Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Samael shook the runestone he used for resonance summoning and nodded with a smile.

After finishing their preparations, the two walked out of the safe gate and headed towards their respective areas to explore.

At noon, Samael leaned against the shade of a tree, sipping a cup of milk tea, touching the rune stone in his pocket, his brow furrowing in a disrespectful manner.

He has now searched nearly two-thirds of the area, but has found nothing.

But as he passed through several locations along the way, he vaguely sensed a trace of his own presence remaining in those places.

Clearly, his shattered limbs seemed to have been specially collected by some malicious individuals.

If it's not outside, it seems we'll have to go in and check.

Samael rested for a moment, sipped the milk tea in his cup, threw away the empty cup, walked out of the shade of the tree, and followed the sparse crowd toward the Gothic building not far away.

It was an old-fashioned church.

A young nun, dressed in black gauze, with purple hair and blue eyes, stood at the door with her eyes half-closed, preaching to the passersby and earnestly inviting nearby pedestrians to enter the church for worship and to convert to the glory of the Lord.

Meanwhile, another white-robed attendant, whose appearance and hair color were somewhat similar to hers, was engrossed in distributing Bible pamphlets of the corresponding chapters, appearing somewhat perfunctory and bored.

"The Gospel of Matthew? Give me a copy, please..."

As the gentle voice echoed in her ears, the purple-haired nun preaching was invigorated. She nudged the white-robed assistant who was standing beside her in a daze, signaling her to hand over a pamphlet and try to persuade the eager passerby to stay.

The white-robed attendant, regaining his senses, reacted immediately and decisively stopped the "prospective believer" from approaching, his face grim.

"Well, I caught you! You bastard who skipped out on the bill!"

"Aren't you a dessert shop employee? How did you become a nun?"

Samael looked at the familiar face before him, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated.

"Volunteers aren't good enough! Luckily I came to help today. That God actually worked this time, and you scumbag fell into my hands!"

The purple-haired, brown-eyed girl unabashedly gripped the man's wrist tightly, her teeth clenched, her anger mixed with a smug satisfaction at finally avenging her great grudge.

Did I end up digging my own grave?

Hearing this praise delivered through gritted teeth, Samael was speechless.

Suddenly, the ancient snake fixed its gaze on the street behind its old nemesis and waved its hand urgently.

"Orange, run!"

Huh? There's another one here too?!

This unexpected delight made the shop assistant overjoyed, and she immediately turned around to look for another person who had skipped out on their bill.

However, when she looked back, the girl only saw an empty wall.

At the same time, she felt her hand slip, and the guy she had caught earlier had taken the opportunity to break free from her grasp.

By the time the girl came to her senses, the scumbag had already slipped into the crowd like a slippery eel and disappeared in a few moments.

"Damn it! Don't even think about running away!"

Enraged at being tricked once again, the purple-haired girl tore off her white robe and chased after the conman with fierce determination.

The believers gathered in front of the church looked at each other in bewilderment at this dramatic scene.

After many days of training, the black-veiled nun, who was only waiting to go on stage, watched the figure who had abandoned her and disappeared into the distance. Veins bulged on her forehead, her mouth twitched, and her teeth chattered.

Foolish cleric, my Mass...

Half an hour later, a figure cautiously approached the corner of the wall, listened intently, and repeatedly confirmed that there was absolutely no movement nearby and that the plague in the alley had gone far away. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and complain in frustration.

Sister, is it really necessary to chase me for eight blocks like I'm your father's killer just for a dessert?

It's not like I'm broke...

Suddenly, Samael seemed to realize something. Looking at the stack of banknotes in his hand, his inner grumbling stopped abruptly, and he fell into deep thought.

Yeah, I have money, why would I run away?

Well, I guess being stupid is contagious...

Finally, after pondering life for a while, the ancient snake came to a conclusion with a sullen face.

Never mind, I'll pay her back next time we meet.

Samael, deeply ashamed of his intellectual lapse, quickly put this embarrassing past behind him, caught his breath, stood up, and prepared to repeat his old trick. He took a step back, used the momentum to climb over the wall, and left the small courtyard he had mistakenly entered to avoid trouble.

