Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Wow, that's terrifying. Am I going to be sniped? No, to really take me down, they should use bombing, right?"

Francesca, seeing that Fadius had no intention of joking, simply chuckled softly like a child who had heard a joke.

Even though she understood that what the other person said wasn't just a simple threat, she was still so excited that her cheeks flushed slightly.

"But maybe this is for the best. Playing along with you guys is one of the options for me! I have no patriotism whatsoever, and besides, I wasn't even born and raised in America!"

"..."

Since these words didn't sound like a joke, Fadius secretly observed the other party's attitude while channeling magic throughout his body.

Seeing that Fadius was on high alert, Francesca deliberately let her guard down, rolling around on the sofa.

"I heard that you lost a lot of people in the purge of spiritual societies and voodoo cults, and also participated in the campaign against an out-of-control Mayan deity? In the end, you only managed to calm things down with the help of a Mexican outsider. When you were fighting your bloody battles, it was a critical moment that concerned the survival of a country. Righteous... heroes?"

So, when it comes to having fun, it really has to be as extravagant as this Holy Grail War! Ah~ Just imagining it makes me excited! A showdown between the United States of America and a beautiful female magician! How exciting!

"Not good at all. And please don't have the overconfident idea that you can defeat our country on your own. I heard that you were actually 'eliminated' by the authorities twice in the past, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah, hmm! It's gone, it's gone! It hurt quite a bit, using quantity to win is really scary~"

Francesca casually brought up the fact that she had been dealt with by this country.

Fadius's face darkened as he looked at the enigmatic and dangerous girl.

"...I simply cannot understand. Whether it's the considerations of the government that has joined forces with you again after decades, or your nerves that are eager to eliminate your existence by joining forces with a government."

"This just means your boss acknowledges my abilities, and I don't care about those minor details, that's all, right? Besides, I'm already used to being physically killed."

"Used to being killed? I know exactly how you exist, but this statement is still unbelievable."

"Being physically killed is not a despair for me. In the end, there is only one person who can truly kill me. Alas, although many people have killed my body, there are very few who can leave me speechless."

She seemed to be reminiscing about the past as she gazed into the void, then grinded her teeth and made a smacking sound while laughing.

“Let me think… First, there’s that old man from Kishua, right? Then there’s the hedonistic Saint Germain, the fairytale witch who’s lived for ages… ah, now she was ‘once’ lived for ages, right? And then there are the two vampires from the Millennium City… and those old guys from the burial traps… and finally, my magicians…”

Even Fadius, the most knowledgeable master of the magic world, thought, "Are you kidding me?" as the names and words were piled up one after another. However, it was the nickname that finally came out of Francesca's mouth that made Fadius feel particularly strong.

"Oh yeah! And her too! Sacrlet!"

"...Mentioning it in front of him will get you killed."

The man's eye twitched. This name belonged to a genius puppeteer, far surpassing Fadius and his master Langer, and one of the Clock Tower's most powerful magicians. It was a special nickname, carrying both slander and awe. To some extent, this nickname was well-known among the Clock Tower's magicians, but it was also considered an absolutely taboo word.

Ultimately, the female magician who attained the "Grand" rank received a "color" bestowed by the clock tower—or rather, a title. However, she received neither the "Blue" title she desired, nor the "Crimson" of the three primary colors, only a barely approximate color. But—

She loathed the nickname, which was given to her out of mockery, and it was said that anyone who addressed her that way in front of her was invariably killed.

Fadius knew very well.

This is not just a rumor, but an undeniable fact.

—No, but… if it were Miss Francesca, she would probably mention it even to her face…

Perhaps guessing what Fadius was thinking, Francesca burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I'm no exception. I've been killed several times after mentioning it in front of people!"

After Francesca finished laughing loudly, she puffed out her cheeks, looking a little unhappy.

"Sigh, it's really tragic. That woman is so persistent and cunning. After destroying someone's workshop, she also looted all the magic tools she wanted. And if I were to kill her instead, it would always be a puppet, a puppet, a puppet! I couldn't find the real one. Moreover, after those puppets suffer a fatal wound, they would activate the self-destruct device installed inside them and kill me again. If I count it, I've been killed about thirty times. I had no choice but to ask that woman's family to mediate, but..."

Perhaps Francesca had something going on with that "family member," which is why she sighed and shook her head.

"In the end, I was killed again, and I was threatened that 'Don't let me see those twisted magic circuits again!' That's how I got a new life and this body now."

