About half an hour later.
In the quest list of the [Quest] interface, Byakuya selected the bug-exploiting teleportation quest posted by 『Esdeath』 and clicked accept.
The reason for choosing her world as the gathering spot was simple.
As indicated by Chika Fujiwara’s selfie, her world and Utaha Kasumigaoka’s world were currently in the middle of the night, just like Byakuya’s.
While the nightlife in early 21st-century Tokyo was quite vibrant, both of them lived with their families.
It was clearly impractical for them to decide on a whim to go out in the middle of the night to meet strangers.
And if they used their bedrooms as the meeting point, not only would the space be cramped, but they would have to be quiet the entire time to avoid alerting their parents.
Once their worlds were ruled out, Yukari Yakumo had bluntly stated that part of the reason she suggested the gathering was her intense interest in other worlds.
Thus, the final “venue” fell to Esdeath.
[You have accepted the mission: Esdeath’s Plea for Help.
Detection indicates that you and the target are not in the same world.
Would you like to begin teleportation immediately?]
[[Yes] / [No] (Note: If ‘No’ is selected, you may initiate teleportation at any time within the next 24 hours.
If the mission is not abandoned after 24 hours, you will be forcibly teleported to the mission world.)]
“Yes!”
The moment he made his choice, Byakuya vanished silently from where he stood.
…
Another world.
With a slight blur in his vision, Byakuya, who had been at the Matou Residence only a second ago, found himself in a desolate wasteland where rocks stretched as far as the eye could see, and vegetation was almost nonexistent.
It was also midnight here.
In front of a small tent made of some animal hide—barely large enough for one or two people—several figures sat around a campfire, talking.
Byakuya scanned them one by one.
One had long, cherry-pink hair and a face that still held a hint of youth, though her curves were already quite stunning, barely concealed by her relatively loose dress; this was Chika Fujiwara.
Another had shoulder-length black hair and exquisite features.
Like Chika, she had traded her pajamas from the earlier selfies for an outfit suited for travel: a dark jacket paired with a matching pleated skirt, her long legs encased in black tights that were particularly eye-catching; this was Utaha Kasumigaoka.
The third had blonde hair and wore a white long-sleeved dress with several layers of ruffles on the bottom, topped with a purple Taoist robe printed with the trigrams of Dui and Kun.
This east-meets-west ensemble, combined with the faint, perpetual smile on her face, gave her a unique sense of mystery; this was Yukari Yakumo.
And then…
“Is this how you welcome everyone?”
Byakuya asked as he met a pair of ice-blue eyes, feeling the girl’s blatant, high-spirited battle intent.
“Chika and Utaha were just ordinary people before today’s empowerment, so there was no need,” Esdeath replied.
“As for Yukari Yakumo, I tried before you arrived.
I’m no match for her.”
“Is that so?”
Byakuya shifted his gaze to Yukari Yakumo, who greeted him with a beaming smile.
Tsk…
Byakuya raised an eyebrow.
Like the others, Yukari was clearly interested in the newcomer who had joined the group today.
However, unlike Chika and Utaha’s curiosity or Esdeath’s pure battle lust, this youkai’s observation was…
To put it politely, she was tactful.
To put it bluntly, she was pushing the boundaries just enough to make the subject feel uneasy without actually provoking anger.
Byakuya approached the fire and introduced himself to the three girls and the youkai.
Once they had exchanged names, they were formally acquainted.
“The meat is still grilling; it’ll probably be a while,” Chika Fujiwara said, handing Byakuya a cup.
“Would you like juice or cola, Mr.
Byakuya?”
The juice and cola had been brought from home by her and Utaha.
In addition to the drinks, Utaha had specially brought seasonings like pepper, chili powder, and cumin after hearing Esdeath mention she was going to hunt a Danger Beast for the party.
“Juice is fine.”
Byakuya pointed to a bottle of orange juice beside her, and Chika immediately poured him a glass.
Then, five glasses of juice and cola clinked together following Chika’s toast: “To celebrate our meeting here, having finally truly transcended the limits of dimensions!”
“Cheers!” x5
After gulping down his juice, Chika glanced at the steak over the fire…
As expected, it was only lightly seared on the outside.
