CK Simulation, Creating the Style of Tsukino Fumi

Page 110

Quinn blinked. He remembered that at the end of the 20th century, Aozaki Touko's sealing designation was lifted for some reason. At that time, Quinn, out of an investment mentality, persuaded the El-Melloi family to help in the process. Logically speaking, with the El-Melloi's intervention, Aozaki Touko should not be sealed again in such a short time as in the original story.

And yet, only a few years have passed?

"It's been a while, and it's still the same old story; it was still a suggestion made by the monarch of the Creation Department."

"This twisted master-disciple relationship."

Quinn pursed his lips. Sure enough, Kenneth was annoying, but when it came to being a decent human being, he was far superior to other magicians. This was also the main reason why Quinn never considered breaking the agreement, even though the El-Melloi family had fallen on hard times. His master-disciple relationship with Kenneth was genuine, something that Aozaki Touko could never envy in her entire life.

While the two were chatting about the awkward and strange interpersonal relationships among magicians, a half-finished commercial building that had obviously been abandoned for a long time came into view.

Quinn looked at the building, which was almost deserted and inconspicuous in the metropolis. He could vaguely sense some special fluctuations hidden within it. These were runes, ancient and mysterious characters that existed here in a form that most magicians could hardly perceive, in order to interfere with the cognition of ordinary people and cause ordinary people and many magicians to be affected and choose to leave this place.

If Quinn hadn't encountered the Norse gods and witnessed runes, he probably wouldn't have been able to detect these extremely subtle fluctuations. He would have mistaken this unremarkable building for an old corner of a modern metropolis. It's a wonder Kiritsugu Emiya was able to find this place; he certainly couldn't have detected such extremely subtle magical fluctuations, and likely only identified the location through intelligence analysis. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly a separate thought: "You Lin Yongyouyongyouyongyouyongyoulinzaizaimeimei...?")

Once he confirmed that this was his destination, Quinn got off the car with his luggage. Seeing Quinn move, Shiro Emiya almost instinctively followed behind him. Kiritsugu Emiya, who had originally planned to stay in the car and not get involved in the transactions between these high-ranking mages, was stunned for a few seconds. Then, his expression became subtle, and he had no choice but to follow along.

As soon as the three entered the building, Shiro's expression changed. She finally sensed the mystery within the building, and a strong sense of crisis enveloped her entire body.

"Teacher...we made an appointment in advance, right?" Shiro Emiya looked at Quinn with a stiff expression.

"There's no need. Aozaki Touko is usually very free. If you can find her by just going to her door, why would you need an appointment?"

Despite the obvious hostility from inside the building, who viewed the group as intruders, Quinn felt no sense of danger and simply tried to venture deeper. However, before he had taken more than a few steps, he saw a dark red glint emerge from the shadows deep within the building.

When the woman, dressed in a long trench coat, white shirt, slim-fit trousers, and high heels, carrying a briefcase—a typical urban working woman—looked at them with her orange-tinted eyes, both Kiritsugu and Haku instinctively became alert.

Aozaki Touko, the Mage Association's designated sealer and the highest-ranking Grand rank, stood before them with a cold expression, her dissatisfaction evident in her eyes. Fortunately, Aozaki Touko herself did not show any hostility.

"Even if I have a lot of free time, that's no reason for you to show up at my door without even a word. So, what are you here for?"

Hearing Aozaki Touko speak up, Shiro Emiya breathed a sigh of relief. Based on her experience, as long as the other party was willing to negotiate and was a woman, she could usually turn an enemy into a friend or even win her heart with her teacher's charm. Shiro Emiya had complete confidence in Quinn when it came to winning over women.

Then, she heard Quinn say something that made her want to punch him.

"Of course I've come to see your skill level, Painful Fruit, and to see if there was any shady dealing when the Clock Tower awarded you this color-rank title."

The moment these words were spoken, a murderous intent filled the air.

Chapter 260 The Monster in the Box: Where Did I Come From?

Teacher, what are you doing?! You didn't talk like that before!

The killing intent emanating from Aozaki Touko sent chills down Shiro Emiya's spine. Emiya Kiritsugu, standing beside her, even reached inside his coat and grabbed the gun he carried with him, loaded with Origin Bullets. Kiritsugu already felt that a fierce battle was inevitable, since it was common knowledge that Aozaki Touko disliked being called by her rank.

