Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Furthermore, because it's a forbidden union, she's more prone to damage and harder to repair than a normal person..."

At this moment, Samael would be a fool if he still didn't understand Shinzuru Chitose's intentions.

"So, you want to implant a replica of the Holy Grail projection into her body to plug those loopholes, make her like a normal person, stabilize her body, and then slowly recover?"

Chitose Masuru nodded in response, confirming Samael's conclusion.

After all that, it turns out it really was just a simple matter of picking up a package.

At this moment, the ancient snake, having figured out the whole story, realized that he had made a blunder based on his own assumptions, and was immediately at a loss for words, both laughing and crying.

There's no way around it; the Holy Grail, as we know it, is extremely precious and can easily cause bloodshed, especially for singularities.

Who would have thought that they would arrive in this wretched place where everyone has a Holy Grail? Although they are all projections of the main body, they are still Holy Grails, aren't they?

"Once you reach the gun tower, you can give my name and go to the lady-in-waiting named Murasaki Shikibu. She will help introduce you to her."

After giving a few instructions on the handover, Chitose Masuru glanced at the two rooms behind her, looking somewhat helpless.

"There's no other way, as you can see, I can't get away right now, so I'll have to trouble you to make the trip."

Samael's gaze swept over the crimson stigmata on Chitose's hands and feet, and he nodded in understanding.

Currently, Eri's condition is not yet fully stable. During this period, the grandmother will likely have to resort to self-harm and bloodletting to prolong her granddaughter's life.

Moreover, Momiji the Demoness has not fully awakened yet, and Karin is taking care of her.

An elder is definitely needed here, just in case.

After reaching a consensus, Chitose first bowed politely, and then reminded him repeatedly.

"Then I'll leave it to you. It's best if you get back before dark."

Before dark...

Samael looked out the window and was surprised to find that the sky was already beginning to lighten.

After a long, dark night, the long-awaited dawn finally broke.

After watching her client embark on their journey and gradually disappear from sight, Chitose Masuru, having regained some strength, stood up from the sofa and smiled as she waved towards the bedroom on one side.

"Xiao Hualin, come and call your parents first to let them know you're safe."

Then, the woman paused, turned to look out the window, her eyes flickering, and added thoughtfully.

"By the way, tell me how you met him."

Mosaic City - Tama.

The long-awaited sunlight leaped over the horizon, casting golden rays and bringing a touch of warmth.

Samael, walking down the street, took a keen look at the final piece of the puzzle of the new three wards of Tokyo.

The hills, surrounded by deep green, are dotted with residential areas consisting of continuous white buildings.

The residential area retains the atmosphere of real urban architecture and is home to many citizens and students, with human faces making up the majority.

There is a sturdy barrier on the outside, and near the high walls, there are cannons and magical equipment capable of dealing with large magical beasts and monsters.

As Samael walked along the road, he would occasionally see a demon corpse melting away in the sunlight.

Clearly, sunlight also seems to have a considerable restraining effect on the demon race.

Samael secretly noted this down, then looked at the public telephone at the corner ahead.

After confirming that no one was around, the ancient snake crawled into the phone booth and dialed the phone number of the front desk of the Golden Deer Bar.

After wandering around for a day and a night, I should at least let you know I'm safe and ask about the situation over there.

Fortunately, the call was quickly answered by the exemplary employee at the front desk. Samael and Mata Hari exchanged a few pleasantries and, after receiving a definite answer, hung up the phone with a sigh of relief.

Last night's parade of a hundred demons did not spare Akihabara either.

But they were much luckier than Shinjuku. Berserker and Rider, who had just been transferred to replace the three riders of the Shogunate, managed to suppress the chaos caused by the Hundred Demons in time. The Golden Deer Bar also obediently closed its doors and did not suffer any serious losses.

Subsequently, in order to treat everyone equally, Samael made another phone call to Spring Dawn Bookstore.

However, this time it was a long string of silent sounds.

problem occurs?

