First week in Tokyo.
Quanxi and her four fiends spent it locked in a hotel room, wasting time in pure indulgence.
Second week in Tokyo.
They switched hotels and kept going.
Third week.
Another hotel, same routine.
The first to snap out of it was the Insight Fiend, Ping Cui.
They were supposed to be on a mission, not burning through public funds like this.
Inside the hotel suite, after everything had finally settled, Ping Cui lay sprawled over an almost unconscious Cosmo, breathing hard.
"Lady Quanxi, including today, we have been in Tokyo for half a month. Shouldn't we actually do the mission? I am starting to feel guilty spending China's money like this..."
Cosmo's face was flushed, drool slipping from the corner of her mouth. "Halloween..."
A lighter clicked.
A small flame flickered as Quanxi sat at the edge of the bed, calmly smoking.
"You're right," she said. "We'll go find Cael after lunch."
...
Minato Ward. Tokyo Tower.
Quanxi wore a black bodysuit under a loose trench coat, just enough to hide the long miao dao strapped to her back.
Her four fiends stood out even more, dressed in short shirts and hot pants that showed off their figures without restraint.
With one arm around them, Quanxi stepped off the sidewalk and walked straight into traffic.
Tires screeched.
A driver leaned out of his window, furious. "What the hell is wrong with you? You think the road is your house?"
Cosmo walked up to him, hands on her hips, staring directly into his eyes. The heart-shaped pupils spun slowly.
"Halloween?"
The man blinked. "Hal... Halloween?"
Cosmo nodded firmly. "Halloween!"
His anger vanished instantly. He broke into a wide smile and opened the door.
"Halloween! Get in!"
Quanxi flicked away her cigarette. "Take us somewhere with good food."
Half an hour later, they arrived in Chiyoda Ward.
The driver waved enthusiastically as they got out. "Take care, Halloween!"
In front of them stood a row of restaurants.
"Whoa!" Ping Cui pointed excitedly at a sushi place nearby. "Lady Quanxi, look! That one! Conveyor belt sushi! I heard it is amazing, can we go there?"
Quanxi shrugged and glanced at the others. "Doesn't matter to me. What do you all want?"
Cosmo swayed slightly. "Halloween..."
Weaving Brew said nothing, her stitched mouth making that difficult anyway.
Long tugged on Quanxi's sleeve and pointed elsewhere. "Blood... want blood. Spicy rabbit head..."
Quanxi rubbed her forehead. "Great. One wants sushi, one wants Chinese food. If I pick either, someone will feel slighted."
She paused, then made a decision.
"Let's just eat fast food."
Ping Cui and Long froze for a second, then nodded immediately.
Quanxi had spoken. That was final.
The automatic doors slid open with a soft sound.
Two young waitresses approached them with practiced smiles, eyes closed as they recited in unison,
"Family Hamburger, loved by children, parents, and grandparents alike! Healthy and delicious for everyone, Family!"
Quanxi led her group to a table near the wall. "We're ordering."
The waitress began her routine response, then froze.
"Fi... fiends? Family?!"
Her eyes snapped open as she took in the group, especially Cosmo, whose exposed brain made her look the most unsettling.
Cosmo tilted her head and smiled sweetly. "Halloween, Halloween."
The fear in the waitresses' eyes disappeared almost instantly, replaced with bright enthusiasm.
"Of course, Halloween! We will prepare the Truly Large Enough Family Set for you, Halloween!"
While waiting, Quanxi scrolled through her phone, completely uninterested in anything else.
Weaving Brew rested her head on the table. Eating was pointless for her anyway.
Ping Cui, restless as always, leaned forward eagerly.
"Lady Quanxi, want to hear some trivia about hamburgers?"
Quanxi sighed. "Go ahead."
Ping Cui grinned.
"There are three major claims about where hamburgers came from. In the 19th century, chefs in Hamburg, Germany created beef patties in bread inspired by Mongol warriors. Then in 2006, a town in Texas claimed a man named Fletcher Davis invented it in the 1880s. But right after that, a town in Wisconsin said Charlie Nagreen was the real inventor."
Quanxi didn't even look up from her phone. "You're giving me a headache. I don't care."
Ping Cui laughed. "I knew you'd say that."
Crunch.
A loud, unpleasant chewing sound echoed across the table.
Ping Cui turned, eyes widening in shock.
Long had taken a bite out of the table.
"Hey! Idiot! That's wood and metal, not food!"
Long chewed slowly, then swallowed. "You made me hungry..."
Quanxi smirked slightly. "If you're going to eat it, chew properly."
Across the restaurant, the manager, Tachibana Yuumi, paused mid-task.
"Did I just hear someone say Halloween?"
He turned to a trembling employee. "Akai! Are you the one messing up again? Say it properly. Family!"
Akai flinched hard. "N-no! It wasn't me! Family!"
Just then, another waitress approached with a tray.
"Akai, serve Table 14, Halloween!"
Tachibana Yuumi frowned. Something felt wrong.
He looked at her. "Nanami, what are you saying? Family."
Nanami blinked, confused. "I told Akai to serve the food... Halloween?"
"Not Halloween. Family!"
"Family... Halloween... Family... Halloween..." Nanami started counting on her fingers before suddenly brightening. "Ah, Family Halloween!"
Tachibana Yuumi covered his face. "That's enough. Go home and rest."
Then he turned back to Akai.
"Well? Deliver the food already. Family!"
Akai's forehead was covered in sweat as she glanced toward Table 14, her entire body trembling.
"Ma... Manager... there are fiends there. I don't want to go..."