After finishing their music practice:

Mio turned down her bandmates' invitation to hit up the sweets shop, going alone down a corridor. Waiting for her friends to leave, she let out a sigh of relief, eyes refocusing on the translucent screen only she could see.

Cautiously, she used her mind to type:

Akiyama Mio: "Are you… all actually real people?"

The moment her message went through, the chat group exploded with replies.

Yomogawa Ayame: "Of course."

Miko Yotsuya: "So the second newcomer finally speaks."

Mai Sakurajima: "Most of us are in different worlds. But we chat via this group."

Megumi Kato: "Don't be scared. I was shocked at first too."

Yukinoshita Yukino: "At least know we won't harm you."

Mio's heart hammered. She knew none of those names, yet they all sounded so natural, like ordinary friends chatting.

All of a sudden, a message specifically referencing her popped up:

Rei Ao: "@Akiyama Mio, there's no need to fear. The chat group won't harm you. I know this is confusing, but trust me—this will only help you, not hurt you."

Seeing the group owner mention her directly, Mio's heart pounded even faster.

Rei Ao: "Let me introduce myself: I'm Rei Ao, the group owner, and I also know about you."

Rei Ao: "Akiyama Mio, bassist of Sakuragaoka High School Light Music Club. Your best friends are Tainaka Ritsu, Hirasawa Yui, and Kotobuki Tsumugi. Need me to say more to prove it?"

Shana: "You always know about everyone here. So what about me?"

Rei Ao: "You're the Flame-Haired Huntress fighting Tomogara, aided by the Crimson Lord Alastor, correct?"

Shana: "Even Alastor…? Fine. I acknowledge you."

(When did this thing pop out?)

"!!!"

Mio gasped. Not only did he know her name, but also her school, her friends—!

She looked around anxiously to ensure no one was nearby, then continued typing.

Akiyama Mio: "What is this exactly? Why pick me?"

Rei Ao: "Consider it a platform linking different worlds. There's no special reason for choosing you. It's simply fate. You can use it to talk, learn about other worlds. Many members have benefitted greatly. Most importantly, group members can make trades with me via the chat group, to make certain wishes or goals come true."

Akiyama Mio: "Eh? Like…like a wish-granting grandpa?"

Frieren: "Ehhh, if we consider human lifespans, Rei Ao's nowhere near an old grandpa."

Bibi Dong: "Probably just a figure of speech."

Akiyama Mio: "Ah… sorry, I didn't mean it that way!"

Rei Ao: "Haha, I get what you mean. It's close enough."

Shana: "Make wishes? Could I… exterminate Tomogara?"

Rei Ao: "Sure. In fact, I could help you wipe out all Tomogara at once."

Shana: "No! They must be destroyed by my own hand. I'm the Flame-Haired Scorching-Eyed Hunter, a mighty Flame Haze—that's my mission!"

She sounded agitated. She had nothing else, no memories—only a mission proving her existence.

Shiba Miyuki: "Seems this newcomer has reason to be fixated on her mission."

Rei Ao: "I respect that, Shana. Follow your path."

"Are you quite fond of that girl named Shana?"

A voice asked—Mikoto, who had barely the energy to speak. Shokuhou and a shy Kanzaki both turned to face her. In the state of the room now, describing it from a human perspective as "total chaos" might be an understatement. Anyone walking in randomly might suffer a mental breakdown. Yet the three of them seemed oddly accustomed.

After all, Rei Ao was filling everything quite thoroughly.

Rei Ao laughed softly, summoning an image of a small red-haired girl who'd often yelled "Urusai! Urusai! Urusai!"

"Yeah, I do admire her."

Mikoto tugged on something belonging to him.

"When you say 'admire,' you'd better not mean that kind of admiration, right?"

"…"

Rei Ao's brow rose.

"Mikoto, you're able to do things now you'd never have dared before—without batting an eye?"

"Hehe, I guess she's always been a closet pervert. All her seriousness was fake," Shokuhou teased.

"I am not!"

Realizing her out-of-line grasping was beyond shameful, Mikoto let go hurriedly. Furious embarrassment flared, so she snapped back at Shokuhou. The two, though exhausted, still had the energy to bicker. Rei Ao could only shake his head.

Then, with a more appreciative look, he focused on Kanzaki.

"…"

Kanzaki tried pulling the covers up higher.

"P-please, don't look at me like that."

"The Saint's embarrassed? Interesting."

Rei Ao smirked, suddenly saying to her: "Kanzaki, did you feel the joy of being human, of being a woman, today?"

"Wh-why are you asking that…?"

Kanzaki stumbled, unsure how to respond.

"No reason. I was just wondering if I've attracted you in every sense. Maybe I'm sounding too full of myself." Rei Ao stroked his chin, suddenly toning down his playful look.

"All right, put simply: I want to claim you. Claim you—this delicious Saint, the person named Kanzaki Kaori."

"…"

She fell silent. In truth, his words didn't surprise her. From their very first encounter to now, she'd observed his casual approach to emotions and to man-woman relations. He exuded a sense of possession for her—her first-time body.

"So, can I even escape your grasp…?"

She asked, expressionless.

"Probably… not," Rei Ao brazenly chuckled, pulling her into his arms.

"Since you ask, I'll just assume you've surrendered to my mighty force."

Kanzaki's cheeks reddened at his sudden closeness.

"You're not giving me any chance to resist."

"Who says I'm not?" Rei Ao leaned to her ear, whispering.

"Next time I'll let you try being in control—at that time, feel free to resist me."

~~~

(Author's Note at Chapter 711 Forwarded by Bleam)

Author's Note: In Chapter 709, Shana got mixed up with another book. Recently, that other book also added Shana, which caused the confusion. Since I currently can't get in touch with the site to make corrections for these two books, and more than 24 hours have passed, I can't change it anymore. Let's just pretend it never happened.

By the way, about my situation: a month and a half ago, my father lost his job. Because we can't make ends meet with our current income, my family is under financial pressure. I've started delivering takeout full-time and am planning to look for a stable job. Right now, I can only find time to write both books in the early hours of the morning each day. Under these circumstances, it's easy to mix things up. Rest assured, there's no ghostwriter involved.

Regarding the issue in the comment section (the one related to money): ever since I started delivering takeout, I haven't had the mental energy to check the comments. I only found out about the problem late, after a friend in a writing group pointed it out. I tried to make changes, but I can't get in touch with the site. Other people told me the site might be down; I haven't seen anyone take over or respond, and once 24 hours pass, edits are impossible. I've basically given up—no more explanations or attempts to fix it.

As for the character Kimizuki Mirai, I originally planned for her to just be an NPC in the main story. I didn't intend to include her (in a romantic sense), but as I kept writing, I added her in on a whim. After finishing each day's writing, I was too tired to think much about it, so I never really followed up. If you find it unacceptable, there's nothing I can do at this point. I can't contact the site; others told me it's likely still down. I don't see anyone handling it, so I'm just going to lie flat and do nothing.

Please continue reading if you'd like. I'll do my best to write daily until I finish. But after that, I probably won't be able to start a new book. My family needs someone with a stable income right now, so that's the situation. I probably won't be replying in the comments anymore—I don't have the energy for it.

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