Shanhaijing - Black Tortoise Promenade

The kitchen of the Black Tortoise Promenade was buzzing with activity, filled with the sounds of sizzling pans, clattering utensils, and fast-paced instructions. The whole team moved in sync, preparing dish after dish for the steady stream of customers.

"Keep it up, everyone! If we stay at this pace, we'll finish in no time!" Rumi called out, her voice cutting through the din as she expertly stirred a large pan of fried rice.

"I need more salt over here!" one of the student chefs shouted, raising her hand as she waited for an assistant to bring it.

"I need oyster sauce!" another called out from across the kitchen, working quickly to finish her plate.

The shouts kept coming, but the assistants moved like clockwork—fast, accurate, and never stopping. The whole kitchen worked like a well-oiled machine, everything moving smoothly together.

Even while cooking, Rumi kept a sharp eye on the entire kitchen, always attentive to the needs of her staff. As she glanced toward a quieter corner of the room, her gaze settled on Rem.

The new student was working diligently, her brow furrowed in concentration as she prepared ingredients. Though her hands moved with care and confidence, her pace lagged slightly behind the rest of the team. It wasn't a matter of skill—Rumi had personally sampled several of Rem's dishes, and many had left lasting impressions. Some were strikingly original, while others carried the nostalgic taste of home-cooked meals from Hyakkiyako.

No, Rem's shortcoming wasn't in quality, but in speed. She was still adjusting to the rapid tempo of a professional kitchen. Rumi wasn't overly concerned—every new cook had to find their rhythm. Time and experience would take care of that.

Just then, the kitchen door cracked open and Reijo stepped inside.

"Hey Rumi, I'm back," she announced casually.

"Great," Rumi replied, nodding toward a side table stacked with neatly packed meals. "We've got three orders ready to go."

As Reijo gathered the deliveries, Rumi tilted her head. "How are the two of them doing?" she asked, referring to a pair of newcomers under her care.

Reijo shrugged as she picked up the bags. "Hard to say for sure. I passed by them a couple of times. They looked a bit lost, but they seem to be getting the hang of the area. All things considered, they're adjusting pretty well."

"We're not exactly short on delivery runners," Reijo added, pausing with a curious glance. "So what's your plan here?"

Rumi wiped her hands on a towel and leaned back slightly. "Lately, it's been hard for me to visit other districts and explore different cuisines. I just don't have the time, and I've to deal with some scrutiny from the Genryumon. Not that I care too much about that, but time is a real obstacle."

"And Subaru and Ram are going to help with that?"

"Exactly. Unlike us, those two don't have strong ties to this district. Subaru in particular as he is both an adult and an outsider. He draws far less attention than either of us or anyone really. That makes it easier for them to come and go from Shanhanjing without raising suspicion."

"So they're your passport to more exotic food?" Reijo said with a small grin.

Rumi nodded. "That's the idea."

"Well then," Reijo said, turning toward the exit with the deliveries in her bag, "I'll get these out."

"Thanks," Rumi said. "Oh, and when you're done, could you check in on those two?"

"Yeah, I will," Reijo replied with a wave as she headed out the door.

Shanhaijing - Street

"Barusu," Ram said flatly as she walked behind Subaru, "I think you're lost again."

Subaru stopped and looked around the unfamiliar street they'd wandered into. It was narrow, poorly lit, and clearly not the right path. "Oi, calm down. I'm pretty sure if we keep following this street, we'll get back on track."

Ram raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that?"

"Well," Subaru said as trying to make the best voice of confidence he could, "in cities like this, if you want to find the main road, you just follow a street that goes into its general direction. Works most of the time."

"Barusu speaks with such confidence about things he clearly doesn't understand," Ram muttered, clearly mocking him.

Subaru sighed, resting his head on one of his mechanical hands. "I wonder how Emilia, Puck, and Beatrice are doing..."

"Miss Emilia and Puck are very capable," Ram replied flatly. "And Beatrice can more than handle herself."

"I know, but still..." Subaru muttered. He hated feeling like dead weight—unable to help Emilia or anyone else. But he shook those thoughts off. "No use moping about it now. Time to work!"

Before Ram could reply, a voice called out.

"Hey, you two. Where do you think you're going?"

Subaru and Ram froze. The voice wasn't familiar, but the situation definitely was.

As they turned around, they were greeted by the sight of a small girl wearing a mask over her mouth, marked with a bold black X. Behind her stood several other haloed students, all dressed in similar uniforms and masks, their gazes locked on Subaru and Ram.

