Chapter 097 (Beastars)

We Were Just Out Eating (僕ら馳走にあずかった) is Chapter 97 of the manga Beastars written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, published in the Weekly Shōnen Champion of the Akita Shoten publishing house.

Synopsis
Thanks to the use of his horns, Pina manages to break his bonds and free himself from Riz's gag, and then escape from the dump where he was held at.

After having given his last blow to Riz, Legoshi hears the New Year's bells ringing in the distance and tells Riz who is in shock that it is the New Year. Riz reconsiders and Legoshi tells him that although it is not the best time to say it, wishes him a happy new year, an act that annoys Louis. Riz loses the will to fight and tells Legoshi that he won the duel, claiming that even though his heart has been broke for the past year, he now feels like he can breathe. He says he sugarcoated his memory of Tem and looked at the herbivores around him as food in order to protect himself from getting hurt. Riz confessed that he was wrong and was found out by a very strange wolf, seeing that although Legoshi ate meat, his eyes look beautiful, and he must not have looked the same when he ate Tem, where his face she was covered in blood just as legoshi's is now. Faced with the clear difference between him and Legoshi, Riz claims that Legoshi was able to establish a genuine carnivore-herbivore friendship.

Not knowing how to continue with the situation, Louis suffers from the pain of his injury and Legoshi tells him that they better go to a hospital since the duel is over. Legoshi picks up Louis and tries to say a few words to Riz, but does not know what to say at a time like this; whether they are high-handed words, admonishing or impressionable, he should have many hurtful things to say to him since he is the murderer. Since he has lost his foot Louis is sure that anything he says to Riz will be effective some way or another. Suddenly, the police arrive at the scene and quickly apprehend Riz. Before they take him away Louis tells him that although he did not condone what he did, claims to be a terrible upperclassman and apologizes for not noticing how lonely he was, being sure that the carnivores he has met will be a constant part of his life. The cops take Riz away while Pina wonders if he called the police at a bad time.

The policemen point to Legoshi thinking that he is taking Louis hostage, and they order him to put his hands up. Legoshi stands still before the situation while it is Louis who raises his hands, since Legoshi's hands are busy holding him. The cops are left confused as Legohsi and Louis communicate so casually. Louis tells Legoshi that he is the real victim that Louis was the one who forced him to eat his foot. Legoshi replies that he does not mind being his assailant and that he allows him to pay him his compliments. Legoshi thanks Louis for his foot and tells him that he is glad he was the first and last animal he ate. He says their relationship will always be that of an herbivore and a carnivore and now he sees that as a good thing. Louis tells him that he is fine with that since they are friends now, and asks him to wipe his face and smiles since he looks like a criminal. Legoshi smiles and Louis sees his fangs that broke his curse. Louis faints telling himself that a carnivore's fangs are what cursed him with the pain of being a weak prey and only by those fangs could his curse have be broken. The officers put Louis on a stretcher to take him to the hospital while Legoshi is taken to the police station. Louis gets up and promises Legoshi to see him at school. Legoshi responds with a silent and mature nod.

Characters

 * Pina
 * Riz
 * Legoshi
 * Louis
 * Ibuki (Louis's imagination)
 * Free (Louis's imagination)

Important Events

 * Pina manages to free himself and calls the police.
 * Riz loses the will to fight and surrenders, giving Legoshi victory in their match.
 * Riz and Legoshi are arrested by the police.
 * Legoshi and Louis solidify their friendship.
 * Louis promises Legoshi that he will return to Cherryton Academy.

Trivia

 * This is the first time that Louis and Pina are present in the same place.
 * This is the first time Riz and Louis are seen interacting with each other.