Extra: Niku Eats Steak

"The meat was delicious… I'm hungry."

Niku, having cancelled the Kobold [Possession], sat up sluggishly.

What was eaten in that body became nourishment for that body. It had no relation to this one.

Conversely, this meant that by using [Possession], one could use multiple bodies and stomachs to eat endlessly. I can't let Ichika use this, she'd probably keep eating until her wallet ran dry… Niku thought.

"Ah, welcome back, Niku-oneesan."

"I have returned, Soto-sama."

"Welcome back, Niku."

"… Why is Leona here?"

"Because I called her?"

This was Soto's Core Room. Despite that, Soto had brought in Leona, an outsider, and was hugging her, pressing her body close. She was rubbing against her slightly, clearly marking her territory.

It was doubtful whether she would even be wearing clothes if Niku wasn't here.

Niku understood the feeling, as she would mostly do the same if there were no restrictions when it came to her Master. Though, when she tried to do it before and undressed, she was scolded and told to wear clothes, so she wore them.

"Ah, Niku. Here's the scroll your Master asked for."

"… Thanks."

Niku caught the skill scroll that was tossed lightly to her.

To treat something worth hundreds of millions of DP so casually… Niku thought, but for Leona, it was about the same as scribbling a signature on a pebble by the roadside. It was natural for her to be casual about it.

"Well, I'll just eat and make more anyway, right?"

"… Soto-sama? Isn't that classified?"

"It's okay! Leona-san knows my power, ufufu!"

"Yes, it's being exploited plenty…"

"… I see."

"Of course, I know aaaaall about Leona-san's powers too. Yep, every single bit, right?"

"And on top of that, you definitely won't let me escape, right?"

"Ufufu, even though you love that part of me. You're the ideal girlfriend, right? Right?"

Seeing Leona with a distant look in her eyes as her chest was being grinded into rather hard with a finger, Niku felt slightly relieved.

"That's right, Leona-san. Please make onions that even dogs can eat for Niku-oneesan. If you make a steak sauce with that, she'll probably rethink her opinion of you a little, maybe."

"Hyan! O-okay, I'll make it, I'll make it so… w-wait, [Super Alchemy], [Super Alchemy]! See, it's done! Onions that even dogs can eat!"

"Oh my? You're forgetting the meat, you know? Ah, are you doing it on purpose because you want me to punish you?"

"[Super Alchemy]! [Super Alchemy]! Look, I made the sauce too!!"

"Well done! Later, you'll get a reward!"

"… Guh, isn't it basically the same thing in the end…?"

With that, a delicious-looking freshly grilled steak was prepared in front of her. A black iron plate sat atop a wooden platter, and on it, a steak covered in sauce was steaming.

… You want me to eat it? I can if you want. It certainly looks delicious. My mouth is watering, but.

"She'll need a knife and fork too, right?"

"[Super Alchemy]!! Here you go!"

"Thank you, Leona-san! I like you! I love you!"

"… You're welcome. I love you too."

Kissed on the cheek, Leona looked teary-eyed but genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart.

I see, she's completely under control. And Leona herself accepts it.

If they fought seriously, Soto wouldn't be able to beat Leona due to the difference in combat experience. But that's only if they could fight seriously. The restraints of love, or whatever they are, seem to be binding Leona very tightly.

Now then. She looked at the meat in front of her.

The cutlery is perfect too. Now that it's come to this, I have no choice but to eat.

… It was prepared by Leona, but it looked delicious. There's no sin in food. Gulp.

"… Thanks for the food."

Niku faced the meat with cutlery in hand.

It was a steak where you could really feel the thickness of the meat. Feeling the meat's elasticity with the fork, she ran the knife through it. But contrary to its thickness, it was cut cleanly with just two or three back-and-forth motions.

It was incredibly soft. When she opened the cross-section of the meat with the knife, meat juices overflowed from the moderately grilled red meat.

The sauce dripped down and evaporated with a sizzle on the iron plate. A fragrant scent wafted up. Being a Dog Beastkin, she shouldn't like the smell of onions much, but it was sweet and savory, a rich scent that seemed nutritious, and she understood her empty stomach was demanding it, rushing her.

She coated it in sauce, pierced it with the fork, and carried it to her mouth.

"Aahn… !?"

She knew it. She knew it, but the meat juices were amazing. The moment she put it in her mouth and bit down, it overflowed like soup. Umami. Saltiness. Aroma. Everything made her feel like she was eating meat.

When she swallowed, the meat juices passed through her throat. The chunk of meat itself was still in her mouth.

Mogu, mogu, chewing it, the meat tore apart with just the right amount of resistance, along with the remaining juices.

Delicious.

It was so delicious that she could simply only say that word. She wanted to swallow it quickly and taste it with her throat too, but she wanted to keep it in her mouth and chew it more. After that struggle and conflict, she finally succeeded in swallowing.

"… Puha, haa…"

The sensation of the meat stroking her throat was also the best. Slick and smooth, gently stroking and rubbing against her throat, the steak meat entered her stomach.

She wanted to eat another piece, just one more piece. It made her feel that way.

It was dangerously delicious. This is risky.

Looking up, Soto was also smacking her lips, looking like she found it delicious.

"This is delicious, Leona-san! What kind of meat is it?"

"Eh, yeah, what was it… It's something I created before thinking I wanted to make the most delicious meat, a creature that can only be called meat. It doesn't have a name. It was supposed to be based on various meats like beef and pork, but [Super Alchemy]. It's this."

Saying that, she poofed "it" out. It was just a ball with no hair, no head, and no limbs. It was twitching. An existence that was too much of a blasphemy against life.

Apparently, if you cut it, it becomes steak meat just like that.

"In a sense, it's like Toy's sibling."

"Eh. Then is Niku-oneesan also delicious?"

"She should be more delicious than a normal human, you know? I wouldn't eat her in that sense, of course, but being delicious attracts more enemies, so it's convenient for combat training and as a decoy."

"Heeeh."

"…"

It was a remark that made one lose their appetite, but it was still delicious enough that she wanted to eat this meat.

It really is a dangerous meat, Niku thought.

It was easy to imagine that if she were to let Ichika eat this meat and tell her it tasted the same as herself, Ichika would look at her with nothing but the eyes of someone looking at ingredients from then on.

"Soto-sama. Please make sure this meat is never served elsewhere."

"Right! It's a special treat just for us, okay Leona-san?"

"O-okay, Soto-chan."

It was decided.

Also, she wanted to praise her self-control for being able to hold back with just one plate of this steak.