Chapter 595: Adorable Mashiro, Akemi's Useless Skill
Meanwhile, across the street and safely sheltered from the immediate drama, a cluster of girls had witnessed the entire exchange. Kasugano Sora stood with her usual circle of friends. On weekends, Riven and Justice typically tagged along, bringing their own chaotic energy to the group.
Riven held a cup of milk tea in one hand and a heavy gym bag slung effortlessly over her opposite shoulder. She frowned, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "Is it just my imagination? I feel like Yuko is getting awfully close to Ren."
The others nodded in silent agreement. Justice slung an arm around Riven's shoulders, a wide, knowing grin spreading across her face. "Ha! Riven, my dear, you have to understand that the female species can be entirely blind—and usually, it happens all at once."
"Huh? Why don't I feel anything like that?"
"Did you even consider yourself a woman before this?"
Riven paused, genuinely pondering the question, before slowly shaking her head.
Justice chuckled, her demonic amusement shining through. "Exactly. That's why you need to cultivate your 'maidenly charm.' Once you do, you'll understand that exact feeling."
Riven's naturally bold and trusting nature took over. She nodded seriously, accepting the advice without a second thought. Sakura Hibiki, however, leaned in with a skeptical expression. "Is that really how it works? Sister Justice, is your own maidenly charm actually that high?"
The group murmured in agreement, turning their doubtful gazes toward the silver-haired demon. Justice merely raised an eyebrow. These little girls were truly outrageous.
Kasugano Sora shook her head, stepping up to defend her. "No, Sister Justice is amazing. She can tailor clothes from scratch, and she takes care of everyone on a daily basis. Her feminine appeal is actually incredibly high."
Justice flashed a brilliant smile. "Sora! Well said!"
Riven sighed, looking down at her calloused hands with a hint of helplessness. "But all I know how to do is wash dishes, chop vegetables... and water the flowers."
The girls offered her sympathetic looks, but Justice's grin turned downright mischievous. She had been waiting for exactly this opening. "Don't sweat it, Riven! You've got me, don't you? Leave it to the expert. I'm currently tailoring a special outfit just for you. The second you put it on, your maidenly charm is going to absolutely explode!"
Riven's eyes widened with surprise and anticipation. "Oh! That sounds incredible. What kind of clothes?"
"It's a secret. Just put it on and show it to Ren when the time comes. I guarantee it'll leave him completely spellbound. Your charm will be off the charts!"
Riven didn't particularly care why she had to show it to Ren. She just felt like she was about to receive some top-tier, legendary equipment that would boost her stats.
Sora quietly sipped her cola, tilting her head as she glanced at Justice. A memory surfaced. When she had gone downstairs to call Justice for dinner a few days ago, she had caught a fleeting glimpse of dark fabric on the sewing table—something that looked suspiciously like black stockings.
Sora almost choked on her drink, stifling a laugh. That would be too entertaining. She looked at Riven's long, athletic legs, currently clad in slim-fit jeans that perfectly accentuated their toned proportions. If those legs were wrapped in sheer black stockings... it really might cause an 'explosion' of charm.
As Sora's imagination ran wild, a small, pale hand suddenly grasped her sleeve. She blinked, looking down to see Shiina Mashiro staring up at her with an entirely blank, poker-faced expression.
"Mashiro-nee, what's wrong?" Sora asked.
Mashiro merely parted her lips, making no sound. Beside her, Soryuin Akemi nodded sagely. "Mashiro wants to ask you what 'maidenly charm' actually means."
Mashiro nodded in confirmation.
The entire group, Justice included, froze. What the hell? Mashiro hadn't even spoken a single syllable, yet Akemi knew exactly what she was asking? Were their brains wirelessly synchronized?!
Through sheer, tireless dedication—and treating Shiina Mashiro with the doting affection of an overbearing mother—Soryuin Akemi had recently unlocked a highly powerful, yet utterly useless, passive skill. She could read Mashiro's mind.
It had shocked Mashiro the first time it happened. One rainy afternoon, Mashiro had simply tilted her head while staring out the window. Without missing a beat, Akemi had declared, "Mm-hmm! Mashiro, you want to draw, right? And you want a slice of Baumkuchen to go with it, right?"
Mashiro's golden eyes had widened in silent awe, convinced Akemi possessed some divine power.
After Akemi proudly recounted this milestone to the group, they were left completely speechless. Sakura Hibiki's eye twitched. "Um... Akemi... why do I feel like your intense research into Mashiro is just a little bit... very..."
"Very what?" Akemi asked.
"Perverted," six voices answered in perfect unison.
"Eh?! No way! This is just my deep, maternal care for Mashiro! It's pure love!"
Mashiro tilted her head, her voice soft and flat. "Akemi is very good to me."
"See? See!" Akemi beamed.
Kamisato Ayaka sighed, a refined hand resting against her cheek. "Mashiro, if Akemi is threatening you, just blink."
Mashiro simply stared at Ayaka. Her unblinking, unreadable gaze locked onto the noble girl. Ayaka shifted uncomfortably, a bead of sweat forming on her brow. What was happening? Why was she just staring with that terrifyingly blank poker face?
Two agonizing minutes dragged by. Finally, Mashiro slowly raised both hands and physically covered her own eyes. After a long, silent moment, she lowered them and resumed staring at Ayaka.
Akemi shrieked, waving her hands frantically. "Mashiro! That was a joke! She wasn't telling you to literally stop blinking!"
The girls exchanged exhausted glances, silently giving a collective thumbs-up. Good heavens. Was Mashiro just that pure, or did Akemi simply understand her eccentricities too perfectly?
Mashiro blinked normally, turning her attention back to Sora. Sora cleared her throat, trying to sound authoritative. "Maidenly charm... it's basically the feeling of showcasing a woman's best qualities and gaining recognition for them. Generally speaking, it means having elegant talents, a gentle and nurturing personality, things like that."
Mashiro processed this for a moment. "So, Sora... you don't have any maidenly charm?"
Sora clutched her chest as if struck by a physical arrow. What the hell?! How could she, the dignified and elegant representative of refined ladies everywhere, lack feminine charm?!
Mashiro tilted her head, her voice devoid of malice but dripping with lethal honesty. "Because Sora often sleeps through her classes, plays video games all night, is usually very tsundere, and..."
"Enough!" Sora's face flushed crimson. "I... how about we change the subject?! For example... right! Mashiro-nee! You got a perfect score on your art exam this time! That's so amazing!"
Mashiro nodded slowly. "It wasn't difficult... Sora, you... huh? Where did Sora go?"
"Mashiro-nee! I just remembered Sister Lucifer needs to strictly check my homework! I'm leaving right now! Akemi! Mashiro-nee, Ayaka, Hibiki, Gina! I'm heading back! See you tomorrow!"
With a flurry of hurried footsteps, the silver-haired girl scurried down the street, vanishing around the corner in record time to escape the brutal reality check.
Justice laughed, clearly amused by the sudden burst of energy. "Oh! Well, well, Sora is finally acting energetic again. In that case, the two of us will head back too. See you tomorrow, girls!"
"Bye!" the remaining five chorused.
Far away, hidden deep within the suffocating shadows of a quiet alley, the atmosphere shifted. A chilling, saccharine-sweet voice drifted through the cold air, laced with a dangerous, obsessive edge.
"Ha... only three left... if I remove them, I can become a god? I'll be qualified to stand by your side, right...? Ah... I'm really looking forward to it... Amano-san... please, let's always be together... no matter who I have to kill..."
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