20 Magicule Moon
"I'm leaving Earth."
While clutching the bright authority in my hand, I firmly spoke the words I'd been meaning to say.
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"Leaving... well, you are an alien."
None of them were surprised. The fact that Snow was an extraterrestrial visitor never slipped their minds.
It was only natural that she would return to her home in the stars sooner or later.
"When will you leave?"
"Maybe in less than an hour."
""So soon?!""
The problem was that Snow was leaving a bit too fast.
"You didn't look like you were planning to leave any time now... when did you decide this?" Aiura sent a sharp and scrutinizing look, clearly suspicious.
Snow didn't notice and answered plainly.
"Around a minute or two ago—"
"Newbie! Are we so easy to abandon that you can just leave whenever you want?! What about our feelings?!"
Aiura cut her off before proceeding to scold the dumbfounded Snow White.
Kaidou and Toritsuka retreated to a corner of the room, unwilling to join in on the scolding but happy that Aiura was doing so.
'The alien is way too cruel!' They cried out the injustice in their hearts. After all, they were all friends here and went through a lot together, even when the time they spent was short.
Meanwhile, Snow felt odd about getting scolded by a person younger than him. But, taking into account her new appearance, it didn't look bizarre from an outsider's point of view.
It was the reason why Saiki's parents recommended that Snow White attend high school as she looked young enough to do so.
During the scolding, Saiki teleported into the room but kept his mouth shut after observing. Near the end of the scolding, he disappeared before reappearing with his parents in tow.
""Snow-chan! Don't leave yet!!!""
They proceeded to swarm Snow and practically begged her to stay a little longer.
Snow White, with a stiff expression, relented. "Okay, okay, I give. I'll stay for three more days."
""Alright!""
But those three days, filled with fond and lackadaisical memories, quickly passed by.
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{I didn't do it because I wanted to. My parents would've been sad, and I just wanted to annoy you by delaying you is all.}
"Whatever you say."
{Shut up. Just leave already.}
In the next moment, Saiki disappeared into some secluded corner of the world, probably his high-school men's bathroom stall, leaving behind the solitary Snow.
Saiki was the last to send her off, and now she was alone in the Saiki Household.
Kuniharu had work, while Kurumi went shopping for groceries to replace the ones that mostly went to Snow's stomach.
The psychics had school, and so did Saiki, but unlike everyone else, he can silently teleport home during break times.
But, by the time his next break came, Snow would be gone.
*Meow*
From a corner of the room, a little white cat was laying on the floor.
Warp: A devilish, devious, and deadly device developed by a demonic dude desiring definite dominance despite developing a decade's worth of dissatisfaction. (Kusuke is down bad for defeats from dear Saiki)
Fortunately, Warp hasn't bothered her since its surprise attack. The little robot probably sensed the difference in power levels between it and Snow White...
Snow stuck out her tounge.
'See ya hopefully never, bloodsucker!'
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"Okay... am I forgetting something..."
Snow rubbed her chin in contemplation. She stopped, feeling the lack of a stubble, and because she thought of an issue.
"My sculptures! I haven't made one in the last few days."
There would always be a person or two around Snow at all times, so she didn't get out much without another person's company. There wasn't much to see in Saiki's training spot so Snow didn't visit and screw around. Apart from the sculptures, the training spot was pretty boring. The shows on air like Cyborg Cider-man and other stuff like it were pretty interesting in comparison...
It's safe to say that she binge-watched quite a number of things.
"What should I make next..." While muttering those words, Snow disappeared from the house.
And when she took in the view of the wasteland, her eyes widened, followed by a shriek.
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"MY SCULPTURES!!! WHO DID THIS?!?!"
The extraordinary monument of a Gundam was gone, replaced by a pile of rocks.
The fearsome Kurama with his lifelike nine tails was gone, replaced by a pile of rocks.
The inconspicuous truck and Steve, who were side by side, were both replaced by a pile of rocks.
The trio of Ice Mammoths that were not made of rocks, replaced by a small puddle of muddy water.
And finally, the majestic Godzilla Earth that towered over most man-made structures, was replaced by a large pile of rocks.
They were destroyed, practically murdered in cold blood!
Who could have done this?
'Saiki? He could do it, but with my good behavior over the last few days and his personality, he wouldn't dare do it.
'But this is definitely not natural... they were made pretty sturdily and were basically fancy boulders! They aren't that easy to break!'
I looked around and saw damage present all over the wasteland. Interconnected fractures, deep ravines, contours that have never existed... it was almost like an earthquake—
Earthquake!
