Ethan considered himself a complete hypocrite.
He hated having guns pointed at him.
But he absolutely loved pointing guns at other people.
Pretty double-standard, right?
Still, it felt damn good.
“Decisive and ruthless” described him perfectly.
Killing Kurusu, who had aimed a gun at him, felt satisfying enough.
But holding Ayame at gunpoint felt even better.
🔫
There were only a little over ten minutes left.
He didn’t push her too hard.
After all, the Kotetsujou still needed her leadership for now.
A short while later, Ayame returned with her clothes neatly fixed, cheeks flushed red as she bowed deeply toward him.
“I’m sorry… I couldn’t satisfy you completely, Lord Ethan.” 😳
“…”
Ethan twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Why did that line suddenly make him feel like some grinning Sukuna knockoff?
“Since you know I wasn’t satisfied, then you can continue our ‘trade’ later. You know what I mean.”
“Mmn…”
The blush on Ayame’s face deepened instantly.
Still, she gave a tiny nod, soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
Ethan’s eyes lit up.
Even he hadn’t expected Ayame to surrender herself so easily.
Maybe it was because of her old-fashioned values.
Honestly, it only made him want to bully her even more.
Unfortunately, it was almost time to leave.
So instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her for a while.
Then he lifted her chin and stared directly into her eyes.
“From now on, you belong only to me. Are you willing?” 👑
“Lord Ethan…”
Ayame’s watery eyes already held her answer.
“I am willing to serve you forever. Please… protect the Kotetsujou.”
“Good. In that case, I won’t treat you poorly.”
For the first time, Ethan used the power known as a Blessing.
⚜️
He pressed a kiss to the center of her forehead.
A crimson three-petaled flower mark appeared there.
Then he activated True Sight and saw the changes immediately.
Name: Ayame Yomogawa
Level: 0
Abilities: 「Ethan’s Blessing」, 「Ice Crystal Archery」
“Hm?”
Her previous “Basic Swordsmanship” had evolved into an actual ability: Ice Crystal Archery.
❄️
「Ice Crystal Archery」: Condenses an ice bow and explosive freezing crystal arrows.
But what really caught his attention was the Blessing itself.
「Ethan’s Blessing」: Allows the blessed individual’s abilities to evolve and grants them the power to “level up.”
Note: Ability evolution depends on both the user and the Blessing giver’s abilities.
Ethan immediately focused on one phrase:
The power to level up.
A possibility flashed through his mind.
“Lord Ethan, what is this…?”
Ayame stared in shock at the ice bow that had unconsciously formed in her hand.
“This is the blessing I granted you.”
“Have the Kotetsujou stop first and come with me. I’ll help you test your new powers… and verify a theory.”
“Yes. I’ll go right away.”
Ayame obediently turned to head for the front of the train.
But Ethan suddenly leaned close with a mischievous grin and whispered into her ear:
“Oh, right. The livestream was never turned off while I was ‘supporting’ you.” 🎥
“Eh?!”
Ayame’s mortified scream echoed through the carriage.
…
Ten minutes later.
Fwoosh!
A freezing arrow shot from Ayame’s ice bow.
It pierced straight through a Kabane’s heart, instantly freezing and exploding it apart.
“Excellent.”
Ethan applauded.
His ten minutes of helping her grind levels clearly hadn’t gone to waste.
That’s right.
Ayame could level up by killing monsters too.
And leveling up improved not only abilities, but physical strength as well.
Name: Ayame Yomogawa
Level: 5
Abilities: 「Ethan’s Blessing」, 「Ice Crystal Archery」
With his assistance, she had jumped five levels in no time.
More importantly—
Half the experience points from every Kabane she killed flowed directly to him.
📈
Otherwise, he could’ve leveled her even faster.
Ayame threw herself into his arms with an excited smile and eagerly kissed him again.
“Lord Ethan, thank you for your blessing.”
“Heh. So you’re not mad anymore that I didn’t warn you about the livestream?”
The gesture made Ayame blush shyly again.
“Mmn… I wouldn’t dare blame you, my lord. It’s just… terribly embarrassing.”
She was too ashamed to even speak in the group chat anymore.
Everyone had seen her in that state.
“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
He said it casually.
But Ayame froze in disbelief.
E-Eventually?
Ethan wasn’t joking.
The chat group had already stated that all members were designated as female beings from anime worlds.
So why not think bigger?
Why not turn the entire chat group into his own personal paradise?
🗺️
This kind of livestream was perfect.
Over time, it would gradually build up everyone’s tolerance.
…Man, I really am evil, Ethan thought to himself.
Seeing his remaining time running out, he gave Ayame one last warning.
“If you want to protect the Kotetsujou, I won’t stop you.”
“But remember this: you belong to me now. Don’t die for anyone. Don’t be soft-hearted just 🖤 because you’re kind. Anyone who refuses to obey should be killed if necessary. And if problems arise, use my name.”
His woman was under his protection.
Anyone who messed with his woman…
He’d dig up their entire bloodline by the roots.
“Mmn, I understand.”
Hearing those overbearing words made Ayame’s eyes practically overflow with affection.
“Oh, right. There’s one more thing.”
“Later, I’ll grant Mumei, Yuna, and access to sub-groups of the Trading Chat Group. Bring them under your command as much as possible.”
“Yes. I’ll do it.”
Ayame didn’t even ask what a sub-group was.
As long as Ethan said it, she would trust him completely and obey.
“Then I’m leaving.”
…
The instant Ethan disappeared—
[Ding! You have selected the recipients for subgroup authorization: Mumei, Yuna, Kajika!] 🔔
One of them counted as the heroine.
The other two were supporting heroines, more or less.
Ethan didn’t really care about labels like heroine or side heroine.
As long as they caught his eye, that was enough.
“An Anime Trading Chat Group… subgroup?”
Inside the Kotetsujou, the three girls stared in shock at the interface that had suddenly appeared before them.
It seemed Lady Ayame was already inside it.
“…..”
“Chat Group: Harem Fights For Me”