Pastel looked subtly at the knight’s corpse.
A sweet scent lingered.
It’s meat pudding… but it has a human form.
Is it really okay to eat something like this?
As the girl thought so, she chewed on the meat pudding. The armor squished like pudding as she bit into it.
Huh?
When did it enter my mouth?
The armor that was supposed to be meat pudding burst in her mouth. Sweetness soaked her consciousness.
She bit into the corpse’s arm.
The meat pudding burst.
Is it delicious?
It’s delicious…!
Aha.
If it tastes good, the appearance doesn’t matter at all.
The girl put the corpse into her mouth.
The dark energy melted into her stomach and sank deep.
The energy stopped wandering and returned to its original owner, Pastel’s soul.
The emptiness of the forcibly pulled-out soul was partially restored.
Having finished eating, Pastel stood up satisfied. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the aftertaste.
A moment later, she turned to pick up the sword.
She saw a broken longsword.
Ah, I broke it, didn’t I?
Sorry, friend. I lived thanks to your sacrifice. I won’t forget.
She shifted her gaze to the black sword that the knight had used. She saw the sword-shaped black pudding.
It turned into pudding?
Ugh.
I have no proper weapon right now?
She grabbed the broken longsword.
This is still better than a table leg.
But the feedback?
Weapon, weapon.
She quickly ate the black pudding and ran. Her pink hair fluttered.
Having gobbled up something strange, proper food had long since disappeared from her mind.
Bloodline verification – complete.
Clan Leader verification – complete.
Power room operation – complete.
Basement prison release – complete.
Pastel grabbed the bars. She looked at the sword handle in the prison with sparkling eyes.
“Lord Demon! Is it done?”
“Hmm.”
The longsword scattered like smoke. Within the smoke, a man in formal attire took form.
The demon shook his black hair. His red eyes scanned the prison.
“Have the seals been released?”
Thump thump.
Is this how a demon summoner feels?
“That can’t be. Let go of the bars.”
She released her grip. The demon grabbed the bars and pulled them apart. The steel twisted, creating a space.
“Wow!”
The demon walked out of the prison.
“Your action radius has expanded around you.”
“Aha.”
I’m not a demon summoner yet, am I?
Her feelings were complicated.
Pastel shook off the thrilling sense of betrayal.
More importantly, there’s something.
“You can turn into a sword, right? I have no proper weapon.”
The demon glanced at the broken longsword. Then, without a word, he acted.
The man’s figure scattered like smoke and transformed into a sword.
Oh yeah.
Pastel grabbed the falling sword.
A solid weight.
She dazedly inspected the sturdy and refined sword.
Wow.
I finally have a complete weapon.
It feels like I can cut anything.
Hehe.
One, two, three.
Pastel raised the sword like a villain. The candlelight ominously illuminated the magic sword.
“Magic sword!”
You can talk!
Wow.
A dumbfounded voice came from the magic sword.
“What are you doing?”
It really can talk!
Wow wow.
While reveling in her newfound item, Pastel lowered the sword.
“Did the sword get slightly smaller?”
Is it an illusion?
“I adjusted the size to fit.”
“Wow.”
Such immense consideration.
“Thank you, Lord Demon!”
Pastel, moved, exited the basement.
She ascended the dim spiral staircase.
Upon reaching the office, she heard a fierce commotion from the garden.
“We’ve reclaimed the interior, but the outside is a problem.”
She walked towards the window to show the demon.
As she looked down, Pastel froze.
The garden was illuminated by moonlight.
Under the full moon, a two-story tall monster howled. The atmosphere shook.
A gigantic monkey charged at the monster. A punch struck the monster’s face. A shockwave burst forth.
Pastel’s eyes trembled violently.
Oh dear.
It seems my level has risen significantly?
“Uh, Lord Demon. Do you know how to catch a monster that looks at least five times taller than me?”
There must be a fantastic and great way, right?
“First, get away from the window.”
Pastel quickly moved away.
“Is that it for the two?”
“I’ll check.”
She swiftly circled the mansion. She looked in all directions, but there were no other monsters. They probably ended up eating each other and whittled down to just two.
In the middle of the garden, a fierce battle raged. The monkey threw punches while the monster bit back. The torn wounds regenerated instantly.
