That petite figure simply didn't match the person in Haruto's memory.
However, those golden star-like eyes were just too recognizable.
So much so that Haruto instantly remembered the girl's name—
Misaki Shokuhou.
One of Academy City's seven Level 5 espers, a girl who possessed a power called Mental Out.
Misaki Shokuhou's ability was incredibly powerful.
Whether it was mind reading, brainwashing, memory erasure, hallucinations, telepathy, inducing confessions, or mental disorientation—it was all within her grasp.
In short, as long as it was a mental-based ability, she had it under control.
However, in Haruto's memory, Misaki Shokuhou should be a queen-like onee-san type character.
Even though she was young, her development was nothing short of terrifying.
Thinking of this, Haruto's gaze instinctively drifted downward, landing on the flat patient gown.
Misaki was a sensitive girl—after all, she was a psychic.
She noticed Haruto's gaze immediately, even sensing what he was thinking.
Her body curled up tighter in fear, and at the same time, she felt a flash of anger.
Megumi picked up a memory eraser, about to use the B-class memory clearing method.
"Megumi, don't bother. It won't work on her," Haruto said.
Megumi paused, then put away the memory eraser.
The memory eraser developed by Black Orb Tech worked by emitting a light at a certain frequency that interfered with the human nervous system, thereby achieving memory erasure.
But for someone like Misaki , with her Mental Out ability, such interference would likely be useless.
Otherwise, she'd go insane every time she used her power.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the ward turned tense.
So Haruto simply went back to work.
The short knife in his hand once again sank into the head of a crew member. The death line shattered, and the crew member collapsed.
Misaki, hiding in the corner, covered her mouth with her small hands.
However, the terror in her golden eyes quickly began to fade.
Just now, she had only seen a stranger barging in and stabbing people in the head with a short blade.
Naturally, seeing such a scene would cause fear.
But now, observing carefully, she noticed something was off.
Although the short blade had stabbed into people's heads, there was no blood.
Even when it was withdrawn, there wasn't a single wound. Moreover, from the way their chests rose and fell, it was obvious they weren't dead.
Just unconscious.
Realizing this, Misaki no longer looked as terrified as before.
Instead, she looked at Haruto with confusion.
At the same time, something she hadn't noticed in her panic earlier now surfaced in her mind.
This boy who had barged into the ward—seemed to know her.
Before long, Haruto had finished dealing with the crew members.
After undergoing an A-Class memory cleansing, these people would break free from the "eel's" cognitive pollution.
However, their memories of this voyage would likely be fragmented.
But that was a good thing for Haruto.
He had come to Academy City's hospital specifically to find these surviving crew members.
Then have them appear publicly as survivors.
As long as there were survivors in the ship's disappearance incident, the matter would soon be smoothed over.
At least, there'd be an official explanation.
Once he finished, Haruto clapped his hands.
All that was left was to handle the discharge paperwork and take these people away.
At this moment, Misaki, still curled up in the corner, finally gathered her courage and asked,
"Um… Do you perhaps know me?"
Haruto was a little surprised. He nodded, then shook his head.
That reaction completely baffled Misaki.
So… does he know her or not?!
After a short silence, the girl continued,
"I think I suffered some kind of trauma and lost my memory. If you know me… what kind of person am I?"
Hearing this, Haruto finally understood.
No wonder something felt off about her since earlier.
It wasn't just the body type—it was her entire personality that was completely different.
So she's got amnesia, huh.
Currently, Misaki's understanding of herself only went as far as her name.
In Academy City, it was possible to find her student profile.
However, Misaki had only been registered at a school—most of her time had been spent in some kind of research facility developing her ability.
There were no records of where she had developed her power, and no one at school had interacted with her.
So Misaki didn't even have a place where she could get to know herself.
Haruto pointed to himself.
"Oh, so you've got amnesia, huh? I'm your boyfriend."
Megumi rolled her eyes.
Misaki, on the other hand, looked flustered and confused.
Of course, she didn't believe that the boy in front of her was her boyfriend. Even though he was extremely handsome—by far the most attractive guy she'd ever seen—
And even though he gave off a calming aura, like a gentle breeze—
Misaki was well aware: If he really were her boyfriend, he wouldn't have reacted the way he just did upon seeing her.
"I lost my memory, not my brain!" she protested softly.
Haruto chuckled lightly.
"Haruto, what a weirdo…" Megumi muttered with a sigh.
Misaki, already fragile and petite, looked even more pitiful in her confusion and amnesia.
"Anyway, let's get back to business and send these people off," Haruto clapped again, brushing the moment aside.
Megumi nodded and left the ward to handle the discharge papers.
She could take care of it much more easily than Haruto.
She could directly operate the computer, and people nearby would ignore her presence.
But Haruto would either have to use the Blacklight Virus or time-stop—both too much hassle.
Once Megumi left, Misaki clearly grew more nervous. Besides the unconscious crew members, they were now alone.
"Um… do you know why I lost my memory?" Misaki asked again.
Though the boy seemed unreliable, he clearly knew her, and she didn't want to miss this opportunity.
"You don't know yourself?" Haruto asked in return.
Misaki shook her head in confusion.
"At some point, I suddenly realized I was wandering the streets with no purpose. I was wearing a torn-up white lab coat… not even shoes… I'd forgotten who I was, what I was doing—eventually, I collapsed on the street. I was sent to the hospital by a robot, and the system here was how I found out my name."
"But that's all I could learn. There's nothing else in the records about me."
Haruto clicked his tongue indifferently.
"But you do know that you're one of Academy City's seven Level 5 espers, right?"
Misaki nodded.
That much, she had read from the records.
But she had no real grasp of her powers. Controlling people's minds—was that something she was really capable of?
She'd wondered more than once if it was true.
"If you know your identity, then you should also realize this— As the top-tier psychic in this city, no one can mess with your memory. No other psychic or technological means can surpass your ability. Unless…"
Haruto didn't finish the sentence.
But Misaki was a smart girl.
She quickly understood what he meant.
Unless she chose to lose her memory, no one could've forced her into this state.
More likely, her amnesia was self-inflicted.
Thinking this, Misaki fell into silence.
But… why?
Why would she choose to forget herself?
"Why?" she eventually asked, unable to find the answer.
Though it felt strange to ask someone else why she did something herself—
Haruto immediately responded,
"Memory is a vital part of who we are. But it can also be dangerous."
"Choosing to give up your memories is a bold move—but not uncommon. In my view, it's rather normal."
"After all, there are some memories that only bring pain, fear… and confusion."