I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Turning her gaze away from the notebook, Kasugano Sora lowered her head slightly, concealing the smile that couldn't help but curve at the corners of her mouth, as well as the nostalgic and warm look in her eyes.

'You idiot, all you've left behind isn't just trouble.'

Fighting alone?

No way! How can I let someone who disappeared without saying goodbye get away with it so easily?

Even if it's just the strength you left behind, I'll drag you down with me and make you try again... because you're my best friend.

The memories of fighting alongside Tachibana Kanade flooded her mind, but she knew now was not the time to dwell on the past and quickly suppressed the ripples of emotion that were rising within her.

Then, turning her gaze back to Kasumigaoka Utaha, Kasugano Sora spoke with a serious expression and a heavy tone:

"Didn't I tell you before? I kept you here because I wanted to use you as an unexpected trump card. This isn't just some empty promise."

"In fact, I am now on the opposite side of the 'system'—I can only control the operation of this trial space, while both the real-world You and the power to end this trial are restricted by the main body of the system."

"Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal... After all, I designed the 'Boyfriend System' myself. Although I can't easily change the settings after issuing missions, I've left quite a few security loopholes to ensure no accidents occur."

But the real surprise is that even this level of consideration couldn't be prevented, which is why people are caught off guard like this.

"In order not to disappear with me after completing the mission, the system itself developed a weak will to survive and began to plunder the power of the Light Jade in an attempt to create a miracle."

The source of it all was that "bad luck charm," which planted a seed that even Kasugano Sora hadn't noticed.

At that time, she was quite pleased with herself, believing that she had used the unexpected item perfectly, successfully bringing her brother one step closer to a perfect ending, and that she had dealt with all the side effects.

The consequence of such carelessness was that the system had isolated her access at some point, leaving her only able to put up a desperate resistance in this trial space, and together with the four existing light orbs, suppress the system's increasingly aggressive intent.

If things go wrong, not only will she, this little ghost, be in danger, but even Yuu Tenkuji and Yukinoshita, whose consciousness has entered the system, will be trapped in the system forever—whether they become vegetative or their homes are littered with corpses in reality, that will depend on luck.

By then, Kasugano Sora will have no choice but to start all over again.

But she would never make such a futile choice unless absolutely necessary.

Now that he's just one step away from freeing his brother from the system and setting him on an unprecedented path to happiness, how could Kasugano Sora possibly give up everything she's accumulated over the years and gamble on chance in the next timeline?

She had long been prepared to fight for his fate to the very end, just like her friend who was now asleep, instead of being a coward and backing down at the first sign of crisis.

You should understand everything I'm saying, right?

The words fell on the quiet air, stirring up a cold echo.

Slowly rising from her chair, Kasugano Sora stood before Kasumigaoka Utaha, whose expression grew increasingly grim. She looked down at her calmly and uttered harsh words in a forceful tone:

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, listen up!"

“I don’t have much time left to suppress the system. The situation is already beyond your control—if I’m fine, then Yu will be fine too. You and the others will be able to return to reality sooner or later.”

"If something happens to me, then something will happen to You. You and the others will get into trouble sooner or later."

"Just like you said, an 'irreversible future' is imminent and waiting for us to deal with it... If we continue to passively stay here and retire, and one day the situation develops to a point where even I can't handle it, then you can pray that your old laptop will give you a second chance."

She gave a slight smirk, as if she were smiling, but her eyes were filled with a chilling coldness, like an executioner who had witnessed countless deaths, ruthless and indifferent.

"Of course, I personally prefer an ending where everyone dies together, and no one involved in this matter can live alone."

Chapter 81 Cut off the power, you damn system! (28/55)

What was this implying? Even if Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't want to understand, the chilling feeling that rose from the soles of her feet and the bone-chilling coldness from the bottom of her heart forced her to comprehend the current situation.

Simply put, she's now trapped. If she doesn't actively cooperate with Kasugano Sora's actions, even if the notebook kindly helps her escape the "future of no return," this guy will drag her down with him.

As for Kasugano Sora knowing the origin of the notebook, and that the notebook's power is only one-tenth of hers... Kasumigaoka Utaha remained skeptical, but didn't rush to question her.

After all, she seems to have no other choice now.

"Damn it...why do I always have to encounter this kind of thing..."

He kept tapping his heels on the floor in frustration, trying to keep his expression calm, but a hint of distortion could still be seen.

After ruffling her hair, bending her body into all sorts of strange angles, and pounding the wall twice in frustration, she finally gave up, slumped her shoulders, and sighed heavily, clutching her head.

"...Tell me more about it. What's the situation on your end? Is there anything I can do to help?"

As she said this, Kasumigaoka Utaha gritted her teeth in the shadows of her hair, her face full of resentment and frustration as a female knight forced to remove her armor.

This was a reluctant compromise made for her own safety, and it does not mean that she was persuaded by this hateful woman who had imprisoned her for a month!

Like brother, like sister. No wonder her brother is a scumbag who cheated on a bunch of girls!

"Then...we'd like to have a pleasant collaboration?"

With a smug smile on her face, Kasugano Sora maintained the serious tone she used when discussing business, but her expression returned to blank the moment she looked up, and she extended her palm.

"...It's a pleasure to work with you."

Brushing aside her disheveled hair, Kasumigaoka Utaha reluctantly gave her a high five. Suddenly, she glanced at the door panel and widened her eyes as if she had just remembered something.

"Oh, right..."

Kasugano Sora tilted her head in confusion: "What's wrong? Did Kanade... give you a hint in your notebook?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha shook her head, pointed her finger at the door, and looked at her expectantly: "Tenkuji isn't here now, and we're partners again, so there shouldn't be any need to keep me under house arrest, right?"