The volcanic eruption! And!
'Dark Reunion!'
'You complete asses!'
No wonder Kaidou from the anime always blamed Dark Reunion for everything.
Because it's true!
Stupid energy pillar and everything else.
"Heeeee... Hooooo..." Deep breaths. Deeper breaths.
"Dark Reunion is gone. I did it. I've already avenged them..."
I snapped my fingers, and time began to reverse in the training spot. The pile of rocks flew into the air and assumed their original forms. Similarly, the damage in the surroundings healed before vanishing completely.
Everything returned to how it should be.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel motivated to make any more sculptures.
I discovered a problem.
'It's only a matter of time until they get destroyed again. The Ice Mammoths are melting from the heat already!'
Despite being made from sturdy rock, sturdy did not mean indestructible. Hidden organization or not, my sculptures are bound to be destroyed in due time.
'I only have one Authority with me, and when I use it, I won't have another to return and fix my sculptures with.
'Returning with my powers alone might cause another disaster. I don't want to bother Saiki any longer either...'
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I took in the emptiness of the landscape as I looked about. There was nothing except dirt and rocks, apart from my sculptures.
It was deserted—The very definition of the middle of nowhere.
Still, I heard the thoughts of the creatures who called this place home. Whether they be faraway birds, underground bugs, or something microscopical, no matter their size, their innermost voices blare like sirens in my head.
'Those guys might ruin my sculptures, one way or another...' They were my first sculptures, so I've grown quite attached to them.
I tilted my head to the clear sky, facing towards the direction of the radiant sun. The sun wasn't my target however, but the lunar satellite beside it.
There it was, outshined and almost invisible to the normal eye: The moon that only shines in the dead of the night.
The moon was the only place that was dead silent, unlike the noisy Earth filled with the thoughts of the living. The dead were rowdy as well, now that I think about it.
And it was cold too, I think. I'm just assuming that it is. It looks cold, so it must be so. Outer space is cold, and the moon is in outer space, so the moon is cold. Let's just check when we get there.
Anyway, why the focus on the moon, you ask?
It's the perfect place to store my sculptures.
No one will find my babies there (for now). There are no earthquakes there too. Well, I doubt that it has volcanoes.
I asked the System to store my sculptures in my inventory.
With a snap of a finger, a distortion in the space appeared in front of me. I sauntered into it without much thought.
Then the changes made themselves apparent. The air became colder, darker, and suffocating. The land was rocky still but noticeably paler in color.
Lifeless.
I arrived on the moon.
"The moon truly matches my requirements." I dunno how I was talking, but I was. I can breathe normally too. Body perks, I guess.
I tilted my head upwards. The Earth had replaced the moon. In the dark void, the blue planet shone the brightest out of all the stars.
"This is a good enough spot as any." I decided to place them here, feeling the chill in the otherwise non-existent air. "My ice mammoths won't melt anymore!"
Before setting my sculptures down, a faint crackle resounded from behind me.
My heels quickly spun around, coming face to face with a distortion in the air. It warped the scene behind it, but there was an anomaly inside the chaotic, spatial mess.
I dispelled the spatial gateway I created. The dark portals of Black Beat were pretty cool, so I remade them through TheFabric.
The oddity behind it was revealed.
There was a robot there, leaving behind tracks on the chalk-like land as it drew near. Lenses of different sizes decorated its odd body, undoubtedly cameras.
And they all zoomed in, right at my face.
"Just. My. Luck."
'I didn't see this bad boy. I wasn't even looking! Robots don't have thoughts I can hear through Telepathy! I forgot that humans can send robots practically anywhere these days.
'The moon is pretty big too, but I just managed to bump into NASA's school project.
'Time to disappear, unfortunate soul...'
"A monkey? No... Snow-chan, is that you? Haha, it is you!" I was about to toss the robot with Psychokinesis to the sun when it suddenly spoke.
Apparently, I know a robot? Robots on the moon can speak too? Must be some kind of radio.
"It's me, Snow-chan! Oh wait, we've never formally met. You were sleeping when I first saw you. Oh, I gave you your name too. Do you like it?" This talking robot has a familiar voice. There was something about its playfulness that made me... wary.
"Wanna guess what my name is? I'll give you a clue: It starts with a Sa, and an i, and a ki."
"Saiki... Kusuke." I guessed.
"Wow! You're really good at this! I knew you were special."
The robot focused its many cameras once more. Somehow, I felt his gaze on me through those cameras, like looking at a delicious piece of meat.
No, not in that way, perv.
