Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

It seems that the hint was real.

"There may be a very strong shock to your consciousness coming next, Shirou, remember to be prepared."

As Aoko spoke, a huge and magnificent magic circle extended from beneath her feet.

Shirou took a deep breath: "Yes, I understand."

"Alright~ Let's begin—Reverse Operation 1989, let's go! Shirou!"

Accompanied by a raging, turbulent blue wind, Shirou's consciousness was engulfed by a white light.

An endless band of light enveloped Shirou.

It seemed as if I heard the clear sound of bells ringing in the distance.

But soon, Shirou's skin could no longer feel any heat or cold; temperature and sound seemed to have vanished—

Strands of stars whizzed past Shirou at incredible speed.

The individual-limited time-reversal has been established.

Seconds later, Shirou was once again captured by the planet's gravity.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest.

Looking up at the mountaintop, Shirou saw the familiar Western-style mansion.

"Very good, the coordinates are correct."

This is a hill in Misaki City, Japan, the third planet from our solar system.

Shirou pulled a pocket watch from his pocket; it was a magical artifact that Aoko had given him.

The effect is nothing special; it's just that the clock mechanism automatically calibrates the local time the moment the lid is opened. It's a gadget that the Fifth Magician made during his round-the-world trip to make it easier to know the time.

“Great, the coordinates here are also correct.”

So all we have to do now is wait quietly for our encounter with Aoko and the others.

Shirou recalled a conversation from a negotiation meeting.

◇

Aoko: "Stop! This is the biggest problem."

Shirou: "What?"

Aoko: "Shirou, when you jump to 1989, how do you plan to explain the current situation to me and Ayumi?"

Shirou: "Why don't you just state your identity and origin directly? Tell your past self that I was sent here by Aoko from the future."

Aoko: "Okay, zero points."

Shirou: "Why?"

"Of course it's because it's just too suspicious! You idiot Shirou!"

Aoko wrapped her arms around Shirou's neck, her two large, soft mounds pressing against his face, making it hard for the boy to breathe.

Yuzu sighed. Aoko had struggled for a while before finally releasing Shirou, and continued:

"Imagine if one day an intruder of unknown origin appears in your city."

Just as you're nervously preparing to investigate, a suspicious kid suddenly shows up at your door. What will you do?

Without hesitation, Shirou replied, "In any case, we should protect him first."

Aoko sighed and rubbed her forehead: "…………Sorry, I forgot you had this kind of personality."

Shirou wanted to say that he wasn't the kind of pushover who would help anyone he met, but unfortunately, that seemed to be the impression he had left on Aoko and the others.

Aoko said in an educational tone, "Shirou, you might do that, but I'm different from Arisu—"

We will not hesitate to eliminate them as enemies, because we are magicians.

"is it?"

Shirou was deeply suspicious.

Based on my understanding of Aoko and Ayumi, although they would have suspicions immediately, they wouldn't completely abandon communication and launch an attack; they would still be willing to listen to each other's explanations.

Moreover, Shirou always felt that—

"If it were me... I should have been able to persuade Aoko and Arisu in the past very easily."

The moment Shirou said those words, Aoko's pretty face turned gloomy, and Ayumi glared at Shirou as well.

"What do you mean?"

"what?"

"Are you saying that you can easily win me and Yuzhu over?"

"No, that's not what I meant... Why are you suddenly angry, Aoko-nee?"

"Humph~"

Aoko puffed out her cheeks.

She's 25 years old and still acting like this, it's really hard to deal with...

Shirou quickly expressed his willingness to obey the organization's arrangements.

"In short, Shirou, after you go back to the past, you must first gain my and Arisu's trust... only then can you reveal your identity and purpose. The order absolutely cannot be reversed."

"I understand, but Aoko-sensei, how exactly do I do it?"

"Well..."

Aoko grinned mischievously.

"In fairy tales, isn't there only one way to gain a girl's trust?"

Seeing that smile, Shirou felt a sense of foreboding: "What is it?"

"A hero saves the damsel in distress! A hero saves the damsel in distress!"

Aoko patted the boy on the shoulder: "Let me and Ayumi see your handsome side, young knight~?"

◇

"Aha……"

Shirou sighed helplessly.

Based on the information provided by Aoko, he moved toward the destination that triggered the "hero saves the damsel in distress" event.

