I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [66]
Edelweiss, now comfortably lounging on the sofa, looked nothing like the renowned, armored Valkyrie of the world's memory—the invincible figure in pristine white armor wielding twin swords aglow with an ethereal light. Here, she wore simple, cozy loungewear, half-reclining on the couch in a very relaxed posture.
Though dressed as an ordinary person, her ethereal aura was impossible to hide.
"Starting today, you'll be living with me."
"…Do I have any say in this?"
Okita Souji asked weakly, only to see Edelweiss turn her head and smile gently.
"This is a notification, not a negotiation. Listening to your big sister is every little sister's duty."
Souji let out a resigned sigh.
"So, what did they say?"
"They encouraged me to talk with you and shared plenty of compliments about you." Edelweiss adjusted her posture, stretching out her long, shapely legs from under her short skirt. "And… they told me that you'd mentioned me to them, once they found out I was your sister."
Souji's expression stiffened for a second, only to see Edelweiss watching her with an amused, crescent-eyed smile.
"Sister Ai is very curious. Just what does my dear little sister say about me to her close friends… care to share with me?"
What did I say?
A little girl afraid of loneliness?
That would be my last words for sure.
"Uh… Sister Ai, it's not like the decision of where I live is up to me or my friends."
She nervously wiped away imaginary sweat from her brow. "Something like that would need the academy's chairman's approval. We don't really have the authority to decide it ourselves."
"…True enough."
Edelweiss straightened, resting a finger on her chin in a thoughtful pose.
"I'll go out for a bit."
"…Where are you going?"
Souji glanced from the rapidly darkening sky outside to her sister, who was getting ready to leave. An ominous feeling crept up on her.
"I'm going to have a word with your academy's chairman to get her approval for you to stay off-campus."
Three seconds of silence for the chairman…
"Go easy on her, alright?"
"What are you thinking?" Edelweiss, her hand already on the doorknob, turned to look at Souji with a playful, chastising smile. "I'm just going to have a friendly talk. Do you really think your big sister only knows how to solve problems with a sword?"
With her communication skills, she'll probably get swindled by the first insurance salesperson she meets and end up buying a bunch of useless policies…
"Oh, one more thing."
Edelweiss opened the door again and poked her head back in, her snow-white hair cascading naturally.
"It's been ages since I last tasted your cooking. When I return, I'd love to find a table full of lovingly made desserts. You haven't lost your touch, right?"
"Also, you can use this time to think carefully about how you view me. When I get back, I want to enjoy those delicious treats while hearing all about how you've described me to your friends."
The door closed, but Souji's heart sank.
After mentally counting out 180 seconds, Souji muttered under her breath, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's wings.
"So late at night, and she's still thinking about dessert. Sister Ai, are you really not worried about gaining weight?"
Souji knew well that Edelweiss adored sweets, more than anything.
She loved desserts so much, in fact, that she'd honed her baking skills to a world-class level just to indulge in the best treats.
But while her love for sweets ran deep, Edelweiss was also very conscious about her figure—afraid of gaining weight.
It was almost unbelievable, but Edelweiss had first picked up swordsmanship because she'd heard it could help her stay slim.
And then, she'd trained herself to become the strongest swordswoman in the world.
If the countless swordsmen who'd devoted decades to their craft knew this, they'd probably explode with envy.
But that's reality. Edelweiss, the world's greatest swordswoman, never truly loved swordsmanship; she started wielding a sword purely to stay in shape so she could enjoy sweets without worry.
This is the stark difference that talent makes—unfairness that's always present in any world, but here, it's exceptionally glaring.
Some people are born with vast magical power, while others are born with none.
Some can become the strongest in the world with a bit of effort, while others can sacrifice everything and still barely improve.
When Souji had lived with Edelweiss, there was an unforgettable incident.
One day, after finishing her sword training, Souji returned to find Edelweiss lying face-down on the sofa, looking utterly defeated.
Having spent enough time with Edelweiss to know her well, Souji instantly guessed what had happened and, almost against her own will, said, "Sister Ai, did you gain weight again?"
And that's when… Edelweiss's swordsmanship broke through to the next level.
It was hard to say if her frustration at gaining weight or the desire to kill Souji played a bigger role, but somehow, her already world-class skills had improved even further under such trivial motivation.
On that day, the sky held two different scenes.
The upper half was filled with blinding snowfall, an endless white-out.
Yet the lower half was calm—no snowflakes, no biting wind.
A single "line" split the sky in two, separating the raging blizzard above from the clear skies below.
In her fit of anger, Edelweiss had slashed out, severing the "trajectory" of wind and snow, creating a miraculous spectacle.
There was no doubt—Edelweiss's swordsmanship had reached the divine. She stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship, a deity among mortals.
The stunning sight of the split sky lasted only ten minutes before the "line" faded, and the wind and snow resumed, returning the world to its usual blanketed white.
But Souji would never forget that breathtaking strike. The slash that parted the sky was etched into her eyes, her spirit origin, and her very soul.
And along with that miracle, she would always remember one rule:
Never, ever mention Edelweiss's weight in front of her.
It's as good as signing your own death warrant.
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T/N: Right Okita's stats!
Okita J Souji 4-stars
Class: Assassin
Strength: D
Endurance: E
Agility: A+
Mana: D
Luck: C
NP: C
Class Skills:
Presence Concealment (J) B-
Magic Resistance (J) C
Existence Outside the Domain E
Personal Skills:
Jet Tennen Rishin-ryuu A+
Mind's Eye (J) A-
Makoto DRIVE EX
Noble Phantasm:
Jet, Three-Stage Thrust C
Sincerity in Summer Flag C-
I don't know what level he got her in FGO!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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