'Ah... we're in trouble again,' Subaru thought, recognizing the masked uniform. He remembered all too well the group of students Rem had knocked out on their first day in this strange city.

"Because of you, my friends ended up in jail," the masked girl declared, stepping forward with narrowed eyes. "So do me a favor—stand still like good little targets while I get my revenge."

She reached for the rifle slung over her back, struggling to pull it into her arms. After a few seconds of tugging, she grunted in frustration. "Wait a second... this is a little tougher than I expected—!" She gave the strap one more determined pull, but instead of drawing the rifle cleanly, her effort threw off her balance causing her to fall.

"Subaru," Ram said calmly, "I suggest we run."

"Agreed!" Subaru shouted, already turning on his heels. "Time to bail!"

Without a second thought, the two bolted down the street, not bothering to look back. They had no idea where they were headed, but at this point, anywhere else was better.

"Don't let them get away!" the gang leader shouted, pointing dramatically as she finally got her rifle into position. Her followers surged forward in pursuit, boots thudding against the pavement.

One of them crouched down quickly, forming a human platform. The masked leader leapt onto her companion's back and then the goon ran in pursuit.

Red Winter Federal Academy - No. 227 Special Class Dormitory

Two girls stood in an old storage building. The air was damp and cold, carrying the smell of mold and rotting wood. The wooden floor creaked with every step, worn down by time and weather. Mold hung from the ceiling beams, and dark spots of rot spread across the floor like bruises.

"Shigure, do we have any more food left?" Nodoka asked, her voice quiet and tired.

Shigure, arms crossed and gaze fixed on the floor, gave a slow shake of her head. "Our supplies have been running dangerously low. I doubt we have enough for more than a week—two at most."

Nodoka sighed, her breath visible in the cold air. "So… I guess our plea to the President didn't work. Again."

"Yeah," Shigure replied bitterly. "And with those recent attacks on the supply trucks, it's only going to get worse."

"You're right," Nodoka murmured, hugging her arms tightly around herself for warmth.

The silence that followed was heavy as both girls stared at the floor, lost in grim thoughts.

After a moment, they broke away from their thoughts and each picked up a box of pudding and quietly left the storage room, carrying the small treats in their hands as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Hello everyone, sorry for making you wait," Shigure said with a polite bow. As if she had completely thrown away her worries.

"We picked out these puddings. We hope you like them," Nodoka added, offering a faint smile as she held out the box.

"Thank you so much," Visha said warmly, turning away from the unconscious penguin lying nearby.

"Is your friend alright?" Shigure asked with concern in her voice.

"He's fine," Weiss responded, glancing down at the penguin. "Just give it a little more time, he'll be back on his feet in no time."

"I'm sorry to intrude," Visha began, her expression curious, "but... what exactly is this place?"

"You don't know about the Special Class?" Nodoka asked, tilting her head slightly in surprise.

"Sorry—we're new around here," Visha replied, glancing at the rest of her battalion. The others nodded in unison, silently confirming they were just as clueless.

"Yes, we only arrived recently, so we're still missing a lot of information," Neumann added.

"I see," Nodoka said thoughtfully. "Well, the simplest way to explain it is… this place is a dormitory for the students in the No. 227 Special Class. Basically, we're students who've been suspended from the proper Red Winter Academy."

"Wait… they suspend kids and then send them off to take care of themselves?" Koenig asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"But we're doing fine," Shigure chimed in, trying to downplay the concern. "From what I've heard, life in Gehenna might actually be even tougher than it is here."

"This is hard to believe," Weiss muttered, glancing around the worn-down room. "Especially considering this place looks like it goes through a coup every other week."

"Oh, you get used to it," Nodoka said with a shrug. "There's always some big fight going on, but in the end, nothing ever really changes."

"I… I see," Visha replied cautiously, her eyes darting between the others. She still couldn't quite tell if Nodoka was being sarcastic or completely serious.

"But there has to be a reason for it, right?" Weiss asked, frowning as he tried to rationalize what was told to him. "People wouldn't start a civil war for no reason."

"That depends on who's doing it," Nodoka replied. "Sometimes it's the Labor Party going on strike. Other times it's political greed… and in rare cases—just plain boredom."

Shigure gave a small nod, her face unreadable. "The one you got yourself stuck on was about pudding."

Weiss blinked. "I'm sorry. What?"

"What happened? Why start a civil war over pudding?" Visha asked, completely dumbfolded over what she heard.

