Misaki City.
"...I'm home."
Aozaki Touko gazed at her vast white hometown; the familiar scent of home enveloped her, making her feel as if an invisible burden had been lifted, and her entire being felt relaxed.
Just then.
"Long time no see, Aozaki Touko."
A calm and gentle male voice suddenly rang out, and a young priest walked over. He had long, shoulder-length black hair and wore round-rimmed glasses, giving off a very gentle impression.
His familiar tone suggested that his relationship with Aozaki Touko was not shallow.
"Seeing you... puts me in a bad mood."
Aozaki Touko turned her head, her gaze extremely cold, revealing bone-chilling killing intent. This was not a so-called warning killing intent; it was genuine killing intent arising from a true desire to kill.
Of course, this wasn't because she was arrogant and domineering, wanting to kill someone just because her mood was disturbed.
In fact, the girl named Aozaki Touko had never killed anyone since birth, although this was also because there had been no need to act.
However, at this moment, there was a reason.
This man named 'Ayaka Eiri' showed clear killing intent towards her.
Yes, the moment he saw Aozaki Touko.
This seemingly gentle priest instinctively tried to find Aozaki Touko's weaknesses, looking for an opening to kill her.
However, after observing for a while and failing to find Aozaki Touko's weaknesses, he walked out from the corner and greeted Aozaki Touko with a gentle smile.
"This is truly saddening; it's rare for us to have a chance to meet."
As if he didn't feel the killing intent, Ayaka Eiri maintained a gentle smile, like an older brother facing an uncooperative younger sister.
"Who shows killing intent the moment they meet? Our relationship should be defined as long-lost enemies, perhaps we should have a fight to liven things up right now!"
Seeing his increasingly gentle smile, Aozaki Touko's gaze grew colder, and she summoned Suigintou from her Reality Marble, letting her black wings expand hundreds of times. With just one command, she could tear Ayaka Eiri to shreds.
This was not a joke.
Ayaka Eiri immediately understood this. Cold sweat trickled down his cheeks, and a strong sense of crisis erupted from the depths of his heart. These were definitely not jokes about a long-lost reunion.
This girl truly wanted to kill him here.
With just one wrong word, one inappropriate action, the exquisite doll suspended in mid-air would launch a fierce attack and completely annihilate him.
This was... a terrifying power capable of facing a Dead Apostle Ancestor.
He had no confidence in stopping it now.
"I'm just following the Holy Church's orders to test your current strength, Touko; I have no hostility towards you. After all, we are considered fellow disciples, so killing you is impossible."
Ayaka Eiri resisted Aozaki Touko's cold gaze with a helpless and kind smile, silently praying that Aozaki Touko would show some consideration for the Holy Church and not actually kill him.
A moment later.
"Is that so? I'll believe your words for now~"
Aozaki Touko smiled noncommittally, then said coldly: "However, I suggest you immediately leave my sight, otherwise, you won't be able to leave later!"
She had just returned home and didn't want bloodshed to disturb the peace.
However, if this man was so ignorant as to linger in front of her, dealing with this annoying fellow first wouldn't be a bad idea.
"...It seems you have a big misunderstanding about me, Touko."
Seeing this, Ayaka Eiri showed a helpless smile, then raised his hands and retreated step by step. After passing Aozaki Touko, his steps began to quicken, and he soon disappeared from sight.
"...Annoying guy."
Watching him leave, Aozaki Touko mumbled, then turned and headed towards the house in the mountains.
That guy named 'Ayaka Eiri' was arguably her senior disciple, as he had studied under her grandfather for a period.
However, this did not mean their relationship was good.
That guy was a pure egoist and a twisted murderer. Although he hadn't completely succumbed to it, he was definitely not a good person.
In short... he was someone whom, once you understood his true nature, you could never bring yourself to like.
If Ayaka Eiri hadn't backed down just now, she might have actually killed him, after all, her current strength was on the level of a Dead Apostle Ancestor.
She didn't need to be too concerned about the Holy Church either...
The wind and snow howled past.
Not long after Aozaki Touko left.
Ayaka Eiri, who had already left, reappeared. He looked at the footprints left in the snow, his eyes filled with a strange glint, and several strong emotions surged in his heart.
There was the anticipation of killing Aozaki Touko, the furious killing intent from being forced to retreat, and the possessiveness of a male towards a female, or perhaps, a feeling of longing.
That's right, he harbored unique feelings for Aozaki Touko.
For his junior sister, who was as dazzling and confident as the sun, he didn't know when he began to develop a possessive desire. Perhaps it was like someone in darkness yearning for the sunlight.
For this junior sister, who was always confident and radiant.
He had developed feelings of admiration.
"Ah… so she has grown to this extent. It seems I won't have the chance to kill her in the future. What a pity."
Muttering to himself, Ayaka Eiri shook his head helplessly and turned to return to the church.
Since Aozaki Touko had grown to such a degree, it meant there was no chance to kill her. For him, it was a lifelong regret.
Because, to personally kill the junior sister he admired, he would surely be filled with an incomparable sense of satisfaction.
However… now it could only be a lifelong regret…