Anyone who dares to call her the Scarlet of Pain in front of Aozaki Touko will be killed by her; this is a vow Aozaki Touko herself made.

This oath is open and transparent in the magic world, and anyone who doesn't want to be his enemy would avoid provoking him. As a result, Quinn, who said he was there to make a deal, called out an even more insulting title.

Are you really here to make a deal, or to reclaim and seal Aozaki Touko on behalf of the Clock Tower?

Kiritsugu Emiya was completely confused about the current situation. He could only hope that Touko Aozaki would focus her hatred on Quinn, so that he would have a chance to fire the Origin Bullet into Quinn's body. Due to the characteristics of the Origin Bullet, the more talented the magician, the less able they were to resist its power.

"what did you just say?"

Aozaki Touko's tone was full of murderous intent. As soon as she finished speaking, there was a thud, and the briefcase in her hand fell to the ground. The closed lock opened instantly, and the monster hidden inside peeked out a few shadows. Instantly, the surrounding air became cold.

Shiro Emiya's forehead began to be covered in cold sweat. Her instinctive fear made her realize that the monster seemed to symbolize something that represented humanity's primal fears. Although she didn't know exactly how powerful it was, she was certain of one thing: Aozaki Touko was no less of a threat than a Servant.

However, less than three seconds later, the air temperature warmed up again. Before the monster that had emerged from the shadows could make a move, it seemed to sense something and immediately retreated back into the box, even locking the briefcase's clasp, as if nothing had just happened.

Aozaki Touko looked at the unusually quiet briefcase. After a few seconds of silence and embarrassment, she looked up as if nothing had happened. "I didn't hear you clearly. I was hard of hearing just now."

“You heard me right. I’m acquainted with your teacher and know about your situation, so I did it on purpose.” Quinn chuckled. “How about that? Isn’t it a clever way to address you? It won’t make you break your vow, and it’s sure to provoke you.”

Aozaki Touko took a deep breath. "Are you here to provoke me?"

"No, you provoked us. We haven't even entered your workshop yet, and you're already bringing out such a dangerous thing. Your attitude is terrible. The El-Melloi family helped you once before. You're not going to say anything, are you? You don't know that at the Judgment Meeting where your seal was revoked, Lord El-Melloi spoke up for you, do you? And don't tell me you've never seen me before and don't know who I am."

Aozaki Touko fell silent, because Quinn was right. At the end of the 20th century, her sealing order was canceled by the Clock Tower once. And the reason that cancellation was able to proceed smoothly was not only due to her personal efforts, but also largely because the Lord of the El-Melloi family spoke on her behalf.

Although she knew very well that even without the El-Melloi family's assistance, her seal designation could still be canceled, that's how politics is. Whether she actively sought help or not, from the moment someone offered to help her when she needed it, she had already incurred a debt of gratitude.

This is an unspoken rule of the clock tower's political cycle. As long as Aozaki Touko herself doesn't intend to completely sever ties with the clock tower, she has to abide by this rule. Moreover, as a seasoned magician with connections in the clock tower, Aozaki Touko certainly recognizes Quinn, especially given the recent rumors circulating about the Europa family. It would be difficult for her not to recognize Quinn.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were here to seal me away." Aozaki Touko apologized, while looking at Emiya Kiritsugu. "After all, the infamous Magician Killer is here too, and he's been gathering information about me in Kanbushi City recently. In fact, I was just planning to leave Kanbushi City to avoid trouble, and then you guys showed up."

It was just a coincidence.

Aozaki Touko's expression implied that no one would believe her, and Quinn, of course, understood that it was just a polite remark.

However, it is likely true that her behavior was a stress reaction to seeing Kiritsugu Emiya. After all, unlike the pure scholars in the Clock Tower who only regarded Kiritsugu Emiya as a mercenary mage, Aozaki Touko knew how terrifying the mage killer was.

This guy has always been very good at gathering and analyzing information. It's possible that when she discovered that Kiritsugu Emiya was searching for her whereabouts, she had already dug up all of Kiritsugu Emiya's past experiences and even deduced the principles behind his unique methods of hunting magicians.

