One hundred
Aozaki Aoko, as usual, went out to clear out Maguss who were privately staying in Misaki City.
After a recent check with Alice's magic mirror, she discovered a clear magical reaction lingering near a Church in the city's outskirts.
Although it wasn't within the city proper, as long as it hadn't left the range of the misaki leyline, it still belonged to the Aozaki Family's territory, so Aoko immediately set off.
Upon arriving at the Church entrance, Aoko frowned, looking at this building belonging to the Church; this was probably the only place within Misaki City where aozaki couldn't intervene.
Just as Aoko was about to say something towards the inside of the Church, a sudden crisis erupted in the girl's heart; almost instinctively, she threw herself to the side!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
Black Keys rained down from the sky like raindrops, almost densely packed, chilling to the bone.
Although Aoko's intuition helped her avoid vital spots, she still took three hits.
"Hmph!!"
Aozaki Aoko let out a soft snort; the flow of magic in her body was instantly disrupted, making it difficult to move.
The next moment, a dark shadow rushed out from the darkness, closing in instantly.
Black Keys are talismans used by the Church for exorcism.
Although they are a symbolic tool for Agent, few people like to use them due to their difficulty of use and lack of physical destructive power.
As swords, their refinement is very low, but they can be used as specialized throwing weapons due to their length.
The "demons" defined by Agent are mostly spirit bodies or phenomena, so Black Keys, which repel and eliminate "demons," focus more on interference with spirits than on physical attacks.
"That's why I hate these kinds of weapons the most!"
With three Black Keys embedded in her body, though not in vital spots, Aoko could still endure it.
However, these three Black Keys interfered too much with her Magic Circuits, almost bringing them to a standstill, making her magic difficult to activate.
I must treat these injuries immediately!
Aozaki Aoko came to this conclusion in her heart, yet before the girl could make any move—
Whoosh!!!
Almost in the next instant, the attacker transformed into a dark shadow and closed in instantly, with sharp killing intent, enveloping Aoko.
As magic was unleashed, endless magical winds roared.
"Hmph, who do you think I am!"
In that split second, Aoko held one Black Key in each hand, her small mouth open, biting the third Black Key.
With a hiss, the girl pulled out the three Black Keys that had pierced her body.
"Hmph!"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Aoko's forehead, but the girl did not stop for a moment.
Her magic instantly circulated to its extreme; under the magical flow, her blood became active, gushing from the wounds.
In just a moment, her clothes were stained red.
However, at this moment, Aozaki Aoko completely disregarded her injuries.
Her Magic Circuits, operating almost under overload, continuously poured magic into the three Black Keys, and then, with several whooshes, she shot them towards the attacking dark shadow!
Boom!!!
Under Aoko's magic, the three Black Keys almost transformed into three demon-slaying arrows, clashing head-on with the incoming magical wind.
Under the Black Keys, the magical wind instantly became chaotic, exploding in place and forming a shockwave that blocked the dark shadow's path forward.
"Hmph!"
With a soft snort, the dark shadow instantly transformed into a blur.
This fellow, using some unknown method, vanished from its spot, then reappeared after the shockwave, rapidly closing in.
This time, Aoko couldn't react; her injuries slowed her movements by a beat, for no matter how special she was, she was still just a human.
However—
Boom!!!
A massive golden shadow appeared from nowhere with incredible speed.
A golden giant claw clashed head-on with the attacking dark shadow, forcing it back.
The golden figure retreated three steps, revealing its form: it was a two-meter-tall werewolf, seemingly cast from pure gold!
The Golden Wolf, a Phantasmal Species from the ancient Age of Gods, belongs to the highest tier of Phantasmal Species, like dragons, and is a natural spirit.
Unlike other werewolves, its body, composed of materialized soul, can change into any shape, and if it finds a suitable partner, it can even change its own gender.
This Golden Wolf was thus ostracized by the village where it used to live, and so it was sold to Aozaki Touko.
Later, Touko named him "Beowulf"; this is Aozaki Touko's trump card, her familiar, the Golden Wolf!
