The Fox Hole

Chapter 51: The cooking world is bigger than you know

– Yasaka –

Yasaka stood by the counter, her nine tails swishing slowly behind her as she watched the commotion unfold. Irene—the dragon-woman who wanted to be her son's mate—was on her hands and knees, literally begging for Erza's forgiveness. It was a sight Yasaka never thought she'd see. Dragons were known for their pride, yet here Irene was, pressing her forehead to the floor.

"Please forgive me, Erza!" Irene pleaded, her voice trembling. "I was forced to leave you behind… I had no choice!"

Yasaka exchanged a quick glance with Enri, who was standing nearby. The two of them had a decent view of the Fairy Tail wizards gathered around Erza. Natsu, Gray, and Lucy had already introduced themselves earlier, so Yasaka recognized each face. They kept talking over one another, urging Erza to let go of her anger.

"Come on, Erza," Natsu said, crossing his arms. "It's your mom. If she says she was forced, maybe you should hear her out!"

"Yeah, people make mistakes," Gray added, shrugging. "It's not like any of us have perfect parents."

Lucy, looking a bit unsure, nodded. "You can at least give her a chance to explain more, right?"

Erza stood in front of her mother, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her jaw was set, and Yasaka could practically feel the tension radiating from her. "I don't owe her anything," Erza muttered, but there was a wavering edge in her voice. "Why is she only trying to find me after twenty years?"

That was a question Yasaka wanted answered too. Irene hadn't been willing or able to explain it before Yasaka and some of the other women basically tossed her out of the Fox Hole. Back then, they'd told her not to come back until she'd earned Erza's forgiveness. Technically, Irene was breaking that promise by showing up here now, without having gained that forgiveness first.

Either way, Yasaka wasn't happy. The crazy dragon's presence had literally made Haru leave his own restaurant, which was completely unacceptable! He could be too damn nice sometimes, especially toward pretty women. If it'd been up to Yasaka, she would've just tossed the troublesome dragon out or asked Alice to do it—Alice didn't take crap from anyone, and Yasaka liked that about her.

Irene still had her face pressed to the floor. "Erza, please," she insisted, voice shaky. "Just give me a chance to explain—"

Yasaka decided she'd had enough and cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem, that's quite enough of that. You're all causing a scene. None of you are friends with my son, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Got it?"

Irene stood up, cheeks flushed, smoothing out her skirt. "I—I apologize for the display. Is Haru here?" she asked, glancing around hopefully.

"No," Yasaka said flatly. "You scared him off with your weird show. Congratulations."

Irene's face went pale. "I… I didn't realize…"

"Is there something going on between you and the fox guy?" Lucy chimed in, eyeing Irene curiously.

Irene let out a fond smile, looking almost starstruck at the mention of Haru. "Yes. I have decided that Haru shall be my mate!"

Erza let out a choked sound. "What? You can't just decide that by yourself!"

"And why not, my daughter?" Irene countered calmly.

"Don't call me that!" Erza snapped, turning red. She looked like she was stuck between fury and utter embarrassment.

Suddenly, that blue cat with the weird angel wings—Yasaka had no clue how that worked—floated over everyone's heads with a mischievous grin. "That's because Erza has a cruuuuush on Haru! She even let him sniff her!"

Erza's face turned the color of her hair. "I do not! He sniffed me without asking first!"

"Yeah, but you didn't mind it afterward," Natsu pointed out.

"Whack!"

"Ahhgh!" Natsu doubled over as Erza socked him in the gut. "I was only telling the truth…" he groaned, still crumpled.

Yasaka watched the chaos unfolding and sighed. Another redheaded mother-daughter duo falling for her son? She couldn't tell if Haru would be thrilled or horrified. He was already trying to juggle an odd harem situation as it was. Not that any of them were officially living with him yet, but Yasaka suspected that might change soon enough.

For now, she just wanted these troublesome outsiders gone so Haru could return to his own restaurant and cook in peace. If Irene wanted Erza's forgiveness, she'd have to earn it without scaring off Yasaka's son in the process.

Yasaka cleared her throat again and leveled a steady gaze at all of them. "I appreciate you wanting to help or apologize," she said, "but our actual request isn't happening for at least a week. Anyone who wants to see my son again can come back tomorrow. But for now, I'm asking you all to leave."

They started murmuring among themselves, Irene looking especially torn. She seemed to be caught between despair at missing Haru and a strange sort of glee at discovering Erza might like him, too. Yasaka just rolled her eyes internally—dragons were weird, especially the women. Tiamat still hadn't had a boyfriend in a thousand years, which said a lot.

Before they left, she also asked the Wizards to see if any others would be willing to join in, even if it went against their guild vote. Lucy said she'd speak to a few of her friends and they'd get back to Yasaka and Haru tomorrow.

– Rias –

Kokabiel let out a ragged, furious scream as another blast of Rias's Power of Destruction tore through his already battered wings. The crimson energy burned through his flesh, singeing the remaining feathers and leaving him flailing mid-air. 

"Fuck! Why are you devils so damn strong? And who the fuck are you?" he bellowed, his glare locking onto the new presence—Demiurge.

