Chapter 72: Trade Offer

After the school period ended, Ray made his way to Cecilia's room immediately. He noticed multiple gaze filled with scorn and disgust directed to him on his way there but he just minded his own business and ignored the other students.

When he arrived at the front door, he somehow felt conscious about his appearance and made a quick fix before knocking at the door. There was silence for a moment before he heard the sound of footsteps.

"Who was it?" Ray heard Cecilia ask with a dispirited voice. Then the door opened and Cecilia took a look at the person knocking at her front door.

"Ray…?" Cecilia said. Ray immediately noticed how she instantly turned her gaze away and lowered her head slightly while fidgeting with his right hand rubbing on her left arm.

"What can I help you with?" She asked after another moment of silence.

"Uh.. about that… I actually came to apologize yesterday." Ray said before he bowed slightly. "I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday. I never intended to cause you such emotional distress and I am sorry for what I did to you yesterday."

Cecilia at first made the surprised Pikachu face before blushing and pulled Ray into her room because the hallway had many students that just returned from their class, murmuring and pointing at them. Then she closed the door shut before making a sigh of relief but blushed even harder after she realized that she just brought a man into her room.

"So… Do you forgive me?" Ray asked, trying to release the tension of this awkward situation. Cecilia who was zoned off immediately pulled back before she made a cough to clear her throat.

"No, it should actually be me asking for your forgiveness because I treated you too harshly and judged you immediately after meeting you without knowing anything about you." Holding both hands down, Cecilia also bowed and apologized to Ray which in turn surprised him this time.

"Ah, I didn't mind it. I did too and didn't know you had a harsh childhood growing up. Have to deal with an abusive father and both parents deceased then forced to fend for yourself at a young age." Ray said without realising the big surprised face on Cecilia when he talked about her childhood even when she never did talk to anyone in the academy, ever. This makes her immediately raise her guard on Ray.

"How did you know about that!" Cecilia demanded with total suspicion on Ray and grabbed something that she can use to defend herself which was a kitchen knife.

Ray was confused why she suddenly looked at him like that and pointed a knife at him before he realised that he sounded like a creep or stalker.

"Wait a minute! I know how this looks but I didn't dig around for your information or anything. Someone I knew happened to tell me about your bad childhood when I sought advice about yesterday and suggested that I apologize to you." Ray explained.

Cecilia believed Ray and dropped her suspicion because she assumed Ray went to Maya for advice as she is technically also the counselling staff and the school nurse. Someone like her would naturally know about her background and history.

"Well… take a seat. I'll make some tea for us to talk over." Cecilia said before she went to the stove to boil water using a kettle and preparing a teapot and the tea leaves with well practiced movement probably due to her country's culture of drinking tea.

Ray sat there and his eyes roamed around to give himself some distraction while waiting. On one of the messier beds, there are various devices that Ray recognizes are used for maintenance of IS and configuration. Then his eyes wandered to Cecilia where noticed she was humming to a tune while brewing a pot of tea. She swaying her body a little side to side where Ray noted that she has a supple slender limbs, well proportioned and voluptuous figure, possessing a 'sizable' bust a bit smaller than Raynare but still enough to make any man happy, narrow hourglass waist that look very huggable and a curvaceous butt that perfectly complement her fig-.

Ray immediately halted his thoughts and took a long and deep breath before releasing it. He shut his eyes and instantly dived into his mindscape to look at the cutely snoring Ophis curled into fetal position and drift in the pitch black void of the corner in his mindscape where Ophis claimed.

'Banish thy impure thought!' Ray chanted while maintaining his zen like state facilitated by the sight of peaceful sleeping Ophis that calmed his mind.

"Ray?" Cecilia called when she was done brewing the tea and turned to see Ray in a meditative trance-like state, constantly taking deep and consistent breaths before exhaling.

"Yes? Oh, sorry. I was trying to calm myself. Sort of caught with something during the lunch break that agitated my thoughts. Don't mind it, it's nothing serious." Ray said before trying to reassure her in the end.

It seems the little bloodshed he caused made his thoughts slightly agitated and caused him to lose some grip on his self control. Usually when he finished a battle, he had his wives by his side to vent the pent up aggression. Of course it's through a lot of cuddles.

(You expected seggs but it was me, Kono Dio Da!)

"So, let me repeat it again." Ray said before coughing to clear his throat. "I'm sorry about yesterday's duel for causing you emotional distress."

"Apologies accepted. I also wanted to apologize for treating you with prejudice. So, I guess we both apologized and we can leave that matter behind to start fresh." Cecilia turns cheerful and gives a light giggle after her last sentence.

