In the early morning, warm sunlight slipped through the faint gaps in the curtains, falling upon the milky-white skin of the girl lying on her side.
The time arranged with the little rabbit was eight o'clock in the morning.
Su Yuzu had already gotten up bright and early.
Perhaps it was because, back when she'd been caring for the little cat, she had long since grown into the habit of holding something while she slept—or perhaps... ever since her rebirth, Su Yuzu had always been used to holding something to sleep.
Having abruptly lost the little cat who was so used to acting spoiled, Su Yuzu actually found that she slept rather fitfully.
Still... there was no need to entrust someone else to come over and look after, in her stead, the little cat who was somewhat unable to take care of herself in daily life during the time she'd be away.
Yesterday, while making her preparations before departure, she'd made another trip to the Soga clan's hospital.
Feng Ke was recovering very well.
She'd only had the side of her ear torn open when Dai Ling forcibly ripped out the Storage Module.
After Auntie Asumi, who possessed the power of 「Precision」, personally took up the scalpel, Feng Ke quickly recovered.
But... as an Aberrant.
And what's more, an Aberrant who carried the bloodline of the Soga clan's Ishikawa family.
Feng Ke was forced to submit beneath the 'tyrannical authority' of Soga Ishikawa Irube and Soga Ishikawa Asumi.
Forced, in the identity of an Aberrant, to study the many points of caution and the etiquette of human society.
To live within human society in the identity of an Aberrant was perhaps a kind of misfortune.
But... with Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi as her template, it was perhaps the greatest stroke of luck within that misfortune.
The Soga clan was fully capable of sheltering her.
However——
As an Aberrant who had been modified by the Technology Division, Feng Ke still had a great many conveniences.
For instance... after Su Yuzu visited her yesterday.
The social media account that Feng Ke hadn't updated in ages was updated once again.
Compared with Feng Ke, who was none the worse for wear, the little cat's condition was clearly far worse—she who had been injected with a large dose of Su Yuzu's Factors to awaken the Pseudo Throne, forced to Dominate the power of the throne of thorns, then had her domain cleaved open by Soga Yura, and was very nearly eaten up by Su Yuzu.
Her abilities had been forcibly hoisted up to the Fourth Sequence, but her power had tumbled back down to the strength of the First Sequence.
She was listless the whole time, as though she couldn't muster any spirit at all.
Only when Su Yuzu came to visit... could she tilt up her little head and barely scrape together the spirit to nuzzle a little in the palm of Su Yuzu's hand.
Perhaps... until Su Yuzu Fed the little cat back up to the Fourth Sequence, the little cat would remain in this state, never quite able to sleep her fill no matter what.
But the good news was... perhaps it wouldn't be long.
Before long, Su Yuzu would be able to bring the little cat back to the Soga family to keep.
Having changed into a set of close-fitting combat gear convenient for movement, Su Yuzu didn't prepare too many things. She only went to the crepe shop on the academy's commercial street where, under the dumbfounded stare of the young senpai, she packed up a full hundred portions of crepes once again.
For the Su Yuzu of the past, this would have been a huge expenditure.
But... after having Developed so many girls so many times, the little bit of pocket money Su Yuzu had on hand was already more than enough to pay this sum without it stinging in the slightest.
More than half of them were strawberry cream crepes.
The shop's strawberries and fresh cream had practically all been swept clean by Su Yuzu.
Su Yuzu had already made preparations to Feed the little rabbit, Sister Mai, Teacher Chiyo, and... Soga Yura every single day even down by the seaside.
After tossing all of those crepes into her Material Inventory, Su Yuzu bid farewell to the proprietress of the crepe shop.
At the entrance of the Healing-type dormitory.
Ms. Unohana was already waiting there, bright and early.
Because it was an academic exchange event with Imperial Capital University, besides Su Yuzu and the little rabbit who were attending the investigation mission, an accompanying teacher was also required.
