"What did you say?" Mai's mother froze for a moment, her excitement quickly turning cold.
"Mai, don't joke with me."
But Mai spoke earnestly, "I'm not joking, Mom. I've found someone I love. I don't want to be bothered by the entertainment world anymore."
"We don't need money. I plan to marry him, become his wife, and have a family with him."
As Mai spoke, her expression softened with genuine emotion, a side of her her mother had never seen before.
Her mother suddenly realized that Mai was serious.
'Who is it?' she wondered, desperately wanting to know who had "deceived" her daughter. She knew that Mai's future potential wasn't something just anyone could grasp. She couldn't stand by and let Mai waste that potential.
But remembering how, at thirteen, Mai had threatened her own life, her mother hesitated to push too hard.
After a moment of silence, she asked, "Could I meet your boyfriend?"
In case Mai refused, she quickly added, "As a mother, of course."
"This" Mai was surprised by her mother's sudden change in attitude. She never expected her mother to agree so easily. However, she was still too naive.
Her mother hadn't truly changed. She only wanted to meet the man, intending to use money to drive him away. She couldn't believe there was a problem money couldn't solve.
Mai, not thinking too deeply about it, was excited at the thought. If her mother could give her blessing, it would bring her joy.
"I'll discuss it with Rei Ao first," she said, still prioritizing his feelings above all.
"Rei Ao" Her mother narrowed her eyes, already beginning to form a plan in her mind. For now, she decided to keep Mai at home and probe her for more information.
Time passed, and it was already dusk.
"Goodbye, Gab-chan, Rei Ao."
"See you tomorrow."
"Hmph, just wait, Rei Ao! I will definitely make you submit to me."
"Satania, don't be so rude."
Vignette and her two companions bid farewell to Rei Ao. With his help, they had successfully rented an apartment on the same floor as him. During this time, they had become friends and changed the way they addressed each other.
It wasn't until their figures disappeared into the distance that Gabriel finally lowered her waving hand.
"Phew~"
She let out a long breath.
"Finally, they're gone. I need to hurry back and save the kingdom!"
Seeing Gabriel so eager to return to her game, Rei Ao couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Well, I'll be heading back too."
"Wait, Vignette left you a thank-you gift. Don't forget to take it."
...
Carrying a large bag of pastries, Rei Ao felt slightly exasperated.
"She gave me quite a lot."
It seemed Vignette had bought quite a bit. After thinking for a moment, he decided to share some with Yukino.
"This is a gift in return."
Yukino accepted the gift and, after a pause, said, "Thank you." She then asked curiously, "Rei Ao, are you close with the new transfer student, Gabriel?"
She had a good memory and could recall the names of all the students in school. Naturally, she knew about the recently talked-about transfer students.
"Not exactly close, but we've come to understand each other's identities quite well."
Yukino found this response vague and wanted to ask more.
"Rei Ao?"
Mai had returned.
"And this is...?"
Seeing Rei Ao talking to a beautiful girl with long black hair, Mai approached them.
"You're back, Mai."
Rei Ao remained calm and introduced them. "Let me introduce you. This is our new neighbor and also a third-year student at our school, Yukino Yukinoshita."
"Yukino..."
Mai seemed to recognize her name.
"Hello, I'm Mai Sakurajima."
After introducing herself, she added with a smile, "I'm Rei Ao's girlfriend."
Faced with such a beautiful girl, Mai couldn't help but feel a slight sense of jealousy.
Jealousy or not, Rei Ao didn't mind. To him, it was a good thing, as it showed that Mai had a possessive desire for him. It also meant that if they ever wanted to try something a bit more adventurous, it might be easier to ask for.
However, Yukino was completely taken aback. 'He has a girlfriend?'
Then what about the rumor she had heard about Rei Ao confessing to their teacher, Hiratsuka-sensei?
"By the way, Rei Ao, I have something to discuss with you."
Mai seemed eager, so Rei Ao said goodbye to Yukino and went inside with Mai.
"..."
Yukino watched their backs as they left, her mind racing with a realization.
'Are they living together?!'
Meanwhile, after listening to Mai's explanation, Rei Ao didn't show any excitement. Instead, he furrowed his brows.
Noticing his unusual expression, Mai grew worried and asked, "Is this situation troubling you, Rei Ao? If it's too much, then..."
"No."
Rei Ao held her hand, interrupting her. "You're overthinking it. It's not troubling me."
"I'm just thinking that your mother doesn't seem like she genuinely wants to support us."
