Amid the swirling snowflakes, the girl raised her head.
She had long black hair, blue eyes filled with unyielding strength and stubbornness, and a lovely figure with graceful curves. But at that moment, what drew more attention than the girl herself was the Magic Crest spilling light from her right arm.
It was as though a gateway to a miracle beyond the reach of human wisdom was about to descend upon the snowfield.
The atmosphere began to creak around her.
Aoko narrowed her eyes at Touko and stood back up under the pressure of her Mystic Eyes.
By imitating the concept of infinity, Touko's Mystic Eyes certainly created a trump card lethal to mages, but even Medusa's mythical eyes could only immobilize Heroic Spirits of a higher caliber.
Before a higher order of mystery, this did not even qualify as child's play.
Touko deactivated her Mystic Eyes herself. This would make it harder to catch her opponent with them even after this miracle ended, but that hardly mattered to begin with.
In the coming battle, she had to concentrate her magical energy on more effective Magic Formulas, or she would certainly die.
"The Aozaki Family's True Magic... It's certainly been a while."
As though she knew magical girls were invincible during their transformations, Touko merely stood quietly in place, awaiting the arrival of a True Magic User.
Yet even in the face of Touko's seemingly resigned behavior, no trace of emotion appeared in Aoko Aozaki's eyes.
No concern, no interest.
Rather than anything in the outside world, what lay hidden within her heart was what she sought. Carefully, she concentrated her mind, sank down, and touched the deepest reaches.
...It felt like algae.
It was neither something stirring nor something resolute and vast.
The girl abandoned any thought of its