CH 133.2

『Hmm. This Kaito is, in short, a Master, isn't he? And an overwhelming one too. I think that would be a good match for Maria-chan』

But Maria shook her head at Suzu's question.

『I have no suicidal thoughts. But certainly, it would have been an absolute pleasure for me to be my brother's. In fact, he once invited me to do so. But to be his is to leave everything to him. In other words, I'm killing myself』

Maria is a masochist.

She seeks pleasure to the end, and for that she seeks a master.

But she is not so broken that she is willing to die if it makes her feel good. No, she is so broken that she thinks, "I'm not satisfied unless I can live and feel better for a longer period of time".

So she denies her brother and seeks Master separately.

A Master who would not let her live and die as she is, but would gently dominate her.

After hearing this, Kaito understood Maria's wish.

He then used his contacts to find a potential master for Maria, thinking that her own sister might not be so appealing to him.

Still, he did not feel so good to have his sister taken by another man.

Therefore, he offered Maria to enroll in Shibatsuru Academy for a while as a condition. Whether she changes her mind and becomes his property or not, it would be all right.

But there seems to have been a problem of the search period in this exchange.

Because there is multiple factors that are not absolute, such as being male and close in age to Maria and being a [Lost Item], and the essential condition is to understand her proclivities. So, it was difficult to find such a convenient partner.

As for why it was difficult to find it because Chihiro, who was now Maria's master, only attended an ordinary middle school before entering high school.

In addition, he did not engage in any activities that were typical for a [Lost Item], and only took the ability test a few times a year.

So, at that stage, the only way to get information about him would have been to access the government database, and he was finally discovered after he entered Shibahou Academy.

Several months before Maria's transfer to Shibahou Academy, she had to go through the procedures, sign a contract for an apartment, and soundproof her bedroom. That is why she transferred at such a sensitive time.

『My brother is the one who pays for the apartment and my living expenses. So, naturally, Ibusuki Kaname knew where I lived, and to some extent he knew about Izumi-kun』

『...Maria and your brother are both, how can I say this, amazing』

『I'm sorry. This must not be interesting for you, Aika』

『No, no, no. If Maria had not met Chihiro-kun, I would have remained classmates with Chihiro-kun. So, I'd rather thank you for that』

The Master which Maria chose after denying himself.

It was almost inevitable that Kaito would take an interest in Chihiro.

For the note, if Chihiro had been satisfied with Maria alone, Kaito might not have made a move.

But because Chihiro had several girls by his side, and consequently, he caught Kaito's attention.

At this, Yotsuba then voiced a question.

『Did Maria not expect this? If Master has more slaves, it will happen sooner or later』

『I have to admit that in the past I didn't think he had that much interest.... And even if I could have foreseen this event, I would not have the right to control Master's desire』

It is too selfish to try to make only herself feel good, and as a result, Chihiro gained experience as a Master by having more people to hold.

Besides, without Riko and Aika, Maria would not have become what she is today.

『I'm sorry, Chihiro-sama. I would have preferred not to tell you about this. Besides, I'm no longer attached to my brother and I was planning to cut off contact with him as soon as I could find a way to support myself』

『That's okay. I know Maria didn't mean to deceive me』

The fact that it was hidden did not make things worse.

Rather, what could Chihiro do if he had known about it? If anything, the worst thing he could have done was to have violated Ibusuki Kaname, who visited the school festival.

『As I said before, his way is quite different from Izumi-kun's. He is the type of person who easily discards a girl he owns when he gets tired of her or when she is no longer of any use to him. Even Ibusuki-san was just a pawn in his scheme of things』

『But that's an excuse to do something, isn't it? Chihiro-kun, what if he does something?』

『Of course, we'll find the best way. We'll try to keep things as normal as possible... so that everyone can stay safe. If necessary, we have no choice but to fight against [Absolute]』

* * *

"Huh..." Riko sighs.

「But you know what? Fighting is a bit of a dangerous thing to do, isn't it?」

「Fufu. It's strange to hear Riko say that」

「I'm serious. Well, I don't deny it」

A girl who used to beat and kick Chihiro.

Back then, Riko might even consider killing others to fulfill her self-esteem.

But now, she is not as fierce as she was then.

「Don't worry. As I said before, if they wanted to, we would have been crushed by now. I think the fight is mainly about negotiation and bargaining」

Although this does not apply to inter-school competitions.

Still, it is unlikely that Chihiro will be sent to a simple fistfight. Since the fights are conducted by a third party according to the rules, it is unlikely that there will be any cheating.

If possible, he does not want any violence.

But if they intend to harm him, they must be aware that they are of a lower rank.

「Don't worry」

Suzu chuckled.

「Chihiro-kun will be fine」

「You say that so easily again...」

「I'm not just saying that. Chihiro-kun now, he wouldn't be easily defeated in a normal fight, would he?」

「Oh... wasn't that great? By the way, I haven't heard it properly yet」

Chihiro's new ability.

He has been putting it off because things have been hectic and it is not an urgent topic. But now he can explain it.

[Stimulus Amplification] and [Stimulus Sharing].

The abilities that were acquired at the same time - or to be more precise, the abilities that turned out to have been acquired. Regarding this, Chihiro had some questions.

「Suzu-san, these abilities are probably not really used for fighting, are they?」

「That's right, Chihiro-kun. I think so, too」

Suzu nodded.

However, some of the people in the room look as if they are not sure.

Riko, Aika, and Hana, representing those who were not convinced, opened their mouths. Their eyebrows also wrinkled.

「Don't tell me, is it used for night time activities?」

「Hana-chan is right」

"I knew it," Hana muttered.

Suzu then looked at her with a proud smile and continued.

「It would be strange if it wasn't so. ...because those two abilities must be what Yotsuba and I want」