The Underworld Grocery Store was a strange place. It smelled of a mixture of sulfur, unfamiliar spices, and something akin to burnt rubber. Aruna, with her small bag of tools, stood before the friendly old demon. Meanwhile, Zael grimaced, his hands clutched to his head as if the place was giving him a migraine.
"Welcome, Aruna," the old demon greeted. He pointed to the shelves filled with bottles of strange potions, colorful powders, and pieces of meat that seemed to twitch. "We have the best ingredients from across all dimensions. From 'Ancient Dragon Meat' to 'Soul-Enlightening Mushrooms'."
Aruna's eyes sparkled as she looked at the ingredients. Her culinary nature emerged, overpowering her fear. She approached a bottle containing a golden-colored powder. "What is this?" she asked.
"Ah, that's 'Powder of Glory'," the old demon replied. "It's excellent for soup recipes that need a divine touch. Demons usually use it to cook the souls of arrogant humans."
Aruna nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm... I wonder what it would taste like in ramen broth?" she muttered, imagining the umami flavor it might produce.
Zael, who couldn't take it anymore, shouted, "Are you crazy, Aruna? That powder is made from spirits! You want to poison your customers?"
"No," Aruna replied calmly. "I just want to know if it's a cooking ingredient or not. If it's edible, why not?"
The old demon laughed. "She reminds me of Master Shoyu. Brave and curious."
Aruna smiled. "I'm just an ordinary chef, really."
Zael shook his head. "You are not an ordinary chef! You are a walking disaster, Aruna!" He pointed at the old demon. "And you! You look like a demon who retired from your main job. You'll be the one to ruin this recipe first, not me!"
The old demon simply smiled. "Your recipe, Aruna, is missing one key ingredient," he said. "An ingredient that can only grow in this place." He pointed to the highest shelf. There, a wilted white cabbage sat, looking completely unappealing.
Aruna frowned. "White cabbage? That's an ingredient we have on Earth, too."
"Not just any white cabbage," the old demon said. "That is the 'White Cabbage from the Garden of Eden.' It's an ingredient that contains goodness, which can balance all the negative energy from the demonic seasonings in your recipe. Without it, your recipe will never be perfect."
Zael scoffed. "A ridiculous myth. White cabbage is just white cabbage. There's no 'Garden of Eden' here. This is all just to make you buy useless items."
"Of course," Aruna replied flatly. "But, if that white cabbage can really perfect my recipe, why not?" She then turned to the old demon. "How much does it cost?"
The old demon smiled again. "That cabbage is not for sale," he said. "You have to pick it yourself. And that cabbage is guarded by... our most valuable courier." He pointed down a dark aisle, where the silhouette of Takeru was standing, smiling kindly.
Aruna fell silent. Zael fell silent. And in the middle of that silence, Zael turned to Aruna, his face pale. "I told you! I smelled betrayal! He's a trickster demon! The bowl was just bait to lure us here!"
Takeru waved his hand. "Welcome to the Underworld Grocery Store, Aruna. I knew you would come."
Aruna looked at Takeru warily. "So, who are you really?" she asked, without a hint of fear.
Takeru laughed. "My real name, you see, is Azrael. But you can call me... the courier." He crossed his arms. "Your recipe, Aruna, is the most valuable recipe. And I am going to test you to see if you are worthy of it."
With that, Takeru transformed. His body grew larger, his eyes glowed with fire, and two small horns sprouted from his head. He was a true demon. Zael's power, which he usually hid, was now evident. He didn't panic, but he was ready. Of course, he still complained. "I hate this. I hate unnecessary fights. I hate grocery stores."
Aruna, unfazed, took out her knife. "I came here for the white cabbage. If you want this recipe, you'll have to defeat me first."
Naturally, Aruna, as usual, was ready to face the problem in the most ridiculous and practical way possible. The battle in the demonic grocery store for a single head of white cabbage was about to begin.