"Akira-chan, this young man is a colleague of your parents."
Mado Kasuka immediately introduced Uchiha Byakuya to her daughter.
Hearing this, Mado Akira finally let down her guard. The sharpness in her eyes softened, and she obediently nodded in acknowledgment.
"Investigator Uchiha, this is my daughter, Mado Akira. She can be a bit shy around strangers-please don't take it personally."
Mado Kureo spoke with a slight apologetic tone.
Ever since Akira was young, he had instilled in her a strong sense of vigilance-teaching her to be wary of all strangers.
He had even started educating her early on how to escape from ghouls, as well as the fundamentals of RC cells and quinques.
He hadn't expected that his own colleague would end up on the receiving end of this wariness.
"It's fine."
Byakuya replied with a light chuckle.
If he remembered correctly, Akira was only eleven years old at this point in the time line yet she was already sharp and independent.
Byakuya ended up staying at the Mado household for the afternoon; Enjoying tea and later having a hearty dinner, which was prepared by Kasuka and Akira together.
During this time, Byakuya and Kureo discussed various topics about ghouls and quinques.
There was no doubt; Mado Kureo's knowledge of quinques was incredibly deep.
But... his obsession with them might not be a good thing.
"By the way, Investigator Uchiha, how do you personally view ghouls?"
Mado Kureo suddenly posed a serious question.
Byakuya pondered for a moment before replying:
"If you ask me… The conflict between humans and ghouls is fundamentally irreconcilable. But the root cause isn't simply the ghouls' need for human flesh. After all, there are ghouls who survive by scavenging corpses rather than actively killing."
"Another major factor is the power imbalance."
"Ghouls are naturally stronger than humans. Except for investigators or those equipped with quinques; an average person is completely powerless, even against the weakest ghoul."
"This overwhelming gap in strength only makes it easier for malicious ghouls to abuse their power."
Byakuya continued his analysis:
"Think about it, when one species is physically superior to another, what happens? Humans, for example, dominate chickens and ducks."
"A kind-hearted human won't harm them unnecessarily, aside from using them for food. But there will always be those with cruel tendencies who torment weaker creatures just because they can."
"It's the same for ghouls. The vast majority of humans can't fight back-so, naturally, there will always be ghouls who indulge in senseless slaughter."
"On the other hand, hatred runs both ways."
"Some investigators, driven by personal loss or sheer cruelty, delight in torturing ghouls, even those who mean no harm. It creates an endless cycle of vengeance."
"That's why this hatred will never truly end."
"For humans, it's simple: ghouls are our mortal enemies, and they deserve to die. From a human perspective, there's nothing wrong with that way of thinking."
Internally, his thoughts continued.
So what about those who stand between both worlds?
For example, there's Eto Yoshimura, the One-Eyed Owl-a half-ghoul.
There's Arima Kishou, a half-human.
And then there's Kaneki Ken, who was forcibly turned into a one-eyed ghoul.
All three could live among humans and ghouls alike; because of this, they realized something: beneath it all, both sides are still people.
They could form families, find kinship in both worlds.
Their unique perspectives allowed them to understand both sides of the war, which is why they each sought to change the world.
"Investigator Uchiha has a sharp perspective," Mado Kureo nodded approvingly. "That's exactly why we as investigators must dedicate ourselves to eliminating ghouls and protecting humanity."
"But at its core, the real issue is food," Byakuya countered. "If ghouls didn't need to eat humans to survive, then the conflict between both sides could be significantly reduced."
"As for the power disparity-that's our job as investigators. It's up to us to protect ordinary people from malicious ghouls."
"The food issue, huh..." Mado Kureo sighed, shaking his head slightly.
"I just don't see a solution to that. Not all ghouls are willing to feed on stale human corpses. Besides, even if there were enough bodies to sustain them, wouldn't allowing them to eat the dead be disrespectful to the deceased?"
Although Kureo wasn't as consumed by hatred as he would later become in the original timeline-thanks to Byakuya saving Kasuka, his fundamental belief remained the same:
He still saw ghouls as irredeemable monsters.
"Right now, no alternative food source has been discovered," Byakuya acknowledged. "But I believe that one day, a substitute for human flesh will be found."
He knew for a fact that by the end of the original story, a ghoul-sustaining alternative had been developed-bringing humans and ghouls closer to peace.
"Hmph... Investigator Uchiha, you sure are optimistic."
Mado Kureo chuckled faintly before sighing. "But if that day ever comes... I think I'd welcome it."
Having come so close to losing Kasuka, he couldn't deny that a peaceful world where such tragedies never happened again... wasn't so bad after all.
As Byakuya was about to leave the Mado household, he received a message.
The CCG had assigned him a partner.
Arima Kishou.
When he saw the name, he couldn't help but feel a hint of disbelief.
"They actually paired me with Arima?"
He didn't know what the higher-ups' real intentions were, but for Byakuya, this arrangement was far from a bad thing.
After all-Arima wasn't someone who saw the world in black and white.
His ultimate goal wasn't extermination-it was change.
In that regard; Their ideals weren't so different.
That evening, Byakuya arrived at CCG Headquarters in the 1st Ward-where he finally met Arima Kishou.
"First-Class Investigator Uchiha. I'm your new partner-Arima Kishou."
Arima's voice was calm, indifferent. His expression remained neutral, unreadable.
Young Arima Kishou.
This was a time before his hair had turned completely white-his deep blue locks still intact.
Unlike in the original timeline, where his body had already begun deteriorating by age 29, the Arima of today was physically at his absolute peak.
But as a mere Second-Class Investigator, he had yet to gain access to the high-grade quinques he would later wield.
Dressed in a pristine white suit, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, his sharp yet refined features gave off an air of elegance and intellect.
Byakuya could see why some might mistake him for a quiet scholar rather than a warrior.
"Second-Class Arima. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Byakuya's tone remained calm, measured.
Neither of them were particularly talkative.
So after a brief exchange of introductions, silence fell between the two of them.