Chapter 27: Carry Along

As Sakurajima Mai washed the dishes, she glanced over her shoulder, noticing Rei Ao's obvious excitement. Her face flushed with irritation as she struggled to keep her voice calm.

"You're really that eager to, you know, *do it* with Saeko Busujima?" she asked, trying to suppress her embarrassment.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm a man," Rei Ao replied casually, without a hint of shame. "Besides, this time there might be something new."

He seemed particularly excited as he stared at a new notification:

[Ding! Since you've completed five trades, the new feature 'Carry Along' has been unlocked!]

["Carry Along"]: When trading, you can now bring along any chat group member.

[Note: The other party must agree to the traversal, and the duration is determined by your trade's time limit.]

"Now I can bring others with me?" Rei Ao's eyes lit up with excitement, immediately thinking of Ayame. A "two-person trip" sounded perfect to him.

Licking his lips, he sent a message to Ayame.

Rei Ao: "@Ayame, when you get the prompt, just agree."

Ayame: "Yes, sir."

Turning to Mai, Rei Ao said casually, "You can finish up and go to bed. I'll be back later."

Mai, still cleaning, responded automatically, "Okay."

But after a moment, she snapped out of it.

"Wait, why did I even answer him?" she thought, her face turning red.

"I'm not his girlfriend! And besides, he's just running off to be with someone else right in front of me!"

"*Tch*, pervert!" she muttered under her breath.

...

Meanwhile, Ayame was explaining the chat group's existence to Kajika, Yukina, and Mumei. After receiving the sub-group system, they finally understood who the so-called "God" of the Iron Fortress was.

Through trading, Ayame had brought Rei Ao to their aid, earning their gratitude and respect. They revered Ayame even more, as she had sacrificed her body to protect them all.

As they marveled at Ayame's loyalty, her entire devotion to Rei Ao, Kajika, Yukina, and Mumei found it understandable. After all, they had witnessed his divine-like power, and Ayame now wielded a blessed ice bow, demonstrating her newfound strength.

Only Mumei seemed lost in thought.

[Ding! Do you agree to travel with Rei Ao to another world?]

As instructed by Rei Ao, Ayame received the prompt and immediately accepted.

[Ding! Traversal will begin in 3 seconds!]

With little time to explain, Ayame quickly said, "Please take care of things here while I'm gone!" And with that, she disappeared.

"Ayame-sama!" Kajika stood up in a panic.

Yukina, however, remained calm. "Don't worry, Kajika. This is just Rei Ao-sama taking Ayame-sama away. We need to hold down the fort while she's gone, so we'll need your help, Mumei."

Yukina turned to Mumei, knowing her secret identity as a Kabaneri, a half-human, half-Kabane with extraordinary strength. Though not as powerful as Ayame, Mumei was still essential.

"I...," Mumei hesitated. She had always been her brother's blade, meant to kill Kabane. But under the pressure of their pleading eyes, she nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Mumei," Yukina said with relief.

...

Elsewhere, Saeko Busujima and her group huddled together, their room dimly lit by a single flickering candle. They spoke in hushed tones, not wanting to attract the nearby undead.

Shizuka Marikawa sighed.

"With zombies everywhere, I wonder how long we can keep going."

After a moment of silence, Saya Takagi spoke up.

"We should head for my parents. I received a message—they've set up a survivor camp."

"Really?!" Shizuka and Rei Miyamoto exclaimed.

Saya nodded. "Yes, but it's far away and getting there won't be easy. It's incredibly dangerous."

"What do you all think?" Saya asked.

Rei was the first to agree. "We can't just sit here and do nothing."

Shizuka nodded. "I agree too, but we'll need weapons. Luckily, I know a place where we can find some."

Saya's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's great news, Shizuka-sensei! With weapons, we'll have a much better chance."

Then, turning to Saeko, Saya asked, "What about you, Saeko-senpai? What do you think?"

Saeko remained silent, but before she could respond, another voice answered for her.

"I think your plan is great, but Saeko needs to stay with me," a man said, his voice coming from the shadows.

The candlelight flickered, revealing Rei Ao's familiar face behind Saeko.

"It's you!" Saya gasped.

Rei Ao waved casually. "Long time no see. But you three shouldn't waste my time—step out for a bit."

Before they could protest, Rei Ao easily lifted all three of them and tossed them out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

"???" Saya, Rei, and Shizuka exchanged bewildered looks. A sense of foreboding crept over them, as if they knew what was about to happen.

guys hehehehe good shit...