"K-Kuhouin-kaichou, y-your body!"
The girl beside her cried out in alarm. Feeling something was wrong, Arisa looked down hastily.
Rip!!!
Her clothing tore apart.
She now stared in horror. The thing ripping her clothes wasa cluster of purple crystals.
"Am I crystallizing again?!"
That thought flitted through her mind, and she lost all strength, slumping forward.
Rei Ao helpfully supported her with his right hand and explained, "Since the deal failed, everything returns to the original state. I've restored the virus in your bodywhether you live or die is up to you."
"!!!"
Kuhouin Arisa was stunned. She'd never imagined that, after being cured once, the virus would relapse so abruptly, re-crystallizing at high speed. At once she understood what Rei Ao had meant by "reverting to the original state." Indeedliterally returning it to how it was before.
Hiiragi Shinoa: "Tsk, so that's itshe's re-infected and having symptoms again, so basically the deal never happened."
Frieren: "Rei Ao, truly you live up to yourself."
Shiba Miyuki: "While that virus is terrifying, and that person obviously needs to learn a lesson, extorting and threatening your lifesaver is extremely offensive."
Even the gentle-hearted Miyuki firmly sided with Rei Ao.
Stella: "Tsk, she has no sense of gratitudethen so be it."
"Howdid it come to this?"
Feeling weak, struggling even to breathe, Kuhouin Arisa hadn't foreseen such an outcome at all. It was completely beyond her control. She'd assumed that by flaunting her status, she'd force him to cooperate. Who could've expected Rei Ao's methods to be beyond her comprehension?
"You come over and hold her. At least let her be comfortable in her final moments."
"Ah?"
The girl nearby was dazed by this bizarre situation, but quickly gathered herself and ran up to support Kuhouin Arisa, whose frantic crystallization was escalating. Seeing Arisa's face overtaken by panic, the girl pursed her lips and pleaded, "Excuse me, Rei Ao-sancan't you save her?"
"You saw it yourself. We agreed on a deal beforehand, and she's unwilling to fulfill it, so I'm naturally canceling it. Don't mistake me for some good Samaritan."
" "
The girl couldn't argue. Everything had transpired right before her, each detail plain to see. Naturally, she understood Kuhouin Arisa had broken her promise first. Even if Rei Ao's terms had been unusual, Kuhouin Arisa had accepted them beforehand. Under such circumstances, there was little more to say.
Rei Ao gave the girl a glance.
"Instead of worrying about her, maybe worry about yourself. You're infected too, aren't you?"
" "
Instinctively, the girl clutched her right handsometime earlier, she'd bandaged her palm. While giving first aid to Arisa, her hand had been cut by the crystals, triggering genetic resonance. Now little crystals were growing in her palm.
"S-save me!"
Kuhouin Arisa pleaded in a trembling voice. Facing death once more, she was terrified. She didn't want to die! With the crystallization spreading so fast, only Rei Ao could save her. This time she swallowed her pride, begging:
She sank to her knees. Gazing down at her, Rei Ao wore a faintly amused expression.
"You yourself just refused the terms of our trade. Now what?"
"I'm sorry, it was my mistake! Please forgive me!!!"
Tears of regret trickled down her cheeks. Experiencing that agonizing crystallization again, she regretted everything profoundly.
Rei Ao crouched before her, gripping her chin to examine her. Quietly, he said, "Of all the trades I've ever made, you're the only one who dared haggle after the deal was set."
Hearing that, Kuhouin Arisa's body trembled. She blurted, "I was wrongI'll pay everything; I'll uphold my promise. Please, save me!"
"Tsk."
Rei Ao turned to ask the nearby girl, "What do you think? Should I give her another chance?"
"Menjou!!"
Kuhouin Arisa rasped out the girl's name, her throat and face already sprouting crystals.
~~~
700 Powerstone Bonus Chapter!
Chapter 373: Witness Thoughts...
The girl didn't understand why Rei Ao was giving her the final say on something like this.
Such a trivial sentence, as if deciding someone else's life or death, made her feel scared and uneasy.
She watched Kuhouin Arisa's face turn red and distressed from her inability to breathe.
The girl wasn't so coldhearted as to speak words of indifference.
She nodded and said, "E-even though I do agree that the president was the one who broke her promise first, pleasegive her another chance!"
"Tsk?"
Narrowing his eyes, Rei Ao offered a suggestion: "Then how about you act as the witness?"
"Witness?" The girl didn't get it.
"That's right. I'll fulfill my part of saving her, as per the deal, but you'll bear witness to her paying the price. You'll be the witness."
