Whew, this omake ended up being longer and more detailed than I initially conceived, but hey, I managed to get it done.
Sorry for the fairly long wait, college took a lot of my time and I even had to do a prelim exam for one of my subjects.
Also, I was fairly preoccupied by Arknights Global releasing Integrated Strategies #5, so it really had me hooked like all the previous ones.
Happy reading~!
Today was Saturday.
As per what her servant often told her, Hoshino decided to use the time to take a break from her usual duties pertaining to Abydos High School and its massive debt.
The pink-haired girl was dressed more loosely than usual, wearing only a white tank top and light yellow panties, as the fact she was in the comfort of her home meant that she cared little for what she was wearing.
"Rider was right, this does feel more comfy…" She thought, letting out a blissful sigh.
Besides, it's not like anyone else besides her servant would see her like this, so she had no reason to wear anything else.
Speaking of her servant, he was currently out somewhere and doing who-knows-what, especially as she gave him permission to go out on his own to give him some freedom to move around a week ago.
"Mmmm…"
Meanwhile, Hoshino herself was currently lying down on the sofa of her small living room, content with simply lazing about.
No fights. No worrying about Kaiser. No servant shenanigans. Just pure-
SLAM!
"Master~!"
"Uhee, I should've realized…" Hoshino muttered, opening one eye.
The similarly pink-haired Rider-class servant burst into the apartment with a large toothy grin on his effeminate features, all while holding up what appeared to be a pink flyer decorated with silver glitter.
"What do you need, Rider?" The girl asked, sitting up from the couch with a sigh.
"Master, I found a place that can totally get you and your friends a lot of money!" Rider said, grinning as he held the flyer close to his master's face.
"Eh?" Hoshino muttered as she read the contents.
The words "Akahira Maids - Now Hiring!" were on the flyer with a mix of bright red and silver glitter, while cartoonish drawings of maids were in a pink background.
"You… want me to work in a maid cafe…?" Hoshino slowly spoke, looking up at her servant with a raised eyebrow.
"Yup!" Rider quickly nodded. "It would be a fun addition to your break on the weekends~!"
"… How about you go on ahead instead?" His master deadpanned. "That kinda job clearly fits you better than me."
"Heh, that's why I signed up both of us for the job~!" Her servant chirped, ignoring the widened eyes he received in response. "We'll be cute together as we serve the people~!"
"Uhmm, hahaha…" Hoshino chuckled, awkwardly scratching her cheek. "I don't think I'm cut out for that kinda thing, you know?"
"Eh, why not?"
The girl let out a sigh and continued, "Look, this is already reminding me of back then when Nonomi suggested becoming idols, and I turned that one down without a second thought, so I'm gonna have to turn you down, yeah?"
Besides, she didn't want to be caught dead wearing some overly frilly maid outfit, as she had an image to maintain!
So there was no way that-
"… I can't believe this…"
Hoshino covered her face with her hands, letting out a groan as Rider signed the last of the contract papers.
Both student and servant were wearing frilly sky blue maid dresses with light pink accents and similarly colored wristbands, with white frilly aprons, light pink headdresses with black lace, crimson red roses on both sides of their heads, and crimson red heels with black and white striped stockings.
"Aaaaaand, done~!" Rider said, placing down the pen with a grin.
"Welcome to Akahira Maids, you two." A deep and growling voice spoke with clear gratitude.
Sitting in front of the two on the desk was an anthropomorphic tall and grizzled grey wolf with blood red eyes, wearing a clean yet slightly unbuttoned white dress shirt, black slacks, and brown loafers, complete with an eyepatch over a clear scar on one of his eyes.
"The name's Akahira Syougo, the owner and manager of this fine establishment." The wolf man introduced himself, placing a clawed hand over his chest.
"Uhee, so this guy is the owner…"
The contrast between the appearance of the cafe's owner and the two cutesy maids in front of him were so jarring that Hoshino wanted to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of it, but kept herself quiet for her servant's sake.
Not to mention, she was still processing the fact that she somehow managed to get roped into this cheesy job.
Ding-ding!
"Just in the nick of time," Syougo remarked with a low chuckle. "Alright then, you go to your first customer, pinkie."
In response, Hoshino blinked and exchanged a glance with Rider, though the latter seemed unbothered from how they were both addressed, before turning her gaze back towards who was essentially her boss.
"You do know that both of us have pink hair, yeah?" She remarked dryly.
"You know what I mean." The wolf man grunted.
Rider laughed at his master's comment, before both of them bowed and left the manager's office to tend to their very first customer.
Creak. Thud.
While her servant was skipping with every step he took, Hoshino was more apprehensive at the thought of greeting someone while wearing the overly cutesy maid outfit.
