Chapter 70: The Tsundere Elf!

Mai's eyes dimmed as she realized how naive she had been to think that her mother would support their relationship.

"In that case, Rei Ao, you don't have to meet my mom," Mai said, pursing her lips. "I don't want to see her anymore either."

Rei Ao knew Mai's story all too well—she had told him about the incident when she was thirteen, which had left her with deep emotional scars.

He gently hugged Mai and comforted her, saying softly, "Don't worry, Mai. Remember, I'm not short on money. Whatever your mom has to offer isn't nearly as tempting as you are to me."

"Here, see for yourself," Rei Ao teased as he took her hand.

"!!!"

Mai immediately felt something firm and pulsing, realizing exactly what he was referring to. She shot him a glare. "Stop being so indecent."

Rei Ao laughed, seeing that Mai's mood had improved, which was his main goal. Though, of course, he really was getting aroused.

Rei Ao then grew serious. "Since your mom wants to meet me, let's show her that no one can break us apart."

"Whatever you say," Mai agreed softly. She felt reassured, knowing that Rei Ao was her pillar of strength.

As the two cuddled together, the atmosphere between them grew more intimate, and Mai's eyes glistened with emotion.

"Rei Ao, I want to..."

Her hand instinctively reached out, but Rei Ao stopped her just in time.

"Wait a second!" he said, despite wanting the same thing.

"What's wrong?" Mai asked, puzzled, her head tilting in confusion. Was it because she wasn't wearing her bunny outfit?

"It's not that," Rei Ao explained. "I just got a trade request, and it seems urgent."

[Ding! Chat member Sui has sent a trade request!]

[Trade request: Help Sui defeat the Poison Dragon!]

"The Poison Dragon..." Rei Ao muttered, remembering the creature Sui had encountered when dealing with that 'beastman.'

After thinking it over for a moment, Rei Ao accepted the trade conditions.

...

Elsewhere, Sui wielded her magic sword against a massive serpent-like beast. Its body was covered in sharp, violet scales, and its hideous head snarled menacingly. This was the Poison Dragon, a formidable monster.

Even though Sui had already injured it, she had also taken hits herself. Worse still, the dragon's toxic breath filled the air with corrosive poison, slowly wearing down her defenses. Her clothing was in tatters, and escape seemed impossible.

In desperation, Sui sent a trade request to Rei Ao—the only option she had left.

[Ding! Your trade request has been accepted!]

[Trade conditions: "Elf Bloodline" and "Elf Magic"]

Seeing that Rei Ao didn't ask for anything inappropriate like "body use rights," Sui sighed in relief.

"Accept."

[Ding! Trade initiated!]

[Trade partner: Sui]

[Trade request: Help her defeat the Poison Dragon]

[Trade conditions: "Elf Bloodline" and "Elf Magic"]

[Time limit: 3 hours]

"I wonder how long it'll take... I'm not sure I can hold out much longer," Sui muttered as the Poison Dragon opened its enormous jaws, spewing a flood of green venom in her direction.

"Shield!"

With no way to dodge, Sui conjured a magical barrier to shield herself. But she knew it wouldn't hold for long, and after the poison came the dragon's claws and teeth.

"Am I going to die?"

Just then, an icy chill swept through the air, and Sui watched in amazement as the venom froze in mid-air, suspended like crystals.

"Ice?" she gasped, scanning her surroundings.

"The Poison Dragon... it's frozen?!"

She stared in disbelief as the mighty beast had been turned into a solid block of ice. Below it stood a familiar figure.

Rei Ao tapped his finger against the frozen dragon, causing cracks to spiderweb across its surface. "Its defenses are already weakened. One more hit from you, and it'll shatter."

Turning to Sui with a grin, he added, "That was a quick trade."

[Ding! Trade complete!]

[Ding! You have acquired "Elf Bloodline" and "Elf Magic"!]

[Ding! Due to your noble bloodline, the "Elf Bloodline" has evolved into "Elven Force"!]

[Ding! "Elven Force" and "Elf Magic" have merged into a new ability: "Elf King"!]

Rei Ao chuckled at the system's dramatic phrasing. "My noble bloodline doesn't allow contamination... Chat system, you sure know how to talk."

The new ability, "Elf King," seemed similar to his "Crimson Dragon God" power, another transformation-based ability.

"Elf King": You are the ruler of the Elven race, the one and only Elf King.

Rei Ao allowed the transformation to take place. Before Sui's eyes, his outfit changed into a majestic robe of white and blue. His black hair lengthened and turned a shimmering silver, and his ears elongated into the signature pointed ears of an elf.