"All right."
The girl didn't hesitate. If she kept hesitating, Kuhouin Arisa would die.
"Aah, Arisa, you're quite lucky."
Just as he said, Rei Ao pressed a finger against her forehead.
Crack.
Once again, the crystallization over half of her body shattered. Naturally, it also tore apart the borrowed outer jacket she'd been wearing from the girl next to her.
"Mmgh!"
With her agony lightened for a moment, Kuhouin Arisa collapsed limply on the auditorium stage, gasping for breath. Twice dancing on the edge of death left her trembling in fear.
"You, 'young lady,' are you prepared to pay the cost of this deal now, or would you rather refuse once again?"
Rei Ao gave her no time to rest, his cool voice reminding her, "You only get this one chance, courtesy of that young lady over there who pleaded on your behalf."
" "
This time, Kuhouin Arisa didn't bother covering herself. She glanced at the girl, then looked back to Rei Ao.
Gone was her earlier arrogance. After nearly dying twice, she cast aside her pride. With a bitter nod, she said, "All right."
She valued staying alive more than everything she owned.
"Perfect~."
Her reply satisfied Rei Ao. He casually took a large blanket from the chat group's storage space and spread it on the auditorium stage. Under Kuhouin Arisa's confused gaze, he lifted her onto the blanket, then started undoing the buttons of his shirt.
"Gulp Wh-what are you doing?"
Guessing the situation, Kuhouin Arisa gulped nervously. Rei Ao flashed a grin:
"We've got this big auditorium all sealed up. Seems like an ideal place to 'train' a mouthy, conceited young lady. Of course, I also need to collect the payment for our deal. And while I'm at it"
He paused. With a flick of his right hand
"Mmph!"
Ouma Mana, who was occupying Inori's body, was also caught by an invisible force that pulled her over. She landed in Rei Ao's arms beside Kuhouin Arisa.
"And while I'm at it, I'll teach you, who intended to cause trouble, what it truly means to be 'Adam and Eve,' and what real procreation is."
In the chat group:
Stella: "What the? He's just starting without even a heads-up?"
Akame: "Starting what?"
Stella: "What else? There's a livestream going on!"
Frieren: "This is the literary equivalent of a freefallno hesitation, no distractions, just an exhilarating plunge straight into the heart of the action, landing in sheer exhilaration."
Stella: "???"
Shiba Miyuki: "This"
Kasuga Hijiri: "Frieren, that's quite unexpected, hearing something like that from you."
Sakurajima Mai: "Frieren, where'd you learn such language?"
Frieren: "Haha, Rei Ao taught me that the other night. Quite vivid, right?"
Megumi Kato: "Though it is vividmaybe don't say it so casually."
Misaka Mikoto: "Hey, heywhy is Rei Ao bullying people like that? Isn't one enoughwhy two at once?!"
Rei Ao: "Who am I bullying?"
Misaka Mikoto: "Uh, obviously the ones y-you're dominating!"
Rei Ao: "You're misunderstanding. Arisa and Inori are part of a deal. And as for Ouma Mana occupying Inori's body, she came to me on her own."
Rei Ao: "So it's perfectly justified."
Rei Ao: "Also, something you said was off. It's not twoit's four."
He glanced down from the stage at Futaba and Rio, whose faces were red with shame.
"Futaba, Rio, I figure this is a good time for us three to face our own issues, honestly."
"What do you think?"
" "
Futaba and Rio didn't answer. They wondered why their bodies had flown over before, with no choice at all.
Misaka Mikoto: "Four?"
Back in her dorm,
Mikoto looked as if she'd seen something frightening, her body trembling violently. Shirai Kuroko, noticing her alarm, asked anxiously, "Oneesama, what's wrong?"
" "
Mikoto clenched her legs together, jumped up and ran straight to the bathroom.
Leaving behind only: "!! I'm taking a shower!"
"Huh?"
Kuroko was full of questions. It was only a showerwhy the rush? She glanced sideways, spotting something where Mikoto had been sitting: it seemed to be glimmering faintly.
Evening had come.
My name is Menjou Hare.
I'm a student at Tennouzu First High School, also a class rep.
Today at noon, the Student Council President, Kuhouin Arisa, held a speech about external supply shipments. Mid-speech, she suddenly lost the ability to breathe and collapsed.
I stood blankly near the stage in the auditorium, not knowing what to do. On the stage, Kuhouin Arisa seemed to convulse as if on the brink of death.