"Of course, Miss Alcott. Despite the bad start, I have a feeling that we can be great friends with each other." Ray agreed before offering his hand to shake with Cecilia which she accepted and they shake hand to symbolise their new start.

"Also, no need to address me as Miss Alcott. That sounds very stiff for a friend. Instead, calling me simply as Cecilia or perhaps a pet name is fine too, Ray." Cecilia added with a big smile before retracting her hand.

"Phew… at least my wives will not chew on me anymore after this since we already reconciled." Ray said with a relieved sigh but Cecilia's face instantly morphed to shock and her grip on the cup almost made it shatter.

"Your wha-"

"I'm back, Miss Ceci-" Cecilia's roommate suddenly returned and opened the door to interrupt Cecilia from completing her sentence. But she screamed immediately after.

"Kyaa! Miss Cecilia invited a man into his room on top of wearing such a scandalous outfit!" Cecilia's roommate screamed and alerted the neighbors to immediately run out of their room to look at the scene.

When Cecilia's outfit is mentioned, then Ray looks back again at Cecilia before he notices something he somehow missed since the start. Cecilia for some reason is wearing an elegant blue and white lace negligee all this time and he failed to notice, probably because he was desensitized by his wives and subconsciously shrugged it off as normal.

"Wait, it was a misunderstanding! I was fixing Blue Tear the whole time that I forgot to change." Cecilia tried to explain but the boisterous crowd in front of the door isn't listening and accusing Ray of trying to do something inappropriate on Cecilia after what happened yesterday.

When Cecilia turned to her back, she saw Ray had already walked to the window and opened it.

"Deploying secret technique. Adiós ladies, Nigerunnndayooo!" Ray said and made a salute with his fingers before jumping out the window to avoid the crowd with raised pitchforks that wanted to catch him for their misunderstanding of the situation he was caught in with Cecilia.

When the crowd reached the window to find Ray, he had already vanished like a father that went to the convenience store to buy milk, without a trace after jumping from the third floor's window.

———

"The interrogation went well I assume?"

"Yes, Maya." Chifuyu said while nursing herself with a mug of warm coffee.

"As I thought they were the US forces trying to steal confidential IS data and especially targeting the Fold-Out Armor technology but thankfully Ray had yet to use any of the academy's equipment to perform maintenance on his IS." Chifuyu recalled the information she obtained and shared it with Maya.

"But… should we really cover up that Mr Ray helped with neutralising the intruders?" Maya asked in worry about concealing information from the Japanese government.

"*Sigh* …Maya, I worried that the government would have taken an unhealthy interest in him. Even if he grew his wings and flew out of the nest, even when I do not doubt he can carry himself just fine, I still worried… worried that something will take him away from me again." Chifuyu said while staring deep into her mug filled with coffee.

"My sweet baby brother. Even if he is sick and forgotten about me, I will never forget him. His cry for help from the voicemail message of his last moment before disappearing years ago still haunts my sleep. My poor Ichika… If only I listened to you and stayed by your side instead of leaving you… I… I-" Maya immediately went to Chifuyu and hugged her head to her body while softly caressing her head and whispering to her everything is alright to quell her random mumbling triggered by her sudden intense emotion.

"Shhh. Rest for now Chifuyu. Rest for now." Maya comforted Chifuyu as she had always been doing since Chifuyu started working together with her as a teacher in IS Academy. She was specially selected to work alongside Chifuyu to monitor and fix her mental health.

When she was first selected for this task, she never thought the always strong, gallant, confident and proud Chifuyu would actually be the opposite underneath the mask she projected. She looked so weak and feeble that she couldn't help but feel like protecting Chifuyu like her own child.

As much as she didn't want to resort to prescribing medication, she has to because Chifuyu's state becomes increasingly unstable as the symptoms become increasingly frequent that Maya noticed when Chifuyu said she was haunted by her past regret. The remorse and sorrow is eating Chifuyu from the inside especially after she finally found her younger brother but only to turn out to have amnesia and didn't retain any memory about himself and Chifuyu.

"Antidepressants can only do so much. Sooner or later she will reach a breaking point which I hope she never would…" Maya sighed as she put Chifuyu to sleep for now before going to the infirmary to grab the said medicine.

———

Ray escaped the mob of angry girls and teleported himself to somewhere else but his own room because he had a feeling that place isn't safe at all from the mob of angry girls. He instead went to roam the academy where senior students after class went to their club activities while the first years hadn't got assigned yet to their extracurricular activities.

He went to visit each club to find a potentially interesting one to join or he will have to join the go home club which probably isn't allowed. As he roamed around, he soon found himself at the island edge looking at the water surrounding the ground where the academy stood.

