"It's fine, Vivian. It's fine. Well, as you guys know I don't come from this world. I'm looking for a way home. I've heard that Dark Priests are servants of the Fallen God. Now I don't care much about who the Fallen God is and what she wants do, only that she's someone who is in another dimension. Pandemonium, I believe. Maybe she or her followers know something about other dimensions. Other worlds. Maybe ways to cross them. That would definitely get me home. But it's a longshot, I admit. Could be a dead end. Do you think... do you think it's possible? Do you think I could actually... go home?"

"D-don't you like it here?" Sylvia asked in a slightly injured voice; her relief that Neil's question to Sister Riñas was genuine and not just an excuse to hang out with her because he was interested in her was overridden by her worrythat Neil was trying to leave, but her statement elicited a punch from Vivian.

"It's not about whether he likes it or not," Vivian corrected, "Imagine if we couldn't visit Mom or Dad again."

"Y-you're right, I was being...foolish," Sylvia apologized, deflated.

"But Sylvia does have a point," Vivian continued, "Traveling between worlds just sounds downright dangerous, and the more desperate you are, the more likely you'll choose a dangerous option, so we'll take it upon ourselves to help you in any way we can to ensure that if you do find a way home, that it is a safe choice."

At this Sylvia perked up, "Th-that's right! You don't have to do this alone. And I'm curious to learn about the different worlds and how to travel between them."

@Rezod92@13org@PaulHaynek


Yang Bethlehem

Since she can't consume or handle meat, it was to be a vegetarian ramen but doesn't mean it can't be filling or tasty.

Moving quickly, she first boiled some spinach for the base of her soup. It'll be fast and allowed her to proceed to the next step in the meantime. In tandem, she sifted the flour and prepared cold water for the next step.

Since there isn't miso, I'll have to use root vegetable like potatoes. Yang beamed, her hands swiftly chopping the potatoes into small pieces that'll melt when met with high heat. Something she counted on in order to make it thick without losing depth. She also went ahead to cut and skin other vegetables like celery, onions, carrots and fennel.

I had boiled those vegetables in my travel and they aren't half-bad. With a smile, she placed another pot of water on boil, one meant purely for the noodles.

Yang switched her attention to the spinach, scooping, draining and then blanching it in one swift motion. Followed by her putting all the vegetable she cut up into the same pot and she closed the lid

Back to the spinach, she quickly took it out into a new bowl and grind the soft spinach down with a wooden spatula. With her strength and speed, it was soon reduced to a smooth consistency. Taking the paste to the mound of flour, she mixed the water into the center before following it up with the spinach.

Alternating between mixing and pouring, she soon had a ball of green dough. Working it several more times, Yang begun the arduous process of turning it into noodles.

Rolling, then pulling one end and then folding the two, she continued on carefully and applied a liberal use of flour to prevent it from sticking to one another. She was not a master noodle maker who could do this process much faster and with better technique, so she stuck to the simple method instead.

Nevertheless, once it was thin and long enough, Yang bundle it up, cut the end tails with a flick of her wrist and left it aside for now. She then turned to the mushrooms available and pick the biggest one she could find.

Slicing it horizontally, she planned to use it as meat substitute, a pan and quick frying it, the mushroom turned brown and soft. All that's left is the assembly.

Looking up at the rest of the competitors, she was neck to neck with them. Seems like they're getting ready for another dish, that had her furrow her brows as she figured another dish but that answer was obvious, what better accompaniment to go than fried dumplings?

Yang then heard someone cheering for her and true enough, it was Kira alongside Ada and Talia. Seems like the former never tried ramen before. That had her focus sharpened more, she can't let someone's first experience to go bad and more so when it's their famous local regional dish.

"Haha! Of course!" She replied with a thumbs up, then get set to the next dish. She idly looked for some chili oil and to her surprise, they had those.

Saves me some time. Yang would be taking more time if they didn't had that, not to mention no dumpling was complete without some chili oil for dipping.

Taking the flour, she quickly made some basic dough and let it sit. The most important was the content of the dumplings, this time opting for oyster mushrooms instead of the button mushroom that she used for the soup. She needed it to be soft as she shredded it, then did the same to the leftover vegetables that she used for the soup.

Once it was all chopped up, she moved and stir-fry it to softness, using hot roaring flames to cook out the additional water while adding some seasoning and spices like garlic, chives, pepper and salt.

Then swiftly, she took it out and left it to slowly cool down while she cut the dough into small pieces, roll it into small circle shapes then scooping the fried vegetables into it. Only then, did she started to fry the dough on top of a hot pan until it's golden brown.

It was in that time, she move to finish the assembly of her dish, by dipping the noodles into the hot water, taking it out and cooling it before placing the vegetable soup stock, fried mushroom and ramen together. All the while, her dumplings was cooking and retaining the juices, it'll taste much sweeter but also kept the crisp refreshing feeling of vegetables and mimicking the consistency of meat.

Once done, she finally presented her dish. It wasn't grand but it was a spectacle during the preparation, made even more impressive with her speed and strength.

Green Ramen noodles, vegetable potato soup, and mushroom slices. Fried dumpling with oyster mushroom, vegetable filling and chili oil.

Though it was only a cold water of realization as she was presenting her dish, that it was two of the same if not, similar dishes.

I should've gone for a chawan-mushi instead.

---

Ditzy Stoneclub

The minotaur gave a cheeky reply, prompting Ditzy to nod at that with a grin as Tiger lady shook his hand back. A brief grasp told him that she was indeed, strong.

That made Ditzy happy, he wanted to play with them even more now.

As the competition was underway, Ditzy looked at the minotaur going first. The loud echoing bang and pull seemed promising but the puck didn't went up by that much, not even the halfway mark.

That had Ditzy tilting his head in confusion and wondering what was going on though the hammer hitting the minotaur back in the head had him giggling at the misfortune.

Then it was the Tiger girl turn and Ditzy cheered for her, wondering how well she would do.

Seeing the opposite of how things was done made Ditzy looked with interest, it was very similar to how his dad or Yang beat things up.

All that thought and introspection came to a halt when she only managed to hit slightly higher than the minotaur though. Now, Ditzy was actively rubbing the back of his head and wondering if it was broken.

No matter! I'll beat it so hard until it goes back to right!

That stoke a fire in him as Ditzy took his place, taking the hammer and resting it on his shoulder. Ditzy stance was similar to how a person would chop wood, and true enough, Ditzy slowly raised the hammer above his head.

Letting a breathe out, his entire body relaxed, and mind cleared. Ditzy then brought it down like how he would bring his own sandbag down with full force.

The hammer was already suffering under Ditzy tight grip, under the speed and strength, it bend like rubber for a moment before the head of it met the tower.

Despite the impact, it seemed like Ditzy just passed the minotaur and beneath the Jinko. Yet, instead of being dissuaded, Ditzy only turned to the minotaur with a victory sign.

"I'm stronger!" Ditzy grinned at her innocently and mischievously.

That's when the commotion happen and another Ian North came, Ditzy looked back and forth between the two as he wondered if Ian had a twin brother. They seemed like they hate each other.

On being asked on how to tell the two apart, Ditzy lifted his nose first to identify the smell but they both smelled the same.

It took a longer moment before he walked between them.

"Ditzy know! Come closer!" Ditzy then waved the two to come close enough that he could get a hold on both of them without them escaping.

"Ian came for job before, tell Ditzy who's the member of guild!"

A simple question until the real one would realize that it was Ditzy they're talking too. Name alone would not do and description would be needed.

(Should the fake tries to escape)

If that doesn't works, Ditzy had a grip on both of them and would simply slammed both of them into each other, knocking both out and for Bart to solve since he knows the people best.

Master Chef
~@Restalaan (YNG), @13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

"Hey! No tasting until the contest's done!" Nero angrily called out from his station. "Hahaha! I'm just messing with you. But seriously though, let's not be unfair to the rest of the audience and let's try all of these at the same time. Alright?"

