"Aozaki Touko has more cards up her sleeve than we thought, so we must make sure we have an ace to guarantee the final victory."
"If that were to happen."
"You will die in front of Aozaki Aoko."
Victor's cold voice sounded, and in the silence of the night, the wooden stick fell from his mouth in surprise, making a crisp sound when it hit the ground.
He was silent for a long time, but finally couldn't help it and asked in a slightly weak voice.
"why?"
……
why?
Victor shook his body slightly: "Maybe for faith?"
In fact, he never knew what the light that belonged to Shizuki Sojuro that he vaguely noticed was.
It was not until he went to find Youzhu and mentioned this when discussing countermeasures.
"I jokingly mentioned that if we died in front of Aoko, she might explode her cosmos and successfully master magic, which would be a bloody plot."
"But Yuzu said that magic has not been such a great thing since ancient times."
Magic based on the foundation of modern magic is selfish.
Today, maintaining the mysterious grand order also advocates self-centeredness.
Even in the Age of Gods, when there was no so-called order and no five great laws, the struggles among the gods and the so-called authority… were ultimately all about pursuing that kind of “order that completely solidifies the rules.”
What's more, Grandfather Aozaki said that mastering magic is the key to making Aoko a qualified magician.
As for the definition of a qualified person, it certainly cannot be for the purpose of saving one's companions, which is something that has nothing to do with a magician.
"But, when we discussed Orange later, we mentioned that Orange gave up everything for this."
“It just dawned on me.”
Victor sighed softly, walked up to Shizuki Sojuro and said seriously: "Aoko is indeed not a qualified magician."
"Because she doesn't understand the concept of giving up everything for magic."
Now that I think about it, Aoko didn’t really comprehend magic in the end.
But I realized this belief.
From the very beginning, Aoko only regarded magic and sorcery as her responsibilities as the heir of the Aozaki family.
She tried her best to fulfill it, but she never realized why she should do it.
After the death of Shizuki Sojuro, she suddenly realized that she had to use magic and was willing to pay any price for it.
When she had this determination and belief, she opened the door to the path called "progress".
"And you just don't lack this."
Victor said mercilessly and indifferently: "Even if I don't tell you, you will still risk your life for her."
"I need you to show her your resolve so she can realize it."
"Just...like last time?"
Shizuki Sojuro understood.
Because the last time in Paradise, when they were fighting against Kuonji Yuzu, it was Victor who kept stimulating Aoko, which made her make the so-called determination and use up her overdrawn strength.
That time, Aoko also broke through herself. She went from having a hard time successfully performing magic with more than three projects to being able to use it proficiently.
Aoko does lack the necessary determination sometimes.
Shizuki Sojuro thought that it was because Aoko only regarded magic as a part of herself, not her whole self.
"Then you promise?"
"of course."
Shizuki Sojuro accepted this so-called arrangement without hesitation: "If this is the necessary path."
"Even if I try to escape, I won't survive, right?"
"In that case, it would be great if you could win with the same ending."
"very good."
Hearing this, Victor's expressionless face suddenly revealed a smile. He stretched out his hand, and a drop of blood that was constantly emitting spirit appeared in his palm.
He pushed forward gently, and the drop of blood came to Shizuki Sojuro's chest and slowly sank into it.
That is his source blood.
“It’s a guarantee.”
Without waiting for Shizuki Sojuro to ask, Victor said softly, "According to the plan, if Aoko successfully masters magic, then she should be able to perform a miracle to revive you."
"But if something goes wrong, then this drop of blood will allow you to be reborn in another way."
In the manner of the Dead Apostles.
Victor thought silently in his heart.
"After all, he is my first apprentice."
Even if it is another world, we have to survive.
The source blood will be sealed in the opponent's heart. When Shizuki Soujuro's heart stops beating, the seal will immediately disappear and then begin to attack, turning Shizuki Soujuro into a Dead Apostle.
This process is long and may take several hours or even an entire night.
During this period, as long as Aozaki Aoko casts magic.
If you pay the price to change the timeline, then it won't be exposed and wasted.
Because what Aozaki Aoko moved was the fact of the entire current state.
Therefore, when she used magic, the consequences of Shizuki Sojuro's death and his transformation into a Dead Apostle were all transferred to the distant future.
