3. Hitman's Quest

trigger warnings: using knives to threaten someone, live animals getting cooked/prepared for consumption

His name was Belphegor.

Nicknamed "Prince the Ripper" - he was the royalty of assassins.

Bel was an Italian hitman that liked using knives, and he really did possess royal blood.

And so he was the assassin prince.

Bel joined an assassination group called the Varia, and was now with the team boss Xanxus in Japan.

The objective was to eradicate a bunch of prideful rascals.

However, due to some circumstances, to kill these rascals required them to wait for a specified time to strike.

Though Bel despised such troublesome matters, but since Xanxus himself was following these rules, there was no other choice.

Nevertheless, Bel was really bored.

Bel hated being bored the most.

Because ---

Bel was a prince, for crying out loud!

Bel was out.

To relieve his boredom, Bel decided that he was going to kill someone.

But walking about like this, randomly killing a normal civilian was also not very fun.

If he was going to kill, it had to be someone strong enough, only then it would be worth it.

Especially if it were someone like himself, a hitman, Bel's favourite.

But, here's the problem.

Which is that Bel's favourite hitmen targets don't just show up here and there.

Moreover, Bel was currently in in Namimori, an unbearably mundane and boring place.

---....................

Not finding any assassins, Bel was starting to get antsy.

Making the Prince this agitated, this was something that could definitely not be allowed.

At times like this, if only there were a servant that could promptly bring him a hitman......

Bel, due to small transgressions, would often kill his servants.

So, well, Bel was often alone.

But a Prince without his servants was somewhat unimpressive.

Hence, Bel quickly started to look for some servants.

And then, Bel got a servant.

"Ah...... Uh...... Excuse me......."

Poke poke.

"Ayaa!"

Being prodded on the back by Bel's knife, this servant began to walk forward.

This newly recruited servant was around the same age as Bel himself, and was a girl. Seeing as she was wearing a uniform, she was probably a middle-schooler.

Bel took the first person he saw as his servant.

Truthfully, anyone would do.

If they were useless they would simply be killed immediately, and he could find another servant just fine.

"W-Why are you doing such a dangerous thing...... Do you have some vengeance against Haru......"

Poke poke poke.

"Aieeee!"

What a noisy servant.

Bel decided, if this servant were to say something stupid again, he was going to kill her.

He promptly gave the servant an order:

"Bring me to somewhere with a killer."

"K-K-Killer.....was it......"

The servant was embarrassing, her voice sounded like she was trembling.

Bel repeated himself.

"I want a powerful killer that's always-red, full of energy, and worth me eating." (1)

"N-No way...... Haru is just a regular Japanese middle school student...... How could Haru possibly know......"

Poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke!

"Aieeee---------!"

Being poked a few times in the back made the servant scream even more embarrassingly.

"I-I got it! Haru will try her best to find it!"

Great, if you fail, I'll kill you.

Bel giggled.

"Okay, please enter! There's a killer here!"

The servant had brought Bel past several stores.

And what was in front of Bel was ---

An all-red, energetic octopus.

"Th-This is what you were looking for, right...... I don't know what killer means in your language, but thanks to your description......"

He decided to obliterate her.

Bel readied his knives.

"Aya---! Y-You're right! This won't do! Wait, wait, Haru will definitely bring you there---!"

Since she said so, Bel decided to give her another chance.

Bel was very kind.

Well, because he was a prince, after all.

The sun had set, bathing the roads and houses in a red aura.

It was as if the streets were soaked in fresh blood, so Bel's mood was pretty good.

The servant had been walking for a long time, and suddenly stopped at a storefront.

"Th-This is it......"

If this was also a failure, she must be killed no matter what, Bel decided, stepping into the store.

"Yo, welcome!"

---!

The middle-aged man dressed in white yelled loudly, slightly startling Bel.

However, he quickly took notice.

In the man's hand --- a knife.

Fantastic! Assassin found---!

....... Just as Bel was about to rejoice.

"A-After all, seeing a live octopus all of a sudden, you would also be at a loss, right...... You were hoping to have it prepared before you ate, huh...... But, don't worry, this sushi place is definitely good! Haru recommends it!"

