I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 109

Upon hearing the word "fiancé," Lydia turned her head in confusion, looking at Orange with a puzzled expression. "What fiancé? What fiancé did I get—"

“Among the prestigious families of Misaki Town, the most prosperous is not our Aozaki family, but the Tsuki family.” Touko winked at Lydel, and sure enough, after she said the word “Tsuki,” Lydel froze.

"Where did you find out?!" Lydel's fingers trembled as she looked at Orange with a horrified expression. If Orange hadn't brought it up, Lydel herself wouldn't have been able to recall anything about the Tsuki family.

However, the marriage agreement between herself and the Tsuki family was only a verbal engagement, and she almost forgot about it herself. Therefore, Lydel believed that apart from the two families, even Yuuka was unaware of this matter.

"Oh, don't be so nervous. I don't know Tsukishi Ibaraki-maru." Touko took a sip of her black tea and said in a casual tone.

"Did Alice tell you?" Considering the bond between herself and Touko, and the fact that the Kuonji family, like her own, had a business relationship with the Tsuki family, Alice might not be unaware of this. Therefore, Lydel asked, rejecting her previous assumptions.

"Just take it as that." Orange smiled mysteriously and continued eating. The reason she teased Lydia like this was partly because she found Lydia's arrogant personality really funny, and partly because what was happening in economy class was just too boring.

In fact, Orange had been observing those people from different angles through the "eye" placed in economy class, analyzing various things from it.

There were fewer than two hundred passengers on the plane, most of whom were in economy class, and fewer than twenty in business class. The people in business class were completely silent. At this stage, Orange had a clear understanding of who was the enemy, who was on the side, and who was not human.

"It seems there are still quite a few smart people in this world." After mentally assessing the strength of both sides, Orange revealed a confident smile.

"Let's deal with this clown first. This kind of pointless farce will only bore the patient audience. Lydia, you'd better not touch me~" After saying this, Orange snapped her fingers lightly, and then "thump," she unconsciously crashed into the table in front of her.

"Hey, Aozaki Touko, what are you doing?" Lydel frowned unhappily, reached out and pushed Touko. After finding that she didn't react, she walked to her side in confusion, pushed her upper body up, and leaned her back in the chair.

Only then did Lydia realize Orange's current situation—

Black lines appeared on Aozaki Touko's face. Upon closer inspection, one could see that they were blood vessels under her skin, but all of them had turned black and bulged out.

Seeing this, Lydia, who possessed vast knowledge of magic, quickly withdrew her hand. She looked down at her palm, where a black line had appeared on her fair skin.

"Tsk, a curse..." Lydel clicked her tongue unhappily, immediately activating the magic circuits within her body, instantly eliminating the curse.

Looking at Aozaki Touko, whose body was covered in curses and whose breathing had stopped, Lydel thought for a moment and sat back down in her seat.

“Young Miss, Miss Aozaki, what is this—” The servant standing beside her glanced at Touko’s “corpse” with a strange look, and then spoke softly.

"Don't worry about it. Just report what you see. But let me remind you, the family assessment isn't something they can just draw a conclusion on so easily. I advise you not to add your own assumptions, as that will lower your reputation within the family."

The moment Lydia touched Aozaki Touko, she realized that Aozaki Touko was undoubtedly dead. But it was because of this touch that Lydia discovered that Touko had been lying to her from the very beginning.

Damn Aozaki Touko, she even lied to me!

Lydia thought indignantly, but after she put herself in the other person's shoes, she became frustrated. After all, the other person had their own plan from the beginning, and it was she who had interfered.

Moreover, the other party didn't actually lie; they just didn't explain. Therefore, my claim that the other party lied to me is completely untenable.

It was because she had figured all this out that Lydia became depressed. Then, she stood up and sat down opposite the woman who looked like a forensic scientist without hesitation, ignoring the woman's surprised gaze and staring intently at the crystal ball.

Three minutes ago, in economy class, four magicians had already completed the final step of the ritual, each stabbing a specially made doll in one of the four formations with a dagger.

This action is the signal to start the ritual. The magic is activated, and the blood, which had turned dark due to oxidation, turns back to bright red and begins to flow into the notch pierced by the dagger.

The dolls that resembled oranges suddenly showed unusually painful expressions on their faces, and seeing this, Meyer Firlow finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although this spell is common and even rudimentary, it is the only thing the Ferro family can offer. For this reason, the Ferro family has invested all their resources into this magic, raising the curse effect to a level comparable to that of ancient magic families.

