Even without relying on the properties of the "Yamato" itself, Shirou's slash was nothing short of masterful.
The metal bird-shaped familiar he had cut down was almost perfectly intact. It had simply been split cleanly in two down the middle, leaving an impossibly smooth cross-section.
Now he could take it back and have Aoko and Alice examine it.
With that thought, Shirou slipped the familiar into his pocket and walked into the apartment.
"Huh? Shirou-chan, you're still planning to clean?"
Ritsuka Suse looked surprised when she saw him roll up his sleeves.
"Yeah. We agreed to it, after all… or am I allowed to go home now?"
"Nope~ I'm counting on you today, Shirou-chan. I'll help clean too."
Ritsuka Suse said it with a bright smile, then hurriedly brought over a mop, bucket, broom, and rags, as if she were afraid Shirou might run away.
And so the two of them began a full cleaning of the apartment.
"You're so serious, Shirou-chan. Hehe, I just love boys who work hard."
"Please don't harass me."
"That's not harassment. If you were just a little older, Shirou, I'd make my move without a second thought."
Ritsuka Suse chatted excitedly with Shirou as they cleaned.
Shirou suddenly got the feeling that, like him, she was usually stuck doing this kind of dull, tedious work.
"Thanks for earlier, Shirou-chan. If not for you, I wouldn't even have known there was a trap set up where I live.
…Ah, that was dangerous. Really dangerous. If only I had money, I could move into a fancy apartment with an elevator."
"I might have done something unnecessary."
Ritsuka Suse looked puzzled. "Why do you say that?"
Shirou answered, "I think that trap probably wasn't malicious."
"There's no such thing as a non-malicious trap in this world!"
The woman kept grumbling as she scrubbed the floor hard. Then Shirou asked, as if catching her off guard.
"Ritsuka-nee, you're not actually with the Church. You're with the Mage's Association, aren't you?"
Ritsuka Suse froze, then gave an awkward smile.
"Oh… you figured it out."
"To think a middle schooler saw through me. My cover is a total failure~ That's the second hardest blow I've taken today!"
Shirou listened to her explanation.
In the past, Ritsuka Suse had gone abroad to study despite her family's objections. In other words, to London.
She stayed at a friend's place in London, so lodging was not a problem, but she still had to work part-time to pay for food. That was when she became good at physical labor.
And now, she had returned to her hometown.
She served as the Association's eyes, watching the Magician family that ruled the Misaki Spiritual Land to make sure they were not secretly conducting some strange Magecraft research.
"Such a heavy responsibility~" the woman said, touching her cheek. "And completely out of proportion to my pitiful salary."
"So that last part was the real point?" Shirou said with a wry smile.
The cleaning took an hour and a half.
The apartment itself was small, and both Shirou and Ritsuka Suse were good at indoor cleaning, so they finished quickly.
While they were cleaning, Ritsuka Suse had mentioned that the coffee she brewed was very good.
Now that they had some free time, she told Shirou to watch TV while she went to the kitchen to make coffee.
As luck would have it, that was exactly when a knock came from the entrance.
"Ritsuka-nee, someone's at the door."
A panicked voice came from the kitchen.
"That must be the landlady here to collect rent! Please, Shirou-chan, help me deal with her somehow!"
"Ehh No way"
Shirou was the type who would help someone clean, but would not casually lie for them.
"Don't be like that! Please! Just say you're a relative's kid and Ritsuka-nee went out, so she isn't home today!"
"…Sigh."
Shirou sighed helplessly, turned off the TV, and walked toward the entrance.
He opened the door.
"..."
Shirou was completely stunned.
He was shocked that the landlady coming to collect rent at an old apartment like this could be so young.
Wait. Did she actually look a year or two younger than Ritsuka-nee?
She was about 165 centimeters tall, with a slender, graceful figure. Her hair and eyes were a vivid red.
She wore a gorgeous green dress that looked as if it had come straight out of the Victorian era. Its tailored cut made no attempt to hide the sensual charm of a mature woman.
Her full bust and hips, slim waist, and long, beautiful legs were impossible not to notice.