"Just calm down." She mentally psyched herself up. "You can get through this as long as-"
"Oh my, I didn't think I'd see Hoshino-chan here~."
Any attempt at maintaining her composure was quickly thrown out the window as Hoshino immediately recognized the voice that reached her ears.
"Welcome, Nonomi-chan and King Ozy~!" Rider wasted no time putting on the cute act.
As today was a Saturday, Nonomi was unsurprisingly not in her usual school uniform, and was instead wearing a light brown cardigan over a sleeveless beige blouse, a dark gray pencil skirt, and white heels with black tights, complete with a brown leather purse.
Standing beside her was her proud servant Ozymandias, who also happened to share the Rider class, as he looked around the cafe with a seemingly critical eye.
"Do ya like it~?" Rider asked, swaying back and forth.
"Unusual attires notwithstanding, I can sense the clear effort behind these young women and whoever designed the architecture." Ozymandias admitted with a nod of approval. "I shall observe this establishment's standing for the foreseeable future."
"He… does realize he's talking about a maid cafe, right?" Hoshino looked at her servant with a blank expression.
"Hehe, that's just His Highness' way of saying he likes it here~." Nonomi said with a giggle.
"Alrighty then!" Rider gestured his arm towards a nearby table. "Let's get you both seated~."
"Right, I have to do this now, huh…" Hoshino muttered with a sigh.
"You can do it, Hoshino-chan!" Nonomi placed a caring hand on her senpai's shoulder. "Use your natural cuteness to win over the entire cafe~!"
"This is going to be a long day…"
"Enjoy your meal, master…"
Hoshino mentally cringed at how tired she sounded, as she was supposed to act cute in front of the customers and especially during a sizable lunch rush that was happening right now.
"Uhmm, thanks…" A man said slowly, before turning towards his order.
She was completely out of her element in a place like this, in stark contrast to the other maids, who were all doing their jobs perfectly.
Placing a hand over her face, the girl muttered. "I should've pushed against-"
"Takanashi-san, that table is still missing its omurice!"
Without warning, one of the maids walked up to her and shoved a silver tray with two plates of omurice.
"Right…" Hoshino sighed, as the maid quickly walked away from her to greet yet another customer.
The pink-haired girl tried her best to keep up with service and do the bare minimum in this new job she unwillingly got.
With the tray of omurice in hand, she sluggishly made her way to one of the tables, trying to look as polite as she could at the very least.
"Eh, onee-chan~." A familiar cheerful voice spoke. "You work here too?"
In response, the pink-haired girl stopped in her tracks and rubbed her eyes to get a good sight of who she was really serving at the moment.
Koichi and his grandfather Keitaro were sitting at a table right before her, with the former widening his eyes with awe and the latter looking faintly amused.
"Koichi-kun…" She mumbled and then shook her head. "Didn't think that you two would come here too."
"You look really pretty~!" Koichi complimented, grinning brightly.
In response, Hoshino let out a sheepish laugh as she briefly looked away and awkwardly scratched her cheek.
"Alright, alright," She said, trying to focus on the order at hand. "Here's your omurice."
"Hmmm, you don't exactly look all that enthusiastic about it, young lady." Keitaro remarked, smiling slightly. "Especially when compared to your friend over there."
"Here you go, master~!"
"Thank you so much!"
With a faint shake of her head, Hoshino turned around and saw Rider tending to several customers at once, his energy even completely surpassing the other maids around him.
"Ah, do you need more coffee with that~?"
"Of course!"
"Do you want anything else~?"
"Absolutely, anything from you!"
"Hahaha, just call me if any of you want seconds~!"
"I love you, Astolfo-chan!"
"Rider's even using his actual name." Hoshino smiled wryly in amusement. "Then again, I had no idea who he was until we formed a contract."
"Takanashi, a moment of your time please."
Syougo's gruff voice reached her ears, prompting her to sigh as she turned and saw her manager gazing at her with his arms crossed.
"Enjoy your meal, you two." The pink-haired girl lazily placed down the two omurice plates.
"Onee-chan, you're leaving already?" Koichi asked with a small pout.
"We're just customers here, my boy." Keitaro said with a faint chuckle.
Waving goodbye to the grandfather and grandson duo, Hoshino carried the empty silver tray under her arm as she walked towards her manager, who guided her towards a small corner of the cafe.
"I bet he already saw how I did." She thought to herself.
"Takanashi, those last few orders you did," Syougo began.
"Ah, there it is." The girl looked at the floor and closed eyes.
"You're not comfortable, aren't ya?" The wolf man asked, getting straight to the point.
Hoshino sighed once more and decided to look up at her much larger manager. "Here it comes. I wouldn't even-"
Her thoughts were immediately cut off the moment she saw the expression on the wolf man's grizzled features.
Syougo wasn't just addressing her directly. He was even looking her straight in the eyes with complete sincerity.
