Tsurugi Kenzaki is a maiden at heart.
As a top-tier fighter in Kivotos, she's the Justice Task Force's main force, specializing in swift enemy neutralization—a walking strategic weapon. Yet, she's surprisingly shy, reserved, and calm around strangers, only opening up to close friends like Hasumi. With Mash, she masks her nerves with wild outbursts. ("KIEEE!"—let's pretend that didn't happen.)
Tsurugi loves romance dramas, novels, and coming-of-age films, setting her apart from her peers. Her contrast between battle ferocity and everyday shyness charms (and torments) many students.
"D-d-d… what do I do!?" she stammered, panicking.
After teaming up with Mash to take down a cult, his casual suggestion lingered: "Wanna make cream puffs together sometime?" Tsurugi couldn't stop thinking about it, agonizing over how to respond. She decided to invite him on her day off… but how?
"I don't know how to ask him!" she wailed, writhing in bed for five hours. It was now 2:00 PM. "Mash-sensei would probably be fine with anything… but the books say ambiance matters!"
Clutching "Must-Have! How to Get Closer to the Opposite Sex! (Text Edition)", she reread tips and typed drafts.
Tip 1: Avoid stiff texts. Use emojis for a bright tone!
To Sensei ♪ Wanna make cream puffs together soon? I'd love to chat and have fun! Waiting for your reply ♪
"NO! This isn't me!" Delete.
Tip 2: Shy girls fall for cool, rational types. Text like a prince!
To Sensei, I gladly accept your prior invitation. May I leave the time to you? Please inform me when decided. I await your reply… my knight? chuckle
"Who is this!?" Delete.
Tip 3: Bold, challenging texts show confidence!
To Sensei Mash Burnedead, I challenge you. [Date], 8 AM, this location. If you don't show, you lose.
"What is this!? Too aggressive!" Delete.
Tsurugi's drafts were disasters. Clutching her phone, she thrashed in frustration. "KIEEE! I don't know what to write!"
Screaming, she accidentally triggered voice recognition.
"Voice recognition complete. Message sent."
"Kya… wait, no, cancel—!" Too late.
Her phone displayed every draft—plus her screams—sent to Mash:
To Sensei ♪ Wanna make cream puffs together soon? I'd love to chat and have fun! Waiting for your reply ♪
To Sensei, I gladly accept your prior invitation… my knight? chuckle
To Sensei Mash Burnedead, I challenge you… If you don't show, you lose.
KIEEE… KIHYAAA… KYAO!
"AAAAH!" Tsurugi lost it.
Her commotion drew Hasumi and other Justice Task Force members.
"What do I do!?" Tsurugi sobbed.
"Calm down, Tsurugi. What happened?" Hasumi asked.
"He'll hate me!" Tsurugi wailed.
"Sensei wouldn't hate anyone," Ichika said.
"Never seen her this shaken. Should I take a picture?" Mashiro teased.
"Stop it!" Toriko scolded.
Trinity's night was chaotic.
Meanwhile, Mash's phone pinged.
"Hm? Tsurugi? Rare…" He opened the messages. "What's… this?"
"I thought something was wrong when I got that scream," Mash said the next day at Trinity, comforting Tsurugi. "I'd never hate you for that."
Sniff. Tsurugi blushed. "Embarrassing…"
"There, there," Mash soothed.
"Let's make cream puffs," she mumbled. "For the Justice Task Force… as thanks for their hard work."
"They'll love it," Mash said. "I know a place."
"A place?"
"The cream puff shop where the After-School Cream Puff Club works."
At the shop:
"Welcome—GAH! Tsurugi Kenzaki!?" a worker yelped.
"What!?" Tsurugi startled.
"Here for Gehenna's secrets? Not on my watch!" one accused.
"Why's the Justice Task Force's top here?" another demanded.
"Why are Trinity and Gehenna working together?" Tsurugi countered.
