When they arrived at Huebert’s dimensional cube, they stepped into a space that defied logic. The walls and floor pulsed with a soft, unearthly glow, shifting colors as though they were alive. Strange, floating lanterns illuminated the room, casting flickering shadows that danced across the odd assortment of furniture and decor, each piece seeming as if it had been plucked from different realms and eras.

In the center of the room was a long dining table, laden with dishes that, at first glance, made each of them wrinkle their noses. Plates of odd, shifting textures, vivid colors, and bubbling concoctions awaited them. The smell was complex—a mixture of sweet, savory, and something indescribably rich that tickled the senses.

“Welcome,” Huebert said with a grand sweep of his arm, looking oddly satisfied. “Tonight’s menu is a selection of my favorite delicacies from various realms. Try not to let appearances scare you off. I promise, it’s all… edible.”

Valmet approached the table cautiously, her gaze landing on a large platter of what looked like wriggling, translucent tentacles, glistening with a sauce that shifted between deep purples and bright greens. She grimaced but took a tentative bite, bracing herself. The taste surprised her—a blend of sweetness and savory depth, like caramel and roasted meat all at once.

“This is actually… really good,” she said, her eyes widening in surprise.

Steven, still looking unsure, reached for a bowl of what seemed to be soup, though the liquid within shimmered and rippled as if alive. Strange, floating shapes bobbed up and down, changing colors with every move. He scooped up a small spoonful, eyeing the concoction warily, before he took a sip. Instantly, his face lit up.

“It tastes like… like warm honey and lemon,” he exclaimed, looking delighted. “With something… spicy? This is amazing!”

Huebert chuckled from the head of the table, clearly pleased by their reactions. “Demonic cuisine is misunderstood, I think. We have an appreciation for flavors humans can’t even dream of,” he said, leaning back and gesturing to the array of dishes. “Eat up, you’ll need the energy.”

Melody, although hesitant, tentatively tried a round, spongy dish that emitted a faint glow. She took a bite and froze, her face a mix of surprise and delight. “It tastes like… cheesecake. But with something extra… like stardust,” she said, licking her lips.

Huebert smirked. “That would be the Lunar Puff. Quite popular among the lesser demons. Though I wouldn’t recommend eating too much of it unless you want to glow in the dark for the next week.”

The three of them exchanged glances, unable to suppress their smiles. The food was strange, no doubt, but it was delicious in ways they hadn’t expected, each bite unlocking tastes and sensations beyond anything they’d experienced in the human world.

As they continued eating, they couldn’t shake the sense that, even in its grotesque presentation, this feast felt oddly warm and inviting, as if a hidden part of Huebert’s world was unfolding before them.

As they continued to sample the bizarre spread, each dish seemed stranger than the last, pushing the limits of what they thought food could look like. One platter held what appeared to be clusters of tiny eyeballs, each one blinking and shifting in color as if watching their every move. Melody recoiled at first, but Huebert gave her an encouraging nod.

“Don’t let the look fool you,” he said, smirking. “Those are Watcher Berries. They’re juicy and have a taste that’s… hard to describe but worth it.”

Reluctantly, Melody picked one up between her fingers, eyeing it warily before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise as the berry burst with a sharp, tangy flavor, like a blend of citrus and berry with a faint effervescence that tickled her tongue.

“That… that’s incredible,” she admitted, grabbing another without hesitation.

Steven, his curiosity piqued, moved toward a dish that looked like a mound of glossy, deep-blue pebbles, each one pulsing faintly with a soft light. Huebert leaned forward, a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

“Those are Shade Stones,” he explained. “Crunchy on the outside, with a soft, warm center. They’re one of my favorites.”

Steven took a small bite, his face lighting up as the stone’s crisp shell gave way to a molten, savory filling that tasted like roasted chestnuts and spices, warming him from the inside out.

Valmet, meanwhile, had found something even stranger—a golden, web-like confection suspended over a dark liquid that shimmered like ink. She took a cautious sip of the liquid, and instantly, her senses were overwhelmed by a rich, smoky sweetness with a hint of bitterness, like dark chocolate mixed with a touch of coffee. She broke off a piece of the web, which melted on her tongue like spun sugar.