Unohana Chiyo—who was very familiar with Su Yuzu, and had even... had even lived together with and protected the girl for a stretch of time—was without a doubt the best choice.
And what's more——
In terms of combat strength, Saionji Sagara felt very reassured about Unohana Chiyo as well.
Although~
The woman looked like nothing more than a delicate, sickly P.E. teacher, and her ability was 'merely' at the Second Sequence.
Yet after all, she was a member of the Death Squad who had survived such a cruel battlefield.
Saionji Sagara felt very reassured about her.
"Yuzu~~~" Even though she was clearly already holding herself back, Unohana Chiyo's expression still betrayed obvious delight.
She gently embraced Su Yuzu.
Because of an unlucky mix-up in timing, and the busy schedule of Su Yuzu's recent pre-departure arrangements, Unohana Chiyo had gone nearly three days without seeing Yuzu.
Her Favorability hadn't crossed the great threshold of 100 again.
Which is to say... Unohana Chiyo had gone three whole days without receiving the grace of Lady Fate.
Although... Unohana Chiyo had always wretchedly and resentfully called Lady Fate a bitch.
But... when that goddess who always arrived as promised suddenly vanished for a stretch of time, Unohana Chiyo felt as though her whole self was about to fall apart.
It could quite simply be described as lying awake unable to sleep through the night.
Although Unohana Chiyo hadn't yet reached the point of someone like Mihou Sakai or Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi, who, without Su Yuzu's Combat Records, couldn't even satisfy the instinct to improve themselves.
But... she was probably not much better off, either.
The withered field of her heart had long been crying out, yet that Lady Fate truly was always so wicked.
Even after Yuzu appeared, she still kept stubbornly putting off sending down the sweet rain.
Su Yuzu released Unohana Chiyo. She sniffed at the... peach-like fragrance on the woman's body, which seemed even more rich and lush than before, and looked at the woman's luggage.
It was much the same as at Teacher Chiyo's home.
Unohana Chiyo's luggage was also so neat and spare it was pitifully little.
Apart from a single blade, there was only one very small suitcase.
"This is all the luggage you have, Teacher Chiyo?"
"Would you like me to hold onto it for you, Teacher Chiyo?"
"And also... what about Lian?"
"This is all of it." Unohana Chiyo nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Yuzu."
Watching the girl's motion of stuffing her suitcase and blade into some unknown space, for some reason... Unohana Chiyo suddenly thought of that day, in 「Tsukimisato」.
The nightwear she'd discovered... that seemed to be the very one she'd lost.
A strange notion suddenly rose up in her heart—could it have been Yuzu who 'stole' it?
But in the very next instant, Unohana Chiyo completely cast that thought aside.
How could Yuzu possibly steal her nightwear.
As for... whether it might be some wicked little quirk of the girl's, Unohana Chiyo had never gone so far as to suspect that either.
She trusted Yuzu.
She even felt ashamed that she would actually suspect Yuzu at all.
"Lian... I sent Lian over to Yamabuki Nanako's place to be looked after." Unohana Chiyo changed the subject.
"That's good then~" Su Yuzu lowered her brows and eyes; she really did like the cat at Teacher Chiyo's home.
If she had the chance~
She'd like to stay at Teacher Chiyo's place for a stretch of time too.
After all, during that stretch of time... she'd really slept very soundly.
Just as Su Yuzu and Unohana Chiyo were both lowering their heads at each other, slowly being steeped in the fruity fragrance on each other's bodies——
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter——
The flustered footsteps of a girl came from within the dormitory building.
"Sorry... senpai, I overslept a little." The girl, her face done up in exquisite light makeup, came trotting out, and then... catching sight of Teacher Chiyo sitting on the same bench as senpai, she suddenly froze in stunned astonishment.
"Te... Teacher Chiyo!?"
What what what is going on here!?
Senpai never said the teacher was coming along too!
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