Chapter 53

Sometime later.

In the lower district of Rivet Town.

Hook eagerly led a young woman with brown eyes and hair to a deserted area, Hook's eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Is this place empty enough?" Hook asked, her voice brimming with anticipation. "Please, show us the true form of that fat chicken!"

The young brown-haired woman couldn't help but sigh as she wondered... 'How did this happen in the first place?'

At first, she was dragged over this frozen planet, attacked by the abundance.

Second, without much explanation or whatsoever, she found herself on the way to meet one of the higher-ups when two children approached her.

And before she knew it, her captain had left her behind; now she was dealing with this strange request.

And now...

She's in such a predicament.

The so-called "fat chicken" perched on her shoulder was a small, round bird—a phoenix? No, could it even be called a phoenix?

Sushang often questioned if it could even be called that. Still, she couldn't help but smile at the young girl's enthusiasm.

"You'd better watch closely."

Sushang carefully picked up the chubby bird. "Rise Phoenix!" she commanded.

The small, rotund bird perched on her shoulder gave a chirp of acknowledgement.

With a determined flap of its short wings, the creature leapt off Sushang's shoulder and landed gracefully on the ground.

In an instant, it began to dash across the open space, its speed causing Hook, Clara, and Alice to stare in amazement.

As the bird sprinted, its wings flapped faster and faster, lifting it into the air. A blinding white light enveloped its body as it ascended, growing larger with each passing second.

Hook could barely contain her excitement. "Is it starting to transform?" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of wonder and curiosity.

Clara, equally fascinated, added, "I wonder what it'll turn into... Something beautiful and elegant? Or maybe something grand and majestic?"

Alice, too, watched intently. A strange yet odd sense of anticipation, which she wasn't supposed to feel, was building within her as she observed.

Soon, the intense white light began to dissipate, revealing the creature within.

With a loud crash, a massive, three-meter-wide form descended from the sky, slamming into the ground with a tremendous impact—

—BAM!

As the dust settled, the trio found themselves staring at the creature in stunned silence.

Before them stood... a colossal, yet unmistakably fat, chicken?

Hook stared up at the now-massive bird in front of her, her eyes wide with astonishment.

She blinked a few times, then scratched her head in confusion.

"Sister Sushang… Isn't this just the same fat chicken, but, you know… bigger? No matter how I look at it, that's a chicken!"

Clara, standing quietly by Hook's side, looked a bit let down.

She folded her hands in front of her and sighed softly.

"It's… not what I expected," she admitted, her voice carrying a hint of disappointment.

Sushang, now gripping her heavy sword, glanced back at the phoenix before looking at the three younger girls.

A puzzled frown crossed her face. "Really? You don't think the phoenix looks powerful now, do you? Majestic, even?"

Hook, Clara, and Alice shook their heads simultaneously.

"Nope," Hook said with the blunt honesty only a child could muster.

Clara, always the more thoughtful one, hesitated before speaking. "Actually… it looks… kind of tasty?"

Her cheeks reddened as she spoke, embarrassed by the strange thought.

Sushang couldn't help but gape at the three girls.

"Tasty?" She repeated it more to herself than to anyone else.

How could they not see how majestic her phoenix had become?

Just as she opened her mouth to defend the bird's honour, a sudden, pained cry echoed from beneath the phoenix.

"Ahhh… I'm dying here!"

Sushang's eyes widened in shock. "Huh? Where did that come from?" she asked, bewildered. She looked around, but the area had been deserted. She was sure of it.

Clara's brow furrowed as she leaned in closer to the bird—chicken—phoenix? "Did… did that fat chicken just talk?"

Hook, ever the imaginative one, snapped her fingers as if she had solved a huge mystery. "I've got it!" she exclaimed. "That fat chicken must've had babies!"

Alice, though silent, shook her head slowly. "That… doesn't make sense," she muttered, Hook's imagination was a bit far-fetched, but she didn't say more than that.

Clara looked skeptical, tilting her head as she tried to wrap her mind around the idea. "But... would a baby chick have such a deep voice?"

Sushang quickly shook her head, waving her hands in denial. "No, no, no!" she said, exasperation clear in her voice.

