A small fight

As the days went on, Helga began coming into the restaurant more and more frequently.

"That bitch Pika really screwed me out of my place. Worst she's got everyone there under her thumb," Helga growled.

"Is there anything we can do?" Mimi asked.

"Doubt it. And I really don't want to mess with it. My imprisonment really shook me up bad."

"Yeah, getting tortured can be a real mind breaker. It was really painful for me, but I stuck to my guts and didn't blab no matter how much I screamed."

"Y- You were tortured THAT horrifically? I- I didn't know."

"No worries. I don't like talking about the bad memories much. Now why don't we perk you up with some good food."

"Mimi, you really are an angel. I can see why my grandma fell in love with you."

"And why you are too?"

"...Umu," Helga tearfully nodded as her face went bright red.

"Lily's are bloomin in the morning," Madoka chuckled as she ate her crepes.

                                                                         ...

At Helga's old restaurant, Rebelle trembled as she watched the news on the TV.

"That's another one of our associates down. Seriously, what is Madam Ookuma doing?" Pika scowled.

"T- They must have all betrayed her," Rebelle nervously suggested.

"Rebelle, you've become an awful jittery ever since the Takedas were arrested. Do you know something?"

"No, I have no idea why this is happening."

"You... spoke the truth. Very well."

Rebelle went outside and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Dammit! Benise's already on my case. If Nene get's on me too, I'm screwed. There's no way everyone would betray Madam Ookuma so suddenly. Could this perhaps be a fail-safe? Of course. Madam must have set up a system where if something happened to her everything would leak. I just gotta tell Benise that," Rebelle thought as she dialed Benise.

"What is it?" Benise growled.

"Sayuri, its me. I think I might know why everything's leaking."

"Go on."

"Madam Ookuma likely set up a fail-safe where if anything happened to her, all the files would leak."

"... That is plausible. Very well. But I still do not believe you are completely innocent in this."

"PLEASE! I'm one of Madam Ookuma's most loyal and diehard supporters!"

"And would you betray Illumous alongside her?"

"THE HELL ARE YOU SUGGESTING!? Don't you dare spout such blasphemy! YOU aren't even a fully acknowledged member!"

"But I will be."

"I say you're the suspicious one!"

"Well then, it seems we are at an impasse. Though if things go wrong, you WILL be shipped off to the cult."

As Rebelle hung up in frustration, she noticed Mahi and Azami.

"What happened to your face?" Rebelle asked.

"Mmph ngh mmph," Azami glared through her bandages.

"A delinquent punk slugged her," Mahi scoffed.

"A punk!? Well, guess you do end up getting in fights," Rebelle shrugged.

"Oh, and I hate to bring bad news, but Fuutarou Yukihira was reinstated in the headmaster selection exam."

"I saw the blurb. His innocence was proven. Though I doubt he'll win. We still have the ad-"

"The Ryokoma girl has also begun to waver on her support for Madam Ookuma."

"*Tch* Well I have plenty of ways to deal with her. Anyway, ladies shall we go to the venue?"

The three then headed off to Tabemono Gakuin.

                                                                               ...

Hilda scowled in her room as she stared at the calendar.

"One month till the election. Dammit Ruchi, you'd better make your reemergence soon. A bunch of your allies have already been arrested, and some of the ones that haven't been have had some damming footage of them leaked that will doom their electoral prospects. Ugh, why did you have to be the sole controller of those microchipped ballot counters. If you left a control with me, we could at the least prevent any lost ground. But with the control being linked directly to you, neither I nor Illumous can do anything without causing a major public incident that would expose us to the world," Hilda thought.

                                                                             ...

"Why the hell are you starin at me, Twintails!?" Serika growled as she entered the restaurant.

"It's called looking. Then again maybe a delinquent like you wouldn't know that," Yuni glared.

"HUH!? You callin me dumb!? I'm smart."

"So what was your best test score?"

"Se- Seventy five."

"*Pft* I get perfects all the time."

"You dumbass piece of shit!"

"Oi, break it up you-"

"ME a piece of shit!? You're the one that started this!"

"You called me dumb! Want me to yank off your twintails!?"

"Try it bitch, you aren't physically-OW OW OW OW!"

*Slap*

"The hell'd you slap me for!?"

"LET GO OF MY HAIR!"

"YOU TOLD ME TO TRY AND YANK IT OUT!"

*Slap*

"You really are an idiot!"

*Slap*

"OW! WHAT THE HELL!? WHY'D YOU SLAP ME!?" Yuni fumed.

"Cause YOU slapped me!" Serika shouted.