"Look, I know you're completely out of your depth and it's clear from your demeanor." He continued.
"I…" Hoshino trailed off.
The wolf man's tone wasn't even that of scolding or even pity. It was as if he understood where she came from.
"Trust me, I was pretty unsure when I first opened this place, since being the "Crimson Terror" didn't go away easily." He said in a firm tone. "I've since adapted to this kind of life, which is why I want to see the best in the girls that choose to work here, you're no different."
" … "
Hoshino had no words to express her shock when her manager didn't just decide not to scold her for slacking behind, but also express his understanding and wanted to see her at her best.
"I'll leave you to it." Syougo began to walk away from her.
…
After a moment of silence, the pink-haired girl sighed when she realized she was starting to feel guilty for not doing her best.
Even more so when Rider went out of his way to even get her applied in the first place, despite her protests.
"Well, if I'm gonna take this seriously," She thought, narrowing her eyes. "Then I'll be doing this my way."
The cutesy and idol-like mannerisms of the other maids wasn't her style, so she was going to take her job seriously the only way she knew how.
For a moment, Hoshino's bangs covered her eyes as she approached one of the tables, which happened to be occupied by her first-year junior Ayane and her Caster-class servant, the Queen of Sheba.
Speaking of Ayane, just like Nonomi, she wasn't wearing her usual Abydos school uniform, opting to wear a white turtleneck sweater, a baby blue jumper dress, and light brown shoes with transparent white tights, complete with a gray flat cap on top of her head.
The student in question widened her eyes the moment she saw her third-year senpai approaching her while wearing a cutesy maid outfit.
However, the face she was making didn't fit her uniform in the slightest.
"S-Senpai?" Ayane stammered slightly.
"Perfect timing, Ayane." Hoshino's tone was far from the sleepy one that was well-known.
The elf girl stared at her senpai and then glanced over to Rider, who was happily pouring coffee for a salaryman customer.
"… Did your Rider put you up to this?" Ayane asked. "If I remember correctly, you prefer-"
"Alright, that's enough!" Hoshino cut her off, her notepad at the ready. "What're you and your servant ordering here?"
"I would like one of the parfaits here, if you please?" Sheba ordered with an amused grin.
Ayane simply sighed and answered, "I'll just have some hot chocolate."
"You got something to eat?" Hoshino asked, narrowing her eyes as she wrote down the orders.
"Uhmm, I'm not exactly hungry-"
SLAM!
"Not happening! You can't fight off the debt on an empty stomach!" Hoshino growled, having slammed her hand on the table.
"Huh…?" Ayane jumped back in shock.
"What if you pass out one day because you didn't get anything to eat?!" The third-year student continued in an aggressive manner.
Not wanting to risk angering her any further, Ayane rapidly nodded her head and said. "A-Alright! I get it! I'll have a sandwich!"
"That can't be all with the figure you have." Hoshino said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Fine!" The elf girl stood up from her seat. "Give me your best curry bowl with spaghetti on the side!"
"And dessert?" Hoshino's expression was flat, as if her junior didn't have an outburst.
"Seriously…?" Ayane muttered.
Afterwards, what happened next could be described as Hoshino going on a tirade against various unfortunate customers that happened to catch her sight.
…
"Oi, you there!" She pointed at a ragged businessman eating a light sandwich. "How can you work this hard when you're eating just that!"
"W-What the-?"
"You're all skin and bones! Do I have to make sure you're all filled up!?"
"Now hang on there-"
…
"You. The one in the corner!" Hoshino suddenly barked, narrowing her eyes at an unsuspecting bird boy. "Did you just take a sip without using a coaster?"
The customer flinched. "W-What? I-"
"Use. The. Coaster."
The weight of her unyielding gaze crushed the customer's soul.
"Y-Yes ma'am!" The bird boy squawked, scrambling to place his drink on a coaster.
…
Hoshino moved down the line.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue, pointing at another unfortunate soul. "You've had three parfaits already. What, are you trying to bankrupt this place?"
The customer broke into a cold sweat. "B-But this is an all-you-can-eat-"
"I don't care. Order something healthier. Next."
…
She turned her gaze toward a group of young men who were laughing and chatting.
"You lot disgust me," The pink-haired girl growled, her voice sharp. "Haven't ordered seconds yet? Are you wasting our time?"
In a moment of sheer terror, the entire table immediately ordered another round of meals.
…
One by one, grown men and women alike, as well as youths that aren't related to Abydos High School, were on the floor before Hoshino, their heads completely lowered.
"PLEASE FORGIVE US, HOSHINO-SAMA!"
A large portion of the customers were doing a full dogeza, whilst Hoshino watched on with a stern glare.
