After finishing his conversation with Uchiha Byakuya, Arima Kishou returned to Uruka Minami.
He unlocked the handcuffs restraining her.
"Why…?"
Uruka Minami was stunned.
"You are being given some time. After your exams are over, you will be taken into custody."
Arima stated plainly.
"!!"
Uruka Minami was both shocked and overjoyed. "Thank you so much!"
"No need to thank me. First-Class Investigator Uchiha is the one giving you this chance."
Arima was merely stating the facts.
"That may be true, but Arima-kun must have spoken up for me, right? Otherwise, Uchiha-kun wouldn't have known about this at all."
Uruka Minami said.
"No. I simply reported the situation as it was."
Arima denied it outright.
"Alright then…"
Uruka Minami couldn't help but feel that this Arima Kishou was incredibly cold.
"You can go home now."
Arima spoke as if nothing had happened.
He wasn't worried about Uruka Minami trying to escape; Now that he knew the true identity of "Lantern," it wouldn't take long to track her down again.
The only way she could truly disappear would be to completely abandon life in human society.
"I'm still a bit scared of that ghoul from earlier… Could Arima-kun walk me home?"
Uruka Minami asked.
"…Fine."
Arima agreed without hesitation; His mission was to capture "Lantern," not let her die at the hands of another ghoul.
"Then I'll be heading back. Arima, you go ahead and escort Uruka-san home."
At that moment, Uchiha Byakuya also spoke up.
"Understood."
Arima nodded.
[Ding! The host has successfully completed "Mission Three: Change Uruka Minami's Fate of Death."]
[Reward: 20 Attribute Points!]
Everything had gone exactly as Byakuya had planned.
In essence, the entire reason he disguised himself as a ghoul in the first place was to accelerate the progress of the mission.
Otherwise, given Uruka Minami's personality, she would have continued playing cat-and-mouse with them for a long time, selling out other ghouls to gain their trust before seizing the right moment to eliminate them.
Byakuya had no interest in wasting time on such a game.
There were other ways to handle this, of course; He could have exposed Uruka Minami's identity by confronting her directly as a CCG investigator, forcing her to reveal herself as "Lantern."
However, CCG investigators couldn't simply attack civilians without cause. Even if the person in question was later confirmed to be a ghoul, it would still damage their reputation.
That was precisely why Arima Kishou, despite already having strong suspicions, hadn't made a move against Uruka Minami.
The CCG's regulations were clear: unless there was irrefutable proof, investigators could not recklessly attack someone who had not displayed their ghoul nature.
That was why Byakuya had chosen to operate as a "ghoul" instead.
This approach also ensured that Uruka Minami would recognize Arima Kishou's overwhelming strength, deterring her from attempting any foolish attacks against him in the future.
That significantly reduced the chances of her meeting the tragic end she suffered in the original timeline.
All in all, this had been the best possible method; Byakuya had efficiently and successfully altered Uruka Minami's fate.
Whether she ended up in the ghoul detention center/Cochlea or not, at the very least, she wouldn't die.
That said, Byakuya would much rather have her seek refuge in the 20th Ward under the care of the café manager, Yoshimura Kuzen.
Taking the subway, Uchiha Byakuya returned to the 2nd Ward.
He had just finished preparing dinner when Yoshimura Eto arrived at his door.
"Takatsuki-sensei, you're early today, I was just about to eat."
Uchiha Byakuya was slightly surprised.
"I couldn't wait to gather more material. By the way, do you mind if I have a few bites?"
Eto asked, hoping to share his meal.
Of course, it wasn't about hunger; This was her way of subtly dispelling any suspicion that Byakuya might have about her being a ghoul.
Ghouls couldn't eat human food, only half-ghouls and half-humans could. However, most CCG investigators had no knowledge of the existence of either half-ghouls or half-humans.
Coincidentally, Byakuya and Eto happened to be one of each-one a half-human, the other a half-ghoul.
"Of course."
Byakuya agreed readily.
His apartment was modest, with just enough space for two people to sit and eat together at the table.
"Uchiha-san, your cooking skills are impressive."
Eto praised after taking a few bites.
Unlike regular ghouls who had to fake eating, Eto, as a half-ghoul, could genuinely taste and enjoy human food.
Eating human food wouldn't harm her body-in fact, it could even satisfy her hunger. However, if she wanted to maintain her strength or grow stronger, she still needed human flesh or had to practice "kakuja cannibalism."
"I'm glad you like it, Takatsuki-sensei."
Whether she was being sincere or just making conversation, Byakuya was confident in his cooking skills.
Back in his previous life, he often cooked for himself, with a strong foundation in culinary skills and the added enhancement of the Mangekyō Sharingan, his cooking had naturally improved.
"So, how did things go today? About that ghoul girl."
Eto smoothly shifted the conversation to the main topic.
"Her identity as a ghoul was completely exposed."
Byakuya replied.
"I see… So, it's game over for her?"
Eto's tone carried a hint of regret.
"No, I've already arranged with my partner to at least let her finish next week's exams in peace, honestly, I'd prefer for her to go to the 20th Ward."
Byakuya answered truthfully.
The key factor was the system Yoshimura Kuzen had established in the 20th Ward; Ghouls under his rule were forbidden from actively hunting humans.
Instead, they could only feed on human corpses-those who had died from suicide or accidents-and their feeding frequency was strictly controlled.
Under Kuzen's management, the 20th Ward had remained relatively peaceful for years, with an exceptionally low rate of ghoul attacks.
This was why the CCG barely paid attention to the area, and as a result, ghouls in the 20th Ward were rarely hunted.
If Uruka Minami could accept the rules of the 20th Ward and stop harming humans, the CCG would gradually stop pursuing "Lantern." There were far more dangerous ghouls out there, and the CCG was always short on manpower.
"It seems Uchiha-san, you genuinely hope for this ghoul girl to integrate into human society?"
Eto took out her notebook and began jotting down material for her next novel.
"As long as she stops harming humans. Otherwise, I won't be able to help her."
"That's true… by the way, is your partner the same as you?"
Eto asked curiously.
"Similar, but not exactly the same."
Byakuya replied.
The difference was that Arima Kishou was completely bound by V, shaped into a cold and emotionless enforcer who unquestioningly carried out the orders of both V and the CCG, almost erasing his own emotions.