Unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.
The so-called [Blood Manipulation (5%)] really was Kujo Ryuko's [Blood Manipulation].
Though... it was a little weak.
Even if she went all out, she could probably only condense a short dagger.
It was probably around Level 4 or Level 5.
But it might be enough at a critical moment.
[Blood Manipulation (5%)] should mean exactly what it said: an ability equivalent to Blood Manipulation at five percent of Kujo Ryuko's full strength.
However, what Su Youzi cared about most was still how she had obtained [Blood Manipulation]—
By raising Kujo Ryuko's Favorability to "Reliance."
That was something Su Youzi found quite worth pondering.
If she continued raising Kujo Ryuko's Favorability, would [Blood Manipulation (5%)] become [Blood Manipulation (10%)]?
If she "cultivated" Kujo Ryuko herself,
would her own [Blood Manipulation (5%)] grow stronger along with her?
And Saotome Yukina, Teacher Unohana Chiyo... as well as Sakai Miho.
If she raised their Favorability to "Reliance" too,
would she obtain the abilities of Hydrotherapy, Metal Manipulation, and Physical Restoration?
There was no such thing as having too many abilities.
The girl's misty, rosy eyes instantly brightened.
Kujo Ryuko would be Su Youzi's best "test subject."
Across from Su Youzi's dormitory, Kujo Ryuko sat on her bed with her legs hugged to her chest, pondering why she had become so strange earlier that day... Suddenly, she shuddered.
She felt a strange prickling sensation down her back.
As if someone had set their sights on her.
[...]
Holding a soft, fluffy pillow, she lay on her bed and switched on the pink-and-blue jellyfish night-light beside it.
The lights in the girls' dormitory went out.
Curled up on the bed, Su Youzi looked out at the pitch-black world beyond the window.
She pondered one final question.
If... Kujo Ryuko, whose Favorability was only at "Reliance," could grant her [Blood Manipulation] at five percent strength,
then—
what about Soga Toyura, whose Favorability had reached 99 points and "Adoration"?
What ability would she grant her?
Why hadn't she seen it?
Hugging the pillow in her arms tightly, Su Youzi closed her eyes.
In the darkness, the girl stood at the edge of a skyscraper's rooftop, her black trench coat billowing fiercely in the night wind.
The girl's right hand rested against her chest, gently rubbing the small silver pendant tied around her neck.
The black turtleneck sweater accentuated the girl's slender, graceful figure.
It was just that... the exquisite curves a form-fitting sweater most easily highlighted were not accentuated in the slightest.
She looked down over the city sinking into the night.
Her rosy, gorgeous eyes were utterly devoid of emotion.
The shape of a woman was reflected in the girl's beautiful eyes.
"Rat—"
[This is the latest news...]
[Early this morning, the harbor recovered the body of a young woman.]
[Strong Altered User reactions were detected on the woman's body.]
[...]
[Dear citizens, please take note. Avoid going out at night whenever possible.]
[...]
She switched off the jellyfish night-light beside the bed.
Su Youzi slowly got up and pulled the thin shoulder straps, which had almost slipped down to her elbows, back into place.
As a private elite school, Shiritsu Megumi Garden Academy did one thing particularly well: from meals and daily life to its educational direction, it was almost meticulously attentive.
This little night-light was one example.
For a girl like Su Youzi, who was just a little afraid of the dark, it was incredibly considerate.
Listening to the morning news broadcast, Su Youzi washed up.
Quite a few things seemed to have happened in Guangzheng District recently.
But... they had nothing to do with her for the time being.
Today, she and Little Rabbit had agreed to go to the school's supply department first and get the bottle of body wash she had crushed the night before.
Then, after visiting Sakai Miho together, they would go to the training hall to teach the girls Mixed Martial Arts.
If nothing unexpected happened, she should be able to see Teacher Unohana Chiyo at the training hall that morning. And because of the Eye of Insight sect, Kujo Ryuko was even staying across from her.
Without having to expend too much effort, Su Youzi should be able to receive today's "Combat Record."
Perhaps because she had impulsively tested Kujo Ryuko's [Blood Manipulation] the day before, Su Youzi got up rather late today.
Fortunately... all of today's classes were in the afternoon.
By the time the girl opened her door, even the cooldown for Kujo Ryuko's "Cultivation" had finished.
Across from Su Youzi's dormitory.
Kujo Ryuko stood behind her door.
She had been standing there stiffly like an idiot for over an hour.
After a night of cooldown,
Kujo Ryuko's little head had gradually cooled down.
She had begun to find her embarrassing behavior from the day before unbelievable, and even... incomprehensible.
The main thing she couldn't understand was... why she had felt pleasure and... excitement because of that shame and humiliation.
Why had she felt happy?
Kujo Ryuko didn't understand.
Moreover... even Kujo Ryuko herself hadn't realized it.
In the past, if someone had made her embarrass herself like that, then even if she hadn't hacked them into pieces with her Blood Saw, she would at least have torn off one of their arms.
But... whenever she thought of Su Youzi,
Kujo Ryuko's first thought now was actually... whether her outfit was too improper.
She liked the feeling of her entire body being tightly bound by taut nylon fabric.
That was why Kujo Ryuko had replaced the long coat and trousers of her combat uniform with a one-piece black stocking suit.
But... Kujo Ryuko understood as well.
In the eyes of traditional women, her outfit was more or less a little improper.
Click—
She heard the sound of the dormitory door across the hall opening softly.
Kujo Ryuko shook her head hard, wiping all those chaotic thoughts from her mind.
She opened her door.
She saw Su Youzi wearing a sailor-style school uniform.
Deep inside... Kujo Ryuko secretly steeled herself.
No matter what, she absolutely couldn't embarrass herself in front of Su Youzi today.
"Good morning, Senior Kujo." Su Youzi greeted Kujo Ryuko with a bright smile.
Since she had already failed to kick this yandere away,
she might as well be straightforward and treat her as her Combat Record extraction girl.
"Good morning." Kujo Ryuko maintained the same coldness as when the two had first met.
No matter how soft and gentle her voice sounded, she seemed like a cat half-closing its eyes on someone's lap, exposing its belly and acting spoiled.
But... as soon as one saw those scarlet eyes,
even the air seemed to turn icy.
"Good—"
"Just like that."
Kujo Ryuko looked at Su Youzi, desperately hiding the shame gradually spreading through her heart... the shame that had surged up when facing a girl because of the previous day's events.
And... the inexplicable pleasure that slowly spread because of that shame.
Oh no... this was bad.
Her thoughts seemed to be turning strange again.
Taking a deep breath inwardly, Kujo Ryuko struggled to maintain her "ferocious" image.
At the same time, Su Youzi looked at the Chibi Figure of Kujo Ryuko in "Operator Cultivation" and saw that the "Cultivate" button beside it had lit up again.
The girl skillfully checked the Combat Record.
Confirm.
Thud—
Kujo Ryuko braced herself against the wall.
"Damn Goddess of Destiny!!!" Shame spread through her scarlet eyes.
"Huh?"
"Senior Kujo!?"
"Are you all right?"
"Are you feeling unwell?" Looking at Kujo Ryuko's embarrassed state caused by the so-called "Grace," Su Youzi could barely keep the wicked smile off her face.
At that moment, Kujo Ryuko was far too ashamed, yet felt pleasure because of that shame, and then felt even more ashamed because she felt pleasure, repeating the cycle endlessly... She had no time to notice it at all.
Otherwise, the girl would probably have already been so furious and humiliated that she would have swung her Blood Saw.
"Nothing..."
"I'm fine..."
Her unfocused scarlet eyes slowly found their focus again.
"Wait for me."
"I'm going to change clothes."
Before you continue