"… Hoshino-senpai, are you serving the customers, or are you disciplining them…?" A bead of sweat dripped down from Ayane's forehead as she watched the whole scene unfold.
Queen of Sheba chuckled as she took another bite from her parfait. "This trip is turning out to be much more fruitful than I imagined."
Nonomi simply giggled and said. "That's Hoshino-chan for you, she would act just like this even back then."
Seated beside his master, Ozymandias nodded in great approval. "Excellent. That girl has potential to be a great ruler."
As for Rider, better known as Astolfo?
"Go, go, master~!" He cheered, waving a napkin like a flag. "I knew bringing you here was a great idea~!"
The pink-haired effeminate servant was completely oblivious to his master acting more like her first-year self.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this."
Hoshino had a small smile as she watched several customers quietly eating amongst themselves, clearly afraid of invoking her wrath.
"Kyaaah!"
Meanwhile, the other maids began to run around the tables, clearly flustered by the influx of quick and heavy orders.
"Uwaah, today is busy all of the sudden!" One maid cried out as she carried two trays of food.
"We've never had this much sales in Akahira Maids' history!" Another one agreed, who was checking the cash register.
"Hahaha, that's my master for you~!" Astolfo laughed, carrying a large order of cake.
"Heh, at least she's finally showing passion for the job." Syougo snorted, but couldn't stop the proud grin on his grizzled features. "Keep up the good work, Takanashi."
The wolf man's comment didn't go unheard by Hoshino, who proceeded to scratch her cheek with a small grin.
"Well, it is kinda fun," She admitted, her tone soft. "I didn't think-"
Ding-ding!
"Oh, so this is where you have bound yourself to, Horus." A new voice spoke as the front doors opened.
The enigmatic yet vaguely amused tone immediately set off alarms inside Hoshino's mind, as the girl quickly recognized who it belonged to, before she turned around and her eyes turned comically white with shock.
"B-Black Suit!?"
Entering the café, the new figure appeared like a humanoid man, wearing a sharp black suit and tie and carried himself with sophistication.
However, his "face" was anything but human, being that of the incarnation of a black hole itself, with its only facial features were the 'cracks' forming a semblance of eyes and smile.
"I see that you have resorted to such an… unorthodox means of getting by." Black Suit's tone was polite, yet there was an underlying smugness underneath.
It was as if the distorted-looking man was taunting Hoshino, something that the latter was quickly aware of.
The pink-haired girl growled and rolled up her sleeves. "Why I oughta-"
"Takanashi-san, he's a customer!" One maid frantically whispered to her. "A customer!"
This got Hoshino to widen her eyes, before she forced them shut and clenched her fists, knowing that she couldn't do anything to the bastard adult, especially in such a public place.
"Tch, she's right. He's not being a threat right now, he's just a… customer…"
"Well Horus, I'm waiting." Black Suit said, clearly taking delight in the student's hesitation.
Hoshino's eye twitched at that, before gesturing her arm towards an empty table. "Right this way, sir."
She barely hid her tone of contempt towards the man that made a deal with her before Heroic Spirits came into the picture.
"Very well then," Black Suit nodded and made his way towards his seat.
"Ugh, just order something and get lost." The girl thought to herself.
"Ah, I almost forgot."
"Eh?" Hoshino narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"Since you work in this establishment," Black Suit briefly glanced at her with a gleam in his distorted face. "Is it not a policy to greet your customer with a smile?"
"This bastard…"
He was enjoying every moment of her clear hatred and discomfort, even more so as he dared to ask her to smile for him.
"H-Have a good day, master…" Hoshino said, forcing a fake cutesy grin that twitched wildly.
She really wanted to punch the adult's stupid face in and be done with him, but restrained herself for the sake of her surroundings.
…
XXX (Thirty Minutes Later) XXX
"Oi, you wanna start something!"
"Bring it, asshole!"
THRASH! KRAAK! SMASH-KRUNCH!
Two mercenaries had gotten into a heated argument and began to throw tables around in fits of rage.
"Hey, someone stop those two!"
"T-The cafe!"
"Hah! Is that all you-"
THWACK! THUD!
One of the mercenaries was immediately knocked to the floor from a kick to the back of his head, revealing Hoshino as the one responsible.
The other mercenary glared at the girl and yelled. "Hey! You don't just interrupt a man's-"
KRUNCH! THUD!
He didn't get to finish his sentence, as he received a direct kick to the face by the pink-haired maid.
Hoshino let out a sigh and said. "Jeez, I know a lot of people left Abydos, but for mercs to come here…"
She could only imagine the various shady individuals that would gather in Abydos solely because of its current status as a widely abandoned district that's nearby buried in sand.
…
BARK-BARK-GRRR-CHOMP!
A pack of black dogs were feasting upon an entire table's worth of food, while a blind old man seemed oblivious to the noise they were making.
