The girls' birthdays fell on a weekend, just a few days away.
On the commercial street of Keigunen Private Academy, the twins walked side by side — and Soga Yura's little finger was gently caught in Su Yuzu's grasp.
Holding hands properly would have been just as fine.
But… having just her little finger held like this by Yuzu wasn't bad at all.
The crepe shop — fast becoming the de facto gathering place for what was nearly Su Yuzu's official fan club — was already packed with girls.
She hadn't even turned around.
Yet Su Yuzu's radar snapped to attention like a periscope rising from the water. The ahoge on the little rabbit's forehead stood straight up.
Saotome Yukina stared wide-eyed at the intertwined little fingers of Soga Yura and Su Yuzu.
Beside her sat Kujou Katora — arms crossed, lips curved into a soft, warm smile — though those crimson eyes of hers radiated an aura that made you instinctively smell blood. The moment she caught sight of Su Yuzu, she straightened her chest ever so slightly.
The evening banquet held by the Soga clan wasn't until nighttime.
This afternoon was just a small gathering among Su Yuzu's not-so-many friends. And yet Kujou Katora had already changed into that outrageously stunning high-slit qipao gown.
Beside Kujou Katora sat Miss Hayabusa, wearing an expression of tortured despair.
She had no idea why she was sitting here with her boss when she had a mountain of backlogged official business waiting for her back at the office.
But… for the sake of next year's salary, Miss Hayabusa had no choice but to sit there with her face twisted in resigned suffering.
Mihou Sakai sat a little stiffly, nervously tugging at the hem of her trench coat.
Beneath the loose-fitting trench coat was a taffeta evening gown.
Outside of her school uniform, Mihou Sakai simply didn't own many presentable dresses.
How could Su Yuzu ever let a girl be put in such a difficult spot?
She had personally helped Mihou Sakai pick out the dress — and personally tried on the measurements herself to confirm the sizing was right.
To show off a girl's figure to its fullest — structured and shapely — Su Yuzu had chosen the taffeta with a decidedly mischievous intent.
Mindful that the girl might be too shy, she had, for once, opted for a long skirt with a high neckline and no slit.
That said~
The back of the evening gown was almost entirely open, baring even the sides of the waist.
Which naturally meant no undergarments could be worn.
That was one of the reasons Mihou Sakai was flushed and flustered.
Just remembering the sly grin on her senpai's face while taking her measurements was enough to make the tips of Mihou Sakai's ears burn red and hot.
But… a girl's shy side was beautiful too, after all.
Though — if it had been Soga Yura instead — Su Yuzu absolutely would never have picked this dress for her.
A strapless evening gown stayed up entirely thanks to a girl's nearly-perfect figure.
If it were Soga Yura… it would probably just fall straight off.
It was a slight shame that Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi hadn't come.
Today was the birthday of the two young ladies of the main Soga family, and as one of the Soga clan's key branches, the Ishikawa family had a great deal to attend to. Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi simply couldn't get away.
On the other side of the little rabbit sat a Saintess — an image of sacred purity and nervous unease all at once.
The Saintess's expression looked deeply strange… and desperate.
The instant she caught sight of Su Yuzu, the Saintess's shoulders nearly gave a visible flinch.
It was, perhaps, perfectly understandable.
After more than half a month of trials and tribulations — tormented endlessly by a cruel and capricious fate — Lyudmila had slowly, painstakingly built up her tolerance. She had started to feel as though she was finally on the verge of suppressing that particular blessing from the wretched Goddess.
The light of victory had seemed so close, almost within reach.
And then — without warning — that blessing leveled up.
Su Yuzu had received a mission reward. The daily routine 「Primary Combat Records」 had, right on cue, upgraded into 「Intermediate Combat Records」.
「Intermediate Combat Records」 were Combat Records designed for Second Sequence Espers.
While providing normal growth for Second Sequence Operators, they could also rapidly elevate the combat strength of Operators below the Second Sequence.
Ensuring they would never drift beyond the reach of Su Yuzu's development pipeline.
