Reincarnated as the Weakest Magical Beast

"T-that's horrifying!"

Mimi shuddered, her body trembling as she took in the scene, a shill ran down her spine. Zephyrona's power was far more terrifying than she had ever imagined. The Archdemon lay completely annihilated, its massive form reduced to nothing, and even the black crown—the vessel that had once housed its soul—had crumbled to ash, drifting away like smoke in the wind.

"I-is it over?" Emilia whispered, her voice barely audible as she hugged Mimi tightly. Her eyes flickered with exhaustion and relief. "Mimi…" She glanced down at the tiny Noctifelis nestled in her arms, running her fingers gently through its soft fur. "We… we're safe now…"

Then, without warning, Emilia's knees buckled. She crumpled to the cold stone floor, the last of her strength finally giving way.

"AAAA! EMILIA! EMILIA!!!" Mimi cried, frantic with fear. She scrambled to lay on Emilia's chest, shaking her desperately, a wave of panic crashing over her.

But just as her hope began to falter, a calm voice cut through her fear.

"Don't worry. The young lady is only lightly wounded. She has simply overexerted herself using magic."

Zephyrona turned back and knelt beside Emilia, her touch as gentle as a feather as she placed a hand on Emilia's forehead. Her eyes closed in quiet concentration, a moment of profound silence as she examined the young girl's condition.

"Fortunately, her soul is not severely damaged. A few days of rest, and she will be fine."

Phew!

Mimi let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. If anything had happened to Emilia, she would have been doomed as well!

"Anyway, Mimi, have you chosen your desired item yet?" Zephyrona asked, her voice light and casual as she moved to change the subject.

"Huh? Meow??" Mimi meowed, tilting her head in confusion. It was only now, in her relief, that she finally realized something.

"Zephyrona… you… you can understand me?"

"Haha, of course!" Zephyrona replied, stroking Mimi's head. The static from her gauntlets once again made Mimi's fur stand on end.

Mimi sighed. "I-I was in the middle of choosing one, but then Emilia and I were both sucked into this room and captured by that demon!"

"Ah… so that's what happened…" Zephyrona nodded. "It seems that it really was my fault. Apparently, the security enchantments couldn't contain the demon inside that room… I didn't think it would be broken that easily…"

"No, please don't blame yourself like that!" Mimi protested. "You actually warned us not to go near the door with the red ruby. I didn't listen, and I dragged Emilia into this mess with me…"

"Hmm, that's a fair point!" Zephyrona scratched her chin, a sly grin spreading across her face. "So… if it's your fault, that means we don't have to compensate you!"

"HUH?!?" Mimi whirled around. "C-compensate?"

"Of course! Haha!" Zephyrona laughed loudly. "I was going to give you two a huge gift! But since you said it wasn't my fault, I guess I don't have to anymore! Yeah!" She winked playfully at Mimi.

"W-what?!" Mimi was flabbergasted.

Zephyrona... what a sly person!

"I-I've changed my mind! It's only half my fault! You still have to give us some compensation!"

"Oh? What's that now?" Zephyrona teased, her smile growing even wider. "You just said we didn't have to."

"No! Still some!" Mimi squeaked, her tiny face dead serious. "L-look!" she then pointed a paw toward Emilia. "My master is unconscious and injured, and me… ouch! My paws are sore! My emotions are damaged!"

Zephyrona burst out laughing. "Haha! You're so shameless!"

"Hmph!" Mimi pouted, a small, dignified noise.

"Alright, alright! Let's go to my room. We'll get Emilia some rest, and we can discuss your compensation later!"

"Meow! Agreed!"

With that, Zephyrona carefully scooped Emilia up into her arms. Mimi walked alongside them.

After leaving the chamber, they ascended about a hundred more floors, arriving at the top of the Sanctuary of Ten Thousand Stars.

Floor 1000th.

Zephyrona's room was right there.

***

Moments later…

Nom nom nom nom…

Mimi was feasting ravenously at Zephyrona's dining table, her little body practically buzzing with delight. Her master, Emilia, was resting peacefully in another room; Zephyrona had said she would need a few more hours before waking.

Of course, Zephyrona herself had burned through a tremendous amount of magic in her battle with the Archdemon, so she was madly hungry.

And Mimi was too!

Even though she did not do shit, as a cat, she's always hungry!

Anyways…

Oh my! She couldn't believe how good the food was!

