Today for breakfast, Dane had an omelette.

The ideals that formed the foundation of a Sweet Taker had to be meticulously defined from the very beginning. Upon becoming one, Dane delved deep into research on the magical girl genre, striving to replicate its mythos. George, the mouse, never dedicated time to fully explain their circumstances against the villainous army and monsters known as calocreeps. Dane had to piece together the broader puzzle from fragments George provided when pressed. Sous Beowulf's plan was to drag down humanity's joy into apathy, and their motivation originated from the observation that many took life for granted. If the ambitions of past men and heroes weren't built upon, and humanity found contentment in resting on their laurels, then they would receive what they deserved. Just desserts sweetness all removed made way for stale bread. Not even objective misery would taste bad.

Kafuka was too young to grasp the full implications, but like a true hero, she refused to succumb to a world that would lose its sweetness, no matter how small. To be a Sweet Taker, one had to embody sweetness, as the title implied. Dane had a bit of sweetness himself—his mother had called him sweet once, which surely counted for something.

Most of his sweetness came from his perfected dishes. While Kafuka was driven by naive righteousness, Dane couldn't afford losing the craft of food. Hunger is something that makes a man and eating delicious food could change someone's life.

Another aspect of being a Sweet Taker was to resonate with an aspect of cooking. Pretty Paprika, Super Cinnamini, and Paupiette party, were all names he suggested through a folded note. Unfortunately, George was present when Kafuka received it and deemed all the names sour. The rodent's unsolicited opinion earned him a tight shake when they met one-on-one in an alleyway. Paupiette was something Kafuka considered, finding it the cutest of the bunch. Yet she continued using Pink Supervisor for the time being. As for White Pepper, Dane chose the name after noticing that his attire's color scheme was mainly white and black. It stuck better than butter.

As Dane neared the end of his omelette, he pondered the final aspect of what makes a Sweet Taker: beauty. It might seem unfair, but no one would enjoy a soggy cake. Form and presentation, while last on the list, should not be overlooked. If the final touch after dinner lacked shape, malice often followed. While the taste of something unpleasant could leave a lasting impression, eventually even the smallest hint of malice could overpower its opposite.

His sister, serving as his waitress and clad in an apron, returned to his side upon hearing the fork hit his plate. She inquired, "How was my omelette, big brother?"

Dane thought short. Leaning his head on his hand, he said, "By using spices instead of the ingredients I bought, you tried to create a taste that isn't coherent. Sister, this omelette is overcooked."

His sister, despite her beauty, always maintained a stoic and unfitting poker face. Even when he critiqued her cooking, she remained silently bored. After a brief pause, she grabbed the plate, lifted it by the rim, and plopped it on his head.

"Older brother, you're terrible." She muttered, before stomping off, the wooden floor creaking with every step. It was time to leave for school with strands of yolk spliced in his hair.

It wasn't pleasant when the first question he was greeted with was why he smelled like eggs.

"Are you trying a new cologne?" Jack prodded a finger to his side.

"I had the worst breakfast ever. This stench is going to follow me all day." Dane had sighed.

Turning away from the window he leaned on, Dane took notice of an approaching armband. Jack gave him an assessing look from head to toe, but Dane's gaze was fixed on the more imposing facial features. The guy had the mature appearance that all third-years seemed to acquire—straight black hair impeccably cut, a chin with a determined angle, and an overall aura of authority that could be mistaken for a teacher at first glance.

"Skipping class? I expected more from our new second years," Osamu remarked.

"Class is already over," Dane replied, glancing at Osamu's green armband. "That armband is from last year's school council. Why are you wearing it when the elections haven't even started yet?"

"Because my victory has already been decided, just like everything else in the world," Osamu said, running his fingers through his hair. "What's there not to expect? Since I joined, there hasn't been a successor who can match my ambition. I've been leading many of the school's changes and events. It's a big responsibility. One you could also have a hand in."

"Are you suggesting we join?" Dane crossed his arms.

"It's the logical next step in your destiny. There's no reason to avoid it," Osamu replied, casually mirroring Dane's action. "You'll come to see that fate is inevitable. Everyone has a plan, even the world."

"Sweeten the deal as much as you want, but all that responsibility sounds like a real headache," Jack interjected, rolling his eyes.

"Besides, the future is uncertain. We both experienced that firsthand when we enrolled in this school," Dane added.

"Our enrollment was certain because there was no other possibility for us in the world," Osamu said with a smirk.

Dane pondered to himself, "Could you even imagine the other possibilities?"

Osamu shifted his attention to the clouds outside. "The student council elections will be happening in a few days, and as last year, I'll be at the helm of it all. I'm eager to see who else steps up to the stage."

"Yeah..." Dane trailed off, gazing out at the clouds before lowering his eyes to the city just beyond the school gates. It struck him that there hadn't been a calocreep attack in weeks. What was Sous Beowulf planning? Granting a moment of peace seemed suspicious given the extensive goals they pursued.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

But before he could dwell on it further, a familiar rumble shook the floor beneath them, followed by a loud female scream. "Just great," Dane muttered, pinching his nose. Most of the monsters summoned were always in Kafuka's vicinity, causing the most damage to the things she cared about most. It gave the false impression that Pretty Pink Supervisor was the main cause of society's destruction, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"An earthquake at this hour?" Osamu remained calm even in unprecedented circumstances.

"That scream sounded like it came from the courtyard," Jack observed.

