Uh…
Rowan looked completely confused. He couldn't help scratching his head as he stared at the corpse floating on the artificial lake.
This situation wasn't right.
This should be the second time, right?
Was he somehow incompatible with this crossover anime world? Why was it that no matter where he went, he ran into corpses?
And this corpse looked very familiar.
Rowan knelt on one knee, reached his hand into the water of the artificial lake, and activated the power of the Float-Float Fruit, controlling the current to roll the corpse over.
The corpse floated in front of Rowan. He carefully examined it a few times and recognized her.
Golden hair, a beautiful face, and Totsuki Academy's distinctive student uniform.
Good grief. Wasn't this Nakiri Erina?
How had she died too? And right in the artificial lake of Totsuki Resort?
What was going on?
Another heroine had died?
This world had way too much malice toward heroines, didn't it? First Asuna, now Nakiri Erina. Was this crossover anime world really that dangerous?
"Umu, another corpse."
Nero walked over and looked at Nakiri Erina's pale face.
"So young. What a pity."
"It is a bit of a pity."
Rowan patted her face.
"Since it's a pity, then let's revive her."
Reverse yin and yang, from death to life.
Care to learn about the Revive-Revive Fruit?
A few seconds later, the dead Nakiri Erina suddenly opened her eyes and sat up from the ground, grandly resurrected.
"I… didn't die?"
"No, you died. But I saved you again."
Rowan's words startled Nakiri Erina.
She supported herself on the ground with both hands while kicking wildly with both legs. Her entire body retreated several meters like a spider crawling, and she looked at Rowan in panic.
"Who are you?"
"I guess I'm your lifesaver," Rowan said.
"Lifesaver?"
"Mm. Didn't I just say it? You died, and I revived you."
Rowan pointed at his head and said, "But considering you've just been revived and your brain is still a mess, I won't take offense at your rudeness."
After Rowan reminded her, Nakiri Erina's pupils contracted, and she suddenly reacted.
"I remember now. I was walking by the artificial lake just now, accidentally fell into the water, and my calf cramped, so I…"
As she recalled what happened before death, that cold, despairing feeling surged into her heart once more.
A bone-deep sense of suffocation erupted, making Nakiri Erina collapse to the ground and vomit violently.
She even vomited bile.
She looked as miserable as could be.
Only after quite a while, when the nausea gradually faded, did she climb up from the ground and say gratefully, "Thank you. Thank you for saving me."
As for the "resurrection" Rowan mentioned, she did not think too deeply about it. She only assumed Rowan had performed CPR or artificial respiration or something like that to save her.
As for actually being revived from death, she did not think about it at all, because reason told her that such a thing was impossible.
"No need to be polite."
Facing Nakiri Erina's thanks, Rowan waved his hand.
"Also, there's something I need to remind you of."
"What?"
"Your death was not an accident."
"Huh?"
Nakiri Erina did not understand. She had clearly only slipped and fallen into the water. It was absolutely an accident.
Rowan pointed at his eyes and said, "Maybe from your perspective, falling into the water just now was completely accidental. But from my perspective, it wasn't an accident. I saw it very clearly. You were cursed."
"Cursed?"
"That's right. A genuine curse. A black-and-red curse. This is really… unexpected."
Rowan smiled. After he revived Nakiri Erina, strands of black-red aura slowly emerged from her body and wrapped around her.
This aura was far too familiar.
"Unexpected? What do you mean?" Nakiri Erina did not understand.
"Simple. I've seen the curse on you before," Rowan said slowly. "Not long ago, I encountered a girl about your age. She was attacked by a yokai, and the same curse was wrapped around her body."
"Are you serious?" Nakiri Erina said. "There's really a curse on me?"
She still did not want to believe in something so unscientific.
Seeing this, Rowan stepped forward and patted her shoulder. The water stains on Nakiri Erina's body and the droplets in her hair were instantly bounced away.
Care to learn about the Paw-Paw Fruit?
This thing could even repel injuries, illness, and pain. Repelling the water stains on Nakiri Erina's body was nothing.
Nakiri Erina had just been soaked in the water. Her whole body had been wet, cold, and uncomfortable.
Now that the water droplets had been repelled, she was dry, refreshed, and extremely comfortable.
"Uh…"
She looked at her dry body and clothes, then looked at the floating ball of water behind her. Her entire body froze.
She suddenly felt as if the sky had collapsed.
She had lived for more than ten years, always believing this was a scientific world.
Now someone suddenly told her this world was not scientific at all. Her worldview shattered.
"So I really was cursed."
"Genuine, no deception."
Rowan narrowed his eyes, looked at Nakiri Erina's shifting expression, and asked, "Let me ask you something. Has the Nakiri family ever offended Asahi Heavy Industries?"
"Asahi Heavy Industries? That company with a yakuza background?"