"Hey! This guy ordered five-hundred more portions for his dogs!" Hoshino called out, trying to ignore the mess made behind her.
"Ah, isn't the weather lovely today, young lady?" The old man spoke, smiling as if the dogs weren't in front of him.
"Uh, I guess…"
…
KABOOM!
"Haruka! I told you not to bomb them!"
"I-I'm so sorry, Aru-sama! D-Do you want me to explode myself to repent?!"
"W-What!?"
Two familiar voices reached Hoshino's ears as what sounded like a bomb had detonated outside the cafe.
"Of course they'd be here too…" She muttered under her breath.
"Hoshino-senpai, are you okay?" Ayane asked, walking up to her with clear concern.
Not wanting to look weak in front of her junior, Hoshino chuckled awkwardly and said. "Don't mind me, this old geezer is just feeling the pressure, hahaha…"
It wasn't a lie. The girl was really beginning to run herself ragged as problematic customers made themselves known.
"Seriously, could this day get any more tiring?"
"Horus, I have the bill." Black Suit said, walking up to her with a piece of paper in hand.
"Good. That's one less headache." Hoshino thought in relief, glad to be finally rid of the bastard adult.
Oh how wrong she would be.
"For my takeout…" Black Suit trailed off, before pointing his finger at the student. "I'll have you!"
"… Eh…?"
"You. You. You. You. You."
Black Suit's "takeout" echoed inside the girl's mind, as her bangs covered her eyes when the voices couldn't stop.
"You. You. You. You. You…"
CRACK!
"GRRAAAAGGGHHHHHH!" Hoshino screamed, grabbing her head as the frustration from her job reached its boiling point.
SPWIP! FOOOM!
It had even escalated to the point where the girl reached out and pulled the cowlick off of her hair, even throwing it away as she was suddenly covered in a dark aura.
"H-Hoshino-senpai…" Ayane muttered in shock.
"… pulled off her ahoge!" Nonomi finished, placing a hand on her cheek.
SHIIIIING!
As the dark aura began to dissipate, Hoshino's maid outfit had transformed itself in the process.
Replacing the cutesy sky blue maid dress was a backless black one that showed off her collarbone, with a smaller white apron and even shorter skirt, complete with black thigh-high stockings, white thigh bands with black lace, a black choker around her neck, a white headdress with black roses on the sides, and black heels.
With her transformation complete, Hoshino's back was turned to Black Suit as her face was shadowed.
"Hmph, and what if I take orders from a bastard like you?" She spoke, her voice deeper and a darker tone. "Customers are gods, right?"
The girl sneered as she turned around to face the distorted adult, revealing that her skin had also become deathly pale and her heterochromatic eyes becoming golden yellow.
"Then gods are dead to me!" Hoshino declared, her voice booming throughout the cafe.
"W-What's happening…?" Ayane mumbled, completely taken back by the sudden development.
"I've done my research on Mystics here, my dear master." Sheba mused, cupping her chin. "I believe that this is your senior's darker form, Hoshino Terror to be specific."
"Marvelous…" Black Suit muttered, unwittingly taking a step backwards.
"Black Suit."
However, unfortunately for him, the newly dubbed Hoshino Terror wasn't about to let him go scot-free for being the direct cause of her change.
"You haven't finished your cake." The corrupted girl hissed, narrowing her eyes at a half-eaten slice of cake on the table.
Black Suit cleared his throat and said. "Well, you see, I realize that I am not actually-"
"You idiot!" Hoshino Terror quickly cut him off, her tone being that of a scolding mother. "Don't waste food like that!"
TWIP!
"Eh!"
"What the-!?" Black Suit was completely caught off guard when the girl began to flick his "face" with her index finger, while maintaining an expression of calm annoyance.
TWIP! TWIP!
"Eh! Eh!"
"H-Horus, are you my mother or something!?"
TWIP! TWIP! TWIP! TWIP!
"Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh!" Hoshino Terror ignored him and continued to flick at the adult's face.
Black Suit tried to stand up for himself. "I demand that you-"
THUD!
The distorted-looking adult found himself forced to his knees, with Hoshino Terror standing over him while holding a mop on one hand and holding a bucket over her shoulder with the other, complete with a stern glare.
"Remember this!" She declared. "I'm a cute gothic lolita maid waitress, sir!"
"I… I apologize…" Black Suit said meekly, fully submitting to her.
Nearby, more than several customers found themselves beginning to swoon for the corrupted maid waitress, with some even blushing profusely.
"T-Takanashi-san, that was amazing!" One of the maids cried out with a smile.
"Yeah, total respect, yo!" A young man agreed, raising a fist.
"H-Hoshino-senpai, you must be tired by now, right?" Ayane stammered, having approached her corrupted senior in an attempt to reason with her. "Let's just all calm down. Okay?"
