Chapter 461

"If I look at it a little longer, will you get jealous, Demon King? Sigh, there's nothing I can do about it; after all, everyone wants to look at something beautiful."

"... I think we really should let Chitose manage you."

Novia couldn't help but laugh at Erice's inexplicable 'confidence.' "I don't think anyone would like someone covered in mud and rubbish."

"Is that so? All I see is the resentment of an ugly fellow."

Just as Erice and Novia were bickering in their hearts as usual, the two of them smiled at Erice after finishing their "Revolutionary Trial" mini- Theater.

"Miss--"

"I'm busy, don't bother me."

Chapter 480: The Norse Serial Murders.

Unlike the group therapy rooms in Shinjuku, the therapy rooms in Akihabara are much more formulaic.

A uniform behavioral pattern is applied to all those defined as patients, whether they are Old Humanity who fell ill due to the war or New Humanity after the war. The City quantifies the treatment progress by monitoring parameters such as the Master's brainwaves and Spiritrons resonance rate. When the Servant's rejection index drops below a threshold, the 'Contract Reconstruction Procedure' is triggered, forcibly establishing a bond between the Master and the Servant.

As a rare case, Erice, who has no Servant, was forced to participate in this treatment in Akihabara.

If she hadn't spent time with Novia, the Demon King, Erice, who had come to Akihabara to live independently, would probably have chosen to help this Leatherworker who was "living in Marseille Mosaic City, struggling to find his own place to belong."

Because Erice felt that as someone who was also homeless, she could help the Leatherworker out of his predicament—without relying on the Ais or Lucius, but on her own abilities. This was the most important point, in other words, her first real job.

Now, at the Kuonji residence Erice isn't so eager to prove herself anymore. She even thinks the work is alright, and it would be even better if she could also annoy the Demon King, that good-for-nothing. Just thinking about it makes her feel happy... Unfortunately, she's the one who keeps getting the short end of the stick.

" —Utsumi, I have something to tell you, listen carefully."

Just as Erice was coldly refusing the Leatherworker and Louis, and preparing to get up and leave the treatment room where she was now alone with the two of them, the Leatherworker said something to himself.

"Master..."

Louis was standing beside him, tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Upon hearing Erice turned around, her brows slightly furrowed.

In the group therapy room in Akihabara, she never revealed her name. The fact that she was the granddaughter of Manazuru Chitose was something that almost no one in the Night Watch knew. Even if they searched for her on the City Information Network, she had already tampered with the basic database, and the search results would only be false information.

So, how did this guy know me?

Before Erice could think any further, she saw Pi staring intently at her, his dark eyes bloodshot from intense emotion.

"Have you ever thought about changing this city, Utsumi?"

"Change... the City..."

The girl was instantly shocked to realize that the seemingly gentle man in front of her was some kind of dangerous individual, with a mad desire to change everything in the world.

"You don't have Servant, right? Master comes to the therapy room can't come without Servant. You must be having a lot of trouble living in the City like this."

"... I don't understand. Could you explain it to me in more detail?"

When Erice answered this question, her hair turned completely silver, in other words, Novia possessed her, and her tone became much better than before.

"You were born just as that war had ended."

"Yes, Erice didn't experience that war; she only heard about it from her Teacher in class."

"The world wasn't like this when I was born. Just getting to know this world took a lot of effort, and I want to change it."

The Leatherworker stared intently at the silver-haired Erice, and continued speaking.

"During a group therapy session, an elderly man once said, 'I don't want to be immortal at all. I just want to live naturally and then die. The Holy Grail isn't something you can get without paying a price. If it were so easy to obtain, wouldn't all those who died in wars have died in vain...?'"

Facing the emotionally Abhimanyu Leatherworker, the silver-haired Erice sighed, "I know that old man is deceiving himself. He actually wants to see his family members who died in the war. The Holy Grail can never help him fulfill such a wish; it can only comfort him."

Just like the Yagai Yukinobu, many people who have lived from the old era to the present have suicidal thoughts. However, in the New Era, suicide is a very terrible act, Servant will take the initiative to stop it and send them to the psychological treatment room for treatment.

Novia, using Erice's body, asked again:

Do you hate this city? Do you have a thought that you want to completely destroy it?

The man had been filled with intense emotions, but when the girl's eyes, now a deeper blue, gazed at him, he felt embarrassed. He stepped back, averted his gaze, kept his distance from the silver-haired Erice, and fell silent once more.

"Ah... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry, my Master's mental illness has flared up again. I hope you can forgive him."

Louis stepped between the two, smiling apologetically, "We'll leave now, please don't mind."

The silver- Erice didn't speak, she just watched as Louis led the absent-minded Leatherworker out of the treatment room.