Nakiri Erina looked disgusted. After thinking carefully, her expression gradually became serious.
"Now that you mention it, I remember. Not long ago, Totsuki Resort wanted to renovate, and Asahi Heavy Industries tried to get involved, but Grandfather rejected them."
"Are you sure?"
Nakiri Erina nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, unconsciously emphasizing her thick frontal armor.
Although she was still young, only a high school student, her physical development was excellent enough to make many adult women feel ashamed.
"I'm sure," Nakiri Erina said. "Head Chef Dojima once mentioned this matter to Grandfather. I was present at the time. Grandfather rejected Asahi Heavy Industries very sternly."
Her eyes flickered as she looked at Rowan.
"You suddenly mentioned Asahi Heavy Industries. Don't tell me you suspect the person who cursed me is from Asahi Heavy Industries?"
"I'm not sure," Rowan said. "But the last person who had the same kind of curse as you was cursed because her father refused Asahi Heavy Industries' request to acquire shares in a certain studio."
"That much of a coincidence?"
Nakiri Erina widened her eyes.
"It is indeed very coincidental."
Rowan nodded. Some things, when coincidental to a certain extent, were no longer coincidences.
It seemed Asuna's suspicion was very reasonable. This Asahi Heavy Industries was highly suspicious.
Nakiri Erina stared at Rowan and said seriously, "I must tell Grandfather about this. Can you help me prove it?"
Rowan shook his head and waved his hand.
"You don't need me to prove it. You're still young and don't understand how cruel this world is, but an old fox like your grandfather definitely knows the truth of this world."
"You just need to tell him that you've been cursed, your life is in danger, and you might die at any moment. He will naturally find someone to verify whether what you said is true."
After all, by the time the Nakiri family reached Nakiri Erina's generation, there were no male descendants.
Aside from her, there was only Nakiri Alice.
Nakiri Erina was the genuine heir of the Nakiri family.
So Nakiri Senzaemon would absolutely not be careless about something like this.
"I understand."
Nakiri Erina was not stupid. After Rowan reminded her, she immediately came to her senses. After thanking Rowan again, she hurriedly left.
However, before leaving, Nakiri Erina called the front desk manager of Totsuki Resort and told the manager that Rowan was her friend.
From now on, all expenses Rowan's group incurred at the resort would be charged to her.
As one of the Totsuki Elite Ten, the heir of the Nakiri family, and the famous God Tongue, she still had this much ability.
The front desk manager immediately received Rowan's group warmly.
Rowan did not stand on ceremony either. He immediately brought Nero and Cosette and began spending at Totsuki Resort.
The three of them first checked into the most luxurious hotel suite in Totsuki Resort, then ordered a large table full of dishes.
The waiter responsible for taking the order had his eye twitching, because Rowan ordered far too much food.
Forget Rowan's side only having one man and two women.
Even thirty people would not be able to finish these dishes.
However, considering that this group were the young lady's honored guests, the waiter did not stop them. After all, the Nakiri family could afford to waste this amount of food.
Rowan saw through the waiter's thoughts but did not explain.
Ever since receiving the Superhuman Serum, Rowan's physical fitness had become stronger and stronger. This amount of food was nothing to him.
Even if there were twice as much, Rowan could eat it all.
The current him was no longer the him who had just entered the One Piece world.
Back then, he would be full after eating a little. But now, Rowan was a genuine big eater.
Eating an entire cow in one meal would be no problem.
After the food arrived, Rowan began eating first with great anticipation.
When watching the anime, Rowan had been stunned by Food Wars' exaggerated presentation style.
It was just eating a meal. Did it need to be that exaggerated?
People who didn't know better might think the food had been drugged.
That was why Food Wars had once been widely jokingly called "Aphrodisiac Wars" or "Drugging Wars" by netizens, and the male protagonist Yukihira Soma was even called the King of Drugging.
So Rowan had long held great interest in the cuisine of this world.
This time, after learning that this crossover anime world had Food Wars, Rowan decisively came over and didn't want to delay even a moment.
Now, the cuisine of Food Wars had been served.
Naturally, Rowan wanted to feast.
Without hesitation, he picked up a piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth.
Delicious!
It really was delicious!
Rowan's mouth had already been spoiled by Cosette, so ordinary dishes could not impress him at all. But he had to admit that the food at Totsuki Resort was indeed excellent.
Even Cosette, after tasting the resort's cooking, couldn't help saying, "It's very delicious."
But it was only delicious.
This table of dishes had not reached the level of being "drugged."
So was it that the Food Wars manga had exaggerated its advertising and the real level was just this?
Or was it that the chefs who made these dishes were only at this level?
Holding a trace of doubt, Rowan asked the waiter, "Who made this table of dishes? Was it Gin Dojima?"