……

……

Evening is the fixed time for classes at the Kuonji Western-style Mansion every day.

Yuzhu spent two hours teaching Qingzi today's lesson. Afterwards, they ate the dinners they had prepared and, as usual, leisurely spent the last meal of the day.

"It looks like it will turn into a rainforest next summer."

Looking at the waist-high weeds outside the window, Aoko suggested, "Hey, Yuzu, can't we just hire a professional cleaner?"

"If we look for it, we might be able to find it, but it will take time."

Yu-joo brushed off her roommate, running her fair fingertips across the mirror placed on the table.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the "Mirror of Afternoon Nap," and a city, along with countless forests, plains, and mountains, began to emerge from the wave-like surface.

"Oh, so you've switched from the mansion mode to the Misaki mode."

Aoko held a piece of chocolate in her mouth and brought it close to the mirror.

As Yuzhu gazed at the ripples on the mirror, she said, "Yes, the management here is a bit perfunctory, but I still switched to Misaki City... because the sky has been overcast since yesterday. Although progress is slow, this place is indeed being gradually surrounded."

"Does 'surrounding' mean the number has increased?" Aoko felt nervous.

"Besides the one who has already been apprehended, two other suspicious individuals have been sighted. One is in the city, and the other is in the forest on the outskirts."

"Ha, your eyewitness account should be correct. So, which one is more troublesome?"

"They're over there in the forest. We're trying to catch them, but they seem to have noticed our surveillance and are always reluctant to take the bait."

"Really? Are you planning something tonight?"

"We're setting a trap tonight."

Upon hearing what Yuuko said, a resolute light flashed in Aoko's eyes.

For rookie magician Aozaki Aoko, this was her first real battle.

Two years ago, the girl stepped into this world.

From that moment on, her original life trajectory was completely rewritten.

Aoko bit down and swallowed the chocolate ball along with the fear and confusion in her heart.

Since announcing "I have made my decision" on the night of the university's founding anniversary, she has swiftly and decisively completed the transformation of her body and mind.

Yuzhu lowered her head slightly, acknowledging the strength of her roommate and disciple.

"..."

Aoko's mindset made Arisu, who shared the same goal, feel very reliable.

No, it's less about being reliable and more about being happy.

After all, it took her more than a year to finally get Qingzi on the stage she was on.

It's strange that my roommate shares the same fate as me, but is also a formidable opponent.

The two will never understand each other, and one day they will use all the inheritances they have to fight each other.

However, if even reciprocity cannot be achieved in the first place, then it is meaningless.

Therefore, Yu-joo now feels genuine joy at her growth.

"...I'm sorry, I'll handle tonight's enemies."

"You just need to watch from the sidelines, Aoko. Your chance to fight is yet to come."

"Okay, I understand, Youzhu."

"Then hurry up and get ready. We'll meet at the entrance in half an hour."

Yuzhu finished her black tea in one gulp and left the living room to walk towards her own room.

……

……

Even today, Misaki City is still covered by vast forests.

Although urbanization has been implemented, nature still breathes quietly in the suburbs.

No matter how wildly humanity develops, the green, possessing true power, still lives tenaciously, constructing a mysterious realm that seems eternal.

The forests here are one of them.

It has been neglected in the suburbs for a long time, located at the border of Misaki Town and Misaki Hill.

Now it is a dwelling place for wild animals with nowhere else to go, a place they rely on for survival.

Every city has such a place, an ordinary forest of no return.

Although she was told that tonight was just a visit to the trainee officers, Aoko still excitedly put on her battle outfit.

Her upper body was dressed in a dress-like garment that accentuated her perfect figure, while her lower body was a combination of black pantyhose and over-the-knee boots, her shapely and slender legs exuding a healthy beauty that belongs to her age.

Aoko intently observed the rustling of the wind and the slightest movement in the vicinity, following behind a petite and slender figure.

A young girl in a black coat moved lightly and gracefully through the swaying shadows of the trees; she was the witch who lived in the mountains.

The two ventured deeper into the forest and soon encountered two eerie figures.

Judging by appearance, he is over 1.8 meters tall and is likely male.

Aoko thought to herself: Is it human...? No, it's a bit strange.

The babbling brook sounded like the crackling of a campfire.

Across the creek, barely ankle-deep, the two creatures that shouldn't exist in this forest finally appeared in the moonlight.