Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

However, it is now the 21st century, and even the most conservative shrines are not necessarily so retro.

Moreover, the girl in his arms seemed to be trembling.

Samael narrowed his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Did Asagami Hafuyu force you?"

"No, no, it was my own choice!"

Asagami Fujino realized what was happening and shook her head repeatedly. Then, she bit her cherry lips, raised her head, and looked at her father with her eyes full of water, exuding a longing and humility.

"I want to...have your child."

Samael sighed, pulled the blanket over Asagami Fujino, wrapped her up, and carried her to bed.

He did not answer directly, refute, or blame.

Because humans don't possess the same extraordinary power as him, capable of solving most real-world problems.

As a demon who understands people's hearts, he certainly understood why Asagami Fujino made such drastically different choices from Ryougi Shiki and Tono Akiha.

The Ryougi family wields immense power and enjoys great prosperity in Tokyo Ward.

The Tohno family, based in Misaki City, is doing very well.

As princesses of two families, Ryougi Shiki and Tono Akiha grew up mostly under protection, with no one interfering with their choices, and they could basically live as they pleased.

But Asagami Fujino was different. Before Samael fell into Misaki City, the Asagami family was already declining and on the verge of collapse.

Now, although the Asagami family has been able to survive with the help of the council, it is still filled with a deep-seated sense of decline.

Moreover, judging from her father's bizarre actions of deliberately asking the doctor to give her painkillers after Asagami Fujino contracted neuromyelitis optica, and using the blocking of sensation to seal her ability, thus causing her to lose the sense of pain, Asagami Hafuu, the head of the Asagami family, is a mediocre and somewhat muddle-headed character.

Now, the life and death of the whole family are basically hanging on Samael's back.

Whether due to the influence of her parents' words and deeds or her own internal assessment, Asagami Fujino would occasionally reveal this respectful, even somewhat humble, attitude towards the "gods".

Similarly, among the four divine children of Misaki City, she is the one who most desires to be close to and accepted by the "Father".

Asagami Fujino lay on the soft bed, her gaze somewhat uneasy, and subconsciously tried to sit up.

"Go to sleep first."

A pair of hands pressed on her shoulders, and a gentle voice echoed in her ears.

Samael sat by the bed, smoothing the girl's messy hair, a reassuring smile spreading across his captivating face.

Asagami Fujino's tense mood inexplicably relaxed, and her gaze became somewhat dazed and unfocused.

The figure before me seemed even more like a father than my own father…

Gradually, her body relaxed, her eyelids grew heavy, and the girl, burdened with too many worries, tilted her head and fell into a deep sleep.

Samael carefully withdrew his arms from her embrace, gently tucked Asagami Fujino's hands back under the covers, then got up, left the bedroom, and closed the door.

In the darkness of night, the pretty face on the bed, once shrouded in gloom, for some reason relaxed its brows and revealed a long-lost light smile.

Perhaps she is having a beautiful dream.

Chapter Fifty: Guinea Pigs, Assemble!

Outside the door, the darkness of night grew even thicker, as if it were already midnight.

Samael glanced at the pale moon that had just risen in the east, took out his phone, and looked down at the screen.

It's just past seven o'clock.

It gets dark at five o'clock.

The ancient snake's dark eyes gleamed eerily in the night before it closed its phone and casually lifted its foot.

"Whoosh!"

A pebble whistled forward from beneath my feet and flew into the bushes on my right.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, a petite figure, clutching her buttocks, sprang up from behind the bushes, letting out a mournful cry.

Samael looked at the head with pigtails and red, blue and black highlights, his face full of surprise, his tone drawn out.

"Oh dear, there are still people here..."

"Cough cough, I can't sleep, so I came out to look at the moon."

Under that half-smiling, half-grinding gaze, Sei Shonagon's cheeks flushed red. She raised her hand to brush a few leaves off her head, blinked with feigned composure, and tried to force an innocent expression.

Samael smiled, but just as Sei Shonagon thought she had gotten away with it, her face suddenly darkened, and she abruptly lifted her foot.

Immediately afterwards, two more pebbles flew into the bushes.

With two muffled groans, Arong and Oda Nobunaga also jumped out, clutching their buttocks and groaning in pain.

Samael's face was covered in dark lines, and his eyes were sinister.

"You guys have so much free time, staying up so late!"

The three heroic spirits felt a chill creep through their bodies and shook their heads in unison, their eyes darting around, instinctively wanting to escape.

They had witnessed this guy's strength during the day.

Let alone the three of them attacking together, even if the entire Chunshu Book Club teamed up to run a dungeon, they would still be easy prey for the opposing team.

Enjoying the show is fine, but don't end up making yourself the show's entertainment; that's no fun at all.

Just as the three heroic spirits were exchanging glances, Samael changed the subject, his voice seeming to soften a bit.

"Since you have so much free time, come for a walk with me."

fine……

Upon hearing this outcome, the three heroic spirits breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively followed suit, intending to observe for a while before figuring out a way to activate the effect.

