The Reincarnated Extra
chapter-516

1. His and Their Curses

* * *

Clank, clank…

Clank, clank…

The skeleton in silver armor, who keeps bumping into the wall, clanking his armor… the ‘protagonist’, according to Extra-sama.

As I mentioned before, I don’t sense any hostility or killing intent from him.

Or rather, he’s not even aware of me?

Like a robot, only performing predetermined actions…

…That’s the impression I get.

What is he doing?

Why does he keep bumping into the wall?

<…This is a good opportunity. Finally, I’ll tell you.>

Extra-sama’s voice echoes in my head, as I tilt my head in confusion.

<First of all, it all started with a ‘broadcasting accident’. The unexpected situation… where the protagonist was defeated in the final battle against the nemesis… who do you think hated that the most?>

Well, that would be…

I put my hand on my chin, and thought about it.

But well, yeah.

It’s not a difficult question.

The god who prepared the story and filmed the isekai reincarnation broadcast, right?

<That’s right. Therefore, foolishly… that god decided to try a ‘redo’.>

A redo?

<Simply put… they revived Herotti, the protagonist, and made him fight General Tekigataa, the nemesis, again.>

Eh…?

Revive… You mean… they brought him back to life…!?

<Yes.>

Is that okay?

To do that?

<It’s apparently not a good thing to do… but it seems that a lot of gods, in their youthful indiscretion, casually revive people?>

Youthful indiscretion…

<And they secretly talk about those episodes at drinking parties, as a ‘mischief’ they did in the past.>

‘Reviving humans’ is treated as ‘mischief’ for gods!?

Wait, hold on, Extra-sama.

Going back to the story—

The protagonist was revived, and challenged the nemesis to a battle again.

And then, what happened?

Did he win?

<No, he lost again.>

Why!?

<He lost the first time. Of course, he’d lose the second time too.>

Now that you mention it… that makes sense…?

<And General Tekigataa and the others also learned from the first battle. Actually, they were apparently able to defeat Herotti, the protagonist, more easily the second time around.>

Isn’t Herotti… too pitiful…?

<The god, not satisfied with the result, revived Herotti, the protagonist, again.>

No, maybe they should just give up…

<And in the third decisive battle, Herotti, the protagonist, was defeated again.>

Isn’t Herotti… too pitiful…?

<Well, by the third time, they were apparently defeating him quite easily.>

Isn’t Herotti… too pitiful…!!

<But the god didn’t give up!>

Give up!!

<The god was stubborn. They were determined to get the result they wanted, and mindlessly, and without any strategy, repeated the final battle.>

That must have been rough for the others involved!?

<Right, it was rough.>

Clank, clank…

Extra-sama sighed deeply, listening to the sound of the protagonist skeleton bumping into the wall.

And then.

<That god’s obsession… the divine power they kept pouring in… It engraved a curse… you could say a ‘Status Fixation Curse’… on those poor souls.>

Extra-sama said that quietly… but with disgust.

…‘Status Fixation Curse’?

<Herotti, the protagonist, can no longer disappear… until he defeats General Tekigataa and the others… or until they’re defeated. Because the god wished for ‘the protagonist to win’. Now, even if Herotti is defeated, he’ll automatically revive at the entrance of this fort… He has become such a nonsensical existence.>

Isn’t that… a blessing, in a way?

<No. Every time he revives, his soul is worn down, frayed. Now, he has lost even his reason and personality, and is just an existence that tries to repeat his past actions, according to his memories of the battle in this fort… Does that sound like a blessing to you?>

…I misspoke.

But… so that means…

This protagonist skeleton… can only perform predetermined actions now.

So that’s probably why… General Tekigataa and the others created ‘that wall’.

When a wall that wasn’t there before suddenly appeared before him, the protagonist skeleton can’t avoid or destroy it.

Because he has no experience doing that.

He can’t even recognize that there’s a wall there, and just keeps trying to walk straight, bumping into the wall, getting ‘stuck’…

By sealing him like that, General Tekigataa and the others wouldn’t have to deal with him.

<On the other hand, the god wished for General Tekigataa and the Superbad Empire soldiers to ‘be defeated’. Because they’re the villains. So they became unable to die… ‘until they are defeated’.>

Unlike the protagonist skeleton… they don’t revive.

<That’s right. And since it would be troublesome if they escaped, they can no longer leave the fort’s grounds.>

That sounds boring.

<It must have been boring, in reality… So they trained.>

And that’s why they’re so strong?

The protagonist has clearly lost his judgment and is weaker, but the enemies are getting stronger!

There’s no way the protagonist can win!

<That’s right. That’s why this fort still remains here, even after five hundred years. The protagonist keeps challenging, the enemies keep waiting, and the princess keeps being imprisoned.>

…This is truly… a hopeless situation.

I can only sigh.

…But wait.

…The god?

What’s the god doing?

Because of their obsession with the story, the people in this fort have been imprisoned for five hundred years.

But it’s fine now, right?

They’re pitiful, aren’t they?

Don’t they want to do something about it?

<Well…>

Well?

<As you can see, Herotti, the protagonist, and the soldiers of the Superbad Empire ended up becoming undead because of the god’s curse.>

Yeah.

<Currently, in the world of Ardyst, the appearance of undead is considered something to be prevented…>

Yeah.

<But that god created undead…>

Yeah.

<So they were flamed.>

Flamed.

<They deleted their account, and ran away.>

Ran away.

<They’re currently… missing. So they probably don’t have the motivation to do anything about the current situation in this fort.>

I involuntarily held my head in my hands.

That god is… too pathetic…!