Finally, it's a school day again.

Yes, I know how incredibly atypical this sounds for a schoolgirl but after all this time as a working maid in my dreamworld always at risk of getting exposed as their creational goddess, I have this slight longing for simple, uneventful, regulated schooltime.

"Hey Iori! This weekend was just great! Totally awesome! Can't wait to repeat this next Saturday! And then together with all the others! And we can even take as much time as we want then!" (C)

"Chiaki! How many more times do I have to tell you that we are not talking here about what we're doing in our free time?!" (I)

I say this but then I hear from nearby:

"Are those two in a gang?"

"If that is the case I'm sure Chiaki is the leader. Iori is more of a willful henchman."

"Willful? If anything she got dragged into this. Even if she's absolutely against something, in the end Chiaki always manages to drag her along!"

"Totally! Iori really has no backbone!"

Whoah!

That seriously starts getting out of hand.

Now they continue to banter about how I'm dragged into a criminal life where I sell drugs, extort money, and prostitute myself only because I didn't have the guts to say no to Chiaki.

That last part especially is bordering mobbing in my opinion, and rather than furious, I'm confused.

While this kind of gossiping isn't too uncommon for our class it never gets so vile.

Especially, not so openly from one moment to the other.

I simply can't understand what's going on here.

Also, I should mention that while confusion is my dominant emotion here, I still feel something unpleasant and completely justified stir inside me.

Oh damn, I feel how the border gets thinner.

Just why is this happening?

"Isn't it fascinating how such a common thing like mere human communication can derail so severely?" (Z)

"Zika-rin?" (I)

"Sometimes I believe you're never going to get this straight. Or you're not even trying." (Z)

"Don't shift the blame! This is your doing!" (I)

"Yes and no. It's due time that you start learning how the general opinion can be manipulated. You won't believe me, but to achieve this result all it took was a little mental nudge to lower their reluctance. What you perceive here is what they would say if the self-imposed rules of society wouldn't apply." (Z)

Okay, I'm a bit upset.

For a lesson, this definitely goes too far.

But also, I'm a bit sad to hear this.

"So you're saying that this is what they truly think about me?" (I)

"To a degree, but no. Not really at least. As I said, I lowered their reluctance. But as you should know, groups do the same. One says something, the other tries to beat him to this, and so a talk develops its very own dynamic. They may not even mean it, but to impress and experience this soothing feeling of belonging to the group they are willing to go to ever greater lengths. Which is ironically the topic they’re currently talking about. The thing is, humans are manipulatable creatures. Gregarious animals which just go with the flow. As soon as something was stated and got accepted by the group it becomes a fact. So even if the worst things they said weren't meant as such it's only a question of time till they believe it to be the case which will allow them to set the bar a little lower. Or higher if it's about doing their worst." (Z)

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"But why are you doing this?" (I)

She has to know that I don't like being her mobbing victim.

With the way she's talking, this trick doesn't even cost her that much.

Just how many did she already get with this trick?

Damn, I'm growing angrier the more I think about this, and am going to skin her alive after I ripped her eyes out so she has a good view of the ordeal!

Shit!

This isn't good.

I don't want to kill her, yet.

Fine, Zika got a grace period till I'm thinking straight again.

"You still owe me a favor. Let's say that it's about no retaliation against me because of this situation." (Z)

"You're using your one big favor like this?" (I)

I mean, I'm still an outer god. I'm quite certain that I have more to offer than not killing her.

"Sure, but what's more important is you getting the absolute basics down before reality is unraveled for that reason. So concentrate and get the reluctance levels back to normal." (Z)

This demon has seriously a weird sense of educational work.

"I don't know why you want that from me. What is the reason?" (I)

"Teaching you to get a hold of your environment. Without reluctance, humans turn into wild lizards incapable of anything but fight or flight. What I'm trying to tell you here is that if you can't do it your schoolmates are nothing but puppets at the disposal of any entity without your complexes. And keeping them normal should really not break your weird sense of morals." (Z)

I hope she's at least not going to get me into more uncomfortable situations.

As Zika suggested, I try to concentrate on them.

And then I raise their reluctance level to make this discussion stop.

And promptly, they're all quiet.

"Wrong!" (Z)

"What?!" (I)

"Simple, you didn't influence them, you simply forced your way. Real manipulation is much more subtle. It uses what is there and makes them believe everything was their own idea. Your way leaves a strong afterimage of the act of control and in the worst case exposes your deed." (Z)

At least she is knowledgeable about this stuff.

Fine, then with a bit more attention to the details.

This time I look at their auras.

For one, because of a mental nudge I've got from myself, or hope so, for another, since almost everything had to do with lifeforce until now.

I look into them and yes, there's a nudging feeling that tells me that something is wrong with the way their auras swirl.

But there is one point that is off, or rather that surprises me.

And it‘s that my analysis tells me that there is nothing inherently wrong with them.

One might believe that after that evil demon messed with their minds to get them to bully their classmate there would be some of her dark miasma taking hold of their hearts.

However, this seems not to be the case.

Instead, they simply swirl a bit differently from how they usually would.

And I guess this is the lesson here.

That driving someone to do terrible things doesn‘t necessarily require any malicious energy.

They're just simply more outgoing than usual.

It's like setting up a trap to harm someone.

A pitfall isn't evil by itself, in the first place it's just a hole.

It only becomes a dangerous thing once someone is at risk to fall into it.

The same goes for Zika when she only lays the groundwork for my classmates to go against each other.

A truly nefarious trick.

Anyways, according to my feeling, I simply have to correct this.

And the way is, as always, via lifeforce.

Or in my case, miasma.

As usual, I'm doing everything with my weird instinct, but that one works.

I reach out to them with it and somehow can reduce the flow, or circulation, or whatever makes them go so wild right now.

"But those two aren't so bad. It's actually kinda cute how they're always looking out for each other."

"But don't you feel sometimes they might be... more than friends?"

"Hey, this kind of rumor can really blow up. You shouldn't say something like this."

"Didn't you just before claim that she does sex work?"

"That was a joke! And all of you laughed at this!"

The nature of the conversation really changed.

"Hm, crude but acceptable. You, my dear, made your first step into, as you called it, mind magic. Congratulations?" (Z)

Should I feel guilty?

I didn't control them but rather just undid an evil demon's influence over them.

Which would be the classmate next to me.

"Zika, I'm seriously not sure right now if I'm going to hold a grudge." (I)

"Well, this is still part of the favor I'm asking of you. Let's call it a means to prevent brainwashing among your favorite people." (Z)

"Sigh. I'm too exhausted for this kind of stress in the morning. Please refrain from such stunts in the future." (I)

"I wanted to, but then you again started openly speaking about stuff nobody is supposed to hear. So a lesson was long overdue." (Z)

"That was just Chiaki! Speaking of, why are you even so calm?" (I)

"Because I'm currently learning mind magic! I can recognize 'Karin's' teaching mode and this is far more interesting than the regular school stuff." (C)

Oh my god, Chiaki and mind magic.

This is a combination made in hell and certainly one that can't end well.

Now I have to learn it before she does.

Because this can only be bad for the world.

Sigh.