Ancient buildings still bore the marks of past glory, and the crowds moving through them wrote the lingering afterimage of a former hegemon.
London in 1985—its Victorian brilliance long gone.
And yet at night, the streets still filled with impeccably dressed gentlemen and ladies on their way to banquets, all elegance and ceremony.
The refined grace passed down from older eras seemed, under the tempering of time, to have become even more exquisite.
If someone could step into the middle of those circles, they'd discover that what these men and women discussed—beyond a few mundane business deals—was closer to an academic salon for exchanging all manner of occult knowledge.
Britain's worldly splendor had faded with the loss of empire, but in the mystery world, the concepts birthed by the Industrial Revolution were only now fermenting into an intoxicating fragrance with the passing years.
In London, if you threw a brick, you might or might not hit a magus.
But if you shouted in the middle of the square and turned around, among the people looking back at you, there would definitely be at least one.
This was the base of the most active official organization of the occult world—
The Mage's Association.
—The Clock Tower.
Anyone in the world who aspired to walk farther on the road of mystery inevitably came here at least once.
And as the wheels of the era rolled forward—communications and transportation developing at just the right pace—
London was now gathering people from every corner of the world at an unprecedented scale.
The wealth and knowledge they brought made this city—already famous in the occult world—ever more prosperous and ever more… chaotic.
Knowledge erupted from chaotic collisions.
A new order began to form through chaotic friction.
And within that chaos, certain "necessary sacrifices" seemed unavoidable.
Under the gorgeous streetlamps, the unlit corners only looked darker.
Like a tree that grows taller and stronger, while its roots push deeper into black earth.
Between buildings, in narrow alleys, the smell of blood spread through the air.
Aozaki Touko flicked her arm lightly. A thin line of blood sprayed from it.
After taking the information Arato Sora provided about the "Giant Queen Bee", and putting it up for sale at a special auction, Touko's London life met its first trial.
In short—
She started getting ambushed. Constantly.
—Magi were all insane.
Only those who would stop at nothing in pursuit of the Root could be called "true" magi.
On the surface, the Department of Law (the Clock Tower's enforcers of London's order) prohibited violence outright, forbidding robberies and seizures.
But privately?
If such things happened, they were often ignored under an unspoken "default."
If the victim survived and reported the incident, the Department of Law would accept the case and arrest the criminal.
If the victim didn't survive—if they were robbed of everything and killed—
Then that, too, was simply the victim's end as a magus.
"This is what they call the world of magi."
Touko murmured as if speaking to someone, recording her own words and actions.
It was obvious: Touko had chosen to accept the Giant Queen Bee Arato sent her.
As compensation, Touko would "record the truth" of the magus world for Arato.
Everything she saw and experienced would later be transmitted to him as video—helping him understand what lay ahead.
Of course, from Touko's perspective, the compensation wasn't limited to that.
"As for the queen bee you gave me, I'll pay you accordingly. Don't worry—your fee will exceed what you can imagine. That way, neither of us owes the other anything."
Even if Arato refused, Touko had no reason not to pay.
Her revenge against the Aozaki family could not be disturbed by anyone.
She accepted Arato's help—but she would not allow him to restrain her, and she would not allow her own heart to change because of "indebtedness."
Therefore—
She would repay everything he'd given her.
Completely.
Not for his sake.
Only so that her heart would not waver.
So that when she returned to Misaki Town… she could still kill Arato Sora without hesitation.
Touko's revenge could not be altered by anyone.
…
Murmuring to herself, Touko stepped out of the alley between the buildings.
Light bloomed before her again.
Ahead stood a modern-looking townhouse.
Huge banners were plastered across its exterior.
At the front door, upright standees painted with a portrait stood in rows.
[Warm congratulations! Super Idol Miss Liddell's first performance in Nigeria has achieved magnificent success!]
Touko followed procedure, unlatched the gate, and entered the garden.
Under a tree, a pink-haired girl in a pink outfit crouched down, "burying" fallen cherry blossoms in the earth.
"Fallen flowers… how pitiful." The girl sighed as though in mourning. "I will bury them. The world is so fragile. Can you understand that?"
Her voice sounded heartbreakingly sad.
But Touko—who knew her well—could clearly tell:
There was some genuine sadness.
But most of it was instinctive performance.
Magi came in endless varieties.
The person Touko had come to visit—the Coal Witch, Liddell Achellot—was one of those particularly strange types.
Her main profession was… an idol singer who toured the world.
With her pretty face, her habit of periodically looking melancholy, and a theatrically obvious "performance-personality," Liddell genuinely had a respectable fanbase worldwide.
