Without the slightest hesitation, Mitsuari Ayu stepped forward.
"I'll stay."
"As long as you can make me a Level 5…"
"I'll do anything."
Her resolve left no room for doubt.
The others exchanged glances—
Then, one by one, they nodded.
"I'll stay too."
"…Me as well."
In the end, all of them chose to remain.
Seeing this, Izumi nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"If you're staying, I won't treat you poorly."
He turned his gaze toward Aiba Asagi.
"Asagi, start making arrangements."
"These girls will be the core of our institute from now on."
"In the future, we can recruit more promising individuals."
"For now… let's get this place running."
"As for security—just use mechanical lifeforms."
Asagi nodded, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a device resembling lipstick.
With a casual toss—
It unfolded midair.
The next moment—
Machines emerged.
Robots.
Under the stunned gazes of the girls, Asagi began issuing commands.
Within moments—
The entire facility came back to life.
Efficient.
Orderly.
Under complete control.
Meanwhile—
Aleister Crowley publicly announced the change in ownership.
From this day onward—
The Talent Development Institute belonged entirely to Izumi.
Though it caused confusion—
No one dared to question it.
Some organizations tried to investigate.
Others considered sending operatives.
But every attempt was met with a warning from Aleister.
And so—
No one dared to interfere.
Time passed.
Quietly.
The institute became a sealed domain.
No information leaked.
No one entered.
No one left.
Izumi himself came and went using spatial movement.
Eventually—
Even the most curious factions lost interest.
Inside—
Research continued.
Aiba Asagi tirelessly studied the fusion of modern magic and esper abilities.
The two systems shared similarities.
Which allowed her to make significant progress.
As for the girls—
Izumi kept his promise.
He helped them develop their abilities.
Advancing them—
Toward Level 5.
So far—
Only two had reached that realm:
Shokuhou MisakiMitsuari Ayu
As for Dolly—
She was still in development.
The others—
Even further behind.
…And just like that—
A long time passed.
Inside the lab—
Misaki and Ayu were undergoing ability testing.
Izumi watched them, hand on his chin.
After all this time—
They had finally reached Level 5.
Of course—
That was only because they had the potential to begin with.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy.
When the test ended—
The results were clear.
Aside from their poor physical stamina—
Their abilities had indeed reached Level 5.
The moment she left the lab—
Misaki ran straight toward Izumi and hugged him tightly.
"Hey, hey, Izumi-kun!"
"I'm Level 5 now, you know~"
"So? Don't I get some kind of reward?"
Izumi didn't even hesitate.
"What reward do you want?"
"You eat my food, use my resources, live under my roof…"
"And you still want more?"
"Don't push your luck."
His gaze drifted downward—
Full of blatant judgment.
Still completely flat.
Misaki froze.
Then—
"Hey!!"
"You jerk!!"
"I'll grow, okay?!"
Her eyes welled up with tears.
This guy—
Always looking down on her!
So annoying!!
Beside her, Mitsuari Ayu subconsciously glanced at herself—
And immediately fell into silence.
…She wasn't much better.
Izumi chuckled lightly.
"Alright, that's enough."
"For now, your ability development is complete."
"Shokuhou—train your body more."
"Your stamina is terrible."
"Cut down on sweets and build some endurance."
He waved his hand casually.
"I'll be heading out."
"Oh, right."
"Starting tomorrow—you can leave this place."
"Go attend Tokiwadai Middle School."
"Also, your names and Level 5 statuses will be made public."
Hearing this—
Both girls froze.
"…You're kicking us out?"
Misaki panicked instantly.
After spending so much time together—
She had grown dependent on him.
Now, suddenly being told to leave—
Of course she misunderstood.
Izumi sighed.
"What are you thinking?"
"Going to school doesn't mean I'm abandoning you."
"Your development is complete."
"So naturally, you should go live like normal students."
"It's not like you can't come back."
"Or do you plan to stay here forever?"
Only then did they relax.
"Oh… that's what you meant…"
Misaki pouted.
"Still… school, huh…"
She fell into thought.
Her ability was extremely versatile.
If she studied more—
Maybe she could even improve her body…
Her gaze drifted downward.
Unimpressed.
Meanwhile—
Izumi had been spending quite a bit of time with Hokaze Junko.
And Junko's figure—
Was already well-developed.
That alone made Misaki jealous.
If I had that kind of body…
He'd definitely like me more, right?
Her eyes lit up with determination.
She understood Izumi's preferences all too well.
At first, he liked them as they were—
But as they grew older, he started losing interest.
Even saying things like—
"You've passed your expiration date."
Absolutely infuriating.
With a huff, Misaki declared:
"Fine! We'll go to school!"
"Next time we meet…"
"I'll make you regret underestimating me!"
Inside—
She had already made up her mind.
Study biology.
Use her ability.
Improve herself.
And shock him.
Izumi glanced at her—
And said nothing.
He already knew exactly what she was thinking.
But still—
A fully realized Queen Bee, huh…
"…That does sound interesting."