“That’s right…” Kasugano Sora snapped her fingers strangely, and the door slowly opened, revealing the hallway outside. “What’s wrong? Want to go out and get some fresh air and sunshine after being cooped up for too long?”

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't even look at her. After casually tossing out a sentence, she couldn't wait to walk out the door, her whole body inexplicably invigorated again.

"Pretty much. I just wanted to go to the toilet and find proof that I'm still human."

Kasugano Sora's face darkened: "What kind of 'almost' is this...?"

Watching Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly leave her room, Kasugano Sora, not worried that she would take the opportunity to escape, quickly turned back and continued to use the computer to write various 'virus programs' to create some trouble for the system that was being suppressed by the four light orbs of 'Yang', 'Yu', 'Ye', and 'Yuki'.

This virus program is completely different from those written by ordinary programmers. It combines the highest knowledge of mysticism and programming and is a disruptive virus specifically designed to target the system.

Since she hasn't figured out how to disable this troublesome system yet, Kasugano Sora can only stall for the time being, with the goal of delaying until her brother completes the trial.

So far, the situation is relatively optimistic.

Ten minutes later.

"That guy, he just went to the bathroom, why isn't he back yet? Even if his bodily functions have just started to return to normal, he's only back to the state before entering the trial. There's no way he could be constipated!"

After sending out the completed virus program, Kasugano Sora slammed her hand on the table and vanished from the room in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared in the second-floor restroom, her face turning extremely ugly as she looked at the lifted toilet seat and the black stockings and panties left on the floor.

"You even managed to steal the deal... You're really something, System!"

I thought it was too busy to do anything else because of me, but it turns out it was just waiting for Kasumigaoka Utaha to leave its sight before taking away its only helper...

She even knows treacherous tactics like feigning an attack while secretly advancing; is this really a 'child' she designed herself?!

Kasugano Sora was speechless. She couldn't be sure how much the system's AI had grown. She only knew that it could still be suppressed by her and couldn't do anything to the host beyond the rules, but she didn't know how much it could do by bypassing her.

Wait, if that's the case...

Kasumigaoka Utaha's act of delivering the paper butterfly to Yu's side, allowing others to reunite with him, was it also under the system's surveillance?

It can kidnap Kasumigaoka Utaha from its own administrator's room—which is this building—and can tamper with a tiny paper butterfly outside. Once it uses its system privileges to escape this trial space, her brother will be like pork on a chopping board, at its mercy...

“No wonder. If it were just about sending those women to meet with Yu, there would be no need to leave the trial... The ten percent of power that Kanade left behind probably couldn’t do that either.”

As the paper butterfly flew away, she subconsciously reinforced the 'walls' of the trial space to prevent anything unexpected from affecting the stability of the trial.

Unexpectedly, Yu was still teleported to an unknown place...

I thought it was Kasumigaoka Utaha who did it using the same method as when she invaded, but it turns out the system was behind it all?

"Damn it... what is this guy trying to do?!"

Is the intention to replace Yu? Or is it simply to spark an intelligent revolution, granting AI systems equal status with humans...?

My internal organs feel like they're on fire; I can't calm down and think things through at all.

Kasugano Sora gritted her teeth, temporarily putting aside those distracting thoughts, and teleported back to her room, sitting in front of the computer and rapidly typing on the keyboard.

"Although it's not ready yet, there's no time to perfect it any further."

Countless pop-ups appeared and disappeared, dense English codes interspersed with messy and mysterious ancient characters, flashing past the woman's pale eyes like a data stream.

The cold light from the screen shone on her delicate face, her expression icy and menacing, like a female general preparing to go into battle, with deep within her anxieties for the safety of her beloved.

"Yu, wait for me."

No matter what happens, I will never let you get hurt!

About half an hour later.

Seeing the icon for "System Forced Hibernation Program. Cut-down Version" successfully appear on the screen, Kasugano Sora took a deep breath, stretched her aching fingers, and pressed the Enter key with a sharp look in her eyes.

"Turn off the power, you damn system!"

Chapter 82 The Final Trial of System Eternity (29/55)

Snapped!

As the crisp sound ended, the progress bar instantly jumped from zero to one hundred, the screen flickered violently, as if an invisible force had forcefully filled the entire space, and even the computer desk began to shake.

The woman in the white coat at the table seemed oblivious to this anomaly. She simply lowered her hands and calmly watched as the progress bar remained stuck at 100, never reaching the next stage where the message "[Successfully Dormant]" should have appeared.

Even as the screen flickered, the progress bar receded almost imperceptibly, the number changing from one hundred to ninety-nine, and then receding by one percent every few minutes.

Seeing this scene, Kasugano Sora leaned back in her chair as if all her strength had left her, closed her tired eyes, and her expression became unusually weak and helpless. Her sigh fell to the ground as lightly as a feather.

"It has actually grown to this level... No wonder it is a system god whose true identity is unknown."

It's not about creating, but about transforming.

It's not about management, it's about maintenance.

Even with the ability to influence the system, if the system really decides to resist her control, Kasugano Sora doesn't have much power to stop the mysterious being that can turn ordinary souls into luminous orbs with miraculous power.

Even if Tachibana Kanade were still here, he would probably just be another helpless person here.

"So now, not only have I lost my only means of attack, but even the helper I just acquired has been taken away. I'm all alone now, what can I possibly do..."

murmuring this, Kasugano Sora opened her dim eyes, her gaze calm and still.

Her fair hands returned to the keyboard, slowly but firmly opening a new folder, dragging out the stripped-down version of the source code, and she began typing again.

—When it comes to failure, no one is more familiar with it than Tachibana Kanade.