"Didn't expect it to go so smoothly. But seriously, how did you dodge that attack just now? I thought I was going to die of fright."
The sound of a grappling hook retracting echoed as Harumura Makoto descended from the sky, holding Misaki Shokuhou by the waist.
"Ah, that? Easy. In battle, you have to account for all environmental factors. That's basic."
Makoto pointed to the spot behind Mugino Shizuri, motioning for Misaki to look.
There, a manhole cover had been lifted open.
"It's simple. Mugino thought she had me cornered there, but actually I chose that position. From the start, I knew I could dodge all of Mugino's normal attacks. But that kind of concentrated bullet-hell barrage? Absolutely impossible to evade.
So I deliberately positioned myself there, then used pre-prepared explosives to create smoke, making her think I was at my limit — that tossing bombs was nothing more than a desperate last stand.
And that let her drop her guard."
Makoto yawned as he walked up to Mugino's collapsed form, grabbing her hair to check her condition.
"Has it already gone in deep?"
"Of course."
Misaki looked pleased, but her smile quickly soured.
"Which is why I always say — I hate Electromasters. Even though her mind was already weakened, even though we'd stripped away her physical functions with drugs, trying to break through her electromagnetic defenses still nearly fried my brain. Even now, my temples are throbbing."
Misaki's power was Mental Out — "Psychological Control."
In essence, by manipulating water content, she could control the secretion of substances in the brain, as well as the balance of blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
But because of that, she was nearly helpless against Electromasters who could generate currents inside their own bodies.
That was why she had asked Makoto to retreat in the first place.
A lower-level Electromaster she could maybe handle, but against the #3 and #4 ranked espers, who directly countered her?
She was powerless.
Unless she could bring a dozen different Level 4s with her, she'd never be able to face those two head-on.
"But it was worth it, wasn't it? At the very least, now you have a trump card like never before. Whatever you want to do from here on, you'll have much more confidence, won't you?"
Misaki walked up beside him, smiling brightly.
"Though the aftermath will be troublesome. After all, this is a Level 5 — and one of the former dark side operatives at that."
"Keeping her under my control won't be easy. But the gains outweigh the risks, don't they?"
Makoto let go of Mugino, casually tossing her to the ground without the slightest care.
He had no fondness for her whatsoever.
Normally, it was rare for him to dislike someone so much that his impression of them dropped into the negatives.
Mugino Shizuri had somehow achieved that honor.
A crazy woman like her… who could possibly like her?
"Fine. I'll let it go this time. But if you ever risk something this dangerous again, I won't forgive you. Got it?"
Misaki shot Makoto an annoyed glare.
Who could've guessed the harebrained plan he'd come up with at the start?
Keep up relentless pressure on Mugino in a high-tension battle until her unpracticed Electromaster powers faltered for a split second — then, in that instant, Misaki would seize control.
It was a tactic that worked only against Mugino.
After all, her control over her own ability was abysmal.
Unlike the #3, she couldn't maintain an electromagnetic barrier around herself at all times.
But the risks involved were suffocating just to think about.
Misaki hadn't wanted to risk losing this man.
Thankfully, she'd come prepared.
She'd brought with her the latest tech from the "Talent Workshop" — button-sized bombs and signal-blocking serum that could disrupt biological signals.
That was how the plan had changed.
They played the information gap — Mugino had no idea Misaki was even there.
Misaki secretly controlled Kinuhata Saiai, handing her the serum.
At the exact moment Mugino thought she'd finished off Makoto and relaxed her guard, Kinuhata injected her with the serum.
The instant it entered her system, Mugino's calculation ability plummeted.
From there, everything else — Frenda's missile barrage, for example — was just icing on the cake.
"…Got it. More importantly, let's get out of here first."
Makoto sighed, waving his hand.
"I still need to calm down that little one."
The big problem was dealt with, but the smaller ones remained.
The destroyed "Leo" base.
And Frenda — who had already woken up once, only for Misaki to knock her out again.
He needed to deal with both quickly.
"You're right."
Misaki also sighed.
Because Makoto had contacted her suddenly, much of her preparation had been hasty. She too had a lot to sort out.
"In that case, why not come to my place first? If that little sister of yours has any issues, I can help straighten her out."
"Go to your place?"
Makoto tilted his head.
He didn't know all the details, but Misaki had explained to him before what kind of research facility the "Talent Workshop" really was.
Its importance could easily rank among the top in all of Academy City.
"Of course you can. Wait — are you teasing me?"
Misaki puffed her cheeks, glaring at him.
"No, no. Let's head over right now. The sooner, the better. I don't want this woman waking up again. Best to hit her with a complete brainwash."
"Catching her again won't be so easy."
Makoto shrugged, then lifted his right hand, his gaze falling onto his own index finger.
In his eyes flashed a strange, expectant light.
"Besides, there's something I'm dying to confirm for myself."
"Mm…"
Seeing that look, Misaki's already good mood soared even higher.
She walked over, grabbed his arm firmly, and pulled out a remote with her other hand, pressing the button.
"Let's go home. Right now, the idea of properly taming a Level 5 has me more excited than ever."