Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

They seemed to have forgotten that they were bipedal animals, and all of them moved through the forest on all fours.

This entire puppet army, if put together, might be enough to buy Misaki City, and even a prime piece of land in France.

However, in the eyes of the girls' enemy, Touko Aozaki, these are merely pawns to be discarded.

For the witch who felt her treasure (her mansion) was threatened—

They are nothing more than ants that can be crushed at will.

When thick white fog rose from the mountain, and a human-shaped figure resembling a young girl appeared within it, a massacre officially began.

A thick fog, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, illuminated a dark fairy tale.

The dolls noticed something was wrong.

They are non-human "mysterious artifacts," and therefore they know better than any living being how terrifying the girl in the fog is.

So the dolls had to run away.

Unfortunately, the dolls' owner issued a near-suicidal order to launch a full-scale attack—even without that order, they would already be unable to move.

A huge crack appeared in the white mist.

The fog stretched into thin threads through those cracks, but as the cracks widened, those threads revealed their true form: they were not the viscous substance within the fog, but rather strangely shaped white limbs.

—There exists some incomprehensible monster in the fog.

Sharp white teeth and bright red claws.

It looked like a bird, and also like a wild beast, but in the end I realized it must be some kind of giant dragon.

Unable to escape, the dolls rushed one after another into the white mist, and then vanished.

Click, click, clatter, crash—not long after, the last puppet disappeared.

The sounds of strange objects echoed everywhere—in the forest, along the mountain paths, and on the steps. The mournful cries of the dolls were like bloodstains that could never be wiped away.

The fifty-odd puppets were quickly and intriguingly devoured by the monster of unknown origin, completely powerless to resist.

Even after the massacre ended, the thick fog on the mountain did not dissipate.

Still wanting more, not yet satisfied, such a simple thing couldn't possibly fill the stomach of a teenage girl—

Because there is no water source on the mountain, the strongest "Bridge Giant" cannot be used.

Faced with the puppet army sent by Aozaki Touko, she had no choice but to use "Rosehounds" to fight them.

This was the girl's mistake.

In order to fight against the demonic nature, an even stronger demonic nature was awakened. Kuonji Aratsu's already low mood was further depressed by the fog monster.

Mainster's blood is stirring.

Even during the battle, he was still thinking about the two people who disappeared from the mansion—

"What are Shirou and Aoko doing now? Have they already had dinner?"

"The dinner at the hot spring inn must be very lavish... but I can only pitifully eat takeout soba noodles by myself at home."

"It looks like there's lobster sashimi."

The sound of her mother came from afar.

"Did they go to the hot springs together after dinner?"

"Although I think it's unlikely... but mixed bathing, that kind of thing that's so lacking in common sense, taste, and shamelessness, wouldn't happen, right?"

"Aoko's bikini that she bought this summer doesn't seem to be in her room anymore... She must be planning to use it tonight."

The mother whispered in the girl's ear.

"Ahhh... Ahhhhhh... No... No no no no no no no no no no... It's too cunning to think that only Aoko can be happy!"

The girl's longing gradually deepened, sinking her deeper and deeper—

at this time.

The thick fog sensed that tonight, not only had an army of puppets infiltrated the mountain, but also a wolf that had defied its master's will and secretly slipped out of its home.

The demonic call to the demonic, the beast calls to the beast—

As the full moon emerged from the clouds, a particularly soaring and beautiful melody began to play.

This is a roar that evokes ancient memories.

In the misty moonlight, the owner of the voice strolled out of the darkness of the forest.

It was an incredibly beautiful golden beast.

It is neither magic nor illusion, but a truly sacred thing. It is the life of an extinct age of gods, the mysterious and accumulated legacy of human wisdom, the miraculous reappearance of the entire earth—it is the true nemesis of magicians who can shatter everything in one fell swoop.

The beast's name is Lugo.

In his hometown, the name means "sun".

Golden Wolf – a magical beast that can speak human language and is known as a werewolf.

It has an ancient origin than the widely known vampire king of monsters; they are the "forest people" of Northern Europe.

However, according to the standards of werewolves, there is no golden coat color; silver is the highest-ranking bloodline.

The silver werewolf became the leader of the pack, its status surpassing that of magical beasts, while the golden werewolf above it could be said to possess intelligence unmatched by humans.

In fact, it is not a real werewolf, but "something" that has the appearance of a wolf.

It caused a sensation when it was discovered by the werewolf pack.

As time has passed and eras have changed, the fertility of werewolves has been declining for over two thousand years since entering civilized society.

