Starting from a Koromon! [50]

Super-Extreme Hell・Mega-Eater Meal Challenge—Now Open?!

Why in the ever-loving hell would two perfectly normal young girls even consider coming to a place like this?!

He desperately wanted to scream that out loud, but rationality reminded Zero that shouting at a time like this would only invite more unnecessary trouble.

Wait… the “challenge” they mentioned earlier—did they seriously mean this?

As Zero’s mind was spinning with horror, Rina was already sighing dramatically.

“So this is it, today’s ‘obstacle’ to overcome… Ahaha, it’s way beyond me. Yuuko, it’s all on you now~”

Next to her, the black-haired girl didn’t say much; she simply nodded calmly. In that instant, Rina also withdrew her playful expression, taking a deep breath as determination settled across her face.

Onward—girls stepping bravely onto the battlefield!

“Excuse us~”

With those words, Rina opened the door and stepped boldly inside…

“Welcome~”

The store attendant greeted them warmly at the entrance, leading them inside. She was just about to ask for their orders when Yuuko raised her hand and pointed directly at the most conspicuous sign inside the store.

“One Mega-Eater Challenge Set A—fifty-fold concentrated Teriyaki Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl Set, please.”

At this request, the waitress visibly paled.

“E…excuse me, ma’am… Are you sure you want to order the Mega-Eater Challenge Set A…?”

Though the waitress didn’t say it directly, Zero clearly felt her implied plea: “Please don’t defy the laws of nature.”

Honestly, Zero felt exactly the same.

From the description alone, this thing was literally the genuine “fifty-fold” concentrated version—meaning the equivalent of compressing fifty normal servings into a single bowl.

Granted, considering the notoriously small portion sizes in Area 11 (Japan), an average adult from the Heavenly Kingdom (China) could easily manage three servings without much trouble.

Someone with a big appetite might even handle five servings comfortably…

…But fifty servings? Fifty?! That would amount to over ten times the average adult male’s capacity!

Not to mention it was Teriyaki pork cutlet—heavy, greasy, and rich beyond all reason. Typically, the difficulty of eating this kind of greasy food increased exponentially. The first few bites might be fine—giving you the illusion that you could power through—but as you went further, each mouthful would feel increasingly impossible to swallow.

And judging by Yuuko’s delicate physique, it was utterly impossible to imagine how fifty servings of food could physically fit inside her slender body.

Zero hurriedly chased away the terrifying mental images forming in his mind. Unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly speak up to warn her, and even her close friend Rina showed no intention of stopping this madness.

…Could it be that Yuuko was actually a pro at this?

As Zero hesitated anxiously, the waitress nervously confirmed the order twice. Only then did she look at Yuuko with profound admiration.

“Understood. Your order has been received…”

The waitress’s expression resembled that of someone watching a soldier march heroically toward a doomed battlefield. Yuuko merely nodded quietly without adding anything more.

Then the waitress turned to Rina, silently asking if she planned to order the same monstrosity.

Rina quickly shook her head vigorously.

“No, no, no! Just an ordinary Tonkatsu Set for me, thanks~”

The waitress noted it down, then silently retreated…

“If they simply piled up quantity without quality, I’d be very disappointed…” Yuuko remarked calmly, watching the waitress’s departing figure.

Rina laughed and replied easily:

“I heard this restaurant’s Mega-Eater Challenges aren’t just about sheer quantity—they don’t compromise taste either, apparently maintaining a pretty high standard.”

Yuuko didn’t respond much, just quietly acknowledged her friend’s words. Judging by their conversation, it seemed like Yuuko wasn’t purely challenging a Mega-Eater contest—was she genuinely here to search for gourmet food?

Hajime clearly couldn’t comprehend all this. She only vaguely understood that this was a place for food, where ordering meals was as simple as asking, without any need to desperately forage like back in the Digital World.

It felt somewhat similar to the Toy Town experience, only obviously far more advanced.

After just a short wait, the orders were served.

Rina’s order was a perfectly ordinary Tonkatsu Set, nothing worth mentioning…

…but Yuuko’s order was a fully-loaded, heaping basin.

Zero absolutely refused to associate that monstrous container with the word “bowl.” It was definitely a basin!

Meat, grease, meat, grease… Layer upon layer of pork cutlets piled high into a small mountain, so dense the rice beneath was practically invisible. Overflowing grease glistened brightly, vividly promising juicy tenderness and rich mouthfeel…

…But clearly only for the first few bites. Eating that sheer volume was no longer enjoyment—it was pure hell.

“Then…”

After cautiously placing the meal in front of Yuuko, the waitress took a respectful step back, solemnly bowing deeply, eyes filled with resolution.

“…May fortune favor you on this battlefield!”

Yuuko quietly placed her hands together, closing her eyes with dignity.

“…Well then, itadakimasu!”

As soon as these words left her lips, the girl’s eyes snapped open…

…It was probably an illusion, right? But at that moment, Zero and Hajime both felt their entire bodies tremble uncontrollably. They felt it—the overwhelming aura of fighting spirit, powerful enough to exert tangible pressure!

It wasn’t unfamiliar to feel this kind of intensity when facing strong opponents, but they certainly hadn’t expected to sense it from such a delicate-looking young girl.

…On a related note, Rina occasionally radiated a similar kind of deadly aura when she slept and hugged Zero during nightmares.

In a sense, this sort of thing could be lethal…

Having spoken, Yuuko gracefully picked up her chopsticks and calmly lifted a single cutlet to her lips.

Her movements were gentle, graceful, naturally elegant—not hurried at all, totally unlike those fierce, frenzied Mega-Eater challengers who shoveled food into their mouths.

She simply opened her mouth calmly, carefully…and began slowly savoring the bite.

Then, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

“Mm… delicious!”

With those words, the girl moved her chopsticks again.

Still slowly, gently, with elegance and composure…

…Zero struggled to imagine how this “slow-and-steady-wins-the-race” approach could ever succeed. Forget demolishing the meat-mountain—just digging a noticeable dent in it seemed impossible.

Was there really any hope for this challenge to succeed?

But Yuuko showed no doubt, no hesitation. Her chopsticks moved continuously, never faltering. The challenge…had truly begun!

—

T/N: OUGH IM SO HYUNGRY NOW

This is a fan translation of从滚球兽开始 by 魔王丘比. Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!