Aozaki Aoko Case File

Aoko, standing before Kayneth, pulled out her spellbook (and scroll pouch) and, alongside Touko, cast a single Gate spell. In an instant, they disappeared right before Kayneth's eyes, leaving the Mineralogy Department building behind.

"Sp… Space transfer?"

Kayneth's mind spiraled into overdrive. Utterly flabbergasted, he began theorizing, rapidly moving from the most advanced magical principles to the various rumors surrounding the effects of the Fifth Magic. Yet, no matter how he reasoned it, he realized the methods employed by the Aozaki sisters were far beyond the capabilities—or countermeasures—of a magus at his level.

Kayneth sighed, composed his tumultuous emotions, and turned to leave the now-empty hallway.

...

Aoko and Touko landed on a patch of grass near the Creation Department building.

The weather was gloomy, and the grass underfoot was still adorned with dewdrops, dampening their shoes. Light on their feet, the sisters bypassed the detection-bounded fields of the Creation Department and arrived at the front entrance via the backyard lawn.

Their shoes had picked up some mud along the way, so Aoko waved her hand, and a magical trick cleaned them both up in an instant.

In the world of magecraft, directly approaching the front door of a powerful noble's domain to cause trouble was generally discouraged. However, Aoko's existence did not adhere to the rules. The mechanism of her arcane spell, Invisibility, was unlike anything else in this world.

Even those with Mystic Eyes capable of piercing illusions would find it impossible to see the concealed Aozaki sisters as they entered the Creation Department's main entrance.

Aoko glanced around curiously, while Touko took the lead, holding Aoko's hand and guiding her straight toward Lord Valualeta's private workshop.

Incidentally, holding hands was necessary because even the sisters couldn't see each other under the effect of the spell. Touko had personally confirmed this with her own Mystic Eyes. Perhaps only the Pure Eyes of Nanaya Kiri could barely trace their presence at this moment.

Unlike the Mineralogy Department under El-Melloi's control, Lord Valualeta, as a member of one of the three great noble families, was wealthier and more powerful. This was evident from the alchemical devices and magical barriers spread throughout the building.

Had the Aozaki sisters not been extraordinary in their ways, they likely would have been forcibly restrained as soon as they entered the front door—and sent to an underground prison under a sealing designation.

Aoko followed her sister casually as they reached the very top floor of the Creation Department building, which was entirely occupied by Lord Valualeta's private workshop.

Touko stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and struck a particularly ladylike "after you" pose.

Aoko, without hesitation or politeness, pushed the door open and strode confidently into the office.

The first thing Aoko saw was an elderly woman dressed in a long green robe, wearing a dome-shaped hat adorned with black lace. Her thick, gray-white hair was meticulously styled.

Seen from behind, though advanced in age, this mysterious individual still exuded a sense of vitality that was almost unnerving.

On the workshop's desk lay a Walkman from the Sony brand. Despite being a senior magus, the woman had a surprising interest in modern technological gadgets.

"Sigh," Lord Valualeta sighed helplessly.

"Didn't I say not to disturb me before two in the afternoon?"

However, the Lord of the Creation Department hadn't anticipated that the visitors to her office this time weren't her students.

After waiting a moment without hearing the timid responses she expected from her apprentices, Lord Valualeta sensed something amiss. She turned around and saw a young woman with long, fiery red hair cascading past her hips.

The young woman wore a khaki trench coat over a white blouse, accessorized with a shiny silver pendant. Her slim-fitting black trousers and a dual-row brown belt around her waist accentuated her flawless figure.

As Aoko stepped forward, her boots clicked rhythmically against the office floor, heightening Valualeta's sense of vigilance.

"And who might you be, young lady?"

Valualeta asked calmly, her expression unchanged.

"Is there a special request that brought you to the Creation Department?"

"It's not me who has a request for you, Lord Valualeta," Aoko said, her smile enigmatic.

"The connection between us isn't one of 'requests' but rather 'cause and effect.'"

"Oh?"

Valualeta was intrigued. She didn't recall any magus connected to her who looked like this young woman. Yet, the red-haired beauty radiated a palpable charisma that piqued her curiosity.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I have no ties to the Clock Tower, nor to the Creation Department or the Valualeta family," Aoko said theatrically, before pulling Touko, who had been hiding behind her, into view. Placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, she continued: "But my sister has been wronged, and I find that unacceptable. So I came today to seek justice from the famous Inorai Valualeta Atroholm."

The smile on Valualetai's face faltered slightly. She looked down at the young girl beside the red-haired woman. Initially confused, she quickly connected the child's wine-red hair to certain unpleasant memories.

"...Touko?"

Valualeta exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, this is unexpected. Your current state—is it the result of losing a fight over succession with your sister? If that's the case, I must admit I'm envious…"

"No need for such hollow pleasantries, my dear mentor," Touko replied in a slightly caustic tone.

"Being branded with a sealing designation overnight as your 'gift' is certainly a testament to your generosity."

"I trust my judgment, Touko," Valualeta said, looking at her former student as one might admire a rare treasure.

"You must also recognize your value. You're worthy of the highest treatment afforded by a sealing designation."

"Enough with the empty formalities, Lord Valualeta," Aoko interjected, spreading her hands.

"Surely someone of your caliber understands that I would never allow anyone to brand a member of the Aozaki family with a sealing designation."

"So, you're my student Touko's younger sister, and this generation's wielder of the Fifth Magic?"

Valualeta sighed.

"I'm the older sister now," Aoko corrected with utmost seriousness.