Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Ch. 124 Casino Night, Part Eight: Finger Food

"I have an entire serving staff to locate, so please, explain why you're here and we can get on with it," said Erina, weary from the previous issues she'd been dealing with all night.

"Don't trouble yourself over that; they're just outside the building, along with my students," said Kirari. "Though that is the reason I'm here. It seems we share a potential problem."

"Are you suggesting that we become allies, after opposing each other at the table only an hour ago?" said Erina. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion, a look mirrored by Rindo. The Totsuki students clearly didn't trust this mysterious dictator, and for good reason. She'd done nothing to earn their trust during the game of Spoons, though to her credit, she did uphold her losing end of the wager.

Torrey feared her most of all, after the way she had treated him previously. He suspected that, if it were up to her, she'd be walking him around on a leash right now. When someone refers to you as a plaything, there's really no coming back from that.

"Not necessarily, though an agreement of sorts may be in order. The hall is currently empty for one reason; my students seek the sort of thrill that card games alone cannot provide," explained Kirari, as if this was to be expected.

"Perhaps we should lock them in the Moonview Arena, along with the wild beasts we keep on hand for the preparation of truly exotic dishes," said Erina. Her serious tone reflected a growing impatience with her guests, which did nothing to convey the sarcasm behind her words.

"Oooh, could we?" said Kirari, her cool blue eyes sparkling with delight.

"That...was a jest," said Erina, unsurprised by the remark, given her understanding of Kirari's character. It was still concerning, nonetheless.

"Of course. Though that does give me an interesting idea that I might consider implementing once I return to Hyakkou...anyways, it appears that the reason for this outdoor migration is a high-stakes gambling match initiated by one of my own students. I'm sure you'll find everyone you're missing out there."

"Then let us go now, to make certain. We can continue our conversation on the way," said Erina, not waiting for anyone else as she left the kitchen. She was quickly followed by Kirari, Torrey, Rindo, Hisako, and Soma.

"So did you get a chance to try the shrimp cocktail?" said Soma, to Kirari. His jovial nature toward her reminded his peers that he had missed the game of Spoons, and thus had no familiarity with Kirari. Though if Torrey had to guess, it wouldn't have made a difference.

"No."

The group made their way through the gambling hall, which had been so lively only minutes before. It was an odd sight, to see it devoid of life now. Empty plates littered the room, either piled upon the green felt of the tables or stacked haphazardly near the garbage bins. The serving staff weren't the only ones to leave their posts; the dealers were gone too. As if she had been pondering what to say until this point, Erina finally picked up the conversation from earlier.

"My aim for this evening was not to deliver thrills, Kirari. I'll admit that I may have underestimated your school's penchant for them, but we have other sponsors in attendance whom we must also consider. The sort who'd be perfectly content with a night of cards, drinks, and gourmet food," said Erina. Torrey had nearly forgotten about the older patrons he'd seen earlier in the evening; it was probably due to chance that the few halls he'd been to were where the Hyakkou students had also chosen to congregate.