Anomaly: Puppet

Soga Toyura.

The eldest daughter of the Soga clan.

From the day she was born, she stood in the spotlight, a genius girl enjoying the admiration of all.

Her ability, "Mental Manipulation," was the most terrifying and detested among all mental abilities.

At the young age of six, Soga Toyura could already manipulate and rewrite the will of ordinary people, and even ordinary Ability Users.

Now... at eighteen, just one year older than Su Youzi, Soga Toyura had already entered the Second Sequence.

Stepping into the Third Sequence was almost within reach.

However... Su Youzi looked at her "Operator Compendium."

[Operator: Soga Toyura]

[☆☆☆☆☆☆]

[Level.39 - Mental Manipulation Ability User]

[...]

She was still holding back.

This person... had actually been stuck in the Third Sequence for who knows how long.

She was even more terrifying than the strongest Valkyrie of Imperial Capital University back then, Kujo Iruka, known as the "Empire's First Archer."

Compared to Soga Toyura, Su Youzi, who couldn't break through her ability and remained stuck at "Level.0-Telekinetic Ability," was practically a disgrace to the Soga clan.

She didn't even deserve to have the surname.

She could only stand in the shadow at the edge of Soga Toyura's spotlight, humbly gazing at Soga Toyura's back.

But... Su Youzi looked at the little rabbit in front of her, who had a bewildered expression.

She couldn't understand.

She truly couldn't understand.

If that person really cared about her, why did she always act so as to avoid her, even to the point of hating and disliking her in the past?

Could a person's emotions and actions truly be faked to that extent?

But if she didn't care about her.

What was with that "99" affection points, which in a game was just one step away from proposing?

Su Youzi really couldn't understand.

Whether she cared about her or not.

Why did she send Saotome Yukina to her side?

In fact, mental abilities that could deceive consciousness weren't limited to "Mental Manipulation," and it wasn't only Soga Toyura who could plant a seed in Saotome Yukina's consciousness.

But... most of those people had no intersection with Su Youzi.

Forget it--

Looking at the girl in front of her, who was thinking with all her might like a little rabbit, Su Youzi held Saotome Yukina's right hand, her thumb gently rubbing the girl's tiger's mouth.

She changed the subject, "Have you ever encountered Mixed Martial Arts before, Saotome-san?"

"What kind of weapons do you prefer?"

"Swords?"

"Or do you prefer fists, or some other weapon?"

Su Youzi knew.

Being planted with a seed by a mental ability user in one's consciousness, feeling like one's mind was blank yet still having to try to think, was a very unpleasant feeling.

For a girl like Saotome Yukina.

It was better to just be a simple-minded rabbit.

Leave the other things to her to handle.

"Wea... weapon?"

Her thoughts seemed to be entirely focused on the action of her senpai's thumb rubbing her tiger's mouth, Saotome Yukina didn't hear what Su Youzi was saying at all.

"Senpai... what kind of weapons do you like to use?"

Su Youzi looked at Saotome Yukina.

The girl had already prepared herself for the training.

Her smooth, glossy snow-white long hair was tied back.

Her timid eyes, hidden behind strands of bangs, cowered like a small animal, peeking at her.

Saotome Yukina's slightly childish, baby-faced cheeks made Su Youzi unable to resist the urge to reach out and pinch them, then enjoy the cute sight of the little rabbit whimpering and struggling.

"I'm a little good with any kind of weapon."

"But I still prefer swords and fists."

It wasn't self-praise.

Su Youzi, with almost no abilities or technological items enhancing her, could still achieve excellent results in the final exam of the "Mixed Martial Arts class."

This was thanks to her unparalleled talent for combat.

The teachers at Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy used to lament regretfully, saying that if Su Youzi hadn't been born into the Soga clan, a family of physically frail psychics... even possessing the most ordinary physical enhancement ability would have made Su Youzi the sharpest blade on the battlefield against Anomaly individuals.

Saotome Yukina's choice was actually very smart.

Among the second-year students, Su Youzi, who had achieved excellent results with virtually no abilities, was indeed her best choice.

"Then swords it is..."

Saotome Yukina looked at Su Youzi with admiration.

Senpai must look so cool when she wields a sword... I want to become someone as amazing as Senpai.

Su Youzi glanced at the Little Rabbit in front of her.

Their eyes met for a moment, and then the girl's gaze quickly shifted away as if startled.

Su Youzi led Saotome Yukina to the combat training grounds at the edge of the campus.