Then, in front of my eyes, an utterly absurd scene played out. Actually, I shouldn't even be here. But that manRei Ao, who was carrying onrefused to let me leave, saying: "You can't go. You're Arisa's witness, and our deal isn't done."
Because of that promise, I didn't leave. I just stood there, dumbfounded, watching this bizarre "show." Rather than call me a witness, it's more like I'm an onlooker
Rei Ao seemed almost devilish. If all he needed was from Arisa, presumably I could have left as soon as I verified it. Yet not once did he fulfill Arisa's needs. Every time, he took what he had from her and ended up giving it to Futaba, Rio, or even Ouma Mana. Arisa was half-dead from the ordeal.
This dryness had lasted so long. Even just watching, I felt oddly strange. I shrank back against the wall, trying desperately to hide any reaction. My moist eyes flicked over to Futaba and the others, who wore dazed expressions.
A question rose in my heart:
"Does itfeel good?"
~~~
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Chapter 374: Flowery Words... Straight from the Heart...
A thumping sound rang from the lectern.
"This is the method I taught youdoesn't it beat any Adam and Eve nonsense?"
Rei Ao asked, speaking to Ouma Mana, who was seated on the lectern before him, biting her lip.
" "
Ouma Mana never expected things would come to this.
The key point was that her link to the Apocalypse Virus had now been severed.
She had no ability to fight back against Rei Ao's "discipline" and was at his mercy.
Even worse, this body originally meant to be her vessel was responding eagerly, something she couldn't deny.
That was a result of base physical instinct, forcibly awakened by Rei Ao's imposing "size."
Ouma Mana stared at Rei Ao with a complicated expression. Then her eyes turned dull and vacant. When she regained her gaze again, it was as if she'd turned into someone else.
"Inori?"
Rei Ao saw the reason for the change. Inori had returned.
"Mm it's me," answered Inori, face flushed.
Not long ago, when she drifted off to sleep, she felt her body sinking into an endless darkness.
Yet she could still see, hear, and sense everything, as though her body had been half-possessed by something else. She'd had to watch helplessly as that "other" used her body to do those things culminating in the ongoing, somewhat lurid scene.
Seeing her confusion, Rei Ao ceased his actions and asked a question he should have asked earlier:
"Inori, now can you finally tell me what you meant by 'help me'? Otherwise, I can't finish this trade."
" "
Inori stared at him blankly.
Originally, she only wanted to deliver the Void Genome back. But now that she'd been healed and the Void Genome had been handed over to Rei Ao by the entity calling itself Ouma Mana, her plan had changed.
A single question lingered in her mind. Her lips parted slightly.
She asked, "Rei Ao-kun, please tell mewhat am I, exactly?"
A cloned human? A non-human life form?
From the start, Inori had felt out of place among humans. Lacking typical human emotions, she doubted she was even human. She'd lived in constant confusion about herself.
Ouma Mana
When she appeared, Inori felt that her existence had always been meant for that person, vaguely or not.
Seeing the yearning in her eyes, Rei Ao propped up her body to explain:
"Ouma Mana, the first woman to come in contact with the Apocalypse Virus and be chosen as Eve."
" "
Deep in that dark realm, the battered Ouma Mana retreated once more into the depths of that soul and consciousness. She heard Rei Ao speak her identity, reacting with an indiscernible look, listening silently.
"After Lost Christmas, Ouma Mana was in a suspended near-death state. And you, Inori, were created in her image, meant to be the vessel for her return."
" "
Inori lowered her moist eyes. Knowing her true identity convinced her she wasn't human she was a tool. Being used seemed like a tool's fate.
However, Rei Ao immediately added: "That's how you came into existence, but do you want to know how I see you?"
"Howyou see me?"
That expressionless face of Inori wavered for a moment. She gave a faint nod. "Please tell me."
"In my eyes, you're not a tool, nor Mana's vessel.
You're just youInori. A living, breathing person, a woman I'm holding in my arms."
Rei Ao didn't speak affectionately; he was simply stating a fact. Sometimes, decisions made by "the small head" didn't require the "big head's" thinking.
For instance, at that moment, his body resumed a gentle motion, and at Inori's stunned look, he kissed her. She felt a heart-throbbing sensation like never before, a warm current as sweet as spring water rushing from her chest through her entire being. Instinctively, she found herself, for the first time, throwing her arms around Rei Ao's neck to kiss him back.
[Ding! Trade Complete!]
"?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Rei Ao's eyes. He hadn't really done anything special just done his usual flirting, so why had the previously inactive trade suddenly concluded?
But with Inori in his arms, becoming more proactive, he didn't bother to think more about it. In the end, might as well keep going.
