"..."
Witnessing Shima Izuki's bizarre operation, Hikari Matsuda opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but after twitching her lips, she remained silent, continuing to observe Shima Izuki's actions.
Shima Izuki didn't reach into the pattern again. Instead, she placed the retrieved dark purple square box aside, then slowly covered the pattern with the palm of the hand that had reached inside, making a grabbing motion.
Next, Hikari Matsuda watched as the pattern, like a sheet of paper laid on the floor, was picked up by Shima Izuki, crumpled into a ball, and then began to dissolve and condense into a small orb, about the size of one finger joint.
The entire process of the "paper" turning into a "pill" was completed while floating in the air. Shima Izuki only held the item at the start. After it began to dissolve on its own, she placed her hand palm-up beneath it, waiting for it to finish transforming and drop into her hand.
"What is that thing?" Hikari Matsuda couldn't help but uncross her arms, which she had been holding across her chest. She walked closer to Shima Izuki, wanting a better look at the "pill."
"This is... the crystallization of Kami-sama's power. It possesses a stronger developmental effect and can also increase the body's potential, allowing it to become even more perfect." Shima Izuki, aware that Hikari Matsuda was nearly in her face, neither chased her away nor failed to explain the item's purpose.
"Crystallization? Maybe. So, is this... the item for me?" Hikari Matsuda stared at the "pill"—no, it looked more like a small "crystal sphere"—for a moment before shifting her gaze to the dark purple square box placed nearby. She asked.
"Correct. Inside this box are the 'inhibitors' for your next period of time." Shima Izuki's mouth curled into a smile, confirming the statement. Having said that, she tilted her head back and put the small "crystal sphere" in her palm into her mouth.
Gulp.
With a swallowing sound, Shima Izuki lowered her head, extended her pink, slick tongue, and traced it around her pale red lips, still wearing a smiling expression.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Hikari Matsuda thought she saw Shima Izuki emitting a dark purple aura, similar to the item itself, like a lightbulb radiating light in all directions. However, this was a dark purple "light," giving off a strange feeling, like a flame surging from within. Her mind became somewhat blurred.
This state only lasted for an instant. In the blink of an eye, the strange visual effect vanished. Shima Izuki looked just as she was before, neither emitting the dark purple "light" nor giving Hikari Matsuda that weird feeling. Although the strange sensation disappeared quickly, it wasn't as fast as the visual effect. So, in the brief moments before the "flame" rapidly extinguished, the quickly recovering rational mind of Hikari Matsuda managed to capture it, confirming that what she saw wasn't an illusion but truly happened.
Realizing this, Hikari Matsuda's expression became slightly grave. She felt a twinge of regret for her earlier disrespect. Although Shima Izuki had "deceived" them, the items she provided were always reliable and delivered without delay, so both of them maintained a basic level of trust in her. Well, distrust wouldn't have helped anyway.
The two simply didn't understand why this woman chose them. When they had asked before, the woman gave an answer that sounded very perfunctory—because they were favored by fate, chosen by God.
But with no statue, this so-called God sounded unreliable. Coupled with her resentment over the initial deception, Hikari Matsuda often spoke out disrespectfully. She hadn't expected this woman to actually have some ability. At least, judging from what just happened, there really seemed to be a God of some sort.
Hikari Matsuda considered if the woman possessed a superpower, but there was no supernatural fluctuation typical of superpower usage. As a half-breed with partial cat-kin subspecies blood, her perception of supernatural energy fluctuations, while not as sensitive as a pureblood's, was at the average level of other subspecies.
Yet, she felt absolutely nothing just now, so the use of superpowers could be largely ruled out. As for a true God, faith, or supernatural phenomena—these were truly beyond what one encountered in daily life, and Hikari Matsuda genuinely knew nothing about related methods.
Superpowers, no matter what their nature, invariably produce significant supernatural fluctuations upon use. This is the method used by the ordinary human government to detect them.
However, because the harm caused by such abilities has so far been limited to the level of everyday life, and fluctuations can be detected by special instruments, the human government in Japan mostly adopts a policy of non-interference towards people with superpowers.