Seriously though, this guy wants to dissect me. Saiki told me about it. He wasn't joking...
"Say, I heard that you will leave soon. Why don't you visit my lab for a quick chat before you go." The robot, or at least, Kusuke said.
"Nah, I'm good."
I am not going near this guy.
"That's fine by me. Chatting like this is just fine."
Never stopping, the robot took its sweet time approaching. Dangerous wasn't a word that described the robot, judging by its appearance alone.
"...It's kinda cute." Cute, like Warp, so I'm 99.9% sure it's dangerous.
To normal people that is.
'Eh, the hunk of metal can't do anything to me.' Ignore it...
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"Oooooh, did you make those yourself? Snow-chan, you're extremely talented. I should stop calling you a monkey since you clearly aren't one..."
Carefully, I placed my sculptures on the uneven ground.
When the first sculpture appeared from thin air, the little robot stopped in its tracks, simply taking the opportunity to watch what I was doing from a distance.
"Although, the Godzilla is way too big. But I'm still proud of you Snow-chan, you didn't make the 1998 version," he said. "You have good taste!"
"I've heard of those words before... you two really are brothers. And done!" With a thump, the last sculpture dropped to the ground.
The sculptures greatly contrasted the white landscape and the black, non-existent sky. They brought color to this lonesome place.
"Hmm... maybe if I make my own Godzilla, I can beat Kusuo for once. Ah, did I say that out loud?" Kusuke said something pretty serious. If it's him, he might really succeed.
"Please don't do that—"
After hearing a noise, I hastily moved sideways.
Without warning, an object heavily crashed on the spot I previously stood on. The resulting shockwave sent me flying along with chunks of lunar rock.
It felt weirder than usual, falling in the air, perhaps due to the weaker gravity on the moon.
With a twist of my body, I faced the impact site and sighted a missile embedded deep into the ground. It never left my sight, even at the cost of landing head-first.
'Didn't hurt at all.' I'm durable so it's fine.
After an audible click, its cylindrical body revealed multiple hollow openings.
A misty, yellow gas crept across the lunar floor. First, it reached my feet, then my nose, followed by a strange feeling of lightheadedness.
Nothing happened after that.
"What a shame. It didn't work." Kusuke's metallic voice whispered.
Kusuke's robot was a distance farther from its original position, leaning on my truck sculpture.
The truck was missing one of its side mirrors and suffering from a shattered door.
'I understand now why Saiki avoided him like the plague.'
I glared at the robot.
"Oops, did I say that out loud? That wasn't meeeee—" *YEET*
There's no point in keeping unwanted company.
Flying at a speed greater than sound, the robot hurtled to the center of the solar system, towards the sun.
"Good riddance."
Time reversal was as easy as breathing, repairing the mirror and shattered door.
The missile was tossed to the sun as well, but it did make me realize something.
"There are craters in the moon for a reason..."
I can remember, the first time I gazed upon the night sky with new eyes. The view was similar to what I can see now.
There was a meteor too. It hit the moon, just like how I crashed into Earth.
'Who's to say that one of them wouldn't hit my precious sculptures?
'Kusuke can even shoot missiles and tried to gas me. He could shoot explosive missiles to blow my things up since I tossed his little robot away.'
The moon wasn't safe anymore.
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"Hmm."
No authorities to come back with. I can get more by repeating quests, but that's boring and I'll run out anyway.
No Protogenoi-K to protect my sculptures or return to them. I can't possibly maintain TheRefuge from a universe away, or not cause another meteor strike. Not all anime worlds have a Saiki Kusuo character that can stop me. I'm not that strong yet to travel without passing out and doing who knows what either.
No P.S.I. for similar reasons, and because its time and space powers are inferior to Protogenoi-K.
Black Beat? I haven't even used it that extensively. It's the same with "Dark" Magic. I haven't screwed around with them enough.
Parkour, Voice Mastery, Tai Chi, Torment... useless.
Ultimate Dominion? Well, since Magicules are magical, I could maybe enchant my sculptures with something like Unbreaking III. Problem is, it's pretty toxic to living beings and can cause mutations—
"Ah." I realized something.
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"Toxic to living beings..."
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The moon is... quite lovely tonight. What were its qualities again?
Colder, darker, paler...
And lifeless.
The qualities that the moon possesses are truly perfect.
Life doesn't exist on the moon.
Telepathy has been radio silent in this place. There really is no life. Not even a single microorganism. No bacteria screamed, "Binary Fission! Binary Fission!"
