The shopkeeper glared at Kaiser's automaton soldiers, his mechanical heart racing as he clutched the insufficient cash. The shop's warm glow, once filled with laughter and the scent of cream puffs, now felt like a battlefield, shattered glass crunching underfoot.
"Can't pay? Sign the contract," the automaton leader sneered, signaling his soldiers to seize the shopkeeper.
He struggled, bolting for the door—BANG! "Gah!" He collapsed, clutching his shot leg, oil seeping from the wound. "Damn it…"
"No funny business, or your arm's next," the leader warned, gun trained on him.
Crumpled on the floor, the shopkeeper's sensors dimmed, but his defiance burned. The leader's next words chilled him: "You've been hiring kids lately, haven't you? Thanks to Schale's Sensei."
The shopkeeper's blood ran cold—or would have, if he weren't a robot. "What're you planning!?" he demanded.
"Nothing fatal. Just… a little pain. His meddling tanked our company's stock, you know," the leader said, smirking.
The shopkeeper's mind flashed to Mash and the Cream Puff Club, their smiles and hard work. "…Fine. I'll go with you. Take the land. Just leave Sensei and the kids alone."
"That's for the president to decide. Search the place—find the deed and contract," the leader ordered.
"Understood," the soldiers replied, storming inside.
The leader smirked, gun steady. "Blame your past self for thinking cream puffs could make a business."
"…Heh. Haha—hahaha!" The shopkeeper laughed, oil pooling beneath him.
"What's so funny?" the leader snapped.
"Plenty of people love those 'pathetic' cream puffs," the shopkeeper said. "I picked cream puffs because they were my dream. I dabbled in baking, made some by chance. When I shared them with a student, she said they were delicious. My dream was to make people smile with cream puffs."
"What's your point!?" the leader growled.
"Cream puffs have power. They brought friends together, made people laugh. They built bonds, friendships!" the shopkeeper shouted, defiant.
"Friendships? From cream puffs? That's absurd!" the leader scoffed.
"They did! They reconciled enemies, brought smiles. Cream puffs have that power!"
"No one's made friends over something as stupid as cream puffs!" the leader roared.
"We did."
The leader turned, and a kick slammed into his face. "Guh!?" he crumpled.
"You!" the shopkeeper gasped.
"Sorry I'm late, Shopkeeper," Mash said, standing over the leader, his tracksuit and Shuu-kun mask making him a bizarre yet intimidating figure.
"What… was that kick!?" the leader groaned, clutching his face.
"What do you think you're doing to my favorite shopkeeper?" Mash asked coldly.
"Sensei!? Why are you here!?" the shopkeeper stammered.
"The kids forgot something and wanted to come back. It was late, so I tagged along. Then this happened," Mash explained, cracking his knuckles.
"I'm sorry, Sensei… I've been lying to you all," the shopkeeper admitted, his voice heavy.
"We'll talk later. Right now, I've gotta beat this guy senseless," Mash said.
The leader, reeling, aimed his gun. "Mash Burnedead… I've been waiting for you. You've caused our headquarters a lot of trouble."
"Don't know, don't care. You're the bad guys," Mash said.
"The shopkeeper owes us. This isn't your fight," the leader sneered.
"Oh, it is," Mash replied. "I heard you, even if it was faint. 'Take the kids hostage.'"
The leader froze.
"Those kids are my students. If you're targeting them, I'm getting involved," Mash said, stepping forward.
The leader smirked, regaining composure. "A noble teacher, huh? But what can one guy do? I've got twenty soldiers! Let's see how Schale's Sensei handles—"
CRASH!
"GWAH!?" Soldiers flew out of the shop, crashing into the street.
"What the—!?" the leader stammered.
"All the soldiers inside got blown out!?" the shopkeeper gasped.
From the shop emerged the Cream Puff Club, weapons in hand, halos glowing with fury. "Gehemi, Mobumi! What'd you do to the shop!?" Toriko yelled.
"Sorry… habit," Gehemi muttered, gripping her sniper rifle.
"Messed up the power control," Mobumi admitted, her minigun smoking.
"Shopkeeper!" Torimi called, rushing to his side.
"Your leg's shot… Hang on to us," Geheko said, helping him up.
Toriko, Mobumi, Mobuko, Geheko, and Mobue turned their guns on the leader. "You bastard… How dare you hurt our shopkeeper!" Toriko growled.
"You trashed the shop—well, the door was us, but still! We finally found a workplace!" Mobumi fumed.
"The cream puff ingredients are a mess!" Mobuko added.
"He hired us, gave us a chance. And you do this?" Geheko snarled.
