Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"I really want to see such a beautiful view once."

This final answer made him stop in his tracks and turn around as he walked away in a disheveled state.

He understood that this was merely the priest's remark, not something imposed upon him.

However, he felt he had to do it and prove it to the priest.

Although it has been a long time since they last met, he has no way of knowing the priest's opinion of him, and his actions were merely as they were.

Therefore, whenever Moriarty occasionally thought of it, a bitter smile would flicker across his lips.

So Moriarty put down his cigarette and answered clearly:

"He has no evil qualities whatsoever, not even a little bit. He is a good person through and through. Although it would be foolish for me to say this, it is by no means a joke. Yes, that's it, beautiful lady."

Novia, with her silver hair and pearls, remained silent for a moment after hearing Moriarty's words.

He had a premonition that what he had said to Moriarty was the key to Moriarty's actions. Moriarty must have felt that he would be dissatisfied with this seemingly prosperous but fragile and hypocritical world. Moreover, his Noble Phantasm, Ultimate Crime, was the highest level of Noble Phantasm that could manifest as 'planetary destruction,' which was far too tolerant of the Shinigami's goal of 'destroying the new era.'

That's probably why they joined forces with him. Among the Shinigami, only Mott probably had ulterior motives; the other Shinigami likely acted because they felt that humans shouldn't act this way.

Novia also understood that although the Moriarty in front of her was the real him, due to his own forced brainwashing, he would only regain his memories by defeating another Moriarty. In short, it was a Moriarty full of good intentions, not the Napoleon of the criminal world.

"Wow~ Why are you looking at me like that? I really wasn't lying."

Moriarty let out a sound that was hard to tell if it was a cheer or a scream, and at the same time raised his hands in surrender and fell backward.

"By the way, were you born into the church?"

Moriarty's doubts are quite reasonable.

From the very beginning, from the moment I met the silver-haired Yuzhu, I had a strange feeling, like a thorn.

Although he couldn't express it properly in words, Moriarty felt that the person in the conversation possessed a very important and familiar quality, a trait honed through his life experiences that told him so.

This Kuonji Temple has a pearl...

Moriarty thought so strongly.

Is it related to Father Faria?

"Not really, I'm a magician, but..."

Silver-haired girl chuckled softly, "That's great, and so is your affair with Fran."

This concise reply clearly conveyed heartfelt concern.

That alone was enough for Moriarty.

So he couldn't help but add, "Based on my guess, if nothing unexpected happens, this will be the next place where an accident occurs."

It's quite simple. After all, wherever the silver-haired Yuzhu and her group go, trouble follows, so Moriarty's thinking is understandable.

"Yeah, of course."

Silver-haired Yuzhu waved her hand nonchalantly, and Novia understood that the reason for this was probably due to James, who was of the Arbitrator class. After all, an Ex-level conspiracy could be carried out unconsciously.

Just as the silver-haired girl finished her reply with the last word, alert sounds rang out throughout the entire clock tower.

"Be on guard! Be on guard! A divine beast has appeared!"

At the same time, the live broadcast footage was projected into the air when a gunshot rang out, so intense that even the communication noise could not be completely eliminated.

The so-called mythical beasts are two giant creatures with bodies about the size of trucks; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them monsters from a tokusatsu (special effects) film.

Because its distinctive features were so obvious, Novvia recognized it at a glance.

A huge canine-like creature with four conspicuous eyes; the other eye is an enormous fly.

These are two monsters from the ancient Persian world, embodying both terror and death—

The four-eyed dog, a divine beast that guards the gates of hell before the Chinwat Bridge, the bridge separating the living and the dead in the Vorich tradition; another being in the Vorich tradition characterized by death, an evil being of decaying corpses, often manifesting as flies as Nathus.

Now that things have come to this, Novia has finally figured out who the Grim Reaper who has teamed up with Moriarty is—

The Persian god of death, or the demon of death, Astuvidat.

If that's the case, then even with the ability to fake his death, Holmes would definitely not be able to return.

Because the name Astuvidat means 'the one who crushes the flesh', unlike Anubis who protects the dead or Thanatos, the Greek god of death who calmly takes away souls, Astuvidat is more inclined to the violence and irreversibility of death.

The Vatican text, the Bandashishen, describes it as the main force under the evil god Angra Mainyu, the ruler of death.

Meanwhile, in Vatican City, which was the first to coin the concept of 'The Last Judgment,' he is responsible for settling scores with the souls of the wicked during the Last Judgment.

Therefore, its image is closer to the rule concept of "death itself" rather than a personified deity.

"Attention! Attention! Servants who approach will be devoured! Attention!"