"Long story," Mash said.
"Sensei?" Tsurugi blinked.
"Yo, how's it going?" a club member greeted.
"Great! Why's Sensei with Tsurugi?" another asked.
Mash explained, securing the shop manager's help for cream puff making.
"Here's the stuff," Tsurugi said, eyeing ingredients.
"Haha! Trinity's weapon making cream puffs? Unreal!" a Gehenna student laughed.
"Gehenna students working here is weirder," Tsurugi shot back.
"True," they admitted.
"You guys are harsh!" another protested.
"We'll help. Let's do this!" Toriko said.
"Thanks, Toriko… Sensei, Manager, I'm counting on you," Tsurugi said.
"Got it," the manager replied.
"Piece of cake," Mash added.
The manager's chaotic instructions—"Do this, then that, and BAM!"—somehow clicked for Tsurugi.
"I get it. I can do this," she said.
(She understood that?) the others thought.
(Tsurugi-senpai's comprehension is insane!) Toriko marveled.
(This feels… ominous,) another worried.
"Let's start!" the manager said, nervous. (Her eyes are scary!)
Tsurugi took a deep breath at the counter. The others hid behind Mash.
"HAA!" Tsurugi's eyes snapped open. She grabbed an egg—and crushed it. SQUELCH!
"She crushed it!?" the group gasped.
Tsurugi worked like a whirlwind. SQUELCH! BANG! THUD! Sounds of destruction filled the air, nothing like baking.
"Like THIS!" SLAM!
"And THIS!" CRASH!
"HYAHAHA!" WHOOSH! THUNK!
It sounded like a battlefield, but Tsurugi was focused. The group trembled behind Mash.
"Done… ehehe," Tsurugi said, blushing.
"How!?" they exclaimed.
A perfect cream puff sat before them.
"How'd that chaos make this!?" one gasped.
"It's… a cream puff. Perfectly shaped," another said.
"What were those sounds? Bones? Metal!?" a third cried.
"Tsurugi-senpai's amazing!" Toriko cheered.
"Toriko, no, this is weird," another protested.
"Tastes like a cream puff," Mash confirmed.
"Wow, Tsurugi-chan!" the manager said.
"Took us a week to get it right," a club member added.
"She's unreal," another said.
"Sensei's student, alright!" they praised.
Tsurugi blushed. "N-not a big deal…" (She's adorable,) everyone but Mash thought, struck by her gap moe.
They continued making cream puffs, Tsurugi laughing wildly. "IHYAHAHA!"
"Glad you're having fun," Mash said.
"Making something… it's nice, sometimes. Thanks for inviting me," Tsurugi said.
"No problem."
"Thanks… to you all too," Tsurugi said to the club.
"Join us part-time!" one offered.
"Thanks, but it's a busy time," Tsurugi declined.
"Bummer," they said.
"Thanks to you Gehenna folks too," she added.
"Uh, sure," they replied.
"First Trinity thanks since Toriko and Torimi," one noted.
"Eden Treaty in action," another joked.
"Nah… or is it?" they laughed.
Trinity and Gehenna students making cream puffs together—an Eden Treaty moment, or close enough.
By evening, they finished. Tsurugi bonded with the club and manager.
"Thanks for inviting me, Sensei," she said.
"Had fun?" Mash asked.
"Of course! But…" THUD. THUD. "I made too many."
"No worries. The Justice Task Force is big. They'll handle it," Mash said, carrying boxes of roughly 1,000 cream puffs.
"Again… just us two next time," Tsurugi mumbled, blushing.
"Looking forward to it," Mash said.
"…" Tsurugi beamed, walking back to Trinity with Mash.
Later, the excess cream puffs were devoured by the Justice Task Force.
"I messed up," Hasumi sighed, having gained a bit of weight.
Next: Mash meets a mysterious gas mask girl! I really wanted to do this, and she'll tie into the main story. Stay tuned!
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