Chapter 639: Aeon of Propagation Tayzzyronth! Swarm Disaster!
"Ah?"
Tohka was stunned when she saw the mischievous smile on Ren's lips. It was a smile she was starting to recognize—a mix of playful arrogance and a deeper, more predatory intent.
Didn't that mean they would become his people?
Like the other people, would they become his women? The harem she had seen earlier flashed in her mind. Beautiful women, all powerful, all devoted.
"Wait, but Rikka is still…"
Her first thought was whether Rikka was too young? Rikka was a chuunibyou, still trapped in her delusions. She wasn't ready for the complexities of adult relationships, let alone the kind of relationship Ren seemed to cultivate.
However, Rikka hugged Ren's hand tightly, her golden eye sparkling with unadulterated joy. She shouted: "The Wicked Eye of the King must always be with the Dark Hero! An eternal pact is inseparable!"
"…"
Tohka suddenly realized. Her sister's words, though wrapped in fantasy, carried a heavy implication.
If what Ren said was true, wouldn't it mean Rikka would still be alive after she died of old age?
Age seemed to have lost its meaning. If Rikka gained eternal life, then the gap in their ages would eventually become irrelevant. Rikka would outlive her, outlive everyone she knew.
"Ren-kun, you're… joking, right?" She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. She stared intently at Ren, searching his eyes for any sign of deception.
Who knew that Ren would nod.
He said: "Yes, I'm joking."
"Phew…"
Tohka breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping. The tension that had been building in her chest slowly dissipated.
Just now, when they thought about themselves growing old and dying while Rikka remained young, they felt an indescribable emotion. It was a mix of jealousy, fear, and profound sadness.
However, Ren added, "The content of the contract is fake, but Rikka's life is indeed endless now."
His words were like a bucket of ice water.
"As someone with an endless life, she can probably only be with me, right? You wouldn't want her to keep changing the people by her side throughout her life, would you?"
Ren himself felt like a despicable villain saying this. He was manipulating her, playing on her fears. But it was necessary. Rikka needed protection, and he was the only one strong enough to provide it eternally.
Rikka, however, didn't notice the undercurrents. She was lost in her own world.
She just clutched Ren's hand, her small face flushed with excitement. "Mm-hmm, I'll only form a contract with Dark Hero! No one else is worthy!"
...
Tohka's heart, which had been hanging, completely died. The relief she felt moments ago vanished, replaced by a cold dread.
"But..."
Tohka really wanted to say how she would take care of Rikka if things were like this. She wanted to argue, to fight for her sister's normalcy.
But the words wouldn't come out. They stuck in her throat, choked by the weight of reality.
No matter what, living long and staying young forever was an irresistible temptation for ordinary people. It was the dream of emperors and kings throughout history.
She seemed like she shouldn't stop it. How could she deny her sister eternity?
Although the ultimate price was probably becoming Ren's... woman.
Because she also didn't want Rikka to be with countless people due to her lifespan and then watch them die. The pain of losing loved ones over and over again would be torture. Rikka's heart was fragile; she wouldn't survive it.
Even though Ren was indeed a scoundrel who juggled dozens or even hundreds of relationships, he was also, as he said, the one who could accompany Rikka forever. He was the constant in an ever-changing world.
But... there was no place for her in the future.
She was just an ordinary person and couldn't accompany Rikka. She would age, wither, and die, leaving Rikka alone with Ren.
Ren had already seen her inner hesitation and confusion. Her face was an open book to him.
He chuckled, a low sound that vibrated in the quiet room. "Rikka gained eternal life. Are you perhaps feeling that your role as Rikka's older sister has lost its meaning?"
...
Tohka pursed her lips.
She indeed had that thought in her heart. She had always been the protector, the responsible one. If Rikka didn't need her protection, if Rikka outgrew her in every way... what was left for her?
"Holy Regulator..."
The cowlick on Rikka's head twitched, sensing the shift in atmosphere. She tugged on Ren's hand, her expression serious despite her ridiculous outfit.
"Dark Hero, can Holy Regulator also sign a contract? She needs power to fight the Bureau!"
"Oh? I don't mind, but your sister..."
He looked at Tohka. His golden eyes bored into hers, challenging her.
The deep meaning in his eyes was self-evident. Are you ready to pay the price?
...
