The Fox Hole

Chapter 50: Love and Cooking

– Haru –

I strolled through the gates to Kuoh Academy with Alice and demiurge right behind me. 

"Wow, I just thought Rias was into kinky cosplay but it looks like all the students here wear those short skirts." Alice said.

It was near the end of the day, but there were plenty of people around—mostly girls, since the place used to be an all-girls' school. Now they had a few guys sprinkled in, but it was still mostly female.

Demiurge walked alongside us, trying (and failing) to hide his amazement. "Humans built all of this? Without magic?" he muttered, eyeing the school buildings with their modern design. "And those metal contraptions we saw in the streets—cars, was it? They move without magical power at all?"

I smirked. "Yep, they're just powered by mundane engines. Wait till you see Tokyo. This is just a small town compared to that."

I noticed the little twitch in Demiurge's expression—he was doing his best to not appear too impressed, but curiosity sparkled in his eyes. I could relate. The first time I traveled off-world, I looked at everything like it was magic, too.

My illusions kept my fox ears and tails hidden, and Demiurge had concealed his demon tail. No need to freak out the locals. We headed inside, weaving past students who were either rushing home or hanging around with friends. 

I stopped a pair of giggling girls to ask if there was a cooking club here and if they had time right now. They said yes—second floor, near the end of the hall. 

Once they wandered off, Alice shook her head at me. "Only you would show up at a devil-filled school and go straight for the cooking club."

I shrugged. "What can I say? Cooking is my go-to stress relief. Besides, I've heard Kuoh Academy's facilities are pretty high-end. Might as well test 'em."

As we climbed the stairs, Demiurge studied every poster and sign on the walls. Everything was new to him. "So this is where the devils you mentioned spend their time?" he asked. "It all seems so… ordinary. Why live around so many humans?"

"...We go here because human schools offer the best education in things like science and math," a familiar voice spoke up behind us, calm and confident.

I spun around, not surprised to see Sona Sitri standing there in the hallway. She'd obviously sensed us, after all. There were multiple protective wards around Kuoh Academy, especially since both Sona and Rias were basically princesses of the Underworld.

Demiurge went rigid the second he laid eyes on her. I noticed Alice arch an eyebrow at his reaction as well.

He pushed his glasses up and offered Sona a very formal bow. "Greetings, milady. I'm Demiurge, servant to Lord Ainz, who in turn is good friends with Haru. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Sona blinked, then held out her hand. I could see the faint pink tinge creeping across her cheeks. "Um… it's nice to meet you, sir. I'm Sona Sitri."

Demiurge took her hand like a true gentleman, placing a polite kiss on the back of it. 

I suppressed a smirk. I'd teased him before about how he might like the female devils around here, but I didn't expect him to make a move so soon—or that Sona would look this flustered either. When he straightened back up, I saw the pink in Sona's face deepen just a bit. Clearly, she liked what she saw too.

I leaned into Demiurge and whispered to him. "This is Sona Sitri. She's basically one of the princesses of the devil race since her older sister Serafall is one of its four rulers. Treat her right, because her older sister is super protective and probably about as powerful as Ainz.

Maybe more powerful, but I didn't say that out loud because I knew at this point how proud Ainz's servants were when it came to him.

Demiurge flashed me a grin. "Of course, a proper devil lady like this should be treated with the utmost respect," he said.

Sona, meanwhile, was trying hard (and adorably failing) to pretend she couldn't overhear us. She was standing only a few feet away, after all.

"Would you mind showing me around this… learning institution, milady?" Demiurge asked her with a polite smile. "I'm new to this world, and I find it all quite fascinating."

Sona smiled in return, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'd be happy to. Kuoh Academy isn't just a high school, we also have an advanced college division. If you're interested in science and mathematics, I'd love to show you some of the labs."

Sona had slipped her arm through Demiurge's, guiding him down the corridor. Alice and I watched as sona walked off with demiurge. I wondered if she realized she'd literally wrapped her arm around his?

"Did we just watch two devil soulmates meet for the first time?" Alice chuckled.

I couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Maybe…?" The concept of devils having soulmates was ironic but that's certainly what it looked like…

Alice playfully shoved me as we stepped into the cooking club.

I stepped into the cooking club room, still feeling a slight buzz from watching Demiurge walk off with Sona. I'd expected a low-key cooking space where I could unwind, but the second Alice and I walked in, we were practically smacked in the face by chaos.

The room was full of people—some human students I didn't recognize, plus a few devils I did know. Tsubaki, Sona's right hand, stood near the center, clutching a clipboard and looking more stressed than usual. Akeno was off to the side, wearing a smile that didn't quite hide the tension in her shoulders. And I spotted a blonde girl—Asia Argento—who I'd never met in person. She seemed shy, standing quietly off to one side.