Demiurge didn't bother answering. His posture remained eerily relaxed, his sharp, calculating eyes fixed on the struggling fallen angel. He lifted one clawed hand, and the air around them shifted with an intense, suffocating heat. "Aspect of the Devil: Hellflame."

A roaring column of black and red fire erupted from Demiurge's outstretched hand, the sheer heat igniting the surrounding trees instantly. Flames surged outward, engulfing the battlefield in an inferno. The smell of burning wood and charred earth filled the air.

Rias barely spared a thought about the cleanup. That was a future problem. Right now, all that mattered was taking down this bastard who had ambushed her and Sona without warning. Wasn't this guy supposed to be one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels?

"What the hell is Azazel even doing?" she muttered, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

"Kokabiel!" Sona's voice cut through the roaring flames. "Water Lock!"

A massive orb of water materialized around Kokabiel, swirling violently as it encased him. The fallen angel thrashed, his movements frantic as he fought to stay above the rising water. His wings flicked, desperate to lift him out, but the liquid prison held firm. He started to visibly choke.

Rias gritted her teeth. If Akeno were here, she could have added a burst of lightning to finish the job. Her own power wasn't suited for fine control—her destruction magic would obliterate Sona's water prison entirely.

At least Demiurge could work with them. Without hesitation, he sent another torrent of hellfire at the trapped fallen angel! The moment the flames licked the surface, the water began to boil violently. Steam hissed into the air, clouding the battlefield as the temperature spiked. Kokabiel's scream ripped through the haze, guttural and raw.

Then, with a surge of desperation, Kokabiel forced his wings open, the sheer momentum sending him rocketing out of the boiling prison. His body trembled from the accumulated damage, his soaked clothes clinging to his frame. Blood trickled from his numerous burns, his breathing ragged. He shot upward, putting as much distance between them as possible. 

Rias scowled, watching him hover. She, Sona, and Demiurge all had wings of their own, but aerial combat wasn't really her specialty—nor Sona's. They were more like magical cannons. High DPS but not very mobile.

Demiurge looked like he might handle mid-range at best.

Even in his weakened state, Kokabiel glared down at them with sheer hatred. His once-pristine angelic robes hung in tattered strips, exposing his gaunt, skeletal frame. The missing feathers and charred edges of his wings made him look even more grotesque. 

Rias wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Big G obviously hated this guy off rip…" she muttered under her breath.

"This isn't over!" Kokabiel bellowed, his voice hoarse but laced with venom. "I'll be back! My legions will bury you and this disgusting town!" With one last powerful flap of his wings, he shot off into the distance, disappearing beyond the smoke and fire.

Rias exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders as the tension began to ease. 

Sona let out a breath beside her, rubbing her temple. "I really don't want to tell Nee-san about this."

Rias chuckled. "Yeah, our siblings are going to be pissed when they hear about this attack. They're going to be so freaking clingy!"

Sona actually shivered, her lips twitching in reluctant amusement. Then, to Rias's surprise, she turned to Demiurge and smiled at him. It was…adorable, almost soft—something Rias hadn't really seen from her before.

"Thank you for being here," Sona said. "If you hadn't intervened, that sneak attack might have really hurt us..." she trailed off with a grimace. 

Demiurge grinned. "Of course. It was my pleasure." He tilted his head, his tone shifting to curiosity. "Who was that fallen angel, anyway?"

Rias and Sona exchanged glances before launching into an explanation. What they knew about Kokabiel wasn't much—just that he was a high-ranking fallen angel obsessed with war. He had been around since the Great War and never quite let it go. Even among the fallen, he was considered a warmonger.

Demiurge listened intently, nodding as they spoke. His gaze flickered with something unreadable, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

For Rias, though, she was done. She was ready to be anywhere but here.

A hush fell over them as they surveyed the damage. The forest area they'd been fighting in was half-smoldering, half-waterlogged. Smoke curled into the sky, stinging Rias's nostrils. She turned away from it with a grimace, then let her wings fade out. "I just want to go back to Haru," she admitted. "I'd rather watch him kick ass in the competition than deal with more fallen angel drama…" Although she knew she'd have to deal with the fallout eventually, she could put it off for a couple hours to go and cheer on her fiance. She hoped she hadn't missed out on too much so far. She also wondered if anyone else she knew was dealing with craziness like she was…?

– Akeno –

Akeno led the small group down the hallway toward the massive double doors of Kuoh Academy's gymnasium. She stifled a quiet laugh to herself, thinking about how frantic Kiba and Koneko must have been while hauling all that cooking equipment across campus. But there was no way they could host this big event in the tiny cooking club room, not with such high-profile guests.

"Right this way, Nakiri-sama," Tsubaki said in a polite tone, gesturing for the visitors to follow her inside. Akeno knew Tsubaki was trying her best to look composed, but after all the last-minute changes, she probably felt as frazzled as everyone else.

The gym doors swung open, and they stepped into the wide space. Rows of bleachers loomed on either side, and in the middle sat a bunch of cooking counters and stations that Kiba and Koneko had dragged over. Akeno spotted the pair off to the side, both panting and leaning against a wall. She gave them an appreciative thumbs-up. They'd managed to set everything up in record time.

