I, Matou Sakura, Third of the Flame-Chasers!

Ripples stirred in Aozaki Akiko's heart. This was the first time she had witnessed someone's death from so close.

But it only made her angry. Aozaki Akiko had not known Shizuki Koshirou for long, so she naturally had no particular feelings for him. If he had not discovered the clues her Sister left behind after kidnapping Alice and brought her here, she would never have appeared here with him.

Yet seeing a living person die before her eyes still filled Aozaki Akiko with rage.

"Why would you do this?!"

Bloodshot veins appeared in Aozaki Akiko's eyes as blue Magic Power gathered in her hand. She threw a punch with all her strength, sending a magic bullet flying forth.

But such a weak magic bullet could not inflict any meaningful damage on Beowulf. She did not even need to dodge.

"Are you still not going to make a move, Touko?"

Enduring Aozaki Akiko's attack, Beowulf turned her gaze toward Aozaki Touko, who stood frozen in place.

"Don't forget that person's orders!"

"You don't need to tell me that!"

Aozaki Touko had never felt so angry before, but what could she do?

If she wanted to live, she had to follow orders!

She could feel it too—that person's presence!

That person was nearby!

After setting Kuzuki Alice down, Aozaki Touko joined Beowulf in attacking Aozaki Akiko.

Unable to match Aozaki Touko at all, Aozaki Akiko could only flee in a miserable scramble. From their earlier conversation, it was not hard for her to tell that Touko and this werewolf were attacking her under someone's orders—but for what purpose?!

The Fifth Magic?

Damn it!

Bang! In her moment of distraction, Aozaki Akiko was kicked flying by Aozaki Touko—and landed right where Shizuki Koshirou had fallen.

That powerful kick smashed Aozaki Akiko violently into the corpse.

The body, which had still been relatively intact, was crushed into a pulp. One of the bones mixed into the blood and flesh pierced directly into Aozaki Akiko's body.

"Ah!!!!"

The intense pain tore a shrill scream from Aozaki Akiko!

She strained with all her might!

"AAAAAAAH!"

Aozaki Akiko's agonized screams made Aozaki Touko clench her fists.

This was nothing like what she had imagined at the start!

She had only returned here to prove that she was the true heir to Magic!

Why had it turned out like this?!

"Our task is complete."

Beowulf's sudden words jolted Aozaki Touko awake from her frustration. She looked at the blood-covered Aozaki Touko and noticed something unusual about her.

Mysterious blue radiance shimmered over that blood-soaked body. The wound bored through her flesh by the bone was healing rapidly, revealing pale skin.

A violent gust suddenly rose, sweeping away the blood covering Aozaki Akiko.

Her jet-black hair began to move without wind, then turned a vivid crimson like fresh blood at a visible speed.

Aozaki Akiko raised her head, revealing her strange eyes.

The azure in her eyes had vanished, replaced by pure white.

At this moment, the complete Fifth Magic formally descended!

That Person

"Is this the Fifth Magic?"

Aozaki Touko's face was pale. The scene before her resembled a natural disaster!

Thunderclouds churned as black clouds blanketed the sky. Wild winds roared, seeming ready to rip away even the ground beneath their feet.

Though Beowulf was also surprised by the effects caused by Magic, she was not overly concerned.

What Aozaki Akiko made her feel now was far less terrifying than when she faced that person.

That person had felt like an utterly invincible, terrifying existence. As for the one before her... while she also felt powerful, she was not impossible to face!

Kuzuki Alice rose from the ground. The ropes binding her had already loosened.

The ropes had been untied when Aozaki Touko threw her down, and even the device suppressing her Magic Power had vanished.

"So this is Akiko's Magic?"

Kuzuki Alice's expression was grave. She felt that something was very wrong with Akiko now!

At that moment, a pure-white figure flew out from the churning thunderclouds and landed heavily upon the wind-lashed ground.

Black-and-white hair streamed in the wind, revealing a smiling face.

Was she the great one that Aozaki Touko and that Phantasmal Beast had spoken of?

Kuzuki Alice stared blankly at the figure descending from the storm clouds to the ground. She seemed to see a dazzling radiance upon her.

"Not bad."

Matou Sakura glanced at Aozaki Touko and Beowulf behind her and said flatly, "If you don't want to die, step back. The Fifth Magic is out of control right now."

The moment she finished speaking, Matou Sakura vanished from where she stood, leaving a wide expanse of cracked earth behind.

In an instant, she appeared before Aozaki Akiko, who was floating above the ground.

Azure radiance emerged in Aozaki Akiko's hand, exuding a dangerous aura.

Aozaki Akiko was now completely under the Fifth Magic's control. The moment it recognized Matou Sakura as a threat, it swiftly launched an attack against her.

But Matou Sakura was faster!

Her seemingly delicate fist erupted with unimaginable force. The terrifying power directly interrupted Aozaki Akiko's casting, violently sending her flying.

