HPDBC Chapter 34: Gummy Bears Assemble!
Chapter 34: Gummy Bears Assemble!
Chapter 34 - Gummy Bears Assemble!
"Now as for you two," Chiharu said sternly, turning her head with a menacing glare.
[Thud]
She put her foot on the head of the man who had wet himself, slamming it to the ground.
"Where is my pouch?"
"I-I....I....Do....Don't...Kn..ow...know...." The man replied.
"Hmmm...." Chiharu realized that he wasn't lying, as no one could under such immense pressure.
"Then take me to your hideout, now!!" she barked impatiently. "I haven't got all day to waste on your pathetic existence!" she added with a contemptuous sneer.
Felix couldn't help but think, All this for some candy?
[Whoosh]
Yoshito appeared suddenly, bowing slightly as he delivered his message. "It's ready, Guild Master."
Chiharu didn't even glance at him. Instead, she crouched near the man bleeding on the ground, her piercing gaze locking onto him. "Is it close by?" she asked, her voice low but dangerous.
"Y-Y... Yes... It's... just b-below... the brothel..." he managed to choke out between gasps of pain.
Chiharu's lips curled into a faint sneer as she turned her attention to the other man cowering nearby. Her voice was venomous as she barked her next command. "You! Over there! Deliver this message to your pathetic comrades." She leaned forward slightly, her tone dripping with menace. "Tell them Chiharu is coming—and there's nothing they can do to stop me."
The man nodded frantically, his face pale with terror. "Y-Yes... I-I will..." he stuttered before scrambling to his feet and bolting toward the hideout.
Chiharu watched him go with a cold smirk before standing up straight again.
"Nam Nam," Chiharu eat a candy.
"So... can I go now?" he asked casually
[THWUMP!]
Before Felix could react, Yoshito—who had been bowing deeply—lunged forward and grabbed him by the neck, forcing him into a bow as well.
"Hey! You trying to get us stuck wearing fluffy outfits for the rest of our lives?" Yoshito hissed in a panicked whisper.
[GROOOOWL!]
A loud growl erupted from Yoshito's stomach, betraying his hunger after hours without food.
"Pfft... Hahahaha!" Chiharu burst into laughter, pointing at him with mockery in her eyes. "Is the newlywed lady hungry?" she teased between giggles. "Here... have some candy."
"No, ma'am, I'm fine," Yoshito replied hastily, bowing even lower to hide his embarrassment. His face flushed red as he tried to ignore the snickers around him.
Felix glanced at Yoshito with a deadpan expression, muttering under his breath, "So shameful for a warrior..."
Yoshito's head snapped toward Felix, still maintaining his bowing posture. "Hey! I heard that, you moron!" he growled through gritted teeth.
"Yo-shi-tooo," Chiharu sang playfully as she held out a piece of candy, pointing it toward his mouth.
Yoshito stiffened and placed a hand over his chest in protest. "No, ma'am! I can't right now—I'm on duty!"
In an instant, Chiharu's playful demeanor darkened. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned closer to him. "I said... open your mouth." Her voice was low and menacing.
"A-Argh... Y-Yes... Aaaahhh..." Yoshito reluctantly opened his mouth as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
[Plop-Plop-Plop!]
Chiharu began stuffing candy after candy into Yoshito's mouth with alarming speed. Her laughter turned wicked—"Hihihihi!"—echoing through the air as she continued.
Yoshito's face quickly turned pale, then blue, as the sheer amount of candy rendered him unable to chew or swallow properly. He flailed helplessly before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud, unconscious from the sugary onslaught.
"There you go," Chiharu said triumphantly, placing her hands on her hips like she had just accomplished something grand. "I hope you enjoyed the meal."
[Swish!]
Her head suddenly snapped toward Felix like a predator locking onto its prey.
"What is it?" Felix asked calmly but cautiously as he straightened from his forced bowing position.
Chiharu stepped closer, her piercing eyes never leaving his face. Felix instinctively straightened from his bowing position as she closed the distance between them.
"You sure are tall," she murmured in a low voice that sent a chill down his spine. Her lips curled into a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I can't help but wonder... are the clan leaders bold—or foolish—sending me someone so towering? Surely they know how much I despise those who loom over me."
Before Felix could respond, Chiharu suddenly leapt onto his back with surprising agility and strength. She grabbed a fistful of his hair while locking her legs tightly around his torso like a vice grip.
"Now—to the Cactus Gang hideout! Kiri-Kiri!" she declared triumphantly.
"Kiri-Kiri?" Felix thought to himself with exasperation as he adjusted to carrying this tiny yet terrifying guild master on his back. He couldn't help but remember being called "Puddingbrain" by Ewan.
[Whoosh]
After reaching what appeared to be the hideout, Chiharu sighed, "You are so slow."
[Plop]
Chiharu dismounted from Felix's back with a cute jump to the ground.
[CRACKLE-Fwoom-Boom]
She exploded the building's entrance with a blast.
Felix's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are there so many women coming out of an evil organization's hideout?" he thought.
"Hey Kiri-kiri, I want you to remove slave collars from every single one of them," Chiharu ordered.
