Before long, Kasuka Mado followed everyone out of Ward 24.
Reaching the surface, Kasuka Mado could finally breathe the fresh air outside.
"It doesn't feel like much has changed from ten years ago. Which ward are we in?"
Kasuka Mado asked.
"This is Ward 1. We just took the route that leads directly here."
Kureo Mado said.
Since Ward 24 extended beneath almost all of Tokyo, there were entrances from any of the wards, 1 through 23.
"Is that so? It seems the routes in Ward 24 have changed significantly over these years. I can't recognize them anymore."
Kasuka Mado remarked.
"Yes. The tunnels in Ward 24 were all made of ghoul RC cells. They could freely reshape the RC cell walls to form different mazes."
Kureo Mado nodded.
"Mom, let's go home first."
Akira Mado said.
"Mm, is our home still in Ward 1?"
Kasuka Mado asked.
"That's right. Dad and I haven't moved anywhere else all these years."
Akira Mado replied.
"I see... Then I should still recognize the way home. Let me try first."
Kasuka Mado said with a smile.
Kureo Mado and Akira Mado simply smiled and followed behind Kasuka Mado.
Amaha Byakuya was about to leave along with the accompanying squad members when Kasuka Mado suddenly called out to him.
"Byakuya, won't you come sit at our house for a bit?"
Hearing Kasuka Mado's invitation, Amaha Byakuya couldn't directly refuse.
"I was thinking I'd let your family have a proper reunion."
"What are you talking about? Aren't you part of our family too?"
Kasuka Mado said immediately.
In her eyes, Akira's boyfriend equaled fiancé, which equaled family.
"That's true..."
Amaha Byakuya couldn't argue with that.
He had no choice but to go along with them.
...
By all rights, given Japan's current infrastructure, even eleven years shouldn't have brought much change.
But the Tokyo Defense Battle that had erupted against Prison had caused varying degrees of destruction across all wards, including Ward 1.
So many buildings had been rebuilt, and some weren't even finished yet. It was naturally difficult for Kasuka Mado to find her way home based on memory alone.
Halfway there, Kasuka Mado was already getting confused.
"Ah... I can't find the way home. I don't recognize any of the buildings around here. Did Ward 1 go through some kind of major battle?"
Kasuka Mado said helplessly.
"Yes. Due to certain circumstances, America went to war with us."
Kureo Mado nodded. "Although we achieved a great victory under Byakuya's leadership, many parts of Tokyo were reduced to rubble."
"I see..."
Kasuka Mado nodded.
Just then, she suddenly thought of something. "Come to think of it, hasn't the CCG Bureau Director position always been passed down through the Washuu Clan? Byakuya doesn't seem to be from the Washuu Clan, does he?"
"The Washuu Clan has been overthrown by us. We confirmed at the time that the Washuu Clan was actually a ghoul family. They created the CCG only to make it easier for them to rule Tokyo."
Amaha Byakuya explained.