Beo Ruge

"Hey, Touko," the blonde 'boy' said, sitting on a worn-out school desk, "When can I go meet Touko's sister?"

"You've asked that many times already," Touko replied impatiently while setting up her temporary workshop. "You're very strong, but don't get careless just because you're a Phantasmal Species. If we want to win, we have to prepare everything."

"You promised, Touko," the blonde 'boy', Beo, continued. "You promised you'd find me the most interesting opponent, and our contract lasts until I defeat the owner of the Fifth Magic."

"That's a Mage with only five people in the entire world possessing it," Touko stopped her work and looked out the window into the distance. "If I brought you before her now, you'd likely fail immediately."

"Can I eat her?" Beo asked, his tone a mix of greed and innocence. "Does she taste good?"

"...No," Touko frowned. "You can't kill either Alice Kuonji or Aoko Aozaki."

"Haa—how boring," Beo lost some interest and jumped down from the desk. "Touko, I'm hungry."

"The meat is in that box over there," Touko pointed to the corner of the classroom. "Go get it yourself."

After that, Touko ignored Beo and focused on adjusting the external Magecraft Crest she had "borrowed." This was the foundation for her Rune Magecraft to counter Aoko, and she had to carefully and meticulously adjust it to its optimal state.

Thinking of her sister, Aoko, Touko couldn't help but fall into a dilemma.

She was by no means a weak person; in fact, Touko was a rather typical Magus. Her grandfather changing the heir to Aoko on a whim had already made Touko furious. She had sworn to make that old man pay, but now that he had truly paid the price, Touko found herself in a quandary.

To deal with Aoko, Touko subconsciously made a plan. She found Beo, who was hiding in the forests of Northern Europe.

This wild beast of a Phantasmal Species with human intelligence was too powerful. In fact, no Magus had any chance of defeating it. Gender and age were meaningless to it.

If it weren't so empty, so bored to the point of finding no meaning in life, it wouldn't have formed a contract with Touko.

But when Touko actually returned to Misaki, she found herself unsure of what to do.

If only her sister were colder.

If only she hated her more.

If... if only the surname of those two sisters wasn't Aozaki, Touko thought.

I won't be weak anymore, Touko's eyes turned cold again. I will take back what I want, what I deserve. That's what a Magus is, even Aoko does the same.

Alice Kuonji also needed to be considered. Touko remembered her childhood friend. A rare Witch; if not for Beo's help, even Touko wouldn't be able to handle her easily.

Alice Kuonji wandered through the forest.

She was accompanied by two small pigs that looked like some kind of toys, but they were not small at all.

The remains of a destroyed doll lay on the ground. It had three pairs of limbs but a head with long black hair. Rather than trying to imitate a specific person, it seemed designed to provoke her.

A PLOY, a Rose Hound, was searching for traces. An enemy had infiltrated the territory.

The Aozaki family's leyline was jointly managed by Aoko and Alice. Alice, who disliked shirking responsibility, was therefore here now.

"...The barrier stone of the leyline node has been destroyed," Alice murmured, looking at the results of the hounds' search. "Is a Magus making an enemy of the Aozaki family?"

Alice Kuonji crouched down and picked up a shattered Rune Stone from the ground. A deep claw mark remained on it.

"Tweedle," Alice commanded. "It's time to go."

"Is it over already?" "We haven't had enough fun yet!"

Before the twins could say anything more, Alice recalled the Feast of the Forest, and the surrounding light became a little brighter. The twin pigs also disappeared.

When they returned home, Aoko had already prepared dinner.

"How was it?" Aoko asked, standing at the entrance. "Did things go smoothly?"

"Not really," Alice sighed. "The perpetrator wasn't caught, but the leyline node was indeed destroyed, and we encountered a strange doll at the scene."

Aoko knew who was responsible. Encountering a doll at the scene eliminated all other possibilities.

"Well, it's a minor issue," Aoko said nonchalantly. "Since it's already happened, shall we eat first?"

Alice nodded, took off her coat and hung it aside, then changed into house slippers and followed Aoko into the dining room.

Dinner today was Washoku, but at a glance, it was clear Aoko had made modifications, as neither Alice nor Aoko were entirely accustomed to purely Japanese cuisine.

"Who was the enemy?" Alice asked, putting a piece of tofu into her mouth and chewing it carefully. The food was, as expected, delicious.

"When you mentioned the doll, I knew," Aoko said, serving herself a piece of grilled fish. "It must have been Touko. Making the doll look like that was probably to provoke me."

"...I didn't say the doll had your face," Alice said, somewhat surprised that Aoko knew these details.

"Ha, Touko and I grew up together," Aoko smiled. "I know her maliciousness all too well."

"Even though you've always been good to her?"

"Even though I've always been good to her," Aoko replied. "The Aozaki family's Magic is still too important to her. Or rather, the Magus known as Touko Aozaki is merely a slave to Magic."

"...I never knew Touko was like this," Alice said. "I thought she would have talked to you first."

"The Touko in your memory is the Touko Aozaki who was still an 'Egg of Magus'," Aoko replied. "But now, if she's made up her mind, she'll come find me first, and I have to defeat her honorably."

"Also," Aoko thought for a moment, "she'll probably try to eliminate you first, so be careful."

"...You don't think Touko can beat me, do you?" Alice sounded surprised. She was very confident in her Magic system and believed Touko also knew her strength when facing Magus.

"It's not necessarily that she herself can beat you," Aoko mused. "But her Familiar might."

"What I gave you, you must carry with you at all times," Aoko said, looking seriously into Alice's eyes. "If you encounter Touko, use it immediately. I'll rush over right away, don't be brave."

The Touko of the original timeline was a pure Magus who had never received any care from ordinary family members.

Her personality was stubborn and twisted. Even though the current Touko had been somewhat changed by Aoko, her obsession with her goals was still deeply rooted.

"...Mm."

Feeling her roommate's concern, Alice Kuonji paused for a moment, then responded in a barely audible voice.