"You're not walking away from this," Mobue warned.
The leader, sweating, stammered, "W-Where'd you come from!?"
"Snuck in through the back. Pinch you from both sides, you can't escape—and we protect what you're after," Toriko said.
"All part of Leader's plan. Pretty cool, huh?" Geheko grinned.
"Stop making me sound cool!" Toriko protested.
"So, what now, boss? We're not in a forgiving mood," Mobue said.
"You brats! Don't get cocky!" the leader shouted, aiming at Mobue.
BANG!
"Ow!?" The leader's gun flew from his hand, shot by Gehemi's sniper rifle.
"No you don't, villain!" Gehemi called.
Mash stepped forward. "Trying to hurt my students?"
"W-Wait—"
"What do you think you're doing?" Mash said, raising his fist.
The punch landed, caving the leader's face into the ground. He was out cold.
Minutes later, inside the wrecked shop, the shopkeeper, bandaged up, explained his debt and Kaiser's schemes. "Those bastards… Shooting you for that!?" Geheko growled.
"Don't worry, Geheko-chan. There's a hospital for robots like me. I'll get fixed up," the shopkeeper said.
"But it hurts, right?" Mobumi asked, concerned.
"Yeah, this mechanical body feels pain. But that's all," he said, shrugging.
"Sorry for dragging you into this," the shopkeeper said. "As for your jobs—"
"We're not quitting!" Mobue interrupted. "You accepted us, weird as we are. You were kind. We're not abandoning you!"
"But this is my problem—"
"Nonsense, Shopkeeper!" Toriko cut in. "We're your crew. If the boss is in trouble, we help."
"Letting those creeps win? Not on my watch!" Mobumi declared.
"As a proud Trinity student, I'll fight too," Torimi added.
"Gotta show those punks what Gehenna's made of," Geheko said.
"Sensei, you in?" Mobue asked.
"Obviously," Mash said.
"Even Sensei!?" the shopkeeper exclaimed.
"Shopkeeper, I love your cream puffs," Mash said, taking his hand. "I can't let them disappear. We'll protect this shop, no matter what."
"…Alright. I'm counting on you to save this place!" the shopkeeper said, his voice breaking.
"Got it. Everyone, you with me?" Mash asked.
"Obviously!" the Cream Puff Club shouted.
"Alright. After-School Cream Puff Club, let's roll," Mash said.
They set their sights on Kaiser Octopus Bank.
The next day, at Octopus Bank, a BOOM shook the building. "A robbery!?" a guard shouted.
Eight figures stood at the entrance. "Muscles and sugar never betray you," Mash declared, wearing his Shuu-kun mask.
"We are…" the group began.
"The Cream Puff Couple Gang!" they roared, sporting cream puff masks with colorful hairpins.
"We're here for the president of Octopus Bank!" Toriko shouted.
"Hand him over, or we'll get to him by force!" Geheko warned.
The guards charged, but the gang fought back. Mobumi's minigun roared, scattering foes. Mash smashed through armored targets, while Mobue and the others took down lighter enemies with SMGs. Gehemi and Mobuko provided sniper cover, dropping guards with precision.
"There's a wall blocking the passage!" Toriko shouted.
"Multiple walls! We're screwed if backup arrives!" Geheko said.
"I've got a plan," Mash said, tapping his Shuu-kun mask. "My head's pretty hard."
The gang, desperate, carried Mash like a battering ram. "CHARGE!" they shouted, smashing through 30-centimeter walls with Mash's head.
In the president's office, the terrified president faced the gang. "You scammed the shopkeeper," Mash said.
"Jacked up his debt unfairly," Toriko added.
"And attacked him!" Mobumi growled.
"Pfft—hahaha!" the president laughed, pulling a gun. "So what if I scammed him? That shop was doomed. I saved it!"
"Saved? You trapped him!" Toriko shot back.
Mash slammed the president into the ground. "Confess your crimes, or I'll kick you into next week."
The president, trembling, confessed under Mash's threat. The gang fled, their mission complete.
Later, the shopkeeper's debt was erased, and the Cream Puff Couple Gang became urban legends. "Welcome, Sensei!" the shopkeeper called, fully repaired.
"Better than ever! Sales are through the roof!" he grinned.
"All thanks to you, Sensei," Mobue said.
"Not just me. The Cream Puff Club's ideas made this place a hit," Mash said.
Laughter filled the shop, the power of cream puffs binding them together.
As the Cream Puff Couple Gang celebrated their victory, Kivotos buzzed with their legend, unaware that Kaiser's remnants might still seek revenge.
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