While I’m resting, Amesaki-senpai goes to the cockpit to inform the pilot of our predicament. If possible, she would like him to take a different route that he planned to go back to the mainland to shake off our pursuers. He assures her that he will do so.

   ‘Also, we have a prisoner with us. Please land the helicopter on the rooftop of the Academy so that he could be safely locked up.’ Amesaki-senpai adds.

   ‘Roger that.’ the pilot says.

   I seriously have a hard time in believing that our pursuers could be shaken off by a mere detour, so I ask Yui to form an anti-detect barrier around the chopper. I’ve seen her use it in the original anime. It works so well that it could even fool the most high-tech heat detecting radars.

   Even with Yui’s barrier, we have to watch out for those executives just in case they catch up to us. There are four windows on each side of the chopper, so some of us volunteered to sit right next to the window seat to keep watch on pursuers.

   On a side note, Yui was already done decorating the barrier Brennan is trapped in with talismans. She covered it up so thoroughly I can’t even see a gap between the talismans. At the beginning, the mad scientist was making a huge ruckus while being inside. I keep hearing muffled yells and profanities coming from inside. Eventually, he got tired of yelling and stayed inside the barrier like an obedient trapped animal.

   Also, Sogdrul was already dismissed by Mashiro. I really got to treat him to something one of these days for all the saves he did with his teleportation.

   While the rest of us are resting, tending to the wounds or looking out of the window, Amesaki-senpai brings out a laptop out of thin air.

   ‘Kojima-san, may I have the thumb drive?’ Amesaki-senpai asks Madoka.

   ‘Of course.’ Madoka takes out the thumb drive and hands it over to Amesaki-senpai.

   ‘Thank you.’

   ‘Are you sending the information on everyone involved in the project to Prime Minister Shindou?’ I ask her curiously.

   ‘Yes. Now that we have solid proof, we need to have them arrested as soon as possible before they go into hiding.’ she replies while inserting the thumb drive into the laptop.

   I look at Shimazaki. He has a very depressed look. He notices me staring and smiles at me.

   ‘It’s fine, Kagenashi. It’s true that they’re my family, but what they did is wrong. They should be judged accordingly just like everyone else.’

   His smile looks so sad I’m totally lost for words. I decide to leave it at that.

   Suddenly, I hear a notification ringtone coming from Amesaki-senpai. She takes out her phone and stares at it for a few seconds. After she puts it back, she lets out a long, depressed sigh.

   Great. We have another one.

   ‘Um, everything okay there, Amesaki-senpai?’ I ask tentatively.

   ‘It’s no big deal. One of my former classmates invited me to go to a mixer. She just sent me a text to remind me that it’s happening the day after tomorrow.’

   ‘You could just refuse if you don’t want to go.’

   ‘Don’t get me wrong. I do want to go.’

   Oh man, I do not like where this is going.

   ‘I mean, this will be the fifth mixer I went ever since I graduated.’

   Yup. I just stepped on a landmine.

   ‘So far, every single mixer I went to was a failure for me. Everyone else found someone there. I’m the only one who couldn’t. By the time I went to my third mixer, I’ve studied night after night on how to nab a guy during mixers, but I still failed. Pretty much all my friends has a boyfriend after getting to know them at mixers. Why? Why is life so unfair? Am I that unattractive? Is it because I’m too scary? Am I too boring? Why…’

   She starts going on a high speed rant. Eventually, her voice became so soft I can’t even hear what she’s saying. Everyone else is looking at me with a ‘Do something about this!’ look.

   I cough softly in an attempt to change the subject. I gesture towards the Goddess who’s standing respectfully right next to me.

   ‘Everyone, this is Styx.’ I begin.

   ‘Greetings.’ Kuromi curtsies at them.

   Hearing that breaks Amesaki-senpai out of her quiet monologue.

   ‘Styx, as in the Goddess?’ she asks Kuromi.

   ‘Indeed.’

   Everyone except me are about to go down on their knees until Kuromi stops them.

   ‘Please don’t do that. I may be a Goddess, but there’s no need for you to kneel.’

   I raise my eyebrow. ‘Is it me or you didn’t say the same thing to me when I went down on my knees?’

