What Kind of Human Wrench?

Following Unohana Chiyo, they arrived at the laboratory at the very back of the training hall.

The surrounding silver-white intelligent machinery modules were brimming with a sense of technology, and huge cylindrical containers filled with pale green liquid stood along the edges of the laboratory's workbenches.

It was as though stars of curiosity were glittering in Little Rabbit's eyes.

"That's an emergency medical pod."

As if she had noticed Little Rabbit's curiosity, Unohana Chiyo explained to Saotome Yukina, "Ordinary severe injuries only need ten minutes..."

"The 'Medical Unit' inside can repair the human body almost completely."

"Even if someone's heart has been pierced... putting in multiple 'Medical Units' can pull them back from the brink of death."

Su Youzi looked up at the cylindrical container.

Medical Units... I never expected something like that from the game to exist in reality too.

In the game—

When an Operator's HP dropped to zero in battle, or when they ran out of stamina in a Calamity Domain, this was where it came in handy.

"A medical device with almost no drawbacks aside from its exorbitant price." Rarely wearing such an unpleasant expression, Unohana Chiyo looked at the two girls. "The price of one 'Medical Unit'..."

"Is roughly ten years of a teacher's salary."

Seeing Unohana Chiyo's expression, a strange suspicion suddenly arose in Su Youzi's heart.

Could it be...

"The Medical Units used on this brat wouldn't be repaid even if we sold her."

A childish, irritated voice came from the depths of the laboratory.

Clack—

It sounded as though someone had jumped down from somewhere.

Su Youzi and Saotome Yukina looked in the direction of the sound.

Two figures, one tall and one short, entered Su Youzi and Saotome Yukina's field of vision.

Su Youzi froze for a moment.

She had already met the tall, older woman yesterday.

She was the director of the Assault Department at Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy.

Saion Sagara.

She was an elegant yet stern woman. Among the students of Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy, she was famously known as the "Rakshasa."

But... the students did respect her.

Because she was harsher on herself than on anyone else, and everyone knew she genuinely wanted what was best for her students.

What truly stunned Su Youzi... was the "young girl" beside Director Nishizono.

A girl who was not even as tall as Saion Sagara's thighs.

She looked like an elementary school student from some nearby school who had secretly put on a lab coat.

Her chestnut-colored long hair was a messy heap, like piled-up weeds.

Her pale blue eyes, which should have been beautiful, looked listless and unfocused from staying up too long.

But... Su Youzi knew her.

Without drawing attention, she summoned her Operator Compendium.

Su Youzi compared them.

[Operator: Yamabuki Nanako]

[☆]

[Level 0 - Plant Ability User]

[...]

[Affinity: 5 (Unfamiliar)]

Although her profile and story remained locked due to the affinity being too low—

Judging from the character art, she should indeed be the "girl" standing before them.

"What a tiny child..." Saotome Yukina murmured instinctively.

"Pfft—" Unohana Chiyo could not help laughing.

Oh no.

Even though Little Rabbit had lowered her voice, Su Youzi still saw the "#" vein pop up on Yamabuki Nanako's forehead.

The girl who looked like an elementary school student in a researcher's lab coat stomped toward them angrily.

"I'm so sorry!!!" Little Rabbit hurriedly apologized to Yamabuki Nanako.

"It's not your fault!" The girl, puffed up like an angry pufferfish, jumped up and kicked Unohana Chiyo in the knee.

Going along with her, Unohana Chiyo pretended to be in pain and dropped to one knee.

Yamabuki Nanako waved her Little Fist at Unohana Chiyo. "You bastard!!!"

"Explain it properly to your student."

"Sorry, sorry." Without changing her expression, Unohana Chiyo pressed Yamabuki Nanako's little face directly into her chest.

She picked Yamabuki Nanako up and stood.

Su Youzi's eyelid twitched.

"I believe Little Youzi and Saotome are already quite familiar with this person."

"She is Saion Sagara, senior director of the Academy's Assault Department."

"As for this one..." Smiling gently and wickedly, Unohana Chiyo shook Yamabuki Nanako again while holding the back of her head before finally releasing the girl, who looked as though she was about to suffocate.

Su Youzi and Saotome Yukina tacitly tilted their heads away.

