Chapter 77: No Livestream? Too bad...

"You stole our food, so now you'll be punished by us," said Kōichi Shidō, staring at Shizuka Marikawa with a predatory gaze, his desire and depravity written all over his face.

"You're all scum!" Rei Miyamoto's whole body trembled with rage.

"Insulting me in this situation?" Shido's expression turned dark. Rei hated him, and the feeling was mutual.

With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Take her down, make her pay."

"Yes, Sensei!" His followers, eyes gleaming like wolves, drooled and rushed forward.

"No!!!" Shizuka and Saya Takagi screamed in terror, hoping that someone would come to their rescue.

But Rei Miyamoto's expression remained cold, her sharp eyes fixed on Shido, and a chilling smile appeared on her face.

"You scum are all doomed," she said.

Suddenly, the room's warmth vanished, replaced by an intense cold, as if they had been transported to the Arctic. A frosty mist filled the air.

"Ugh..." Those rushing towards them let out gasps.

"Sensei... save me!" A student reached out toward Shido, but before he could grab him, he collapsed with a loud thud, stone-cold dead.

The others followed suit, convulsing briefly before their lives ended, each with their chest impaled by a large blood-stained ice crystal.

"One more target to complete the trade," came a chilling voice, awakening the few survivors from their shock.

"Rei Ao-san!!!" Shizuka recognized the man before her. He smiled calmly at Rei.

"Should I kill this one too?" he asked, gesturing at Shido, who was now drenched in sweat and trembling with fear.

Rei Miyamoto had just initiated a deal:

[Ding! Trade initiated!]

[Trade request]: Rei Miyamoto

[Objective]: Kill those who have malicious intent towards her.

[Condition]: 'Usage of my body for three hours.'

It was this deal that had summoned Rei Ao, who swiftly dispatched the group of degenerates.

"No, leave him to me!" Rei was the first to regain her composure amidst the bloodshed. She gripped her makeshift spear tightly. "I'll kill him myself!"

It wasn't just for her own sake, or for Shizuka and Saya, but also for the girls in the room, their eyes hollowed from torment. Even in death, they showed no reaction. Their nerves had long since been shattered by Shido and his gang. If not for Rei Ao's intervention, Rei and the others would have faced the same fate.

People like Shido didn't deserve to live.

"Alright, he's all yours," Rei Ao said, crossing his arms as he stood back to watch.

Seeing Rei approach with a weapon, Shido fell to his knees in terror, begging for his life. "Please, don't kill me! I was forced into this!"

Tears streamed down his face as he bowed, smacking his forehead into the ground until it bled. But his pathetic pleas only fueled Rei's rage. The evidence of his crimes was undeniable—right there in the next room.

"You piece of trash, die!"

With a furious yell, Rei plunged the spear into his heart.

"AAAAH!!!" Shido's agonizing scream filled the room, but Rei didn't stop. She kept stabbing, over and over, until blood pooled at her feet and Shido lay dead, his body riddled with wounds.

Rei stood there, staring at the lifeless, mutilated corpse. She had just killed a man.

After the rage subsided, she was filled with a mix of fear and satisfaction. It was her first kill, and under such circumstances, it was understandable.

Saya and Shizuka were equally shocked but showed no fear towards Rei. Instead, they felt a sense of relief.

"Good job, Rei!" Saya shouted, her voice filled with approval. "That bastard deserved it!"

"Agreed," Shizuka added. She walked toward the room where the other girls were huddled, traumatized. But as she approached, the girls either knelt or laid down as if awaiting their next command like obedient pets.

"!!!"

Shizuka gasped in horror.

"They've been broken," Rei Ao said softly. "There's nothing left."

"How could it come to this..." Shizuka's face contorted in pain and sorrow.

Rei Ao placed a hand on Rei's shoulder. "You all should leave now."

"Yes..." they replied in unison, stepping outside.

Rei Ao glanced back at the room, then exhaled gently.

*Crack, crack, crack...*

The entire building was encased in thick, cold ice within seconds.

"They…" Rei hesitated, looking to Rei Ao for an explanation.

"They've already lost everything. This is the kindest end."

Leaving them would mean certain death. If found by others, their fate would be even worse. And asking Rei and the others to care for them would be an impossible burden. Rei Ao had simply ended their suffering.

Saya pressed her lips together, then sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"Let's head back and regroup with the others."

…

Upon returning to their temporary residence, Saeko was already waiting for them, and she hurried over as soon as she saw them.

"Rei, are you all okay?"

There were no visible injuries, but the group's spirits seemed low. Rei Ao quickly explained the situation, and a surge of killing intent radiated from Saeko.

"A bunch of scum," she muttered angrily. Even she was enraged by the vile acts of those people, and her murderous aura filled the air.

In recent days, with the increasing number of zombies she had killed, her violent tendencies were becoming harder to control. Wherever she went, the bodies of zombies were left behind in pieces. Even Rei and the others had a hard time finding her when she entered her killing frenzy, so she had chosen to act alone to gather food and supplies for the group.

