Chapter 235: Dinner. 23:48
* * *
Under the starry sky, in a clearing that opened up in the middle of the forest, a girl sat next to a crackling bonfire, roasting meat.
The black-haired, black-eyed girl, shunned as a "cursed child" in this world... It was Emi.
She coiled the[Black Arms]extended from her left shoulder around her body to keep warm, and with the[Black Arms]extended from her right shoulder, she grabbed the meat and seared it over the fire.
...Juuu.
Fat began to drip from the chunk of meat, which was as large as her upper body, making a popping sound.
It dripped into the flames of the bonfire, making a sound.
A slightly burnt but appetizing smell began to spread all around.
The surface of the meat, bathed in flames, changed from red to white and then to a burnt brown color, shining and glistening.
Emi stared at that meat.
No smile or anything.
Just completely expressionless.
Her beautiful face had hardly ever made an expression since she was born.
However, that did not indicate the fact that she lacked emotions.
She gulped.
Her stomach also growled.
<Isn't it good now?>
The moment Emi heard those words from Extra-sama, the resident in her brain, she bit into the meat!
Instantly, the flavor of the meat spread in her mouth!!
<Fuwawawa... Delicioouuus~~~!>
Ignoring Extra-sama's happy comment, Emi single-mindedly devoured the meat.
This meat was really delicious.
A little tough.
It had a little gamey smell too.
Even with that, it was plenty delicious.
Just by roasting it, it was as delicious as the smoked meat of Zamago Toad, which had been processed by human hands.
That was simply astonishingly delicious.
Above all, it was wonderful that it contained a tremendous amount of magical power.
It was very satisfying.
This beautiful girl, who would basically eat anything that entered her mouth, be it insects or tree trunks, did not have a broken sense of taste.
She properly possessed the ability to perceive delicious things as delicious, and in fact, this meat was delicious.
"Nom nom... Nom nom nom..."
Emi crushed that huge chunk of meat, bones and all, and swallowed it into her stomach in no time.
Extra-sama's statement of <Isn't it good now?> was an irresponsible one made because she wanted to eat the meat as soon as possible, and most of the meat was still raw, but Emi devoured it anyway.
Then, she casually stood up and waddled to the back.
Lying there was the corpse of a giant deer with pure white fur, boasting the size of a single-family house.
It was Emi's prey for tonight.
"......"
Emi thrust the claws of her[Black Arms]into the body of that pure white deer without any preparation and tore off the meat with a ripping sound.
Once again, a chunk of meat the size of her upper body was created.
Emi returned to the bonfire, sat down, and began searing that chunk of meat over the flames again.
<Tonight is an all-nighter meat party!>
Extra-sama's voice was lively.
Emi's heart was also lively.
But she was expressionless.
With the flickering of the flames reflected in her jet-black eyes, she just silently roasted the meat.
* * *
Hunting this pure white deer was really tough.
Emi recalled that struggle while munching on the meat with relish.
First of all, it lived deep, deep, deep in the heart of this nameless forest.
This pure white deer inhabited the depths of the forest that even Emi wouldn't normally think of approaching.
On this day, because Emi had rampaged on the highway, most of the prey nearby had fled, and she had to go hunting in such a remote area.
Now, in the depths of such a forest, there was a mysterious spring that faintly glowed even at night, and this pure white deer was standing by that fantastical spring.
This deer's[Presence Detection]was tremendous, accurately sensing Emi's presence as she peeked at the deer from the shade of a distant tree, and the deer took the initiative to attack first.
<<<You filthy human! Do you intend to defile this sacred ground protected by I, the guardian sacred beast Nagan!?>>>
She had a feeling she heard such a voice, but she didn't remember well.
Because the battle with the pure white deer became so fierce that she couldn't remember such trivial things.
The pure white deer was not only powerful with its kicks unleashed from its huge body, but it could also freely manipulate water, transform it into countless blades, and attack Emi with them, which was extremely troublesome.
Each of those attacks was so powerful that even the current Emi was convinced that she wouldn't get off easily if she took a direct hit!
It was a terrifying enemy.
After a long, fierce battle, in the end, Emi covered her entire body, including her head, with[Black Arms]and charged with the momentum of a cannonball, piercing the pure white deer's heart with a new offensive and defensive integrated technique, hunting it down.
<<<I-I apologize, W- Weelow-samaaa...>>>
She had a feeling that the pure white deer muttered some kind of meaningful line when it died, but she didn't remember well.
Because Emi was completely hungry and exhausted.
Even so, that muttering somehow reached Emi.
