The Fifth Magician Appears

The wind and snow howled past.

Not long after Aozaki Touko left.

Bunbyo Rei, who had already departed, appeared once more. He looked at the footprints left in the snow, his eyes filled with a strange light as several intense emotions churned within him.

There was the anticipation of killing Aozaki Touko, the furious killing intent at being forced back, and the possessiveness men developed toward women—or perhaps it could be called yearning.

That was right. He had feelings for Aozaki Touko unlike any other.

Toward his junior fellow disciple, who was as dazzling and confident as the sun, he had developed possessiveness at some point. It was probably because people in the darkness yearned especially strongly for sunlight.

Toward this junior fellow disciple who was always confident and radiant.

He had developed feelings of love.

"Ah... She's actually grown to this extent? Looks like I won't have a chance to kill her in the future. What a shame."

Muttering to himself, Bunbyo Rei shook his head helplessly and turned around, choosing to return to the church.

Since Aozaki Touko had grown to this level, it meant he no longer had any chance of killing her. To him, that was truly a regret in life.

After all, being able to personally kill the junior fellow disciple he admired would surely fill him with incomparable satisfaction.

However... now it could only remain a lifelong regret.

Chapter Thirty: The Fifth Magic User Appears

The snowfall gradually eased as a blade-like cold wind swept across the land.

Most people were hiding in their warm homes, so there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. The entire world seemed empty and desolate.

"...The changes really are quite large."

Aozaki Touko wore a white shirt and black trousers, her orange hair tied into a ponytail. She walked slowly up the slope as though on an outing, taking in the surrounding scenery before comparing it with the hometown in her memories.

She kept walking until she reached halfway up the mountain.

There, she saw the home where she had been born in this life.

It was not a traditional Japanese building. Instead, it was a modern two-story flat-roofed house, with a garage built beside it specifically for her father's small car.

Hmm... A very ordinary family.

They were probably about average for a middle-class household.

In any case, it hardly matched the stature of a prestigious magecraft family.

—Ding-dong.

She pressed the doorbell. Aozaki Touko took a suitcase out of her Reality Marble and waited with a gentle smile, like an ordinary girl who had been away from home for a long time.

Soon.

A somewhat hurried series of thumping footsteps sounded.

Before long, the front door was pushed open.

"Aoko, you've grown up."

Looking at the girl before her, Aozaki Touko sighed with emotion. The girl had grown a great deal. Her smooth black hair fell to her waist, and her features had become even more beautiful. She was already a poised and graceful beauty.

"...?"

Hearing that familiar, affectionate voice, Aozaki Aoko froze slightly. She looked at the familiar yet somewhat strange person before her. Her long black hair had become orange, and her presence seemed even more imposing and self-assured.

Yet the gentleness in those eyes had not changed.

"Welcome home, Sis Touko."

Without saying anything else, she hugged Aozaki Touko tightly. As she breathed in the familiar scent lingering in that hair, the faint sense of unfamiliarity dispersed like mist.

"I'm home."

Aozaki Touko raised a hand and stroked Aoko's long hair. However, that action seemed to trigger some sort of switch. Aozaki Aoko tightened her embrace, her soft body pressing firmly against her as if she wanted to merge Aozaki Touko into herself.

It was an outlet for the longing she had accumulated over such a long time.

It was also her small revenge as a younger sister.

"Sis Touko, it's been so long."

"I'm sorry."

"That's all you have to say?"

"I brought you a present."

"What is it?"

"Hmm, a doll made by your sister."

"I'm too old to play with dolls."

"This one's a little different."

As they continued embracing, Aozaki Aoko listened to Aozaki Touko's gentle words, which were as warm as ever. The strength of her embrace gradually loosened, and the two quietly chatted together.

What exactly was her sister's place in Aozaki Aoko's heart?

In her young childhood, her older sister, Aozaki Touko, had been like a heavenly god descending to earth—the embodiment of omnipotence.

She had patiently taught Aoko her lessons, and even when her magecraft research was extremely demanding, she had made time to keep her company.

Whenever Aoko's birthday came around, she always gave her a gift that filled her with delight. At night, she would hold Aoko and tell her stories in a gentle voice.

If anyone bullied her, Touko would retaliate like a lion protecting its cub.

This... had actually reached the level of doting.

If her sister were her mother, she would probably be the sort of indulgent mother who spoiled her child rotten.

