"Uu, I don't want to leave Tohru now" Kanna gave Michiru a pitiful look.
"Uh"
Michiru was caught in indecision. Kanna had come to find her friend, and splitting them up immediately felt wrong.
Hence, Rei Ao offered a solution:
"I have a spare guest room. You can stay the night here. Tomorrow morning I can use teleportation magic to send you back. It's instantsound good?"
Teleportation magic Another shocking term from Rei Ao.
" "
Seeing Kanna's eyes glitter with excitement, Michiru gave a helpless smile. "I guess I can't be the bad guy. Fine, let's do that."
Tohru and Kanna had a lot to talk about, so they decided to sleep on the couch. Dragons didn't fear the cold, nor cared too much about humans' bedtime schedules. They could chat for a full day straight without issues.
Michiru ended up sleeping alone in the second bedroom. Lying flat on the unfamiliar bed, she couldn't just drift off immediately. And after everything todayso unexpectedher mind was in a whirl. Merely thinking made her too alert to sleep.
It was her first time learning the truth behind the world. Her first time discovering Rei Ao's secrets. And
Now Michiru had to admit: without her realizing it, her feelings for Rei Ao had changed from simple goodwill to a secret crush. Yet it felt like her nascent crush had already ended in heartbreak.
"What a failure"
She shrank under the quilt, tasting the sour pangs of adolescence.
~~~
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Chapter 366: Michiru's Feelings...
"Phew, I'm exhausted At last I've finished this work."
Yukinoshita Haruno stretched out, letting out a big yawn.
Work had kept her so busy lately that she hadn't had time to look in on her dear little sister. Even her plan to go drinking with Shizuka had been postponed again and again.
Now that she was finally free, she intended to follow through on that promise. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Then she set the phone aside and closed her eyes to rest, planning to meet that obligation and then go see Yukino.
(What a doting big sisteralways thinking about her little sis.)
The next morning.
"Emilia, are you awake? Don't forget to get up and have breakfast."
Rei Ao called toward the locked door of the spare bedroom.
" "
Emilia was already awake. After what had happened the previous night, she had locked herself in the room. There was no help for it; it was too embarrassing! Beyond humiliating! She was so mortified she couldn't bear to face anyone.
"I'm not"
She was about to say she wasn't hungry
"Gurgle~"
But her stomach betrayed her, rumbling loudly. Emilia had no choice but to correct herself: "All right, I'm coming!"
She couldn't help ithumans still have to eat, after all. And since she was severely lacking in her holy energy right now, skipping meals would be too much of a strain. No matter how thin her pride, she still needed food.
Originally she thought of waiting until Rei Ao and the others went to school before stepping out, but then she lowered her gaze to her tummy, recalling last night:
"He he probably didn't see anything, right?"
Emilia tried to console herself with that thought.
Outside, Rei Ao figured she was avoiding him, so he didn't press her any further. Instead, he looked to Michiruwho was also awakeand Kanna, who clung longingly to Tohru.
"All right, time to take you two back."
"Hmph."
Kanna gave a childish huff and declared to Rei Ao, "I'm going to snatch Tohru backTohru shouldn't be mating with a human."
"Oh?"
Rei Ao felt like he'd just acquired a feisty little sister-in-law.
"Kanna, what are you saying?" Tohru said disapprovingly, cupping the little girl's cheeks. "My darling and I like each otherboth of us do."
"Heh heh, Tohru," Rei Ao said, "I'll make Kanna come around."
"Kanna never"
Kanna stopped mid-sentence, eyes going wide. She saw on Rei Ao's fingertip the same blue orb of magic from the previous day, the one that tasted so good and left her belly full. Unable to look away, her eyes were glued to it.
Rei Ao wore a triumphant grin. Dealing with a snack lover this adorable was too easy. Kanna still had some willpower, though, as shown by the slight struggle on her face.
One magic orb isn't enough? Finetwo orbs. He held out another finger, from which a green orb appeared.
"This one's green apple flavor."
"!!!"
Kanna's eyes went wide again. And that wasn't all. Next, multiple magic orbs of various hues gathered at Rei Ao's fingertips.
"chicken flavor, sweet flavor whatever you want, it's yours~"
In an instant, the bewitching words captured Kanna's heart.
Smack!
She gave a sharp little clap of her hands, assuming a miniature adult's serious expression, and nodded firmly.
