She turned to Akame and asked seriously, "Akame, how do you think Rei Ao is in that regard?"
Akame looked down at her own stomach, blushing slightly. "Probably he's very skilled."
"Probably?"
Meanwhile, Rei Ao dispelled the frozen time.
"Kill me," Esdeath said calmly. She had lost, both in swordsmanship and in her strongest ice powers. Even her ultimate technique had been useless. There was no excitement after the fightjust resignation. This had never been a true battle, only a one-sided defeat.
Rei Ao looked at her, curious. "Why do you want to die so badly?"
"Because I can tell this battle didn't excite you. That's a disgrace to me."
Esdeath's expression remained indifferent.
""
Rei Ao sighed, slightly annoyed. "You're not at the point of death yet."
[Ding! Trade completed!]
[Ding! You have received all trade conditions!]
"See? The trade is finished, and it's time to collect my reward," Rei Ao said, gripping her chin. "Don't forget, we had a dueland you lost."
"The victor takes everything," Esdeath acknowledged. She wasn't one to break her promises.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I like people who respect agreements." Rei Ao admired her pale, cool skin. Then, he proposed, "How about we make another bet?"
"Hmm?" Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "What kind of bet?"
"According to our previous agreement, I'll claim your body as part of the deal."
Rei Ao was referring to the "body usage rights." Although Esdeath was inexperienced in love, she wasn't naive. She knew what he meant, especially as Rei Ao's hand began to trace along her collarbone.
"We'll treat it as a special kind of battle," Rei Ao continued. "If you lose again, you'll belong to me and obey me unconditionally. If I lose, the same applies to me. How about it? Do you dare to bet?"
""
A battle, huh? Esdeath found this man amusing, describing such things as a fight. "You see me as prey, don't you?"
Rei Ao shrugged. "Was I that obvious?"
His gaze left no room for doubt. It was the look of a hunter eyeing their prey, something Esdeath was all too familiar withit was the same look she had when she was hunting.
For the first time, she found herself on the other side, and she found it rather interesting. "Heh. Careful you don't get bitten by your prey."
"If that happens, it just means my hunting skills aren't sharp enough. So, you agree?" Rei Ao asked with a grin.
"Let's take this to your camp, then," Rei Ao began to withdraw his hand, but Esdeath grabbed it firmly, her red tongue licking her lips.
"If it's a battle, it should be settled on the battlefield."
Crack!
Cold air surged, and ice crystals formed around them. A blue dome of ice slowly closed in, surrounding the two.
Rei Ao raised an eyebrow. "You really like to take things to the next level."
Before he could say more, Esdeathnow the hunterpounced on him.
"Enough talk. Let's start the real battle!"
"???"
Mai was stunned. What just happened? They didn't waste any time at all!
"Wow! Rei Ao really goes all out, huh?" Leone whistled, impressed.
Mine turned her stiff neck toward Akame and asked dumbfoundedly, "Did he forget to turn off the live stream?"
Akame glanced at it and shook her head. "Not sure. He live-streamed a similar situation before."
"Ugh!!" Mine collapsed onto the floor, turning into a puddle of embarrassment.
"This chat group is so weird!!"
"I I think I'll head back now," Sheele said, her face bright red, feeling the awkwardness of everyone being gathered for such a spectacle.
Najenda exchanged glances with Leone and decided to help carry the limp Mine away. Soon, only Akame and Kurome were left in the room.
Kurome blinked her large, innocent eyes. "Sister, is that how you were defiled?"
Her memory of Akame's earlier encounter was much differentAkame had seemed overwhelmed, unlike the wild energy of Esdeath.
"Ugh" Even Akame blushed, hugging her knees as she mumbled, "That was a trade, not defilement."
"A trade, huh"
Kurome squinted, unsure of what to think.
Meanwhile, in the chat group, the one most flustered was Sui.
Sui: "Wait! What just happened?!"
She hastily exited the live stream, feeling like she had seen something inappropriate. She needed to take a moment to process.
Stella: "Another live stream?! This group is out of control!"
Frieren: "I see. It seems human women can also be dominant."
Kato Megumi: ""
Ayame Yomogawa: "Um"
Ayame's face flushed bright red as she recalled Esdeath's fierce demeanor, reminding her of her own experiences. Except in her case, she had been completely submissive.