But just as he was about to leave, the Leatherworker seemed to come to his senses and uttered empty words:

"I... love this city deeply. I truly, from the bottom of my heart, want to save it."

"That person..."

Walking along the long path leading to the Kuonji residence, Erice frowned cutely because of what had just happened.

The Leatherworker asked her if she had ever wanted to change the city. She had never had such a thought, but in some ways she was trying to adapt to the city.

Even though she could live a good life in the City without doing anything, Erice still chooses to take missions from the AIs. She wants to prove that even someone like her, without the 'Holy Grail' or the blessing of immortality, is still needed in this paradise-like world.

Erice wanted to convince herself that she could live alone even without her Grandmother Chitose's protection; that she could live well on her own even without Servant.

Fortunately, the girl is possessed by a group of Evil Spirit and a strange Demon King.

To be honest, ever since that Holy Grail Elimination Tournament, Erice has been delighted by the inexplicable Evil Spirit lurking in her blood that she can control with ease, since they can sometimes be used as weapons that are even faster than Dagger.

She once thought smugly, "This isn't just for protecting my body; it also has the ability to hunt down enemy Servant. Now that Demon King can't underestimate me anymore; I have power."

That's all--

"Could it be related to that recent murder case?"

The shocking crime in the Mosaic City all of Japan resulted in photos of the victims' bodies being sent to the phones of every Night Watch, facilitating the assistance of renowned criminologists or Servant still at the scene. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the perpetrator was caught.

Because very few criminals in the world can escape the pursuit of such a large number of Servant, as time goes on and the analysis of criminals becomes more and more detailed, the entire investigation network is also gradually tightening.

At this moment, Erice also realized that the expert Servant who had dealings with Lucius and Chitose and were specifically responsible for maintaining the order of Marseille Mosaic City were already rushing around for this incident. However, she only felt a little uneasy and alienated, without even a sense of crisis.

Even now, when people suspect the Leatherworker, they only think that someone like him might replicate such things in the future, and they don't think he is a murderer.

"Emotions can only be expressed through actions. True desires won't come true on their own if they're only thought in your heart."

The Demon King's voice echoed in the girl's mind, "Whether it's people, cities, or the world, only bloodshed can change them."

"... You talk like you know everything."

Erise clicked her tongue Erice disdain. "Anyway, the culprit will be caught soon, so it's not a big deal."

Eri Erice with the Demon King, placed her hand on the old iron gate. Before she could even take out her key, the heavy iron gate silently welcomed the young girl and slowly opened.

"Huh? The door's already open? Miss Kuonji's back?"

These days, the number of times that Aoko Aozaki and Erice met can be counted on one hand. After all, Alice her days exploring the sky with her Familiar in the wasteland, and she usually comes back later than Eri Se, Erice works as Night Watch, and goes out earlier than her.

Thinking that she was staying at someone else's house no matter what, Erice walked towards the living room with a slightly reserved demeanor.

Then, in the living room with its strong antique atmosphere, Aoko Aozaki sat on the Sofa with a blank expression, reading an old book in her hand. At the same time, there were two cups of Black Tea emitting a strong steam on the table.

"Miss Kuonji, you're back so early today."

"Um."

Alice replied indifferently, "The City has issued a martial law order, prohibiting Servant and humans from leaving the City in the near future."

"Is it because of picking up Theater-Style Crime?"

Erice sat on the Sofa, picked up her Black Tea, and took a sip. "Since so many Servant and Night Watch are working so hard, it should be resolved quickly, right? Such an obvious provocation shouldn't be from a mysterious and unpredictable criminal mastermind like Moriarty..."

"It's not that... This is your job, Robin."

Alice raised her head, her cold eyes fixed on Erice. At the same time, the blue Robin and, on its own, fluttered over to Erice with a communication phone used by the Night Watch, tapping the screen with its wing.

What unfolded before Erice's eyes was an image even more chilling than the 'artwork' displayed in Shinjuku Plaza--

The icy blue of death... it was practically Subzero Slaughterhouse, filled with all sorts of frozen humans.

A man dressed as a detective had his body sliced into hundreds of thin pieces by ice crystals, his Limbs twisted into bizarre dance poses, and his Spirit Core removed and frozen.

"His Servant, Akechi Kogoro, is a detective dispatched by the City Tama to solve the Shinjuku murder case. His body is frozen in ice layers with different flow rates of time, placing him in a state between death and immortality, because if the ice melts, his Spirit Core will also melt."

Akechi Kogoro is a fictional character created by the Japan mystery novelist Edogawa Ranpo.

Besides his tragic death, the photos also show Night Watch whose upper body is in a firing position, the bullet frozen the moment it leaves the barrel, while his lower body is melted by liquid ice; an investigator whose torso has been transformed into a transparent state by ice crystals, with his heart still beating visible inside, and ice crystal tentacles extending from his Limbs, connecting him to the ice sculptures of other victims.