"Mm, I think Tohru and Rei Ao-nii are perfectly matched. They should mate every day!"
"Pfft!"
Tohru couldn't help laughing.
"Kanna, what nonsense are you talking about? There's nobody who can do it every dayit's just once a day!"
"???"
At that, Michiru felt a headache coming on. How is that any different from every day?
Well, Tohru's definition of "every day" meant nonstop; even she couldn't handle that. Rei Ao, amused, said, "Kanna, you've become quite the sweet-talker," and conjured five small magic orbs in his palm, solidifying them in front of her. He tossed them to Kanna. "These are your snack rewards."
"Ooh!!!"
All at once, five orbs! Kanna's little mouth turned into an O shape. The happiness was so sudden!
"All right, Michiru. Give me your hand."
He took Kanna's small hand first, then held out his own to Michiru.
" "
Michiru understood that this was necessary for the teleportation spell. Even so, taking his hand made her heartbeat quicken. She wondered if her palm might be sweaty. Fortunately, Rei Ao's teleportation took only the blink of an eye.
"!!!"
Michiru hadn't even processed what was happening before she found herself back in her familiar, homey apartment.
"So fast!"
She blurted out her shock without thinking.
"Teleportation magic works similar to instantaneous movementnaturally it's fast," Rei Ao explained, then asked with concern, "You're not dizzy, are you? If so, sit down a moment"
"No, I'm all right."
Michiru didn't feel any discomfort. But the strange experience of returning home in an instant deepened her sense that they existed in different worlds, as though she and Rei Ao were divided by a visible gulfnormal human vs. someone extraordinary.
"Michiru, if Kanna ever feels hungry, you're welcome to bring her over. Of course, you two can visit anytime."
"Mm," Michiru murmured, nodding.
Rei Ao then asked, "Anything else you'd like to know?"
" "
Michiru hesitated a few seconds before shaking her head. "No."
"In that case, I'll be off. See you at school."
"okay."
Rei Ao vanished with a blink. Michiru stared at the empty space he'd just occupied.
"Michiru, what's wrong?"
Kanna tugged at her sleeve. Startled, Michiru exhaled a long breath and said softly, "It's nothing. Kanna, let's go wash up. I'll make breakfast in a bit."
"Sure~"
Seeing Kanna's obedient face, Michiru allowed herself the slightest smile. Even though she'd realized there was an immense chasm between her and Rei Aoan unbridgeable gap between a mere human and someone extraordinaryKanna had become an unexpected bridge. Through Kanna, she could gain further insight into Rei Ao's true nature.
"Michiru, it feels like you have something you want to tell Rei Ao-nii," Kanna said, having keenly sensed Michiru's emotional shifts. She gripped Michiru's hand with her own small one. "Kanna can help you, if you want."
" "
Michiru froze. Of course she had things she wanted to ask. She desperately wanted to know what Rei Ao thought of her. But Tohru's presence had already crushed that idea. She had just now accepted it, when Kanna sniffed at the air and dropped another bomb:
"I smell a whiff of desire. Does Michiru want to mate with Oniisan too?"
"???"
Michiru's cheeks went scarlet at the tiny dragon's unwitting exposure of her feelings. Being asked about romance was one thing, but to frame it in such blunt, crude terms, she had no defense.
Scowling at Kanna in embarrassment, she said with a guilty conscience, "Stop saying nonsense. Hurry up and wash upI'll make breakfast."
"Okay, okay!"
At the mention of breakfast, Kanna lost interest in the topic. She raised her little hand and cheered, "I want to drink warm milk~"
~~~
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Chapter 367: Inori's Request for Help!
"Cough, cough, cough!!!"
On the beach by the sea, a violent fit of coughing expelled a great deal of saltwater.
Yuzuriha Inori struggled to stand, then dragged herself along the shoreline.
She had obtained the Void Genome.
She had also jumped from a cliff into the sea, escaping GHQ's pursuit.
But amidst that hail of gunfire, she had inevitably been hit by a stray bullet.
Though the wound wasn't fatal, the loss of blood and the chill of the seawater had left Yuzuriha Inori extremely weak.
She knew that if she stayed by the shore, she would be discovered in no time.
So, forcing her exhausted body to move, she headed toward the city's ruins.
"Keep searching!!!"
Yuzuriha Inori was lucky:
Before GHQ's soldiers arrived, she managed to hide inside a run-down, half-collapsed building.
The soldiers were patrolling not far off, but they failed to notice her trail.
