It was the next day. Akira was already mostly healed; his legs were back to normal, though his hand was still injured. Not that it slowed him down much.
Right now, he was working on the tree house, using his Eclipse Armor and his evolution ability to modify something he had been tinkering with.
Erika had told him to rest today, too, but doing nothing for two days straight felt like torture to him. And besides, they didn't have much time left here anyway.
Since the village location was discovered by the demons, it had to be relocated. In a few days, they would all have to leave. Akira also needed to prepare for the final battle and figure out how to deal with the Infinity Castle.
But for now, he was busy with something else.
As he kept working, Erika appeared beside him carrying a tray.
"Akira, it's time to eat."
Akira didn't even look back, as he immediately tried to run away.
But Erika calmly grabbed him by the collar with one hand, stopping him mid-stride.
"Don't worry, it's just normal food today."
Akira froze like a startled cat. "What food?"
"Just some rice porridge and katsu," Erika said.
Akira's expression brightened. "Oh, I like katsu."
Erika sighed "That's why I made it. I can't keep feeding you natto all the time."
Akira blinked. "…Wait. You made it? Does that mean you cooked it? You can cook?"
Erika looked at him, visibly unimpressed. "I made the food yesterday too."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "I don't think rice porridge and natto is considered cooking. But katsu… now I'm interested."
Erika sighed. "Here. You can eat it after you finish."
But Akira tapped the floor with his foot and said, "Can't you feed me?"
He looked up at her with his big eyes.
Erika blinked, confused. His hand was fine, and he had never asked her for something like this before.
"But… I thought your hand is okay now?" she asked.
Akira looked away. "It's… not that good. I'm still healing. So can you feed meeeee…"
He activated his secret technique—Puppy Eyes Persuasion.
Erika's face flushed slightly. "O-Okay…"
Yes. This technique was overpowered. It had never failed him.
So she scooped up a spoonful and began feeding him slowly, one bite at a time.
While he ate, Erika asked, "So… how is the food?"
Akira nodded. "Not bad. Why don't you cook more often?"
"Well, you cook better food, that's why," she said. "Is it good?"
Akira replied casually, "Well… it's like my mother's."
Erika brightened. "Really!?"
"Yes. It's mediocre."
"Wow, brother…" Selena said telepathically.
Erika froze mid-motion. "…Huh?"
Akira continued, "Yeah. My mother is an okay cook. Not great, but she tried her best, so it's normal."
Erika stared at him. "So… are you saying my cooking is bad?"
Akira hurriedly said, "No. What I meant is, it tastes like home-cooked food. It's something I wouldn't mind eating every day."
Erika's cheeks turned pink. "R-Really…?"
Akira continued. "Yeah. I mean, if I ate the best-tasting food every day, I'd get bored. But if you eat normal food usually and save the high-level chef dishes for special days, they feel more special, right?"
"…Huh?" Erika now had no idea if he was complimenting her or roasting her again. Why was it so confusing?
"Erika-chan", Selena said in her mind, "My stupid brother is literally just telling the truth. He doesn't mean anything bad. And please don't expect anything romantic from him yet, he's useless at that".
Erika sighed.
Then a sudden realization hit her.
"Wait, Akira, when you asked me to feed you… Was it because you were too lazy to eat by yourself?"
Akira stiffened. Slowly turned his head away.
"…maybe…"
Erika sighed deeply. She felt stupid for thinking even for a moment that he had a single romantic bone in his body.
"Don't worry, Erika-chan", Selena said telepathically, "I'll train him to be romantic in the future. I promise".
Erika sighed again.
Then Akira spoke, "But, I won't ask just anyone to feed me. I only ever asked you."
"…What?" Erika blinked.
"I mean," Akira continued, "I never even asked my own mother to feed me. Yeah, she must've fed me as a baby, but after that? You're the only one. I won't just ask anyone to feed me."
"I… see…" Now she had no idea how to feel. Again. Why was he like this?
Akira opened his mouth to say something.
But Erika, already fed up with his emotional stupidity, cut him off.
"Just shut up and eat."
And she shoved the next spoonful into his mouth before he could say anything else.
