In the main dining room, Yukari had drawn Utaha into a light conversation, though the novelist remained stiff and reserved.
Yukari's overwhelming aura of nobility made it difficult for an ordinary human to relax.
Nearby, Ran held little Chen quietly by the counter, occasionally leaning over to whisper with Reimu and Marisa.
The three of them were busy gossiping about Yuuka's sudden domestic streak.
Marisa had even gone through the trouble of erecting a localized magical sound barrier just to block out the Flower Master's hearing.
Sitting a few seats away, Yuuka quietly sipped the tea Yuto had poured for her.
Every time she threw a sharp, sidelong glance at the gossiping trio, Reimu and Marisa would instantly freeze, slapping on dead-serious, innocent expressions.
Shouko sat happily on her tall stool, her little legs swinging in the air.
She would occasionally chime in to exchange a few cheerful words with Utaha and Yukari.
Overall, the restaurant was filled with a bright, lively energy.
But at the far end of the counter... Rimuru was suffering.
The slime felt trapped in a suffocating void of awkwardness, sitting directly between Ainz and Saitama.
He looked to his left: a towering, unreadable undead Overlord.
He looked to his right: a depressed bald hero staring blankly at the wood grain.
Rimuru began to sweat—or at least, secrete nervous slime.
The tension was unbearable!
Even with the cheerful chatter filling the rest of the room, Rimuru felt like he was suffocating.
"Rimuru... let's switch seats," Ainz's deep voice suddenly suggested.
"Okay!" Rimuru squeaked, bouncing down from the stool like a prisoner granted a pardon.
Ainz shifted one seat to the right, sliding in right next to Saitama.
Rimuru took Ainz's old seat and let out a wobbly sigh of relief.
The suffocating pressure vanished instantly.
Unfortunately, his frantic escape caught Marisa's eye. "Rimuru! Get over here and let me squeeze you!"
"I refuse!"
Saitama and Ainz sat shoulder-to-shoulder in heavy silence.
The red orbs in Ainz's eye sockets flickered nervously.
Saitama's expression was an unreadable mix of betrayal and lingering sadness.
How had things gone so wrong between such good friends?
"Here you go. One plain udon," Yuto said, placing the steaming bowl in front of Saitama. He offered a gentle smile, then shot a quick glance at the skeleton.
For some reason, the sheer melodrama of the situation made Yuto want to laugh.
"Thank you, Kamisaka," Saitama murmured, a faint smile finally touching his lips.
He snapped his wooden chopsticks apart and lowered his head to eat. As he leaned over the bowl, the overhead lights caught the smooth, polished surface of his newly bald head.
It reflected a glare so bright it practically blinded Yuto like a camera flash.
Squinting against the glare, Yuto subtly shot Ainz a supportive thumbs-up and retreated down the counter toward Utaha and Shouko.
It was best to let the two men work things out themselves.
Utaha had been watching the bizarre standoff.
She looked at Yuto with a puzzled frown. "Does Saitama-san know that Ainz person?"
Her question made Yuto realize something important.
Utaha didn't actually know Ainz.
The person she knew and had shared meals with was the human salaryman, Suzuki Satoru.
Yuto leaned in and quietly explained Ainz's true identity to her.
Utaha gasped, her dark eyes widening in shock as she stared at the terrifying skeletal mage.
After taking a moment to process the absurd reality that the polite exhausted Suzuki was now an Overlord of Death, she frowned again.
"Wait. Aren't Suzuki-san and Saitama-san best friends? Why are they acting like total strangers right now?"
Yuto quietly filled her in on the tragic 'I'm rich now' incident from the previous night.
Utaha's expression morphed into something incredibly strange.
She looked like she desperately wanted to laugh but couldn't quite believe what she was hearing.
"Isn't that... a bit childish?" she whispered.
Yuto smiled. "Maybe they are just both a little foolish."
He reached out and gently ruffled Shouko's pink hair. "Shouko, are you having fun tonight?"
"Yes! I am having fun!" Shouko nodded vigorously.
Her speech was already sounding so much more fluid and confident.
Seeing her bright, joyful smile made a wave of relief wash over Yuto.
"That is great to hear. If you ever get hungry, you just tell me, okay? I will make you whatever you want."
It was the ultimate promise of a chef!
"Mm!" Shouko beamed, her eyes sparkling like little stars.
Tonight was easily the happiest she had ever been in her life!
"Kamisaka! Bring me a bottle of beer!"
Ainz's sudden, booming request made Yuto jump.
He stared at the skeleton in sheer shock.
Skeletons couldn't eat or drink!
But looking at Ainz, Yuto sensed a heavy, undeniable earnestness radiating from him.
The Overlord was dead serious.
"Coming right up!" Yuto grabbed a cold bottle from the fridge and set it on the counter.
Without bothering to ask for an opener, Ainz simply hooked his thumb bone under the metal cap and popped it off with a sharp flick.
"Bring two glasses," Ainz commanded softly.
Yuto quickly fetched them.
Ainz took one glass and placed it firmly in front of Saitama.
The other, he set in front of himself. He lifted the heavy bottle and poured them both to the brim.
Then, he solemnly raised his glass.
Yuto noticed that Saitama had stopped eating. The hero's face was incredibly serious.
Slowly, Saitama raised his own glass.
Clink.
The sharp sound of glass meeting glass rang out over the counter.
"Saitama!"
"Ainz!"
"To our friendship!"
Without a second of hesitation, Ainz tipped his glass back and poured the freezing cold beer directly over his exposed skull.
The golden liquid splashed down through his empty ribcage, giving him a thorough, ridiculous beer bath!
Yuto stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded.
Saitama, on the other hand, downed his entire glass in one massive gulp.
His solemn expression broke into a wide, joyful grin.
He extended his hand.
Ainz reached out with his dripping, bony fingers.
The two men clasped hands tightly in mid-air.
"Ainz!"
"Saitama!"
"Best friends!!!" they shouted in unison.
The two of them burst into booming, heartfelt laughter.
The great rift was healed, the giants of the Poverty Alliance had officially reconciled!
Watching the bizarre, beer-soaked display, Yuto just shook his head, feeling more than a little bewildered.