TG: Starting with Mangekyo

"Oh, sorry, sorry! That was presumptuous of me,"

Arata apologized hastily.

But as he looked at the appearance of the two before him, they really did look like siblings.

There was no way they could be husband and wife, right? And father and daughter? Impossible.

So… perhaps they were a couple?

In any case, Arata dared not openly speculate about their relationship anymore.

Eto didn't bother explaining what exactly her relationship with Byakuya was. As far as she was concerned, as long as they weren't mistaken for siblings, that was good enough.

The Kirishima family was just about to head home after their shopping trip.

"Big brother, big sister, goodbye!" Touka and Ayato said in unison.

"Goodbye" Byakuya responded.

"Bye-bye~" Eto waved with a bright smile.

At that moment, Eto appeared especially cheerful, though it was entirely part of her act.

Then, she took the initiative to grab Byakuya's hand, intentionally trailing behind the Kirishima family.

Her movements were natural, maintaining just enough distance to avoid suspicion. It didn't look like they were following but merely heading in the same direction.

This subtle approach kept Hikari from becoming overly wary, though she did notice their presence.

Touka, still young, also took note of the pair. She tugged at her mother's sleeve and said, "Mommy, those big brother and sister are still behind us."

"Hmm, let's go say hello again" Hikari suggested, turning back to greet Byakuya and Eto.

"Ah, we meet again! It seems we're headed in the same direction" Hikari said warmly.

"Yes, we happen to be taking this route too" Eto replied with a smile.

"Then why don't we walk together?" Hikari offered, feeling reassured by their seemingly kind demeanor.

Arata, even less suspicious by nature, readily agreed.

Byakuya immediately understood what Eto was trying to achieve. Of course, he knew they weren't genuinely on the same route — continuing down this path would only take them further from his home.

Her real intent was to pinpoint where the Kirishima family lived.

Without a doubt, she was trying to help him.

…

As they walked together, the group shared pleasant conversation.

"So, big brother and big sister, what's your relationship?" Touka asked innocently.

"Touka…" Arata was about to scold her for asking such an impolite question when—

"What do you think our relationship is?" Eto interjected with a playful grin.

"Um… boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Though still young, Touka had read some romance manga and had a basic understanding.

"Bingo! Touka got it right~" Eto confirmed without hesitation.

Byakuya thought to himself, 'So this "pretend couple" act still isn't over?'

Arata now understood why the woman had denied being siblings so quickly earlier.

"That's amazing!" Touka said, looking impressed.

Eto laughed. "But Touka, you're still too young to imitate your big sister, okay?"

"Okay…" Touka nodded obediently.

What she didn't realize was that this beautiful and mature-seeming "big sister" wasn't actually much older than her.

…

Eventually, they arrived at the Kirishima household.

After exchanging simple farewells, the Kirishima family went inside.

"Well, what do you think? You've found the 'Kirishima family' you were looking for" Eto said smugly, clearly expecting praise.

"You did well" Byakuya acknowledged, even patting her head as he spoke.

Regardless of how much this actually helped, he appreciated her effort.

But Eto immediately slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch my head" she said flatly.

It was clear she didn't like anyone touching her head. If it had been someone else, it certainly wouldn't have ended with just a slap.

Best-case scenario? They'd lose a hand. Worst case? They wouldn't leave alive.

"By the way, is there something special about this family? They just seem like an ordinary ghoul family to me" Eto asked, puzzled.

"Nothing special, really. I just have a 'friend' who hopes they can live peacefully" Byakuya replied, half-truthfully.

That "friend" was, of course, himself.

Completing his system's quest — to guide the Kirishima family into either "Anteiku" or the "Aogiri Tree" — would ensure their safety.

In the original story, if the Kirishima family had encountered Yoshimura earlier, their tragic fate might have been avoided.

Hikari wouldn't have been killed, and Arata wouldn't have been captured and turned into the kakuja quinque, "Arata".

Yoshimura was a powerful ally. He may not have been able to defeat Arima, but he could escape unscathed. Even Eto herself admitted it would take significant resources from the V to take him down.

"Hmm…" Eto seemed skeptical but didn't press further.

"By the way, about this 'Yomo family'—is that another of your friend's requests?"

"Actually, it's connected. That young woman, Hikari Kirishima, was originally named Hikari Yomo before marriage" Byakuya explained.

"Oh, right, women change their names after marriage…" Eto nodded, but an odd thought suddenly crossed her mind.

'Uchiha Eto'

The name popped into her head unbidden, making her eyes widen slightly in surprise. She quickly dismissed the thought, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She blamed that bastard's sweet talk for corrupting her subconscious.

Her expression remained unchanged, so Byakuya didn't notice anything amiss.

Still, he sensed something and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking about what a jerk a certain lolicon is" Eto replied, her face emotionless.

"…?" Byakuya was thoroughly confused.

How had this suddenly become about him?