Becoming Aozaki Touko Author: Fox Lover
She had crossed over and become the heir to Japan's prestigious magecraft family, the Aozaki Household, possessing extraordinary talent.
Her future was practically guaranteed.
Yet Aozaki Touko, now a transmigrator, couldn't feel happy about it.
Because this world was simply too dangerous.
True Ancestors, Dead Apostles, Steel Earth, the Incineration of Humanity.
Any one of those would be unimaginably dangerous.
In any case... she would set a small goal first.
For now, she would become the strongest in the world, then protect the continued existence of humanity.
Chapter One: Aozaki Touko, the Doll Master
Misaki City.
In a secluded corner far from the city proper.
A strange Western-style mansion stood halfway up a mountain. Its only path was a winding trail, making it difficult to understand why anyone would build a house here.
It was far from civilization, and the roads were inconvenient. The logic behind it was practically impossible to comprehend.
In the end, all anyone could do was sigh and marvel at how strange rich people's tastes were.
However, this wasn't some rich person's eccentric hobby.
This was a magus's workshop, a place deliberately chosen so its owner could research magecraft in peace.
"As expected... even with rare talent!"
"Things that require time to accumulate still can't be skipped at will!"
In the mansion's basement, Aozaki Touko was conducting a magecraft experiment, attempting to create a doll completely identical to a human.
Naturally, it failed.
Even though she was the heir to a Magic User, the next head of the Aozaki Household, a widely renowned prodigy who had reached a height most magi could never attain at the age of fourteen—
Even she couldn't accomplish something so absurd.
Creating a body completely compatible with a human was an act that trespassed into the Divine Domain.
Even though she knew the general method Aozaki Touko had used in the original story,
that still didn't mean she could accomplish it easily.
"...I need to accumulate more knowledge!"
Aozaki Touko looked at the cultivation tank before her and the lump of flesh inside that had died before taking human form. At last, she made a decision she had been considering for some time.
She turned and left the magecraft workshop.
Three days later
Germany
Aozaki Touko sat in the back seat of a black sedan, propping her cheek up with one slender hand as she calmly watched the snowy scenery recede outside the window. The car finally stopped outside a small mountain village.
"Miss, we've arrived at the destination!"
"Mm, sorry for the trouble~"
Aozaki Touko got out of the car, opened the trunk, and removed a large black case. Then she turned and walked into the blizzard without looking back. As for the driver's fare, she had already paid it on the way there.
Before long, after crossing the treacherous mountains and enduring the biting snow,
she finally saw a snow-covered castle standing isolated from the world. This was the residence of the Einzbern Family, a magecraft family with a history spanning more than a thousand years.
They were a truly prestigious magecraft family, possessing the most advanced Android technology.
This was the goal of her trip: to obtain the Einzbern Family's millennium of accumulated technology, allowing her to skip the stage of accumulating knowledge and reach her objective as quickly as possible.
"Looks like the passage of time hasn't made you slow to react!"
Aozaki Touko narrowed her eyes and popped open the lock on the black case with her thumb.
In the distance, a group of Androids wielding all kinds of weapons rapidly assembled. Expressionless, they surrounded Aozaki Touko and firmly sealed off every avenue of retreat.
"...Who are you?"
A white-haired, red-eyed woman stepped out from among them and asked, "What is your purpose in trespassing into the Einzbern Family? We'll decide how to respond based on your answer!"
"...My name is Aozaki Touko!"
Aozaki Touko's lips curled into a smile. "I'm the next head of the Aozaki Household. I have a business deal... or rather, a cooperation proposal I'd like to reach with you all!"
The wind and snow howled.
At that moment, inside Einzbern Castle, an old man who had been resting with his eyes closed opened them. His body was clearly decrepit, yet his eyes were exceptionally sharp.
"Aozaki Touko... Is that the fortunate Magic User family?"
As he spoke, he rose and left the room.
Since she was the heir to a Magic User, he had reason to meet her personally.
Moreover, this heir was a renowned genius.
"The heir to a Magic User has come to visit. What a truly honored occasion!"
An aged voice rang out. The old man named Jubstacheit von Einzbern stepped forward and looked sharply at Aozaki Touko.
"However, I truly cannot understand why you came to Einzbern."
The girl standing before him was the heir to a Magic User. In the future, she would obtain what magi pursued for their entire lives. Why, then, had she come here?
Was it to obtain the Third Magic?
Yet everyone knew that they had already worked toward that goal for more than a thousand years.
And still, they had failed to achieve it.
Could this girl be trying to put the cart before the horse?
"Why?"
