Akame nodded firmly. "The Empire is rotten to the core."
"Kurome, you shouldn't serve the Empire anymore."
She tried to convince her sister.
However, Kurome remained indifferent. "Is that the reason for your betrayal?"
As children, both had been sold by the Empire and raised as tools, trained to eliminate rebels. While Akame had eventually turned her back on them, Kurome remained loyal. Both loved their sister deeply but had grown to view each other as enemies.
"..."
Akame fell silent. Kurome had been brainwashed too deeply, and changing her mind would be no easy task. If she couldn't save her Akame would kill her herself. She couldn't bear the thought of her sister dying by someone else's hand.
Stella: "So why hasn't Rei Ao said a word this whole time?"
Saeko Busujima: "He's busy."
[Ding! Saeko Busujima has started a live broadcast!]
Everyone entered the broadcast and immediately understood.
Stella: "Tch! I knew this scumbag was up to something!"
Megumi Kato: "Another one, huh"
Sui: "Umm, that person looks scary, with her eyes rolling back. She's not dead, right?"
Shizu: "... I'm not sure."
Saeko Busujima: "Why would she be dead? It looks like she's feeling quite good."
Mai Sakurajima: "...Sometimes it's better not to comment."
Even Mai knew it felt good, but facing Rei Ao in these situations, she couldn't speak as casually as Saeko did.
Megumi Kato: "The real question is, why did Saeko start a broadcast in the first place?"
Stella: "Exactly! Why would you stream something like this? It's shameless. No wonder Rei Ao's a perverted jerk!"
Rei Ao: "Hehe, how's that my fault? I didn't start the stream."
Stella: "You're just peeping!"
Rei Ao: "?"
Rei Ao: "Stella, this is my chat group. As the group leader, I can't even look? Are you trying to take over or something?"
Stella: "???"
Frieren: "Oh, you can still pay attention to the chat at a time like this?"
Rei Ao: "... Can we stop talking about this like it's something primitive?"
Frieren: "Then how should we talk about it?"
Rei Ao: "I'm just enjoying the moment."
Megumi Kato: "..."
Mai Sakurajima: "..."
Shizu: "Hmm, why does that sound even more primitive?"
Stella: "Ahh! Stop talking about this already!"
Saeko Busujima: "Hehe, sorry, everyone."
Saeko Busujima: "I just thought it'd be more straightforward to broadcast. I didn't want to explain everything verbally. That's on me."
Saeko's comment earned her a playful pat on the back from Rei Ao. She truly was his helpful companion, even aiding him in subtly spreading his influence through the chat.
"Saeko, come here," Rei Ao called, sensing that Rei might have reached her limit.
"Hmm, Rei Ao-kun, look," Saeko said.
Rei Ao glanced over and was taken aback.
Whoa!
She was doing a perfect splits yoga pose!
At the Miura household.
Yumiko stared with a hint of resentment.
Another one!
She had lost count of how many people Rei Ao had been involved with. It annoyed her to think about how he said he'd make her unable to leave him. Was this his idea of pursuing someone? No dates, no proper conversations, and yet he blatantly live streamed... 'that'.
"Ugh!"
Frustrated, Yumiko fell into deep thought. She suddenly realized that compared to the other girls in the chat group, she didn't seem to have much competitive edge. Whether it was in looks or figure, she felt lacking. And there were even legendary beauties like elves in the group!
But she wasn't just comparing herself to the elves. Even Saeko Busujima and Rei Miyamoto, whom she saw in the livestreams
"What on earth are those two eating to grow that big?"
Their ample figures, with their swaying movements, made even Yumiko feel envious. It was just too exaggerated!
She bit down on her thumbnail, deep in thought. After a while, she concluded: "Maybe I should learn some powerful techniques?"
Unknowingly, her thoughts had already gone astray.
Rei Ao wasn't the kind of man to be heartless. Since Rei Miyamoto had chosen to fully commit to being his woman, he wouldn't let her down. He granted her his protection and power.
[Name]: Rei Miyamoto
[Level]: 1
[Abilities]: "Dragon Power," "Wind Spirit," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Judgment of Sin"
"Wind Spirit": Grants her the ability to use wind elemental powers, enabling her to transform into a wind spirit.
"Judgment of Sin": A unique weapon, a dual-headed spear that can sense the guilt in a person and curse those who are sinful.
This unique gear, 'Judgment of Sin', was quite interesting. It was a long dual-headed spear that could judge someone's guiltquite useful in a post-apocalyptic world. Unfortunately, Rei had already fallen asleep, so he couldn't see its effects just yet.
