Chương 199: The Goal
"Right, didn't Eriri-nee say my name earlier when she showed us that vision of the future?" Mine pouted, sounding a little disgruntled.
"Oh… I'm sorry," Akame replied, giving a sheepish smile as she realized her mistake. "After all that happened, I forgot."
Looking at the girl who, in the original timeline, would have been her comrade-in-arms, Akame found herself developing a faint sense of affinity toward her. Though they hadn't yet formed the bond of future comrades, she felt a sense of potential friendship. Not as fighters, but as sisters, as family.
"It's fine, I forgive you. Let's get along from now on, Akame, Kurome," Mine said, clearly in high spirits. Far from feeling jealous that Akame and Kurome had also become Eriri's little sisters, she actually felt even happier knowing that she now had two more siblings.
"Mm!" Both Akame and Kurome nodded enthusiastically, their smiles growing even brighter.
Watching the three young girls get along so well, Eriri's heart warmed with satisfaction. She was confident that with her guidance, they would never become mere tools of the Empire or the Revolutionary Army.
In fact, she had an amusing idea brewing: what if these three powerful girls, each strong enough to shake the Empire, became the ones to topple it? Seeing an entire empire cowering under the might of three young girls would be quite a spectacle.
But she wasn't one to force her wishes on them. She'd first see if overthrowing the Empire was a goal they shared.
"Mine, Akame, Kurome, do any of you have dreams or goals you'd like to achieve in the future?" Eriri asked, her tone sincere.
Without hesitation, Mine replied, "I want to stay with you forever, Eriri-nee."
"That's a given," Eriri said, chuckling softly as she patted Mine's head. "But I mean, aside from that. Tell me your aspirations—I'll support you however I can."
Mine's brow furrowed thoughtfully as she remembered the hardships she'd faced over the years. At last, she looked up, her gaze unwavering. "Eriri-nee, I want to bridge the divide between the nations of this world and create a peaceful country without discrimination."
"Alright, sounds good. What about you two, Akame and Kurome?" Eriri asked, looking at the sisters.
The two sisters exchanged a glance, and Akame finally spoke up, "My only wish is to live a happy life together with my little sister and have a place to call home."
Then, with a firmer tone, she added, "But since Eriri-nee came along, that wish has already come true. So, I'll help Mine overthrow the Empire and build a world without discrimination."
Kurome nodded, her black eyes resolute. "I feel the same way as Nee-chan. If it's to help our family, I'm more than willing."
Having a clear goal brought them a sense of purpose, but they knew that to accomplish such a grand objective, they would need immense strength. They couldn't always rely on Eriri to handle things for them.
Unlike Mine, who had figured out how the chat group's functions worked and knew she could gradually grow stronger by accumulating points, Akame and Kurome were worried about gaining the power they'd need to protect their dreams. They wouldn't be going to the assassination unit to learn swordsmanship or obtain Teigu like Murasame or Yatsufusa.
So, they turned to Eriri for help, eyes filled with resolve.
"Eriri-nee, please train us. We're still far too weak," Akame said with a serious expression.
"Me too, me too! I want to get stronger too!" Mine chimed in quickly, clearly excited.
"Don't worry, I'll support you in every way possible so you'll have the strength you need to reach your dreams," Eriri replied warmly.
Helping them surpass even the future General Esdeath was no difficult task for her. What they lacked was mainly combat experience. In truth, even Eriri herself didn't have much experience in that area; while she wielded cosmic energy with complete mastery, her techniques were still limited and based mostly on improvisation.
Eriri planned to increase her own combat proficiency by training with sparring dummies in the chat group's arena. That way, she wouldn't be caught off guard if she ever encountered a stronger opponent, although she thought such a chance was slim.
Her promise filled the three young girls with excitement. Despite the hardships they'd endured, they were still only four or five years old, and they hadn't yet developed the maturity of their future selves.
"Oh, by the way, Akame, Kurome, I forgot to mention something important," Eriri said, her eyes sparkling with a bit of mischief.