Samael's heart tightened. After hanging up, he tried dialing Ryougi Shiki, Tono Akiha, and Asakami Fujino's private numbers.

The good news is that someone finally answered the phone.

But the bad news is that my fears came true.

"It's you? Humph, you've been caught!"

A cold female voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, came from the other side.

"Your accomplices at Spring Dawn Bookstore have all been arrested for obstructing official business and private imprisonment. If you want to see them, come to Gun Tower and turn yourself in immediately. Don't continue your futile struggle!"

After saying that, the person on the other end hung up the phone first, with a hint of pride in their voice.

Hearing the deep resentment in that tone, Samael felt extremely depressed.

Holy crap, who let Okita Souji out of the basement?

Now, the gun turret has no choice but to go.

Chapter 56 Murasaki Shikibu VS Sei Shonagon?

Half an hour later, in a coffee shop in front of the gun tower.

Samael, sitting by the window, looked at the Black Warriors coming and going through the gate and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Clearly, martial law has been imposed here.

Before that, he had also visited the Spring Dawn Bookstore, but it was already empty. Ryougi Shiki, Tono Akiha, Asakami Fujino, and their three Servants were nowhere to be seen.

The only thing that reassured him somewhat was that there were no serious signs of fighting in the courtyard.

At least on the surface, their safety should be guaranteed for the time being.

After all, it was a model of friendly business that had cooperated with the shogunate, so it shouldn't be used as a sacrifice so quickly.

Moreover, the other side was hoping to use those hostages to lure him out as a big fish.

However, he prefers to take the initiative rather than be baited.

coming!

Finally, after waiting for a long time and drinking five cups of coffee, Samael finally saw the purple dress he had been longing for and quietly followed her.

The morning sunlight falls on my face, bringing a touch of warmth and brightness—a hue that the long night can never achieve.

As Murasaki Shikibu walked down the street, gazing at the crowds and familiar scenery, a look of fascination filled her eyes.

These things, which she once considered noisy and mundane, have now become somewhat endearing and make her feel closer to them.

Lancer Kiyohime, Assassin Shuten-dōji...

Standing at the street corner, Murasaki Shikibu raised her hand to touch a tiny scratch on her chest, and a lingering fear crept into her heart as she mentioned those two names.

They were the leaders who led the hundred demons to attack Tama last night.

Even now, when she recalls the harrowing experience of that night, Murasaki Shikibu feels incredibly fortunate.

If it weren't for the support of that powerful magician and the accompaniment of the "General," this frail woman, who was not good at fighting, would probably have lost her life in Tama Ward last night.

Fighting is truly a difficult thing to enjoy.

Indeed, compared to bloodshed and fighting, hiding in a quiet corner and flipping through books suits me better.

Murasaki Shikibu shook her head, unable to suppress a sigh of emotion. She then looked up at the Shunsho Bookstore not far away, and a slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. Her pace quickened slightly.

Soon they arrived at the door. The general's secretary waved away the guards, took out a key, opened the door, and went straight into the house, eagerly going to the bookshelf to search.

My favorites are The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and The Tales of Ise! They also have the Kokinshu, which I read every night! And the Gosenshu too! They're all rare and precious books!

Murasaki Shikibu stuffed the precious ancient books she had found into her bosom, her excitement and agitation overflowing, a far cry from her usual calm and elegant demeanor.

There's no way around it, everyone has their little hobbies.

This female writer usually maintains a calm and composed demeanor, but once the topic of stories, books, or relationships comes up, she will start talking endlessly about poetry, or she will become engrossed in a book that interests her, hiding in a quiet corner until she has read it several times.

Murasaki Shikibu glanced at the few books in her hands, looking at the brand-new covers and the almost crease-free pages, and couldn't help but feel a little angry.

So many good books are just gathering dust on the bookshelf, yet he's doing this online live stream show-off. He's still the same old show-off who only knows how to boast and brag.

