GalaxyTL
* * *
“Hmm…?”
I blinked, opening my eyes.
Regaining consciousness.
What I saw was the pale blue autumn sky.
A cool breeze caressed my skin.
And the grass swaying in the wind.
<…Ah, good morning, Emi. You’re awake?>
“Good morning…?”
I greeted Extra-sama back, my mind still hazy.
I sat up.
Wait… huh?
Why was I sleeping?
Looking around… I saw a crimson blade lying on the ground.
That’s right, I…
…Picked this up… and…
<You collapsed the moment you picked that up. You must have been exhausted, your body at its limit. You’re pushing yourself too hard…>
Extra-sama nagged.
Ah, ahaha… I’m sorry for always pushing myself too hard.
<…Emi, how are you feeling? Are you alright?>
I jumped to my feet.
I rotated my shoulders, my waist, and moved my legs around.
Yeah, not bad.
It seems like I just fainted from exhaustion.
In fact, maybe because I got some sleep, I feel better.
Even my hunger seems to have subsided a little…
Grrrrrrrrr…
…Nope.
I’m still hungry.
“…………”
I picked up the red blade lying at my feet and ate it, crunch, crunch.
And I munched on the surrounding grass.
Trying to appease my hunger, at least a little.
And then… I finally decided to fulfill my purpose.
In other words…
…I started walking towards the stone pillar standing in the center of the meadow.
* * *
The wind blew.
The grass, brown and dry from autumn, swayed.
And in that wind…
…I stood next to the stone pillar.
“…………”
From here, I could see almost the entire royal capital.
The royal castle, the beautiful gray cityscape…
…Well, the cityscape is a little damaged because of all the commotion, but…
…Anyway, it’s a wonderful view.
“…………”
I rummaged through my bag.
What I took out was… a blue flower.
The blue flower that Grandma asked me to leave here.
It’s… quite withered… because of my rampage.
But it’s still intact.
I desperately resisted the urge to stuff it into my mouth, and placed the flower next to the stone pillar.
With this, Grandma’s request is complete.
I let out a sigh of relief.
And sat down.
…But the grass was tall and in the way…
…So I cut it down with 【Mana Slash Thread】.
Improving my view.
And then, blankly…
…I stared at the cityscape of the royal capital.
The scenery… of the town that Grandma loved.
This is the last time I’d see it, after all.
…But…
…I can’t enjoy this peaceful time for long.
Because.
Grrrrrrrrr…
I’m still… hungry.
From now on…
…I have to eat… a lot, a lot.
Kill, kill, kill everything I see…
…And endlessly stuff them into my stomach.
Those days… are starting again.
Naturally, I can’t go near human settlements anymore.
I’m pretty sure that for me now, humans just look like meat.
If a monster like me enters the human world…
…It’ll only lead to tragedy.
So… I actually want to give Grandma a proper burial… but I can’t.
I can’t go back to that shop anymore.
Grandma… I’d probably…
…Eat her.
I don’t want to do that.
…Yeah, I’m sure… it’ll be fine.
Grandma’s shop, she didn’t have many customers for her flowers, but…
…People came by often, for one reason or another.
I’m sure they’ll find Grandma… soon.
Yeah.
…Grandma, I’m sorry.
“Huu…”
I exhaled and quietly stood up.
Now, let’s go somewhere.
Somewhere… without people…
“…………”
But before that…
…I suddenly thought about it.
Staring at the blue flower I placed next to the stone pillar.
Speaking of which, this flower…
…This blue flower that Grandma asked me to leave here…
What kind of flower is it, anyway?
<Ah, that’s right, I haven’t told you yet.>
Extra-sama, in her usual leisurely tone, answered my question.
<This, as I mentioned before, is a catalog plant…>
Ah, she said something like that.
Its name and flower language are the same as the one in my past life, right?
<That’s right. As for its blooming season, that flower field had messed up seasons, so we don’t have to worry about that. Anyway, um, ahem… The name of this flower is…>
After saying all that, Extra-sama, in her usual gentle voice, quietly told me.
<Wasurenagusa… Forget-Me-Not.>
——
Arc 17 has been going on for quite a while, but the next chapter will be the last.
Because… the number of chapters… is a good stopping point!
There were actually a few more side stories, but I’ll save them for later.