Sui watched in awe as Rei Ao transformed into a true Elf King.

The most striking feature was the pure white crown floating above his head.

An elf? Sui's confusion stemmed from the unexpected sense of subservience she felt toward him. After all, she was a princess of the elf race! What kind of elf could possibly have a nobler bloodline than her royal heritage?

The answer, of course, was the Elf King.

Rei Ao was now experiencing the full range of abilities in his Elf King form. He could effortlessly observe and command elemental forces.

Glancing at the injured Sui, he raised his hand. A golden light shimmered—it was the power of the light element. The gentle glow enveloped Sui's body.

"!!!"

Sui looked on in shock as her wounds visibly healed before her eyes.

"It seems the light element has healing properties," Rei Ao mused. In addition to light, he noted that wood and water elements also had healing capabilities. Overall, he had command over light, dark, wind, fire, water, earth, wood, ice, and lightning—quite a comprehensive set of elements.

After taking a moment to fully explore the power of this ability, Rei Ao reverted back to his normal form.

Sui approached him, deeply grateful, and bowed. "Thank you for saving me!"

However, she had forgotten that her clothes, damaged by the dragon's corrosive poison, were barely holding together. With that bow, the last threads gave way, and her clothes fell apart.

Sui's mind went blank in shock.

At that moment, Rei Ao calmly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He wasn't sure if that beastman uncle of hers would show up again, but he definitely didn't want anyone else seeing her like this—not after he had taken an interest in her.

Indeed, Rei Ao's habit of finding every woman attractive had kicked in. One look at Sui's curvy figure, fair skin, and beautiful orange hair, and he was hooked.

"Th-thank you…" Sui stammered, clutching the still-warm jacket around her body as her face flushed red.

As Rei Ao returned to his regular appearance, Sui found herself strangely unsettled. Even though the regal aura of the Elf King was gone, he still looked undeniably handsome to her. Dressed again, Rei Ao seemed almost unfamiliar compared to the powerful figure she had just witnessed.

Sui recalled watching his battle with Esdeath from her hotel room, hiding under the covers the whole time. Now, as she stared at him, her gaze seemed to penetrate his clothing, imagining the physique underneath.

Unaware of her wandering thoughts, Rei Ao turned his attention to the chatroom, where several members were discussing the recent events.

Frieren: "The Poison Dragon sounds like a type of dragon, right?"

Stella: "Since it needed to be defeated, I'm guessing it's an enemy?"

Ayame: "I wonder if Sui is in danger."

Megumi Kato: "@Rei Ao, did something happen with Sui?"

Rei Ao: "Nothing serious."

Rei Ao: "[Image]"

Rei Ao: "Sui ran into this monster, but it's been dealt with. She's fine now."

Saeko Busujima: "It's huge, but it looks more like a snake than a true dragon."

Rei Ao: "It probably has some dragon blood in it."

Frieren: "Hmm, those scales do look draconic."

Shizu: "Monsters with dragon bloodline traits must be really powerful, right?"

Rei Ao: "It wasn't particularly weak, but it's comparable to some of the more dangerous species from Akame's world."

Rei Ao: "By the time I arrived, Sui had already broken through its defenses."

Stella: "Oh, so you just swooped in for the easy part, huh?"

Sui: "N-no, I had already exhausted all my magic."

Shizu: "So Sui is also a strong elf, huh?"

Sui: "Thank you for the compliment."

Blushing, Sui looked down, flustered by the praise.

Akame: "Doesn't look like it would taste good."

Stella: "Wait, you're seriously thinking about eating it?"

Rei Ao: "Well, it 'could' be edible if you don't mind the poison."

Akame: "Too bad."

Stella: "???"

Stella: "Wait, are you guys 'actually' thinking of eating it?!"

Stella often felt completely out of sync with the chat group.

Mai Sakurajima: "Since you're done there, when are you coming back?"

Rei Ao: "Oh? Is my dear Mai missing me already?"

Mai Sakurajima: "..."

In the middle of putting on her bunny girl outfit, complete with black stockings, Mai froze in place.

"Honestly, how did it go from him teasing me to me being the one who's in a rush?" she muttered in frustration.

Rei Ao: "I'll be back later. There are plenty more monsters like this one in this world."

Mai, always understanding, immediately grasped the meaning behind his words. She knew that Rei Ao's ability to grow stronger came from defeating these creatures.

Mai Sakurajima: "Alright."

"Sigh…"

She let out a small sigh. It looked like she would have to spend the next few hours waiting alone, still dressed as a bunny girl.