“This is… unreal,” she murmured, looking up at Huebert, who watched her with a hint of pride.

Huebert grinned, leaning back as he observed them savoring each dish. “I knew you’d come around to the wonders of demon cuisine. The creatures of the underworld have cultivated flavors beyond mortal understanding for centuries. We take our meals seriously.”

As they continued tasting the variety of dishes, laughter and curiosity filled the room. The initial shock of the food’s appearance had faded, replaced by genuine enjoyment and fascination. For the first time, they felt a strange sense of camaraderie, sharing in this feast of otherworldly delicacies.

When they’d finally tasted nearly everything on the table, their initial caution gone, Huebert cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Now that you’ve experienced a proper meal,” he said, a glint of mischief in his eyes, “I think it’s time you learn a bit more about your host.”

They all paused, glancing at each other, sensing that Huebert’s playful tone held something deeper—and far darker.

As the last of the laughter faded, Huebert stood, his smirk fading to a faint, unreadable expression. The room dimmed slightly, shadows lengthening around him as he moved to the far end of the space. He cast a glance back at them, his eyes sharp, with a glint of something almost… malicious.

“Dinner is always a fine way to break the ice,” he said smoothly. “But there’s more to me than good food and magic tricks.”

With a slow, deliberate motion, Huebert raised his hands. The air around him thickened, swirling with a dark mist that coiled around his form, distorting it like ripples on water. His figure began to shift, twisting and elongating, his features melting away until all that remained was a mass of shifting darkness, an amorphous form with eyes like hollow pits.

Then, from the shadows, an object emerged—a grotesque, mummified body, wrapped tightly in cloth and preserved like a forgotten relic. Its face was hollow and skeletal, yet somehow hauntingly familiar, as if it held the faintest echo of someone they might have known. The figure hung suspended in the air, a macabre trophy, shrouded in layers of cloth, each stained and tattered.

Steven recoiled, his face pale. He tried to avert his gaze, but his eyes were glued to the horrifying sight. “What… what is that?” he whispered, his voice shaky.

Huebert’s disembodied voice filled the room, colder and more sinister than they’d ever heard. “This? Just a little something from my past—a reminder, if you will. This was the body of a mage, a member of the so-called hero’s party. She thought herself quite skilled, but like many, she underestimated me.”

The figure hovered, lifeless yet unsettlingly present, as if it might move at any moment. The sight of it, wrapped and preserved like a twisted relic, made Steven’s stomach churn, and he looked away, his hand trembling as he tried to steady himself.

Valmet, however, remained calm, her gaze unwavering. There was something eerie in her composure as she looked at the figure. She understood, in some dark way, that this was a part of Huebert’s power—a reminder of what he truly was. She studied the scene before her, absorbing the gravity of it, knowing that this was no mere act. This was Huebert, unveiled.

Melody, on the other hand, had gone stiff, her face pale as she clutched the edge of the table, her breathing shallow. “Why… why are you showing us this?” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

The mist began to clear, and Huebert’s form reassembled itself, his features sliding back into place with an ease that was both mesmerizing and horrifying. He was once again the blue-haired high school girl, smiling with a sweetness that belied the darkness they’d just seen. “Because,” he said softly, almost mockingly, “you need to understand that I am not some helpful guide or benevolent mentor. I am Huebert, a mimic demon. I take forms. I steal them. It’s as natural to me as breathing.”

He reached out, brushing a hand over the mummified remains with a faint smile. “This form? Just a favorite of mine—a little ‘thank you’ to the hero who tried to end me. She left me with quite the inspiration, wouldn’t you say?”

The group stared in stunned silence, each of them processing the twisted truth. Steven looked queasy, Melody’s hands trembled, but Valmet simply nodded, her expression unreadable.

Huebert stepped back, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Now that we understand each other a bit better,” he said with a sinister smirk, “shall we discuss how to handle that little mystery of yours?”