"Wasn't the One-Eyed Owl reported to be in the 13th Ward today? How can Aogiri Tree still be this strong without her?"
"Damn it! This must be at least an SSS rated kakuja! Does Aogiri Tree have another ghoul of this level besides the One-Eyed Owl?!"
"It seems our intelligence on Aogiri Tree is still lacking. And this one is a One-Eyed Ghoul too..."
The faces of the investigators immediately turned grim.
The first attack on this facility had been led by the One-Eyed Owl herself. Back then, they had barely managed to repel her with the combined efforts of the Warden and their squad.
But now, the unknown ghoul before them exuded an even greater aura of menace than the One-Eyed Owl did back then.
With a tacit understanding, they all launched a coordinated attack on Byakuya.
Each investigator wielded an S rated quinque, with a mix of ukaku, rinkaku, and bikaku types.
There had also been a kokaku quinque, but it was nearly destroyed, and its wielder was too injured to continue fighting.
"I'll cover you! Move in now!"
One of the investigators, wielding an ukaku quinque, fired a barrage of cannon-like blasts toward Byakuya.
The explosive force was formidable, creating a thick cloud of smoke and debris that obscured vision. Assuming the ghoul might be momentarily distracted, the other investigators immediately charged in with their melee-type quinques.
However, to their shock, their target was entirely unaffected. Not only was the ukaku attack unable to damage his kakuja shell, but the smoke had no effect on his vision at all — thanks to his Mangekyo.
Effortlessly, Byakuya manipulated Susano'o's massive arms to grab two of the investigators. With a casual toss, he sent them flying, their quinques clattering to the ground as he crushed them underfoot, destroying any hope they had of continuing the fight.
His gaze then fixed on the third investigator's quinque.
The man suddenly felt a strange spatial distortion. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his quinque twisted and snapped in his hands.
Clang!
The broken quinque hit the floor, leaving its wielder dumbstruck.
"My quinque… how did it just… break like that?"
Frozen in disbelief, the investigator was at a loss.
Not everyone could be like Arima. For ordinary humans — unlike half-humans — a quinque was essential for combating ghouls.
And against someone like Byakuya, a ghoul of a super SSS rated, even Arima would stand no chance without his weapons.
The only one still capable of fighting was the ukaku quinque user in the rear.
But Byakuya didn't even bother with him, bulldozing his way directly into the control room.
Susano'o was a perfect blend of absolute offense and defense. Its only drawback was its immense energy consumption.
Not wanting to waste time, Byakuya accelerated his assault. His RC cell reserves couldn't sustain Susano'o's initial form for too long.
Boom!!!
The supposedly impenetrable blast doors of the control room were obliterated as Byakuya forced his way inside. Without hesitation, he used Susano'o's massive hand to grab at the Warden inside.
However, the Warden, being a seasoned special investigator, reacted swiftly. With a focused gaze, he dodged to the side, rolling away from the attack and quickly opening his quinque briefcase.
Inside was his trump card: an SS rated rinkaku quinque.
At this point in time, the Warden of 'Cochlea' was a special investigator unfamiliar to Byakuya, someone he hadn't seen in the original story.
"You're not the One-Eyed Owl. Who exactly are you?"
The Warden didn't act rashly.
To breach the control room in such a short amount of time, the enemy's power had to surpass that of the One-Eyed Owl. Moreover, this kakuja ghoul was not recorded in the CCG's database.
Realistically, the Warden knew Cochlea was likely lost this time...
Byakuya didn't reply. Instead, he directed Susano'o's hand to destroy the control system with a single strike.
The Warden's heart sank.
"Damn it!"
But there was nothing he could do. The system was irreparably damaged.
[Ding! Quest 2: Raid the 23rd Ward Ghoul Detention Center 'Cochlea' and release the Clowns' first leader, "The Dodgy Mother" Roma Hoito. Reward: 100 Attribute Points!]
[Quest 2 complete. Quest 3 activated.]
[Quest 3: Defeat the original Leader of Clowns, SSS rated 'The Dodgy Mother' Roma Hoito, and recruit her into Aogiri Tree. Reward: 100 Attribute Points.]
As the control system was destroyed, all cells in 'Cochlea' opened, including the one holding Roma.
The next moment, Byakuya vanished.
In reality, he transferred himself to Kamui's dimension, where he deactivated Susano'o and removed his red tiger-striped mask.
In an instant, the One-Eyed King reverted to CCG Special Investigator Byakuya.
Meanwhile, the CCG headquarters in the 1st Ward urgently dispatched both Arima and Byakuya — stationed in the 24th Ward — to respond to the Cochlea incident.
Arima immediately set off, fully aware of Byakuya's orchestrated plan.
By the time he arrived, Cochlea had already fallen.
Numerous ghouls, formerly imprisoned, were fleeing en masse. Focused on escaping before CCG reinforcements arrived, they had little interest in attacking the investigators.
Outside Cochlea, Byakuya emerged from Kamui's dimension and reunited with Arima.
Unfazed by Byakuya's sudden presence, Arima calmly said, "It's time to begin."
"Yeah..."
The two exchanged only a few words.
They both knew what needed to be done: protect the CCG investigators stationed at Cochlea while ensuring a few unfortunate ghouls remained as scapegoats to satisfy the CCG and the V.
Elsewhere, Eto — the true One-Eyed Owl — had appeared, blocking the main escape route from Cochlea.