Chapter 21: Six Recipes for Ruin
Before heading back to rescue Sensei, I took a brief moment to call Hanako and update the Supplementary Lessons Department, who should be near Gehenna’s lawless zone by now, on the situation.
Of course, I left out certain truths, like Mika being the mastermind.
“…So, Hanako, please explain it well to the others, fufu.”
[Fufufu, entrusting me specifically? Am I earning Kaoru-san’s trust? It feels so meaningful, my heart’s racing~]
“Oh my, you’re not wrong.”
[I’m glad you say so. I’ll handle the exam side, so please give my regards to Haruna-san.]
Click.
“…Hmm.”
…I’m pretty sure I only said I was calling for help, not that it was Haruna.
Shivering slightly at Hanako’s unnervingly sharp deduction, I pocketed my phone and turned toward my newly arrived reinforcements.
“Fufu, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Oh my, not at all. It’s an honor to assist Kaoru-san,” Haruna replied.
Not far from the hideout where Sensei, Mika, and the Arius students were, a group of girls had gathered at my request—students from Gehenna, Trinity’s sworn rival.
“By the way, I heard Trinity has a dessert shop open late~”
“Ooh, let’s wrap this up quick and go eat!”
“Hmph, you’re treating, right?”
“Oh my, of course. Once Master hears of your efforts, she’ll gladly open her wallet.”
Smiling lightly at the Gourmet Research Society’s lively reactions, I turned to an unexpected figure with gratitude.
“Fufu, I didn’t expect you to come help, Fuuka.”
“N-No, I… ugh…”
The poor catering department head, once again caught up with the Gourmet Research Society.
“Fufufu, when Kaoru-san called, Fuuka-san happened to be with us. She didn’t hesitate to join us in Trinity,” Haruna explained.
“They broke out of the Disciplinary Committee’s lockup and kidnapped me from the catering department! They didn’t even explain anything when we came here!” Fuuka protested.
“But the Disciplinary Committee’s food was so dreadful. To restore our palates, we absolutely needed Fuuka-san’s help,” Haruna countered.
“It’s your fault for getting locked up in the first place!” Fuuka snapped.
Even without Fuuka’s exasperated outburst, it wasn’t hard to piece together what happened.
…These girls live and breathe crime.
Inwardly marveling at the “experts” who kidnap as naturally as breathing, I steered the conversation back to the task.
“As I explained earlier, Master is currently being held by assailants inside. That’s why I need your help.”
“So… you want us to ‘kidnap’ Sensei back from them…?” Fuuka asked, looking baffled.
Well, she’s not wrong.
Kidnapping someone already kidnapped could be called a rescue, right?
“Fufu… Haruna, can you help?”
“Breaking through a dozen or so well-trained armed personnel to safely extract someone hidden in a building…” Haruna murmured, savoring the scenario with closed eyes before opening them and giving me an elegant smile. “It’s exactly what we do, fufufu.”
…I knew I called the right people.
In a shadowy alley untouched by streetlights or even moonlight:
“…”
An Arius student stood guard alone at one of the routes leading to the secret hideout connected to the Arius Branch, where Schale’s Sensei was being held, preparing for the Justice Task Force’s potential arrival.
[Static… All patrol units, report status. Any sign of the Justice Task Force?]
[Route 1, all clear, no movement.]
[Route 2, all clear.]
Due to the deliberate signal jamming, communication was limited to short-range radios. The guard raised her radio to report.
“Route 3, all—”
Step.
“…Wait, I hear movement.”
Sensing a faint presence from the alley, she stopped and aimed her gun toward it.
Trained solely in combat rather than academics, her movements were precise and efficient.
Click.
“Eek?!”
A small-framed girl jumped in fright, realizing a gun was pointed at her.
Her white apron and large yellow chef’s headscarf, visible even in the dark, marked her as a kitchen worker.
“Who are you?” the Arius student demanded coldly, puzzled by the girl’s non-combatant appearance and behavior, despite her rigorous training to identify disguised threats.
“Uh, um… I’m here to deliver late-night snacks… The address is around here…” the girl stammered, trembling.
“…What? Snacks?”
The absurd response left the guard dumbfounded.
[Route 3, what’s going on? Report immediately.]
“It’s a girl who looks like a chef. Says she’s delivering snacks… seems she took a wrong turn. What should I do?”
[Tch, an idiot… Don’t cause a scene by firing. Just get rid of her.]
“Understood.”
Inwardly scoffing, the Arius student waved her gun threateningly and growled, “This area’s off-limits. Get lost if you don’t want trouble.”
“B-But…”
“Didn’t you hear me? Scram!”
When the girl hesitated, the guard shouted irritably, shoving her roughly with the rifle’s stock.
“Kyaa?!”
The girl yelped, falling backward onto her rear.
The impact loosened her oversized headscarf, which slipped off.
“Uh…?”
Revealing a pair of black horns beneath.
“You… you’re from Gehenna?!”
Realizing this “chef” was a demon who shouldn’t be in Trinity, the guard, shocked, reached for the trigger.
“Fufu, that won’t do.”
“What?!”
THWACK!
“Guh?!”
In that split-second exchange, a shadowy figure darted in, striking the guard’s head with something hard, slamming her face-first into the ground.
CRUNCH.
“Eek…!”
The grotesque sound of the impact, like someone being buried into the earth, made the “chef” girl gasp, barely stifling her scream as more figures emerged from the dark.
Step, step.
“Fufu, it was my idea, but that was splendid acting, Fuuka-san. Truly chef-like,” Haruna said, her demon tail swaying as she led the Gourmet Research Society.
“I am a chef!” Fuuka retorted.
“Oh my, my apologies. Here, take my hand,” Haruna said, chuckling at Fuuka’s indignation.
She stepped over the unconscious Arius student, still twitching with her head buried in the ground, and helped Fuuka up.
“Even if it’s unexpected food, one must show courtesy to the delivery person until the dish is served. This one lacks the proper mindset for gourmet appreciation,” Haruna said.
“Right? Wasting food now means regret when you’re hungry later,” Akari added.
“Hey, she’s got some canned stuff in her pocket! Can I take it?” Izumi asked.
“She’s a bad guy, so it’s probably fine, but is that even edible?” Junko replied.
Led by Haruna’s graceful critique, the Gourmet Research Society casually commented on the downed guard.
Fuuka, however, looked uneasily at the one responsible for the scene.
“Uh… Kaoru-san, is she… okay?”
Her eyes were on me, who had subdued the guard with a lightning-fast move—without even drawing my sword, using the scabbard I now slung back over my shoulder.
“Fufu, I’ve heard this much won’t damage a halo in Kivotos, right?” I said.
“Y-Yeah, but she might need a month in the Emergency Medicine Department… No, wait, how are you that strong…?” Fuuka asked, dazed by the sight of a person embedded centimeters into the ground.
“Fufufu, Kaoru-san is an exceptional swordmaster. She surely never neglects her training,” Haruna answered for me.
“…?”
I glanced at Haruna with a flicker of puzzlement at her words but quickly resumed my usual smile and urged the group.
“…Fufu, let’s go. Master’s waiting.”
“Yes, shall we?” Haruna replied.
Four members of Gehenna’s infamous Gourmet Research Society, known for terrorism and kidnapping, the catering department head, kidnapped yet again and roped into another abduction scheme, and a mysterious Trinity provisional student with a sword on her back.
This bizarre group of six girls, unlikely allies for a rescue mission, set off to save Schale’s Sensei.