"Huh?"
Mai was confused.
"Then why would my mother want to meet you?"
Rei Ao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suspect she wants to get to me directly and convince me to leave you. For instance... by offering money."
""
With things spelled out this clearly, Mai would be foolish not to understand.
"She... hasn't changed at all."
Thinking back to their conversation, Mai realized that her mother had indeed been trying to probe information about Rei Ao.
~~~
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Chapter 70: The Tsundere Elf!
Mai's eyes dimmed as she realized how naive she had been to think that her mother would support their relationship.
"In that case, Rei Ao, you don't have to meet my mom," Mai said, pursing her lips. "I don't want to see her anymore either."
Rei Ao knew Mai's story all too wellshe had told him about the incident when she was thirteen, which had left her with deep emotional scars.
He gently hugged Mai and comforted her, saying softly, "Don't worry, Mai. Remember, I'm not short on money. Whatever your mom has to offer isn't nearly as tempting as you are to me."
"Here, see for yourself," Rei Ao teased as he took her hand.
"!!!"
Mai immediately felt something firm and pulsing, realizing exactly what he was referring to. She shot him a glare. "Stop being so indecent."
Rei Ao laughed, seeing that Mai's mood had improved, which was his main goal. Though, of course, he really was getting aroused.
Rei Ao then grew serious. "Since your mom wants to meet me, let's show her that no one can break us apart."
"Whatever you say," Mai agreed softly. She felt reassured, knowing that Rei Ao was her pillar of strength.
As the two cuddled together, the atmosphere between them grew more intimate, and Mai's eyes glistened with emotion.
"Rei Ao, I want to..."
Her hand instinctively reached out, but Rei Ao stopped her just in time.
"Wait a second!" he said, despite wanting the same thing.
"What's wrong?" Mai asked, puzzled, her head tilting in confusion. Was it because she wasn't wearing her bunny outfit?
"It's not that," Rei Ao explained. "I just got a trade request, and it seems urgent."
[Ding! Chat member Sui has sent a trade request!]
[Trade request: Help Sui defeat the Poison Dragon!]
"The Poison Dragon..." Rei Ao muttered, remembering the creature Sui had encountered when dealing with that 'beastman.'
After thinking it over for a moment, Rei Ao accepted the trade conditions.
...
Elsewhere, Sui wielded her magic sword against a massive serpent-like beast. Its body was covered in sharp, violet scales, and its hideous head snarled menacingly. This was the Poison Dragon, a formidable monster.
Even though Sui had already injured it, she had also taken hits herself. Worse still, the dragon's toxic breath filled the air with corrosive poison, slowly wearing down her defenses. Her clothing was in tatters, and escape seemed impossible.
In desperation, Sui sent a trade request to Rei Aothe only option she had left.
[Ding! Your trade request has been accepted!]
[Trade conditions: "Elf Bloodline" and "Elf Magic"]
Seeing that Rei Ao didn't ask for anything inappropriate like "body use rights," Sui sighed in relief.
"Accept."
[Ding! Trade initiated!]
[Trade partner: Sui]
[Trade request: Help her defeat the Poison Dragon]
[Trade conditions: "Elf Bloodline" and "Elf Magic"]
[Time limit: 3 hours]
"I wonder how long it'll take... I'm not sure I can hold out much longer," Sui muttered as the Poison Dragon opened its enormous jaws, spewing a flood of green venom in her direction.
"Shield!"
With no way to dodge, Sui conjured a magical barrier to shield herself. But she knew it wouldn't hold for long, and after the poison came the dragon's claws and teeth.
"Am I going to die?"
Just then, an icy chill swept through the air, and Sui watched in amazement as the venom froze in mid-air, suspended like crystals.
"Ice?" she gasped, scanning her surroundings.
"The Poison Dragon... it's frozen?!"
She stared in disbelief as the mighty beast had been turned into a solid block of ice. Below it stood a familiar figure.
Rei Ao tapped his finger against the frozen dragon, causing cracks to spiderweb across its surface. "Its defenses are already weakened. One more hit from you, and it'll shatter."
Turning to Sui with a grin, he added, "That was a quick trade."
[Ding! Trade complete!]
[Ding! You have acquired "Elf Bloodline" and "Elf Magic"!]
[Ding! Due to your noble bloodline, the "Elf Bloodline" has evolved into "Elven Force"!]
[Ding! "Elven Force" and "Elf Magic" have merged into a new ability: "Elf King"!]
