The mechanical woman's voice rang in her ears, announcing an unlocked achievement.
She looked at the chibi figure in a black bodysuit and tights on the "Operator Development" screen, which was hugging her finger and rubbing against it, pink bubbles occasionally popping up beside its head.
Su Yuzu completely gave up resisting.
She was tired.
Let it all burn.
The sooner, the better.
She... most likely couldn't get rid of this yandere.
In the game, favorability levels of "60 (Dependence)" and "100 (Vow)" were major turning points.
Once favorability reached "60 (Dependence)," unless you did something truly outrageous to the girl—something that would anger both gods and men, like abandoning your wife and kids, and breaking her heart...
...otherwise, it was very difficult for the girl's favorability to drop again.
And... as long as you chose to interact with the girl, her favorability would slowly, slowly rise, regardless of whether she actually liked it or not.
All the way up to "99 (Attachment/Doting)."
It was just a matter of how fast it increased.
One step further was the beginning of unlocking lots of useful CGs and new interactions.
Normally, whether it was developing someone from a dozen points of "Unfamiliarity" to "Dependence," or from "Dependence" to "Vow"...
...it should have been a long, drawn-out process where feelings developed over time.
Just like the little rabbit.
Saotome Yukina's favorability was supposed to be the easiest to raise among all the normal operators.
All you had to do was take Saotome Yukina to the commercial street and buy her a strawberry cream crepe.
Amidst her happiness, her favorability would slowly increase.
But... even so.
To coax Saotome Yukina's favorability from "Favor" to "Dependence"...
...would take at least a week.
If you wanted to bully the little rabbit, you'd need a month at the very least.
Yet... Su Yuzu stared at Kujou Katora's sparkling "Favorability: 60 (Dependence)" notification.
Is she a normal operator?!
She's not!
"And you're telling me this is a sadist!?"
"Ahhh!!!" Inside Su Yuzu's mind, a pitiful chibi version of herself was screaming like a groundhog.
Kujou Katora's favorability had already reached "Dependence."
Trying to kick her away now...
...what awaited Su Yuzu would likely be a frantic pursuit by a Third Sequence Esper.
"Besides, and more importantly..."
Su Yuzu looked at Kujou Katora, whose delicate body seemed to be trembling slightly after being scolded by her.
"Can you guarantee that while you're trying to push her away... her favorability won't just skyrocket even faster?"
It was too terrifying.
Who knew what form her affection would mutate into after her favorability crossed the 100-point threshold.
Su Yuzu could already envision a "what if" ending where a pathologically smiling Kujou Katora held her face, locked her in a basement, and obsessed over her day and night.
Forcing herself to appear calm, Su Yuzu poked Kujou Katora's chibi figure.
Then, she tapped Develop.
[Ding—]
[Development of Kujou Katora successful.]
[Kujou Katora's combat experience has increased.]
[Level.32 - Blood Esper Experience: 37%→38%.]
[Development: Kujou Katora's favorability has increased.]
[Compensation for development materials received.]
["Basic Combat Records" * 2.]
Since things were already a mess, she might as well get this free "Combat Record."
However... Su Yuzu looked at Kujou Katora's combat experience.
It seemed "Basic Combat Records" were only suitable for First Sequence Espers, or those who hadn't even reached the First Sequence.
Su Yuzu had originally thought the increase was small enough when she used it on Ms. Unohana.
She never expected that when using it on Kujou Katora... the increase would be so minuscule it wasn't even one percent.
The same went for the favorability provided by "Development."
The favorability from "Development" was even less than what she got from scolding her a few times.
But it was fine.
Even if it didn't directly increase her favorability by 1 point, she still got a double return on the materials she spent on development.
In fact—
—this was even better.
A nearly wicked smile spread across Su Yuzu's lips.
She could unscrupulously use Kujou Katora as a workhorse for producing Combat Records.
She could endlessly squeeze Combat Records out of Kujou Katora.
Just as Kujou Katora propped herself up, her body suddenly stiffened. She sensed a long-forgotten warm power surging within her.
A "Blessing."
The girl's crimson eyes went blank, almost losing focus.
It had been a long, long time since she'd received a "Blessing" from fate.
"Eek," a tiny, cute sound escaped the girl's lips.
From the day Kujou Iruka fell into the abyss, Kujou Katora had never again tasted a "Blessing."
If not for the fact that a Blood Esper could even manipulate the blood in her own body, allowing Kujou Katora to forcefully 'lift' herself...
...the girl might have stumbled and fallen right in front of Su Yuzu.
The "Blessing" may have been minor.
But it still had to run its course.
The warm current flowing through her limbs felt like a taunt from fate, bestowed upon her as if mocking her submission.
Kujou Katora's crimson eyes looked dazedly at Su Yuzu. For an instant, she even thought she saw 'the light.'
[Ding—]
[Faith: Kujou Katora's favorability +1.]
[Favorability increase reward obtained: Collector's Tachi.]
The smile that had just formed on Su Yuzu's lips shattered the very next second.
It hadn't even lasted three seconds.
She wished she could immediately grab a bench from the hospital corridor and bring it down hard on Kujou Katora's head.
And then take a good look at what was inside this girl's skull.
"What in the world are you putting your faith in—"
This girl was definitely here just to mess with her.
Fortunately, at that moment... the door to the hospital room opened gently.
Mihou Sakai's small head peeked out from the room.
Her light green eyes fell squarely on a gloomy-looking Su Yuzu. "Senpai?"
Su Yuzu looked at Mihou Sakai... the overly loose hospital gown on the girl gave off a 'boyfriend shirt' vibe.
Looking at Mihou Sakai's cute, well-behaved face.
Su Yuzu instantly felt her frayed nerves being soothed.
Only the little rabbit's cheeks were puffed up like a blowfish. A sour feeling spread through the air.
[Ding—]
[Development of Mihou Sakai successful.]
[...]
[Compensation for development materials received.]
["Basic Combat Records" * 2.]
-
-
-
Today's haul.
"Basic Combat Records" * 4.
"First Sequence Promotion Emblem" * 2.
And... [Blood Manipulation (5%)].
________________________________________
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