Senzaemon Nakiri, the imposing old man leading the Totsuki group, walked forward and surveyed the area with a critical eye. "You've prepared an adequate stage," he said, and that sounded like praise.

Akeno silently acknowledged that for a human, he carried himself with a lot of presence.

Next to him stood a blonde girl who radiated confidence—and maybe a little arrogance. Erina Nakiri, if Akeno remembered correctly. She scanned the cooking stations with a mild frown. "I look forward to seeing if your so-called challenger can really match our best," Erina said, her voice clipped. "Only the world's finest chefs deserve to cook for my palate."

Akeno bit back a smirk. 'What a little ojou-chan,' she thought, recalling how Rias still had a similar vibe sometimes—but at least Rias never ran her mouth like that toward Haru. Akeno mentally noted that Erina's attitude might clash with Rias's, or maybe they'd get along famously. It was fifty-fifty in her mind. Still, she wasn't about to let anyone disrespect Haru, especially not in her presence. She let a soft laugh slip out—her trademark "ufufufu." "Ara, you've got it backward," she said, stepping forward. "The question isn't whether Haru is worthy of cooking for you…"

Erina narrowed her eyes. "Then what is it?"

Akeno smiled sweetly, but her tone held a hint of challenge. "It's whether or not you're worthy to taste something Haru-sama personally makes."

Erina's frown deepened, but she didn't say anything. Meanwhile, Senzaemon raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "We shall see," he said simply.

– Soma –

Sōma Yukihira stood at his makeshift cooking station, facing off against the so-called top cook from Kuoh Academy. A jolt of unease crawled up his spine the moment he laid eyes on Haru. He couldn't put his finger on it—something about the guy made him uneasy. But Soma wasn't one to back down just because of a weird vibe.

He took a breath and plastered on his usual cocky grin. "Sōma Yukihira," he said, dipping his head in a casual greeting. "I'm hoping to run my own restaurant someday, just like my dad. That's why I'm at Totsuki—to learn everything I can and then surpass him."

Standing beside him were Alice Nakiri and Megumi Tadokoro, both quietly introducing themselves to Haru as well. Alice held her chin high, radiating confidence, while Megumi looked a bit uneasy but determined. Soma noticed that Haru was listening politely, yet there was a glint in his eyes that hinted at something beyond normal competitiveness.

"So," Soma asked, washing his hands at the station sink. "What kind of chef are you aiming to be, Haru?" They were all prepping themselves to start cooking, but they hadn't gotten the theme from the judge—Erina Nakiri—yet. Knowing Erina, she would be fair but strict. She always was when it came to food.

Haru paused, like he was actually thinking hard about his answer. "Honestly," he said, cracking a small grin, "I never really thought about it. I guess I just want to be the best. When people eat my food, I want them walking out saying it's the best meal they've ever had."

Soma let out a short laugh. "Heh, maybe you'll get there one day. My old man's that kind of chef, travels all over the place cooking for big shots. He's mastered just about everything under the sun, and I'm gonna surpass him—then open my own place."

Haru just chuckled at Soma's claim. "I'm sure your father's talented," he said calmly, "but he hasn't mastered everything. Doubt he's even scratched the surface of what's out there."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Soma shot back, brows furrowing. He saw Alice toss Haru a skeptical look.

Alice cleared her throat. "Soma can be a bit of a bumpkin sometimes, but his father is globally respected," she said. "He's known worldwide."

Haru shrugged. "Sure. In the human world, maybe." Then he smirked, and Soma couldn't help feeling a little twitch of apprehension. "But you three aren't up against a human."

A chill crawled down Soma's spine. "What do you mean?" He glanced at Erina and the old man Senzaemon, both of whom suddenly looked unsettled. 

A couple of women from Kuoh Academy—Akeno and Tsubaki, if he recalled—palmed their faces as if they knew what was coming. One of them started to say, "Haru, you really shouldn't—" but Haru cut her off.

"I never hold back when I cook," Haru declared, "and you all deserve to know who you're challenging. Cooking's bigger than that fancy school taught you."

Soma's heart pounded as a strange shimmer danced across Haru's body. Then, in plain view, nine golden fox tails sprouted behind him, swaying lazily in the air, while a pair of golden ears appeared atop his head. His eyes narrowed, pupils going slitted.

"Holy crap," Soma blurted out, dropping the towel he'd been drying his hands with. Yokai existed? And he was about to go head-to-head with one in a cooking competition!? A freaking nine-tailed fox.

Haru gave them all a confident grin. "So let's get started. Show me what you humans can do."

Soma noticed even Senzaemon's composure faltered for a second, while both Erina and Alice stood speechless. Megumi looked like she might faint on the spot. 

Meanwhile, Haru stared them down, the wispy tips of his fox tails flicking with anticipation. "What's the matter everyone? Yokai got your tongues?" 

Soma swallowed hard. Sure, maybe a shape-shifting fox demon wasn't what he'd expected, but a challenge was a challenge! "Fine," he said, feeling the corners of his mouth turn upward in a shaky grin. "Let's do this!" 

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