Chapter 86: Silence, Please

"How dare you..."

Sakujiro gritted his teeth in anger as his eyes venomously stared at Watanabe, who kept his smile.

Back then, he was desperately looking for Sarasa's trace anywhere as he ventured deep into the forest, and by the time he went back, he had not received any results.

Those scums took advantage of this and threw discord among his men, which in turn made them aggressively come at Watanabe's group and eradicate them.

By the time he came to know of this fact, it was already too late, as he could only watch helplessly as the last of his men on his last breath before dying a meaningless death.

"Kekeke, you used to be calculated and cold. What happened to your past self?"

Watanabe chuckled, which forcibly raised the tension.

Had it not been for the discovery of Sarasa's remains, he might have been consumed by thoughts of revenge against Watanabe's group.

This grim revelation shattered Sakujiro's resolve, leaving him engulfed in grief and despair. Faced with the sight of Sarasa's mutilated body, the weight of his loss crushed him.

She had been more than just his daughter; she was his beacon of hope in the darkness of their world.

To see her reduced to such a state filled him with an unbearable sorrow that threatened to consume him entirely.

As Sakujiro gazed upon the lifeless form of the girl he had cherished, his heart ached with pain unlike any he had ever known.

"Eh? Can we bake it ourselves? Then, let's make a bread every day!"

The sight of the darkened bread on her side only served to deepen his anguish as her innocent words reverberated across his mind.

Unable to contain his grief any longer, Sakujiro collapsed to his knees, clutching the bread tightly as tears streamed down his face.

At that moment, he felt as though he had lost not only his family but also a part of himself.

The pain of his loss was a wound that would never fully heal, leaving him broken and adrift in a world that had become devoid of meaning.

Yet...

Despite his overwhelming grief and emptiness, Sakujiro clung to the one thing that kept him going...

His daughter dreams of baking the bread every single day...

"...!"

But as he stood face to face with the one responsible for the deaths of his men, a surge of anger ignited within him.

The air around Sakujiro grew colder, a chilling manifestation of his rage.

Ice began to form around him, a physical representation of the intense fury consuming him.

But as Sakujiro prepared to confront his enemy, he sensed a subtle shift in the atmosphere.

"Oh please, I don't want to destroy the place yet..."

Watanabe's Nen expanded like a domain, enveloping the whole area with his Nen, which seemed to contain and suppress Sakujiro's wrath.

Despite his burning desire for vengeance, Sakujiro was shocked by this.

"This old man is dangerous..."

Luke's thoughts raced, beads of sweat trickling down his back as he eyed Watanabe with a grave expression.

Machi clicked her tongue in frustration, feeling ignored by the others as she quietly seethed.

Yet, her attention snapped back to Watanabe, her eyes narrowing with a sense of foreboding, "He could pose a real threat to my life..."

"He felt totally different than the last time I confronted him," Sakujiro thought silently in seriousness.

A dagger made of ice slowly formed in his hand as he clenched it tightly. His eyes were sharp as an intense bloodlust immediately filled the restaurant.

"What in the world...?"

The intensity of the bloodlust took Sajin by surprise, causing sweat to bead on his forehead as he looked on in disbelief.

For years, Sajin had kept his watch on Sakujiro even when the old fart was isolating himself.

He recalled the old fart seemed to have only interacted with desperate souls seeking solace in his bread when all other options failed.

"And I'm still out of his league," Sajin muttered, frustration evident in his clenched fists.

The old fart's enduring strength and ferocity were beyond belief.

Yet, amidst the tension, a glimmer of relief washed over his being.

Sajin turned to Watanabe, whose Nen was overpowering the rest.

His expression filled with reverence, "Thankfully, our boss made a breakthrough..."

Sajin could clearly feel the intensity was totally on a new level.

However...

"...!"

The sudden tension in the restaurant intensified as another heavy aura descended upon them, causing everyone to widen their eyes in surprise.

"Fucking noisy..."

All heads turned towards the back door, where Raymond emerged, his presence ominous.

Blood stained his apron and splattered his face, his kitchen knife gleaming menacingly in his hand.

His crimson eyes glowed menacingly at them.

Luke scratched his head nervously, realizing their mistake, "Ah, crap... we shouldn't have disturbed him while he was butchering the meat."

With bloodied hands and a chilling aura, Raymond stood before them.

"..."

Luke and the others felt a knot forming in their throats as they observed Raymond's crimson eyes, fully aware that he was genuinely upset.

Watanabe's demeanor shifted as he took in the intensity of Raymond's gaze.

He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"Hmm... Is this young man in charge here?"

Watanabe's smile faltered slightly as he gauged Luke's reaction, recognizing the impressive display of Nen pressure emanating from Raymond.

"His Nen is quite impressive for someone so young," Watanabe remarked, quickly regaining his composure.

However, he couldn't help but notice something else. "...that chaotic aura surrounding him?"

Understanding dawned on Watanabe's face as he retracted his Nen, offering Raymond an apologetic smile, "My apologies, young man. I simply wanted to taste your cooking, but it seems this gentleman over here took issue with it..."

Sakujiro immediately felt the weight of Raymond's intense gaze locking on him, prompting him to click his tongue and instinctively retract his aura.

"Don't make another noise, or you can say goodbye to a good food..."

Raymond's voice retained its icy tone, his aura seemingly intensifying with each word, "Cooking's crucial, but prepping the meat? That's where the magic happens..."

"..."

A hush fell over the restaurant as they truly couldn't understand what Raymond was talking about.

On the other hand, witnessing this new side of him, Machi couldn't help but marvel, "Who knew he was so serious about cooking?"

"Don't push your luck," Raymond warned, his aura diminishing as he retreated to the kitchen, leaving the restaurant in an awkward silence.

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