Chapter 443: Epilogue of the World at the Bottom of the Fog

* * *

...Now... back to the moment right after Calamity Humidafai was resealed.

High above the Eserem Sea of Fog, some distance from the forbidden grounds where the Calamity was sealed...

...There was a super giant Kobudai, swimming through the air, the upper half of its body exposed from the sea of fog, bathed in sunlight.

The name of this Kobudai, with its white scales shining divinely, is Godkob.

The 'God' of the Kobudai... and a legendary being who has lived through eternity in the Eserem Sea of Fog.

(This is so... infuriating!!)

However... Godkob, at this moment... is extremely irritated.

Why?

In Kobudai mythology, Godkob is said to be the one who will defeat Humidafai if it awakens.

So... is he irritated by the current situation, where the seal was broken by Kobdarok?

That would be... the normal way of thinking...

But it's wrong.

The truth is the exact opposite.

(The seal was finally broken... and yet!? Why was it resealed so quickly!?)

...This super giant Kobudai is angry... not because the Calamity's seal was broken... but because it was resealed!

(Finally... finally...! I spent so long, manipulating those Black Kobu fools, making them excavate the Calamity, and finally broke the seal...! And now my plan... is all ruined!!)

Yes... as you can tell from his inner voice.

The mastermind behind this whole incident is this Kobudai!

The one who manipulated the Black Kobu Tribe from the shadows and awakened Calamity Humidafai!

Is... Godkob, the god of the Flying Kobudai clans!

But why?

Why did Godkob, who should be maintaining the seal on the Calamity, take such drastic action as to break it?

To understand that, we need to know more about this super giant Kobudai.

* * *

To begin with, Flying Fish, in this world, were originally magical creatures created by humans during the era of the super ancient magical civilization.

Godkob was one of them.

He was one of the Kobudai developed during the late super ancient magical civilization, as a highly intelligent pet capable of conversation.

However, before they could be released, the human civilization was completely destroyed.

He was left behind in the water tank, along with his fellow highly intelligent Flying Kobudai... and with no way to escape from Humidafai's body, gradually approaching the laboratory where their tank was, they could only wait for death.

But then, one day, they appeared.

Literally... their saviors.

Two gods appeared.

One was a god who called himself Uogyo, the Fish God.

He had the form of a small fish, swimming through the air, with beautiful, striped, flat, triangular fins.

The other was a god who called herself Ee, the Sealing God.

Se had the form of a human, which is disgusting, and had a strange appearance, her entire body wrapped in ropes and cloths.

They said.

'Is there anyone among you... who wants to become a Guardian Sacred Beast?'

Right now, a Calamity named Humidafai is rampaging on this continent.

The gods intend to seal this Calamity underground.

However, due to certain circumstances, the seal has to be weak.

Because they can't completely seal all of Humidafai's power...

So, they're looking for someone to become a Guardian Sacred Beast, who will watch over the seal in their place for a long time, and fight the Calamity to buy time, if necessary.

That's the gist of what the gods said.

Godkob, hearing that, immediately raised his fin.

He wants to become a Guardian Sacred Beast.

His fellow Kobudai, all shrinking and trembling in front of the gods, didn't even try to speak.

Godkob thought that was foolish.

He also thought that this was a tremendous opportunity.

Because apparently, if he becomes a Guardian Sacred Beast, he won't age!

He'll be able to live... forever!

How can he miss such a good deal!?

Godkob clearly remembered the sight of his comrades dying because of the humans' experiments.

He doesn't want to end up like that.

He doesn't want to die.

He truly thought so.

<<<Oh, wonderful! I'm glad to have met a dedicated fish like you!>>>

Uogyo, the Fish God, said in an adorable voice, laughing cheerfully.

Godkob was happy to be praised by a god!

"But hold on a minute, little fishy. You should answer after you've calmed down. This isn't all good, you know."

But the disgusting human-shaped Sealing God, Ee, although her expression was hidden by cloth... said that in a voice that clearly sounded unenthusiastic.

Godkob judged that 'this human-shaped god is jealous that a fish is going to become an excellent being, a Guardian Sacred Beast'.

He naturally thought that, without any doubt, because he hated humans that much.

Anyway, Godkob, ignoring Sealing God Ee's advice, received power from Uogyo, the Fish God, on the spot, and became an immortal Guardian Sacred Beast.

And then, soon after, Sealing God Ee sealed Calamity Humidafai, so he and his comrades moved to the sealed land... what is now called the Eserem Sea of Fog, and started living there.

This life... was very satisfying for Godkob.

It was wonderful, being able to freely swim through the air, after escaping from the cramped water tank.

On top of that, he became immortal, freed from the fear of death.

As a Guardian Sacred Beast, Godkob could live as long as he absorbed mana, so unlike his comrades, who were struggling with unfamiliar hunting and suffering from hunger, he was always satisfied.

