Chapter 43: Aozaki Aoko Case File [41]
It all happened in an instant.
Touko Aozaki immediately understood that her sister had unleashed a Magic—one that should never be revealed in modern society.
Without hesitation, Touko played her trump card: a collection of magecraft she had painstakingly gathered during her travels across Europe.
Countless runes whirled and rearranged themselves behind her, blooming into golden flowers as intricate as the finest craftsmanship, resembling the wings of an angel.
These were magic crests meant to be inscribed into a magus's skin—ones Touko could never inherit. They were legacies of many prestigious Western European families, passed down through generations.
In the blinding torrent of light that engulfed the sky, Touko's final trump card wavered like a lone boat caught in a storm. The magic crest magic, refined over centuries or even millennia, was activated in full force, shielding her as a disposable barrier against the colossal disaster.
Yet, despite their immense power, they were no match for the wielder of an otherworldly law. The radiant array of magical engravings behind Touko, her golden wings, began to melt—quite literally.
Among the many uses of the magic crest, employing these precious crystallizations of magecraft as mere shields was undoubtedly the most wasteful.
But Touko had no choice. Survival demanded sacrifice, and these magic crest were her only hope to endure the onslaught.
What would happen once the magic crest was exhausted? She didn't dwell on it—there was no room for such thoughts.
Her magic circuits, once highly efficient, were now strained to their limits, and pain racked her body. Her life force ebbed with every passing moment. Yet Touko stubbornly continued to draw on it. If she didn't, it wouldn't matter how much life she had left—she would be obliterated instantly.
After what felt like an eternity, the torrent of light subsided.
Touko's once tender, fair skin was now burned and raw, her once-beautiful face charred and ruined. Her elegant attire had been reduced to ashes, with only the most protected parts—shielded by an external magic crest—barely intact.
She collapsed to the ground, mustering the last of her strength to survey her surroundings.
The old building that had stood there was now a pile of rubble, smoking remnants of wood still quietly burning. The small hill behind the school was gone entirely, leaving a molten chasm where it once stood, lava flowing as the only testament to its existence.
"Still holding on, Touko?"
A cheerful voice echoed in her ears. Touko strained to identify its owner with her blurry vision, now useless without her glasses.
"I didn't want it to come to this," the voice continued, sounding almost regretful.
"But you knew I've hated dogs since childhood, yet you still brought something like that to deal with me and Alice. That was tasteless."
"So, I threw it into a prison where nothing exists," Aoko said gleefully. "That filthy mutt will spend the rest of its life tortured by nothingness. I'll never let it out."
She paused, leaning closer to her fallen sister.
"And as for you, my dear sister..."
"Are you... going to kill me?"
Touko muttered weakly, her voice barely audible.
"Glorious purpose... In the end... I still lost to you." (TL: Loki reference)
She tried and failed to sit up, settling back into a more comfortable position.
"Can I... ask you one question?" she said, her voice trembling.
"As a final request... between sisters."
"Go ahead," Aoko replied with mock generosity.
"I've always been a generous person."
"Aoko... your magic—is it a means or a result? Which is it?"
Touko asked laboriously, awaiting her sister's answer with bated breath.
"Of course, it's the result," Aoko answered without hesitation.
"I've reached a place even the old man couldn't. There. I almost lost my sense of self, but these magic crest you see now? They're the spoils I brought back."
"Oh, and by the way," she added with a smirk, "I ran into a white dog on the shortcut—nearly got killed by it. Maybe that's why I hate dogs even more now."
"...The Fifth and the First share the same coordinates," Touko whispered faintly.
"The weight of sin grows heavier... The Second and Fourth are mere means to reach that place... Like repels like, and one day, you and the First will devour each other. The inheritance of magic is... the inheritance of a path. The Root's entrance... is here, after all?"
"You're too obsessed, Touko," Aoko replied, gazing at the starry sky.
"The Fifth Magic is about elimination and consumption. The First represents creation and negation. In that sense, we complement each other perfectly—how could we ever be enemies?"
"For someone like you, steeped in Norse culture, it's a wellspring of wisdom. For me, it's just a gold mine waiting to be plundered. It's boring, Touko."
"It's a path that vanishes the moment it's completed," Aoko continued. "Once I succeeded, it disappeared—along with our grandfather."
"I see..."
Touko murmured weakly.
"It's really... incomprehensible..."
Her voice faded, her breathing growing fainter. Her body, ravaged by heat and light, struggled on. Remarkably, she remained conscious, her magic circuits converting the last remnants of her life into energy to keep her alive—but not for much longer.
"Don't think I'll let you die just like this," Aoko said, crouching beside her sister with a mischievous grin.
"You still owe me debts to repay. You need to face punishment."
What is this girl saying?
Though Touko could no longer speak, she glared at Aoko with all the disdain she could muster, clinging to her fading consciousness.
Then, Aoko reached behind her back and produced an elegantly decorated glass bottle, its slender form glowing faintly blue. She waved it teasingly in front of Touko's face.
With a cheerful "pop," she uncorked it and unapologetically poured the liquid down her sister's throat.
Touko: "!"
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