"We're not sure," Shigure said. "The supply trucks were supposedly attacked while en route to the school. Everything inside was destroyed. And pudding is the main source of food that the Student Council supplies the students."

"Destroyed?" Koenig echoed. "You mean it wasn't stolen?"

"Nope. Just wrecked," Shigure said, her tone neutral but thoughtful.

"That's strange," Visha muttered. "Why attack a truck but not take anything?"

"Perhaps they want to incite anger against the Student Council," Weiss suggested, arms crossed.

"Yeah, that could be it," Koenig agreed, his brows furrowing. "Stir up chaos without getting their hands dirty."

"What… What's going on?" Grantz muttered, his voice groggy as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, Grantz. You're finally awake," Weiss said with a mix of relief and exhaustion.

Grantz blinked a few times, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling before slowly shifting his gaze to the others gathered around. For a moment, he looked completely lost—until recognition flickered in his eyes. "It's so weird… having to look at everyone like this."

"What's he talking about?" Nodoka asked, tilting her head as she gestured toward Grantz, clearly puzzled.

"It's nothing," Visha said quickly, flashing a polite smile in an effort to brush off any suspicions. "He's probably just… a little disoriented."

"Ugh… Weiss, where's Colo— I mean, Rerugen?" Grantz asked, stumbling over the name mid-sentence.

"He's outside," Neumann replied calmly. "Said he needed some air after we escaped that attack."

"Oh. I see," Grantz mumbled, sitting up with a quiet groan.

Shigure stepped forward and stood beside Visha, looking at the group with quiet curiosity. "Your group seems very close."

"We have a long history together," Visha replied, a soft smile forming on her face.

"Yeah, and it's kind of hard to believe how fast you all reacted back there," Nodoka added, folding her arms. "It looked almost... instinctual."

"You saw us in the crossfire?" Visha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nodoka has a bit of a habit of watching the school grounds with her microscope," Shigure said, nudging her friend playfully. "She just happened to catch you getting surrounded."

"Thank you so much for helping us," Visha said sincerely, bowing her head slightly. "Is there any way we can return the favor?"

"There's no need," Nodoka replied quickly. "Helping new students is just… the right thing to do, I guess," But in her mind, another thought lingered. 'Well… it was more of Shigure's idea, actually.'

"You helped us escape a tough spot and even fed us," Visha continued firmly. "I can't just walk away without paying that back."

"I have to agree," Weiss added, his tone serious. 'Also, it'd be shameful if I let little girls rescue me and then just left while they're still struggling,' he thought privately—unaware that Neumann and Koenig shared that exact sentiment in silence.

"The problem," Shigure said with a sigh, "is that I'm not sure there's much you can do to help us."

"Well," Nodoka said, a glint of thoughtfulness in her eyes, "we could try to figure out who's been attacking the supply trucks…"

Shanhaijing - Streets

"Can anyone see where those two went?" the small leader of the gang barked, still resting on one of her subordinates' backs like a commander surveying a battlefield. Her eyes scanned the area.

Around them, the streets had returned to a state of relative normalcy. Students milled about curiously, giving the masked group a wide berth. A line of children from the Plum Blossom Garden quietly stood on the of a store, patiently waiting for their instructor to come back.

"I'm sorry, boss. We lost them," one of the gang members admitted, panting slightly from the chase.

"Tch… Ahhh, it's no use then. Let's pull back," the leader huffed, throwing her arms in the air with exaggerated frustration. "We'll get them next time."

"I think we finally managed to escape," Subaru whispered, poking his head out from behind cover. He and Ram had used the line of children from the Plum Blossom Garden as a makeshift hiding spot, crouched low and moving carefully with the group.

"Yes, we did," Ram said calmly, dusting off her uniform.

"Big Brother and Big Sister won the hide-and-seek game?" one of the little girls asked, tilting her head with innocent curiosity.

"Yes, we did—thanks to all of you," Subaru replied with a smile, patting the girl on the head with his metalic hand.

"""Yeah!""" the children cheered in unison, giggling proudly.

A soft chime of a doorbell echoed as a silver-haired girl with a light blue halo above her head stepped out from a nearby store, her expression warm and welcoming.

"Why the noise? Did something happen out here?" she asked in a gentle voice as she walked closer to the children.

"Instructor Kokona!" one of the children called out brightly. "We helped Big Brother and Big Sister win a hide-and-seek game against a bunch of masked students!"

Instructor Kokona's face shifted almost instantly—from gentle and kind to a blend of sharp irritation and barely restrained anger as her eyes locked onto Subaru and Ram.