Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

Number of times: 2

Duration: 12 minutes

After the mental power was enhanced, even the initial puppet changed.

Didn't expect to use it here?

Once the Flame Sword is unleashed, this room will likely be rendered unusable.

After that, they either went back to the teachers' dormitory or slept with others in cramped conditions.

Himeko felt a little regretful; just thinking about Ziyao gave her a headache.

"Teacher, I'm done washing."

Mei came out in less than a minute.

A hint of mockery lingered in her eyes, as if she were laughing at Ziyao's inability to leave the barrier it had created.

At this moment, she is not the real Mei, but Himeko, who is residing in Jizo Mitama.

"Okay, I'll be done washing soon."

Ziyao gave a perfunctory answer and took out clothes from the wardrobe.

Because she wasn't quite used to life as a girl, she didn't buy many clothes; they were mostly simple everyday outfits.

The bathroom is a good option.

Since the other party was trying to stall for time, Ziyao decided to play along.

Worried that the doll's power might hurt Mei, Ziyao had to avoid her, since the indoor space was too small.

Mei gave her a knowing look, took her hand, and led her to the soft bed.

"Wait...Mei?!"

The girl had no chance to refuse and was dragged directly to the bedside.

Himeko, who was controlling Mei, knew very well that Azusa would not harm this body.

With this advantage, wouldn't it be easy to control them?

She no longer wants to let things slowly erode.

A long night can lead to many unforeseen events; direct contact is more efficient.

Goodness, get lost in the erosion...

Her eyes, glowing with a pale pink light, were like a demon tempting people to fall into an abyss, slowly eroding their minds.

“Swishing…”

Her clothes were disheveled, her fair skin was faintly visible, and the girl's breathing became increasingly heavy.

Ziyao knew perfectly well that the other party couldn't possibly be after her body; there must be some other motive...

She'd welcome a simple sticker, of course, but it has to be Mei herself.

"It's you...?"

As Mei unbuttoned the cumbersome button, she suddenly paused, her eyes instantly regaining their clarity.

Himeko has taken control of Mei's body, and as a Herrscher of Reason, she naturally cannot stand idly by.

Reason has temporarily taken the upper hand.

It was a gaze that looked down on everything, regarding all things as ants.

The gentle Mei would never look at someone with that kind of gaze, so there's only one answer.

Queen of Thunder —

However, the girl was severely corrupted, and even the Herrscher consciousness could not dispel it.

Out of concern for Mei, she doesn't completely take control of the body, which becomes her weakness.

Soon, Mei's eyes returned to their usual hazy state.

Seeing that she was doomed, the girl gripped the bed sheet tightly and kept backing away.

"Wake up! It's me, Ziyao!..."

In her haste, Ziyao let something slip.

These words were remarkably effective; the girl immediately stopped moving.

“Ziyao...”

Mei's eyes regained their clarity, and she kept murmuring the name, but this was only temporary.

The corrosive force quickly dissipated, only to return with renewed force.

After being hit back and forth, the girl fell into a deep sleep.

The next moment, Mei lost all strength and collapsed into Ziyao's arms.

She, on the other hand, simply fell asleep.

Ziyao is still suffering from the lingering effects of the corrosive power.

Fortunately, he had strong mental strength, otherwise he would have been caught off guard and capsized.

With a warm and soft woman in his arms, as a virtuous person, Ziyao would not do anything out of line.

She gently placed the girl on the bed and thoughtfully covered her with a blanket.

Recalling what had just happened, her steps became even weaker.

"Cough cough..."

After Mei fell into a coma, the power that had been holding the door shut disappeared.

Upon opening the door, I saw a game playing on the television screen in the living room.

Kiana and Bronya were asleep on the sofa, leaning on each other, still holding the controllers in their hands.

Quiet.

Quietly eerie.

Just as Ziyao predicted, the situation is now very bad.

"Nightingale, why are your clothes so messy?"

Theresa had just returned from buying snacks when she quickly noticed something was wrong.

"Kiana, I brought back potato chips, wake up."

".....Zzzzz"

The girl slept soundly, her peaceful sleeping face resembling that of a princess from a fairy tale.

"Bronya?"

Bronya was the same; she couldn't be woken up no matter how much they called her.

Because Theresa had just touched an ice pop, her little hands were ice-cold. Logically, Kiana should have gotten up immediately and complained.

In the corner, a red katana reflects a deep luster under the light, as if it has weathered countless vicissitudes.

Theresa looked to Ziyao for help, wondering why everyone had changed so much since she came back.

"You mean the culprit is this sword...?"

Upon hearing this, Theresa approached the Jizo Mitama, which indeed possessed powers similar to those of a Herrscher.

Before she received it, Rita had warned her that it was an important key to the divine and that she should keep it herself.

Theresa was worried because the academy's underground area had been invaded by anti-entropy, so she took it back to her dormitory and kept a close watch on it.

Unexpectedly, it was this action that led to the situation.

It goes without saying who was behind this—her grandfather, the bishop.

"..."

Ziyao observed from the side, seemingly lost in thought.

"Do you see anything?"

Theresa said anxiously, feeling guilty that she had put the students in danger.

"Wire."

If you pay close attention, you'll see two thin, transparent threads connecting the girls to the Jizo-myoji.

While playing a visual novel, Ziyao learned about related matters in a side story called "Cherry Blossom Reincarnation".

Jizo Mitama can not only project the user's consciousness, but also seems to be able to create dream spaces that drag innocent people into them, making them food for the Key of Corruption.

If that's the case, then perhaps it makes sense.

"Without further ado, I'll cut it off!"

"No."

Ziyao shook her head.

“Once cut off, their spirits will be wounded.”

She doesn't know what Otto is up to yet; she only has a general understanding of the power of Jizo Mitama, so she can't draw any conclusions.

After examining the current situation, Ziyao proposed two solutions.

The first step is to wait for the three girls to break free of the dream and return to reality.

The second option is to actively enter the dream space, but the consequences are unpredictable.

Theresa and her are special; Jizo Mitama has little effect on them.

Mei was controlled just now, probably because Hishimaru wanted to actively pull her into the dream space.

"Then, I will go and rescue them myself."

Without the slightest hesitation, Theresa chose the latter.

She hated leaving things to chance, which was hard to discern, and sitting idly by was not her style.