Patreon(.)com/Bleam
Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!
Chapter 222: Biri-Biri, Do you have anyone you like? (Bonus Chapter)
Because her attempt to use her ability on Misaka Mikoto failedand seeing Mikoto remain so calmShokuhou Misaki had her subordinates stand guard. That was her strategy with a hot-headed Misaka Mikoto. Misaka's personality was belligerent, prone to flare-ups, but she wouldn't randomly harm unrelated people. Because of that, even though Shokuhou Misaki's power got neutralized, she wasn't particularly afraid to oppose Mikoto.
Unexpectedly, though, Misaka Mikoto didn't blow up this time the way she'd anticipated.
""
Mikoto didn't even show annoyance at Shokuhou's attempt. She actually seemed quite composedalmost pleased.
Not that Mikoto had any masochistic tendencies; she had simply used Shokuhou's move as a testto see whether Shokuhou's ability could actually affect her.
And now she had her answer: it still didn't work.
Plus, from Shokuhou's genuine confusion and impatience, Mikoto was basically certain the mysterious "chat" in her head had nothing to do with Shokuhou Misaki.
Having her result, Mikoto no longer had a reason to stay.
She waved a hand:
"That earlier mess was my faultsorry about that. Alsothanks."
Then she turned and left.
"Huh?"
That left Shokuhou Misaki, who was just about to get angry, completely baffled. She might understand the apology, but thanksfor what?
""
After a long silence, Shokuhou couldn't help muttering:
"Weirdo."
She pressed the remote again.
"What happened just now?"
Her ability canceled, the surrounding students awakened from control. But she had lost her appetite for pudding, thanks to Mikoto.
Sure enough, at this moment Mikoto, holding her "test results," typed into the chat group:
Misaka Mikoto: "All right, I guess I do believe this chat group is real now."
After all her testing, she hadn't found any loopholes in the chat group. At least, with her power, she couldn't prove it fake or detect that it was just someone else's ability. And the group never vanished. She had no choice but to tentatively accept its authenticity.
Still, there was one thing she was curious about.
Misaka Mikoto: "So, @Rei Ao, why did you add me to this group?"
Rei Ao: "Nothing to do with me."
Misaka Mikoto: "Huh?"
Busujima Saeko: "In fact, group invitations appear to be random."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Probably random world, random person."
Stella: "Wrongrandom female."
Yukinoshita Yukino: ""
Misaka Mikoto: "But why me? What's this group's objective?"
Akame: "It's a 'trade' chat group."
Frieren: "Yep, a trade chat group. The key thing is all about trading."
Yomogawa Ayame: "If there's any common thread, maybe the group decided we all needed some form of trade."
Misaka Mikoto: "But I don't need to trade anything."
Hiiragi Shinoa: "That means you're living a very happy, satisfying life?"
Misaka Mikoto: "Of course. And in Academy City, I'm one of the strongest."
Rei Ao: "Lv5, Railgun, 'Biri-biri' In Academy City, you do have decent power."
Misaka Mikoto:"??? 'Railgun'? The heck is that nickname?!"
She paused in her steps toward the dorm. What did he mean? She typed:
Misaka Mikoto: "How do you know that?! And
what's with calling me 'Railgun'?!"
Rei Ao: "Haha, I'm the chat group's owner. It's only natural I'd know my dear group members' info, right? As for 'Railgun,' doesn't it sound pretty fitting?"
Kasuga Hijiri: "It does sound fierce."
Sakurajima Mai: "Somehow I got a weird feeling from that label."
Tohru: "You mean like 'firing cannons'?"
Kato Megumi: ""
Misaka Mikoto: "Don't say weird stuff, you jerks!!"
She was trembling in anger. Actually, it was more like she was hot with embarrassment. This is some bizarre nickname!
Misaka Mikoto: "Just call me by name or something! Don't use that stupid nickname!"
Rei Ao: "Alright."
Misaka Mikoto: "What do you mean 'Alright'? Stop sidestepping! I won't pursue how you found out, but why mention my personal info out of nowhere?"
Rei Ao: "No reason. Just me, as the group's admin, giving a small reminder to my beloved group member: don't be overconfident."
Rei Ao: "Academy City is deeper than you realize. Your world as a whole is deeper than you realize, too."
Whether it involved the conspiracies within Academy City, or the complex, rigid magic factions, or maybe even higher-level "Magic God"-like existences The water surely went far deeper than the self-assured Misaka Mikoto imagined.
Misaka Mikoto: "Huh???"
She felt suspicious. Was he cautioning her about something? She hardly saw why. She was Misaka Mikoto, the 3rd-ranked Level 5. The only people ahead of her were the 1st and 2nd. She didn't see what else could threaten her.
