[MashUp] Ch 12: I'll Serve Your Mushroom

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Takuma's figure disappeared around the corner of the alley.

Left behind was Isuzu Sento, frozen in place.

She lowered her gaze to the magic muzzleloader in her hand—Steinberger—a weapon powerful enough to blow apart a fortress.

And yet, when she thought of that man…

The way he'd dismissed this magical weapon, all for the sake of that ridiculous "mushroom."

An unfamiliar weight pressed down on her chest.

BOOM!

Her fist slammed into the concrete wall beside her.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface instantly.

"Conventional intimidation means nothing to him. This man follows a completely different set of values and logic."

The royal guard training in her mind coolly delivered its conclusion.

"Damn it…"

Her teeth sank into her lip. But even as she seethed, the image of Princess Latifa's pale yet hopeful face surfaced in her mind.

"No. I won't give up. I can't give up."

For the princess. For the entire amusement park, for everyone whose lives depended on "fun energy" to survive…

This man had to be won over. No matter the cost.

Her chest heaved as she drew a sharp breath. Then her brown eyes hardened with determination.

She holstered the rifle and ran out of the alley.

...

Meanwhile, Takuma was lazily strolling toward his apartment, his mushrooms in hand.

He was less than five hundred meters from the building when a figure suddenly darted out from a side street, bringing with her a sharp whiff of perfume.

Arms spread wide, she blocked his path.

The same uniformed girl.

This time, her delicate face was taut with desperation and resolve. Her chest rose and fell violently—she'd sprinted here at full speed.

Takuma stopped, raising an eyebrow. "Still not done?" His tone was the same as before—casual, indifferent.

"My mushroom's about to wither," he added lazily.

"We… we don't have any more time!"

Isuzu nearly shouted, her voice trembling with urgency.

"That's your problem," Takuma replied flatly.

The words shattered the last of her royal guard pride.

And then—

Under his amused gaze, she did something that made every passerby stop and stare.

She stepped back.

Her knees pressed together.

And in perfect military precision, rigid to the point of absurdity…

She sank toward the ground, preparing for a full dogeza.

Takuma didn't move to stop her.

If anything, he stepped back, almost entertained—like a spectator watching an elaborate play unfold.

Isuzu froze mid-motion. Her knees hovered barely a centimeter from the pavement.

What chilled her wasn't the concrete beneath her—it was the complete lack of mercy in the man's eyes.

"Quite the performance," Takuma finally spoke. His voice was calm, but it cut sharper than mockery.

"Throwing away your dignity to try and guilt-trip me?"

"Too bad. I don't really do morality."

He crouched so their eyes were level, savoring the flickering stubbornness in hers.

"A dogeza to make me lend a hand? You're underestimating me."

"Or maybe you're overestimating how much that so-called dignity of yours is worth."

"The arrogance you're showing now—it's no different from when you pointed your gun at me in that alley."

Isuzu's body trembled violently. Tears welled, but she forced them back.

She had been wrong. Completely wrong.

She thought she was gambling her pride, but in his eyes, that pride was the cheapest currency of all.

"Then… what will it take?"

Her voice cracked, barely audible.

Takuma didn't answer. He simply stood, turned his back, and began to walk away.

"Wait!"

Her hand shot out, clutching at his sleeve with desperate strength.

"As long as you'll save the amusement park…"

She bit down, forcing the words out through gritted teeth, face flushed with humiliation yet burning with reckless resolve.

"I… I'll give you anything!"

"Anything?" Takuma chuckled, low and dismissive.

"The most boring offer of all—an empty promise."

"Is it really yours to give? Can you make decisions for that amusement park?"

"No. You're just the messenger."

"You're trading away what isn't yours, dressing it up like some noble sacrifice."

"Don't you think that's pathetic?"

His tone dropped lower, almost coaxing.

"Don't try to placate me with other people's things."

"Show me something real. Bring me a price that's yours and yours alone."

It was his final ultimatum.

She stared at his retreating back—the only hope for saving the princess, for saving everyone—slipping through her fingers.

Her mind went blank.

Only instinct remained.

"Wait!"

Her cry tore out once more.

This time, his steps faltered ever so slightly, though he didn't turn.

Staring at his back, her lips trembled as she forced out the words that humiliated her more than anything in her life.

"E-even if it means…"

"…serving your… your mushroom…"

"I'll do it! Anywhere, anytime! I watched these dirty videos."

Takuma finally stopped.

This time, he turned. His eyes widened faintly in surprise, before twisting into a cruel grin.

He walked back, crouched, and met her gaze.

"Oh?"

His voice was low, rough, tinged with amusement. "Serve my mushroom, huh?"

"You sure about that? It's hard to satisfy it."

Isuzu's cheeks were burning red, hot enough to drip blood.

She shut her eyes tight, nodded heavily—like accepting her fate.

"Good."

Takuma stood tall again, looming over her.

"Then it's a deal."

"Remember what you said. Now… show me the way."

He grabbed her hand, yanking her up off the ground.

"Let's see if that little amusement park of yours is really worth…"

"…the reward I'm about to claim."

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