Chapter Three: A Dangerous Invitation
3-1
Ever since we burst into the classroom in such an explosive manner, we instantly became the center of attention in our class.
As soon as class ended, a crowd surrounded us: "Are you guys ninjas?!"
"That's so cool!"
"You actually jumped from the first floor to the fifth floor!?"
At that moment, a pair of jealous eyes shot daggers at us: "Damn it, they're even more attention-grabbing than me!"
We realized it was a girl who looked glaring at us.
Whatever, doesn't matter, what are you gonna do about it!?
Basically, we had hardly any interaction with the Powerpuff Girls at school today.
The day ended uneventfully... or so it should have...
Just as we were packing up our bags and getting ready to leave school, suddenly, two girls approached us.
The girl with long black hair and a taller stature spoke first, "Um... Nice to meet you, Shirakawa, Midou, and Kusama. I'm Hanayo Nakameguro. "
The other girl, with short, delicate hair, continued, "I'm Fumika Himonya!"
I cautiously asked, "Yes?"
Hanayo said, "You're really lucky! Himeko wants us to tell you three that she's organizing a welcome party for you!"
Kagami's eyes lit up, "A welcome party! Is there food?!"
Fumika replied, "Of course! There will be a sumptuous feast that will surely be unforgettable for you!"
Shigeru casually knocked Kagami on the head, "You glutton!"
It was almost dinner time, and our stomachs were starting to protest: "Gurgle..."
"Alright, our stomachs are growling too." Hearing about a free feast, we three naturally couldn't refuse the invitation!
Just as Miyako stepped out of the classroom, she overheard the malicious laughter of Hanayo and Fumika.
"The last person invited to Himeko's welcome party didn't last long before transferring out~"
"Hehe~ Poor thing~ You shouldn't have stolen Himeko's limelight. Himeko won't allow anyone to be more attention-grabbing than her~ Haha~"
Fumika smirked, "Let's report this to Himeko right away~"
Hanayo chimed in, "That way, we can also get the Chanel handbags promised to us~"
So the two of them laughed and left the now-empty classroom.
Miyako furrowed her brows and immediately took out her compact powder box from her waist to contact Momoko and Kaoru, "Momoko, Kaoru, listen to me... Himeko, she..."
Miyako's tone grew serious, "Just to be safe, we should follow them. Who knows what Himeko might do to them?!"
Momoko sighed and held her head, "There's no other choice, we'll just have to go with them."
Kaoru retorted, "Actually, you just want to eat too because you heard there's good food, right?"
Momoko playfully stuck out her tongue, "Busted."
But then her expression turned serious again, "If they really get into trouble, we'll also get scolded by Ms Bellum!"
3-2
"Why are you guys here too?" I looked at the girls in front of me, a bit puzzled.
"We came because we were worried about you guys! At least say thank you!"Kaoru said with some anger.
Shigeru also asked in confusion, "Huh? Worried about us?"
"It's like this..." Miyako explained to us what she had overheard from Hanayo and Fumika's conversation.
"I see! So this is like a 'trap party' situation?" Kagami said, seeming to understand.
Momoko sighed, "Seriously, you guys are way too naive! Accepting invitations from strangers like that!"
"I wonder how she's going to welcome us?!" I suddenly found the situation intriguing.
While the six of us were chatting, a butler appeared in front of us, guiding us into the mansion. "Please follow me!"
So the six of us entered the opulent mansion of the Shirogane family.
Momoko sighed, "Even after coming here a few times, I still think this luxury is too excessive."
Kaoru deeply felt the gap between the rich and the poor, and agreed with Momoko's sentiment, "This house is way too big!"
We were led into a grand and luxurious living room, where the butler bowed to us.
"I'll take my leave then," and then he closed the door behind him.
I plopped down on the sofa, unabashedly helped myself to the tea on the coffee table, and then I realized something.
I hadn't noticed before, but Miyako and Kagami hadn't followed us.
I furrowed my brow, "Where did those two go?"
Momoko also frowned, "Himeko's house is huge, it's easy to get lost."
Momoko and I sighed in unison, "There's no other way, Shigeru (Kaoru), you stay here, I'll go find him (her)!" "..." Momoko and I looked at each other, and Momoko stuck out her tongue at me, "Don't imitate me!"'
I gave her a sidelong glance, "We'll talk later, I have a bad feeling!"
With that, Momoko and I dashed out of the living room, leaving Shigeru and Kaoru behind.