Although Francesca resumed her smile, saying "How is it?" with a seductive grin and swaying her body, Fadius didn't even raise an eyebrow before throwing out his question.

"You probably switched bodies about three years ago, right? Is that why you strongly opposed hiring 'her' when the higher-ups suggested it?"

"Hmm, that's one of the reasons... But she'd probably refuse no matter what, right? She only does things that align with her interests, and her family seems to value interests more than money. By the way, if we asked her, 'Should we try making a doll that gives a heroic spirit a physical body?' she might actually help."

After discussing the matter of the magicians who were not currently directly involved in the Holy Grail War, the smile suddenly disappeared from Francesca's face, and she stretched her legs on the sofa and stood up abruptly.

"Heave-ho... All the guests have arrived, it's time for us to get going!"

"Should we wait a little longer? The Tower of Babel will be completed soon."

Fadius hesitated, seemingly quite concerned about what was being mentioned.

Francesca glanced at the confident Fadius, then revealed a smile that was different from her previous innocent and naive demeanor. Instead, she put on a mature and alluring smile before speaking.

"Whether it's magic that humans can replicate, or the miracles and authority you seek, I firmly believe that yearning for things that transcend human limits is not necessarily a good thing."

Then, Francesca narrowed her eyes, her pretty face full of mockery.

"But at the same time, I also believe that the human nature is to foolishly challenge that barrier."

"Weakness and ignorance are not the original sins of human existence; arrogance is!"

Then, she gently closed her eyes.

It's as if my thoughts are racing towards the future of the "festival" that is about to begin.

High in the sky, the air fortress, resembling a warship, quietly sailed toward the stage of the "festival" under the command of its master.

Chapter Seventy-Four: The Defeat and Humiliation of the Alien God

On the yellowish desert, motorcycles roared, and the gale-force winds, like a protective shield, formed a barrier, spreading out the sand and dust that rose up all around, as if an angry dragon was traveling through the vast sea of ​​sand.

In the hazy distance, several tail spikes gleaming with a dark metallic sheen burst from the ground, swiftly piercing the speeding Harley-Davidson heavy cruiser.

Xiao Ai on the back seat narrowed her pupils, pressed down on the Harley-Davidson heavy cruiser beneath her with her left hand, causing the motorcycle to slow down drastically, and at the same time raised her right hand, as dark red lightning converged and struck forward.

Lightning crackled, and several of the crashing tail spikes were charred black, trembling uncontrollably in mid-air before plummeting to the ground at a trajectory far off target. At the same time, a pungent aroma of burnt meat filled the surrounding air.

"Boom!"

However, the sharp hiss echoed for a moment, and the sand pile in front of the road suddenly collapsed. Several huge sand scorpions, three or four meters tall and completely black, leaped out of the pit and slammed their two pairs of large pincers at the intruders who had entered their territory.

Xiao Ai frowned slightly, and a red and black lightsaber materialized in her right palm. She swung it forward, and the dense sword net easily cut several scorpions in the path into even pieces.

As if realizing something was amiss, Samael gripped the brakes tightly, executed a sudden drift, and brought the Harley-Davidson beneath him to a dangerous stop at the edge of the sandpit.

Before the motorcycle had even come to a complete stop, Xiao Ai jumped off the back seat and strode over to the remains of several sand scorpions. She rummaged through the debris and found a few pieces of the darker-colored head carapace, which she tossed to Samael behind her.

Samael glanced at the obvious engravings and frowned slightly.

"Runes that absorb magic power? They look a bit like low-level magical beasts that have been artificially transformed."

"Like sentries deliberately placed on the outskirts of the desert. Perhaps we have already been exposed."

Xiao Ai dropped her shell, clapped her hands, and gazed wistfully ahead.

Something seemed to be rapidly approaching amidst the billowing dust.

"Since we've already alerted them, perhaps we should..."

Samael glanced at the fragments of sand scorpions beside him, rubbed his chin, and a subtle smile appeared on his face.

