Visitor (Bonus) / Departure

Startled by the girl's sudden question, Touko Aozaki adjusted her glasses and replied.

Even the girl was startled by her own bold move, but now that she had asked, she would be very unwilling to not get an answer.

"Excuse me... what is your relationship with Mr. Ming?"

"You mean this...?"

Seeing the girl's slightly nervous expression, Touko Aozaki's lips curled into a wicked smile:

"How about... you... guess?"

"What happened to Fujou?"

Wang Xiaoming, who originally wanted to talk to the girl again after returning to the ward, was kicked out by Touko Aozaki with the excuse that "the patient needs to rest." In the hospital corridor, Wang Xiaoming recalled the girl's sullen face and asked Touko Aozaki next to him with a puzzled look.

Well, who knows?

Recalling the girl's somewhat aggrieved yet hesitant expression, Touko Aozaki felt inexplicably relieved, to the point that—

"You said something misleading to her again, didn't you?"

Seeing the barely concealed "joy" on Touko Aozaki's face, Wang Xiaoming felt helpless. Although he wanted to explain to the girl in the ward, that wasn't the focus right now.

"Please keep an eye on Fujou, and also Shirou and Sakura; I'll probably need your help looking after them for a while."

"What's wrong? You're talking like you're giving your last instructions."

"Can't you say something nice...?"

Seeing the puzzled look in Touko Aozaki's eyes, Wang Xiaoming gave a wry smile and explained to her:

"It's nothing serious, it's just that I suddenly have an urgent matter that requires me to leave for a while."

Chapter 168. The Visitor (Supplement)

"Then I'll have to trouble you to take care of these two children for a while."

After discussing his departure with Touko Aozaki and the arrangements for Shirou and Sakura during his absence, Wang Xiaoming immediately sent the two children to Touko Aozaki's care.

Touko Aozaki waved her hand impatiently, as if to say to Wang Xiaoming with disdain, "Alright, get lost. Remember, if you don't come back, these two kids will have to stay here and work as child laborers."

However, Touko Aozaki's complaints only lasted until Wang Xiaoming left the office, after his footsteps completely disappeared into the corridor.

"Sister Touko Aozaki, Dad should be alright, right?"

Suddenly, Shirou asked a question, and Sakura, who was standing next to him, also cast a worried look at Touko Aozaki.

Although the two children's behavior often makes people forget their actual age, they are still children after all. When their closest people leave temporarily, they will inevitably feel panicked and at a loss.

Don't worry...

Touko Aozaki reached out and patted Shirou's head, then said to the two children:

"Just relax and wait for him to come back and pick you up. But before that..."

A slight pause in Touko Aozaki's tone made Shirou and Sakura exchange a puzzled glance. After sitting back down at her desk and stretching, Touko Aozaki said:

"It's been a long time since I've tasted Shirou's cooking, so I'll leave dinner to Shirou tonight. As for what to eat, the ingredients Fujino Asagami bought earlier should still be in the fridge, right?"

"Okay, sure."

After hearing Touko Aozaki's request, Shirou nodded indifferently. He often cooked at home anyway, and for Shirou, whose cooking skills were gradually becoming proficient, it was just a matter of cooking in a different place.

"I'll help too."

Sakura followed Shirou into the kitchen.

At this moment, Touko Aozaki, sitting at her desk, gazed at the bright moon in the sky through the window and sighed softly.

"May you have great success in your military campaigns."

Meanwhile, in a room somewhere bathed in the same moonlight—

The usually noisy house was unusually quiet at this time. Sitting in the deserted living room, Wang Xiaoming stared ahead without saying a word, but his unfocused gaze revealed that his mind was elsewhere.

A few days ago, in the hospital corridor--

Having just defeated Souren Araya with the "Mystic Eyes of Petrification," Wang Xiaoming put on the "Mystic Eye Killers" again and couldn't help but marvel at the lifelike stone statue before him.

Although he already knew the power of these Mystic Eyes when he studied them with Touko Aozaki before, this was the first time he had used Mystic Eyes on a person. Although Wang Xiaoming wasn't under much pressure, it was still uncertain whether his "sneak attack" could truly defeat this Magecraft who had survived for two hundred years.

"Forget it, let's get rid of this thing first."

The barrier that Araya had set up earlier had already shattered into light fragments the moment he turned into a stone statue. At this moment, there was only one person and one stone statue in the silent corridor. If Araya were left here, it would probably become a hospital ghost story when the nurses made their rounds during the day.

However, to prevent any deliberate investigation and to ensure the safety of Fujou in the ward, the idea only flashed through his mind once before disappearing from his thoughts.

"Or we could just sink it in Tokyo Bay."

Here, it's worth mentioning the Japan underworld's fondness for Tokyo Bay as a "special tourist spot." Thanks to their vigorous promotion, Tokyo Bay has long been considered a prime location for murder and robbery, to the point that it was the first place Wang Xiaoming thought of.

"Medusa's power is quite useful, isn't it?"

Just as Wang Xiaoming was about to carry Araya's "stone statue" away, a sudden sound from behind almost made him drop and shatter the statue.

"Durandal" reappeared in his hand, and in the blink of an eye, Wang Xiaoming had already assumed a defensive stance, then raised his head and looked forward.

Wang Xiaoming noticed that, in the moonlight filtering through the window at the end of the corridor, a faint, shadowy figure stood there, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Why is it you?"

After seeing the face of the illusory figure clearly, Wang Xiaoming subconsciously asked a question, but the astonishment in his voice was impossible to hide.

?,?...

