Reborn as an Extra Chapter 539: Aurora, the lazy fox. Part-1.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
With eyes still heavy from slumber, the young woman rose from her bed.
Her pink locks lay tangled from hours of rest, yet a vibrant radiance shone across her stunning visage.
Stretching her arms wide, she let out a yawn, still gripped by laziness and drowsiness.
"Sigh... this serene spot has truly turned me into such a sloth..."
Adorned with pink, fox-shaped ears and a soft, fluffy pink tail, both now tousled from her habit of tossing about in sleep.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the young woman headed to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee for herself.
"The drinks from the outer world are truly delightful; I get captivated every time I sample a fresh one..."
Once her coffee was ready, she stepped out of the cabin and settled onto a bench just outside, basking in the morning sun.
Warm rays bathed her face, filling her with ease as her pink hair swayed in the soft wind.
"This is the good life~"
A smile crept across her lips, savoring the peace and joy of solitary living, distant from the world's stresses and strains.
She felt utterly free and content.
Right in the midst of her blissful, laid-back moment, a thunderous sonic blast echoed through the region, drawing her focus.
"Hmm?"
Before she could grasp what was happening, a hazy silhouette streaked across the heavens, soaring mere meters overhead.
"W-what in the world was that!?"
Even as she reeled from the sight of that strange airborne form, she spotted it veering after covering several hundred meters, as though detecting a presence.
It executed a sharp U-turn mid-air and hurtled straight toward her!
"Wh-what!? What's happening!?"
Unable to respond in time, the airborne entity sped up and halted directly over her cabin before descending to the earth.
The mysterious flyer revealed itself as a young man riding atop a massive sword.
Yet that wasn't the true astonishment; the real shock lay in the pink-haired woman's recognition of this stoic youth.
"Rio Flash!? What brings you to the dwarf kingdom!?"
Upon glimpsing the young man's features, fury ignited in the woman's gaze.
The youth known as Rio disregarded her rage entirely, leaping from his sword and reshaping it into a plain flute.
Aiming the flute at the young woman, he inquired in a flat, devoid-of-emotion voice,
"Aurora, direct underling of the demon prince Alverto. What business do you have in the dwarf kingdom?"
"Hmmm? I detect no trace of miasma from you... What sort of deception is this?"
The young woman was indeed Aurora, the elite fox demon once cherished deeply by Alverto.
In a fit of rage, she hurled her coffee cup aside and fixed Rio with a stare brimming with loathing and wrath.
"Y-you... You slew Alverto!! You!"
Aurora yearned to berate Rio, to unleash her fury upon him, yet the words stuck in her throat.
Upon venturing into the outer world, she had learned of the events and realized that 'Rio Flash' had ended 'Alverto's' life during their climactic clash, rising to become a formidable S-ranker.
Not a fighter by nature, Aurora had dropped to scarcely A-ranker strength without the aid of miasma.
Rebuilding her former S-ranker power through gathered mana would demand much time, and even then, she stood no chance against Rio.
Aware that confronting or besting Rio was impossible, she had relinquished any notions of vengeance.
"To start, I didn't kill Alverto. He gave his life for his dreams; he perished in pursuit of his objectives."
"He offered his soul to ignite the altar... Hold on! Could it be?!"
Surprise flickered across Rio's expression as he regarded Aurora and referenced Alverto's success in triggering the altar.
"I understand now; he managed it... though only in part..."
Reaching a realization within, Rio stowed his flute and ceased directing it at Aurora.
Aurora felt stunned as the crushing aura and lethal intent that had pinned her down vanished abruptly.
"Y-yes... his scheme aimed to aid all demons, but should it fail, it was meant to cleanse me of miasma's hold..."
Her legs buckled, sending Aurora crumpling onto the bench with sorrow etching her exquisite features.
"He was such a fool... I never wished for him to throw himself away like that-"
Before Aurora could complete her thought, Rio cut in,
"Alverto wasn't a fool; he was a 'hero.' Don't disparage his bravery as a 'hero.' He met a 'hero's' end, rescuing the woman he treasured above all and attaining an outcome that fulfilled him..."
Addressing her with his back turned, Rio maintained his signature toneless delivery.
"Miasma has forsaken you, leaving me no cause to end your life..."
Alverto had atoned dearly for his wrongs; Aurora bore no ties to them, so Rio saw no need to draw his blade against her.
"You!... Regardless of your words! I'll forever despise you for thwarting Alverto's ambitions!"
Aurora clenched her teeth, overwhelmed by helplessness against Rio; she could only mourn Alverto's passing.
She lacked even fitting words to condemn him.
"It makes no difference... His visions posed an 'Obstacle' on my 'path'; defeating him was inevitable..."
Rio remained indifferent to others' sentiments; he honored Alverto's sacrifice to preserve one life.
Yet that wouldn't alter his resolve.
He would have halted Alverto all the same if faced with the choice anew.
"You still haven't addressed my query: why linger in the dwarf empire?"
Gazing at Rio's retreating form as he prepared to depart, Aurora sighed in resignation and revealed the facts.
"As you noted, miasma has cast me aside. The demon continent holds no refuge for me, leading to my banishment by the demon king..."
"Thanks to his abilities, I traversed the 'Forbidden Edge' without peril and arrived at the dwarf kingdom's coast..."
"In disguise, I've explored the surrounding towns and cities... For several months, this has been my home..."
Rio gave a nod in response to Aurora's explanation.
"That's acceptable... Simply avoid endangering the innocent, and relocate to another secluded area. This cabin ties to an SS-ranker from the dwarf nation..."
Indeed, the dwelling had belonged to Fabian, Kehrid's apprentice, who had perished recently. Kehrid had informed Rio of its existence.
Without spotting Aurora's 'pink hair' near the cabin, he wouldn't have paused here at all.
'Still... it's odd. Why would the 'Demon King' direct her specifically to the dwarf kingdom rather than elsewhere?'