"Sylvia, don't run away. Charge toward me!"
The pleasant voice echoed in Sylvia's ears, yet in that moment, it felt like a sinister enchantment piercing through her.
It made Sylvia, who was already sprinting at full speed, instinctively glance back.
What met her was the swift, descending arc of a sword's scabbard, accompanied by a terrifying, palpable killing intent that roared like thunder and tidal waves!
Thud—!
The murderous aura, thick as substance, nearly shattered all of Sylvia's preparations.
Even after experiencing it countless times, Sylvia still couldn't withstand the overwhelming pressure Acheron unleashed.
But thankfully, her body's muscle memory saved her life. Instinctively, she twisted at the waist, leveraging the motion of her turn!
The rotation of her torso sent the greatsword in her hands carving a blazing arc through the air, meeting Acheron's scabbard head-on!
The next moment, Sylvia, along with her sword, was sent flying.
She spun a full 720 degrees mid-air before finally dissipating the force and landing steadily.
Simultaneously, Acheron's reprimand rang in her ears: "If you decided to flee, why look back? And since you chose to look back, why weren't you prepared to attack!"
Hearing Acheron's scolding, Sylvia felt like crying, but no tears came.
"Sis, you're my absolute sis. It's only been two days! The fact that I can even move under your fully unleashed killing intent is me trying my hardest, alright?"
Of course, Acheron hadn't drawn her blade this time, so she certainly wasn't at her full strength, and the killing intent she released couldn't compare to her white-haired state.
But was an undrawn-blade Acheron weak? Not at all.
Wielding just her scabbard, she'd been knocking heads all the way here. Whether it was the Antimatter Legion or Fragmentum creatures, nothing survived a single encounter with her.
Heaven have mercy, before that damn system dumped her here, Sylvia was just an ordinary shut-in.
Just then, a hand came to rest on Sylvia's head before she could get up.
Before Sylvia could react, she saw the hand flip over, and a large, round peach appeared in Acheron's palm.
"Alright, I know you're trying hard. Take a break."
"...A peach? Where did you find this? Does a place this wretched even grow peaches this nice?"
Sylvia took the peach of unknown variety from Acheron, bewildered. Acheron didn't carry a backpack, so where had this come from?
"Not from here. I brought it myself. I occasionally eat some during my travels."
As she said this, Sylvia watched as Acheron produced another fresh peach from who-knows-where, nearly stunning her speechless.
On this unnamed planet, the ecosystem was beyond ruined. Being able to breathe here was already a struggle, so finding anything edible was quite difficult.
Fortunately, both the energy from the Herrscher core Sylvia had fused with and the power from Acheron's Path allowed them to sustain themselves without eating.
So, in these past two days, Sylvia had only drunk some water and basically eaten nothing.
Having a peach suddenly appear before her now was truly tempting.
"Why bring it out now? I didn't see you eating any the past couple of days."
Sylvia stood up, peach in hand, dispersing the flames around her to avoid drying the fruit out.
"A reward. That last sword swing was decent."
Acheron spoke as she sat down on a piece of rubble nearby.
That final swing Sylvia had made looked proper, unlike the blind, frantic slashing from before. Good progress.
Hence, Acheron decided to reward her.
Though calling it a reward was a bit of a stretch, as she didn't have anything particularly impressive on her.
Thinking this, Acheron lowered her head and took a bite of the peach.
At that moment, the ring hidden beneath her glove suddenly glowed. Immediately, the sweet juice and flesh blossomed with a rich flavor between her lips and teeth.
With just one bite, Acheron froze in place.
"It's so sweet! What kind of peach is this? What variety? Which planet sells them? I want to buy more later."
Sylvia's voice sounded in her ears, but to Acheron, it felt separated by a barrier, eliciting no reaction.
She stared blankly at the peach with a bite taken out of it, her hair beginning to gradually pale toward white.
Not getting a response, Sylvia looked up, her smiling face stiffening instantly.
"Acheron? Acheron, what's wrong?!"
"Hmm?"
The white strands of hair receded, as if she'd snapped back to reality. Acheron looked somewhat dazedly at Sylvia, then down at the peach in her hand.
"What does your peach taste like?"
Sylvia watched Acheron, her expression growing tense. She stepped closer, sitting down right beside Acheron, pressing close, and actively took hold of Acheron's hand, the one tightly gripping the scabbard.
"It just tastes like a really sweet peach. What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want to go back to camp and rest?"
Sylvia remembered that Acheron most likely walked the Path of Nihility, and the Path of Nihility led one toward emptiness and self-annihilation.
Seeing Acheron like this now, Sylvia worried it was the influence of Nihility. If it really was Nihility, Sylvia didn't know how to help her.
"…"
However, Acheron didn't answer Sylvia's question. She just lowered her head and took another firm bite of the peach.
"So sweet… This taste, just as I remember."
She closed her eyes, savoring it carefully, as if unwilling to let even a hint of the flavor escape.
The loss of taste was due to the power of Nihility. This wasn't something that could be dismissed as mere coincidence or miracle.
What power could oppose Nihility, even restoring the taste Nihility had stolen from Acheron? Where did it come from?
The sweetness spread across her tongue, and Acheron's thoughts grew even more chaotic.
Why?
Why could what was taken by Nihility return?
This didn't align with her understanding of Nihility…
A long moment passed.
Her thoughts in turmoil, Acheron opened her eyes, meeting Sylvia's worried gaze and the hand that hadn't let go for a second.
Acheron looked directly into Sylvia's eyes, then her gaze drifted downward. Sylvia's lips, glistening with the sweet juice, reflected the sunlight, appearing crystalline.
Perhaps… they would be sweet too.
For some reason, she thought of the taste of the peach.
"Yours… can I taste it?"
"Huh? Sure, go ahead."
Sylvia handed over her peach, finding it hard to describe the Acheron before her now. That complex look in her eyes was something Sylvia had never seen in these past two days.
Why such huge emotional swings? Wasn't Acheron a very reserved, even aloof person?
Sylvia pondered Acheron's words and suddenly realized.
Could Acheron actually have tasted something just now?
As an Emanator of Nihility, was Acheron not only missing memories, but her sense of taste as well?
And just now, had her lost sense of taste returned?
Sylvia looked down at Acheron, who had lowered her head and taken a bite of Sylvia's peach. From this elevated angle, Acheron's beauty seemed even more captivating.
Seeing Acheron like this made Sylvia feel agitated.
The version update was only a few days away; why couldn't the system have sent her after Acheron was officially released?
Now, with only a half-baked understanding of Acheron's situation, it was so frustrating.
"Yours is sweet too. Thank you."
Looking up, perhaps having been a bit careless while eating, Acheron raised a hand and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.
She could feel her heart leaping with joy at tasting the peach's sweetness.
Shock, incomprehension, but also delight and fear.
It made Acheron almost anxious to taste a second flavor, one that might still linger in her memory.
And just then, Acheron's gaze, following the peach, returned to Sylvia's lips.
"It's fine. So you really like peaches this much, Acheron?"
Sylvia replied with a smile, keeping her inner thoughts to herself. She simply took a firm bite of the peach flesh, wanting to savor its flavor carefully alongside Acheron.
At that very moment, Acheron suddenly released her grip on her sword, grabbed Sylvia's shoulders, and—
Amidst the sweet scent of peach, ignoring Sylvia's stunned expression—she closed the distance and bit down.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.