This seemingly simple curse magic involved the use of the most precious materials. Just as the burly man who claimed to be a necromancer said, the cloth alone was not something that could be easily made.

They obtained those items at a high price from the magicians' black market; both the cloth itself and the blood used on it were extremely valuable.

The tuberculosis demon's shroud and the four daggers were all made from the same corpse. This so-called tuberculosis demon was an indigenous shaman from Africa.

The blood on it is also spiritual blood, which is the blood of a little girl who had magical aptitude and whose magical circuits were already open before she died. Moreover, this little girl was tortured to death, and her blood is filled with intense resentment.

These things can greatly enhance the effects of Voudou's spells, to the point that even magicians with magical defenses can be killed.

Moreover, the shorter the distance, the stronger the curse becomes. If it were done in other ways, the dolls would have to be placed next to the recipient. But on this plane, the distance between them is short enough, and the power of the spell is strongest the moment it is completed, so it can be said to be foolproof.

"How was it? Did it succeed?!" Seeing that the ceremony was complete, Meyer Firlow asked the bodyguard in black impatiently.

The other party listened intently for a while before replying, "Aozaki Touko in first class has been confirmed to have died from a curse."

Upon hearing the news, Meyer Firrow was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed red. He made no attempt to contain his excitement and burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Great! Great! I did it!"

Tears of joy streamed down his face as he looked like a child, not only because his great revenge had been fulfilled, but also because he was happy for his bright future.

Upon hearing the bodyguard in black confirm Aozaki Touko's death, the people in the plane cabin reacted in various ways. Some showed relaxed expressions, some were indignant and regretful that they hadn't struck first, and some were cursing loudly.

The entire cabin was in chaos, and some of the people in the cabin had strange expressions on their faces.

"Maimi, can you confirm the situation inside the first-class cabin?" the man sitting in a corner of the cabin asked his assistant.

"Judging from the conversation between May Lydèle Archerlot and her attendants, Aozaki Touko has undoubtedly been confirmed dead, but strangely, May Lydèle Archerlot said that Aozaki Touko had lied to him from the very beginning."

These two are actually the infamous magician assassin Kiritsugu Emiya and his assistant Maiya Hisau.

"Although Aozaki Touko's death has been confirmed, they say they lied to her?" Emiya Kiritsugu could certainly detect the oddity in his assistant's retelling.

"Shall we make a move?" Maiya asked calmly, looking at Kiritsugu Emiya.

“No, even if this news sounds true, we don’t need to rush into action. After all, if the employer hasn’t ordered us to act, we’ll continue to wait.” Kiritsugu Emiya shook his head, then asked, “Can you see what’s going on inside first class?”

As his loyal subordinate, Hisako Maiya rarely disappointed Kiritsugu, so she nodded and took a makeup box out of her pocket and opened it.

Although Maimi is a beautiful woman with regular features, she never wears makeup, so this makeup box is just a disguise. When she takes out the most disguised mirror inside, a small screen appears.

Kiritsugu nodded calmly, offering no words of praise, since both he and Hisayu Maiya could be described as emotionally detached.

The relationship between him and Hisayu Maiya could perhaps be described as "master and apprentice" in the magist's world.

Chapter 248 Each Person Takes the Stage (Part 2)

Among the magic taught by Kiritsugu, Maiya displayed exceptional talent in manipulating low-level familiars. Because of this, Kiritsugu often entrusted her with tasks of reconnaissance and investigation.

Maiya's most prized familiar is a bat, but unlike other magicians, her bat has a tiny CCD camera attached to its abdomen—a method devised by Kiritsugu, of course.

Since magicians often use illusions, barriers, camouflage, or hints to deceive others, almost no one thinks of guarding against electronic devices. Video recording can serve as strong evidence in the future, and aside from the drawback of making familiars cumbersome, using a camera is a very effective method.

The equipment they are using now is an experimental product that they acquired from the U.S. military at a high price.

On this palm-sized screen, you can see Aozaki Touko lying in a chair, already cursed. But as an assassin, Emiya Kiritsugu, with his keen observation, notices something amiss.

"Maiya, adjust the angle and take a look at the person sitting with Aozaki Touko." Kiritsugu made his request in order to confirm his guess.

Maiya nodded, feeling around on the side of the makeup mirror. Then, the screen angle changed so that it was facing away from Aozaki Touko, and Lydia's appearance officially came into the surveillance range.

On the screen, Lydia calmly sipped her tea, showing no concern whatsoever for Aozaki Touko across from her.

However, according to Kiritsugu Emiya, Aozaki Touko and May Lydelle Archerlot should have a very good relationship. Even if she is a cold-hearted magician, she shouldn't react like this to a corpse sitting opposite her.

