Rize paid her bill and left.
On her way home, her kakugan had already faded.
But in her mind, Hayashi's final words echoed clearly.
It was the first time Rize had heard someone—someone who treated devils, ghouls, and humans all the same.
He seemed like he was watching the world from a god's perspective...
Or maybe just as a tourist, observing everything from a distance.
He didn't side with anyone.
He only judged by their actions.
And he wasn't just saying that. He had known about the devils earlier. He'd known they were ghouls too. That proved his words were genuine.
It was like her entire worldview had been reset.
Was there really someone like that in this world?
It was... unbelievable!
Late at night—
Rize walked down a narrow alley.
Suddenly, a sleazy voice called out from the darkness ahead.
Two black-red eyes gleamed with greed.
"Ohhh~ Little lady, didn't anyone ever tell you not to walk alone at night?"
Rize stopped and turned her head slightly.
An unfamiliar ghoul. New to this ward?
Thought the 20th Ward had less competition and easier meals, huh?
Heh...
Her eyes turned red.
The other ghoul froze when he saw her eyes. He took a closer look—and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and panic.
"B-Big Eater—wait, Red Bean?! Forgive me!"
"I'm leaving—I swear I—!"
Before he could turn fully, before he could even try to run—
A black-red tail burst through his chest, lifting him into the air and dragging him back in front of Rize.
The ghoul coughed up blood, impaled through the chest, unable to speak a word.
Only pure terror and regret filled his wide eyes.
Rize frowned in disgust at the sight of this insect.
Then, with a harsh swing—
BOOM!
The ghoul was slammed into the ground with brutal force, embedding into the pavement, unmoving. Probably dead.
Rize gave him a glance, then turned and walked away.
"Boring."
Suddenly, she found ghouls... really boring. Meaningless.
All they knew was how to eat rotting meat. Did they even understand the concept of a future?
———
Meanwhile—
At Anteiku Coffee.
When Touka returned with the takeout meals—
Yomo and Itori welcomed her like she was a war hero, practically ready to shoot off fireworks.
They were that excited.
Yoshimura was even called downstairs for it.
He came down looking confused, only to find everyone celebrating Touka's "spoils of war."
"…Honestly."
Well, not like the food should go to waste.
And so, another round of ravenous eating began inside the café.
But when Yoshimura started eating—
Even Yomo and Itori, who had known him for years, were stunned.
He had never eaten like this before.
When all three finished their curry rice—down to the last grain—
Yoshimura took out a handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and sighed in satisfaction.
Then, looking at Touka, he asked:
"How was it? What kind of person is the young owner? How does he view us?"
Touka looked a bit embarrassed.
"There were a lot of people this afternoon. Rize was there too... and even a devil."
"That shopkeeper seemed aware of them, but didn't seem to care. He treated everyone equally."
"I didn't get a chance to chat with him, but he seemed friendly. Treated everyone the same."
Yomo and Itori listened intently.
"Friendly... and treats everyone the same," Yoshimura echoed with a smile. "It seems that young man is not simple."
"?" the three looked puzzled.
Seeing their confusion, Yoshimura explained calmly,
"A person with that kind of mindset is usually one of two types."
"One—someone who truly doesn't care. Everyone is just a customer to them. They act as if they see nothing."
"Two—someone confident. Someone who knows they can handle anything. Whoever comes, it doesn't matter."
For a moment—
Yoshimura felt a sense of familiarity from that young shop owner.
And he leaned more toward the second type: confidence.
Just like himself—ghoul or CCG, whoever walked into the café, as long as they didn't cause trouble, it was fine.
And even if they did cause trouble… as the One-Eyed Owl—
You get the idea.
Unless he was throwing the match on purpose...
Otherwise, whether it was the CCG or ghouls—it made no difference to him.
That's why he felt so familiar.
Koma Enji and Irimi Kaya were still reminiscing about the day they delivered the return gift.
If that really was the case, then that man definitely couldn't be an ordinary human.
You could tell just from how obsessed Rize was.
"Manager Yoshimura," Touka said, a little uncertain, "Then... how should we approach him?"
Hearing that, Yoshimura smiled and looked at her with a question of his own.
"How did you make friends back in school, Touka? Since that shopkeeper has that kind of personality, it's actually a very good thing for us at Anteiku. We're very alike."
"Just treat him like a friend. Touka, you can also bring your own friends over and share the food, right?"
With just that one sentence, everyone—and Touka—suddenly understood.
They'd just been too overwhelmed by Hayashi's incredible ability and had lost their footing.
But in the end, all they had to do was treat him normally.
And that was exactly the kind of interaction both sides preferred.
Touka nodded firmly. "Got it, Manager!"
———
Elsewhere.
Once the Midnight Diner closed its doors, Hayashi finished his usual end-of-day routine.
[Clock-out successful. Reward obtained: Multiverse Food Lottery x1]
"Let's roll."
[Congratulations! You've obtained: 'Soul-Shattering Fried Rice with Egg' Recipe!]
"...Huh? Let's see the description."
[Soul-Shattering Fried Rice with Egg: Simple ingredients, soul-shattering taste. No matter who eats it, they will feel overwhelming happiness—so good it brings tears to your eyes!]
"...A signature recipe technique, huh? Not bad."
Hayashi nodded. Better to have it than not.
Next up—time to wash the dishes.
He stared at the pile in the sink and fell into painful contemplation.
"Should I just go out and buy a dishwasher right now?"
---
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