They had no rebuttal.
Compared to those healthy, gorgeous women with formidable superpowers, the two sisters amounted to nothing at all. They'd lost, completely and utterly – even to the point of feeling a bit inferior.
Fortunately, Arisa, with her keen sense of others' feelings, offered some consoling words.
"No need to think so poorly of yourselves."
"Inori already told Master about you. He agreed to let her take you in, which probably means he's interested in you, too."
Tsugumi was perplexed. "But we've never even met him."
"Ah, don't underestimate our Master's abilities. He might have already examined every single hair on your bodies in precise detail."
Having lived through the Black Bullet world, Arisa practically worshipped Rei Ao as though he were an omnipotent god. The above statement was basically her own fantasy, but the sisters believed it.
"Every single hair...?"
Tsugumi involuntarily glanced at a certain place where Ayase was seated. She herself was a "white tiger" (i.e., no hair down there). But her sister wasn't. Tsugumi often helped her sister bathe, so she knew perfectly well. Ayase was...unique: very short and fine, just barely thicker than fuzz – a peculiar sort of charm.
Sensing Tsugumi's gaze, Ayase glowered in embarrassment, forcing Tsugumi to jerk her eyes away.
Exhaling, Ayase made up her mind. Fixing her stare on Arisa, she said seriously, "No matter what, I want to restore my legs.
"But if possible...I'd like to meet him in person – your...Master?"
To her, the term "Master" felt strangely shameful. Arisa hardly minded. Crossing her arms and thrusting out her ample chest, she nodded, pleased at the pair's change of attitude.
"All right, I'll bring it up with Master later."
"Ah, Master's awfully busy right now."
With that, she turned and walked away, not looking back, leaving the two alone.
Not far off, Menjou Hare approached Inori with a puzzled look. Right then, Mana arrived with her phone in hand. Hare was aware of Mana's identity by now. Curious, she asked, "Mana, what did you just show them?"
Yuzuriha Mana smirked playfully, handing over her phone.
Hare received it gingerly, only to freeze wide-eyed as soon as the screen lit. It showed...scenes from when Rei Ao and Arisa (plus others) were "mixing it up," while Hare herself had stood around gawking like a fool.
"Hare~ Next time, you'd better offer yourself to Rei Ao, y'know. Can't let Master's power go to waste."
Mana, in queenly fashion, tipped Hare's chin up. Although she got jealous – jealous enough to want to destroy any other women around Rei Ao – she wouldn't allow any defiance toward Rei Ao from those by her side.
Hare, easily flustered, flushed beet-red. Even if she could scarcely bring herself to talk about it, she nodded.
Mana seemed satisfied. Inori remained calm and asked, "When did you take those pictures?"
Mana gave a cryptic grin.
At the Funeral Parlor.
Tsutsugami Gai regarded the data center's screen with cold eyes. On it appeared handwriting that Tsugumi and Ayase had left:
[Tsutsugami Gai, we know your secret. You've betrayed the Funeral Parlor from the very beginning; everything you did was for Yuzuriha Mana!]
[We, Tsugumi and Ayase, have decided to leave the Funeral Parlor!]
His wrinkled, bone-thin hand trembled around a cane. The folds on his face quivered in rage. He didn't really care about the two defectors so much as the fact that other people had discovered Mana's secret.
Recalling that letter from not long ago, he understood that it had been the pair's test. As for something deeper, it involved Inori.
He inferred the two and the missing Inori were connected, and that Inori had revealed the secret to them. Now the vessel – Inori – was gone. Two major Funeral Parlor assets had defected, even taking away a trove of data before running off.
The crucial Void Genome for his plan had disappeared alongside Inori. Everything he'd worked for was now forced into a passive state.
He breathed out slowly, his gaze turning frigid. He muttered, "Mana...no matter what, I will become Adam..."
A pity he was unaware Yuzuriha Mana had already been "awakened" by Rei Ao for the first time and turned into a yandere hopelessly fixated on him.
At the Yukinoshita home.
Back in her familiar bedroom, Yukino thought of her sister and walked out.
She ran into her mother right at the door. Raising an eyebrow, her mother asked, "When did you get home?" She hadn't realized Yukino had come in.
Yukino froze; she didn't know how to answer. Hearing the commotion, Haruno came over and spoke for her:
"Mother, Yukino was with Rei Ao yesterday. He probably sent her back here with that miraculous power of his."
Yukino then remembered that her mother already knew. She'd been on the verge of making something up on reflex, but that reminder made her realize telling the broad truth sufficed.
Her mother let her air of authority subside. Faced with matters related to Rei Ao, she had no choice. Mysterious powers...she simply couldn't comprehend or control them. Realizing how out of her hands things were, this ever-calculating matriarch wore a faintly bitter and weary look.
She turned away. In both daughters' eyes, it was the first time their mother had looked so forlorn.
But Yukino was more worried about her sister at that moment.
"Sis, are you...okay?"
While she spoke out of genuine care, it felt awkward to Yukino herself, as it was a first for her.
Haruno actually laughed out loud. "This is the first time I've gotten such clumsy concern from little Yukino. I can't tell if I should laugh or cry."
"You can do neither."
Yukino's face had already iced over.
Haruno pantomimed wiping tears that weren't there. She knew Yukino was easily embarrassed, so she quit teasing and, for once, displayed a genuine, melancholic look.
"Honestly speaking...it's my first time feeling this...free."
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