Su Yuzu could keenly perceive it—
There was definitely some kind of anomaly surrounding Saint Michael.
The game's storyline had never directly depicted Saint Michael's image.
Even when describing the sequence where Saint Michael intercepted Kujou Iruka, all the cutscene actually showed... was nothing more than a silhouette of light — a maiden in prayer, her wings spread wide.
The only thing worth noting was... on Saint Michael's silhouette, the wings the maiden spread didn't seem to be like the angels in your usual anime games — wings extended from the back.
On the contrary. Saint Michael's wings seemed to unfold from the sides of her waist.
Even in the world-battle where Kujou Iruka was intercepted.
The "Saint's Blessing" the player obtained was, likewise, a feather of light received from the hand of an 'unnamed maiden' only after defeating the monster of the Thorned Crown.
Once the player used that feather, all their attributes would receive a massive boost — granting them the means to do battle with Kujou Iruka.
But... the game's depiction of the 'unnamed maiden' was likewise the sort wrapped up inside a cloak — only a sharp chin and lips visible, the eyes impossible to make out.
Su Yuzu tried searching online and in the Keigunen Private Academy database for any information about Saint Michael.
But aside from being able to find that Saint Michael had sacrificed her own "Word of Command" and snapped her own wings to intercept Kujou Iruka, she could turn up nothing at all.
Su Yuzu couldn't even find out whether Saint Michael had really, truly died.
She couldn't so much as glimpse what Saint Michael looked like.
That Saintess, who should have shone as dazzlingly as the sun, hadn't left behind even one photograph, or so much as a single portrait.
It was as though... someone had erased her existence — erased the world's very memory of her.
Leaving behind only a stamped, generic impression.
That sensation... even put Su Yuzu in mind of Soga Yura's Mind Control.
Su Yuzu had a premonition.
If she could figure out why Saint Michael, as the holder of the rule-type ability "Word of Command", had been able to exist in nearly the same era as Kujou Iruka — and why she had crossed countless miles from the "Holy Royal Court" to the Tokyo metropolitan area, just in time to stop the army-leading Kujou Iruka from invading the Tokyo metropolitan area, and to grasp the underlying reason for all of it——
Then she... might just be able to make sense of something.
She... might just be able to glimpse something the "Eye of Insight" would call the so-called truth.
That was why she had asked Sakura Mai to look into Saint Michael.
Sakura Mai's honored father and honored mother... were likewise people of the same era as Kujou Iruka.
They had witnessed that war with their own eyes.
[Ding——]
The long-absent... and to Su Yuzu, achingly familiar mechanical woman's voice rang once more in her ear.
[Part.4 - Lost Angel.]
[The holy radiance is sinking day by day, and amidst this crisis, one as keen as you seems to have caught wind of an anomaly surrounding that Saintess.]
[The world plainly remembers her merits!]
[And yet the world seems already to have forgotten her.]
[Seek out where that anomaly lies.]
["Fate has long since been overturned!"]
[Quest Requirement: Seek the truth behind Saint Michael — obtain information, photographs, or portraits of Saint Michael.]
[Quest Reward: Saint's Blessing.]
[…]
The world plainly remembered her merits, yet it was as though they had already forgotten her, hm?
Su Yuzu suddenly felt no description could possibly be more apt.
Saint Michael sacrificing herself to intercept Kujou Iruka had become a sort of taken-for-granted historical milestone. And yet not a single person had ever paused to consider where, after that, Saint Michael had actually gone.
Even a Saint Michael who had burned herself out like the sun, who had made such an enormous contribution — she ought to have had some sort of cenotaph, a memorial monument, something of the kind.
But there was nothing.
Apart from the radiance she guarded over the Tokyo metropolitan area with — the radiance that, alongside Su Yuzu's awakening, was waning day by day — she seemed to have left behind nothing at all.
"Investigate Saint Michael, is it?" Sakura Mai gave a small nod. "Understood."
"How strange..."
"The whole point was to investigate the radiance she left behind — the radiance that binds the Aberrants — and why it's gradually collapsing."
"And yet somehow I seem to have overlooked that Saintess herself."
By all rights, even if the destination pointed straight at Tokyo Bay, they should have at least clarified the source of that radiant power a little — at least looked into Saint Michael a bit.
As it stood... if Yuzu hadn't reminded her, the thought wouldn't have crossed Sakura Mai's mind at all.
[This kind of state...]
She keenly sensed the abnormality and looked up at Soga Yura.
This kind of state looked exactly like the aftereffects of Soga Yura's Mind Control.
Soga Yura was sipping her Orange Juice in dainty little mouthfuls, thinking to herself that this Orange Juice didn't taste nearly as sweet as her own Yuzu.
The girl's shoulders gave a startled twitch under Sakura Mai's stare.
"M-Mai, what are you looking at me for."
"It's not as if I've ever manipulated anything like this."
"I know." Sakura Mai merely nodded. "I just suddenly thought it really resembled your Mind Control..."
"What are you so nervous about — your face is bright red, and you just called me Mai outright..."
Sakura Mai watched the way Soga Yura was sipping her juice with a look brimming over with mischief, and Soga Yura only felt her cheeks growing hotter and hotter.
"Alright now... Sister Mai, stop bullying Sister." Su Yuzu stepped in to smooth things over for Soga Yura.
Only then did Sakura Mai withdraw her somewhat teasing gaze.
Really, she didn't even need to think it through — she could've worked it out using her chest alone — Soga Yura was definitely off thinking about something concerning Sister Yuzu.
Even so~
In front of Sister Yuzu, Sakura Mai didn't go so far as to call her out on it.
"The quest begins three days from now." Su Yuzu steered the conversation elsewhere, looking over at Sakura Mai. "We still have time to investigate."
"Sister Mai... is your honored aunt still home?"
"I think we could pay her a visit."
The truth was, beyond information on Saint Michael, Su Yuzu also wanted to dig into information about the Seat of Evil — including... that film she and Kujou Katora had watched.
After all, the Kirishika in the film really did look far, far too much like that girl in the white gauze dress whom Su Yuzu had once seen.
At the time it hadn't occurred to her, but after the realization caught hold that that maiden was very likely Kirishika herself, the more Su Yuzu thought it over, the more alike the two seemed.
However... in order to defuse Sister's embarrassment.
Su Yuzu decided she'd visit the Sakura family first.
"Honored Mother and honored Father are both home..." Sakura Mai gave a small nod. "If Yuzu wishes to visit, tomorrow would do."
"Only..."
"Only what?" Su Yuzu looked over at Sakura Mai.
"Only that when the time comes, I'd like Yuzu to undergo a test at the Sakura family residence."
"Honored Grandfather..."
"He's genuinely very curious about how Yuzu is able to wield the 「Sword of Erasure」."
____
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 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... 😉