Su Yuzu instinctively reacted to Tsukiyomi Fuya's mission instructions.
Within the base, nearly everyone's eyes turned toward the girl at almost the same instant.
On any ordinary day, Su Yuzu would have been utterly fearless, and would probably have stated the reason outright with poise and grace.
But today... Su Yuzu had just finished being persecuted.
It was as if a bit of her spirit and morale had been worn away.
As everyone cast their gaze upon Su Yuzu, the girl instinctively shrank her neck, turning her eyes toward Tsukiyomi Fuya and Akiyama Yo.
Tsukiyomi Fuya looked at the girl.
If anyone else had objected like this right after she had just assigned a mission, then even if Tsukiyomi Fuya didn't put on any sour expression, her brow would probably still have furrowed.
But... the girl before her was different.
The girl before her was special.
"Yuzu... can you tell me the reason?" Tsukiyomi Fuya looked gently at the girl, softly inquiring after the reason. "Is it because of your period?"
"Or some other reason?"
In order for the mission to proceed smoothly, when Imperial Capital University was preparing the mission plan, they had even factored in the girls' menstrual cycles.
By all rights, there shouldn't be any unexpected mishaps.
However——
As for that sort of thing... who could ever say for certain.
Tsukiyomi Fuya fully respected the girl's opinion.
Listening to Tsukiyomi Fuya's soft murmuring, Su Yuzu suddenly felt a touch of shame.
The girl looked around helplessly, and after seeing all the older sisters around her wearing the same amused, unsurprised smiles, even her earlobes seemed to grow hot right along with the rest of her.
Behind Su Yuzu, Soga Yura had even begun to blame herself.
So... there had been a reason like this for Yuzu not returning all night last night?
To think she hadn't taken proper care of Yuzu.
"No..." Su Yuzu's voice was unusually low and soft, "it's... it's a premonition."
She rapidly thought up a reason and looked toward Tsukiyomi Fuya. "Does Tsukiyomi-senpai believe in premonitions?"
"My premonitions have always been very accurate."
"I have a premonition that Ms. Akiyama Yo will have an accident underwater."
In order to convince Tsukiyomi Fuya and the others, Su Yuzu even painted them a vivid picture of the illustration from when she had recruited Akiyama Yo.
A black sea.
A woman in a black gauze dress diving toward the seabed.
The soaked, gauzy skirt faintly revealed the seductive traces of her underwear straps.
Ms. Akiyama Yo's gaze was brimming with a kind of sacrificial resolve.
In her embarrassment, Su Yuzu even spoke aloud of the mole in the illustration on Akiyama Yo's left underarm... near a private spot.
The stern-faced woman's eyes suddenly went wide—now there was one more embarrassed person within the base.
"Is it just as Yuzu described?" Tsukiyomi Fuya turned back gravely to look at the slightly embarrassed woman.
Akiyama Yo gently nodded.
She did indeed have a black dress.
And moreover... she did indeed... have a mole in that very spot.
Tsukiyomi Fuya's expression grew even graver.
Though she was a professor of the so-called "science side," she was deeply interested in the mysticism that stood opposed to the science side.
She had even studied astrology before.
"Then let's send someone else instead." Tsukiyomi Fuya chose to believe the girl's premonition.
"I refuse——" Entirely as Tsukiyomi Fuya had expected, when it came to the matter of possibly running into danger herself, Akiyama Yo, on the contrary, had no wish to flee from it.
"If it truly is as Student Soga says.
"What she foresaw... me diving into the sea wearing a dress rather than my combat suit—then it must mean I'd run into some sudden situation, where out of sheer necessity I didn't even have time to change into a combat suit or a swimsuit."
"But right now, that is clearly not the case.
"I have ample time to change my equipment."
"So it absolutely cannot be the scene and the moment that Student Soga foresaw."
Tsukiyomi Fuya furrowed her brow.