While Aozaki Aoko was still trying to understand the situation, Aozaki Touko, in a light indigo tight-fitting dress, rushed out of a nearby forest in a hurry.
She quickly ran to Aoko, grabbed her shoulders, and anxiously looked her up and down, fearing she might miss something and Aoko would be missing a part.
"Aoko, are you alright?!"
Compared to the dark silhouette opposite her, Aozaki Touko was causing Aoko more surprise. Ever since that incident happened on her 16th birthday, Touko had treated her like a complete stranger. Her gaze was always cold, filled with hostility and jealousy, and their few conversations were nothing but sarcasm. Their former sisterly affection seemed to have vanished overnight.
Later, Aozaki Touko killed the previous Head of the Aozaki Family and defected from the Aozaki Family. Since then, whenever Aoko spoke about Touko to others, she substituted her name with "that person" or "she," and never mentioned the word "sister" in public or private again.
However, the Aozaki Touko right now showed no trace of her past coldness or hostility. Her formal attire was askew due to her excessive movements, covered in tears and scratches from branches—clearly the result of running quickly through the thicket. Her neat, auburn short hair was also messy, dusted with falling snow. While not quite a bird's nest, she looked like a wild girl. She was breathing heavily, and her glasses were crooked.
Aoko felt like she was seeing the same foolish Older Sister who, upon hearing Aoko had fought someone at school, had run all the way from the deep mountains late at night, climbed through the window, and checked if she was okay. Subconsciously, she blurted out the title that had been sealed away for three years.
"O-Older Sister..."
After being blasted back some distance, the dark silhouette finally spoke. The darkness enveloping him gradually began to dissipate... "Touko, I didn't expect you to move so fast. It seems that girl notified you, didn't she?"
The silhouette's voice was strange—a dual voice. The moment it sounded, both Touko and Aoko froze! The dual voice was weird, but that wasn't why they froze. The real reason was that both women recognized the two overlapping voices.
At that moment, the darkness around the silhouette completely vanished, revealing a long-haired figure, about 1.9 meters tall, dressed in priest attire and wearing glasses!
"Eiri?"
Touko was stunned. She never expected him to be the one who attacked. But as a Magus, Touko quickly regained her composure and returned to normal.
"Wait, Rin didn't notify me that the Church was going to move against Aoko..."
Moreover—this guy in front of her was definitely suspicious! Touko thought about the other voice she had just heard coming from him, and the fact that he had been missing when she previously went to the Church. A sharp glint flashed in the young woman's eyes.
Eiri Fumizuka was, in a sense, Aoko and Touko's childhood friend, and apparently Touko's crush for a period of time. He was the Head Priest of the Goda Church, possessing a steady personality, though he occasionally used his position as a Priest to be venomous.
As the only son of the Fumizuka Family, which had maintained close ties with the Aozaki Family since ancient times, he was wary of Alice, the Witch, due to his status as a consecrated Priest.
"Who exactly are you?!" At this moment, the previously silent Aozaki Aoko spoke, her voice complicated, seemingly mixed with a sense of disbelief—a tone Aoko had never used before.
The young woman was currently raising the Magic Crest on her hand. The dense array of markings covering her arm symbolized infinite mystery, but the markings seemed to be operating abnormally—as if they were hesitating?
The Magic Crest was hesitating? Aoko felt like she must be crazy to entertain such a thought, but—"No way!"
Looking at the abnormal Magic Crest before her, and recalling the other aged voice within the dual voice, Aozaki Aoko felt a suffocating, strange tension as she looked at the man nearby. Meanwhile, the hatred in Touko's eyes grew deeper.
"Oh, it seems you both understand now?" Eiri Fumizuka spread his hands, a slightly relieved expression on his face. Coupled with his posture as a Priest, he looked like a devout and holy believer, but the dual voice completely shattered any sense of the divine.
"My dear granddaughters, your grandfather has found new hope, and no longer needs you to inherit the Magic. So, be good and return the Magic Crest to me. Don't make your grandfather angry!"
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