Chapter 38:
Spice of Life
3 years ago, Madagascar...
"So why are we here Rebelle senpai?" Rika asked.
"Hmm, I wish to gather the organic fungi growing in the wilderness," Rebelle mused as Rika set up camp.
"Pretty sure we could have just requested them, and why'd you bring me? I thought all you Makihara supporters hated me."
"They would probably be from a farm, in other words, NOT organic. As for why I requested you, labor."
"Of course."
"Well, since you came with me, I'll allow you to gather any other flora you want."
"Really!? Can I hunt some snakes too?"
"SNAKES!?"
"Yeah, I wanna try cooking some exotic snakes. Bet they'll taste good."
"Does conservation status not matter to you at all?"
"Huh? Why can't I eat snakes? I ate em all the time when I was young."
"Which snakes?"
"Hmm, Tiger snakes, sea snakes, oh and the delicious taipan snakes."
"Th- Those are like the most venomous snakes in the world," Rebelle nervously stated.
"Well, I'm off to find some fungi. So chill and smear mud all over your face or something," Rika snickered as she leapt away.
"Rika Komachi. I haven't been able to find any information about you. But you eat venomous snakes you say? Hmm. Time to do an impromptu investigation," Rebelle thought.
...
As Rika returned, she noticed Rebelle being confronted by some burly men with shotguns. Rika quickly deduced they were poachers.
"And you think I'm just going to let you waltz away scott free with that silky sifaka?" Rebelle glared.
"Ay mate, we caught it so it's ours," the leader of the poachers glared as he twirled his thick mustache.
"Release it and turn yourselves in."
"Nah! We gonna sell im to a billionaire as a pet," another poacher grinned as he held up a cage containing a live silky sifaka.
"How bout I kick your assess... in a cook off. Who ever cooks the better fungi dish wins," Rika glared.
The three poachers grouped up before agreeing to Rika's proposal.
"Yeah, you girls from that Japanese cooking school. We hear ya guys can issue cooking challenges worldwide. Well we love a good sport so why not. How bout we each gets an hour to hunt an 30 minutes ta cook. Though we should do it in teams. One hunts, one cooks, our remaining guy's the judge," a poacher suggested.
"Sure, Rika, do the hunting," Rebelle ordered.
...
As Rika finished gathering some mushrooms near a waterfall, she suddenly went on guard as she was faced with a barrage of bullets.
"Damn cheater's trying to kill me, well out here I- GAH!"
The ground suddenly gave way causing Rika to stumble and subsequently take a bullet to the arm as she fell into the river below.
...
Only 50 seconds remained before the Tabemono team would be disqualified for not returning from the hunt.
"Guess she slipped and fell somewhere," the lead poacher sneered.
"Yeah, luckily I got back up and brought back some quarry," an angry soaked Rika glared as she slammed down a basket of mushrooms before clutching her bandaged arm.
"What happened?" asked Rebelle.
"Oh, I just slipped and fell like he said," Rika angrily smiled.
...
"This meal is way better than any crap you ever made, boss!" the third poacher and designated judge declared as he awarded the Tabemono girls the win.
"Yeah, an you think I'm just gonna turn myself in? Grab the snarky one," the leader ordered.
The remaining poacher quickly took Rebelle hostage and held his sharp machete up to her neck as the leader aimed his shotgun at Rika.
Rika vanished and reappeared in front of the leader with a knife in hand and killed him. She then quickly killed the other two.
"AAAAHHHHHHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING! WHY'S THERE SO MUCH BLOOD!?" Rebelle screamed in terror.
"Oh, um. I... took a self defense class?" Rika nervously stated.
"W- WHAT ARE YOU!?"
"I'm... *sigh* Please keep this a secret-"
"An assassin I presume?"
"Wait HUH!? Why are you so calm all of a sudden!?"
"Because you are now at my will. Just look behind you."
Rika turned to see the live silky sifaka sitting atop the cage it was kept in holding a smartphone.
"He recorded and sent the whole video of your killing spree to my many followers. Now kohai, grovel," Rebelle sneered as she pulled out a riding crop.
Rika trembled and angrily gritted her teeth as she complied.
Back in the present...
"After that, she'd constantly torment me and threaten to expose my secret until she graduated a month later. Once she was gone, I never saw her again until today so school life became cool again," Rika stated as she finished her story.
"So wait, were those poachers-"
"Guess she had a role in bringing them to me. Or perhaps it was that damn lemur. The lemur was definitely with her."
"I guess I'll be the one to tell Zuina about this if she asks," Matcha groaned.
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