Chapter 235: Night Sparrow Instance?
Haruto and Kaguya didn't linger. They simply forwarded a photo of the room to Chen Qin and took their leave. It was obvious the girl had no idea how to process the situation, let alone whether she should formulate a truthful response.
Before long, three days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
11:00 PM. The crisp night air of the Human Village carried the rich, mouth-watering scent of sizzling fat and charcoal. Haruto lounged on a cheap wooden stool at a roadside barbecue stall, Kaguya sitting comfortably beside him.
"Boss lady," Haruto called out, lazily waving a hand. "Ten more chicken wings, fifty skewers of grilled lamprey, and if you have it, throw in some roasted night sparrow."
"Ahhh—! I told you, we don't have that!" A frustrated shriek rang out from behind the grill. The cook was a petite youkai sporting a dark purple hat, her identity as an avian youkai given away by the feathered, wing-like ears framing her face and the wings resting against her back.
"Huh?" Haruto blinked, feigning absolute innocence. "Didn't you claim to serve everything? Your sign literally says 'Night Sparrow Barbecue'. How can a Night Sparrow Barbecue stall not serve roasted night sparrow?" He let out a long, exaggerated sigh of disappointment.
"I—you—!" Mystia sputtered, her face flushing red. "I am a Night Sparrow Youkai! The shop is named after me! Why in the world would I sell roasted night sparrow?!" She aggressively flipped the skewers on the grill, sending a shower of orange sparks dancing into the night sky.
Truthfully, she wasn't actually furious. These two were massive spenders. Aside from a certain gluttonous ghost who made a habit of dining and dashing, Mystia rarely saw anyone order food in such sheer volume. Even though this young man's teasing constantly pushed her buttons, he always paid his tab in full. That thought alone smoothed the ruffled feathers in her mind, softening her glare as she looked back at Haruto.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Haruto crossed his arms, leaning back with a smug grin. "I know I'm incredibly handsome, but I'll have you know I'm not that kind of casual youkai."
Sizzle. A fresh handful of chicken wings was slammed onto the iron grate.
Mystia clamped her jaw shut, deciding to completely ignore him. Just focus on the money, she chanted internally. Her hands became a blur of motion, expertly brushing sauce and flipping meat. In no time at all, she piled the massive order onto a set of wooden platters and slammed them onto their table.
Haruto picked up a skewer of lamprey, taking a massive bite. The rich, savory juices exploded across his tastebuds. "Not bad at all," he mumbled through a mouthful of meat. "As expected of the boss lady's culinary skills."
"Of course!" Mystia puffed out her chest, her earlier annoyance vanishing in an instant. "Who in the entire Human Village doesn't know that my grilling is the absolute best?"
"Alright, alright, you can go back to your grill now." Haruto waved her off dismissively, shielding his plate with one arm. "You're not planning on snatching our food, are you?"
"Who would ever snatch your food?!" Mystia clenched her fists, fighting the urge to smack him with a spatula. Ultimately, she just let out a tired sigh. "Just call me if you need anything else."
Haruto returned to his meal, tearing through the skewers with terrifying speed. He didn't even bother spitting out the bones, simply crushing them between his teeth and swallowing them whole. His ravenous, black-hole-like consumption left Kaguya staring at him in mild disbelief.
"Haruto," Kaguya began, her chopsticks pausing mid-air. "Since when did you become such a bottomless pit?"
A deep sense of suspicion crept into her mind. Could Haruto actually be the secret illegitimate child of Yakumo Yukari and Saigyouji Yuyuko? He had already awakened the terrifying spatial powers of a Boundary Youkai, and now he seemed to be inheriting Yuyuko's legendary, world-ending appetite.
"Remember that [Devour] skill I picked up from the last instance?" Haruto asked, wiping a smear of grease from his chin. "I've been testing it out over the past two days. It rapidly converts the energy from anything I eat, permanently strengthening my physical stats. Basically, I get stronger just by stuffing my face."
"I figured it was something ridiculous like that," Kaguya muttered, rolling her eyes before grabbing a handful of chicken wings and joining the feast.
Haruto pulled out his Ghost Phone, the screen casting a pale, eerie glow over his features. The digital clock read 11:10 PM.
They had arranged to meet Toyosatomimi no Miko at half-past eleven. From there, they would use a Tracking Card to directly hijack the horror instance she was entering. Haruto hadn't bothered calling Konpaku Youmu for this run. According to the intel, this particular survival game was only the third instance for one of Miko's friends. The difficulty rating was bound to be low—a casual vacation trip by Haruto's standards.
"Boss lady!" Haruto shouted toward the grill. "Add fifteen skewers of the bone-and-meat combo, fifteen more chicken wings, fifteen grilled lampreys, and fifteen skewers of grilled cabbage! Make it quick!"
"Coming right up!" Mystia chirped cheerfully.
Hearing yet another massive order, Mystia felt a surge of pure joy. This was all cold, hard cash. If business kept booming like this—if the young master of the Yakumo family just came back a few more times—her bankrupt Night Sparrow Cafeteria might actually have a chance to reopen its doors.
Fueled by dreams of financial success, her hands moved at blinding speeds, flipping and seasoning the meat while she happily hummed a lively tune. In just over ten minutes, a towering mountain of freshly grilled skewers was deposited onto their table.