In response, Hoshino Terror scoffed and smirked at her junior. "Hmph. You think I'm tired from just this?"
THUMP!
While attempting to walk away, her legs buckled in exhaustion and she fell to one knee, yet it did nothing to deter the fiery passion inside her.
"I'd rather die than admit it!" Hoshino Terror declared, glaring defiantly at the ground.
"That's the same as admitting it!" Ayane exclaimed.
"Oh my dear master~," Sheba chuckled and placed a hand on her master's shoulder. "You should know that it is futile to try and talk to someone like that, correct?"
"C-Caster!" The elf girl cried out with a blush. "I know what I'm doing!"
"I'm just hungry." Hoshino Terror turned her head towards her junior with a small grin.
"Huh…?" Ayane muttered,as sweat dripped down her forehead.
"I'm going to rest a bit." The corrupted maid stood up and immediately faced her servant, who was still cheering for her. "Rider, fetch me something delicious!"
"Right away, master~!" Astolfo saluted and rushed towards the kitchen.
What happened next was essentially Hoshino Terror going through the entire cafe menu.
…
"Here you go, master!" Astolfo held up a large bowl of curry rice. "Akahira Maids' special curry bowl!"
Hoshino Terror wasted no time wolfing down the meal before her, using only chopsticks and somehow maintaining an elegant posture.
"H-How was it, Takanashi-sama?" One maid asked, twiddling her thumbs together.
Setting down the empty bowl, Hoshino Terror looked up at her, cheeks stained with rice and smiling in approval, while light somehow shone behind her.
"Delicious!"
"Here's more!" Astolfo and the other maids quickly held up more plates in their hands.
"The cafe's grey wolf parfait!"
"Sweet in my mouth!"
"Spicy wild boar burgers!"
"Absolutely heated!"
"Green curry omurice!"
"Colorful!"
"Rainbow spaghetti with special sauce!"
Hoshino Terror chomped down every meal given to her, with no signs of stopping and her petite frame completely retained.
Setting down yet another empty plate, she looked up at the maids and declared. "Bring me seconds. By the bowl-full!"
"What is happening right now…?" Ayane was at a complete loss.
"Just another day in Kivotos, Ayane-chan~." Nonomi said with a giggle.
"Black Suit!" Hoshino Terror called out.
"Y-Yes!" The distorted adult immediately responded.
"Fetch me a stool!" She ordered, briefly glancing at him. "I want to kick my feet up!"
"O-Of course, Horus-sama…" Black Suit bowed respectfully.
"So this is what he's into…" Ayane deadpanned, her eyebrow twitching. "Even his demeanor changed…"
"Takanashi, that was so smooth!" One customer yelled.
"I'll follow you for the rest of my life!" An anthropomorphic pitbull stood up.
"Step on me, Hoshino-sama!" One horny young man cried out.
"Hoshino-sama! Hoshino-sama!"
Hearing the customers chant her name, Hoshino Terror quickly stood on top of her table and placed her hands on her hips, grinning in pride.
"Hoshino-sama! Hoshino-sama!"
"This is…" Ayane's eyes twitched even further.
"Calm yourself before you explode, master~." Queen of Sheba teased.
Nonomi simply took a sip of her tea and smiled at the events unfolding, content with remaining in her spot.
"So much potential and charisma, that girl!" Ozymandias praised, letting out a hearty laugh.
"That's my master~!" Astolfo cheered, pumping his fist upwards.
"Hoshino-sama! Hoshino-sama!"
As she continued to hear her name over and over, Hoshino Terror looked up at the ceiling with a smirk.
"I learned something today." She thought, nodding to herself. "Work is worship."
At the corner of the cafe, Black Suit clasped his hands together and a blush somehow appeared on his distorted face, quietly admiring the towering figure of Hoshino Terror.
"I love you…" He whispered, looking more like a schoolgirl with a crush than the enigmatic figure he previously was.
"Weirdo." Syougo said bluntly, though his amused grin was undeniable.
XXX (Later that Night) XXX
"Ah, I'm beat…"
The majority of the customers and even the other maids have gone home for the night, with the only remaining occupants being the Abydos students, their servants, and Syougo.
"That was exhausting to witness." Ayane said, letting out a sigh.
"At least Hoshino-chan had fun~." Nonomi remarked with a giggle.
Ding-ding!
"I finally made it." A familiar voice spoke. "I hope I wasn't too late."
"Hah!" Hoshino Terror sat up and smirked. "Who dares to enter at this time?"
"Oh, it's Hoshino and her friends!" Ritsuka, better known as Sensei, walked inside the cafe and waved at his students. "How are you all? I hope you've all had a great day!"
"Sensei…" Ayane looked relieved to see a familiar face.
