Chapter 211: Farewell
Upon hearing Kurome's words, the others turned their heads toward Eric , who was sweating profusely.
Eric : "..."
Who could have known that a weapon bought from the system store would vanish directly from the original owner's hands, especially in the middle of a battle!
However, Kurome quickly changed the subject as she spotted her long-lost older sister, whom she thought was dead.
With a joyful expression, Kurome grasped Akame's hand, her eyes welling up with happy tears. "Sister, ever since I received the news of your failed mission and uncertain fate, I have been looking for you—today, I finally found you!"
Akame's eyes also glistened with tears, and the two sisters embraced once more.
The others, understanding the situation, quietly left, leaving space for the long-awaited reunion of the two sisters.
"It turns out Eric only woke up Akame to let her meet her sister, sorry for causing trouble," Kurumi said as she walked back, apologizing to Eric .
"No, it's my fault for not saying anything beforehand," Eric shook his head and, to his surprise, smiled, saying, "I'm actually happy you care about me so much, Kurumi. I'll be sure to let you know next time if something happens."
"Hmph~" Kurumi's prideful attitude kicked in, "I don't care about you, big pig feet!" She pretended to stomp on Eric but lightly kicked him and then ran away playfully.
Eric watched Kurumi's swaying ponytails, knowing she was in a good mood, which in turn made him feel better.
[Ding... Akame's affection increased significantly, reaching its maximum value. Bond Level rises from 4 (Best Friends) to 5 (Life and Death Companions). Earned 4 Bond Points.]
[Ding... Kurome's affection increased. Bond Level rises from 1 (Casual Friend) to 2 (Close Friend). Earned 1 Bond Point.]
Not sure what Akame and Kurome were talking about, the system notifications kept popping up with increased affection.
Eric lay back down on his sleeping spot, looking up at the starry night sky. The fire's flames flickered and cast shifting shadows on his face, much like the uncertainties in his own heart.
As the last day of August passed, the system began calculating.
[Ding... Yearly Task One: Training Results Completed]
[Achieved Result Two: Two attributes reached 8 stars, one attribute reached 8.5 stars or above. Reward: 3 Achievement Points; Artifact: Purple Flame Snake Spear Fire Point Spear]
The system's notification interrupted Eric 's thoughts. He looked at the newly appeared artifact in his inventory.
[Purple Flame Snake Spear Fire Point Spear. Note: Also known as the Fire Point Spear, used by Nezha in "Investiture of the Gods." Its length exceeds eight feet and can change shape freely, splitting into two or combining them. The spear tip can shoot purple flames, with immense combat power. It can be used for both close combat and area attacks when paired with martial arts training.]
This was the perfect artifact for him! The spear fighting style his master taught him included dual wielding, especially the "Piercing Death Shot" that could pin enemies in place, unable to move. Unfortunately, Eric only had one magic spear and couldn't practice this technique.
With the Fire Point Spear, which could split into two, he could finally learn this technique! Eric 's eyes lit up with excitement, unaware that Kurumi was quietly observing him.
In Eric 's excited daydreams, the night passed without him feeling sleepy.
...
When morning came, everyone awoke and noticed Kurome, who was suddenly among them, causing confusion.
Deidara's eyes widened, trembling fingers pointing back and forth between Eric and Akame, "You two had such a big kid overnight?! That's way too fast!"
"Bang!" Esdeath struck Deidara, "Is your brain filled with explosive clay too?!"
"Ouch!"
Kurome stepped forward and introduced herself, "I'm Kurome, Akame's younger sister. Thank you all for looking after my sister in the past."
'So she's Akame's sister. No wonder they look so alike,' the others thought, feeling relieved.
Kurome then turned to Eric and bowed, "This must be my brother-in-law. Please continue to take care of my sister."
Kurome's words caused various expressions to appear on everyone's faces. Akame, usually a little clueless, was now blushing with a red hue on her face.
Kurumi raised an eyebrow but didn't say much.
Esdeath simply replied with a nonchalant "Oh," showing no concern for Kurome's words, her queenly demeanor fully on display.
Kurome, having finished her introduction, stood with her hands behind her back, looking charming.
Faced with such a cute and charming girl, the women had a natural lack of resistance. As they were about to approach, Kurome quickly clutched the bag around her waist, saying like a protective little animal, "I'm not sharing this with you."
The group: 'She's definitely Akame's sister!'
Eric finally spoke up, "Let's go aboard. Da Vinci, please give Kurome a full check-up. Her body was injected with drugs to forcibly enhance her abilities. We're not sure what effect this has had on her health."
"Leave it to me." Da Vinci said with a warm smile, taking Kurome's nervous hand and leading her to the warship. Akame, concerned about her sister's health, followed behind.
With one matter settled in his mind, Eric smiled, "Let's go, everyone! Time for a new journey!"
...
In Hancock's white hand, a piece of life paper with numbers on it slowly moved. Although the distance between them was close, she refrained from calling or going to Luscaina Island to check if Eric was there, so as not to disturb his training.
With her long fingers gently pressing the paper, she hugged her knees with her arms, burying her head in them and letting out a long sigh. In a voice only she could hear, she whispered, "Eric ..."
"Sister." Her two younger sisters stood beside her, comforting her as she fell into her longing for Eric .
"Ssnake Queen! Snake Queen!" A maid rushed into Hancock's room. "The Dawn Pirates are here!"
"Huh!" Hancock quickly looked up, her face filled with surprise. "Really?!"
Then, she quickly fell into her fantasies. "Could Eric be here to propose?!"
Sonia and Marigold, unable to comment on their older sister, awkwardly stood still.
"They must be here to say goodbye," Gloriosa entered Hancock's room, holding her snake staff.
Hancock angrily said, "How dare you enter my room again?!"
"You have the energy to shout at me. You should hurry up and see Eric to find out their intentions," Gloriosa replied calmly.
"Oh, right!" Hancock suddenly realized that Eric was waiting for her. She lightly jumped off the bed and quickly ran out of her room.
Having trained on Luscaina for a year and leaving without a word was not something Eric would do. He wouldn't be that heartless.
As the Nine Snake Pirates' ship grew closer, Hancock's figure became clearer.
Hancock joyfully invited, "Eric , why don't you come to Nine Snake Island as a guest?"
Eric shook his head and refused, "I came here to say goodbye to you, Hancock."
Hancock showed a pitiful look, like an abandoned little animal, her eyes glistening with tears. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Eric said seriously, "This separation is temporary, so we can live together in the future."
"Live together... in the future..." Hancock covered her mouth, her eyes shining with excitement. "Is this... a proposal?"
The women were about to shout, "No, it's not!" but then realized it sounded like a proposal! Their gazes turned sharp.
"Training is to strengthen oneself, and separation is to expand the team," Eric smiled, explaining, "Training in the Calm Belt alone won't be enough to overthrow the World Government. I need to travel across the world and gather enough people to do it."
Hancock clenched her fist in front of her chest, "Then I'll pray for your success and smooth sailing, Eric ."
Not fully at ease, she looked up and asked, "Eric , you won't forget me, will you?"
Eric smiled and said, "How could I forget Hancock? Even if we're worlds apart, we still have the Transponder Snail to contact each other."
"Mm!" Hancock nodded, reassured.
Hancock stood at the bow of the ship, watching the Warship disappear into the distance, unable to speak for a long time.
Remembering Gloriosa's words earlier, her azure eyes seemed to burn with fire. Hancock finally made up her mind, "I can't just wait for Eric to act. I too—must grow stronger!"
(END CHAPTER)
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