Alice-san and Aoko-neesan returned a few hours later, immediately diving back into their books without saying much of anything.
Even Aoko-neesan, who was usually kind to me, seemed to be in a foul mood; she merely tossed a bag of snacks my way before returning to her reading in silence. Soujuurou-san, perhaps sensing the tension with his wild instincts, remained quiet as well.
After about two-hours had passed, Soujuurou-san, unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, finally spoke up.
"So, what exactly happened out there?"
"It's none of your business. You're going to forget all about it later anyway, aren't you?"
"Maybe so, but I can't stand not knowing right now."
"…Dolls. The same kind that appeared at the amusement park showed up again. Are you satisfied now?"
Dolls… Honestly, in the world of TYPE-MOON, only one person comes to mind when puppets are mentioned.
Touko Aozaki, the magus known as the Grand Puppetmaster. Along with the Jewel Old Man somewhere out there and her own younger sister, Aoko-neesan, she is one of the central figures holding the tangled threads of the TYPE-MOON universe together.
Of course, they are sisters in name only; in reality, they have a dog-and-cat relationship, fighting to the death every time they meet. I recall hearing that Francesca once tried to taunt Touko Aozaki and then asked Aoko-neesan for help, only to be crushed twice as hard by the resulting backlash.
"If things are that bad, why don't you two go out for a change of pace?"
"A change of pace?"
It seemed the low pressure emanating from the two women had finally reached even the eternally dense Soujuurou-san. He pulled something from his pocket and handed it to them.
"Honestly, I don't understand Magecraft or memories or anything like that, but if you keep stressing yourselves out, even the things you can do won't work. It might be best to let it go for a day and just rest."
"The La Aquarium Center… isn't this where you work part-time?"
"The manager gave them to me because I've been working hard. He told me to go with someone I know, but since I see the place every day…"
Soujuurou-san then turned his gaze toward me.
"If you want, I could probably get a ticket for you too. What do you think?"
"I think it's still a bit ambiguous for me to be wandering outside. Besides, I'm not fond of fish…"
"Is that so?"
Right then, Alice-san picked up the tickets and spoke.
"Fine."
"Huh?"
"It might not be a bad idea to refresh ourselves, just as you said. Aoko, let's head out tomorrow for the day."
When Alice-san, who usually looked down on Soujuurou, was the first to agree, Aoko-neesan followed suit. Soujuurou-san looked at me with a persistently apologetic expression.
…No, there's no need to look at me like that. I have plenty of books I need to read anyway.
* * * * *
The next day, as planned, the two of them left for the aquarium, and Soujuurou-san also headed out for his part-time job.
After finishing the tedious chore of washing the dishes, I began to read the books they had left out.
Perhaps the two discoveries I made last time were just a stroke of extreme luck. The books currently scattered on the desk were mostly related to Witchcraft for manipulating human psychology or Runic Magecraft.
I could guess the contents just by looking at the titles on the covers. One thing was certain: every book out today was a 'dud.'
"Haa, is today a bust then?"
—Thud, thud, thud!
Just then, I heard the sound of someone knocking on the door from somewhere outside.
For a moment, I wondered if Aoko-neesan or Alice-san had returned, but since they were the owners of this house, they would have no reason to knock. Instead of opening the door, I slowly approached the main entrance.
Peering through the keyhole of the gate, I spotted a 'something' with the physique of a small child and short blonde hair, and a beautiful woman with red hair wearing glasses.
She must have noticed me through the keyhole as well, for she spoke in a gentle tone.
"Are you in there? My name is Touko Aozaki. I'm Aoko's older sister. Would you mind opening the door for me?"
…Oh, hell. Why is she appearing here now?
* * * * *
Touko Aozaki.
Commonly known as the 'Grand Puppetmaster.'
Quite literally, she is a genius without equal when it comes to 'dolls.' She has attained a form of pseudo-immortality through the insane method of creating 'duplicates' with DNA structures identical to her own and transferring all her memories into said duplicate upon her death. Mentally, she is a being who has half-transcended humanity.
Usually, a duplicate's quality inevitably falls short of the original, so repeated duplication causes one to drift further and further from the source. If a fake recognizes itself as a fake, the ego collapses, leading to self-destruction. That was exactly the miserable fate of Tomoe Enjou in *The Garden of Sinners*.
