"What… is going on here?"
Spinning around on the spot,
She saw that everything in sight was completely motionless.
Confusion and puzzlement filled her mind.
Rika Minami dared not move recklessly.
"Am I dead?"
She couldn't help wondering if time had frozen at the exact moment of her death.
"You're in luck – you're not dead."
Rei Ao descended smoothly out of the sky in front of her.
"An angel?"
Rika instinctively assumed he was an angel descending from heaven.
"Sorry, I'm not the angel you have in mind. Though I do know a few angels – if you'd like an introduction, I could make that happen."
He tossed out a flippant remark, then introduced himself:
"My name's Rei Ao. I'm a friend of Shizuka Marikawa. She specifically asked me to rescue you."
"Shizuka?"
Hearing that familiar name, Rika exclaimed in surprise.
Not just because she'd only just gotten off the phone with Shizuka – and already someone had arrived to help her – which was touching in itself; but also because everything happening here was truly baffling.
Meanwhile, in the chat group:
Seeing that Rika was safe, Shizuka Marikawa finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Shizuka Marikawa: "@Rei Ao, Rei Ao-kun, that's Rika Minami!"
Rei Ao: "I know. Don't get worked up. I'll bring her back soon."
After that reply, Rei Ao didn't ask Rika for her opinion. He simply put his arm around her waist, lifting her – to her shock – up into the air.
Looking down from above, she finally witnessed what a true "miracle" was.
Not just in her immediate vicinity – the entire military base, and even the area around it crowded with undead, was clearly stuck in place like wooden statues.
Staring at the devastation below, Rei Ao hadn't yet made any move when a new trade request popped up:
[Ding! Alice has initiated a trade request!]
[Trade Content]: "Please save everyone!"
[Ding! Please choose your trade conditions!]
"Huh?"
He was a bit surprised by Alice's request.
No doubt she was a kindhearted girl.
Looking around at the scene, he had no intention of disappointing her compassion.
[Ding! Trade has begun!]
[Trade Partner]: Alice
[Trade Content]: "Please save everyone!"
[Trade Conditions]: "Single-use body permission"
[Duration: 24 hours]
"Alice?!"
At the villa, as Saeko and the rest watched the livestream, everyone's gaze immediately turned toward Alice.
"U-uh!"
Flushing shyly, Alice used the pillow in her arms to hide her face. She mumbled softly, "I…I just felt so sorry for them…"
"… …"
No one quite knew what to say.
Saya Takagi pursed her lips. "I know you're very kind, Alice, but this is something we can handle. You… you…"
Glancing at petite Alice, she was at a complete loss for words. She was seriously worried: given how strong Rei Ao was, a trade with Alice might be too much for her. After all, he's practically inhuman. Even Saya and Saeko had nearly been done in by him – let alone Alice.
"… …"
Fumino Furuhashi had no idea what was happening. She just stared blankly, watching this "disaster movie" scene in the livestream. One glaring question filled her mind:
"Is all this… real?"
Rika was having the same question while still in Rei Ao's arms.
Time frozen? Floating in midair? She'd personally seen and experienced both. It was unbelievably unscientific.
And what happened next was even less "scientific."
She saw Rei Ao raise his free right hand, pointing downward into empty air.
"Roar!!!"
The deafening roar hurt her ears, but she couldn't really focus on that.
She looked up, and overhead was a gigantic dragon head shining like a burning sun, jaws spread wide.
"Roar!!!"
A scorching column of flame poured down from that dragon's mouth like a waterfall crashing onto the ground. In just an instant, the entire military base turned into a fiery inferno, the sky lit so brightly it was like midday.
Those in the chat group watching the scene were stunned.
Misaka Mikoto: "??? … Wait, that's wrong, wasn't this trade supposed to save people?"
Why did it look like he was roasting all of them?
Shiba Miyuki: "I suspect… Rei Ao-kun has a reason for this."
Yotsuya Miko: "I-I think so too!"
Frieren: "Haha, you all have great faith in Rei Ao, which is fair, but look closely. The people and objects in the flames aren't being harmed – only the undead are igniting…"
Kasuga Hijiri: "You're right!"
Misaka Mikoto: "Eh? So I misunderstood. Sorry!"
Indeed, Rei Ao's flames did not harm ordinary people or property – only the undead, which were reduced to black ash in the blaze. In a matter of seconds, Rei Ao dispersed the giant dragon head above, and the sea of flames covering the ground faded like a receding tide. Simultaneously, time began flowing again.
On the ground, those who had still been fighting desperately carried on, not yet realizing what had happened, but soon they all discovered that the undead were gone.
"What… happened?"
"Where are the undead? Where'd they all go?!"
People looked around in confusion, unable to find any sign of the undead. It was as though they'd all vanished into thin air. Some wondered if they were dreaming.
"God above! Thank you for your mercy!"
Believers with religious devotion suddenly fell to their knees and prostrated themselves, convinced that the god they worshipped had saved them. But Rei Ao was not their god.
[Ding! Trade Completed!]
"All done."
Exterminating the undead in this area was trivial for him.
"A-are you… God?"
Rika Minami couldn't hide her shock. Everything that had just happened seemed like a dream. She couldn't think of any explanation but "a divine miracle."
"Let me ask you something instead. What's your friend like?"
Rei Ao didn't answer, and instead posed a question.
"My friend… Shizuka, you mean?"
"That's right."
"Shizuka's a total airhead, clumsy, far too softhearted and easily conned."
Rika casually gave her honest opinion of Shizuka Marikawa.
"And she's got these… humongous cow-like breasts, which might be an asset – for men, anyway."
She stated that part with extra emphasis.
In the broadcast feed, Shizuka glanced down at herself.
"C-cow…?"
"That's accurate," someone said – it was Saya Takagi.
"Rika Minami!!!"
Shizuka cried out in shame and frustration.
~~~
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