Moreover, the Calamity was sealed deep underground, and even though the seal was weak, it wouldn't be broken unless someone deliberately dug it up.

In other words, there was practically no work for him as a Guardian Sacred Beast.

In those days... Godkob truly felt like he was living the best days of his life.

Of course, parting with his comrades from the tank days was a bit lonely... but...

It wasn't as painful as he thought it would be.

After all, he's a Guardian Sacred Beast.

He's on a different level than them.

There's no way a higher being would shed tears over the death of insignificant beings.

When all of his original comrades had died, and their descendants began to increase a few generations later, Godkob started acting as the 'God' of the Kobudai.

Since gods in this world are those involved in the management of the world... he's not actually a god, he should be called a 'Demigod'... but...

After he started receiving the power of faith from the Kobudai, he seriously began to believe that he was the 'God of Kobudai'.

He ascended from Guardian Sacred Beast to God!

That's how he started to think.

And then, Godkob gradually started to become dissatisfied with his daily life.

He is, even if he had forgotten, a Guardian Sacred Beast.

An immortal being with limitations, imposed with several restrictions.

One of those restrictions is a limited range of movement.

He was appointed as a Guardian Sacred Beast for the purpose of watching over the seal of Calamity Humidafai.

Therefore, he can't move away from Humidafai.

Specifically, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't leave the Eserem Sea of Fog.

He was like a dog tied to a pole with a leash.

That was... unbearably boring and unpleasant.

He wants more freedom!

This is no different from when he was kept in a water tank!

He thought that.

By that time, Godkob's body had grown so large that he could no longer live with the other Flying Kobudai clans, which further fueled his boredom.

Well, since he's a god.

Talking to lower beings is dirty and unbearable.

He thought that, and voluntarily distanced himself from the other Flying Kobudai clans.

Anyway, he was bored.

Day after day, there's nothing for him to do but circle the Eserem Sea of Fog.

Godkob even started wishing for death.

But that wasn't allowed.

That too, is one of the restrictions imposed on a Guardian Sacred Beast.

Ah, why is this happening to him?

He completely forgot that he had volunteered to be a Guardian Sacred Beast.

He completely forgot that Sealing God Ee had warned him.

Godkob lamented his unfortunate situation.

Lamenting, lamenting, lamenting his boredom.

Nearly 5,000 years passed, while he lamented.

And then, one day...

A brilliant idea struck Godkob.

Yes... all he has to do is break the Calamity's seal... !

Godkob's actions seem to be restricted based on the Calamity's location.

Then, if he breaks the seal, and the Calamity can move freely, he'll also gain some degree of freedom!

Why didn't he realize this before!?

Surely Sealing God Ee must have placed a restriction on his thoughts with some strange technique.

Damn you, Sealing God!

But now that restriction has been lifted.

Now is the time to act!

Godkob, thinking that, tried to dig up the Calamity himself, but as a Guardian Sacred Beast, he was unable to do so.

His body froze when he tried to.

But Godkob wouldn't give up.

If he can't do it himself, he can have someone else do it.

Godkob, remembering the Flying Kobudai clans who worship him, manipulated a black Kobudai that caught his eye.

Unleash the Calamity, he told him.

He knows how to control it, he said.

Don't you want to see the Sea?, he said.

And so, the Calamity was excavated.

The seal was broken.

Godkob gained his freedom.

...Or so he thought!

* * *

(AAAAAH!! Shit!! Shit, shit, shit, shit, OHHHHHHHHH!!!)

His freedom, which he was finally supposed to obtain!

His plan failed right before his eyes, and the Calamity was resealed by a 'foolish' Kobudai.

Godkob was in the worst mood.

He's so angry that he feels like he's going to explode!

(That Kobudai... and that human too! I'll never forgive them!!)

Godkob has gained excellent sensory abilities over the eons, and he already knew that it was the Red Kobu Tribe Clan Chief, and that incomprehensible human who has been wandering around the Sea of Fog lately, who resealed the Calamity.

(I'll kill them... I'll definitely kill them!!)

Godkob, grinding his teeth violently, swore that in his heart!

(Should I crush them...? No, should I tear them apart!? I'll rip them to shreds!!)

Gruesome ways to kill them appeared one after another in Godkob's mind!

He was completely out of control at this moment.

Consumed by anger, he neglected to be wary of his surroundings.

Well, for the past 5,000 years, there were no enemies for him in this Eserem Sea of Fog.

Therefore, it's understandable that he'd become complacent.

Anyway, that complacency... proved fatal...

Dosu!!!

The next moment, a tremendous impact hit the right side of Godkob's body.

It was an impact so strong that his giant body bent into a V-shape, and he was pushed slightly to the left.

And then, a sharp pain ran through him.

(...Eh!?)

