Aozaki Aoko Case File

After his marriage to Kuonji Alice's mother, who was a witch, Alice's father passed away shortly after her mother's death. Perhaps due to this, or possibly due to inheritance disputes, the current Kuonji consortium maintains a rather strained relationship with Kuonji Alice. Legally, Alice has a rightful claim to a portion of the Kuonji consortium's shares. However, these shares are currently managed by one of her inept uncles, and since Alice dislikes handling mundane affairs, she has yet to demand her inheritance.

In appearance, Kuonji Alice does not look entirely like the fully Asian depiction Hirokazu Koyama illustrated for the game. Alice's mother was descended from Yumina, a witch from the British Isles, giving Alice significant Celtic heritage. Although Alice has short, jet-black hair as smooth and soft as high-quality silk, her facial structure is more defined than that of a typical East Asian. In this way, Aoko somewhat resembles her. When Aoko once asked her father about their resemblance, he mentioned that Aoko's grandmother (the wife of the old man) might have had European magi ancestry. Unfortunately, she passed away too early for him to know the details, as he had never met his mother.

The Aozaki sisters' appearance could be described as a blend of the finest European and East Asian features. Their skin was both fair and delicate, and their facial features were more defined than typical Japanese. Aoko was pleased with this, feeling she could stand beside a beauty like Alice with confidence—each possessing a unique charm that made them a well-matched pair.

However, Aoko believed her improved looks, figure, and magical talent (compared to her original timeline counterpart) were not due to any European blood but to other factors. Perhaps the transmigration factor played a role, though she felt that wasn't the only explanation. She wasn't in a rush to uncover the truth, believing the secrets about herself would eventually be revealed.

Aoko valued her roommate, Alice, deeply. She secretly planned that once her skills were perfected, she would confront that uncle herself to reclaim Alice's shares. After all, how could such a delicate fairy tale princess be left worrying about her daily livelihood?

In daily life, Aoko stubbornly called Kuonji Alice "Alice" instead of "Yuzu" (the Japanese pronunciation of her name) because she disliked the sound of "Yuzu." Alice didn't mind this; born in England, she likely held a stronger sense of identity with Britain.

On Aoko's first day at the Kuonji residence, she won Alice's heart by preparing an exquisitely elegant afternoon tea. She spent a considerable amount to purchase authentic Darjeeling tea, paired with meticulously roasted sandwiches, classic English scones with clotted cream and jam, and puff pastries for dessert, offering Alice a traditional British Low Tea experience complete with the Union Jack.

Such thoughtful service made Alice, the landlord, feel a little embarrassed by her new apprentice's efforts, and as she enjoyed the tea, she couldn't help but wonder if she or Aoko was the one truly born in England.

Before Aoko moved in, Alice's meals mostly consisted of takeout from high-end restaurants, as she couldn't cook. Her fridge held little besides fruits and beverages. Without any servants, most household tasks were performed by her mother left behind—familiar constructs designed not only for combat but also equipped to handle household chores. When Alice was bored, even a robin would keep her company, a testament to her magical prowess.

In terms of magic instruction, Alice was a stricter teacher than the old man of the Aozaki family. Aoko's grandfather, like a university professor, moved at his own pace, regardless of his students' understanding. Alice, by contrast, was the strictest of high school teachers, monitoring Aoko's progress closely and setting goals far beyond her current skill level to push her to improve.

While Aoko was no novice in magecraft, her lack of focused practice left room for improvement, at least in Alice's eyes. As a "plus" version of herself, Aoko had a greater number and quality of magic circuits than her original timeline counterpart, allowing her to perform complex magical rituals. Like the original Aoko, she had extremely high magic efficiency, enabling her to achieve incredible rotation and output speeds for her magic bullets, resulting in effects like "light cannons" or "Gatling guns."

Both Touko and Alice disapproved of Aoko's brute-force approach to magecraft, but they couldn't deny her talent for destruction, nor could they ignore her efficiency.

Aoko herself didn't take pride in this destructive talent, nor did she dismiss it. She knew her ability was a result of her magic circuits' structure and her unique perspective on destruction, which had set her apart in the competition for the family inheritance.

Sometimes, that's just how life is. Aoko's unmatched talent for efficient destruction hadn't led her to revel in it. Instead, she saw it as only the basic hardware needed to master the Fifth Magic. What she needed to dedicate herself to was studying and training with the fragments of otherworldly knowledge buried deep within her soul.

Because of this, Aoko diligently completed the study tasks Alice set for her but did no extra. When she studied the mysteries of the Woven Fragment, she didn't avoid Alice's gaze but also didn't offer further explanation. After all, the Woven didn't follow the principle of keeping magecraft secret from others.

Aoko and Alice were quite content with their close yet slightly distant cohabitation in the Kuonji mansion. They lived together comfortably for two years, during which Aoko occasionally wrote letters to Touko, who was at the Clock Tower.

Whether out of shyness or stubbornness, Touko seldom wrote back. But from the letters she did send, it was clear she planned to confront one of the two individuals Aoko had warned her about. Touko was about to leave the Clock Tower, as her research had grown dangerous, and it seemed some intended to designate her for sealing, with her mentor, Lord Valualeta, leading the charge. Since she was about to go on the run, Touko decided to strike first—targeting the easier mark before returning to Japan to confront her annoying little sister, reclaim the family inheritance, and settle the score.