Hearing the warnings broadcast and the roars of the two divine beasts, a rumbling sound came from nearby, which could even be felt in the heavily guarded Clock Tower area. The sound of houses being destroyed echoed continuously and reached their ears.

Moriarty frowned: "This is troublesome..."

The incident of the Servant turning into a zombie was almost exclusively limited to a concert in the ruined capital. Although many people died as a result of this tragedy, the public could still deceive themselves and say that it had nothing to do with them. While the "death of Sherlock Holmes" incident had been reported in a wide range of areas, it did not pose a threat to all citizens.

However—if monsters or mythical beasts swagger onto the streets, then detective city London can no longer be considered a safe city.

This is undoubtedly the most terrifying dark impact on modern cities.

The imprisoned Moriarty was indeed the 'Napoleon of the criminal world,' but now he was entirely driven by good intentions. Therefore, he was also worried about the safety of the city and the consequences of this series of events. He looked at the terminal, where there was an emergency evacuation notice.

The map of London depicts the movement of the two monsters in a way that resembles a predicted path for a mini typhoon.

Then, James Moriarty said these words to the silver-haired Yuuki:

"While winning without a fight would be ideal, a contest like this wouldn't be bad either. Since Holmes invited you here, can I place my hopes on you?"

These words made Novia laugh.

"Even the leader of a criminal organization would say something like that?"

"I've said it many times, I'm the good Moriarty now, the evil Moriarty is still lurking in the shadows..."

Moriarty paused for a moment, "But there are many partners in justice, and there are many forms of justice. And to be honest, being a partner in justice is actually quite enjoyable... but I feel a little bad about entrusting this kind of thing to others!"

"is it?"

Turning around and walking out to deal with the two divine beasts, the silver-haired girl with pearls kept her head down, so Moriarty couldn't see her expression.

But it seemed as if a smile appeared only on the corners of her mouth.

So Moriarty's fingers traced the brim of his top hat, then he nodded and muttered to himself:

“I am an orphan and have relied on so-called ‘wisdom’ to get by in the world since I was a child. During my freshman year when I got my mathematics teaching position, I worked as a prison inspector in France for a period of time and met the priest in the Château d'If.”

"He was different from the other prisoners, or rather, he had every opportunity to escape that hellish castle where there was no light of day, but for the sake of certain people, he stayed there, and finally, on February 28, 1829, he was pronounced dead at the Château d'If."

The fifty-year-old gentleman gripped the brim of his top hat, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

"That day, I was actually at the dock in Marseille, ready to take a look at him, but I didn't make it."

Father Faria passed away before they could meet and talk again after several years.

He stared at the walls in the underground of the Château d'If, where the sun never shines, then lowered his head and left.

"Later I learned from Edmund that the priest never gave up until the very end. Even though he already knew his own death was coming, he still hoped that others would not give up... Sometimes I even think that if I had the chance, maybe I could become a priest."

Moriarty gave a weak smile and stepped back slightly.

"...like that person."

“Yes, I once had a trivial dream that briefly existed: to become a priest like him 192 years ago.”

"Hahaha, but it's ridiculous, isn't it? Saving others is completely out of character for a criminal organization leader. Well, just take it as a joke. Anyway, I've told others that before."

"maybe."

Kuonji Temple's pearl whispered this.

"……what?"

They didn't make eye contact because Kuonji Yuzu hadn't turned around, and from Moriarty's angle, he couldn't see what her expression was.

All I could notice was that my hair seemed to have turned black.

Then, the sound that came through the door made Moriarty's heart waver slightly.

"...Someone told me that the message should have been delivered to James Moriarty."

Chapter 495 The Holy Spirit from Persia.

Silver-haired bead descends vertically between the buildings.

Around the four-eyed Persian mythical beast, the Great Sage, a group of special forces members and mobile team members armed with automatic rifles were engaged in combat at a distance. The Great Sage looked much larger than it had been reported in the briefing, much like the difference between a medium-sized truck and a super-large bus.

However, the Great Sage's movements were sluggish and heavy, and there seemed to be no need for emergency support at the scene. Because of its large size, it became an easy target to aim at. It seemed that it would have a great advantage if there were any flying objects in the sky. Even an old-fashioned manned attack helicopter could be effectively attacked.

Unfortunately, there are no flying machines or attack drones in any of the cities in this new era.

However, although their numbers are small, there are a few Servants in the city who can fly on their own. For example, Otto Lilienthal, who calls himself the Crash King, and the Montgolf brothers, who completed the first manned flight in a hot air balloon in human history, are such Servants.

With the right tools and equipment, even ordinary citizens can achieve flight. If it's about using Noble Phantasms or magic to make someone float, many other Servants or magicians should be able to do the same, though the efficiency is another matter.