The moment they stepped onto the training grounds, Su Youzi's brow furrowed slightly. She had a feeling someone was secretly watching them.

Was it someone from the Soga clan?

Or was it someone targeting this Little Rabbit beside her?

Su Youzi didn't know.

She just became slightly vigilant.

Pretending to rummage through her locker, Su Youzi took out the White Quality Training Kodachi from her "Material Slot" and tossed it to Saotome Yukina.

Even though it was only a one-star weapon.

The forging was surprisingly decent.

It was much better than the standard-issue weapons at the school.

Saotome Yukina hurriedly and flusteredly hugged the katana, her body sinking slightly.

The blade was almost buried directly into the girl's chest.

She held the katana.

She even wanted to hold it tighter.

This... is Senpai's first gift to me.

Su Youzi's eye twitched.

Even before she had fully matured, Saotome Yukina was already alluring like a femme fatale.

When she truly grew up, becoming as charming as a jade rabbit spirit, people would probably want to bury their eyes along with the sword.

"Anyway..."

"Let's start by learning how to hold the sword."

[--Girl Practicing--]

[Ding--]

[Quest Complete: Accompany Saotome Yukina for a Mixed Martial Arts Training Session.]

[Reward Gained: Blue Vitality Pill.]

[...]

Compared to Su Youzi's composure when holding a sword.

She even needed Su Youzi to stand behind her, with her chin resting on the girl's shoulder, to teach her hand-in-hand how to hold the sword and how to stand. Yet, the more she taught, the worse the Little Rabbit got, eventually seeming like she would collapse into Su Youzi's arms.

The training results were quite poor, to say the least.

She lay limply on the ground, her soft bangs already damp with sweat. A faint blush graced her face as she panted softly, her full chest rising and falling with her breaths.

Her mind was filled with the sweet, fresh scent that had rubbed off from Senpai.

Su Youzi looked at Saotome Yukina.

She was already starting to regret teaching the girl swordsmanship.

A Little Rabbit like Saotome Yukina should be wielding a healing staff taller than herself, smashing it down twice on the opponent's forehead.

Such a simple and direct combat style would be more suitable for a Healing Type Ability User.

She reached out, intending to pull the Little Rabbit up from the ground. "Let's get up..."

"It's cold on the ground."

"It wouldn't be good if you catch a cold."

Behind them, a girl in a short, one-piece dress tilted her head, watching Su Youzi and Saotome Yukina.

In those crimson eyes... it was as if tiny black lightning bolts danced.

Little Rabbit looked up at Su Youzi with teary, sky-blue eyes, "Senpai, I..."

"Am I really that bad?"

Su Youzi's eyes twitched.

She wasn't just bad, she was exceptionally so.

During training, Saotome Yukina couldn't concentrate at all, drifting her attention to herself at the slightest distraction.

Pinching her face didn't even work.

Su Youzi pinched Little Rabbit's cheeks until they were red, but... her focus drifted even faster.

But... looking at the miserable Little Rabbit, who seemed on the verge of tears.

Su Youzi couldn't bring herself to scold her.

Actually, Saotome Yukina was trying her best to practice.

However... the scent of citrus wafting from behind her.

Senpai's body heat...

Senpai's gentle voice blowing by her ear...

Even... the rustling sounds of her short hair and clothes rubbing together as Senpai swung her sword. All of it made Saotome Yukina feel like she was in a terrible predicament.

The girl didn't even understand what was happening to her.

Within the budding seed of emotion was a chaotic feeling she couldn't comprehend at all.

Is it like?

A girl's liking?

She didn't understand it at all.

"You're... doing okay, I guess." Su Youzi did her best to give such a 'fair' evaluation.

Little Rabbit's eyes suddenly lit up.

She grabbed Su Youzi's hand and tried to get up, but her body felt like all its strength had been drained, leaving her unable to move.

"It's not an illusion--"

It was Su Youzi and Little Rabbit's strength, being slowly siphoned from their bodies.

A dark red domain silently unfolded.

[Ding--]

[Warning... Warning...]

[Entering Instance.]

[Entering Instance.]

Su Youzi looked at the flashing red "Waring" notification in front of her.

Behind her, the swaying figure of the girl stepped on the wooden floor with a creaking sound, walking step by step towards Su Youzi and Saotome Yukina.

Then she suddenly accelerated.

She reached out her hand towards Su Youzi... a long sword, black and purple, entwined with faint black lightning, cut through the air.

With a whooshing sound, it heavily slashed towards Su Youzi.

[Trial Instance Opened.]

[--Anomaly: Puppet--]