These ghouls blocking the way weren't particularly strong; only their leader barely reached S-Rank.
But even that wasn't weak. After all, S-rated ghouls were relatively rare, and generally speaking, an S-rated ghoul was already equivalent to a standard Associate Special Class or Special Class Investigator.
Since Byakuya wasn't carrying any Quinques and didn't want to waste the RC cells and ocular power required for Double Kamui on a few subpar opponents, he left the fight to Eto.
Without hesitation, Eto activated her kakuja form. Her petite frame instantly transformed into a towering, monstrous figure, completely overwhelming the ghouls before her.
"A k-kakuja?! That's… the One-Eyed Owl?!"
"Why the hell is the Owl here?! Wasn't it supposed to be locked in battle with the CCG's 2nd Ward branch?!"
The ghouls were completely stunned.
For an ordinary ghoul, facing a fully realized kakuja was nothing short of an absolute nightmare.
Before they could even think about running, Eto's razor-sharp ukaku shards tore through them in an instant, ending their lives on the spot.
In the blink of an eye, only their leader-clinging to his last breath-remained.
Eto swiftly dashed forward, letting out a delighted yet eerie giggle.
Whenever she engaged in combat or indulged in slaughter, she couldn't help but revel in the thrill of it.
With a final strike from her kakuja-clad arm, she finished off the last ghoul.
Once the battle was over, Eto didn't immediately revert to her normal form. Instead, she began consuming the kakuhous of the fallen ghouls while still in her kakuja state.
This type of cannibalism involved eating only the kakuhou rather than consuming the entire body.
Since her previous battle against Byakuya and Arima had left her with lingering injuries, devouring kakuhous would accelerate her recovery, perhaps even heal her completely.
Eto had engaged in countless instances of cannibalism before, so she was highly efficient in extracting the kakuhous and consuming them.
Only after finishing her meal did she finally deactivate her kakuja.
However, because kakuja activation involved releasing RC cells from multiple kakuhous to envelop the body, the surge of RC activity had severely damaged the bandages she had wrapped herself in earlier.
Now, only a few strips of white bandages remained on her body, and beneath them, she wore nothing else.
Although the remaining bandages still managed to cover the necessary areas, the exposed patches of skin, combined with the barely-there wrappings, created an unexpectedly alluring effect.
"What's wrong? Stunned, are we~?"
Eto smirked knowingly. She was fully aware of her current appearance, yet there wasn't even a hint of embarrassment on her face.
Instead, she took pleasure in teasing Byakuya.
"…"
Byakuya remained silent.
Without a word, he shrugged off his black trench coat and draped it over Eto's shoulders.
Since he was much taller than her, the oversized coat easily swallowed her smaller frame, wrapping her up snugly.
"What are you doing? You're not seriously worried about whether a ghoul like me might catch a cold, are you? Stupid Lolicon~"
Eto raised an eyebrow, her tone half-curious, half-mocking.
"Let's go. Deeper into the 24th Ward."
Byakuya ignored her taunts and walked ahead, his face devoid of expression.
It was a small matter, nothing worth discussing.
But the more Byakuya refused to explain, the more Eto wanted to know.
Quickly catching up to him, she pressed, "So, tell me, why exactly? And don't even try to use the cold as an excuse. You do know that's impossible for me, right?"
Seeing that Uchiha Byakuya still wasn't speaking, Eto pouted slightly and reached out, poking at his side with her fingertips.
But Byakuya easily sidestepped her attempt, dodging without effort.
At the same time, he finally responded, "I just instinctively see you as an ordinary human girl."
It was a simple statement, yet it truly reflected his thoughts.
"…"
Eto was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, she let out a mocking laugh. "What kind of nonsense is that to say to a ghoul?"
"No, you're a half-ghoul; there's a fundamental difference between half-ghouls and pure ghouls."
Byakuya corrected her calmly.
"Is that so…? Honestly, being a half-ghoul might be worse than just being fully human or fully ghoul. At least that way, there wouldn't be as much suffering."
Eto sighed.
If she had been born purely human or purely ghoul, she could have devoted herself completely to hating and slaughtering the opposing side.
But as a half-ghoul, she stood between two worlds, forced to witness the darkness and despair of both. This pain was one of the main reasons she wanted to change the world.
"As a half-human, I guess I can at least share some of that pain with you," Byakuya said.
"You're quite the sweet-talker, huh? At this rate, you're just proving that you really are a One-Eyed Lolicon King~," Eto chuckled.
But this time, her laughter wasn't taunting or mocking; it was genuine.
For once, she wasn't alone in pursuing that distant, almost unreachable dream.
"I'm not a lolicon."
Byakuya's rebuttal, as always, felt utterly powerless.
"Sure, sure, Loli King. Whatever you say, Pervert King."
As expected, every time he denied it, Eto would only add more ridiculous nicknames to the list.
"By the way, you can't show your real face to the rest of Aogiri Tree, right? Since you're also a 'Cleaner' for V, the more people who know your identity, the greater the risk."
Eto finally dropped the Lolicon jokes and switched to something more serious.
"Yeah, I already planned for that."
Byakuya said as he walked toward the corner ahead.
With a mere thought, the red tiger-striped mask he had purchased from the system shop appeared on his face.
Along with the mask, the matching Red Moon Night outfit materialized, automatically replacing his previous clothing the moment he transferred it from the Kamui dimension.
Even his hairstyle shifted into that of Red Moon Obito, closely resembling Uchiha Madara's.
Since this transformation happened in an instant, Byakuya deliberately stepped behind the corner before doing it, avoiding unnecessary questions from Eto.
Then, he stepped back into view.
"Whoa-!"
Eto let out a surprised exclamation the moment she saw him.
If she hadn't known beforehand, she never would have recognized him as that damn lolicon.
"This works."
Byakuya spoke in a deliberately deeper voice, altering his tone significantly from usual.
"Not bad at all. With this disguise, there shouldn't be any issues. And wow, you had a mask ready this whole time? Looks pretty cool, I gotta say."
Eto remarked with an intrigued look.
And the best part?
This tiger-striped mask had only one eyehole; on the right side.
How fitting for the One-Eyed King!