"Hey! You over there, Servant, don't go any further!"

When the special forces members at the front shouted at the silver-haired Yuuju, Novia belatedly realized why there were no Servants present and why all the armed personnel deployed at the forefront were human. The alarm had said, "Servants will be devoured."

The four-eyed hyena is a judgmental beast that inhabits the underworld in Persian mythology.

In the world of ancient Persia, the soul, after leaving the body, would embark on a long journey to the Chinwat Bridge, the bridge that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead.

If a soul is deemed evil, the bridge narrows, the demon Vesalish appears, and drags the evil soul into the House of Lies, a hellish place forever filled with punishment and torment; if a soul is deemed good, the bridge widens, and the souls crossing it unite under the supreme god Ahura Mazda.

The one who guides the kind soul forward is the Holy Spirit DaēNā from Persian mythology, who is hailed as 'the most beautiful woman in the world, appearing in the form of an incomparably beautiful maiden'.

In Persian mythology, he represents divine revelation, and is also the god of truth, order, and spiritual guidance, as well as the guardian of the moon and the sun.

Her appearance is that of a young girl wearing a luxurious and exquisite dress with delicate stitching, accompanied by several dogs.

The Bandarishin records:

"When the soul of a man or a sinner is separated from his body and reaches the Chindwat Bridge, the demon of Vesrich binds the sinner there. Then the sweet, beautiful, eternal, small girl turns and drags the soul of the sinner into the abyss of darkness, while carrying the soul of the righteous across the Chindwat Bridge, through the foot of Mount Hera, and bringing peace to the realm of God."

Therefore, for the ancient Persians who firmly believed in dualism, the presence of the god of death Astuvidat was not as significant as that of the demon Vesalius and the holy spirit Daena.

Therefore, some say that the Great Dog was the dog that accompanied the Persian Holy Spirit Daena.

It looks like some Servants have already been absorbed...

Novia originally thought that the divine beast, the Good Dog, was likely Astuvidat, the Persian god of death, and that the other party was probably carrying out some kind of preordained plan.

Suddenly, the dog raised its head and met the gaze of the silver-haired Yuzhu standing behind the human armed team members.

It subconsciously let out a roar that shook the air, making the humans in front of it feel a great sense of pressure and danger, even Novia's possessed body, while the silver-haired Ayumi looked at it with curious eyes.

O Holy Spirit of Persia... could it be related to the 'Mother' I believe in?

Although Daena does not hold a transcendent position in Persian mythology, as a figure in Okhotan, which has had a profound influence on Judaism and later Christianity and Islam, she shares similarities with the Holy Spirit in Christianity. For example, one is the spirit of man, and the other is the spirit of God; both are guides, and so on.

Just then, the attack by the London human armed forces seemed to have an effect. The dog, riddled with bullets, breathed its last after splattering a large amount of bodily fluids. This ugly and filthy end was completely different from what was told in the heroic legends.

"They could actually defeat him with ordinary weapons..."

Silver-haired beaded lips twitched slightly. After all, the mythical beasts and heroes in Persian mythology didn't have any noteworthy weapons; they relied entirely on hand-to-hand combat. Therefore, in theory, firearms of the new era on the eve of a world war, with firepower far insufficient, shouldn't have been so readily available.

However, Novia didn't pay any more attention to it. Instead, she gestured to the humans present to make them aware that she had the special permission given to her by the detective Erin, and then jumped on her motorcycle and immediately began to move towards Nassau's location.

That is the main battlefield where Servants and humans join forces, since Nassus, who appears in the form of a fly, does not have the ability to devour Servants.

According to multiple sources, Nassus attacked those around him and his followers, biting and swallowing them whole.

Moreover, they have a strong resistance to magic, and all the magic projected on them is ineffective. The reason why the two were separated was because a martial arts servant known as a saint stepped forward to fight and break through. It was because of that servant's hard work that enough time was bought for the London armed guards to gather.

The servant was so exhausted that he had difficulty even maintaining his physical form, which forced him to leave the battlefield.

When the silver-haired Yuzu arrived at the scene, there were only a few Servants and armed personnel left. Yuzu could see that Fran was also participating in the battle, but the long-haired Eri was nowhere to be seen.

Is this a feint?

As Silver-haired Pearl pondered this, it walked alone to Nasu, who was frantically searching for corpses to eat. Nasu keenly sensed that prey was approaching and ignored the attacks from all around, heading straight for Silver-haired Pearl.

Nasu's body was so enormous that the silver-haired pearl had to look up at it, and its roars shook the pearl's eardrums and lungs.

"Is there anything I need to do for this?"

As Yuzhu cried out to the Demon King, a surge of magical power rushed through the magic circuits, almost burning them off.