COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Within the man-made forest of the deserted island, four figures were making their way straight toward Morishita Ai's location, following the same path Fuyuji Mikage had taken earlier.

Considering that the three of them alone couldn't possibly finish two whole chickens, and also considering that Yamamura Miki handling two chickens all by herself would be far too difficult—after obtaining Yamamura's consent, they had pulled Shiraishi Asuka, equally skilled in the culinary arts, into their jungle expedition party.

Then, by chance, they had spotted Kamuro Masumi wandering idly and aimlessly near the campsite.

Then, furthermore, considering that Bro might genuinely have been driven mad with sheer boredom over the past few days, for the sake of her physical and mental well-being, Fuyuji had also dragged Kamuro into the fold.

Compared to the quiet, wordless understanding between Fuyuji and Yamamura on the way here, the return journey could only be described as boisterous and brimming with lively clamor.

"You actually hunted two wild chickens in the forest?!"

"Correct!" Fuyuji puffed out his chest and raised his head with pride. "So? Bro, aren't I good to you? Even for something like a secret private feast, I still thought of—"

"You did something like this and didn't call me?! You disloyal bastard."

"Didn't I call you now?" Fuyuji felt he was being a bit wronged.

"As long as you're not just calling me over to do menial grunt work." Kamuro's fists clenched rock-hard, grinding her teeth.

One had to understand—over these past few days, she had been waiting for a mission from this guy, her eyes nearly boring holes from staring in anticipation. And yet, the most thrilling part—the hunting—she had completely missed out on, and instead, she was being called over to do grunt work.

This guy truly was her wonderful pal.

No, wait!

Kamuro shook her head.

Why was she actually hoping this guy would give her orders? It was clearly him, shamelessly and brazenly forcing her to work for him.

That's right. It was this shameless bastard forcing her to work for him.

"Then if there's a next time, you'll be the first to charge in, alright?"

"That's more like it." Kamuro nodded with satisfaction.

Amidst the noisy bickering and clamor, Fuyuji had already returned to the sacred ground where he had proven his resolve by vanquishing the chicken fiend.

"Far too slow, Fuyuji Mikage!"

Kneeling properly in seiza before two small mounds piled from stones, Morishita straightened her back. Her gaze skimmed past Shiraishi, who was waving at her, and flicked toward the tardy, late-arriving Fuyuji. Both hands rested properly and formally upon her knees. Her expression was as solemn and grave as if she were attending a state funeral.

"What are you..."

Fuyuji's mouth twitched as he stared at those two simple makeshift graves, constructed from several tree branches stuck side by side into the ground, with three more branches planted before each one respectively.

"Truly, a heartless Fuyuji Mikage." Morishita clutched her chest and shook her head with a helpless sigh, her long lashes lowered and drooping. "Two such lives have passed away right before your very eyes. Do you not feel even the slightest shred of pity or compassion?"

As she spoke, she slowly extended a palm and pressed it against her own faintly rising and falling chest, murmuring. "It's fine. Even if this heartless Fuyuji Mikage feels not the least bit of pity for you, the kind-hearted, benevolent Morishita Ai will still strive with all her might to deliver your souls, to ensure that you may swiftly attain Buddhahood after death."

"..." And as for the reason they died—you're not going to mention that at all, are you? Living King of Hell.

After going through the motions of a full series of ritual ceremonies with great pomp and circumstance, Morishita clapped her hands together and bowed once before each grave respectively. Then, unable to wait a moment longer, she stood up. Eyes blazing and sparkling as she stared at the two trembling, shivering chicken brothers, she eagerly rolled up her sleeves and declared.

"Alright, alright! Let's eat them together now!"

The chief culinary director for this operation, Yamamura, pulled out the cooking utensils she had brought and sought the group's opinions.

"How should we prepare them? I don't know how to slaughter a chicken."

"Mm..."

Shiraishi cupped her chin. Her violet eyes gazed intently at the two chickens struggling on the ground. Smiling radiantly, she provided the answer.

"First, you must use a knife to slice open an incision in the chicken's throat. Then hang the entire chicken upside down, allowing the blood to drain out naturally under the force of gravity. Once it's about done, you can use the knife to carve and dismember it into pieces."