A few moments later, the time was up. The dishes prepared by the contestants was laid out across a long table atop a white cloth. The host said that it was up to the audience who will decide who the winner was. What followed was a small feast of everyone tasting a serving from each of the dishes. The contestants were allowed to taste too as well.

"I heard you call these 'noodles', blondie." Nero took a serving of Yang's ramen. "And they taste hella good. I'm definitely voting for you if I could. Hahaha!"

Once everyone has had a sample from each of the dishes, the voting commenced. While everyone remarked that all of the dishes were amazing, they almost unanimously decided that it was Yang's dish that was the tastiest. A cheer was made for the monk's victory and no one contested the decision.

Except one. "You cheated, you monk!" The Ushi-Oni exclaimed. "You won because no one here has tried ramen before! They liked your dish because it was new and exotic!" She accused.

"Your dish's pretty exotic too, you know? What's sushi anyway?" Nero interjected.

"Yeah, well, hers is exotic-er." The Ushi-Oni retorted. "Regardless, she has cheated and I will bring her to justice!" She declared before leaping high into the air and landing in front of Yang. The ferocious Ushi-Oni was ready to tear the blonde monk to pieces.

Or probably just beat her up silly. Regardless, Yang had a duel in her hands.

---

A Test Of Strength
~@Restalaan (DIT)~

"Ian came for job before, tell Ditzy who's the member of guild!"

"What guild?" The host Ian replied.

Something that he instantly regretted when the newcomer Ian as well as everyone else looked at him for that remark. The jig was up but you had the host Ian in your firm grip. But he had a trick up his sleeve, the host Ian drew a small wood ball with his free hand. He then hurled it to the ground which blew up into a thick, concealing smoke.

The sudden explosion released your hold on the fake Ian and he was able to get away. "Ha! You'll never catch me, you little weirdo Hobgoblin! Not when I shift into maximum overdrive!" You see the figure of the false Ian dart further into the artificial fog and out of your sight. He has escaped.

Yet when the smoke cleared, a fortunate sight was before you. You saw the Minotaur and the Jinko both holding fake Ian, grabbing him by his limbs. Now he truly has no chance of escape.

"Hey, Hobgoblin! You're the one that blew the lid off this guy." The Minotaur said. "I think you should be the one that decides what to do with him."

"Come on, guys! It was just a fun little joke! I totally wasn't going to start charging people to prove their strength and exploit their prides." The false Ian tried to weasel his way out.

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

"Maybe we should try increasing the difficulty a little?"

"Well, obviously. I'm asking if you know a way to make to make it difficult." Sir Reed replied. A bit disappointed at your answer. "I think they were talking about having moving targets. What do you think about that? Although, I'm not sure how they will manage that."

"And regarding Haley... Well... She did came here to watch me and I don't think she was expecting the archery competition to take this long so she might be a bit bored... If you could call her for me, I would be grateful. Tell her that she doesn't need to stay here if she doesn't want to..."

"You can shoot at targets leagues away but you cannot see the feelings inside the heart of a fair maiden? Hahaha!" Sir Reed teased you once again. "Did she not say she was not here for the competition but for you? Or are you suggesting that was but a teasing lie? Nothing but natural tendencies for monsters to flirt?"

"But seriously and out of genuine curiosity, is there something actually between the two of you?" Sir Reed asked. "As you know, I'm new so I may be seeing things that aren't actually there or more complicated than it appears. Erm, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I respect privacy."

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

"How about you Miss Kikimora?"

"Oh, I'm definitely fine with that. Although, I'm not sure if I could fully appreciate having a male monster for an entire day. I suppose I'll just make do with an innocent date. We also get the money from the other contestants, right?" The Kikimora replied.

"It's settled then! Let the contest begin!" Riñas declared, ignoring the bird-maid monster.

The contestants got to their positions and the small audience took to their seats. At least it has increased a little. Riñas had a wood cone to amplify her voice. She stood beside the main stage with a chair stool and a small pail containing pieces of paper sitting on it. "I will be pulling questions from this little ol' bucket. The contestant who raises his or her hand first and answers the question correctly wins one point! Whoever has the most points after ten questions wins this contest!"

The audience replied with an applause and Riñas pulled out the first question. "Get ready, contestants! The first question is: Do monsters produce Spirit Energy?"

The answer was easy and obvious to those knowledgeable in the nature of the world. The Owl Mage was the quickest to raise her arm, but hesitated. The other two monsters noticed and soon realized why. All three of them looked to you. Now that you existed, can monsters produce Spirit Energy now?

---

~@Stern Algorithm~

"Traveling between worlds just sounds downright dangerous, and the more desperate you are, the more likely you'll choose a dangerous option, so we'll take it upon ourselves to help you in any way we can to ensure that if you do find a way home, that it is a safe choice."

"Th-that's right! You don't have to do this alone. And I'm curious to learn about the different worlds and how to travel between them."

Neil smiled brightly at the sisters' reply. "Thanks, you two. I've been trying to find help in this endeavor of mine so I'm glad you two offered. If there's anything I can do for you two... although, please don't expect too much. I'm not exactly... not exactly a man of talents. B-But I'll do my best, I guarantee you that."

"Well, our break's almost over. Time to get going and back into the fray." Neil rose from his seat. "Ah, I know. Once we're done helping and after I've asked Riñas about the other-dimensions thing, why don't we... wander around a bit? See what else the festival offers. Maybe grab a bite or two. It'll be like a date."

After mentioning 'date', he quickly blushed. "Uhh, by 'date' I mean... well, not that kind of 'date' but, uhh..." Looks like he needs saving from the tangle he himself created.

^{@PaulHaynek@Rezod92}

Ada looked at Kira just as excited as she was feeling the smell and seeing all the different and tasty looking dishes they could taste. When she found Yang, Kira started talking to her, asking about the food while Ada waved towards Yang with a curious stare to the dish she was preparing. When Yang said that she would let them try, Ada looked to Kira with an excited expression, eager to try it. Much to Ada's disappointment though, the man who was overseeing the competition was quick to say that they should wait a bit before tasting. While she waited for the time for her to try it though, Ada kept watching Yang to cook and how she seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

When they finally were able to get some, Ada looked at Talia and Kira before she gently grabbed their hands and starting pulling them towards where the dishes were. One by one, Ada started tasting them, curiously sniffing each dish before eating them. Surprisingly enough, most of them were really tasty and interesting. The meat had an exquisite flavor that Ada haven't tasted before, being completely different from the raw meat she used to eat. The Sushi from the Ushi-Ona was surprisingly good too! Even though she could still feel the taste of fish in the background, there were a lot of other smells and tastes that made it really tasty. Yang's dish smelled really good but Ada had some difficulties trying to eat the stringy things at first as they were really slippery. When Ada saw other people eating it though, almost as if they were drinking the stringy stuff with the soup, Ada found it way easier. Even though it wasn't meat, Ada was surprised to notice that she liked it as well. The only dish Ada didn't like that much was the bird maid's, seeing as Ada was mainly carnivore and didn't really enjoy roots and greens.

When everyone had tasted the competitor's dishes and the voting was completed, Ada was happy that Yang's dish won. Even though Ada had really liked the meat and the sushi and didn't know how she could compare all the dishes, seeing as they were really different, she was happy because her friend won the competition. Unfortunately, the Ushi-Ona didn't seem to be happy with the outcome of the competition, in fact, she did seem to be really angry as she leaped towards Yang in a threatening posture, which made Ada immediately hiss as she showed her teeth, getting in a low posture, a clear indication that she was about to pounce on the Ushi-Ona.

---

Freyr

Freyr heard Sir Reed mentioning about moving targets, nodding his head in agreement. While it could definitely help, Freyr didn't know how much it would help, seeing as most of the remaining competitors, or at least him and the elf were hunters. Shooting at moving targets was exactly what they did.

