"Is that important? All I see now is someone without any fighting spirit. So what if you kill me? You'd still be a coward who runs away in terror whenever you see your Sister."
Kill this brat in front of me.
The thought kept surfacing in Aozaki Touko's mind, but what would killing him accomplish? Even if she did not act, her Sister would deal with him.
There was no need. Aoko would inherit everything.
But if that were truly the case, where was this anger coming from?
Yes, anger.
"What are you trying to do?"
Aozaki Touko truly could not deceive herself. She was still unwilling to accept it. If there was still a chance, she still wanted to defeat her Sister.
Besides, what was shameful about having someone help her?
If that clueless hothead had not helped Aoko back then, she would have been finished years ago. How could she possibly have the prestige she had today?
Now the wheel had turned, and it was Touko's turn to have help.
"Your original plan was centered around that Puppet. Since I destroyed it, you no longer had any way to deal with your Sister, right?"
As Fujimaru Kyoya dodged Magic Bullets, he tried to reignite the fighting spirit of this Grand Puppeteer. Only by joining forces could the two of them defeat that Magus.
"I'll say it again. I'll replace the Puppet, and you continue with your tactics. How about it?"
"You? Can you do it?"
The reason Aozaki Touko had researched Moon Dew Liquid, which was not her specialty, was because she understood just how terrifying the physical abilities of heroes from the Age of Gods were. It was extremely difficult to replicate them with modern tools. Mercury was merely a stopgap measure, yet this brat was saying he would replace that Puppet.
Was this guy planning to recreate the techniques of heroes from the Age of Gods?
Even if he thoroughly understood the Flowing Water Sword, could his body withstand it?
A series of questions flooded Aozaki Touko's mind, but the Magic Bullets whizzing past her urged her to make a decision.
"Did you bring the Mystic Codes from inside Moon Blade Edge?"
"No."
Fujimaru Kyoya had been quick enough just to grab that sword. As for any other Mystic Codes, how was he supposed to know which ones were useful?
"Without the spatial adaptability granted by those Mystic Codes, you can't teleport. Even so, are you willing to fight a Magus head-on?"
"There's no reason not to fight now."
As long as people lived in this world, they had to keep "fighting." Until death, that "fight" would never stop.
"Hm? Where's Touko?"
Just as Aozaki Aoko thought she was about to shake him off, Fujimaru Kyoya blocked her path alone. He held the Holy Sword in his hand, seemingly ready for battle.
"We just formed an alliance. Given the current situation, unless we join forces, your victory is guaranteed."
"Is that so?"
Aozaki Aoko closed her eyes and pondered for a while. This was an intentionally exposed opening, while she also sensed the great cavern around them.
The Underground Great Cavern had already been modified by Aozaki Touko. At certain times, it revealed her will. In Aozaki Aoko's perception, that dejection was gradually fading, and her Sister was beginning to return.
"I see. You've made your preparations too."
Mana began to gather. Aozaki Aoko believed that her Sister would not do anything that harmed the Aozaki Family, which meant the boy before her had received her approval.
Then Aozaki Aoko could trust her Sister's judgment as well. But that did not mean she would go easy on him. The moment he intervened in the Aozaki Family's affairs, he was doomed not to walk away unscathed.
"Yes, I'm prepared."
Fujimaru Kyoya gripped the Holy Sword in his hand. That familiar sensation returned to his body. Though this was the first time this body had held it, it felt as though he had met an old friend he somehow recognized.
Fujimaru Kyoya's physical abilities naturally had not reached Lloyd's level. Though he understood the combat experience and techniques perfectly, applying the things from those simulations to reality required long periods of training.
Fujimaru Kyoya absolutely did not have enough time.
Then there was only one path left for him now—Imitation Fist.
Fujimaru Kyoya had said before that Imitation Fist was the imitation of the strongest creatures. By combining Jewel Magecraft with Imitation Fist, he had created his own "Jewel Imitation Fist."
But had he ever seen something stronger than modern firearms?
Of course he had. It was himself.
The stance of the Flowing Water Sword appeared in Fujimaru Kyoya's body. This was his current Imitation Fist: Lloyd Imitation Fist, imitating himself.