The price…
Was that this upgrade had arrived with absolutely zero warning.
It had given Lyudmila almost no opportunity to resist — and just like that, effortlessly… it had punched clean through both her psychological and physiological defenses at once.
Honestly… it was quite pleasant, in its own way.
It was like the difference between two kinds of medicine.
One was a powder so bitter it couldn't get any more bitter — the kind where drinking water only made the bitterness worse.
The other… had already been compressed into a tablet.
Lyudmila had spent the whole day on tenterhooks, and in the end… before she'd even had a chance to brace herself, it was already over.
Lyudmila even felt, for the first time in what seemed like ages, something that tasted like home.
Mm… the Saintess's hometown…
Was in Maginot.
Endless shame and humiliation spread through her chest afterward. Regret crept in and lingered.
The Saintess tossed and turned through the night, praying to God in her heart — praying through the long, sleepless dark for forgiveness.
She could almost hear the Lord weeping faintly in the distance.
And then… the very next day, the instant she made contact with Su Yuzu, the resistance she had built — as formidable as the Maginot Line itself — was crushed to rubble all over again.
Lyudmila, who had always prided herself on being beyond fear after enduring countless hardships, instinctively shuddered at the sight of Su Yuzu — as though she had laid eyes on a demon.
Soga Yura glanced at the Saintess's instinctively widening pupils, then squeezed Su Yuzu's hand hard.
She had absolutely no idea what this girl had done to that Saintess to frighten her so thoroughly.
Su Yuzu simply smiled warmly at the on-guard Lyudmila.
Lyudmila still had to attend the evening banquet tonight.
There was no way Su Yuzu would embarrass her now.
After all… the banquet was long.
It would probably go until midnight.
When the time came to send the girls back to Keigunen Private Academy at midnight, she could make up today's and tomorrow's Combat Records all at once then.
Still… looking at the Saintess's guarded, wary expression, Su Yuzu wanted to put her at ease.
She just wanted to tell her — Lady Fate was having a party today too. All she needed to do was sit tight and wait until midnight, nice and peacefully.
But… Su Yuzu thought it over.
That… would probably be even more terrifying to hear.
And it would expose the connection between herself and that wretched Goddess.
In the end, she said nothing.
Unohana Chiyo had already served the girls their ice cream and crepes.
Su Yuzu and Soga Yura settled in beside Sakura Mai, who looked like she couldn't quite muster her usual energy.
The Knight Princess — who had drawn the Sword of Erasure twice in rapid succession within just a few short days — still seemed like she hadn't fully recovered.
Though… Soga Yura actually knew the truth.
Sakura Mai's recovery ability was, if anything, stronger than her own.
The real reason Sakura Mai still seemed out of it… was that she had been continuously exposed, at close range and while severely wounded, to the mental storm that had erupted between Soga Yura and Su Yuzu.
Of course —
Afraid of being chased around with a pillow by Sakura Mai, Soga Yura didn't dare say that out loud.
She simply slipped a Mental Ascension Elixir quietly into Sakura Mai's recovery set.
The television in the crepe shop was broadcasting news from around the world — country after country ramping up efforts to crack down on the Eye of Insight and its associated sinister cults.
Gently holding Su Yuzu's hand, enjoying the quiet peace of the afternoon, Soga Yura watched the people come and go on the street outside — and suddenly went still.
A girl in a white skirt stood in the distance, as if waving a greeting to her.
"Sister?" Su Yuzu, noticing Soga Yura's odd stillness, followed her gaze out toward the street — but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
The girl in the white skirt had already vanished.
"No…"
"It's nothing." Composing herself as though nothing had happened at all, Soga Yura picked up the crepe in front of her and moved to feed it to Yuzu.
Su Yuzu caught the strange undercurrent in the air, but said nothing.
She lowered her eyes quietly and took a gentle bite from Soga Yura's crepe.
Soga Yura only stared at the spot where that girl had disappeared.
"Kirishika… Sister…"
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