Night of Annihilation

Touko and Alice's assessment revealed that both Hisui and Kohaku possessed considerable aptitude for Magecraft.

Kohaku, the elder sister, had sixteen Magic Circuits, while Hisui had fifteen. The quality of both sisters' Magic Circuits was exceptionally high (though not quite on par with Touko's), and their operational efficiency was also good. They would be considered valuable talents and cultivated as such in any Magus family.

Coincidentally, both sisters' magical affinities were wind, the same as the Aozaki family's inherited magical attribute.

As twins, aside from their usual Magus talents, the sisters surprisingly possessed a special attribute: their Magic Circuits were actually complementary.

This meant that with rigorous training, Kohaku and Hisui could, through this unique talent, jointly perform certain joint magical rituals.

Their execution efficiency was far greater than that of ordinary Magus performing the same tasks, and the results achieved were also much more significant. They were a prime example of one plus one equaling more than two.

This was perhaps a byproduct of the Miyajyo family's innate sympathetic talent. This family, lacking extensive knowledge of Magecraft and exploring their talents solely through intuition, seemed to have wasted their inherent abilities.

"How on earth did you find these two little ones?" Touko asked Aoko in surprise while examining the sisters, "Their talents are incredibly rare; even within the Clock Tower, various families would likely fight over them."

"Don't underestimate a Mage's information network," Aoko replied, resting one hand on her hip and wagging her index finger with the other. "Am I qualified enough to be your apprentice?"

"More than qualified, more than qualified~" Touko responded with a giggle, her eyes gleaming with research desire, which sent a shiver down the sisters' spines.

"Don't scare the children!" Aoko said with a headache, looking at Touko's behavior. Her sister was just like this; she was quite fervent in her pursuit of Magecraft research, and encountering gifted talents like Hisui and Kohaku, she naturally had no reason to let them go.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Touko seemed to have already adapted to her current identity and resigned herself. "Aren't you our 'older sister'? Open your eyes and look, we're 'about the same age'!"

This self-deprecating remark almost made not only Aoko but also Alice, who was standing nearby, lose their composure.

Touko, you're falling too fast!

Just as Aoko and the others were discussing the teaching plans for Kohaku and Hisui, the phone at the Kuonji Residence began to ring.

"Hello? This is Aoko Aozaki, who is this?" Aoko answered the phone in the Kuonji Residence's living room, asking the caller who they were.

But as the caller continued speaking, Alice Kuonji and Touko Aozaki, standing nearby, noticed Aoko's expression change.

"Are you sure?" Aoko asked with a frown. "Alright, I understand. I'll head over there tonight."

After speaking, Aoko hung up the phone and sat back on the sofa, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Alice Kuonji asked calmly.

"It's the Miyajyo family," Aoko said. "They said that the family that originally wanted to buy Kohaku and Hisui seems to be planning to forcibly take them tonight."

"Hmph, it must be that Tohno family," Touko scoffed a few times dismissively. "A mongrel mixed with non-human blood, unable to even control their impulses. They must be rushing to make a move because they want to use the girls' mother as a substitute for them. I suspect someone within the Tohno family can no longer hold on."

"Are you planning to go alone?" Alice asked. "Do you need my help?"

"Alice, you and Touko just wait here at home," Aoko replied casually. "It's not a big problem; it should be resolved quickly."

The wind and snow of November had temporarily subsided, and the air was exceptionally fresh. It was a perfect night with a clear moon and gentle breeze.

Tohno Shinkyu sat inside his luxurious car, gazing from afar at the solitary lights of the old Miyajyo family residence flickering in the mountain forest.

Beside him sat a tall, burly, one-eyed man with slightly curly hair. The man sat with his arms crossed, remaining silent, as if awaiting Tohno Shinkyu's command.

"The remnants of the Miyajyo will not sit idly by," Tohno Shinkyu said. "As a former pillar of Exorcism, they might have used the money obtained from the Aozaki family to hire other exorcists."

"In the worst-case scenario, they've invited that group of assassins," Tohno Shinkyu paused before continuing. "You need to be very careful, Kouma. Besides the woman I require, kill everyone else. Leave no one alive, regardless of age or gender!"

The man called Kouma was the head of the Hazama family, a branch of the Tohno family.

Like the Tohno family, he was a hybrid human with so-called demonic blood, possessing physical capabilities far exceeding ordinary humans and a defense as strong as steel.

As a child, due to his inability to understand human language, he was confined to a cabin deep in the mountains. However, by chance, he encountered a passing serial killer and lost an eye.

Hazama Kouma's ability was pure brute strength. He could crush hard rocks as easily as tofu. This alone, coupled with his ostracization due to his overly potent bloodline, led him to become the head of the Hazama family.

Upon receiving the order, Hazama Kouma opened the car door without a word and began walking towards the old Miyajyo family residence on the mountain. Following behind him was a large group of private soldiers raised by the Tohno family.

These private soldiers were all members of the Tohno branch families who possessed a small amount of demonic blood. The amount of demonic blood in their bodies was insufficient for them to possess special abilities, but it allowed their physical capabilities to surpass ordinary humans. Combined with modern weaponry, they could exhibit combat effectiveness comparable to well-trained special forces.

Led by Hazama Kouma, the Tohno family's extermination unit dispersed immediately upon entering the mountain forest, encircling the old Miyajyo family residence from all directions, determined to leave no one alive except their target.

Originally, these formidable Tohno private soldiers believed that the Miyajyo family, whose bloodline abilities had long since withered, would be incapable of resisting them. They viewed this operation as easy as snatching candy from a child.

Even though Tohno Shinkyu had repeatedly warned them that they might encounter other exorcists providing support during the operation, they paid no heed.

After all, in the eyes of the wealthy Tohno family members, how could the destitute Miyajyo family, who had to sell their children to survive, afford to hire other exorcists?

However, the reason accidents are called accidents is that they happen when people least expect them.