Shizu: "This Rei Ao is really bold."
Shizu had never seen anything like this before. Her feelings were complicated as she tried to comprehend the scene.
Mai Sakurajima: "@Rei Ao, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Rei Ao: "What do you think?"
Mai Sakurajima: "???"
So he 'was' doing it on purpose! Mai glared at the chat, feeling even more frustrated. Watching her boyfriend with someone else was definitely not enjoyable.
"Tomorrow, he's definitely not sleeping in my bed!" Mai fumed, smacking her pillow. She tried to calm down and force herself to sleep. But after tossing and turning for a while
"I can't sleep at all"
In the end, she found herself clicking back into the live stream, reasoning, "It's my boyfriend, anyway. Watching doesn't hurt, right?"
Unconsciously, her right hand began to move.
~~~
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Chapter 68: Gabriel Borrowing more Money
At the Yukinoshita residence, a family of some renown, the atmosphere was tense.
Yukinoshita's mother, dressed in a traditional kimono, gazed intently at her younger daughter, Yukino Yukinoshita. Under her mother's scrutiny, Yukino stood with her head bowed. The silence weighed heavily on her, amplifying the pressure she felt.
Of all the people Yukino had grown up fearing and being unable to resist, her mother topped the list. Today, Yukino had mustered the courage to make a request.
Suddenly, her mother withdrew her gaze and spoke calmly: "You said you want to move out and live on your own. Why?"
Yes, Yukino wanted to move into an apartment. She sought to briefly escape from this household. Forcing herself to remain composed, she replied with a seemingly logical reason: "I want to learn how to be independent. Also, it's inconvenient to rely on the family's car to go to and from school."
On the surface, it sounded reasonable, but deep down, Yukino was anxious. She knew she was lying to cover up her desire to escape. Normally, this would go against her principles, but she felt compelled to do so to flee from the oppressive environment of her family.
Her mother glanced at her coldly. "Yukino, I don't recall ever teaching you that it's acceptable to lie to me."
"!!!"
Yukino's body trembled slightly. As expected, her mother saw right through her. Her mother had a sharp eye, and being her daughter, it was impossible to hide anything. She knew her mother's insight and recognized that her true desire for freedom had been exposed.
"You want freedom?"
""
Yukino lowered her head even further, her smooth black hair falling over her eyes, her fists clenching unconsciously. Knowing her true feelings had been uncovered, she realized she couldn't defy her mother.
"Very well, I will grant you freedom."
Her mother's unexpected words shocked her.
"Mother are you saying"
Her mother looked at her with a measured gaze. "I will allow you to move out, but only until you graduate. After graduation, you will follow my arrangements."
""
Yukino's initial excitement quickly subsided. As expected, freedom came at a price. But before her mother, she had no choice.
"I understand."
"Good."
Her mother nodded in satisfaction, adding a warning: "Even though I'm allowing you to move out, I expect you to know what you should and should not do. Correct?"
"Yes."
Yukino quietly agreed and turned to return to her room. Her mother watched her daughter's dejected figure until the door closed.
""
Shifting her gaze out the window, her mother reflected. This is the Yukinoshita family. They enjoy all that the family name provides, and in return, they must sacrifice their freedom. Such was her own life, and so it would be for her daughters as well.
Back in her room, Yukino found someone lying leisurely on her beda woman who looked strikingly similar to her, but with short black hair. The woman stood up and stretched with a lazy yawn, revealing one major difference between themher ample chest, in stark contrast to Yukino's modest figure.
"Yukino-chan, wanting to move out to find freedomisn't that just running away?" her older sister, Haruno Yukinoshita, teased.
""
Yukino's gaze darkened as she stared at her. Haruno was talented in every way, adored by everyone. Yukino, by contrast, was not as favored and felt she could never meet people's expectations the way her sister did. To those around her, Yukino was seen as well-behaved and sensible, but she often sensed that these qualities translated into being cold and unlikable. It was this image that bound her.
Yukino saw herself as nothing more than a "replacement" for her sistera mere doll with no sense of self, living in the shadow of Haruno. This yearning for change, yet feeling lost about the future, was why she chose to run away.
"Sister, why are you in my room without my permission?" Yukino asked, unwilling to engage in a conversation about running away.
Sensing this, Haruno playfully dropped the subject. As the ultimate sister-obsessed sibling, she'd keep an eye on Yukino even if she moved out.
