Disintegration Spell

Aoko usually woke up around ten in the morning.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she quickly used Magecraft to check on Touko's room. The sight amused her; Aoko remembered Touko had terrible sleeping habits as a child, and it seemed those habits hadn't changed even after she'd reverted to her younger self.

Touko was sprawled out, her belly exposed, having kicked the blanket with the cute bunnies aside. She was curled up on her side, sleeping as if she felt insecure, her breathing steady.

After confirming Touko was still asleep, Aoko smiled slightly and quickly used Magecraft and the Magic Network Arcana to change and wash up. Then, as she did every morning without fail, she sat at her desk to meditate.

Defeating the evil arch-villain Touko had certainly granted her a significant amount of "experience points," but compared to her current caster level of 11, these points were like a drop in the bucket, not enough to raise her level.

However, when her consciousness connected with a Weave Fragment, Aoko realized she could now choose which profession to allocate her "experience points" to: either Wizard or Archmage. This was a "new feature" she hadn't encountered before.

Perhaps it was because this was her first meditation session after advancing, which was why this "experience point" allocation feature had only just been discovered.

To Aoko, however, "experience points" were still something difficult to quantify precisely. Or rather, in her consciousness, these "substances" that enhanced her strength felt like a handful of golden sand clutched in her hand – their exact quantity elusive, only roughly estimable.

Since she hadn't yet accumulated enough to level up, Aoko didn't dwell on these "experience points." Instead, she focused her attention on trying to glean new spell knowledge from the Magic Network.

Although, as a Mage, if judged purely by personal power, she could already wield considerable influence in this world. Yet, Aoko understood that things with such immense power, rooted in the fundamental principles of the universe, might not be as effective outside of it.

In contrast, the Magic Network Arcana could be used even far from the Forgotten Realms, which Aoko found utterly perplexing. If she ever had the chance to travel to other universes in the future, the Magic Network Arcana would undoubtedly be her greatest asset.

This thought might seem like a wild, unrealistic fantasy to others, but for Aoko, who was herself a mix of otherworldly influences, the existence of other worlds was already a proven fact. Furthermore, the knowledge she'd acquired from the Magic Network included quite a bit about interdimensional travel techniques.

Among the spells she currently mastered, whether it was Misty Step, Dimension Door, or Teleportation, none could transport her to other planes. If she were to consider the universe from the perspective of a crystal wall system, to leave her current "universe," she would have to traverse the Sea of Phlogiston.

However, she couldn't even prove the existence of the Sea of Phlogiston yet, and the idea of crossing it remained a distant, unattainable thought, something she had to set aside for the time being.

"Huh?"

Even while in deep meditation, Aoko, who was searching for spells in the Magic Network, let out a surprised exclamation because she had actually found something!

Or rather, after searching for spells for over a decade, she had finally struck it lucky, finding the most destructive spell to date: the 6th-ring signature spell from the Transmutation School, Disintegration Spell.

This Magecraft could be considered the dividing line between a true Mage and an ordinary wizard. Once one mastered this spell, a wizard's destructive power could be said to skyrocket. If hit by Disintegration Spell, unless one had specific protective measures, it was essentially a guaranteed instant death.

Furthermore, this spell had a range of damage fluctuation, meaning it could be enhanced with Metamagic through Spell Potency, allowing the spell to maintain the maximum damage for its current level.

And compared to disintegrating living beings, its ability to break down inanimate matter was even more astonishing. It could disintegrate up to 10 cubic feet of matter in a single round, provided it was in the path of the Disintegration Spell's attack.

Miss Aoko happily withdrew from her meditative state and immediately and diligently copied Disintegration Spell into her spellbook, intending to study it carefully during her spell research.

After spending 20 minutes preparing the spells she would use that day, Aoko left her room and headed to the kitchen on the first floor of the Kuonji Residence.

The large Western-style mansion was quiet at this hour; it seemed neither Alice nor Touko had woken up yet.

She opened the refrigerator and took out the breakfast she had prepared the night before to heat up. She added some fresh fruits and vegetables, mixing them with salad dressing to create a cool and delicious fruit and vegetable salad.

With everything prepared, Aoko hummed a tune as she pushed the serving cart towards the dining room.

When Alice Kuonji arrived at the dining room, yawning and rubbing her eyes, she found her roommate had already prepared everything and was sitting by the window, quietly engrossed in a book.

The morning sunlight, like golden gossamer, fell upon Aoko's beautiful face. Her fair skin, accentuated by the dawn, revealed a hint of rosy color, making the girl appear even more alluring.

Alice's mind went momentarily blank, but she quickly regained her composure, let out a soft cough to mask her embarrassment.

"Ah, Alice, you're awake?" Aoko put down the book she was reading and greeted her with a smile. "Let's eat breakfast first!"

"Mmm... what about Touko?" Alice suddenly remembered that there was another guest at the Kuonji Residence today.

"She should be waking up around now, shouldn't she?" Aoko stroked her smooth chin, estimating.

With that thought, Aoko picked up the kettle, poured clear water into an empty soup cup (similar to a wide-mouthed mug used for thick soups), dipped a finger into the water, and muttered an incantation, activating a stage of Magecraft.

Ripples spread across the water's surface in the soup cup, gradually displaying an image, and faint sounds could be heard.

In the image, the newly awakened child Touko Aozaki let out a cute whimper of distress upon seeing her bunny pajamas and the adorable surroundings of her room.

Aoko was truly wicked for installing a surveillance device in Touko's bedroom!

She wasn't just a bad woman anymore; she had to...

Aoko watched gleefully as Touko flustered in the image. Then, she looked up and noticed Alice also staring at the surveillance Magecraft with a slight blush and a tremor, clearly struggling to suppress a laugh.

A moment later, when Aoko and Alice heard footsteps approaching from the stairs, they immediately and silently dispelled the Magecraft in the soup cup.

Touko Aozaki, still in her bunny pajamas, pushed open the dining room door, casting a resentful gaze at Aoko and Alice, who were seated at the dining table.