"That could help indeed. I don't know how much though. Hunters do excel in shooting at moving targets and I'm sure the elf is no less competent of a hunter than I am." Freyr said.

When Sir Reed teased Freyr about him not being able to see the feelings inside the heart of a maiden and asked if there was something going on between him and Haley though, Freyr looked away for a moment, not knowing how to reply at that. Not only that was something Freyr himself wasn't that familiar with but he didn't know how Haley felt about him. Especially since he already was rejected once.

"I spent most of my life alone. I am not exactly 'good' with people... Or this kind of stuff." Freyr said in a low tone.

"The relationship between male and female Vieras is... complicated." Freyr finished.

"Regarding me and Haley, I don't know. I don't know what or if she feels something nor... How and if I feel something anymore." Freyr replied, hesitating.

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan (YANG) @13org (ADA)

"Hey! No tasting until the contest's done!" Nero angrily called out from his station. "Hahaha! I'm just messing with you. But seriously though, let's not be unfair to the rest of the audience and let's try all of these at the same time. Alright?"

"Tch....Fine, we'll wait.", Kira pouted as she sat back in her seat. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long. Soon enough, the time ran out and Yang, along with the other contestants, began serving their meals out to the audience, which the announcer declared that the winner of the cooking contest would be determined by which dish the crowd liked best. Then, and only then, did the audience got the go ahead to dig in, to which Kira happily obliged.

The first dish was the blonde man's meat dish: Mmmmm, so juicy. So savory. And so tender it almost melts in your mouth. This guy knows how to handle his meat!.....Hehehe.

Next, came the Ushi-Oni's 'sushi' dish: Huh, never had this one before either. The appearance is certainly something. Rice, salmon, sauce and a bit of vegetable all wrapped in what looks like seaweed. The texture is unique and I don't know how I feel about it be served cold, but the taste certainly ain't bad. And all of this was made by an USHI-ONI. Who taught her how to cook, an Inari? Pffft, yeah, right. Could you imagine?

Then came the Kikimora's homemade dish: It's good. Really good, actually. It's just....I could go to my parents back home and almost get the exact same dish. It's something I've had before, so it's not anything too impressive.

Finally, Yang's 'ramen' bowl, which Kira was saving for last. And her thoughts on it were...

Oh my gods....OH MY GODS! Where has this food been all my life!? The smell! The texture! The flavors! It all comes together to create this wonderous culinary masterpiece! Who'd ever thought soup could be this good!? We have a winner!

"Aaaahhh....Yang! Hands down!", exclaimed Kira, saying as much after she had finished eating(and drinking) Yang's dish. Most of the audience were in agreement with the flygirl and with that, the busty monk was declared the winner.

Well....all except for one.

"You cheated, you monk!" The Ushi-Oni exclaimed. "You won because no one here has tried ramen before! They liked your dish because it was new and exotic!" She accused.

"That....doesn't make much sense. How is serving something no one here has tried before considered cheating? Plus, you brought something new to the table too.", the Beelzebub stated with a raised eyebrow. The blonde haired man, going by Nero apparently, said just as much.

"Your dish's pretty exotic too, you know? What's sushi anyway?" Nero interjected.

"Yeah, well, hers is exotic-er." The Ushi-Oni retorted. "Regardless, she has cheated and I will bring her to justice!" She declared before leaping high into the air and landing in front of Yang. The ferocious Ushi-Oni was ready to tear the blonde monk to pieces.

Oh, shit!, Kira thought to herself, shocked over how quickly the situation escalated. Ada seemed to have had a similar thought process because she quickly went to Yang's side, hissing and baring her teeth at the Ushi-Oni. The flygirl followed suit, swiftly buzzing over and placing herself between the monstrous spider mamono and the monk.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down and actually think about this!", Kira yelled, trying to play mediator. "You're getting riled up over losing a cooking contest! Don't you think that seems a tad silly!?"

@PaulHaynek@13org@Rezod92

Yang Bethlehem

She let out a sigh of relief when the reception of the crowd that tried her food was one of cheer, slowly turning into one of confidence at least for her. Since she prepared those quite often at the temple with the other students, it comes easily to her.

During this time, she tried what she can, sadly she couldn't enjoy Nero meat. Declining to eat it and only was able to eat the side dishes. Even the birdlike maid was pretty good as well with her dish.

But tasting the Ushi-Oni dish, with some hesitancy at first, it gave her nostalgic memories of her home. It has been a long time and having some of it brought back that feeling.

"I like this." She said and praised to the Ushi-Oni even as the competition went on.

To Yang's surprise, she won and it took her a moment to process it.

"Oh, thanks!" Yang bowed to everyone as she took it humbly.

Though one seemed to disagree, which had her rubbing the back of her head when she heard the Ushi-Oni accusation. "Well...I definitely would have voted for you though-"

That wasn't a lie either, Yang was genuinely impressed that an Ushi-Oni of all monster girl, was able to cook such a normal and delicious, to her standards at least, meal. Most had little to no patience and usually prefer more simpler way of cooking.

The moment Ushi-Oni made her declaration, Yang's eyebrows rose before a large Chesire grin graced her face.

Seeing Ada and Kira coming to her side so quickly in her defense was touching, Yang moved forward as she patted Ada back to clam her down before turning to Kira. "Kira, don't bother. When an Ushi-Oni sets her mind on something, it's impossible to budge them away from it. I was already expecting this to happen anyways. Please guide Ada to the side and make sure that she doesn't gets involve."

"Don't worry, I'm just going to play with the Ushi-Oni for awhile." Yang knelt down and slowly pat Ada head before holding her by the cheeks, smiling without showing her teeth. "Go follow Kira, alright. It's gonna be fine."

Then just as quickly, she removed the apron and like a switch, she went from the calm monk to an expert and disciple of the White Tiger temple, the air changing around her as she stepped forward to the Ushi-Oni. Entering into a nimble and loose stance with a smile that suited a monster girl more than anything.

"Come on then! I need a good exercise to burn up the food I just eaten!" Yang gestured to the Ushi-Oni, heart racing fast from both excitement and fear. An Ushi-Oni was a threat that calls for demon extermination squads and here she was, going at it alone.

Yet this was merely one obstacle to reach the pinnacle and closer to her master one day.

Good thing that most of her attacks were blunt force and not sharp weapons, getting blood on her will be disastrous and this place didn't need two Ushi-Oni's rampaging the area.

---

Ditzy Stoneclub

When the other Ian asked what guild, Ditzy tilted his head at that and answered him.

"The guild obviously!" He smiled and answered the obvious, not realizing the answer didn't help at all. His reply, however, had everyone else realized just who was the fake Ian was.

Nevertheless, Ditzy grip was firmly on him and despite the light touch, it felt impossible to move away.

Then with a flick of his wrist, a smoke bomb slammed into the ground. The sound, scent, and smoke scared Ditzy, the latter letting go of the fake Ian and covered his ears at the sudden loud noise right in front of him.

Made worse was the smoke got into Ditzy lungs, causing him to choke and cough as the taste felt awful in his mouth. His nose, particularly sensitive, clogged immediately and eyes closed at that.

It took a moment before Ditzy recovered and open his tear-filled eyes, seeing that the fake Ian was caught by the minotaur and tiger girl.

"That was mean!" He said before coughing.

Hearing what the fake Ian planned to do, that just made Ditzy pouted in anger.

"Joke not funny." Ditzy curtly said with a frown as he turned to the real Ian. "You decide punishment."

Once that was done, Ditzy turned to the minotaur and tiger girl. The competition was ruined but at least they can still play a bit.

"Want to play again to see who's strongest? We can arm-wrestle!" Ditzy eagerly changed the topic once they're together, turning to the Jinko first. "Ditzy hit bell higher than minotaur! So Ditzy wanna see if Ditzy is stronger!"

