Potential Unleashed?! / Shinku

Aozaki Touko spoke in a gentle, unhurried voice.

Hearing Touko's words, Irisviel fell silent for a moment before saying somewhat dejectedly, "Then how is this qualification determined? When will we be able to have a child?"

"...I don't know either~"

Aozaki Touko smiled warmly. "But we have a plan. I'll take you to orphanages and various other places, and we'll slowly search for your answer!"

"So... we're leaving Einzbern Castle?"

Anticipation shone in Irisviel's red eyes. She was still filled with yearning for the outside world and curiosity about it, like a sheltered young lady who had never left home.

"...I'll take you with me!"

Aozaki Touko answered firmly without denying it. "This place will restrict your growth. I'll take you out to see the truth of this world!"

"Will we be able to have a child then?"

Irisviel tilted her head, her focus somewhat peculiar.

"...Mm!"

Aozaki Touko smiled and said gently, "I have a feeling... on the day you give birth to a child, my adorable wife, you'll completely break free from the shackles of being an android and understand what 'love' is!"

"Touko... you had already thought all this through?"

Irisviel blinked. Her focus remained somewhat peculiar. These words did not sound like a spur-of-the-moment idea from Aozaki Touko, which meant Touko had come up with this plan long ago.

"...Mm."

Aozaki Touko nodded slightly. "Actually, I've even thought of the child's name. How about Illyasviel von Einzbern?"

"Illya, Illya, Illya, Illya..."

After repeating the name several times, Irisviel beamed and said, "I really like this name. I'm looking forward to Illya's birth more and more!"

In a secluded room, candles burned with yellow flames. Hadon listened expressionlessly to the maid's report. Even when he heard that Aozaki Touko wanted to take Irisviel away from the castle, not the slightest ripple appeared on his stern face.

In fact, even if Irisviel died, it would be nothing more than designing another Lesser Grail.

As long as Aozaki Touko participated in the Holy Grail War, they could guarantee themselves the greatest chance of victory. In merely four months, Aozaki Touko's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. Whether it was her astonishing understanding of magecraft or her astonishing ability to innovate, both were enough to inspire awe.

She was practically a concentration of talent—a genius among geniuses. All they needed now was time for her strength to accumulate.

"...Let her go."

"Yes... If she needs anything, assist her as much as possible!"

After saying that, he closed his eyes and fell silent. Seeing this, the maid gave a slight curtsy, turned, and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.

At the same time.

Deep inside the vast library of the Einzbern library, Aozaki Touko stroked the bookshelves with her slender hand as she walked steadily toward the depths.

The surface of every bookshelf was covered in strange blue patterns. Faint waves of magical power circulated within them. If anyone without permission entered, they would be torn to pieces by defensive magecraft in an instant.

However, they posed no obstacle to Aozaki Touko.

Soon, she reached a bookshelf, took down a book, and quickly flipped through it. The book recorded methods for rapidly releasing the potential of the human body—in other words, how to shut down the body's protective mechanisms.

That was right. Her current research focused on releasing the body's protective mechanisms.

At the same time, she wanted to allow the human body to continue functioning normally.

Potential Release?!

Snow continued to fall.

The land was covered in white snow, while the bitter wind swept endlessly across it.

At that moment, Aozaki Touko stood in the snow, gazing at a boulder about half a meter tall before her. Patterns resembling an integrated circuit covered her skin, and the flowing magical power indicated the strength of her body.

"Touko... are you really going to split that rock with your bare hands?!"

Beside her, worry showed in Irisviel's ruby eyes. She nervously clasped her slender hands before her chest. Her wife had suddenly said that morning that she wanted to test the results of her magecraft.

The content of the test was to split a solid boulder with her bare hands!

"...Of course!"

Aozaki Touko answered decisively. "The human body possesses tremendous strength. However, if it uses that strength without restriction, its fragile frame will be unable to withstand the recoil and will shatter its own bones and tear its own muscles first..."

"But if magecraft is used to reinforce the body, then in theory, I can punch through a steel plate and kick through a wall without suffering the slightest injury myself!"

Having said that, she raised her arm high. Then, accompanied by the sound of tearing air, a powerful wave of air blasted the snow away, and even the earth seemed to tremble.

The blown snow fell, and the obstruction to their vision vanished.

Joy appeared in Irisviel's ruby-like eyes. The half-meter-tall boulder had split in two, while Aozaki Touko held up her perfectly unharmed slender hand toward her.

"I did it!"

Aozaki Touko laughed happily. The success of this experiment meant that, as a Doll Master who was not skilled in close combat, she had made up her greatest weakness. If anyone wanted to defeat her through close combat—

Then Aozaki Touko would show them what cruelty meant!

"As expected of Touko, the Egg of the Magus!"

"With strength like this, you'll surely be much safer in the Holy Grail War, right?"

Irisviel praised her gently while taking Touko's slender hand and carefully checking whether it had suffered any damage. After such a terrifying attack, it was difficult to believe that her hand was completely unharmed.

"...The difficulty of the Holy Grail War isn't necessarily about winning!"

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko smiled helplessly. She then held Irisviel's slender hand in return and led her toward the castle.

Not long after they left.

