"Hello, everyonelong time no see."
That familiar voice made them all instantly turn their heads. Rei Ao stood there in his trademark black coat, smiling. Next to him, Awaki Musujime looked somewhat dazed. She had used her Move Point ability under Rei Ao's order to cross a massive distance, far beyond normal meanssomething only a true Level 5 could do.
"You're back at last, Rei Ao!"
Mikoto almost ran up to him on instinct, but she skidded to a stop about two meters away, folding her arms in a feigned show of calm.
"Why're you so late?"
Rei Ao smiled lightly and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Miss me already, even though it's only been a short while?"
That sudden gesture froze Mikoto in place.
"Whowho'd miss a guy as frivolous as you?!"
Awaki gave a small cough, as though interrupting them. Shokuhou Misaki narrowed her eyes, tapping her temple with her remote.
"Mister 'Nameless,' you've come back and brought another girl along?"
Awaki Musujime quickly spoke up, introducing herself before Rei Ao could:
"I am Master's 'Cleaner.'"
Though her face flushed slightly at the word "Cleaner," Rei Ao understood the innuendo perfectlyshe'd "cleaned up" for him not too long ago.
"Oh, right, Mikoto. Your trade with me is complete now," Rei Ao reminded her.
[Ding! Trade Complete!]
"Huh?"
Mikoto blinked, hesitating. "What did you do?"
"It's simple. I got rid of the Academy City's Superintendent."
He said it so casually, as though discussing the weather.
"And now"
Rei Ao spread his arms.
"I'm the new Superintendent of this city."
""
A heavy silence fell. Shokuhou's remote clattered to the ground, Kuroko's pupils contracted, and Mikoto's electricity began crackling uncontrollably across her body.
"That's impossible!"
Shokuhou practically shouted.
"That mysterious Superintendent can't just be"
"Be killed?"
Rei Ao tilted his head.
"For ordinary people, or for you 'test subject' espers, sure, it'd be impossible. But for me"
A faint golden light flickered in his eyes. The air in the entire factory turned stifling, making it hard for everyone to breathe.
"It's as easy as squashing an ant."
Kanzaki Kaori's Saintly instincts went wild. She instinctively sheltered Index behind her. The oppression she sensed far exceeded anything from any magician she'd encountered.
Seeing how shocked they looked, Rei Ao withdrew his aura and returned to his usual playful expression.
At that moment, Awaki's phone started ringing. She answered it, her face shifting with concern.
"Rei Ao-sama, the Board of Directors"
"Tell them to either obey or vanish."
Rei Ao spoke without turning around, as though discussing dinner plans. Awaki nodded and stepped away to continue the call, fulfilling her role as "Cleaner."
Meanwhile, Rei Ao took full control of Academy City, casually getting rid of anything he disliked. That included shutting down the Level 6 Shift Project and making certain people like Kihara Amata disappear.
Kuroko watched in disbelief.
"She's really calling him Superintendent"
"Mm-hm," Rei Ao noted casually. Then he turned to Kanzaki Kaori, who'd been silent this whole time. She stepped forward, her tall figure casting a long shadow in the lamplight.
"Rei Ao-san, thank you for saving Index just now," Kanzaki spoke with quiet sincerity. "I owe you a debt. I'll do anything to repay it."
"Anything?"
Amusement flickered in Rei Ao's eyes.
"Suppose I asked you to kill some innocent people?"
Kanzaki's body tensed. She shifted her weight unconsciously, her hand drifting toward the Seven Heavens Seven Swords on her hip, but she forced herself not to draw.
"I I"
She realized she couldn't answer. In her heart, she didn't want to harm anyone innocent, but she was also someone who stuck by her promises. For a moment, she was stuck between two impossible choices.
"Haha, I'm just messing with you," Rei Ao said, patting her shoulder. He was only toying with her. As a Magic God, if he really wanted something done, he hardly needed anyone else.
A blush crept over Kanzaki's pale cheeks; she'd never been teased like this before. As a Saint, she prided herself on maintaining composure, but this unfathomable man made her lose it every time.
~~~
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Chapter 689: Time to settle the Payment...
"Th-thank youfor saving me..."
A timid voice came from behind Kanzaki. It was Index, peeking out, the white habit of her nun's attire fluttering softly in the breeze.
Rei Ao's expression softened. He crouched down to meet the silver-haired nun at eye level.
"Little nun, Indexis that okay if I call you that?"