Aozaki Touko tilted her head slightly and chuckled. "I want to obtain the Third Magic, as well as your family's Android technology. That's my reason!"
"..."
At her words, Hadon's brow furrowed, and the surrounding Android army took up attacking stances.
Aozaki Touko, however, paid them no heed. She simply smiled at Hadon.
The tense standoff lasted for a while.
Hadon raised a hand, signaling the Android army to stand by for the time being,
then looked solemnly at Aozaki Touko.
"...Since you say you've come to cooperate, what can we gain?"
"It's simple... you'll fulfill your long-cherished wish?"
Aozaki Touko smiled brightly. "I'll win the Holy Grail War and bring the Third Magic back here. In exchange, you'll provide your Android technology and the information on the Third Magic!"
The biting wind swept past.
Hadon narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable, and merely asked, "What makes you... think you have the confidence to win the Holy Grail War?"
"Talent?"
Aozaki Touko smiled. "Achieving a goal doesn't depend solely on hard work. That one percent of inspiration is the most crucial part!"
"Obviously... you Androids don't have talent!"
Her openly mocking voice echoed through the snowstorm.
Hadon didn't get angry. He merely watched the universally renowned genius girl. Only after a while did he calmly ask,
"I can't deny your talent in magecraft, but the Holy Grail War has little to do with magecraft talent!"
Magecraft talent wasn't the same as combat talent. It was like having a scientist fight a soldier—the outcome was self-evident.
"Combat talent? Let's verify that for now!"
Aozaki Touko opened the portable black case. A silver-haired, blood-eyed girl stepped out from inside. She wore Gothic-style clothing and had a pair of black wings on her back.
She was a girl as exquisitely crafted as a doll.
No... this girl was, in fact, nothing more than a doll.
"...No wonder you want Android technology!"
The instant Hadon saw the girl, he understood why Aozaki Touko wanted their Android technology. This heir to a Magic User was herself a magus who studied the path of dolls.
Their family's Android technology held immense appeal to magi of this kind.
"...This child's name is Suigintou!"
Aozaki Touko smiled gently. "She's the work I'm most satisfied with so far. I hope she can give you a little surprise!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Suigintou, floating in midair, opened her eyes slightly. The wings behind her unfurled, and a surge of magical energy erupted.
Chapter Two: Where Did Big Sister Go?
"...!"
Hadon watched the floating silver-haired doll and sensed the terrifying magical energy radiating from her. It was a quantity of magical energy far beyond that of an ordinary person. She must have had a Magecraft Furnace installed inside her body.
This doll was absolutely no ordinary creation... anyone would reach that conclusion.
"Attack!"
In an instant, the Android army condensed magical energy into projectiles and sent them raining down like a torrential downpour. With a "boom," the resulting explosion kicked up the snow into white dust, obscuring everyone's vision.
However, the Androids' assault didn't stop. Wielding every kind of weapon, they surged forward and surrounded them.
"...Although it isn't complete yet!"
An elegant yet icy voice rang out. A violent gust suddenly swept through the surrounding snow. Aozaki Touko appeared completely unharmed, while Suigintou had somehow erected a barrier.
"I'll deal with all of you within thirty seconds!"
Aozaki Touko smiled faintly, then snapped her fingers. In an instant, Suigintou spread her wings behind her. Black feathers filled the sky, and countless dark feathers shot toward the attacking Androids.
An unbelievable scene unfolded.
The Android army, which had yet to even approach, fell in great numbers like wheat before a sickle. Their so-called magical shields were practically made of paper, breaking at the slightest touch.
...She may be even more talented than people think!
Hadon narrowed his eyes as he watched. The falling snow in the sky had already been replaced by black feathers, and the surrounding Androids had fallen into an overwhelming disadvantage.
These Androids had been modified. Their combat skills aside, their physical abilities were absolutely far beyond those of ordinary people. Yet now, they were being crushed like ants.
This was something even a high-ranking magus would find difficult to accomplish, let alone an ordinary magus.
And yet this fourteen-year-old girl had done it with ease.
"Stop!"
Seeing this, Hadon spoke coldly. Since the Androids had no way to launch an effective attack against Aozaki Touko, there was no need to continue sacrificing them.
The surrounding Androids stopped attacking and silently withdrew to the side.
"How is it... can you look me in the eye now?"
Watching the retreating Androids, Aozaki Touko chuckled. "I'm not some reckless girl. I'm a magus with sufficient capital!"
"...Truly outstanding talent!"
Hadon nodded, then said coldly, "But you brought a puppet to negotiate. I haven't seen any sincerity!"
Indeed, the girl standing before him wasn't human.
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