She was also unlucky:
"Ugh"
Exhaustion blurred her vision, and she gradually lost consciousness.
At the Shuchiin Academy's science lab.
Today should have been an ordinary day for Futaba Rio.
Yet ever since that incident, everything felt anything but ordinary to her.
Her only guess was that Futaba had indeed told Rei Ao about the connection between them,
and thenthey did it.
But during that event, Rei Ao's gaze had actually been directed at her, linked via their shared senses.
Moreover, ever since that day, it seemed her ability had undergone a new development.
For instance, right at this moment:
Wearing a white lab coat, Rio closed her eyes, then slowly opened them again.
Her left eye was as bright as ever, but her right eye went vacant.
It wasn't that anything was wrong with the eye itself; it was seeing something it shouldn't have been able to see.
"Emilia, what kind of job are you looking for? I can give you some ideas."
"I don't know yet. Mainly, I don't have any specialized skills in this world. What do you think someone like me could do?"
Not only could she see Emilia, but she could also hear the conversation.
Which meant she was currently linked to Futaba's senses, watching what was happening with Futaba at Rei Ao's house.
"Hah"
She shut her eyes again, withdrawing the ability. She didn't quite know how to feel about this power.
From a scientific perspective, it fascinated her, but recalling that nightwhen it felt as though she experienced everything in personshame and distress came rushing back.
Rio wasn't sure how to deal with Futaba and Rei Ao.
She didn't want to harm Futaba by forcing her back into her original body.
Yet since Futaba was with Rei Ao, that meant almost every day she might be drawn into experiences that left her body limp.
"Sigh"
Pressing her thumb to her temple, Rio fretted over what to do.
"You look like you're in quite the dilemma."
A sudden voice startled her.
Rio spun around, not even knowing what was happening before a tall figure swept her into his arms.
" "
Rio didn't struggle much. Just from his voice, she already knew who it wasRei Ao.
Given his identity and power, she knew it would be impossible to break free from him. So she opted against pointless resistance.
"Youwhy are you here?"
Her question sounded both puzzled and full of conflicted feelings.
"I'm here to win your approval," Rei Ao replied frankly. "Rio, go out with me."
He'd chosen this moment to come because he believed that after a day or two, Rio would have found her emotional footing since that incident.
" "
Rio stared into his eyes for a long while. At last, she spoke again, asking, "You think I'm the same as Futaba?"
"No."
Rei Ao's answer was: "You two are different, or you might say I've never treated you as the same person."
"But I do know that what I like is three distinct existences: Futaba, Rio, and Futaba Rio."
His gaze and his words never lied to the ones he wished to have. His desire was that forthright. So forthright, in fact, that Rio wasn't sure how to berate him for his "player" tendencies.
" "
Rio let out a tense breath. She'd been thoroughly defeated by Rei Aonot only by his words, but also by what he was doing. Flushing, she murmured, "Rei Ao-kun, don't you think it's wrong to get handsy before I've given an answer?"
At some point, the large hands around her waist had slipped underneath her lab coat at the back.
"Haha, and isn't it because you, Rio, haven't really objected at all?" Rei Ao said with a grin.
By this point, even if Rio refused to answer verbally, he could already tell what she was feeling. So he acted boldly.
Just as Rio was about to say something more, she realized Rei Ao had stopped moving.
[Ding! Yuzuriha Inori has sent you a Trade request!]
[Trade Content: Help her!]
[Ding! Please choose the trade condition!]
Seeing this system prompt, the first thing he did was turn to Rio. "Want to go on a date in another world?"
"?"
Without even checking Yuzuriha Inori's specifics, he directly chose her single available transaction condition. Soon:
[Ding! Trade Initiated!]
[Trade Partner: Yuzuriha Inori]
[Trade Content: Help her!]
[Trade Condition: "Rights to Your Body Once"]
[Duration: 24 hours]
Rio realized what he meant by "another world date."
"You're really taking me to another world? I won't be much help."
"It's no problem. Yuzuriha Inori's world doesn't have any real threats worth mentioning."
Rei Ao first @Hiratsuka Shizuka in the group.
Rei Ao: "@Hiratsuka Shizuka, Shizuka-sensei, sorry to bother you again."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Hmph, I get it."
Taking time off againshe was used to that. Although Rei Ao had promised to come see her and still hadn't shown up. She'd been tidying her room daily for nothing.