"Oh, I'm definitely fine with that. Although, I'm not sure if I could fully appreciate having a male monster for an entire day. I suppose I'll just make do with an innocent date. We also get the money from the other contestants, right?"

Ozzy choked a bit. He had come to the full realization. A date? He was playing for the chance to win a date? Or was it more like he would 'lose' a date? And before he could recover, the quiz was on. He had to fight. If he won maybe he could pay back master Bart. It was a chance to wipe the slate clean... and then he would approach one, the owl harpy was still his pick but the maid seemed more innocent in her claims so-"

"Get ready, contestants! The first question is: Do monsters produce Spirit Energy?"

He immediately started to raise his hand, but then the Owl Harpy beat him too it... or did she? They all looked to him and a after a moment's puzzling... he figured out why. With a twisted look of contemplation on his face to consider what he was, he finally took a deep breath and forcing down any bit of doubt.

"No. Spirit energy is a vital energy possessed by humans, and various other races, but not monsters." He quickly shut up. He was giving out too much information, he'd have to fight back against the chatter.

He could go on. Males had more then females. Monsters couldn't produce it but desired it as food and other means. He waited for the answer, hoping and praying that the questions were about common book knowledge rather then potential technicalities.

Master Chef
~@Restalaan (YNG), @13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

Come on then! I need a good exercise to burn up the food I just eaten!"

Regardless if Ada or Kira had left Yang's side as she ordered, the Ushi-Oni continued her attack. "Doesn't matter if there's three or three-hundred of you! I'll beat you all!"

The large, ferocious monster charged at Yang. Everyone's eyes was toward the impromptu and unexpected fight. Only a few noticed a darting blur, a quick figure snatching a piece of meat from Nero's dish and heading right into the middle of the battle. It barely took a second, fast enough that the Ushi-Oni was not even close to Yang when he arrived.

In a split-second, the blur of a figure passed by the spider monster who immediately stopped dead in her tracks. What he left behind was the strip of steak dangling in her mouth. The Ushi-Oni then sported a face of pure bliss as she grabbed hold of the steak and happily chewed and savored it.

"Tastes pretty good, doeesn't it? You should've tasted the foods first before jumping into something troublesome." Nero was the identity of the lightning fast figure. "You still mad?"

"...Yes." The Ushi-Oni lied between chews. "But I'll stop being mad if you make another one of these."

"I'll make you two."

-

"Sorry for raining on your parade, blondie." Nero approached the guild members. The commotion had died down and people have began leaving with the contest now over. "But a fight in this area between two titans of battle, as fun as that would be to watch, would leave a lot of stuff here messy. And you bet they're gonna make me clean it up, which I don't wanna do."

The only people in the area were those still not done with their dishes or those who wanted more. "Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival. That goes for you two as well." Nero turned to Ada and Kira. "Hmm, never seen her like before. Then again, I've never seen a Night Gaunt either. Who knows what monsters I didn't know that I didn't know." He referred to Ada.

"And you... are pretty." Nero addressed Kira. "And also in dire need of a bath."

The contest was over and the guild members were now free to roam around and enjoy the rest of the festival. Although, weren't they forgetting something?

---

A Test Of Strength
~@Restalaan (DIT)~

"You decide punishment."

"Alright. I'll just take this guy to jail and take his ill-begotten wealth for mysel-- I-I mean, return them to their rightful owners as much as possible." The real Ian said. "You know, you should've just looked at our font colors to tell us apart but your idea worked and that's what matters, right?"

"Want to play again to see who's strongest? We can arm-wrestle!"

"Ha! I like you, Hobgoblin!" The Minotaur laughed. "Sure, me and the tiger can take you on!"

And so you, the Minotaur and the Jinko got a table and began challenging each other's arms. You managed to win several times and you were defeated several times. After a few more matches, others decided to join in and you had to challenge all sorts of figures. Some stronger than you thought. Others, weaker than you thought.

Soon, you had to back out since your arm was getting really tired from all the wrestling. "You're not bad. Not bad at all, little Hobgoblin." The Minotaur laughed. "See ya around. Hope you enjoy the rest of the festival. Meanwhile, me and the tiger's gonna stick around here for awhile and enjoy the show."

Just when you were about to leave, the true Ian North returned. "Hey, Ditzy! Forgot to give you this." He then handed you a strange token. Engraved on it was the rectangular head of a man with an ornate crown and a large beard. "Trust me. That's gonna be useful one day. You should use it when you and your guild are in a pinch and are in contact with some really beardy guys."

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

""I spent most of my life alone. I am not exactly 'good' with people... Or this kind of stuff." Freyr said in a low tone. The relationship between male and female Vieras is... complicated. Regarding me and Haley, I don't know. I don't know what or if she feels something nor... How and if I feel something anymore.""

"...Oh. I-I didn't know it was that bad. Sorry." Sir Reed scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure if this is helpful advice but, I think you just have to not think about it. Just let whatever happen, happen. W-Well, that's how I see it. Err, love comes in many forms and... you know what, forget I said anything. Sorry about that, Sir Freyr."

The competition was soon resumed and the contestants were recalled. The new obstacle this time was shooting targets in the air. Specifially, shooting apples in the air. However, the apples would not be simply thrown into the air. They were to be dropped from a very high altitude which will force the competitors to take account the wind as well as the apples' small sizes in their shots. Who would fly to the air and drop the apples?

"Hey Freyr! I volunteered to help with the competition and they had just the thing for me." Haley approached you with a basket of apples on her wing. "So I'm gonna fly really high up and then drop these while you guys try to shoot it. Hey, we may be guildmates, Freyr, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna make it easy for ya."

And so, you and the other archers shot apples in the air. The altitude was not that great at first but as Haley got higher and higher, even you began to have difficulty. But who was truly lagging behind was the Cupid, her shots took more and more time and some were near-misses. It was surprising considering that the Kikimora maid monster was apparently more skilled than her.

As the Cupid made her next shots, you notice something. First, you see that she was using a different arrow this time for some reason. Second, you notice that she was aiming exactly at Haley and not at all the space under her.

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

"No. Spirit energy is a vital energy possessed by humans, and various other races, but not monsters."

"That's completely correct! One point for Mr. Skyway!" Riñas declared.

"What? How is that--" The Lich stopped as she thought about your answer. "No, no. That makes sense. Of course, why did I not think of that?"

"I was overthinking it. I shan't be caught off-guard next time." The Owl Mage told herself. "You watch yourself, Sir Skyway."

"Alrighty then! On to the next question!" Riñas pulled out another paper from the pail and began to read. "Should a human copulate with a monster, would their offspring always be a monster?"

The question was easy enough and like the previous question, the Owl Mage was the quickest amongst all. And like the previous question, she and the other conetestansts hesitated again. Their gazes, once more, turned to you. You realize that you had now broken one of the cardinal rules of this world by existing which was probably why they were hestitant to answer.

Yet another question for you to nab.

"Thanks, you two. I've been trying to find help in this endeavor of mine so I'm glad you two offered. If there's anything I can do for you two... although, please don't expect too much. I'm not exactly... not exactly a man of talents. B-But I'll do my best, I guarantee you that. Well, our break's almost over. Time to get going and back into the fray. Ah, I know. Once we're done helping and after I've asked Riñas about the other-dimensions thing, why don't we... wander around a bit? See what else the festival offers. Maybe grab a bite or two. It'll be like a date. Uhh, by 'date' I mean... well, not that kind of 'date' but, uhh..."

Realizing the awkward situation that Neil had landed them in, Vivian forced a laugh, "Haha! How can it be a date when there's three of us, right?" She nudged her sister with an elbow.