"...Is it bait or...?" Kiritsugu stared at the screen in silence, finally asking himself the question.

“Don’t worry about that.” Upon hearing Kiritsugu’s words, Maiya blurted out, “The client’s identity is unknown this time. The deposit and the final payment have already been paid in full. The client’s task is simply to create chaos after receiving a signal.”

Maiya was actually very curious as to why Kiritsugu would accept this request with an unknown origin and unclear purpose, but she was an auxiliary machine, a machine specifically designed to assist a normal machine named "Emiya Kiritsugu" in its operation.

From being rescued and raised by Kiritsugu on the battlefield to ultimately considering herself a part of Kiritsugu Emiya, Kiritsugu was like the "brain," and she only needed to be his additional limbs.

That's why she didn't ask Kiritsugu why he accepted the commission; she simply "inadvertently" wrote down the information in the letter of commission while processing it.

The letter that suddenly appeared at their office a week ago contained only one line: I have a way to fulfill your great wish. You who consider yourself a champion of justice, do you want to make a deal with me?

Maiya knew what Kiritsugu's life ideals were, so she understood that this letter was nothing short of a devil's whisper, hitting the nail on the head.

Moreover, the amount written on the readily cashable check that was placed in the envelope along with the letter left them no room to refuse.

On the other side, the newly hired necromancer, Lion Robber Jie Li, received such a huge commission for the first time.

Although he is only in his early twenties, he looks no different from someone in his thirties. Whether during his school days or during his studies at the Clock Tower, most people would avoid him because of his "villainous" face.

Having just left his home, this commission was a lifeline for him. After all, for someone who was already struggling to make ends meet, the deposit alone had allowed him to live a life of luxury.

Unlike Kiritsugu Emiya, he knew very well who his client was, so when he heard that Aozaki Touko had been confirmed dead, he was stunned for a long time, and finally rubbed his brows as he began to weigh things in his mind.

However, he quickly put this brief hesitation aside, after all, his client was Aozaki Touko, and the task was to eliminate the "Overseer" after receiving the signal.

This "overseer" is undoubtedly the bodyguard behind Meyer Firrow. Although the employer appears to be dead, as a mercenary with professional ethics, he still has to complete the commission.

Just as he reached behind him, preparing to tear open the chair back to retrieve his weapon, his "neighbor," who had been sitting next to him without reacting, suddenly turned around and said curtly, "No rush. If you act now, there's a high chance of failure. Someone will create an opportunity later, and then you can make your move. I'll transfer the final payment to your account after the success."

Upon hearing this voice, Shishikatsu Kairi's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't forgotten the scene when Aozaki Touko appeared in front of him and personally made the request, so this voice was still in his memory.

"I see, so that's the story behind the Puppeteer's alternative name." Shiki-kai Kairi chuckled and stroked his short beard, continuing to remain still.

The person sitting next to me didn't answer; instead, they stood up.

Inside the cabin, there were dozens of others doing the same thing as this "person." At first, Meyer Firlow didn't understand what was happening, but as he watched the crowd gradually approaching them, and as their disguises were peeled away little by little, turning them into the same flight attendant dolls that had just been quietly staring at him from the beginning, his ecstatic heart instantly cooled down.

"What's going on! Who's playing a joke on the Ferro family?" Although he already had a bad feeling, he didn't want to admit that his guess was true, so he kept backing away.

Meanwhile, the "overseer" once again distanced himself from Meyer Fellowes, carefully observing his surroundings. Although he couldn't recognize all the magicians present, he knew most of them.

In his knowledge, no one was known for puppet magic. Therefore, there was only one answer: the owner of these puppets was Aozaki Touko, who was presumed dead.

"As expected, how could someone with a color-ranking status die so easily?" When the Overseer received the message that Aozaki Touko had died, he had already suspected that things were not as simple as they seemed.

It turns out that Aozaki Touko did not die, because he could tell that these dolls were not the autonomous type used by the Clock Tower, but rather the manipulator-controlled type.

Meyer Felllow was pushed out as cannon fodder to test Aozaki Touko, and this test was divided into several steps, progressing layer by layer.

If Aozaki Touko dies during the test, her belongings will be collected by the Forensic Department, with a small portion distributed to the families who participated in the test, and the rest going to the Clock Tower.

Of course, the families involved in this operation were unaware that this so-called "revenge" operation was a test, and that they, as supervisors dispatched here, were supposed to remain neutral.

But when he received this mission, his faction implied that he should use every means to kill Aozaki Touko.