Aozaki Aoko sometimes thought about it that way. The fact that she had not been spoiled into becoming an unreasonable girl was truly something amazingly miraculous.

But no matter what.

She absolutely had no reason to hate Sis Touko.

Nor did she have any reason not to love Sis Touko.

"Touko's home."

A woman wearing an apron came over. She held a spoon in her hand and looked at Aozaki Touko in delighted surprise before hurriedly turning and running back toward the kitchen.

Before long, she hurried out again.

"It's so cold outside. Come in quickly. Aoko, help your sister with her luggage."

She spoke excitedly.

"Okay."

Aozaki Aoko picked up the suitcase by the door.

Meanwhile, Aozaki Touko and her mother in this life went to the living room and chatted about family matters like an ordinary household, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Time passed.

Night fell outside, and the Aozaki Household lit up its lamps.

"Hmm... That monster I encountered in Germany? He was a vampire with six tails and seven legs. I fought him for seven hundred rounds with a Holy Sword in hand and finally defeated him after going through all kinds of hardships."

In the living room, Aozaki Touko propped up her cheek and told a story that even children would not believe.

Yet both her parents and Aoko listened with great interest. It was not because they did not know Touko was making things up, but because it was rare for the family to spend time together, and they simply wanted to enjoy the warm atmosphere.

"According to tradition, Sis, after defeating the monster, did you happen to obtain some equipment?"

Aozaki Aoko narrowed her eyes and asked with a smile.

"I did. Since the equipment was pretty good, I picked out some pieces and brought them back as presents for you."

As she spoke, Aozaki Touko opened the suitcase and took out the presents she had prepared in advance.

"This is for you, Father."

She handed over a car key and said with a smile, "But you'll have to go pick up the car yourself."

"This is...!"

Aozaki Father's eyes widened as he took the key, and his hands seemed to tremble slightly. The style of the key clearly did not belong to an ordinary car. It was for a limited-edition luxury vehicle, one of only fifty in the world.

Its value... was probably over ten million.

And those ten million were not yen or yuan,

but US dollars.

"Dear, what's wrong?"

Aozaki Mom noticed her husband's strange expression and looked over curiously. Aoko also cast him a curious glance.

Neither of them paid attention to cars, so naturally they could not tell how valuable the key was.

"..."

Aozaki Father turned to look at Touko. She had one slender finger pressed to her lips in a gesture of secrecy, and she even gave him a playful wink, looking every bit like a young girl.

Seeing this, Aozaki Father understood his daughter's intentions. She wanted to wait until the car was brought home before giving the family a huge surprise.

"It's nothing."

Thus, he pretended to remain calm, shook his head, then stood up and left the living room to smoke a cigarette outside and calm himself down.

Today... the present his daughter had given him was simply too shocking. He would not be able to calm down without smoking seven or eight cigarettes.

"..."

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko laughed helplessly. She took a large gift box from the suitcase and placed it in front of Aozaki Mom. It landed with a heavy thud.

Clearly, whatever was inside was quite heavy.

"Touko, what's inside?"

"Open it and see~"

Aozaki Touko smiled faintly.

Seeing this, Aozaki Mom carefully opened the wrapping. Aoko watched from beside her as well.

Soon, the gift box was opened.

Inside was a woman's pure white evening gown.

It reflected a dazzling light beneath the lamps.

"Touko... tell your mother, what are the things set into this dress?!"

Looking at what was inside, Aozaki Mom's eyes gradually widened. Her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably, and her body went limp. She could vaguely identify what had been embedded in it.

At the doorway, Aozaki Father heard his wife's strange tone and poked his head in to look.

"They're all diamonds. Every part of this dress is made with diamonds, Mother."

As her words fell, Aozaki Mom suddenly froze. The cigarette dangling from Aozaki Father's mouth fell to the floor, and Aozaki Aoko also stiffened.

"...Touko, don't joke around. Tell your mother these are actually just ordinary glass!"

Aozaki Mom quickly composed herself and spoke in a trembling voice.

In an ordinary family, it would definitely have been taken as a joke.

However, this person was her daughter—the future Magic User, a prodigy of the magecraft world. For her to accomplish something like this was entirely possible.

That was why she had reacted so dramatically.

Because her daughter truly was someone capable of accomplishing such an outrageous feat!

"No, they aren't. Every single piece is a diamond!"

Aozaki Touko shook her head.

It was not a lie. After unlocking the Third Stage Gene Lock and supplementing it with some magecraft, she had molded each diamond with her bare hands.