Chapter 324: Yoshino (Part 1)
Two days after Ulquiorra and Kakuzu had left, Eric rubbed his hands together, preparing for the next summoning.
In the center of the summoning array, a snow-white, spherical al fruit with spiral patterns was placed—The Devil Fruit, the Snow-Snow Fruit, a Logia-type.
The power of the Logia-type fruits was unquestionable. Even though the Snow-Snow Fruit was a lower-tier ice fruit, it had its own unique strengths.
Aside from the incredibly overpowered Omo-omo Fruit, the Snow-Snow Fruit was one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in Eric 's possession.
"Ah, should I wash your hands with holy water?" Kurumi teased from the side.
"Eh? You have holy water?" Eric extended his hands. "Can it bring me good luck?"
"..." Kurumi twitched her cheek, then smiled gently. Her soft lips curved slightly, as she bent forward and lightly kissed the palm of Eric 's hand. "This is the blessing of the goddess of luck~ It works better than holy water."
Eric felt the softness of her hand and the lingering moisture left behind, the atmosphere growing more intimate.
"I want it too, I want it too!" Miku called out, pouting and rushing forward, then pushing her lips against the exact same spot on Eric 's hand.
"...What are you doing?" Eric 's forehead was covered with black lines.
"Blessing you, darling!" Miku said, then pouted her full lips enticingly, as if magically pulling Eric 's gaze. "This is a double blessing from both Kurumi and me~"
"Wait for me!" Kurumi grabbed Miku and pulled her away forcefully.
"What, what are you doing?!" Miku struggled and then suggested, "I have a great idea: First, I kiss darling, then the me who kissed darling can kiss Miss Kurumi. How about it? This way we get two things in one—"
"No way." Kurumi squinted her eyes, "Aren't you just taking advantage of the situation?"
"Eh? But if I kiss darling first, then kiss you, doesn't that mean you're kissing darling indirectly?" Miku smiled innocently.
"The condition for indirect kissing becomes direct kissing," Kurumi sighed, "No need, I've already kissed Eric —"
Kurumi suddenly went silent.
"Eh?" Miku 's beautiful purple-silver eyes widened. "Did you just say something shocking? When did that happen? Why didn't I know?"
Kurumi gave her a look as if saying, "There's so much you don't know."
"Eh, eh, eh?" Miku covered her head, her silver-purple hair swaying back and forth. "Am I really falling behind Esdeath? Not only that, but even Miss Kurumi is ahead of me this much?!"
"The difference between first base, second base, and home plate. Don't make me think of unpleasant things." Kurumi's face darkened as well.
The two elf ladies walked to the side to talk, and Eric extended his right hand, beginning to chant the incantation:
"You are the embodiment of blizzards, you are the voice of winter's arrival, hear my call! Appear, guardian of ice and snow!"
The sky began to pour down pure white snowflakes, and a white whirlwind enveloped the summoning array, spinning rapidly. The temperature dropped sharply, and a blizzard with near-zero visibility completely engulfed the array.
"Oh?" Esdeath squinted her eyes. "Is it another ice-type like me? I hope it's a warrior—"
Esdeath's voice grew quieter as the blizzard gradually weakened, revealing the small figure inside—
Indeed, it was a girl.
She was wrapped in a cute green jacket, and her small figure was concealed.
Her face was hidden beneath a hood decorated with rabbit ears, nearly covering her entire head.
There was a rabbit doll with a black eye patch on her left hand.
"A girl?" Esdeath's voice made the girl in the array shiver.
Kurumi and Miku felt a familiar power emanating from her, and both spoke at the same time: "Are you an elf?"
The hood swayed lightly, revealing one of her beautiful sapphire-like eyes, and the rabbit doll's mouth opened and closed. "Heh~ Looks like there are two elf ladies here too, how delightful."
"My name is Yoshinon, and this is Yoshino. Please take good care of me~"
The rabbit doll even greeted them, the short left hand moving back and forth.
"Haah..."
Kurumi and Miku were slightly confused, but Miku 's attention quickly shifted to Yoshino's delicate appearance.
This girl named Yoshino raised her head slightly, revealing her face beneath the hood.
She appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, with soft ocean-blue hair and pink lips. She was a girl with a dreamlike appearance.
"Really!" The rabbit doll seemed a little angry, but everyone could clearly tell that the voice came from Yoshino's stomach. "You should be more polite! Yoshinon already greeted you!"
"Heh..." Esdeath huffed through her nose. "So, you're one of those who can't speak for themselves and have to use something else to disguise themselves."
Esdeath stepped forward, her graceful figure approaching Yoshino.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Yoshinon seemed to want to protect Yoshino and began to bare her claws, "Don't bully Yoshino! I'm not someone easy to mess with!"
Though she said that, Yoshino seemed to want to turn and run.
"Smack!"
But her delicate legs tripped, and Yoshino fell to the ground. The white rabbit doll flew through the air and landed far in the bushes.
"Ah, ah..." A weak, mosquito-like sound came from Yoshino's mouth, as if all her strength had been drained.
"Esdeath, scaring a little girl like that doesn't do justice to your title as the Ice Queen." Kurumi stepped in front of Esdeath, as Yoshino was also an elf, just like her.
"Exactly—!" Miku mustered up courage and stood with Kurumi, positioning themselves between Esdeath and Yoshino.
"That, that..."
"Please, don't hurt me..."
"Please..." The broken, sobbing words from the girl on the ground were heart-wrenching.
The girl trembled like a scared animal, her entire body quivering slightly.
Seeing this, Miku wanted to open her arms and comfort her, but Yoshino jumped up and avoided her. After a small distance, she cast a fearful glance at the group.
"Hmph." Esdeath, while enjoying the interrogation, felt no interest in someone so timid, so she moved away and leaned against a nearby tree, watching the spectacle.
Eric also retrieved the rabbit doll from the bushes, dusted it off, and handed it back to her:
"Here, this should be your friend, right?"
Yoshino widened her eyes, took two steps toward Eric , then stopped.
She wanted to take the doll back but seemed scared of approaching Eric , showing that expression.
'This is an unexpected summoning...' Eric thought, extending his hand holding the doll toward the girl, slowly closing the distance between them.
Yoshino seemed to understand Eric 's intentions and slowly walked toward him.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, just a step away from Eric , the girl quickly grabbed the doll from his hands and placed it on her own.
"Thanks, big brother." The rabbit once again emitted a strange high-pitched sound, pointing at Esdeath by the tree, "Is that your friend too? Isn't she a little too scary?!"
(END CHAPTER)
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