So you mean to say---

The man in front of Bel was no hitman, but just a chef of Japanese cuisine?

What a truly incompetent servant.

The disappointed Bel intended to kill this servant off.

But.....

---.......................

For some reason, Bel could not take his eyes off the man.

Seeing him hum as he expertly used his blade, Bel felt his heart stir.

Though he might be a chef, his knife skills were a rare sight, even in the Italian mafia.

I want to kill this middle-aged man---

Bel thought. His mood was ever increasing.

Shing------!

Bel prepared his splendid blade.

Just as he was about to strike--

"Oh, you got a nice one there, kid."

The man had also brandished his own knife with a shing.

No gaps---

Bel had unwittingly become unable to move.

At this moment, his servant shouted in revelation:

"Ah, I get it! You wanted to seek a chef mentor here, right!? You should've said so earlier...... A strange foreigner suddenly flashing a knife looks really scary, you know......"

"Oh, you specially came to Japan to become an apprentice in cooking? Okay, then I'll give you a taste of this old man's skills!"

The man good-naturedly took an octopus passed to him from his subordinate.

Slice! Bam bam bam bam!

---!!!

With a speed invisible to the naked eye, his graceful motions turned the octopus into sashimi in the blink of an eye.

"Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough!"

Seeing the octopus sashimi served in a small wooden boat, Bel could not help but be frightened at those flawless cuts.

A wave of regret built in his chest.

I can't lose!

Because Bel is a prince!

Cut cut cut cut cut!

Bel caught an octopus from the tank, and following the man's movements, cleaved it into neat little slices.

The man's eyes widened, shocked.

"Pretty good, kid."

Of course!

Bel puffed out his chest, grinning happily.

"Well then, what about this?"

The man held up a skinny green fish.

Shing!

Like the octopus before it, it was made into perfect sashimi pieces.

Bel was not one to admit defeat.

Cut cut cut!

Likewise, the fish was sliced into piece after piece.

"Oh! I really want to hire you to work in my shop. Then, what about this one!"

Shing!

Every slice the man made, Bel followed suit.

Cut cut cut!

--- Slit open for everyone to see.

"This one is a difficult one, alright."

Shing!

Cut cut cut!

"I bet this is the first time you're cutting this one."

Shing!

Cut cut cut!

"Alright, this one's my signature move!"

Shing!

Cut cut cut!

"Woah! The two of them are amazing!"

Under the reverent gazes of the disciples, the two continued to duke it out.

Shing!

Cut cut cut!

Shing!

Cut cut cut!

Shing!

Cut cut cut!

Somehow in the midst of it all, the store was filled to the brim with customers wanting to see the outcome of the match.

The more people that watched, the more into it Bel and the man got.

And the more showy the two became, the more customers were drawn to watch---

On this day, TakeSushi's business could be said to be booming.

In the dead of night, Bel returned to his comrade's side.

"Where did you go, Bel? We can't be late!"

His fellow teammate, the perverted freak Lussuria asked, with an expression of faux congeniality.

Starting tonight, they were going to fight those prideful brats in Namimori Middle.

They could only know who was going to fight today by showing up at the venue.

Bel really wanted to fight, he was euphoric inside.

"Eh?"

Lussuria noticed Bel was carrying a circular wooden container.

"What's that weird-looking thing? It smells sour...... Has it gone bad?"

Punt!

"Yah!"

Bel savagely sent his boot towards Lussuria's behind.

Inside held the "sushi" birthed from the battle between the Prince and the man.

No one was allowed to badmouth it.

Bel also felt that the servant who brought him to such a powerful man actually "did well".

Of course, Bel didn't say so to that useless servant when he bid her farewell.

To Bel, not taking her life was already a difficult thing.

"Why are you guys messing around, get a move on!"

Hearing yet another one of his squadmates, the ugly man Squalo, Bel put the container the man gave him on the table.

Let's just take it as something to look forward to when we get back.

Although he couldn't kill anyone, Bel was still in a really good mood.