Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

With a flick of his fingers and a turn of his body, the fighting dagger plunged straight into the enemy's center, aiming for the heart.

Fighting for one's life at the cost of injury?

Iwamine Shiro's gaze sharpened slightly, and he vaguely sensed a menacing killing intent emanating from the sharp blade, causing him to pause involuntarily.

As the saying goes, complexity leads to simplicity. Natalia's methods, honed through countless battles, have made her accustomed to achieving the greatest results with the least cost.

If the opponent insists on advancing, in a single blow, she will be severely injured and the opponent will die!

boom!

Finally, Iwamine Shiro's brow furrowed, and he changed his move midway, his fist striking the dagger and forcefully stopping the weapon.

This time, having gained a basic understanding of each other, they fought with all their might, each staggering back several steps due to the force of the recoil.

However, immediately afterward, that deadly whistling sound in the air resumed, and another fist enveloped in red light slammed out from the side, catching everyone off guard.

Bajiquan cannon hammer, in fact, is mainly based on continuous strikes when fighting an enemy. It is also known as the three-cannon hammer. The essence lies in the three-hit combo of left and right hands and the use of both fists.

snort!

Natalia's voice was cold and sluggish. She leaped back slightly, her right knee thrusting upwards. The hardest part of her knee struck Iwamine Shiro's elbow joint precisely, nearly dislocating half of the surrogate's arm.

Joint techniques?

This woman seems a bit tricky...

But I dare not confront her head-on. It seems that strength is this woman's weakness. If I hold out for too long, I will surely lose. So I will use speed to force her to reveal a weakness!

Having failed in his first attack, Iwamine Shiro immediately increased his speed and power to the peak, unleashing a fierce barrage of blows. Each move had the power to shatter stone and destroy monuments. Under this onslaught, Natalia dodged left and right, like a small boat being battered in a stormy sea, seemingly on the verge of capsizing at any moment, yet always managing to ride the waves by the slightest margin.

His attacks, which lasted for several breaths, were gradually worn down by this impenetrable defense. Even the rhythm of his attacks was disrupted by the anxiety accumulating in his heart.

As Iwamine Shiro watched his opponent's increasingly confident and relaxed expression, a strange sense of unease began to linger in his heart.

and many more!

She's... stalling for time!

In a daze, Iwamine Shiro recalled the shotgun shell that had been fired into the air during their earlier exchange. His gaze darkened, and he realized what his opponent was planning.

Any accomplices?

"Sorry, I might have to be a bit rough."

The silver-haired agent's gaze froze, and the gentleness on his face turned into solemnity. At the same time, he bent his body slightly, raised both arms together, and then twisted his hips to thrust his elbows forward, like a tiger descending a mountain, crashing into Natalia's chest.

Bajiquan - Top Elbow!

If struck with full force, this attack will either kill or cripple the target.

"Trying to snatch food from my hands, that's more like it!"

Natalia snorted coldly and decisively threw down the dagger that had blocked the attack but was now cracked and unable to withstand the strain. A fierce, wolf-like look appeared in her icy blue eyes, and she unleashed an extremely sharp killing move.

"boom!"

As their fists collided, Iwamine Shiro's expression changed, and he staggered back three steps. His right arm, which was meant to block, was nearly smashed into his chest by the woman's brutal punch. The strange, overwhelming force of the punch almost shattered his arm bones.

As the proxy retreated, Natalia lunged forward and struck with her right fist. Iwamine Shiro immediately raised his arms, preparing to block the attack in front of his chest. However, he found that this strange and unpredictable attack was impossible to defend against.

What starts as a punch instantly transforms into a palm strike upon being blocked. In close combat, it shifts to a claw, hooking and twisting joints, or even becoming a fingertip, aimed directly at vital organs like the heart and lungs. This transformation is arbitrary and unpredictable. Sometimes it's a delicate and insidious joint lock, sometimes a powerful and heavy blunt strike, occasionally interspersed with elaborate magic tricks.

In an instant, vital organs such as the head, throat, heart, and genitals became the primary targets. Even though Iwamine Shiro chose to defend with all his might, he was hit repeatedly, and his once clean and tidy body was covered with wounds.

Finally, Iwamine Shiro found an empty space and exchanged a blow with Natalia, temporarily escaping the woman's close-range attack range, allowing him to recover.

A fractured right hand, a minor meniscus tear in the left knee, two broken ribs, and three bloody marks on the face that nearly damaged the cornea...

When did these amateur magicians, who spend most of their energy chasing money and dealing with mundane matters, become so skilled in fighting?

Or is this woman an exception?

Iwamine Shiro secretly assessed his injuries, feeling both amused and exasperated, realizing he might have somewhat lowered the combat effectiveness of the church's agents.

But there's nothing that can be done about it; these self-taught magicians who survived the battles are definitely several levels better than the academics in the Clock Tower who are obsessed with research.

Moreover, this seems to be a combat-ready individual at the level of a designated seal executor...

As a bounty hunter who routinely targets magicians and cultists, she is all too familiar with their methods and weaknesses, making her an absolute handful when it comes to a fight.

