That day started as a rather ordinary one for Rina Aihara.
As usual, she slept in the storeroom, when suddenly her foster father came in and poured boiling water over her. He had been drinking all night and had come home in the morning. His wife scolded him, and in a bad mood, he did that. That’s what Rina remembered.
Awakened, Rina was subjected to her foster father’s violence until his anger subsided, then she fled the house to go to school.
Well, it was a common occurrence. Just another typical day. No point in having a gloomy face from the morning. Smile, smile!
On her usual route to school, Rina met her.
A lost transfer student.
The only person who had been Rina’s ally in her previous life, where she had only enemies.
The person who had invited her to be friends with a shining smile.
Her name was… well…
◇ ◇ ◇
Suddenly, Rina opened her eyes.
“…What!?”
Was I sleeping!?
How long was I asleep!?
Where is this place!?
Any enemy attacks!?
She jumped up hastily. The blanket that had been covering her floated in the air. She continuously used **Physical Strengthening** and deployed **Magical Detection Threads**. Ready for combat, she surveyed her surroundings in all directions. The floating blanket gently fell to the floor.
A floor?
A blanket?
Where am I?
There’s a ceiling.
And walls.
This isn’t the forest.
Where am I?
Taking a moment to look around, it seemed like she was in someone’s house. A small room with plain wooden flooring, but clean and bright. Few belongings. Several straw-woven baskets were placed in the corner of the room.
Rina noticed she was dressed in someone else’s clothes, a simple shirt and pants, seemingly men’s clothing. She was wearing them over the black inner she had survived in the forest.
“Y
awn… Good morning… Where am I…? In hell…?”
“Oh, good morning, Omake-sama. But, ‘Where am I? In hell?’ Really? Don’t people usually mistake it for heaven? And didn’t you say before in this world there’s no afterlife?”
“Wha!? Oh, Emmy!? Good morning!?”
Thus, Omake-sama and I, Emmy, quickly snapped out of our drowsiness and began assessing our situation.
“Still, I thought this was the end. Being attacked by the black dragon in that forest…”
Omake-sama mused over our current good fortune of being alive. The black dragon? That huge, talkative, flying black lizard?
“It’s more than just a ‘black lizard,’ Emmy. It’s the ‘Sealed Black Dragon,’ a legendary being from the myths of this world. It’s a miracle we encountered it, and even more miraculous that we survived.”
Well, I didn’t know that. That black lizard, ranting nonsensically while attacking us… I’ll never forgive it. I’ll kill it someday, making it regret letting me live.
“But… Emmy, let’s leave that for ‘someday,’ okay? We stand no chance against it now. Thankfully, it’s sealed in that forest, so it’s not going anywhere. Let’s train hard and become the strongest in the world before challenging it again.”
I know the difference in our strengths, Omake-sama. But you’re not saying it’s impossible?
“It’s not impossible. After all…”
After all?
“…Remember what I said? You have me. With the knowledge I’ve gained from my otherworldly reincarnation broadcasts, it’s not impossible to make you the strongest in the world!”
Really!? That’s your basis!?
“I confidently say it’s a solid, unshakeable basis.”
Every time, Omake-sama, you trust that otherworldly reincarnation broadcast info too much…
Well, anyway.
Let’s set aside the talkative black lizard. Because right now, Omake-sama, we have an urgent situation to deal with!
“Hmm, what is it?”
This…!
Horrific hunger!
“This hunger is a side effect of the magical transformation caused by the black dragon’s blood. It’s beyond anything we’ve experienced before. No wonder you feel like gnawing on the floorboards.”
Aaah! I’m so hungry!
I’m starving!
No matter how much I eat the floorboards, I’m still hungry!
Wait, where am I? How did I get here after the black dragon fed me its blood? Whose house is this? Did someone save me? Am I going to get in trouble for eating their floorboards?
“You sound like a termite.”
Termites probably don’t feel guilty about damaging houses! I’m definitely human, concerned about unseen people and reflecting on my actions! But wait, what’s that smell?
