Tokyo Ghoul: Starting with Kamui!

After walking a fair distance, Byakuya finally came to a stop.

At the same time, he also let go of Eto's wrist.

"Why did you just… stop me?"

Eto looked up at him, curious yet slightly irritated.

"Do you really need to ask?"

Byakuya responded smoothly, having already prepared his excuse.

"I'm your editor—do you think I'd just stand by and watch you throw yourself into danger like that?"

"If you're really struggling financially, I'll try to help you out with more funds."

Silence.

Eto paused for a moment, then sighed.

"Fine. Then let's make it simple—just give me another 10,000 yen."

In truth, she hadn't approached that drunkard for money.

She had intended to lure him somewhere isolated and devour him.

For a Ghoul, human flesh was essential to maintaining strength.

It would also accelerate her recovery—

Her Kakuhou injury was still quite a problem.

But since Byakuya had interfered, she might as well play along and ask for more cash.

At the same time, Eto felt something strange.

"It's been so long since someone.. actually cared about me…"

"This feeling… isn't so bad."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Wait, already? I just gave you 10,000 yen yesterday, and you need more already?"

"Mhm. I spent a little too much."

Eto stated shamelessly, her tone completely unapologetic.

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll just go back and find that drunk guy again."

"Alright, Alright, I get it."

Byakuya sighed and handed over another 10,000 yen bill.

As she accepted the money, Eto's lips curled into a mischievous smirk; a smile so faint that most people wouldn't even notice it.

"Heh. I think I just found myself a walking ATM."

Of course, she would be careful not to scare him off too quickly.

But as far as she was concerned, earning money from writing was unreliable.

For now, at least, her organization—Aogiri Tree—had some funding secured.

Meanwhile, Byakuya had no idea that Eto had already labeled him a personal ATM.

Not that he particularly cared about the money.

As a Second-Class CCG Investigator, his base salary was over 400,000 yen per month.

He also received additional bonuses for completing missions.

Since the CCG operated as a government agency, investigator salaries were high due to the inherent danger of the job.

Money wasn't his concern—strength was.

A strong Investigator never had to worry about wealth.

"We're almost there. You don't have to walk me any further, Uchiha-san."

Eto came to a stop, speaking calmly.

Her base was still a bit farther ahead, but there was no way she would let him follow her there.

"Alright then. Take care, Takatsuki-sensei."

Byakuya nodded slightly.

"Yeah… see you."

Eto replied softly.

[Ding! Daily Sign-In Completed. +1 Attribute Point Earned!]

[Ding! Daily Sign-In Completed. +1 Attribute Point Earned!]

Over the next few days, Byakuya settled into a routine.

Worked at Shoei Publishing as usual.

Reviewed and revised Dear Kafka with Eto.

The first revision of Dear Kafka was now nearly finalized.

And every step of the revision process, Eto had completed using Byakuya's computer.

The reason it was called the "first revision" was simple;

A single draft was never the final version.

Most works underwent multiple rounds of refinement, sometimes even over a dozen.

Of course, whether to revise or not was entirely up to the author.

A good editor never forced changes upon a writer after signing a contract.

Any editor who demanded excessive rewrites was simply unprofessional.

Meanwhile, Byakuya's administrative leave was coming to an end.

Over the past few days, he had attended three mandatory psychological evaluations—

And as expected, they found no issues.

After confirming his mental stability, his leave was promptly shortened.

Not that he minded.

In fact, this worked in his favor.

Byakuya wasn't interested in sitting around doing nothing for too long.

That Evening

As usual, Eto showed up at Byakuya's apartment.

By this point, they didn't even need to schedule meetings anymore.

After dinner, Eto would simply show up on her own.

Tonight, they began working on the second revision.

Every version was carefully backed up, including the original draft.

Although Eto's primary reason for interacting with Byakuya was financial,

She still deeply cared about her work.

For her, the creative process was something she genuinely enjoyed.

That's why she took their discussions and revisions seriously.

Before they knew it, it was nearly 10 PM.

Eto got up to leave.

However, before stepping out the door, she suddenly asked something.

"By the way… Uchiha-san, now that you've read my work, what are your detailed thoughts on it?"

Byakuya took a moment to reflect.

"If I had to sum it up—your writing is excellent."

"Despite the heavy use of poetic imagery, it never feels dull or overwhelming."

"But beneath the surface, there's an unmistakable undercurrent of sorrow—"

"A deep, unspoken grief, resentment, emptiness, and loneliness."

"Your protagonist is utterly hopeless, never expecting nor trusting anyone."

"Even when they find new companions, they always end up alone once more."

His Mangekyō Sharingan granted him perfect recall

He could analyze and interpret a story's themes and emotional depth with remarkable precision.

Eto was stunned.

"…You're exactly right. That's precisely what my novel is about."

For a brief moment, she was genuinely surprised.

Byakuya had managed to grasp the essence of her work so completely;

It was almost unsettling.

"No wonder he's already an editor at his age."

"He looks so young—probably not even twenty—but his insight is remarkable."

Most editors were middle-aged men or women.

Even the youngest professionals were usually in their late twenties or early thirties.

Yet here was Byakuya, far younger than the average editor yet also far more perceptive than most.

"It's incredible… I remember Takatsuki-sensei is still just a middle school student, right?"

"And yet, you're able to write something with this kind of depth—"

"Almost as though you've experienced years of unbearable darkness yourself…"

Byakuya remarked.

Of course, he already knew the truth.

Eto had grown up in the most brutal place imaginable—the 24th Ward.

The only region in all of Tokyo where the CCG had no presence.

A lawless domain where only the strong survived.

There, the fastest way to grow powerful was through cannibalism—

Also known as Kakuhou devouring or "Kakuja evolution."

To live in the 24th Ward, one had to constantly kill and consume.

That was why;

At just 14 years old, Eto had already become an SSS-ranked Ghoul.

The infamous One-Eyed Owl.

Her life in the 24th Ward had been filled with endless violence and despair.

The kind of suffering that few could even begin to imagine.