Everyone looked freaked out. They were flipping through cookbooks, grabbing pots and pans, and chattering in panicked tones.

Alice arched an eyebrow at me, like she was thinking the same thing.

What the hell did we just walk into?

Suddenly, Akeno noticed us. Her eyes brightened. "Ara! I think we're saved!" she announced.

That got everyone's attention. Tsubaki spun around, relieved when she saw me.

A few human girls gasped or whispered things like, "He's hot," or "Is he from the college division?" or even "Is he single!?" I tried not to laugh. I was pretty used to random fangirling by now.

"Hey, everyone," I said, giving a small wave. "What's going on? You all look like you're about to face the end of the world."

"They're running around like a bunch of schoolgirls," Alice chimed in, then realized how literal that was and raised her hands at all the deadpan stares she was getting. "Er—no offense."

Tsubaki cleared her throat, pushing her glasses up. "We have a bit of a crisis, Haru-sama. Kuoh Academy's cooking club is under threat." She paused, taking a breath. "In about an hour, a team from Totsuki Culinary Academy is coming here to challenge us. It's a formal challenge. If we don't impress them, our cooking club's reputation—and possibly the entire academy's reputation—could take a major hit! That is unacceptable!" she declared. "Especially since they kind of wiped the floor with us last year…" she added, much quieter.

One of the human girls near the back groaned. "We're just amateurs! We cook for fun, not to become world-class chefs!"

"None of us are aiming for Michelin stars or anything," another added, sounding pretty distraught. "We're hobby cooks! 

"I just wanted Senpai to notice my cooking!"

I nodded, rubbing my chin. "So Totsuki, huh? I'd heard about them. It was a hardcore cooking school, insane standards, and a habit of crushing any other cooking schools who tried to challenge them. It always sounded like my kind of school.

I never bothered applying there though because I already knew I was the best…

Akeno slipped closer, resting a hand on my chest and smiling in that flirty way she always does. "Would you be able to cook for us, Haru? I'd be ever so grateful. Especially when you win! You could take me to the backroom and ravish me as your reward!"

"Akeno-san!" Asia squeaked, her eyes going wide. "That's so… forward…"

Akeno giggled. "Relax, Asia-chan. Besides, you haven't really met Haru yet, have you? He's Rias's fiancé."

Asia's mouth dropped open. "He's… her fiancé?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Several human girls joined in with a chorus of "Eeeeehhhhh!?", looking at me like I was some kind of celebrity. I guess I was in this place since I was engaged to one of the famous Ojou-Samas… 

I shot Asia a friendly smile. "Good to meet you in person."

She blushed, fiddling with her hands. "Y-yes, and I heard you were somehow involved in saving me…"

I waved it off. Nah, that was mostly my girls and Gabriel. I was just there for moral support.

Tsubaki cleared her throat again, trying to regain control. "We appreciate the reunion, but we need to focus. Haru, do you think you could handle cooking something that'll meet Totsuki's standards?"

Pffft! Their standards? I could blow them away! Especially since I had access to literally otherworldly ingredients!

There was only one slight problem...

"Sure, I can do that. But how do I officially represent Kuoh if I'm not even enrolled?"

Tsubaki straightened her glasses, looking determined. "I'm on the Student Council. We can temporarily register you in the college division! No one will question it, especially with Sona's authority backing us."

Alice let out a short laugh. "Wow, that's shady as hell. But if it works, it works."

One of the human girls nodded vigorously. "Tsubaki-senpai can do anything!"

"Right," I said, rolling up my sleeves and stepping toward a counter. "Let's get this place properly set up and stocked up so we're ready for the challenge!" Nothing was more important if my reputation as a chef was going to be put on the line!

– Demiurge –

Demiurge had always maintained an air of judgment whenever Albedo or Shalltear flaunted themselves around Lord Ainz. He understood their devotion but thought their over-the-top displays were a bit much. Now, though, he begrudgingly admitted he had a taste of how they must have felt. Not that he'd suddenly turn into a swooning fool, but for the first time in his existence, Demiurge felt a pull that reminded him of how those two acted whenever they were near Lord Ainz.

He couldn't deny it, ever since he laid eyes on HER, something had shifted in his worldview. Granted, his loyalties would always lie with Nazarick and Lord Ainz, but there was room—just a sliver—for someone else. 

That someone was a devil princess named Sona Sitri.

They'd been walking around this human academy for about half an hour, and Demiurge had to admit it was… impressive. He didn't like giving humans credit, but their ability to build and maintain elaborate structures without using any magic at all was intriguing. Sona led him through hallways and classrooms, explaining how the school was divided into a high school section and a college division, and pointing out facilities that dealt with science, math, literature, and more.