Shiro Iwamine, who fought against Natalia, was deeply moved.

In combat, this woman has integrated the strengths of many schools. She is not only proficient in modern fighting techniques, but also seems to have the influence of ancient Israeli boxing, Greek Pankrasin, Celtic fighting, and other techniques. Even Iwamine Shiro felt somewhat inferior when they fought without any special skills.

In church baptismal chants, those lacking power are ineffective, and large-scale spells require preparation time. Encountering such an opponent would be a major headache for anyone.

"God said, 'You are divided into upper and lower classes...'"

"Bang! Bang!"

Just as Iwamine Shiro was engrossed in chanting, intending to unleash a divine technique to heal his injuries, two gunshots rang out, and two bullets carrying the black energy pierced through the magic circle formed around him, causing the originally condensed runes to instantly collapse.

The turbulent ether even turned against this "living saint" of the church.

Curse-corroding bullets? Another one of those strange gadgets...

Iwamine Shiro had no choice but to stop chanting, suppress the surging ether, and look up at the smoking gun barrel, feeling extremely frustrated.

What left him speechless was that the woman opposite him, whose injuries were even more severe than his, actually picked up an exquisite bottle and gulped down the holy water containing immense life force and light elements, becoming energetic again.

Looking at his opponent, whose skin glowed and whose body exuded a holy aura, Iwamine Shiro's lips twitched violently.

Lord, who is truly on your side?

Immediately, the church's "living saint" focused his gaze, and the magical power within him increased once more.

It's been too long, we can't delay any longer!

Complete the task of eradicating evil!

Iwamine Shiro suddenly accelerated forward, twisting his body and swinging his right leg across the air, aiming at the recovery potion in Natalia's hand.

Here we go again? So troublesome!

The female nightmare glanced irritably at the potion that had been kicked away. Without thinking, she leaned back and deliberately fell backward. As her body fell, her right hand struck the ground, and using the recoil, she flipped in mid-air, attempting to regain control of the battle.

However, as Natalia fell, six whooshing sounds arose, and the black keys shot from Iwamine Shiro's hand became a deadly threat.

boom!boom!boom!boom!

In a flash of lightning and a clash of metal, Natalia landed safely on the ground, her right hand gripping the M1911A1 that had been tucked into her waistband.

With subtle adjustments to her body, the pistol traveled in an arc, instantly deflecting the six black pistols that arrived almost simultaneously. This woman once again demonstrated a keen intuition surpassing that of a wild beast and fighting skills bordering on the supernatural.

Tch, I don't even know if the profit from this deal will cover the losses...

The hunter glanced back at the little girl still fast asleep on the grass, filled with regret, then gritted her teeth and secretly vowed revenge.

No, you have to pay more!

However, in a moment of distraction, Iwamine Shiro had already completed a chant, and colorful halos appeared on his arms.

Oops!

A strong sense of crisis made Natalia's heart pound. She immediately took the holy grenade and smoke grenade hanging from her chest and threw them at the Proxy in the halo.

However, Iwamine Shiro, who was prepared, raised his hand, curled his fingers, and the flying grenade immediately disappeared into the halo of light on his arms, like a mud ox entering the sea, without causing the slightest ripple.

To be forced to this point by a mediocre magician, I'm probably the most degrading living saint in the church.

Iwamine Shiro smiled bitterly, then the light wheels on his arms hummed and vibrated, his body slowly floated into the air, and his silver hair grew wildly to waist height, moving without wind. The brilliant colors became even more dazzling. The figure in the radiance raised his hands, holding a red and a blue ball of light, like a saint proclaiming the end of sin.

Noble Phantasm, Release—Dual Arms Zero-Time Cluster!

In an instant, two beams of light, compressed to their limit, descended upon Natalia's head, converging to form a pitch-black vortex that engulfed everything.

Chapter Forty: Our motto is: Let's cause trouble! Let's cause trouble! Let's cause trouble!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Just as the red and blue light orb shooting from Kotomine Shiro's palm was about to engulf Natalia, a sharp sound of air being torn apart came from the dense forest. Two intersecting blood shadows swept past, tearing the light orb that was falling from the sky to shreds.

Natalia, who was at the center of the halo, had a glint in her eyes. She raised her arm and flicked her wrist, and a Remington 1866 Derringer Derringer, which she had hidden on her body as a spare, slipped into her palm and was immediately put into her hair.

The Remington 1866 Derringer, also known as the Derringer pistol or the Palm Mistress, was a small pistol invented by Henry Derringer, an American from Philadelphia. It was easy to conceal and carry, usually had one or two barrels, and was quite powerful.

With a dull gunshot, two pre-loaded special bullets streaked through the air, flying toward Kotomine Shiro's face.

when! when!

Without a second thought, the church agent's pupils contracted, and six black keys shot out from his hand, sweeping across the target with a series of sharp ringing sounds, deflecting the incoming bullets.

