Chapter 78: A Soft Glow Blooms From Within the Glass!
'Alcohol from the Demon World…'
Ryohei was initially quite excited. But the moment Minos twisted open the cap, a powerful, pungent smell of alcohol hit him like a physical blow, so strong it felt like it was scorching the inside of his nose. The air was filled with a nearly suffocatingly strong alcoholic vapor, as if the very atmosphere was being distorted by it.
"Whoa!" Ryohei's eyes went wide as he stared at the bottle in her hand. "Minos, what's the proof on that stuff?" He had been busy cooking the steak when she brought it out, so he hadn't gotten a close look at it before.
"96%~," Minos replied cheerfully. She put down the cap and eagerly lifted the bottle of "Water of Life." "This stuff is called the Water of Life, and it's super delicious. When you drink it, you get this warm, fuzzy feeling all over your body. It's really nice."
"Stop, stop! That's way too strong, I can't drink that," Ryohei said, quickly covering the top of his glass and holding up his other hand to politely refuse her offer. Even a stiff whiskey was sometimes too much for him; he was no match for a 96% spirit.
"Eh?" Minos blinked, then turned her pure, ruby-red eyes to Yurine. "Then, Yurine-chan…"
"Can't drink it. Too strong," Yurine said, mimicking Ryohei's gesture of covering her glass.
"You two are such lightweights!" Jashin-chan sneered at them. "You can't even handle that? Pathetic." A brilliant idea then sparked in her mind. A crafty smile spread across her face as she held out her own glass. "Minos, fill me up!"
"You got it!" Minos replied happily, and poured Jashin-chan a generous amount. She loved to share things she enjoyed; it would have been a real downer if she was the only one drinking her special liquor.
"Yurine, let's just drink the wine I got from the gift basket," Ryohei said, and went to the liquor cabinet, returning with three bottles.
"What kind of wine is that?" Minos asked, her interest piqued.
"Strawberry wine, apple wine, and mead," Ryohei replied, planning to try them all. He then noticed the pale red liquid in Minos's glass. "Your Water of Life is pink?"
"Hm? Is that a problem?" she asked, confused.
"The human world also has a 96% liquor called the Water of Life," Yurine explained. "But it's clear."
"Oh, really? I'll have to try it sometime," Minos said, her interest now fully captured.
Since the Demon World liquor was reddish, Ryohei decided to start with the strawberry wine. It was a much more vibrant, pure red. He poured a glass for himself and for Yurine.
"The strawberry wine looks so pretty," Yurine commented, admiring the color.
"Alright, let's have a toast," Ryohei said, raising his glass.
"Kanpai—!" the four of them said in unison.
Clink! Ryohei brought the glass to his lips, and as he did, he could finally smell the wine's aroma. It was a tempting, fresh scent of ripe strawberries, mixed with a hint of flowers and a light touch of alcohol. He took a sip. The sweetness of the strawberry blossomed on his tongue, followed by a perfect acidity that balanced it out. It was incredibly refreshing.
"This is really nice," he said, putting down his glass.
"It is," Yurine agreed, her eyes lighting up. "It's sweet and sour, very refreshing. It's a nice, pleasant aftertaste."
"Haaaah—!" Across from them, Minos tilted her head back and downed her entire glass of 96% alcohol in one go. She slammed the glass down on the table with a thud, a satisfied blush on her cheeks.
"...You're a really impressive drinker," Ryohei couldn't help but comment.
"Hehe~," Minos just grinned proudly and then took a huge spoonful of her Oyakodon. "So satisfying!" she mumbled happily. Good food and good drink. It was the best.
"How much can you drink, Minos?" Yurine asked curiously.
"Of the Water of Life? A little over a bottle. For lower-proof stuff, a lot more," Minos replied, before her eyes darted to the side. Yurine followed her gaze and saw Jashin-chan stealthily trying to pour some of her own half-empty glass of Water of Life into Yurine's glass of strawberry wine.
Yurine: "..."
"Er…" Caught in the act, Jashin-chan gave a sheepish smile and put the glass down, pretending nothing had happened.
"Care to explain?" Yurine asked, her eyes narrowed.
"Um… I just wanted you to try a specialty from our Demon World," the quick-thinking Jashin-chan replied with an innocent expression.
"You think I'm going to believe that?" Yurine said, and then delivered a swift, merciless punch to Jashin-chan's face. The scumbag snake let out a pained cry and crumpled to the floor.
"And there she goes again," Minos said with a sigh.
"You get used to it," Ryohei replied calmly. He looked at Yurine's glass, now a mixture of the two drinks, and his curiosity was piqued. He picked it up and took a small sip. The sharp burn of the high-proof spirit was dominant, but underneath it, he could still taste the sweet fruitiness of the strawberry wine. The first sensation was the intense heat of the alcohol, but then the sweetness of the strawberry gradually emerged, creating a sharp, interesting contrast.
"This is actually pretty good. Try it," he said, handing the glass to Yurine.
"Okay," she said, taking the glass.
"Ah… I want to try, too!" Minos said. She poured half a glass of the Water of Life for herself and reached for the strawberry wine.
"Here, let me," Ryohei said, a new idea forming. He had never been a bartender, but what would happen if he used his ability on a simple mixed drink?
"This is where the magic happens," he said dramatically. He took the bottle of strawberry wine and, in front of everyone, began to pour it into Minos's glass of the high-proof demon liquor.
And as he poured…
A soft, gentle glow bloomed from within the glass.
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