Xiao Ai, standing to the side, looked at the sandpit at her feet and nodded in understanding.

~~~~

"Huh? Where is everyone?"

A moment later, a figure, wrapped up tightly and dressed like an Arab merchant, arrived at the battle zone and looked around in confusion.

Samael's gaze swept over from below the sandpit, and his eyelids twitched.

Beside the rubble, Xiao Ai, clad in optical camouflage, quietly stood up and raised her left hand towards the "Arab merchant" whose back was to her. Red and black lightning emanated from her fingertips, forming a special traction field that unexpectedly bound the target firmly to the spot.

"do not move!"

Xiao Ai immediately leaped out from her hiding place, placed the lightsaber in her right hand against the "Arab Merchant's" neck, and coldly interrogated him.

"Who are you? Which organization do you belong to? Do you have any accomplices?"

"Well..."

The sound from beneath the burqa was crisp and melodious. The "Arab merchant" turned his head to look behind him, a pleased smile playing on his lips.

"you guess!"

The moment the words fell to the ground, the figure standing in front of him exploded, turning into a cloud of white mist.

A substitution jutsu?!

With her vision obscured by the thick fog, Xiao Ai realized something was wrong. Her expression changed drastically, and she instinctively moved her feet, wanting to escape this unfavorable environment.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

However, the instant she reacted, several sharp whooshing sounds came, and one after another, red and black light bullets exuding an ominous aura were accurately shot towards her joints and heart.

Yin Qi Bullet, a runic magic technique passed down in Northern Europe.

The specific form involves pointing a finger at the target and using magic and incantations to curse them, thereby damaging their health. Strictly speaking, this curse, which reduces the target's physical abilities, is a non-lethal magic. Clearly, the perpetrator has no intention of directly killing the target.

After all, even non-lethal curse magic, if the magic density is high enough, can be as powerful as a bullet and cause fatal consequences.

However, it is clearly unlikely that such a simple method would be sufficient to subdue the most outstanding Artoria subspecies.

After a brief moment of surprise, Xiao Ai quickly regained her composure and swiftly slashed and cleaved with her red and black lightsaber, shattering all the incoming Yin Qi bullets.

"700 meters at the 10 o'clock position!"

At that moment, the reminder echoing in her ears jolted Xiao Ai awake. She immediately channeled her inner magic, forming a dark red lightning ring around her. Then, like an arrow released from a bow, she shot rapidly toward her target, enveloped in red light and dust.

Samael stood up from the sandpit, dusted himself off, and gazed at a spot behind a sand dune.

One of the conditions for using Yin Qi Bullets is to aim at an object within the sniper's field of vision, hence the name Gandri shot.

In other words, the attackers were not far from the battlefield.

Judging from the man's magical reaction and the spells he used, the opponent was just a mediocre magician, and Xiao Ai's abilities were more than enough to handle him.

However, he used a trick to lure the enemy out. The other side then countered with a counter-strategy.

They actually thought of sending a magician's double to test the waters beforehand; they're not very skilled, but they're full of tricks.

But even the most cunning fox can't outsmart a good hunter.

Samael glanced sideways, his eyes sweeping over the few shallow footprints that had appeared on the sand at some unknown time. He then turned around abruptly, his fingers reaching out to grasp the wriggling air, a smirk playing on his lips.

"caught you!"

However, the soft and cool touch upon touching it caused the ancient snake's expression to twitch slightly.

"Ah~~!"

Almost at the same time, a high-pitched scream exploded in my ears.

"Pervert! Scum! Sex maniac! Die, die, die!"

Two pale arms, shimmering with starlight, scratched wildly forward, reminding Samael of a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

What surprised him even more was that semi-transparent face.

She has pointed ears and skin that feels like organic velvet, moist yet cool and dry. Her hair is inspired by a photo of rainbow film cut into long strips, and her metal headband is decorated with paper-like strands on the back of her head.

"Mary?"

Samael grabbed the hands that were scratching and clawing at him, and looked in astonishment at the alien girl in front of him who did not seem to be from Earth.

Seemingly recognizing a familiar voice and address, the alien girl subconsciously opened her galaxy-filled eyes and examined the figure before her.

As those familiar, snake-like vertical pupils came into view, the girl suddenly stopped what she was doing.

"Samael? It's you!"

"Why can't it be me?"

Samael rolled his eyes, looked at Olga Marie in front of him, and snorted irritably.

"By the way, I'm your guardian and godfather, so please show some respect, okay?"

"So, this is how you provide guardianship?"

Olga Marie glanced at the hand pressed against her chest, grinding her teeth as her face darkened.

"Cough cough..."

Samael realized what had happened, coughed dryly, quickly released the hand, and began to try to salvage his image.

"Is this my fault? Why did you sneak up on me and launch a surprise attack? I couldn't just take the beating without fighting back, could I?"