Demiurge listened, but his focus kept drifting back to her. The way her eyes sparkled behind her glasses when she talked about the academy's achievements made him want to hear more, to ask follow-up questions about her own interests. He saw the faint blush on her cheeks whenever he glanced at her, and that quiet acknowledgment of mutual attraction thrilled him.

No doubt the other Guardians would tease him mercilessly once they caught wind of this. The proud and collected Demiurge, flustered over a devil princess. He could almost see Albedo's smirk in the back of his mind. 

Still, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Eventually, Sona led him to the back of the academy, where the hustle and bustle had died down. Most of the human students had gone home, leaving the place relatively quiet. Demiurge noticed a tall building in the distance, sensing the presence of devils within. 

He gestured toward it. "Pardon me, Lady Sona," he said politely, "but we haven't toured that structure yet. I can sense a few devils inside."

Sona followed his gaze and gave a short nod. "Ah, that's the old school building. Rias uses it for her peerage activities."

Demiurge inclined his head. He remembered Haru mentioning a devil fiancée named Rias Gremory. He hadn't met her yet, but it sounded like she was a significant figure among the devils, much like Sona. He was about to inquire further when one of the windows in that distant structure flew open.

Out soared a red-haired devil woman with large, unmistakable wings—and an even more unmistakable chest, which Demiurge found less appealing than a more slender figure like his beautiful Sona, but he supposed everyone had preferences. She glided through the air and landed gracefully on the grass near them.

"Hi, Sona!" the redhead greeted, folding her wings behind her. She gave Demiurge a curious once-over, a bright smile forming on her lips. "And hello, new devil I've never met before." She seemed to notice that his arm was linked with Sona's. A playful grin spread across her face. "Oh my gosh, Sona, are you on an actual date!?"

Sona's cheeks turned a light pink. She let go of Demiurge's arm, clearing her throat. "What? No—maybe…? That's none of your business, Rias," she huffed, which only deepened Demiurge's internal amusement.

The red-haired devil placed her hands on her hips. "Well, that's definitely my business if it means I get to tease you," she said, then turned her attention to Demiurge with a small, graceful curtsy. "I'm Rias Gremory. It's nice to meet you."

Demiurge released Sona's arm completely so he could offer Rias a proper bow. "I am Demiurge, an Archdevil and faithful servant of the great Ainz Ooal Gown."

Rias's grin widened. "Oh, you mean Skeletor? I like him—he's cool."

For a second, Demiurge froze. "S-Skeletor?" he echoed, feeling a twinge of irritation. Was this how they referred to Lord Ainz in other circles?

"So, mind telling me why you're out here now that the school day is basically done? You realize you missed an entire day of your classes, right?" Sona asked.

At that, Rias's confident expression faltered. A faint blush colored her cheeks. "I was, uh… binging some anime last night and was too tired to go to school today..."

She cleared her throat awkwardly, and Demiurge tilted his head in interest. Anime? He'd never heard of it, but from the way Rias acted, it sounded like some sort of human entertainment. He made a mental note to investigate later.

Sona sighed, looking at Rias with exasperation. "At least you're awake for the competition later. You do remember the Totsuki Academy people are coming today, right?"

Rias grimaced, running a hand through her red hair. "Ugh… I forgot about that. They're gonna wipe the floor with us. Maybe we should just not go…"

Sona gave her a disapproving look. "You have to go, Rias. Your family owns half the school. You can't just skip out."

"Fine," Rias whined, slumping her shoulders dramatically.

With a small huff, Sona pulled out her cell phone—an object Demiurge had already found fascinating, since it appeared to be a mundane version of a messaging spell—and checked the time. "They'll be here any minute now."

Rias let out a groan. "Great. I'm so not in the mood! They're all arrogant elite chefs, and they wiped the floor with us last year! It was embarrassing considering we even tried to cheat with magic and still lost!"

Sona's expression brightened slightly. "Not necessarily. I got a text from Tsubaki a little bit ago. Our college division just got a new transfer student—someone who'll help us show Totsuki the true prestige of Kuoh Academy."

Demiurge noticed how the little strand of hair on Rias's head—a detail he'd heard referred to as an ahoge—seemed to twitch when she got that curious look on her face. 

"Wait, someone good at cooking just happened to transfer in? Who?" Rias asked.

Sona grinned. "I think you know who."

Rias's eyes went wide. "Haru!? He's here!? And he's a Kuoh student now!?" She looked almost giddy. "That's awesome! Come on, let's go watch him wipe the floor with those arrogant Totsuki bigshots!"

"He's only gonna be a student for today," Sona pointed out.

"That's better than nothing!"

Demiurge felt a hint of interest as well. He'd never seen a cooking competition, but he retained memories of the Supreme Beings discussing such matters in the past.

But before they could move, Demiurge's battle instincts flared. He sensed danger and lunged forward, grabbing both Rias and Sona and yanking them aside. A split second later, two spears of golden light slammed into the ground right where they'd been standing.

