Ward 13, also known as Shibuya.
Yamori had once been the leader here, and most of the stronger ghouls in this area had joined Aogiri Tree under his command.
Arima had once attended Seisei High School here, though that was only to investigate ghouls while posing as a student. After successfully driving out "Lantern" Mika Rika, he never returned to Ward 13...
Now Byakuya and Rize arrived at the abandoned factory.
They could see several ghouls dressed as Aogiri Tree members standing watch around the perimeter. The executive "Eto" was already waiting for them at the main entrance.
The Eto before them was no longer the author "Sen Takatsuki," but a small girl wrapped head to toe in white bandages, wearing a dark crimson cloak.
The bandages covered her entire body tightly, with only two small holes for her eyes, giving off an eerie feeling.
The scarf around her neck seemed to serve the purpose of keeping the cloak in place.
Eto, Tatara, and Noro were the three great executives of Aogiri Tree. Among them, Eto gave off the most mysterious impression.
Before Eto's true identity was exposed, almost no one could connect the monstrous form of the "One-Eyed Owl" with such a petite figure.
Besides Eto, Tatara and Noro were also present. All three executives had gathered here specifically to welcome Byakuya and Rize.
The surrounding Aogiri Tree members were immediately curious—who exactly were these two people in white masks?
"Welcome, you two~..."
Eto spoke.
Even her voice had changed, sounding completely different from Sen Takatsuki's.
This wasn't to hide her identity from Byakuya, but rather to prevent other Aogiri Tree members from discovering her other identity as the author Sen Takatsuki.
Byakuya nodded slightly.
Then he and Rize followed Eto and the others into the abandoned factory.
Along the way, they encountered Ayato Kirishima.
Ayato was leaning against the corridor wall, his gaze fixed on Byakuya.
Though he couldn't immediately recognize the masked Byakuya, he detected a familiar scent on this person.
A scent he would never forget for the rest of his life...
But there were too many ghouls around Byakuya, their various scents mingling together, making it difficult for Ayato to be certain.
So he just stared at the man without making any move.
If this really is that guy, why would he appear here? And he seems to have been invited by Eto and Tatara-san...?
Ayato thought to himself.
He found it hard to believe. A human investigator, wearing a mask, coming to their Aogiri Tree base—it seemed incredibly strange just thinking about it.
This made him even more uncertain whether the person before him was really that guy from before.
With his attention entirely focused on Byakuya, Ayato actually overlooked another person's scent. Though his impression of Rize's scent was faint, he could have recalled it if he'd concentrated.
Besides Ayato, other ghouls also noticed that not both of the white-masked individuals were ghouls. One of them carried a human scent, and that scent was extremely enticing...
If not for the three executives keeping them in check, they probably wouldn't have been able to resist attacking Byakuya...
...
A moment later, Byakuya and Rize were led to the deepest part of the abandoned factory.
A large number of Aogiri Tree ghouls had gathered here—it seemed like everyone was present.
Originally, aside from the three executives Eto, Tatara, and Noro, Ayato was the only surviving executive after the others had died.
However, after the raid on Cochlea prison, Aogiri Tree had gained new members, including three new executives.
SS-rated "Shachi" Matasaka Kamishiro, the former leader of Ward 6 and Rize's adoptive father. (Note: The manga rates him SS, while the anime inflated this to SSS, but his actual performance doesn't reach that level.)
S-rated Naki, who had been Yamori's underling in Ward 13. He deeply admired and worshipped Yamori, calling him "Big Bro God."
And A+-rated Miza Kusakari, nicknamed "Three Blades." She was the sworn sister of the Bin Brothers and wore a mask similar to theirs.
Aogiri Tree's overall combat power was now stronger than before.
Shachi recognized Rize almost immediately, his eyes widening.
Even through an unfamiliar mask, he would never forget his daughter's scent.
What surprised him was that Rize was actually willing to wear a mask!
Long ago, he had repeatedly advised Rize to wear a mask when hunting, but she had always refused with great impatience.
And... why had Rize suddenly come here...?
Shachi had long known that Aogiri Tree wanted to capture Rize alive. He had joined Aogiri Tree precisely to better protect her, yet here she was, walking right into their hands...
Even though he recognized Rize, he didn't dare acknowledge her now. He could only stare intently at Rize and the mysterious person beside her.
"Big Bro! You smell like Big Bro!"
Just then, Byakuya happened to pass by Naki, who suddenly shouted.
Obviously, because Byakuya had used the Quinque "13's Jason" multiple times, he had absorbed quite a bit of its scent. The fanatical underling Naki detected it immediately.
"You! Are you Big Bro's acquaintance? Or... are you the one who killed my Big Bro Yamori?!"
Naki shouted excitedly.
Yet Eto and Tatara made no move to stop him, merely turning to watch Byakuya and Naki.
"..."
Byakuya had no desire to deal with this guy.
He ignored Naki and continued walking forward.
But the next moment, Naki persisted. "Too scared to answer, huh? And you smell like a human—you must be the one who killed Big Bro Yamori! I'll avenge Big Bro Yamori!!"
Naki moved to attack Byakuya.
Byakuya immediately turned and glared at Naki.
"Back off!"
At the same moment, his eyes shifted from their normal black to the Mangekyo Sharingan—bearing the exact pattern of Uchiha Madara's Mangekyo.
This immediately caused Naki to take half a step back in fright. He had mistaken Byakuya's Mangekyo Sharingan for kakugan.
This meant the other person wasn't human after all. Realizing he was in the wrong, he instinctively backed down.
"Naki, stand down..."
Only then did Eto speak up.
She too had noticed Byakuya's crimson eyes, falling into deep thought...
...
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