"The phoenix can't give birth! It's just a form—it doesn't even have that ability! And even if it did, it would lay eggs, not... this."

Hook seemed unperturbed by Sushang's explanation, and he pointed at the phoenix with an innocent, inquisitive look.

"Then what was that scream just now, Sister Sushang?"

Alice as if noticing something walked closer to the phoenix. "Perhaps, it sensed somebody spying on us and dealt with the person, no?"

As Alice said this, Hook couldn't help but nod in response—though she didn't have the slightest idea why she did, but Hook still did it.

Hook then turned to Sushang. "Wow, so the chicken is that smart? That's so cool! Sister Sushang, your phoenix is awesome!"

Sushang could only stare at the three girls, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.

Their imaginations were far beyond what she had expected. If her phoenix was smart, she could brag. But alas, that wasn't the case.

"Ah—"

She could clarify further, but before she could, a familiar voice called out from beneath the phoenix, sounding both desperate and slightly annoyed.

"Hey, is that Hook out there? It's me, your good buddy Sampo! Come on, help me out here!"

Hook's expression immediately shifted to one of suspicion, her small brows knitting together. She crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced.

"Hmph! It's you again?" Don't think you can trick me that easily again this time!"

Sushang couldn't help but glance at Hook, her thoughts trailing off. Again...?

Sampo's voice grew more frantic. "No, no, no! Hook, I'm not a bad guy! If you let me out, I'll give you a treasure—anything you want! And, and… you know that toy you've got, the hook machine? I can make it even more powerful!"

Hook's eyes narrowed as she considered his offer.

After a moment, she turned to Sushang, tugging on her arm with a pleading look. "Sister Sushang, Brother Sampo isn't a villain. Can we let him out? Please?"

Sushang sighed, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement.

She knew the phoenix's transformation wouldn't last much longer anyway, and she couldn't say no to Hook's earnest face.

After a brief pause, she nodded. "Alright."

With a puff of white smoke, the phoenix's massive form shrank back to its normal size, letting out a satisfied grunt as it trotted back to Sushang's side.

From underneath where the bird had been, Sampo emerged, looking thoroughly disheveled and exhausted, but very much alive.

Hook wasted no time, marching up to him with her hand outstretched. "Brother Sampo, you promised me a treasure."

Sampo, still catching his breath, raised his hand weakly. "Give me a second, Hook... Isn't your birthday the day after tomorrow? I'll give it to you then."

Hook, however, wasn't letting up. "A birthday gift is a birthday gift, but…" She struggled to find the right words, glancing back at Clara for help.

Clara, ever the quiet thinker, understood what Hook was trying to say. "Thank you," she suggested softly.

Hook's face brightened as she remembered. "Yes! A thank you gift is a thank you gift!"

Sampo, lying on the ground, managed a weary smile. "Hook, I'm always good to you, aren't I? I'll give you two gifts then, okay?"

He sighed internally. That little Hook, ever since she began attending school, had become increasingly harder to fool.

That Supreme Guardian sure is capable... Sampo couldn't help but think so.

But as he thought back on how he ended up under that fat chicken in the first place, a nagging suspicion began to form in his mind.

No, not that; he was beginning to increasingly feel something—danger perhaps, getting infinitely closer to him.

Just as this unsettling thought crossed his mind, a familiar voice, calm yet authoritative, reached his ears.

"Sampo, taking time out of your day to play with Hook and the others? That's quite rare."

Sampo's heart skipped a beat, his body tensing as he slowly looked up. 'Gah!' Honestly, right now, if he could, he would like to dig a hole and enter.

It hasn't even been long since he saw this person who was heading towards the battlefield.

But why is he here now? Miracle? Luck? Coincidence? Bah!

—Standing next to Clara, with a knowing smile on her face, was none other than the Supreme Guardian of Belobog himself.

Forcing a smile, Sampo quickly composed himself as he replied.

"Oh, you know me! Can't resist spending time with the kids, haha. Just thought I'd have a little fun with Hook and the gang."

Inside, however, he was certain of one thing—his bad luck today was no coincidence. The Supreme Guardian certainly had a hand in it.