True Friends [Part 2]

Although the world of Sword Dance was now sunny, the original world was experiencing a storm.

After Mio and everyone returned from the underworld, they discovered the rain had intensified. An Yue looked at the sky and sighed.

“A major typhoon is coming. It seems we’ll have to go back to the world of Sword Dance. But Eve, we’ll use Shido’s memories for the male—whose memories should we use for the female?”

“Right, since we’re trying to bring modern technology into the Sword Dance world, we’ll need suitable memories.”

Ren made a suggestion at that moment.

“Why not use Kirito and Suguha’s memories from Sword Art Online? Plus, combine it with common knowledge from your world. That should make it perfect.”

Eve thought that was a good idea too, but she immediately realized something was wrong.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait—this is a mistake! Bringing our world’s technology to Sword Dance world—even if most things are similar in other worlds—the game consoles, including computers, are totally different.”

Just then, Lin snapped her fingers and flashed a confident smile.

“Why bother making it complicated? Just claim it’s good stuff brought from another world by the Spirit King. Then let Xiao An build a power plant or something. After that, teach everyone how to use the stuff safely. Whether it’s refrigerators, air conditioners, or TVs, treat everything the same way.”

“It is a bit of a hassle, but let’s go with your plan. Xiao Ya, Xiao Lian—what do you think? It’s important to take reference from the original Spirit King too.”

“Sounds doable. But how are we going to make electricity universal across the whole world? Houses and other things need to be rebuilt too.”

“I think we let Aiko and the others try it first, then have Rubia lead the teaching.”

“Great idea. Then, why don’t you all head back to the Sword Dance world for now? An Yue and I will prepare a big duplication run. Share the underworld fruit with everyone.”

“Sure! Oh, and I have an idea. Since the Spirit King can shapeshift, how about I change to blond hair and green eyes when I’m at full power in battle—kind of like a Saiyan powering up?”

“Sis, I prefer pink.”

“Pink’s good too.”

Lin couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark.

“The Spirit King turned into a Saiyan now.”

At that time, the two Ests and the Divine One’s Est were off eating.

Mireia was sitting in the Divine One’s room waiting, while Restia looked at her and asked a question.

“Miss Mireia, does my sister like to play too?”

“Yes. After the grown-ups went to another world, she also wanted to see it. But we had no way to go.”

“Another world? How did they get there?”

“I don’t know either. Anyway, there’s nothing to do now—I’m bored out of my mind. Also, Kazehaya Shinjin, your sister beat the god who made the Spirit King bloody.”

“What?! That godly girl…”

“Don’t worry, she’s fine. Still playing around. Though she sure had guts—of all people, she chose to hit a god.”

“Is she really okay?”

“If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself.”

Claire pushed open the door and walked in, holding a book in her hand.

“Shinjin! I got a cookbook from Mira. Want to try it tonight?”

“Sure! What’s on the menu?”

“Dragon chicken soup, mapo eggplant, grilled fish, and tofu. Est and I picked the dishes. Mireia, are you eating?”

“Ask my sister.”

Restia flashed a mischievous grin.

“Miss Mireia, where do you rank among the Holy Swords?”

“Third oldest. The youngest is Kazehaya Shinjin’s Est. But my little sister never admits we’re related—kinda annoying. Not like you, who acknowledged Letitia.”

“My sister’s different—she hasn’t experienced war, and she’s still basically a child.”

“At least Restia has no baggage. Unlike you, born during wartime and always burdened with messy tasks.”

“You’re the same. But there’s something I never quite understood—maybe you know.”

“What is it?”

“Why does the consciousness my mother created—Ren—have memories, while the real person doesn’t? With Mio, it might be just for fun or to hide the Spirit King identity.”

“I don’t know either. But the grown-up revived me as a human. Maybe they wanted me to live as one.”

“Not that your brain got damaged, right?”

“Watch your words. Your sister will get mad if she hears that, including Shinjin’s sister, Kamioto.”

“I’m not afraid of being tattled on.”

“Forget it. I don’t like arguing. I’d rather duel.”

“You want a one-on-one match?”

“No. I mean, I’m in a human body—need occasional exercise. Otherwise, my body will get rusty. Unlike you guys who can let your skills rot.”

But Claire and Shinjin had been hit by what Mireia said. They usually just trained, not really fought.

Suddenly, Mireia sensed something from Mio, jumped out the window, and floated in the air looking toward her home.

“Could Mio be back? I better check.”

She found the two Ests, explained the situation, and flew off with them.

Back in the living room, just as Mio and the others (except Eve and An Yue) returned, Nibecor, who was drinking cocoa, was startled.

“You’re back.”

Mio smiled and said,

“Just went to observe some tech. Are you home alone?”

“Everyone else went out to play. Only Edith and I are here. She’s sleeping now.”

“When everyone comes back, I have something good for you all. It’ll boost your strength.”

Nibecor lit up with excitement.

“Thanks so much!”

“No problem. Also, we’re planning a huge entertainment upgrade—look forward to it.”

“Okay!”

Lin had an idea at that moment.

“Mio, how about having Xiao An build dozens of giant ships?”

“What kind of ships? Don’t tell me… One Piece ships?”

“No, like the ship from Resident Evil: Revelations 1. I’ve always wanted to walk around on one like that.”

