Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Miss Xiangzi, I should be the one asking you that."

Samael couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the utterly ineffective weapons and opponents.

Murasaki Shikibu was taken aback, her mind blank, her face showing confusion and surprise.

How did this person know her given name, and why did he ask when he already knew the answer?

As a member of the East Asian cultural sphere, Japan is naturally deeply influenced by Chinese culture, and women's names are often cryptic.

Murasaki Shikibu was not her real name, but she was called Fuji Shikibu because her brother was the magistrate of the Shikibu-jo (式部丞). She was also known as Murasaki Shikibu because the heroine Murasaki-hime in her novel The Tale of Genji was famous.

Her true family lineage is the Fujiwara school, and her name is "Kyoko".

The man opposite seemed to be able to read people's minds, and quickly gave an answer with a smile.

"Because strictly speaking, this is my business."

Samuel paused, bent down to pick up a few books that had fallen to the ground, dusted them off, looked up at Murasaki Shikibu, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Furthermore, taking something without asking seems to be theft."

"You're the one who imprisoned Assassin!"

Murasaki Shikibu suddenly realized what was happening and looked warily at the extremely dangerous man in front of her.

"I advise you not to do anything rash. The Black Warriors will be here soon! Give up resisting. Even if you take me hostage, you won't be able to escape."

"Relax, relax. I mean no harm. I'm just asking someone for a favor."

Seeing that the person opposite him seemed to regard him as a kidnapper who was about to take a dangerous risk, Samael was both amused and exasperated. He raised his hand to explain and threw a nail he was carrying to Murasaki Shikibu.

Upon seeing this unique keepsake, the female writer couldn't help but look surprised.

"Did Miss Masuru send you?"

"That's right, I'll retrieve the small Holy Grail for her as agreed."

Samael nodded, then his expression turned serious, and he spoke slowly.

"By the way, could you please introduce me to that general? I'd like to discuss some things with him privately."

As the Shogun's lady-in-waiting and secretary, Murasaki Shikibu had the right to have a direct audience with the Shogun, as well as the obligation to arrange his daily life and meetings.

Once he gets on this line, Samael can move freely within the gun tower and meet face-to-face with the real power holders in the city, instead of wasting his energy and time on meaningless arguments and squabbles.

He had seen the little devils in front of the King of Hell's palace before.

The stubborn Okita Souji, the hot-tempered Suzuka Gozen, and Miyamoto Musashi and Tomoe Gozen, with whom they had a previous feud, were all incredibly difficult to deal with.

Now, he has offended four of the shogunate's seven retainers.

If you turn yourself in and try to reason with them, they'll probably hunt you down as soon as you show your face.

When you need someone's help, you can't just unleash your full power and fight your way from the bottom of the tower to the top, can you?

After much deliberation, Murasaki Shikibu, with her calm and quiet personality and her friendship with Masuru Chitose, was undoubtedly the most suitable intermediary.

In the morning, Samael learned from others that the female writer had taken over the Spring Dawn Bookstore's collection as soon as she returned.

He figured that this bookworm would probably be unable to resist and would sneak off to Chunshu Bookstore to feast his eyes.

So, having made up his mind, the ancient snake simply waited in the coffee shop outside the gun tower, hoping for an opportunity for the two sides to meet privately.

However, upon hearing the other person mention that she wanted to see her superior, Murasaki Shikibu's mood, which had just eased a little, instantly tightened again, and her face was full of vigilance.

Upon seeing this, Samael quickly protested his innocence.

"Hey, don't be so tense, okay? I didn't mean any harm."

"You imprisoned Assassin in the basement..."

"Please, she tried to attack me without even asking what happened! I was just defending myself! If I didn't lock her up, would I just stand there and let her attack me?"

"Then why are you still torturing her?"

"It was Sei Shonagon and Oei who took sides, and it was her good friend Oda Nobunaga who did the dirty work. What does that have to do with me?"

"Obstructing official business..."

"It's late at night, and you know your own problems. If I let out one of the Seven Riders of the Shogunate who could go berserk at any moment, do you think I'm tired of living? Even if there's to be a punishment, shouldn't we first investigate her dereliction of duty?"

"..."

Hearing the other side deftly shift all the blame, Murasaki Shikibu was speechless for a moment.

"Don't worry, it's just a normal visit. Even if you don't trust me, you should trust Miss Masuru, right?"

Seeing that the other person's expression was wavering, Samael quickly pressed his advantage and made a solemn guarantee.

"If you're still not sure, I have her phone number here, you can ask her yourself."

As he spoke, he readily took out his phone and dialed Chitose Masuru's number to help verify the information.

Soon, Murasaki Shikibu, still somewhat skeptical, took the phone, walked to a corner, and whispered a few words to Samael on the other end of the line before her tense expression gradually relaxed.

"Was it you who resolved the crisis in Shinjuku last night?"

As the female writer returned her phone, she looked at the man in front of her with surprise.

Since Ibaraki-dōji was defeated by this person, based on the general trajectory and timing of his actions, and combined with Okita Souji's description of his combat strength, it is highly likely that he was the one who cleared out the demons along the way and severely injured Ushi-gozen.

After all, he's probably the only one capable of doing that.

"It's just convenient."

When his good deeds from the previous night were exposed, Samael did not take credit and remained very humble.

Instantly, Samael's image in Murasaki Shikibu's eyes became incredibly tall and imposing, radiating a flawless glow.

This nameless hero, who only seeks to give and not to receive, doesn't seem like the kind of malicious person with ulterior motives.

There must be some misunderstanding inside.

"Alright, I will take you to see the general!"

