[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Second-Class God of Tides"
[Possessions]: "Divine Mirror of Tides"
[Name: Mitsuba Sangu]
[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Second-Class God of Thunder"
[Possessions]: "Divine Thunder Armor"
[Name: Sayuri Hanayori]
[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Second-Class God of Blossoms"
[Possessions]: "Divine Ring of Blossoms"
[Name: Rika Inoue]
[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Second-Class God of Earth"
[Possessions]: "Divine Earth Armor"
[Name: Yayoi Endo]
[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Second-Class God of Ice"
[Possessions]: "Divine Essence of Ice"
[Name: Mirai Kimizuki]
[Level]: 50
[Abilities]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Second-Class God of Calamity"
[Possessions]: "Divine Prestige of Calamity"
Those eight would also help govern the world, under Shinoa, Mahiru, and Krul. They were already working on it, the first step being to deal with certain troublemakers among humans and vampires alike.
[Ding! Trade Complete!]
Right after the notification came, eleven figures suddenly appeared in front of him, all looking excited.
"Looks like you did a good job.
I guess this is where I take my leave," Rei Ao announced.
Instantly, all the girls' excitement died down a bit, replaced by varying degrees of reluctance. There was no denying they'd each been completelyconquered by him in every sense.
Shinoa finally spoke up:
"Rei Ao-kun, go on back. We'll handle this world."
Hearing her say that, no matter how much the others didn't want to part, there was nothing they could do.
They still had some things they could do, though. For instance, Mito Jujo boldly took the lead and gave Rei Ao a goodbye kiss, and the others, not to be outdone, followed suiteach kiss more intense than the last.
"Tsk, you're all just a bunch of naughty minxes. Next time, I'll give you a proper, thorough 'talk,'" Rei Ao said with a smirk, wiping the corner of his mouth, and returned to his own world.
~~~
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Chapter 661: Three-legged Race Practice...
Shuchiin Academy.
Under the glow of the setting sun, the track field was dyed a warm orange. Iroha Isshiki stood by the starting line, fiddling with the cloth strap that bound her leg to Rei Ao's. A smile she couldn't hide tugged at the corners of her lips.
They were practicing a three-legged race. Rei Ao had only just gotten back to this world when he was roped into this activity.
"Isn't this too tight?"
Rei Ao asked, looking down. From this close, he could smell the sweet strawberry scent of Iroha's shampoo.
"Nope, tighter is betterless chance of us tripping!"
Iroha tilted her head up, eyes curving like crescent moons.
"The school sports festival is next week, so we really have to practice."
Rei Ao nodded compliantly, though his gaze drifted off to the edge of the field.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Miura Yumiko, and Yuigahama Yui were sitting on a bench, each watching them with a different expression. They'd come to "supervise" their training.
Iroha followed his line of sight and a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.
"Oh, I invited the Service Club to help. You know, for a three-legged race, it's important to have people who can guide us to work together. Professional input, right?"
"Professional input?"
Rei Ao let out a short laugh.
"I can maybe see that with Yukinoshita, but since when did Miura and Yuigahama become 'professionals'?"
"Rei Ao-kun, talking about people behind their backs is rude."
A cool voice cut init was Yukino.
"We took on a request, so of course we'll treat it seriously."
Yumiko walked over with her arms crossed, her long blonde hair shining in the evening sun.
"Seriously. You think we've got all day for this? We only did it because Iroha begged us, practically crying"
"YuYumiko-senpai!"
Iroha hurriedly cut her off, her cheeks turning a little pink.
"I wasn't crying!"
Yui stood beside them, covering her mouth as she laughed quietly, her gaze flitting between Rei Ao and Iroha.
"You two look like you're doing great already. You're walking in sync."
"But of course!"
Iroha raised her chin proudly.
"Rei Ao-senpai and I will definitely be the best partners! Right?"
As she said that, she casually slipped her arm through Rei Ao's.
The moment she did, Rei Ao felt three sets of eyes turn razor-sharp. Yukino's gaze went colder, Yumiko frowned, and Yui's smile froze on her face.
"Ahem, why don't we actually start practicing now?"
Rei Ao changed the topic.
"How about starting with a slow jog?"
"Sounds good!"
Iroha responded brightly, making no move to let go of his arm.
"One, two one, two"
They began to move in tandem, but soon, their differing paces nearly caused them to stumble.
