In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 33

The Soul Chaser turned and left, glancing once more at the wall that had completely returned to normal before departing, and chuckled softly.

"While I won't forbid you from using your abilities, remember to control the scope. If other patients in the ward see you, they might think they're hallucinating."

The door is closed.

Index couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes sparkling.

"Higashino... are all of these your abilities?"

Higashino Yu nodded with a smile.

"Yes, one of the abilities of 'cognitive reconstruction' after evolution."

He reached out and gently tapped her forehead.

So, don't worry. I'm stronger than ever before.

Index nodded vigorously, her silver hair swaying gently with the movement.

"Um!"

She turned to look out the window, then back to look at Dongye, and said solemnly:

"Higashino, next time... could you please not push yourself so hard? I don't want to see you get hurt again!"

Higashino looked at her profile and nodded.

"certainly."

He made the promise softly, his eyes resolute.

"I'm very strong now."

Even if it were Accelerator, a saint, he could only fight him head-on now. If he were to launch a sneak attack, it would be even easier, and...

Higashino could feel that his abilities were still growing every moment, and he didn't know where the limit was.

Maybe if he finds a place to bury himself and sleeps for a year or two, he'll come out invincible.

However, such a thing is impossible. The world being suddenly destroyed is a highly probable event, and he doesn't want to be taken away by the Demon God's AoE for no reason.

Index turned her head, her eyes filled with expectation and trust.

"You've made plans?"

"It's arranged."

A breeze blew in from the window, carrying the scent of summer. Higashino Yu leaned against the pillows, looking at Index's smiling face.

Such a smile... no wonder so many people are touched by her and willing to protect her.

Chapter 46 Maids are amazing!

After confirming that he was alright, Higashino and Index quickly returned to the apartment where most of the residents had already left.

"Slow down, slow down!"

She repeated anxiously, carefully pulling on Higashino's arm.

"The doctor said not to do strenuous exercise! Walk slowly!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine now."

As they talked, the two opened the door and went into the room, and then Higashino and Index stopped in their tracks at the same time.

In the center of the living room, Kanzaki Kaori waited patiently in an impeccable kneeling posture.

Her long black hair was meticulously tied into a high ponytail, giving her a smart and capable look. However, her attire formed a stark contrast, a black and white maid outfit.

Beneath the delicate lace-trimmed headband, her usually stern face was now flushed crimson, almost as if it were about to bleed.

What attracted Higashino the most was her skirt, which was surprisingly short, revealing her thighs, which were toned and powerful from years of exercise.

"...?"

Index's eyes widened instantly, her mouth slightly agape, as if she had witnessed something unbelievable. She instinctively gripped Higashino's arm, filled with surprise and bewilderment.

She couldn't understand why the woman who had been chasing her was now waiting at home dressed in such shameless clothes.

Higashino tried hard to suppress his laughter: "This is... cough... the result of winning the bet before."

He never expected that Kanzaki would fulfill her promise so quickly. It seems that the idea of ​​"if you fail, you have to be your own maid for a day" that he secretly implanted with his ability was very effective.

But does she really know what a maid is supposed to do? The Amakusa-style Pope certainly never did anything like that.

Kanzaki took a deep breath, suppressing her shame, and said, word by word, "...As agreed. For today only. I will serve as your maid."

Index finally snapped out of her shock, her little face immediately puffing up in anger, like a cat whose territory had been invaded.

She suddenly jumped out from behind Higashino, pointing her tiny finger directly at Kanzaki: "W-what's going on?!"

Her voice rose, filled with disbelief and a hint of unease.

"Why is this woman dressed like this in our house?! Yu! What is she trying to do?!"

She instinctively felt threatened. This woman, who used to always chase after her with such an imposing manner, was now appearing before Higashino wearing... such strange and form-fitting clothes! This filled her with intense unease and vigilance.

"Friendly exchange, Index, just a friendly exchange."

Higashino quickly tried to calm him down and explain the background of the bet.

Kanzaki seemed to be provoked by Index's reaction, her face flushed even more, but her eyes stubbornly maintained their last shred of dignity.

Her eyes were resolute, as if she were carrying out an extremely difficult task. She stood up stiffly, her skirt swaying gently with the movement, making Dongye feel an irresistible urge to lift it up and see what was inside.

Kanzaki picked up the tea tray that had been prepared next to her, and walked to the tea table in front of Higashino with the same clumsy steps as some high school students in military training. Then, she knelt down in an almost perfect posture and placed the teacup heavily in front of Higashino with a "thud," splashing a few drops of scalding tea.

"Master... Master, please have some tea."

The last four words were spoken with extraordinary difficulty, as if all the strength had been used up, carrying an almost tragic sense of gritted teeth.

This would be incredibly embarrassing for her.

"Master...Master?!"

Index's little head was even more confused, her face filled with shock and incomprehension.

She glanced at Kanzaki's ashamed and furious expression, then at Higashino; her small head seemed completely unable to process the information before her.

"Higashino! Why is she calling you master?! This... what kind of strange ritual is this? I don't understand! But this is absolutely unacceptable!"

