“Sorry! It was my fault!”
“Apologies. I’m terribly sorry for interrupting your meal.”

At this moment, the two whirlwind spirits—Yamai Kaguya and Yamai Yuzuru—who humans fearfully call berserk, were kneeling on the ground, their bodies smoking, performing what is known as a “dogeza” bow, sincerely apologizing to Mengyue.

At first, the two Yamai spirits were quite angry after being struck down by lightning. After all, anyone would be furious if suddenly attacked without warning. Even though they were spirits, weren’t they allowed to be angry too? Honestly, in terms of combat ability, the Yamais were confident they wouldn’t lose to any other spirit.

However, when they sensed the overwhelming rage of Liangyi Mengyue—like a wrathful Buddhist statue come to life—their anger vanished instantly. Sharing a look, they wisely and almost instinctively decided to submit.

“Phew… it’s fine… as long as you know you were wrong.”

Since the other party had sincerely apologized and it wasn’t intentional, Mengyue decided not to dwell on it.

But… my lunch!

The originally tender and juicy bear paw was now covered with a layer of sticky mud, exuding the pungent, earthy smell unique to North American soil. Not even a dog would probably eat it now, let alone a human. The thought of the meal she had painstakingly prepared being ruined filled Mengyue with sorrow, and she fought to keep a single tear from forming in her eye.

Seeing Mengyue tear up over the ruined roasted meat, Yuzuru and Kaguya felt a twinge of guilt.

“Yuzuru… do you think we overdid it this time?”
“Indeed. We were wrong this time.”
“Shall I… make another plate of roasted meat as compensation?”
“Rejected. That would only make them angrier.”

Yuzuru’s words caused Kaguya to bristle with indignation.

“W-What! What do you mean by that? Are you saying my cooking is bad?”
“Absolutely. Eating Kaguya’s cooking would knock someone out until the next day.”

Yuzuru said this with a perfectly serious expression, which only made Kaguya grit her teeth further.

“Hmph. I didn’t expect your insight to be so shallow. My cooking would be so delicious that no one could stop eating.”
“Proposal. If that’s the case, it’s better if Yuzuru makes the dish as compensation.”
“Throat~ Do you think your cooking can surpass mine?”
“Without a doubt. That is a fact.”

Before long, the two of them were standing, heads butting against each other, glaring fiercely as they began a head-to-head struggle.

“Hmph hmph, interesting. Since that’s the case, let’s settle this with a roasted meat competition. Let’s see who truly deserves the name ‘Yamai.’”

Kaguya smiled provocatively, issuing a challenge to Yuzuru.
“I accept. I, Yuzuru, will win this battle.”

And so, the Yamai Spirit Cup – Who is the True Yamai? 50th Annual Roasted Meat Showdown began!

“But if we’re going to do this, we’ll need a witness to determine who is better.”
“Agreed. A neutral location is needed to ensure fairness.”

At this, their gaze immediately shifted to the kneeling Mengyue…

---

“Hey, pull yourself together.”

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Mengyue looked up and saw Kaguya and Yuzuru calling her.

From her angle, she could see their almost entirely strap-and-chain-based revealing restraint outfits, showing pale skin and cleavage…

“Waaaahhh!” Mengyue’s face flushed, and she shoved herself aside in embarrassment.

“What’s wrong with you?”
“Question. Did something happen?”
“Ah, cough cough! Nothing, I just got startled when someone patted my shoulder.”

After a couple of coughs, she pretended nothing happened. She was glad she was a girl; otherwise, a boy would have been laughed at for reacting like that. Something feels off though…

“Um… so, berserk. Is there still something you need?”

“Hey! What’s with that strange name? I’m the noble and mysterious Hurricane Priestess, Yamai Kaguya!”
“Correction. Yuzuru’s name is Yamai Yuzuru.”

Hearing their slight corrections, Mengyue finally realized that berserk was just a human-assigned code name—not their real names.

“Sorry. My name is Liangyi Mengyue. Just call me Mengyue. And since you share the same surname, I’ll just call you Yuzuru and Kaguya, okay?”

“Agreed. For being of the same kind, you may address me by name.”
“Agreed. Mengyue may call me Yuzuru.”

After exchanging names, Kaguya chuckled and dramatically said in her usual over-the-top style:

“For accidentally involving you in our holy war, I apologize. I shall now showcase my unparalleled cooking skills. You must accept it with gratitude!”

Well, talking to someone with chuunibyou tendencies requires a certain level of skill.

“Explanation. As compensation for destroying lunch, Yuzuru and Kaguya will cook lunch for Mengyue.”

That was simpler, although the phrasing was a little odd.

“Alright then. I shall humbly accept.”

Even though they were spirits, being served a meal by girls like this was a rare treat.

Hearing Mengyue agree, Kaguya seriously said:

“Mengyue, I have a request. We hope you can act as the judge to determine whose dish is superior.”