It is a joyous occasion for a tribe to produce a new life within ten years.

As a young animal, it had no gray or white fur; it was only given a pure gold color by the forest god, which makes it easy to understand why its appearance brought new hope to the entire village.

However, as time went by, the werewolves' attitude gradually changed from joy to disappointment.

This little golden werewolf has not changed in appearance since he was discovered as an incredible miracle.

Moreover, he did not grow up for decades.

He neither ages nor dies, so he cannot gain the favor of the werewolves, and he can't find his mother anywhere in the village.

Even werewolves cannot comprehend its existence.

A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye, and the village finally realized that Lugo was just another creature born in the form of a werewolf.

The mysterious spirits that arise naturally.

It is a miracle that is finally produced by life after thousands or tens of thousands of years of activity, and this mystery probably has a history of at least three thousand years.

In the mysteriously vanished modern era, the Golden Beast had no companions and its fate remained unknown, thus spending its life in solitude—

Until one day, a magician entered the village.

She named the golden beast "Beowulf" and even cut off her own long hair to sign a contract—even though the contract seemed utterly fragile to the wolf.

"Come on, let's duel the strongest mystery!"

That day, the Golden Beast was bewitched by the sweet words of a woman named Aozaki Touko, and has followed her ever since.

However, it is now almost at the limit of its endurance.

The wolf, which had been waiting in the deserted old school building for a whole year, finally couldn't bear it any longer and secretly slipped out of the house tonight without its owner's knowledge.

Then--

It saw incomprehensible sights and incomprehensible creatures.

What exactly is that (girl) hidden in the thick fog?

The golden beast excitedly licked its lips.

Is this the "newest magician" that Orange mentioned?

To date, the Golden Wolf has fought alongside Aozaki Touko against numerous powerful and mysterious figures.

The Rail Zeppelin, a magical train that travels through the forests of Northern Europe.

The giant ancient species [Mur Krake] that still exists in the North Sea today.

The sea of ​​no return, which unfolds in a triangle and leads to another world [Bermuda].

A magician who infiltrates various Western European countries and calls himself the Elder Title.

The Golden Beast has defeated those arrogant fellows with its absolute power and has never been defeated.

"Your opponent, your appearance, is to deal with that (magic)."

Aozaki Touko reminded it more than once.

It sensed that the "that" now appearing before it was more powerful than any mystery it had ever encountered before.

Even if it wasn't magic, it was something that was infinitely close to magic.

The golden beast gazed at the thick fog that enveloped everything before it and spoke in a voice like that of a young boy.

"Wow, you seem really strong, big sister."

Yumina (Yuonji) revealed a dark smile through the thick fog.

"Thank you, but you're incredibly weak."

Volume 2, Chapter 136: Crossing the Line Between Friendships?

In the distance lay the bustling night view of Tokyo. Shirou and Aoko enjoyed the artificial hot spring, their faces showing relaxed and comfortable expressions.

The pool itself wasn't deep; when Aoko sat down on the bank, the water only reached halfway up her chest.

They look like two large fruits floating on rippling waves, and the beads of sweat hanging on them add a touch of allure.

The two chatted idly, making small talk.

"Shirou is from the future, right?"

"Ah."

"Can you tell me about the future?"

"Within the permitted range, yes."

"Whose permission does Shirou need?"

"..."

Shirou remained silent, but Aoko wore an expression of sudden realization.

It's "my future self," haha.

Shirou answered some of Aoko's questions.

Some of the more sensitive topics, such as "What will I be like in the future? Just give me a hint!", were rather perfunctory and evaded by Shirou.

After soaking for about fifteen minutes, Aoko suddenly laughed and said, "Shall we do something naughty?"

Shirou had already been tricked by her once before, so he wouldn't fall for it again.

"What does Aoko want to do?"

"Wasn't there a bottle of wine in the dinner the hotel delivered earlier? Let's go get it and drink it now."

Aoko said nervously, "I've wanted to try this for a long time—"

Like in the TV dramas, watch the basins filled with wine glasses float on the hot spring.

Shirou frowned and said, "Aoko is still a minor, and she's the student council president at school."

"Shirou is so rigid! Japanese law doesn't apply to magicians!"

After saying that, Aoko stood up from the hot spring with a fierce expression.

Hot water gushed down her beautiful, undulating curves.

The girl casually wiped herself down, covered her swimsuit with a towel, and then went into the Japanese-style room to get some sake.

Shirou did not stop him.