With Kafuka now enrolled in the same school, it meant Sous Beowulf would be targeting what was also important to Dane. The school was a headquarters of sorts to him. Attacking here was a step too far and too close for comfort.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jack stopped Dane by grabbing his shoulder, but Dane quickly broke free.

"I'm gonna go check it out." Dane replied. Investigating not just because Kafuka would be there, but also to send a message to the sublime general to back off his turf. Since the school was nearly empty, he could take the stairwell to the rooftop. Students weren't allowed here unsupervised, but disregarding the rules, Dane activated his transformation. "Draw!" He drew the white card from his pocket. His clothing illuminated a bright white, and just like how quickly Kafuka transformed, he donned a black mask, triangular hat with a feather, and caped princely outfit to become the hero of shadow: White Pepper.

With one foot planted firmly atop the banister, Dane leaned forward to get a full view of the courtyard garden and the battle already underway. This time, the calocreep barely fit the title in the traditional sense. Pretty Pink Supervisor was facing off against a genuine monster: a Venus flytrap. Its vines thrashed about like tentacles, forcing Kafuka to roll and dive, forced to take cover behind rows of finely cut hedges since she struggled to keep up with its speed.

"Cower! Run with your tail between your legs, girl!" Beowulf bellowed. Dane observed the wolfman command the creature from the fountain drained to make the plant enormous. The monster had the advantage in range with its vines. Kafuka darted aside to avoid a vine crashing into the ground, then leaped up, landing on another vine that remained stationary until she touched it. Quickly, she hopped to another and then a third before bringing both fists together and splitting them to create a pole first made of blinding energy, which then solidified into a billiard cue tipped with wings.

"Position pole!" She shouted the weapon's name to give its conjuring more flair. Sparkling stars combined to materialize a white ball of energy by her shoe, and with the cue she struck it down towards the monster before flipping off its vine.

The Position Pole could be seen as an artifact as it was a weapon entirely separate from a Sweet Taker's power. A cook needed his hands to be clean, choosing utensils for messier recipes that required stirring, and for meat to be sliced in two.

The cue ball grew in size as it descended on the monster, eventually staggering it on contact and a mighty explosion. Its vine tore through the smoke clouds, clearing the sight to show that while the monster was damaged, a single energy ball wasn't going to be enough.

"I know all your tricks little girl. It's going to take more than a flashy weapon to stop this beast of mine!" Beowulf taunted.

If she flung a few more than she'd win. Her power as a Sweet Taker was nothing to scoff at. Nevertheless, with Beowulf distracted—

"The hell is going on here?"

Dane's heart skipped a beat hearing Jack's voice. He would unknowingly stumble onto the battlefield from the lower entrance, and the monster's vine wasted no time in lunging towards him. Kafuka was too far to jump in and rescue him, being on the opposite side of the courtyard.

"Oh crap!" Jack's life seemed to flash before his eyes. Then–

SWISH!

The vine was stopped dead in its tracks being pinned by a large fork. Jack stumbled back on his butt, his legs had given into fear completely. His eyes trailed up the fork to see the white hero descend from seemingly nowhere. Dane turned his head to see his friend's face full of awe. Their eyes connected for only a moment. Encounters like this were usual for Dane under the mask, but for Jack it changed his world.

Focusing back on his target, "You have a lot of nerve showing your face in at a school, Beowulf!" Dane wasted no time in closing the distance between him and Beowulf, ignoring Kafuka's surprised call of his name.

Conjuring his second utensil, a pair of chef knives. With a mighty leaping slash, he clashed against Beowulf's claws and both recoiled away from the fountain that now separated them. Dane dug his fingers in the dirt to slow his reeling and dashed forward to catch back up to Beowulf.

"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. You look more on edge than usual." Beowulf's snout creaked up to smirk.

"It's nothing special when I have to stop you." Dane said then charged in to attack. An obvious swing and slash that Beowulf dodged just by taking wide backsteps. Dane finished his combo by spinning and swinging both knives. A strike Beowulf avoided by jumping high into the air, landing on the school rooftop. He saw Kafuka put the finishing touches on his monster by thrusting the cue ball into its mouth, thus exploding it from the inside. Its body burst into a plethora of parts before dissolving into black smog, and that too would dissipate.

"Hmph! The architecture of this place is a lot more refined than the dull districts we fight in. With how fast you arrived, I have to wonder…"

"Every place in Japan means something to me! The school here is no different." Dane spouted his usual heroisms.

Beowulf calmly replied, "White Pepper, listen closely. That mask you wear and the fangs you bear won't last forever. A sweet is only as good as its present before its past stale."

"Is this your way of begging to live? You're wasting time when my knives could be turning you into steak." Dane coolly replied.

Beowulf wagged his finger. "Don't get too haughty when you can't take the heat. The truth is grey and waits for no one. But the longer you wait the more your allies will be burnt by what you hide."

Dane aimed a knife. "I'll make you eat those words."

"So long, White Pepper! Until we meet again, hahahaha!" Beowulf would retreat as always, vanishing into a dark portal opened by his feet and leaving behind an echoing laughter. His ending speech sounded more elusive than the last.

"White Pepper!" As always Kafuka called his title in awe of his infrequent appearances. Clueless to Beowulf's words, his insinuation wouldn't resonate with her at all.

Dane lifted the hem of his cape. "My job here is done." Because there was little reason to stick around and discuss with a girl that didn't understand the world. Explaining everything to Jack was going to be bothersome, better to leave it to her.

"But–"

Fwish! He flourished his cape as he turned. With a mighty leap he took to the school rooftop then beyond, secretly de-transforming by a dumpster and escaping school grounds.