"This isn't good. We need to find something to block that opening," Li Xuan said, raising the 'Super Electromagnetic Hand Cannon' he had taken from his ring and aiming at the hole in the chain-link fence. One by one, the Honkai Zombies fearlessly squeezed through the sharp, torn wires, like beasts.
The muzzle of the Super Electromagnetic Hand Cannon gathered white lightning and fired rapidly. The pale super-electromagnetic blast pierced straight through the head of a Honkai Zombie passing through the hole. The bullet continued with enough force to penetrate the Honkai Zombie behind it. The dead zombies fell limply to the ground, but the ones behind them simply trampled over their bodies and kept coming.
Li Xuan stood not far from the fence, concentrating on sniping any Honkai Zombie that tried to get through.
"So, the Honkai Zombies from all around are starting to gather here. Did they come because they smelled this?" Mei said with a grave expression. She didn't make a move, trusting that Li Xuan could handle them. After all, this was the man who could go head-to-head with Honkai Beasts. She was just afraid that this might turn into another zombie tide.
"That's right. These approaching Honkai Zombies seem to be very fond of this food that emits Honkai energy, so they're gathering towards the food carts!" Bronya Zaychik analyzed, glancing at the 'gourmet' dishes that were constantly bubbling and changing colors.
"If they eat this food, the Honkai energy here will merge and become even more massive. If the energy reaches a critical point..." Bronya Zaychik added with a worried look.
"What will happen?" asked Li Xuan, who had come over after the pile of zombie corpses finally blocked the hole, giving him a moment's respite.
"Bronya Zaychik doesn't know either... In any case, we must eliminate these Honkai Zombies immediately and stop these two Familiars' competition," Bronya Zaychik said calmly, her face flushing slightly from the smell of sweat coming off Li Xuan after his exertion.
"Come on, come on, Honkai Zombies! Come make ice cream with me! Let's drown this stupid rabbit in my ice cream and freeze her solid!" the dog-eared girl Pretty shouted, holding up an ice cream cone and rallying the troops from atop her cart.
"Ohoho~ You dumb dog can only make such pathetic cries. The one who will be drowned in my curry and the Honkai Zombies is you~" the rabbit-eared girl Eviya taunted dismissively. In her hand, the curry rice shimmered with a dreamy, rainbow-like color under the sun, making people... want to stay far, far away.
"Standing up there so high, won't the smell of the food spread even faster? You idiots (╬▔皿▔)," Li Xuan said angrily. This would just attract more Honkai Zombies. What were these two stupid Familiars thinking? Killing Honkai Zombies was tiring work.
"Their enthusiasm doesn't seem like it'll be easy to stop. And the fact that they can lure Honkai Zombies with their food... this almost feels like a real cooking competition," Mei sighed, troubled.
There was no other choice. Li Xuan ran up to the two Familiars and scooped them up, one in each arm. "Hey, hey, what are you doing?" the dog-eared girl Pretty yelped, struggling. "How dare you touch me so casually! Don't... don't grope me," the rabbit-eared girl Eviya struggled.
Who's groping you?! (/"≡_≡)/~┴┴ Li Xuan was having a mental breakdown. No matter how desperate I am, I wouldn't make a move on someone who looks like a five-year-old!!
"Ahem, you want to determine a winner, right? Why are you trying to attract Honkai Zombies?" Li Xuan asked with a sigh.
"That's because the judge is unwilling to taste our dishes," the rabbit-eared girl Eviya said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms. Pretty nodded beside her like a pecking chicken.
"Kiana, look..." Li Xuan turned to Kiana. "No, noooooo!!! If I eat that, I won't be able to eat anything ever again," Kiana cried, shaking her head like a rattle drum. Her expression was like that of a young girl about to be forced upon by a burly man, choosing death before dishonor.
"See? ╮(╯▽╰)╭," the two Familiars said in unison, feigning helplessness.
What should I do? Neither of them would eat it. But if he just let this continue, they would probably be buried alive by the ever-increasing number of Honkai Zombies. Li Xuan's head was about to split. He was just here to tag along with the Honkai yuri trio and check out some girls in swimsuits. Who knew this would happen?! This wasn't some hot-blooded shonen manga; did the plot have to have so many twists and turns?!
But he couldn't just ignore it. After all, he was the only man on the team. He couldn't possibly let three beautiful girls eat this dark cuisine, could he?
If they eat this... it probably wouldn't just be diarrhea, but a serious illness. Li Xuan gritted his teeth, his hands trembling as he reached out and took the two Familiars' dishes—the ice cream with wriggling squid tentacles and the colorful squid seafood curry rice.
What's there to be afraid of? We Chinese have eaten everything. Raw monkey brains, duck intestines, cow offal, donkey penis, newborn mice, balut... We are the men and the nation at the top of the food chain! It's just a squid, nothing to be afraid of.
Li Xuan gave himself a pep talk, listing examples to build up his courage.
He picked up a spoon with his right hand, gently scooped a bit of the rainbow-colored curry rice, closed his eyes, and brought it to his mouth, trembling as if he were walking to his execution. Pretty and Eviya watched with wide eyes. Even Mei, who had noticed his actions, covered her mouth in surprise, while Kiana's mouth hung open in a daze.
"..." Li Xuan felt the juicy rice explode on his taste buds, an incredible and peculiar flavor composed of saltiness and the freshness of seafood. He felt as if he were at the bottom of the ocean, with squids swimming past him, colorful corals, and bubbles rising slowly to the surface.
"..." Li Xuan remained silent. He reached out, picked up the squid ice cream, and took a small bite. Instantly, the fresh, sweet taste of fruit and the slightly sweet, fresh flavor of the squid itself filled his mouth.
The rabbit-eared Eviya and the dog-eared Pretty clasped their hands, their eyes fixed on Li Xuan, who had his eyes closed as if savoring the taste. Yes... that's the expression. The expression of being completely immersed in the food. This is the path of gastronomy they were pursuing, to bring people happiness and hope.
Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes, met the two Familiars' expectant gazes, and said, "It's delicious. You are both excellent chefs."
"Success! My ice cream is the best!" Pretty exclaimed, raising her fist. "Hmph~ My cooking is naturally good~" Eviya said, tilting her head up proudly.
"But there is no winner between you. It's a tie," Li Xuan said, looking sincerely into the two Familiars' eyes.
"..." The two Familiars fell silent.
"Hmph~ It seems I still need to continue honing my cooking skills!" Eviya said nonchalantly as she started packing up her food cart. "I won't lose to you either!" Pretty retorted, packing up her own cart.
"Well then, goodbye everyone, and Judge-sama! We'll meet again!" Under the setting sun, the two Familiars waved goodbye as they pushed their food carts away.
"Hmph, I wasn't in top form today, otherwise~" "Me too, I would have beaten you long ago."
"What did you say! Dumb dog~" "You're the one, stupid rabbit." In the evening glow, the two Familiars continued their bickering as their figures slowly faded into the distance.
(End of Chapter)