Rei Ao paused when he saw the trade request, giving Saya a mont to catch her breath. He looked at Yuriko Takagi with surprise.
"Are you serious?" he asked.
"…Yes, after all, she is… my daughter," Yuriko replied, her words sounding noble, though her gaze wavered slightly.
Rei Ao, however, picked up a faint scent wafting from her direction, sothing hinting at her underlying intentions.
With a knowing smile, he replied, "You really are a 'devoted mother,' aren't you? Alright, I'll accept."
[Ding! Your trade request has been accepted!]
[Trade Condition]: 'One-ti body usage rights'
[Ding! Confirm the trade?]
Yuriko's heart skipped at Rei Ao's suggestive smile. Did he see through her hidden feelings? She couldn't deny that this remarkable man who had saved her life had stirred sothing within her, feelings she hadn't had since her husband's death—sothing she had buried long ago.
But, she reminded herself, this trade was genuinely for Saya's sake.
[Ding! Trade initiated!]
[Trade Partner]: Yuriko Takagi
[Trade Purpose]: To take Saya's place in paynt for the trade
[Trade Condition]: 'One-ti body usage rights'
[Duration]: 3 hours
Rei Ao turned toward her, and Yuriko's heart pounded as she saw him fully. Now she understood why Saya had looked so exhausted.
"Let's begin our trade," Rei Ao said, motioning her forward.
"…"
Yuriko hesitated for a mont before stepping toward him, ntally repeating, 'I'm doing this for Saya…' Not because she was drawn to Rei Ao's strength and youth.
...
Elsewhere, Yukino, who had just mustered the courage to crush an undead skull under Saeko's supervision, froze when a notification appeared unexpectedly in the chat group.
The new trade announcent sparked a lively discussion.
Stella: "Wait, another trade?"
Aka: "No, look closely—it's a different person."
Frieren: "The first trade was with Saya Takagi, but this one is with Yuriko Takagi. The nas are different."
Stella: "Oh, you're right!"
Stella: "But what does it an by 'trade paynt'…?"
Shizuka: "It says body usage rights."
Stella: "Wait—soone else can pay it for her?"
gumi Kato: "They have the sa last na. They might be sisters?"
gumi Kato couldn't help but think of her own sister and the way Rei Ao sotis looked at her, so her mind imdiately went to this possibility.
But as it turned out, reality often exceeds imagination.
Saeko: "No, Yuriko Takagi is Saya's mother."
Stella: "What?"
Mai Sakurajima: "??"
gumi Kato: "…"
Sui: "Wow… is that even possible?"
Rei Miyamoto: "Well, it might just be Yuriko's choice."
Rei tried to offer so context. She had been standing near the door, listening, and it was clear that the voice coming from inside wasn't Saya's.
"..."
Yukino's deep gaze turned to Saeko. "And… you have no opinion about this?"
Saeko remained completely calm. "None. If it makes Rei Ao happy, that's enough."
"And besides, I'm sure Yuriko made this choice herself."
"..."
Yukino considered this. Yes, the only person who could initiate the trade was Yuriko herself. Yet the whole thing still shook her worldview.
Just when she thought Rei Ao and the others had already crossed a line, it seed they were only venturing further down an uncharted path.
Rei Ao: "Talking about ?"
Stella: "And you dare to pop up after doing sothing so shaless?"
Rei Ao: "Haha, why wouldn't I? I haven't done anything against my principles."
Stella: "You—"
Stella wanted to say sothing more, but the words escaped her.
Frieren: "@Rei Ao, can humans really… do things like this?"
Frieren knew her fellow elves would never behave this way.
Shizuka: "Most people probably wouldn't."
Aya Yomogawa: "But Rei Ao isn't just anyone!"
Aya spoke up to defend Rei Ao with fierce loyalty.
Kajikai and Yukina exchanged glances, giving her a thumbs-up in support.
In fact, Aya's face was bright red as she made this declaration, but there was a certain reason she could say it so readily.
