"Welcome!"
As soon as Hikaru and the other three pushed open the door to Anteiku Cafe, Irimi Kaya's greeting was heard.
(It's them. And him—)
Seeing Hikaru and the others walk into Anteiku Cafe, Irimi Kaya, Koma Enji, Kirishima Tōuka... the staff, as well as some customers, were surprised at first, and then became delighted.
The entrants on the Eternal Beauty List were truly like big stars.
The reason why Anteiku Cafe was more crowded than usual at this moment was because Kirishima Touka and Fueguchi Hinami, two entrants on the Eternal Beauty List, were here!
Now, they didn't expect to still be lucky enough to see three other people, especially Kagura and Yomi, whose ranks were much higher than Touka and Hinami. The only drawback was that there was a very annoying playboy behind them. Thinking that two of them were the man's ex-girlfriends, their moods became even more displeased.
Some of these customers were hidden ghouls. They looked at Kagura and Yomi with bloodthirsty greed. It was an aroma they had never smelled before, which made their mouths water profusely.
If it weren't for respecting Anteiku Cafe's rules, someone would surely have already attacked to hunt.
However, even so, the gazes of these ghouls made Utaha instinctively shudder, and she unconsciously moved closer to Hikaru's side.
"Seeking death!"
Hikaru's eyes slightly cooled.
*SHUA!*
An invisible spiritual pressure instantly shattered the minds of all these ill-intentioned ghouls.
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
Five or six ghouls lost their lives without emitting a single scream, and one by one fell to the ground silently.
This scene not only frightened the ordinary people beside them but also startled Kaya, who was preparing to welcome Hikaru and the others. She had no idea what was happening. Why had these ghouls all fallen to the ground, even completely losing their breath of life.
"These customers have just sampled our shop's newly released sake with a very high concentration and got drunk. I will ask someone to help them rest on the second floor."
The manager, Yoshimura, explained with a friendly smile on his face.
"Oh, I thought it was something else, turns out they're just drunk."
"Really, if you can't drink, don't drink."
"...To get this drunk, the concentration must be very high. I might try it later."
"..."
"...Are they really drunk?"
"..."
Instantly, Anteiku Cafe became bustling with conversation. Clearly some believed Yoshimura's words, and clearly some did not. However, for most customers, this was a trivial interlude, and it did not affect their purpose for coming here at all.
Yoshimura looked at Hikaru and the others with complicated and respectful eyes. Then, he and Enji carried the ghouls, who appeared drunk to outsiders but were actually dead, to the second floor.
"Excuse me everyone, what would you like to order?"
Kaya, holding the menu, smiled with a hint of apology.
"One Sea of Stars Ice Cream."
"I'll have the same as Yomi-senpai."
"...Black coffee."
"..."
"Alright, please wait a moment!"
After saying that, Kaya left with the menu.
Meanwhile, Hikaru and the others sat in the back row near the window.
"What happened to those people just now?!"
As soon as they sat down, Utaha immediately asked.
She didn't believe that those people were truly drunk from sampling this coffee shop manager's newly released high-concentration sake, as claimed.
To get drunk at the same time, that was too coincidental. Most importantly, there wasn't the slightest sign of intoxication in the cold, bloodthirsty gazes they showed when looking at them.
"Dead."
Yomi said very calmly, as if she were talking about a trivial, unimportant matter.
"Dead?!?"
These words made Utaha unable to stay calm.
Previously, as an ordinary high school student, the word 'death' was very distant from her, in every sense of the word.
"No need to be surprised. You've joined the Super Disaster Countermeasure Room. Things like this you'll often encounter. At that time, what you'll face will no longer be ghouls, but true evil spirits."
"You did it!"
Utaha stared at Hikaru in surprise.
"Otherwise? As soon as they show murderous intent, they must be prepared to be killed."
At that moment, Utaha realized that not only Hikaru, but also Yomi, and even Kagura, who was much younger than her, seemed accustomed to this.
"Is this the world Hikaru lives in..."
Utaha felt as if she had touched a little of the essence of the mystery that plagued Hikaru. Then, she asked curiously, "The name Ghoul sounds familiar. Intermediate Physical Modification in the rank reward is to gain a physique comparable to a ghoul. So, what exactly is a ghoul?!"
