Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

「Maria, get up」

The girl did not respond to Chihiro's command, instead sitting back in her chair.

She probably didn't have the strength left to stand up knowing that she was going to be trained further.

It was understandable, but it was still a little painful.

「Maria」

He calls her name again.

And finally, the dark-haired girl looked up.

As she stared at him, trying to move her arms and legs with slow movements, someone other than Chihiro became impatient first.

It's Riko.

She sighs and walks over to Maria. She then pushed Aika aside and looked directly into Maria's jet-black eyes.

「Hey, you know, Maria」

Her voice is cold.

Riko is almost neutral in this matter - although she stood by Aika's side in the discussion, she must have been more than concerned about Maria.

But now, in this situation.

「If you treat Master like a fool, I'll kill you for real this time」

She was clearly angry and confronted Maria.

「Riko-chan...」

「Nishizaki-san, if you're serious, I'm not going to let you get away with this」

「Shut up!」

Aika and Hana opened their mouths to speak, but Riko hit them both with sharp words.

She glared at Maria without looking back.

「You told me sometime ago. "You can't kill me". But you're not all-powerful either, are you? I can kill you with poison or by suffocating your face with something」

「Yeah, right」

Maria replied quietly then she continued to speak.

「...it's fine, just kill me」

「Tsk. This idiot...!」

「Riko!」

Riko was about to reach for Maria's neck but stopped when Chihiro stopped her.

At the sound of Chihiro's voice, the blonde girl flinched, only to swoon back.

「...I'm sorry」

Chihiro shook his head at her.

「No, it's fine. But it sounds like Maria needs some discipline」

「......」

Chihiro takes out a black lead from the SM training item.

He attached it to a metal bracket on Maria's collar and pulled on it.

Maria's body leaves the chair and her face hits the floor.

「Izumi-kun!」

「I didn't pull hard enough to do anything about it. It was Maria's carelessness in not supporting herself with her hands. Besides, the pain and injuries will heal with her own ability anyway」

Regardless of Hana's voice, Chihiro pulled on the leash.

If she didn't obey, he would drag her in the direction, and Maria began to walk on all fours, staggering.

...But he didn't expect to tie the leash to her collar like this.

Besides, Maria's face was blank, and it made Chihiro's heart full of pain.

Still, he moved her to the bedroom and threw her on the floor.

「...」

It's a bit cramped, with the bed taking up most of the area, but as long as he can keep a straight, unobstructed space, there's no problem with what "he's about to do".

With Maria left unattended, he took out a thin whip from the cabinet.

It's a SM product, designed to be less damaging to the skin than a real one. Instead, the sound when he whips it is louder.

This is also the first time for him to use it.

「...You're going to do it, huh?」

「Yes. I will」

The other three girls are already catching up.

And the one who muttered in a cold voice is Hana, who cares more about Maria than anyone else in this place, and is probably filled with a desire to stop Chihiro.

Before, she has been restrained and left in the room to instill a sense of shame and loneliness in her.

And after treating her carelessly with a sex toy, he makes her spend half a day in a room where there is hardly any noise.

She will be made to feel thoroughly humiliated as something that is not even a person.

And today, physical torture.

The general plan had been explained to her at the beginning.

These are all Chihiro's selfishness, but at the same time, they are a way to get Maria to be more honest.

At that time, Hana said something like this.

『To be honest, I don't agree with it. If I were Maria-chan's master, I would never do such a thing』

No doubt.

Hana would pamper Maria to no end. She would constantly give her pleasure to the point of debauchery and continue to create a world just for the two of them.

She won't change her attitude just because of this level of defiance, and in the first place, Hana wouldn't create an existence equal to or greater than Maria's.

『But at least I know that Izumi-kun is serious. Besides, if you're going to destroy Maria-chan once and for all, it's my chance too. If you fail and Maria-chan goes free, it would be a blessing in disguise. Well, it's just that...』

"I'll never forgive you if you kill Maria instead of destroying her".

"I will definitely kill you no matter what the cost".

That's what she said, and she agreed to the training this time. 

「You remember your promise, don't you?」

「Of course」

So, this is the last time Chihiro will train Maria.

As he watched Hana retreat to the bed, near the wall, he dropped the tip of the whip.

Aika's hand softly wrapped around Chihiro's.

She gazed at him with trusting eyes.

「Chihiro-kun, I would never let Chihiro-kun down」

「...Yes」

Never wield the whip in anger.

This is just a training session.

So, after confirming this with himself again, Aika nodded once and moved to the window.

「...Well, go ahead and give it your all. It's a good opportunity」

Finally, Riko said briefly and moved to the door.

Chihiro then took a deep breath.

Maria was lying on the floor some distance away, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

Her eyes were wandering in the air, trying to look at Chihiro's face, but giving up and moving downward.

Seeing so, he quietly said to her.

「Maria, I don't care what posture you're in, but it'll hurt if you don't protect yourself」

「...」

Chihiro doesn't know if she accepted it or not.

But his first and greatest slave staggered up and sat down on the floor. Her feet are lightly spread on the floor, and her hands are hanging limply.