He found none clubs that he is interested in. Though the IS Engineering club does interest him a little because the club members are allowed to customize IS or develop IS equipment and components themselves with material provided by the academy. Although Ray lost interest when the condition of joining was to narrow down his studies to IS Engineering which is an elective subject for second and third year students. He didn't want to increase the duration of his classes and was only interested in the materials which he could proscure himself if he wanted but very expensive or he could find blueprints and print them himself.

He looked at the city on the other side of the sea that separated both places and remembered that he still couldn't return to his dorm. Not until the heat settles, which clearly isn't when he can see on his minimap, a large group of students is scouring the academy for his ass. He sighed and laid his body on the grass while looking at the sky. But when his head is about to hit the grass covered ground, his head hits something hard instead which causes him to roll over and look at the hard object on the floor.

"A mechanical bunny ears… Yeah, totally not suspicious." Ray muttered before getting ready to cover the area around the bunny ears with a barrier big enough just to fit a person before pulling the ears.

"RayRa- owwie! Hey! Release me!" A beautiful lady in a cutesy maid-like outfit appeared when the ears were pulled and the barrier immediately captured the person and imprisoned her in the very small space, perfectly fitting the person that appeared.

Amused by what just happened, Ray decided to play along since he is bored anyway. Under the eyes of Tabane, Ray pulled out a griller, portable kitchen and knives like he is trying to cook.

"I wonder which I should choose, rabbit stew or stuffed and grilled rabbit…" Ray said while sharpening the knives with whetstone.

"RayRay is cruel, trying to cook me alive!" Tabane cried out with fake tears before punching the barrier which surprisingly shattered.

Though Ray purposely made the barrier fragile in the first place that can at most tank a slash from a mass produced Uchigane IS. However for Tabane to have physical strength comparable to an IS is nothing to scoff at.

"What with the nickname anyway?" Ray asked while returning all the stuff he brought out just now.

"Eh.. your name didn't fit well with suffixes. So, I just double your name which sounds cute enough. Hehe" Tabane explained while moving closer to Ray, trying to get touchy but was stopped by a barrier.

Tabane might look harmless, which is the case for people she found interest to but no doubt she would plant bugs on him to spy on him.

"Cheh, stingy… could it be that RayRay is shy to get touched by oneesan? Hmn…?"

"Why anyway, can I check your IS? I'm curious that an IS is created without using any registered cores I made. Can I, Can I?" Tabane clasped both hands and bowed her head to beg for the opportunity.

"No, unfortunately I would rather not, Miss Shinonono." Ray denied but it didn't stop the creator of IS as she kept begging a few more times before she stopped and called him stingy again.

"Though I confirmed that your barrier is an anomaly. Definitely not something created using technology and even using foreign forms of energy to power itself. Truly fascinating!" Tabane marveled at the barrier around Ray with sparkles in her eyes while she poke at the shield. "As if they were made with magic." Tabane added before looking at Ray with a smug smirk on her face.

"Sigh, I feel like dealing with Azazel but a weaker version. The mischievousness is still the same thought…" Ray immediately reacted and encased Tabane with a stronger barrier.

"So, I guess you bugged the whole academy and had been spying on me since the first day."

"Pin Pon Pin Pon, RayRay answered correctly! The first prize is a kiss on the cheek from Tabane oneesan. Come, let Tabane oneesan give you a kiss, no need to be shy." Tabane said before moving her head closer to give Ray a kiss on the cheek but stopped by the barrier.

"I guess RayRay is a shy boy then. It's your loss, RayRay." Tabane said while cupping her cheeks and acting shy while squirming in place to make fun of Ray.

"Hmn, I wonder if I should throw you to the sun and cook a roasted rabbit." Ray replied with an annoyed tone since he was annoyed with her overly energetic act.

"On a serious note though, let me see you IS. In exchange help you make a customization for free or even a super duper strong IS if you want." Tabane's demeanor changed like Azazel when he was obsessed with his research. The lust of knowledge and the unknown is basically brimming in her eyes.

Ray is considering her offer since he can tackle another problem about her knowing about magic. She definitely knew with how confident she was when she talked about it just now. A geas like magic contract would be sufficient and Roseweisse should be able to make one.

"Sure, but with condition." Ray replied after giving consideration to the idea he had in mind.

Ignoring Tabane that is cheering like a child finally getting her favourite toy, he contact Roseweisse that should be with Ravel at this moment. He informed her about Tabane and said he needed her to make him a geas contract to shut her mouth about the supernatural power while also potentially gaining a very useful ally.