   Kuromi shrugs. ‘I wanted to know how it feels like to be the dominant one before I formally acknowledge you as my master.’

   I decide to ignore that.

   ‘Anyway, due to her personal wish, I’ve given her a new name. She’s Kurokawa Kuromi now.’

   ‘I have nothing to say about the name part, but giving her a Japanese name? Really, Akira-kun?’ Sakuya asks.

   ‘Cut me some slack, senpai. It’s not like I know how to speak ancient Greek.’

   ‘More importantly, now that Kurokawa-sama-’

   ‘Kuromi is fine. And you can cut the sama as well.’

   ‘-Kuromi-san has a physical body, where is she going to stay?’

   Kuromi tilts her head as if she doesn’t understand the meaning of the question.

   ‘I am my master’s personal belonging. Is it wrong if I stay at my master’s side at all times? As such, I should be staying at the same room as he is.’

   ‘Pardon the intrusion, but us humans have rules. According to the rules of where we are staying, a male and a female are not allowed to share a room.’ Ichika points out.

   ‘There you have it.’ I tell Kuromi.

   ‘Hmm, a shame. Very well. Please arrange an accommodation for me when we get back.’

   ‘Of course.’

   I sigh in relieve. Looks like she’s much more reasonable than Sakuya and Assaf-sensei.

   ‘And one more thing. Please make sure that I get a room right next to my master’s and find a way to connect both our rooms.’

   (Sigh). Never mind.

   ‘...You were not listening to a single word I was saying, were you?’

   While Ichika is still telling off Kuromi, I walk over to Yui and sit down right next to her.

   ‘You doing fine there, Yui?’ I ask her.

   ‘Yes, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.’

   She smiles at me in a poor attempt to assure me that she’s alright, but her soft panting and her tired expression isn’t convincing me at all.

   ‘We’re really sorry for putting you through all of this.’ I apologize.

   ‘It okay, really. This is the only thing I can do, after all.’

   ‘Hey, don’t you dare say that. Part of the reason we’re still alive is because we have you. Never look down on your own strength, okay?’

   She smiles again. This time, it’s a genuine, happy smile.

   ‘Okay.’

   ‘Good.’

   I reach out my hand and stroke her head. She’s making soft purring sound like a cat. Man, can this girl can get any cuter?

   Suddenly, I hear something that caught my full attention.

   ‘-may I suggest you to wear one of these.’ Madoka is saying.

   I look over. Madoka is showing her phone to Kuromi. I could be mistaken, but I think I see the image of a maid’s uniform at the phone’s screen.

   ‘I see, so this is what master is interested in.’ Kuromi muses thoughtfully.

   It’s not only Kuromi. Sakuya, Ichika and Mashiro is also looking at the screen as well.

   ‘That’s right. There are lots of videos inside his computer which feature girls wearing uniform like-’

   ‘HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!’ I straight up raised my voice without considering my surroundings. ‘WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GIRLS TALKING ABOUT?’

   ‘I’ve suggested to Kuromi-san that since she’s fixated on the master-and-servant thing, she might as well wear a maid’s uniform.’ Madoka replies calmly.

   ‘Was there a need for you to expose my, well, collection?’ I demand.

   She has the nerve to make a surprised expression, as if she just realized what she has done.

   ‘Oops.’

   ‘You’re still bitter about me patting your head in front of your classmates, aren’t you?’ I accuse.

   ‘I have no idea on what you’re talking about.’

   Sakuya, on the other hand, is smiling mischievously at me.

   ‘So you’re into this kind of stuff, Akira-kun? Or should I start calling you master?’

   ‘There’s no need for that.’

   Kuromi stands up all of a sudden.

   ‘If it is what my master desires, I will get changed at once.’ she declares.

   As she says that, her chiton and breastplate transforms itself into a black maid uniform. It’s one of those that’s buttoned up at the chest part and has long skirt. Besides the uniform, Kuromi is also wearing a black headband and a pair of black knee-high boots.

   Without anyone’s encouragement, the maid uniform-wearing Goddess lifts up her skirt and twirls around on the spot so that all of us could get a good view of her new clothing.