If not for the Fifth Magic's protection, Aozaki Akiko, the vessel housing the Fifth Magic, would have already been reduced to a puddle of blood.

It was precisely because of the Fifth Magic's protection that Matou Sakura could use a little more strength now.

Crimson light surfaced in her dark golden eyes. The King of Wrath granted her boundless energy, scarlet radiance appearing across her pure white robes.

Bzzzz!

Heat Vision erupted in an instant, striking Aozaki Akiko, who was still in midair, with perfect accuracy.

The scorching heat dispersed the storm clouds that had been churning with lightning and pierced the night sky.

"Is Akiko dead?"

Kuzuki Alice, who had witnessed everything, asked in a daze. Such a simple and brutal battle had left even her ability to think impaired.

What were that monstrous strength that had shattered the air and this terrifying beam of light?

Aozaki Touko heard her friend's question, but she had no idea how to answer it.

Beowulf, however, could provide an answer.

"No."

Beowulf stared fixedly at the figure falling from the sky. Though she was far away, the Phantasmal Beast's innate physical abilities allowed her to see clearly.

"Magic protected your sister's body, Touko. Otherwise, that one punch from that great one would have been enough to turn your sister into a puddle of blood!"

And that punch would have been more than enough to kill her with ease as well! Matou Sakura withdrew her Heat Vision and coldly watched Aozaki Akiko, who lay in the forest barely clinging to life.

At this moment, Aozaki Akiko was no longer the Fifth Magic. She was herself again.

Under that punch and Heat Vision, the Fifth Magic had retreated directly into Aozaki Akiko's body, returning control of her body to her.

Strictly speaking, magic possessed no consciousness, only something akin to instinct.

But it didn't matter. Matou Sakura vanished from the air and slowly descended before the dying Aozaki Akiko.

Aozaki Akiko had not fallen unconscious. She was still awake, though she could pass out at any moment.

Although the Fifth Magic had protected her body, the power of Heat Vision had completely exceeded the limit the Fifth Magic could withstand, inevitably inflicting severe damage upon Aozaki Akiko's body.

She was not at death's door, but she was essentially crippled.

Her Magic Circuits had completely ruptured and could not be repaired. Her bones and organs had also suffered extensive damage.

.

"You..."

Aozaki Akiko struggled to utter a single word. Even speaking was incomparably difficult for her now.

Matou Sakura ignored her. She stretched out a hand and pressed it directly against Aozaki Akiko's forehead, then summoned the system.

An unknown force surged into Aozaki Akiko's body. She could feel the Fifth Magic being pulled out of her body by that unknown power!

Just as she thought! Her goal was the Fifth Magic!

For some reason, Aozaki Akiko suddenly relaxed, and the consciousness she had been forcing herself to maintain sank into bottomless darkness.

By the time Beowulf arrived with Aozaki Touko and Kuzuki Alice, they saw Matou Sakura crouching on the ground with Aozaki Akiko cradled in her arms. One of her hands was pressed against Aozaki Akiko's chest, emanating a warm light.

As her eyes slowly opened, her consciousness rose from the ocean of darkness and saw the light again.

Her blurred vision gradually cleared, and a warm-colored ceiling entered her sight.

"I'm not dead?"

The question came instinctively, and then a voice answered her. "Not yet."

A familiar voice, and one she found irritating.

Aozaki Akiko's eyes flew wide open. She sat up and stared blankly at Zhou Lailu Jia, who was sitting beside her, peeling an apple and smiling at her—the person she hated most!

"Why are you here?"

Obvious disgust surfaced in Aozaki Akiko's azure eyes.

Zhou Lailu Jia had long since grown used to this. Ever since she had disguised herself as a boy before the young Aozaki Akiko and become her first love, things had turned out this way.

The main issue was that her cross-dressing had been exposed. Otherwise, the other girl would not have hated her so much.

She could understand that. After all, it had been a sweet young girl's romance—and her first love at that—only for her to be toyed with by a beautiful woman with a terrible sense of humor. It was perfectly natural to feel sad and angry.

Setting down the small knife in her hand, Zhou Lailu Jia smiled and held the peeled apple out to Aozaki Akiko.

"Want an apple? I think you must be very hungry right now."

Right then, a rumbling sound rang out, crystal clear.

A faint blush appeared on Aozaki Akiko's fair, pretty face. Then, with a stern expression, she took the apple from Zhou Lailu Jia's hand.

"Why am I not dead?"

"For that, you'll have to ask that person."

"Huh?"

A Life of Freedom

Meanwhile, Matou Sakura looked at the cards in her hand with a complicated expression.

Subduing Aozaki Touko and Beowulf had earned her two chances to draw.

Jeanne had no corresponding mission, so there was no reward.

The same went for the dead priest, Wen Bing Yong Li.

Jeanne was probably an exception because she was a Heroic Spirit. As for Wen Bing Yong Li, he was simply trash.