Sunset.
From one of the kitchens inside the Crystal Palace, black smoke billowed out. Every so often, the clatter of pots and dishes shattering on the floor could be heard.
At the doorway, Himala stood with a broom in hand, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
At this rate, just cleaning the garbage in this kitchen alone might take him an entire day.
Sometimes, Himala wondered—out of all the aliens in the universe, why was he the one caught and made to do grunt work in R'lyeh?
Maybe it was because he'd been reckless. Without investigating properly, he had wanted to claim R'lyeh as his own, and in the end, got caught instead.
"Himala, get in here and clean up!"
Just as Himala was lost in thought, Camearra's voice called out from inside the kitchen.
Himala flinched, tightened his grip on the broom, and reluctantly stepped inside.
The moment he entered, a danger sign practically lit up above his head. Without thinking, he pulled off a backflip he hadn't used in centuries, barely dodging the crisis in front of him.
"My poor back…"
He clutched his waist in pain, then looked down to see the floor sizzling with a splash of hot oil. Cold sweat ran down his neck. His handsome face had almost been ruined by flying grease!
Scanning the rest of the floor, he saw shards of shattered plates everywhere, puddles of oil, and black, unidentifiable substances scattered about.
"Looks like I'll be here for a while…" he sighed, resigned to his fate.
Just as he was about to start cleaning, Camearra carried over a plate and set it before him. "Perfect timing. Try my cooking. See if it tastes good."
"Perfect timing? You literally called me in here…" Himala muttered under his breath.
But that wasn't the real problem. The real problem was the so-called "dish" on the plate. A mound of blackened, charred… something.
"…This is food? For people??"
The words slipped out before he could stop them. He immediately felt Camearra's deathly glare and slapped a hand over his mouth.
"You're not a person," Camearra said coldly, her glare unrelenting.
"…Fair point. I really am not."
Himala gave in. Trembling, he picked up his chopsticks and gingerly pinched a piece of the blackened lump.
"This is coal…" he thought, swallowing hard. He had collected countless treasures in his lifetime—but never once had he eaten coal. Was this how he would die, at the hands of dark cuisine?
"Eat," Camearra ordered, placing a bowl of glowing green soup in front of him. "If it's too dry, wash it down with this."
Himala stared at the coal in his chopsticks, then at the bubbling green soup, and fell into despair.
"All my treasures… and I'll perish here, over this piece of coal."
He shut his eyes tight, shoved the lump into his mouth, and swallowed it whole without chewing.
"How is it? Want some soup?" Camearra asked expectantly.
Himala forced a smile. "The soup isn't necessary. As for the taste… I swallowed too fast. Didn't notice it."
The moment he said it; he wanted to slap himself.
"As expected, then try again," Camearra said cheerfully, nudging the plate closer.
"…."
Himala hesitated. His chopsticks hovered, but couldn't bring themselves to pick up another piece.
"What's with the hesitation? It's an honour to eat my cooking!"
Before he could resist, Camearra snatched the chopsticks, grabbed the biggest lump of coal, and shoved it straight into his mouth.
"Ababa—mmph!!"
Himala gagged. The chunk was too big to swallow whole. With no choice, he started to chew.
The first bite—no taste.
The second bite—a strange flavour began to emerge.
The third bite—his eyes widened.
"This… this is delicious!"
To his utter shock, the coal actually tasted incredible. The more he chewed, the more addictive it became. He finished the whole chunk, then grabbed another piece on his own.
Camearra's eyes lit up. "So? It's good, isn't it?"
"Good! So good!!" Himala mumbled through mouthfuls, shoving more coal into his mouth.
Camearra, satisfied, pushed the bowl of soup toward him. "Try the soup too."
This time, Himala didn't hesitate. If the coal was delicious, maybe the soup was as well. He drank it down in one gulp.
Moments later, his stomach churned violently. Foam spewed from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Camearra: "..."
"Looks like the soup needs improvement."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully, already thinking of adjustments.
Out in the hallway, Hudra frowned as he saw Darramb carrying the foaming Himala on his shoulder. "What happened to him?"
"He was taste-testing for the young lady," Darramb replied flatly.
Hudra understood instantly. "Is he going to make it?"
"It's just food poisoning. We'll flush his stomach."
Together, the two Ultra warriors shrank to human size and summoned a sphere of pure water, guiding it through Himala's body. It soaked up the toxins, then drifted back out, now tinged with green and flecked with black bits.
"…What the hell is this?" Hudra muttered.
"Her cooking." Darramb sighed. "High-risk work, being her taste-tester."
Soon enough, Himala stirred awake. His eyes fluttered open, his lips quivering as if to speak.
"What is it?" Hudra asked.
"I… I still want… coal…" Himala croaked before passing out again.
Hudra: "???"
Darramb: "…Probably that black stuff we just flushed out."
"Unbelievable. I'll ask her directly," Hudra said.
Back in the kitchen, Camearra was at it again, surrounded by smoke and scorched smells.
"Miss Camearra?" Hudra called.
She turned with a bright smile. "Ah, you're here to taste test too?"
"Er—no." Hudra waved frantically. He explained Himala's strange craving.
"Oh, coal? Must be this." Camearra handed him a plate of her charred dish. "Give it to him. He earned it."
Hudra sighed, carrying the plate down the hall.
On the way, Yuzhou spotted him. "Yo, Hudra. What's that? Charcoal for a fire?"
"…Have you ever seen me hauling coal around?" Hudra muttered.
"Then what is it?" Yuzhou asked curiously.
"Himala asked for it. To eat."
"…Eat?"
"…Eat."
"...He's lost his damn mind."
But when they reached Himala's room, the half-dead alien shot up at the sight of the plate and devoured the contents like a starving beast.
"Delicious! The taste of heaven itself!!" he moaned between bites.
Yuzhou stood frozen. "Is… is coal actually edible…?"
Hudra smirked. "Want to try?"
"…You try." Yuzhou shot him a glare.
Darramb muttered darkly from the side, "Doesn't matter. None of us will escape dinner later."
"…What's that supposed to mean?" Yuzhou frowned.
Hudra quickly waved him off. "Nothing, nothing! He just means don't overeat, or you won't be able to run later."
"…Right." Yuzhou narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "I'll go check on Camearra myself."
Hudra and Darramb exchanged a silent look.
Meanwhile, Himala was happily munching away. "Coal… so good… more coal…"
Hudra sighed. "Forget it. Yuzhou's going to end up needing a stomach flush too…"
At the kitchen door, Yuzhou knocked. "Camearra?"
"Don't come in yet!" her voice snapped from inside.
The smell of smoke wafted through the cracks.