Frantically moving his eyeballs... he saw that his beautiful white scales had been pierced, and something like a huge, jet-black harpoon was stuck in his body.

(I-It hurts!? What... what is this!?)

It seems that this harpoon was launched from one of the many stone pillars... that stand tall in the Eserem Sea of Fog... so tall that they reach above the sea of fog.

Why does he know that? Because something like a jet-black string is extending from the other end of the harpoon, the end that isn't stuck in Godkob, and that string leads to a stone pillar.

(Who is it!? I won't forgive you for doing this to me, a god! How disrespectful! It hurts, it huuuurts!?)

Godkob was confused, cursing inwardly.

But he didn't speak up using [Telepathy].

Because lately, he hasn't talked to anyone except for the black Kobudai he manipulated... so he didn't think of doing that.

(Don't screw with me!? This hurts!? This is disrespectful!? Who is it!?)

He thrashed around violently, desperately trying to pull the harpoon out of his body.

But it's no use.

The wicked barbs at the tip of this jet-black harpoon dig deeper into Godkob's flesh the more he struggles, refusing to let go!

(AAAAAAAAAAHーーー!!!)

Godkob screamed inwardly in anger and pain!

(Huh?)

But his scream was cut short.

Shurushuru, shurushuru...

The string extending from the tip of the harpoon is rapidly shrinking...

And the being lurking in the shadow of the stone pillar, at the end of the string...

In other words, the culprit who threw this evil harpoon and injured Godkob...

...Is being pulled towards Godkob at an incredible speed...

(Ah.)

It was a creature with two legs and two arms, black hair growing from its head, and black eyes.

Its rather slender, small body was covered in spiky, jet-black scales (since it was so sudden, even Godkob perceived it that way), and a jet-black haze, like steam, leaking from the gaps in those scales, was drawing its trajectory between the blue sky and the blue fog.

In other words... it's...

The human... one of the two he swore to kill earlier!

(Ah...!?)

Godkob's excellent eyesight was able to grasp the detailed appearance of the human being pulled towards him at tremendous speed.

Her eyes were bloodshot, drool overflowing from her mouth, dancing in the air, sparkling in the sunlight!

Godkob's excellent hearing was also able to clearly recognize the 'cry' that the human was making.

Gu-gu-gu-gu-gu-guuuuuu ーーー !

The human was emitting that loud cry from its stomach!

Godkob's superior intelligence was even able to understand the meaning of that cry.

Yes, in other words, that human...

...Is hungry!

(A-Ah, aaaaaah!?)

Godkob, feeling an instinctive fear he had never felt in his 5,000 years of life, thrashed around even more violently, trying to escape the harpoon!

Thrash!

Thrash, thrash!

But it's no use!!

The barbs!!

The harpoon's barbs are stuck in his flesh, he can't pull it out!!

He's a god!!

He's a god, and yet!!

The barbs...!!

He can't even... do anything about a single barb!!

(I don't want to...!!)

And then, finally, the human reached Godkob's body.

Furthermore, somehow ignoring gravity, she clung to Godkob's smooth scales.

(I don't want to die!! Help me!!)

Godkob desperately prayed!!

To someone!!

But unfortunately, his prayer didn't reach anyone.

The human clinging to Godkob casually stabbed her arm into his scales, tearing them apart as if they were soft paper.

And then, beautiful white, with hints of pink here and there, appeared.

Glistening flesh, promising a simple, clean taste.

"............"

The human...

Emi Rune...

Seeing that beautiful flesh, she gulped once, and then...

...She bit into it, and started devouring him!

(AAAAAAAAAAHーーー!!!)

No matter how much Godkob thrashed, Emi wouldn't let go of him.

This day...

...Was the last day that the sight of the super giant Kobudai, swimming leisurely above the Eserem Sea of Fog, could be seen.

The protagonist... has appeared!!

...And with that, Arc 19 ends.

Did you enjoy it?

Perhaps many of you were confused by the sudden Kobudai story, even though Part 2 has just begun.

Thank you so much for reading this far!

If I were a reader, I might have wanted to complain, 'Hey, what is this development, are you kidding me! Give me more of the protagonist!'

After all, 'I want to read about the protagonist's exploits!' is a big motivation for reading a story.

I think it's a risky choice for the author to have a long story from the perspective of a supporting character (who's making their first appearance, and is a Kobudai).

And yet, after all the twists and turns, this is what it ended up being.

Looking at the whole of 'The Reincarnated Extra', this arc is quite unique, so I'm glad about that.

This arc was about Emi taking on the role of the 'unreasonable monster that suddenly attacks'.

Now, for the next arc, I think it will be an episode where Emi is the main character, except for one part.

I'm thinking of making it a funny arc, with a different atmosphere from this one.

I'll post it when it's ready, so please wait.

Well then, see you again in Arc 20!