"Slaves?" Felix echoed, his head swiftly turning towards the necks of the women.
"So, they are slaves of these bastards," Felix clenched his fist, his anger rising.
[Whiiiiiish]
In a blink, she vanished again, reappearing behind a burly man wielding a massive club. Before he could react, Chiharu's tiny fist connected with his back.
"Impossible!" one of the three men standing near shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Who... what are you?" gasped another from the trio, stumbling backward in terror.
[Whoosh]
In an instant, she vanished from sight, only to reappear behind the group of attackers. Before they could react, Chiharu's tiny fists became a blur of motion.
[Thwack-Thwack-Thwack]
They fell like dominoes, their bodies crumpling to the ground as Chiharu's strikes found their mark with pinpoint accuracy. Her movements were fluid and relentless, each attack flowing seamlessly.
Chiharu's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am justice," she declared, her voice ringing with authority despite her small stature.
[Thup]
Chiharu landed gracefully, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light meaning she was using her Zor release. "You boys need to learn some manners," she said, her voice deceptively sweet.
"Hey, man, you get her!" one of the few remaining shouted.
"Why should I do it? You do it, you stupid head!"
"What did you say, punk?"
[Swish-Bam]
The cactus member tried to hit his own comrade, but he dodged, and the punch hit the man standing behind him. Just like that, the people who had fought together with the same ambition started to fight each other.
The fight became so intense that a dust cloud formed around them.
"Now it's time to call the adventurers to capture these bastards," Chiharu said.
"Pffft.....Pffft.....Pffft..." Chiharu tried to whistle but was unable to do so.
"Ahem...Gummy bears, don't just tremble, gummy bears, assemble!"
[Whoosh-Fwoosh-Whoosh]
Instantly, adventurers nearby appeared, surrounding the area.
"M'lady," said Kurono and Hazuki in unison.
Chiharu started to give them orders, pointing her index fingers upwards and closing her eyes in an attempt to look wise. "Okay, so... I want—" She suddenly opened her eyes, realizing something was amiss. "Wait, where did you go?"
"Hey handsome," Kurono said, putting her hands on her cheeks.
Hazuki spoke carefully, choosing her words to elicit a positive response. "I... don't particularly... want to... ask this... but... I can... help... if you need it."
"Ugh... what am I going to do with them..." Chiharu sighed.
Felix gently lifted one of the enslaved women to her feet and said, "Oh, if you will, then please, I would like some help. These women have suffered greatly as slaves. I wonder how much cruelty they endured."
"So manly!" Kurono exclaimed, her eyes beaming in a heart shape.
Hazuki commented in her usual calculating tone, though her face was slightly flushed, "I... suppose that must be considered an act of pure manliness."
[Whoosh]
Yoshito appeared, bowing instantly as he materialized.
"You're back, Yoshi! I thought you'd be out for a while," Chiharu said with a cold smirk.
Yoshito's eyebrow twitched in frustration. "Please, ma'am, refrain from calling me by that name," he replied, his voice tight with barely contained irritation.
[Clack-Clack-Clack-Scrape-Scrape-Scrape]
The sound of footsteps echoed from the street outside.
Yoshito, who had been in a bowing stance, suddenly looked up, his eyes wide with fear. "They're already here?" he whispered to himself.
A stern voice cut through the tension. "What is this, Miss Chosokabe?"
The sun was behind them, casting their faces and bodies in shadow, but Chiharu, Yoshito, Kurono, and Hazuki knew exactly who these three individuals were.
Yoshito stood straight, a wry smile playing on his lips. "The Head Adventurers of the other guilds... always quick to get the news," he remarked, his voice a mixture of resignation and respect.
"Wait... Yoshito, is that you in a fluffy kimono?" asked a female voice from the trio.
"Huhhh... N-No, it's not like that!" Yoshito tried explaining, waving his hands.
At the same time, back at the castle, underground in its jail chambers, Katsuhiro, the army general, was walking through a dark corridor lit with candles on the walls.
"Ughhhh, how do these stupid heads wear these stupid clothes? It's so hot. Maybe they're stupid heads because they wear these armors," he muttered to himself, frustrated about the red kimono with a Catasticta sibyllae butterfly logo on its back that he was wearing.
He reached a big double door at the end of the corridor, where four samurai were standing guard. They were wearing full armor, their faces hidden by the shadows cast by their helmets.
"These men must be trouble if they're guarding this block of the prison," Katsuhiro thought.
"Men! Open the door for me and leave this space at once!" Katsuhiro ordered.
"Yes, sir!" all four said in unison.
[Click-Click-Click-Click]
All four turned around and inserted four keys that were resting on the side of their waists into the door. These keys were larger than normal and looked heavier, but they could still be held with one hand.
[Creakkk]
The heavy, thick iron door opened slightly, moving slowly inward.
[Clack-Clack-Clack-Scrape-Scrape-Scrape]
As they opened the door, the samurai walked away without questioning Katsuhiro's authority. Their code of honor dictated that they always follow their leader or the highest-ranking official, which in this case was Katsuhiro.