Wow, such regenerative power.
How much has it eaten?
“How do we catch it?!”
The demon spoke decisively.
“I don’t catch it.”
Impossible?
Pastel hesitated.
Then…
A chill rose from deep within her soul, creating discomfort.
Running away means permanent loss.
“Is there another way?”
“I’m doing my best not to catch it.”
Ugh.
“There can always be stronger enemies than yourself. Never waste your talent. If you can escape, then look for an exit.”
Ahh.
“The knight might come after my trail. Shouldn’t they follow too?”
“What?”
The magic sword scattered and transformed into the man’s figure. His red eyes scanned the girl.
The demon’s expression grew stern.
“Have you seen a large magic circle nearby?”
She guided the demon to another window.
The garden’s large magic circle was spread out.
The girl gawked at the magic circle, then looked back at the demon.
The demon’s face twisted.
“It’s an extraction ceremony. It’s usually used to forcibly extract the power of a soul by summoning unidentified beings as sacrifices.”
Unidentified beings?
What a peculiar term.
The demon sighed after scanning Pastel.
“I’ll need to take a look at your back for a moment.”
Could it be?
She approached and turned around.
The demon subtly tugged the neckline of her winter dress. After peering inside for a while, he sighed deeply.
“What’s wrong with the girl?”
“What is it?!”
Could I be a sacrifice?
No wonder the combination of names felt strange.
The demon was about to speak but crossed his arms, deep in thought.
“There’s something odd.”
His red eyes gazed at Pastel, reflecting the pure-hearted girl.
“Hm, maybe not. Since the sacrifice is intact, it’s reasonable to assume the unidentified being just visited without descending. It seems there was an incident while attempting to forcibly extract the power of the soul but failing to subjugate it.”
The demon stroked his chin.
“No, after extracting the power of the soul, they probably abandoned the subjugation process and fled.”
“There’s an evil mastermind behind this?”
The demon nodded.
“They fled after getting only the fruits of their labor. The monster is the remnant of the unclaimed harvest and the chaos unleashed by the unidentified being.”
Pastel clutched the blood-stained cloth fragment in her pocket.
However long it takes, I will keep my faith…
“Excuse me.”
The demon’s finger quickly jabbed her back.
Tap tap tap tap.
Crackle crackle.
“Ow! What is it?!”
“I got rid of it. You won’t be able to track them anymore. Now, let’s go. If you run with your back to the mansion, you should be able to escape easily.”
The demon transformed into a sword, grasped by her hand.
Pastel rubbed her back and started walking.
“Are you really not going to catch it?”
“What are you expecting? Talent isn’t everything. Don’t gamble with it.”
Pastel muttered sullenly.
“True, but aren’t there some super ultra finishing moves? Or a fantastic great finisher, something like that?”
She stabbed the air with the sword.
The magic sword sighed.
“At your age, that might be possible.”
Then it fell silent.
Ugh.
Is it really true that you won’t catch it?
It felt like finding a half-cut cockroach in a bowl. Where did the other half go?
Ugh…
Pastel trembled.
She peeked outside nervously.
Suddenly, the giant monkey flew into the garden of magic circles. Its massive body crashed into the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
From the edge of her vision, the monster appeared and lunged at the monkey. The monster’s maw bit into an arm and ripped it off.
The monkey let out a blood-curdling scream. With its remaining arm, it swung a fist. A shockwave erupted.
The hit monster rolled helplessly. It rolled while destroying garden trees and lay still, panting.
A victorious cry resonated.
The monkey took a step to finish it off. Then, suddenly, it staggered. Dark energy continuously leaked from the torn arm.
The monkey stumbled and knelt in the garden, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
A silence fell.
Huh?
Pastel’s eyes widened.
Huh huh?
The monster slowly rose again. Then, looking at the corpse, it howled as if paying tribute to its rival.
A rightful battle has determined the victor.
The struggle will become a memory.
The glory will turn to loneliness.
The monster, trying to walk toward the corpse, collapsed. Dust rose. The black figure weakly pushed against the ground and crawled toward the corpse bit by bit, carving a long dirt trail in the garden.
The lonely garden was bathed in moonlight.
