King of the Washuu

1st Ward, Washuu Estate.

The estate was nearly empty, with only Tsuneyoshi and Yoshitoki remaining.

The other members of the Washuu clan were either in the underground world or acting as mere puppets within the higher ranks of the CCG.

Byakuya had not directly eliminated the decision-making elite but had allowed the captured Washuu members to retain their positions—though now they were nothing more than his puppets.

Today, three unexpected visitors arrived at the Washuu Estate: Furuta, Rize, and Shachi.

The first to greet them was Yoshitoki.

"Furuta, Rize… Why have you returned?" Yoshitoki asked.

"Just wanted to take a look around. To be honest, I never really came here much. But in the end, I am part of the Washuu clan, aren't I?" Furuta replied with a smile.

It wouldn't be long before he reclaimed his true name: Washuu Furuta.

Until now, he had barely visited his father's house. Even when he did, it was always in secret, with Tsuneyoshi's reluctant permission.

And even then, he could never let other clan members see him.

Yoshitoki remained silent.

He knew full well how much the Washuu clan had hurt both Furuta and Rize.

Even though they were half-brothers, they barely knew each other. At that moment, Yoshitoki wasn't sure how to respond.

Shachi, on the other hand, remained silent beside Furuta and Rize. His purpose for coming was simple — to protect them.

Without obstructing their entry, Yoshitoki allowed them to proceed to Tsuneyoshi.

 Tsuneyoshi was meditating with his eyes closed when he heard footsteps that were different from Yoshitoki's.

Opening his eyes, he was immediately surprised.

"…Furuta?"

He recognized his son instantly.

However, when he saw Rize beside him, his reaction was different— indifference.

To the clan as a whole, Rize was immensely valuable as the "womb".

But to Tsuneyoshi personally, Furuta mattered far more.

"With the Washuu clan in this state, can I finally call you 'father'?" Furuta asked.

"…Of course you can" Tsuneyoshi responded, his expression complicated, uncertain whether to feel happy or sad.

After all, the clan was in ruins. Who still cared about its outdated traditions?

But Furuta wanted something less formal.

"…Father"

"Hm."

Tsuneyoshi immediately responded, without hesitation.

Rize, on the other hand, showed no warmth.

To her, the entire Washuu clan was repulsive—except for Furuta, her childhood friend.

"Furuta, from now on, you will be the King of the Washuu. Stay here."

Tsuneyoshi declared.

And he wasn't joking.

With the clan in complete disarray, he saw this as the perfect opportunity to reform it entirely.

Although he had been the clan's leader, his power had always been restricted by the higher-ups and the V —which served the Washuu bloodline, not him personally.

Because of that, he had always been forced to adhere to the traditional rules of the family.

Now was the perfect time to break everything.

If Furuta, an illegitimate son, took the throne, the old traditions would be shattered for good.

And Tsuneyoshi knew Furuta was more than capable—one of the reasons he had always had a soft spot for him.

"…Can Rize stay too?" Furuta asked, hopeful.

"Yes. Rize may also reclaim the Washuu name. She will no longer be used as the womb"

Tsuneyoshi agreed, pleased to see his son settling in.

The truth was, he wanted Furuta to stay, especially with the resurrection of the dragon looming in the underground world. If Furuta was far away when chaos broke out, he could easily be caught in the destruction.

As for Rize… she was merely a bonus.

"I have no interest in the Washuu name. My name is Rize Kamishiro"

Rize responded coldly.

Shachi was surprised.

For a moment, he considered advising her to accept. After all, being by the side of the future king of the Washuu, reclaiming the name would only benefit her.

But in the end, he chose to respect her decision.

Furuta, however, was devastated.

If she refused to take the Washuu name, didn't that mean… she had no intention of marrying him?

"…Even after everything the Washuu clan has done to you, I thought you would…"

Tsuneyoshi murmured, also taken aback.

He had always noticed the special bond between Furuta and Rize, but had never interfered.

But Rize hadn't thought that far ahead.

She simply despised the Washuu.

"If you want to stay, then stay. I, on the other hand, have no interest in wasting another second in this disgusting place."

Rize said without hesitation.

Furuta hesitated.

Now, two paths lay before him.

The first: Abandon the Washuu name and the title of king. Return to the 6th Ward and live a simple, happy life with Rize.

The second: Take responsibility as king of the Washuu. But risk losing Rize forever.

He really loved her.

But… he also deeply respected and admired his older brother, Byakuya.

And he believed in his ideals.

Destroy this birdcage that had imprisoned so many.

Create a world where humans and ghouls could coexist.

If he wanted to be part of that change, he had to become the king of the Washuu.

Furuta then smiled at Rize and said:

"…Until you change your mind, I'll always be waiting for you."

His words were careful, but his decision was clear.

In the original story, Furuta had also given up his greatest dream—a simple life with Rize—to change the world.

"Good. That's my son."

Tsuneyoshi praised him without holding back.

After all, only someone with that level of resolve could be king of the Washuu.