?
By the time Annie returned to the palace on the floating island with the battered Hermione and the equally battered Elaina, it was already past eleven at night.
They could have returned earlier, but unfortunately, after completely missing her match, Hermione had simply given up and gotten into a minor fight with Elaina over how to divide the spoils in that desert, treating it as a substitute for the missed match.
The result was that neither of them had won. After beating each other black and blue, they were both dragged back by a certain exasperating little girl teacher who had watched enough of the fun.
And so!
After washing up and changing into pajamas, the three of them headed together toward a lounge in the palace, intending to have the Pandaren chefs prepare some late-night snacks to fill their empty stomachs.
Hermione especially needed a great deal of nutrition to replenish her energy. After that unforgettable Apparition, she had vomited up everything in her stomach—even food from the previous night and bile—and then gotten into a fierce fight with Elaina.
However,
What surprised the three of them slightly was that Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Index, Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Tohsaka, Illya, and Luvia—all of whom should have been resting by then—were actually in the lounge. The tables were also covered with sumptuous drinks and all kinds of delicious food, as if they were holding a party and waiting for the three of them to return.
"!!"
"Food!"
"Great!"
After her initial shock, Hermione saw the tables piled high with food. Having been ravenous for ages, she cheered, no longer bothering to hide the bruises on her mouth, arms, and the corners of her eyes. She rushed over, grabbed a plate of spring rolls, and began wolfing them down.
"Mmph."