Magical energy vanished, disappearing without a trace, leaving not a single drop behind.
With the disappearance of their magical energy, Aoko Aozaki and Alice Kuonji felt completely weak and collapsed onto the ground.
"This... what's going on?"
Their bodies became incredibly frail. The only remaining Magic Circuits in their bodies vanished completely at this moment, but the magic Mark inside Aoko Aozaki's body did not disappear.
"It must be... because of... that delivery." Alice Kuonji, who had a weaker constitution, found it difficult even to speak fluently.
"That's right," Aozaki Touko's voice rang out as she walked up to the two lying on the ground.
"I didn't expect it to be so easy. Even that fellow Beowulf hasn't had to show up yet."
As Aozaki Touko spoke, Beowulf's figure jumped down from a large tree. Seeing Beowulf's presence immediately made Aoko Aozaki and Alice Kuonji's expressions look even worse. The aura on Beowulf was very powerful, and Alice Kuonji recognized Beowulf as a Phantasmal Species. If they still had magical energy, they might have been able to put up a fight, but now they were completely devoid of it, and their bodies were weakened to the extreme due to the loss of magical energy and unknown reasons. Currently, they were entirely defenseless.
"Why?" Alice Kuonji mustered some strength and looked at Aozaki Touko in confusion. "I clearly checked that delivery; there was no trace of magecraft, let alone drugs. How could..."
"It was Magic," Aozaki Touko said calmly. Right now, she really wanted a cigarette; it would make her feel more like a victor in front of this former friend and her idiot sister. Although this victory relied on Asagami Fujino's help, Aozaki Touko felt it made no difference.
"How is that possible?"
Hearing Aozaki Touko's words, Alice Kuonji looked at her in disbelief. Not just Alice, but Aoko Aozaki also looked at her sister in front of her with incredulity.
Magic? Had Aozaki Touko reached The Root and become a Magus? That's impossible! Why hadn't there been any rumors?
Seeing their shocked gazes, Aozaki Touko felt even better. After thinking for a moment, she took off her glove and showed the back of her hand to the two on the ground.
Aoko Aozaki's eyes widened instantly. There was a Mark on the back of Aozaki Touko's hand, and this Mark was exactly the same as the magic Mark inside her own body.
Noticing Aoko Aozaki's expression, Alice Kuonji also realized something and looked at Aozaki Touko with equal disbelief. A unique magic Mark had actually appeared twice. What exactly was going on?!
Aozaki Touko looked at her former friend, who usually showed little emotion, and was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected to see a different side of Alice Kuonji today.
"Alright, it's time to take you to see that person." Aozaki Touko put her glove back on and called out toward a tree, "Jibril, come and help."
"Coming." Jibril used Heavenly Movement and appeared directly in front of Aozaki Touko.
Seeing Jibril, Aoko Aozaki immediately recognized her as the person who had delivered the food to them back then. After all, that rainbow-colored long hair was very memorable. Beside her, Alice Kuonji's gaze was also instantly drawn to Jibril's appearance, though her eyes were focused more on the pair of wings behind Jibril.
"Miss Aoko, we meet again." Jibril gave Aoko Aozaki a slight smile, leaning down a bit to look at her. "Miss Aoko, did you find that delivery delicious?"
"It's you!" Aoko Aozaki looked at Jibril with resentment, trying to get up, but her body's weakness made it impossible to support herself.
"An angel?" Alice Kuonji looked at Jibril and asked in confusion.
The feeling Jibril gave her was too strange. The odd halo above her head, the strange aura—aside from the wings on her back, the Jibril before her didn't have much in common with the descriptions of angels in books.
"I'm not, you know." Answering Alice's question casually, Jibril looked at Aozaki Touko: "Are we going back now? Or to where Master Fujino is? It seems Fujino has found something interesting over there. Let's go take a look after we finish up here."
"Is that so?" Aozaki Touko frowned slightly, then looked at Aoko Aozaki and Alice Kuonji on the ground, smiling as she asked: "Jibril, can you take them with us?"
"Of course, no problem." Jibril smiled: "I can put them in an Alternate Space first."
"Then I'll leave it to you." Aozaki Touko nodded and looked at Beowulf: "Beowulf, you go back first."
Beowulf nodded helplessly. He had originally thought he could stretch his muscles tonight, but he hadn't expected it to turn out like this, without even a single chance to make a move. However, Beowulf didn't dare to complain. Ever since he was sliced in half by Asagami Fujino last time, he had been terrified of her. Asagami Fujino had even warned Beowulf to listen to Touko, or she would slice him again.
Beowulf also somewhat regretted being so foolish as to be tricked out by Aozaki Touko back then; how wonderful it would have been to just stay as a king in his own right.
