The War King’s Castle—a place of such legendary peril that even within the Demon Realm, setting foot inside required a level of resolve few possessed.
A certain goddess kicked the massive, heaven-piercing door open with casual indifference.
"I’m coming in, gorilla."
"Hah? Oh, it’s just you, Shia... Stop breaking my doors."
"Then put the doorknob at a height I can actually reach."
"That would be way too low for me..."
Megiddo spoke in a leisurely drawl as he looked at the Goddess of Calamity, Shia, who had just forced her way in. Despite her incredibly rude behavior, the two were old friends who understood each other well, so the atmosphere didn't turn hostile.
"So? What’s the occasion? You here to pick a fight?"
"That’s just you projecting. Let me use your kitchen for a bit."
"Oh? Sure..."
"Also, gorilla... Why are you humanized right now?"
Though a bit bewildered by Shia’s immediate demand for the kitchen, Megiddo led her there anyway. He was currently in his human form rather than his usual gargantuan self; when a curious Shia questioned him, he pulled out a book.
"I can't read books in my original form. A new magic theory was just published, so I’m getting it into my head."
"A diligent gorilla... how bizarre."
"Hah? Intellect is just another form of power. I don’t neglect my training."
"The same old training idiot. You’re suffocating."
Exchanging such banter, they reached the kitchen. Shia began laying out ingredients with the familiarity of someone in their own home.
"So, what are you making?"
"Chocolate."
"What? Chocolate? Why would you make something that sweet...?"
Hearing the word "chocolate," Megiddo—a man who lived for spicy food—furrowed his brow. Shia was a fellow spice-lover; in fact, their mutual obsession with spicy food was the very foundation of their friendship. He couldn't believe his ears.
"There are all kinds of chocolate. See? There’s even this."
"Hmm? Let me see... Hmph. It lacks a bit of a kick, but it’s not bad. What do you call this?"
"Cacao 99% Chocolate. I’m using this as the base."
Megiddo chewed the intensely bitter chocolate and declared it was lacking, a sentiment Shia echoed with a nod. She explained she would be refining it from there.
"Well, that human helped me out a little... I-It’s not like I care that it’s Valentine’s Day or anything. But, as a merciful goddess, I figured I should at least give him a piece of chocolate."
"Oh, for Kaito? Then you’d better make it a good one!"
"I’m actually quite good at cooking. It’ll be fine. Oh, right. Gorilla, do you have any Crimson Sauce?"
"Of course I do. How many bottles do you need?"
"I’ll start with one."
At Shia’s request, Megiddo pulled a sauce as red as a blazing fire from the pantry and handed it over. Without a moment’s hesitation, Shia dumped the entire bottle into the mixture.
A short while later, the prototype was complete. Shia and Megiddo both took a bite of the dark red chocolate for a taste test—and both made a face.
"Hey... isn't this way too sweet?"
"I was thinking the same thing. There’s no heat at all."
"Should we add more Crimson Sauce?"
"Yeah. Let’s put in five bottles."
"Right."
To any ordinary person, the level of spice would have been enough to make them breathe fire, but to these two, it was sugary. Spiciness is a sensation felt through pain receptors; the higher one's tolerance for pain, the less they perceive spice.
Part of the reason was their sheer physical durability, but beyond that, both were outliers. Megiddo was a battle maniac who found joy in pain, and Shia—despite her denials—was a natural masochist who felt pleasure from it. Both were unnaturally resistant to pain. Consequently, the lethally spicy chocolate felt utterly "lacking" to them.
They poured in even more Crimson Sauce. Despite the lack of other ingredients, the chocolate turned a vivid, brilliant red. At a glance, one might mistake it for strawberry chocolate, but in reality, it was a concentrated mass of Crimson Sauce—a substance where a single drop rivaled a whole bottle of Tabasco.
The two took a bite of what had essentially become a solid block of sauce and finally broke into smiles.
"Oh, now that’s more like it!"
"Yes, it’s delicious. As expected of me."
"Who knew chocolate could actually taste good?"
"Right? That human will surely be moved to tears."
Indeed, if Kaito ate that, he would certainly cry—though not for the reasons they imagined.
"Still, for you to go this far... Kaito really is loved, isn't he?"
"Wha—!? I-Idiot! I told you, this is strictly a display of divine mercy!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."
"You... you gorilla...!"
As Shia protested with a flushed face, Megiddo just brushed her off. Trembling with frustration, Shia’s eyes suddenly fell on a bag sitting on the edge of the counter.
"Gorilla, what’s in that bag?"
"Hah? Oh... that’s, uh... Chocolate Baby Castella."
"What a name. It sounds sickeningly sweet."
"Kuromueina gave them to me. So I’m eating every last one."
"Are you insane? That’s going to be hell for you."
"I’d rather die than leave a single bite of something I received from Kuromueina."
"Mother complex."
"Shut it!"
Shia watched him with half-lidded eyes as he declared his absolute loyalty to the gift despite his hatred for sweets. A moment later, Megiddo instinctively swung a fist, which Shia dodged by leaning back.
"What’s wrong with calling a mother complex exactly what it is?"
"Hah? You want to go, brat? Acting like a little tsundere who can’t even be honest about Kaito..."
"Excuse me? Gorilla... it sounds like you have a death wish."
"Bring it on! Let’s take this outside!"
"Gladly! I’ll make it clear which of us is superior!"
Magic power erupted like a hurricane. Megiddo reverted to his true, gargantuan form while Shia summoned her Great Scythe. The two stormed out of the castle to engage in a violent brawl, leaving only the bright-red chocolate behind in the kitchen.
It wouldn't be much longer until Kaito, upon receiving that gift, would experience a hell unlike any he had known before.
The two were very good friends.