   ‘How do I look, master?’ she asks me.

   I made an incoherent noise before I could stop myself.

   ‘He loves it.’ Madoka translates it for me.

   ‘That is good to hear. I shall wear this from now on.’

   ‘Hey, don’t decide it on your own!’

   ‘Shall I change back to my old clothing then?’

   I hesitated three seconds too long.

   ‘That’s a no.’ Kuromi concludes.

   I notice the cool kids clique and Amesaki-senpai trying very hard to hold back their laughter. That said, I’m kind of happy to see that Shimazaki is joining in as well.

   ‘Guys? Amesaki-senpai? This isn’t what it looks like, okay?’ I try to explain even though I know deep down that it’s futile.

   ‘It’s fine, Kagenashi-kun. You’re a guy, after all.’ Oomori says while patting my shoulder.

   ‘Yup, it’s normal for a guy to have a fetish or two.’ Miyahara says while letting out an occasional giggle.

   ‘Incidentally, what’s yours, Isao?’ Takayama asks her boyfriend.

   I smirk in satisfaction as it’s Miyahara’s turn to get tongue-tied.

   ‘I see, cosplay is a good way too. I’ve never think of that.’ Amesaki-senpai mumbles while looking like she’s deep in thought.

   And Kuromi just planted a weird idea inside Amesaki-senpai’s head. Not just her, but all my girlfriends as well. All of them took out their phone and start scrolling through. Even if I can’t see the screen, I can bet you anything you want that they are searching for catalogs of maid uniforms. Yui is the only one who isn’t looking at her phone.

   ‘Um, Kagenashi-kun?’ she asks me softly. ‘What do you think of shrine maidens?’

   Ah. So that’s why.

   I lean close to her ears so that the others can’t hear me.

   ‘I love them too. More specifically, I love you.’

   Yui’s whole face turns red in an instant. She has to cover her mouth with both her hands so that no one can hear her squeal in delight.

   While we’re flirting, Kuromi comes over and stands in front of me.

   ‘Master, please allow me to apologize from the bottom of my heart for not joining you in battle just now.’ she says to me while bowing as low as she could.

   I just wave away her apology.

   ‘No big deal. I know you were just following the ancient laws. Besides, you did join me in battle, remember?’

   I show her my ring.

   ‘You’ve lent me your strength. That’s more than enough.’ I assure her.

   She straightens up her body and nods, satisfied with my assurance.

   Suddenly, I hear some loud crackling sounds coming from the left side of the chopper.

   ‘Uh, guys? You better come and see this.’ Miyahara says to us.

   I quickly stand up and get to the nearest window, as do everyone else.

   Around five hundred meters away from the chopper, there’s a ball of lightning the size of a man.

   Oh boy.

   Even though I believe in the effectiveness of Yui’s barrier, I still get nervous when it’s being tested for real.

   The ball stays at its position for a few seconds, then fly off somewhere far away from the chopper. Only then I remember on how to breath.

   ‘That was…scary…’ I say to no one in particular.

   ‘I thought my heart was gonna stop...’ Miyahara says between gasps.

   ‘Yui, thank you for the barrier. I mean it. Thank you.’ I say to Yui.

   ‘You’re welcome.’ she replies.

   Her too, look white as a sheet, and I’m sure that it’s more than exhaustion of having to maintain two barriers at the same time.

   ‘I wonder where the other two are.’ Takayama thinks out loud.

   ‘Somewhere far away from us, I hope.’ Ichika says.

   We manage to reach the Academy without being spotted by our enemies. When the Academy is in sight, Sakuya calls the staffs who work there to inform them that we have apprehended Joseph Brennan and we need help in restraining him when we land. By the time the chopper has landed on the rooftop, we’re greeted by a group of heavily-armed students and teachers, Assaf-sensei and even Principal Morifuji himself.

   Assaf-sensei smiles warmly at all of us.

   ‘Welcome back, all of you.’

   ‘It’s good to be back.’ I mumble.

   Her eyes fall towards Kuromi.

   ‘Who’s that?’ she asks.

   I’m surprised that the two of them have never met, but I make the introduction anyway.

   ‘She’s Styx, the Goddess who resides in my ring.’ I introduce.

