The ground and buildings were all covered in a thick layer of ice. The Kabane wandering among them were frozen in place like ice sculptures, completely immobile.
Everyone, including Mumei and Ayame Yomogawa, had the same thought in their minds:
"Is this the power of a god?!"
In the chat group, only one person was truly shocked.
Kato Megumi: "Is that really... Rei Ao-kun?"
Frieren: "He said his name is Rei Ao, but it seems like he's gotten even stronger."
"So... this is the true Rei Ao-kun," Kato's eyes sparkled, filled with both shock and curiosity.
Stella: "What?! How is he getting stronger so quickly?"
At first, Stella had been confident she was stronger than Rei Ao and didn't need to trade with him. But now, just a few days later, how was he already more powerful than her?
Saeko Busujima: "Perhaps Rei Ao-kun is growing stronger through battle."
Having watched Rei Ao's steady rise in power firsthand, Saeko Busujima was the one who felt this the most. Watching the livestream and seeing his calm demeanor as a powerful warrior, Saeko finally understood the strange sensations in her body. It wasn't a side effect, nor was it an addiction—it was heartache, a longing for Rei Ao. There was no doubt now: she had fallen for this powerful man and craved the thrill of being dominated by him.
Akame: "So strong..."
Akame thought that if only Rei Ao could join Night Raid, it would be amazing.
Sakurajima Mai: "..."
Watching Rei Ao in action, she found it hard to reconcile this powerful image with the same person who had helped her buy clothes and casually interacted with her. Though his help had been part of a transaction, the question Kato had asked her earlier still lingered unanswered.
Mai hadn't responded because she didn't know. Could anyone really fall in love with someone they had only known for a few days? Unless it was love at first sight, but Mai didn't think of herself as that shallow.
After clearing the street of Kabane, Rei Ao felt a rush of 'experience' flowing into him, bringing him joy.
"Killing Kabane really does allow me to level up."
But he wasn't just freezing the Kabane in place. He had frozen their energy and cells, leaving them dead and shattered into icy fragments.
Turning to Ayame Yomogawa, he said, "Weren't you planning to head for the Kotetsujyo? Lead the way."
"!!!"
Ayame quickly shook off her shock and pointed in the direction. "That way."
…
Leading the group to the Kotetsujyo:
[Ding! Trade completed!]
The knowledge of basic archery flowed into Rei Ao's mind, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
Ayame Yomogawa immediately started preparing to get the Kotetsujyo moving, but Rei Ao grabbed her hand.
Ayame, thinking he wanted to claim his reward, pleaded, "Please be patient, my lord. Once the Kotetsujyo has left Iwato Station, I will give myself completely to you."
Everyone around them finally understood. It seemed that Ayame-sama had offered herself in service to this 'god' in exchange for his protection. They were all in awe, realizing that Ayame-sama truly had no intention of abandoning them, going so far as to offer her purity to this deity.
Hearing this, Rei Ao's forehead creased in exasperation.
"Do I really seem that eager?" he thought.
"I was going to say, don't start the Kotetsujyo yet—turn the steam whistle to its maximum volume."
"What?"
Ayame was horrified. "Turning the whistle to full volume will attract all the Kabane!"
Rei Ao gave a calm smile.
"Exactly. I want them to come."
"That way... I can kill them all."
Resisting Rei Ao was something Ayame couldn't do. The others certainly couldn't either.
"Woo woo woo!!!"
The whistle of the Kotetsujyo was turned to full volume.
Inside, everyone was filled with unease.
On top of the train, Ayame looked worried, while Mumei curiously watched Rei Ao.
"Is he really a god?" she wondered.
She didn't know.
But soon enough, she would witness a power akin to that of a god.
"Rumble rumble!"
The ground trembled as a deafening roar approached. In the distance, a massive horde of Kabane surged forward, like a dark flood, rushing in from all directions.
"So many!" Mumei exclaimed, her mouth agape.
"This many Kabane... there's no way we can kill them all. Shouldn't we be fleeing?"
"Flee? That won't be necessary."
What a joke.
This was exactly what Rei Ao had been waiting for.
With at least ten thousand Kabane charging toward him, all he could see was an endless sea of 'experience points'!
For the first time, he got serious. His expression became stern as he stretched out his arms.
"!!!"
Everyone felt the temperature drop dramatically.
But the biggest change was in the sky.
Freeze!
Rei Ao froze the water in the air, and in a radius of several hundred meters, the sky became filled with countless ice spears, each half a meter long. The sheer density of the ice spears darkened the sky, leaving everyone watching with chills running down their spines.
As the Kabane entered his range, Rei Ao's eyes narrowed.
"Fall!"
At his command, the ice spears rained down from the sky.
*Ding ding ding!!!*
The sound of ice colliding echoed loudly.
Below, the Kabane were obliterated. The ice spears pierced through them easily, shattering or skewering them. The Kabane couldn't even get close to the Kotetsujyo.
Moreover, under Rei Ao's control, the ice spears continuously fell and reformed, ensuring that no Kabane could advance.
"God... That lord is truly a god!"
"Could this be the domain of an ice god?!"
This god-like display left everyone in the Kotetsujyo filled with awe. Their reverence for Rei Ao reached its peak.
While the cold wind howled, Ayame Yomogawa nearly lost her balance.
A strong, warm hand pulled her into a firm embrace.
"Careful now, you haven't paid your reward yet."
"Rei Ao-sama..."
Ayame stared up at his calm face in a daze, her heart filled with as much admiration as anyone else watching.
~~~
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