Hadon walked alone to the boulder that had been split apart. He stared pensively at the ornamental rock, having watched the entire scene from start to finish.

In truth, he was not especially surprised by Aozaki Touko splitting the rock. He had more than a hundred ways to split it himself.

However, what if splitting the rock was merely a simple prelude?

As the patriarch of the Einzbern Family, he possessed the deepest knowledge of all. Naturally, Aozaki Touko would not abandon such an excellent resource.

To fulfill the Einzbern Family's long-held ambition, he was also doing his utmost to provide assistance.

Some time ago, the girl named Aozaki Touko had suddenly proposed an idea—or, more accurately, a plan.

She wanted to obtain enough power to fight Heroic Spirits.

If an ordinary person had said that, people would certainly have laughed and sighed at their ignorance.

Yet Aozaki Touko had produced a concrete plan for carrying it out.

And the scene of her splitting the rock was a sign that the plan had succeeded in its initial stage.

The magecraft was called—Gene Lock Release!

The first stage had now succeeded.

"...Aozaki Touko... perhaps she possesses even more talent than I imagined!"

His aged voice contained pleasant surprise.

Hadon turned around in satisfaction and walked toward the castle. There was still plenty of time for the girl to grow. By the day the Holy Grail War began, she would surely provide an answer that satisfied everyone!

Inside Einzbern Castle.

After returning to her room, Aozaki Touko leaned against the soft sofa. Under the warmth from the fireplace, she relaxed like a languid orange cat.

"I'm exhausted..."

"Then rest for a while. Touko, you're human, not a machine. If you keep working at such high intensity, your body will collapse sooner or later!"

After pouring a cup of black tea, Irisviel sat beside her and spoke gently.

She had not seen Aozaki Touko rest during this period. Aside from spending some time accompanying her, Touko devoted all her remaining time to research.

To be honest, if Irisviel were an ordinary wife, she should probably be complaining that her newlywed husband did not spend enough time with her and starting a minor marital quarrel by now.

"If I relax, it'll be even more painful when I try to work hard again!"

Aozaki Touko grumbled, "Right now... every piece of research is crucial. It's not time to relax yet. I have to finish everything while I still have the momentum!"

That said, completing every one of these technologies would absolutely be impossible in the short term.

The research currently at hand included Cell Enhancement Technique, Human Potential Release Technique, Rose Maiden Series Doll Development, and creating dolls identical to humans. These were all studies that could consume an ordinary magus's entire lifetime. Without enough talent, they might even require the efforts of several generations to complete.

"Is that so~"

Irisviel sighed helplessly. Then she gently pulled Aozaki Touko down, letting her lie across her lap. Her soft, boneless hand stroked Touko's forehead with great affection.

"I'm not good at research... but as your wife, I think this is what you need."

"Mm... I'm a little sleepy~"

Feeling the exceptionally soft sensation behind her head, Aozaki Touko closed her eyes. Before long, she drifted into a sweet sleep. She slept very deeply that night...

Shinku

Snowflakes drifted down.

Atop Einzbern Castle.

A breathtaking silver-haired girl with black wings on her back wore an exquisite Lolita-style dress.

She danced elegantly amid the falling snow. Her dress swayed with her movements, and her long silver hair fluttered. She was like a Princess from a fairy tale.

"...Is this the Rose Maiden?"

Beside her, Irisviel watched the scene, yearning flickering in her ruby-like eyes. It was such a beautiful sight. In this castle far removed from the mortal world, a delicate girl who seemed more than human danced in the snow.

At that moment, reality seemed to intertwine with fantasy. That impossible fairy tale had stepped out of a dream and into reality.

"Mm... Suigintou is the first doll of the Rose Maiden series!"

Aozaki Touko nodded with faint pride. She was proud of having created such an outstanding doll, like a parent whose child had just been praised.

"From now on... my Rose Maidens will represent the pinnacle of Dollcraft throughout the magecraft world!"

Her words were filled with confidence and anticipation for the future.

Although the Suigintou she had created was not yet complete, there was no doubt that it was an extremely powerful Magecraft Mystic Code. With the financial support of the Einzbern Family, the doll had been further completed and was now very close to being finished entirely.

"If it's you, Touko, I believe they'll certainly become the greatest masterpieces in the future. I'm absolutely certain of that!"

Irisviel smiled gently. It was the wife's unquestioning trust in her husband. She had no doubt whatsoever that the Rose Maidens could become the greatest masterpieces in the world of dolls.

"...You could at least argue with me a little~"

Hearing that, Aozaki Touko smiled. Then she brushed back her long hair and revealed a bright smile, like warm morning sunlight.

"The next Rose Maiden will be named Shinku. Would you like to witness her birth with me?"

"Please let me see!"

Irisviel nodded rapidly.

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko smiled slightly, then waved to the dancing Suigintou. Suigintou immediately stopped dancing, rose, and flew behind Touko, like a guardian spirit. Her black wings seemed to transform into a shield.

Japan

Misaki City

Drizzle fell, and dark clouds pressed down over the sky.

"..."

Aozaki Aoko held a red umbrella as she walked step by step toward the hill. She was going to meet a witch, like the witches in fairy tales—the kind who could brew strange potions and cast bizarre curses.

However, there was one point that needed correcting.