The policy of non-interference is exactly as it sounds: letting things grow naturally. There are no restrictions on superpowered individuals. If they choose to register voluntarily, they can receive a certain bonus payment, and that's it. For specific abilities, exceptions can be made for entry into certain professions—body enhancement abilities, for instance, for police roles.
It is worth noting that no continuous enhancement superpowers have appeared so far. All superpowers require an "activation" step, and "activation" invariably causes supernatural fluctuations. Therefore, there is no fear of using these abilities to cheat on tests or other things, as special detectors exist.
However, if they are not actively "activated," people with superpowers are no different from normal people. This is why the Japanese human government has not actively sought to screen them or take "special actions." The cost is too great. Capitalists don't engage in non-profitable ventures.
This resulted in a situation where people with superpowers are seen by others as merely talented individuals, at most arousing envy and jealousy. After all, people with superpowers are not uncommon; registered individuals account for one-fifth of the population. Who wouldn't want a little extra money?
Another characteristic is that superpowers only manifest in humans, and only pure-blooded humans. Mixed-bloods, perhaps because they consistently inherit the traits of their subspecies bloodline, cannot possess superpowers.
Regarding the other side of the supernatural—Gods, ghosts, urban legends, etc.—Hikari Matsuda wouldn't believe in them unless she was living in the subspecies district and happened to be near an incident. However, since she had never personally witnessed such a scene, only knowing about the "human disappearance" tragedy at the incident sites, she remained in a state of skepticism. This was why she dared to speak so recklessly to Shima Izuki.
If she fully believed in the existence of Gods, she wouldn't say anything, believing it was better to be safe than sorry.
Yet, Shima Izuki had just demonstrated how the "miracle drug" was obtained right in front of her, with no possibility of superpower involvement. Therefore... Hikari Matsuda no longer dared to "fire shots" as she had initially. Regardless of anything else, what if this "inhibitor" stopped working? She certainly didn't want to become a female beast driven by primal urges.
Pulling back her scattered and complex thoughts, Hikari Matsuda silently bent down and picked up the dark purple square box.
The square box was about forty centimeters long and thirty centimeters wide, and not very thick, perhaps a few centimeters. Hikari Matsuda fiddled with the edges of the box, found a seam, and opened the lid. Inside, she saw dark purple "coins" arranged in four rows, about six or seven coins per row—twenty-something "coins" in total.
One "coin" could last anywhere from three days to a week. This means the coins in the box would last her at least two months. But why so many?
Hikari Matsuda closed the lid, frowned, and cast a questioning gaze towards Shima Izuki, who was now standing.
"You're wondering why there are so many this time?" Shima Izuki still wore her smiling expression, but the subtle seductive aura she radiated was now stronger. The cunning look in her dark, purplish-blue pupils was fox-like.
"Yes. This time, it should last for over two or even three months. If the effect is good, it might even last six or seven months. Before, you only ever gave me a month's supply at most. Is there something different this time?" Hikari Matsuda looked up, staring intently at Shima Izuki, waiting for her answer.
"This batch will enhance your physical constitution. It's not merely an inhibitor. You've been consuming the potential-developing substance for quite some time now, so there's a change this time. However, it will still have the same suppressive effect—perhaps even stronger. You two often indulged in self-pleasure before, didn't you? With this, the desire for self-pleasure will also decrease significantly.
"Also, this is not your share alone. The portion for the little one called Madoka is in here too. Same as before, one piece at a time. However, your body's potential is still far inferior to your friend's." Shima Izuki spoke in a soft, gentle voice, looking down at Hikari Matsuda, who was almost half a head shorter than her, and playfully teased her.
"...Got it." Hikari Matsuda replied curtly, looking at the dark purple square box in her hand. Shima Izuki, standing in front of her, was so tall that Hikari Matsuda felt her own presence was diminished. In fact, she was quite tall for a woman, around 168 or 169 cm, nearly 170 cm, but next to Shima Izuki, she was still nearly a head shorter. Both women were barefoot.