Chapter 999: Eternally bound to me, never to leave

Although Nagisa would never admit it, she's a fan of stories.

She's in the third year of middle school. Up until the fifth grade of elementary school, she still believed in Santa. That is, she's someone who believed in Santa until 4 years ago.

"What's the story? What's the story? Tell me now!"

Wu Yan shook his head with a smile. He looked at the statue.

"A long time ago, there was a certain couple..."

"The man was gallant and handsome while the lady was very beautiful..."

"Their encounter was as if fate had orchestrated their destinies. When everyone realized it, they had already become the most talked-about couple in that region..."

"It was only sometime later that the lady found out about the man's real identity. That handsome man was a vampire. To be more specific, he was a vampire noble from the Lost Warlord faction."

"The lady didn't discriminate against her handsome lover. The handsome man apologized profusely for hiding his identity from her, she still accepted him anyway..."

"Alas, the good times didn't last long. The Lost Warlord Empire was still in its infancy, the first primogenitor, the Lost Warlord was in constant battles with other factions."

"To defeat his enemies and solidify the empire's position, the Lost Warlord drafted all his vampire subjects. They planned to fight a decisive battle that will settle it once and for all."

"As a direct descendant and a noble affiliated with the Lost Warlord, the handsome man had to answer the call to arms. The admired pair was faced with the fate of separation..."

"The beautiful lady accepted reality. Even when the man is anguished over duty and romance. She understood his pain and did her part, she understood what must be done and she accepted his explanations. She also swore to wait for her lover to return."

"In the end, before the handsome man left, he swore the same, that he would fight to the very last drop of his blood to end the war as soon as possible in order to return to her side..."

"With his burning love for his lover at home, the handsome man really busted his back all so the war can end just a second sooner. Tried he did, however, the war still took 50 years to come to an end."

"50 years! For humans, that's already more than half of their expected lifespans..."

"The handsome felt deep remorse. He regretted how he didn't turn the beautiful lady into his blood servant, that would have lengthened her lifespan. Is his lover still healthy? 50 years had already passed, does she still love him? Is she still even waiting for his return?..."

"The handsome man had no idea. At least, he was sure his love still burned for her. When the war ended, the handsome man immediately made his way back to see a scene that he will never forget..."

"The house he shared with his lover had already fallen into disrepair. 50 years of wear and tear made the building looked like it had been abandoned long ago. Inside the building where the ceiling is in need of a major overhaul, his lover's still there."

"After 50 years, the beautiful lady is already no more. She's now a terminally ill old woman who laid on her decrepit bed..."

"That's not the most important thing. The handsome man will never forget the relieved and happy smile the old lady showed him when he stepped into the room. Her eyes lit up and her aged wrinkles almost disappeared as if the lady held onto life just to fulfill the promise she had with the handsome man. In her final moments, the lady closed her eyes with a placid smile upon her face..."

"The old lady never opened her eyes after that. Her weak but radiant smile became a volley of arrows that shredded the handsome man's heart..."

"He held onto his deceased lover's body and he shed tears of despair. That day, the rain was particularly heavy..."

"Every time someone passed through that lane, they would always see a young man holding an old lady's body while rooted to that spot. It was the sight of a broken man in a broken home. The handsome man was alive but any resemblance of vitality was gone. He didn't eat, he didn't drink, he just kneeled there like a statue..."

"Out of pity, the residents dug a well near the handsome man. They would give the handsome man water by gathering water from that well. That became a ritual for the people nearby. They came in their spare time to feed the guy water..."

"This went on for a year... two years... five years... a decade..."

"After who knows how long, one resident came by to give the guy some water and they discovered it..."

The handsome man was gone and the old lady in his embrace was also gone..."

"There was only the well they dug for him and a statue..."

Wu Yan sighed after retelling this story.

He heard about this story from an assault mage colleague.

Despite building up an immunity to this story, it still filled Wu Yan with melancholy.

Wu Yan looked back only to flinch in shock.

Nagisa was in tears, her lips were also pursed like someone's bullying her. Wu Yan bitterly laughed.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Uuu..."

Nagisa sniffed, with tears in her eyes she continued.

"That's so sad..."

"Really?"

Wu Yan chortled.

"Did you know? The ones who fed the guy water, they themselves, even their descendants were blessed with blissful relationships. They all lived happily ever after."

Nagisa was stunned.

Wu Yan tickled her nose and he grabbed her hand.

They walked up to the statue and the well.

"It's rumored that whoever brings their partner here and dowse the statue in a bowl of water will be blessed with luck by the handsome man and the beautiful lady. They will be eternally bound together."

"They too will live happily ever after..."

Nagisa who was in tears until now suddenly blushed. Her red eyes and face were like the most breath-taking portrait. Wu Yan's heart raced just like Nagisa's heart.

Nagisa forgot about the sadness she had from the story and a flustered but joyful feeling took over. She looked at the bowl of water in a daze.

Wu Yan grinned. He told her in a serious and teasing tone.

"You need to think carefully, if you pour this bowl of water on the statue with me, you're going to have to stay with me for life. You can never leave..."

She returned to reality. She lowered her head while fuming with bashful steam. She fidgeted a short while and she reached out the grab the wooden bowl, she also placed her hand on Wu Yan's hand.

The two slowly poured water onto the statue like they were offering up a treasure.

It wasn't immediately known whether the glint they saw was light reflected off the statue or some other magical source...

Nagisa clenched down on the wooden bowl. Her eyes were filled with happiness...

Akatsuki Nagisa synced physically and mentally with the user. Nature also fits the activation requirement of the Monster Tattoo. Monster Tattoo activated.... Turning Akatsuki Nagisa into a familiar...