However, as soon as they lifted their legs, they couldn't help but be taken aback.

"Sir, the courtyard is over there..."

"Who said we were going to stroll around the garden? It's a rare trip to Tokyo, of course we have to go out shopping."

Samael turned around, looking completely at ease.

Go out?

The three heroic spirits looked at each other, a sense of foreboding creeping into their hearts.

The environment at night is not very friendly to them.

Moreover, this place is near the shogunate's headquarters. If we get caught by those seven changed knights and black warriors, things will get even more complicated.

Just as the three heroic spirits hesitated, a pair of outstretched arms wrapped around their shoulders, their attitude intimate and familiar.

"Oh, it's just going out for fun, don't be nervous."

In the darkness, those deep eyes held a half-smile.

Its deep gaze seemed to be scrutinizing the three fresh and adorable little white mice.

The three of them instinctively shuddered and tried to break free.

But his arm was wrapped tightly around their necks, and without a word, he dragged them out the back door and into the deep night.

Heian-kyo under the night sky is ancient and solemn, with its Tang-style architecture exuding a profound sense of history.

To their surprise, they didn't encounter any of the Night Watchers or the Seven Riders along the way.

The entire city seemed to fall into a kind of silence, as if it were asleep or dead.

Just as I expected.

Samael looked up at the towering structure in front of him, which resembled a gun barrel, his eyes flashing, his lips moving silently.

Purification ceremony...

Meanwhile, inside the gun turret.

The three riders originally stationed at Akihabara—Saber Miyamoto Musashi, Lancer Suzuka Gozen, and Archer Tomoe Gozen—knelt together at the bottom of the steps, looking embarrassed.

The daytime brawls not only ruined several streets, but also caused widespread public resentment.

Their recall this time, besides being for reporting on their duties and participating in the purification ritual, also carries the implication of punishment.

Since returning, the three of them have been left standing here for more than two hours, kneeling from the first light of dusk until nightfall.

Although they had no complaints about the punishment, as the night grew darker, streams of red and black energy surged from the three women's acupoints, forming a mist that enveloped them layer by layer.

As the fog shifted and changed, their restlessness grew, and a strong urge to destroy arose within them.

To resist this disturbance and irritability, they all gritted their teeth and tensed up.

Unbeknownst to them, the three of them had already worn bloody marks on their lips from their clenched teeth, and their foreheads and backs were slightly sweaty.

Finally, just as the three were about to reach their limit, a figure yawned and stepped through the door. He glanced at the three figures kneeling in the hall with surprise and paused slightly.

"When did you come?"

The voice was heavy with languor, as if the person had just woken up.

Miyamoto Musashi looked up and answered instinctively.

"More than two hours ago, Your Excellency General..."

Why didn't Caster inform me?

The general was stunned for a moment, staring at the empty hall, when he suddenly realized what was happening. He slapped his forehead and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oh dear, I seem to have forgotten that I sent Caster to guard Tama. I'm so sorry."

"..."

The three heroic spirits below the stage were stunned at first, and then fell silent.

Realizing he had made a blunder, the General quickly changed the subject.

"Ready? Shall we go in and begin the purification ritual?"

There was no direct answer from the sidelines. Tomoe Gozen covered her throbbing forehead, looked up at the Shogun, and a hint of worry appeared in her increasingly bloodshot eyes.

"Then, Akihabara City..."

"Don't worry, I had already sent Rider and Berserker there to take over your duties when you arrived."

The general offered casual words of comfort, a smile spreading across his face.

"They were originally stationed in Tama, but thanks to you, they've moved again tonight."

After a pause, the General added, his eyes looking towards the steps with a half-smile, his tone quite meaningful.

“Of course, Caster is too…”

……

The three riders were speechless and embarrassed, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Whether oversleeping was intentional or accidental, only the boss himself probably knows.

The human heart is as deep as an abyss.

If the will of the ruler is unknowable, then his power is unpredictable.

This general has picked up a bad habit from somewhere, and he likes to play power games from time to time to give his subordinates a warning.

"Alright, come in with me. The ceremony is over. You'll be on duty in Shinjuku for a while, and then you'll be reassigned."

The general glanced at the clumps of reddish-black viscous substance emanating from the three men, yawned, and led the way.

"There's only an Assassin on duty outside right now. One person in Shinjuku is too weak. I don't want to not get a good night's sleep tonight."

Pushing open the door, a beam of golden light shone into the hall, bringing a touch of warmth like the sun and dispelling the slight chill. The three heroic spirits were invigorated and rose to their feet, ready to receive this baptism that would cleanse them of impurities.

"Boom!"

However, just as everyone was about to step through the gate, thunder roared across the sky, and streaks of purplish-red light, like the wildly growing branches of trees, tore through the layers of night and the protective barriers around the city, winding their way down.

"Crack!"

Gun Tower, a landmark building in Shinjuku, was the first to be hit. Several fierce bolts of lightning struck the top and sides of the tower, and the outer defensive formations shattered in response.