[Ding—]
[Development: Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi Submission +1.]
[Submission Increase Reward Acquired: Dainty Bell.]
[A dainty bell made with Arcana craftsmanship. Its sound is crisp and has the special effect of concealing the source of the sound.]
[Compensation for development materials consumed acquired.]
[「Basic Combat Records」*2.]
[...]
Unlike the favorability increase with regular Operators.
For Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi, whose favorability towards Su Yuzu was negative, the attribute that increased... was one called Submission.
Still, Su Yuzu looked at the submission increase reward from Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.
Isn't... isn't this the item I used in my dream last night?
Hiss—
So weird.
Ever since Su Yuzu realized that the favorability increase rewards from Operators were all closely related to their attributes,
either they were things the Operators liked,
or... they were things that could be used in a future happy life.
Su Yuzu had often found herself unable to look directly at the favorability rewards from certain Operators.
She walked out of the hospital room.
She had obtained some rather valuable intelligence from Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.
For example, the black-purple 「Eye of Insight」 totem that had disappeared from the man's chest.
And for another... the equipment the man wore to resist Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's 「Mental Interference」.
Su Yuzu handed the girl's drawings of the 「Eye of Insight」 totem and the earphone-shaped Technology Division equipment to Kujou Katora, who was waiting outside the door.
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi was a genuine mental-type Esper.
When she deployed her 「Mental Interference」, everything within its range was imprinted in her mind like a 3D model.
Therefore... her drawings of the 「Eye of Insight」 totem and the Technology Division equipment were of very high reference value.
Kujou Katora frowned as she looked at the earphones in the drawing.
"Epiphany..."
"What?" Su Yuzu looked at Kujou Katora.
Beside them, Soga Ishikawa Irube, who had also heard Kujou Katora, stepped in to explain for Su Yuzu.
"'Epiphany Manufacture'."
"It's a rather mysterious Technology Division conglomerate."
"Their shadow is behind the birth of almost every piece of era-defining Technology Division equipment."
Su Yuzu nodded to show she understood.
Epiphany Manufacture's most representative work was the very 「Medical Unit」 that had pulled Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi back from the brink of death—
a piece of medical consumable with virtually no flaws, aside from its price.
Beyond that, various pieces of Technology Division equipment in the game, and even... some of the items used in last night's dream, were all associated with Epiphany Manufacture.
"Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi was right," Kujou Katora said, looking at the earphones in the drawing.
"Equipment released directly by Epiphany Manufacture is always special."
"It's not something you can just buy with money."
"Following this lead might actually uncover some clues."
Hesitantly, Kujou Katora handed the drawings to the young female superintendent. "Hayabusa..."
"Go investigate these earphones."
"And..." Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked at the black-purple, eye-shaped totem on the other drawing.
Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi said that the 「Eye of Insight」 symbol had lit up on the man's chest.
But when they recovered the taxi and the man's body from the sea, they didn't see any 「Eye of Insight」 symbol.
"Go check that guy's chest."
"See if there's anything unusual."
"Yes, ma'am." The young female superintendent nodded to show she understood.
"Oh, right—" As if suddenly remembering something, Kujou Katora added.
"In Guanzheng District..."
"...check every single recent corpse in the entire Tokyo metropolitan area that is connected to Aberrants."
"See if you can find any commonalities."
"Understood, Lady Kujou." The young female superintendent known as 'Hayabusa' turned and left.
"Aren't you going with them, Kujou-senpai?" Su Yuzu asked, taking a small step forward as she observed Kujou Katora giving orders.
Based on Su Yuzu's knowledge of Kujou Katora from the game,
Kujou Katora was always on the front lines when it came to matters involving Aberrants.
especially when dealing with a wicked cult that implicated innocent people and forcibly turned them into Aberrants.
Kujou Katora should have been itching to dig three feet deep to unearth them by now.
Her current state seemed highly unusual.
Kujou Katora looked at Su Yuzu.
To be honest... she really did want to rush out, find the lair of that 「Eye of Insight」 cult, and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
But... she looked at Su Yuzu.
"You're in danger right now, too."
"You are their primary target."
"By staying by your side, I can also watch for any sign of those people."
Kujou Katora stopped just short of saying, 'I need to stay by your side to protect you.'
Su Yuzu shook her head.
"As long as I don't leave the academy, I'm actually quite safe."
Ever since the incident with Mihou Sakai, not a single member of the 「Eye of Insight」 cult had appeared near her directly.
Besides the academy's decent security measures, Su Yuzu felt there was a bigger factor at play.
For instance... this might just be the calm before the storm.
Or perhaps... it was what Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi had said—when she mentioned 'rats,' it was as if she had struck a nerve.
Su Yuzu felt that things might not be so simple.
She looked at the 「Operator Development」 screen, at Soga Yura who, even while sunbathing on a recliner, had to bring her life-sized body pillow with her.
This probably... had something to do with her.
"Please go ahead with your work, Kujou-senpai. Don't worry about me," Su Yuzu said, smiling at Kujou Katora.
Su Yuzu had a feeling in her heart.
The sooner this matter was resolved, the better.
She didn't want to see another girl fall into the abyss of aberration and become an Aberrant.
"However..."
"Please be very careful."
Taking two dark red movie tickets from her pocket, Su Yuzu pressed them into Kujou Katora's hand.
"These are for next weekend."
"I'd like you to accompany me then, Kujou-senpai."
"Mm." Kujou Katora struggled to keep a straight face, maintaining her cold, imposing demeanor in front of Su Yuzu.
She carefully tucked the movie tickets, which still seemed to carry the warmth of the girl's pocket, into the inner pocket of her clothes.
"While I'm investigating,"
"Yuzu..."
"...do not leave the grounds of Keigunen Private Academy, no matter what."
"Okay~" Su Yuzu agreed with a smile.
Her crimson eyes carefully studied the girl's reaction before Kujou Katora finally turned to leave.
She watched until Kujou Katora was gone.
Su Yuzu then turned and bowed gracefully to Soga Ishikawa Irube. "Uncle Irube."
"I'll be heading to class now."
Besides the 「Combat Records」 from Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi and Kujou Katora,
she still had several other 'crops' to harvest today.
"Mm." Soga Ishikawa Irube nodded to show he understood.
The burly man carefully turned the doorknob and slipped into the hospital room, stooping as he went.
Inside the room, the girl curled up under the covers still had red-rimmed eyes.
The two of them listened as the girl's footsteps faded away outside.
"Fath..."
"Father..." the red-eyed girl choked out.
"I... I want to transfer schools."
Her hospital gown lay crumpled to the side.
The girl's pale hands gripped the blankets tightly.
She never wanted to see that demon again.
I don't... want to?
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 50 advanced chapters available on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/GirlsLove1