Her glasses gave her a sharp, clever look, while her eyes and brows carried a faint softness.
Her beautiful red hair only reached her neck, which made the dazed Shirou feel, for some reason, that it was a bit of a shame.
Seeing the boy stare blankly, the woman gave him a faint smile.
The Suse sisters were also famous in the neighborhood as the beautiful sisters of Aida Church, but the woman before him had a charm that went beyond looks.
He could not help remembering what Aoko had told him.
"Shirou will know who she is the moment he sees her. That's just the kind of irritating woman Touko-nee-san is!"
…This person was Touko Aozaki.
Although she was only four years older than Aoko and Alice, she was already the Clock Tower's Brand and the world's strongest puppet master.
He really had recognized her at a glance.
This woman had a presence no weaker than "Aoko of the Future."
"Um… may I ask who you are?" Shirou still pretended not to know her.
"Good afternoon. Is Ritsuka here?"
Touko Aozaki asked with a beaming smile, but her eyes were fixed straight on Shirou, as if he were the real point of interest.
"Ritsuka-nee isn't here right now. I'm her cousin."
At that, Touko Aozaki let out a small "Ah," covered her mouth, and gave a mischievous laugh.
"How can you come up with such an obvious lie? Did Aoko teach you to be naughty?"
A certain pressure radiated from the red-haired puppet master.
It felt very similar to Shirou's first meeting with Aoko Aozaki.
Ah… it really was similar.
In the older sister, he could see the shadow of the "future younger sister."
That said, this level of pressure was no different from a spring breeze to Shirou.
Just as Shirou was about to speak.
"...That voice. Is that Touko!?"
Ritsuka Suse's voice came from the kitchen.
"Hello there. Long time no see. I just happened to be passing by, so I came to say hello, Ritsuka."
"No way, it really is Touko! You're back!"
Ritsuka Suse ran out holding the coffee pot.
The sound of high heels crossed the entrance.
As Touko Aozaki stepped into the apartment, she naturally placed a hand on Shirou's shoulder, the gesture oddly familiar.
"That's right. I snuck back not long ago, quiet and suspicious, like Santa Claus breaking in through a window."
"Ah, and my goal is to destroy this city. I've made thorough preparations this time so I can settle everything with my past."
"So I need to strike first, before those troublesome people from the Association and the Church notice."
"Wait… I'm innocent! I have nothing to do with the Association!
"I haven't done any proper work all year!"
Ritsuka Suse pleaded in a tearful voice.
But there was no need for her to worry.
As far as Shirou could tell, the killing intent Touko Aozaki was giving off right now was all an act.
Aoko's older sister probably enjoyed teasing people.
The three of them sat down at the dining table, and the women began catching up over coffee.
It would not be an exaggeration to say they were having a lively conversation, because Shirou could not find a single chance to cut in.
Incidentally, he had tried to sit on Ritsuka Suse's side, but Touko Aozaki held him in place by the shoulder, leaving him with no chance to slip away.
"Judging from the look of you, you really don't have much to do with the Association. You're still protecting your own principles… Hm. You're seriously helping Aoko."
"Of course. Aoko's still half-baked, after all~ I keep my distance, stay neutral, and even if Aoko's life is in danger, I'll watch from far away."
"That's enough. Aoko is lucky to have a close friend like you."
Touko Aozaki smiled, then changed the subject.
"I did want to warn you that if you told Aoko I came here today, you should watch out for something popping up from under your feet and swallowing you whole…"
"But, well… 'that' was taken care of just now."
After saying that, Touko Aozaki turned her meaningful red eyes toward Shirou.
Ritsuka Suse immediately complained loudly.
"So that shadow familiar was your work, Touko!"
"If I hadn't dragged Shirou-chan here to clean for me, I would've been in serious trouble! Demon! Heartless monster! Genius demon!"
Touko Aozaki sighed.
"That was a trap I spent an entire week setting up…"
"To think it was dealt with so easily. Even someone as strong as me feels a little hurt this time."
Touko Aozaki looked deeply at Shirou, then spoke without giving anything away.