Tohka took a step back, crossing her arms defensively. It was an instinctive reaction, a feeble attempt to shield herself. "What do you mean?"
Ren shrugged, his demeanor casual. "I don't mean anything. Isn't this Rikka's request?"
"You wouldn't want Rikka to be all alone after you grow old and die, would you?"
???
For some reason.
Tohka heard a wicked meaning in that sentence. It sounded like a threat, or perhaps a prophecy.
But it truly hit her heart. It struck at her deepest fear.
She didn't pursue eternal life. She had never desired it.
But leaving Rikka alone after she died... she couldn't imagine such a scene. The thought of Rikka crying over her grave, alone in a world that didn't understand her, broke Tohka's heart.
And signing a contract with Ren... wouldn't that mean accepting his previous statement and becoming his person too? Joining his harem?
But Rikka was her younger sister! They were family!
Seeing her hesitation, Ren walked to her side. He moved silently, like a shadow. He patted her shoulder, his touch warm and heavy.
He whispered in her ear, his voice low and seductive. "By the way, let me tell you, Yukino Yukinoshita and Yukinoshita Haruno are also a pair of sisters."
"If you don't want to accept this power, you can come find me anytime."
Then Ren walked past her and left.
!!!
Feeling a surge of heat enter her body, Tohka looked down at her palms. The energy coursed through her veins, hot and vibrant.
With a thought, flames rose. They danced on her fingertips, obeying her will.
"Holy Regulator, Dark Hero has already signed a contract with you! From now on, we will fight side by side!"
Rikka jumped up excitedly, or rather, floated up. She hovered in the air, her cape fluttering behind her.
...
Tohka gave a wry smile. She looked at the fire in her hands, then at her floating sister.
Rikka completely didn't understand the price of this power. She didn't understand what they had just sold.
Turning to look at Ren's retreating figure, her expression was exceptionally complex. There was fear, gratitude, and a strange curiosity.
"Yukino..."
She remembered the names Yukino and Haruno. Sisters who belonged to him.
Perhaps she could try to contact them and ask for specific details. She needed to know what she had gotten herself into.
...
[System Chat]
March 7th: "Phew, today was really thrilling!"
Furina: "March 7th, what happened?"
March 7th: "Our Astral Express received an invitation from Penacony, the Planet of Festivities, and we were on our way to Penacony to attend the Grand Harmony Celebration, but we encountered something strange."
"Oh?"
While Nao was massaging his shoulders, Ren saw the discussion initiated by March 7th in the Chat Group.
"Penacony, huh..."
Ren's eyes flickered.
It was an interesting place. A dreamscape built on the edge of reality. Perhaps he could take Akame and the others there to play if he had time. A vacation in a dream world sounded appealing.
Ch'en: "Strange? Aren't you traveling among the stars in space?"
March 7th: "Yes, the Astral Express encountered a group of bugs. Ugh, they were hideous and disgusting, and there was one very, very large bug that swallowed the Astral Express whole!"
Bronya: "Wait, in space? Bugs? Swallowed the Astral Express?"
Silver Wolf: "Heh heh, clearly a Swarm."
Tingyun: "Miss Bronya hasn't heard of it?"
Bronya: "Hmm, Jarilo-VI's history has been lost, and there's a gap in information about the stars. There's a lot about the stars that I don't know."
Durandal: "Bugs that survive in outer space. My intuition tells me such creatures are very dangerous."
March 7th: "Mm-hmm, they're really dangerous. The True Sting, it can also cause hallucinations."
Tingyun: "Not only that, the Swarm belongs to Tayzzyronth, the Aeon of Propagation."
Tingyun: "The Aeon of Propagation once used the Swarm to unleash a disaster that affected the entire star system, the 'Swarm Disaster.'"
Kiana: "Swarm Disaster, what a cool name!"
Silver Wolf: "Cool? Maybe, but for the universe, it was a disaster of wailing."
Stella: "A disaster brought by bugs? A bit hard to imagine."
Silver Wolf: "A few sentences can describe it: You stand under the sky, seeing desolation all around you."
Silver Wolf: "In the fields and on the roads beside you, vast swarms of strange insects reproduce and emerge from their cocoons. They devour all crops and species until all paths are submerged by various bug offspring."
Silver Wolf: "When you step onto the Path of Propagation, you will become a bug, and the children you bear will only be bug offspring."
Kiana: "???"
...
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