Aozaki Aoko whispered to her grandfather. She hung her head, her fringe concealing her eyes. It was clear that an emotion the world named 'fury' was boiling within the young woman.
"Oh, which aspect are you referring to?" Seeing Aoko's appearance, Magus Aozaki, in the guise of the bespectacled Priest, feigned confusion. The dual voice echoed around them. Then, he wore an expression of realization, "Are you talking about this body?"
Speaking of which, the Priest revealed a strange expression, like a child who had discovered something. "Do you know? For us Magi, those Holy Servants who pray daily for the descent of the True God are simply the best vessels! A Magus is, in a sense, a God!"
In the Nasuverse, Magi are the Gods who grasp the truth, but they are not tolerated by the counter force. Just as the various deities that existed in the ancient Type-Moon era have all returned to their origins, if a Magus cannot transcend, they can only perish.
Precisely because God does not exist, a Magus can disguise himself as a deity and descend upon Eiri Fumizuka's body. And the so-called God might be the First Magus, who mastered the Magic of Creation!
Unfortunately, a new body acquired this way rapidly degrades because it cannot bear the immense pressure of the Magic's mystery. Matou Zouken in Fuyuki is one example. Repeated usage leads to the degradation spreading to one's own soul and mystery. Therefore, the Old Magus, who mastered the truth of the world, would rather die holding onto the pride of possessing the world's highest mystery than use this technique.
"Shut up! You know what I'm talking about!" Aoko suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing with fury, and shouted, "What exactly was the purpose of you arranging all of this?!"
Aozaki Aoko wasn't stupid; she was very intelligent. Therefore, the moment Magus Aozaki reappeared, the young woman thought of many things—Aozaki Aoko didn't care what happened to Eiri Fumizuka.
What she cared about was: How could the Old Magus, who was already a spiritual entity and capable of taking over Eiri Fumizuka's body, have been so easily killed in the flesh by her Older Sister when she was only 16? This question had often tormented Aoko over the years.
He did it on purpose! This thought instantly echoed in Aoko's mind. Based on this, Aoko connected the dots: her inheritance of the Crest, her sister's defection, and the conflict between the sisters—was all of it arranged by the Old Magus?!
Everything now seemed extremely suspicious to Aoko.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it immediately takes root and sprouts, quickly growing into a towering tree. Even a tiny suspicion can instantly evolve into a complete rejection of the current situation.
Aozaki Aoko is currently in such a state!
"Oh, so that's the reason. In that case, I must first apologize."
After a moment of thought, Magus Aozaki pushed up his glasses and said indifferently, "Even so, I don't think I've done anything wrong. The world is to blame!"
"I am a Magus; I hold the truth of the world. Even in the Age of Gods, I could claim the status of a god. Yet, as a Magus, I am bound by the lifespan of mortals!"
At this point, the Magus looked at Touko, who was filled with hatred, and Aoko, who was still in a seemingly dazed state, and revealed a malicious smile—
"I tried countless things and had already given up, so I prepared to stage a play of sisters fighting to the death as my final act. And it's worth mentioning, Touko's performance was truly excellent."
"However, none of that matters anymore. I've now found a new method, a path to eternal life. So, magical inheritances are no longer needed. That means, whether it's Aoko or Touko, your value is gone."
"Older Sister..." Aoko dazedly turned her gaze to Touko beside her. Touko felt her younger sister's gaze and turned to smile gently at Aoko.
Seeing this scene of sisterly affection, the Old Magus suddenly felt a surge of perverse amusement. "Speaking of which, Touko's reaction back then truly surprised me. I thought you, having lost the inheritance of the Magic Crest, were feigning closeness to Aoko to launch a sneak attack, and I guarded against you for a while. But I never imagined that you, struggling repeatedly in your thoughts, would actually decide to give up the Magic Crest."
In response, Touko sneered disdainfully at the Old Magus: "What, do you think learning sorcery from you would turn one into a beast like you?"
"Heh heh, well said. That's how my plan became even more perfect. I've always taught Touko about the darkness of Maguss. Touko, desperately wanting to protect Aoko, left bearing the name of a traitor, but never forgot to return each year to check if Aoko was well, and to mock and subtly encourage Aoko's fighting spirit. Then, in the final battle, she would push Aoko to the brink, using her own death to stimulate Aoko's awakening of the Fifth Magic. What a wonderful, silent act of great love between sisters. I've enjoyed watching it these past few years."
At this moment, Aoko's feelings were indescribably complex and hard to articulate. It was as if her entire world had been turned upside down in an instant. Her grandfather was the mastermind behind her and her Older Sister's mortal rift. Her Older Sister, who had seemingly betrayed the family for its inheritance and faced her in a fight to the death, had actually been secretly protecting her, prepared to sacrifice herself to ensure her success.
Truth is poison, the most potent venom in the world. It can overturn a life's earnest perception of the world, a deadly poison that destroys one's earnest world! But thankfully, this truth wasn't so cruel; in fact, there was even some warmth in it.
"After all that, Aoko, you should understand. Grandfather no longer needs you to inherit the Fifth Magic. Give the Magic Crest back to Grandfather; you've played with it long enough."
"Bastard, go to hell!!!"
Touko's sister-complex soul, already at its limit with Magus Aozaki and further provoked by his dismissive words, completely exploded. She immediately launched an attack without hesitation. A magic circle suddenly appeared beneath her feet, and three puppets of various forms emerged from it, brandishing weapons and charging towards the Magus.
"Is this the refined sorcery you've grown fond of, Touko?"
Looking at the three meticulously crafted puppets, carrying quite impressive magical energy fluctuations, Magus Aozaki showed a hint of surprised smile, "I must admit, I underestimated your talent, Touko!"
After a sigh, when the attacking puppets were only a few meters away, Magus Aozaki finally began chanting. It was an incantation distinctly different from modern spells, not only strange in sound but also astonishingly fast to complete, almost done in an instant.
Boom!!!
Endless gales swept through once more. Compared to the previous magical winds, this gale was even more violent. The storm seemed to transform into sharp blades, irresistible, tearing the three puppets apart in mere moments.
"Aoko, get back! Don't let that old man's magic touch you; he can complete the stripping of the Magic Crest in an instant. Obey!"
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