Chapter 49: The Queen Arrives
A pillar of blue lightning surged toward the mechanical gorilla!
"Uuugh!" the gorilla roared, stretching both of its long arms forward.
The lightning slowed down, and the gorilla smoothly rolled to the side, dodging the attack.
'Lower temperature decreases Who's-Whocular activity—could even affect electric charges?' Eric noted. 'Looks like I'll have to strike when it can't react.'
"Uuugh!" This time, the gorilla didn't wait passively. It waved its hands, forming a massive diamond-shaped ice spike in midair. With another swing, it hurled it at Eric .
"So even animals understand using large objects as weapons."
"30 Million Volts: Thunderbird!" A massive bird made of blue lightning soared toward the incoming ice spike.
Boom!
The ice shattered under the lightning, shards flying everywhere from the explosion. The heat from the thunder melted some chunks, filling the space between Eric and the gorilla with snow and mist—obscuring their view.
Eric , who could use Observation Haki, had been waiting for this moment—[Teleport].
By the time the mechanical gorilla sensed him behind, it was already too late.
"50 Million Volts: Discharge!" Blue currents surged over it. A jolt of paralyzing electricity flashed through its mind, and it collapsed on the spot, charred and twitching.
"Bzzzt…" Sparks danced briefly across the mechanical parts on the gorilla's body before vanishing.
"As expected of Eric -, handled so quickly~" Kurumi walked over gracefully. "Now what?"
"If we go back to the ship to grab a container, it might be too late. The Devil Fruit ability could already reincarnate—so I'll have to use blood now." Eric drew a small cut across his wrist, letting blood flow.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Kurumi winced with unexpected concern.
"It's fine. The cut's small—just enough to draw blood." The blood streamed down his arm and into the summoning circle traced with his finger.
"All set." Eric stood upright. Kurumi tore a strip from the inner lining of her clothes and wrapped it around his wrist.
"Sorry I ruined your outfit."
"Doesn't matter. As long as you're okay," Kurumi said, her mismatched eyes shining with soft affection, causing Eric 's heartbeat to quicken.
"Alright. Even though the others aren't here, this will be a moment shared just between me and Kurumi—come forth, my fifth companion! Summon!"
Hearing this, Kurumi murmured in an almost inaudible voice, "Eric and I's child…?"
A flash of white light, the smoke dissipated...
At the center of the summoning circle stood a woman in a white military uniform, wearing a matching officer's cap. Her long blue hair reached past her knees, and her icy blue eyes perfectly complemented her beautiful yet commanding appearance. With just a glare, she could make a man tremble from fear.
The woman looked up at the sky. "Is this... hell?"
Eric and Kurumi: "…"
Eric glanced up—overcast skies. "Um…" he hesitated, trying to speak.
The woman in uniform glanced his way.
"Doesn't seem like hell. Where am I?"
"You're in the Grand Line, on a winter island—the Nation of the Future, Baldimore."
"Hm, no need for torture to get info, huh? A pity."
"…Then is there anything else you want to know?" Eric asked, checking the system interface:
[Name: Esdeath]
[Age: 20]
[Physique: 5.5 Stars]
[Martial Arts: 6 Stars]
[Swordsmanship: 6 Stars]
[Armament Haki: 0]
[Observation Haki: 5 Stars]
[Conqueror's Haki: Unawakened]
[Devil Fruit: 8 Stars]
[Weapon: Rapier (A high-grade European-style sword, longer and wider than most)]
[Bond Level: 1 (Casual Friend)]
[Overall Combat Power: 6 Stars] (Attribute capped at 4 Stars due to player bond limit)
[Note: A bit sadistic. Loves torture. Ruthless to enemies, but kind to subordinates and civilians. Her troops' morale is sky-high, earning her the title of the Empire's strongest general. Enjoys battle—sometimes deliberately letting foes escape just to prolong the fight. Despite her sadistic tendencies, she has a tender, womanly side.]
'I remember she died to Akame in the end… unless this is a different parallel world?'
Esdeath looked at her right arm, her fingers, and down at the symbol on her chest. The arm and fingers she'd lost were intact… but she could still feel the phantom pain of being stabbed by Murasame's broken blade.
"I remember dying. And yet, I'm alive?" she muttered—half to herself, half to Eric . She had frozen herself in ice and crumbled away.
"No, you did die. I summoned you from the moment of death into this world. You can still remember dying, can't you?"
"Yeah… I lost. So all that was left… was death."
"What are you doing?! Stop right there!" Eric shouted as her words grew darker. "You just lost once to Akame! So what?! Win next time! I just revived you, and this is what you're doing?!"
"You're acting like some pathetic loser who falls down and never gets back up. What kind of 'strongest' are you supposed to be?! What 'unrivaled under the heavens'? If you're gonna die, give me back the Devil Fruit and my blood first! You money-wasting woman!"
"…#" For the first time in her life, a vein popped on Esdeath's forehead. What was meant as reflection on her past was now thoroughly misinterpreted.
"No one's ever talked to me like that. Looks like you need some 'special treatment.'"
Due to system restrictions, Esdeath couldn't use her full power—and without Armament Haki, Eric wasn't afraid. With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he was effectively untouchable.
"Kurumi, step back. I need to teach this spendthrift woman a lesson."
"Do your best, my Eric -~" Kurumi twirled back a smile .
"Ready?" Esdeath asked, still poised. She wouldn't stoop to surprise attacks—she preferred defeating opponents head-on, then showing them her true cruelty.
"White Ice Spike!" Her cry summoned dozens of massive diamond-shaped spears. They hurled toward Eric with refined precision—far superior to the gorilla from before.
"Electric Heat!" Eric summoned a blue lightning wall, converting electricity into heat to melt the ice spikes.
"Not bad. You're no nobody. State your name, boy."
"Darren Eric . I'm going to be the world's strongest man," he replied. "You're not at full strength, right? I just brought you back—right now, you can't beat me. More precisely, you can't even hurt me."
"Not necessarily!" Esdeath charged forward, rapier thrusting for his chest.
Eric didn't dodge. Whether it was mercy from being revived, or some unconscious restraint, Esdeath's blade veered and aimed for his shoulder.
The moment the blade struck—it passed through blue lightning. Eric 's body had no substance.
"I'm a Logia-type—lightning. Without Armament Haki, you can't touch me. I've been invincible from the start. So, will you still fight?"
"Then I don't have to hold back anymore, do I?" Esdeath's smile turned bloodthirsty, like a demon ready to devour its prey.
"??" This... wasn't going how Eric expected.
(END CHAPTER)
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