"Err, th-that's right, you can't date both of us, that would be...philandering, wouldn't it? So obviously it wouldn't be a date, it would be something much more casual and not at all stressful..." Sylvia stuttered the words out, grateful to have this opportunity to spend time with Neil, while Vivian made it less awkward. "Maybe we should go get some food first, then. There's got to be some good food at the competition, and we can reconvene with some of our guildmates."

The mention of the competition immediately deflated Vivian, who cast a tired, but accusatory glance at her sister. Moaning weakly, Vivian then leaned into Sylvia, putting her head on her sister's shoulder, and slowly slid her face down until Vivian's face was planted deeply into Sylvia's chest. _{"...I did this for you..."} She muttered, almost inaudibly.

Unsure what to do, Sylvia hugged Vivian and patted her on the head, and whispered "Th-thanks, Vivian, I owe you big."

^{@PaulHaynek@Rezod92}

Ada didn't understand why the Ushi-Oni suddenly became so angry but she certainly didn't like her threatening Yang like that and she made it very clear to her, growling and hissing to the Ushi-Oni. Kira also quickly went to where Ada was to defend Yang, but seemed to take a more peaceful approach, trying to talk with her first, although with no avail. What surprised Ada the most though was when Yang herself gave a few steps forward, patting her and talking to both Kira and Ada. Apparently, she wanted them to get away and not involve themselves with what was happening. Ada did find that strange, turning her head to Yang, looking at her confusedly for a moment before looking back at the Ushi-Oni still in a threatening posture.

When Yang knelt down, patting her and holding by her cheeks to calm her down, saying that she and the spider lady were only going to play for a while. It was really strange on how Yang seemed to be calm on that situation, despite the clearly harmful intentions the spider lady had. Ada was reluctant to leave her side due to the dangerous situation but despite that, Yang didn't seem to think much of it. After some consideration though, Ada decided to trust Yang and walk back. Despite that though, she still had her eyes on the Ushi-Oni, a clear indication that if she saw that Yang was in danger she would intervene regardless if she wanted or not.

When Yang and the spider lady were about to start fighting though, the same guy who welcomed them into the cooking competition suddenly ran towards the spider lady, giving them a big slice of meat which surprisingly enough, made all her anger disappear in a moment. Even though Ada was surprised on how fast Nero moved himself, she was able to identify him even while he was running, due to the fact that Ada's eyes were already accustomed in seeing and identifying things in high speed, since she hunted mainly using her own speed.

After stopping the Ushi-Oni and dealing with her anger, it seemed that she had lost the will to fight, which was a good thing. Nero soon approached them to apologize for the spider lady's behavior. When he approached Ada though, he would quickly realize that she had her eyes glued on the big steak that the spider lady was happily eating as her tongue went in and out of her mouth and she sniffed the air. It didn't take much for Nero to understand that she was very interested on that steak.

---

Freyr

"Don't worry. There are a lot of complicated circumstances... And, well... Love itself is already complicated enough by itself." Freyr replied to Sir Reed's words as he apologized himself.

"I am thankful for you coming and talking to me about it though." he said with a smile and a nod towards him.

It didn't take long until the competition was resumed and all the contestants, called. The solution that they had found for the next part of the competition was definitely interesting though. According to the explanation they received, they were going to be shooting apples that would be dropped from a very high altitude. While it sounded simple enough, it was in reality, a very complex task. Not only the target was small and far, but there were things that had to be taken in account such as the wind, the speed of the apple and it's position as it fell and other things.

Much to his surprise though, when he was preparing himself, he heard Halley's voice as she approached him with a basket of apples in her wing, mentioning that she had volunteered to help in the competition. Since she could fly, she would be perfect to drop the apples for the next part of the competition.

"Don't worry, I am pretty confident in my abilities and I'm sure you will do a good job." Freyr said with a chuckle as she heard her mentioning that she wouldn't go easy on him despite them being guildmates.

Freyr was going to mention about her not needing to stay there to watch the competition until it ended, but seeing how Haley was excited and willing to help, Freyr decided to say nothing about it. Haley was not the type of person that easily got bored, instead it was the complete opposite. Whenever she went she somehow made sure things never got boring.

With the competition resuming again, the competitors got into position as Haley flew in the air, ready to drop the apples. Given the technical difficulty of the shot, Freyr knew that he would have to aim calmly. Even for a Viera, hitting an apple in that situation wasn't an easy task. The first shots were easy enough, but as Haley started going higher and higher, the difficulty began rising noticeably. Looking to the other competitors, Freyr was surprised to notice that the one who seemed to have more difficulty among them was the Cupid and not the Kikimora maid. The cupid had managed to hit the last few apples but some of her shots had almost missed. When she was about to make another shot though, Freyr noticed how her aim was off by a noticeable margin. Instead of aiming below Haley, she was aiming directly at her. Not only that but she was using a different type of arrow too.

Freyr didn't have much time to think about it. Upon seeing the cupid aiming straight towards Haley when it was her time to take the shot, Freyr acted out of impulse, nocking an arrow and letting it go just as the cupid did the same. The trajectory of his arrow would cross hers and hopefully deflect her arrow before it could hit Haley. Even though he knew he could be disqualified from the competition from shooting out of his turn, he couldn't simply let Haley be hurt like that.

@13org@PaulHaynek@Rezod92

Yang Bethlehem

Yang blood rushed to her and was readied for a long hard fight but just as quickly, someone else took the initiative as a blur passed between them. Leaving a steak in the Ushi-Oni mouth as Yang turned to see Nero bailing them out as he offered to make more food for the former. Seeing the fire Ushi-Oni then moving and following Nero along as Yang was still readied in her stance, left her feeling disappointed.

Sighing and standing up, Yang placed both hands on her hips as she looked at both Ada and Kira. "Well, that's unexpected. And I was just getting into it..."

As Nero came and explained himself, Yang did felt a little bad and embarrassed at herself. It was true that it'll certainly be a spectacle that might draw the fight to others, it seems she overstepped herself again. This was not her old temple where fights and duels happen on a regular basis.

"Thank you for the assistance then." She bowed her head to Nero, though hearing Nero other comment had her keeping quiet. Especially on Kira's...hygiene. She can't help but agree with him.

Seeing Ada sniffing and then getting excited from the body language, Yang patted Ada's head and looked at Nero. "Do you mind if you make some for her? I'm not allowed to cook nor consumed meat."

At that, Yang had a niggling thought that they forgot something.

Oh well, if it's important, it'll come again. Yang shrugged her shoulders, she had fun at this competition and that's what mattered more to her anyways.

---

@PaulHaynek

Ditzy Stoneclub

Ditzy tilted his head to the side as he wondered what Ian meant and looked upwards to the skies.

"Oh, didn't realize," Ditzy said, it must be true since Ian said it was true. It simply didn't come to his mind at the time. Much to the confusion of others who overheard their conversation.

Still, Ditzy had fun as he arm-wrestled both of his new-found friend, losing and winning several times. It was great fun! He was able to use most of his strength and not worry about anything.

Then when more people join in, Ditzy played along and after awhile, fatigue finally caught up to him as he lost a few times but Ditzy took it in good stride.

Sadly, it had to end as the minotaur talked to him as she accompanied the Jinko.

"It was fun! Let's play some other time again!" Ditzy pulled the minotaur into a tight hug, arm wrapping around her waist as he barely reached her chest. Then he did the same to the tiger girl. "You too, there's a girl named Yang in our place! I think you'll like her!"

With that, Ditzy waved goodbye to them as he moved around the festival. Wanting to meet and see new friends.

That was Ian arrived, handing him a token that seemed like a man with a large helmet and beard. He then said to use it when the guild's in a pinch and in contact with really bearded people. Ditzy didn't really get it but he nodded, perhaps they owe them a payment with this and want it returned? "Okay."

Nothing else to do, Ditzy wondered if there was any of his kind here as he made around the place. Letting his sense of direction taking him to wherever he pleased. Otherwise he can just find Freyr and Haley.

