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That day, Ethan had just come back from a walk when he noticed someone standing in front of his door — someone who looked oddly familiar, yet… different. He blinked in surprise.
"Ah! Master! You're back!"The girl beamed at him, her maid outfit fluttering slightly in the breeze.
"Huh? Sayuriko? Is that really you? What's with… this look?" Ethan stared in disbelief. No wonder she'd looked familiar yet somehow strange — Sayuriko's entire appearance had changed.
"Master! I've gotten stronger!" she declared proudly, her eyes sparkling.
"Stronger? Turning into this counts as getting stronger?" Ethan teased, poking one of her twitching cat ears before giving her tail a light tug.
That's right — the Sayuriko who had disappeared for a while had reappeared as a full-on catgirl.
"Ah—! D-don't pull my tail, Master!" Sayuriko gasped, her face turning crimson as her knees seemed to buckle.
"Oh? Looks like I found your weak spot."
"Master! I-I'm serious! I really am strong now!"
"Really?"
"Yes! Sayuriko's become amazing! I can finally stay by your side and properly take care of you!" she said with an excited grin, clenching her fists in determination.
But before Ethan could respond, a blur shot toward them — a massive mantis-like creature, its wings vibrating at insane speed. The air cracked with a sharp whoosh as it closed the distance, its scythe-like arms glinting with a deadly silver edge.
It was fast — almost at sonic speed.
Before Ethan could even react, Sayuriko wrapped her arms around him and kicked off the ground, leaping away just in time as the mantis's blades sliced through where they'd been standing.
"Master! Please watch closely — I'll show you whether Sayuriko's strength is worthy of being your maid!"
She released him and darted forward, charging straight at the mantis monster.
The creature was no joke. Judging by its speed and cutting power, it was easily at an S-class threat level. Even elite heroes would struggle to handle it. If Sayuriko could actually take it down, her power would be something else entirely.
To Ethan's surprise, she was keeping up — no, outpacing it. Her movements were lightning-fast and fluid, silent as a cat stalking its prey. Her fingers extended into sharp, gleaming claws that flashed each time she struck, every slash precise and deadly.
She met the mantis head-on, claws clashing against its scythes. And unbelievably, Sayuriko was winning. Ethan could hardly believe his eyes — how long had she even been gone? Her strength had skyrocketed beyond reason.
At that moment, a door creaked open next door.
Saitama and Genos poked their heads out.
Without warning, Saitama wrapped an arm around Ethan's neck in a tight headlock, his teeth clenched in fury. "You damn bastard! You've gone too far this time! I'll kill you, I swear I'll kill you!!"
"Cough— hey, hey, calm down, Saitama! What's with all the violence? The world is full of peace and beauty! Let's breathe together, okay? Deep breath in—"
"Shut up!!" Veins bulged on Saitama's shiny head.
"Wait… that's Sayuriko?" Genos suddenly recognized her. "She's back? And that speed— incredible!"
"Right? I didn't expect it either!" Ethan said cheerfully. "Looks like my maid position's finally filled. This is great news!"
Watching Sayuriko in action, it was clear — her power was real. Even compared to top S-class heroes, she was no pushover.
A moment later, Sayuriko's claws flashed in a final arc — and the mantis monster split cleanly into pieces, collapsing to the ground in silence.
Just like that, she'd killed it.
"Master! Sayuriko has defeated the monster!" she called proudly, her cat ears twitching adorably and her tail swaying behind her like a happy flag.
The already cute Sayuriko was now almost too cute — ears flicking, tail wagging, face glowing with excitement.
"Not bad! Not bad at all, Sayuriko!" Ethan praised with a grin. "You've powered up this much in such a short time. Is it because of the ears and tail?"
Sayuriko giggled happily. "After I left, I trained really hard to get stronger! But no matter how much I practiced, my progress was slow. Then someone found me and said if I let them modify my body, I'd gain real power. So I agreed! And it worked — I became so much stronger!"
"Body modification? Who could even do that?" Ethan asked, intrigued.
Not just him — anyone would be. Turning an ordinary girl into this powerful a fighter wasn't normal. Whoever did it had to be from some seriously high-level organization. Sure, the cat ears and tail were a… side effect, but they only made her more charming.
"Um… Master," Sayuriko said, looking a bit uneasy, "I promised them I wouldn't reveal who they are. But… if you really want to know, I can tell you."
"Eh, forget it," Ethan said with a wave. "I'm not that curious. Knowing too much just means more trouble — and I hate trouble."
"Yes, Master!" Sayuriko said brightly, her smile returning, her tail swaying happily behind her.
"..."
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