Aozaki Aoko Case File

Credits: datguyFrost01

"Is this what humans call a luxury hotel?" Arcueid asked as she wandered around the suite, her voice filled with curiosity. "Not bad at all, it looks cozy~"

After speaking, Arcueid picked the most comfortable-looking sofa, sat down, and stretched lazily, showing off her graceful figure.

"White Princess, didn't you used to live in a castle?" Aoko asked with curiosity. "This is just an ordinary five-star hotel. Isn't the Millennium Castle far more luxurious than this?"

"Just call me Arcueid," Arcueid replied. "Since we're collaborators now, I'd like to get along well with the magicians."

"How should I put it?" Arcueid leaned back on the sofa, curling up as she hugged her knees. "The Millennium Castle is so cold and lifeless since I'm the only one living there."

"Besides, while that place is magnificent, it's not suitable for living." Arcueid seemed to be reminiscing about something. "When I'm not hunting Roa, I simply sleep there. I only wake up when Roa reincarnates, and then I hunt him down."

"Sounds boring," Aoko said as she retrieved a bottle of wine from the bar cabinet. "Can you explain why you're so determined to keep hunting him down?"

"Um..."

Arcueid hesitated, seemingly unsure about revealing everything. Meanwhile, Touko, who was on the same wavelength as Aoko, had already taken out glasses and ice cubes, though her enthusiasm might have stemmed more from her desire to drink.

"Alright... there's nothing I can't share anyway. I'll tell you!" Arcueid sighed, looking resigned.

"It feels like I'm just exposing all my embarrassing history though..."

Aoko, with a playful "please, go ahead" expression, poured wine for everyone present, adding ice cubes to each glass. The two sisters drank casually while staring intently at Arcueid from the opposite sofa, making her feel as if she'd stumbled into a den of thieves.

"In short... it's the story of an immature child being deceived," Arcueid said with a faint sigh after taking a sip of wine. She began recounting the story of how she had been tricked by Roa, lost control after drinking blood, and consequently lost part of her power.

Over the centuries, the Serpent of Akasha had reincarnated seventeen times (including the current one), but every time, Arcueid had successfully hunted him down before he could do much harm.

Back then, after losing control during her first blood-drinking incident, Arcueid had killed all the other True Ancestors in the Millennium Castle, leaving herself as the sole survivor. After regaining her sanity, she resolved to kill Roa completely.

Arcueid admitted that even she couldn't fully understand her obsession—whether it was pure hatred or something else. Perhaps, as the True Ancestor's executioner, this was simply her only way of life.

"So Roa's reincarnation ritual is fundamentally reliant on your power?" Touko mused, resting her chin on her hand. "At first, I thought this guy might touch upon my domain, but now it seems I overestimated him."

"What do you mean?" Arcueid asked, puzzled.

"As the Third Magician, I can perfectly replicate or transfer souls without any damage," Touko explained after taking a sip of wine. "From what you've described, Roa's soul has been worn down significantly through multiple transfers. At this point, likely, the current Roa is no longer the same person as the original magician."

"You mean..." Arcueid murmured, deep in thought.

"That's right," Touko nodded. "Your relentless pursuit over the years hasn't been in vain. With each reincarnation, Roa's soul and personality degrade further. What likely remains now is nothing but his obsession with achieving immortality."

"...How can you be so sure?" Arcueid asked after a brief silence, her tone skeptical.

"Because I met the reincarnation of the previous Roa," Touko said meaningfully. "She's still alive and harbors a deep hatred for Roa, just like you. She's also hunting the Serpent of Akasha."

"The previous Roa?" Arcueid exclaimed in surprise. "The previous... is that the French woman? She's still alive?"

"That's her," Touko confirmed with a nod. "She provided me with valuable information, helping me understand Roa's current state and the principles behind his reincarnation."

"So, even if you leave him alone, he'll eventually crumble to dust," Touko concluded. "That woman who's hunting Roa is immortal. As long as Roa exists, she will continue to exist, transforming her hatred into strength."

"I see..." Arcueid murmured, "Compared to her, I feel like a bit of an amateur..."

"That's probably just a difference in perspective," Touko remarked pointedly. "While both you and Ciel lost loved ones to Roa, the significance of the True Ancestors to you isn't the same as the importance of her family to her."

Touko's blunt statement could easily have angered a normal person—or Ciel, for that matter—but Arcueid wasn't that type. She simply pondered Touko's words seriously, reflecting on whether she truly had just been using her pursuit of Roa as her life's purpose.

"If you can't figure it out, don't worry about it for now. Just go with the flow," Aoko said, crossing her legs. "Roa is nothing more than an annoying pest. How could he compare to the Princess of True Ancestors?"

"When this is all over, you should come stay with us for a while," Touko invited. "Nobody can force you back to the Millennium Castle to sleep. And as for your blood-drinking urges, they're hardly an unsolvable problem for me."

Aoko glanced at Touko, a little suspicious. Had this been her plan all along? Why was Touko always so interested in these rare creatures? First, the golden wolf, Lugh Beowulf, and now it was Arcueid. Touko, with your obsession with gold, you might as well start sitting on a golden toilet!

"That sounds like fun!" Arcueid replied cheerfully. "It's decided then—after killing this round's Roa, I'll stay with guys!"

And so, the three women lounging in the luxury hotel casually decided the fate of Roa, temporarily forgetting about the potential attacks from the vampires looming on the horizon.