Aozaki Aoko Case File

"This is indeed a descendant of the White Wing Duke," Ciel said as she rushed over in her nun's habit, carrying her tools, after seeing Aoko capture a Dead Apostle so quickly. "But… it seems his rank isn't very high—probably a Rank VI Dead Apostle?"

"When I found this guy, he was still eating someone in a back alley," Aoko said with clear disgust. "But my magic can only read surface-level active thoughts. His memories and intel are up to you professionals to handle."

Ciel nodded and called out toward the back of the monastery, summoning Noel. Noel, who still looked timid, was doing something completely out of character for her delicate appearance—dragging what looked like a ridiculously heavy iron box.

...Who would've thought? This seemingly frail nun turns out to be a strength-type fighter.

Ciel opened the iron box in one swift motion, revealing a collection of strange metal tools with unclear purposes. From the mystic aura they emitted, Aoko could tell these were ritual implements developed by the Church, though their applications seemed more sinister than sacred.

Rather than sacred tools, it would be more accurate to call them torture devices.

The unfortunate Dead Apostle reduced to a limbless torso on the ground, was already dumbfounded. Having been wrapped in a holy shroud for the entire journey, he was not only mentally dazed but also physically unable to muster even a fraction of his strength. All he could do was lie there and await his fate.

The moment Ciel pulled out a ceremonial device resembling a pair of pliers, the Dead Apostle fainted.

But fainting wasn't enough to make Ciel give up on interrogation.

…Aoko couldn't help but feel that the smiles on Ciel and Noel's faces were a bit too twisted. The interrogation process that followed was certainly not suitable for children.

Blood, viscera, and other grotesque substances splattered everywhere, yet the two managed to keep the Dead Apostle alive through sheer skill and technique. It was a gruesome yet undeniably impressive feat.

"Whew, this guy's will is unbelievably strong. To hold out this long without breaking… The White Wing Duke must have chosen him as bait for this exact reason!" Ciel said, wiping sweat from her brow.

The Dead Apostle before them had already lost any semblance of human form, reduced to a writhing, regenerating mass of flesh.

…Aoko felt her inner sadistic burning with intensity.

"Is there a chance," Aoko coughed awkwardly, trying to hide her embarrassment, "that you haven't asked him any concrete questions yet?"

Both Ciel and Noel froze, unable to come up with a response. Overcome by their thirst for revenge upon seeing the Dead Apostle, they had been too focused on torturing him, completely forgetting to interrogate him properly.

"S-sorry," Ciel stammered, blushing. "Let's let him recover a bit, then we'll start over."

To extract meaningful information, Ciel had no choice but to pour human blood onto the mangled mass of flesh, allowing the Dead Apostle to recover somewhat.

The regenerative abilities of the White Wing Duke's descendants were indeed remarkable. Once the blood was applied, even the missing limbs began to show signs of regrowth. Without the suppressive power of the holy shroud, the Dead Apostle would likely have been fully restored in no time. However, Ciel had no intention of giving him that chance.

Once the Dead Apostle was able to speak again, Ciel and Noel wasted no time in subjecting him to another round of torture. When he was on the verge of mental collapse, they finally started asking questions.

"Where is the White Wing Duke right now?" Ciel demanded.

"I… I don't know…" the Dead Apostle stammered weakly. "But the Lord has indeed arrived somewhere in Tokyo's main district… We low-ranking servants weren't told the exact location."

"Truth," Noel confirmed, looking at a device that resembled a lie detector, its probes inserted into the Dead Apostle's head.

"What is the White Wing Duke's objective?"

"To hunt the True Ancestor Princess," the Dead Apostle replied. "Capture or kill the White Princess, and in the process, lure out the Black Princess."

"Truth," Noel said again.

"Altrouge Brunestud?" Aoko asked in surprise. "Doesn't she have a grudge against the White Princess? Why would you assume she'd come to her aid?"

"I… I don't know," the Dead Apostle said vaguely. "We just follow the Lord's orders. The reasons aren't for us to know."

"Truth," Noel confirmed once more.

"Are there any other Ancestors besides the White Wing Duke currently in the main district?" Ciel asked.

"…Nrvnqsr Chaos. That Ancestor was invited by the Lord and has already arrived in the district," the Dead Apostle replied. "Aside from him, there's also Lord Chromclay, who is currently with the Lord."

"Truth," Noel said in her usual monotone voice.

"Anyone else?" Ciel pressed further. "Just these few aren't enough to stage a hunt for the True Ancestors."

"There… There might be one more," the Dead Apostle said, struggling to speak, terrified that Ciel might resume the torture. "I overheard the Lord mention… that he brought an Einnashe into Japan this time… and might release them depending on the situation."

"Truth," Noel said again.

"…Einnashe," Aoko muttered with a frown. "It might not be the original, but rather one of Children of Einnashe."

"This just got a lot more complicated," Ciel said with a headache. "When it comes to killing efficiency—or the risk of exposing mysteries—Einnashe is undoubtedly the worst-case scenario."

"If it's just one of the Children of Einnashe, it's manageable," Aoko said. "But if it's the core of Einnashe itself, which revives every fifty years, getting rid of it would require a massive operation. Even I wouldn't be able to take it out quietly."

"Do you have any intel on Roa?" Ciel asked, shifting the topic to what interested her the most.

"…That worthless creature—our Lord doesn't care about him at all." At the mention of Roa, the Dead Apostle's face twisted with anger, reflecting the scornful opinion of the White Wing Duke toward the Serpent of Akasha.

"…Truth." This time, Noel's tone betrayed a hint of anger, clearly affected by the Dead Apostle's words.

Ciel asked a few more questions, but the Dead Apostle had no further valuable information to offer.

Once they had extracted all the intel they could, the Dead Apostle was no longer of any use to them. Ciel pulled out a black key resembling a stake and drove it directly into the Dead Apostle's heart. The vampire's face showed a look of relief before its body disintegrated into ash.

As Aoko wrapped up gathering intel, it seemed that Touko had also made some progress.

"Touko found one of Nrvnqsr Chaos's familiars," Aoko said in surprise, reading the message from Touko. "Did he expose himself this quickly? Or are they so bold that they're planning another city-wide massacre in Tokyo?"