Hiiragi Shinoa: "Tsk, everyone's more or less the same. I think a lot of them ended up feeling attached after being forced into some 'intense relief' from a difficult trade."
Sui: "Ugh, that…sounds so crude!"
Tohru: "But true."
Mabel: "Huh, you're all weak. I've never needed rescuing."
Megumi Kato: "Huh? I recall you running into Rei Ao when you arrived in this world starving."
Mabel: "S‐so what if I did? Back then, I didn't make a deal – he helped me of his own accord!"
Mabel was soft all over, but her mouth was stubborn.
Tohru: "Tch, let's just call it that. So you weren't helped? You just got yourself some fun, right?"
Mabel: "Me?"
Sakurajima Mai: "…"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "…"
Mabel: "N-no I didn't!!!"
Rei Ao: "Huh? You didn't enjoy it? If that's the case, once we're back, maybe I should let you experience it again."
Mabel: "Eh? Ehhh? Why are you still here?!"
Rei Ao: "Why wouldn't I be? Haven't you heard of multitasking?"
Frieren: "You can multitask at a time like this? Aren't you worried Inori might get upset?"
Rei Ao: "Ah, 'multitasking' doesn't mean I slow down."
Inori: "Mm, n-no problem here."
Yomogawa Ayame: "That's Rei Ao-sama for you."
Stella: "You can praise that?"
Rei Ao: "@Mabel, what do you think?"
Mabel: "Ughhh, I was lying, I was wrong, that day felt very good…I was so fulfilled…"
She gave in completely at once. She absolutely didn't want to experience dehydration again.
Rei Ao: "Very satisfying? Then I'll reward you one more time."
Mabel: "??? Why is this happening!!!"
So no matter what she said, she couldn't escape. Mabel was crying.
"Heh heh."
Rei Ao gave a cold laugh. Mabel was someone you couldn't let get carried away—you had to intimidate her into obedience.
Meanwhile, Ogata Rizu, having finished self-study, was sipping from her water cup. Suddenly, she saw a livestream notification pop up and clicked it. Then—
"Pffft!!!"
Water she'd just drunk went spraying everywhere.
"?"
Not far away in the classroom, Furuhashi Fumino noticed and looked over.
"Rizu, are you okay?"
"Uh… I'm f‐fine."
Sensing all eyes on her, Rizu's face turned scarlet, and she quickly wiped up the tea. Then, keeping her head down, she hurried out of the classroom, running toward the restroom.
…
In the group chat:
Rizu Ogata: "Wh‐what on earth is going on here?!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Well, in short, Rei Ao is just 'helping' someone clear out their pipelines."
Yuigahama Yui: "Uh…"
Kawasaki Saki: "???—(Confused)"
Machida Sonoko: "Utaha, you always manage to say something more risqué than the rest."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Tsk, the lewdest part is in the livestream, no? Yet you're still watching?"
Machida Sonoko: "He's my man anyway, so I don't mind. But how about those of you who have no boyfriend—watching something like this, will you still get married?"
Kobayashi: "???—(She feels directly called out.)"
But she was quite good at self-consolation: 'I can just treat this like watching an adult video, right?'
Still, not everyone was as casual as she was. For instance Yuisuki ,busy with housework at home:
"Rei Ao-kun, he…"
She gaped in disbelief. It was the first time she'd ever seen such a scene, making her flush. She couldn't help recalling how back then he'd also been so… so wild when dealing with her, galloping freely. She wobbled, collapsing onto the sofa, unable to tear her eyes away, just blankly watching that Excalibur plunging in and out again and again.
"Gulp~"
Dazed, she swallowed her saliva. Unconsciously, she began to imagine what would have happened if, back then, it was her, not her daughter, in that situation. Lost in thought, she didn't notice her hand drifting downward…
…
Rei Ao had no idea that what he was doing just now was stirring up so many reactions in the chat group. Even less did he suspect that the Apocalypse Virus—now cut off from Ouma Mana—had found a new target.
"They're not coming out yet?"
Some distance outside the auditorium, Ouma Shu wore a glum expression. For some reason, the auditorium was sealed tight—the door wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried. He remembered how he'd run out earlier, locking eyes with his class rep, Menjou Hare, only for her to be totally ignored.
"They're not in trouble in there, are they?"
Ouma Shu's face looked bad. A moment ago he'd felt three successive jolts of heartache, as though he'd lost several important things—but he couldn't recall losing anything, so it left him uncommonly irritated. Yet he couldn't get in to check. He stood outside for quite a while, vexed.
Just then—
"Tch!"
He suddenly felt a chill all over.
"It's freezing!"
Cold enough that he was shivering. He looked up. It was bright sunshine, the sun high overhead. No chilly wind was blowing, either.
"Hss—why is it so cold?"
He exhaled and saw, faintly, white mist.
"Am I running a fever?"
His face already pale, Ouma Shu glanced at the auditorium. Ultimately he couldn't endure the discomfort and left, jogging back home.
Running nonstop all the way, once he arrived home, the cold vanished and turned into scorching heat.
"Fever medicine, fever medicine!"
Eyes bloodshot, he rushed to the drawer, frantically rummaging for something to reduce the fever. He felt like he was being incinerated, forcibly tearing off his clothes.
"Med‐medicine!!!"
He couldn't find any fever meds, so he grabbed some random pill bottle from the drawer, opened it, and poured the contents into his mouth. It really was an act of desperation.
Randomly taking pills was obviously bad. So…
"Ugh!"
Ouma Shu's eyes rolled back. He collapsed clumsily to the floor and lost consciousness. The messy room grew silent.
"Adam…"
A faint voice whispered. At the same time, Ouma Shu's body emitted a radiant glow. Purple crystals sprouted visibly across his skin—the telltale sign of an Apocalypse Virus outbreak. The crystallization raced through his body with terrifying speed. In just a flash, he was already encased in a humanoid mass of crystal.
Was he dead? No.
Thump! Thump-thump!
From the crystal figure's chest, a luminous heart throbbed violently.
~~~
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