However, the powerful impact and the runes that exploded on the projectile caused Kotomine Shiro to fall awkwardly from mid-air, staggering back dozens of meters, his chest heaving, his blood churning, and a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

However, Kotomine Shiro could no longer care about any of that. His eyes narrowed as he gazed into the depths of the rustling forest, his face grave.

coming!

Under the pale moonlight, a man and a woman walked slowly towards him. The indescribable sense of oppression made Kotomine Shiro's brow twitch, and he even had an impulse to turn around and run away.

Samael glanced at Natalia, who was leaning against a tree trunk, holding a gun and confronting the enemy, and waved with a light laugh, his expression mocking.

"Oh, still alive? Looks like we've come at the wrong time."

"Yes, if you had been any later, you might have been able to collect my body."

Natalia, who was keeping a close eye on Kotomine Shiro, couldn't help but turn around and glare at her unscrupulous teammate when she heard this, then frowned and snorted coldly.

Samael walked towards Natalia, smiling and making a "good luck" gesture.

"The Nightmare doesn't die so easily, I believe you!"

"Have some decency! Is this something a teammate would say? You bastard, you're not planning to hog all the commission after I die, are you?"

Natalia looked suspicious and pointed out someone's possible sinister intentions.

As the two continued their banter, their breathing gradually became steady, and their tense muscles showed signs of relaxing.

However, Kotomine Shiro's attention was not on the two people in front of him. Instead, his surprised and suspicious gaze was fixed on the blonde girl behind Samael who was bending down to check on Xia Lei's condition.

That's incredibly powerful! The leaking power is almost suffocating!

This is... the true ancestor of the Thousand-Year City!

Kotomine Shiro's face was dark, his breathing was labored, and his lips were filled with bitterness.

What a run of bad luck! No matter how I deal with a girl who has become a dead apostle, I still run into a bounty hunter with practical skills at the level of a designated seal executor, and a true ancestor who has not appeared in the city for hundreds of years.

"Wow, you actually ran into a living saint of the church. You're quite lucky."

Samael glanced at Kotomine Shiro, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy, and his smile, blending into the darkness, was quite radiant.

"No wonder this was much more troublesome than those agents; it turns out it was the church's trump card in this operation."

Natalia seemed to be deep in thought. After a moment of contemplation, she turned to look at Samael, her eyebrows raised.

"But you call this good luck? Do you think I'm not fast enough? You bastard!"

"How could that be? What I'm trying to say is that living saints in the church are very rare. Things are valued for their rarity, or, to put it in your preferred way, they are very valuable."

Samael waved his hand, glanced meaningfully at Kotomine Shiro in front of him, and explained with a smile.

"Whether you capture him alive and hand him over to the parliament as a whole, or dismantle him and sell the parts, it's enough to keep you busy for several years without having to work."

As the "First Cause" who knows almost all the secrets and destinies of this world, the ancient serpent naturally knows the true origin of the man before him, Kotomine Shiro.

Alternatively, he should be called "Amakusa Shiro Tokisada," an Eastern saint who, during the Edo period of Japan, converted to Christianity under the banner of the Messiah after Catholicism spread eastward, and facilitated the localization of Christianity in Japan.

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada was known as a child prodigy from a young age. His original surname was Masuda, but he was later adopted into the Amakusa family. His father was a former retainer of Konishi Yukinaga, the daimyo of Kirishitan, and therefore Amakusa Shiro was also a Catholic, with the Christian name Jérôme.

As a teenager, he showed signs of healing wounds and walking on water, which led the local farmers to regard him as the son of God and worship him fervently.

In the seventh year of the Kan'ei era, the Edo Shogunate issued a ban on Christianity, stipulating that anyone who refused to renounce their Catholic faith would be executed.

In 1865, due to the oppressive rule of the local feudal lord and the suppression of Catholicism, Amakusa Shiro led more than 20,000 Catholics in an uprising. The shogunate army dispatched 120,000 troops, but they were routed by the rebels, and even the shogunate commander-in-chief Itakura Shigemasa was killed in battle.

The shogunate was extremely alarmed and appointed Matsudaira Izu no Kami Nobutsuna, a senior councilor, as the commander-in-chief of the shogunate army. Matsudaira Nobutsuna changed the previous strategy of direct assault and successively used coercion, inducement, and siege to attack Hara Castle. He also requested the support of the Dutch fleet, a Protestant country, for artillery bombardment.

Ultimately, the city was breached, and it is said that all 30,000 people in the city were killed except for one inside agent.

Indeed, in history, this Japanese saint was martyred long ago, and his soul should have been enshrined in the Throne of Heroes and fallen into hibernation.

However, it is estimated that due to a secret Holy Grail War, he was summoned from the Throne of Heroes by the Einzbern family, who were participating at the time, as a Ruler, and together with his Master, he won the final victory in the Holy Grail War.

However, Samael vaguely remembered that the victory was not complete. The Einzbern Master fell before the end of the Holy Grail War, while Amakusa came into contact with the Greater Grail when it was being transferred and was fortunate enough to receive the blessing of being reborn. Afterwards, he was secretly hidden away by the Church personnel who came to clean up the scene.