"And besides——" Akiyama Yo suddenly broke into a relieved smile, "if such a crisis truly is unavoidable."
"Then let me train Student Soga and Student Sakura well beforehand.
"My chances of survival might be a little greater that way."
"And if death truly is unavoidable——
"Student Soga said... my gaze was firm, holding a kind of sacrificial resolve.
"Then... my death must be very meaningful—I must have already prepared myself to sacrifice."
"If the mission is completed.
"Then even in death, I will surely die smiling."
Her tone was carefree and unrestrained.
Su Yuzu stared blankly at the Akiyama Yo before her, then tapped open the woman's [Operator Development].
Sure enough——
Before, she had only noticed the traces of the underwear straps beneath the woman's soaked dress in the illustration, as well as that knife-throwing edge to the woman's gaze.
But she hadn't noticed... that she was truly smiling.
Firmly... resolutely... smiling.
In her heart, Su Yuzu grew all the more determined to change this ending she had never experienced before.
Over these next few days... perhaps she should help Ms. Akiyama Yo shore up her strength a bit.
"In that case——" Tsukiyomi Fuya nodded.
"Since that's how it is... the plan proceeds as usual."
"Only~"
"I'll be waiting aboard the ship to support you." Tsukiyomi Fuya looked at Su Yuzu, looked at Akiyama Yo.
"If you run into any danger, contact me at once."
"Even if I have to split the sea apart, I will bring you both back."
"Okay~!" Su Yuzu nodded vigorously.
The girls set out to sea aboard the warship.
Su Yuzu changed into her combat suit in the changing room.
Akiyama Yo instructed the girls on how to put on their combat suits.
Su Yuzu looked at the woman before her.
The woman's skin was so dewy and fair it seemed you could suck the water right out of it, carrying a hazy moisture.
That was precisely Akiyama Yo's Talent, [Moistened Body].
In aquatic or damp environments, Akiyama Yo's stamina and recovery would receive a massive boost.
But... in everyday life, the clothes on Akiyama Yo's body also got soaked all the more easily.
That was why the woman always wore such a stern gaze, and why the woman always wore a heavy combat suit.
Although... the heavier she dressed, the more easily the clothes beneath the combat suit got soaked through with sweat.
It would even take on a slick, greasy sheen, those useless bits of fat practically jiggling as if trying to break free and escape.
Soga Yura waited worriedly at the doorway.
In fact, Soga Yura and the little rabbit had combat missions too; they also needed to practice swimming and diving, tasked with supporting Su Yuzu and Sakura Mai.
Only... because the emphasis of their training was different.
So the depth of their training and their instructors were different as well.
Soga Yura gazed with a touch of envy at Yuzu, who was wearing the amphibious combat suit with its leather-like texture.
The combat suit perfectly traced out the girl's lovely, slender lines.
Just like... a droplet of water.
Why was it that she and Yuzu, who had inherited the same excellent genes, had such a vast gap between them?
Soga Yura suddenly thought again of her sister Soga Iori and of Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi, neither of whom seemed to be much better off than herself.
Could it be... that this was the curse of the Soga clan?
And only Yuzu, who had inherited Mother's bloodline, had broken the curse?
Akiyama Yo stepped out from behind the girls and taught Su Yuzu and Sakura Mai to pour hot water into their combat suits.
That way they would stay a bit warmer underwater.
The mission was about to begin.
Just then, Tsukiyomi Fuya, who was in charge of watching over them, suddenly seemed to remember something. She reminded Akiyama Yo, "Yuzu... is rather afraid of the dark.
"When you're diving in the sea, Akiyama, you need to be careful—don't carelessly let Yuzu slip out of your sight and your light."
"Understood." Akiyama Yo nodded.
Standing off to the side, Soga Yura froze where she stood.
Wait...
Hold on!!!
Wait just a moment!!!
Why would Ms. Tsukiyomi know that Yuzu was afraid of the dark?!
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