Chapter 2: Hah! This much is a piece of cake!

Pastel stopped whittling the wooden stick.

Her breath came in ragged gasps. Her hands and arms trembled. The heat radiating from her body pushed back against the cold.

The finished wooden awl, though blunt, was menacingly sharp.

She carefully pressed it against her palm, feeling the pointed pressure. *If I put some force behind it, this could probably pierce through something.*

The corners of her mouth twitched upward.

"Do I have a talent for crafts?"

This awl would have been considered a top-tier weapon in the Stone Age.

"My talent belongs in the Stone Age."

*Guess those primitive genes are still kicking around.*

She set down her newly crafted weapon. After resting for a while, she slowly stretched. Her body shivered in the cold air.

Despite her empty stomach, her physical condition wasn't bad. Something felt off about her body. *Maybe survival hormones are being forcibly pumped through me.*

*I need to end this quickly.*

Gripping the wooden awl, she stared intently at the door. Steeling herself, she approached. She pressed her ear against it, but couldn't make out any movement on the other side.

To shake off her nerves, she glanced around the room before carefully touching the door's bar lock.

In the silence, the bar moved quietly. The lock disengaged without a sound.

She grasped the doorknob and steadied herself once more. She exhaled deeply.

*One, two, three!*

She yanked the door open without hesitation.

Directly in front of her was a menacing black wolf. Its fangs were immediately visible.

The tension made her skin prickle.

"Come at me...!"

The black mass lunged forward.

Pastel spun around, using the door as a shield. Planting her feet, she threw her weight into slamming the door shut.

"Hiyah!"

The charging wolf crashed into the door with a thunderous bang. *Ugh! It's heavy.* The repelled black beast collided with the doorframe, wedging itself. The wolf let out a pained howl.

Pastel stepped back, then rammed her body against the door again. The impact shook the door. A loud noise reverberated. The wolf cried out in agony.

She could feel the wolf's struggles through the door. One particularly violent thrash caused the door to give way.

*I'm losing the strength battle.*

Without hesitation, she gripped the wooden awl. She charged at the disoriented wolf.

Putting her full weight behind it, she plunged the awl downward with all her might. It pierced the nape of the wolf's neck, and black energy gushed out like blood. Pastel spat out the energy she had inadvertently swallowed and pressed down hard on the awl.

The wolf let out an agonized howl. Its black body thrashed violently. *Oof!* Pastel was struck by its body and sent flying, tumbling across the floor. Her pink hair whipped around her.

*Ugh, damn it.*

She tried to force her aching body up, bracing herself against the floor.

The sound of a beast leaping.

She hastily rolled to the side. The black form tore into the spot where she had just been.

*Weapon, I need a weapon!*

Her hand suddenly grasped a blanket. Pastel clutched it as she quickly stood up. The wolf lunged at her.

She dodged, fluttering the blanket. The cotton fabric enveloped the wolf, neutralizing its sharp teeth and claws while entangling its black body.

The wolf staggered, tearing at the blanket wrapped around it.

*Let's see how long you can handle this...*

Pastel leapt towards the wolf. She quickly crouched and drove her full body weight downward.

Her body slammed into the awl in the wolf's nape. *Urgh!* The awl pierced through the neck with fierce resistance.

The wolf thrashed for a moment before going still.

"Haa... haa..."

Pastel leaned against the corpse, gasping for breath.

*I... I got it.*

She staggered to her feet.

She stared blankly down at the blanket-wrapped carcass.

*Am I actually good at fighting?*

She ran both hands through her hair, pink strands tangling around her fingers. She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"You're no match for me, coming at me like that."

She gave the corpse a pointless kick.

Then her strength gave out and she landed hard on her butt.

"Ow! Owie."

Her entire body ached. Every inch of her arms and legs throbbed. Her skin stung where it had been scraped.

She leaned back against the blanketed carcass, half-lying down.

"Phew."

*This is hell.*

A dry cough escaped her. She was hungry and thirsty. At least moving around had warmed her up a bit.

Pastel relaxed, letting the tension drain from her limbs. Her muscles unwound languidly.