Sitting in the monitoring room, Himeko Shirogane stared at the surveillance screen. A white Persian cat lazily sat on her lap. Himeko, thinking about how the limelight was stolen by those three new transfer students, felt her displeasure gradually brewing, causing her to grip the cat's tail tightly.
"Meow!" The Sapphire let out a mournful cry as its tail was yanked in pain. Hearing the sound, Himeko's hair changed, transforming into Princess Morbucks.
The Princess Morbucks let out a loud, manic laughter, "Hehe... just wait and see... the show is about to begin...!"
"What a beautiful jewel..."
"Such exquisite katana..."
Miyako and Kagami were deeply captivated by the gems and Japanese swords hanging on the walls on either side, expressing genuine admiration from the depths of their hearts.
Only then did they realize they had been left behind.
"Ah...? Yuzuhiko, Shigeru? Where did you guys go?"
"Momoko, Kaoru? Where are you?"
"..." The two fell silent for a moment, Miyako smiled bitterly, "Looks like we've gotten lost..."
Kagami also chuckled, "Seems like it..."
"..."
"Whoa!" Without warning, the floor beneath them gave way, and they fell straight down!
After a while...
"Ouch... that hurts..." Miyako sat on the floor, fortunately uninjured.
Kagami asked with concern, "Are you okay, Gotokuji?" as he reached out to help her up.
Miyako smiled and replied, "Thank you, Midou, and just call me Miyako."
Kagami also smiled back, "Then please call me by my name too."
Miyako looked up at the ceiling, estimating it to be at least two to three stories high. Falling from such a height without injury was indeed fortunate.
Kagami's expression turned serious, "It seems like we've fallen into a trap!"
Miyako looked anxious, "Himeko, what does she want to do to us...?!"
At that moment, they heard the sound of rushing water, and water began to accumulate at their feet. The water level rose steadily, showing no signs of slowing down. Soon, the water had risen to their waist.
Miyako's face turned pale, "Could it be...?" She couldn't believe what she was thinking. This prank was going too far!
Kagami gritted his teeth, "Damn it! She wants to drown us!"
As time passed, Kaoru became increasingly restless, pacing back and forth in the living room.
Kaoru slammed the table forcefully, "I can't wait any longer! I'm going to find Momoko and Miyako!"
Taking a sip of Darjeeling tea, Shigeru warned Kaoru, "Matsubara, don't wander around. This mansion is huge. If you get lost, you might end up in hell!"
Kaoru shouted, "Kusama! Aren't you worried at all?!"
Shigeru sighed, "I'll go too. Yuzuhiko and Kagami have been gone for too long."
Kaoru gave Shigeru a disdainful look, "Don't slow me down!"
Shigeru snorted and the two of them got up and left the room together to search for the other four.
Princess Morbucks chuckled coldly again, "As for you guys... let me entertain you with this!" Just as she finished speaking, she pulled down a lever.
Seeing Shigeru and Kaoru disappearing from the screen, the princess got up and left the surveillance room, proceeding with her next plan.
"What the heck!?"
"Whoa!"
Just as the two of them left the living room, the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and they followed in the footsteps of Miyako and Kagami.
Kaoru: "Ugh... what kind of structure does Himeko's house have?!" Suddenly, Kaoru felt like she was sitting on something.
"It's so heavy, get off!" A voice came from beneath Kaoru.
"Kusama, why are you...?! Why are you below me?!" Kaoru's face turned red as she quickly stood up.
Shigeru patted his back, brushing off the dust, and sighed, "You should thank me. If I hadn't been here to cushion your fall, you might have been the one seriously injured."
"Click..." The two heard the sound of gears turning above them and instinctively looked up, only to see a trapdoor in the ceiling embedded with sharp blades, like a guillotine.
"..." Both of them felt their scalps tingling. In the next second, the trapdoor fell towards them!
3-3
「!」 The two of them ran at the speed of a hundred meters, narrowly avoiding the tragedy of the guillotine. They then realized that there wasn't just one set of guillotine traps ahead of them!
"There's a hole over there! Quickly, let's go in!" Kaoru pointed to a hole in front of them, and the two of them sprinted with all their might towards it, dodging all the guillotines and diving in one after the other.
Shigeru, excitedly, "This could be material for a novel."
Kaoru, restraining the urge to punch him, "Are you kidding me at a time like this?!"
As they crawled through the narrow passage, they finally emerged.
Continuing their journey for a while, they entered a stone chamber. However, this chamber seemed to have no end in sight. There was a straight passage ahead, leading to an unknown destination.