Her own mother was no longer with her, so she couldn't entirely understand the predicant that Saya now found herself in.
Mai Sakurajima: "@Rei Ao, are you…"
Rei Ao: "Just what you're thinking. Want to watch? Yuriko says she doesn't mind."
Stella: "No way!!!"
gumi Kato: "Um, no, that won't be necessary."
Tohru: "Emm… humans sure are complicated."
Mai Sakurajima: "Sigh…"
Mai let out a deep sigh.
She hadn't actually intended to ask about Saya and Yuriko Takagi. She was more concerned about what might happen if Rei Ao ever t her own mother.
If it ever ca to that, what would she do?
"I need to do everything I can to prevent it!"
Mai thought with determination. As for what was happening with Saya and Yuriko, she didn't want to interfere—it was a trade between consenting parties, after all. But as for sothing that hadn't happened yet, she'd do everything possible to keep it that way.
And if, in the end, she couldn't stop it… well, then maybe she'd have to preemptively distract him. Or perhaps take charge herself to ensure he'd have no thoughts for anyone else.
It would be her own way of solving the problem.
Rei Ao: "By the way, I'm in an extended trade session, so Mai, can you get in touch with Raphiel or Vignette? They should put Yukino's sister to sleep to keep things from getting ssy."
Rei Ao: "@Yukino Yukinoshita, you don't mind, right?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "…No. And… thank you."
Mai Sakurajima: "Got it, I'll go now."
Frieren: "Six hours, @Rei Ao, are you sure you can manage?"
Rei Ao: "Heh, who do you think I am?"
...
In Kasumigaoka's apartnt.
Now that she had so free ti due to the school closure, Utaha had been looking to the chat group for so creative inspiration. The concept of other worlds always sparked new ideas.
Fresh from a cold shower, she sat on her sofa, taking small sips of water to calm her nerves.
After that incident at school, she had been on edge. And now, with soone dead in broad daylight, the fact that Tomoya Aki's death had been officially classified as an accident only deepened her unease.
It was disturbing to think that even the truth behind a person's death could be concealed.
Lost in thought, she glanced at the chat.
"Ugh!!"
She choked on her water, almost spitting it out. Stunned, she processed what she was reading.
"Rei Ao… is he really 'that' bold?"
Not only was he causing chaos, but he was even offering to live-stream it.
The sheer audacity!
The chat group's casual reaction added another layer of shock.
...
"Is there sothing wrong with ?" Utaha thought, feeling more out of place than ever.
And…
"Six hours—is that really okay?"
As soon as she had that thought, her phone buzzed with a ssage from her editor, Sonoko Machida.
Sonoko Machida: "It's true! Six hours is nothing for Rei Ao. Seize this chance, Utaha—let's dive into a new world of inspiration together!"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "..."
She sent back an ellipsis, mirroring her speechless thoughts.
Her once respectable editor had turned into an enabler.
And how did Sonoko know exactly what she was thinking?
...
Rei Ao chuckled. His question was a bit of a test, and he was pleased to see the group's overall acceptance. It seed his occasional livestreams had effectively lowered their threshold for shock.
As for Yuriko, who thought she was rely helping Saya…
He leaned close to her ear, his voice low. "Yuriko, I have a question. Is Saya truly your daughter?"
"…"
Yuriko didn't answer, only looked away, avoiding his gaze.
Rei Ao already had his answer. In breaking through a boundary that shouldn't have existed, he confird his suspicions. He didn't know the details, but he didn't need to. All that mattered was fulfilling his own desires.
"Yuriko, I haven't done anything yet."
"…!"
Yuriko's body froze.
He hadn't moved?
So this reaction was… her own?
"Heh, you're clearly saying one thing and feeling another," Rei Ao chuckled.
"Now, let teach you how to align the two—and make you mine!"
This ti, it was Rei Ao's turn.
With a confident smile, he was ready to guide Yuriko, much as he had with others like Kurono Shinguji and Sonoko Machida.
~~~
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