**Chapter 144: The Master’s Responsibility**
The deep green kettle was gently extended before the young girl, her thin lips having turned slightly pale from prolonged blood loss, suggesting that she hadn’t had any water for a while. Kazumi directly brought her mouth up to it.
The droplets of water that leaked from her lips trickled down the girl’s jaw, falling onto her neck which was as white as that of a maggot. The faintly wet temptation mixed with the frail aura emanating from the girl made Sato Shinichi feel a bit reluctant to turn his gaze away.
“Um—Shinichi?”
The boy’s pure and fervent gaze made Kazumi feel uncomfortable all over. What should have been an ordinary act of drinking water suddenly felt a bit humiliating under the weight of that meaningful look, as if it were some sort of strange play.
“Sorry, I got lost in thought…”
Hearing the girl’s words, Sato Shinichi quickly came to his senses, retrieved the kettle, and naturally reached out to wipe the water stains from the corners of her mouth, responding.
The sudden physical contact made the girl’s body shudder, but she quickly relaxed. After all, their identities could be described as boyfriend and girlfriend, and such intimate actions were completely normal. Plus, her hands weren’t very convenient at the moment, so it was somewhat understandable for him to act this way instinctively.
Subtly shifting back, Kazumi raised her continuously painful right hand towards the boy in front of her, asking, “Shinichi… can you help me take care of my hand?”
The enemy’s decisiveness and cruelty exceeded Kazumi’s imagination. What was merely a subtle activation of her minor psychic ability prompted a swift counteraction from the other party, who directly sealed her ability with piercing wooden thorns that dug into the flesh.
This also crushed the pride that had gradually grown in Kazumi’s heart due to her strengthening; even this unknown villain had such a terrifying response and countermeasure ability. What qualifications did she have to look down on those professional heroes who were constantly fighting against such individuals?
Moreover, it exposed a significant issue: as an amateur psychic, her knowledge of how to use and release her abilities was limited.
This point had been mentioned in the elective classes of the Regular Department, but since Kazumi was not a true psychic, her prior understanding was minimal.
Now, she realized that for those who had been researching abilities for years, whether in terms of usage or the initial trigger for releasing their abilities, she appeared as fragile as an infant, with countless flaws in sight.
【And without relying on my right hand, I can’t even summon the Black Coffin; this would surely be a fatal weakness in the eyes of others.】
Kazumi’s words made Sato Shinichi furrow his brows. He reached out, carefully examining her right hand, before shaking his head and replying, “I don’t have any spare medical supplies left, and forcibly removing the wooden shards from your arm in the wild might cause further injury.”
“Kazumi, it’s okay. We already escaped. Just hold on a bit longer; the teacher will surely come soon!”
Thinking that the girl was scared due to their current situation, Sato Shinichi held her small hand and gently comforted her.
Hearing the tender words, a hint of helpless laughter crossed Kazumi’s lips. What did he think she was, a little child? She had shaken from fear just moments ago, yet here he was, presenting a calm demeanor as he comforted her.
In theory, even adults like herself would be utterly panicked when facing life-and-death situations, but Kazumi didn’t feel that way; her thoughts were more slow due to physical pain, and it was more about the concern for the boy beside her…
Reaching out to lift the girl off the rock and onto his back, Sato Shinichi decided to continue moving forward. After all, until the rescuing teachers arrived, the best course of action for them was to keep going to prevent being tracked down by the enemy.
However, he saw the girl sitting on the rock shaking her head at him.
“Kazumi?”
“Don’t waste your energy on unnecessary things.”
Seeing the somewhat naive ideas of the boy in front of her, Kazumi spoke calmly from her position.
Perhaps it was his age and lack of experience affecting his thoughts. While his decision-making was quite impressive for a fifteen or sixteen-year-old student, Kazumi, with her more meticulous thinking, had discovered the crux of the issue.
“The way they’re tracking us isn’t through scent or footprints; they must have a way to quickly pinpoint our location. Running away actually doesn’t hold much significance.”
“And judging by what ‘Kimori Kage’ said to us earlier, the teachers won’t be able to get here anytime soon; they’ll likely be obstructed by their personnel.”
“So, until the powerful psychics from the Heroes Association or the police arrive, the only ones we can rely on are ourselves.”
The girl’s words were cold and cruel, causing the smile Sato Shinichi forced onto his face to freeze. His eyes looked at Kazumi with disbelief, but after thinking it over, he realized that every word she said seemed entirely reasonable.
“Then now…”
The once bright eyes dimmed at that moment. Kazumi had been very clear, but when all hope seemed lost, even if Sato Shinichi wanted to show a bit of strength in front of his girlfriend, he truly didn’t know what comforting words to say.
【Tch, after all, he’s just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid; what’s with acting so mature in front of me?】
Seeing Sato Shinichi’s expression fall, Kazumi unexpectedly revealed a faint smile. While she knew he wanted to protect her in this dangerous situation, it was frustrating to be led around by a child.
No matter how loyal the dog was to its master, it was only because the master allowed it to protect them. When real problems arose, it should still be up to herself to find the solution. Otherwise, who was really the master?
Seeing the boy’s mood visibly drop, Kazumi reached out and held his right hand, lifting her head with a faint smile. Her cold yet gentle voice emerged.
“Don’t worry, Shinichi, I have a way to escape.”