“Oh!”
While I was having this silly conversation with Omake-sama, I sensed something through the **Magical Detection Threads** I had spread throughout the house. Something had entered from the front door.
I tensed up, unintentionally releasing an **Intimidating Presence**. Stopping my floorboard feast, I focused on the intruder. If I sensed even a hint of hostility, I’d slice them with **Mantis**. Ready to move at a moment’s notice, my weight shifted to my toes, hands poised in front…
But I’m in the worst condition. Low on both physical and magical strength, not fully recovered. Maybe it’s wiser to break through the wall and
escape…
Yet, I didn’t flee immediately, and there’s a reason for that.
It smells good.
A delicious, tantalizing aroma.
And it’s getting closer.
My stomach growls uncontrollably. I can’t stop drooling.
What should I do?
I want to eat it.
I want to eat it so badly.
That thing with the delicious smell.
What should I do?
How should I do it?
Should I steal it?
Should I kill for it?
…At that moment, I was in a state of confusion due to extreme hunger. I wasn’t able to make rational decisions. If an enemy with hostile intentions had approached me then, my confusion would have been a fatal opening.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The one who entered the house wasn’t a thief, a bandit, or a magical creature.
Slowly sliding open the door, a bit frightened by my murderous intent, peeking in from the other room were…
A boy and a girl, about my age, with deep green hair, and a younger woman with the same hair color.
They were holding a basket filled with large loaves of bread.
The aroma of the bread filled the room. My stomach roared louder. I couldn’t stop salivating.
What should I do?
I want to eat it.
How do I get it?
Should I take it?
Should I kill for it?
…At that moment, my confusion due to hunger was overwhelming. I couldn’t move. If a real enemy had approached, this confusion could have been fatal.
However, the ones who entered were not enemies. They were a boy and a girl with deep green hair, and a younger woman of the same hair color, peeking in tentatively from the other room, slightly frightened by my intimidating presence.
In their hands, they held a basket piled high with large loaves of bread.
That day started as a rather ordinary one for Rina Aihara.
As usual, she slept in the storeroom, when suddenly her foster father came in and poured boiling water over her. He had been drinking all night and had come home in the morning. His wife scolded him, and in a bad mood, he did that. That’s what Rina remembered.
Awakened, Rina was subjected to her foster father’s violence until his anger subsided, then she fled the house to go to school.
Well, it was a common occurrence. Just another typical day. No point in having a gloomy face from the morning. Smile, smile!
On her usual route to school, Rina met her.
A lost transfer student.
The only person who had been Rina’s ally in her previous life, where she had only enemies.
The person who had invited her to be friends with a shining smile.
Her name was… well…
◇ ◇ ◇
Suddenly, Rina opened her eyes.
“…What!?”
Was I sleeping!?
How long was I asleep!?
Where is this place!?
Any enemy attacks!?
She jumped up hastily. The blanket that had been covering her floated in the air. She continuously used **Physical Strengthening** and deployed **Magical Detection Threads**. Ready for combat, she surveyed her surroundings in all directions. The floating blanket gently fell to the floor.
A floor?
A blanket?
Where am I?
There’s a ceiling.
And walls.
This isn’t the forest.
Where am I?
Taking a moment to look around, it seemed like she was in someone’s house. A small room with plain wooden flooring, but clean and bright. Few belongings. Several straw-woven baskets were placed in the corner of the room.
Rina noticed she was dressed in someone else’s clothes, a simple shirt and pants, seemingly men’s clothing. She was wearing them over the black inner she had survived in the forest.
“Y
awn… Good morning… Where am I…? In hell…?”
“Oh, good morning, Omake-sama. But, ‘Where am I? In hell?’ Really? Don’t people usually mistake it for heaven? And didn’t you say before in this world there’s no afterlife?”
“Wha!? Oh, Emmy!? Good morning!?”
Thus, Omake-sama and I, Emmy, quickly snapped out of our drowsiness and began assessing our situation.