“Eh? Why me?”
“Request. This is Yuzuru and Kaguya’s wish to determine the winner.”

“Well, I don’t really mind.”

Although a little puzzled, seeing their insistence, Mengyue agreed.

“Hmph~ Just wait, Yuzuru. My cooking will leave Mengyue praising it endlessly.”
“Objection. Mengyue will ultimately choose Yuzuru’s dish!”

The two continued their verbal sparring before taking off like whirlwinds, leaving to gather ingredients. Given the lack of anything nearby except a pine forest, Mengyue guessed they were likely heading to another continent.

While unsure exactly where, Mengyue figured it would take some time for them to return.

Looking up at the sky, she leaned against a bent tree trunk, took out her tablet, wiped off some water stains, and turned it on. Might as well catch up on some shows while waiting.

Thirty minutes later…

“Yo! Mengyue, aren’t you eager for my dish?”

Even before arriving, Kaguya’s exaggerated chuunibyou tone reached her ears.

Mengyue put away her tablet and smiled:
“If it’s truly as you claim, I’m really looking forward to it.”

But when Kaguya landed, Mengyue was left speechless.

A massive body, muscular build, orange and white fur, black stripes connecting into a ‘王’ character on its forehead… a Siberian tiger, carnivorous and ferocious, native to the forests of northeast China. The forest king seemed unable to withstand Kaguya’s supersonic speed and had collapsed halfway.

“Hmph, with top-tier ingredients and my seemingly divine cooking skills, victory is undoubtedly mine.” Kaguya laughed triumphantly, confident of winning.

Though her cooking skills remained unseen, her raw strength was undeniable.

“Ha, maybe…” Mengyue could only force a smile.

“By the way, Mengyue, has Yuzuru returned yet?”
“No, you arrived first. She’ll be back later. You go ahead and start cooking.”

Though she couldn’t guess what Kaguya intended to cook, Mengyue obeyed.

“Hmm… I see…” Curiously, Kaguya didn’t rush to cook the near-dead tiger. After some thought, she spoke seriously:

“Mengyue, I have a favor to ask.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Mengyue noticed something odd first:
“Did your tone just change?”

“Ah!” Kaguya looked like she had slipped up, then quickly tried to act casual, coughing and striking a dramatic pose.

“Hmph… have you been deceived by my ridiculous acting? You dance in my palm even more absurdly.”
“…”

“Who are you with that look? I didn’t force anything at all!”
“Your tone changed again.”

“Uh…” Kaguya looked stunned, then sighed and muttered softly.

“…Well. You see, we are spirits, right? Isn’t that super awesome? So we need a certain presence and dignity—it’s necessary, isn’t it?”

“Uh… maybe.”

Mengyue’s lips twitched slightly. She recalled her own embarrassing middle school habits—speaking in that tone back then would have been mortifying.

“So… what is it you want to discuss?”

If she kept dwelling on it, the conversation might drag on all evening. Mengyue returned to the topic of the Yamai cooking showdown.

“You see… we’re going to have a cooking competition, right? And you’ll be the judge?”

“Yes… oh, I see!”

This was like a backroom negotiation, often done to sway judges for personal gain. Even if it was just a cooking contest, Mengyue disliked such tactics. True skill should determine the winner.

Just as she prepared to refuse sternly, Kaguya surprised her:

“Mengyue, I want you to make Yuzuru the winner.”

“Eh?”

Kaguya proudly patted her chest:
“It’s nothing weird. Though my cooking is top-tier, Yuzuru’s roasted meat is exquisite. Her taste alone is irresistible. And she’s so cute, with a large chest. There’s no reason not to pick her, right?”

“No! The latter has nothing to do with cooking!” Mengyue interjected calmly.

“In short, you must make Yuzuru win! Otherwise, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth.”

Girl, your previous words could easily be misinterpreted by boys… and I’m a girl! Mengyue felt her heart ache.

With that, Kaguya ran off with the half-dead Siberian tiger to another part of the forest, not wanting anyone to see her cooking.

“Kaguya and Yuzuru actually get along quite well.”

Mengyue, unaware of the details, merely assumed Kaguya was showing affection toward Yuzuru.

“Landing. Mengyue, Yuzuru is back. Get ready to work.”

A gust of wind blew behind her, and upon hearing the calm voice, Mengyue knew immediately who it was.

“Yo, Yuzuru. Welcome… back…”

Halfway through, her tongue felt tied in knots.

“Question. Any issues?” Yuzuru seemed puzzled, tilting her head adorably.

“N… no?”

Mengyue realized that maintaining even a slight smile was a miracle.

She now knew for sure: Kaguya’s claim about Yuzuru’s ‘top-notch cooking skills’ was a blatant lie.

Why?

Just look at the enormous, hopping creature Yuzuru was dragging along. Who even cooks with a great white shark?!