However, a chestnut-haired girl wearing a brown school uniform, a short skirt that reached her knees, and a guitar case on her back, happened to wander into the backyard and almost bumped into Samael, who was backing away.

For a moment, their eyes met, and the atmosphere froze.

The chestnut-haired girl instinctively adopted a self-defense stance, looking warily at the newcomer.

However, as that gaze fell on a certain spot on Samael's chest, the girl's arms relaxed and fell to her sides, seemingly lowering her guard. Her pretty face tightened, and she grabbed the newcomer's arm in a flurry of activity.

"Come with me!"

"what?"

Samael was stunned and somewhat bewildered when he was forcefully taken in by two unfamiliar girls in one day.

"What do you mean 'huh'? I'll take you out!"

The chestnut-haired girl pulled Samael forward without saying a word, her words, which were clearly well-intentioned, revealed a fierce tone.

rustle……

However, before the two could even step out of the courtyard, a faint rustling sound came from the bamboo grove by the porch, and a slender figure appeared like smoke.

"Oh no! She's here! Hide! Don't move! If she finds you here, you're dead!"

The chestnut-haired girl's expression changed drastically. Without saying a word, she stuffed Samael into a cluster of lush camellias nearby, warned him repeatedly, and her rapidly moving fingers traced hidden runes on the ground.

"Qingzi, what are you hiding?"

Accompanied by a cold whisper, a black-haired girl with black hair and black eyes, wearing a Cossack hat and leather boots, and wrapped tightly in a fleece coat, stood at the entrance of the courtyard, quietly looking at the chestnut-haired girl squatting in front of the flower bushes.

Behind her, several pale blue robins fluttered their wings, their dark blue eyes gleaming.

Chapter 85 A Girlfriend Picked Up?

At that moment, the chestnut-haired girl named "Aoko" heard the sudden noise at the door, hurriedly got up, put her hands behind her back, and stood in front of the flower bushes with a flustered look in her eyes. She stammered and shook her head in response.

"No, it's nothing..."

"nothing?"

The black-haired girl, who seemed to be very afraid of the cold and had wrapped herself up tightly at home, looked around and then fixed her gaze on Aoko's back, her brows furrowing slightly.

A moment later, the black-haired girl's right hand slid down, and two deep blue robins chirped and soared from behind her, gracefully circling around Qingzi and cutting through the cluster of brightly blooming camellias behind her.

"laugh!"

In an instant, a sharp burst of energy stirred up a fierce wind in the courtyard, scattering red and white camellia petals everywhere.

Amidst this beautiful shower of petals, the air around the flowerbed distorted, revealing a figure crouching behind the blossoms to the two of them.

"what is this?"

The black-haired girl's dark eyes gazed at Aoko with a detached and indifferent look.

"This, this..."

Caught red-handed, Qingzi was speechless, her pretty face turning bright red, and she was at a loss for what to do.

"Ahem, well, I'm just a passerby... hiss!"

Samael, left standing there, cautiously raised his right hand, just about to confess his innocence, when his voice suddenly stopped. He then gasped, his face contorting as he looked down resentfully at the foot that had been brutally stomped on, wincing in pain.

"Qingzi, the first lesson I'm teaching you is the essence of concealing mystery. At this point, you should know what you need to do..."

The black-haired girl at the door calmly watched the uneasy disciple in front of the flower bushes. A few days ago, the manager of Misaki City brought his granddaughter, Aozaki Aoko, to visit and, under the pretext of family ties, forced her to be given to her.

Because of her aloof personality, the black-haired girl didn't particularly like or hate this new disciple and roommate. She simply felt obligated to guide her into the family.

"The rules of concealment and mystery don't apply to him; he's not an outsider!"

Upon hearing the word "rules," Qingzi's expression changed slightly, and she quickly began to defend herself.

The black-haired girl remained calm and asked the question indifferently.

"why?"

"We know each other, he came to see me..."

Aoko bit her cherry lips, glared at the man behind her with resentment, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes as she answered in a muffled voice. The straightforward and cheerful girl from just now was now inexplicably hesitant.