Wow.
Pastel flung open the window and jumped out. Gravity pulled her down. Her winter dress fluttered. She touched the ground and ran with all her might.
The crawling monster froze. Its eyes met the girl blocking the corpse.
Pastel shouted like a hero.
“Pastel Lovecraft!”
She aimed the sword at the formidable foe.
“I will engage in a fair fight as a proud swordsman!”
The duel.
Pastel charged in. The monster lifted its paw and swept it down.
Thud.
The strike aimed at the girl missed, hitting beside her. A gentle breeze tousled her pink hair.
Ugh, it’s too strong.
Is this the ultimate opponent?
But a hero never gives up.
“Haap!”
Pastel leaped with all her power. She grabbed the monster’s front paw and fully climbed onto it. She ran toward its head.
Arriving, she seized the sword in a reverse grip.
“Yaah!”
She slammed it down with all her strength.
Thud.
“Caw!”
Pastel panted heavily.
With a weary expression, she wiped the sweat away.
It was an intense struggle.
I feel like I could never do it again.
But in this life-or-death match, I prevailed.
The corners of her mouth slowly rose.
She pointed at the corpse’s head.
“I am the conqueror of the great mansion!”
The moonlight illuminated the girl.
Aha.
Laughter echoed through the garden.
Suddenly, the corpse transformed back into meat pudding.
The ground beneath the girl sank.
Eh?
Pastel plopped right into the pudding.
Waaah!
A massive pudding engulfed her body.
Conqueror, save me…!
She struggled and swam hard to escape.
“Huh.”
I really thought I was going to die.
A sweet taste lingered in her mouth.
Ah, pudding.
She munched on what had entered her mouth.
“It’s okay. Why are you eating that?”
The demon’s voice, laced with confusion, echoed.
“Oh, this?”
Pastel rolled her eyes like an addict.
“I’ve been eating it continuously without any problems.”
“What nonsense is that?”
The demon paused mid-sentence.
Then, after a moment of silence, he muttered.
“…Even if you’re young, since you’re Craft, I won’t care. Do as you please.”
Oh yeah.
Guardian’s approval.
Amid neglect, the young girl happily devoured the corpse.
#
Pastel’s eyes trembled.
Oh dear.
Is my body strange?
She did a few jump squats. She soared higher than expected. Her body felt incredibly light.
This time, she punched the tree with her bare fist. A dent and traces were left behind. Her fist didn’t hurt that much.
Huh?
She removed the metal hinge from the door. Holding it tightly, she exerted force.
Creak.
The shape crumpled.
As she opened her hand, there were indentations on the hinge.
Huh?
Something’s off?
Did I eat something wrong?
Images of black corpses flickered in her mind.
Well, I did eat something wrong.
Pastel groaned and carelessly tossed away the crumpled hinge.
I don’t know, it’s not all bad.
The hunger also felt somewhat alleviated, so that might not be too bad.
“Positive mindset!”
Woah.
“Meal preparation is complete.”
“Oh, yes!”
Pastel hurriedly followed the demon.
Finally, real food. I have to eat a lot.
Food was spread across the unused kitchen table.
“Wow! Your cooking skills? I’ll eat well!”
Pastel picked up a fork.
“Wait a minute.”
The demon looked at her with a subtle expression.
Did I breach etiquette too much?
“First, put down the fork and hold your breath.”
What breath?
Pastel complied quietly. She inhaled deeply and held her breath.
The demon tapped the table with his finger. It was a steady rhythm like a second hand moving.
60, 120, 180.
While holding her breath, Pastel’s head was filled with question marks.
Huh?
240, 300, 360.
Huh?
“That should do it.”
Pastel began to breathe again.
Calm and peaceful breaths.
The demon’s red eyes stared at her, filled with complex emotions.
“You’ve consumed too much power from an unidentified being while in a state of sacrifice. You are no longer a complete human.”
Yikes.
“But I felt breathless while fighting just now.”
“It’s habit. You don’t need to breathe.”
Huh.
Pastel clutched her head.
What’s happened to me?
Have I been disqualified as human?
Then a thought crossed her mind.
But if I don’t have to breathe, isn’t that better? It might be easier when fighting.