Rias, looking startled for half a heartbeat, quickly turned furious. "Which fallen angel piece of shit just tried to kill us?! Show yourself, asshole!" Her wings flared out, and she scanned the area with narrowed eyes.

Sona, too, radiated power, magic swirling around her as she prepared to defend herself. 

Demiurge meanwhile was furious that someone had tried to kill "his Sona!" Whoever it was was going to BURN under his hellfire. He finally saw the perpetrator as they descended from the sky. 

A particularly ugly Fallen Angel with 10 black wings was cackling at them…

– Haru –

I stood out by Kuoh Academy's front gates, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. I glanced around at the small group I had with me. Tsubaki stood closest, fidgeting with her glasses. Akeno was off to the side, that usual playful smile on her face. And Alice lingered next to me, arms folded. She looked bored, but I could tell she was as curious as the rest of us about the arrival of these "legendary" cooks.

The first limo rolled up, sleek and black, followed by another, then another, until we had a small convoy lined up at the curb. That's when Tsubaki let out a little gasp.

"Oh my god," she whispered, pointing. "That old man is Senzaemon Nakiri, the current director of Totsuki Academy. Why is he here? They usually just send a couple of students to humiliate us, not the big boss himself."

I followed her gaze and immediately recognized the presence this guy had. He was an older man, tall and muscular for his age, with a stern face that suggested he didn't take shit from anyone. A handful of bodyguards followed him, but I barely noticed them once I saw the younger folks stepping out of the limos behind him. From how they held themselves, it was obvious they were chefs—or at least training to be. They each had that confidence I'd seen in serious cooks before.

As they approached, I locked eyes with them one by one, just to get a feel for what we were dealing with. To my amusement, I noticed them stiffen slightly, like they sensed they were in the presense of culinary greatness.

Even Senzaemon kept flicking his gaze my way, like he was sizing me up.

"Welcome to Kuoh Academy, Nakiri-sama." Tsubaki bowed politely, though she still looked a bit rattled. "We have multiple cooking stations set up for today's event. I see you've brought a larger group this time, but I should mention… We only have one cook on our side. Haru, from our college division."

Part of me was still shocked that she actually managed to pull this off in time. I even had a new student ID in my pocket and everything… Not that I would ever bother going to any classes after this. 

"Haru, huh?" Senzaemon rumbled, turning his attention fully on me. "So you're the one they've chosen to face my students?"

I gave him a small grin. "Nice to meet you. I promise I'll try not to crush your kids too badly."

Immediately, the younger group bristled.

One spiky-haired kid introduced himself as Sōma Yukihira, practically challenging me on the spot.

Another introduced herself as Alice Nakiri—apparently the old man's granddaughter—looking at me like she couldn't wait to show me up.

A shy-looking girl, Megumi Tadokoro, stood behind them, obviously determined to prove something despite her timid vibe.

The last was Erina Nakiri, who said she was here as a judge, not a competitor.

"Ara, they all seem pretty fired up, Haru," Akeno commented, stepping closer to me. She glanced at the Totsuki students with mild amusement.

"They're about to get wrecked," Alice said in a monotone, making the group glare in her direction. She just rolled her eyes.

"BOOOOOM!"

The ground shook slightly. That was worrying. Whatever that was…

I was about to signal for Tsubaki to lead everyone inside, but suddenly, a massive column of fire erupted from behind the academy. Every head turned in that direction.

"What the hell?" I muttered, recognizing the demonic signature right away. That was Demiurge's power. Why was he blowing shit up here? I quickly stretched my senses and felt the attacker—whoever it was—get flung a good couple kilometers away. I also sensed Sona, Rias, and Demiurge giving chase, each of them radiating serious anger.

"What was that?" Erina sputtered, jabbing her finger at the smoke curling into the sky.

Akeno cleared her throat loudly, stepping forward with a forced smile. She came up with a solid lie on the spot. "Ara, some of our students get a bit… enthusiastic with their after-school clubs. Looks like the fireworks club overdid it again, that's all." Her tone was so sweet it was almost suspicious.

I could tell none of the Totsuki folks believed her for a second—especially Senzaemon, who raised an eyebrow—but since there were no more explosions, they chose to let it slide.

"Right," Tsubaki said, clapping her hands in an effort to corral everyone. "Shall we head to the main building? We have a large kitchen set up specifically for the competition."

"Lead the way," Senzaemon said, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer before he signaled for his students to follow.

XXX

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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 317-321

The Blood Queen 34

The Fox Hole 55

The Fox Hole 54

The Titan 26

The Fox Hole 53

The Blood Queen 33

The Fox Hole 52

Thunder and Black Wings 9

The Fox Hole 51

The Titan 25