This mission wasn't rushed. As soon as news came from Japan that Aozaki Touko's inheritance rights had been stripped, some people began preparing for today's events.

Whether it was the props used by Meyer Firrow or other subsequent methods, their faction was involved to some extent.

He was ostensibly the supervisor who boarded the plane, but he was actually the mastermind behind the plan.

Meyer Fellough's failure was expected, but he never anticipated that Aozaki Touko had placed so many dolls on the plane; this discovery far exceeded his expectations.

Before he could do anything, the puppets began to move. The puppet that was standing in front of Meyer Firlow suddenly lunged forward and hugged Meyer Firlow tightly.

"Let go! What do you think you're doing! Open it to me—" Meyer Firlow shouted in a mixture of shock and anger, but his shout was quickly replaced by screams of agony.

The doll, of course, did not obey his commands. After a chilling sound of bones breaking, Meyer Firlow was released, foaming at the mouth, and clearly unconscious.

The four magicians he had taken under his wing were also dealt with in the same way, and for a moment, the entire cabin fell into an eerie silence.

"Alright, the clowns have finished their opening act. Now it's your turn." Suddenly, the head of the puppet that attacked Meyer Fellow rotated 360 degrees several times, then realigned itself and spoke to the supervisor.

Then the voice came from another doll, "I know you've prepared a lot this time, so please don't disappoint me~"

“I have made detailed plans for this trip,” the third puppet said, standing in front of the cabin door leading to first class.

"No turning back is allowed on this journey." A group of puppets said as they moved to the stern door, completely blocking all the magicians' escape route.

"The price of buying an airplane can't be wasted like this. The magic mark of the loser will be stripped off as compensation~" Finally, all the puppets said these chilling words together, which made all the magicians present shudder.

For all magicians, the magical crest representing their family heritage is more important than their own lives.

Therefore, all the magicians who had been waiting to reap the benefits made their move at the same time, and it was at this moment that Kiritsugu Emiya heard the person sitting behind him lean in and whisper something.

"Well then, Mr. Partner of Justice, please begin your work~ Hmm, you don't need to worry about that necromancer with sunglasses. The others are up to you. Also, please do not use the Origin Bullet. I still need to collect those magicians' corpses."

Upon hearing these words, Kiritsugu Emiya's hand trembled as he turned around, and instantly a small pistol appeared in his hand, pointing at the person behind him.

The man being pointed at by the gun smiled calmly at him, seemingly not worried at all that the other man would kill him.

"Aozaki Touko?" Emiya Kiritsugu asked, looking at the doll behind him, without any surprise.

"Yes."

"You're the client?" Kiritsugu Emiya glanced at the cockpit, which had already entered a chaotic battle, and turned his head to avoid a flying obsidian.

"Yes, is there a problem?" The doll representing the orange grinned mischievously.

"—, this matter is over. I hope we can have a proper talk." Kiritsugu looked at it earnestly. He knew that its master could see everything through the doll's eyes, and he was sure that what he wanted to say could be conveyed to it.

"Of course, after all, I still need to rely on you a lot." After saying this, the doll suddenly opened its mouth, and a fireball was poised to be fired. Kiritsugu pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The doll had its forehead pierced, and as it tilted its head back due to inertia, the fireball in its mouth burst out and exploded on the luggage rack.

"Kiritsugu." While Kiritsugu Emiya was talking to the doll, Maiya Hisau remained vigilant. There were no other mages around them, but that didn't guarantee that no other mages were noticing.

"Let's get started, Maiya." Kiritsugu didn't explain anything to Hisamu Maiya and immediately got to work.

"Understood." Hisayu Maiya keenly sensed that Kiritsugu had put all his worries behind him and was fully focused. As a cog in Kiritsugu Emiya's machine, she quickly organized her thoughts and began to cooperate with him.

The greatest weakness of magicians lies in their arrogance and carelessness. They have no doubt that they are the intermediaries between mystery and human wisdom, and they firmly believe that, apart from God, the only ones who can threaten them are fellow magicians.

Therefore, when facing battle, they only pay attention to various kinds of magic. They can see through any magic, even magic that hasn't been performed yet. So in their eyes, as long as they have keen perception and perfect anti-magic strategies, they have the key to victory. This is the fundamental principle that remains unchanged for any magician.

As a result, they overlooked purely physical attacks that don't rely on magic. No matter how sharp a blade or how powerful a bullet, it's completely harmless unless it touches the body. Therefore, if magic is used beforehand to cast illusions, paralysis, or even barriers, those low-level attacks can be easily countered.