"You watch yourself, Sir Skyway."

Atleast he got a last name. He gave her a smile, though a bit more nervous then he intended since it seemed challenging. "Aww. I'd rather look at you." Was that a... flirt? It was just as surprising to him. Maybe the first point made him bolder. He turned his attention back to the judge, suddenly feeling really silly. He hoped he didn't tick the Owl Mage off.

"Should a human copulate with a monster, would their offspring always be a monster?"

Ozzy raised his hand... but again, the Owl Mage seemed the most determined to wind. Dang she's fast. But then there it was. The hesitation. This honestly felt like cheating, but it was in the text book, the answer was on the cards. They could debate for days later about the specifics but this was victory or date! Double victory!

He leaned forward wing raised high. "Yes! All human monster couples produce monster children!" Even he was proof of that, though now that he mentioned it, the encyclopedia on monster species did say female monsters... atleast in the earlier versions.

~@Restalaan (YNG), @13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

"Do you mind if you make some for her? I'm not allowed to cook nor consumed meat."

Nero saw that Ada was also looking longingly at the well-done steak the now-pacified Ushi-Oni was chewing on. With a sigh, he shrugged in resignation. "Well, it'll be rude to keep the ladies hungry. Hold on, just give me a minute." Nero then put his apron back on and returned to his cooking station. "Feels like the contest ain't over."

The fires of the mini-kitches was lit once again. The area was mostly vacant now save for the guild members and Nero. The Ushi-Oni herself had also left after being cooked an extra two orders of Nero's well-done steak. Now only Ada remained as the customer.

The cooking contest was over yet, someone was arriving to the area.

------

~@Stern Algorithm, @Restalaan (YNG), @13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

"Maybe we should go get some food first, then. There's got to be some good food at the competition, and we can reconvene with some of our guildmates."

"Hey, who knows? Maybe you guys can still participate as a special guest or something." Heeding Sylvia's advice, the Altissima sisters made their wat to the festival's cooking competition alongside Neil who carried them.

Unfortunately, the contest was long over when they arrived with the area mostly empty save for a few familiar faces. Yang, Ada and Kira were all there and there was short-haired and fair-skinned blonde man over at one of the stations, cooking an aromatic meal of steak. "The contest's over but what's with the guy still cooking?" Neil remarked.

"Hey all!" Neil announced his and the Altissima sisters arrival. "How'd the cooking competition go?"

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

You and the Cupid loose your arrows, yours intercepting the angel's and ruining her shot.

Everyone at the competition was stunned at the seemingly blatant sabotage that you inflicted on the Cupid. Once the moment of surprise passed, you were immediately seized and held accountable to your seemingly malicious actions. Regardless if you explained yourself or not, the Cupid's side was taken. You see that she had already covered her tracks by changing back her arrows.

Needless to say, you were disqualified from the tournament and you left with Haley and Sir Reed with nothing but shame. You at least saved Haley, something she was still not aware of. "You better have a good explanation, Freyr!" The Siren angrily told you off. "Why?! Why would you do that?! Were you so unconfident that you had to prevent someone from making their shots?! I can't believe you!"

"Milady, please calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Reed!" Haley rebuffed. "We had a good thing going there!"

"Haley... that wasn't me." Sir Reed replied.

From behind came the Cupid who was going to shoot Haley earlier. "Please, permit me to explain. While I would not like to cause a commotion to my detriment, I would hate if a rift appears between the two of you because of me." The Cupid cleared her throat and began. "In truth, Sir Rabbit over here discovered my plan flawlessly. I was really going to shoot Miss Siren."

"What?! Why?"

"I am a Cupid, Miss Siren. I think you know why." The Cupid's words made Haley blush and turn away. The angel turned to you. "Please do not worry, I meant no harm. I merely wanted hidden feelings to come out in the open, as commanded by Lady Eros. However, I do see that I have caused you much trouble so please, accept this apology."

The Cupid presented you three strange but beautiful arrows. Finely-made, the arrow heads seemed normal at first glance but the steel-like material gleamed with a magical shine. "These arrows are crafted with a heavily-modified form of Demon Realm Silver. It sucks away its target's strength and energy and it can pass through barriers until it hits flesh. They are also sturdy and thus, reusable. Please take them as my apology. Now then, I bid you farewell."

The Cupid then disappeared in a flash of pink light and feathers. Next to speak was Sir Reed who started with a whistle. "Nice. We sure could use that in the future. We didn't win the prize but we got that, right?"

With the archery contest behind them, you and the others were free to go someplace else in the festival. "Huh, I wonder why no one there saw that you're a male monster except the Cupid."

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

"Aww. I'd rather look at you."

The remark earned you a raised eyebrow from the Owl Mage, as well as a slight blush.

"Yes! All human monster couples produce monster children!"

"Correct! That's another point for Mister Skyway!" Riñas proclaimed.

"May I ask why?" The Lich interjected a question. "As you can clearly see, Sir Skyway here is a male monster. The laws of this world have clearly changed or at the very least, bent. Who knows what a human-monster couple can give birth to if Sir Skyway was made from a union of a human and a mosnter?"

"Uuu, I'm not really good with that kind of stuff. I'm just going with the answers that come with the questions." Riñas replied.

"I see. We have overthought this again." The Owl Mage sighed. "The answers are fixed. Now I know how to play this game."

Armed with that meta knowledge, the rest of the trivia contest went much more harder for you. In fact, you haven't answered a question since then with the Lich and the Owl Mage and even the Kikimora catching up to you on points. The points were now evenly distributed, two for each of the contestant. It was the ninth question but Riñas had a special announcement when a Holstaur woman ran up to her and whispered something to her some time earlier.

"Alright, contestants! I have unfortunate news for you. I am required someplace else so we need to end this as soon as possible. Since all four of you have the same points, the next will be the last and will decide who wins this contest!" Riñas then pulled the last paper from the bucket. "Now for the last question: Are all the oceans and the seas in the world controlled by the goddess Poseidon?"

The other contestants raised their hands as fast as they could. Yet, none of them was as quick as you. After being beaten to the punch for six questions, you intensely readied yourself for the next question. Probably not even pondering if you knew the answer or not. Fortunately, your efforts paid off and you had the honor of answering the last question and deciding who the winnder was in this trivia contest.

You had this in the bag. Right?

@PaulHaynek@13org@Stern Algorithm@Rezod92

Yang Bethlehem

"Heh, I could help with chopping some of the ingredients." Yang offered as she stepped next to Nero to help him ease the cooking process. Also helping out cooking the vegetables though she kept a distance away from the meat.

Once that was done, Yang took a short break as she sat to the side. That's when she spotted the Altissima sisters and Neil. She waved at them briefly with a smile, drawing attention to them.

"Hey! You missed the entire cooking competition." Yang pointed herself proudly with a thumb and grinned. "I won, obviously."

"But I was so close to getting another fight. That was a shame." She sighed disappointedly and waved her hand at that.

"Right, before I forget. This man here is Sir Nero, he was the person who I challenge the previous. He's pretty strong." Yang introduced Nero to the group before doing the same. "Here are my guildmates, Kira, Ada the mysterious beast, The Altissima sister, and Neil."

"Also, if you're still hungry, I can make some food for you." Yang stood back up and got her apron back again, gesturing at the leftover items left for her side. She can still make the vegetable ramen and fried dumplings easily, firing up the kitchen, reheating the soup, making the noodles.

It took a moment but Yang was done with it, handing the vegetarian ramen and fried dumplings to the trio.

"Here, eat up."

@PaulHaynek @Restalaan (YNG) @13org (ADA)

"I'm just glad glad everything worked themselves out.", Kira said with a big sigh of relief. She really wasn't looking forward to stopping a rampaging Ushi-Oni, two if Yang ended up getting corrupted. Thanks to Nero's interference, it didn't come to that.

