"Miss, Master Haramura, this way please. Miss Freyja is in this room."
The face was instantly familiar—long brown waves cascading to her waist, luminous amber eyes, refined features, looking about eighteen or nineteen.
Yes, it was Mugino Shizuri.
Gone was the feral, riotous look that seemed ready to tear everything apart. In its place was a gentle smile and polished manners. If not for the unchanged face, it would be hard to believe this was the same person.
Of course, the most striking change wasn't her expression—it was the outfit.
A black-and-white maid uniform trimmed with lace, a deep neckline revealing a swath of pale skin, and a skirt just barely covering the hips, paired with over-the-knee stockings that left a perfect band of bare thigh between hem and silk.
It was a boldly provocative maid outfit.
And on someone with Mugino Shizuri's figure, it was flat-out overwhelming.
"You… this is—"
Haramura Makoto's mouth twitched uncontrollably, but internally he was giving Shokuhou Misaki a standing ovation.
Whatever one thought of Mugino as a person, the result at this moment was undeniably… pleasing to the eye.
"Isn't this standard?"
"I've always felt I was missing a highly capable maid by my side."
"So I worked a little harder and rewrote her entire life—altered all her memories from childhood."
Shokuhou Misaki introduced the situation with obvious pride. Even before she started speaking, Mugino's pupils had already turned into those distinctive starry eyes that signaled total control.
"Honestly, even for me, erasing that much and fabricating so many memories took a lot of work."
Like an artist admiring a perfect piece? Maybe not precisely—but that was certainly the feeling Haramura Makoto got from her.
"Fine, but why this outfit?"
They didn't actually need Mugino to guide them; this place was practically Shokuhou's second home. Whenever she stayed out, this was where she slept.
The two of them walked side by side down the corridor, with the controlled Mugino following a few steps behind.
"Physical punishment is pointless—I don't care for that sort of thing, it's disgusting."
Misaki tapped her lower lip with her middle finger, a sly smile at the corner of her mouth.
"When I examined her mind, I found something interesting."
"From the outside she looks bold, open, uninhibited."
"But in truth, she's very shy—someone who would only wear something revealing in private, to look at herself in secret."
"I rewrote almost everything about her—her temperament, her traits."
"But on this point, I preserved it on purpose."
"…"
Haramura Makoto looked at her exquisite profile and let out a quiet sigh.
"In some ways, you really are a little devil."
This was a steady, relentless attack against Mugino's psyche. A shy, modest person forced to wear something scandalously revealing day after day, without any ability to resist—because she was Shokuhou's personal maid.
"She deserves it."
The sly smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold composure that ran from eyes to soul.
"The moment she entertained thoughts she shouldn't have toward you, being allowed to live at all was already the greatest mercy."
"This is nothing more than exposing her shame."
"What's that, really?"
Haramura could feel the simmering anger in Misaki's voice. He knew with certainty that if he said he didn't want to see this woman again, Misaki would abandon her new trophy on the spot.
"Forget it, there's no need to take it so far."
"In a way, you've already killed her spirit to avenge me."
He patted Misaki's shoulder lightly, reversing roles to comfort her instead.
"Hmph."
Misaki's soft little huff was irresistibly cute.
Yes—this had been her intention. If all she wanted was a bodyguard, there was no need to completely rewrite Mugino's mind; a few key adjustments would have been enough. But she chose to remake Mugino entirely—to kill her from the inside out.
It raised a paradox: what defines a person—their memories or their body?
If the body is gone, but the memories are revived in someone else, acting exactly as before—are they dead?
If the body remains intact, but all memories are gone and the person behaves like a stranger—are they alive?
Contradictions both—but for Shokuhou Misaki, who could freely manipulate another's psyche and memories, the answer was simple: memory defines existence.
Mugino's LV5 electronic ability—Meltdowner—was useful. So Misaki killed Mugino's mind to avenge Haramura.
"Do you think what I did was right?"
Unprompted, walking alongside him, Misaki asked softly.
"Do you think I'd be afraid of you?"
"I've told you already—don't worry about meaningless things like that. I'll always trust you."
For all her teasing about Mugino's hidden shyness, Misaki herself was deeply sensitive. Ever since she'd revealed Mugino's true nature, Haramura Makoto had sensed her anxiety. She was afraid that what she'd done, or the power she wielded, would make him fear her.
So what else could he do now but be perfectly clear? He couldn't let fear creep into her heart.
"Mmm—"
That lingering worry seemed to melt away. When he glanced at her profile again, he could swear her smile glowed a touch brighter.
"How about their situation—you've handled the three of them?"
"Can't be that easy, right?"
A squad led by an LV5 had immense value—both as research assets and combat power. You couldn't just reassign their allegiance with a snap of the fingers.
"As for that," Misaki said lightly, "let's just say I know a principal who cares very much about the school's honor."