The items looked utterly bizarre, their purposes completely inscrutable, yet Eiji went ahead and bought four or five of them without hesitation.
As he fiddled with them curiously, Aoko quietly pulled Alice aside.
"Alice, isn't this a bit too ruthless?" Aoko whispered.
"That bottle—its actual cost can't be more than 10,000 yen, right?"
A small dicine bottle, even factoring in the magecraft materials consud during its creation, couldn't possibly exceed 10,000 yen in total expenses. Charging 500,000 yen for a one-ti-use item, even accounting for craftsmanship fees, was outright daylight robbery.
Alice silently averted her gaze, looking slightly guilty.
"Hey, look at when I'm talking to you!"
"...I'll give you 10%."
"...Deal!"
After a brief mont of contemplation, Aoko gave a thumbs-up.
Alice had made millions tonight just by talking, so her cut would easily be in the hundreds of thousands. For Aoko, who had long since stopped relying on her family's money, this was undoubtedly a windfall.
What?
Wouldn't she feel guilty about scamming soone like this?
Ha, why should she feel guilty swindling soone like Eiji?
Besides, it wasn't even his own money he was spending!
And thus, a world where only Nero suffered was born.
"You two heading out?"
After spending so ti in the living room, Aoko and Alice changed into thick coats for their nightti excursion. Eiji posed the question as he watched them.
"Yeah. With only two anchors left, patrol ti's been cut down a lot."
Aoko wrapped a gray checkered scarf around her neck as she answered.
"You... staying? There's a guest room on the second floor, but—"
Alice, now dressed in a very British-style shawl and a black hat, pondered for a mont.
"Nah, I'm heading ho too."
Eiji glanced at the old-fashioned clock hanging on the wall and shook his head.
"I see."
Alice's expression betrayed a hint of disappointnt.
Had he stayed, she could've charged him for lodging.
Normally, she wouldn't want anyone left alone in her house, but for money—especially from a big spender—she could make an exception.
"Alice, you've completely sold your soul to greed."
Aoko, having perfectly read her thoughts, couldn't help but comnt.
Alice calmly looked away.
As if you're any better.
The lights in the mansion were turned off, and the three of them stepped out the front door, heading down the slope.
"I'll take the anchor in the forest outskirts."
"Then I'll handle the one in the city park."
"Contact if anything cos up."
Eiji waved them off before the trio split at a fork in the road, each heading in different directions.
Eiji's task remained unchanged—go ho.
Once Aoko and Alice located Touko, they could contact him.
Realistically, Alice alone stood a solid chance against Touko. Even though her "Oil of the Moon" had been destroyed by Eiji, she still had the "Rose Hound" and the "Giant of the Bridge."
Combined with her other familiars—less formidable in raw power but highly versatile—if she went all out, even Eiji would have to tread carefully.
So there was no real need to worry.
"Still... why do I feel so uneasy?"
As Eiji walked toward his ho in the residential district, he absentmindedly stroked the gray starling in his hand.
The bird looked lifelike.
After forming a contract with it, Eiji could share its vision, seeing whatever it saw, and even use it to communicate with other magi—incredibly convenient.
With a flick of his wrist, Eiji tossed the starling into the air.
It circled overhead hesitantly before flapping its wings and flying toward the city park.
Alice would be fine.
Aoko, on the other hand, was slightly less capable, and since she was Touko's primary target, the risk of her running into danger was higher. Better to have the starling keep an eye on her.
***
Wee-woo wee-woo—!
As he neared the residential area, the sound of police sirens faded into the distance.
"I'm ho!"
"Brother, you're back so late today!"
"Student council had an ergency."
Stepping through the gate of the Minamoto household, Eiji found his "mother" and "little sister" already waiting with dinner prepared. Souji clutched her stomach, looking utterly famished.
The scene was so heartwarming that Eiji couldn't bring himself to say he'd already eaten. Instead, he sat at the table and chanically shovelled food into his mouth until his stomach bulged.
"By the way, Eiji, you should try to co ho earlier at night from now on!"
After dinner, Raikou suddenly spoke up, her expression worried.
"Why's that?"
"You weren't back, so you didn't see—the Yamashita family was murdered last night. Their bodies weren't discovered until this afternoon!"
...What?
Eiji froze.
The Yamashitas were an ordinary family living in a corner of the residential area, with no Heroic Spirit mbers among them. And yet, the entire family had been wiped out?
"Then those sirens earlier—?"
"It was the police investigating, but they didn't seem to find much. The Yamashitas—all four of them... It's just horrible. I heard their deaths were... grueso..."
Souji shuddered, rubbing her arms as her face twisted with dread.
No one expected a murder case to happen so close to ho.
It was enough to make one's skin crawl.
With a bit of bad luck, it could've been their family next.
"Got it. I'll try to co back earlier."
Eiji nodded in agreent.
Now that he had his Magic Crest, and since his body needed ti to adjust to it (making further magecraft modifications unwise for a while), he had no reason to visit Alice's place for the ti being.
His options for further progress in magecraft were limited for now, so he might as well focus on refining his mana control.
Then—
Eiji's expression abruptly darkened.
"Brother? What's wrong? You look terrifying all of a sudden—"
Souji flinched at the sight of his face.
"I need to go out!"
Eiji shot to his feet and stord toward the door.
"It's so late—where are you going?!"
Raikou called after him in alarm.
"Forgot sothing at school!"
But Eiji didn't slow down. If anything, he sped up, vanishing past the gate and into the night.
"Honestly, what could be so important that you have to get it now?!"
Raikou stared worriedly in the direction he'd disappeared.
BOOM!
Not long after—
A thunderous explosion rang out in the distance, startling the entire neighbourhood.
"Was that... thunder?"
High above the streets—
Eiji launched himself like a bullet, the ground cratering beneath him with a deafening blast as he hurtled skyward!
His destination—the city's central park!
***
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