Rei Ao considered himself quite the hypocrite.
He hated having a gun pointed at him but loved pointing one at others.
Double standards, right?
But it was incredibly satisfying.
Swift and decisive killings summed up his personality.
Killing Kurusu, who had pointed a gun at him, felt good, but aiming one at Ayame was far more exhilarating.
With only about ten minutes left, he didn't demand too much from Ayame, as the Kōtetsujō still needed her leadership.
A short while later, Ayame, now fully dressed, blushed as she respectfully bowed to him.
"My apologies for not being able to fully satisfy you, Rei Ao-sama."
"..."
Rei Ao's lips twitched. Her words made him feel like some sort of rogue, reminiscent of a mischievous spirit.
"Since you know I wasn't fully satisfied, you can continue the trade later. You know what I mean."
Ayame blushed even more deeply but softly responded, almost inaudibly, "Mm."
Rei Ao's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected her to submit so easily. Perhaps it was her traditional mindset, which made him want to tease her even more.
But with time running out, he simply held her close and kissed her for a moment. He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes.
"From now on, you belong to me alone. Do you agree?"
"Rei Ao-sama..."
Ayame's eyes were moist, her heart resolute.
"I am willing to serve you forever. Please continue to protect the Kōtetsujō."
"Very well, I won't let you down."
For the first time, Rei Ao used a power called "Blessing" and kissed her forehead. A red three-leaf flower mark appeared where his lips had touched.
He then used his "True Sight" ability to observe Ayame's changes.
[Name]: Ayame Yomogawa
[Level]: 0
[Ability]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Ice Crystal Archery"
"?"
This unexpected transformation surprised Rei Ao. Her previous basic archery skill had evolved into "Ice Crystal Archery."
"Ice Crystal Archery": A bow made of ice that can shoot arrows capable of freezing and exploding.
But what really caught his attention was his blessing.
"Rei Ao's Blessing": Grants the ability to evolve, along with the power to "level up."
Note: The evolution of abilities depends on both the recipient and the one granting the blessing.
Rei Ao immediately focused on the "level up" aspect. A possibility came to mind!
"Rei Ao-sama, what is this...?"
Ayame was amazed at the ice bow that had instinctively formed in her hand.
"This is my blessing to you."
"Have the Kōtetsujō stop for a moment and come with me. I want to test something and verify a theory."
"Understood, I will go now."
Ayame obediently followed his instructions and headed to the front of the Kōtetsujō. But before she left, Rei Ao mischievously whispered in her ear, "By the way, your livestream has been on since I first... supported you."
"Eh?!"
A cry of embarrassment echoed from the carriage.
...
Ten minutes later.
"Whoosh!"
An ice arrow shot from Ayame's ice bow, piercing through a Kabane's heart, freezing and shattering it.
"Excellent."
Rei Ao clapped his hands, pleased with the result of the last ten minutes he spent helping her level up.
That's right, Ayame could also level up by killing monsters.
Not only did leveling up improve her abilities, but it also enhanced her physical strength.
[Name]: Ayame Yomogawa
[Level]: 5
[Ability]: "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Ice Crystal Archery"
With Rei Ao's assistance, she had leveled up five times. More importantly, half of the experience points from every Kabane she killed flowed to him.
Otherwise, she would have leveled up even faster.
Overjoyed, Ayame threw herself into Rei Ao's arms, kissing him once more.
"Thank you for your blessing, Rei Ao-sama."
"Heh, now you can't blame me for not warning you about the livestream earlier, can you?"
Rei Ao gently caressed her cheek, causing her to blush.
"No, I don't dare to blame you, my lord. It's just... so embarrassing."
She was too shy to speak in the chat group after everyone had seen her like that.
"It's okay. You'll get used to it eventually."
Rei Ao's offhand comment left Ayame in disbelief.
Get used to it?
Rei Ao wasn't joking. If the chat group really did consist of female characters from the two-dimensional world, why not be bold?
Turn the chat group into his personal sanctuary. These livestreams were great, subtly reshaping everyone's mindset.
*Sigh.* "I truly am an evil person," Rei Ao thought to himself.
As his time in this world was coming to an end, he gave Ayame a final piece of advice.
"You want to protect the Kōtetsujō, and I won't argue with that. But remember, you are mine. You can't die for anyone else. Don't be soft-hearted, and don't show mercy to those who refuse to obey. If someone causes trouble, kill them and invoke my name. If there are any problems, come to me."
"I understand."
Ayame's eyes sparkled with admiration at Rei Ao's commanding words.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"I plan to grant sub-group access to Mumei, Yukina, and Kajika. You should bring them under your command and make them loyal to you."
"Yes, I will."
Ayame didn't ask what a sub-group was. She simply trusted Rei Ao and would carry out his wishes.
"I'm leaving now."
...
As Rei Ao disappeared from the world.
[Ding! You have granted sub-group access to: Mumei, Yukina, Kajika!]
These three women, one the main heroine and two supporting characters, were part of his plan. He didn't care if they were lead characters or not—as long as they caught his eye, that was enough.
"Two-dimensional trading chat group sub-group?"
The three women in the Kōtetsujō were puzzled as they stared at the new interface that had suddenly appeared before them. It seemed that Ayame-sama was involved.
Kajika
Yukina
~~~
You can read up to Chapter 72 in Patreon! Thanks for reading!