Rei Ao quickly caught Iroha around the waist, keeping her steady. He felt the soft warmth of her body pressed against him, and for a moment, he could practically hear her heartbeat.
"Rei Ao-senpai, s-sorry!"
"It's fine. That's just part of the fun of a three-legged race. Let's try again."
He gently set her upright.
"Mm!"
Iroha's face was slightly flushed. The two of them resumed training.
On the bench, Yumiko bit her straw so hard the cup made a squeaking sound.
"Are they actually training or flirting?"
"Yumiko"
Yui whispered, stealing a glance at Yukino beside her.
Yukino sat up perfectly straight, her face expressionless. But her knuckles had gone white where she gripped her notepada sign that maybe agreeing to this in the first place had been a bad idea. Watching another girl openly flirt with your boyfriend in front of youtorture, pure and simple.
"I think they need a more systematic training approach."
Suddenly, Yukino stood and walked toward the center of the field.
"Practicing like that, without a plan, will just waste time."
On the field, Rei Ao and Iroha were starting to find their rhythm, stepping more smoothly in sync.
"We're getting better, aren't we?"
Iroha said excitedly, leaning closer to Rei Ao with each step. Her hair brushed against his cheek.
"Yeah, seems that way."
He nodded, wearing a slightly amused expression as he felt the softness of her body through his arm.
"But it looks like Yukinoshita has something to say."
Sure enough, Yukino arrived just in time to hear that.
She spoke in a cool tone. "You two still have a problem with timing. Iroha's steps are too small and Rei Ao-kun's are too big. If you keep practicing like that, you'll both get muscle fatigue."
"What would you suggest, Yukino-senpai?"
Iroha blinked curiously, surreptitiously tightening her grip on Rei Ao's sleeve.
Yukino's gaze landed on Iroha's hand for a second before her face went blank once more.
"You should measure each person's natural stride, find a compromise distance, and practice that standard."
"That sounds so complicated"
Iroha pouted.
"I think we're fine as we are."
"I also think direct practice is more efficient."
Rei Ao added with a smile. He could tell Yukino was jealousand he liked seeing her reaction, finding her jealousy strangely charming.
""
Hearing that, Yukino fixed her eyes on Rei Ao. After a moment's pause, she turned stiffly and left with a simple:
"Do whatever you want," her back looking tense as she walked away.
Iroha watched Yukino depart, a flicker of victory in her eyes. She snuggled even closer to Rei Ao.
"Forget that. Let's keep practicing!"
They started jogging again. Their coordination was visibly better this time. But just when they seemed stable, "something" happened at the turn.
"Ow~!"
Iroha squealed, stumbling forward into Rei Ao's arms. Her hands landed on his chest, cheeks flushed.
"Sorry, I think I stepped on a rock"
Rei Ao steadied her.
""
He raised an eyebrowher acting skills weren't bad. It was clearly a "deliberate accident," yet she pulled it off so naturally.
He didn't call her out on it. Going along with her little performance, he asked, "You okay? Need a break?"
"No, no!"
Iroha shook her head hurriedly. Yet despite her words, she used the chance to rest her head on Rei Ao's shoulder.
"B-but can we stay like this for a bit? I feel a little dizzy"
As soon as she did this, Rei Ao could practically feel the searing stares from the edge of the fieldespecially Yumiko's, which was enough to kill a person on the spot.
~~~
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(Bonus Chapter) Chapter 662: Iroha's Acting Skills!
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~~~
"Hey! What are you two doing?!"
As soon as Yumiko saw Rei Ao and Iroha getting all cozy, she couldn't hold back anymore and stormed over.
"Iroha, seriously? That was way too obvious!"
"Yumiko-senpai, what are you talking about?"
Iroha blinked innocently.
"I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"Oh please! You're clearly just"
Yumiko's rant was cut short by the sound of fast-approaching footsteps.
"Wah! Watch out!"
A silver-haired girl came running toward them at full speed. It looked like her shoe had malfunctioned, and she couldn't stop in timeshe crashed straight into Iroha.
"Ah!"
Both girls nearly toppled over, but Rei Ao caught them by the waist, keeping them from falling.
When the girl looked up and saw Rei Ao, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Rei Ao-senpai?"
He recognized her too.
"Kei? Are you okay?"
