Offense and Defense Reversed

"You actually brought it with you!"

Unable to hide the disgust in her heart, Aozaki Aoko asked the girl beside her, "Next time, please tell me in advance. Other monsters would be fine, but this one is an exception. If possible, I'd rather you kept it at home."

"Sorry, but this child is quite capable."

As if responding to Alice Kuonji's words, huge cracks split open in the thick white fog. The cracks stretched into thin lines before finally revealing their true form. They were not viscous mist, but rows upon rows of sharp teeth belonging to creatures hidden within.

The fog engulfed the trembling dolls. A series of crunching sounds rang out as fangs and claws easily tore through the dolls' outer skins, ripping them into pieces.

The dolls' cries were like the lingering chirping of insects on a summer night. Their dirge sang the monster's name. In just a few breaths, more than thirty dolls vanished completely, leaving behind only a lone arm in a pool of blood.

"Looks like this child was starving. I haven't fed him in a while."

Alice Kuonji paid no attention to the thin layer of blood beneath her feet. In the end, it was merely some kind of alchemical solution. Though it looked no different from blood, they were fundamentally two entirely different things. What her Familiar had devoured was nothing more than a pile of plastic.

"The spells on these dolls seem very similar to Misaki City's barrier."

Michael curiously picked up the severed arm. As human anatomy advanced, the mysteries within the human body gradually faded away. Making dolls capable of handling magecraft combat was immensely difficult, and Tōko Aozaki stood at the pinnacle of modern Doll Masters. The dolls she created were far superior even to antiques from the seventeenth century.

In the Mage's world, older was usually stronger. After all, mystery was constantly fading. In another few decades or centuries, perhaps even magi would cease to exist.

"So it really was her!"

Aozaki Aoko took the doll's severed arm. After only a cursory glance, she angrily threw it onto the platform. Her face held a mixture of fury and faint fear. "Is she declaring her right of inheritance? Challenging us so openly?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Michael shrugged and spread his hands. "In my impression, Touko was a very cautious person. For her to provoke us so blatantly, it seems she has not only recovered from her injuries, but also found a way to deal with us."

"This is really bad..."

Aozaki Aoko muttered. Alice Kuonji did not look pleased either; the good mood she had enjoyed all day had been completely ruined.

"Look on the bright side. Good fortune never comes alone, and misfortune never comes singly. Trouble tends to show up in groups in your life."

Michael offered his consolation, though there was clearly something very wrong with how it sounded.

Aozaki Aoko pursed her lips. Then her expression suddenly turned ugly, as though she had swallowed a slime-covered frog whole. Slowly turning her head, she glared at Michael through gritted teeth.

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Jinx."

"What happened?" Michael asked with interest.

"One of the anchor points has been destroyed."

Aozaki Aoko clenched her fists, her gaze passing through the wall above as she looked toward the city district in the distance.

There were five anchor points maintaining the stability of Misaki City's barrier. Not only did they ensure the proper circulation of magical energy between the land and its people, they also symbolized the Aozaki Family's control over the spiritual land here. If the five anchor points were erased and a new barrier erected over them, it would mean that ownership of this spiritual land had changed.

Two of the five anchor points had been destroyed in an instant. If the remaining three were also destroyed, it would mean the defeat of Aozaki Aoko and Alice Kuonji.

Of course, for the sake of the Fifth Magic, Michael was now on Aozaki Aoko's side.

Since they did not know what kind of battle awaited them, the comparatively weaker Aozaki Aoko and Michael, who was perpetually short on mana in daily life, could only borrow magical energy from the barrier. They each guarded one of the remaining three anchor points, while Alice Kuonji chose the Shamaki anchor point. Only by staying far from the shackles of civilization could she exert her greatest strength.

"If you run into danger, crush this."

Michael handed two talismans to Aozaki Aoko and Alice Kuonji respectively.

"What are these?"

Aozaki Aoko examined the delicate patterns on them and asked curiously.

"Something good that can save your life."

A line of silent footprints appeared across the boundless white snowfield. Beneath the clear night sky, only the scattered streetlights and the red-painted phone booth reminded people that this was not a true snowfield, but part of the world of human civilization.

Alice Kuonji stood motionless upon the snowfield. From afar, she looked like part of a landscape painting. Everything was still, with only time quietly flowing onward.

As time passed, the few remaining lights gradually went out. Even the streetlights extinguished themselves, leaving behind only this white night.

The slender girl simply stood there, as though lost in thought, or perhaps waiting for something. A wild howl faintly rose in the Night Wind. It was the cry of wolves, echoing beneath the night sky for a long while.

"Looks like it's my side..."

Alice Kuonji spoke softly, secretly letting out a breath of relief. If that was the case, then there was no need to worry about the others. Though Michael had repeatedly stressed that Touko possessed weapons designed to deal with magi, as long as she remained cautious...

Heavy panting interrupted her thoughts. At some point, more than a dozen stray dogs had gathered around her. Their crimson eyes stared at Alice Kuonji, thick saliva dripping from their sharp teeth onto the snow. Driven by the hunger in their bellies, they had set their sights on the slender girl before them—a meal large enough to fill their stomachs.

"What terrible taste, Touko. Have your standards really fallen this far over the past few years?"

Alice Kuonji said mockingly. She was not looking at the starving stray dogs, but at the mage secretly controlling everything—her former friend, Tōko Aozaki.

"Ah, don't worry. These were caused by forces beyond my control. My taste hasn't gotten that bad yet."

Tōko Aozaki walked out from the shadows with a soft laugh. She wore a light green coat and a gray scarf around her neck. Her tall figure and short hair made her look both alluring and imposing.

The stray dogs' breathing weakened. Mere lackeys like them naturally did not dare act recklessly before their master.

"Long time no see, Alice."

She spoke with a gentle smile, as if she were truly greeting an old friend with casual ease.