Sui: "Looks like this Misaka Mikoto isn't buying Rei Ao's warning."
Frieren: "As someone who's gone through it, Rei Ao might come across as a womanizing scoundrel, but he doesn't do false scare tactics."
Izawa Shizue: "She probably just doesn't see the bigger picture yet."
Stella: "Mmm, that bastard's an absolute romance maniac, but he won't lie to you for no reason. So, newbiedon't get too cocky. You can't just 'sit at the bottom of the well' and imagine you see the entire sky."
She spoke from experience. She'd thought herself strong enough but discovered opponents stronger than she was. Had she not gained Rei Ao's strength, she'd have been unable to defeat Toudou Touka.
Misaka Mikoto: ""
She calmed down. Indeed, Rei Ao had no motive for random scare tactics. If he truly knew something and was kindly warning her Could Academy City be more perilous than she'd imagined?
Truth be told, she had no real sense of it but decided to keep this in mind. Better safe than sorry.
Shiba Miyuki: "Um, I don't seem to have anything that needs trading either."
No matter how she pondered it, she, Shiba Miyuki, didn't need any trades. So she typed:
Shiba Miyuki: "I can't think of any trade needs at the moment."
Then Rei Ao turned his attention to that. He, too, was curious about her situation, about her famed "onii-sama," Shiba Tatsuya.
Rei Ao: "Do you have anyone you like?"
Shiba Miyuki: "Eh?!"
Seated in class, Shiba Miyuki's eyes went wide. Wh-why so suddenly asking such a weird question?!
~~~
200 Powerstone Bonus Chapter!
For Every 100 Powerstone = 1 Bonus Chapter! Please Vote for more chapters!
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!
Chapter 223: You look lovely...
Stella: "? Why are you asking about that?"
Sakurajima Mai: "You you're not trying to pre-emptively eliminate a love rival, are you?"
Kasuga Hijiri: "That shouldn't be it, right? After all, none of us have met Shiba Miyuki-san."
Frieren: "But he does have personal info on group members, so maybe he noticed how beautiful Shiba Miyuki is and got ideas."
Rei Ao: "Indeed, she's lovely and cuteand her aura is quite similar to Yukino's."
Mabel: "Yukino is indeed gorgeousjust a touch below me, though."
Stella: "???"
Kato Megumi: "You're amazing, Rei Ao-kunpraising two people in one sentence."
Yukinoshita Yukino: ""
For some reason, Yukino felt a bit embarrassed at hearing one line of praise from Rei Ao and another from Mabel about her looks. Especially considering the livestream showed so many of the group memberseach of them quite pretty, each with her own distinct charm. Yukino never thought of herself as "cute."
Shiba Miyuki: "Um thank you for the compliment."
Blushing softly, she added: "As for, um, someone I like, I haven't really thought about or planned anything like that. I've only just started high school, so of course I should focus on self-improvement."
"???"
Rei Ao paused, surprised.
Nothing? That can't be! Logically, Shiba Miyuki should have some fondness for her brother, Shiba Tatsuya so maybe she's not telling the whole truth? They're all basically "online acquaintances," so it's understandable she'd be cautious. But there might also be more going on.
Stella: "Don't change the subject! You aren't really interested in her, are you?"
Rei Ao: "Have you heard the saying 'When a fine lady appears, a gentleman pursues'?"
Stella: "No."
Rei Ao: "Put simply, men like pretty girls."
Stella: ""
Shiba Miyuki: "Ugh Even though you praise my looks, I'm sorry, I'm really not thinking about romance right now!"
Hiiragi Shinoa: "No need to apologize for that."
Rei Ao: "Haha, I was just expressing admiration for a lovely young woman, not actually confessing."
Shiba Miyuki: "Ugh!"
Then she quit talkingprobably shy. Rei Ao merely gave a small smile.
Indeed, Shiba Miyuki's frosty elegance reminded him somewhat of Yukino, and both had that long black hair. But their personalities were quite different. Also, if memory served, Shiba Miyuki had a figure Yukino might envy, what with her fullness.
Taking a quick look at private messages, Rei Ao saw no new replies from Eriri. So he turned his attention back to other matters.
Evening
At Rei Ao's place
""
Sitting on the sofa, holding a teacup, Futaba Rio felt she really shouldn't be there. Through her glasses, she gazed toward the entrance hall.
"Hehe, how shall I welcome my dear one in just a bit?"
That was Tohru in high anticipation, muttering to herself. The problem was Tohru's outfitjust a simple apron, and nothing elseleaving even Futaba Rio too embarrassed to look.
