The biting sea wind whistled. Su Yuzu could hear the surging tides of the bay, the thunderous roar of monstrous waves crashing against the dam and the large-scale force field shields.
And in front of Su Yuzu...
A girl in a cheongsam raised a frenzied smile. The deep green cheongsam was tight against the girl's graceful body. The large cutouts on the arms, shoulders, and chest were covered only by a thin layer of black silk, and the fabric, split high up the thigh, revealed equally alluring black silk underneath.
The girl was as graceful and moving as if she had just jumped out of a mobile game's erotic character art. Moreover, the modeling was perfect; the physical reality matched the illustration completely—a dream-like ideal model with no deception.
However... Su Yuzu looked at the girl's magnificent and brilliant dark golden vertical pupils, which resembled those of a hideous dragon in the abyss.
She only felt waves of chill running down her back.
She is an Aberrant.
That deep green cheongsam. Those thin, moving black silks that seemed tight against her body, outlining the girl's perfect figure... were all crystals of the Abyss Catastrophe.
That attire was not some erotic outfit to please others. It was the hideous scales and claws of an evil dragon aberration.
But... Su Yuzu smiled gently.
It was as if a voice inside her heart was saying...
"She—"
"[Probably tastes very good.]"
Under the gray sky, a world seemingly deprived of color. The pitch-black Throne of Thorns stood on the silent... no, dead silent black sea where not even a ripple could be raised.
Flakes of unknown dust drifted down from the sky, suddenly igniting as they neared the sea surface. From the overgrown black thorns... one could vaguely see the damaged skeleton of a giant beast.
The girl sitting on the naked woman covered one eye and laughed wildly.
"[Delicious, right—]"
"[Looks like...]"
"[Just as delicious as that little cat at home.]"
Why would an Aberrant appear in the urban area of the Tokyo metropolitan area?
Su Yuzu didn't know.
Her mission stated... the holy radiance is crumbling, and evil claws are taking advantage of the void.
Has Saint Michael's protection gradually failed? That is really not good news.
Because... once Saint Michael's protection fails, what attacks the Tokyo metropolitan area won't be these small fry in front of her. But Kujou Iruka.
The Seventh Sequence [The Abyss of Eternal Smiles].
That would be the true return of the Abyss, a Catastrophe invasion. However, Kujou Iruka is a matter for later; the current crisis is the Aberrant girl in front of her.
Su Yuzu looked at the mission before her eyes.
[Wind · Fire · Mountain · Forest]
Looking at the flowing wind-like dark patterns on the girl's deep green cheongsam, Su Yuzu had a premonition. This is just the beginning.
The opposing Aberrant's strength is at the peak of the Second Sequence, infinitely close to the Third Sequence. Just about the same as the little cat Su Yuzu raises at home.
If it were before, Su Yuzu would have broken into a cold sweat and waited in full battle array. But now... after eating that Leviathan, Su Yuzu could say calmly that she is just small fry.
Eating Leviathan, and using Leviathan's daughter as a soft cushion on the throne, Su Yuzu's "Hand of Paradox" had risen to Level.18.
And—
Rule-type ability users are completely different from all other ability users. Only rules can counter rules.
Even if Su Yuzu is only Level.0, the [Hand of Paradox] can still be effective against Level.80, the Eighth Sequence, monsters that exist only in legends.
The increase in the level of the [Hand of Paradox] only brings changes to its range, effective distance, and duration. And... Su Yuzu's constitution.
But—
After Kujou Katora's favorability broke 100, and the obedient dog lowered her body and raised her neck to let Su Yuzu put on the collar... The [Blood Manipulation (25%)] Su Yuzu obtained from Kujou Katora also gave Su Yuzu one-quarter of Kujou Katora's strength and physical fitness.
One-quarter of a Third Sequence physical enhancement type ability user. It was enough for Su Yuzu to gain physical fitness equivalent to a Second Sequence physical enhancement ability user.
Against a mere Second Sequence Aberrant, Su Yuzu was completely fearless. The only pity for Su Yuzu was... flashing in her crimson eyes was a frenzy even more intense than that of the Aberrant.
"[She looks delicious—]"
"[But this is the city center.]"
"[Can't just grab her and eat her directly.]"
"[Pity.]"
"[What a pity...]"
After re-liberating the "Seat of Karma" once, Su Yuzu already understood why in the game, defeating monsters didn't grant direct experience, only increasing skill proficiency and favorability for all participating Operators.
But in reality... every time she defeated an Aberrant or a Chimera Amalgam, she gained a direct increase in power.
Because—
They were eaten by her.
Those Catastrophe crystals outlining the girl's graceful figure... for the Seat of Karma that can never be completely satisfied... they are excellent desserts.
Su Yuzu raised her right hand horizontally.
"Behemoth", transformed into a giant shield, descended from the sky, smashing heavily behind Su Yuzu. The dark red mecha joints transformed and combined. Su Yuzu pulled a long-handled blade from the shield.
The crimson shield stood in place, but Su Yuzu didn't need it for now. If Su Yuzu were a Metal Manipulation User, she could avoid carrying the shield directly and instead use it as a manipulated mechanism to guard her side.
Unfortunately, Su Yuzu is not. Or rather... not for now.
Holding the blade, Su Yuzu lowered her center of gravity, the tip of the blade pointing at the Aberrant girl in front of her.
Unlike ordinary Aberrants, the girl in front of her possessed complete rationality.
"You are still maintaining this inferior posture."
Facing the blade tip Su Yuzu pointed at her, the Aberrant girl only slightly lifted the front flap of her cheongsam, adjusting her posture to bow to Su Yuzu.
"Even though the truth of this world is already in your hands."
"Truth?" Su Yuzu laughed suddenly.
Is this guy another remnant of the Eye of Insight?
"The blade edge is the truth."
Beyond Su Yuzu's expectations, the girl's answer was unexpectedly interesting and pragmatic.
"The strongest sword in this world was already in your hands."
"But you put down the sword."
"Can you tell us why?"
"Why?" Su Yuzu put on a look of serious thought. "Probably because the world after holding the sword wasn't as interesting as I imagined."
"Everything became that kind of gray and hazy appearance."
"Girls' fair and moving skin, crystal-clear and moist lips, all turned into the look of a black and white silent film."
"It's a reckless waste of God's gifts."
Su Yuzu looked heartbroken.
And in front of Su Yuzu... the Aberrant girl was already stunned to the point of freaking out.
Just this!??
Just this, just this, just this!??
Just for this kind of weird reason, the power within easy reach, the power to conquer the world, was thrown back?
This is f*cking!!!
What kind of person is this!!!
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