Now, she regretted not staying calm and staying with them. She realized she needed to further control her violent impulses.

"It's not your fault. Let them rest for now," Rei Ao said, showing a rare moment of understanding. He could see that Rei was emotionally drained and had no intention of demanding his payment right away.

Saeko nodded, and Rei Ao glanced at her status.

[Name]: Saeko Busujima

[Level]: 18

[Abilities]: "Dragon Blade," "Swordsmanship Mastery," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Annihilation Spirit Blade"

[Weapon]: "One-Cut Killer: Murasame"

Surprised, Rei Ao commented, "You've gone up two levels. You've been working hard, I see."

"Only by becoming stronger can I be the sharpest blade in your hands," Saeko said with a gentle smile, clearly pleased with his praise. Hunting zombies non-stop had indeed paid off.

"I'm glad to see you're so determined," Rei Ao said with a smile. "Come with me; it's time to train your combat skills against a real opponent."

"You mean…?" Saeko's eyes lit up with excitement.

"I'll spar with you and we'll kill some zombies along the way."

Saeko's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. Fighting Rei Ao was something she had long looked forward to.

"Let's go!"

…

Unfortunately for her, despite using all her strength, she couldn't land a single hit on Rei Ao. But she wasn't discouraged, nor was she surprised. Rei Ao's strength was unquestionable, and she took pride in the fact that this powerful man had conquered her.

After sparring and honing Saeko's skills, they cleared out some nearby zombies. The experience points were minimal and not enough to level Rei Ao up, though Saeko did gain another level.

"Sigh, I miss Sui's world," Rei Ao muttered, wishing for a world with stronger monsters.

Noticing that they still had an hour left, he said, "Let's head back. They should be feeling better now, and it's time for me to collect my payment."

"Rei...," Saeko hesitated, knowing what kind of payment Rei Ao was referring to. She was worried about Rei's emotional state.

"Go with her. If she hesitates, give her a little push," Rei Ao suggested casually, clearly meaning for them to go together.

"Alright," Saeko agreed without hesitation.

"Ha, that's what I love about you, Saeko—so straightforward. Let's go."

She really was his blade, obedient to his every command.

…

To his surprise, when they returned, Rei was already washed and dressed in her underwear, waiting. Her expression was calm, and she looked perfectly normal.

"I guess I underestimated your resilience," Rei Ao remarked, impressed.

Nearby, Saya Takagi pouted. "Hey, I'm perfectly fine too!"

Shizuka Marikawa teased, "Oh my, Saya, are you jealous?"

Saya's face flushed red. "I'm not jealous!" she snapped. "I just don't like being underestimated!"

Like she would ever be jealous of this shameless pervert! Sure, he was handsome, powerful, had a great body, and had saved them from hell recently... but still! She bit her lip, trying to suppress her conflicting feelings. Despite his lechery, was he really that perfect?

Rei, on the other hand, stared intensely at Rei Ao.

"I've made up my mind."

"Oh?" Rei Ao said, intrigued by what she had to say.

Rei looked at him with determination. "In this apocalyptic world, only by becoming stronger can I avoid being someone's plaything."

"I, Rei Miyamoto, am willing to give you everything I have."

"Please, teach me how to be strong like Saeko."

The events of the day had transformed Rei mentally. She refused to end up like the broken girls they had seen. She wanted to be strong enough to control her own fate. And if that meant giving herself to Rei Ao, then she was ready.

[Ding! Rei Miyamoto has initiated a trade!]

[Trade Details]: She will give everything to become stronger.

Rei Ao smiled, feeling her resolve. He then glanced at Saya and Shizuka.

"Would you two mind waiting in the other room?" He pointed to a small bedroom he had prepared.

"Huh?" Saya was confused. "You're not using the bedroom?"

"No. I'd rather do this in the living room."

[Ding! Trade initiated!]

[Trade Details]: Rei Miyamoto will give everything to become stronger.

[Condition]: 'Unlimited use of her body.'

[Time Remaining]: 3 hours

…

Group chat.

Stella: "This is strange. The trade ended four hours ago, and there hasn't been any news from Rei Ao."

Akame: "Yeah, no live broadcast."

Stella: "???"

Stella: "What live broadcast are you talking about?!"

Stella: "Damn it, I wasn't referring to that filthy, indecent live stream! I'm asking about what's really going on!"

She turned to Shizuku Kurogane for help, taking a deep breath. "Shizuku, don't you think this group chat is beyond saving?"

However, Shizuku Kurogane just tilted her head in confusion and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing Rei Ao's body," she replied casually.

"…"

Stella felt a sharp pain in her teeth.

She regretted asking this person. The white-haired girl in front of her was completely love-struck. Ever since falling in love at first sight with Rei Ao, she had been obsessed. Late at night, she would hold her pillow and squirm while whispering his name.

Especially during the live broadcasts, she was utterly shameless, not even caring that Stella was sitting right next to her.

Ugh!

Though… maybe I want to see it too... Damn it!

Thinking this, Stella guiltily shifted her gaze away.

~~~

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