"So what if you know each other? Rules are rules."

The black-haired girl remained unmoved, appearing rigid and indifferent. She stepped across the threshold, and the two people in front of the flower bushes gradually approached. Behind them, several robins fluttered up and down, creating a chilling vortex.

This dark witch has slender hands and feet and skin that is as white as if it had never seen sunlight. Her cold black pupils display an expression that is neither sad nor happy. Her short hair that falls to her shoulders is black without any impurities. Just by gazing at her quietly, she brings a powerful sense of oppression, making people feel as if they are facing an ancient and unmelting iceberg.

Facing this inexplicable pressure, Aoko grabbed the guitar case behind her and used it as a stick in front of her. Swallowing hard, she encouraged herself and stood firmly in front of the man, determined to protect this outsider.

"Youzhu, you...you...you...you can't hurt him."

The black-haired girl frowned slightly as she looked at the temporary disciple whose legs were trembling slightly, yet who still stubbornly stood in front of her.

"Qingzi, your grandfather sent you here just two days ago, placing high hopes on you. Are you really going to abandon your path as a magician for a stranger who has broken taboos?"

"I already told you, he's not a stranger! I'm keeping this man under my protection today!"

Aoko angrily reiterated, gripping the guitar case in her hand even tighter, which puzzled the black-haired girl opposite her.

"why?"

"Because...because he's my boyfriend!"

Under the persistent questioning of the black-haired girl, Aoko, cornered against the wall, tightened her flushed face and, with a resolute air of "what's the use of trying," laid her cards on the table.

Hey!

In an instant, with Qingzi's gritted teeth and impulsive stomp of her foot, Samael stiffened and looked down at his feet that were being trampled into the mud. His face was contorted, and a silent wail was stuck in his throat.

Samael, who had been repeatedly attacked in the instep, was on the verge of tears. Faced with his soon-to-be sister-in-law's repeated defense of him, he didn't know whether to be moved or to complain.

Aoko, we're not that close yet. Even if it's for your sister, going to this extent really doesn't have to be...

So, Grandma, could you move your foot? It's a small matter; I think I can handle it.

Besides, if you hadn't stopped me, I would have run away long ago, okay?

In this moment of desperation, not only did Samael himself not believe these words, but the witch named Kuonji Yuzu, who had recently been entrusted to serve as Aozaki Aoko's magic teacher, also did not believe them.

At that moment, Yuju Kuonji approached, stopping just three steps away from the two of them. She raised her hand and issued her final ultimatum in a deep voice.

"Qingzi, get out of the way!"

"You're not allowed to touch him! Otherwise, I'll turn on you!"

Aoko gritted her teeth, adopting a defensive posture in the face of this witch who was both her teacher and friend, displaying an inexplicable stubbornness.

"Then, you can give it a try..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kuonji Yuju waved her hands forward, and seven blue robins, constructed from alchemy and magic, flew past her, chirping, and crashed into Aoko's back.

"Get out of the way!"

Seeing this, Samael was about to make a subtle maneuver to dodge when a loud shout came from in front of him. Aozaki Aoko, whose expression had changed drastically, kicked him roughly into the flower bushes next to her.

Instantly, Samael, who had plunged into it, grimaced and looked like he was about to cry but had no tears.

Because this flowerbed is made of roses...

All of them are covered in thorns!

Qingzi, please, I can manage! I really don't need your help!

Just as the ancient snake was pulling out the stingers from its rear end and silently praying, Aozaki Aoko, who had kicked Samael aside and was now facing seven robins, swung her guitar case left and right, attempting to break through the encirclement of the birds to help the person behind her escape.

Star Mine! Star Bow!

As Aozaki Aoko murmured in her mind, dark blue magic circuits appeared one after another on her arms and legs. The surging magic power was released in various unreasonable ways as she used fighting techniques such as elbow strikes, wheel strikes, and dashes.

The athletic girl, with her extensive fighting experience, was like a human grenade launcher, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the robins around her.

Boom boom boom!

In an instant, compressed magic balls flew wildly, blasting large and small craters into the ground, sending dust and broken flower branches flying high into the air.