
Marude, still reeling from the shock, immediately questioned them.
"Can someone tell me what the hell happened here?"
His eyes swept over the scene.
Byakuya and Kasuka didn't have a single visible wound.
The only thing on the ground was a broken quinque, split into two pieces.
It clearly wasn't Kasuka's weapon.
Which meant; it had to be Uchiha Byakuya's quinque.
Kasuka gave Marude a brief summary of what had transpired.
After hearing everything Marude turned to Byakuya, his expression one of absolute astonishment.
"A Second-Class Investigator… fought off an SSS-class ghoul. Well, I'll be damned… That's a first."
Byakuya remained calm and composed.
"Special Class Marude, you're overestimating me. If I hadn't used Associate Special Class Mado's quinque, I wouldn't have been able to fight back at all."
An S-rank quinque was just enough to allow him to wound the One-Eyed Owl.
Without it, his B-rank quinque had been completely useless.
And if he hadn't been able to injure her…
She might not have chosen to retreat at all.