Murasaki Shikibu snorted softly, feeling indignant for the neglected books, while secretly taking a jab at a former colleague.

Her so-called colleague was none other than Sei Shonagon, the original owner of the Shunsho Bookstore and a fellow female writer from the Heian period.

Although both were court ladies and renowned talented women, there is no absolute first place in literature. The two, who were often compared, could not be said to have a harmonious relationship.

Legend has it that Murasaki Shikibu once satirized a female writer of her time, Sei Shonagon.

Murasaki Shikibu believed that Sei Shonagon appeared to be very learned on the surface and would show off by writing Chinese characters everywhere, but in reality, she only had a superficial understanding. She believed that such ostentatious behavior would eventually be exposed.

There was a reason she said that. At that time, women did not have a high social status, so many people believed that women studying Sinology was a transgression of the rules.

In Murasaki Shikibu's eyes, Sei Shonagon's constant boasting about her knowledge of Chinese classics was a terrible thing. She was only trying to stand out and ignored the impact of her behavior on her female companions.

Aside from their literary disputes, their differing stances also destined them to be at odds.

Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon were both ladies-in-waiting in the imperial court. Sei Shonagon served Teishi, while Murasaki Shikibu served Akiko. Teishi and Akiko's differing positions often led to open and covert struggles, and this conflict also extended to the ladies-in-waiting around them.

After all, it was still an era where the ruler was worried and the ministers were disgraced, and the ministers died when the ruler was disgraced.

Now, although they have been summoned separately, their rivalry has somehow spread into the modern era.

Murasaki Shikibu held an official position and served the "shogun".

Sei Shonagon became a private individual, engaging in the gray industry of intelligence trading.

The two sides remain at odds.

Even more subtly, not long ago, this woman was summoned for questioning on suspicion of illegally detaining her servants, obstructing official duties, and attempting to overthrow the shogunate.

Now, they were almost in completely opposing positions, like rebels and loyal subjects.

However, her old nemesis Murasaki Shikibu not only did not take advantage of the situation, but also protected the collection of books of the Shunsho Publishing House for Sei Shonagon.

After all, grudges aside, that doesn't prevent them from having a friendship in private.

Besides, I am a book lover myself, and I cannot bear to see these precious classics being barbarically ruined.

Rather than letting this place be thrown into chaos by those brutal thugs conducting routine inspections, it's better to take control myself.

Coincidentally, she had always wanted to collect all kinds of books, build a huge "library," and become its librarian.

Books are meant to be read, not to be collected as vulgar objects.

It would be a waste for such a large and fine collection of books to fall into the hands of that ostentatious woman.

It would be better to let her take over, cherish them, make good use of them, and bring out their original value.

Presumably, that flamboyant woman will no longer have the opportunity to flaunt her private library in front of him.

Murasaki Shikibu felt even happier thinking about this. She took out about ten of the most interesting tomes from the bookshelf, and only when she could no longer hold them all did she reluctantly pick them up and stagger towards the backyard.

It's a quiet and elegant place, a peaceful oasis amidst the hustle and bustle, undisturbed by anyone, making it perfect for brewing tea and reading.

However, as Murasaki Shikibu, carrying a tall stack of books, stepped out of the back door, she bumped into a soft "wall".

The shockwave caused the female writer to stagger backward, scattering the books she was holding onto the floor.

"Aww... Oh! I'm sorry..."

Good manners made Murasaki Shikibu habitually apologize first, instinctively wanting to squat down, her waistline curving gracefully, and hurriedly picking up her precious books.

However, in an instant, the female writer, realizing what was happening, froze, looked at the smiling male figure in the corridor, and her expression changed slightly.

Because of its involvement in the case, Chunshu Bookstore has been shut down by the shogunate, and both its front and back doors are guarded by black warriors.

In theory, the people here should have been cleared out long ago.

Obviously, he came with bad intentions.

Instinctively alert, Murasaki Shikibu grabbed two books and held them horizontally across her chest, assuming a defensive posture.

"Who are you!"