Chat Group: Anime Girls are Moist-Chapter 223 - : You look lovely...

Stella: "? Why are you asking about that?"

Sakurajima Mai: "You... you're not trying to pre-emptively eliminate a love rival, are you?"

Kasuga Hijiri: "That shouldn't be it, right? After all, none of us have met Shiba Miyuki-san."

Frieren: "But he does have personal info on group members, so maybe he noticed how beautiful Shiba Miyuki is and got... ideas."

Rei Ao: "Indeed, she's lovely and cute—and her aura is quite similar to Yukino's."

Mabel: "Yukino is indeed gorgeous—just a touch below me, though."

Stella: "???"

Kato Megumi: "You're amazing, Rei Ao-kun—praising two people in one sentence."

Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."

For some reason, Yukino felt a bit embarrassed at hearing one line of praise from Rei Ao and another from Mabel about her looks. Especially considering the livestream showed so many of the group members—each of them quite pretty, each with her own distinct charm. Yukino never thought of herself as "cute."

Shiba Miyuki: "Um... thank you... for the compliment."

Blushing softly, she added: "As for, um, someone I like, I haven't really thought about or planned anything like that. I've only just started high school, so of course I should focus on self-improvement."

"???"

Rei Ao paused, surprised.

Nothing? That can't be! Logically, Shiba Miyuki should have some fondness for her brother, Shiba Tatsuya... so maybe she's not telling the whole truth? They're all basically "online acquaintances," so it's understandable she'd be cautious. But there might also be more going on.

Stella: "Don't change the subject! You aren't really interested in her, are you?"

Rei Ao: "Have you heard the saying 'When a fine lady appears, a gentleman pursues'?"

Stella: "No."

Rei Ao: "Put simply, men like pretty girls."

Stella: "..."

Shiba Miyuki: "Ugh... Even though you praise my looks, I'm sorry, I'm really not thinking about romance right now!"

Hiiragi Shinoa: "No need to apologize for that."

Rei Ao: "Haha, I was just expressing admiration for a lovely young woman, not actually confessing."

Shiba Miyuki: "Ugh!"

Then she quit talking—probably shy. Rei Ao merely gave a small smile.

Indeed, Shiba Miyuki's frosty elegance reminded him somewhat of Yukino, and both had that long black hair. But their personalities were quite different. Also, if memory served, Shiba Miyuki had a figure Yukino might envy, what with her... fullness.

Taking a quick look at private messages, Rei Ao saw no new replies from Eriri. So he turned his attention back to other matters.

...

Evening

At Rei Ao's place...

"..."

Sitting on the sofa, holding a teacup, Futaba Rio felt she really shouldn't be there. Through her glasses, she gazed toward the entrance hall.

"Hehe, how shall I welcome my dear one in just a bit?"

That was Tohru in high anticipation, muttering to herself. The problem was Tohru's outfit—just a simple apron, and nothing else—leaving even Futaba Rio too embarrassed to look.

Then: click! The front door opened. Right on time, Rei Ao and Mai returned.

Rio hung her head, listening:

"Darling, welcome home! Wanna eat dinner first... or eat me first?"

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She expected Rei Ao to reply, but first came Mai's furious voice:

"Tohru!!! You—come with me. We need to have a serious talk about what you did to me!"

"Nooo, I want my darling to enjoy me!"

"Heh, that can wait, Tohru. You'd better settle things with Mai first."

Mai wanted a proper reckoning over the marker-pen scribbles Tohru had put all over her body. Without Tohru's mischief, Mai wouldn't have had so many crazy misunderstandings, false fantasies, or gotten so defensive, and after Rei Ao pointed out the truth, she'd ended up feeling like a total pervert.

"Nooo!"

Tohru turned pale as Mai forcibly dragged her away, while Rei Ao walked over and sat next to Futaba Rio.

"..."

She awkwardly started to stand, intending to leave, but Rei Ao called out:

"Futaba Rio-san, I have something concerning you to discuss."

"!"

She halted mid-movement. About her? She immediately thought of her "other self."

Rei Ao went straight to the point:

"Today, I ran into the other you again."

"... ..."

After a long silence, she pushed up her glasses:

"What did she say?"

"She told me she's prepared to vanish."

"...Why?"

"Because she's well aware of the nature of her own existence."

"You mean... Puberty Syndrome?"

Futaba Rio quickly put the logic together. Rei Ao nodded:

"Yep. She believes that, being a manifestation of that condition, she's bound to fade—and so she's come to terms with it."

"..."

Rio didn't know what to say: relief? sympathy? pity? Probably all of it.

Relief that she would regain her normal life.

Compassion and sorrow that the self-aware "other" Rio would ultimately vanish.

"But you still remember the promise I made earlier, right?"

Rei Ao didn't let the matter end there; he shifted the conversation to another angle.

"Promise?"

Rio certainly recalled. He promised not to let Futaba Rio disappear.

Rei Ao's eyes glinted with a slight smile.

"I said I wouldn't let her vanish. Which means my next step might not fully respect your opinion, but it'll put the choice back in your hands."

"???"

She hadn't parsed his meaning before she saw Rei Ao press a fingertip lightly to her forehead.

In the next instant, Futaba Rio felt some strange power coursing out from inside her.

"Ugh!"

That surge of pleasure made her moan softly. Layers of red dragon scales manifested along her skin.

"W-What is this?!"

She stared in shock at the bizarre changes on her own body, pupils contracting.

[Name]: Futaba Rio

[Level]: 1

[Abilities]: "Dragon Power", "Water Spirit", "Twin Form, Twin Body", "Rei Ao's Blessing", "Inherent Device: Gemini"

This was the first time Rei Ao had ever broken his own precedent by granting a "Blessing."

~~~

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