"Argh! I can't take this anymore! Powered Buttercup!" Kaoru shouted and pressed the compact powder case on her waist, transforming instantly.
Shigeru, surprised, "Hey... what are you planning to do?!"
Transforming into Buttercup, brandished a large hammer, "Since we don't know where this leads, I'll just smash through here. It's faster!"
Shigeru chuckled and activated the electronic watch on his wrist, "Though it's a bit rude, it's indeed the most direct method."
Buttercup swung the hammer at the wall, "Sonic Hammer Strike!"
Boom! Boom! The wall couldn't withstand the intense shock waves and crumbled.
"Air Slash!" Butch's pinwheel on his hand spun rapidly, blowing the wall to pieces with a gust of wind!
Buttercup and Butch exchanged smiles.
Buttercup said, "Let's use this momentum to get out of here!"
Butch nodded in agreement, "Okay!"
As the water rose higher and higher, Miyako and Kagami were nearly submerged.
Miyako took out the compact powder case from her belt: "No choice, Rolling Bubbles!"
Bubbles swung the bubble wand, blowing out two bubbles that enveloped their heads like oxygen masks, providing them with air to breathe underwater. Kagami gave a thumbs up to the Bubbles: "My turn!" He then pressed the electronic watch and changed into a blue sportwear, taking out a katana from his hand.
With both hands gripping the handle of the sword, Boomer focused entirely, adopting a stance of kendo and delivering a swift strike. A flash of light disappeared instantly, leaving a long crack on the wall. The next moment, the entire wall split in half.
As the wall split open, creating an outlet for the water, it rushed out with tremendous force, carrying both Boomer and Bubbles along with it!
Meanwhile, Buttercup and Butch were breaking through the wall with great momentum when suddenly they heard a noise.
Butch asked Buttercup beside him: "Did you hear something?"
Buttercup stopped swinging her iron hammer and listened attentively, "... It sounds like... water?"
Butch 's face suddenly changed, "Quick, get away from the wall!" Before Butch could finish his sentence, a strong current burst through the wall, sweeping both Butch and Buttercup away.
With a splash, Butch and Buttercup resurfaced, gasping for air. However, they also saw the people they were looking for in the torrent.
Tears welled up in Boomer's eyes, "Butch, I finally found you!"
Bubbles waved to Buttercup, "Buttercup!"
Buttercup asked in confusion, "Bubbles, what's going on?!"
Bubbles scratched her head and smiled , "We accidentally fell into one of Himeko's traps."
Boomer chuckled foolishly, "I wonder where this flood will take us?"
Butch sighed, "Let's go ask that Himeko Shirogane!"
So the four of them went with the flow, like little boats on the ocean.
I couldn't help but complain, "Damn, isn't this house way too big!"
Momoko panted, "How many rooms does her house even have?!"
As Momoko and I pushed open doors and moved forward, we must have opened over one hundred, conservatively estimating!
Suddenly, as I pushed open a large door, before me lay a large round table, filled with sumptuous dishes. I realized this must be the dining room for entertaining guests.
A girl sat at the head of the table, casting a disdainful glance at us, "Welcome, Akatsutsumi and Shirakawa. Do you like the welcome party I prepared for you?"
Momoko said, "Hime... no, wait, Princess Morbucks, what's with all the situation?! Where have you hidden them?!"
I was bewildered, " Princess Morbucks ? Who?"
Momoko whispered to me, "She is Himeko Shirogane... in fact, she's also a monster affected by the chemical Z. If we transform now in front of her, our identities might be exposed!"
What the heck, the enemy was right in front of us, yet I couldn't transform!
Princess Morbucks sneered, "They are currently enjoying the hospitality of my family's basement. If you don't play by my rules, I can't guarantee what will happen to your friends. So, how about it? Want to play a game with me?"
I clenched my fist, resisting the urge to knock her out,
"As long as we win, you have to return them to us. Agreed?" Momoko glared at her,
"How do you want to play ?"
Princess Morbucks gestured for us to look at the tabletop.
Momoko and I glanced at the large round table.
There were six dishes on it: spaghetti, steak, Spanish paella , Japanese wagashi, parfait, and sushi. The princess explained the rules, "The three of us will take turns rotating the table, then eat the dish in front of us. Simple enough, right?"
Momoko volunteered, "It's just an eating competition, I'll go first!" She spun the table, and the dish that stopped in front of her was Japanese wagashi. Being a sweets enthusiast, Momoko 's eyes lit up, "Time to dig in!" She then began to devour the wagashi like a starving person, making me feel embarrassed. How hungry was she?