Seeing their questioning gazes, she continued, "I'm not actually from this world. Once you've achieved your goals, I'll take you to my world to live with me."
"Of course! As long as I'm with Kurome, Mine, and Eriri-nee, it doesn't matter which world we're in," Akame said without any hesitation or curiosity about Eriri's origins.
She and her sister had never felt a strong attachment to this world, so leaving it would be no different to them than traveling to a new city.
After spending over an hour in the Akame ga Kill! world, Eriri looked over at Akame and Kurome, noting that their worn clothing wasn't much better than Mine's had been earlier. She decided to take them to her home and give them a thorough cleaning and some new clothes before they went anywhere else.
Soon, the sisters were dressed in matching black school uniforms, which Eriri had fashioned based on the anime's depiction of Kurome's outfit but enhanced with more elegant touches to improve both comfort and style.
Rather than introducing them to everyone at home, she planned to wait until after they had returned from the world of Food Wars! Mine had been looking forward to Erina's cooking since the day before, and she had eagerly described it to Akame and Kurome, who now could hardly contain their excitement to taste such magical dishes.
Without further delay, Eriri took them back to the Food Wars! world, where Erina's cooking awaited.
Back in the kitchen of Erina's residence, Arifureta lay draped across the table, absently playing a mobile game and chatting idly in the group chat. The thrill she had felt watching Food Wars! had faded into a sort of bored restlessness after watching Erina cook for over an hour. She found herself wishing she had gone with Eriri to Akame ga Kill!.
In the meantime, Erina and her secretary, Hisako, were still busy at the counter. Preparing enough food for twenty people was no small feat, and the task had already strained Erina's physical limits. Hisako's job was mostly assisting with ingredients, but Erina had insisted on handling all the actual cooking.
Finally, she finished arranging the last dish and, rubbing her sore arms, she carried it over to the table with Hisako.
Relieved, she exhaled a long breath, but then noticed the sudden appearance of a familiar white portal opening nearby. Arifureta looked up as Eriri and the three little girls emerged from the portal.
The instant they stepped out, all three girls' eyes were immediately drawn to the long dining table laden with a feast, each dish steaming as though it had just been cooked.
Seeing the three children's expressions of wide-eyed wonder, Eriri chuckled.
"Oh, you're back, Eriri!" Arifureta hopped up from her seat, greeting her friend with a warm smile before impulsively embracing her arm.
"Mm," Eriri smiled, returning the affection by placing a gentle kiss on Arifureta's lips. This left her three young companions momentarily wide-eyed, feeling an inexplicable blush creeping over their cheeks at the display.
Having already grown used to this sort of affectionate greeting from Eriri, Arifureta turned to address the three girls. "You must be Mine, Akame, and Kurome?"
"Yes!" Mine nodded, glancing nervously at the beautiful woman who had just shared such a close moment with Eriri. "Are you…?"
Though she had interacted with Arifureta in the group chat before, Mine hadn't yet realized that the group's owner, or "group master," looked like this.
"Yes, I'm your big sister Arifureta," she said with a warm smile.
"Ah! So you're the leader of the chat group!" Mine exclaimed, her tone a mix of surprise and awe.
After learning how the group functioned, she'd realized that the "group leader" held the greatest authority in the group.
"Hello, Arifureta-nee! I'm Mine!" she greeted her with utmost respect, wanting to make a good impression on the chat group's leader.
Of course, Mine didn't yet know that the true authority behind the group was actually Eriri.
In turn, Akame and Kurome each introduced themselves, following Mine's example. As they chatted, Erina finally finished preparing the last of the dishes and brought it over.
With her loyal assistant Hisako at her side, she arranged the remaining dishes on the table and, at last, sighed with relief.
"Eriri, you're just in time. Everything's ready, and now we can each have our own serving," she announced.
"You've worked hard." Eriri placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and with a soft, radiant glow, Erina immediately felt her fatigue melt away. In fact, her physical strength had been improved several times over.
If she were to check the group now, she'd see that her strength had gone from Level 1, Stage 2, to Level 1, Stage 4.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực