Shura Field?

The hospital room was not particularly spacious.

In the room, the girl curled up beneath the covers cried until her eye sockets were red.

Her small hands clutched the bedding so tightly that her fingers sank deep into it.

The burly Father standing before her had eyes full of guilty apology and tenderness.

"Fa..."

"Father..." The red-eyed girl looked at the rumpled hospital gown beside the bed and choked out, "I want to transfer schools."

Her fingertips, already buried in the bedding, dug in even deeper.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi hugged the covers tightly, as though she wanted to bury her head in them as well.

She wanted to run away—

She did not want to... or rather, she did not dare see that demon again.

Whenever she recalled those beautiful crimson eyes and the maiden's gleaming, upturned lips, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi could not help remembering everything from the dream.

The bare maiden held her, wearing an innocent, natural smile that nevertheless made her feel... ashamed and humiliated from the bottom of her heart. "Let's eat."

The maiden said this devoutly to her food.

That sweet smile would probably be beloved by many people.

If... the food had not been herself.

Her entire body trembled as she curled up uncontrollably. Her knuckles ached from clenching so hard, yet she still gripped the bedding tightly.

Soga Ishikawa Irube looked at his curled-up daughter.

His expression suddenly turned helpless.

The man carefully sat down beside the hospital bed. Even so... Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi felt the entire bed sink beneath his weight.

Fortunately, this was the school hospital of Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy.

There were quite a few Metal Transformation students at the academy who were severely overweight. The hospital beds were of exceptional quality, which was why it did not collapse on the spot.

Though he was a genuine Mental Ability User, Soga Ishikawa Irube looked more like a hulking physical-enhancement user.

His reddish eyes, faintly tinged with orange just like Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's, watched his daughter curled beneath the blankets, looking as though she had cried herself into a tear-streaked mess. Little by little, the man's expression softened.

He reached out and carefully touched Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's head.

His hands had too many calluses.

He could barely feel the tender softness of the girl's cute cheeks anymore, which made Soga Ishikawa Irube slightly regretful.

But... more than regret, he worried that his lack of restraint would hurt his daughter.

That was why he was so careful, touching Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi as though she were some fragile treasure.

Her sobbing stopped, and Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi looked at Father with tear-filled eyes.

Because of her arrogance and insolence, it seemed she had not been this close to Father in a long time.

"If you want to transfer, then transfer." Though he did not know what had happened between his daughter and Miss Youzi.

But... no matter what, as a father, he had to protect his daughter as much as possible.

When he had heard that little Kiyomi had provoked Miss Youzi... Soga Ishikawa Irube had even prepared himself to kneel before Young Lady Toyura and Soga Lie.

He did not ask for any further reasons.

There was no need.

Soga Ishikawa Irube said softly, "Have you decided where you want to transfer to?"

"Do you want to leave Sekisho Ward?"

"Or... do you want to leave Tokyo?"

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi bit her lip.

To be honest... she regretted saying it the moment the words left her mouth.

Although she hated Su Youzi, hated her more than anything, but... but... she was the Young Lady of the Ishikawa family, one of the Soga clan's branch families.

The Ishikawa family could not flee before battle.

Yes... that had to be it.

It definitely was not because... the chain of the collar around her neck was in the other girl's hands.

She only... only had the tiniest little thought—truly, just a tiny little thought—of being afraid of what would happen if she ran and was caught again.

Her crimson eyes lost focus.

And... the girl bit her lips in turmoil.

Actually, from Su Youzi's perspective, was she not the villain here?

Like one of those simple-minded, pure evil Young Ladies in novels.

After swaggering up to mock the other side, she had been casually taught a lesson, then suffered Evilfall and fallen into becoming an Altered User.

An Altered User...

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi suddenly remembered something.

Throughout history... there had been one and only one Ability User who had suffered Evilfall and become a Second Sequence Altered User.

That person had successfully returned from the abyss.

That was the "Seat of Evil," who, even after returning, still exuded an intense Altered presence.

For no reason at all... Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi suddenly thought of the enormous Black Throne from her dream, which had forced its way into her Mental Domain with an overpowering presence, leaving her no room to rest.

If Su Youzi had not eaten the Anomalous Crystal from her body.

Could she... have returned from the abyss?

In truth, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi already had the answer in her heart.

Though the process had been humiliating... dark and lightless... the outcome had given her another chance to curl up in Father's palm.

She slowly shook her head. "Forget it."

Soga Ishikawa Irube looked at the girl, who seemed to be sulking, and gently shook his head.

He did not understand a girl's thoughts.

For something like this... it would be better to wait until his wife returned and let her handle it.

Outside the training hall, the maiden nervously maintained a deep bow as she stood before Su Youzi.

I owe Su Youzi my life.

But... I will also make sure she pays for the humiliation Su Youzi brought me...

An enticing, tart-sweet, refreshing fragrance—one that Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi knew all too well, one that had even been branded into her Mental Domain—filled her nostrils.

Looking at the maiden's straight, slender legs before her, her body had already begun to tremble.

Before she could even finish her grand declaration of determination and struggle, the little boat called Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi had already been utterly crushed.

But—

This was exactly the feeling.

The girl's knees knocked together, and her delicate fists clenched tightly.

Ever since returning from the abyss, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi had felt as though her chest was hollow.

Like an empty doll.

No matter how she tried to fill that heart, it had always been futile.

As she stared blankly at the ceiling late at night, the girl... suddenly thought of Su Youzi's demonic smile.

Lost and despondent, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi ultimately decided to follow Saotome Yukina and wait for Su Youzi.

Su Youzi listened with a smile to the notification of "Combat Record" being credited beside her ear.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi was different from Kujo Ryuko.

Su Youzi's attitude toward girls was also just a little more "malicious."

Beside her, Saotome Yukina's sky-blue ahoge stood straight and sharp like a sword drawn from its sheath.

This hateful woman!!!

Why was she looking for Senior Youzi again?

And... and calling her Elder Sister Yuzu.

Had Senior Youzi even allowed her to call her that!

She was only from a branch family. Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Little Rabbit hugged Su Youzi's arm tightly, almost stuffing it into her own chest.

"Sister Kiyomi?" Su Youzi wore an exceedingly wicked smile. "What is this about?"

"Mm..." Her beautiful eyes refocused.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi slowly straightened herself and looked at Su Youzi.

"Please..."

"Please, Elder Sister Yuzu..."

"Teach me Mixed Martial Arts."

Saotome Yukina froze, her aqua-blue eyes meeting Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's.

Though she looked utterly pathetic before Su Youzi.

When she looked at Saotome Yukina, the maiden's crimson eyes were still full of arrogance.

Just a mere healer—

Her sword-like ahoge stood rigidly upright, and Little Rabbit's cheeks puffed up.

What is wrong with being a healer... Bring your head over here, and I'll give you a BUFF!!!