"Y-yes, that's fine!"
"If you want to thank me, how about letting me borrow your 103,000 grimoires some other day?" he asked with a narrowed smile.
"Eh?!"
Index's face went pale.
"B-but normal people who read them will"
"Relax, I'm not exactly what you'd call normal."
"UghI I"
Index was at a loss, clearly torn. Seeing that, Kanzaki felt a flashback to how she herself had been teased by Rei Ao and could only give a wry smile.
"Rei Ao-san, please don't joke like that."
Rei Ao stood and casually patted his shoulder, referring to himself: "I'm actually not joking." Of course, at any time, he could extract the contents of those grimoires directly from Index's memory if he really wanted.
"Anyway, what do you plan to do now? Gonna find that Anglican Archbishop to settle the score?"
Kanzaki gripped the hilt of her sword.
"I need to get justice for Index."
"Even if you go, you won't get anything out of it."
"Don't forget: in addition to being a Saint, you're also the Pope of the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church."
Rei Ao's comment was a friendly reminder. As the Pope, Kanzaki couldn't fully oppose that archbishopunless she was prepared to disregard the fate of the entire Amakusa church.
Kanzaki's expression darkened. That was precisely her dilemma. As Pope, she had to think about her people's survival. As a Saint, she longed to fight for righteousness. Both roles weighed her down like shackles, leaving her paralyzed.
"How about this," Rei Ao suddenly proposed, "You and Index stay here in Academy City for now. After all, this place is under my control nownobody will dare bother you."
Index's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"K-Kanzaki"
Kanzaki wavered, glancing at Rei Ao. She saw no deceit in this powerful, mysterious man's gaze. Finally, she gave a tiny nod.
"Thenwe'll impose on you."
Rei Ao flashed a grin. His eyes indeed lacked deceptionbut they held strong possessiveness.
"Let's get out of here first. We'll talk details later."
With a snap of his fingers, everyone's figures vanished on the spot.
The freezing of time ended as Rei Ao left.
"Hah!!"
Stiyl suddenly gasped for air. The rune cards he clutched scattered across the ground. He stared around, dazed.
"Kanzaki? Index?"
Night had fully fallen. The factory lay dark and empty, only him remaining. He vividly recalled confronting those science-side espers with Kanzaki a short while agowhen the sky hadn't been nearly so dark.
"What the hell is going on? Where did everyone go?"
It felt like the world had changed in the blink of an eye, making him antsy. Just as he prepared to cast a tracking spell, he noticed a slip of paper at his feet. He bent down to pick it up and recognized Kanzaki's handwriting:
"We're staying in Academy City for now. We're safe, so don't worry."
It contained part of the "truth" about Index.
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
Stiyl trembled, burning the note to ash in fury. The night breeze swept through the abandoned factory, offering no answer to his maddened roar.
At the Talent Workshop, lights burned brightly late into the night. Rei Ao leaned against a metal workbench, wearing a playful smile, while six girls stood before him:
Kanzaki Kaori, gripping her Seven Heavens Seven Swords with a troubled frown.
Index, curiously glancing around.
Kuroko Shirai, still wary of Rei Ao.
Shokuhou Misaki, twirling her golden hair, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Awaki Musujime with an indifferent expression.
Mikoto Misaka, looking anxious, sneaking peeks at Rei Ao now and then.
"I'm sure you have plenty of questions," Rei Ao said with a snap of his fingers. "I won't bother explaining; you can find out yourselves."
[Ding! You have selected the chat group sub-channel to grant permissions to Shokuhou Misaki, Awaki Musujime, Kanzaki Kaori, Kuroko Shirai, Index!]
"'Chat group?'"
Kuroko murmured, suspicious. "Is this some kind of new scam? Hah, I won't fall for"
She abruptly cut offbecause a strange translucent screen appeared, listing every person present, including her own name. Knowledge about the "chat group" poured into their minds. One by one, shock lit up their faces.
While they were immersed in their astonishment, Rei Ao quietly walked over to Mikoto, leaning in to whisper:
"Time to fulfill our deal, Mikoto."
Mikoto visibly tensed, her ears flushing bright red.
"I-I know."
While the others busied themselves discovering the chat group's miraculous functions, she and Rei Ao slipped away from the main room.
In a rest area at the far end of the Talent Workshop:
Mikoto Misaka stood with her back against a closed door.
Thump, thump, thump!
