Fate/Magus Path

"What kind of joke is this? You ran into Aoko today?!"

After a long day, Touko had just returned to the hotel at night. Before she had the chance to eat the dinner that Roy and the others had brought back, she was startled by the shocking news.

"Where did you run into Aoko? Does she know who you are? You didn't reveal anything about me to her, did you? Hurry, tell me exactly what happened."

Touko immediately stood up from the sofa, forgetting all about eating, and grabbed Roy's shoulders, bombarding him with questions about the situation.

"You need to sit down and calm down, Touko. Maintain a magus's basic composure. Don't lose your cool just because you heard the news about your sister. Don't forget... you are the challenger this time…"

Hearing Roy's words, Touko managed to calm herself down a bit. Realizing her outburst, she nodded and let go of his shoulders.

Cautiously, she asked, "You didn't reveal our situation to Aoko, did you?"

"You might be disappointed."

Roy shook his head. "I've already informed her that you've returned to Misaki Town. Right now, your sister is probably running all over the city looking for you."

"…"

"?"

When I ask a question, does that mean there's a problem?

"Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Of course, I'm on your side now." Roy answered lightly. "After all, you're my employee, so I'll naturally help you."

"But you…"

Touko tried to say something else but was interrupted by Roy's next words.

"Relax, Touko. Even though this is your hometown, don't forget that this city is also the other side's territory."

"Today, I took Shiki around the city and discovered a lot of interesting things. The Aozaki family's bounded field and that witch's surveillance covered the entire city. If you were trying to hide, that's one thing, but with the way you've been moving, you've definitely already been detected. So why not just be open about it?"

As he said, even though she had taken precautions, Touko hadn't fully escaped the detection of the Aozaki family's bounded field, despite her careful concealment.

Ever since Aoko Aozaki left on her travels, Alice Kuonji had temporarily taken over as the guardian of Misaki Town's ley lines, deploying familiars to monitor potential threats in the city.

The phantasmal species golden wolf that Touko had left behind was naturally one of the main subjects of Alice's surveillance, so her contact with the wolf today did not go unnoticed.

Aoko Aozaki's return wasn't coincidental either.

Recently, Alice Kuonji's familiars had detected many Dead Apostle presences in Misaki Town. People had started going missing at night, and the Church's Executors were likely already involved. The city was gripped by fear.

There wouldn't be this level of alarm if it were just ordinary Dead Apostles. But Alice had detected at least five Dead Apostles in the city, and her intuition as a witch told her that this situation wasn't simple.

With so many Dead Apostles appearing at once, they were either plotting something or there was some creature in the city capable of creating Dead Apostles on a large scale.

Given that such a threat could exist in her own city without her detection, the opponent could be a significant figure... perhaps even one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors!

To prepare for the worst, Alice had requested assistance from her close friend, the Magician of the Fifth Magic, Aoko Aozaki, which is why Roy encountered Aoko in Misaki Town.

However, shortly after Aoko's return, her familiars discovered that Touko had also secretly returned to Misaki Town. She had contacted many old friends in the city and even approached the golden wolf residing in the old school building. There was no need to guess what she was planning.

Everyone knew Touko Aozaki's intentions.

With her personality, she was definitely gathering strength in the city, preparing to launch an attack when the time was right, catching them off guard.

Alice Kuonji even suspected that Touko had made a deal with the Dead Apostles to get revenge on them, which explained the increased monster activity in the city.

The timing was too coincidental... first the rise in Dead Apostle activity, then Touko Aozaki's return. Alice couldn't believe the two weren't connected.

Moreover, Alice believed that Touko was capable of such malevolent actions. That woman was extremely dangerous and unbound by conventional means. If given the chance, she wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

She still remembered Touko's previous attack. If it hadn't been for Shizuki Soujuurou's unexpected strength at the critical moment, both Aoko and Alice would have been killed by her. That's why Alice wasn't taking this new development lightly.

"…You're right. That witch already suffered a loss last time, so it's no surprise that she's being more cautious now." Touko sighed.

Knowing that her plan for a surprise attack had failed was to be expected.

But it was still a problem. With Alice Kuonji now aware of her moves, that witch would undoubtedly set up a tight web around the mansion. Coupled with the monstrous Magician of the Fifth Magic, Aoko Aozaki, assaulting their magical stronghold would be difficult.

