In the corridor of Keigunen Private Academy's school hospital.
Su Yuzu sat on the bench outside the ward, her legs splayed open.
Sunlight passed through the fine, soft hair that curled slightly on the girl's forehead, leaving a hazy shadow on the hospital floor.
Su Yuzu looked at [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi]'s status in [Operator Development].
During the Aberrant attack event, [Soga Ishikawa Irube] had protected the girl very well.
The girl had only suffered minor injuries, just a slight concussion. There was no need for special treatment; bed rest would suffice.
She would recover to normal in about two weeks; the prognosis was good.
But... what Su Yuzu cared about was something else. [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi] had been injured because of her.
And—
This was already the second time.
The first time was due to [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi]'s resentment toward Su Yuzu. The "Eye of Insight" wanted to turn the girl's grievances into a blade of revenge, which was why they had sought out [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi].
This time... Su Yuzu understood that it was entirely because of herself.
They wanted to force her to ascend the [Seat of Karma], to stir up a storm of blood and violence, and to make her fall to the bottom of the Abyss.
For this end... they would not hesitate to lay their hands on anyone around her.
[Little rabbit].
[Lyudmila].
[Mihou Sakai].
And... [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi].
Su Yuzu clenched her fist. The girl was truly a bit... no, she was extremely angry.
Coming out of the ward, [Sakura Mai] looked at Su Yuzu, who was sitting at the door with her head lowered, and gently sat down beside the girl.
[Soga Yura], who had followed [Sakura Mai] out, looked pitifully at the basically non-existent empty space on Su Yuzu's other side, looking at [Sakura Mai] as if she were about to cry.
"You can't touch Sister Yuzu anyway."
[Sakura Mai] looked at her best friend, who seemed to lose all reason whenever she saw Sister Yuzu. Leaning against the other side of the bench, she cleared a space for [Soga Yura] and raised an eyebrow at her.
The benches in [Keigunen Private Academy]'s school hospital weren't actually very long.
Even though the girls had slender figures, three people could sit down relatively comfortably.
But... unless [Soga Yura] and [Sakura Mai] squeezed completely together, otherwise, one careless moment would cause [Soga Yura] and Su Yuzu to touch.
The visit would instantly turn into an accident.
[Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi], who was originally fine, might end up just like those [Fourth Action Division] combat team members by [Lake Kasumigaura] back then.
Suffering 'secondary trauma'.
Puffing up her cheeks, [Soga Yura] squatted opposite Su Yuzu.
[Sakura Mai] watched [Soga Yura], her brow twitching.
Squatting there, [Soga Yura] really looked just like an aggrieved little puppy.
Su Yuzu looked at [Soga Yura], who was gazing at her with that wretched expression, and suddenly couldn't help but laugh.
Originally, [Soga Yura] felt very aggrieved in her heart. She was being bullied... and Yuzu was just watching.
But after seeing Yuzu reveal a smiling face, [Soga Yura], squatting on the ground, also revealed a smile.
A smile... as long as Yuzu could smile a little, that was good enough.
Just now, coming out of the ward and seeing Yuzu sitting there listlessly with her head lowered, [Soga Yura] had been truly sad.
If her being a bit miserable could make Yuzu laugh happily, it seemed like it wasn't a big deal.
Just like when they were little... when she was about to be scared to tears by a horror movie, Yuzu would make ugly faces to tease her, making her laugh through her tears.
As long as Yuzu could smile, she was fine with anything.
After forcing a smile, Su Yuzu spoke with some heaviness, "Their target... is me."
"From [Saotome Yukina] to [Lyudmila]."
"From [Mihou Sakai] to Kiyomi."
"Their target... has always been me."
[Soga Yura] knew that some kind of terrifying power resided within her sister. And [Sakura Mai] also knew that Su Yuzu was the seventh [rule-type ability user], having even accompanied [Soga Yura] to the edge of that [gray domain].
They could understand.
[Sakura Mai] didn't know what to say, so she simply placed her hand on Yuzu's hand.
"These things..."
"You can't blame them entirely on Sister Yuzu."
"But if it weren't for me—"
"They probably wouldn't have encountered such terrible things..."
If not for her, [Mihou Sakai] and [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi] probably wouldn't have fallen into the [Edge of Aberration].
With their talents, they could both have had wonderful futures.
"But if there were no Sister Yuzu~" [Sakura Mai] smiled.
"The world in our eyes would lack a touch of brilliant color."
"[Lady Fate] probably wouldn't smile upon us either..." [Sakura Mai]'s expression suddenly became somewhat strange. "And life would lack a kind of... not-so-terrible experience."
Squatting on the ground, [Soga Yura]'s eyes went wide.
How come she hadn't realized before that this guy was so good at comforting people?
The girl looked at her best friend's hand resting on her sister's hand, her cheeks puffing up inexplicably.
But [Soga Yura], who was submissive in front of Su Yuzu, really couldn't squeeze out any pretty words.
She could only nod her little head. "Exactly, exactly..."
"By the way—" As if suddenly thinking of something, [Sakura Mai] told [Soga Yura] and Su Yuzu about her experience chasing that woman.
"That woman was the researcher from the previous '[Epiphany Manufacture]' laboratory who caused her own [Aberration]... and was then taken away."
"Her?" Su Yuzu frowned. Su Yuzu didn't understand why she would conspire with the "Eye of Insight".
And... Su Yuzu suddenly felt a bit worried about [Zero].
"That guy's look was very fanatical. She said that on the road to pursuing the truth, who the companions are, or even what they are, is completely irrelevant."
[Sakura Mai] did not agree with this view at all.
If the true knowledge of the world and Sister Yuzu were placed together for her to choose, she would definitely choose Sister Yuzu without hesitation.
Of course—
If Sister Yuzu were swapped for [Soga Yura]...
She might have to hesitate for a bit.
[Just kidding.]
"She... seems to want to obtain something from Sister Kiyomi."
Su Yuzu still thought that woman's target was herself.
Actually, although the direction of her thinking was a bit off, the result seemed to be completely correct.
"[Raven]" wanted to find the secret of how [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi] could return from the [Edge of Aberration], appearing as if she had never fallen into the [Edge of Aberration] at all.
And in fact—
That secret was precisely Su Yuzu.
Meanwhile... in that hotel.
The majestic woman looked at "[Raven]". "There is no need to focus all your attention on [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi]."
"You want to find the secret of '[Inverse Aberration]' from [Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi]."
"But I can tell you clearly."
"That secret... nine times out of ten, is related to Su Yuzu."
"Su Yuzu—"
"Is the key."
She glanced at the distracted [Feng Ke], wondering who had given this little girl a bewitching potion.
"[Feng Ke]."
"Give the filmed video to '[Raven]'. Once edited, publish it."
"Let the world see..."
"Our [Miss Yuzu]."
"Okay." The girl in the [deep green cheongsam] nodded gently.
"[Raven]" took a deep look at the woman in front of her.
How cruel...
The higher one is lifted.
The harder they fall.
This guy... is truly cruel.
However—
What did that have to do with her?
Only Miss [Feng Ke] looked out the window, her mind full of thoughts about when she could sneak out to bask in the sun and see... Yuzu.
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