*Ugh. What a mess, and I haven't even eaten. I want food. Soup and bread would be nice.*

She licked her lips. Huh? There was a sweet taste in her mouth. A delicious, enticing flavor.

It wasn't her imagination. It was definitely sweet. *Why do I taste this when I haven't eaten anything?*

She recalled the moment she had inhaled and then spat out the wolf's black energy.

Pastel hurriedly pushed aside the blanket. The black carcass came into view. The wolf's form had somewhat collapsed, looking soft. Like meat pudding.

A sweet aroma wafted through the air.

Her salivary glands tingled.

Pastel reached out absently, then jerked back.

"Ah!"

She wiped her mouth and shook her head vigorously.

*It looks obviously sinister and evil.*

*It's poison, it has to be poison.*

*A human shouldn't eat this.*

*Get a grip, Pastel!*

*Get... a... grip...*

Pastel buried her face in the carcass.

The black carcass chewed like meat pudding. Sweetness filled her mouth. Her nerves tingled ecstatically.

Her brain sizzled.

The joy of reclaiming something lost.

A sense of fulfillment as the emptiness diminished.

Essence and origin.

What the soul craves.

The last morsel entered her mouth.

Some of the energy melted into her bones and muscles.

The girl trembled with empty hands.

She was still hungry.

#

After eating the meat pudding, she felt great. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she even felt stronger.

Though her hunger hadn't actually been satisfied.

*It feels like I drank a potion and had a good rest, but I'm still weirdly empty.*

Licking her lips, Pastel poked her head out to survey the corridor.

Windows lined the walls, with another hallway branching off around a corner. There was only one other room on this corridor.

"Ah, I'm in a corner room."

She sauntered into the hallway. Though she kept the wooden awl handy, she wasn't particularly on guard.

Despite the earlier commotion, the mansion seemed unchanged. No dangerous creatures in sight. The lack of servants was a problem, though.

"Ugh, I'm hungry."

At least her thirst was quenched, so that was something.

*Where's the kitchen, I wonder?*

Rubbing her stomach, Pastel rounded the corner. Her view opened up to a new corridor.

And she spotted two wolves. Black energy swirled around them. Thankfully, they were facing away.

She froze mid-step, then quickly relaxed.

*Nothing to see here, friends. Just minding my own business.*

Pastel quietly backpedaled, as if rewinding.

She made it back around the corner without incident. Her tense muscles loosened.

*Sh-shit, that was close.*

She wiped away cold sweat for no real reason.

*How are they right there after all that noise earlier?*

She'd been walking normally and even muttering about being hungry. Even if they weren't real wolves, still.

Pastel furrowed her brow.

*Could their hearing be bad?*

There was something odd about the situation.

The fight had been quite noisy. Enough that the creatures in the garden should have reacted. But the garden was quiet.

*Do they all have poor hearing? How can I use that? For an assassination?*

She looked down at the wooden awl in her hand. The tip had become blunt from rough use.

Her mind went blank.

She imagined fighting the two wolves.

*Sneaking up... stab!*

*Eh? It didn't kill them?*

*Stab! Stab! Argh!*

*Friends, please don't do this...*

*Is this how a popular person dies?!*

Pastel clutched her head. She turned back, heading to the one room she hadn't checked yet.

*There's got to be at least one sword in there. Or at least a dagger. Hell, even a kitchen knife.*

Tense for a different reason now, Pastel carefully opened the new room. She poked her head in to survey the interior.

The layout was no different from the previous room.

The sparse contents were similar too.

Walls, floor, walls, floor.

Oh, and a fallen wooden table in the corner.

*There's no decent weapon...*

Pastel staggered, leaning against the doorframe. She banged her head against it, thinking, then felt along the door.

*Can I use the door as a weapon?*

She examined the metal hinges, quickly realizing it was hopeless and giving up.

This time she felt along the window frame and glass. *Ah, no good.*

She walked over to the fallen table.

It was a circular table with a single leg in the center.

*A round single-leg table.*

She could see why it had fallen. The part of the single leg meant to support it had broken off.