From a magician's perspective, one can never be too careful when dealing with someone like Kiritsugu Emiya.

But Quinn wouldn't consider any of that, because whether it was his sarcastic remarks or Aozaki Touko's hostile behavior, they were merely the most common and ordinary part of the social interactions between magicians.

As long as the fundamental bottom lines of both parties are not touched, magicians will not become enemies over these minor conflicts and contradictions.

"Then let it be so. Now, shouldn't you invite us in for a seat? Ms. Aozaki, I'm here to entrust you with a business deal. My offer is very high, extremely high. If you accept this, you'll basically be set for life." (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

Now, Aozaki Touko's attitude improved significantly, and her gaze towards Quinn was no longer so distant. "I'm asking for a very high price."

"Money is not the issue. The issue is whether you can meet my requirements. I need your help to create a doll that allows a spirit to reside in it and live a normal life like a living person."

"Assistance?" Aozaki Touko looked Quinn over seriously. "You're a puppeteer too?"

"I guess so. In fact, if the patient's condition weren't so special, I could have done this job myself."

Aozaki Touko almost laughed at Quinn's statement. If Quinn could really create such a doll himself, why would he need to come to her? Besides, she was the only person in the world who could create such a doll. If Quinn could do something similar, he would probably be famous for it by now.

But no matter how much she wanted to laugh, she wouldn't refute her benefactor's words. Instead, with a touch of professionalism, she said she needed to first check the condition of the so-called patient Quinn mentioned, and where the patient was located.

Then, when Quinn opened his casually built, life-sized suitcase, the true ether flowing out of it changed Aozaki Touko's mindset. When Mordred, who was sleeping inside, appeared before her, Aozaki Touko's eyes began to show confusion.

With just one glance, Aozaki Touko, a Grand Magus who obtained the highest ranking of the Clock Tower based solely on her magical skill without any political factors, discovered the situation on Mordred's Spirit Origin while she was sleeping.

No, am I still half asleep?

Why would something of godlike status appear in modern times?

Chapter 261 I've really never seen this before.

Aozaki Touko has let go of her resentment.

When she discovered that one of her trump cards, the monster in the box that was comparable to a Servant's Noble Phantasm, was unwilling to attack Quinn and the others, she realized that there was something powerful in this group that could frighten even monsters. However, she couldn't figure out what it was that could scare this monster, which symbolized humanity's primal fear and was almost exclusively targeting humans.

She immediately ruled out Quinn, a top figure in the magic world recently.

Admittedly, the Europa family has recently gained a great reputation in the magic world, but this reputation is ultimately due to the ancient heroes who joined the Europa family. Quinn himself has not been known for any particularly eye-catching feats. It's unlikely that this guy personally killed a large number of magical beasts that had once harmed human civilization when he went to another world, which led to him possessing something like a special attack against magical beasts.

Putting aside Quinn, neither Emiya Kiritsugu nor that unknown girl were characters that monsters could fear. Originally, Aozaki Touko was wondering why, but now, she didn't care anymore.

With just a cursory glance, she could discern the various qualities possessed by the woman with a spirit origin at the level of a main god, who was sleeping peacefully in the box. Even in her slumber, her clothing and accessories spoke volumes about her noble status, and the divinity emanating from her was filled with an inexplicable sense of holiness. Without a doubt, this was an existence that should not appear in this era, just like her former familiar, no, it should be even more excessive than that.

After all, the Fantasy Species are only nearly extinct in modern times, not nonexistent. As far as Aozaki Touko knows, there are traces of Fantasy Species deep within the Great Tomb of Albion in England, but this…

"I can't do this job."

Aozaki Touko was already considering leaving; she didn't want to get involved with this kind of thing at all. Any magician with a sound mind would make the same choice. But as soon as she finished speaking, Quinn reached out and pinched the face of the person in the box.

The next second, Aozaki Touko wanted to run away.

Inside the box, Mordred, who was in a state of slumber to reduce her consumption of True Aether, opened her eyes. The dragon's eyes immediately turned to the female magician who was planning to run away. Under this gaze, Aozaki Touko instantly abandoned all thoughts.

