Aozaki Aoko Case File - [25]

The next morning, Soujuurou Shizuki woke up in his rented apartment. He rubbed his head, feeling an inexplicable emptiness, as if he’d forgotten something important. But instinctively, he shrugged it off, thinking it wasn’t a big deal.

“I should probably tell the boss… I’ll quit the pachinko shop job.”

Shizuki subconsciously blamed his poor condition on working three jobs. Although the pachinko shop’s salary was high, it was too far away, and the commute was draining. Nodding to himself as if to confirm his decision, he jumped out of bed and picked up his phone to call the shop manager.

…

That night, Aoko climbed onto her beloved Interceptor motorcycle and sped along the highway through Misaki Town. The cold November wind stung like needles, but it didn’t faze her.

The magic cast on Soujuurou Shizuki had been intended as a safeguard to keep him away from her and Touko. However, the so-called “Fate inertia” proved stronger than expected. Even though Soujuurou had only met Touko for the first time last night, he was still drawn into events.

The current Aoko had little interest in someone like him, a discarded tool from an assassin organization, and lacked the excessive sense of justice her counterpart in another timeline possessed. So, she reactivated the magic buried in Soujuurou, erased his memories, and implanted a suggestion for him to “quit the pachinko shop job.”

As for him losing a well-paying part-time job, that wasn’t her concern.

“Good luck, kid.”

The motorcycle sped on, and soon, Aoko arrived at her destination: a park. Based on intel she had discreetly extracted from Soujuurou under Touko’s nose last night, the planned attack would take place at a leyline node here, aiming to destroy the bounded field set by the Aozaki family.

Touko—no wonder she ended up deeply in debt in the other timeline, always strapped for cash. Destroying the grand bounded field, one of the Aozaki family’s valuable assets, without hesitation showed how recklessly extravagant she could be when angered.

“An unthrifty sister needs to be taught a lesson.”

Parking her motorcycle, Aoko removed her helmet and walked into the park. Thick clouds obscured the stars, and the howling wind couldn’t lift the heavy darkness blanketing the park.

In the park’s center stood a clock tower, its overlapping hands pointing to midnight.

“I’ll just rest at home tomorrow,” Aoko thought. After all, a good night’s sleep was essential.

She stepped forward, and a large, glowing blue magic circle crackled with electricity, spreading from beneath her feet. Violent mana surged, tearing apart the enemy’s carefully woven concealment magecraft.

The oppressive atmosphere shrouding the park shattered instantly, forcing hidden foes into the open. Several bizarre dolls appeared, resembling department store mannequins. But Aoko’s instincts told her no mannequin would have six arms or a head resembling a crude imitation of her face.

“Such poor taste, Touko.”

Aoko muttered under her breath but didn’t act immediately as the dolls crawled toward her, insect-like.

The nearest doll extended an arm like a spear, thrusting it toward Aoko’s face. But it stopped short, striking an impassable barrier—Aoko’s shield.

She reached out and grasped the doll that resembled her, and with a crackle of electricity, its limbs spasmed before going still, its vital components charred by her electric grip. Casually tossing the charred doll aside, Aoko looked up. The remaining three dolls, seeing how quickly she’d dispatched their comrade, hesitated, then spread out to surround her.

All three raised their arms from the waist, revealing hidden, curved blades, and rushed her, switching positions rapidly as they closed in.

Aoko gauged their distance and speed, moving her hands fluidly in spellcasting gestures.

First, Endure Elemental Damage. A flash of spiritual light signified the successful application of a protective spell, though it didn’t seem immediately relevant. Without hesitation, Aoko activated her magic circuits, and as her mana flowed, her figure began to shimmer.

Now, the three dolls were mere meters away, yet Aoko remained in place, casting spells without dodging. The person pulling the strings from behind began to wonder what she was planning, just as Aoko completed her spellcasting.

She raised her right foot and stomped it down. Instantly, a spherical shockwave rippled outward, and within a ten-meter radius around her, the ground was instantly coated in ice. The dolls were pushed back slightly, then froze in place, immobilized by the cold, and collapsed.

Aoko spun in place, surveying her handiwork. She pulled a notebook from her jacket pocket, took out a pen, and began scribbling notes.

“Endure Elemental Damage… Basic Engineering Ice Temperature Control Spell… Successfully neutralized a 3rd-level Ice Burst… Test successful.”

After recording her results, Aoko inspected the destroyed dolls. She found the most intact one, summoned an invisible servant, and had it tie the doll to the back of her motorcycle. As for the others, she snapped her fingers, summoning blue flames to reduce their remains to ashes.

She looked up at the park’s clock tower, noting the destroyed bounded field stone, and frowned. From her waist pouch, she produced a new stone, used Mage Hand to lift it, and replaced the broken one.

“Destroying family property, disrupting my rest, and sending your goons after the head of the family—I’ve taken note of it all!” she muttered. “When I catch you, I’ll give you a proper lesson!”

With the bounded field at the leyline node restored, Aoko returned to her motorcycle and mounted it. She cast a final glance at the park, then twisted the throttle and rode off.

Even Touko wouldn’t dare come back to destroy the bounded field again… right?