However, Touko Aozaki bypassed the former problem with sheer, absurd puppet-making skill. As for the latter, she simply decided, 'Whether I am the fake or the original, as long as I recognize myself as Touko, there is no problem.'
In other words, this woman is a slightly deranged existence whose sense of identity is twisted in a way unlike any ordinary person…
…To put it simply, Touko Aozaki is a woman with a world-class screw-loose mentality—one that doesn't care whether she dies or not, because someone exactly like her will just wake up again.
"…I haven't heard anything about Aoko-san having an older sister."
"Mmm… Aoko and I aren't on very good terms. But if you're living here, surely you know who the 'Witch of Fairy Tales' is?"
"Are you referring to Alice-san?"
"Likely so. I used to be quite close with the *Witch of Fairy Tales*. I've come here on business to see her; could you let me in?"
…It's a trap.
Alice-san and Aoko-neesan still haven't realized who is sending the dolls. Trespassing onto someone else's land is strictly a hostile act. And it's common sense that 'close friends' don't commit such acts of hostility.
Furthermore, while Touko Aozaki said she was close to the 'Witch of Fairy Tales,' she never explicitly stated that the witch she meant was Alice Kuonji.
But I could sense it. If I didn't let her in, she would break down the door and enter by force.
'Trying to stop her with the powers of the Rinnegan would be suicidal.'
If we compare Shirou Emiya's Magic Circuits—which are considered fairly decent—to a 9mm Parabellum handgun, the quality of the Magic Circuits belonging to the woman before me is said to be on the level of a Scud missile.
On top of that, there was a mysterious boy beside her. The presence I felt from him was also extraordinary. It felt like watching a pot that wasn't just boiling over, but was on the verge of exploding.
Facing a woman who had partially awakened the karma of True Magic and a mysterious boy while relying solely on the Rinnegan? That's just a suicide mission.
"…In that case, I shall welcome you inside as a guest."
"Oh my, what proper hospitality."
I opened the gate and showed them in as guests. The two stepped into the Kuonji Mansion with smiles on their faces.
* * * * *
Sitting in the armchairs located in the manor, the two said they didn't mind if the tea was cold and began to drink from the set already laid out.
"Let me formally introduce ourselves again. I am Touko Aozaki, Aoko's biological sister. And this is Lugh Beowulf! You can just call him Lugh."
"Nice to meet you."
However, Lugh Beowulf did not answer my greeting.
Instead, he gave me a brief sidelong glance before losing interest and looking around the mansion.
While he was surveying the surroundings, I took the opportunity to observe 'it' as well.
'Crimson eyes with slit pupils, blonde hair, and the name "Beowulf." To be sure, a Heroic Spirit named Beowulf appears in FGO, but knowing Touko Aozaki's personality, she wouldn't have incarnated a Heroic Spirit. If she had, the Clock Tower wouldn't just be sending Enforcers; the entire Lore Department and Brishisan would have mobilized to seize her.'
The first thing I suspected was, without a doubt, a werewolf.
The slit pupils and crimson eyes were the primary red flags. While she was more skilled at handling puppets than familiars, she had handled familiars related to otherworlds in *The Garden of Sinners*, so it was a very plausible theory.
"By the way, what is your name?"
"…I'm called Karma. It means retribution, but I was given the name so that I would do good deeds rather than accumulate negative karma."
"What a lovely name! Truth be told, I never liked my own name much. There were quite a few people who used it to mock me…"
"Haha…"
Indeed, she never left those who mocked her alone.
Cornelius Alba, who called her by the name 'Scarlet,' met a gruesome end at her hands, and Francesca was murdered over dozens of times…
"So, Karma-kun. When exactly are Alice and Aoko coming back?"
"…I'm not entirely sure. They didn't say when they would return when they left."
"Hmm… is that so?"
The conversation felt like walking on thin ice.
She continued to probe me with various questions, and I tried to be as vague and indirect as possible to avoid giving her any useful information.
Right then, Beowulf, who had been sprawled lazily on the sofa, spoke up.
"Touko, why are you bothering with all this? Can't we just chop off his limbs and take him with us?"
…Good grief.
The real psychopath was right here.