So, doesn't that mean that technically Magicules are safe to use?
YES! YES! YES! YES!
Looks like we've got ourselves our answer.
"System, stop absorbing the magicules I generate." I commanded the System.
[Notice]
[The quality and quantity of the magicules produced by the skill, "Magicules Breeder Reactor", has tremendously increased due to the Omniversal Body's adaptability]
[With the Omniversal Body's limitless potential to hold an unquantifiable amount of indefinable, yet ultimately exceptional energy, the Magicules generated have become...]
[...]
[...Pure and Unending]
[Reconfirmation is required]
Sounds concerning. Good thing I'm on the moon where concerns can be ignored!
"Yeah, stop the absorption. Although, help me rein them in for a bit since I need to practice controlling them. From what you've said, it sounds stronger."
[Affirmative]
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I felt it, an unnatural yet familiar energy flooded my entire body.
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It just kept coming, and it felt like it would overfill.
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Like a man that's eaten too much, ready to explode.
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Like that one time I ate three tubs of Cookies and Creme ice cream as a normal person.
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It tasted so good, I did it again the next day.
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I was pretty stupid. Probably still am. A rise in stats won't fix that.
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But I never reached it. My limit.
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There was a feeling of fullness, but that was it. I was far from full.
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I can "eat" more.
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[Notice]
Magicules Breeder Reactor Skill |Rank: XIII--> XIV|
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More.
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[Notice]
Magicules Breeder Reactor Skill |Rank: XIV--> XV|
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The magicules became more filling, and they appeared at a rate like never before.
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[Notice]
Magicules Breeder Reactor Skill |Rank: XV--> XVI|
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Doing the same thing over and over. Functioning exactly as its name implied, but better every time.
Is this the power of my body?
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[Notice]
Magicules Breeder Reactor Skill |Rank: XVI--> XVII|
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I was nowhere near full. But I didn't need to be. This much should be enough, right?
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[More than necessary]
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That's good.
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I approached the Kurama sculpture. Bending my knees ever so slightly, I leaped up from the ground and landed on his nose.
On top of him, I pointed my finger at the sculpture.
"Don't mess up, don't mess up..."
From the tip of my finger, an absurdly bright light emerged, enough to make me flinch.
It dimmed down as my eyes adjusted accordingly, and I saw the source of it.
An azure, glowing droplet clinging to my skin, seemingly holding on for dear life. The droplet, although tiny, contained an unbelievable amount of Magicules—more than anything I've ever handled.
So I mean it when I say it.
"Don't mess up, don't mess up, don't mess up..."
The magical droplet fell. Slowly. Slow enough that a baby could catch it.
It splashed against the hard rock and seeped in.
Starting from the nose, the reddish Kurama turned a deep blue.
Quickly, the fragile sculpture was coated with a nigh-indestructible layer of my Magicules.
To test it, I knocked my hand against it, producing a dull thump.
"Sturdy..." I appraised. I did have high stats after all.
To make sure, I aimed at the tip of Blue Kurama's nose and, without holding back, threw a deadly punch.
*Thump*
No louder than the last, the thump resounded with the whistling, blowing wind. Lunar dust rose, disturbed by my show of force.
My posture-perfect strike that would have surely made CG (Convenience Guy) proud was stopped just like that.
"Phew. Well, that was easy."
Since I deserved it, I made a clone using Bilocation and patted myself on the back.
"Now, I just need to do it a few more times."
The clone, who has my P.S.I. powers and stats but nothing else, brought the other sculptures to me. As thanks, I gave her a coffee jelly, and when she ate it in two chomps, I dispelled her.
"Damn. I'm cute. Almost made me want to let her be." Obviously, I didn't. She might be evil. I doubt it, but you never know.
[The clone was not evil]
"Maybe next time then."
With a better understanding of the magicule enchantment process, I decided to enchant all the sculptures simultaneously.
"Let's make sure that they absolutely do not break while I'm gone..."
Through my will, the magicules invaded the bleakness that is the moon. Within the span of a breath, clouds formed overhead, illuminating the darkness like dazzling, cosmic stardust.
On the surface of the moon, it began to drizzle with radiant azure rain.
The moon eclipsed the sun for the first time.
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[Notice]
Ultimate Dominion Skill |Rank: XII --› XV|
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"Done!"
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[Notice]
Combat Mastery Skill |Rank: S --› SSS|
I may have had too much fun punching the sculptures. It feels good to hit things. I don't really get why but it just does.
Anyway, time to go.
Carefully, I held the glowing Authority in my hand. Feeling nervous, I thought about my wish.
