The girl didn't understand why Rei Ao was giving her the final say on something like this.
Such a trivial sentence, as if deciding someone else's life or death, made her feel scared and uneasy.
She watched Kuhouin Arisa's face turn red and distressed from her inability to breathe.
The girl wasn't so coldhearted as to speak words of indifference.
She nodded and said, "E-even though I do agree that the president was the one who broke her promise first, please…give her another chance!"
"Tsk?"
Narrowing his eyes, Rei Ao offered a suggestion: "Then how about you act as the witness?"
"Witness?" The girl didn't get it.
"That's right. I'll fulfill my part of saving her, as per the deal, but you'll bear witness to her paying the price. You'll be the witness."
"…All right."
The girl didn't hesitate. If she kept hesitating, Kuhouin Arisa would die.
"Aah, Arisa, you're quite lucky."
Just as he said, Rei Ao pressed a finger against her forehead.
Crack.
Once again, the crystallization over half of her body shattered. Naturally, it also tore apart the borrowed outer jacket she'd been wearing from the girl next to her.
"Mmgh!"
With her agony lightened for a moment, Kuhouin Arisa collapsed limply on the auditorium stage, gasping for breath. Twice dancing on the edge of death left her trembling in fear.
"You, 'young lady,' are you prepared to pay the cost of this deal now, or would you rather refuse once again?"
Rei Ao gave her no time to rest, his cool voice reminding her, "You only get this one chance, courtesy of that young lady over there who pleaded on your behalf."
"… …"
This time, Kuhouin Arisa didn't bother covering herself. She glanced at the girl, then looked back to Rei Ao.
Gone was her earlier arrogance. After nearly dying twice, she cast aside her pride. With a bitter nod, she said, "All right."
She valued staying alive more than everything she owned.
"Perfect~."
Her reply satisfied Rei Ao. He casually took a large blanket from the chat group's storage space and spread it on the auditorium stage. Under Kuhouin Arisa's confused gaze, he lifted her onto the blanket, then started undoing the buttons of his shirt.
"Gulp… Wh-what are you doing?"
Guessing the situation, Kuhouin Arisa gulped nervously. Rei Ao flashed a grin:
"We've got this big auditorium all sealed up. Seems like an ideal place to 'train' a mouthy, conceited young lady. Of course, I also need to collect the payment for our deal. And while I'm at it…"
He paused. With a flick of his right hand—
"Mmph!"
Ouma Mana, who was occupying Inori's body, was also caught by an invisible force that pulled her over. She landed in Rei Ao's arms beside Kuhouin Arisa.
"And while I'm at it, I'll teach you, who intended to cause trouble, what it truly means to be 'Adam and Eve,' and what real procreation is."
…
In the chat group:
Stella: "What the—? He's just starting without even a heads-up?"
Akame: "Starting what?"
Stella: "What else? There's a livestream going on!"
Frieren: "This is the literary equivalent of a freefall—no hesitation, no distractions, just an exhilarating plunge straight into the heart of the action, landing in sheer exhilaration."
Stella: "???"
Shiba Miyuki: "This…"
Kasuga Hijiri: "Frieren, that's quite unexpected, hearing something like that from you."
Sakurajima Mai: "…Frieren, where'd you learn such language?"
Frieren: "Haha, Rei Ao taught me that the other night. Quite vivid, right?"
Megumi Kato: "Though it is vivid…maybe don't say it so casually."
Misaka Mikoto: "Hey, hey—why is Rei Ao bullying people like that? Isn't one enough—why two at once?!"
Rei Ao: "Who am I bullying?"
Misaka Mikoto: "Uh, obviously the ones y-you're dominating!"
Rei Ao: "You're misunderstanding. Arisa and Inori are part of a deal. And as for Ouma Mana occupying Inori's body, she came to me on her own."
Rei Ao: "So it's perfectly justified."
Rei Ao: "Also, something you said was off. It's not two—it's four."
He glanced down from the stage at Futaba and Rio, whose faces were red with shame.
"Futaba, Rio, I figure this is a good time for us three to face our own issues, honestly."
"What do you think?"
"… …"
Futaba and Rio didn't answer. They wondered why their bodies had flown over before, with no choice at all.
Misaka Mikoto: "Four…?"
Back in her dorm,
Mikoto looked as if she'd seen something frightening, her body trembling violently. Shirai Kuroko, noticing her alarm, asked anxiously, "Onee‐sama, what's wrong?"
"… …"
Mikoto clenched her legs together, jumped up and ran straight to the bathroom.
Leaving behind only: "!! I'm taking a shower!"
"Huh?"
Kuroko was full of questions. It was only a shower—why the rush? She glanced sideways, spotting something where Mikoto had been sitting: it seemed to be glimmering faintly.
…
Evening had come.
My name is Menjou Hare.
I'm a student at Tennouzu First High School, also a class rep.
Today at noon, the Student Council President, Kuhouin Arisa, held a speech about external supply shipments. Mid-speech, she suddenly lost the ability to breathe and collapsed.
I stood blankly near the stage in the auditorium, not knowing what to do. On the stage, Kuhouin Arisa seemed to convulse as if on the brink of death.
Then, in front of my eyes, an utterly absurd scene played out. Actually, I shouldn't even be here. But that man—Rei Ao, who was carrying on—refused to let me leave, saying: "You can't go. You're Arisa's witness, and our deal isn't done."
Because of that promise, I didn't leave. I just stood there, dumbfounded, watching this bizarre "show." Rather than call me a witness, it's more like I'm an onlooker…
Rei Ao seemed almost devilish. If all he needed was from Arisa, presumably I could have left as soon as I verified it. Yet not once did he fulfill Arisa's needs. Every time, he took what he had from her and ended up giving it to Futaba, Rio, or even Ouma Mana. Arisa was half-dead from the ordeal.
This dryness had lasted so long. Even just watching, I felt oddly strange. I shrank back against the wall, trying desperately to hide any reaction. My moist eyes flicked over to Futaba and the others, who wore dazed expressions.
A question rose in my heart:
"Does it…feel good?"
~~~
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