Then: click! The front door opened. Right on time, Rei Ao and Mai returned.
Rio hung her head, listening:
"Darling, welcome home! Wanna eat dinner first or eat me first?"
She expected Rei Ao to reply, but first came Mai's furious voice:
"Tohru!!! Youcome with me. We need to have a serious talk about what you did to me!"
"Nooo, I want my darling to enjoy me!"
"Heh, that can wait, Tohru. You'd better settle things with Mai first."
Mai wanted a proper reckoning over the marker-pen scribbles Tohru had put all over her body. Without Tohru's mischief, Mai wouldn't have had so many crazy misunderstandings, false fantasies, or gotten so defensive, and after Rei Ao pointed out the truth, she'd ended up feeling like a total pervert.
"Nooo!"
Tohru turned pale as Mai forcibly dragged her away, while Rei Ao walked over and sat next to Futaba Rio.
""
She awkwardly started to stand, intending to leave, but Rei Ao called out:
"Futaba Rio-san, I have something concerning you to discuss."
"!"
She halted mid-movement. About her? She immediately thought of her "other self."
Rei Ao went straight to the point:
"Today, I ran into the other you again."
" "
After a long silence, she pushed up her glasses:
"What did she say?"
"She told me she's prepared to vanish."
"Why?"
"Because she's well aware of the nature of her own existence."
"You mean Puberty Syndrome?"
Futaba Rio quickly put the logic together. Rei Ao nodded:
"Yep. She believes that, being a manifestation of that condition, she's bound to fadeand so she's come to terms with it."
""
Rio didn't know what to say: relief? sympathy? pity? Probably all of it.
Relief that she would regain her normal life.
Compassion and sorrow that the self-aware "other" Rio would ultimately vanish.
"But you still remember the promise I made earlier, right?"
Rei Ao didn't let the matter end there; he shifted the conversation to another angle.
"Promise?"
Rio certainly recalled. He promised not to let Futaba Rio disappear.
Rei Ao's eyes glinted with a slight smile.
"I said I wouldn't let her vanish. Which means my next step might not fully respect your opinion, but it'll put the choice back in your hands."
"???"
She hadn't parsed his meaning before she saw Rei Ao press a fingertip lightly to her forehead.
In the next instant, Futaba Rio felt some strange power coursing out from inside her.
"Ugh!"
That surge of pleasure made her moan softly. Layers of red dragon scales manifested along her skin.
"W-What is this?!"
She stared in shock at the bizarre changes on her own body, pupils contracting.
[Name]: Futaba Rio
[Level]: 1
[Abilities]: "Dragon Power", "Water Spirit", "Twin Form, Twin Body", "Rei Ao's Blessing", "Inherent Device: Gemini"
This was the first time Rei Ao had ever broken his own precedent by granting a "Blessing."
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!
Chapter 224: Decision...
"Rei Ao-kun, wh-what's happening to me?"
As an ordinary person, seeing her body suddenly sprout scales left Futaba Rio dumbfounded.
Rei Ao soothed her. "Don't be afraidcalm yourself and sense the new power in your body. You can control it."
""
She settled her mind as he'd advised, closing her eyes to try it out. A few seconds later, she opened them again; the dragon scales quietly receded.
"!!!"
She could actually control it!
Futaba Rio was shocked and confused. "What in the world is this?"
"Right now, you've received my 'blessing,' and awakened a special power," Rei Ao explained calmly.
Rio wasn't stupid; she could clearly feel the odd power inside her, almost like a super-ability. But
"Why would you do this?"
"Because I don't want the other 'you' to vanish."
Rei Ao nodded, then gestured to her. "Your Puberty Syndrome has now become an ability you can control, thanks to the power of my blessing."
"In other words, whether that other version of you disappears or not is now your decision."
""
Futaba Rio froze in place. Rei Ao had gone that far, all to keep the other her from disappearing?
"Hah."
She took a deep breath. "Twin form, twin body"she activated this ability. In the next moment, it felt like a phantom parted from her own being, then separated out of her in the blink of an eye.
The silhouette that split off went from hazy to solid.
"Eh? Why am I out here?"
It was none other than the "outgoing Futaba Rio," looking bewildered.
""
Futaba Rio, the original, gazed up-close at this other version of herself for the first time. The two looked identical, but with her glasses off, hair in a ponytail, and a hint of makeup, the "other" radiated a vibe completely different from her gloomier aura.
"Rei Ao-kun, what's going on?"
The "outgoing" Futaba Rio still didn't understand, so she reflexively turned to Rei Ao for answers.
""
Watching that scene, the original Rio stayed silent. She found it telling that this other version instinctively relied on Rei Ao.
