Chapter 411: Rika Joining the Fight...

Fumino and Rizu were surreptitiously watching the livestream together, exchanging messages as they did so.

In Rika Minami's eyes, however—since she did not belong to the chat group—Fumino just seemed to be daydreaming. Rika decided not to disturb her.

Instead, she listened to Shizuka Marikawa's voice through the closed door.

After a short moment of thought, she stood up, walked to the door, rested her hand on the knob, and decisively opened it.

"Huh?"

Instantly, several pairs of eyes turned to stare at her. Shizuka's head tilted, her eyes wide.

"Rika?"

"Heh heh, Rika, you look like you're trying awfully hard not to let it show."

Rika waved in a relaxed greeting.

"Ah?"

Shizuka's cheeks reddened in an instant.

"W-what are you doing here?"

Despite the extreme embarrassment of being caught by her friend at such a time, there was also a trace of excitement beneath her shame, so much so that she definitely didn't want Rei Ao to stop what he was doing.

Rika scratched her head and glanced over at Rei Ao, who was still in the heat of battle.

"So you're Rei Ao, right? My life's savior?"

Then she introduced herself: "Name's Rika Minami, Shizuka's friend and close buddy."

"Mm, I'm Rei Ao. Is there something you need, Rika Minami-san?"

Rei Ao answered calmly, not in the least distracted by her appearance—actually, he became even more vigorous.

Rika didn't think there was anything wrong about this for Shizuka. Shizuka was clearly enjoying herself, and Rika felt pretty good as well. Especially while watching Rei Ao's well-built figure, she licked the corner of her lip with the tip of her tongue.

Then she asked, "So, Rei Ao-san, you came to this world to save me because of Shizuka's trade, and you saved everyone else because of Alice's trade. Is it correct to think that you can trade for anything, maybe even fulfill people's wishes?"

"So you're treating me like a wish-granting god?"

Rei Ao didn't deny it outright, but of course there were conditions.

"Yes, it's no problem to grant wishes—as long as they're within my ability."

He narrowed his eyes, hearing the implications behind Rika's words.

"That question doesn't come out of nowhere. Do you have some wish you want me to fulfill?"

"Rika's… wish?"

Shizuka repeated haltingly. She had never heard Rika speak of any wish before.

"I wouldn't call it a 'wish.'"

Rika glanced at Shizuka, who was immersed in the beep-beep bustle, then took a deep breath. "To me, it's more like compensation," she said with a serious expression.

"I'd like to make a deal with you. The content of the trade is for you to protect Shizuka, letting her survive in this post-apocalyptic world."

"And about the payment—how about me?"

Letting her hair down, she pulled off her already-thin T-shirt.

A dark-skinned beauty, a unique sight indeed.

Rei Ao openly took in the view with appreciative eyes.

But Saya Takagi couldn't help remarking, "Uh, your request for that trade might be… kinda late."

"Late? What's that mean?"

Rika was puzzled.

"So this deal is not allowed?"

"Ugh, guess we should let Shizuka-sensei explain," Saya said, slightly withdrawing.

"U-uh…"

Shizuka pouted. She was already out of breath, and now they wanted her to speak. Meanwhile, Rei Ao purposely increased the pressure on her at that moment. Clenching her teeth, Shizuka still managed, in a fitful voice, to explain:

"Um… Rika… I-I'm already… Rei Ao-kun's woman…"

At that point, she could say no more, just letting out muffled sounds. So Rei Ao, who was in control of her, stated the conclusion for her:

"Which means I will naturally protect my woman. Your proposal is half an hour too late."

There was no helping it—having satisfied Shizuka, he hadn't held back in expressing his feelings, and since he never turned away anyone who approached, he simply went along with her affection.

"… …"

Rika fell silent.

So in other words, she'd been worrying for nothing? Watching how Shizuka swayed about happily—despite it being her first time—she was totally into Rei Ao in every sense. No wonder she said she liked him.

"Well, what do you want to do now? If you plan on leaving, could you shut the door on your way out?"

As soon as Rei Ao said that:

Click.

Rika closed the door—but she didn't leave. Instead, she retraced a few steps and walked all the way over to Shizuka.

"R-Rika?"

Shizuka had no idea what she was up to.

"Shizuka, oh Shizuka,"

Rika cupped Shizuka's cheeks, which were shaking, and sighed, "I never imagined you'd find such a perfect man."

"Huh?"

"Even I feel envious seeing him."

"Ah?"

"So, as best friends, can you let me have this man?"

"Eh?!"

…

"She…she's going in too?!"

Fumino Furuhashi pressed her hand over her mouth, trembling on the sofa. A moment ago, the woman who'd been talking to her had also gone in!

"Ugh…this is so strange—so weird!"

Fumino felt her body growing hotter, and she was on the verge of tears. Even shutting off the livestream now wouldn't block out the thunderous clamor of noises. And whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see were those images she couldn't forget.

She suddenly wanted to go home. Here, she couldn't even think about doing anything for herself. Though she was a pure maiden, that didn't mean she'd never considered certain things…

…

Dawn approached.

[Ding! You have granted subgroup permissions to: Rika Minami!]

"So this is the chat group? How interesting."

Lounging lazily against Rei Ao's shoulder, Rika spoke with heartfelt admiration.

"If Shizuka hadn't joined this chat group, I'd probably be dead."

On the other side, clinging to Rei Ao's arm and letting him sink deeply against her, Shizuka Marikawa giggled and said, "Actually, Saeko was the first one to join the group."

"If not for Saeko, we'd have died at the zombies' hands."

"Maybe it's just fate," said Busujima Saeko with a faint smile.

"Hmph, still that Rei Ao, the big pervert," grumbled Saya tearfully, her gaze brimming with embarrassment. Of them all, she alone had been further developed in other ways, which was so strange and so painful.

"Don't say it like that."

Yuriko Takagi pinched her nose lightly.

"If Rei Ao-kun hadn't taken an interest in us, we never would've gained everything we have now."

She saw it very clearly. If none of them had anything that caught Rei Ao's attention, he'd never have traded with them. It was the harsh reality. Yet none of them felt any wedge in their relationship because of that. Because Rei Ao personally tore down that barrier, on many levels.

~~~

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