[Notice]
[If it helps, please remember the words of Truck-Sama regarding the usage of Authorities]
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«[Notice]:
[If you, Elias Williams, want to get the best possible result through your wish, then you must be very specific about your wish]»
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A memory automatically played inside my head. It was of the other Elias Williams, right before he started wishing if I remember correctly.
Huh. I can't believe that my own name, Elias Williams, would sound so odd to me.
"Thanks for the reminder, System." I passed my thanks to the one and only homie.
"Hmmmmmm... for Minoru, I said, 'I wish for this dude in front of me to get sent to another world where he can be stronger.'
"Maybe I should've added a few more words there. Be more specific in my wish... alright let's do this!"
While clutching the glowing Authority in my hand, I wished with growing anticipation.
"I wish to go to a world with the most delicious food in the Omniverse!" I looked around warily, waiting for a truck to hit me or something.
Nothing happened.
"Was that too much?"
The Authority is only of the Triad rank after all.
Lemme try again.
"I wish to go to a world I haven't visited yet with the most delicious food!"
As soon as I shouted my wish on the desolate moon, I heard the beeping of a horn.
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[Notice]
<LUCK> |Rank: SS —> XVI|
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Uhh... what?
What does my Luck have to do with anything—
*BEEEEEEEEP*
Everything went pink.
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It was his sixth bowl of fried rice, yet he gobbled it up just as quickly.
"Can I get, uhh, sevenths?" The man smiled as he pushed aside the empty bowl, sliding it towards an adolescent boy. The white in his hair displayed his age, different from the youthfulness of his messy eating.
"I should have expected this..." The boy tugged the white headband on his wrist before wrapping it around his head in a practiced motion.
The old man watched the boy pick up the empty bowl and head to the kitchen. "Thanks, little Yukihira."
"Don't worry about it, old man. We'll get rich if you keep eating this much everyday!"
"Only if your dad cooks. His cooking is better."
"Don't worry. I'll beat him one day." Yukihira, the adolescent boy with spiky, dark-red hair, took the old man's words with a grain of salt.
Why would he eat so much of Yukihira's food if he didn't like his cooking? The better question would be, "How can that old geezer still eat more?"
Still, it was true that Yukihira was lacking compared to his father.
He's working on it...
While Yukihira cooked an extra three servings of the special fried rice because one definitely wasn't enough to fill the old and gluttonous customer, the old man heard a crisp and piercing crackle beyond the restaurant walls.
Yukihira continued cooking despite the noise, something that the old man noticed.
"A visitor... one of mine?" he muttered in surprise.
Curious, he followed its source, looking at the door entrance. He squinted, and the door seemed to disappear, displaying the empty residential street outside.
The sun was out, casting its light upon rows of quiet houses. It was an ordinary scene to come across.
There was a peculiarity, however. A pitch-black streak etched itself into the middle of the street, slowly stretching to the size of a house.
"Well, this is a first." The old man raised his brows.
Indeed it was. From the black, spatial streak, a masked figure came hurtling out and crashed against the road.
The masked person rolled and rolled, only stopping when they hit an obstacle—the door to the restaurant.
*Bump*
"A customer?" Yukihira had just finished the seventh/eight/ninth batch of fried rice when he heard the noise, so he served it first before heading to the door.
He pulled it open. "Welcome to the Yukihira Restaurant—wot."
Yukihira saw the person lying on the floor, and the person looked at him through the gaps in their kitsune mask.
"...Do you want to come in, dear customer?" Yukihira wore a stiff expression. This person was weird, lying on the floor for some odd reason. Nevertheless, he managed to invite them in.
The old man had yet to eat the food in front of him. Instead, he examined the newcomer.
"It's a bit different, but..." He softly murmured. An image of two bodies appeared in his head—the consequence of his most recent invention.
[Indeed]
[It is "him"]
"It was quite obvious, but thank you for the input." The old man replied to the voice in his head. With the voice's confirmation, there could be no mistake.
He began to gobble down the food once more, an unmistakable grin on his face as he did so. Was the food that delicious, or another matter entirely?
Locks of faded red hair accompanied by streaks of white prickled his face, swaying with his every hoggish action.
The masked figure took notice of the old man's lack of table manners, and most importantly, the food that caused it.
"Can I have the same thing that he's having?" They said, scratching their cheek as they did. At least, where it would have been if it weren't for the mask covering their face. (A/N: English doesn't have gender-neutral words. Oof.)
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(A/N: Next chapter coming out later or tomorrow.)