It wasn't that he lacked sympathy; it was just that Rei, fully immersed in her own pleasure, had pushed herself to this point. He didn't have the chance to see her transform into a wind spirit.
"Saeko, take care of Rei," Rei Ao instructed.
"Mm," Saeko nodded, exhausted. "I'll help her level up."
At the moment, Rei Ao didn't have the time, so he handed the task of leveling up Rei to Saeko. Suddenly, Saeko thought of something and glanced toward the door.
"Rei Ao, what about those two...?"
Rei Ao smiled, not hiding anything: "I'm waiting for them to willingly offer their own trades."
Seeing this, Saeko didn't say anything more.
Outside the door, Saya Takagi and Shizuka Marikawa exchanged glances. Rei Ao hadn't bothered to lower his voice, so they heard everything clearly.
Saya's face turned red, and she stubbornly said, "Who would make a deal with him? What a perverted narcissist!"
"..."
Shizuka, however, didn't think Rei Ao was narcissistic. As for being perverted... well, being able to keep going for four hours straight was certainly... unusual. Honestly, after being saved by him and witnessing his strength, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. But looking at Saya's angry face, she didn't dare say anything, worried it might provoke her further.
"Had your fun?"
Mai Sakurajima stood with her arms crossed, glaring at Rei Ao as he returned. She had intended to lecture him about always livestreaming things like that in the group. It made her feel like her boyfriend wasn't just showing off to her, but to everyone else as well. To her shock, though, Rei Ao shamelessly nodded.
"Not bad. You know, if you were willing to try the splits, Mai, it might be perfect."
Mai's face turned black with anger. She stomped off to the spare room she had been using.
Before shutting the door forcefully, she snapped, "You're not touching me tonight!"
'Bang!'
The door slammed with such force that the walls shook. Rei Ao, however, didn't mind. He had only been joking, and Mai was just jealous. Of course, who knew? Maybe someday the joke would become reality.
For now, though, he needed a shower. Washing away everything clinging to him sounded like the best way to relax.
Meanwhile, next door to Rei Ao
'Bang!'
The loud sound of a door slamming startled both Yukino and her sister, Haruno, who had arrived unexpectedly.
Haruno frowned. "Yukino-chan, is your neighbor not very friendly?"
If the person next door really had a temper, Haruno thought Yukino should consider moving.
"..."
Yukino had no idea what Rei Ao and Mai were up to, but she shook her head. "No, they're not unfriendly."
"Then, why did you come over without telling me, sister?" she asked, annoyed, and even more so at the fact that Haruno had a key to her apartment.
But Yukino didn't realize that Haruno was a super overprotective sister. She assumed her sister was just trying to control her life.
"Oh, come on~! I'm your sister, after all. It's only natural for me to take care of you," Haruno said, smiling as she picked up a giant panda plushie.
"!!!"
Yukino had been doing her best to avoid looking at it, but now she couldn't tear her eyes away.
It was Mr. Panda!
(Note: Mr. Panda refers to the panda plushie.)
Yukino had two major interests: cats and Mr. Panda plushies. And pandas were technically still cats, right?
Haruno knew her sister all too well, easily hitting her soft spot.
"Yukino-chan, I got this Mr. Panda for you. You can keep it on the sofa, and even if I'm not here, it'll feel like I'm keeping you company."
"..."
Yukino was internally repelled by the idea of a panda plushie representing her sister, but... she couldn't resist the giant, fluffy Mr. Panda. With a cold tone, she said, "If you don't have anything else to do here, then please leave."
"Sigh, how heartbreaking to be sent away by my beloved little sister," Haruno lamented, faking tears.
Unfortunately for her, Yukino wasn't moved. She had seen through Haruno's tricks far too many times.
Seeing that Yukino wasn't budging, Haruno dropped the act and stood up lazily. "Alright, alright. Since you're kicking me out, I'll go. But don't miss me too much~."
"..."
Yukino certainly wouldn't. Watching Haruno leave, she waited until she heard the door close. Only then did she leap onto the giant panda plushie, burying her face in its soft, fluffy belly.
That was the magic of Mr. Panda.
However, Yukino didn't notice that the panda plushie's eyes were faintly glowing red.
~~~
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Chapter 79: Sayuri Sawamura
Inside a villa.
After finishing her bath, Eriri walked out of the bathroom humming a cheerful tune. In the living room, a gentle-looking woman, who appeared quite young, glanced at her curiously.
