"FUHAHAHAHA! AHH!" Gundham Tanaka—the fierce, fearsome, furious Forbidden one, the Overlord of Ice—roared, bandaged arms high above his head. "YES! Tonight, tis the most glorious of Hellish holidays! A day of darkness and a night of necromancy! I and my four Dark Devas of Destruction shall wreak havoc and reign chaos upon this pathetic, mortal plane, and have a happy Hell-oween that—!"

"Mwahahahaha! Yes! We're gonna have so much scary fun tonight! And today!"

"What the—?!" Gundham choked on his speech, lowering his arms slightly as his closed eyes shot open in disbelief. "Who dares interrupt the—?! Oh. It is only you. Child." Wench. Witch. Demon. Devil. And not the kind the King of Hell deigns to have in his underwordly, otherworldly realm… The Ultimate Animal Breeder stared down his nose at the little girl staring up at him with wide, emerald eyes, framed in childish makeup painted to look like a… Zombie? Witch? Mummy? A zombie-witch-mummy?

"Grr raahh!" She curled her fingers into claws and gave him the scariest face she could, only a second later breaking character as she broke into a fit of laughter. The little gremlin standing before Gundham was little Miiko Takeshita, Ultimate Horror Enthusiast, and Gundham's underclassman by one year. Despite the fact that they shared no classes, somehow, a friendship formed between them (at least on Miiko's side).

ooo

Gundham stood outside of Hope's Peak Academy, tending to some of the animals kept on campus, be it for companionship or study. It was then that Miiko noticed him and the Four Dark Devas standing loyally at his heels.

"Ohhh! What cute lil hamsters! They're so cute! I love them!" She raced over to them without a care in the world or thought in her head.

"Nay! Child! Stand back! Lay not thy hand upon my most loyal and faithful equals! Lest you incur the wrath of—!" Gundham whipped around.

"Oooh, wow, Mister! You got really cool hair! It looks like ice cream!" she beamed, and his fury turned into disbelief. Before he could even make a sound, though, voice strangling in his throat, Miiko's smile suddenly changed into a look of concern. "Oh, my!"

Just when Gundham thought he'd properly stricken the fear of God into the heart of the impudent child, she reached out to him instead. "Did you hurt your arms, Mister? Or did the animals get you?" She didn't even bother waiting for an answer. "Here, let me help!" Then she skipped merrily on past him, leaving him to stand there in stunned silence, one eye twitching. Miiko, meanwhile, was focused on the grizzly bear Gundham had been taming. Angry at the disruption, the bear growled and raised a threatening paw, but Miiko only smiled blithely up at it.

"Henlo, there, friendo! Aren't you a big cutie?!" With no sense of preservation whatsoever, she reached out and scritchied the bear's chin. Mere seconds later, it was on its back in the grass, rolling around like the world's largest, happiest doggo.

Gundham's eye was still twitching, mouth agape. "What sort of sorcery…?"

And his disbelief turned into envy when Miiko finally remembered what she'd originally raced over for: the hamsters. A vein pulsed in Gundham's temple that she would dare call them "pets". Even more audacious, she wanted to pet them. The disrespect was simply unspeakable! But then Gundham was taken off guard once again as the Four Dark Devas raced towards him… then right past him, right into the waiting and open arms of smiley little Miiko Takeshita. She giggled and cuddled them, and they cuddled her right back. What sort of sorcery indeed?

And Miiko was always too stupid to take a hint. Even though, as she would tell Gundham later, she could speak to animals, she was terrible at reading social cues, namely, that Gundham wanted her to go away. Instead, she hung out with him whenever the fates were cruel enough for their paths to cross. In fact, in time, she even began wearing bandages around her arms just like him, and only because she wanted to be just like him. She'd genuinely come to see the funny-talking, ice-cream-haired man as her big bro. The Ultimate Animal Breeder was cool, and he liked animals, and he liked scary, horror stuff. What more could the little Ultimate Horror Enthusiast want?

"Oh, oh, oh! Also, also, did you know that me and my bestest friends of all—a band called Lyrical Lily—also called ourselves The Four Devas of Arisugawa? Lyrical Illy!" It was a misadventure involving their old school, the one they had before they transferred to Hope's Peak. A big bad band of bikers threatened the quiet, peaceful, isolated Catholic school, and Lyrical Lily were the only four brave enough to fight back.