(Huh, do you hear something? Isn't this deer talking?)
That's why she thought such a thing.
But.
<No, there's no way a deer can talk, right?>
Extra-sama, putting aside her own fantasy nature, completely denied the fantastical possibility of the big deer.
Extra-sama was also hungry.
She didn't care if the deer talked or danced, she just wanted to eat that meat right away.
And since Emi shared that feeling, she immediately switched her thoughts and began searching for a place where it was easy to start a bonfire while dragging the huge corpse of the pure white deer.
Behind her, the faintly glowing spring gradually reduced its luminosity, and eventually, that fantastical scene completely sank into darkness, but Emi didn't particularly care about that either.
The night is dark.
That's the law of nature.
The problem lies with the spring that was glowing for some incomprehensible reason.
Since it's night, it should obediently become dark.
When the sun rises, it should beautifully sparkle and shine, receiving that light.
That's what nature is.
* * *
"Crunch crunch, crunch crunch..."
Now, at present, Emi was searing the antlers of the pure white deer, tossing them into her mouth, and devouring them.
If it weren't for the hard sound emitted from her mouth, she would look like a cute beautiful girl munching on an extra-large churro under the starry sky.
Deer antlers weren't particularly tasty, but they contained more magical power than the meat.
So, even if it was clearly not an edible part, she would eat it.
It was Emi's way of acknowledging the life she had hunted and killed.
"Aooooohnn!!!"
And then, it happened.
Faintly, but the sound of a wolf howling reached Emi's ears from somewhere far away.
Reflexively, Emi turned around!
More than half of the venison still remained!
(This meat is mine... I won't give it to anyone!!!)
Creak creak creak crack crack!
A huge amount of killing intent overflowed from Emi's small body, making the surrounding space creak!
Her magical power, so dense and gruesome that it could be visualized like a pitch-black haze, began to drift all around!
This was like a barrier unique to her, developed from[Intimidation].
By continuously emitting a terrifyingly powerful presence in that place, most monsters wouldn't approach.
Therefore, with this, the possibility of her venison being stolen was greatly reduced.
However, it was not absolute.
It was possible that a carnivorous monster as powerful as this pure white deer was lurking in this forest.
Upon hearing what seemed to be a wolf's howl, she, who had relaxed a bit after finishing the fierce battle, finally came to that realization.
But, even so.
No matter how powerful an enemy attacked to target the venison.
Emi had no intention of stepping back.
(If you're coming, then come... I'll tear you to pieces!!!)
Emi jumped onto the huge venison while fiercely burning an excessive fighting spirit in her heart against the hypothetical enemy.
And while being on high alert of her surroundings with her nerves on edge... she began to devour the raw meat of the pure white deer... at a furious pace!
If something came to target this meat, she could just kill it.
But a more definite countermeasure to protect the meat than that was to devour the meat before something came.
Under such clever thinking, Emi began to act.
* * *
On this day, the wise but arrogant guardian sacred beast Nagan perished.
The shining mysterious spring praised in the founding legend of Naganahate lost its power.
It was an event on a certain winter day.
Arc 13, complete!! (Just kidding)
[Giant Animals]
Emi's favorite food.
They usually live long lives while carrying various circumstances.
But regardless of that, they are hunted by Emi.
[Guardian Sacred Beast]
Beasts that have been given wisdom and power by the gods to fulfill various roles are called sacred beasts.
Among them, sacred beasts that play the role of protecting something, such as land, country, or a specific person, are guardian sacred beasts.
The guardian sacred beast Nagan, who was unfortunately hunted this time, was considered a high-ranking land god-like existence, with its name engraved in the country name (Naganahate).
Other guardian sacred beasts that have appeared so far include Jarnayaharma (appeared in Arc 4, captured and eaten by Emi after a fierce battle), and as a sacred beast, the wise owl Forluowl (appeared in Arc 2, eaten by Emi before she noticed) and others.
[Magic Power Content]
The amount of magical power contained in meat and other foods.
The higher the magic power content, the more happily Emi eats that food, but if an ordinary person does that, they will apparently suffer from "mana poisoning" (mentioned in Arc 6).
The reason why Emi doesn't suffer from magic power sickness is a mystery that gets close to the core of 'The Reincarnated Extra,' so it probably won't be revealed for a long time.
[Weelow]
Referring to the Water Goddess Weelow.
Apparently, by placing guardian sacred beasts in various places, arranging water veins, regulating the flow of magical power, it contributes to the stability of the world.
Appeared in Arc 4.