Correction of Karuizawa Kei

It is somewhat similar to the principles of the White Room, as both rely on students growing through mutual slaughter.

However, this is at least still a school, rather than a place of pure, unadulterated confrontation.

Xia Mu packed his things and walked over to his class's designated spot.

As soon as he arrived, many gazes converged upon him.

Over this period, his popularity had shifted from being completely unknown to somewhat famous, though it still didn't amount to even a tenth of the Student Council president's.

This was because he was still constantly using Hypnosis whenever the opportunity arose.

When one needs to hide oneself, one must do so.

Only then can one be like a viper coiled and ready to strike, delivering a fatal blow at the critical moment.

When Suzune Horikita saw Xia Mu, she still felt a sense of bewilderment.

She could not accept that her own brother had actually lost to a student she had looked down upon.

She had originally thought Xia Mu was just a student with some ability who thought too highly of himself, but it seemed it was not that simple after all.

His athletic ability was likely, no...

It was far ahead of everyone else in the entire grade.

"Xia, Xia Mu."

Sakura wove through the crowd and walked to Xia Mu's side, calling out to him softly.

Turning his head, he saw that she was wearing thick, long-sleeved pink clothing and gray trousers.

"Aren't you hot?" he couldn't help but ask.

In the middle of summer like this, even shorts and short sleeves felt stifling.

"Line up to board the ship!" Before Sakura could respond, Chabashira shouted at the students of the class.

Everyone began to line up to board the ship and find their rooms.

Chabashira had already distributed their dormitory assignments in advance.

After putting his things away, Xia Mu walked out and stood on the deck of the cruise ship, gazing out at the endless blue ocean.

The sea breeze, carrying a faint briny scent, blew against his face, cool and comfortable.

The cruise ship was five or six stories high, and the view of the sea from here was excellent.

Damn capitalists, they really know how to enjoy themselves.

Xia Mu couldn't help but sigh.

Once he maxed out his abilities and graduated, he would definitely have to make enough money to buy one himself.

By that time, he would surely be omnipotent, with every ability among the top tier.

When that day came, whether to seize power or become a wicked capitalist would all be a matter of his own choosing.

"Ha~"

Stretching comfortably, Xia Mu decided to head to the second floor to buy something to eat.

He picked a shop at random and stepped inside, and just as he was waiting in line...

With a "bang," two people collided, and the person knocked to the ground landed right in front of him.

It was a girl wearing glasses who looked frail and socially anxious.

And the person who had knocked her down was someone Xia Mu was somewhat familiar with.

Karuizawa Kei.

The moment she hit the person, a look of panic and fear appeared on Karuizawa Kei's face.

She wanted to apologize and help the person on the ground up.

But her current persona was that of a strong, domineering girl; if she showed weakness now, and her other side were discovered, would she end up like she did before...

Thinking of this, combined with the gazes of the surrounding students gathering on her, Karuizawa Kei made up her mind.

She had to break free from her past self!

"Hmph, don't you look where you're going when you walk?"

Karuizawa Kei said this with her nose in the air, then walked out of the shop with her head held high, carrying her packed food.

Xia Mu had seen the entire process clearly.

In fact, both were at fault; one had been walking with her head down, and the other had been walking quickly without looking where she was going.

Narrowing his eyes, he followed right after Karuizawa Kei as she stepped out of the shop.

Once Karuizawa Kei was out of everyone's sight, she began to run quickly.

She didn't stop until she reached a deserted corner, where her body went limp as if she had lost all her strength, and she crouched to the ground, gripping the railing with both hands and gasping for air.

Her body couldn't stop trembling, and her face was filled with uncontrollable fear.

Even if those dark days were only resurfacing in her memory, she felt terrified.

"Cough, cough, cough!!"

"Ugh..."

Perhaps due to overwhelming fear, she couldn't help but cough and retch violently; the bravado she had shown just moments ago was nothing but a facade.

She must never go back to those days of being bullied again!

Since coming to this school, she was determined to turn over a new leaf and live a different life.

"Tap, tap, tap."

At that moment, rhythmic footsteps sounded on the deck, approaching from behind her.

Seeing this, Karuizawa Kei's pupils dilated sharply, and she scrambled up from the ground in a hurry.

Turning her head, she couldn't help but cry out, "Xia Mu?"

Suppressing the emotions on her face, she immediately put on a fierce front, "Why are you following me!?"

Her voice was sharp and overbearing.

"I saw everything just now." Facing Karuizawa Kei's screeching, Xia Mu responded with indifference, taking a few steps forward to corner her against the railing.

She was like a frightened rabbit now, trembling with anxiety.

"I, I don't know what you mean."

As soon as Karuizawa Kei heard Xia Mu's words, her resolve instantly crumbled. She grabbed the food she had packed on the ground and stood up, preparing to leave, "I'll pay back the points I owe you soon, so please move aside now."

However, Xia Mu's figure remained like a solid statue, blocking her path and refusing to budge.

"What are you doing!??"

Seeing this, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but reach out to push Xia Mu away, but instead, he caught her wrist and shoved her back.

With a "thud," Karuizawa Kei's back slammed against the railing, the pain causing her face to contort.

She looked up at Xia Mu, a sudden sense of terror rising from the depths of her heart.

That familiar feeling made it hard for her to breathe.

"Karuizawa Kei, become mine."

Xia Mu's cold gaze revealed no emotion, and his words left Karuizawa Kei feeling bewildered, "I will help you and carry out your Correction properly."

"If you mess around any further, I'll scream for help!"

Enduring the stinging pain in her back, Karuizawa Kei forced herself to raise her voice, trying to make herself look less like an easy target.

She knew that if she showed any weakness, she would surely fall back into her old situation immediately.

However, Xia Mu remained unmoved by her threat and continued to step forward.

In that moment, she wanted to scream for help and attract the surrounding students.

She didn't believe Xia Mu would be bold enough to lay a hand on her in front of so many people.

But at that moment, a single sentence from Xia Mu caused her psychological defenses to collapse completely.

"You were bullied in school before, weren't you?"

Xia Mu's eyes glinted with a chilling light, "If you dare to scream, I'll make sure everyone knows everything you suffered back then."

Karuizawa Kei's body stiffened as if struck by lightning, and she froze in place.

Could it be that Xia Mu had attended the same school as her?

But regardless, she didn't dare to defy him. She could only grit her teeth, her eyes practically spitting fire, "What exactly do you want?"

Xia Mu stood still in front of Karuizawa Kei, looking at the System Panel before him.

[Mission: Correction of Karuizawa Kei.]