Plus, I feel stronger now.
Oh yeah.
The demon pointed at the steak with a knife.
“You can’t eat food.”
What?
“Try eating if you’re curious.”
She stabbed a piece of steak and placed it in her mouth. The moist meat texture filled her mouth. The umami burst forth.
Wow, your cooking is amazing.
She chewed thoroughly and swallowed.
Suddenly, she felt a violent stimulation.
Huh?
The otherworldly realm deemed the elements of this world as foreign matter. A purification process initiated to expel the invading substances.
Pastel vomited blood.
The smell of blood filled the air.
Huh? Huh?
Can I not eat food?
The demon brought a towel and wiped away the blood. The soft texture brushed against her lips.
“You should be able to drink at least water.”
“That’s not comforting at all?!”
What am I supposed to live off of now?
Meat pudding?
There are no remaining monsters?
Her eyes trembled.
Starving…?
She gazed at the lavish dishes.
Being rich and starving?
The demon brought over a plate.
Scattered remnants of black gems lay on it.
The scent was sweet but almost indistinguishable.
“Eat this. It’s magic stone.”
Pastel eagerly picked it up and ate it. The black candy broke apart. It was far inferior to meat pudding, but had a good enough sweetness.
It feels completely like junk food, right?
“With your condition, you can replenish energy with magic stones.”
The demon ground the magic stone between his fingers and sprinkled it over the steak.
“You can eat both. Food may not help with energy replenishment, but it’s good for stress relief.”
She poked a piece of steak and inserted it into her mouth. Unlike before, she could swallow it without feeling nauseated.
It’s real?
Ehh, what?
It’s nothing special, right?
Pastel burst into laughter.
Aha.
“Lord Demon, you have wit!”
Taking so long to inform me of a solution, that’s quite a sense.
The demon looked at her with pity. After surveying the dilapidated kitchen that wasn’t very noble, he turned his gaze back to Pastel.
“The price is similar to that of gold of the same volume.”
The fork clattered.
The sound of utensils rang out.
Pastel’s hands trembled.
She stared vacantly at the black gems.
This, this junk food is worth gold?
Dessert that’s inferior to meat pudding?
“Ugh…”
Pastel grasped her head. Her pink hair tangled in her fingers.
“What am I supposed to do?!”
“It would be best to relocate. Magic stones are mined from the Demon Realm.”
The demon walked toward the window.
“The Sky Island between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm is the center for processing and intermediary trade of magic stones. It’s even cheaper than the regulated Demon Realm.”
Oh?
“It’s remarkably cheap?”
“Certainly, it is cheap, but there is a problem.”
“What is it?”
Pastel swallowed nervously.
Thump thump.
“Real estate is incredibly expensive beyond compare.”
Ugh.
Such a realistic issue…!
“If you’re at the right age, there might be a way.”
The demon gazed at the night sky, akin to observing constellations.
“Enrollment applications will close next week.”
For Sky Island Academy.
#
“Underwear, socks, and and.”
Pastel rummaged through her bag in a panic.
“Is something missing?!”
She darted around the room.
“Didn’t I say we should pack ahead of time yesterday?”
The demon trailed behind her, brushing her pink hair.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”
Pastel was flustered.
“Calm down.”
The demon grabbed the hair tie that she had in her mouth. As she moved about, his hands quickly worked to neatly arrange her pink hair.
“This is my first time riding on a scoff! I’m nervous, so it’s allowed to be a bit chaotic! Ah! The ticket!”
Pastel snatched the scoff ticket.
“I almost forgot you!”
She checked the scoff schedule.
“Thanks to the one who overslept, we’re running short on time. We need to hurry.”
“Yes! Yes!”
Pastel hurriedly zipped up her bag.
She grabbed her bag and dashed to the door.
“I’ll be back!”
“We’re going together, so what does that mean?”
The demon swiftly transformed into a sword.
“Oh right!”
Pastel turned back, snatched the sword, and dashed off again.
“I’ll be coming with you…!”
“Hah.”
The blue sky stretched out.
It seemed as if the bright future was in sight.
Right?
“Welcome aboard Academy Skywhale. I’ll give you a surprise exam. Those who fail can go back.”
What did you say?
