OP Sister Chapter 548: Holding Hands

Listen While Reading Recommendation: i-mage

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Holding her brother’s hand, Anna revealed the truth to him, sharing everything and finally unburdening her heart.

Carrying this secret for so long had been exhausting, tormenting Anna constantly.

But now, at long last, she had told him the truth.

To her brother, the protagonist of that story.

She had finally shared everything.

For a moment, Jack looked down, chuckling at the absurdity of the situation before meeting her gaze with a smile.

“I see... Thank you, Anna, for telling me the truth.”

In that moment, Anna realized the bond she had forged with her brother after revealing the complete truth was unbreakable.

Yes.

She felt it deep within her Dao Root and Radiance, the same kind of “Bond” she had felt with Hilda before, which had later formed three more times with Gilgamesh, Ares, and Buddha after spending time with them and learning about their lives.

It was a strange power she was still trying to comprehend. Over the past month of training, Gilgamesh, Ares, Buddha, and other Constellations had guided her and examined her Radiance extensively.

During this time, they uncovered more about her true power and the immense ability growing within her, something that seemed to defy everything the Constellations believed a Radiance could achieve.

It wasn’t exactly a bond in the literal sense but a “Record” of that bond, etched into the depths of her Radiance, becoming a permanent part of her Developing Story.

Buddha had theorized something.

Once she fully mastered her Radiance, this “Record” could be materialized, unleashing an incredible power capable of restoring even this ruined future.

But more than anything, that was a theory, wishful thinking.

A dream...

This was one reason why Buddha and the other Constellations placed so much hope and expectation on Anna and her brother.

Thus, in that moment when she revealed the truth, Anna felt her Radiance “recording” this moment, creating a permanent, eternal bond with her brother and, specifically, this “moment.”

It was as if her Radiance was writing this moment and embedding it directly into her essence.

“Could it be that this power stems from my past life as an Author?”

She had pondered this but knew that mere speculation would not yield answers. The path ahead lay in growing stronger.

To uncover the truth of her powers, to return home, to save the past from becoming this ruined future...

She needed to grow stronger.

“Phew...” Anna sighed with relief. “It’s truly relieving to finally get this off my chest! Hahah... Yeah, it’s crazy, right? How many people out there even remember their past life as vividly as I do?”

“Not many...” Jack said. “In fact, I doubt anyone else has done that...”

“Ahem, I do recall my past lives,” Buddha said with a gentle smile. “It’s part of understanding the Wheel of Reincarnation to achieve Nirvana.”

“That’s amazing,” Anna said. “Then maybe that’s why I remember my past life...”

“Yes, this is one reason you are so compatible with my Buddhist teachings,” Buddha nodded.

Over the past month, Buddha had primarily taught Anna meditation techniques to calm her mind and bolster her resistance against Madness, Soul Erosion, and Mind Erosion.

She had longed to learn his fighting techniques, but Buddha, despite her insistence that he moved like a martial artist, had none.

He always told her he had no violent techniques to teach, only peaceful or self-defense techniques.

But Anna knew there was more to it!

“Remembering your past life is special, I suppose, but that much?” Jack took it surprisingly well. “Well, it makes sense now why you act so mature... Hahah. Maybe you’re mentally older than I am?”

“Naaahhh...” Anna didn’t want her brother to start calling her “big sister” or something. That would be too weird. “Anyway, that about sums it up... Heheh, it was simpler than I thought.”

“Yeah... I understand a lot now, even though... it seems so ridiculous when I think about it,” Jack muttered. “A novel written by someone else... and this someone else is the author, or... a ‘cube’ that appears whenever someone speaks their name or something?”

“So you’ve gone through the same thing?” Anna asked.

“More or less. Fenrir... he seemed to know something about it,” Jack said. “I remember he told me he found a formula to create the System Seed... and the way he found it was related to this being. But at some point, he suddenly couldn’t remember who that was, as if his memory had been completely erased. And... I lost that memory too. But now I remember...”

“Huh?” Anna was confused. “Wait... could it be that this entity’s existence is slowly erased from everyone’s minds except for a chosen few or... Wait.”

Anna suddenly recalled meeting a titanic being carrying a giant book. As a reward, he had granted her the Trait of Memory.

Yet, remembering that scene felt strange and blurry, almost like a dream rather than reality.

“Ugh...” Anna groaned, massaging her temples.

“Come to think of it...” Jack muttered. “Ah... I feel so weak. My powers... how much have I lost? I can’t feel the System within me anymore.”

“Is it glitched like mine?” Anna asked.

“No... nothing is showing,” he said. “And I can’t feel Fenrir either! The only thing left are the Seals you placed on me.”

“About Fenrir...” Anna sighed.

“Fenrir’s not in my soul anymore...” Jack said. “What’s going on, Anna? I feel... somewhat hollow. What... just what happened to Fenrir?”