As though they had seen nothing at all.

"Wheeze—" Her beautiful pale blue eyes were nearly vacant. "I survived..."

"She is the chief executive of the Academy's Technology Department—" Unohana Chiyo introduced, "Yamabuki Nanako."

Having finally struggled free, Yamabuki Nanako kicked Unohana Chiyo in the thigh.

Clang—

A sound like metal striking metal.

Tears seemed to well up in Yamabuki Nanako's eyes at once.

Well... though she looked gentle and virtuous, Unohana Chiyo was still a genuine Second Sequence Metal Manipulation Ability User.

"That's enough." The director of the Assault Department spoke in a highly imposing voice. "The Investigation Department inspector should already be on the way."

"Got it, got it..."

Only then did Unohana Chiyo put Yamabuki Nanako down.

Clack.

Only then did Su Youzi and Saotome Yukina understand what that earlier clacking sound in the laboratory had been.

Unohana Chiyo and Yamabuki Nanako led Su Youzi to the open testing platform in the center of the laboratory.

At a glance, Su Youzi spotted the long blade fixed in place by silver-white intelligent mechanical arms... bent into the shape of a mosquito coil.

It was the very blade she had bent with her ability yesterday.

Yamabuki Nanako operated the controls with a rapid clatter.

A pale blue projection appeared above the testing platform.

It showed the scene of Su Youzi striking the Anomaly girl in the lower abdomen with one slash, then bending the Altered User Weapon blade that had been chopping toward her shoulder.

Even though a day had already passed—

When Saotome Yukina saw that scene again, she still instinctively covered her mouth.

"We suspect your ability may not be as simple as mere 'Telekinetic Ability.'" Saion Sagara looked at Su Youzi.

"Ordinary Telekinetic Ability cannot bend an Altered User Weapon."

She looked toward Yamabuki Nanako.

Yamabuki Nanako operated the controls, and a teeth-grating hydraulic hiss sounded from the silver-white intelligent mechanical arms.

But... the mosquito-coil-shaped long blade clamped in place did not move at all.

"Weapons grown from the flesh, blood, and bones of Altered Users are all weapons cursed by calamity."

"Though they appear to be metal, in truth, they are Calamity Crystals."

Unohana Chiyo reached toward the Altered User Weapon.

She easily manipulated the silver-white intelligent mechanical arms, which had been straining hydraulically, and forced them apart.

But... that black-purple weapon still did not budge.

Saion Sagara gestured to Unohana Chiyo.

Unohana Chiyo waved her hand.

Several silver knives resembling dining knives flew out from beneath the hem of the woman's suit skirt.

Like silver-white meteors cutting through the darkness.

The silver knives instantly struck the black-purple weapon.

Clang—

A crisp ringing of metal.

The black-purple Altered User blade snapped in response. Black-purple crystals sprayed outward, only to be blocked by a pale blue force field.

"Breaking an Altered User Weapon is not difficult."

"But..." Saion Sagara looked seriously at Su Youzi.

"Bending an Altered User Weapon—even I have never seen such a thing."

Unlike Unohana Chiyo, Saion Sagara, as the director of Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy's Assault Department, had heard certain rumors about Su Youzi.

The former Su Youzi... had not been like this, like an abandoned child cast aside by the Soga Family.

On the contrary... she had once drawn everyone's attention and shone brilliantly.

"Yamabuki—" she prompted softly.

At Yamabuki Nanako's operation, a deep... black-purple feather so deep it was almost entirely ink-black was brought before Su Youzi by an intelligent mechanical arm.

"Give it a try?"

Saion Sagara looked at Su Youzi.

Su Youzi hesitated briefly, then reached toward the feather.

The girl turned her wrist.

The black-purple feather twisted into the shape of a braided rope.

"Su Youzi—" Saion Sagara's voice was grave. Looking at the twisted feather, the woman's feelings were complicated.

"We have determined..."

"Your ability is not the Mental Type basic ability known as 'Telekinetic Ability.'"

"Rather..."

"A Rule-based Ability that is exceedingly rare even in human history—"

"A Rule-based Ability capable of effortlessly bending even an Altered User's Calamity Crystal."

Su Youzi's smile froze.

What kind of Human Wrench was that?