   Kuromi curtsies.

   ‘Greetings, everyone. Even though I am a Goddess, I am also a humble maid that belongs to my master who goes by the name of Kurokawa Kuromi.’

   Both Assaf-sensei and Principal Morifuji look at me with expressions that clearly screams ‘Another one?’. The only difference is, the former has an amused look while the look of the latter is downright hostile. I try not to make eye contact with my (possible) future father-in-law.

   Principal Morifuji sighs in resignation and looks at Sakuya instead.

   ‘Morifuji-kun, where is Joseph Brennan?’ he ask her.

   ‘He’s inside a barrier made by Yui-cha-I mean, Kiryuu-san.’ Sakuya replies.

   Her father nods. He then turns his neck and nods towards some students who are standing next to a large trolley. They nod back and push the trolley towards the helicopter.

   While the students are being busy, Amesaki-senpai catches up with her former principal.

   ‘It has been a while, Principal Morifuji.’ she says while they shake hands.

   ‘Indeed it has. Thank you for taking care of my students.’

   ‘There is no need to thank me. All of them are technically my juniors, after all.’

   ‘More importantly, we’ve failed to capture Professor Ryuuouji. We apologize for our failure.’ I say while bowing at him.

   ‘There’s no need for you to apologize. What matters is that all of you came back safely. Besides, the operation is not completely fruitless. You’ve at least managed to capture Brennan-’

   Right on cue, the students who went inside the chopper just now come out once again while pushing the trolley, now with the barrier on top.

   ‘Let us continue our conversation in my office. Kiryuu-kun, please follow them to the prison so that you could undo the barrier once it’s inside one of its cell.’ Principal Morifuji says to Yui. ‘Once you’re done, please join us in my office.’

   ‘Yes, principal.’

   While Yui follows the students who are pushing the trolley and the rest of the students and teachers who act as armed escorts down to the prison, the rest of us head towards the principal’s office.

   Once inside, Principal Morifuji sits down at his seat, while the rest of us stand opposite him.

   ‘Now then, please give me the details of your encounter at the lab.’ he says.

   Sakuya obliges and tells him everything that happened, minus the shenanigans that occurred inside the chopper. Principal Morifuji listens quietly without interrupting even once.

   ‘...I see. Well, as I said just now, what matters most is that all of you have come back in one piece.’

   At this moment, someone knocks on the door. Principal Morifuji gives the permission for the person to come in. It’s Yui.

   ‘Has Brennan been safely imprisoned, Kiryuu-kun?’ he asks her once she stands beside us.

   ‘Yes, principal.’

   ‘Good.’

   Now, it’s the principal’s turn to tell us what had happened while we were busy fighting the executives.

   ‘As you may know, all the Academy branches and trustworthy organizations around the world has launched simultaneous raids on all the branches of Ryuuouji Bio Lab. They had skirmishes which lasted for hours, but our side managed to emerge victorious. As a result, all the labs had been suppressed and shut down, and its test subjects released.’

   ‘Sir, I couldn’t help but notice that the lab we went are way too swift on evacuating its employees and made sure the test subjects with the most potentials are being send to somewhere else that’s safer.’ I comment.

   ‘Yes, I’ve been told the same thing by those who went to the raid.’ Principal Morifuji says with a troubled look. ‘I do not want to believe this, but it would seem that we have a mole among us.’

   ‘But, how could it be? We barely told anyone about it!’

   ‘It is a mere speculation, which I hope is false. In any case, all of you should take a good rest. You’ve earned it.’

   And so, all of us left the principal’s office. Amesaki-senpai has to go back to report to the PM, so she excused herself and left first.

   ‘So, what now?’ Takayama asks no one in particular.

   ‘We should get changed, for starters.’ Ichika says while looking at her tattered uniform.

   ‘And after that, we could all gather at Akira-kun’s room for a meal.’ Sakuya suggests.

   ‘I don’t mind but, there aren’t enough seats for this number of people.’ I say.

   ‘We’ll manage. Anyone has any objections or other plans?’

   No of them do and no one has anything better to do. Therefore, it’s been decided that we’ll be gathering at my room next.