Su Yuzu sauntered back to her seat with an easy grace.
She didn't chase after Soga Yura.
After confirming Yura's feelings and her doting affection, the girl's lips curved into a truly joyful smile. Indeed, it was the first time she'd genuinely smiled with such happiness.
In Yura's eyes, Yuzu had heard the sound of a wellspring.
Although she didn't know exactly what factor had driven that jerk to finally muster the courage to make a move...
Still, it was, all things considered, a good thing.
Yuzu understood Soga Yura.
Just as... Yura understood Yuzu.
What they both needed right now was a little space.
Space to allow them a chance to catch their breath.
This game of tag between sisters... from this moment on, it had officially changed tracks.
A new game had begun.
Furthermore, she pondered the psychic storm that had just erupted from Soga Yura.
It was completely different from the vague, missing childhood memories in her head.
Although in those childhood memories, Yura was always misusing her abilities, Yuzu had never truly understood the specific reasons behind her actions.
She had just written it off as the willfulness of a little girl.
But this time was different. This time was completely distinct.
Now a First Sequence Esper herself, Yuzu could faintly perceive it.
The epicenter of that terrifying psychic storm didn't seem to be Soga Yura.
It was... herself.
The moment Yura touched her.
A powerful force belonging to Soga Yura had blossomed upon her body like fireworks.
Thinking back carefully, it was true... in every memory of Yura using her abilities recklessly as a child, Yuzu seemed to have been right beside her.
Yuzu gently bit her lip.
Lowering her head, she looked at the hand that had just supported Yura.
Her moist fingertips seemed to still hold the tear stains left by the sobbing girl.
The image of the dignified, majestic Elder Sister had been shattered completely within a few days.
So... it wasn't an illusion.
The Q-version chibi Soga Yura in [Operator Development], who always wore that expression of °.o.(°□°|||).o.° and cried her eyes out, wasn't an exaggeration at all.
Yura, who always wore a look of arrogance, who raised her chin and pierced Yuzu's heart with cold, disdainful glares... was actually a total crybaby.
She really wondered what Yura would look like crying when she got bullied and forcefully stuffed with Combat Records in the future.
However, the corners of Yuzu's lips curled up slightly. She was unexpectedly... looking forward to it.
A crybaby sister was far better than an arrogant sister who constantly left her heart riddled with holes.
Yuzu even began to look forward to the scene where Yura would reflexively put on her arrogant act, only to be bullied by Yuzu until she shattered.
That would be very interesting.
Ideally, she would bully her until her body developed a conditioned reflex.
Just as she started to put on airs, before she could even fully embody her 'arrogant' persona, her waist would arch, and she would let out an "Awooo" and cry a river, teardrops scattering all over the floor.
That would be even more amusing.
It reached a point where Yuzu sometimes wondered... if there was some mismatch between Yura's ability and the Little Rabbit's.
The Little Rabbit's [Dragon King] ability... perhaps it would be more fitting on Soga Yura.
But recalling the scent of flowers that had permeated the hospital room earlier that day...
Indeed, the cuteness of a Hydrokinetic could only be truly understood once you possessed one.
The horror movie on the screen slowly drew to a close.
The background music, originally sentimental and desolate, gradually became melodious and lingering, fitting the mood quite well.
Yuzu didn't like tragedies like The Flowers of Evil.
So, the movie she brought Kujou Katora to see today, despite being a bona fide horror film, had a reasonably heartwarming and happy ending.
Rubbing Kujou Katora's limp, small hand beside her—a hand so weak it couldn't even unclench or make a fist—Yuzu thought to herself... unlike Katora's absolute hatred and loathing toward Aberrants, her unwavering resolve to kill them all...
If she were that Seventh Sequence Esper, the "Seat of Evil," even if she chose to fall into the abyss of Aberration...
She would not choose to embrace her lover, give up everything... and bury herself in the sea with her.
Even if she transformed into a pitch-black demon amidst the eternal night of the deep sea, she would undoubtedly choose to watch over and protect her lover.
Until she died.
She... would absolutely not give up the power to protect her loved one just because of the gazes of others.
[Ding—]
[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new achievement: Side of the Abyss.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained a new achievement reward: Mist Branch Flower Seed.]
Yuzu looked at the achievement reward she had just unlocked.
[Mist Branch Flower Seed] was actually the name of an achievement badge.
The icon of the badge showed the silhouettes of two girls overlapping; one was a childish girl who hadn't yet grown up, and the other... looked like the mature version of that girl.
But the most critical detail was the ring of white flowering branches surrounding them.
Yuzu felt like she had seen that ring of flower branches somewhere before.
She swiped open the data panel.
Sure enough—
It was identical to the [Godmother's Laurel].
One could even say it was just the icon of the [Godmother's Laurel] moved onto an achievement badge.
[Mist Branch Flower Seed: Proof that you possess the courage to step onto the side of the Abyss and gaze into the future from within it.]
Yuzu remained silent.
She couldn't help but feel that this [Operator Development] system was pushing her toward the side of the Abyss.
Or perhaps... her actions had consistently led it to believe that she was moving in the direction of the Abyss.
This wasn't exactly a good thing.
Human society, in the end, could not tolerate Aberrants.
The appearance of every powerful Aberrant signified the arrival of a Catastrophe.
If possible, she still wanted to stay far away from those Aberrants.
"Uuu..." A slight, dream-like sound was squeezed out of Kujou Katora's throat as Yuzu gently played with her hand.
Katora curled up in her seat, her scarlet eyes filled with shame. Unable to meet Yuzu's gaze, she tugged at the hem of her skirt in despair and embarrassment. "Just now..."
"Big Sister came by."
"Ugh..."
"And then, coincidentally, Lady Fate's Blessing descended!"
"Damn Lady Fate." Kujou Katora gritted her teeth. However... before she could finish her sentence, she saw the half-smile in the eyes of the girl beside her.
"What's wrong with Lady Fate?" Yuzu's fingertip traced circles on the back of Katora's hand, round and round.
One had to realize... that the 'Lady Fate' Katora was cursing through gritted teeth was, from a certain perspective, Yuzu herself.
She clearly wanted to curse that Lady Fate viciously, but... seeing Yuzu's expression, for some reason, Katora suddenly wilted.
"She... she did a good job!" Katora's eyes lit up with a sudden thought.
"Indeed." Yuzu's fingertip gently traced the line of Katora's chin.
Katora's scarlet eyes fluttered, feeling distinctly that... in the next second, the words "Good girl" might come out of Yuzu's mouth.
________________________________________
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