The adjacent tall building.
Inside a exquisitely decorated room.
A man and a woman leaned on a sofa, both smoking cigarettes, their expressions somewhat grim. They were puffing hard, one after another, and soon the entire room was filled with smoke.
In the corner, a young man wearing only underwear lay unconscious on the floor. From his wet hair, it seemed he had just finished showering.
"The man should be waking up soon. We need to leave and report the relevant intelligence."
The woman extinguished her cigarette, then looked at the man in the corner, her eyes extremely cold, as if she were looking at a lifeless object.
"Let him sleep a bit longer."
The man took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaling a large cloud of smoke. His hand, holding the cigarette, was trembling slightly, as if he were naked in the bitter cold of winter.
"...Alright."
Seeing this, the woman sighed. Immediately, she brought her middle and index fingers together, her lips moving slightly as she chanted an incantation, unleashing a curse-imbued magical bullet.
The moment it hit.
The man unconscious in the corner suddenly twitched, then became still. If not for the rise and fall of his chest, one might even suspect that the blow had killed the homeowner.
"...I apologize, I need to compose myself."
The man turned his head towards the unconscious homeowner. After a moment of silence, he extinguished his cigarette and then carried the man into the bedroom.
Soon, the creaking of a shaking bed came from the bedroom.
"...Was that killing intent?"
In the living room, the woman looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
She wasn't concerned about the unlucky homeowner; at most, he would just have a sore backside tomorrow. Not killing him was already quite merciful.
Her thoughts were currently consumed by the cold gaze Aozaki Touko had directed at her.
Fear exploded instantly, erupting from the deepest part of her soul, like countless ants crawling out of her heart, spreading the emotion of terror throughout her body.
How to describe that feeling?
To use a metaphor, it was probably like an ordinary person facing a lion alone, too terrified to move. When facing Aozaki Touko, it was like facing an existence higher up the food chain.
It was an existence beyond human... a higher-ranked being.
"Is this... an aura suppression brought about by imitating a higher-ranked existence?"
After a moment of thought, the woman leaning on the sofa suddenly gave a helpless smile: "Aozaki Touko, the heir of a Magician, what an incredible individual."
To be able to intimidate them with just a glance, even if it was by imitating a high-ranked life form to project her aura, it still showed that this Magician in the making possessed strength far beyond that of a mere renowned genius.
Perhaps this genius young woman.
Even if she were to fight Van Fem, one of the three oldest Dead Apostle Ancestors, she might not be without a chance of victory, and could even achieve a jaw-dropping result... Japan.
Misaki City, Kuenji Mansion.
Kujou Alice was drinking black tea, her cool and pretty face showing displeasure, somewhat annoyed as she stared at the letter on the table. That letter was, of course, the long-awaited letter from Aozaki Touko.
Clearly, it contained bad news.
Challenging Van Fem, one of the three oldest Dead Apostle Ancestors, a Dead Apostle Ancestor of the highest rank.
Regardless of the wisdom and experience gained through years, there was a vast difference in fundamental qualities between humans and Dead Apostles, the most obvious being their unparalleled regenerative ability.
Aozaki Touko's growth period was still too short.
This was an... unequal battle.
"...Idiot."
Arisu sighed faintly, as if giving up.
Now, it was too late for her to stop it. She also didn't have time to rush to Berlin, Germany, to provide support. More importantly, Touko hadn't specified the location of the battle.
Meaning, no matter how displeased she was.
It held no significance in reality.
Upon realizing this, her mood grew even more unpleasant.
It was unclear whether it was due to anger at her own powerlessness, or anger at Aozaki Touko's willfulness.
Or perhaps both emotions were included... France.
Inside a certain cafe.
A young woman in a long black dress with a noble demeanor listened intently to the news reported by her subordinate. Her red eyes showed interest, and her crimson lips gradually curved into a joyful arc.
"At such a young age... and daring to fight that fellow, Van Fem. If she's not an arrogant idiot, then she must be an extraordinary genius, surely possessing exceptional talent?!"
"Based on the intelligence... this young woman should possess considerable strength."
White Knight Brad said seriously: "However, that young woman is the heir of a Magician. Trying to recruit her to become a Dead Apostle should be almost impossible."
"Is that so... that's a bit of a shame then."
Altrouge showed a disappointed expression.
If she could turn such a genius into her subordinate, her side's strength would surely increase. Then, perhaps she could crush that White Wing Duke... In short... it's very subtle.
The news of Aozaki Touko fighting Van Fem spread.
If it weren't for the unknown battle location,
Presumably, there would be many spectators then.