But what could she do now?

"Even though I knew it was impossible to stay hidden forever, getting discovered this quickly is still a hassle…"

Touko shook her head helplessly and asked, "So what should we do now? Do we need to come up with a new plan?"

"Reconsider? Why would you think that?"

Roy smiled and replied, "I never planned to use traps and tactics to deal with the Magician of the Fifth Magic and that witch. Since we're all magus, we should fight with our full strength."

"Besides, we have more power on our side. Giving them an advantage is just the generosity of the strong."

"You're not seriously thinking…?"

Touko widened her eyes as a possibility occurred to her.

"That's right. I want to challenge the Miss Blue head-on."

"In a little while, I'll go to the witch's mansion and personally deliver the challenge to your sister. By now, they should be ready. While it's generous to give your opponent time, there's no need to overdo it. The Miss Blue and the Witch have had more than enough time."

Roy glanced at Touko, waving his hand lightly as he said, "A magus' best strategy is positional warfare, and the witch is no exception."

"I've already given them a fair chance. Now is the perfect time to visit. And like I said before, I've saved you a front-row seat. Want to join me, Touko?"

You're going straight into the witch's workshop?

"You really are insane, planning to storm a witch's workshop for a fight…"

"But you're right. Even so, we have enough strength to match them. Defeating them outright is also a fine option."

At that thought, a smile crept onto Touko's face.

"Of course, I'll come along. Let's head out quickly! I can't wait to see my sister!"

"Come on out, Beo."

Touko called out to the room behind her.

"Yes, Touko."

As soon as the voice fell, a golden figure darted from the depths of the room at incredible speed, appearing beside Touko Aozaki in a flash.

The sudden appearance of the golden figure startled Shiki. Her icy blue eyes gleamed, and she instinctively drew her dagger, ready to strike at the figure.

"Who are you?!"

This speed, and such stealth... despite hiding in the room, she hadn't sensed anything earlier. This meant that if the golden figure had harbored any killing intent, she would have been dead in an instant!

"Don't worry, I'm here."

Seeing Shiki's reactive tension, Roy gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her from delivering a deadly strike. Even the top-tier Phantasmal Beast, the Golden Wolf, would suffer greatly if cut by the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

"Mm…"

Feeling the warmth of Roy's hand, Shiki's restless heart gradually calmed down.

"Ah, such a terrifying sensation... it instinctively made me feel in danger."

The golden figure halted in front of them, revealing its true form. Or rather, the golden wolf had simulated a human appearance and body.

It took the form of a beautiful girl with long golden hair, seemingly in her teens, radiating an aura of sunshine and warmth. However, when her eyes fell on Shiki, they were filled with wariness.

Her previous words were no joke. The moment Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception activated, she felt her fur stand on end. It was like being stared down by death itself. If she had been hit in a vital spot by this girl, she was certain she would have died...

What a terrifying girl... more frightening than Aoko ever was. Where had Touko found such an ally?

The young man beside them also felt unusual... or perhaps, familiar?

Beo moved closer to Roy, sniffing a few times before exclaiming in surprise, "You have such a pleasant scent. It feels familiar, like I've smelled it before. Could it be that you're one of my kind?"

"One of her kind? You're not human?" Shiki looked at Roy in surprise.

"Of course, I'm human. Don't let your imagination run wild."

Roy looked at Beo and then opened his hand, conjuring a warm white glow. Sensing the familiar aura, Beo became even more excited.

"That's the smell! It's so nice!"

"Sorry, but I'm not your kind." Roy shook his head.

"Huh? But your aura clearly…"

As Beo expressed confusion, Roy provided the answer.

"It's because of the soul. Since your existence is similar to a spiritual being, your body can transform based on circumstances. You don't need a stable physical medium to exist in the material world; you are a universal life form. In the realm of magecraft, you are a high-level lifeform, a soul that has been materialized."

"As for me, I'm the Magician of the Third Magic, who controls the domain of materialization of the soul. So it's natural for you to feel a sense of familiarity with me instinctively."

"Materialization of the soul? I don't really get it, but being a Magician means you're as powerful as Aoko, right?"

