Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Kiritsugu, I have another question for you. Suppose a madman has tied five innocent people to a tram track. An out-of-control tram is heading towards them and will run them over in moments. Fortunately, as the tram driver, you can pull a lever to divert the tram to another track. But there's another problem: the madman has also tied one person to that other track. Considering all of this, what would you do?"

"I...I choose..."

Emiya Kiritsugu pondered deeply, his expression conflicted, and remained silent for a long time.

"If we're any later, the tram will run someone over."

Samael reminded him with a smile, urging him on with ill intent.

In his anxiety, Kiritsugu Emiya looked up and noticed someone's ambiguous smile. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him, and he abruptly looked up to ask.

"If it were you, what would you choose?"

"Of course, we'll run over five of them first, then come back and drive around once, and then run over the last one too!"

The confident answer in his ear left young Kiritsugu Emiya speechless and dumbfounded, a thousand alpacas galloping through his mind.

What kind of devilish answer is this?!

"Haha, just kidding, just trying to lighten the mood."

The man, with a wicked sense of humor, looked at Kiritsugu Emiya's disheveled expression and a pleased smile appeared on his lips. Then, after thinking for a moment, he put on a stern face and gave him a serious warning.

"Well, they probably want to kill the people who set the questions first. These are all boring questions designed by some boring philosophers."

If you truly have the time, it's better to genuinely care for the people around you, to truly love the specific individuals in your lives. Don't get bogged down in these abstract philosophical thoughts; they're meaningless. Often, these philosophical reflections cause us to neglect the people we truly care about.

Emiya Kiritsugu twitched his lips and looked at the unscrupulous adult with a wistful gaze.

"Of course, if you can't beat me, don't even think about using this method."

Samael answered with a smile, then finally became serious and answered earnestly.

"Well, to be honest, it depends on the situation. If I don't know any of the six people on the tram tracks, and I'm just a driver, I'll most likely just keep driving, then cooperate with the police to catch that lunatic, give him a good beating, and then I can relax and get a good night's sleep."

After all, you need to understand one thing: it was that madman who killed them, not me!

But if one of the two groups of hostages has someone I care about, then I'll definitely run over the other one...

At this point, the ancient snake paused for a moment, shook its head and smiled, its expression calm.

"However, in exchange, I am willing to bear the cost of losing my job, compensating the victims' families, and even going to jail."

Kiritsugu Emiya stared blankly at the smiling man before him. The figure before him seemed ordinary, just like the masses, yet somehow quite different.

"Kid, don't get distracted, it's your turn to answer."

The murmur in his ear jolted Kiritsugu Emiya awake from his reverie. The boy frowned and pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head in confusion.

"I...I don't know either. I just hope to stop the car as soon as possible and save as many people as I can."

Samael paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled broadly, picked up the dagger and pistol from the ground in front of Kiritsugu Emiya, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a meaningful pat.

"Then you shouldn't be carrying a gun. This thing isn't suitable for you. You should study medicine instead."

Then, the ancient serpent let out a long sigh, stretched and got up. As it walked to the cave entrance, it seemed to remember something, raised its hand and tapped its head, stopped and turned to look at Emiya Kiritsugu, who was still in a daze due to the shock of the night, and smiled.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you some good news—we've found Xia Lei, and she's currently being cared for at the chicken farm on the east side of the village."

Perhaps, there is still hope for her…

Upon hearing this, the boy's breath caught in his throat, his expression of disbelief turning into ecstatic joy. Without another word, he frantically rushed out of the cave and ran towards the place where his destiny had begun.

Watching the small, thin figure stumble and disappear into the night, Samael turned to look behind a rock wall outside the cave. He couldn't help but purse his lips and hum softly.

"I said, after watching for so long, shouldn't you come out already?"

"You're quite alert, aren't you?"

Amidst a rustling sound, Natalia, who had previously "left," emerged from behind the stone wall, looking at her seemingly mysterious teammate with a mixture of surprise and frustration.

"Stop interrupting me. Didn't you go up the mountain to plunder Emiya Norikaze's legacy? Why are you back here?"