———

After relocating to a more private location, Ray and Tabane finally can get the deal started. He hands a fully written geas to Tabane and explains to her how the thing works which in this case basically means her life is forfeit if she breaks the term written in the geas.

"So, basically if you reveal the infor-"

"Done, here. Now let me see the IS. Quickly! Quickly!" Tabane immediately signed without letting Ray finish his explanation. This person literally signed a contract that can sever her soul in a heartbeat without even caring about it which made Ray look speechlessly at the signed geas contract.

Ray takes the contract paper and checks it for any form of trickery which he found none. The contract is properly signed even with the blood of Tabane herself. Ray sighed as he underestimated Tabane's thirst for knowledge that she had little regard about her life or she really trusted Ray to trick her as Ray could easily add a clause that forced her to become his servant for eternity, even in death if Ray wanted to trick her.

"Fine, here you go. Also, don't disturb the… the AI inside it since she likes to sleep and not to be disturbed." Ray summoned his IS and also reminded Tabane to not disturb Ophis.

Immediately after Ray summoned Ouroboros, Tabane no longer gives him any attention as her entire being is focused on the piece of exoskeleton mecha suit. He went and took a seat while keeping an eye on Tabane while she was checking on Ouroboros.

"Nee RayRay, is this IS even come from this world? Unknown material impossible to be found on earth, weird alien technology and unknown energy that I guess is magic." Tabane described what she discovered from checking the IS.

"First of all, I doubt you should even call it an IS. I did to keep a low profile and blend in with the world but as you probably guessed. Ouroboros isn't an IS but more of an exoskeleton mecha armor that have similarity in design like IS." Ray explained.

"Then, how about the material?" Tabane asked but Ray only shrugged as he couldn't exactly say it was made with magical alloy fused with the physical flesh of a Dragon God.

"How about the technology used?"

"Technomagic. Futuristic tech mixed with magic."

"Hmnn, the unknown energy is magic I guess but what is the energy source?" This question caught Ray off guard and he didn't prepare an explanation for it.

"Uh.." Ray is trying his hardest to make up an explanation but Tabane stops him.

"Tsk tsk tsk RayRay, Tabane neesan spent years observing you and I know when you are trying to lie. Didn't I just signed the whatever contract, I won't reveal it to even a soul about the information."

Ray wanted fo rebuke her calling herself the older one between them since Ray is mentally 40+ years old.

"Fine but don't blame me if you didn't believe what I said." Ray said before clearing his throat with a cough.

"Oh, don't worry. Tabane neesan is prepared for everything and nothing in the world can surprise this super genius Tabane." Tabane proudly boasted about herself before looking at Ray, waiting for him to reveal the answer.

"Well, the armor is actually a vessel. A vessel for me to physically harness the magic power and ability of the god resides in the armor without using it directly on my body which is harmful for prolonged use like in battle. The energy source is the magic power from the god inside Ouroboros which is endless as far as I know."

"A god huh… I see, hence the name Ouroboros I guess. Endless source of energy. No wonder Ouroboros is very strong. You can defeat any opponent IS with brute force since energy constraint is non-existent to you and Ouroboros." Tabane muttered as she stared at Ouroboros.

"Such a waste of potential. If RayRay adds a very big and powerful gun like Project Excalibur on Ouroboros, RayRay can probably even destroy the world in a single shot." Tabane commented after her mumbling.

The Project Excalibur that she said just now is actually a joint project of US and England to create an IS in the form of orbital bombardment cannon that can destroy an IS with a single shot. A shot very powerful that it pierced even the Absolute Barrier. The weapon is a countermeasures the two countries came up with in the arms race of IS where Japan currently had the dominant position with Chifuyu as the world's best pilot and addition of Ray. The project seems to still be ongoing but will complete soon in another month or two.

"As if making one is easy." Ray sighed. He indeed thought of this idea before but making one isn't easy and very complicated.

All his ideas and designs that he made were tested by his AI in simulation and all ended up being a literal glass cannon that most of the time couldn't handle the energy output or melted by sheer heat of the laser shot. In the end, casting magic directly is more superior in terms of firepower than any weapon he tried to create.

"How about oneesan made one for you?" Tabane suggested with a flirty tone and suggestive body movement but Ray knew there was definitely a catch to it. Seeing the suspicious gaze on Ray, Tabane immediately made a hurted expression and shedding fake tears while rubbing her eyes.

"How cruel, RayRay. Tabane neesan is just trying to give a helping hand. Do RayRay distrust me that much to suspect my charitable act of kindness?" Tabane peek at Ray while trying to keep up her act of fake sadness.

"Frankly? Yes." Ray replied bluntly, which made Tabane stop suddenly.

