"Papa!"
Mayu couldn't help but rush forward and hug Byakuya tightly.
"That's right, there's no need to force yourself to do something you don't like," Eto added.
"Mm! I'll listen to whatever Papa and Mama say!" Mayu nodded earnestly.
Especially after hearing Papa praise her talent just now, her mood had improved significantly.
She had never thought much about the fact that she had two different types of kakuhou and kagune.
Since her strength was still weak, she had simply assumed that she was just a bit more unusual than other ghouls.
After Byakuya made the call, the 19th Ward's CCG branch quickly dispatched a Third-Class Investigator and an Assistant Investigator to handle the scene.
The three of them waited there for a little while.
"Special-Class Uchiha!"
Upon arrival, the investigators immediately greeted Byakuya with respect.
Of course, they also noticed Eto and Mayu standing beside him, but they refrained from asking any questions. They knew they weren't in any position to pry.
Besides, they had just heard rumors that Special-Class Uchiha, despite being so young, already had a wife.
This news had been causing quite a stir within the CCG, especially among the female investigators, who were in an uproar over it.
As for the younger girl beside him, they simply assumed she was his younger sister or a relative.
Without overthinking it, they focused on processing the ghoul's corpse.
"Eto-nee, what does 'Special-Class' mean?" Mayu curiously asked Eto.
Since there were outsiders around, she made sure to be mindful of how she addressed "Papa and Mama."
"It means Special-Class Investigator. There are multiple ranks for ghoul investigators in the CCG, and Special-Class is the highest level," Eto explained.
At that moment, a younger and more outspoken Investigator Assistant chimed in, "Special-Class Uchiha is actually recognized as the strongest investigator in the entire CCG now."
A nearby Third-Class Investigator shot him a glare, silently warning him not to speak so carelessly.
Although it was practically an open secret within the CCG that Special-Class Uchiha was the strongest, such words were best kept to oneself; especially if they reached the ears of the other Special-Class Investigators.
"Byakuya-nii is the strongest investigator?"
Mayu was completely stunned.
She had thought that "Papa" was just a very strong ghoul investigator, but she had never imagined that he was this powerful!
The strongest ghoul investigator; no wonder he had defeated "Blood Demon" so easily.
Byakuya simply patted Mayu's head in a gentle, saying nothing more.
"That's right. With Byakuya-nii around, you won't have to be afraid of anything ever again," Eto reassured her.
Even if they later sent Mayu to the Anteiku, the place was nearly impregnable.
Unless the entirety of "V" launched a full-scale attack, nothing could actually threaten that place.
Watching Special-Class Uchiha interact with his "sister," the investigators couldn't help but feel surprised.
They had always thought of Special-Class Uchiha as a cold-blooded, ruthless and uncaring executioner. Seeing this gentle side of him was more than unexpected.
Once the investigators finished processing the scene, Byakuya was free to leave.
After a brief exchange with the CCG personnel, he took Eto and Mayu with him and headed home.
As they walked, Mayu was still in disbelief.
Her "Papa" was actually the strongest investigator in all of the CCG and he was still so kind to her!
Little did she know, her "Mama" was also the strongest ghoul.
On the surface, they were a combination of the strongest human and the strongest ghoul.
A lot had happened today, and by the time they got home, it was already late.
Mayu quickly fell asleep on the bed.
Meanwhile, Byakuya and Eto weren't planning to sleep just yet. They sat together on the living room couch, watching TV.
Mayu was sleeping in the bedroom with the door closed, and the soundproofing was quite decent.
At that moment, Eto suddenly spoke with a rather peculiar expression. "So, you really ended up using my dad's arm as a personal weapon, huh?"
She had heard about it before, but seeing Byakuya wield a quinque made from her father's kakuja arm with her own eyes still felt a little surreal.
"I didn't have any other quinques to use at the time," Byakuya explained earnestly.
"Why so serious? I'm not blaming you."
Eto found it amusing how Byakuya could be so serious at times. "But you definitely went easy on him, right? Otherwise, losing two of his kakuja's arms wouldn't have been the worst of his problems."
"I did."
Byakuya nodded. "Because I've always respected Manager Yoshimura."
"You're surprisingly tolerant. A so-called 'radical' who actually respects a 'pacifist' like him."
Eto teased him in a joking tone.
"There's no contradiction. Besides, he's your father; How could I go out of my way and harm him?"
Byakuya stated matter-of-factly.
"You really are something… A mere Lolicon yet you dare to speak so boldly~"
Eto's lips curled into a playful smile.
"I'm not a lolicon."
Even after saying it a thousand times, Byakuya still felt the need to emphasize this point.
"Sure, Sure~"
Eto responded nonchalantly.
By now, she mostly understood Byakuya's feelings, but she had no intention of explicitly defining their relationship just yet.
Their dynamic was already clear; it was just that neither of them had said it outright.
Eto still had concerns; specifically, her dream, her ideal had yet to be realized.
As long as the Washuu Clan remained and the world remained unchanged, she and Byakuya could still end up like Kuzen and Ukina, just another tragic story.
If they had a child, she didn't want them to go through what she had.
"Speaking of which, how's my book's publication coming along?"
Eto suddenly remembered the publishing matter.
She was planning to visit her father once her book was successfully released.
She had never had any memory of him since childhood, and there were many things she wanted to say.
"It's almost done. Everything is still proceeding smoothly. The final step should be completed in no more than a month."
Byakuya replied.
Of course, he had been keeping an eye on the entire publishing process.
"That's good. We should probably get some sleep now."
Eto glanced at the clock, it was nearly ten.
"Yeah, let's take a shower and head to bed. You first, or me?"
Byakuya asked.
"Do you even need to ask?"
Eto smirked playfully. "Besides, 'Papa' did such a good job protecting Mayu today. Shouldn't he get a little reward~?"