"..."

The two chicken brothers exchanged glances.

The very next second—

Within the deep, shadowy forest, the sound of blood-curdling, chicken-slaughtering screams—no, actual chicken slaughtering—erupted, shaking the surrounding birds and beasts into scattering in every direction.

"Cluck cluck cluck! Cluck! Cluck—!"

At this moment, the two chicken brothers had finally realized that great calamity was about to befall them. Struggling and thrashing against the grass ropes binding their legs, they writhed and squirmed desperately outward, their will to survive blazing with overwhelming intensity.

"With our circumstances... beggar's chicken," Fuyuji completely ignored the two chicken brothers' agonized screams and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "Pluck every last feather from the whole chicken clean. Wrap the chicken in lotus leaves. Then encase it entirely in mud. Toss it into a pile of charcoal embers. Let it roast for several hours. The high heat from all directions will ensure the entire chicken is heated evenly throughout."

"Cluck!!"

The two chickens squirmed and writhed even faster.

"Too long."

Kamuro, who had gone three entire days without eating a single bite of meat, voiced her objection. "Why not just roast them directly over the fire?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Morishita planted one hand on her hip and wagged a finger. She put on an expression that said, You people simply don't understand ingredients at all.

"The meat of these free-range, ground-walking chickens, roaming wild across mountains and fields—its quality is absolutely top-tier. To bring out their original, authentic flavor to the greatest possible extent..."

She swiveled her eyes and fixed her gaze on one of the chicken brothers, which had already squirmed and writhed half a meter away. From that small face, utterly devoid of any emotional fluctuation, three words dropped flatly.

"Plain boiled, perhaps..."

"Cluck!" The chicken that had appeared later let out a single, heart-wrenching, lung-tearing shriek and promptly fainted dead away on the spot.

The remaining chicken, having personally witnessed the horrific, tragic fate of its comrade, frantically swiveled its chicken neck around and stared at Fuyuji. Rapid, urgent, desperate cries erupted ceaselessly from its chicken beak.

"Cluck cluck cluck! Cluck! Cluck!" (Please spare me! I can still be of use!)

"..."

Fuyuji: "?"

Hmm?!

He hadn't been able to understand it before—so why could he suddenly understand it now? Could it be that, at the critical juncture between life and death, it had broken through the limits of its own life form and super-evolved?

The second Pokemon capable of evolution, after Wild Pigeon, had appeared—the one-in-a-million Overlord of Chickens!

But...

Fuyuji shook his head. He stared mercilessly, heartlessly, at that chicken leg. The answer was self-evident...

"Cluck cluck! Cluck cluck cluck!"

Fuyuji's entire body froze. Probingly, tentatively, he spoke.

"Are you saying... you know where there's a four-legged beast much larger than you? And you can lead us to it?"

"Cluck cluck!" The chicken brother nodded its head with the frantic, rapid-fire urgency of a chick pecking at rice.

"How is that possible? I've been here for four entire days and haven't spotted any four-legged beasts at all. The best game I've bagged is you two! You must be trying to swindle me!"

Would the school really release large animals to roam free in a place like this? Although some animals are normally quite docile and gentle in their habits, once their lives are threatened, those habits can no longer be relied upon.

Releasing such animals on a deserted island—it would be far too easy for an accident to occur.

"Cluck..."

"That place is at the bottom of a cliff? Can't see it from outside? The way down is blocked by a massive boulder? A normal person can't get down there? But you know of another path that leads down?"

"Cluck!" The chicken head bobbed and swayed emphatically up and down.

Fuyuji still felt something was a bit strange. "What does this four-legged beast look like?"

"Cluck!" The chicken brother stretched its neck as far as it could and struggled with all its might to mimic and imitate. It pointed its beak toward the sky in a thrusting, jabbing motion. From its throat, it produced a gurgling, growling sound, simulating a low, deep roar.

"A pair of curved horns. Thick, brown fur. And extremely fierce?"

"..."

Fuyuji and Morishita exchanged a glance. A wordless, tacit understanding arose simultaneously within both their hearts.

One hand and one claw clasped together.

"Deal!"

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