There was Hell's Butterfly Miyu, Always Mad Haruna, Tricking Timebomb Kurumi, and Wicked Angel Miiko! The four good little schoolgirls had turned into four little delinquents and degenerates. Drawing upon that energy, Miiko practically glued herself to Gundham's side, and the rest was history. Oh, and the hamsters weren't the only ones who'd taken a shine to little Ms. Miiko Takeshita either…

ooo

"Oh, Gundham?" A familiar voice sing-songed. Despite himself, the smallest of smiles tugged at his lips. It was Princess Sonia Nevermind, his beloved lady and queen, his equal and fellow Mistress of Hell, as he was the Master. The moment he turned and saw what she was wearing, though, his smile changed back into a look of disbelief. She was dressed almost exactly like Miiko Takeshita, minus the mummy-like bandages. Ordinarily, he would've said she looked absolutely beautiful that way, but with Miiko dressed so similarly…

And standing beside Sonia was another beautiful young lady, though she was in Miiko's year rather than Gundham or Sonia's. It was Rei Togetsu, Ultimate Pianist. She was no Princess, but from the way she carried herself, and the size of her bank account, one could've easily been fooled. Contrast to Sonia, Rei was dressed as a four-winged angel, dress white with gold patterns decorating the dress.

"Oooh, Princess Sonia, you look so pretty! Like a pretty, pretty Princess! And you too, Rei! You look so… lovely!" She winked, quoting Rei's girlfriend's favorite word. Both girls thanked and complimented Miiko heartily, curtseying as well, their voices as similar as their decorum.

Then Sonia went on to explain her outfit in more detail. "I'm an assassinated Princess who came back from the dead to haunt her castle until the one who slew her can be executed so that she is avenged!"

Rei and Sonia may have been similar in voice and Princess sensibilities, but in many other ways, Miiko was the one Sonia was most similar to. They were both rich blonde girls whose kindness and cheer were rivaled only by their odd and intense fascination with the morbid and macabre.

"Speaking of, Ms. Takeshita, might I inquire you as to borrow your chainsaw again?" The Ultimate Princess asked the Ultimate Horror Enthusiast.

"B-but d-does a Princess usually carry a chainsaw?" Gundham demanded, a tiny spark of jealousy burning like Hellfire in his chest.

"Modern Princesses exist." Sonia shrugged, gesturing to herself.

Gundham nearly slapped his forehead at himself. Right. She was a Princess. And his classmate. Duh.

"Sure! I also have a large thing of blood in my dorm and you can use some of it as a prop!" The Ultimate Horror Enthusiast grinned.

"Real or fake?" Gundham snorted. Miiko only tilted her head and smiled sweetly up at him, touching her chin as if pondering the same question.

"I think Kurumi and Kokichi are gonna prank Taka and Haruna," she instead said. "It'll be at the murder mystery the Ultimate Detectives are doing!"

"Oh! That reminds me!" Looking and sounding exactly like Miiko, Sonia's face lit up as she clapped. "I believe that Nagisa and Mondo are leading the Halloween parade, and they've apparently re-designed and dressed up their motorcycles for the occasion!"

"Speaking of dressing up!" Miiko piped up, "Hiiro and Tsumugi helped me make these for the Four Dark Devas!" She whipped out four tiny Halloween costumes from her own, holding them out proudly to Gundham who reared back, raising an arm.

"Oh, how cute!" Sonia and Rei cried in unison, eyes closing as they brought their hands to their faces. At the same time, the four Devas poked their heads from Gunham's scarf and skittered down his arms. Begrudgingly, the Ultimate Animal Breeder held out the four hamster to Miiko, and they excitedly took and slipped on the tiny outfits she offered to them.

"CUUTTEE!" Now all three girls were squealing and Gundham was despairing.

What happened to my happy Hell-oween? It's meant to be a time of thrills and chills! Not frills and shrills! At least not the type Miiko, Rei, and Sonia were emitting."Will there be any other Halloween events?" he asked tightly, barely concealing his annoyance.

"Yes, actually," said Rei serenely. "Esora and I are hosting an autumnal tea ceremony and dinner party for those who do not wish to partake in the murder mystery. That is, provided Esora and Byakuya do not incur too many disagreements," she added with a grim, apologetic chuckle. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny and Ultimate Corporate Manager constantly competed and argued over who had the bigger, better, richer company.

The Ultimate Pianist personally never understood it, of the belief that they ought work together rather than apart, but nothing could sway her stubborn girlfriend (or said girlfriend's equally rich underclassman rival). Ah well, so long as it is all good fun! That is all that matters!

Miiko and Sonia were in agreement with Rei's unspoken wish, and eventually, poor Gundham Tanaka was forced to let the three overly-excited, overly-cheerful women drag him away. Happy Hell-oween indeed…