A Righteous Group Beating

"How could you summon that thing?!"

Tōko Aozaki shouted in bewilderment. The appearance of the Rose Hound (Wander Snatch) was still understandable, but summoning the Bridge Giant (Thames Troll) had additional conditions—it could only be summoned near a natural river. There was no river anywhere near this park, which was precisely why she had chosen it as the battlefield for her fight with Alice Kuonji.

"A very small stream. So small that it'll disappear soon."

Alice Kuonji looked down at Tōko Aozaki's feet while backing away to maintain a safe distance. This was how a Witch fought.

Splash—

Tōko Aozaki's leather shoe stepped into a small puddle. Then she suddenly understood. The second Diddle Diddle had seemed wasted, but it had actually used an outburst of magical energy to melt the snow into water, forming an inconspicuous stream.

"How could the sun harm the mountains?"

The giant formed from stone roared, raising its right arm high before smashing it into the sun made of three hundred thousand characters. Not only was the sun destroyed by that devastating blow, but its fragments became part of the giant's body.

"You really are something, Alice."

Tōko Aozaki immediately unleashed her multiple Mystic Eyes, but what use could they possibly have against such a colossal creature? They could not even delay it for a second.

Realizing that she was wasting her effort, she simply shut her Mystic Eyes and spread her hands helplessly. "Then I surrender. So I still can't beat a Witch. Looks like I'll need to add this to my future research subjects."

"Touko, you don't think you can still escape, do you?"

The Rose Hound circled Tōko Aozaki, closely watching her every movement. The stray dogs that had gathered nearby whimpered, tucked their tails, and scattered in all directions.

"Of course not. I'm not dull enough for that. Besides, even if someone were to run, it wouldn't be me."

Tōko Aozaki folded her arms. She was not bluffing; she truly looked completely unafraid.

Alice Kuonji could not help recalling the weapon Michael had mentioned. That must have been what gave Tōko Aozaki such confidence.

"Then let's end the warm-up here. Come, Beo. Let's raise the curtain on the second half."

Tōko Aozaki snapped her fingers. At her call, a beautiful yet piercing howl rang out, awakening the ancient memories of this land. Under the hazy moonlight, its owner stepped out of the shadows and came to Tōko Aozaki's side.

Alice Kuonji's lips trembled slightly. At last, she understood why Michael had called it the "Mage Killer," and immense terror surged into her heart.

It was a golden beast of unbearable beauty. It should have existed only in the long-vanished Age of Gods—a truly sacred being, the manifestation of the mystery of the entire earth. The mystery accumulated by mere magi could be shattered before it with a casual gesture.

A shadow crossed Alice's eyes as she hesitated over whether to crush the talisman. But before she could decide, Beowulf, the Golden Wolf, had already attacked.

The Rose Hound was torn to pieces, turning into dissipating wisps of mist and leaving behind only faint, endless wails. The Bridge Giant roared, its thick arms blotting out the sky. Compared to it, the Golden Wolf's body was far too small, like an ant that could be swatted to death at any moment.

Boom—!

Chunks of broken stone crashed down from the air. Beowulf fought the Bridge Giant, but it looked more like a one-sided slaughter. Huge blocks of stone were sliced apart by his claws as easily as a hot knife through butter. Before long, the massive Bridge Giant collapsed, reduced to a pile of rubble beneath Beowulf's claws.

After dealing with those two eyesores, Beowulf fixed his gaze on Alice Kuonji. She was his real target.

A dazzling golden streak shot straight at her. Alice Kuonji could even smell the beast's scent. The swordlike edge of its swinging claws pierced through her protective barrier in an instant, meeting not even the slightest resistance. Faced with such irresistible violence, she felt as though her mind had lost the ability to think.

I'm going to die here—

Before she completely lost consciousness, that was the only thought she could form. Then, a pale, slender hand suddenly entered her field of vision. It caught Beowulf's swinging claw, then flung him away, smashing him through a stretch of trees.

"Oh? Looks like my entrance was pretty well-timed."

Black ripples separated the Golden Wolf from Alice Kuonji. A familiar figure stepped out from within them, and a soft chuckle broke the silence.

"Michael... kun..."

Alice Kuonji stared blankly at the boy standing before her. The threat of death made her body tremble slightly, yet color returned to her blank consciousness.

"Why... are you... here?"

"I anticipated this situation long ago. But never mind that for now. Alice, you really are too stubborn. Even in a situation like that, you still wouldn't crush the talisman and call for help. If I hadn't prepared in advance, you would probably have been seriously hurt today."

Michael rolled his wrist and spoke as if nothing had happened. Beowulf, the Golden Wolf he had flung away, climbed back to his feet, brimming with fighting spirit.

"...This has nothing to do with you, Michael-kun... Aren't you helping Aoko... for the Fifth Magic as well?"

"Yes, and I've never denied that."

Michael let out a quiet breath, then turned to look at Alice Kuonji behind him. "But what does that have to do with me saving you?"

"I'll naturally do what I want to do. As for what I don't want to do, even if you offered me the Fifth Magic in exchange, I still wouldn't do it. For example, can you guess what I want to do most right now, Alice?"

Alice Kuonji shook her head in confusion. Without a specific magecraft formula, how could she know what someone else was thinking?

"Obviously, wait for Aoko to get back, then close the door and beat the dog."

Before his words had even faded, Tōko Aozaki's expression changed drastically. She rolled forward without a shred of grace as a long leg clad in black stockings swept over her back. Even through the fabric, the fierce gust wrapped around that kick made Tōko Aozaki feel pain. Had she failed to dodge in time, that strike could have seriously injured her.

The Void Spiral gradually faded, and Aozaki Aoko stood behind Tōko Aozaki. When the sisters met again after so many years, they did not greet each other with tears and smiles. In their place were silence and killing intent.

"You know how to launch a sneak attack from behind. It seems you've learned a few things over the years. But what is your older sister supposed to do now?"

Tōko Aozaki climbed to her feet. She did not even have time to straighten her disheveled clothes before Magic Bullets brimming with powerful magical energy engulfed her like a violent storm.

"What a disobedient little sister."

She sighed softly, her fingers rapidly writing Rune Script across the air.