Aozaki Aoko Case File [178]

Credits: Sai Manoj Nelavalli

Amid the explosion, Akiha was unable to protect all her subordinates. As a result, some members of the distant Tohno branch family who were too far away were blown to pieces by Roa's magic.

After fending off the first wave of attacks, Akiha immediately let her hair down and launched a counterattack. She quickly locked onto the familiar figure fleeing into midair and activated her Plunder ability, seizing the heat from the right half of the vampire's body.

The wonder of this ability lies in the fact that, although it involves the plundering of heat, it manifests an effect similar to burning. This caused the right half of Roa's body to appear charred as if scorched by intense flames.

Anyone with sufficient spiritual vision could see crimson threads, like red-hot wires, coiling and burning around Roa, marking him as the target. These threads were the true essence of Akiha's power in her Vermilion Crimson state.

Roa, fully aware of Akiha's strength, understood the terrifying nature of this ability, which would incinerate anything within her line of sight. In his current weakened state, there was no way he could contend with Akiha.

Thus, his appearance today was ultimately due to a fleeting impulse, driven by the lingering obsession of Tohno SHIKI within his body. As such, his retreat now carried no psychological burden or hesitation.

However, Akiha's strength had exceeded his expectations to some extent. At this point, Akiha had not yet shared half of her life force with Shiki Tohno, putting her power at its peak.

Even with half of his body burned, such an injury wasn't enough to kill a Dead Apostle whose defining trait was immortality. Roa barely stumbled to one knee before dragging his scorched body out of the range of Akiha's power, escaping the hunt alive.

"…Compile a report on the casualties and hand it to me," Akiha said as her hair returned to its natural black, addressing the branch family subordinates. "The main family will ensure compensation is issued to the victims' families promptly, and their well-being will also be taken care of."

The leader of the branch unit nodded silently and began the grim task of gathering the bodies of those killed in the magical explosion.

Akiha stared silently in the direction of Roa's escape, her brows deeply furrowed. She had noticed something unusual about her brother. This was not the typical inversion impulse state of a Tohno family member.

But one thing was certain—today's operation had failed. Roa had escaped once again, and it was inevitable that he would cause even greater carnage in the Souya area.

This realization left Akiha overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness. She wasn't the type to step forward as a hero for society. However, watching her brother slaughter innocent people was something she could not accept.

Next time, Akiha resolved silently in her heart. Next time, she would deliver a merciless and painless death to SHIKI—a fatal blow that would render his immortality meaningless and end this absurd tragedy once and for all.

...

While Akiha was out fighting her brother, Aoko informed Ciel that Touko had killed Nero Chaos.

This news left Ciel utterly shocked. She had considered the possibility that the mentally unstable Vlov might be the first to fall to the Aozaki sisters, but never had she imagined that Nero Chaos would meet such a swift and decisive end.

Unlike other members of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Nero Chaos was a scourge of the European continent who lacked social connections and refused to abide by any rules, even among his peers. The former Wandering Sea magus lived by no restrictions, keeping contact only with Roa.

His survival until now was largely due to his overwhelming vitality and his habit of fleeing at the first sign of danger.

Unfortunately for him, even Chaos had finally met his match. He had been utterly consumed by the cat Touko had raised.

Once Ciel and Noel processed the news, their first reaction was one of joy. As members of the Burial Agency, they had both been involved in attempts to hunt Nero Chaos—Ciel in particular—but each time, he had escaped by sacrificing parts of himself.

Ciel immediately expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Touko and decided she would reward her for her efforts. She hadn't expected the Aozaki sisters to succeed in killing a Dead Apostle Ancestor. Her original intention was simply to have them act as a nuisance to distract the troublemakers while she pursued Roa. This unexpected success was a pleasant surprise.

Although the price was steep, Ciel felt the result was worth it. After all, the damage a Dead Apostle Ancestor could inflict on the world was immeasurable.

Aoko, meanwhile, had no opinion on whatever reward Touko might choose. After all, it was Touko who had taken down the Ancestor, and what she did afterward was entirely her decision.

However, Aoko held little hope that Touko would choose anything worthwhile. She had seen her sister waste her allowance countless times on odd, useless trinkets…

Everyone has their quirks, and Aozaki Touko's quirks were especially peculiar.

...

The next day, when Ciel arrived at the luxurious hotel where the Aozaki sisters were staying, she was greeted with a shock. As soon as she entered, she was confronted by none other than the True Ancestor princess, Arcueid Brunestud, who had a complicated relationship with the Church.

Dressed in pajamas and sprawled lazily on the sofa in a completely unbothered manner, Arcueid glanced at the high school girl standing before her with a puzzled expression.

"I heard from Aoko that you survived. I could hardly believe it," Arcueid said meaningfully. "But now that I see you in person, I think I understand why."

Ciel didn't respond. She bit her lip, reminding herself not to act impulsively. Picking a fight with the White Princess here would bring no good.

Besides, Arcueid didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward her. Their connection was limited to that single moment during the French Incident when she was killed by Arcueid.

Ciel calmed herself, changed her shoes, placed the sturdy, alchemically locked suitcase she was carrying on the coffee table in the suite's living room, and sat down to patiently wait for the Aozaki sisters.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting." Touko, now back in her adult form, yawned as she emerged from one of the bedrooms. Upon seeing Ciel, she greeted her.

"Please inspect this," Ciel said, gesturing to the suitcase. "If there are any issues, I will do my best to resolve them."