Yuni then charged into Serika with all her strength, sending the two into a table. As the food spilled and the two wrestled on the ground, Rika angrily hovered over the two.

*SLAP* *SLAP*

"OOOOWWWWWWW!!" the two yelled in pain as they stared up at an angry Rika.

                                                                       ...

"This was YOUR fault," Serika growled as she mopped the floor.

"You started it," Yuni growled as she collected the dirty dishes from a table.

"Ara, seems the two got in a fight," Reika sighed as she entered the restaurant.

"They'll be here cleaning for another hour," Rika glared.

"Sensei, she started the fight," Serika whined as she pointed at Yuni.

"*Sigh* Serika, you're going to have to accept your punishment for causing damage."

"But she asked me to try yanking her twintails off. I COULD do it-"

*Slap*

"Serika, do not take words like that literally. Now apologize to the girl," Reika glared.

"Y- Yes Sensei," Serika sighed as she massaged her cheek.

"As for you young lady, you too need to apologize for getting in a fight."

"Huh!? That bitch slapped me and tried to pull my hair out! No way!" Yuni fumed.

"Well screw apologizing to you then!" Serika growled.

"Clean the bathrooms," Rika ordered.

"Y- Yes ma'am," Yuni and Serika groaned.

                                                                               ...

Yuni and Serika glared at each other as they left the restaurant.

"I hate you Twintails," Serika glared.

"I hate you too Celery," Yuni glared.

"C- CELERY!? I FUCKING HATE CELERY!"

"Serika, do not get in anymore fights. You could have really hurt that girl if you used your full strength," Reika glared.

"I held back."

"Serika!"

"Sorry Sensei, I won't do it again."

"As for you Miss Yuni. I know you're the younger one, but please try not to get in fights with Serika from now on."

"You aren't my mother...whatever," Yuni mumbled as she headed home with the triplets.

"Hmm, she seemed to calm down when her mother came into the conversation, never mind. There's no need to over-analyze," Reika thought as she escorted Serika home.

Later that night...

Reika approached the remains of Ookuma's house and flashed a signal with her flashlight. A woman then approached Reika holding a gun.

"It's risky for someone like you to be here, Fubuki," Reika stated.

"Reika, do you happen to know something about Ookuma's disappearance? I haven't been able to find anything for these past 20 days," Fubuki stated.

"Let's talk someplace else that's more secure."

                                                                              ...

"So this is your secret storehouse?" Fubuki asked.

"Correct. Now tell me what I said to you when we first met, word for word until you said "alright"," Reika glared as she pulled out a gun.

"Ara, are you perchance Fubuki Dakota, the underground journalist? A pleasure to meet you, my name is Reika Yuzume, and I am a junior detective that is very curious about learning more about the shadowy Illumous. Would you perhaps be willing to tell me? I can become a strong ally in the future. An ace detective in the light would be a strong ally to have in your fight against Illumous, would it not?"

"*Phew* Good to see you again Fubuki," Reika smiled as she sheathed her gun and Fubuki took her mask off.

"You're lucky the two of us have such great memory. Me especially considering all the torment I've been subjected to," Fubuki remarked.

"Now that I know you're the real deal, allow me to show you something that will put your mind at ease."

                                                                               ...

"Ookuma's dead. This is all that remains of her," Reika stated as she showed Fubuki Ookuma's remains.

Fubuki stared with skepticism.

"How did you manage to kill her without anyone-"

"I didn't kill her, but I saved the one who did."

"Save? _! You don't mean-"

"Yes. She's now living a new life. It's all thanks to you though. Had it not been for you hijacking that broadcast, she very well would have ended up as that piece of shit's puppet."

"I see. So then these recent exposes are your work no doubt?" Fubuki asked.

"Correct. I apologize for keeping you in the dark for so long, but I did it to protect her."

"You made the right judgement call. Now I understand why you had refrained from reaching out to me until now. Thank you for proving that Ookuma truly is dead. I'll handle things from my end."

"Thank you. I actually have the SD cards with all the footage on them. Naturally I've backed them up."

"Are you intending to pass them on to me?"

"If you want some of them. It might be for the better. Now why don't we discuss our plan..."

The next day...

Serika glared at Yuni as she entered the restaurant.

"Celery twig," Yuni muttered.

"Twintailed bitch," Serika called back as she stormed up to the terrace.

She sat down and was approached by Rika.

"Uh, S- sorry ma'am," Serika nervously bowed.

"Well it's normal for kids to get in trouble, apologize, and be forgiven for realizing their mistakes. Now order up, Yuni already apologized too so now you're both good," Rika smiled.

"T- Thanks," Serika smiled.