"Yoshino, don't joke around. Gaining abilities, if it were really that simple, then I, Ruiko, wouldn't still be…"
As she spoke, Saten Ruiko's expression gradually darkened. She, of course, hoped to gain superpowers, but she was still Level 0.
"And you, Yoshino, are also Level 0 like me, how could you possibly help me gain…"
Saten Ruiko, forcing a smile, looked up at Yoshino and saw the blue ball of light in Yoshino's hand, and her whole body froze.
Didn't they say Yoshino had no abilities? Now it didn't look like that at all; that was clearly an ability.
Blue magic, which means… was that unknown ability user who froze the criminal yesterday Yoshino? Thinking about it now, it made sense; only Yoshino was around at the time.
"Yoshino isn't without abilities; it's just that Yoshino's abilities aren't within the scope of Academy City's abilities. As long as you, Ruiko, know that Yoshino can help you, that's enough. Your current situation is also because of Yoshino." Shiina explained for Yoshino.
If the current situation could make Saten Ruiko believe them, then the incident where Saten Ruiko fainted during the later Fantasy Beast event wouldn't happen, right?
"My current situation, what situation do I have that's because of Yoshino's… Oh, I remember now. Yesterday, when I parted ways with Yoshino, I felt very tired. At the time, I thought it was because I was too nervous when I encountered the robber yesterday. So it was because of you, Yoshino."
Saten Ruiko, who had initially been puzzled, seemed to recall something and slapped her right hand into her left palm with an 'I see, now I understand' expression. It seems you're not that slow, Saten Ruiko.
"But what did you do to me, Yoshino? Why was I so tired when I went back yesterday?"
Although she didn't know what Yoshino had done to her, Saten Ruiko didn't believe Yoshino would harm her. Yoshino must have done it for her own good.
However, Saten Ruiko, being very curious, felt uncomfortable all over if she didn't figure out what Yoshino had done to her.
"Actually, Yoshino only used spirit energy yesterday to strengthen Ruiko's brain a bit. This way, Ruiko can gain an increase in intelligence, which will be beneficial for you, Ruiko, to gain abilities in the future."
It was hard to say, 'Because you're too stupid, I need to properly strengthen your not-so-smart brain.' Such words couldn't be said now.
Looking at Saten Ruiko's sparkling eyes, Yoshino felt a bit pressured.
"Yoshino means that Ruiko is really too stupid. If your brain isn't properly strengthened, even Yoshino wouldn't have much confidence in helping the idiot Ruiko gain superpowers."
Shiina indicated that since Yoshino didn't want to say it, it would help her say it. It would express her meaning completely, no need to thank it.
"Shiina!" Yoshino lightly exclaimed in dissatisfaction.
Aren't you undermining me? She had tried to express it in a more subtle way. Now, saying it so directly, doesn't it know that this will make her realize? Shiina!
"Yahahaha~ That's actually a bit hard to refute. I know I'm not very smart, but I don't need you, this rabbit, to remind me. If you had one-third of Yoshino's kindness, I would be very grateful."
First, she smiled bitterly and shook her head. Although she was a bit stupid, she wasn't so stupid that she couldn't understand what Yoshino had subtly expressed.
But even if she was stupid, she didn't need this hand puppet rabbit to remind her; only Yoshino was enough.
"Tsk, you escapist. You'll make people look down on you. An idiot is an idiot, just a pretty idiot, an energetic idiot, that's all. Now that Yoshino is strengthening your pitiful brain, you should be grateful, understand? Hmph!" With a disdainful sneer, 'Lazy Ruiko.'
It still won't let it call you an idiot; how ridiculous. What can you do if it does? idiot~
"...This is really infuriating. Do you want to fight, you perverted rabbit? You must have seen Yoshino bathing every night, haven't you? You pervert!"
It was truly infuriating; she had a hundred ideas right now to give that stuffed rabbit a good beating.
But she also understood Shiina's importance to Yoshino, so she could only try to win through words.
"Hmph! What a crude way to change the subject. So what if I can see Yoshino bathing every night? Shiina and Yoshino have always bathed together; we've never been separated. Don't think that can change the fact that you're an idiot."
Shiina stated that they had been bathing together for a long time, and half of the several terabytes of hard drive space in her mind were already filled with Yoshino's secret photos.
Yoshino also looked at Saten Ruiko with a hint of confusion. Was there anything strange about her bathing with Shiina? She had always been with Shiina.
"..." Am I too strange, or are you two too strange? Why do you think this is a matter of course?
But she really envied Shiina for being able to bathe with Yoshino every day; it must feel great.
Saten Ruiko began to imagine the scene: Yoshino soaking in the bathtub. She shook her head, patted her face. What was she thinking?
"Alright, let's not argue anymore, Ruiko, Yoshino. Let's finish this before lunch break."
If I let you two keep arguing, who knows when we'll get back to the original topic.
"Okay, what Yoshino said just now was that you're currently strengthening my brain to make it smarter, so I can use my abilities better when I get them later, right?"
Pressing her temples, Saten Ruiko decided to get back to the main topic. She couldn't win against this rabbit.
"Mm, but Ruiko, this brain strengthening will continue for a while. During this period, your current fatigue will gradually lessen. You'll slowly get used to it."
Then she would start strengthening Ruiko's physical abilities. If her abilities weren't enough, she could use martial arts.
Speaking of which, shouldn't she ask Shiina to teach her some martial arts knowledge? Sister Yuriko definitely wouldn't use Vector against her, so then she could use martial arts... A plan slowly formed in Yoshino's mind.
"I see, so I'll be like this for several days? Never mind, it doesn't affect me anyway."
Saten Ruiko relaxed. If this could help her gain the abilities she had always dreamed of, what did a few days of fatigue matter?
"But why does Yoshino want to help me gain abilities? And what is 'spirit power'?" It seemed Yoshino's abilities must be related to this so-called spirit power.
"Spirit power can be said to be Yoshino's unique strength, and also Yoshino's specific ability. Now, because kind Ruiko wants to form a contract with you, Yoshino will let you understand her identity."
Using the same method, she integrated spirit power into Saten Ruiko's mind, and also gave her the relevant memories.
"...A Spirit? As expected, someone as ethereal as Yoshino really doesn't belong to this world." Isn't that obvious? She was a friend, yet there was a sense of being unable to grasp her. But... 'Toujou Nozomi? It seems this is the important person in Yoshino's heart~' Inadvertently, Yoshino also inputted Toujou Nozomi's identity into Saten Ruiko's mind.
"I won't give up just like that."
Yoshino's chastity was still intact, wasn't it? Saten Ruiko smiled sinisterly.
Author's Note:
I received my royalties yesterday. Perhaps because I'm new, Bu Huai didn't get much. Bu Huai asks all esteemed readers to please support Bu Huai well. Otherwise, I feel like I'll be eating dirt this month.
Also, my book participating in the Book Guest event, "Dimensional Transformation Swordsman," has passed its review. Please pay more attention to it now.
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