Beo scratched her head, still looking cheerful as she said, "Anyway, I like you, Touko's friend. Let's get acquainted."

"I used to be Touko's familiar. You can call me Beo. Nice to meet you."

After a brief introduction, Beo became even more affectionate, grabbing onto Roy's arm. Her affection for his aura was akin to a cat responding to catnip, as she nuzzled against him.

"So comfortable…"

"Honestly, Beo, you should know when to stop. Getting so close to someone else right in front of your master is a bit much, don't you think?"

It was the first time Touko had seen Beo so affectionate with someone else, and even she was a bit surprised. She couldn't help but smile wryly.

"You were never this affectionate with me before."

"I don't want to! Beo really likes Touko's friend, and it feels so comfortable holding onto him."

"Alright... do as you please. Our contract was terminated a long time ago anyway."

"But... Beo, what's with this appearance? Didn't you say before that transforming into a human was useless? Even when I asked you to shapeshift, you barely complied. So what's this now?"

Touko curiously observed Beo's current form.

"You mean this appearance?" Beo raised her hands and cupped the two heavy mounds on her chest, then replied, "The body of a human female is indeed quite inconvenient."

"However, this form is more suitable for blending into human society. After parting ways with you, I started running a general shop with Soujuurou at our old base to make some money."

"But no customers came. Then Aoko suggested I take on this form, saying it would attract more customers. After doing so, a lot of customers really did show up. I got used to it after a while."

"Ah..."

Upon hearing Beo's explanation, Touko massaged her temples and sighed helplessly.

"Fine, as long as you're happy. It doesn't affect your activities, after all."

After patting Beo's soft head, Roy now had a basic understanding of this Phantasmal Species' personality and abilities. He couldn't help but compliment her.

"An exceptional familiar. Not only can she shapeshift freely, but she also possesses mobility and magical power rivaling that of an average Servant. Her mystery level must be over three thousand years old, truly deserving the title of a top-tier Phantasmal Species from the Age of Gods."

"Hehehe, thank you for the compliment! But Touko's friends are amazing too. Not just this girl who makes me feel a deadly danger... Beo can sense that you also have tremendous power."

"However, Beo still doesn't know your name. Touko's friend, can you tell me your name?"

"Of course, since we're partners now, aren't we?"

"Yes, we're partners."

Roy nodded and then introduced himself. "My name is Roy, and this is Shiki. We are both Touko's friends, just like you. We're here to help her defeat Aoko, so we'll be counting on your assistance as well, Beo."

"Got it! Beo will protect both Roy and Shiki!"

The golden wolf, now transformed into a girl, flashed a bright smile, wrapping her arms around the necks of both Shiki and Roy. She seemed genuinely happy.

Shiki, though, felt a bit uncomfortable being embraced so casually by Beo.

This is way too lacking in boundaries...

"It looks like you all are getting along well. That's good."

"We're heading out later. Do you want anything? Maybe some comics or novels?"

Bringing along such a showy figure would be a hassle, and judging from Beo's words, it seemed she had a good relationship with Aoko and Alice. Without the contract binding her, Touko wasn't entirely sure if Beo might switch sides during the fight.

So, Touko didn't plan to take Beo along.

Leaving her at the base was enough... she already had more than enough firepower on her side. When the time came, she could call Beo for backup.

"Hmm… toys, comics? Soujuurou already bought me a lot of those, so there's nothing I really need. Oh, but if you could bring me a hamburger when you return, that would be great! One of those really big ones with lots of toppings!"

So, she just wants a burger...

"Got it."

Touko Aozaki smiled slightly.

"But you haven't changed a bit, Beo."

She still preferred food over toys. As long as her food needs were met, she was easy to satisfy.

"Alright, since everything's in order, let's help you resolve your grudge with the Magician of the Fifth Magic before dealing with the Dead Apostle Princess."

Seeing that the time had come, Roy called for Touko and Shiki to prepare for departure.

"But before we make our visit, we need to take care of a few small preparations first. You know what I mean, don't you, Touko?"

"Of course, just like we discussed last night."

Touko Aozaki smiled knowingly.

"Let's go, boss."

"I can't wait to see the ridiculous look on Aoko's face when she panics."

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