The peaceful lunch hour shattered as the school’s ventilation system began pumping out a thick, golden mist. It smelled of yeast, sugar, and something sickly—like bread left to rot in the sun.
"Ugh, what is that smell?" Yui gagged, dropping her rice ball. "It’s like the cafeteria exploded!"
"It’s a Despair Trigger," Konone said, leaping onto the rooftop railing and looking down into the courtyard. "They’re targeting the students' simple desires. Hunger, greed, the need for comfort... the Void King is getting creative."
In the center of the courtyard, students were collapsing, but they weren't unconscious. They were clutching their stomachs, their eyes glazed over with a hollow, ravenous hunger. Standing over them was Eza, his elegant suit contrasting with the chaotic scene.
"Poor little humans," Eza mocked, waving a silk handkerchief. "Slaving away at your desks, dreaming of a sweet treat to make the day bearable. Why wait? I’ll give you a feast you’ll never forget."
He snapped his fingers. The golden mist solidified, pulling the moisture and the very "scent" of the school’s lunch into a single point.
"Rise, Carb-Don!"
From the mist emerged a monstrosity that looked like a ten-foot-tall, bloated loaf of artisanal sourdough. Its skin was a crusty, golden brown, but its "eyes" were two pits of dark jam. Instead of hands, it had two massive, serrated Butter-Knives that dripped with hot, liquified yellow grease.
"BREAD..." the monster groaned, its voice like the cracking of a crust.
"That's... that's a giant loaf of bread," Yui blinked, her stomach letting out another treacherous growl. "And it looks delicious... and terrifying. Mostly delicious."
"Yui! Focus!" Konone shouted, pulling her card. "It's a Void! Blazing Heart! Ignite!"
"I’m trying! But I’m so hungry I can’t see straight!" Yui cried, fumbling for her own card. "Blazing Heart! Crystallize!"
As the two girls transformed and leaped from the roof, they hit the courtyard ground with a thud. Immediately, the Carb-Don swung its massive butter-knife arms.
"Watch out! The floor!" Konone warned.
The monster didn't just swing; it leaked. The melted butter coating its blades sprayed onto the concrete, turning the courtyard into a literal slip-and-slide. Konone tried to lunge forward for a Blazing Punch, but her boots found no traction. She slid wildly, crashing into a row of bicycle racks.
"It’s... it’s too slippery!" Konone hissed, struggling to stand.
Yui, as Blazing Ice, tried to create a frozen path, but the hot, melted butter was so greasy and warm that her ice melted as soon as it touched the ground. She stood there, wobbling, her stomach cramping.
"I can't... fight... on an empty stomach..." Yui whispered, her vision swimming.
The Carb-Don loomed over her, its serrated knife-arm raised high, dripping with boiling, golden grease. "BUTTER... YOU... DOWN..." the monster hissed.
"YUI! GET OUT OF THERE!" Konone screamed, pinned down by the slippery mess.
But Yui wasn't moving. She was staring at the monster’s arm—a perfectly golden, flaky crust that smelled exactly like the premium garlic bread from the bakery down the street. In the depths of her hunger-induced haze, Yui didn't see a monster.
She saw a meal.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgDMKPVqbl
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