Chapter 0114: Sorry, Bone King!
"Hmm..."
When Erina and Hisako returned, they naturally spotted the Vaporeon crouched beside Hayashi and the utterly useless Ho-Oh perched on his head.
They recognized Ho-Oh, but this Vaporeon—could it be...?
Hisako leaned in close to Hayashi's ear with a complicated expression and whispered, "Young master, is this Vaporeon perhaps...?"
Hayashi nodded. "The Water Doggo."
"Gasp—"
Hisako inhaled sharply before quickly relaying the news to Erina, who immediately fixed her curious gaze on Suicune—why was Suicune here? Was there something urgent going on?
If Hayashi knew their questions, he'd probably tell them with utmost seriousness—yes, it's very urgent! This matter concerns Ho-Oh's dignity, a crucial battle to prove her strength isn't inferior to Lugia's!
"Hey, Suicune, any favorite dishes?" Hayashi propped his chin on his hand, watching the Legendary Beast lying on the ground with its tail swaying gently. "If not, I can recommend some signature dishes? They're super tasty—"
'Signature dishes?'
Suicune's ears twitched before it nodded primly, looking at Hayashi with expectant eyes, its throat bobbing slightly.
Want eat.
"Like white-cut chicken, Sichuan peppercorn chicken, braised chicken, cola chicken, beer chicken, and fried chicken... OW!"
Before Hayashi could finish, an incensed Ho-Oh pecked him square on the forehead, making him yelp in pain. He immediately grabbed the troublemaking Fletchinder on his head and snapped, "Damn it! You were literally gobbling it up last time!"
"Chirp!"
Ho-Oh screeched indignantly at him.
You bastard, I only ate it to avoid wasting food! That doesn't change the fact you're a malicious little—!
Hayashi scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap—just tell me, was it good or not?"
Ho-Oh froze, then replied with reluctant humiliation, "D-damn it! It was... pretty good!"
Hayashi threw his hands up. "Then what's the problem? Come on, fried chicken is happiness in food form! Just imagine—golden, crispy fried chicken on a plate, with honey mustard, amber sauce, teriyaki, and Thousand Island dressing on the side. You pick up a piping-hot piece with chopsticks, coat it in sauce, then take a bite. The crust cracks open, juices spill out, blending with the rich flavor of the sauce..."
"Gulp—"
Listening to Hayashi's description and recalling the delicious taste of "Erina's Special Mixed Fried Chicken" from last time, Ho-Oh swallowed hard with zero dignity, then patted Hayashi's head with its wing, urging, "Stop blabbering nonsense and hurry up making us a plate!"
Nearby, Suicune had already collapsed on the ground, covering its eyes tightly with its paws—the desolation in its heart was beyond words. If one thought carefully, even Eusine would likely make the same expression as this Suicune if he saw the traveling Suicune's face right now.
Meanwhile, Erina and Hisako exchanged complicated glances before sighing simultaneously.
Hisako: "Miss, the young master's ability is truly performing consistently."
Erina: "Seems that way indeed."
Hayashi looked at them with a face full of question marks, unable to resist asking, "Wait, what ability of mine?"
Erina and Hisako spoke in unison: "The ability to turn everyone close to you into goofballs!"
Suicune nodded tearfully—yes, yes! The Ho-Oh I know would never act like this, dammit!!
...
...
Before the meal, Hayashi made a special trip back to the Shokugeki world to bring Yunyun, who had just finished watching Overlord Season 3—though Yunyun didn't seem particularly enthusiastic at the moment.
"What's wrong with her?" Erina asked Hayashi with concern, looking every bit like a worried mother fretting over her daughter. "Was she bullied?"
"I asked the maids at home, and they said Yunyun has been staying in her room binge-watching anime these past few days." Hayashi stroked his chin and mused, "Considering Yunyun's personality, it's very likely the plot of Overlord got her feeling down?"
"Ah—"
Erina wore a look of sudden realization.
Even she had felt uncomfortable after watching the third season of Overlord, let alone Yunyun, who was even kinder-hearted than her. She must be feeling especially awful, right?
So then...
"Should we go comfort her?"
"Let's eat first." Hayashi thought for a moment and said, "Good food can heal the soul! First, we'll treat her with a good meal, then we'll comfort her."
"Alright!"
Erina pumped herself up, rolling up her sleeves with spirited determination. "Then I'll have to give it my all to heal Yunyun's wounded heart!"
If I can't even heal the heart of someone important to me, what kind of chef am I?
Thus, with Erina going all out, tonight's dinner was exceptionally lavish—so much so that Ho-Oh nearly fainted from sheer bliss.
Is this heaven? This must be heaven!