As she glanced down at her sleek black stockings, an idea crossed her mind.

"Maybe I should try something different. Would Rei Ao like that?"

After thinking it over, she reached out with her hand.

Rip!

Meanwhile, Rei Ao turned to Sui, now clothed in his jacket, and asked, "Sui, do you have some free time now?"

Rei Ao suddenly spoke, startling Sui from her daydream. She quickly averted her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes.

"I-I don't have anything going on right now," she stammered.

"If that's the case, could you guide me to where there might be monsters?" Rei Ao asked.

Sui was taken aback. "Monsters? Rei Ao, are you planning to hunt them?"

"Something like that," he replied, his goal being to level up. The monsters in this world offered valuable experience, just like the 20-something level Poison Dragon that had given him a significant boost. He didn't want to waste the remaining three hours he had, so it was the perfect opportunity to practice his new abilities.

Sui thought for a moment before responding, "If you're looking for monsters, you could go to the Adventurers' Guild in town and accept a quest."

Rei Ao considered this. "Where's the nearest city with a large Adventurers' Guild?"

Sui pointed in a direction, her delicate hand motioning. "It's that way, but it's quite far."

"Far, huh…" If they were to walk like Sui usually did, who knew how long it would take? So…

Whoosh!

Suddenly, large crimson dragon wings unfolded from Rei Ao's back.

"W-What is this?!" Sui exclaimed, wide-eyed as she stared at the wings. A powerful, fiery aura radiated from him, making it feel like she was standing in front of a terrifyingly strong dragon.

"Sui, time is limited. If you don't mind, I can take you there," Rei Ao offered.

"Take…?" Sui didn't quite understand, but she trusted the man who had just saved her. She nodded, "I don't mind."

"Alright."

Before she could react, Rei Ao scooped her up in a princess carry.

"Hold on tight," Rei Ao instructed.

Sui, startled by their sudden closeness, felt her heart race. Her head was now close to Rei Ao's chin, and she could feel his warmth and the steady beat of his heart.

How warm...

She didn't move for a moment, overwhelmed by the proximity.

"Sui, I'm going to fly at high speed. Hold onto my neck," Rei Ao reminded her again.

"R-right!" she blurted, blushing deeply. Hesitant, she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Let's go."

With a powerful flap of his dragon wings, they took off into the sky. The rush of air swirled around them, but Sui didn't feel the wind or hear any noise—it was all blocked by Rei Ao's magic. She gazed at his face in awe. It was the first time she had been this close to a man, and it didn't feel bad at all.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind. What did Esdeath experience? She remembered the sounds and expressions from Esdeath that night, which she had inadvertently witnessed. Suddenly, Sui's body felt unusually warm, and her face flushed deeply.

'What am I even thinking?!'

She shook her head, trying to push away those thoughts. She wasn't that kind of person! But her mind betrayed her, and being in Rei Ao's arms made it impossible not to think about it.

As they flew, Rei Ao noticed Sui pressing closer to him. But the trip didn't take long. In just a few minutes, they reached the city Sui had pointed to. As soon as they landed, she quickly stepped out of his arms, her face still burning from embarrassment.

She took a moment to calm herself down but still avoided looking Rei Ao in the eyes.

"Uh… you might not be able to pass the city gate's inspection," Sui said, concerned. After all, cities usually didn't allow just anyone to enter without proper checks.

"Don't worry. They won't notice me."

Just as Rei Ao said, when Sui showed her credentials to pass through, the guards completely overlooked Rei Ao's presence.

Once inside, Sui was astonished. "How did you do that? Are you invisible? But… I can still see you."

Could it be that Rei Ao was somehow special to her?

Her face flushed again at the thought, and Rei Ao, noticing the odd shift in her demeanor, couldn't help but find it amusing. "That's because you 'are' special, Sui."

"!!!"

Those simple words made Sui feel as though her entire body had turned to steam. She was flustered beyond belief.

Rei Ao couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Sui was surprisingly easy to understand. After she regained her composure, they headed to the Adventurers' Guild, where Sui picked out quests involving powerful monsters for him to hunt.

For the next couple of hours, Rei Ao spent his time hunting down those monsters. Sometimes the information was incorrect, and the monsters were nowhere to be found, while other times he wiped out entire nests at once.

In the end, his efforts paid off, and he leveled up twice.

[Name]: Rei Ao

[Level]: 40

[Abilities]: Hidden

[Possessions]: Hidden

[Description]: You possess the power to destroy entire nations in an instant!

His overall power had increased significantly, and Rei Ao was quite satisfied with the results.

~~~

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