"Then, what if I tell Chifuyu that you were an imposter in Ichika's body if you refuse?" The ever present smile on her face made it hard for Ray to gauge her real feelings but to think she would know about this also is very shocking and also surprising.

"Before you try to play dumb about it. I already knew since the very beginning. I already knew Ichika died before he even entered the medical pod and cyro freezed. Then he suddenly revived with his injury rapidly healed and somehow had amnesia, can use magic and a mysterious group of people that never existed in the world before appeared alongside him. Sounds suspicious, doesn't it?" Tabane said with the same cheerful tone and smile like she is talking about her favourite food when she actually is blackmailing Ray with the information she had about him.

"Hum… No wonder you seem to be very confident." Ray said while weighing his options.

Threatening her is definitely useless because he didn't doubt Tabane already had countermeasures to inform Chifuyu the information if he hurt her. Although nothing that he couldn't fix with a bit of brainwashing magic. But Ray doubts that will be the end of it and will interfere with his mission and trap him in this world.

Although what Tabane suggested to him is beneficial to him, he had a reason to doubt her. If he remembered correctly, Tabane is remorseless, selfish, apathetic and self-centered. She sees everyone else as nothing more than human while she is above them. As strange as that sounds, she really does and only cares about Chifuyu, Houki and Ichika. Even then, she would hesitate to use them to her advantage if she needed to. Just like how she could inform Chifuyu about Ichika since she knew where he was but decided not to and left him in the warzone to observe how he can interact with IS. To make it short, her interest in Ichika is purely curiosity and Ray is currently in the same situation. Who knows what she would try on him if she is given the chance.

"Not that I didn't want the beneficial cooperation between us. But bluntly to say, I don't trust you because I know someone like you although he is more tame. You will do anything to reach your goal, to satisfy your curiosity and to learn the unknown." Ray put on a serious face as he explained his reason but Tabane didn't even frown or react. She simply keeps smiling instead of putting on another childish act.

"Then use another of that contract thingy to assure my cooperation." Tabane suggested which Ray honestly thought of but didn't put it into use for reasons.

"I could but there is a limit to what the contract can enforce and surely many more ways for you to circumvent it."

"Oh, RayRay is smart! Want a praise from Tabane neesan?" Tabane cooed but Ray knew this is just how she is and how she acts.

She considered it and planned to do so. Her words itself praised Ray for discovering her plan. Her weird way of talking is because she sees everyone as below her and never sees them as a genuine threat. Even now, after she confirmed the existence of magic, discovered the existence of god and the existence of power beyond what the current earthlings possess, she still sees herself above Ray and didn't see him as a genuine threat. Perhaps it's a deception or she really has hidden cards under her sleeve, who knows.

"No. For your information, I am 42 years old. Mentally that is." Ray flatly refused her offer.

"So, how should I earn your trust then?" Tabane asked after Ray's refusal. "Also, should I start calling you ojisan?" She added when Ray was about to open his mouth and talk, making him look at Tabane weirdly before he sighed in defeat.

"Can you stop trying to use those mental tricks on me? Also, I have an offer to you. A trade offer, I suppose." Ray said and Tabane didn't respond as she was waiting for Ray to say his offer.

"I know you are a super duper genius in your own words and I am sure you are definitely bored already with this world you are living in since you even have time away from your research to bother me here. So, what I offer you is basically an enslavement that allow me to assure your trustworthiness but in exchange I will bring you to another world for you to explore and satisfy your curiosity. Yes, I can move to another world as I am not even from this world and there are countless different types of world out there I can visit. Some are futuristic, some isn't, some have magic and is a fantasy worlds and many more."

"That is my condition. I can give you time to think if you want." Ray laid out his offer and saw that Tabane was thinking about it. He gives her time to think over it because it is a big decision.

His reason for using the implant as usual is because he can know if Tabane, deep inside, is intending to harm him or not. If the implant is successfully implemented, then she at least isn't hostile and willing to cooperate with him without any backstabbing included at that moment. Then the implant can monitor her thoughts to tell if she had it later down the road.

Seeing that Tabane couldn't give him an answer now, Ray excused himself as the dorm should be clear now and the girls stopped hunting for his head.

"Un.. I'll give you my answer next time." Tabane said and waved Ray goodbye before she took out a device that teleported her away in flashy, almost magical light.

—————

(Fugg it's hard to make dialogue for eccentric characters like Tabane. Hours are poured into research of her character and I hope that's good enough. Watching the anime to find her dialogue eats away half of my weekly internet quota and I'm fugged if my game needs an update. Also, my phone definitely got some malware from those shady free anime sites. Feel slow out of sudden.)