“Need some help?” Yukari Yakumo asked from the side.
“…How can you help with this?” the girl asked curiously.
“Simple.”
Yukari snapped open her folding fan and waved it over the steak.
“Boundary of Raw and Cooked!”
“…”
In an instant, the lightly seared steak began to sizzle and drip oil.
Pressing it gently with a dagger provided by Esdeath, rich juices oozed out.
Chika’s lips twitched.
“Sister Yukari, meat cooked like this has no soul!”
“…Then shall we go back for a bit?
I can fish a few ghosts out of the Underworld to use as seasoning,” Yukari replied, blinking.
Chika: “…”
Silently, she used the dagger to slice the perfectly charred yet tender steak and distributed a portion to everyone.
She took a small bite of her own, and her eyes immediately lit up.
“This texture…
it’s better than any grilled meat I’ve ever had!”
“Hmph, this Winged Lion was an extremely rare Special-class Danger Beast,” Esdeath said, lifting her chin proudly from across the fire.
“It possessed the power to utterly destroy a village in a single attack, far exceeding the limits of what the environment in your world could sustain.
Naturally, the quality of the meat is superior to anything you’ve tasted before.”
“Of course, Utaha’s seasonings and Yukari’s Boundary were also important.
I tried grilling it myself once, and the taste wasn’t nearly as good as this.”
“It’s mostly because the meat is high quality.”
Chika Fujiwara popped another piece of grilled meat into her mouth, chewing happily.
“Mmm~ Compared to this, all the BBQ I’ve had in the past doesn’t even deserve to be called BBQ…
Why aren’t there such amazing creatures in our world?”
“I actually think it’s for the best that our world doesn’t have them,” Utaha Kasumigaoka replied, glancing at the massive carcass of the Winged Lion lying nearby, which was still two or three people tall even while prone.
For humans of the twenty-first century, or even the twentieth, the roar of guns and cannons would make dealing with such a Danger Beast a simple task.
But in an earlier era, a monster like this would have been a walking disaster for humanity.
“I’d say it’s a double-edged sword,” Byakuya remarked after finishing his own steak, feeling the subtle changes occurring within his body.
“What do you mean?” Utaha asked, looking at him with confusion.
“What he means is,” Yukari Yakumo interjected with a playful smile, “if your world’s Earth actually had these Danger Beasts, or something similar, Esdeath might have targeted you two today as well.”
She continued teasingly, “Can’t you feel that warmth spreading through your bodies after eating the meat?
In terms of sheer physical benefit, that small piece you just ate is more effective than several pounds of beef.
Why do you think Esdeath is so strong at such a young age?”
“It does have something to do with that,” Esdeath admitted with a slight nod, seeing the curious gazes of Chika and Utaha.
To enhance one’s physical constitution, a sufficient supply of nutrients is essential, and the meat of a Danger Beast is exceptionally effective in this regard.
The stronger the creature, the better the effects of its meat.
As a member of the Barutes Clan, who specialized in hunting Danger Beasts, this was something she had known since childhood.
While talent was the primary factor in being able to hunt Special-class Danger Beasts like the Winged Lion before reaching adulthood, the diet of Danger Beast cuisine she had consumed since she was small played an undeniable role in her growth.
“!” ×2
Having received confirmation from the source, Chika and Utaha simultaneously remembered the scene from six months ago when Esdeath first joined the group—the moment she demonstrated her strength by shattering a boulder several people tall with a single kick during a livestream.
The two girls immediately accelerated their eating pace.
Once they finished their portions, they noticed the other steaks on the campfire were only seared on the surface, and both turned to Yukari Yakumo.
“Didn’t you say that meat grilled like that has no soul?” Yukari asked, opening her folding fan to hide the lower half of her face, her eyes curving into a mischievous smile.
“I love soul-less food!” Chika replied without a moment’s hesitation.
“As long as meat tastes good, that’s all that matters.
I’m not a demon; why would I need a soul?”
“Tsk tsk~”
Yukari shook her head and cast the Boundary of Raw and Cooked over all the remaining steaks on the fire.