Haruno patted her slightly wrinkled skirt and smiled mischievously. "I heard you've already found an apartment, Yukino-chan. You're moving out tomorrow, right?"
Yukino frowned. "You've been investigating me again?"
"Yukino-chan, how can you call it investigating? This is just your sister caring for you," Haruno replied with a mockingly "innocent" look.
""
Yukino didn't feel even the slightest sympathy. She just found Haruno's fake attitude increasingly irritating. Her sister always wore that mask, never revealing her true emotions.
Just as Haruno was about to continue teasing her cute little sister, her phone rang. Seeing the familiar name on the screen, she answered it without hesitation, even with Yukino in the room.
"What's up, Shizuka? Why call me at this hour?"
Shizuka? Yukino knew it referred to their teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"Haruno, I have something I need your advice on."
"Oh? What is it? Don't tell me you're looking for a boyfriend or something," Haruno teased.
Yukino was aware that Hiratsuka-sensei was being pressured by her family to get married due to her age, so she didn't think much of the joke.
"Uh"
But to her surprise, Shizuka hesitated.
Haruno immediately put on an intrigued expression, clearly ready for some juicy gossip.
After a long pause, Shizuka quietly asked, "Haruno, what should I do if a student seriously confessed to me?"
"Huh? A student confessed to you?"
Even Haruno was shocked.
Yukino, for the first time, looked up in curiosity.
"Pfft, I'm at a loss here! And we even made a bet to go on a date. What should I do?"
"!!!"
Haruno's eyes lit up with excitement. It had been a long time since she encountered something this amusing!
Yukino, seeing her sister's wicked grin, knew Haruno had no good intentions.
"How about thiswhy not go through with the date this weekend? I can help you navigate things."
"This weekend? Sure, I could use the help."
"Great! By the way, Shizuka, what's the student's name? I might be able to dig up some information."
"His name is Rei Ao, but don't stir up any trouble. He's a good student."
"Don't worry, Shizuka. I know how to handle things."
Haruno ended the call, her face brimming with excitement, but she noticed a shocked expression on Yukino's face.
Sensing something was off, Haruno narrowed her eyes. "Hmm? Yukino-chan, you seem surprised. Is it because of Shizuka's predicament?"
Yukino remained silent, but her eyes shifted slightly at the mention of Rei Ao's name.
Haruno noticed. "So, you know this Rei Ao?"
""
Yukino recalled meeting Rei Ao in the Service Club. She hadn't expected him to confess to their teacher! It was shocking.
In response to Haruno's probing, Yukino simply said, "We've met. Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to help him once."
"Shizuka asked for your help?"
Haruno's interest piqued. She knew about Yukino's involvement in the odd Service Club at school and had been worried when she first heard of it. After investigating and realizing it was harmless, she had simply found her sister's awkwardness endearing.
"Yes, his grades were just below the top 100, so Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to help him. But it seems he doesn't need my help anymore."
Haruno asked, "Why not?"
Yukino's expression became complex. "Now, he's managed to get a perfect score in every subject."
"Oh?"
From struggling to break into the top 100 to achieving perfect scoresit was an astonishing leap. Haruno became even more curious about Rei Ao, the student who had confessed to Shizuka and left a strong impression on her sister after just one meeting.
"It looks like there's something fun ahead this weekend," Haruno said, her eyes gleaming.
"It seems I won after all."
Rei Ao, smiling, ran his fingers through Esdeath's soft blue hair.
""
Esdeath stared deeply at the man who had just bested her.
"A bet is a bet. From now on, I will obey you. But one day, I will defeat you."
Her tired but fierce eyes were still full of determination. From this moment on, her goal was clear: she would beat Rei Ao and take back everything she had lost.
"When that day comes, I will reclaim everything and conquer you."
Rei Ao shrugged nonchalantly. "If you can do it, I'll give you the chance. But let's see if you don't end up being completely conquered by me first."
Esdeath remained expressionless. She looked at him as he stood up and asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"
"I saw Akame and the Night Raid members in the chat group. Are you planning to have me infiltrate the Empire or help the Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army?"
Esdeath didn't particularly care about the Empire's fate. Rei Ao, turning back with a smile, said, "No need. Just keep doing what you're doing. I won't interfere unless there's a trade involved."