The atmosphere changed.
Watching her opponent take his stance, the previously nonchalant Aozaki Aoko felt something different for the first time, as though an ancient hero had possessed the enemy before her.
"Imitation? Is that even possible?"
As a Magus who specialized in combat herself, Aozaki Aoko naturally recognized what Fujimaru Kyoya was doing. She simply could not believe there could be such a "pure" imitation in this world.
No Magecraft at all—relying solely on willpower, imagination, and familiarity with the target to achieve a technique akin to possession.
Could that really be done?
Under normal circumstances, of course not. But Fujimaru Kyoya was different. He possessed the powerful imagination and willpower granted by Ghost Brain, and no one knew himself better than he did.
Thus, "Lloyd" appeared in this world once more.
"This guy... maybe he really can pull it off."
Aozaki Touko hid to the side, ready to provide support at any moment. Originally, she had merely intended to give it a try, but she had not expected Fujimaru Kyoya to bring her such a huge surprise.
Fate truly loved to toy with people.
Back when she had nearly defeated her Sister, someone had stopped her. But now, it was as though the positions of the two Sisters had been reversed.
Recreating Dragon Ball Z
The battle began once more. Even a Magus could not use her flesh and blood to directly withstand the edge of a Holy Sword, but that did not mean Fujimaru Kyoya held the advantage.
The reason Fujimaru Kyoya was willing to let bygones be bygones with Aozaki Touko, aside from the fact that he would certainly die without her, was because as long as Aozaki Touko joined forces with him, this matter would still fall within the scope of "a fight between Sisters," and Aozaki Aoko would not use Magic.
He had originally thought this would narrow the gap between them, but the truth was that he had been too naive.
Aozaki Aoko looked young, but her combat experience was not lacking in the slightest. Not to mention that she possessed the Fifth Magic, whose true nature he did not even know.
Even one of that Magic's branch abilities could allow time travel exclusive to Aozaki Aoko. In other words, the person before him might even be older than her Sister.
That was Magic. Amazing, wasn't it?
Fujimaru Kyoya's Flowing Water Sword was naturally not as rigid as a Puppet's, but building its sword momentum to its peak under Aozaki Aoko's attacks was extremely difficult. This was where he needed Aozaki Touko's help.
The Accumulated Magic Eye took effect once more. The Mystic Eye, its power multiplied, pressed down on Aozaki Aoko. It could only cause a brief pause, but that gave Fujimaru Kyoya an opportunity to close in.
The dense barrage of bullets fell silent for an instant. In that instant, Fujimaru Kyoya charged.
Within the dim Underground Great Cavern, pale Mayflies swirled around Fujimaru Kyoya, forming a defensive barrier that gave him a chance to get closer to his target.
Magic Bullets came flying again. Aozaki Touko's Mayflies were shot down one after another, while Fujimaru Kyoya used First Before First to evade every attack as much as possible.
At last, he reached Aozaki Aoko's side.
The sharp blade slashed down. There was no reason to hold back. This had always been a fight to the death. Every move Fujimaru Kyoya made targeted a vital point. Faced with such a threat, Aozaki Aoko made her choice as well.
She threw a punch.
A fist brimming with Mana came at him. Fujimaru Kyoya could certainly dodge it, but doing so would waste the hard-won opportunity to get close.
Fujimaru Kyoya did not evade. The Mayflies protecting him shattered beneath Aozaki Aoko's fist. The blow landed solidly on him, while Fujimaru Kyoya's sword left a gash in her body, and blood began to flow.
"That was dangerous. I almost died just now."
Aozaki Aoko covered her wound. Naturally, she did not say that because she feared death. How could someone with the Fifth Magic die so easily?
But if she were killed, it would not mean she was dead, yet it would mean she had lost.
Aozaki Aoko had used offense as defense and blocked what should have been a fatal strike, but although she had stopped Fujimaru Kyoya, her Sister was still hiding in the shadows.