So good, so very good!
So good that Ho-Oh even swiped one of the four fried chicken pieces from Suicune's bowl—truly a villainous act, one that even Hayashi couldn't ignore.
"Shut it!" Ho-Oh glared at Hayashi. "I'm doing this for Suicune's own good! Fried chicken is deep-fried food, a mix of carbs and grease, packed with calories! Eating too much is bad for the body!"
Hayashi couldn't help but give a questioning look. "So you're saying Suicune should thank you?"
Ho-Oh nodded matter-of-factly. "Exactly! What can I say? As the God of Life, I'm immune to such impurities. If you're worried about getting sick, I can help you with your fried chicken too!"
Yeah, right!
Hayashi stared at Ho-Oh in disbelief. "Why don't you just call Entei and Raikou over too? That way, you can 'sacrifice' yourself for them and snag a couple more pieces!"
"!"
Ho-Oh's antenna twitched, and a thoughtful expression crossed its face.
This guy's actually considering it!!
Hayashi facepalmed. "Just stop! You've already ruined your image in Suicune's eyes—don't go wrecking it for Entei and Raikou too!"
"Calling them over might not be the best idea..."
"Right, right."
"But then we'd be leaving Marshadow out! Might as well invite Marshadow too—that way, I can get four servings at once!"
"Enough already!"
Damn it, which bastard corrupted Ho-Oh into this shameless, unscrupulous mess?! Drag them out and let Kaido blast their junk with a hundred Thunder Bagua strikes!
...
...
After eating and drinking their fill, Hayashi, Erina, Hisako, and Yunyun lounged lazily on recliners under the shade of a parasol, enjoying the peaceful post-meal atmosphere.
After a while, Hayashi spoke softly, "By the way, Yunyun, you seemed pretty down when you got here. Do you want to tell us what's bothering you?"
"Umm..."
Hearing this, Yunyun immediately sat up from her chair, then lowered her head and nervously clutched her skirt. "It's just... it's just..."
Seeing her so nervous, Hisako quickly reassured her, "Yunyun, don't worry, take your time! We won't rush you."
"Mhm!"
Yunyun felt slightly more at ease. She tapped her head lightly and said, "So, the next place we're going to is where that skeleton guy is, right?"
Skeleton guy... Well, the Bone King is indeed a skeleton.
"Right." Hayashi nodded and asked, "What about him?"
"Well, when I first read his story, I actually felt really sorry for him..." Yunyun lowered her head and spoke softly. "All his companions left him, and he was left alone guarding the legacy they built together, never able to see them again..."
Putting herself in his shoes, Yunyun felt incredibly grateful she had decided to leave with Hayashi and the others. Otherwise, she might have ended up just like the Bone King—drowning in memories of adventures with Hayashi's group, not knowing when she'd ever see them again.
"And then?"
"But, but as the story progressed, he started acting really strange." Yunyun's voice carried a hint of anger as she continued, "Like killing seventy thousand people just to test the power of his magic—even a Demon King wouldn't do something like that!"
Well, some might.
For instance, in another world, a certain Demon King tested his "gender-swap ray" on an entire city, instantly creating 140,000 loli girls in white stockings or something...
Guhihi, such a Demon King-sama, please allow me to pledge my loyalty, nyaa!
"True." Hisako couldn't help but nod in agreement. "By the end, Momonga had completely lost his humanity. He no longer saw humans as the same species as himself."
Yunyun gave a small nod and mumbled, "So, so I was thinking... Couldn't we do something for those people?"
Her voice was tiny and trembling, as if she was terrified that Hayashi might already have plans and her suggestion would disrupt them. After making the request, she hastily added, "I-I mean, it's fine if we don't..."
But even so, if they did nothing, Yunyun would undoubtedly be haunted by guilt, forever remembering how "her inaction led to seventy thousand deaths."
What a silly kid. Hayashi sighed, then straightened up, mimicking Yunyun's posture. "So, Yunyun, you're hoping we can change something, right?"
"Mhm!"
Yunyun looked at Hayashi with eyes full of longing and pleading—though he felt a little bad about it, Hayashi couldn't help but imagine a puppy wagging its tail, begging for treats.
Hisako hesitated for a few seconds before finally speaking up too. "Y-Young Master! After finishing the Bone King's story, I felt the same way! Can't we really do something? Just watch those tragedies unfold?"
Even Erina turned to Hayashi with a look that mixed coquettishness and pleading, instantly shattering his defenses.
"Ahhh—"
He helplessly raised his hands and said, "Alright, alright, since you've all said this much, how could I possibly refuse?"
Sorry, Ainz, you'll have to stay in your original world and keep being a corporate slave.