“Calm down, he’s not dead, okay?” Anna said. “We told you he shielded us from dying, right? Without his help... we wouldn’t have made it here through the cosmic turbulences... Well.”

She looked at her shadow and called out.

“Come here, buddy! Here!”

Her shadow flickered, and a young black wolf pup with glowing yellow eyes emerged, gazing at Anna and Jack innocently.

It was no longer as small as before, no longer resembling a newborn pup but one that had grown for a month, now slightly larger.

He wore a golden necklace with a red jewel, a treasure he had stolen from Gilgamesh, which the king had given to him because he didn’t want it back after it smelled like dog.

Upon seeing the pup, Jack was shocked.

“F-Fenrir?!”

He fell to his knees, staring at the dog.

The small black wolf looked up at him with bright eyes, as if recognizing him.

“Awroo?”

Fenrir slowly approached, letting Jack pet him. Jack hugged him, tears streaming down his face.

“Fenrir...! W-What happened to you? What...!”

Still in tears, Anna sighed, embracing her brother to offer him warmth.

“After much analysis, it seems Fenrir... died,” Anna said.

“What?!” Jack gasped, his face contorting in horror. “N-No...! T-Then who is this?!”

“This is the Stardust Fragment of Fenrir,” Buddha explained. “At the last moment... Fenrir gathered his remaining power and extracted it from your body, cleansing you of his influence. Using that power, he... reincarnated himself, an ability we Constellations possess. We can either reincarnate as a lesser being or create a child, passing on our will and powers. It seems Fenrir couldn’t fully choose, creating something in between—a new child, yet somewhat a reincarnation, as he lacks those memories, but it’s still him.”

“Fenrir...” Jack cried, hugging the pup. “Thank you for everything... I... I love you, Fenrir... I’m sorry for being so weak... I’m sorry... for being so reckless and stupid... Fenrir... it’s all my fault...”

The pup, confused, looked at Jack with a cute smile, tongue out, before licking his face and wiping away his tears.

“Hah... Haha...” Jack couldn’t help but laugh a little as he patted the black wolf’s head, kissing his forehead and hugging him again. “I’m sorry... I’ll make sure to raise you well. I will do everything I can to restore your memories.”

“Woof!” the dog-like wolf barked adorably, as Anna smiled, petting his head.

“Heheh, he’s cute,” Anna said. “I can feel that Fenrir’s still there. He recognized you, after all! And whenever the doctors came to check on you, he would always stay by your side or even growl, trying to wake you up.”

“Is that so...?” Jack wondered, smiling faintly. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Fenrir... I guess it’s time for me to do something for you.”

“Arf! Woof!” Fenrir’s tail wagged as he seemed very happy.

Then.

FLASH!

A bright golden light surged from the wolf’s forehead, shaped like a half-moon with a howling wolf. A powerful stigma was suddenly imprinted on Jack’s right hand.

“Ugh?!”

The stigma burned. His blackened hands, scarred from being touched by the Emperor of the Netherworld, remained unchanged, but now a yellow tattoo glowed atop them.

“What is this? Ah!”

He felt a sudden, deep connection with the black wolf before him.

Fenrir looked into his eyes, their souls linking together.

Not merging as one like before.

Rather, this was a much more noble bond.

“What’s going on?” Jack asked. “I feel connected with him again!”

“Oh! Nice!” Anna celebrated. “I stopped him every time he offered me a contract because I knew you should be the one to become Fenrir’s master. Jack, this is a Familiar Contract! Hehe, lil’ Fenrir became your familiar!”

“Familiar?!” Jack was surprised. “I had no idea such a power existed! But this is... well, it’s amazing. Thank you, Fenrir, really, thank you so much. We are no longer a merged soul like before, but... can we still be friends?”

“Arf! Woof!” Fenrir wagged his tail happily, seeming joyful as he jumped on his hind legs, trying to reach Jack with his front paws.

“Hahaha! You’re so playful! Is this how you were when you were younger, Fenrir?” Jack laughed freely, shedding his expressionless demeanor and revealing his true emotions, opening his heart after so long.

“Well, it seems things turned out well,” Buddha said with a pleased smile. “Now, Jack, what do you want to do?”

“Me?” Jack was surprised to be asked. “I mean... what Anna wants to do.”

“So you want to return home?” Buddha asked.

“Of course...” Jack said. “I... well, I have to go back home, no matter what. I have someone I love there, and she’s pregnant... Ah! Did you say I slept for a month?! Ugh...! Henrietta must be so worried! I have to return quickly.”

“Over this month, we’ve discussed various plans and devised a strategy to do it,” Anna explained to Jack. “I’ve traveled this planet with the Constellations or alone... whenever Gilgamesh wanted to test me. And I’ve gathered several materials.”

“I see. So what’s the plan?” Jack asked.

Anna and Buddha explained to Jack that they planned to create a special formation, devised by Buddha, Gilgamesh, and other Constellations, called “Time-Soaring Firmament.”

And this formation was their only hope to return home.

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