Soon after that, Neil and the Altissima sister arrived to join them.

"Hey all!" Neil announced his and the Altissima sisters arrival. "How'd the cooking competition go?"

@Stern Algorithm

"It was great! The food was spectacular, but Yang's dish ended up winning it all.", she replied before turning to the Liliurane twins with a smirk. ""You two missed out. Y'all would've definitely been in the running."

Then, at this point, Kira noticed a missing member in their group.

"Hey, did anyone see where Talia went off to?"

"As you can clearly see, Sir Skyway here is a male monster. The laws of this world have clearly changed or at the very least, bent. Who knows what a human-monster couple can give birth to if Sir Skyway was made from a union of a human and a mosnter?"

Ozzy also spoke up. "My mom was a harpy." He saw the problem. "I mean, I'm technically new data. The definition of monster can be updated."

But it turned out, this was the turning point. He hit a streak of bad luck as the questions were either something he didn't know, hesitated, or just wasn't as quick as the other contestants. He was blown away, each miss causing his confidence to sink further and further. He didn't know how he could compete with an ancient lich, but the other two should be more or less like him, just studied, but somehow he kept losing out on the hand raise. He was sweating, gritting his teeth as the game all tied out, with finally the interruption, and the game determined by one last question.

He had to put his all into this, all or nothing.

"Now for the last question: Are all the oceans and the seas in the world controlled by the goddess Poseidon?"

To win this, Ozzy had to go for broke. Try to follow each word in the question and determine it. Immediately with 'Are' he determined it to be a yes or no, okay, 50:50. Then 'all' meaning its complete. Oceans and seas... okay goddess Pos- he raised his hand the moment before she said the previous syllabel.

Everyone raised their hand, easy enough question but when it was he that beat them, he shouted. "YES!" He didn't go further into it, cause that's all that was really needed.

He hoped, he prayed.

^{@PaulHaynek@Rezod92}

Ada couldn't help but to look at Yang with an eager expression before turning to Nero and nodding vigorously as Yang asked him to make some meat for her. Even though Yang's dish was tasty, meat was still Ada's favorite dish as a carnivore. Not only that but since she was accustomed with eating raw meat, cooked meat was already something new for her and the way Nero prepared it was even more interesting, new and tasty for Ada. When Nero agreed to make some more meat, Ada looked at him and licked her lips with the tip of her tongue in a fast motion, eagerly awaiting for her piece of meat. Even though Yang had mentioned she couldn't eat or prepare meat for some weird reason that Ada didn't understand, she offered herself to help Nero by cutting some other ingredients. Even though it was really weird for Ada to know that Yang didn't eat meat at all, the fact that she was going to help Nero meant that her meat would be done faster and that was all she cared about right now, especially with the smell making it hard for her to keep waiting for it to be ready.

While she waited though, even though the competition had already ended and there were few people left, Ada saw on the distance as Neil and the Altissima sisters approached. As Neil greeted them, Ada waved at him and the sisters, giving them a brief smile before she returned to carefully watch as Nero prepared the meat, with her eyes glued on him and Yang and every now and then, sticking the tip of her tongue outside her mouth and licking her lips.

As Neil asked about the competition and Kira began talking though, Ada turned away and stop staring at the food being prepared for a second, looking at Neil and the sisters and licking her lips while touching her stomach in a clear signal that the competition was indeed 'very tasty'.

---

Freyr

Freyr said nothing and simply stood in silence as his arrow intercepted the cupid's arrow. Despite the protests and the unsatisfied cries of both the other contestants and the people watching it, Freyr still said nothing. He knew it was highly unlikely that anyone else but another accomplished archer would be able to understand what was about to happen, to mentally trace the trajectory of the cupid's arrow in their mind and know that she was aiming at Haley instead of the apples. Due to that reason, Freyr didn't even bother to try and defend himself, simply staying silent as the judges announced that he was disqualified from the competition. For him, Haley's safety was way more important than winning a competition. Holding his head high with a dignified expression as he normally has, there was no shame in his face as he left the competition. Despite Sir Reed and Haley's clear opposite reactions to what happened.

When Haley angrily came to scold him, asking why did he do that, he simply stood quiet until she finished speaking. It wasn't a surprise she was angry at what happened, nor it was a surprise that she didn't understand what was about to happen.

"Hitting an arrow mid-flight does take much more skill than hitting an apple on free fall." Freyr said, calmly as he began trying to explain himself, before being interrupted by Sir Reed, whom apparently told Haley to calm down.

The moment she replied to him, still angry, Sir Reed mentioned in a confused expression, saying that he wasn't the one who told her that. From behind him then, no one other than the same cupid that was going to shoot at Haley revealed herself, which made Freyr immediately look at her with a cold, penetrating stare as he took his hands to the long hunting knives he always carried with him in a clearly threatening gesture despite his apparent calm posture. Why did she came to meet them? Did she have anything against Haley to target her like that?

"Chose your next words and movements carefully." Freyr said in a cold, cutting tone, before the cupid began saying anything.

As the cupid began explaining herself, Freyr still kept his hands on the hunting knives even though she had quite a calm tone in her voice. Instead of providing Freyr an explanation about what happened and her motives though, her words only made things even more confusing for him. Why did she show such a concern, not wanting a rift to be created between them when she was clearly going to shoot Haley? That made no sense at all. The moment the cupid said her next words though, Freyr finally understood everything, opening his eyes wide as he sighed and took his hands to his face, embarrassed and ashamed.

"I-I'm sorry for reacting like I did right now..." Freyr finally opened his mouth, clearly blushing both out of shame for acting in such a rash manner and embarrassed for what the cupid said about him and Haley.

"I... Didn't even consider that as what was happening... When I saw you aiming at Haley I simply intercepted your arrow out of instinct." he continued.

Freyr received the gift from the cupid with a small bow and with another silent apology before she disappeared in a flash of pink light and feathers. It didn't take much for anyone looking at those arrows to realize that they were indeed, special. As the cupid explained what they did, it became even clearer that they weren't just special, but powerful and undeniably dangerous. Even if they haven't won the contest, those arrows could indeed be very useful in the future, just as Sir Reed mentioned after the cupid was gone.

"I... have no idea. My body isn't exactly feminine nor I am trying to hide myself..." Freyr replied to Sir Reed, almost as confused as he was as he asked why nobody noticed he was a male other than the Cupid.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect you..." he said, turning to Haley, still embarrassed as he looked down.

"I didn't even think about that... Thinking about it now, it is painfully obvious of what she was trying to do... She is a cupid... Still... I don't know if it would be the right thing for me to do... To simply look away and let it happen. Even if..." He said, clearly embarrassed and ashamed as he hesitated for a moment.

"Even if it might be in my interest to let her arrow hit you... You should be able to chose your own feelings... Without any interference or anyone making that choice for you." He finished, looking away.

"I am really sorry, Haley..." He finished, bowing down as he apologized himself, still avoiding looking directly at her, both out of embarrassment and shame for everything that happened.

@PaulHaynek@13org@Rezod92@Restalaan

"Hey! You missed the entire cooking competition." Yang pointed herself proudly with a thumb and grinned. "I won, obviously."

"But I was so close to getting another fight. That was a shame." She sighed disappointedly and waved her hand at that.

"Right, before I forget. This man here is Sir Nero, he was the person who I challenge the previous. He's pretty strong." Yang introduced Nero to the group before doing the same. "Here are my guildmates, Kira, Ada the mysterious beast, The Altissima sister, and Neil."

"Also, if you're still hungry, I can make some food for you." Yang stood back up and got her apron back again, gesturing at the leftover items left for her side. She can still make the vegetable ramen and fried dumplings easily, firing up the kitchen, reheating the soup, making the noodles.

It took a moment but Yang was done with it, handing the vegetarian ramen and fried dumplings to the trio.

"Here, eat up."

