r18novel Page 345
Page 345
The grandfather clock struck midnight, its chimes echoing in the quiet studio.
As Aozaki 600 Orange watched the light of the magic circle gradually dim, she knew this was her last chance.
"and many more."
"Your last experience doesn't seem to have made you give up that ridiculous idea."
Aozaki Touko's lips curled into a cold smile, her voice filled with undisguised sarcasm.
"Is my magic circuit really that captivating to you, Mr. Shiraishikawa?"
The man standing opposite her—Shiraishikawa—was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, completely out of place in this dilapidated environment.
He wore a gentle smile, yet it conveyed no warmth whatsoever.
"Miss Aozaki, I'm sorry."
Shiraishi's voice was deep and steady.
"What I admire is you as a person. As the mother, you are undoubtedly the most suitable."
Aozaki Touko let out a short, snickering laugh.
"Ha! The Matrix? You're quite direct."
She straightened up, her long red hair dancing like flames under the light.
"Unfortunately, the people you're looking for are never the type to be manipulated at will."
Shiraishikawa slowly took a pocket watch out of his pocket, gently opened it, and then closed it again.
“I understand that, of course. However.”
He raised his eyes and looked directly at Aozaki Touko.
"I have no reason to go against a mage for someone I don't know. Even if I were guaranteed to get a witch, it's not worth the risk."
Aozaki Touko narrowed her eyes, keenly catching the meaning behind his words.
She walked slowly towards Shiraishi River, her high heels clicking crisply on the concrete.
What are you implying?
"There are beads in Kuonji Temple."
Shiraishikawa stated the name directly.
"A pure-blooded witch, an existence even more difficult to deal with than Aozaki Aoko."
Aozaki Touko paused, her eyes filled with alertness.
"You've investigated very thoroughly."
She sneered.
"However, I warn you, if you continue with this way of thinking, you will only fail faster and more completely."
Shiraishi Kawa shook his head dismissively.
"I don't need her heart, I only need her body."
His tone was eerily calm.
"She can't even die before I achieve my goal."
Aozaki Touko felt a chill creep up her spine.
The man's candor left her speechless for a moment.
She knew Kuonji Aratsu's character all too well—better to die a glorious death than live a shameful life. If Shiraishikawa really made a move against Kuonji Aratsu...
A plan quickly took shape in her mind.
"interesting."
Aozaki Touko suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with danger.
"It seems you have indeed done your homework. However, Kuonji Yuzu's hatred for me is probably much deeper than her hatred for you."
Shiraishikawa nodded slightly.
"That's why she won't waste her energy on me."
He paused for a moment.
"Unless I actively try to get her attention."
A glint flashed in Aozaki Touko's eyes.
This was exactly the effect she wanted—to have Shiraishikawa distract Kuonji Aratsumi, creating favorable conditions for her final battle with Aozaki Aoko.
"It sounds like you already have a plan."
"I'm not saying this," Aozaki Touko said, feigning nonchalance.
"However, I must warn you, Kuonji Yuuka is not someone to be trifled with. Her familiar..."
"Familiars are just tools."
Shiraishikawa interrupted her.
"The truly powerful one is the witch herself. And what I want is that pure power."
Aozaki Touko carefully observed Shiraishikawa's expression, trying to find a flaw, but she couldn't read anything from that mask-like face.
She decided to give it another push.
"If you can really distract Kuonji Aratsu..."
Chapter 427 Happy Cooperation
Aozaki Touko deliberately hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Perhaps we can have more room for cooperation."
Shiraishikawa's lips curled into a slight smile.
"For example, how about creating one-on-one opportunities for you and your sister?"
Aozaki Touko's pupils contracted slightly—he even guessed that.
But she quickly composed herself.
"It's a win-win situation. You get what you want, and I solve my...family problems."
"make a deal."
Shiraishikawa readily agreed, but Aozaki Touko knew he wasn't truly cooperating.
The glint in the man's eyes told her that he had other plans.
"So."
Aozaki Touko reached out her hand.
"Wish we have a pleasant cooperation?"
Shiraishi Kawa grasped her hand with just the right amount of force.
"It's a pleasure working with you, Ms. Aozaki."
Their hands touched briefly before parting, as if both feared the other might harm them the instant they made contact.
Aozaki Touko turned and walked toward the exit, her red trench coat billowing behind her.
"See you in Misaki City, Mr. Shiraishikawa."
"of course."
Shiraishikawa's voice came from behind.
"After all, that's where the new moon rose, isn't it?"
Aozaki Touko's steps did not falter at all, but her fingers had already quietly clenched.
He knew more than she imagined.
As Aozaki Touko's figure disappeared outside the door, the smile on Shiraishi Kawa's face gradually faded.
He looked down at his palm, where the tactile sensation of his contact with Aozaki Touko still lingered.
"A bond of fate..."
He whispered to himself.
"When the new moon rises, all connections will become an irreversible trajectory."
The next day
Deep in the Alps, where the wind howled, Aozaki Touko wrapped herself tightly in a deep red trench coat, her breath condensing rapidly in the frigid air.
She stood on the edge of the cliff, a cold smile playing on her lips.
"Beo, can you feel it?"
Aozaki Touko asked softly, her voice almost swallowed by the wind.
Behind her, a massive golden wolf slowly materialized.
Its fur, like flowing liquid gold, shimmered with a light that seemed otherworldly against the snow.
Those amber vertical pupils held an ancient wisdom and wildness.
"Three magicians, 500 meters to the southeast."
Beowulf's voice was deep and hoarse, like the sound of sandpaper being rubbed together.
"They thought they were hiding it well."
Aozaki Touko chuckled softly, took out a cigarette from her trench coat pocket, and lit it.
The orange-red firelight illuminated her delicate face, and the beauty mark under her left eye was faintly visible in the smoke.
"The rats in the association finally couldn't hold back any longer."
She exhaled a smoke ring.
"Some people are getting restless after hearing that I might be qualified for the seal designation."