The automatic doors slid open with a jingle, and in strutted a figure clad in red jacket and messy blond hair, chainsaw arms strapped to their sides. The Denji cosplayer had arrived.
Vario, who was busy restocking shelves after his "Overflow recovery session," froze mid-step. His eyes widened. "What… what is that?"
Bella, leaning against the counter, snorted. "Oh no… they're here for you."
Nyx peeked over the shelf, smirking. "Looks like someone wants payback for… something. Not sure what, though."
The cosplayer pointed dramatically at Vario. "You! Stand down, Chainsaw Man wannabe! I've come to defeat you and claim victory!"
Vario swallowed nervously, trying to straighten his apron. "I-I think you've got the wrong guy—"
But before he could finish, the cosplayer lunged, swinging the fake chainsaw wildly. Vario dove behind a display of cup noodles, knocking over an entire stack in his panic.
"Vario! Use your majiv!" Nyx shouted, though her voice was more teasing than serious.
Vario scrambled to his feet, raising his hands. A faint, shimmering barrier appeared just in time to deflect the cosplayer's attack. Noodles went flying, cans clanged, and a soda tower wobbled dangerously.
Bella sighed, pulling a long-handled spatula from under the counter. "Fine… if we're doing this, we're doing it properly."
The Denji cosplayer charged again, now sliding across the floor with exaggerated flair. Garruk stepped forward, picking up a tower of soda cans as a makeshift barricade. "Nobody's destroying my store today!"
Seraphine floated above, chanting quietly, creating a soft, protective aura over Vario. "Focus on defense, Vario. Calm your mind."
Vario, shaking, finally raised both hands and concentrated. A surge of energy rippled out, knocking the cosplayer back several feet. The fake chainsaws clattered harmlessly to the ground.
The cosplayer scrambled to their feet, glaring. "Impossible! How are you so strong? I trained for this!"
Vario's face turned red—not from anger, but sheer embarrassment. "I… I didn't even want a fight!"
Nyx leaned against the counter, grinning. "Well, you got one anyway."
Bella jabbed her spatula into the floor. "Consider this a lesson: never come to this store to mess with Vario."
The cosplayer stared at them all, defeated and panting. Then slowly, dramatically, they dropped their chainsaw arms. "Fine… you win. But I will return!"
Vario exhaled, trembling, as the cosplayer stormed out, muttering about training montages and epic rematches.
Nyx clapped slowly. "Well… that was fun."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Fun? I think we almost lost half the inventory."
Vario slumped onto the floor, muttering, "I just wanted a quiet day…"
And in the chaos-filled convenience store, quiet days were clearly impossible.