Having achieved a happy ending, Game Dev and Mash celebrated their club's survival with a cream puff party.
Now, seven of them—Mash included—were making cream puffs.
"Here… like this."
"Hmm, cream puff making… fascinating."
Mash worked dough with Utaha Shiraishi, who won 7th at Millennium Prize with her optical camouflage underwear, wearing a Rai-chan apron.
"Ugh, my dough's a mess again…"
"Haha, Yuuka's terrible!"
"Shut up!"
"You're no better, big sis."
"Ugh!"
Momoi and Midori (in pink and green cat-themed aprons) and Yuuka struggled with dough.
"Strawberry, banana, matcha, orange, melon… we made a lot!"
"Pampakapaan! Alice's team cleared the 'Cream Making' quest! High-five!"
"Yeah! High—wait, no!"
"Eek!?"
"Careful, Neru-san."
"This is wrong! Totally wrong!"
"What?"
"Me being here!"
Alice, Yuzu, and Neru made cream. Alice wore a blue apron with her Supernova sword design, Yuzu a gaming-colored one, and Neru a flashy dragon-patterned apron, yelling about her presence.
"You haven't forgotten what happened, right?"
"Your jaw okay?"
"My body's tough… but I had nightmares of you charging at me all night."
"Scary."
"That's not the point! We attacked you guys!"
"Yup."
"So why invite me to this party?"
Neru couldn't fathom why Mash invited them after C&C's assault. The reason was simple.
"I want to be friends with you, Neru-san."
"Huh?"
"Alice-chan wants to make up too."
"What!?"
"We got attacked, sure… but Sensei won, and it's settled. Plus…"
"Plus?"
"We're all Millennium students. Staying enemies feels wrong."
"You…"
"Same here. I think Neru-san's not bad, just loves fighting."
"Even so, who says 'let's be friends' right after!?"
"I do."
Mash handed Neru a cream puff and continued.
"I headbutted your face and attacked Seminar."
"Thanks for the crazy repair bills."
"You attacked Game Dev. So… we're even?"
"That logic's nuts…"
"No point staying at odds. Let's get along."
"You're weird."
"Get that a lot."
Neru bit into the cream puff, her expression softening—until she swallowed.
"Gah!? Sour!?"
"That bad?"
"Sensei… what's in this!?"
"100% sour lemon cream."
"Why!?"
"Seemed tasty. Good, you can eat it."
"How's that good!?"
"Sorry."
"So, Millennium's strongest falls to Mash-sensei and sourness, huh?"
"Don't laugh, Utaha!"
Laughter filled the kitchen. Neru vowed, "I'll get you back!"
The finished cream puffs were brought to the Engineering Clubroom for the party, attended by Engineering, Game Dev, New Materials, Seminar, C&C, and Veritas. Mash led the toast.
"Despite everything, here's to the Millennium Prize! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone enjoyed cream puffs, chatted, and bonded.
"Sensei! Thank you for using our weapon, Proteus, made with New Materials!"
New Materials thanked Mash for using their creation effectively.
"No, thank you for the awesome gear."
"Hey, New Materials! Why not enter Proteus' material in the Prize?"
"Good question, Momoi. We considered it, but there's a problem."
"Problem?"
"It's incredible, but mass-produced and public? It could be misused."
"Abused…"
"Exactly. It was made for Sensei, so we skipped it."
"Thanks for everything."
"Call us anytime. Now… we're grabbing cream puffs!"
New Materials rushed for cream puffs. Mash waved, "Play nice!"
Veritas, Seminar (the building damage victims), and C&C greeted Mash, who was thrilled to connect with everyone.
"Everyone's having fun. That's what matters."
As Mash said this—
"…Alice-chan?"
Alice sat alone, eating a cream puff. Concerned, Mash approached.
"Alice-chan."
"Mash-sensei…"
"Why're you alone?"
"Thinking…"
"About?"
"Talking with everyone, I wondered… who am I?"
Alice was found in a forbidden factory ruin in Millennium's outskirts, with no ego or memories, only mechanical responses. Game Dev took her in, and Mash and the others shaped her into who she is.
This party, meeting others, made her question: Who is she? Why was she there?
"I want to know who I am… but I'm scared. What if knowing makes me not Alice? What if… everyone stops being my friends?"
Staring at her cream puff, Alice feared rejection.
"Sensei… will you stay my friend, no matter who I am?"
Mash answered confidently.
"Of course."
Alice blinked, surprised by his instant reply.
"No matter what you are, you're Alice-chan."
"But… what if I'm a dangerous machine?"
"Even then, I won't abandon you. If you go wild, I'll stop you, and we'll eat cream puffs again. Be what you want—hero, princess, anything."
Mash swallowed his cream puff, held Alice's hand with hers, and looked into her eyes.
"I promise, as Shalle's Sensei and your friend, Mash Burnedead—I'll never abandon you."
"Even if I hurt you?"
"I'm fine. I won't die."
Mash's usual blank face softened into a gentle smile.
"Sensei…!"
"There, there."
Alice hugged Mash tightly, tears falling on his shoulder. He patted her head, then stepped back.
"Thank you, Sensei! I feel better!"
"Glad to hear."
"Alice will talk to more people! See you!"
"Yup."
Alice ran to the others with her cream puff, then turned back.
"Sensei! Alice loves everyone and you! Hehe!"
She dashed off.
"No matter who or what… being born isn't a sin… right, Grandpa?"
Mash smiled privately, then rejoined the group.
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