In this way, when Shizuki Sojuro dies again, the process of becoming a Dead Apostle will continue, which is equivalent to having an extra life.
There are many advantages, but there are also disadvantages.
That is, although Victor's current mystery and the cause and effect he has planted cannot compete with magic and cannot prevent magic from affecting him, his status itself is high enough.
So... naturally, the cost for Aozaki Aoko to cast this magic has increased a lot.
Well, it is a lot, even much more than the previous cost.
But what does that have to do with me?
Right.
……
The golden puppet is really powerful.
Compared to the real golden wolf Beo, although he lost more power, he is also immune to Shizuki Sojuro's so-called "protagonist special attack".
At least this time, Shizuki Sojuro's superb fighting skills were useless.
So, when Shizuki Sojuro was knocked flying by the puppet again and everything went as Victor expected, Kuonji Arizuma, who had been silent all the time, finally couldn't help it.
During this period, she was about to make a move several times, but was stopped by Victor every time.
"Is this your plan?"
"Just like what you told me that day? Didn't I say..."
"When did you start caring about his life or death, Youzhu?" Victor suddenly asked back, "Didn't you always hope that he would die?"
"..."
This sentence made the dissatisfied Youzhu open his eyes wide in surprise, and suddenly he froze in place.
"Well, believe me." Victor did not continue to push his words. He just gently held Youzhu's wrist and comforted her, "He is the key."
"And...it was his own choice."
……
Aoko is trying to perform three-section magic.
But even if she overdrawn herself again, the result she got was still the same.
The magic was destroyed the moment it touched the puppet.
A low level mystery cannot stand up to a high level one.
Aozaki Touko looked at the other party's helpless struggle, sneered in her heart, and then looked towards Victor's position thoughtfully.
She was a little wary of the other person.
"So, what are you doing, Kusajuro?"
While the opponent was offsetting the time stagnant by the magician, Aoko hurried over to help up Shizuki Sojuro, whose arms were already twisted, her voice filled with annoyance and dissatisfaction.
"Because of the agreement, I can finally keep it."
Shizuki Sojuro smiled and looked at Victor, who later asked him why he agreed so readily.
But he didn't answer at that time, and now, he gave a very simple reason.
Promise? Qingzi listened to this in confusion.
Suddenly, she seemed to understand something.
"If I help you kill that guy, you'll let me go, right?"
This was the condition that Shizuki Sojuro once proposed, but in fact, although Aozaki Aoko did it, he was not able to help at all at that time. Whether facing Aozaki Touko or later, it was his current teacher Victor who was the one who helped.
Although his performance was still appreciated by Victor, who even accepted him as his apprentice, it was precisely because of this that he felt aggrieved that his talent was not worthy of such appreciation.
At this moment, Victor suddenly understood, and he smiled with relief.
I see, so that’s why I felt so dazzling in the living room that day.
It's your determination to pursue in order to become stronger.
From this point of view, you are also a qualified magician, Soujuro.
"Just... because of this?"
In disbelief, Qingzi opened her mouth in astonishment. This so-called, rather childish self-esteem and competitive spirit?
Ah, but that's what men are.
In his heart, unable to speak, Shizuki Sojuro added silently.
You must do what you promised and not let your companions leave you behind.
The so-called face is really more important than many things.
"So don't stop me."
Shizuki Sojuurō rarely resisted Aozaki Aoko, disobeyed her orders, shook off the other party's obstruction, and rushed towards the other party again without hesitation.
"Hey, you, even if you attack..."
She wanted to keep up with the other person's pace, but the next second, her eyes suddenly widened and her pupils contracted.
Because this time, Shizuki Sojuurō was like a soldier who was determined to die. He walked past the puppet without hesitation and rushed towards Aozaki Touko herself.
With a frown on her face, she rushed straight towards the other person without any hesitation.
Until a magical force penetrated him——
There is no point in saying more. Victor has made it clear that only his death can activate the key in the other person's body.
In that case, he could just go to his death without hesitation.
My teacher has always been very strong...
So, it’s not wrong to trust him, right?
……
With this thought in mind, Shizuki Sojuurō fell down without any hesitation.
Warm blood spurted out and he fell in front of Qingzi.