Wang Xiaoming's thoughts were interrupted by the chiming of the clock in the living room. He looked up and found that the three hands of the clock had overlapped at the 12 mark on the dial.

At that very moment, the lights that had been on in the living room suddenly went out for some unknown reason, and the moonlight from outside shone through the window and into the room, appearing exceptionally bright.

However, Wang Xiaoming was not surprised by the unusual scene before him. Instead, he turned his gaze to the windowsill reflecting the moonlight.

Then, the "mutation" occurred--

It should have been a windless night, but for some reason, the tightly closed windowsill in the living room was suddenly blown open by the wind, and a strong gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, poured into the living room from the windowsill.

However, this was no ordinary wind.

As Magecraft, Wang Xiaoming could clearly sense that this was the wind pressure generated by the flow of "Mana (Dayuan)" distributed in the air.

However, since it can cause changes in nature, one can imagine just how "terrifying" the total amount of magic flowing in the air must be. But the source of all this...

Suddenly, a black hole with swirling air currents appeared in the living room. This black vortex, like a black hole, greedily absorbed the surrounding magic, and its size was gradually expanding.

As for Wang Xiaoming, he watched the scene unfold before him with an unperturbed expression, even though the items in the living room had been ravaged beyond recognition by the raging winds that had rushed in.

Not long after, the raging wind quietly subsided, and the hole in the living room, after expanding to a size large enough for one person to pass through, stopped drawing magic.

The living room returned to silence, as if nothing had happened. If you ignored the mess...

"Is this where you live? It's a mess—"

As the sound suddenly rang out, a slender figure emerged from the vortex, looking at the decorations in the living room with disdain.

Upon hearing the visitor's complaint, Wang Xiaoming's lips twitched slightly:

"I don't think you, as the one who started this, have the right to say that, do you?"

"Well, don't worry about these little details, or I'll turn you into a pig!"

Although the person who came said these words had a smile on their face, there was absolutely nothing in them that could make anyone laugh.

"Okay, okay..."

Wang Xiaoming rubbed his aching temples, then turned his gaze back to the newcomer, tactfully changing the subject:

"So, Circe, what brings you here to see me this time?"

Chapter 169. Departure

"Why is it you?"

In the hospital corridor, Wang Xiaoming stared in astonishment at the illusory figure of the girl in front of him.

Although it had been several years since he last saw her, her long, reddish-gold hair and charming figure left a deep impression on Wang Xiaoming.

"Circe... Sister..."

Faced with the girl's almost mesmerizing smile, Wang Xiaoming wisely changed how he addressed her.

Seemingly pleased with how Wang Xiaoming addressed her, the girl's expression softened visibly, which also allowed Wang Xiaoming to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

As for Wang Xiaoming, although he was also curious about how Circe had managed to find him, now was clearly not the time to discuss that.

"So, Circe, you must have come to see me this time. Is there something you need?"

"Um."

After hearing Wang Xiaoming's question, Circe didn't keep him in suspense and then revealed news that greatly surprised him:

"I have information about Medea here, you want to..."

What exactly were you trying to say that night?

In the living room, Wang Xiaoming looked at Circe sitting opposite him, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

This isn't Wang Xiaoming's fault. Back at the hospital, Circe only said half of what he was going to say; the part after the ellipsis disappeared before he could finish, leaving Wang Xiaoming completely bewildered.

If Circe hadn't left Wang Xiaoming a message at the last moment, telling him to wait at home that night, Wang Xiaoming would probably have wondered if he was dreaming.

"I never imagined that thousands of years later, the magic power scattered throughout the 'Great Source' would be so low."

Faced with Wang Xiaoming's questions, Circe responded with equal confidence. However, as she Circe said, compared to modern times...

No wonder Circe complained.

However, Wang Xiaoming, who couldn't get a word in edgewise on this topic, tactfully changed the subject:

"So, what exactly was the information you wanted to share last time?"

Seeing that Wang Xiaoming had gotten to the point, Circe stopped joking and looked up at the man before her with a serious expression. Only at this moment could Wang Xiaoming vaguely glimpse the true power of this "Witch" who shared the same master as Medea.

Then, the girl said something that left Wang Xiaoming speechless.

"If you want to meet Medea again, you need to participate in the Holy Grail War."

"This matter..."

Just as Wang Xiaoming was pondering what tactful words to use to indicate that this was nonsense, Wang Xiaoming heard Circe's voice again:

"However, as you've already said, the Holy Grail in Fuyuki City has been corrupted, its colorless magic stained with the color of a curse. Therefore, the possibility of wishing for Medea to stay has become meaningless."

"Even so..."

Knowing what Wang Xiaoming wanted to say in his rebuttal, Circe interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

"While purifying the Holy Grail wouldn't be difficult for Medea given her strength, can you afford the magical energy required to purify Holy Grail?"

"So... you didn't come here just to put me down, did you?"

Although all the possibilities he had envisioned had been shattered, Wang Xiaoming hadn't given up hope yet. After all, Circe was still sitting right in front of him. If there really was no hope, she probably wouldn't have bothered to remind him.

"Although I'd love to admit it, unfortunately that's not the case."

Seeing that Wang Xiaoming wasn't as devastated as she had imagined, Circe, though disappointed, stopped teasing her. "Since the Holy Grail in this world doesn't work, how about we go to another world?"

"You mean... a parallel world?"

Wang Xiaoming seemed to have some realization.

"Parallel worlds" refer to situations where someone makes a different choice at a certain point in time, resulting in a different outcome than another choice. These different choices lead to different branches that exist in parallel universes.

"Yes, that's right."

After hearing Wang Xiaoming's answer, Circe nodded and said: