As for the changes at "Epiphany Manufacture" —
Su Yuzu actually knew a little about them.
Radical laboratories like K-423 Laboratory — the one that had birthed Zero, the one that had birthed the Leviathan's daughter — were purged and occupied en masse in a very short span of time.
The Investigation Bureau seized enormous quantities of Aberrant-related Technology Division technology from the labs involved.
That pack of half-mad radical researchers had turned their eyes toward Aberrants nearly a century ago.
All to prove that Espers and Aberrants sprang from the same root.
They had even inverted the design logic of the "Medical Unit" to build the "Aberrant Activation Device", a machine that could convert an ordinary Esper into an Aberrant in a short span of time.
Beyond that, the Investigation Bureau also confiscated a mountain of evidence proving how closely they had been working with extremist sects like the "Eye of Insight".
Their laboratories had taken in massive funding from cults such as the "Eye of Insight".
And at the same time —
They had also supplied the "Eye of Insight" with a great deal of Technology Division equipment, along with prototype "Aberrant Activation Devices" for field testing, and… they had logged a considerable body of experimental data on things like the Chimera Amalgam, that part Semi-Catastrophe Beast, part Aberrant creature.
Their research had not been carried out for the benefit of any one species or any one organization.
On the contrary —
They researched purely for the sake of research.
In several proposals that had never left the drawing board, they had even intended to run studies on death-soldiers retired from the battlefield.
And… studies on Su Yuzu.
A pity for them that neither had ever come to anything.
To the Investigation Bureau, to Su Yuzu, to Kujou Katora, death was letting that crowd off lightly.
Once the preservationist faction moved in and took over administration of "Epiphany Manufacture", the whole organization seemed to find its way back onto the right road.
They returned to being the biggest item manufacturer in the game.
As a gesture of apology to Su Yuzu—
The "Epiphany Manufacture" executive who had arranged her compensation last time even paid another visit to Keigunen Private Academy.
He compensated her with a huge stock of "Medical Units", together with the raw energy sources that fed Concept Armaments like the "Behemoth".
This round of compensation was generous enough for Su Yuzu to hover at death's door a hundred times over and still spend the coming year taking the "Behemoth" out for joyrides.
And on top of that—
He also announced that "Epiphany Manufacture" was willing to forge another Concept Armament for Su Yuzu, free of charge.
Su Yuzu took the whole lot without blinking.
She wasn't the bashful sort.
Besides… this wasn't hush money. It was compensation that "Epiphany Manufacture" owed her.
From their side of the table, coughing up a teensy hundred million or so to make sure she — and the Soga family — never pressed the matter again was a bargain.
Still… faintly, ever so faintly… Su Yuzu caught something odd in the smell of it all.
The purge and restructuring of "Epiphany Manufacture"'s radical faction had gone just a little too smoothly.
Smoothly enough to look premeditated.
For the moment, though, it seemed Su Yuzu had no time to chase down the "Epiphany Manufacture" question.
The outing she'd promised the girls had come around.
Every one of them had dressed up in earnest — so earnestly that it looked like they were treating this as a date.
The only exceptions were the "Seat of Evil" and Kirishika; Su Yuzu had to help those two into their skirts herself.
Granted, the girls were naturally lovely enough to look good without a scrap of makeup.
But standing beside girls who were just as naturally lovely and had also put real work into dressing themselves up, the pair came off a touch plain.
Then again, Kirishika and the "Seat of Evil" — fresh from swallowing a fourfold serving of hell — clearly weren't concerned with any of that.
Compared to a "date" with Su Yuzu—
They cared far more about whether the amusement park had anything good to eat.
The "Seat of Evil" had latched onto the cuff of Sakai Miho's sleeve. After Sakai Miho's long campaign of Feeding, the "Seat of Evil" had deigned to permit this "foolish, spineless mortal" to serve her.
And then—
"Sister Sakai… I want ice cream."
The "Seat of Evil" watched Sakai Miho go visibly soft.
"Heh—"
"A mere mortal."
"I need only let a sliver of the disguise show, and she surrenders to me on the spot."
"Okay—"
Sakai Miho had barely started to agree when Su Yuzu hoisted the "Seat of Evil" up by the collar and dumped her back beside Kirishika. "No sweets for you today."
The "Seat of Evil": critical failure.
Su Yuzu ruffled Mihou Sakai's hair.
Sakai Miho was too kind. Girls that kind ended up preyed on by bad people.
And… Su Yuzu understood Sakai Miho's circumstances.
Nearly all of her scholarship money got mailed straight home.
At the eye-wateringly expensive Keigunen Private Academy, Sakai Miho hardly dared set foot in any place that took money, the cafeteria excepted.
Her one and only source of dessert was, more or less, Su Yuzu's Feeding.
Even so, Sakai Miho was forever turning over how to repay Su Yuzu, how to treat her back someday.
And nothing in an amusement park comes cheap.
Because of Su Yuzu, Sakai Miho would never turn the "Seat of Evil" down.
Then the girl's wallet would go flat, and she'd be back to free rice and soup in the cafeteria.
How was a body-enhancement Esper supposed to hold out on that? Especially when little Sakai had the bad habit of driving herself twice as hard as everyone else.
"Yuzu-senpai…" Sakai Miho glanced at the "Seat of Evil", cheeks puffed with indignation as she glared at Su Yuzu, and wanted to put in a word on her behalf.
But… the moment Su Yuzu started kneading her cheeks, the girl caved along with everything she'd meant to say.
Sakai Miho had always been the obedient, self-doubting type; in front of Su Yuzu she held no initiative whatsoever.
Soga Yura watched the Interaction between Su Yuzu and Sakai Miho, her own cheeks on the verge of puffing out.
But… Soga Yura wasn't an unreasonable person either.
Every last one of the pretty little birds fluttering around her own Yuzu, she had investigated down to the roots.
This girl's situation really was enough to make anyone's heart ache.
So all Soga Yura could do was press her head down on Su Yuzu's other shoulder, as though staking a claim.
It was the weekend, and the amusement park was packed.
Su Yuzu loaded the trembling little rabbit and Sakai Miho onto the roller coaster and waved them off with a wicked grin while the two of them stared back in wide-eyed terror.
Then she picked up a water gun and staked out the spot where the girls would come back around, ready to give them a little "surprise".
But… at the stall selling the water guns, Su Yuzu saw someone else.
Someone—
Someone who shouldn't have been here at all.
Gray-blue eyes were fixed on Su Yuzu. The woman wore an amusement park staff uniform, the front of it stretched taut to the point of bursting.
"Why are you here…" Su Yuzu stared at Tsukimisato Somehana.
Tsukimisato Somehana simply pulled up the hem of her trousers, revealing the electronic shackle on her ankle, its red light blinking on and off.
She looked at Su Yuzu, face blank. "Community service."
Community service?
On the exact day she'd arranged to bring the girls to the amusement park… community service?
Su Yuzu caught the scent of something out of the ordinary.
____
________________________________________
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