It felt as if a warm current flowed through her entire body.
[Ding—]
[Compensation for Development materials received.]
['Basic Combat Records' x2.]
[...]
[Compensation for Development materials received.]
['Basic Combat Records' x2.]
[...]
Seeing the little rabbit beside her biting her lower lip so hard she was about to collapse, Su Yuzu gently took the girl's hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
In the end, Su Yuzu still couldn't bring herself to tap 'Develop' for Yamabuki Nanako, who looked like a local elementary schooler.
Even knowing that Yamabuki Nanako was actually the same age as Teacher Unohana Chiyo.
But... Yamabuki Nanako's petite frame just looked way too incriminating.
If it were in a game, it would be one thing.
But in reality... just imagining Yamabuki Nanako with her knees together, falling to the ground in a W-sit, her light blue eyes misty with tears.
The sense of self-condemnation, as if she were committing a crime, was something Su Yuzu just couldn't accept.
It was just one less 'Basic Combat Record,' that's all.
No big deal.
It definitely wasn't because... Su Yuzu was looking at the 'Operator Development' screen, where Yamabuki Nanako's favorability was only 5 (Unfamiliar).
Tapping 'Develop' might just be a losing proposition.
But speaking of favorability... Su Yuzu glanced at the 'Operator Development' interface.
Su Yuzu suddenly felt that Teacher Unohana Chiyo's chibi avatar on the 'Operator Development' interface had undergone a subtle change.
The color of the little red heart representing the Operator's favorability had changed, as if it had lit up.
It looked exactly the same as the favorability heart of that Soga Yura person.
As if it had been activated.
Even the little rabbit, whose favorability toward her was almost at 60 points for 'Dependence,' still had the ordinary old red heart.
But... Teacher Unohana Chiyo, who 'only' had a favorability of 41 points for 'Favor,' had her heart's color change.
When did that happen?
Su Yuzu herself wasn't sure.
Although she said the color changed, the change was actually very slight.
Su Yuzu wasn't even sure if Teacher Unohana Chiyo's favorability heart had always looked like this.
It was like trying to recall what you studied the night before during an exam.
The more she thought about it, the more muddled she felt.
It seemed like both ideas were right, but at the same time, both seemed wrong.
However... it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Su Yuzu glanced at the chibi avatar of Unohana Chiyo in 'Operator Development,' which had strange bubbles constantly appearing over its head, then at the real Teacher Unohana Chiyo beside her, her eyes shimmering.
Maybe she could use Teacher Unohana Chiyo... to figure out what was going on with Soga Yura.
That girl... couldn't really be a closet sis-con, could she?
Su Yuzu found it truly hard to imagine the Soga Yura who was always cold, distant, disdainful, and even hateful toward her to her face, was secretly the type who couldn't sleep without hugging a life-sized pillow of her little sister.
Too weird.
It was just too weird.
Could someone really be that twisted?
If she herself was a 'human wrench,' then Soga Yura must be a 'human pretzel.'
A surreal feeling welled up inside her.
For some reason... Su Yuzu actually found it quite fitting.
"The people from the Investigation Bureau have arrived." Tapping away at a light-blue screen, Yamabuki Nanako suddenly looked up.
"However..." Yamabuki Nanako showed a hesitant expression.
"The ones who came from the Investigation Bureau this time... are from the Fourth Execution Division."
Hearing Yamabuki Nanako's words, Saionji Sagara's expression suddenly turned cold.
Frowning, she looked at Unohana Chiyo. "You go and assist them with the investigation."
"Cooperate where you should cooperate."
"Refuse any unreasonable demands."
"Even if they want to take Mihou Sakai, refuse any unreasonable demands all the same."
"Keigunen... is not a place where the dogs of the Execution Division can run wild."
Watching Saionji Sagara sigh, Unohana Chiyo nodded. "I understand, Director."
She led Su Yuzu and Saotome Yukina out of the laboratory.
After leaving the lab, the little rabbit, who had only just barely recovered, asked Unohana Chiyo in a weak voice.
"Teacher Unohana..."
