There was no hiding the battle in the mountains.
Not long after Hayashi took Tohru away, a large number of personnel were rushing to the scene—Public Safety, Anti-Demon Department, CCG…
Even several S-ranked ghouls were trying to sneak in for a piece of the action.
Some ghouls were arrested on the spot, others were killed immediately.
The staff of Anteiku received the news shortly afterward.
Koma Enji and Irimi Kaya woke up in the middle of the night and looked out over the siren-blaring 20th Ward in frustration and anger.
Was this still the so-called peaceful ward?
How could something this big happen?
Had the ghouls gotten too unruly from being left alone too long!?
At that moment—
Yoshimura appeared on the rooftop, looking off toward the chaos in the distance.
Ghouls running wild, CCG giving chase.
Even demons had shown up—Anti-Demon squads were hunting them down overnight.
Some even helped the CCG capture ghouls along the way.
In short, this ghoul riot had thrown the entire ward into late-night chaos.
And this was supposed to be the safe district.
Yoshimura stood silently.
Then turned and walked away, leaving only a calm statement behind—
"Go handle it."
"Understood." Koma and Kaya's expressions turned fierce.
If they won't behave, then they'll be disciplined!
After causing repeated trouble—
These two SS-rated ghouls were finally pissed off.
They returned to change into battle gear and masks, then immediately gathered their people.
Time to teach these out-of-line ghouls a lesson—before sunrise!
…
Back in the penthouse—
Makima, now fully awake, didn't bother going back to sleep.
After all, sleep was just a habit, not a necessity.
She got up and poured food for the dogs.
Then stepped out onto the balcony and stared into the distance.
Recalling that mysterious power that had jolted her awake.
And the one from the last time as well.
Makima was starting to feel a sense of danger.
"This feeling... what kind of power is it?" she muttered.
She was sure it was a unique ability.
But as she combed through her knowledge of demons, she found no memory of one that matched this sensation.
"Could it be…" Makima tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "Was it devoured by the Chainsaw Devil? Even I've forgotten?"
The Chainsaw Devil's most terrifying ability was that any demon it consumed would be erased from memory—name, concept, power, everything.
But that didn't apply to all demons.
Powerful ones could still be remembered.
Some could even reincarnate.
But lesser ones? Once eaten, they were gone.
So Makima wondered—was this ability something she'd forgotten because it was devoured, and had now somehow revived?
The thought existed, but she dismissed it quickly.
To her—
Even if a being had been eaten by the Chainsaw Devil, she should still remember the name, especially when encountering a familiar ability.
So that left only one possibility—
A new ability…
Or perhaps a new demon entirely…
As she pondered this concept—
She remembered the events of that day.
That so-called "Gourmet Demon"… could it be him?
Even if that man didn't believe he was a demon—
Makima was convinced he was.
Or perhaps whether he believed it didn't matter anymore.
With a power like that, and a unique concept to match—it was enough.
That was a demon.
Her eyes gazed off toward the direction of the restaurant.
And suddenly, her stomach growled faintly. Her mouth even began to water.
"What a strange feeling…"
Whatever the case, she'd definitely have to go again sometime soon.
…
On the other side—
Hayashi had brought Tohru back to the front door of the Midnight Diner.
Tohru looked at the small two-story building, complete with a courtyard in the front and back, and decorated with a retro aesthetic.
She was absolutely thrilled.
"This whole building is yours, Hayashi-san?"
"Yep." Hayashi nodded, then pointed toward the courtyard gate. "Ours is the only shop at the end of this alley, so technically this whole entrance is mine too."
A small delivery van was parked out front—used for transporting goods.
"Woah~" Tohru's eyes sparkled. "It's beautiful!"
Hayashi pushed open the courtyard gate and led Tohru inside.
He opened the door—and the moment the lights flicked on,
Click—
Warm light spilled out, illuminating the entire room—and making Tohru's eyes gleam with wonder.
Wood-and-stone medieval aesthetics, blended with a modern design style, gave the entire first floor an incredibly warm and lively atmosphere.
Even though the restaurant was currently empty—
The décor alone made it feel bustling with energy.
Tohru's eyes lit up as she spun around the room.
"Waa~!"
She couldn't help but be amazed—this kind of design made her feel right at home.
After all, she was from another world. The human architecture there looked quite similar.
But compared to this, her world's designs were crude and lacked artistry.
Gurgle~
As Tohru wandered into the kitchen, a sudden growl from her stomach reminded her she was still very hungry.
Hayashi followed her in, and hearing that, chuckled.
"Let's whip up a midnight snack. How much can you eat?"
Tohru thought about it, then held her arms wide in a big circle. "At least this much!"
Hayashi laughed. "Alright, I'll make a big batch of fried rice."
"Fried rice?" Tohru's curiosity was immediately piqued.
"Yep. Golden Fried Rice." Hayashi rebranded the "Soul-Shattering Egg Fried Rice" as "Golden Fried Rice"—easier for people to understand.
This was the perfect time to test it.
Tohru nodded, eyes sparkling with excitement.
So Hayashi rolled up his sleeves—and got to cooking.
First, he pulled out a giant wok the size of a truck tire and placed it on the stove.
Then he prepared all the ingredients—jars of seasoning, a big basin of cold rice, a basket of eggs, oil, scallions, and diced meat for extra flavor.
Once everything was ready, Hayashi began cooking the fried rice and turned to Tohru.
"Crack all the eggs for me, Tohru."
"Roger~!" Tohru immediately stepped over to help.
Hayashi heated the oil, added the diced meat and rice, stirred them together, and added seasoning.
Then he turned around and took the beaten egg mixture from Tohru, pouring it evenly over the hot, cooked rice so the eggs wrapped the grains completely. He added scallions at the end—done!
Under Hayashi's skilled hands, the egg fried rice in the wok grew more and more golden and appetizing.
It began to emit a faint golden glow, lighting up Tohru's amazed expression like a child seeing fireworks for the first time.
The moment the light settled—
Hayashi grabbed a huge wooden basin and poured the golden egg fried rice inside.
"Golden Egg Fried Rice—please enjoy!"
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