N-A-A Page 360
Page 360
Aozaki Aoko blinked.
"So what? Magic battles aren't about who can run the fastest."
Why not try hand-to-hand combat?
Shiraishikawa suggested.
"Magic can be used not only for ranged spells, but also to enhance melee abilities. To be honest..."
He gave a meaningful smile.
"The threat you pose to me in close combat far exceeds that of your magic bullets."
Aozaki Aoko was stunned; this idea had never crossed her mind before.
She looked down at her hands, her slender yet strong fingers trembling slightly.
"Am I... suited for hand-to-hand combat?"
"It's worth a try."
Shiraishikawa shrugged.
"Instead of fixating on areas you're not good at, you should make use of your talents."
Even if Aozaki Touko is strong, she might not be able to gain the upper hand in close combat.
Aozaki Aoko's eyes gradually brightened.
She suddenly grabbed Shiraishi Kawa's hand.
"Thank you! This...this is indeed a new idea!"
Shiraishi let her hold his hand, his eyes filled with an unfathomable emotion. After a moment, he spoke softly.
"You're welcome, sister-in-law."
"what?"
Aozaki Aoko released her grip as if she had been burned, her cheeks instantly turning bright red.
"What...what did you just call me?"
"Sister-in-law".
Shiraishikawa repeated calmly, a smile playing on his lips.
"After all, you just admitted that Aozaki Touko is your bastard sister."
Aozaki Aoko stammered.
"That was just... a casual remark! It doesn't mean I acknowledge your relationship with her!"
Shiraishikawa raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Don't worry, I won't interfere in your sisters' feud, nor will I force you to call me brother-in-law..."
His expression suddenly turned serious.
"However, I must warn you, Aozaki Touko is a dangerous person. If you take my advice, you'd better leave Misaki City as soon as possible."
The blush on Aozaki Aoko's face quickly faded, replaced by a determined expression.
"impossible."
She said it with absolute certainty.
"I am the heir of the Aozaki family, and this is our territory. If my sister really wants to come back..."
She clenched her fists.
"Then I'll settle this with her."
Shiraishikawa gave her a deep look, as if assessing her resolve. After a moment, he sighed.
"I understand your awareness, but..."
He hesitated, then finally just shook his head.
Aozaki Aoko keenly noticed his unusual behavior.
"but what?"
"nothing."
Shiraishi River changed the subject.
"However... 5.7... the Aozaki Touko you are facing may be different from the one you remember."
"What do you mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Shiraishikawa suddenly grabbed her right hand.
Aozaki Aoko instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but found that her hand was as if it were fixed in a vise and she couldn't move it.
"what are you doing--"
"Give you a chance."
Shiraishikawa said in a low voice, and his palm began to emit a faint blue light.
Aozaki Aoko felt a strange warm current flow into her body from the point of contact, which quickly spread along her arm to her whole body.
"What kind of magic trick is this?"
Chapter 449 Gathering
Aozaki Aoko asked in surprise, as she could feel the flow of magic within her body becoming smoother.
Shiraishi Kawa released his hand, and the light immediately disappeared.
"It's just... a small blessing."
He said mysteriously.
"Give a chance to those who are in trouble."
Aozaki Aoko moved her wrists and felt much lighter.
She looked at Shiraishi Chuan with suspicion.
"Who are you? Why are you helping me?"
Instead of answering directly, Shiraishikawa said...
"In return, I would like you to take me to visit the Western-style mansion of Kuonji Arusa."
Aozaki Aoko's expression immediately turned wary.
"No! A mansion isn't a place just anyone can go. Besides..."
She hesitated.
“I don’t have the right to invite you; I must obtain the consent of Kuonji Yuju.”
Shiraishikawa nodded.
"I understand. Then I'll visit you another day."
Aozaki Aoko breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the forest in the distance.
"Kuonji Aratsumi might be there right now; I can go ask her opinion first—"
Her words came to an abrupt halt, her fingers frozen in mid-air.
Following her gaze, Shiraishi Kawa's brows gradually furrowed.
Above the forest, countless creatures with black wings are gathering.
They are not like ordinary birds, but rather some kind of distorted existence, somewhere between reality and illusion.
They danced silently, their numbers increasing at a visible rate, gradually forming an ominous dark cloud.
"Half a catty, eight ounces, guard my sides."
Kuonji Yuju's voice was frighteningly calm, as if she were stating a fact that was about to happen, rather than giving an order.
Two familiars, resembling crows but with human faces, let out piercing cries and flapped their wings to fly to her side.
Their feathers gleamed with a metallic sheen, and ominous black mist swirled around their claws.
The shadow legion surged in from all directions.
Samurai wielded longswords that gleamed coldly, ninjas darted among the shadows of the trees, little giants let out low growls, and aliens with black wings hovered overhead, casting shadows of death.
"Gah——!"
Half-pound suddenly let out a scream as a jet-black kunai pierced through its wing.
Three shadowy ninjas leaped down from the treetops, their sharp blades aimed straight for the familiar's vital points.
Eight screamed and lunged at his companion, but was blocked by two samurai.
With a flash of light, one of Ba Liang's wings was severed at the root, and black liquid splattered onto the fallen leaves, making a hissing, corrosive sound.
Kuonji Yuju's pupils contracted slightly, but she did not move.
Magic surged within her, like a flood about to burst its banks.
She gently raised her right hand, her slender fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air.
"When Alice looked through the mirror, she saw an upside-down world..."
She began to sing, her voice as sweet as a nursery rhyme, yet with a chilling rhythm.
The Shadow Legion's offensive intensified.
A small giant swung his tree-trunk-like arm at her, but was stopped by an invisible barrier a meter away.
Ripples spread through the air as the little giant let out a confused roar.
"...Mr. Rabbit is always late, and the Mad Hatter is always drinking tea..."
The ground began to tremble. Tiny cracks spread beneath her feet like a spiderweb, and some enormous creature was awakening underground.
The shadowy soldiers instinctively took a step back; even they, devoid of emotion, could sense the impending terror.
"...And the river flowing under the bridge will carry away all the disobedient children..."