"Ghouls are a demi-human subspecies that can only eat human flesh, fluids, or coffee. In normal circumstances, their appearance is no different from ordinary people, but when fighting or eating, their eyes will turn into red-black Kagune, and their physical strength far exceeds the limits of normal humans."
Kagura helped to explain.
"Isn't that the 'flesh-eating ghost' in urban legends? Turns out it really exists." Utaha was surprised.
"The Dimensional List is an extraordinary existence. You'll realize later that whether it's ghouls, demons, angels, gods... they are nothing before the Dimensional List."
Hikaru interrupted suddenly, with a hint of thought in his eyes.
"Dimensional List, huh?!"
Yomi, Kagura, and Utaha fell silent for a moment, their minds racing.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On the second floor of Anteiku Cafe, in a room.
"Manager, these ghouls truly look like they died naturally. Not the slightest wound was found on their entire bodies."
Enji and Renji, who had just returned from outside, carefully examined the ghouls lying dead on the floor.
"No wounds!"
This very strange way of dying, Yoshimura, who had seen much, was not unfamiliar with it.
There were too many people in this world capable of doing something like this. It was ridiculous that many ghouls still adhered to racial supremacy, completely unaware that ghouls were the most pitiful creatures in this world.
"Did they happen to pass by, or...?"
Yoshimura had suspected the perpetrator from the beginning.
"Coincidence, the possibility is small. They should have come for Touka and Hinami."
Yoshimura knew in his heart that after the appearance of the Dimensional List, it would not be easy for Anteiku Cafe to continue hiding. Perhaps, the entire ghoul race would be fully exposed to the eyes of the world in the near future.
"You two take care of these ghoul corpses first. We're closing early today."
After saying that, Yoshimura went downstairs. He was not at ease leaving the ground floor to Kaya and the others.
◆━⊰⊰✧⊱━◆
"This is Anteiku Cafe. Such lowly ghouls dare to learn to do business like humans."
Across the street from Anteiku Cafe, five men in black suits stood behind a young man, and the young man curled an arrogant and disdainful smile at the corner of his lips.
This person was Yamashiro Hayato, one of the Twelve Divine Generals of the Onmyō Agency, a disciple of the Kurahashi Family, a direct student of Kurahashi Genji, and affiliated with the Spell Investigation Department. His purpose in coming here was, of course, to recruit the two entrants on the Eternal Beauty List at Anteiku Cafe.
However, Hayato was very displeased with this.
In his eyes, lowly ghouls, even if they could make it onto the Eternal Beauty List, it was just luck. A lowly race was still a lowly race. Touching Onmyōdō was a disgrace to them, and they were absolutely unqualified to join the Onmyō Agency.
Unfortunately, not everything could be decided by him.
"...M-Mister... Those are people from the Super Disaster Countermeasure Room, and also...!!!"
As they were about to cross the street and enter Anteiku Cafe, suddenly, one of the men in black suits, trembling as if terrified, pointed to a figure visible in the window across the street.
"Just the Super Disaster Countermeasure Room, why be so tense."
Hayato frowned, displeased.
There was nothing strange about the presence of people from the Super Disaster Countermeasure Room here. After all, many forces were vying for every entrant on the Eternal Beauty List.
Besides, the small organization of the Super Disaster Countermeasure Room did not have the background and strength as powerful as their Onmyō Agency.
Those two lowly ghouls, if not foolish, should know how to choose.
"No... Mister, that person, that devil is also there!!!"
The man in the black suit said with fear on his face.
Instantly, Hayato's body trembled. He looked in the direction the man in the black suit pointed, especially after seeing that familiar figure, his entire body also began to tremble, as if he had seen the most terrifying sight in the world.
Arrogance, haughtiness... all shattered into pieces at this moment.
"Damn it, why is he here... Go! Quickly go!!"
Hayato hurriedly fled into the distance. He had to get away from this place before that person noticed him.
Only someone who had truly seen him in action could truly understand the horror and fear of that widely rumored playboy.
How ridiculous.
Everyone seemed to think Kanzaki Hikaru was just a playboy with abundant romantic luck. Even the Onmyō Agency and his own master half-believed and half-doubted the words he had spoken before.
Just wait, when this devil shows his true fangs, they will all understand.
But, perhaps at that time, the nightmare would truly arrive.