Miura Yumiko: "Back to the main point, @Rei Ao, what's up with that 'younger sister' of Mai's?"
Rei Ao: "Simply put, it's Puberty Syndrome. She's swapped bodies with Mai. The 'Mai' you see at school is actually her younger sister, Toyohama Nodoka."
Kawasaki Saki: "That…feels oddly familiar."
Kobayashi: "It's exactly like Yui's case."
Yuigahama Yui: "Eh, it really is similar to what happened with me and my mom."
Yuigahama Yuiai just remained quiet, indicated by an ellipsis: "..."
Rei Ao: "Pretty much. If she goes looking for you, Yui, perhaps you could share some of your experience with her."
Yuigahama Yui: "Okay, got it!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Wait, that Toyohama Nodoka person hasn't been added to the group, so is she or isn't she your new girlfriend, Rei Ao?"
Rei Ao: "Not yet."
Machida Sonoko: "Not yet. Understood. Looks like she's another target for Rei Ao-kun."
Shinomiya Kaguya: "T-That seems rather improper, doesn't it?"
Hayasaka Ai: "Kaguya-sama, you have no authority to interfere in someone else's private matters."
Shinomiya Kaguya (flustered): "Ugh… s-sorry!"
…
Under the afternoon sunlight streaming through the classroom windows, the entire empty space seemed warm and golden.
"Rei Ao-kun, aren't you eating?"
Katou Megumi asked him softly, clinging close by.
Rei Ao turned his head, looking at Megumi seated before him. Her short hair from before had grown out enough to tie into a simple ponytail, a few unruly strands falling around her ears, glimmering translucently in the sunlight. Tilting her head a little, she gazed at him with her trademark calm eyes.
"I've finished."
Rei Ao set aside his chopsticks and, with a mischievous smile, gave Megumi's cheek a gentle pinch.
"All right," said Megumi as she put away the bento box.
"…"
Sitting next to them, Michiru eyed their little show of affection with a complex expression. I shouldn't have stayed here to watch them feed each other dog food.
"Rei Ao, Megumi—any thoughts on next week's sports festival?"
She was referring to the announcement that the homeroom teacher had made that morning about hosting the school's sports meet next week, hoping for active participation.
"Sports festival, huh?"
Rei Ao stretched lazily:
"Basically it's the energetic kids on the field, running around under the sun."
"Speaking of running,"
Hidou Michiru pulled out a chair next to Rei Ao and sat.
"Don't you break records every time we do physical exams? Want to sign up for a few events this time?"
Today Michiru wore her standard uniform jacket over a T-shirt, with an exaggerated set of headphones around her neck. She gave off an artistic vibe that was unlike typical high-school girls.
Rei Ao arched an eyebrow:
"Nah, not interested. If I joined regular events, it'd just be me bullying everyone else."
Michiru thought it over and gave a wry smile:
"True enough. You're way beyond a superhuman level; racing other students would be pure overkill."
Rei Ao's lips curved into an amused grin:
"I could join some casual games, keep it fun—like that Borrowed Item Race, maybe that'd be interesting."
"Too bad for me,"
Michiru shrugged:
"I have zero interest in sports, so I'd only join for attendance credit. Honestly, I don't even feel like being a spectator."
Katou Megumi added quietly:
"Same here."
Michiru continued:
"Besides, I'm preparing for another live show, so I can't spare the energy."
"Live show?"
Rei Ao repeated the phrase. Now Michiru and Megumi started chatting about performance gigs and scheduling, leaving him feeling left out.
Indeed, sometimes girls had more to talk about with each other. With him, their time together was more about hugging, closeness, and… you know.
Hence, he turned his attention to the group chat.
There, Couronne was seeking advice on how to save the human race in her world. Through her explanations, everyone had learned more about the sixteen different races and the plight of humans, especially how powerless the humans were.
Shiba Miyuki: "No magic, no abilities, backward technology, can't even feed themselves… The human race over there—"
Miyuki was practically speechless, imagining their harsh environment.
Misaka Mikoto: "I do pity them, but from what you've described, I don't see any hope at all."
Bibi Dong: "Yes, compared to other races, humans in that world can't even perform normal magic. How can they possibly stand against anyone else?"
Hiiragi Shinoa: "I don't really get it. That world obviously has races able to topple mountains and so forth. Why are humans so especially powerless?"
Busujima Saeko: "Honestly, they don't seem to have any reason to exist in that power balance."
Sui: "There's no such thing as fairness in that scenario."
Couronne: "Indeed… there is no fairness."
Even Couronne herself, recalling how her brother Riku had recently lost companions to a single demon beast, felt that sense of helplessness surge through her once more.
At that moment, she saw a message from Frieren:
Frieren: "To be honest, in our chat group, we do have quite a few members strong enough to help you. But if none of them goes to your world in person, there's only so much we can do with words."
Akame: "You'll need Rei Ao."
Rei Ao: "I'm always ready for a trade if you want."
Couronne: "…I'll think about it."
She still hadn't resolved her worries about whether forging a deal might drag her village into calamity, so she remained indecisive.
~~~
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