"Eriri, you seem to be in a really good mood."
"Hehe, not really," Eriri responded, but the smile on her face was unmistakable.
She was happy about something related to Rei Ao. He had kept his promise and hadn't revealed her secret to anyone. Over the past couple of days, no one had gossiped about her, and everything had been quiet. Rei Ao hadn't judged her interests either, which had lifted her spirits. Skipping happily, Eriri returned to her room.
"Sigh..."
Watching her daughter close the door, Eriri's mother, Sayuri, sighed deeply. She knew Eriri had been working on her drawings non-stop recently, barely taking care of herself. Sayuri hadn't had the heart to tell her about Tomoya Aki's situation yet.
After all, even Sayuri had been shocked when she heard about what had happened to Tomoya Aki.
"Maybe they were just never meant to be," Sayuri mused. Ever since they were young, Eriri and Aki had always had differing views, especially about their shared love for otaku culture. Eriri preferred to hide her interests, while Aki proudly embraced them, not caring what others thought. Their differing approaches had led to a falling out, which had lasted for seven years.
Sayuri didn't want to interfere too much; after all, it was just a disagreement between kids. Even if things got heated, it would likely end in a broken friendship, not something life-altering.
Meanwhile, in her room, Eriri took out her phone, which she hadn't touched in days. As soon as she unlocked it, she saw a message from Tomoya Aki, sent a few days earlier, inviting her to join his game development club.
"Sigh..."
She sighed deeply. She had already turned him down in person, so why was he still asking? If only Aki could be as understanding as Rei Ao, things might have been different.
She recalled hearing about a conflict between Aki and Rei Ao. After a moment's thought, she decided to reply.
Eriri: "Sorry, I'm not interested in game development, and I'm busy with my own projects."
Aki: "..."
In the hospital, Tomoya Aki tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Desperately, he searched for ways to recover, but most of the results were obviously fake ads. His frustration grew as he realized how hopeless his situation was. He liked fictional girls from anime, but that didn't mean he wanted to lose his manhood.
Suddenly, Eriri's message popped up.
"...."
After reading it, Aki clenched his teeth. Why had she waited so long to respond? Why did she have to message him now, of all times? But that wasn't the worst of it. It was her next message that pushed him over the edge.
Eriri: "By the way, I heard you had a conflict with Rei Ao. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Why don't you two talk it out?"
Aki: "Rei Ao!!"
Seeing the name of the person he had cursed countless times, Aki's mental state completely collapsed. All the frustration and bitterness of the past few days exploded in that moment.
Aki: "Rei Ao, Rei Ao, Rei Ao!! Eriri, I bet you like him, don't you? That's why you're defending him!"
Eriri was taken aback.
Eriri: "What are you talking about? I would never"
Aki: "Oh, really? Do you even know what happened?"
Aki: "Do you know what he did to me? Do you know how he ruined me?"
Aki: "If you like him so much, why don't you go hole up in your room and draw your disgusting doujinshi with him?"
Eriri: "???"
Eriri: "Tomoya Aki! Take that back!"
Aki: "Oh, did I hit a nerve? Are you afraid he'll find out that you're a disgusting hentai artist?"
Having lost the very thing that symbolized his manhood, Aki's mental state had shattered. Now, he had found a target to vent his anger on. It didn't matter who it washe just needed to lash out.
Aki: "Do you think he'll still like you after finding out you're an otaku who draws hentai?"
Aki: "You"
'Ding... Ding...'
Message after message flooded in, each one more vile and venomous than the last. Eriri felt like she was staring at a demon in the form of Tomoya Aki.
'Crash!'
In terror, Eriri threw her phone across the room.
"Eriri, are you okay?"
Hearing the commotion, Sayuri rushed into the room, only to find Eriri lying on her bed, sobbing. Glancing down, she noticed the shattered phone on the floor, still vibrating with incoming messages. Picking it up, Sayuri scanned the screen and quickly understood the situation.
"Tomoya Aki..."
Sayuri frowned deeply, feeling a surge of anger toward the boy who was now spewing such vile words. She had once felt sorry for him, knowing he had been dealt a cruel hand, but now it was clear he was directing his hatred toward Eriri.
Tomoya Aki had grown up loving otaku culture, possibly influenced by Eriri and their family. However, the way he expressed his passion had always made Sayuri uncomfortable. Back when they were younger, the word "otaku" wasn't something positive, and both Eriri and Aki had been bullied for it. While Eriri chose to hide her interests, Aki continued to flaunt them openly.