After feeding him, Erika finally sighed and asked, "So… what are you working on anyway?"
Akira, still chewing, pointed at the massive trunk beside them. "I'm trying to turn this tree into a portable house."
Erika blinked. "Portable… house? What do you mean?"
"I'm going to take this tree house with us when we leave," Akira said as if it were obvious. "And I want to use it as a temporary home whenever we go to other worlds or something. Originally, I planned to just grow a new house instantly with my powers, like it's nothing, but building a proper house isn't that easy. So my new plan is to take this one with us in the inventory and use it wherever we go. It's a tree after all. I can just re-root it anywhere with my evolution ability."
Erika looked at the tree house with renewed interest. "That's actually a good idea… but what about the hot spring below? We can't take that."
Akira waved his uninjured hand dismissively. "We're taking that too."
Erika deadpanned. "Akira… a hot spring is…"
"Don't worry," he cut in. "I have an idea. You'll see in the future."
Erika sighed but nodded. "Alright then".
Akira then asked, "Oh, right, when are we leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Erika said. "I think we'll leave together with Tanjiro and the others."
"I see," Akira said. "That's good."
Erika took one last look around the cozy wooden interior. "Good thing we're taking it with us. I won't miss it then."
"That's true," Akira agreed. "Even if we can't stay, at least we keep the house."
After that, Akira spent the rest of the day working. With the help of his eclipse armor, evolution powers, and some careful planning, he finally managed to store the entire tree house, even the forge, hot spring and all others into the inventory. He couldn't fully upgrade it here, but he was already planning to transform it even more once they returned to their own world.
The next day at dawn, Akira and the others gathered on the path leading out of the village, their belongings packed and their preparations complete.
The village chief stepped forward, leaning on his staff but standing tall.
"I suppose this is farewell," Tecchin said.
Akira nodded. "I guess it is."
"So you are taking all the Type Null units as well?"
"Yes," Akira replied. "We have to prepare for the final battle, after all."
"I see…" The chief exhaled slowly, his mask tilted as though he were smiling. "Good luck in your future battles."
"Thank you for teaching me sword-smithing," Akira said with a small bow.
The chief snorted. "You learned it yourself. And you didn't even manage to forge blades that you can wield."
Akira said, "Don't worry. I already have an idea of what to do for that."
"…Good. Then take care, boy."
One by one, Kotetsu, Haganezuka, and many others came forward to say goodbye.
When the Kakushi arrived with a cart, Akira and the rest climbed aboard, just as they had when they first came.
Every villager had gathered on both sides of the road, waving and shouting:
"THANK YOU FOR SAVING US!"
"COME BACK ANYTIME!"
"LET'S MAKE MORE WEAPONS TOGETHER!"
"FAREWELL!"
The cart began moving, wheels creaking softly as it rolled downhill.
Akira leaned out, waving back. "Bye, everyone!"
Beside him, Erika also waved as she watched the villagers shrinking into the distance.
"I'm going to miss everyone," she murmured.
Akira crossed his arms behind his head.
"Well… that's inevitable."
He looked forward, eyes sharpening with purpose.
"With this, the only thing we need to do next is kill Muzan. Then our mission is complete."
Erika nodded. "Yes… That's true."
Then a telepathic voice echoed in both their minds.
"Guys… did you forget about the blue spider lilies? That's part of the mission too, you know", Selena said telepathically.
Both Akira and Erika froze at the exact same time.
Akira said, "Oh no, I completely forgot about the blue spider lily…"
Erika tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can find it somehow."
Akira asked, "How though? No one has ever seen them before."
Erika said, "I don't know, but don't worry. We can find it if we start searching now."
Akira frowned. "But…"
As the two were talking, Tanjiro, who had been listening quietly from the front of the cart, hesitantly raised his hand.
"Um… excuse me… Akira-san, Erika-san… I… I know where to find the blue spider lily."
Both Akira and Erika turned toward him at the same time and said,
"WHAT…!?"
Akira maintained a surprised face, even Though, deep inside, Akira already knew this, but he had to act surprised for appearance's sake.