Reborn as an Extra Chapter 539: Aurora, the lazy fox. Part-1.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
A young lady slowly awoke, her eyes heavy with sleep as she rose from the bed.
Her pink locks were tousled from a deep slumber, yet a vibrant radiance lit up her lovely features.
Stretching her arms wide, she let out a yawn, still feeling that familiar laziness and drowsiness lingering.
"Sigh... this serene spot has truly turned me into such a slacker..."
With ears resembling those of a pink fox and a soft, fluffy tail in the same disarray—thanks to her habit of tossing and turning during sleep—she embodied a wild charm.
Rubbing her eyes to chase away the sleep, the young lady headed to the kitchen and brewed a cup of coffee for herself.
"The drinks from the outer realms are truly delightful; each new one always captivates me..."
Once her coffee was ready, she stepped out from the cabin and settled onto a bench just outside, basking in the morning sun's gentle rays.
The soothing warmth caressed her face, filling her with ease as her pink hair danced lightly in the soft wind.
"Ah, this is the good life~"
A smile crept across her lips, her heart swelling with contentment from this solitary existence, distant from the world's stresses and strains.
She felt utterly free and joyful.
In the midst of her blissful, tranquil moment, a thunderous sonic boom echoed through the surroundings, snapping her focus.
"Hmm?"
Without a chance to grasp what was happening, a hazy silhouette streaked across the heavens, soaring merely a few meters overhead.
"W-what in the world was that!?"
Even as she reeled from the sight of that strange airborne intruder, she spotted it veering after covering several hundred meters, as though it had detected a presence.
It executed a sharp U-turn mid-air and hurtled straight in her direction!
"Wh-what!? What's happening!?"
Unable to respond in time, the airborne entity sped up and halted precisely above her cabin before descending to the earth.
That mysterious flyer revealed itself as a young man riding atop a massive sword.
Yet the true astonishment lay not in that; it was the revelation that the pink-haired lady recognized this stoic youth.
"Rio Flash!? What brings you to the dwarf kingdom!?"
Upon catching sight of his face, fury ignited in the young lady's gaze.
The youth known as Rio disregarded her rage entirely, leaping off his sword and reverting it to a simple flute.
Aiming the flute at her, he questioned 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? No trace of miasma on you... What sort of deception is this?"
The young lady 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 burning with loathing and wrath.
"Y-you... You slew Alverto!! You!"
Aurora yearned to berate Rio, to unleash her fury upon him, yet the words simply wouldn't form.
Upon venturing into the outer world, she had learned the truth: it was 'Rio Flash' who had ended 'Alverto's' life in their climactic battle, elevating himself to S-ranker status.
Aurora lacked prowess in battle, and stripped of miasma's aid, her power now scarcely matched an A-ranker's.
Regaining her former S-ranker might through mana accumulation would demand ages, and even then, she stood no chance against Rio.
She had long accepted that confronting or besting Rio was impossible, forcing her to abandon any notions of vengeance.
"To begin with, I didn't kill Alverto. His ambitions drove him to offer his life; he perished in pursuit of his dreams."
"He offered his soul to ignite the altar... Hold on! Could it be!?"
Surprise flickered across Rio's features as he regarded Aurora and referenced Alverto's success in triggering the altar.
"I understand now; he managed it... though only in part..."
Reaching an insight within his mind, 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 as a fallback, it was meant to cleanse me of miasma's hold..."
Her legs buckled, sending Aurora crumpling onto the bench with a sorrowful expression marring her stunning visage.
"He was a fool... I never wished for him to give himself up that way-"
Before Aurora could complete her thought, Rio cut in,
"Alverto wasn't a fool; he was a 'hero.' Don't tarnish 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..."
With his back to Aurora, Rio delivered his words in his customary toneless manner.
"You've been forsaken by 'miasma,' leaving me no cause to end you..."
Alverto had already 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 impotence in Rio's presence; all that remained was her grief over Alverto's passing.
She lacked even fitting words to condemn Rio.
"It makes no difference... His visions posed an 'Obstacle' on my 'path'; defeating him was inevitable..."
Rio remained indifferent to the sentiments of others; he admired Alverto's sacrifice for one soul's sake.
Still, that admiration wouldn't sway his resolve.
He would have halted Alverto anew, given another opportunity.
"You 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..."
"I've explored nearby settlements and urban areas while concealed... I've resided here for several months already..."
Rio gave a nod in acknowledgment of Aurora's explanation.
"That's acceptable... Simply avoid endangering the innocent, and relocate to another secluded area. This cabin ties to someone connected to a dwarf nation's SS-ranker..."
Indeed, the dwelling had been Fabian's, Kehrid's apprentice who had perished not long before. Kehrid had informed Rio of its existence.
Had he not glimpsed 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 over any other destination?'