173 Ship

I made a mistake. Reign Empire and Treasure Vantage isn't that far. ~100,000km was the right distance.

———

Kuro were riding on the bowsprit while Ayame were just behind him—both of them looking excitedly in this expanding skies.

Meanwhile, Oujian after controlling the ships to sails on the direction which Treasure Vantage are, without his crew member there, he had no one to party on and drink liquor.

Thus, he fell asleep.

Thouh no one noticed the cheeky brat the moment she appeared, with Kuro's Ki Sense passively activated, he soon noticed her.

"How are you?" Unsurprised by her sudden appearance, Kuro greeted her, regaining his calm.

"Kuro~!! Where is this place!" Shion felt dissatisfied.

"You're above the flying ship—sailing above the wilderness inside the Reign Empire."

"Where are everyone? I want to play with Okayu!" The moment she appeared she already began throwing tantrum.

"There's only me, Ayame and strange old-man here. Everyone is at home. Teleport yourself back to your ho-…" Kuro told her but his sentences were cut.

"Ah, Okayu! There you are." The hard wooden floor turned gel-like as it bounced Shion of to Kuro's sides.

Meanwhile, going behind him, she took the backpack which Kuro had.

Opening up the backpack, the camping tent which Kuro had prepared for was seen. He could have put it in his Void Lord ring but… for the atmosphere, right?

"What are you doing, Shion." Although Shion suddenly took his backpack, Kuro just calmly responded to her without getting angry.

"Okayu is here!" Even Kuro had no idea what she was saying.

If Okayu were actually inside his backpack, there's no way he wouldn't be able to sense it with his Ki Sense… except if her body itself resided no life energy to sense.

"I… Am… Saying… that Okayu is here! Believe in me!"

"Stop shouting by my ear. I am not mistrusting you. I'm believing you so reveal Okayu already." Kuro's words were half-lie half-truth.

He knew that Shion wouldn't spout nonsense for no reason. Meanwhile, he also couldn't fully trust Shion because even he couldn't sense Okayu.

His pride as a sensory-type fighter(?) was involved here.

"I knew it! Shion is amazing so Kuro wouldn't suspect me!" Slightly, no… being happier more than he expected, Shion jumped up and down as she began casting her magic-circle plays.

Magic-circle connected with another magic-circle—along with the bright light, aqua-colored tiny orbs spreads over Kuro's backpack.

Ø-Ø

Blended in darkness—no, her physical body gone, her body completely becoming one with the darkness—only her eyes were visible.

Okayu's pupils were beautiful. It contained the universe—the middle of it were a glowing diamonds.

'…Her [Copycats] is activated!? Don't tell me… during all this time?' Kuro looked at the darkness surprisedly.

By the way, Kuro calls this darkness as shadow realm. He hadn't a situation to use it to hide but, he used it many times to 'teleport' between shadows without the uses of spatial energy.

Stopping staring at it, Kuro tried to enter the darkness but, he soon find out that he couldn't. The light which Shion emitted were interrupting him from doing so.

Meanwhile, Okayu's little figure began to pop out from the shadow as she came out… nakedly.

Kuro couldn't help but feel proud. He, at least could enter the shadow realm without having to remove his clothes.

Kuro shook his head off unnecessary pride as he sighed. All that acting like Itachi to make the atmosphere… all in waste.

While sighing so, Kuro took the clothes from his storage ring; white underwear (+2 Apply Warmth, +3 Auto Clean), light-blue shorts (+2 Apply Warmth), white inner-shirts (+2 Apply Warmth, +3 Auto Clean)

And white shirts (+2 Apply Warmth).

Kuro had prepared all sorts of equipment(?) inside his storage, from underwear to clothes, to emergency battle wear for Okayu, Korone, Rushia and Ayame. After all what was he?

Yes, that's right. He is fathe-… he is Blacksmith, Tailor, Rune Enchanter/Writer, CEO, Fighter and children. In short, jack of all trades.

While Okayu were wearing the clothes Kuro silently given, Shion raised her face, the smug aura intensely raised.

"How is it, Kuro! I am amazing, right? Right? Right? Right!?" This brat's attitude may be annoying to others but it was cute enough to Kuro.

"Hmm. Shion is really amazing." Kuro helplessly smiled as he patted her, praising her.

"Ah…" Meanwhile, the cat who had just finished wearing the clothes looked at Shion jealously but she couldn't say anything.

Without Kuro's permissions, she hid herself inside his backpack.

It took a while for Shion to be satisfied with his praise, by that time, Kuro finally noticed the cat looking down dejectedly.

Kuro gently flicked Okayu's forehead making her look upward as she rubbed it out of instinct. Although Kuro didn't flick it as hard, Okayu's eyes were teary.

"That's amazing Okayu. How did you hide yourself from me!" Kuro were smooth as he took Okayu with him in the room.

-----

It's a floating ship that's been sleeping inside Oujian's storage for no one know how long. There's no way the rooms are decorated.

Kuro made Okayu sit down on the bed as he sat next to her. The scene feom next on may be unhealthy for children under 18-…

There's no way that is so. These two don't have 'that' yet.

"How did you use your [Copycat] without looking at me?" Kuro asked to her interestedly.

"I 'looked' at you through Ki Sense…"

"Really! You can do that? That's amazing." Kuro honestly praised her.

That means even if her enemy is past the wall, with her Ki Sense, she can copy her opponent. She can bend the conditions of [Copycat] a bit right now.

Maybe in the future, the conditions itself will disappear.

"Then how did you [Copy] the moves which I've never made you see before?"

"Kuro's darkness is… very easy to copy…"

"Darkness… Oh! You've overcame one of your conditions of not being able to copy an elemental-based moves! (In the past she could only copy physical moves)"

"Only Kuro's darkness for now." She lightened up a bit.

"Okay. Thank you Okayu. You can go out now. Shion's waiting for you outside."

"Really? Will you forgive me with just that?"

Kuro nodded. "Of course. It's also my fault that I took you along."

"Um…" Nodding weakly, Okayu stood up as her hand laid on doorknob.

"Ah, one words. Outside the ship, you aren't to walk out outside my Ki Sense's range (50m). Or else, I will really get angry this time." Kuro's smile this time were specially chilly.