“Why dozens?”

“Some for cruise ships so people can travel abroad, others for freight and rescue missions. You never know when someone will need help on a deserted island.”

“Then I’ll also plan to take in all deserted islands. Shizuku, got any ideas?”

“I’ll think it over. As Spirit Kings, we’re doing this to improve human living conditions anyway.”

Alexander kept smiling bitterly inside.

(That ship in Revelations 1… From Mio’s memory, it was scary. When Eve comes back, I’ll suggest setting up a PS4. Ren probably wants to finish the levels he didn’t complete.)

Ren was happy but a bit regretful.

Though Mio’s world had advanced tech, his own world lagged badly.

He even wondered if humans had become too reliant on spirits.

“I’m here!”

Edith jumped down from the stairs.

“Be careful!”

“Sorry! I woke up when I heard your voices.”

“I see. Any news from Yugodora?”

“She sent a letter. Earthquake relief is going well.”

“That’s great…”

Lin snapped her fingers.

“Edith, who’s cooking today?”

“Yuni and Kamioto. For other dishes, Kamiin and Nalis are handling it. I’m planning to make donuts.”

“Donuts sound great! I love them!”

Meanwhile, in the original world, Eve and An Yue were soaking in a bath and chatting.

“An Yue, if you went all out, could you destroy the entire heavenly realm?”

“Sure. But no one knows how strong I am. Everyone thinks I’m just mid-to-low tier.”

“Why not go full power and scare them? You could earn the ‘strongest’ title.”

“Remember—whether human or god, always keep a trump card. I don’t care about titles. Only fun things interest me—electronics, especially!”

“Same here. I plan to make PS4s widespread in our country, and—”

“Wait, PS5 is already out. What about servers?”

“I’ll build one myself! Also, supporting official versions is a good habit. Home appliances are only a matter of time.”

“We’ll use divine power to generate electricity, right? Like, my phone’s always fully charged thanks to divine energy.”

“Yep. The whole Sword Dance world is no big deal for me, though renovations are a bit tedious.”

“Count me in! Even if I copied your abilities, I’ll still help.”

“Thanks!”

“No problem. By the way, this bath temperature is amazing. When we go back, let’s do a milk bath.”

“Great for the skin. Add some rose petals too.”

“Once the rain stops, let’s hit the import store and copy some stuff. I want tons of instant noodles.”

“You like instant noodles?”

“Yes! But I’ll get other things too—don’t want to look suspicious at the supermarket. Want some underwear?”

“Maybe. Though you don’t wear a bra, do you?”

“Of course not. I only look about 12 physically—not like you, Mio, Shizuku, or Lin. Plus, I’m only an AA cup.”

“I’m barely a B. But being in a child’s body must be a hassle.”

“Used to it. A kid’s look lets enemies underestimate me. Right now, the only one who could rival me is a certain demon world friend/frenemy.”

“When did you meet her?”

“Forgot. She’s aiming to become Demon King—like me, acting weak in front of most people.”

“Your family doesn’t know?”

“They do—but they think she’s just a normal demon. But she’s really a good person.”

“I heard the demon world and underworld are basically the same. But demons are super sensitive to gods—only a few are normal.”

“No, think High School DxD‘s three factions. If we sign peace treaties, things won’t be so chaotic. At least civilians would be more comfortable.”

“High School DxD style sounds great. Ha~ I’m getting sleepy.”

“Me too. Let’s soak a bit more and then nap together.”

“You just want to cuddle me again?”

“You’re softer than a body pillow. Half-human body and all.”

“You’re soft too—with that child body.”

“Say what you want.”

Two hours later, in the Dragon Country steakhouse in Sword Dance World, Akame and Kurome were eating steak.

Since coming to Dragon Country, Kurome found the medium-well steak juicy and tender, and recommended it to Akame.

The two sisters had a gluttonous appetite without gaining weight, so they ate a lot.

“Kurome, want to visit Mio again in a few days?”

“Sure! Who knows how much tasty stuff has been added while we were away. You’re excited too, right?”

“Yeah—though the return trip is long. Looks like we’ll need to take the dragon car back.”

Elsewhere, Yugodra’s spirit Aiwa was fishing with Mireia’s spirit Sarah by the great lake.

“Aiwa.”

“Yeah?”

“Someone once caught a giant golden fish here. I heard it tasted amazing.”

“I know. But with just worms, how can we catch that? We’ve only gotten a few palm-sized fish.”

“I need to think of better bait. Our masters don’t like dealing with small stuff.”

“Speaking of small stuff, how about we cook the fish ourselves today? Mio taught me how.”

“Great idea! Let everyone see our cooking skills!”

“Yes! With Kamioto and the others, it’ll be perfect!”

But the two didn’t notice they were talking too loudly and scared off a fish that was about to bite.

At the same time, Nemesis and Restia were eating skewered dumplings at a shop—especially Nemesis, who had a mountain of them.

“Restia, I feel like Mio and the others are back.”

“How do you know? You didn’t even bring a detector.”

Nemesis giggled.

“I was born with better senses than you guys. But…”

“But what?”

“They feel stronger than before! There’s some strange energy mixed in.”

“Strange energy?”

“I can’t describe it. But it’s definitely different from divine power.”

“Maybe they got something from that other world. Let’s finish up and go see for ourselves.”