Aozaki Aoko Case File [165] 

Credits: DammS

Aoko felt quite puzzled about the fact that the Dead Apostle Ancestors would collectively take action this time. Based on the intelligence she had gathered and her memories from her previous life, Dead Apostles in the current Type-Moon world she resided in shouldn't be this brazen.

In a world where humanity thrives, although Dead Apostles exist, most of those who pose a significant, large-scale threat to human survival have been eliminated by the Counter Force (Alaya) deploying guardians. There shouldn't be cases where entities on the level of Ancestors roam into human settlements to hunt.

Aoko could confirm that the Human Order in this timeline was functioning actively. Otherwise, guardians wouldn't have tried to eliminate her when she became a Magician and made contact with the Root.

She wasn't sure what the exact criteria for such actions were. For instance, even though Touko also became a Magician, no reckless individuals came to attack her. Was it because Alaya also weighs their relative strength?

Or perhaps, was it due to the presence of Artoria, one of Alaya's former contractors, staying close to the sisters?

Touko, who was listening to Aoko's conversation with the unidentified Church member, had roughly pieced together the situation. She didn't mind stepping in to earn a little extra on the side. After all, some of the rarer materials in this world couldn't simply be bought with money.

"Honestly, I didn't expect to deal with such a hassle over New Year's," Aoko sighed, stuffing her Nokia phone (a reference to the 1992 release of Nokia's first portable phone) into her bag. She complained, "Can't these old fossils lurking in the shadows behave for once?"

"Heh, you could think about it differently," Touko adjusted her glasses and said, "Why not treat them as guests coming to bring you New Year's gifts?"

"I heard that Vlov Arkhangel is a penniless loser," Aoko shrugged. "That guy spends most of his wealth just trying to stave off the cold."

"Well, there are other Ancestors, aren't there?" Touko replied nonchalantly. "Just find those sneaky ones, beat them up, and force them to hand over their treasures. We could even profit from the Church afterward."

"Easy for you to say," Aoko said. "But if no one other than that broke guy shows up, what can we do?"

"Tell me," Touko suddenly interjected. "Do you already know who Roa's reincarnation is?"

"Hm? What makes you think that?" Aoko replied without betraying any emotion.

"Just a hunch," Touko said, casually holding a wooden ema (a votive plaque) in her hand and scribbling on it. "It's like how you suddenly told me earlier to deal with Araya and Alba."

"Well, your hunch is spot on," Aoko admitted. "This matter does have a little to do with the Fujou sisters, Kohaku and Hisui, but it doesn't matter anymore."

"What's going on? Tell me in detail." After hanging her ema, Touko returned to Aoko's side and asked.

"Do you remember the Tohno family?"

"The half-blood family that wanted to buy Kohaku and Hisui?" Touko frowned, not understanding how it related to the situation. "Does their family have Dead Apostles?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Aoko replied ambiguously. "Tohno Makihisa himself was just a despicable clown, but his son, Tohno SHIKI, might be the one Roa has possessed."

"Oh?" Touko's interest was piqued. "I remember that after you killed Makihisa, the one who inherited the headship was his daughter, who had even stronger inhuman bloodline traits, right?"

"Tohno Akiha's abilities are indeed superior," Aoko nodded. "But Tohno SHIKI is far more unstable, always on the verge of transforming into a non-human monster. Such a target would be much easier for Roa's soul to parasite."

"So what's your plan?" Touko asked. "Will you use that unlucky boy as bait to lure out the remaining Ancestors?"

"I do plan to fish, but the bait isn't that unlucky kid," Aoko shrugged. "For Ancestors other than Vlov, Roa has no appeal at all. So, I'm planning to find the White Princess and have her join us in a little performance."

"Oh? You're planning to use this generation's Roa's identity and information as bargaining chips to make a deal with the True Ancestor Princess, then have her play along to lure out the other Ancestors?" Touko, quick as ever, immediately grasped Aoko's intent, flashing a sly grin.

"You're truly my dear sister, Touko-chan!" Aoko patted Touko's back. "You're like a worm in my stomach."

"What are you two talking about?" Alice returned at this moment, having just hung up her ema with the Fujou sisters.

"Someone's offering us money to take action," Aoko explained. "If we handle this well, we might make a lot."

"...Do you even need money?" Alice asked, puzzled. She couldn't understand why Aoko, who had inherited the Aozaki family's golden fortune, was still so obsessed with wealth.

"Wealth isn't just about money, Alice-chan," Aoko waved her finger. "Let's just say this is a great opportunity to raid some old relics' collections."

After returning from the shrine festival, Aoko and her companions used a teleportation array to send Irisviel, Illya, and Careb back to the Einzbern castle. Aoko then explained to Alice about the Dead Apostle Ancestors and the True Ancestor Princess potentially gathering for a hunt in the Tokyo area, as well as the Church's request for help and her fishing plan with Touko.

"It does sound like an opportunity," Alice said after sipping her tea, her voice calm. "Do you need my help?"

"Yes, I do need your help, Alice," Aoko leaned back on the sofa and relaxed. "I always assume the worst when it comes to those shady scumbags, so I need someone with enough strength to guard the assets on our end."

"...Are you worried I'll be too weak and drag you two Magicians down?" Alice frowned, looking a bit upset. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, esteemed Magicians..."

"I am worried!" Aoko suddenly shifted closer, placing both hands on Alice's shoulders and turning her around to face her. She stared into Alice's eyes seriously and said, "I know you're strong, Alice, but you're not without weaknesses."

"She's right," Touko chimed in. "You're better suited for defensive battles or against magus, but when it comes to Dead Apostle Ancestors, things could get tricky."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Alice," Aoko said sincerely. "Even if these pests are just bugs, some of them could pose a real threat to you. That's why I'm leaving Artoria here to help you."

"...Fine, I get it. You can let go of me now." Alice turned away, avoiding eye contact with Aoko's blue eyes. "But I can at least handle any Dead Apostles who enter here, right?"

"No problem!" Aoko grinned broadly after letting go. "I'll leave everything here to you, Witch of the Fairy Tale!"