“Still, I thought this was the end. Being attacked by the black dragon in that forest…”
Omake-sama mused over our current good fortune of being alive. The black dragon? That huge, talkative, flying black lizard?
“It’s more than just a ‘black lizard,’ Emmy. It’s the ‘Sealed Black Dragon,’ a legendary being from the myths of this world. It’s a miracle we encountered it, and even more miraculous that we survived.”
Well, I didn’t know that. That black lizard, ranting nonsensically while attacking us… I’ll never forgive it. I’ll kill it someday, making it regret letting me live.
“But… Emmy, let’s leave that for ‘someday,’ okay? We stand no chance against it now. Thankfully, it’s sealed in that forest, so it’s not going anywhere. Let’s train hard and become the strongest in the world before challenging it again.”
I know the difference in our strengths, Omake-sama. But you’re not saying it’s impossible?
“It’s not impossible. After all…”
After all?
“…Remember what I said? You have me. With the knowledge I’ve gained from my otherworldly reincarnation broadcasts, it’s not impossible to make you the strongest in the world!”
Really!? That’s your basis!?
“I confidently say it’s a solid, unshakeable basis.”
Every time, Omake-sama, you trust that otherworldly reincarnation broadcast info too much…
Well, anyway.
Let’s set aside the talkative black lizard. Because right now, Omake-sama, we have an urgent situation to deal with!
“Hmm, what is it?”
This…!
Horrific hunger!
“This hunger is a side effect of the magical transformation caused by the black dragon’s blood. It’s beyond anything we’ve experienced before. No wonder you feel like gnawing on the floorboards.”
Aaah! I’m so hungry!
I’m starving!
No matter how much I eat the floorboards, I’m still hungry!
Wait, where am I? How did I get here after the black dragon fed me its blood? Whose house is this? Did someone save me? Am I going to get in trouble for eating their floorboards?
“You sound like a termite.”
Termites probably don’t feel guilty about damaging houses! I’m definitely human, concerned about unseen people and reflecting on my actions! But wait, what’s that smell?
“Oh!”
While I was having this silly conversation with Omake-sama, I sensed something through the **Magical Detection Threads** I had spread throughout the house. Something had entered from the front door.
I tensed up, unintentionally releasing an **Intimidating Presence**. Stopping my floorboard feast, I focused on the intruder. If I sensed even a hint of hostility, I’d slice them with **Mantis**. Ready to move at a moment’s notice, my weight shifted to my toes, hands poised in front…
But I’m in the worst condition. Low on both physical and magical strength, not fully recovered. Maybe it’s wiser to break through the wall and
escape…
Yet, I didn’t flee immediately, and there’s a reason for that.
It smells good.
A delicious, tantalizing aroma.
And it’s getting closer.
My stomach growls uncontrollably. I can’t stop drooling.
What should I do?
I want to eat it.
I want to eat it so badly.
That thing with the delicious smell.
What should I do?
How should I do it?
Should I steal it?
Should I kill for it?
…At that moment, I was in a state of confusion due to extreme hunger. I wasn’t able to make rational decisions. If an enemy with hostile intentions had approached me then, my confusion would have been a fatal opening.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The one who entered the house wasn’t a thief, a bandit, or a magical creature.
Slowly sliding open the door, a bit frightened by my murderous intent, peeking in from the other room were…
A boy and a girl, about my age, with deep green hair, and a younger woman with the same hair color.
They were holding a basket filled with large loaves of bread.
The aroma of the bread filled the room. My stomach roared louder. I couldn’t stop salivating.
What should I do?
I want to eat it.
How do I get it?
Should I take it?
Should I kill for it?
…At that moment, my confusion due to hunger was overwhelming. I couldn’t move. If a real enemy had approached, this confusion could have been fatal.
However, the ones who entered were not enemies. They were a boy and a girl with deep green hair, and a younger woman of the same hair color, peeking in tentatively from the other room, slightly frightened by my intimidating presence.
In their hands, they held a basket piled high with large loaves of bread.