This time, however, Mystia didn't immediately return to her station. Instead, she lingered by the table, nervously rubbing her hands together.
Haruto raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're not actually falling for me, are you?"
Mystia's mouth twitched violently. Sure, the young master of the Yakumo household was undeniably attractive, but he was way too young for her tastes. More, she was a hardworking, independent youkai determined to build her own culinary empire. She would never stoop to freeloading off a kid.
She forced a strained, overly polite smile. "Um... could you settle the bill first?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?!" Haruto slammed his palm onto the table, rising to his feet with a look of deep offense. "I am a proud member of the esteemed Yakumo family! I would absolutely never eat without paying!"
Beside him, Kaguya took a slow sip of her tea and leisurely chimed in, "You absolutely would."
Hearing that, panic seized Mystia's heart. Her face instantly crumpled into an expression of utter despair.
Haruto shot Kaguya a fierce glare. "How could you say such a thing?!"
Mystia let out a shaky breath of relief. Thank goodness, it was just a joke—
"But," Haruto continued smoothly, turning back to the bird youkai with a perfectly straight face, "I actually did forget to bring my wallet this time."
Mystia's legs turned to jelly. She swayed on her feet, nearly collapsing onto the dirt road. Before she could even begin to shriek in protest, Haruto spoke up again.
"Don't worry, though. You can just ask Yukari-nee to foot the bill. She's been sneaking our food this entire time anyway."
He turned his head, staring pointedly at the seemingly empty space to his left.
Kaguya and Mystia followed his gaze. Unnoticed by the stall owner, a jagged, reality-tearing fissure had silently opened in the air beside the table. A multitude of eerie red eyes blinked from within the dark void. Reaching out from the Gap was a slender, impossibly pale hand, its fingers quietly inching toward the last plate of grilled chicken wings.
Realizing she had been caught red-handed, the pale fingers paused mid-air. The Gap slowly widened, and Yakumo Yukari stepped out, her movements carrying an air of absolute, unbothered elegance.
"What do you mean, 'sneaking food this entire time'?" Yukari asked, snapping her folding fan open to hide the lower half of her face. "I only arrived when you were halfway through your meal. I was simply helping you taste-test the food to ensure it was safe and healthy."
She delivered the blatant lie without a single blush or a skip in her heartbeat.
Mystia exhaled a massive sigh of relief. At least someone responsible is here to pay.
"Then..." she began, turning back to the table to ask the Sage of Youkai for the total sum. But as she looked up, her jaw dropped.
Haruto and Kaguya were completely gone.
Panicking, Mystia turned her hopeful, pleading gaze toward Yakumo Yukari. The blonde Sage simply smiled and pointed her closed fan at the table.
It was completely empty. Every single plate, every last skewer, and every drop of sauce had been spirited away by the duo. They hadn't left behind a single shred of grilled lamprey meat.
Mystia felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.
"Lord Sage..." Mystia sniffled, her voice trembling. "You'll... you'll still pay the bill, right?"
Yukari's smile widened, her violet eyes narrowing into dangerous, fox-like crescents.
"Do not fret, little sparrow. I am the Sage of Youkai. How could I possibly dine and dash?" Yukari chuckled softly. "However, I have a much better method of compensation. I can offer you an opportunity. Do you want it?"
Mystia decisively shook her head, extending an open palm toward the terrifying Sage. "No thank you. I just want my money."
"Are you entirely sure you don't want it?" Yukari asked, her tone remaining light and conversational. Yet, beneath the pleasant facade, a heavy, suffocating pressure bled into the air. Her gaze carried a subtle, razor-sharp edge that promised dire consequences. "This opportunity is deeply tied to a highly important mission for the future of Gensokyo."
Mystia had fully intended to shake her head again, but under the crushing weight of that predatory stare, her survival instincts kicked in. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry, and asked in a tiny, trembling voice.
"...What kind of opportunity?"
"I will give you a shop," Yukari purred, her voice dripping with honeyed temptation. "The storefront will be massive. You can run it for a month, maybe two, perhaps even half a year. And the best part? Every single coin you earn during that time will belong entirely to you."
"Really?!" Mystia gasped, slamming her hands onto the table. The feathered wings by her ears flapped vigorously in a sudden burst of pure excitement.
Could it be? Was her lifelong dream of owning a grand restaurant finally being realized ahead of schedule?!
"Where is it?!" Mystia babbled, her eyes sparkling with yen signs. "Which street in the Human Village? Exactly how big is the dining area? Will the customers be—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a massive, eye-filled fissure snapped open directly beneath her. With a yelp of surprise, Mystia, along with her entire barbecue cart, her ingredients, and her grilling tools, plummeted straight into the Gap.
Far away, in a desolate, otherworldly wasteland shrouded in thick, suffocating fog, a gloomy, dilapidated restaurant stood in absolute silence.
A jagged fissure tore open the fabric of reality just outside the restaurant's front door.
Thud!
Mystia crashed onto the cold, hard dirt, her barbecue cart clattering noisily beside her. Groaning, she rubbed her head and blinked blankly, taking in her new surroundings.
There was no bustling street. No Human Village.
There was only endless gray mist, barren earth, and the solitary, eerie restaurant looming before her.
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