Having made up her mind, Murasaki Shikibu immediately nodded and agreed without hesitation, her gaze softening and becoming much more affectionate.

Samael couldn't help but feel a little saddened by the writer's sudden change in attitude.

If I had proactively explained it beforehand, it would have seemed like I was trying to take credit, and the result wouldn't have been the same.

Humans are always willing to have unwavering faith in the truths they discover.

Then, Samael glanced at the door, his gaze sweeping over the sun that had already set from its zenith, and spoke.

"The situation is urgent, and it will be dark soon. If there's nothing else, please lead the way, Miss Xiangzi."

Murasaki Shikibu nodded slightly, but couldn't help looking at the ancient books filling the room, feeling a pang of sorrow in her heart.

Book club, my book club...

Just as this book-loving female writer was heartbroken, she saw the shop owner behind her pack up the dozen or so books scattered on the ground, pick them up in his hands, and smile warmly.

"Since you've come all this way, we can't let you leave empty-handed, can we? We don't have anything particularly good in the shop, but if you don't mind, you can take these books as a souvenir."

Such a thoughtful suggestion immediately filled Murasaki Shikibu with joy, and even her gaze towards the nameless hero behind her was filled with a deep affection.

Gold is easy to come by, but a true friend is hard to find. Friends who are quick to help others in their time of need are truly rare.

"Please come with me, Lord Samael."

Murasaki Shikibu turned around and smiled brightly, unconsciously using a respectful form of address. Then, she held up her parasol and stood beside Samael, leading the general's distinguished guest gracefully toward the tower that stood like a spear.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The night sky tonight is so green!

Inside the gun turret.

Murasaki Shikibu led Samael, avoiding the Black Warriors and Shogunate Heroic Spirits along the way, to the top floor. She opened the door and gently gave him instructions.

"Please rest in the living room for a while, and I will go and inform the General."

Samael nodded in agreement, smiled, and handed the gift to Murasaki Shikibu. After watching the lady-in-waiting leave, he went into the living room to wait.

However, after sitting on the bench for a full half hour, the mysterious general not only failed to appear, but there wasn't even a cup of tea on the table.

At the same time, a series of noisy footsteps came from downstairs.

Samael frowned, concealed himself in the shadows, and quietly pushed open the door.

Looking down into the courtyard outside the corridor, he was shocked to see two groups of black-clad warriors flanking him from below.

The person leading the team was none other than someone else.

It was Okita Souji and Suzuka Gozen, with whom he had a public feud.

Seeing his two old enemies leading a large group of people toward the top floor, Samael's face immediately darkened.

Holy crap! What happened to the saying "true friends are hard to find"? What happened to the promise of trust?

I just gave you a gift, and you've already betrayed me?

Sure enough, you can't trust what women say.

The more beautiful it is, the more so!

Samael cursed Murasaki Shikibu inwardly for her utter lack of contractual spirit, but remained outwardly calm. He subtly concealed his presence, crept into the shadows, and made his way towards a vermilion door.

If nothing unexpected happens, that should be the General's private bedroom.

As he watched Murasaki Shikibu leave, he sensed with certainty that the woman was the last one to walk into this place.

Of course, I wrote these down not so that I could assassinate the king, but just in case.

After all, when you're out and about, you always have to be careful.

Well, now we're putting Plan B to good use, aren't we?

Since the general refused to see him, he had no choice but to condescend to visit the general himself.

Soon, Samael, moving swiftly through the shadows like a snake slithering through the shadows, silently reached the door.

He then carefully broke through the defensive spells on the door, created a crack, and slipped inside smoothly.

Having successfully infiltrated, Samael dashed forward with lightning speed, heading straight for the figure behind the curtain with a clear objective.

By the time the figure sensed the unusual disturbance in the surrounding airflow and tried to stand up, it was too late. Samael, who was right next to him, swiftly pressed him to the ground, silencing him and giving him a "friendly reminder" in his ear.

"Shh, don't make a sound, General. You don't want this either..."

The movements were fluid and seamless, revealing the air of a seasoned and ruthless bandit, clearly indicating that he had done similar things many times before.

However, before he could finish speaking the standard Japanese slang, the feeling of a plump mass in his palm made Samael's face twitch and his expression stiffen slightly.

woman?

As his gaze instinctively moved downwards, Samael saw that white-haired, red-eyed, and incredibly familiar beautiful face, his face turned almost completely green, and his body involuntarily shuddered.

"Alice? It's you?!"

At the same time, the figure lying on the floor, upon seeing the newcomer, couldn't help but raise her hands to cup the man's handsome face, her tender gaze overflowing with excitement.

"Samael, I've finally been waiting for you!"

As she spoke, her beautiful head leaned closer, unable to contain her emotions, wanting to nestle in Samael's arms and express her joy at their long-awaited reunion.

However, the moment the woman looked up, a hand suddenly pressed down on her head, the vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and a faint cold snort followed.

"Your transition was so abrupt, Yustissa..."

"Tch, they found out so quickly."

Realizing she'd been exposed, the white-haired beauty on the floor muttered sullenly, her ruby ​​eyes filled with resentment and sadness, her delicate face showing signs of impending tears.

"As expected, I can never be her..."

"Stop it!"

Samael, who had long been traumatized by this unfilial daughter, immediately interrupted Yustissa's performance, his eyes full of vigilance, and asked with a dark face.

"Tell me honestly, how did you get here?"

"you guess?"

The unfilial daughter, who never learned her lesson, naturally wouldn't cooperate easily, and winked with a smile.

Samael was already well aware of his unfilial daughter's character and did not expect to get any truth out of her.