The moon hung above the treetops, casting dappled shadows through the forest.
The Kuonji residence, nestled within these woods, had only the dining room illuminated at night, dispelling just a hint of the haunted-house eeriness.
Aoko had prepared dinner and set it on the table.
Eiji, fresh from his bath with water still dripping from his hair, had changed into casual clothes. He and Aozaki Aoko sat on opposite sides of the table, digging into their al.
"Tonight's dinner isn't takeout?"
Eiji wolfed down his food.
Alice, on the other hand, ate in small, delicate bites, her deanor graceful.
She glanced at Eiji, who was devouring his al like a starved beast, and briefly considered calling him out for his lack of manners—but then thought better of it.
After all, he was her client. Many of the unsold Mystic Codes in her collection were counting on him to buy them.
"I just wanted a change of pace after eating takeout for so many days in a row."
Aoko recalled the takeout from the past few days, and a wave of nausea surged in her stomach.
Eating the sa thing every day could easily make anyone sick of it.
But the thrill of freeloading when Eiji paid with that black card was too addictive to resist!
Maybe tomorrow they'd go back to takeout—just from a different place.
"Alice, how's the situation in the city?"
Midway through dinner, Aoko turned to Alice, her gaze questioning.
The atmosphere at the table shifted, growing more serious.
"Sa as before."
Alice answered succinctly.
"There's definitely a dark cloud hanging over the city, but we can't find their hideout."
"Don't you have a lot of familiars? And you still can't find anything?"
Eiji interjected between bites.
"I've released twenty gray starlings as familiars. They've been monitoring the city day and night, but all they've found are a few 'pawns.' There's no trace of the leader at all."
Alice shook her head, explaining softly.
She hadn't been slacking—she had deployed all her surveillance familiars, and the twenty were already an ergency asure.
That was strange.
Eiji thought to himself.
Though this wasn't Misaki City, due to the convergence of worldlines, the Tōsaka family's bounded field still extended over the leylines of Kinojo City.
In theory, as the overseer, Aoko should have been able to detect any disturbances in the city imdiately.
Yet, despite the multiple murders committed by their enemy, they still hadn't managed to track them down.
Especially this morning—no, last night's incident in the shopping district.
The victim had been completely drained of blood. Such a brazen act was practically a slap in the face to both the overseer and the Church, a textbook provocation.
But the enemy was hiding too well. There was no trail to follow.
After dinner,
Aoko dumped the dishes into the sink, then changed into a black miniskirt with stockings and a white sweater. It was still late spring, and the night air carried a slight chill.
"Are you going out again tonight?"
Alice stood by the entrance, watching Aoko.
Her expression was unreadable, giving no hint of what she was thinking.
"Yeah. At the very least, I'll take out the pawns first."
Aoko cracked her knuckles, looking ready for action.
"After a bath, most of the fatigue has faded away. In that case, we can't let the pawns continue to exist. Otherwise, they'll only strengthen the leader's power, and that would make things even more troubleso for us!"
Alice nodded slightly.
She fully agreed with this point.
When facing inhuman monsters, there must be no mont of hesitation. As long as there's any advantage, one must press it relentlessly, continuously expanding that advantage until delivering the decisive blow.
Otherwise, all efforts would be in vain.
Her earlier concern had been about Aoko's condition. These past days, Aoko had been returning exhausted every night. Launching a hunt in such a state would be foolish.
But since she seed energetic now, it should be fine.
Moreover, there was another person going with her.
Alice quietly glanced at the other individual.
"I've said this many tis already, but rember—when you encounter the leader, don't act impulsively. Notify imdiately."
Eiji had also arrived at the entrance, changing into his sneakers.
"I'm not the type to overestimate myself!"
Aoko pouted, feeling sowhat underestimated by him.
Though she hadn't mastered magic yet, she was still a magician capable of firing beams of light. Even against a leader-class inhuman monster, she should be able to put up a fight, right?
...
The dayti city was as tranquil as a lake, bringing a deep sense of peace to one's heart.
But once night fell, the city transford into a treacherous sea, its dark depths hiding untold ferocious beasts.
A girl humd a tune as she walked ho.
Her petite fra made her look like a middle schooler, yet she wore the high school uniform of Type-Moon Academy. Her long red hair cascaded naturally down her back, and her slender tail twitched playfully.
She'd been praised by her teacher in today's music tutoring class!
The girl was in high spirits.
"Your talent in singing is unprecedented and likely to remain unmatched!"
Her teacher had exclaid loudly in admiration.
Those wide eyes must have been stunned by the sheer brilliance of her voice!
Those previous tutoring classes she attended were clearly run by incompetents—expelling her? They must have been blind to her unparalleled genius, their brains completely addled!
And those classmates during school music lessons, fleeing in terror whenever class started—utterly lacking in discernnt!
Especially that teacher Mozart, spewing nothing but nonsense, incapable of offering a single word of praise!
Fortunately, the student council president at the high school was soone who recognized true talent. After a singing duel, they beca fast friends—finally, she had found her one true musical soulmate. The only downside was that the president's attendant sang horribly, his voice practically a sonic weapon. If possible, she'd rather never see him again.
With light, skipping steps, the girl made her way toward the upscale residential district.
Soon after turning into a back alley, she reached her ho.
"That's odd... why are the lights off?"
Puzzled, she opened the door to the villa.
Even though her parents didn't get along and argued daily, they always ca ho.
As the door swung open, a damp, slightly fishy odor suddenly assaulted her nostrils.
"What's that sll?"
The girl frowned.
Before she could process it, she instinctively flipped on the living room light.
In an instant, a horrific scene flooded her vision.
The floor was covered in pools of crimson blood. Red handprints stained the table and walls of the living room, as if soone had desperately struggled in their final monts. The blood had long since dried.
There were no bodies on the ground, only scattered pieces of flesh and severed limbs left behind—an unsettling sight.
"Dad... Mom...?"
The girl's face turned pale as her entire body trembled.
Fear overwheld her mind, leaving her montarily paralyzed, unsure how to react.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a beast-like growl reached her ears.
The sound ca from the direction of the kitchen, and the mont it echoed, the girl shuddered violently.
Soon after, as if drawn by the scent of a living person, a pitch-black figure erged from the kitchen.
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