"Am I right, Boss?" Ren looked behind the three of them.

"This gentleman is correct. Our coffee does not contain human flesh." A kind, white-haired, squinting old man walked out from the back. It was Yoshimura Kuzen.

"Manager!" Touka and the other two respectfully nodded. Yoshimura pressed his hand down, and they retracted their Kagune.

His squinting eyes glanced at the unmoving Yamori, then looked back at Ren. "This gentleman seems to know us very well?"

Ren stood up, but found his path blocked by the terrified Miki. He sighed, picked her up, and walked out from the table, placing her back in her seat.

Ren flexed his wrist, walked towards Yoshimura, then extended his right hand towards Yamori.

Swoosh!

A pure black spike shot out from his palm, directly piercing Yamori's body.

"Uh, uh…"

He only managed two hoarse sounds before his body dissipated like dust.

"!!!"

Everyone present was stunned. Even Yoshimura's eyes widened. This was the effect Ren wanted, a chance to test his new abilities.

The power he just used came from Limitless God.

Yin-Yang Power: The power of controlling Yin and Yang attribute energy, its essence derived and enhanced from Kaguya's Yin and Yang Release. The fusion of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang energy is the Truth-Seeking Orb, the black spike he had just released.

What caused Yamori's body to collapse was another power.

Decay and Collapse: The power to make all things disintegrate, its essence derived from Kaguya's All-Killing Ash Bones. Ren had removed the bone manipulation gene, retaining only the power of Decay and Collapse and integrating it into his own body.

"Have you… eaten humans?" Ren withdrew the Truth-Seeking Orb and asked coldly.

"…"

The four understood that the person before them was extraordinary. He had casually killed an S-rank Ghoul without leaving a trace. Not even the One-Eyed Owl in Yoshimura's memory could do that.

Yoshimura composed himself. "After awakening my Ghoul memories, I have never eaten humans, and neither have my staff."

Touka and the others nodded in agreement. They hadn't eaten humans yet, relying on coffee to manage. Of course, they had considered living on the corpses of accident victims, as in their memories. But the current era, with its widespread surveillance, made obtaining corpses without a trace an insurmountable challenge.

"Hmm, very good." They weren't lying; he could easily sense that. But he couldn't just leave them be.

"To prevent the spread of the anomaly, killing you all is the safest way." As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere grew tense. The Kagune of Renji Yomo, Irimi Kaya, and Touka unfurled again.

"However, I am not a person who is fond of killing." He had only killed a few hundred million people, that's all.

"So I'll give you a chance: obey me, and I can let you return to a normal human life."

"A normal human… life?" Yoshimura was confused. This was something that couldn't be achieved in his memories. How was it possible?

Ren simply hooked his finger towards the girl. "You're Touka Kirishima, right?"

"How do you know my name?!" Touka exclaimed.

"Don't mind that. Come here for a moment."

"…"

Touka looked at Yoshimura, who sighed and nodded his assent. He had no thought of resistance.

Touka resolutely walked forward. Ren reached out and grabbed her hand. She frantically tried to break free but couldn't.

"!"

Her uncle, Renji Yomo, clenched his fists, but was stopped by Irimi Kaya's fierce gaze.

Of course, Ren wasn't taking advantage. He just held her hand for two seconds before letting go.

"What did you do?" Touka quickly retreated. Her hand had been very hot, and even her body felt warm.

Ren glanced at the dessert on the counter, used spatial movement to grab one, and tossed it to her. "Try it."

Touka looked at the donut she caught, a bitter feeling in her heart. She had already tried; aside from coffee and water, any food made her vomit.

Yoshimura and the others were curious about how Ren had taken the dessert. It was like magic.

Seeing her melancholy, Ren reminded her, "Your genes have been modified by me. Eating human food is no problem now."

"What? Are you serious?" Not only Touka was excited, but the other three also felt a stir in their hearts.

Yoshimura stepped forward. "Sir…"

"Ren. That's my name."

"Mr. Ren," Yoshimura reorganized his words, his face serious. "If what you say is true, I, Yoshimura Kuzen, am willing to pledge my loyalty to you." He made his own vow; the others' choices were up to them.

Renji Yomo and Irimi Kaya exchanged glances and nodded. "I, Renji Yomo / Irimi Kaya, am also willing to serve you."

"Whether it's true or not, you can just look at her," Ren gestured towards Touka.

All eyes focused on her.

"Ah?!!!" Only then did she realize the problem. She stared at the delicious-looking donut.

Gulp!

She swallowed hard, not because it was appetizing, but because she felt immense pressure, like the hope of the entire village rested on her.

She slowly raised her hand, bringing the donut close to her mouth. Opening her cherry lips to reveal her pearly teeth, she held her breath and took a bite.

[Inorin Note:

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