"Huh? Fiends, Family?"
Tachibana Yuumi frowned, wiped his hands on his apron, and leaned out of the kitchen for a better look.
The moment he saw Quanxi and the four fiends clearly, his eyes widened.
Damn. It really is. The one with horns is chewing on the table like it is food.
He coughed lightly, forcing himself to stay composed despite the panic clawing at his chest.
"It's fine, Akai," he said, voice steady. "Fiends and devils are not that rare. A fiend that does not hurt anyone is still a good fiend."
"They are customers. Treat them like any other. Family."
He needed them gone as soon as possible.
Once they ate, they would leave.
"Eek!" Kobeni Higashiyama trembled. "I... I... I'm scared, Family..."
Tachibana Yuumi's expression hardened.
"Akai, you have a lot of mouths to feed at home. You do not want to lose this job, do you? Family?"
You think you are scared?
He was terrified too.
That was exactly why someone like her had to handle it.
"Eh?!"
Kobeni's resistance broke instantly. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and picked up the tray with shaking hands.
"O-okay... I will do it..."
Tachibana Yuumi's mustache twitched. "Then stop stalling. And remember to say Family."
She nodded repeatedly and walked toward Table 14.
Every step made the tray rattle loudly.
With a stiff, forced smile, she spoke.
"I... I'm sorry for the wait! Here is your order. Five Jumbo Family Hamburger sets, large fries, chicken steaks, and large colas... Fa... Family!"
"Halloween?"
Cosmo's eye stretched outward unnaturally, drifting close to the tray as she examined it.
Kobeni froze.
The eyeball was right in front of her face.
Her pupils shrank.
"Eeeek!"
Her legs gave out instantly.
Crash.
The tray flipped.
Burgers, fries, and cola spilled all over Cosmo's head.
Cosmo froze for a second, then frowned deeply.
"Halloween!"
She sounded genuinely pissed.
Kobeni scrambled back to her feet, shaking violently. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!!"
At that moment, Long leaned forward and sniffed Cosmo's exposed brain.
Then she licked it.
Her eyes lit up.
"Smells good..."
Ping Cui immediately grabbed her and pulled her back. "Long, what the hell are you doing? You cannot eat that!"
After stopping her, Ping Cui shot Kobeni an annoyed look.
"You seriously tripped on flat ground? What a waste."
Kobeni did not understand a word, so she just bowed repeatedly. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Quanxi took a slow breath.
Anyone who upset her girls usually did not get to walk away.
She let out a quiet scoff and rested her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"If apologies worked, then why would we need the law..."
She looked up, ready to draw.
Then she saw Kobeni's tear-filled face.
Quanxi paused.
She studied her for a moment.
Cute. Same type as Ping Cui.
Her hand slowly left the sword.
If it was this one apologizing, then yeah, it worked.
She stepped forward in an instant, brushing dust off Kobeni's apron.
"Relax. Just bring another set."
Kobeni nodded frantically. "Y-yes!"
She ran back into the kitchen like her life depended on it.
Before long, another tray was prepared.
"Akai, this is your chance. You deliver it again. Family," Tachibana Yuumi ordered, still shaken from earlier.
Kobeni bit her lip.
She wanted to run.
She really did.
But she forced herself forward anyway, trembling with every step.
"Th-this is your meal..."
Then she saw it.
Ping Cui had undone some stitches on Weaving Brew's body and split her open, stuffing the fallen food inside.
"Weaving Brew is so considerate, she even eats food from the floor," Ping Cui said casually.
Kobeni's vision blurred.
Those exposed organs made her stomach twist.
Her legs gave out again.
"No... no, no...!"
Crash.
She fell flat on her face.
Again.
This time, the food flew everywhere, landing across all five of them.
Long stared at her stained clothes in disbelief. "The clothes Quanxi bought... are dirty..."
Cosmo inhaled sharply. "Halloween!"
Weaving Brew stayed silent as always.
Ping Cui clicked her tongue and pulled out a dagger. "You must have lost your mind."
Quanxi sighed and stopped them before things escalated.
She looked at Kobeni again.
"Miss, one more set. Try not to drop it this time."
Her patience for pretty girls was ridiculous.
Kobeni's eyes filled with tears as she ran back to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..."
Tachibana Yuumi had reached his limit.
He stormed out and intercepted her.
"Manager, the customers at table 14 still..."
Slap.
Her words were cut off.
A red handprint appeared on her cheek.
"Enough, Akai! I have never seen someone this useless! You failed such a simple task twice!"
"And that habit of yours, always stuttering like an idiot. When are you going to fix it? Say it properly. Family!"
Slap.
The second hit landed on the other side of her face.
He smiled coldly.
"These are Family-style lessons. Remember this pain next time you mess up."
Kobeni's eyes filled with tears.
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
Tachibana Yuumi turned immediately, putting on a fake, polite smile as he faced Quanxi's group.
"I apologize for that. She is just a part-timer. Sorry for the inconvenience, Family."
He bowed deeply.
Then paused.
Something felt wrong.
Why did they look... upside down?
Ping Cui grinned. "Heh. The corpse is talking."
Thud.
Tachibana Yuumi's head hit the ground.
His body remained standing for a moment before collapsing.
Blood sprayed upward from his neck, staining the ceiling.
Quanxi flicked the blood off her blade and sheathed it.
Then she stepped forward and gently placed an arm around Kobeni's shoulder.
"Relax. No one is going to hurt you anymore."
===
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