In front of her was a banquet of delicacies fit for a king! There were chunks of grilled premium magical beast steak, glistening ocean salmon with lemon sauce, succulent shrimp, and even a rich liver pate that came from some kind of magical bird!

And not only that, the portions were massive, with most of the meat was bigger than Mimi herself, turning her meal into an all-you-can-eat buffet! Every bite sunk her fangs into soft, juicy, flavorful meat!

Mmmmmh!!!

Mimi's body vibrated with pure food-fueled bliss, her tail shooting straight up before she returned to the delightful task of nomming.

Across the table, Zephyrona was also enjoying her meal, albeit with a dragon's appetite!

Yeah, as a storm dragon, Zephyrona ate shit tons of food daily!

She picked up a giant bird leg, thicker than her arm, and bit down, tearing off meat and bone in a single chomp! Then she chewed. The sound of bone snapping inside her mouth was so ridiculously savage that it made Mimi shudder.

"I caught this salmon myself from the eastern seas of Dravalon. And this meat came from a hairy magical cow I hunted in the great snowy mountains. How is it, Mimi? Delicious, right?"

"MEOW! Delicious beyond words!" Mimi meowed happily, her mouth full. She had never, not once, tasted anything this good in her life!

Zephyrona then picked up a colossal goblet. She tipped it back, chugging at least five liters of beer in one go.

KHAAAAA!!!

"Nothing beats that!" she bellowed, wiping her mouth with a flourish.

Mimi, on the other hand, couldn't drink beer or even juice. Her taste buds didn't register sweetness, so all juice tasted sour as heck. And without hands, she couldn't hold a cup, so she could only lap up a little water from a small bowl!

Tch! This cat drinking method is soooooo inefficient!!! Mimi frowned.

If only I had a straw… but where the hell would I find one here now?

Mimi just had to make do, licking what she could, one tiny, unsatisfying sip at a time.

Lap lap lap…

After drinking her fill, Mimi asked, her voice lower now with a hint of concern.

"Zephyrona, something has been bothering me ever since we left that room…"

"Yes?" Zephyrona responded.

"Was what the Archdemon said… true?"

At that question, Zephyrona stopped. She put down the giant bird leg, her eyes suddenly serious.

"Yes…" A pause, then she continued. "Mimi… you heard everything, didn't you?"

"Yeaah…" Mimi replied.

Zephyrona sighed. "That happened a long time ago. If you want, I'll tell you everything after we eat."

"Wait, you can?" Mimi asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah. There's no need to keep secrets from you anymore," Zephyrona said with a gentle smile.

A sudden lump formed in Mimi's throat. Gulp...

"Alright, are you full yet?" Zephyrona asked.

"Ah, no!" Mimi squeaked. Her eyes immediately darted back to the food. Nom nom nom nom! She continued eating, devouring every last bite until her belly was so bloated with meat she felt she might burst!

***

A while later, they moved to another room. As it turned out, the dragon girl was a secret bookworm, and her hideout was a sanctuary of knowledge. Towering bookcases filled with volumes on every subject imaginable dominated the space.

Zephyrona settled into a plush armchair, the leather groaning softly under her weight, and gently placed Mimi in her lap. As her fingers began to softly stroke Mimi's fur, a sense of quiet calm fell over the room. The only sound was the steady, rhythmic ticking of a large antique clock, counting away the seconds in the peaceful space.

And so, Zephyrona began to tell her story, her voice trembling slightly as memories came rushing back.

...

About 1,000 years ago.

At that time, Zephyrona's master—Lady Anastasia Silvervein, the first Clan Head of the Silvervein family—received a secret mission entrusted to her by the Goddess Fauveline.

To fulfill this mission, Anastasia had to journey into the other half of the world… into Abyssia, a land of darkness and chaos, where Necrosia had fled.

It turned out that Fauveline wanted Anastasia's help in finding Necrosia. As the goddess who governed every magical beast in Arventia, Fauveline could never leave her divine realm to descend into Abyssia herself. And among all her followers, Anastasia was the strongest, the bravest, and the most trusted.

Thus, Fauveline gave Anastasia a relic carrying a trace of Necrosia's mana. With the abilities of her companions, Anastasia would be able to track it.

And so, they ventured deeper and deeper into the land of Abyssia.

And after nearly thirty days of searching, they finally found something…

A possessed artifact…

Necrosia's Crown of Blacknight