In addition, many other human skins that had been peeled off were found encased in ice crystals elsewhere in the Factory.

"The day before yesterday, in a remote area of Tama, their entire investigation team was wiped out. They were unable to even send out a distress signal before they died. It wasn't until this morning, when the temperature in that area was so abnormal, that it was flagged as an anomaly by the City AI and discovered."

Normally, people who see this scene for the first time would feel nauseous, but Erice didn't feel that way.

Although she knew she should act like she was vomiting, she couldn't do it. Just like when she was a child Manazuru Chitose cut a big slit in her ear, leaving her face covered in blood, she couldn't cry. She just looked at him coldly, just like Aoko Aozaki in front of her.

"This is... a serial murder case?"

"No."

Aoko Aozaki shook her head. "Based on the analysis, the methods used in this case are completely different from those in Shinjuku Plaza. It's basically as if different people committed the crime. The preliminary conclusion is that it was committed by a modern-day Servant, since the slaughterhouse is a product of modern times."

"Could it be some kind of imitation...?"

It's unclear at the moment.

Aoko Aozaki sighed softly, "In short, starting today, your Night Watch will be prohibited from any operations involving fewer than ten people to avoid secondary casualties. You should also be careful; this case is still confidential, so don't talk about it carelessly."

Erice understands perfectly well that the Shinjuku Theater-Style Crime could not be hidden and was therefore exposed to the public, while the mass deaths in Tama could be concealed to prevent the public from panicking further. This time, even Servant died... So many people did everything for the stability of the City.

"Thanks."

"It's alright, it would be a real problem for me if something happened to you."

Upon hearing Alice's emotionless voice, the Robin named Robin tilted its head, chirped, and flew back to her shoulder.

The owner must be working hard most of the time, but a proper rest is also very good. Doing the same thing day after day for years must be exhausting, especially since he's almost fifty. Isn't it time to find a suitable heir to the property? The Crowd who come to help him every day must be tired too...

Upon hearing this, Yuzhu glanced at the Robin Alice, which trembled in fright, before looking directly at Erice.

"... As someone qualified to work outside the city long-term, I was also recruited because of this. See you at the Night Watch Headquarters in Akihabara later."

Having said that, Alice, who still maintained the appearance of a cold and aloof girl, walked out of the living room without looking back.

Afterwards, Erise gulped down Erice nearly cold Black Tea and then lay down on the Sofa without any decorum, hugging a pillow and muttering, "... Another murder case? Could it be a fan I suddenly fell for?"

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

Novia replied to Erice, who seemed to be talking to herself but was actually trying to have a conversation with her.

"Haha, the thought of that tyrant, Chitose, suffering because of this actually makes me a little happy."

"That's incredibly heartless of you, Erice."

"Who cares? And I wasn't talking to you, so don't suddenly start a conversation, thank you."

Erice stopped smiling and pouted, "But I am a Night Watch after all, and it's necessary to do some of my duties... It's nothing to be proud of, and what's written in books is far from enough. The rules for Night Watch are so complicated, so I hope that Chitose can be dealt with soon."

That's what she said, but Erice still seriously took out her tablet, logged into the Night Watch's exclusive account, and searched for information on famous, real and fictional murderers who worked in slaughtering in modern times on relevant City Information Network. After all, Fr's Servant from many sources, and not everyone is a famous hero; there are many Nameless Servant.

"No need. Seeking Servant modern serial killers is the wrong direction."

"... Why?"

"He must be an Age of Gods hero from the Norse Age."

Novia knew it all too well; the lingering scent of the slaughterhouse, though perfectly concealed, was instantly recognizable.

That is Helheim, one of the Nine Worlds of the Norse Underworld.

Chapter 481 The Wandering Jews.

"Quiet."

At the end of Akihabara's electronics district stands a large billiard hall whose exterior resembles an inverted samurai sword. The building's exterior is forged from matte black steel, exuding a cool and austere atmosphere, attracting many tourists to take photos and visit.

This billiard hall is not only a landmark building in Akihabara, but also the location of the Night Watch headquarters. Because the New Era is regarded as a "peaceful" era, the Night Watch usually do not appear in public, but exist in various disguises. For example, the Night Watch headquarters in Shinjuku is located in a Coffee shop.

At this moment, Eri, who had come to the Night Watch Headquarters with Aoko Aozaki Erice, looked up at the "Sincerity" flag that was dynamically flowing and hanging high in the building using holographic Projection technology. Next to the flag was Hijikata Toshizo, the Servant deputy commander of the Shinsengumi, who was also the Police Chief of the Akihabara Hijikata Toshizō Night Watch.

"Effective immediately, Akihabara is under Level One Alert; no group of fewer than ten people may be dispatched alone."