"You came just in time, Sensei~." Nonomi grinned.
However, unlike the other two, Hoshino Terror froze upon seeing Sensei in person, her confident expression of pride wiped off her face and replaced with a flushed one.
Poof~!
Almost immediately afterwards, Hoshino was back to her normal tired and laid-back self, including the maid outfit she wore prior to her transformation, complete with her cowlick miraculously growing back on top of her hair.
"Uwaah, did I really just act like that earlier?" Hoshino's face was heated as she placed her hands over her face.
It seemed that she remembered everything she did as "Hoshino Terror", which only added to her current mood.
"Yep, and that was amazing~!" Astolfo laughed, placing an arm over his master's shoulder.
"Shut up, Rider…" She weakly scolded.
"So you're the Sensei of SCHALE," Syougo walked up to Ritsuka, his arms crossed. "What can we get ya at this time?"
"I'd like a slice of strawberry-vanilla cake, please." The Sensei of SCHALE requested, moving to take a seat.
"Heh," The wolf man snorted and turned to the pink-haired girl. "You heard the man, Takanashi."
Peeking through her fingers, Hoshino saw the reliable adult figure seated and already waiting for his simple order.
"Sensei…"
Compared to the typical customers from earlier, Ritsuka-sensei looked like he wasn't expecting anything flashy, just a basic service from one of his students.
As the heat on her face was dying down, the pink-haired girl found herself standing straight and headed straight for the kitchen to pick up her Sensei's order.
"If I'm finally gonna do it, then only Sensei gets that honor."
…
Swoosh-Thup.
Walking out of the kitchen, Hoshino carried the plate of sliced strawberry vanilla cake with a surprising amount of grace and femininity.
As soon as she got close to the table, she did a small twirl before placing down the order near Sensei.
Taking a step back, the girl did a brief curtsy and tiredly winked with cutesy charm and genuine care.
"Here you go, Sensei~." Hoshino spoke in the most soft and naturally sweet voice she could manage. "One strawberry vanilla cake, made with love~."
Ritsuka looked at his student and smiled at her. "Thank you, Hoshino."
Afterwards, he picked up the fork and took a bite out of the cake like it was the most natural thing in the world.
That was it.
No fanfare. No teasing. No flashy gestures. No silly faces. Just simple and sincere gratitude.
"Oh Sensei…" Hoshino exhaled to herself.
She had finally done it. She leaned towards the standard cutesy maid act, albeit with her own touches, and it went well without any issues or even embarrassing herself.
Most of all, she willingly acted like this in front of her beloved-
"Ohoho~! My cute master, could it be~?"
Hoshino's relief was short-lived as she immediately recognized the cheeky voice that spoke behind her, in which her cheeks flushed pink.
"Could it be that you're only going to act cute in front of your Sensei, master~?"
"N-No!" The girl swiftly turned around to face a grinning Astolfo. "S-Shut up, Rider! It's not like that-!"
"Then that little spin and wink you did was just for show~?" He teased, wrapping an arm around his master's shoulder. "Totally not because you're in love with your-"
"S-Shut up! You're so annoying…!" Hoshino tried to shove him off, her face turning as pink as her hair.
As the pink-haired student and servant duo began a one-sided squabble, Ayane sighed in relief and placed a hand on her cheek.
"Finally… everything is back to normal." She said, closing her eyes.
Sitting beside her, the Queen of Sheba sipped her tea as she looked over at Ritsuka with a knowing smile.
"Ufufu, that young man… Ritsuka, or should I say your Sensei, yes~?" Sheba spoke, her blue eyes gleaming. "He certainly brings out something hidden within your dear friends~."
Hearing this, Ayane snapped her eyes open and turned to her servant. There was something pointed about the way her Caster said her Sensei's name, as if she knew far more than she let on.
"Caster," She said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "You sound like you've met him before…"
"Oh, I recognize that kind of presence, that is all~." Sheba answered, letting out a mysterious chuckle. "He is someone who has come a long way… and carried more weight than one would expect from his age."
The elf girl raised her eyebrows in surprise at the information about her Sensei, and was about to open her mouth to speak…
"However~,"
… Any form of question she had immediately died out when she saw her servant placing a finger to her lips.
"Such stories are best left for those willing to tell them~."
Ayane hummed to herself, feeling mildly suspicious of her servant's cryptic behavior, but decided not to press her for details. If Sheba believed that such a story couldn't be told now, then she had to respect it.
Meanwhile, sitting across from them, Nonomi rested her cheek on her hand, watching her Sensei enjoy his cake with a warm and thoughtful gaze.
"You know~," She said in a sweet tone. "I wouldn't mind being a maid for Sensei. Just for him, in private~."
This got Ayane to choke on her tea, before clearing her throat as she fixed an alarmed gaze at her second-year senpai.
