Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

「Hello?」

『Yeah. Were you waiting for me like a good boy?』

「Which means...」

『Yeah, I’ve done a little digging. Oh, and don’t ask me where the information came from. A snake’s path is a snake’s path』

When Maisaka said this, it was too subtle to be true or a joke, so he had trouble answering. 

「So... how did it go?」

『Ah... That was a bit of a surprise』

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Mishuku Hana. She’s currently living alone in a nearby apartment. Apparently, her parents have some money. 

『Only, she’s adopted. Her current parents are not her real parents』

Her parents died when she was in the sixth grade, and she was taken in by her new parents. 

At that time, she moved from her original hometown to Tokyo. 

『The point is that Mishuku’s original hometown is...』

「Hokkaido, maybe?」

『What, you were expecting that? I’m disappointed!』

As expected. 

Well, it’s not that he was expecting it, it’s just that he thought of it just a moment ago. 

But this may have connected the pieces. 

『If she had stayed in Hokkaido, she would have gone to Shibatsuru instead of Shibahou. Well, because of that, the sports festival is in trouble!』

「...haha」

Chihiro did not tell Maisaka about Hana’s request. But in spite of this, it seems that this is the reason why the name Hokkaido came to his mind. 

...Still, he doesn't want to assume that he knows about the relationship between Chihiro and Maria, or that he’s already found out about it. 

『Her powers were awakened in the sixth grade. I don’t know exactly, but it roughly coincides with the time her parents died. Aslo, I’m not sure if it was before or after she was taken in』

In middle school, Hana went to a private school. Her grades were high, but she was not a member of any clubs. It’s also unclear if she was training for her abilities. Moreover, there is no evidence that she was in a relationship with anyone. 

And after entering Shibahou Academy, she was a very quiet girl. She responds to people when they talk to her, and she is not bad-natured, but she is not the type of person who wants to join a circle of people. She’s the only one with a rank of B, but she never uses it, so she’s given a curious look. 

『That’s all. Was that helpful? 』

「Yes, thank you. That’s enough」

『Okay. Well, I’ll leave you to it. Good luck』

The call then cut out. 

*fuuh* 

Chihiro let out a breath and put his arms down. Then Riko put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. 

「Hokkaido, the same as Fukami-san?」

「...Yeah. I suppose so」

Maria’s old school is Shibatsuru Academy in Sapporo. 

That’s what she told him when she transferred to this school. 

In other words, there is a high possibility that Hana and Maria come from the same place. 

There was also a hint, come to think of it. 

『Just get rid of it. I’ll contact Hana-san when I’m ready. I’ll tell her about you, so don’t worry』

『If you mess with me, Maria-chan will be dragged into this too, don’t you think? 』

Hana-san. 

Maria-chan. 

They called each other by their first names. Except for that one time, they called each other by their surnames, so it was probably a mistake they made unconsciously. 

If they didn’t know each other, would they have bothered to call each other by their first names? 

「If the two of them know each other, I can understand why Mishuku-san insists on using Maria」

「...Yeah」

Although it’s hard to say what kind of relationship they have, it’s clear that there’s something between them. At least, it’s much easier to understand than love at first sight. 

『It means, "Please give me a slave"』

A slave. 

The desire to turn an old acquaintance into a slave by any means necessary. 

In order... hatred or jealousy? 

If he considers Hana’s ability to plunder, the more likely scenario is jealousy. 

To take from those who have it. The desire to take. 

In this case, is it Chihiro or Maria who is the "owner"? 

Either way, 

「So, Fukami-san is a victim, too...?」

「Very likely, I guess」

Like Chihiro, Maria is also a victim of Hana’s desires. 

Whether she wanted to or not, she had no choice but to become Hana’s property. 

Then. 

「Do you want to get Fukami-san back?」

「Yes. I’ll get her back」

She replied, "Okay" from behind him. 

Then, Riko stood up, away from Chihiro, and as she walked toward her bag, she turned and smiled. 

「I’ll help you. It’s not like I’m not related to her」

「Thanks」

Once that’s decided, the sooner he acts, the better. 

After changing their clothes, they decided to move quickly.