Rei Ao chuckled at the system's dramatic phrasing. "My noble bloodline doesn't allow contamination... Chat system, you sure know how to talk."
The new ability, "Elf King," seemed similar to his "Crimson Dragon God" power, another transformation-based ability.
"Elf King": You are the ruler of the Elven race, the one and only Elf King.
Rei Ao allowed the transformation to take place. Before Sui's eyes, his outfit changed into a majestic robe of white and blue. His black hair lengthened and turned a shimmering silver, and his ears elongated into the signature pointed ears of an elf.
Sui watched in awe as Rei Ao transformed into a true Elf King.
The most striking feature was the pure white crown floating above his head.
An elf? Sui's confusion stemmed from the unexpected sense of subservience she felt toward him. After all, she was a princess of the elf race! What kind of elf could possibly have a nobler bloodline than her royal heritage?
The answer, of course, was the Elf King.
Rei Ao was now experiencing the full range of abilities in his Elf King form. He could effortlessly observe and command elemental forces.
Glancing at the injured Sui, he raised his hand. A golden light shimmeredit was the power of the light element. The gentle glow enveloped Sui's body.
"!!!"
Sui looked on in shock as her wounds visibly healed before her eyes.
"It seems the light element has healing properties," Rei Ao mused. In addition to light, he noted that wood and water elements also had healing capabilities. Overall, he had command over light, dark, wind, fire, water, earth, wood, ice, and lightningquite a comprehensive set of elements.
After taking a moment to fully explore the power of this ability, Rei Ao reverted back to his normal form.
Sui approached him, deeply grateful, and bowed. "Thank you for saving me!"
However, she had forgotten that her clothes, damaged by the dragon's corrosive poison, were barely holding together. With that bow, the last threads gave way, and her clothes fell apart.
Sui's mind went blank in shock.
At that moment, Rei Ao calmly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He wasn't sure if that beastman uncle of hers would show up again, but he definitely didn't want anyone else seeing her like thisnot after he had taken an interest in her.
Indeed, Rei Ao's habit of finding every woman attractive had kicked in. One look at Sui's curvy figure, fair skin, and beautiful orange hair, and he was hooked.
"Th-thank you" Sui stammered, clutching the still-warm jacket around her body as her face flushed red.
As Rei Ao returned to his regular appearance, Sui found herself strangely unsettled. Even though the regal aura of the Elf King was gone, he still looked undeniably handsome to her. Dressed again, Rei Ao seemed almost unfamiliar compared to the powerful figure she had just witnessed.
Sui recalled watching his battle with Esdeath from her hotel room, hiding under the covers the whole time. Now, as she stared at him, her gaze seemed to penetrate his clothing, imagining the physique underneath.
Unaware of her wandering thoughts, Rei Ao turned his attention to the chatroom, where several members were discussing the recent events.
Frieren: "The Poison Dragon sounds like a type of dragon, right?"
Stella: "Since it needed to be defeated, I'm guessing it's an enemy?"
Ayame: "I wonder if Sui is in danger."
Megumi Kato: "@Rei Ao, did something happen with Sui?"
Rei Ao: "Nothing serious."
Rei Ao: "[Image]"
Rei Ao: "Sui ran into this monster, but it's been dealt with. She's fine now."
Saeko Busujima: "It's huge, but it looks more like a snake than a true dragon."
Rei Ao: "It probably has some dragon blood in it."
Frieren: "Hmm, those scales do look draconic."
Shizu: "Monsters with dragon bloodline traits must be really powerful, right?"
Rei Ao: "It wasn't particularly weak, but it's comparable to some of the more dangerous species from Akame's world."
Rei Ao: "By the time I arrived, Sui had already broken through its defenses."
Stella: "Oh, so you just swooped in for the easy part, huh?"
Sui: "N-no, I had already exhausted all my magic."
Shizu: "So Sui is also a strong elf, huh?"
Sui: "Thank you for the compliment."
Blushing, Sui looked down, flustered by the praise.
Akame: "Doesn't look like it would taste good."
Stella: "Wait, you're seriously thinking about eating it?"
Rei Ao: "Well, it 'could' be edible if you don't mind the poison."
Akame: "Too bad."
Stella: "???"
Stella: "Wait, are you guys 'actually' thinking of eating it?!"
Stella often felt completely out of sync with the chat group.
Mai Sakurajima: "Since you're done there, when are you coming back?"
Rei Ao: "Oh? Is my dear Mai missing me already?"
Mai Sakurajima: "..."
