"Ting-a-ling—!"

The restaurant door was pushed open, and the bell chimed. Kureo and Akira Mado entered. The father and daughter instinctively surveyed their surroundings.

Akira's gaze fell on the counter to her right, where three figures were seated side-by-side.

First, a girl with white hair, pale skin, and beautiful red eyes like rubies. She had pointed ears and was wearing a cute Western-style dress.

Next to her was another cute girl in a Gothic Lolita outfit. She wore a white eyepatch and had her hair in twin-tails with curled ends, giving her a more mature, though still youthful, appearance.

And then...

'...A survivor? Or was there an accident at birth?' Akira thought, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at Koji. A wave of sympathy washed over her. 'How pitiful.'

Children are extremely sensitive to being stared at. By now, Koji was used to the surprised glances from every new customer, but this look of pity felt... offensive. Koji puffed out her cheeks and stared back. Akira immediately looked away, apologetic.

"Welcome!" Minos strode to the entrance, her long, straight legs moving gracefully. With an energetic smile, she asked in a clear voice, "Do you two have a reservation?"

"Yes, we booked seats at the counter," Kureo Mado replied, showing Minos the reservation details. He barely reacted to the cow horns on her head, assuming it was just cosplay. He had read that a variety of costumes were a feature of this restaurant.

Minos glanced at the phone screen, confirmed the reservation, and led the pair to their seats. As fate would have it, they were seated right next to a high-ranking executive of Aogiri Tree—Tatara. And, by an even greater coincidence, both father and daughter recognized him.

Kureo's pupils contracted. He instinctively raised an arm, pushing his daughter behind him.

"If you want a fight, I'll oblige you, but you'll have to wait until I've finished my meal."

Sensing the hostile gaze, Tatara, who was wearing sunglasses, looked over. He recognized Kureo Mado and frowned. "No trouble is allowed in this restaurant," he warned. "If you want to cause a scene, be my guest, but don't drag me into it."

In this dark and twisted world, only the Culinary Sage's cooking could offer him a sliver of solace. He had no intention of starting a fight here, and he certainly didn't want to be seen as a troublemaker. If he got taken out by the restaurant staff, it would be a truly pointless death. He hadn't gotten his revenge on Houji yet. He hadn't seen the King change the world. He couldn't die so easily.

O_o?

Hearing Tatara's words, both Kureo and Akira froze. In perfect sync, they narrowed their left eyes and widened their right, staring at him in confusion. 'What is a ghoul doing eating a meal? Does this place serve ghoul food?' But looking at the glowing dish in front of Tatara, that didn't seem right.

What surprised them even more was Tatara's apparent apprehension towards the restaurant. He clearly didn't dare to cause trouble. Why? The father and daughter felt as if they had stumbled upon something extraordinary.

As they stood there, bewildered, Minos's expression changed. She narrowed her eyes, looking from Tatara to the Mados. "No fighting is allowed in the restaurant," she warned. "That includes the entrance. If you want to fight, take it somewhere else."

"...Alright." Kureo gave Minos a thoughtful look and agreed with a smile. He took the seat next to Tatara and said to his daughter, "Akira, let's eat first." He then pulled out his phone and, without any attempt to hide it, began calling for backup right in front of Tatara.

As much as he wanted to eliminate him on the spot, Kureo knew that he and his daughter were no match for Tatara. A direct confrontation would be suicide. The ghoul's offer to fight after eating suited him perfectly; it gave him plenty of time to call for reinforcements. His first call was to Director Washuu. He quickly explained the situation and urged him to gather a team. If they were late, they'd be collecting his and his daughter's bodies, and Tatara would be long gone.

Seeing this, Tatara thought for a moment and also took out his phone. The King probably wouldn't be coming tonight; he had been active in the 24th Ward recently and likely couldn't make it. But besides the King, the CCG had other formidable agents. Though confident in his own strength, Tatara decided to call Eto for backup to avoid being overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

He typed out the message but hesitated before sending it. 'No, I can't do this!' The CCG had discovered the restaurant. From now on, this place would be under heavy scrutiny. How would they be able to eat here anymore? Give up the glowing cuisine? Impossible! Why should they?

Tatara realized that a fight was inevitable tonight, a big one. He had to find a way to turn this place into a neutral zone. Aogiri Tree's strength alone might not be enough, but if he could get Anteiku involved... it wasn't impossible. He even had the perfect line to persuade them: "You don't want to miss out on the glowing cuisine, do you?"

"..." As Tatara strategized, re-editing his message, Kureo, without moving his head, tried to sneak a peek. But Tatara immediately tilted his screen, and Kureo saw nothing.

...

The atmosphere at the counter, usually lively, had become tense and charged. Even Ryohei Tanaka found himself glancing over at them from time to time.

In the midst of this tension, the Mados' food arrived. Neither of them had much of an appetite at the moment, but since the food was here, they decided to try it. It was better than just sitting there in silence. The father and daughter picked up their utensils, said, "Itadakimasu," and began to eat...

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