Samael crossed his arms, glanced at Natalia beside him, and gave a cold snort.

The female hunter waved the package in her hand and answered casually.

"Having received so much money from Emiya Norikaze, we should at least take care of this brat."

"Is it really necessary to be so sneaky? Do I really make you feel so uneasy?"

Samael leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, and rolled his eyes and muttered something.

"What do you say?"

Natalia gazed at her teammate, her azure eyes meeting his dark pupils, her tone carrying a profound meaning.

"Just as that brat was answering the question about how to treat Xia Lei, you seemed... to want to kill him..."

"Am I that kind of person?"

"Don't lie to me. You can't hide the look in someone's eyes when they want to kill them."

"Am I that kind of person?! My teammates! What about trust? How can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air!"

Upon hearing this, Samael denied it righteously and solemnly, his expression filled with sorrow.

Natalia scoffed at this; as a half-sleep demon, she was extremely sensitive to emotional fluctuations.

She was certain that, just a moment before, this guy had definitely wanted to kill some brat in front of him.

However, in the end, this guy suppressed his murderous intent and gave him two chances.

That's right, the so-called tram problem was Kiritsugu Emiya's last chance.

If the next answer doesn't satisfy this guy, he might actually get rid of that clueless brat.

Fortunately, the child's naive ideas did not go down a dead end, and eventually changed, which saved his life from the brink of death.

If this guy is really determined to kill that brat, Natalia doesn't know whether she should spare his life for the sake of money.

Of course, this is on the premise that I am confident that I can deal with the guy in front of me.

The huntress glanced at Samael, and for some reason, the more she interacted with this cynical fellow, the more uncertain she felt.

"By the way, you took that guy's father's life savings, have you considered adopting this kid?"

After the two tacitly skipped over the topic, Samael gazed at the turbulent sea under the moonlight, seemingly asking a casual question, but his eyes subtly gleamed in the darkness.

As she spoke, a strange chill crept into the hunter's heart, its origin unknown, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

"Adopt him? Forget it..."

Natalia gazed in the direction where Kiritsugu Emiya had gone, shook her head, and muttered to herself with a frown.

"I don't know why, but I suddenly feel that being this kid's relative is a bit risky."

Congratulations, you've successfully escaped being stabbed!

As a close friend, he winked and chuckled to himself, his expression revealing a hint of mockery that Natalia couldn't decipher.

"Oh, right, there's something else I forgot to mention. Someone was looking for you in the village just now."

After reviewing the situation, exchanging information, and chatting for a while, Natalia stretched her limbs, raised an eyebrow, and looked at someone with schadenfreude.

"Who?"

"He said his name was Kotomine Risei, the leader of this church operation, and wanted to meet with the person in charge of the meeting."

"Good heavens, this guy doesn't seem friendly."

Samael raised his hand to rub his chin, muttered something casually, and then a hint of mischievousness appeared on his face.

"But it just so happens that I also want to meet this agent."

Having said that, the ancient serpent beckoned to Natalia and set off for the village.

Of course, he wasn't particularly interested in that old-fashioned guy, but he was full of anticipation and amusement in teasing Kotomine Risei's two good sons.

At this moment, the night was fading, and the first light of dawn was appearing in the east. The flames were extinguished, the thick smoke dissipated, and although the village was somewhat dilapidated, the overall damage was not severe.

On the way, the two could even see wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys.

All the terror and horror seemed to have remained in yesterday.

However, as soon as they arrived at the village entrance, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

In the open space in front of the church, a sprightly old man was leading his agents in a confrontation with two vampire princesses from the ancient city.

Behind Arcueid and Arcturus, Kiritsugu Emiya, with his lips tightly pressed together and a stubborn expression, and Shaley, who was whimpering anxiously, were being sheltered behind them.

Chapter 48 The Birth of Emiya Shirou (5k)

"What are you doing!"

Seeing the church members and the villagers who were trembling as they picked up sickles and hoes, gradually surrounding the infected who were about to be bitten, Natalia, who was watching from the dense forest, could not hold back. She snorted and stepped forward, directly drawing her gun to warn the villagers who were standing with the agents.