It was Kei Shirogane. She blushed and stood up quickly, shaking her head.
"I'm fine!"
Then she turned to Iroha, looking worried.
"Um, did I hurt you? I wasn't watching where I was goingI'm really sorry!"
But before she could finish, Iroha hurried to respond.
"I'm okay"
She wasn't injured, but she couldn't help staring at this gentle-looking silver-haired girl. She also noticed the concern on Rei Ao's face, and a flicker of suspicion passed through her eyes.
"You know Rei Ao-senpai?"
"Yeah, we sit next to each other in cram school."
Kei scratched her head a little awkwardly.
Her eyes then drifted to the white cloth tied around Rei Ao and Iroha's ankles. Her expression lit up.
"A three-legged race? Are you doing the school sports festival too, senpai?"
"Yup, this is Iroha Isshiki. She asked me to be her partner."
"And this is?"
Yumiko asked, sizing Kei up. She didn't recognize this sweet-looking underclassman.
Unnoticed, Yukino, Yumiko, and Yui had all gathered around, creating an oddly tense circle.
"She's Kei Shirogane, or just 'Kei'a cute junior."
Rei Ao explained casually.
"Kei, these are my friends: Miura Yumiko, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Yuigahama Yui."
"H-hi, senpai!"
Kei bowed shyly, a bit embarrassed to be called cute in front of others.
"Kei, if you're going to run at the festival, those shoes won't cut it," Rei Ao said, glancing down at her worn-out, clearly damaged sneakers.
"I"
Kei lowered her head, instinctively trying to hide her shoes. They were obviously oldtoo old for a school like this. She felt embarrassed.
The other girls quickly picked up on the shift in atmosphere. It was clear Kei was self-conscious.
They shot Rei Ao warning glances. Now wasn't the time to hurt her pride.
But Rei Ao had no intention of doing that.
He gently patted her shoulder and said softly,
"Kei, don't rush off after school today. Take a break first, okay?"
"Okay"
She didn't really understand what he was up to, but she nodded obediently and left.
As she walked off, Yumiko couldn't help but ask,
"Rei Ao, does that Shirogane girl have some kind of family issue?"
Anyone with eyes could tell those shoes weren't normal.
"Yeah, kind of. But she's still really capable."
"Mhm, she's super pretty and sweet too,"
Yui added quietly.
Yukino said nothing, but she silently watched Kei walk away, her expression unreadable.
"Capable, huh"
Yumiko narrowed her eyes, suspicious. Something about the way Rei Ao treated Kei felt off. Too considerate.
Suddenly, Iroha clung to Rei Ao's arm with a bright smile.
"Alright, alright~ Let's get back to training!"
She re-tied the cloth between them.
"This time, let's try running faster!"
"Ready go!"
Even though Rei Ao hadn't started moving yet, Iroha suddenly burst forwardanother clearly "accidental" move.
Rei Ao had no choice but to match her pace, and the two of them staggered for several steps before finally losing balance and tumbling onto the grass.
Rei Ao made sure to shield Iroha from the fall, ending up on his back with her sprawled on top of him in a very compromising position.
"Ugh that hurt"
Iroha groaned softlybut made no effort to get up.
Rei Ao could clearly feel the soft weight on his chest, and her sweet scent was right under his nose. Her face was so close he could count her lashes. Her pink lips parted slightly, warm breath brushing his cheek.
"Iroha you okay?"
Rei Ao asked gently.
"Mm I think I twisted my ankle a little"
she murmured, eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Can we just stay like this a bit longer?"
"You two!"
Yumiko's voice exploded across the field.
"Get off each other!!"
She'd had enough. This girl was way too much of a flirtand Rei Ao was clearly playing along! They were straight-up putting on a show for everyone!
"Iroha, if you're hurt, you should be at the nurse's office. Not laying on top of someone," Yukino said coldly, her voice like ice.
Yui also rushed over, her face filled with concern.
"Rei Ao-kun are you okay?"
With no choice, Iroha finally climbed off himalbeit reluctantly.
"Tch and the mood was just getting good"
she mumbled under her breath.
"That's enough for today."
Yukino suddenly declared.
"Any more and someone's going to actually get hurt."
"Ehh? But we haven't practiced enough"
Iroha protested.
"Calling it now is fine. It's almost time for dismissal anyway."
