"…"
Yoshimura Kuzen, Yomo Renji, and the others fell silent at once. The killing intent around them eased slightly, but the doubt and worry in their eyes didn't fade.
None of them were fools—they could hear how forced Touka's words sounded, and how perfunctory Rei Ao's attitude was.
This so-called "boyfriend–girlfriend" arrangement was clearly nowhere near as simple as Touka made it sound.
Still, it didn't seem like pure coercion and sacrifice either; there seemed to be… some feelings mixed in.
That calmed them a little, though their hearts were far from at ease. Rei Ao's power and mystery were too terrifying.
With Touka by his side, who knew whether it would bring blessing or disaster.
…
Just as the mood began to ease, a thoughtful light flickered in Eto Yoshimura's eyes as she watched from the side.
She looked at Kirishima Touka, who was anxiously spinning a story to shield her companions, then at the mysterious man who seemed to have everything in hand and treated this "deal" with indifference. A bold—borderline insane—idea sprouted in her mind.
She suddenly spoke, her hoarse voice carrying a strange interest. "Rei Ao-sama, can just anyone make a deal with you?"
"Oh?" Rei Ao arched a brow, genuine curiosity in his gaze. After traveling through so many worlds, seeing his power and the nature of his bargains, Eto was the first to approach him so proactively.
"Not exactly," Rei Ao said with a secretive smile, keeping them in suspense. "The kind of deal we're talking about isn't as simple as you think. Not everyone is qualified, and not every wish can be granted so easily."
The more he said, the brighter Eto's interest burned. "Then," she leaned forward slightly, pale skin showing between the bandages, eyes locked on him, "can I make a deal with you? And how far can you go?"
"I can do anything you can think of— and anything you can't imagine," Rei Ao said mildly, his tone the detached indifference of someone looking down from above. He paused, swept his gaze over the room, and offered an example that could overturn their entire worldview. "For instance… bringing anyone who has died back to life."
"What?!"
Everyone in the café—Yoshimura Kuzen, Yomo Renji, Irimi Kaya, Koma Enji, even the ever-composed Arima Kishou—stared wide-eyed in shock and disbelief, Touka alone unfazed as someone who already knew part of what Rei Ao could do.
Bring the dead… back? Impossible. Life and death, the cycle of reincarnation—those are the bedrock laws of the world, a forbidden domain no power can touch.
Yoshimura's breath hitched; Ukina's face flashed through his mind. He shook his head hard, crushing the absurd thought. Impossible… it has to be impossible…
Arima pushed up his glasses, eyes behind the lenses sharp as knives, searching Rei Ao's face for the slightest hint of a joke or a lie—and found none. The man's gaze was calm, unruffled. He spoke of resurrecting the dead as if it were as ordinary as eating or drinking.
"Believe it or don't," Rei Ao said, unconcerned by their shock. His eyes returned to Eto. "Of course, I can offer you a chance—a chance you might never get again."
"…"
Eto stared hard at him. Reason told her that resurrecting the dead was a fantasy, a complete lie. But… she had just watched this man casually strip her of her kagune. She had seen him move everyone from a battlefield to this café in an instant. Power like that was godlike, beyond understanding. Maybe… just maybe…
In a lightning-quick turn of thought, the "crazy" option won out. She drew a deep breath. "I want to make a deal with you."
"Eto!" The first outcry came from Yoshimura. He had already watched Touka seemingly fall into some murky bargain. Now his daughter wanted to follow? He couldn't accept it. "Don't be impulsive. You have no idea what the price of such a deal might be!"
But Eto only shot him a look so cold it burned, dripping with mockery. "…Shut up." She wouldn't even call him father. "You have no right to question my decisions. I know exactly what I'm doing."
"…"
Everything Yoshimura meant to say jammed in his throat under that "shut up" and that icy stare, dissolving at last into a weary, pained sigh. Retribution… this is retribution…
Rei Ao had no interest in their family drama. He addressed Eto directly. "Fine. But understand this: with my deals, I alone hold the final right of interpretation—and cancellation. And…" He looked her up and down, a playful hint in his tone. "Bargaining chips on you that actually interest me—aside from yourself—are basically nil."
Off to the side, Touka gave an awkward twitch of the lips. True enough. She was the same—aside from her own body, she hadn't had much else to put on the table.
"Heh. Doesn't matter." Eto's lips curled into an alluring, slightly mad smile. "As long as you can give me what I want, I can belong to you—provided you don't mind that I'm a one-eyed 'monster.'"
"Heh." Rei Ao gave a noncommittal smile. "I don't mind vampires, demons, or elves. That little quirk of yours is nothing more than a trivial trait."
Vampires? Demons? Elves? A flicker of doubt crossed Eto's eyes, but she let it go. What mattered now was how Rei Ao would fulfill the terms of her deal.