"By the way, Ritsuka. This is sudden, but could you run an errand for me? Go to the shopping district and buy one kilogram of beef."
"That is way too sudden! Why do I have to do that?"
Touko Aozaki threw her a flirtatious wink through her glasses.
"It's part of my preparations to conquer the city. Please, Ritsuka."
"You two had better not fight while I'm gone!!!!"
After shouting that at the two people inside, Ritsuka Suse disappeared through the entrance.
With the homeowner herself sent away, only Shirou and Touko remained in the cramped apartment.
"Shirou… My name is Shirou Amamiya."
The boy's decision to introduce himself first made Touko Aozaki laugh.
There was no mockery in her soft laughter. Instead, it carried a warmth that seemed to wrap around him.
"You're so serious, Shirou… Hm. I like people like you."
She narrowed her eyes and said, "In that case, I should introduce myself again too. Nice to meet you. I'm Touko Aozaki."
Ever since that night in the forest a few days ago, Touko Aozaki had noticed Shirou Amamiya's existence.
A mysterious boy who had appeared in Misaki City without warning, as if brought onto the stage by some theatrical mechanism.
His strength was so great that its depths could not be measured, and everything he had done so far seemed to point toward a single purpose: protecting Aoko.
Who in the world was this child?
And why did he have to appear at exactly this time?
This boy would help her younger sister defeat her. That should have been Touko Aozaki's reaction.
In fact, that was exactly what she had thought until yesterday.
But after meeting Shirou in person today, she came to a new realization.
It was hard to believe, but still.
Touko Aozaki actually felt that this child was not her enemy.
"Ritsuka is quick on her feet, so she probably won't take long to come back."
"So, Shirou, I'll keep this short and ask you directly."
"Should I consider you my enemy?"
Touko Aozaki still sat with the polite, dignified posture of an adult, her black-stockinged legs crossed elegantly. Yet her eyes shone with a girlish curiosity.
"As expected of Aoko's older sister. You're sharp… Good. That saves me some time."
Shirou looked straight into her eyes and declared, "Touko, I don't intend to become your enemy."
Touko grew even more curious.
"Even though I'm about to go to war with Aoko?"
Shirou nodded.
"Yes. Even if you become Aoko's enemy, I won't see you as mine."
After hearing the boy's confession, the puppet master thoughtfully pinched her chin and nodded.
"…How strange. I felt the same thing, which is why I asked."
"You've interfered with me again and again, but I don't sense any hostility from you at all."
"Shirou… what exactly is your real goal? Can you tell me?"
"To save you, I jumped back eight years into this era."
Of course, Shirou would never say something that sounded practically like a heartfelt confession.
He only said calmly, "You don't need to know."
Touko Aozaki looked deeply regretful when she heard that.
"I see… So you still can't tell me. What a shame."
"But even if you don't plan to be my enemy, Shirou, I won't spare Aoko. Are you fine with that?"
"I'm fine with it," Shirou said.
Touko Aozaki murmured thoughtfully, "Your eyes are telling me, 'Aoko won't lose to you'…
How strange. I really should be furious, but I can't seem to get angry at you at all. Oh well."
The red-haired puppet master suddenly stood and stretched broadly.
When she arched her back, her already full, proud breasts stood out even more. Shirou's gaze was drawn to them before he realized it, and he quickly looked away.
"Shirou, I'm starting to like you more and more… Would you like to come over to my side?"
Touko Aozaki looked at Shirou.
Shirou was surprised to find that the glasses she had been wearing had disappeared.
"At first, I only thought, 'This child seems to belong to Aoko,' so naturally, I wanted to take him away."
"But now I've confirmed it. You don't belong to Aoko at all."
"And yet I want you even more… Now I simply want you for myself."
The red-haired witch extended her slender fingers and laid them against the boy's face.
"Come with me, Shirou… I'll take good care of you and let you experience a satisfaction those two little girls could never give you."
Aoko had warned him before the time leap, but Shirou had not expected Touko to actually try to recruit him.
He remembered the promise he had made to "Future Aoko."
Even so, Shirou answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Yeah, sure."