"So delicious... ugh..." After finishing the last piece of wagashi, Momoko let out a painful groan, clutching her chest, and collapsed from the chair in agony.
" Akatsutsumi !" I hurriedly supported her, but she was clearly unconscious. I glared at the Princess Morbucks, "What did you do?!"
3-4
The Princess Morbucks, feigned an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention, two of the dishes are poisoned. By the way, this game is called Russian Roulette - Death Dish. The poison will take effect in thirty minutes unless you can beat me and get the antidote. Isn't this game fun? Hehehe~~" She then let out a sharp, high-pitched laugh.
I was on the verge of losing control. Although I wasn't particularly fond of Momoko, I couldn't tolerate the Princess Morbucks 's reckless disregard for human life. I despised her from the bottom of my heart.
I laid Momoko flat on the ground and returned to my seat. The Princess Morbucks commanded, "Next, it's your turn! Shirakawa!"
I spun the table, and the dish that stopped in front of me was spaghetti. I grabbed a fork and devoured the spaghetti in front of me.
The princess smirked, "Hehe... it seems it's not poisoned. After finishing, you must feel glad to be alive, right?"
Then it was the princess's turn to spin the table. She spun it, and the dish that stopped in front of her was a parfait. She eagerly dug in with a small spoon, "Haha, it's my favorite parfait!"
I found it strange, "Why isn't she nervous at all...?"
At that moment, I noticed a small bottle resembling a seasoning container on the table in front of her. Before she spun the table earlier, it seemed she had pressed that small bottle.
"...That small bottle... there's definitely something suspicious about it..."
"I don't want to waste too much time. Let's just eat the dishes in front of us this time!"
I had already made up my mind to leave it to fate.
The princess gave a sly smile, thinking, "No matter how you spin it, the poisoned steak will end up in front of you!"
I spun the table with one hand while holding the fork I used for the spaghetti in the other. I threw the fork at the small bottle, shattering it to pieces. The table stopped spinning, and in front of me was the Spanish paella, while the steak was in front of the princess.
The princess's face turned pale, "You...?!"
I devoured the Spanish seafood rice, wiped my mouth with a napkin, and said, "You thought I didn't know you were cheating with that bottle? Now... please eat the steak in front of you, princess!"
The princess looked distressed, "Ugh..."
Suddenly, I heard the sound of rushing water, seemingly coming from the wall.
I immediately grabbed the unconscious Momoko and jumped onto the crystal chandelier above the dining room.
The wall was then broken through by a powerful stream of water.
"Ahh!" The Princess Morbucks, along with the dining table, was swept away by the torrent.
Damn it, what is with this house?!
"Yuzuhiko!" Boomer and Butch were waving at me from below.
I jumped down from the chandelier with Momoko in my arms.
Bubbles and Buttercup rushed over to check on her, "What's wrong with Momoko?"
I gestured towards the unconscious Princess Morbucks lying on the other side of the room, "She almost killed us!"
I handed Momoko over to Bubbles and Buttercup, then walked over to the princess and retrieved the antidote from her.
I pried open Momoko's mouth and poured the liquid antidote into her.
After about a minute, Momoko 's eyes slowly opened.
Momoko, still groggy, muttered, "Ugh..." but soon fell back into a deep sleep.
Butch suggested, "We should leave quickly! If we stay any longer, the Shirogane's guards might come!"
Boomer agreed, "I don't want to get involved with her any further!"
Bubbles added, "But we need to take the princess back to Professor Utonium, to revert her."
Buttercup sighed and hoisted the unconscious Princess Morbucks onto her shoulder, "What a troublemaker!"
I carried Momoko and turned to Bubbles and Buttercup, "I'll take her back to the lab.
The rest is up to you."
Bubbles and Buttercup responded in unison, "Got it!"
Then I turned to Boomer and Butch, "You two head home and order some takeout. My treat!"
Boomer and Butch smiled and said, "Okay!"
Later, with Bubbles and Buttercup 's help, Professor Utonium used a restoration beam to revert the Princess Morbucks back to Himeko and sent her back to the mansion.
I placed Momoko on the lab's sofa and went home.
When I got home, the dining table was filled with top sushi, ramen, pizza, and more takeout.
I pulled out the credit card I "borrowed" from Himeko Shirogane and swiped it without hesitation.
The three of us looked at each other and smiled, "Let's dig in!"