"N-Nonomi-senpai!?" She stammered, her pointed ears bright red.
Beside Nonomi, Ozymandias slowly turned his golden eyes towards his master, with an amused smirk forming on his lips.
"Ho? At merely sixteen, you already have a target of your affections?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
The blonde-haired girl only giggled in response, entirely unbothered by the question.
"Sensei's just really sweet, hardworking, and quite handsome to boot~." She answered, letting out a dreamy sigh. "He deserves someone that can take care of him properly~."
In response, Ayane turned her gaze towards Sensei, who looked completely oblivious to everything around him.
"… This is going to be a long year…" She sighed tiredly.
Sheba chuckled and placed a hand on her master's shoulder. "Oh, my dear master, that is an understatement~."
"Uhee, today was tiring…"
Back inside her apartment, Hoshino was curled up on the couch, wearing her light blue pajamas as she processed everything that happened today.
Earlier, she only wanted to just nap all day and enjoy the break, only to be pulled into the job of being a waitress for a maid cafe by her ever-energetic servant.
She tried to play things safe by acting like her usual self, until she was pulled aside by her wolf boss and was told that he essentially had faith in her abilities.
It was no lie that he was the very first adult, besides Sensei, to truly look her in the eyes and speak with complete honesty and sincerity to her face.
Hoshino tried to repay it by tapping into her old personality back when she was a first-year student. Back when Yume was still-
The girl shook her head and thought, "No, that's all in the past…"
If that wasn't enough, Black Suit of all people came inside and ended up making her job a lot harder, since it led to more problematic customers.
Hoshino Terror… She didn't even want to think about what she did when she got "corrupted" after the bastard adult's last order broke her.
"Sensei…" She muttered under breath.
From the moment he walked inside, everything went back to normal and she even finally decided to do the cutesy maid act.
Her face began to turn red the more she thought about how gentle and elegant she was in serving the one adult that actually cared about Abydos' situation in the first place. Even before her servant came into the picture.
"Hmmm…" She hummed to herself. "Maybe, just maybe…"
In the end, she couldn't deny the warm feeling in her chest when she served her Sensei that slice of cake.
A small smile appeared in her features. "I wouldn't mind doing it-"
"Do what~?"
"Agh!" Hoshino was startled by the voice that suddenly spoke next to her.
"Sooooooo~…" Rider trailed off, grinning ear-to-ear. "Did I just hear that you wouldn't mind being a cute maid again~?"
"Wha-!?" The girl's face was red like a tomato. "O-Of course not! Why would-"
She stopped herself at the last second as soon as she turned to fully face her ever-cheeky servant.
Instead of the teasing expression she expected, Rider looked… relieved and completely happy for her.
"You realize it now, master?" He asked with a small chuckle.
"Huh?" Hoshino narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Realize what-?"
The girl interrupted herself as her heterochromatic eyes widened in realization, even connecting the dots on how she acted throughout the day.
She barely put on her usual act the moment she was dragged along to Akahira Maids. While today was always meant to be a break from the Abydos debt, it never crossed her mind at all throughout her job, excluding the part when she addressed Ayane and when Black Suit came in.
Her time at the cafe led to her feeling various feelings and emotions, even when she was turned into Hoshino Terror.
Anger. Guilt. Embarrassment. Amusement. Exasperation. Pride. Joy.
Instead of a student that was dedicated to Abydos and its current state, Hoshino felt more… normal. She acted more like a teenage girl expected for her age.
Was this… what Rider intended all along?
"Rider…" She mumbled, her lips tugging upwards as she scratched her cheek awkwardly.
While her servant was undeniably not the sharpest tool in the shed, he knew just enough to see right through her and effortlessly broke down the walls that not even Nonomi and Shiroko could do.
Letting out a sigh, Hoshino looked away from her servant and quietly muttered. "Thanks…"
Rider seemed unbothered by her response and grinned like he usually did. "No problem, master~!"
Deep down, the pink-haired girl felt her bond with her servant increase that night.
Abydos students and their servants:
Foreclosure Task Force
Hoshino and Astolfo
Shiroko and Nitocris
Nonomi and Ozymandias
Serika and Ishtar
Ayane and Queen of Sheba
NEXT CHAPTER: Saki and Achilles (SRT)
In case it wasn't already obvious, it's all inspired by the canon Saber Maid skit from the first Carnival Phantasm, hehe.
Anyways, what did you think of this one? I feel pretty proud of this, although a handful of scenes does feel like a second spotlight chapter for Hoshino more than anything, haha.
The next chapter will be the very first spotlight chapter for a student from SRT, that being Saki and her servant Achiiles, whom you've already been introduced to in the Kivotos Grand Prix omake.
I already have a plan on what the first scene will be, so be ready.
Happy reading~!