"It was great! The food was spectacular, but Yang's dish ended up winning it all.", she replied before turning to the Liliurane twins with a smirk. ""You two missed out. Y'all would've definitely been in the running."

"Heh...hehehe...c-congratulations, Yang," Vivian squeezed out, trying to feel happy for her guildmate's victory, but unable to suppress the sense of dejection from having missed out so completely on the cooking competition. Kira's compliment, unfortunately, only pushed the knife deeper. Sylvia accepted the platter of ramen and dumplings and pushed it on Vivian, who quietly took it and began eating, while Sylvia took another platter for herself. Vivian tried the ramen first and perked up, then popped a fried dumpling into her mouth, the flavor taking her out of her depression. "It's...good. It's really good! And there's no meat in here?! Amazing!" Vivian commented, having previously discussed Yang's dietary restrictions at length. "If you can make vegetarian dishes taste this good, why, then us plants are in trouble, haha!" she joked between mouthfuls, "Truly a well-earned victory!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Nero," Sylvia greeted, "If you're a match for Yang, then you must be strong!" But then her attention was drawn to Kira's question of Talia's whereabouts. "Did she come to the cooking competition with you guys?" Sylvia asked, while craning her neck to look around at the festival grounds. Surely a towering cyclops couldn't be too hard to pick out of a crowd, right?

~@Stern Algorithm, @Restalaan (YNG), @13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

"Heh, I could help with chopping some of the ingredients."

"Sure, thanks. Just chop those stuff over there."

"And you wanna help too, huh? Can't wait for me to finish cooking." Nero patted and brushed Ada's head a bit. "Yeah, you can help. You don't talk much, do you? Do you talk at all?" Nero wondered aloud. He would be told that Ada indeed cannot talk or at least, did not know the Common Tongue. "I see. Well, it's nice that she can at least understand us."

With Ada's help, Nero was done cooking the steak dish. "Here you go, Ada. Gotta admit, didn't think I'd be cooking this much today but it feels nice to have my dishes enjoyed and demanded."

"Hey, did anyone see where Talia went off to?"

"Did she come to the cooking competition with you guys?"

No one present knew where the Cyclops Talia went off to, leaving everybody wondering. Before they could move to investigate, her voice was heard. "Everybody, watch out!"

Smoke bombs exploded all over the area, covering everything with a thick blanket of mist. A figure darted through the smoke, leaving behind a trail of cloud. Soon, everybody realized there were multiple figures moving about the smoke. Neil stuck close to the Altissima sisters and called out. "Is everyone alright?"

"Ah! Get off me! Argh!" Nero was apparently in a scuffle, but no one could see what was happening.

Once the guild found a way to dispel the smoke, they would see that they were mostly unharmed save for Nero who was gone. "Damn it, I was too late!" Talia arrived at the scene. "Sorry for disappearing on you guys, but I saw some suspicious behavior from the Kikimora contestant and had to secretly track her down. I found out that she stole the prize for the cooking competition, thatnooneseemedtohavenoticed, and then was gone for a while before here we are."

"Whatever her plan is, it seems to involve kidnapping Sir Nero." Neil voiced his thoughts. "Where do you think they've gone?"

"Since we are witnesses to her deeds, she would probably attempt to leave Boreal Port as soon as possible. We can go to the town's entrance and catch her there." Talia said. "Although, I'm not sure if she would actually be there. Do you guys think we should split up?"

"We also haven't reached our other members yet. Someone should go and tell them about this so we can all work together." Neil suggested.

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

"I am really sorry, Haley..."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on!" Haley blurted out. She was flushed and blushing, her cheeks red as a tomato. "Freyr!" She almost yelled. "Do you like? As in, like me like me? I need to know, Freyr. We can't be dancing around stuff like this!" Despite her face being a red mess, she stood straight up and demanded answers.

"Because I, myself, really like you, Freyr." Haley confessed, probably taking you aback. It certainly made Sir Reed aback. "I mean, you're pretty and you're handsome and good-natured and other things. I've always thought I'd fall for a human man but here I am, with a male monster. Err, not that there's a problem with that. Anyway! The point is, I like you."

"So there, those are my feelings. What's yours, Freyr?"

"Sh-Should I be here or...?" An extremely out-of-place Sir Reed meekly asked.

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

"YES!"

"Wrong! That is the incorrect answer!" Riñas declared. "Now then, who else--"

"No! There are other gods of the sea besides Poseidon. She just happens to rule most of it." The Owl Mage answered, cutting off Riñas.

"That is correct! The last point goes to you, Miss Owl Mage! " Riñas declared. "Err, what was your name again?"

"It's Margaret. Margaret Alfstad." The Owl Mage then flew up and landed on your podium. "And you and I will be spending a lot of time together. A lot. Of. Time." You could tell she planned to savor her victory, with you as the prize.

"Curse you, Owl Mage." The Lich's face was deadpan but everyone could tell she was irritated. "You had better share the results of your findings, Owl."

---

The contest was over and you vacated the premises alongside Margaret. Riñas immediately left to handle other matters, being an organizer of the festival. The Lich also left, saying that she needed to report the presence of male monsters to everyone important that she can reach. You wonder if this would bring a lot of attention to the guild. Meanwhile, the Kikimora disappeared without a word.

You probably expected Margaret to immediately bombard you with questions but her first question was relatively simple. "Is there somewhere you want to go, Sir Skyway? You can take me anywhere you like."

@PaulHaynek

"Everybody, watch out!"

"Wait, was that Tal-ACK! The hell!?", exclaimed Kira as she, along with her companions, were caught in the middle of several smoke bomb explosions, the area soon becoming clouded and difficult to see through. A brief scuffle was heard from Nero, but no one could do anything due to the lack of vision. So, wanting to clear the air...

"Wind Art: Cloudburst!"

...Kira used her wind magic to create an air shockwave, not enough to blow everyone off their feet, but more than enough to disperse the smoke clouds around them.

"Everyone good?", she asked, checking on her guildmates. She noticed that Nero was now missing. "Just what the hell was that?"

"Damn it, I was too late!" Talia arrived at the scene. "Sorry for disappearing on you guys, but I saw some suspicious behavior from the Kikimora contestant and had to secretly track her down. I found out that she stole the prize for the cooking competition, thatnooneseemedtohavenoticed, and then was gone for a while before here we are."

"Seriously!?", the young Beelzebub replied, shocked. Of all the mamono here, she didn't even think the Kikimora would be the one to doing anything that can cause a stir, let alone cause trouble. "It's just a cooking contest! Why go through this much effort!?"

"Whatever her plan is, it seems to involve kidnapping Sir Nero." Neil voiced his thoughts. "Where do you think they've gone?"

"Since we are witnesses to her deeds, she would probably attempt to leave Boreal Port as soon as possible. We can go to the town's entrance and catch her there." Talia said. "Although, I'm not sure if she would actually be there. Do you guys think we should split up?"

"We also haven't reached our other members yet. Someone should go and tell them about this so we can all work together." Neil suggested.

@Stern Algorithm @Restalaan (YNG) @13org (ADA)
"I'll go find the others. I'm the fastest one here anyway. You guys worry about getting to the entrance and cutting that Kikimora off. I should probably find Bart as well, let him know what's going on.", the flygirl quickly chimed in, seeing the situation take a turn for the serious. Not wasting anytime to even hear responses, Kira quickly took to the skies to inform the other guild members.

@13org (FYR)
The first stop Kira made was at the archery range where Freyr, Hailey and Sir Reed went off to for the Target Contest. However, as she came in to hover near them, she could see that the rabbit man and Siren were in the middle of a rather peculiar conversation, with the rugged knight standing off rather awkwardly.

"Errr, am I interrupting something? You know what, on second thought, that's not important right now. One of the contestants of the cooking contest has been kidnapped!", Kira quickly informed the trio, cutting to the chase.