[6]

On the fourth day after the old magus of the Aozaki family was torn apart, Aozaki Touko, while at the airport preparing to fly to London, saw the news about Misaki City in the newspaper.

"A prominent local family, the Fumizuka, was attacked by an unknown assailant, leaving no survivors. The cause of death remains under investigation. The eldest son, Fumizuka Eiri, who worked at the Church, is missing. Misaki City police suspect he may have been involved in the crime and have mobilized a large force to search for him."

Touko managed to fold the newspaper and put it aside, feeling a headache coming on as she pinched the bridge of her nose. At that moment, she felt out of place in strange Misaki City. The sooner she got to London, the sooner she could find relief.

Opening her bag to find a painkiller, she unexpectedly discovered a letter. Frowning, she opened it and found two short sentences inside: "It's best to kill Cornelius Alba as soon as possible," and, "It's also best to kill Araya Souren." The letter was signed, "Your dear sister." As soon as she finished reading, the letter spontaneously combusted, and the pale blue flames reduced it to ashes, leaving nothing behind.

...

Upon arriving at the Clock Tower in London, Touko immediately immersed herself in study and research. With her astounding talent, she quickly became a star there, even maneuvering to have Inorai Valualeta Atroholm, head of the Creation Department, become her mentor.

After some time, Touko discovered that this elegant, noble old woman, while gentle on the surface, had a core of cold ruthlessness typical of magus. This realization made Touko reflect on her former self. Compared to her mentor—or even to her younger sister, whom she'd once looked down upon—Touko had undoubtedly been naive.

No, Aoko and Lord Valualeta were different, she thought. Aoko was freer, doing whatever she wanted. With Aoko's inhuman number of magic circuits, magical efficiency, and unique spells, how could she ever have been an ordinary magus?

But now, Touko thought firmly, I am different. I will never be weak again.

Though she told herself this, after months in London, Touko still hadn't adjusted to British cuisine, and she missed Aoko's cooking, which she had once taken for granted. Now, with the prospect of a decisive battle with Aoko someday, Touko no longer felt the pathological need to kill her sister to seize her Magic, as in the original timeline. Instead, she wanted to prove to their grandfather that she wasn't inferior to her sister.

Their grandfather, a true magician, remained alive in his way, even after losing his body. However, since Aoko inherited the family magic, he no longer taught her directly, arranging for her to learn magic elsewhere. They had made a pact: when Aoko could partially activate the Fifth Magic, he would grant her access to that cave.

Aside from her research, Touko was troubled by Aoko's letter, which had warned her to beware of Cornelius Alba and Araya Souren. Touko's investigations revealed that Alba, who studied similar subjects, was merely a mediocrity. Yet, his occasional attempts to ingratiate himself with her were repulsive; despite nearing fifty, he used magecraft to maintain a youthful appearance. Touko wasn't opposed to delaying aging, but Alba's crude methods only created a facade of youth over aged magic circuits and bodily functions. His jealousy was palpable.

Touko knew foresight powers existed and suspected Aoko might possess one, which would explain her warning about Alba's malice. Although Touko dismissed Alba as a clown, she still took precautions during interactions, never betraying any condescension.

Araya Souren, however, puzzled her. He was a fellow Japanese magus at the Clock Tower, monk-like and focused solely on his bounded field magecraft, seemingly indifferent to fame or fortune. Touko even admired him for his purity. Yet, due to Aoko's warning, she remained cautious, preparing countermeasures against Alba's and Araya's magecraft systems in case either one turned hostile.

At this stage, Touko had no immediate plans to kill them, despite Aoko's advice. Her position at the Clock Tower was not yet secure. While killing Araya might be manageable, killing Alba would risk retaliation from the Sponheim Abbey, his affiliated organization. Confident in her future, she felt certain that neither Alba nor Araya would pose a threat once her research reached its peak.

...

Meanwhile, Aoko ruthlessly eradicated the Fumizuka family after Eiri Fumizuka went mad and destroyed their grandfather's body. She had used a combination of mechanical devices and arcane magic, and the retaliation was swift and merciless.

After graduating from Asagami Girls' Academy, Aoko enrolled in the prestigious Misaki Private High School. Her beauty and remarkable figure quickly attracted attention, which troubled her. She dealt with admirers harshly, even sending a local businessman's son to the hospital. Using the Aozaki family's influence, she suppressed the incident, deterring other boys from approaching her.

The school initially wanted to reprimand Aoko for her behavior, but her perfect scores left the principal with no excuse, allowing her to do as she pleased. Aoko also used her insight into world trends as an excuse to advise her father on investments, which brought some profit to the Aozaki family.

She now lived primarily at the Kuonji Mansion, home of Kuonji Alice. The Aozakis, as managers of Misaki's spiritual leyline, maintained good relations with the Kuonjis, descendants of the First Magician. Aoko's grandfather had written to Alice, the Fairy Tale Witch, entrusting her with Aoko's education, so Aoko now lived at Alice's mansion.

Kuonji Alice was a formidable magus whose Fairy Tale Magecraft possessed a level of mystery far exceeding that of most magus. However, Alice's lack of everyday skills often led to financial strain, especially given her love for fine tea. Her father, once heir to the Kuonji family conglomerate, had renounced his inheritance to marry Alice's mother, who later died after passing on her powers.

Alice, the only member of her witch lineage to retain beauty in human form, lived alone in her father's mansion, harboring regrets about their strained relationship. This witch lineage, unlike others, was known for beauty—unlike some, such as the infamous werewolf Beryl Gut, whose mother was an ugly and evil fairy.