"That Fourth Division or whatever..."
Unohana Chiyo's steps halted. "The Investigation Bureau's Fourth Division, you mean..."
"It's a very special department."
"They're actually completely independent of the Investigation Bureau, maintaining absolute autonomy even within the Empire."
"They have no connection to money or politics."
"Not for profit."
"Not for power."
"The Investigation Bureau's Fourth Division has only one target, and that is always the Aberrants."
"Isn't that a good thing?" the little rabbit replied subconsciously.
Unohana Chiyo suddenly turned around.
The gentleness on the woman's face vanished in an instant. Her inorganic... terrifying aura made the little rabbit feel as if the pitch-black muzzle of a gun was pressed against her forehead.
Cold sweat drenched her back.
If she wasn't still holding Yuzu-senpai's hand, Saotome Yukina felt she really would have plopped right onto the floor.
"Scared already?" Unohana Chiyo looked at the little rabbit whose hand was being held by little Yuzu.
For some reason~
Perhaps it was another one of those drizzling 'Blessings' that bitch, the Goddess of Fate, had just bestowed upon her.
She just suddenly felt like scaring her.
"Of... Of course not! I was just startled for a moment, that's all."
"Teacher wouldn't hurt me."
Hearing Saotome Yukina's words, Su Yuzu squeezed the girl's hand. This was her little rabbit.
Unohana Chiyo's gentle smile returned.
She reached out and patted Saotome Yukina's cheek.
"The people from the Fourth Division..."
"...are far more terrifying than I am."
"Their target is indeed only the Aberrants."
"But... anyone who might be connected to the Aberrants will be arrested and interrogated by them..."
"They are a pack of complete and utter madmen."
"But Saotome-san and little Yuzu don't need to worry."
"This is Keigunen."
"They... can't do anything here."
-
-
-
Inside the lab, Yamabuki Nanako and Saionji Sagara watched as the girls left with Unohana Chiyo.
Not until the laboratory's heavy doors closed.
Only then did Saionji Sagara walk toward the silver-white mechanical arm at the side.
She put her hand into the force field.
And reached for the inky-violet feather that had been twisted into the shape of a pretzel.
A terrifying Catastrophe aura was released in an instant.
Even with layers of force fields blocking it, Yamabuki Nanako still fell to the ground with a thud. "Is that..."
"The one Chiyo brought back...?"
"Yes." Saionji Sagara nodded and released her hand.
Only then did the tide of blackish-purple Catastrophe aura slowly recede.
"Kujou Iruka..."
"No—"
"It's a feather from 'The Abyss of Eternal Smiles,' the empress of the Sixth Sequence Aberrants."
She looked toward the closed laboratory door.
Her expression was very, very grave, and even... a little sorrowful.
Su Yuzu's file appeared before her, line by line.
Just a joke of a rule-type ability that can only bend things?
What a joke.
A 'normal' high school girl who hasn't even officially entered the Sequences... forcefully twisted a Catastrophe crystal from a Sixth Sequence Aberrant.
"She will be the hope of the next era."
[Record—]
[Eighth observed...]
[bzzzt... seventh case of a rule-type ability.]
[Temporarily naming the ability—]
[Hand of Paradox.]
[Subject - Soga Yuzu possesses a concept-level 'Bending' ability.]
[Test objects include... derivative crystal of a First Sequence Aberrant, derivative crystal of a Sixth Sequence Aberrant, multiple units of Ra-qel-ram metal, body of a Second Sequence metal-type Esper.]
[Aberrant body—Untested.]
[Catastrophe Beast body—Untested.]
[Test results...]
[With the exception of the body of the Second Sequence metal-type Esper, all other test objects were 'twisted'.]
[Hypothesis...]
[The seventh case of a rule-type ability, 'Hand of Paradox,' possesses the ability to twist all non-living matter.]
[Ineffective on human bodies 'Questionable'...]
[Danger Level: EX.]
[Secrecy Level: EX.]
[Recorders: Yamabuki Nanako, Saionji Sagara.]
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 50 advanced chapters available on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/GirlsLove1