A black Shadow attacked Aozaki Aoko. It was a Red-Haired Girl Puppet. It had a face similar to Aozaki Aoko's, but its arms and legs were even more numerous than a spider's, making it look grotesque and disgusting.
"Touko, after all these years, your bad taste hasn't changed at all."
Because of the Puppet's sneak attack, Aozaki Aoko could not continue pressing Fujimaru Kyoya's disadvantage. This was not the first time she had seen such a Puppet, but this one clearly had more functions than the last.
More freely extensible arms, Magic Bullets that were not powerful but were highly disruptive, more agile movement speed... All these traits told Aozaki Aoko one thing: this Puppet was not an attacker, but a support Puppet.
The one she truly needed to guard against was still that boy.
Fujimaru Kyoya attacked again. Though he too was surprised by Aozaki Aoko's combat experience, if this was all she had...
"If this were all I had, Touko wouldn't need to go to so much trouble."
One magic circle after another wrapped around Aozaki Aoko's arms. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Aozaki Aoko's hair seemed to have become even more crimson.
Aozaki Aoko had realized that the boy before her possessed far more combat experience than she had expected. Once she was dragged into close combat, even without the Puppet harassing her, she would find it difficult to gain an advantage.
In that case, she would break skill with sheer power.
Just how much Mana did a Magus possess?
That was clearly a meaningless question. Magic itself was a "Miracle," and driving a Miracle inevitably required an enormous price. That price was Mana.
A Magus's Mana was absolutely not lacking. Even if Aozaki Aoko did not use Magic, this Mana was still terrifying enough to vaporize Fujimaru Kyoya completely.
Naturally, the Puppet would not simply watch Fujimaru Kyoya die. It hurriedly intensified its attacks, but those attacks finally angered Aozaki Aoko.
"Trash should just lie quietly in the garbage heap."
A casually fired Magic Bullet struck the Puppet. Given the Puppet's speed, dodging that attack should have been effortless, yet that Magic Bullet hit.
It hit?
Aozaki Aoko's casual strike had only been meant as interference, but she had received an unexpected surprise. She had actually destroyed that Puppet.
Yet an uneasy feeling gradually welled up in her heart. Would her Sister make such a low-level mistake at a moment like this?
Of course not.
Amid the Puppet's scattered fragments, a figure appeared.
Aozaki Aoko had been distracted too much by Fujimaru Kyoya. By the time she noticed that figure, it was already too late.
"Aoko, do you still remember this move?"
Aozaki Touko had actually hidden inside the Puppet in the flesh. The instant the Puppet was shattered, she arrived behind Aozaki Aoko. Such a dangerous action was completely unlike what a Puppeteer should do.
But only by breaking convention could she possibly win this battle.
Just like what Aozaki Touko was about to do—Magic Circuit Disruption.
"You bastard."
How could Aozaki Aoko not remember this move?
Back when she was still inexperienced, she had fallen victim to it due to carelessness, leaving her unable to use Magecraft for a short time.
It was a very crude method, because a mature Magus, when faced with such an attack, could even use the same method to counter the opponent.
Just as she was about to do now.
Almost simultaneously, both Sisters' Magic Circuits were disrupted to varying degrees. Magecraft could not be used for a short time, but being unable to use Magecraft at a moment like this had effectively decided the outcome.
"Aoko, this time, I win."
Enduring the intense pain, Aozaki Touko bound her Sister with her body, giving Fujimaru Kyoya the chance to deliver a fatal blow to their enemy.
Good grief, was this a tribute to Dragon Ball Z?
Fujimaru Kyoya had no time to complain now. He could not waste the opportunity Aozaki Touko had traded her life for. He could not let this chance slip away.
When People Are Killed, They Die
Fujimaru Kyoya did not hesitate with his sword. Combined with the combat experience from the simulator, he knew where a person's vital point was—the heart.
Flesh and blood could not withstand the Holy Sword. Time seemed to slow as Fujimaru Kyoya watched the sword in his hand pierce Aozaki Aoko's chest. With that force, the blade also sank into Aozaki Touko's body.
The Holy Sword pierced straight through both Sisters. Their shattered hearts declared the victor of this battle.
"I won."
Before you continue