Dragon offspring.

The highest-level fantasy species' factors flowed within the body of this being with a spirit origin at the level of a main god. In an instant, Aozaki Touko compared the figures, gods, and historical figures from various countries and mythologies in her mind with the woman in front of her, only to find that almost none of them matched this characteristic.

Naturally, she concluded that she had discovered a great secret. The Clock Tower probably didn't even know of this unknown woman's existence, otherwise it wouldn't have allowed Quinn to bring her to Japan. Now that she knew this secret, she couldn't escape.

"who are you?"

As Aozaki Touko's mindset clearly began to lean towards self-abandonment, Mordred was seriously scrutinizing the seemingly gentle and mature-looking Aozaki Touko in front of him, feeling that she was more terrifying than a thousand Europa IIs.

This woman... seems to be right in her master's strike zone. (You Lin Meiyong, I'm empty; you Lin Zaizai, are you not here...)

After teaming up with Quinn for so long, Mordred has figured out her Master's preferences. Compared to the naive and energetic young girls, Quinn is clearly a man with the spirit of Wei Wu and the backbone of Jian'an. Artoria, Morgan, and Guinevere can all prove this.

Considering Quinn's extremely messy romantic history, Mordred had to consider whether this woman in front of him, whom he had never met but whose looks and figure were in Quinn's good zone, was Quinn's lover in the modern world, and how he should treat her.

What does this have to do with you?

While Mordred was still hesitating and thinking, a voice had already resounded in her heart.

That was the voice of Europa II. Through Mordred's eyes, Europa II, who had lost her body, could see everything Mordred saw and feel Mordred's emotions. Therefore, she gave her advice without hesitation.

"If you want to win my father's favor, don't try to interfere in his social life. Women who are too controlling don't attract men. If you want to be my mother, then I suggest you ignore his private life. After all, you're the one interfering anyway."

Mordred's thoughts were exposed by her other self, and she instantly turned red. As soon as she turned red, the surrounding environment began to distort and change. Just as Aozaki Touko had judged, the spirit origin of the main god level had exceeded the upper limit of modern mysticism. In this era where true ether has disappeared from the surface of the earth, even the slightest emotional change of a main god level figure can cause environmental changes.

The limited amount of True Aether within the box was rapidly consumed with Mordred's violent breathing, causing the surrounding air to move faster and forming an inexplicable gust of wind that was growing stronger. If the True Aether stored in the box were completely depleted, this gust of wind would turn into a raging typhoon, leaving people wondering why the mere existence of gods could symbolize and represent the great power of nature.

Sensing the abnormal depletion of True Aether, Quinn immediately reached out and slapped Mordred on the forehead, knocking Mordred out of Red Temperature Mode.

"What nonsense are you thinking? There isn't much True Aether in this box. I paid a considerable price to Arcueid to get her to help create this True Aether. Before your physical body is created, you need to keep your emotions stable and reduce your energy consumption."

"Then why can't I continue sleeping?" Mordred's attention, which had been slapped on the forehead, shifted from Europa II's words to Quinn. "Master, you can wait until the physical body is finished before waking me up. I don't mind sleeping a little longer."

Hearing these comforting words, Quinn couldn't help but pat Mordred's head. "You're the one who makes things so easy for me, Mordred."

From an angle that Quinn couldn't see, Mordred was already barely suppressing a smile. Although she still didn't get along with Europa II, she had to admit that Europa II's advice was really useful.

This scene was witnessed by Aozaki Touko.

At this moment, the Grand Doll Maker was completely bewildered.

Throughout her life, Aozaki Touko had witnessed countless outrageous things. From ordinary martial arts practitioners who could create fantasy species with their bare bodies to yakuza heiresses whose physical bodies were connected to the Root, these were all absurdities that could shatter the worldview of a regular magician. She thought there was nothing left in the world that could shock her anymore, but this…

She had never seen it before.

Chapter 262 We Only Need One Body

The Hall of the Sangharama.

Inside the office at the deepest part of this usually deserted building, a rare scene of bustling activity unfolded. An old television was playing the latest entertainment program, and Mordred and Shiro's laughter echoed through the empty building along with the exaggerated dramas of the quirky celebrities on the screen.