"I'm here to discuss the price, as agreed," Touko said flatly.
"Of course you are, Aozaki Touko. You're such a vulgar person—incapable of understanding my sorrow."
The melancholic idol rose to her feet.
Pink twin-tails.
A tall, slender figure.
Long legs wrapped in black stockings, paired with boots—fashion that looked ahead of its time.
"I heard you got kicked out recently," she said with a bright, delighted cruelty. "Congratulations, congratulations. So you've come prepared to work under me?"
"I don't have time to argue with you," Touko replied coldly. "What's mine—I'll take it back eventually."
"Oh~? Then I'll be watching with great interest."
Liddell clapped her hands right in Touko's face, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Touko didn't react. Her gaze stayed empty and indifferent.
Someone might ask:
If Touko knew Clock Tower Lords—people of that stature—what did she have to fear about her future?
But the truth was the opposite.
Because she knew them…
She had been watched from the start.
As the once-selected heir to the Fifth Magic—even if she'd been discarded—Touko's body was still coveted by many magi.
The more familiar someone was with her, the more interested they tended to be in her body.
Those who knew enough about Touko hadn't made a move simply because the magus world's order had to be maintained.
Touko's "value" wasn't high enough for them to shatter that order and risk being besieged by others.
Magi were a group willing to offer up anything for the Root—
But that recklessness only came out when something directly involved their own path.
In simpler words…
Touko wasn't worth them breaking their principles.
"It seems you didn't bring what I want," Liddell said lightly. "Then good luck. Hopefully we'll meet again next time."
In Touko's current condition, if she couldn't display talent and value, this city would swallow her quickly.
Like watching a grand tragedy unfold, Liddell wanted to see how the story ended.
After saying that, the pink-haired girl suddenly tapped her arm, as if just remembering something.
"Oh, right—Kuonji Alice seems to be living in Misaki Town right now. Do you keep in touch with her?"
The fairy-tale witch, Kuonji Alice, and the Coal Witch Liddell both belonged to the "witch" lineage.
The Association's Department of Botany was itself a legacy tied to the legendary witch Yumina.
And because of that, Liddell had a fairly good relationship with Alice—good enough that, if Alice died, Liddell would supposedly seize her bloodline without hesitation and research her corpse.
To Liddell, that might even count as a form of "respect."
"I've worked with Alice repairing some mystic codes," Touko answered. "And we've wasted enough words. As agreed—I want the foundational magecraft of the Coal Witch lineage."
Touko extended her hand toward Liddell.
Arato Sora's magic circuits—due to some unknown interference—had an abnormal, "imaginary" alignment.
Not just one aspect, either.
Life and minerals—a dual attribute.
Touko didn't really care about that at first, and had no interest in teaching him.
But now Arato had given her something.
She had to repay him—equally, or more.
Not for his sake.
Only so her own heart wouldn't shift.
So that when she returned to Misaki Town…
…she could still kill Arato Sora without hesitation.
Her revenge could not be changed.
"And the price?" Liddell smiled sweetly.
But in that sweetness was the unmistakable look of a hunter seeing prey step into a trap.
"A part of my body," Touko said.
"Deal."
Liddell snapped her fingers.
Magecraft flared.
In the next instant, Touko felt something driven into her—some force lodged inside.
The Department of Botany excelled in fairy-related magecraft.
What Touko had just been subjected to was exactly that kind of spell.
Coal was the essence of life—
plants buried underground for millions of years, compressed into the substance called coal.
The Coal Witch Liddell's specialty was compressing and refining life.
She was taking something from Touko.
Or more precisely—
She was taking Touko's bodily "advantages," converting them into optimization for her own body.
This optimization wasn't a simple instant transformation.
It sank into Liddell like growth potential—a latent concept that would let her continually develop and reshape herself toward whatever form she desired.
"How can I be so beautiful~?" Liddell cooed.
At some point, she'd produced a mirror, stroking her cheek and admiring herself again and again.
And Touko could clearly feel it:
A portion of her vitality had been permanently stripped away.
"That's enough."
Touko turned and left the estate without another word.
For a normal magus, having one's information and "life" recorded by another was a severe taboo.
But for the current Touko—
As long as she could achieve revenge, there was nothing she couldn't sell.
She pursued vengeance against the Aozaki family with the same obsession magi used to pursue the Root.
Nothing—no price—was too high.
-------
Promotion Valentine's Month Sale: 20% off for 7 days. Apply now!
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (123 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (72 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (92 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (93 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (75 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (115 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (105 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (105 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (42 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty…then Who Am I? (50 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (47 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (47 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (50 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (52 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it