An uncomfortable silence continued for a few minutes, the time it took Yukihime to finish her drink.

In a way that could only be described as noble or sophisticated, the [mage] finished her tea, actively ignoring the discomfort of Hajime and Kohaku.

"Where is the other girl?"

Her voice, at times childish but full of authority, made both teenagers stiffen.

Their hearts were beating much faster than usual; if Yukihime's intent was to terrify them to death, then she was doing a superb job.

"C-Chloe-chan is i-in her room... she used too much of her powers and hasn't fully recovered..." (Kohaku)

"And whose fault is it that she is in this condition? Kohaku-kun, are you a sadist by any chance? Does watching your best friend suffer from your reckless actions give you some form of pleasure?" (Yukihime)

"Of course not!"

The red eyes of the [Omega] flashed threateningly as the hacker lost his composure due to her words.

It was a clear warning sign, like a dog growling to scare away an overly aggressive prey, or at least that's how Hajime and Kohaku interpreted it.

"Really? To me, it seems like the exact opposite. Or maybe you're just selfish, pretending to love your only two friends, but in reality, you'd send them to hell to satisfy your desire for revenge."

"That's not true... I-I would never do something like that."

"But that's what it seems like. I'll tell you the truth, I like your initiative, but it's reaching a dangerous point. And the worst part is that Kuro-kun and Chloe-kun don't seem to want to stop you, I understand you have a strong bond, but it's exactly your unity that is the problem."

The girl with forest-green hair lowered her gaze in shame. If it had been someone else, anyone else, they would have found a way to talk their way out of this reprimand, but Yukihime was on an entirely different level.

"You've been too selfish this time, your choices could have led to unpleasant consequences, not only for your small group, but also for the men and women risking their lives to change this island." (Yukihime)

"M-m..."

"Girl, don't try to deny that it ended well only because of luck."

"......"

Goto's stepson remained silent as he watched the scene. The [mage] was pressuring Kohaku, exploiting her guilt and shame to the fullest.

It was a psychological game that Goto had played with him a few times, the head of the [Black Corps] used his stepson's love for his mother to keep him on a leash. Hajime honestly had very mixed feelings hearing this speech.

"You've committed three serious crimes: first, you broke into our central computer and decided on your own to take a mission. Second, you handled the whole affair clumsily, and as a result, one of your friends was severely injured, another suffered hellish pains. Third, the crime in my opinion is by far the worst, you risked the secrecy of this base, knowing full well the importance of this place in our future plans. Have I made any mistakes?" (Yukihime)

"N-no"

The girl's voice was feverish, her gaze was directed downward as if she didn't have the courage to look Yukihime in the eye, who hadn't finished her speech yet.

"I had high expectations for you... we all did... but you really disappointed us this time. The first time you had contact with us, you were hopeless: your parents had just died and you didn't know what to do, we gave you a home, food, and protection, and most importantly, the chance for revenge, and this is how you repay us? You're an ungrateful little girl."

Kohaku really wanted to disappear at that moment. The little loli in front of her had completely destroyed her, and, unfortunately, she hadn't finished yet.

"I believe it's fair that you, the one who started this whole thing, suffer as Kuro-kun and Chloe-kun did, so things will be more balanced between you."

Yukihime brought her face close to the hacker's and blew a bit of icy air on her face. The effect was immediate: the teenager's body temperature dropped in an instant.

In no time, Kohaku felt all the typical effects of second-degree frostbite on every square inch of her skin, which turned white-bluish from the cold she was feeling. Hajime stood frozen in shock.

"(What did she do to her!?)" (Hajime)

"The effects will pass by tomorrow, we’re done for today. Go to your room."

Yukihime's cold words of dismissal made it clear that the loli was done punishing the teenager, at least for now. When the hacker left the cafeteria, Goto's stepson knew it was his turn.

"Now, let's move on to you, Hajime-kun."

"I-I..."

"Don't be afraid, I don't bite... unless you want me to."

The cold and intimidating demeanor of the woman disappeared now that it was just her and Hajime in the room. Not that it made the boy feel at ease, the way the [mage] licked her teeth while staring at him intensely was somewhere between suggestive and unsettling.

"We need to talk about a lot of things, Hajime-kun, for example, explain to me why I shouldn't kill you here and now, after all, you know far too much and, from my point of view, you're not very reliable."

It was a test. Hajime felt his heart race as he thought of an answer that would satisfy the loli in front of him. If he made a mistake, would she really kill him? Honestly, the [grimorio] holder didn’t want to find out.

"P-because I can be useful to you."

"Huh? That's true, but you should also explain how. From what I know, Goto-kun is definitely not your biggest fan."

"You're right. But it's also true that, aside from those who spend a lot of time at our house, all his other subordinates don’t know about our relationship... for those who know about my adoption by him, I’m just the son of their boss."

"Hmmm... good answer. But I'm still not convinced. Not about your usefulness, but about your loyalty. It’s the most important thing when working in secrecy."

"If you can’t trust me, then trust my hatred for that old bastard and my love for my mother and Kaori-chan."

Hajime's head was about to explode, the young [mage] was using every brain cell to come up with good responses for the [Mage Omega]. His life was at stake right now.

"Oh yes, them. I almost forgot. Little Kaori-kun could have a hard life if Goto-kun falls from his throne."

A shiver of fear ran down the silver-haired boy’s spine. Pretending not to notice, Yukihime continued her speech.

"You know, as the daughter of a criminal, she would certainly have a hard life if her parentage were to become known."

The little loli was threatening him in a very indirect way. If Hajime betrayed them, she and her group would expose Goto's crimes and the information about his daughter.

You didn’t need to be a genius to know that one day a relative of the [Black Corps] victims could come looking for the young [mage]'s little sister.

"(Ufufuufufu, her terrified expression is so adorable)" (Yukihime)

"Y-you n-not..."

"Don’t worry, I was just joking, we wouldn't be any better than Goto if we did that... our future plans don't involve mixing innocent lives into this story, as much as possible, of course."

Yukihime smiled sweetly at the boy in front of her, as if to reassure