Samael, however, quietly stopped and leaned against a tree trunk with his arms crossed, continuing to slack off without any restraint. At the same time, he turned his head to look at a shadowy spot and spoke jokingly.

"I say, your old man is really brave, he actually led a group to ambush two princesses of the ancient city."

"Father's actions were merely an attempt to reasonably manage the dangers of those turning into dead, prevent the spread of infection, and save more people. He absolutely did not intend to provoke conflict."

Amidst a rustling sound, the church's living saint, Amakusa Shiro, emerged from the bushes, coughing dryly, and offered a helpless explanation, his presence distorted by the light and shadow.

"So, you're in charge of blocking the way?"

"Please wait a moment. After my father has settled the villagers in batches, he will..."

"Huh? Divide and conquer, defeat them one by one! Is Kotomine Risei going to replace the Church and wage war against both the Millennium Castle and the Council at the same time?"

Samael looked shocked and made a move to pull out his antique pager to send a message to his "boss." However, his seemingly tense expression was overshadowed by the excitement and wicked pleasure in his eyes that screamed, "Let's fight! Let's fight! Let's fight!"

"Ahem, you're joking."

Amakusa Shiro coughed violently, both amused and exasperated, and repeatedly stopped a certain troublemaker.

We can't just take the blame for something we don't want to do.

First of all, Millennium City may not seem famous now, but if it weren't for the fact that more than 1700 years ago, the first Princess Zhu Yue and the Magic Marshal Zelrich fought to the death, and the Magic Association and Millennium City had been dormant for many years, the Holy Church would not have had the opportunity to develop and rise to prominence.

A similar event occurred more than 600 years ago.

The Church of Sanctuary suffered heavy losses after its witch hunt and the expedition against the Dark Council, and was slowly overtaken by the hidden Mage's Association, from which it has not yet fully recovered.

Now, after so much open and covert struggle, the four parties—Millennium City, the Dark Council, the Magic Association, and the Holy Church—are all well aware that each of the four major powers is an overpowered entity. Once a war breaks out, none of them will gain much advantage. Therefore, they maintain a tacit balance.

Let alone Kotomine Risei, a mere proxy, even the Pope himself wouldn't dare to touch the Millennium City. Especially since there's a Dark Council agent on this island stirring things up.

Dealing with one super-organization at the same time is already enough of a headache for the cardinals of the Vatican, let alone provoking two at once.

It's worth noting that even popes in history have died mysteriously.

Then, Amakusa Shiro paused, holding the cross on his chest, his gentle eyes looking earnestly at the man before him, and patiently explained.

"Your Excellency, we mean no harm."

"So you incited those ignorant people to besiege the church and force the infected people here to their deaths?"

"This is merely their own will; the church is simply acting as their representative. After all, it is our duty as their agents to carry out God's will, uphold His principles, protect His flock, and spread His glory and love. We hope you understand..."

Amakusa Shiro responded calmly, his eyes clear.

"It doesn't matter, I understand."

Samael glanced at the gradually cooling scene and blinked casually.

At this moment, the villagers, who were gradually losing their fear and repulsion, were shouting in a fit of rage that they wanted to burn the demon. Arcueid and Arcturus, due to their status and personalities, found it difficult to deal with this situation.

However, this mob, which was turning into a rabble, was terrified by Natalia's few empty shots, and shrank back behind the agent like quails, unable to move forward.

They didn't know anything about princesses, agents, or magicians, but they were very familiar with the black gun barrels that were almost touching their heads.

Sure enough, when it comes to reasoning, guns are more effective.

The serpent, who was secretly watching the show, gave a thumbs-up to his good teammate Natalia, who had swiftly taken control of the situation, and then turned to look at Amakusa Shiro with a mocking expression.

"But look, they have no objections now."

"..."

The living saint of the church, looking at his colleagues who had been pushed to the forefront and were caught in a dilemma, twitched his lips and was speechless.

After a moment, Amakusa Shiro realized that this attempt to convey public opinion was doomed to failure, and shook his head in resignation.

"When will people, so lost and confused, be able to receive the Lord's grace and salvation under the guidance of a shepherd...?"