"They're here."
Asagami Fujino looked behind her. Jibril, holding Aozaki Touko's hand, appeared right there.
"Is this a Energy River?"
Aozaki Touko, who had just landed, was immediately attracted by the strange environment here.
"It is a Energy River." Asagami Fujino nodded.
"What are we doing here?" Aozaki Touko asked in confusion.
"Do you remember how your grandfather became a Magus?"
"Are you saying it's right here?"
Asagami Fujino nodded. Aozaki Touko's grandfather becoming a Magus was largely due to luck. He had accidentally fallen into a Energy River and somehow managed to peer into The Root through it, thus becoming a Magus. However, among all the Magi, he was the weakest. Even so, a Magus was still a Magus, not something a common mage could compare to.
"Are you going to enter The Root?" Aozaki Touko asked, also feeling a bit curious. Although she had obtained a Magic Crest from Asagami Fujino, she was still very curious about the existence of The Root.
Asagami Fujino nodded: "We are indeed going to The Root. After all, I still want The Root's abilities."
"Those eyes of yours are truly broken." Aozaki Touko lamented. She had heard Asagami Fujino say before that her eyes' ability was practically a cheat, and now she could even copy The Root's abilities.
"By the way, where are your sister and that witch?" Asagami Fujino asked, "Did you send them back?"
"They're in my Alternate Space." Jibril said, looking at Asagami Fujino, "Fujino, do you want me to let them out?"
"Let them out. While we're at it, let them witness The Root." Asagami Fujino said, but Aozaki Touko frowned: "Why do that?"
Asagami Fujino looked at Aozaki Touko and explained: "I need the Fifth Magic from your sister, and I'll use The Root to activate the Fifth Magic in both of you."
Previously, Asagami Fujino had obtained the Fifth Magic from Aozaki Touko, but a person's ability can only be obtained once using Migeiko. To make the Fifth Magic stronger, Asagami Fujino set her sights on the unactivated Fifth Magic in Aoko Aozaki. Once the "Core" finished condensing later, merging the two Fifth Magics would make the power even greater.
"Alright." Aozaki Touko nodded after getting the explanation. She wasn't in a position to forcefully interfere with Asagami Fujino's decisions, at least not before their relationship developed further.
Then Asagami Fujino looked at Jibril and signaled her to release the people.
Then, with two sounds of hitting the ground, Aoko Aozaki and Alice Kuonji fell there.
"Ouch." Aoko Aozaki cried out. Opening her eyes, she saw Asagami Fujino with a smile.
"Who are you?" Aoko Aozaki asked instinctively, but she received no answer. Asagami Fujino just looked at her with a smile.
"It's done." Asagami Fujino had already used Migeiko to copy the Fifth Magic from Aoko Aozaki. At this moment, she possessed two Fifth Magics, as well as the Second Magic she had copied from Zelretch before.
"Huh?" Aoko Aozaki didn't understand what Asagami Fujino meant. Then she saw Aozaki Touko walking over and immediately became agitated.
"You—"
Before Aoko Aozaki could finish her sentence, a piece of tape sealed her mouth.
"Be quiet." Asagami Fujino put away the tape in her hand and pointed to Alice Kuonji beside Aoko Aozaki: "Learn from your friend. See how quiet she is."
"Mmph, mmph!" Aoko Aozaki wanted to say something, but her mouth was sealed by the tape, so no one could understand what she was saying. However, everyone ignored her, assuming it wasn't anything good anyway.
Turning her gaze to Alice Kuonji, she used Migeiko to learn the Fairy Tale Magic that Alice possessed. Magic power cannot be owned through learning and can only be copied, but Fairy Tale Magic was the opposite.
Asagami Fujino was quite interested in the magic held by Alice Kuonji. If used seriously, this magic system was enough to change the world.
At the same time, Asagami Fujino also learned the creation of Potions from Alice Kuonji. Developing them herself occasionally would be a good way to pass the time.
"Are you the owner of that Mark?" Alice Kuonji asked. Though she wasn't certain, she felt it was so.
"That's right." Asagami Fujino admitted directly.
"You..."
"Alright, don't ask boring questions. You'll find out everything later." Directly interrupting Alice Kuonji's question, Asagami Fujino turned around to look at the silent Lia behind her: "Lia, prepare to break the seal here."
"Yes." Lia responded, and a pitch-black, menacing long spear appeared in her hand.
"What are you going to do?!" Alice Kuonji asked, having a bad feeling in her heart.
Asagami Fujino turned her head to look at Alice Kuonji, her lips curling up in a smile: "To The Root!"
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