A strong sour feeling mixed with unease instantly overwhelmed her. What exactly did this wicked woman want to do to Higashino?! She lunged towards the kitchen: "I'll get a cleaver! Get rid of this suspicious person!"

"Wait! Index!"

With lightning speed, Dongye grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her back.

"Calm down! This is just her way of fulfilling the bet! There's no danger!"

"No danger?!"

Index waved her little hands and feet in the air, looking like a cat being held by the scruff of its neck, her silver hair all messy.

"She called you 'master'! Higashino is an idiot! An idiot! A pervert! A creep!"

Her face flushed red with anger, and tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't know why she felt this strange emotion, but it made her feel quite bad.

Higashino felt a terrible headache coming on. Although Index lacked some common sense, she was naturally very perceptive when it came to jealousy!

Higashino decided to change the subject: "Um... Ms. Kanzaki, could you please help me tidy up the bookshelves over there?"

He pointed to a somewhat messy bookshelf in the corner of the living room.

"As ordered."

Kanzaki felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She immediately stood up, her movements still stiff, and quickly walked towards the bookshelf. She tiptoed to reach a heavy book on the top shelf, and her skirt inevitably rode up a few inches because of this movement, revealing more of her healthy and strong thigh lines.

The dazzling array of flowers was captivating, and the sight of those white, shapely thighs made it difficult for Dongye to look away.

Just as Higashino was struggling with what was clouding his vision, Index's voice suddenly rang out.

"Don't look!"

Index immediately screamed and jumped up, covering Higashino's eyes tightly with her two small hands.

"Higashino's eyes will be polluted!"

"I can't see Index!"

Higashino, who was attacked, staggered backward, his back hitting a nearby trash can with a loud crash.

The commotion startled Kanzaki, who was engrossed in her "battle" with the bookshelf.

She instinctively turned around quickly, her hands instinctively adopting a defensive stance with the books in her hands. However, this was not a battle. Several thick books slipped from her hands like a shower of flowers and rained down on her!

"careful!"

Kanzaki cried out in alarm, but it was too late.

"Whoa!" "Ugh!"

Higashino and Index were hit by the book at the same time, and the three of them inevitably fell into a heap.

Higashino hit the edge of the coffee table with the back of his head, wincing in pain.

Kanzaki's dangerous area came into close contact with Higashino.

Index's face was buried in Higashino's chest.

The maid's headband hung askew on Kanzaki's messy black hair, the silver and black hair tangled together on the carpet.

"It hurts, it hurts..."

Higashino struggled to pull himself out of the pile of books and the two girls.

"Aren't you hurt?"

Kanzaki jumped up as if she'd been electrocuted, her face turning as red as a ripe tomato, the color spreading all the way to her ears and neck.

"My apologies!"

She frantically straightened her disheveled skirt and hair, her movements chaotic and disorganized. In her haste, she made a mistake, and with a soft "rip," the shoulder strap came undone!

"what!"

Kanzaki cried out in surprise and awkwardly covered her shoulder.

Index seized the opportunity to pull Higashino behind her, spreading her arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks to block him, glaring angrily at Kanzaki: "Stay away from him! You dangerous...maid weirdo! I'll protect Higashino!"

"You're the one in danger!"

Kanzaki pointed to the fresh red marks on Higashino's face that Index had scratched at some point, and retorted with a mixture of shame and anger.

The two stood facing each other tensely, silent sparks flying in the air. Kanzaki's shame and anger, intertwined with Index's pure possessiveness and unease, caused the temperature in the small apartment living room to rise sharply.

Higashino sat weakly against the sofa, one hand covering the back of his head and the other pressing his stomach. Looking at the unmanageable situation before him, he sighed deeply and desperately.

"I...I'll go make myself a cup of tea to calm down..."

Higashino said weakly, struggling to stand up, but felt a burning sensation in his nose. He reached up and touched it, finding a speck of bright red on his fingertip.

"Higashino! Your nose is bleeding!"

Index noticed immediately, rushed over in a panic, and frantically wiped his face with her little hands.

Kanzaki, not even bothering to straighten her clothes, frowned and stepped forward, her tone carrying a hint of worry she herself didn't realize: "...Was it from the collision just now?"

It was indeed a collision; a certain soft spot on someone's body was indeed a weapon. However, such words obviously could not be spoken, so Higashino remained silent.

Index immediately swatted away Kanzaki's hand, which was trying to examine her, like a small animal: "It's none of your business! It's all because of the way you dressed that Higashino is like this! You wretched maid!"

She angrily cursed as she frantically tried to stop Dongye's bleeding, her little face full of worry and heartache.

Kanzaki stared into deep thought at the chaotic scene before her.

A messy floor, scattered books, Higashino covering his nose, lost in thought, and the small, silver-haired nun who protected him like a precious jewel, yet was full of hostility towards her. She looked down at her disheveled maid outfit, then up at the ceiling. An unprecedented feeling of exhaustion washed over her.

Perhaps... this bet was a mistake from the very beginning.

Chapter 47 The night of conflict between the master and the maid