Her heart felt like it might burst from her chest. The room wasn't largejust a sofa, a small coffee table, and closed curtains. A single gentle light above provided a soft glow.
"I specifically picked this room. Feels suitable, don't you think?" Rei Ao asked with a teasing smile.
"N-no!"
She tried sounding tough, but her voice came out barely above a whisper. Rei Ao casually sank onto the sofa, his smile brimming with amusement.
"Hard to believe the great Railgun is nervous. That's not like you."
"S-shut it!"
Her cheeks burned like ripe apples.
"I'm just I'm just"
Her voice dwindled to almost nothing.
"This is my first time doing something like this"
Rei Ao stood, slowly approaching her. As he drew near, Mikoto caught a faint scent reminiscent of a starry skysomething mysterious. She retreated until her back was pressed fully against the door.
"Our trade stated 'body usage rights,' correct?" she stammered, avoiding eye contact. "S-so shouldn't we just get it over with? I I still have to handle the matter of the Misaka Sisters"
~~~
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Chapter 690: Cunning Confession and Everyone's Thoughts on the Trade...
"Ah."
Rei Ao gave a light chuckle and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Mikoto, rushing through something like this would only insult me."
"But your body's clearly trembling."
"I am not!"
She instinctively refuted, but the faint quiver of her lashes betrayed her.
"You know"
Rei Ao's fingertips slid from her chin down to her neck, feeling her racing pulse.
"I've seen you being all cool as the Railgun many times... But this side of you? It's the first time I'm seeing it for myself."
Being treated like this made Mikoto feel all the blood in her body rushing straight to her face. Rei Ao's touch felt like it carried electric sparks, sending shivers wherever it passed. She wanted to push him away, yet her arms had no strength left in them.
"M-maybe I should shower first"
She offered in embarrassment, trying to stall.
Rei Ao shook his head. His other arm had already encircled her waist.
"No need. I'd rather taste you just as you are, Mikoto."
"Eh?"
Those words made Mikoto's brain nearly short-circuit. She felt Rei Ao's sudden kisswarm and soft, completely different from the roughness she'd imagined. It was so gentle it made her heart melt. And just like that, she lost her first kiss. Realizing this, a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
Rei Ao noticed, pausing slightly to wipe away her tear with his thumb.
"Regrets?"
"No"
Mikoto shook her head, voice catching in her throat.
Rei Ao's gaze deepened. In one swift move, he scooped Mikoto into his arms and carried her toward the sofa.
"Mikoto, you think I'm only after your body?"
She found herself gently laid on the couch, barely able to react before Rei Ao towered over her. His presence gave her an odd sense of security, like being enveloped by the entire night sky.
"What I want"
Rei Ao said, drawing closer,
"is to watch the proud Mikoto show me that expression."
That single sentence left Mikoto so muddled she could hardly tell which way was up. She only vaguely realized they were already at the final step.
"W-wait!"
Just then, she grabbed his wrist, tears at the corners of her eyes as she gazed at him with sticky, uncertain words:
"Rei Ao-kun, actually, I I don't hate you"
Hearing this, Rei Ao smiled.
"Mikoto, I really like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Eh?"
The sudden confession threw Mikoto into a fluster.
"H-how can you ask that now?!"
She bit her lip. Who confesses at a moment like this?
"Heh, maybe it's a little underhanded to make sure I get my happiness."
Rei Ao didn't rush her, only smiling with narrowed eyes, waiting for her reply. By now, Mikoto could barely stand the sensations building up inside. She glared at him in shame and exasperation.
"Jerk You've been treating me like I'm in the palm of your hand all along, haven't you?"
"Hehe, guilty as charged."
That shameless admission made her even more annoyed, and she hit his chest lightly with her fists.
"You horrible jerk Fine, I agree, now get on with it already!"
In the end, Mikoto surrendered to the emotions he'd stirred up in her, coupled with gratitude and fondness for him. Hearing her acceptance, Rei Ao stopped pretending and instantly assumed the role of a ravenous wolf.
"Tsk, tsk. I've long wanted to taste the 'natural flavor' of Mikoto."
"Ugh! Shut up!"
Meanwhile, on the other side:
Everyone's expressions had shifted from curiosity to sheer shock as they learned about the chat group and, moreover, the extent of Rei Ao's power.
They also discovered a huge backlog of trade logs from various worldsrequests to save worlds, deals to destroy civilizations, even commissions to rewrite universal laws. Rei Ao had fulfilled them all.