"Hmm."

The circular tabletop was wide, and the leg was long. If she held the leg, could it work as a makeshift hammer? Could she even lift it?

She gripped the table leg with both hands and lifted. It was heavy, but manageable.

She carried it to the center of the room. Grasping the leg with both hands, she swung it like a hammer.

Her body twisted awkwardly, throwing off her balance. The circular top hit the floor. The sound echoed.

Pastel flinched, staring at the locked door. She waited, but there was no change in the sounds from outside.

"They really do have bad hearing."

*Thank goodness.*

She set the table down and dusted off her hands.

*Too heavy for extended use, but unstable for quick swings. Not bad for facing one opponent.*

*But there are two of them.*

*If I stumble, I'll get bitten easily.*

But Pastel threw her hands up in celebration.

"It's better than the wooden awl!"

Her weapon had upgraded from "utterly crap" to just "crap".

*Oh yeah.*

She examined the table closely. The weight was the main issue. She wanted to make it lighter. *Where should I kick it to break it apart properly?*

Her eyes fell on the joint between the circular top and the leg. Huh? She reached out and twisted them in opposite directions.

There was a sound of parts moving inside.

Click.

*No way, is this...*

She swallowed dryly. She pulled the table leg and top in opposite directions. They separated easily.

Pastel gripped the table leg. She lifted the circular top by putting her hand through the connection point.

One hand held the table leg.

The other held the wide circular top.

This is...!

Pastel stood up, raising her new equipment high. Sunlight from the window gleamed off the wooden gear.

"A spear and shield!"

*Excellent choice!*

#

Pastel practiced in the center of the room.

She thrust with the sharpened table leg.

*Stab! Stab!*

It was still heavy, but it felt different. Separating the parts and holding them individually made a big difference.

Next, she practiced blocking with the circular top.

*Thunk!*

Still heavy, but manageable. Putting her hand through the connection point brought the center of gravity closer to her body, making it much easier to handle.

"Not bad."

She took a stance and imagined combat.

A black wolf charged at her.

"Woof woof!"

Pastel raised the circular top resolutely.

"Bam!"

The wolf crashed into the shield.

She quickly thrust with the table leg.

"Stab!"

The impaled wolf died with a shriek.

"Perfect! Let's go!"

Feeling good about her new gear, Pastel strode forward confidently. The corner of the hallway came into view.

She started to round it boldly, then thought better of it and just poked her head out.

Two wolves facing away. Black energy swirled ominously around them. They looked evil and dangerous at a glance.

*They look delicious...*

*No, that's not right.*

Pastel wiped away her drool.

*Let's try to lure just one.*

She set down her spear and took out the wooden awl. She took an throwing stance, extending one arm.

*One, two, three.*

*Throw!*

The awl flew through the air, striking a wolf's head. The black wolf let out an incongruous "Yip!" of surprise.

The wolf looked around, spotted her, and charged ferociously. The wolf behind it hadn't reacted yet.

Pastel ducked behind the corner. She picked up her spear and readied herself.

The wolf rounded the corner, lunging. She covered herself with the shield.

*Come on.*

The wolf lowered its body, aiming for her lower half.

*Ah, right. Quadrupedal.*

She tossed the spear towards the ceiling and gripped the shield with both hands. She drove the edge downward as if sitting. The shield's edge collided with the wolf's muzzle. Teeth clashed loudly. Its jaws snapped shut painfully.

Pastel stood, reaching one hand towards the ceiling. The falling spear rotated into her grasp. She thrust downward with all her weight. The trajectory pierced the wolf's eye, burrowing into its brain.

The wolf howled in agony, staggering. A kick sent it reeling. The spear was pulled free as the wolf collapsed. A sweet scent wafted through the air.

The sound of bestial footsteps echoed from beyond the corner.

The girl charged to meet it.

The wolf had just rounded the corner.

Pastel thrust the spear with all her momentum. The trajectory pierced the wolf's gaping maw.

A meaty sound rang out.

Strong resistance.

The spear penetrated deep into its body.