Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"I want to defeat Fujiwara no Hidesuke, and then step over Emperor Suzaku's corpse to become the new emperor."

Upon hearing this, Novia sat down again, while Taira no Masakado stood up once more. The two fell into silence, and what followed was what Eri saw.

"That man was actually Taira no Masakado..."

Eri couldn't help but sigh.

While Taira no Masakado's life story appears unremarkable, the supernatural events surrounding his death are quite legendary. For example, there are stories of seven shrines in Tokyo forming a protective array to suppress his vengeful spirit, and American soldiers attempting to demolish his grave after World War II resulting in their deaths. As a result, he enjoys considerable popularity and influence among the general public.

It's no wonder that Eri, who was born in Tokyo, was surprised, after all, she is a well-known native of Japan.

However, what surprised Erise the most was actually Taira no Masakado, who was practically a miniature version of the giant demon from her dream.

So, is what happened in the dream real? The Holy Grail War... has already begun, or is about to begin? But wasn't it already over? How could there still be a Holy Grail War? Wait, if that's the case...

Eri immediately turned her gaze to the leisurely Novia, and suddenly thought of something that seemed very likely based on the dream.

Could it be that the Demon King, who has been missing for a long time, will possess this Novia and sign a contract with me?

Well, just thinking about it makes Erise both excited and like the sky is falling; in short, her feelings are very complicated.

She certainly liked the Demon King, while Novia resisted him. The two had similarities but also some differences, but if these two were to get together...

Especially since Novia has silver hair, Erise felt she was going to have a headache. If she said something strange to him who was actually Novia and not the Demon King, causing some misunderstanding and leading to a conflict between the two, it would be troublesome. And that wouldn't stop the trouble from Tiamat and Rusena, especially from her grandmother, Chitose...

Ugh, can you please stop making things so complicated? I only need one person...

"Daydreaming again, you brat. You think the sweet love of loving only one person for life is so easy to obtain? You'll behave after being betrayed? That's tradition."

"Ok?"

There seems to be some sound.

Eri looked at Novia suspiciously, then looked at the hotel behind her, but saw nothing, so she thought she had misheard.

however.

"Stop looking, stop looking! The beautiful girl behind the pillar of the nation is right here!"

Strange sounds kept echoing in Erise's mind. She looked around, but there was nothing there; it was still just ruins. Perhaps it was precisely because there was nothing there that it stirred up the fantasies and memories that had been dormant deep within Erise's heart.

Could it be that I'm sick? Right, the Demon King said that when a person is in a state of extreme anxiety, they will gradually develop auditory and visual hallucinations. No, it's just a fantasy. I can't just give in like this, since I can control evil spirits.

'Then look at your palm again.'

In an instant, Eri felt an itchy sensation in her palm. She swallowed hard, carefully opened her fist, and found that it was caused by the wriggling of the worm she had obtained from Taira no Masakado.

Perhaps sensing Eri's gaze, the insect seemed to stand up and move slightly.

……what?

Could this be a curse that Taira no Masakado deliberately used to harm me, or is it some kind of small fantasy creature that secretly eats people?

"Don't overthink it. Even though you've changed so much, no longer wearing that 'it's like your family died' expression all the time, and even though I had that same expression too, looks are often inherited from the mother, right? I recognized you at a glance. Not bad, you do have some of my genes, not bad looking at all. Looks like I raised you well."

This is an illusion, a magic trick, a seductive fantasy.

Eri kept muttering to herself, as if trying to break this move in this way, while Novia, who glanced at her, smiled and did not say anything to disturb her.

The next second, the voice in her mind made Erise exclaim in surprise.

"You brat, I think I'm your mother."

"……what?!"

Chapter 521 The Divine Family Belongs to This.

You are that beautiful only child—

Before arriving in Tokyo, the underworld, Eri Se remembered these were the words Novia had told her.

Just now, the infamous vengeful spirit Taira no Masakado, whose name resounded throughout Japan, said that she had no father, only a mother who was a Servant, but even so, she was still a living human being... How could that be? How could a Servant give birth to a child? Even if the Servants of the new era have the magical support of the city, they don't have a living physical body.

Moreover, how could a living human being only have a mother and not a father? And the mother is a servant named Nami.

Erise already felt her mind was in a mess back then, and now this little bug in her hand is claiming to be her mother?

...Spare me.

Eri's gaze swept around as if pleading for mercy, finally landing on the chair standing at the hotel entrance. The person sitting on the chair stretched, his back to her, his neck making a creaking sound. She even felt as if some very familiar shadow was there.

No, it's no big deal—

But he is not a demon king.

I don't know if the Demon King has gone to Hell, Heaven, Elysium, or the Throne of Heroes, but none of that matters. I am all alone, always alone in this isolated and helpless loneliness. But even so, I have no reason to resent the Demon King.

Because I've made some small changes, because I've long been used to losing.

However... there is a kind of loneliness hidden deep in my heart.

'Oh dear, oh dear.'

The so-called mother said in a rather frivolous tone, "You seem to be getting excited? Could that man in front of you be your lover or sweetheart? I secretly took a look, and he's quite handsome, a pretty young man. When are you planning to make love and become husband and wife?"

Eri looked at the little bug fluttering in her palm with a poker face. Judging from the voice echoing in her mind, she felt that this was not a mother who had given birth, but a lively girl about the same age as her.

So, is this insect a native species of Japan?

It's not surprising that Eri thought this way, since "beautiful girl" and "beautiful boy" were the terms that the siblings Izanami and Izanagi used to refer to each other in front of the pillar in the capital in the Nihon Shoki.

"...If you say another word, I'll strangle you right now."

The voice echoing in Erise's mind was cold; this insect claiming to be her mother was making her uneasy. If they had to continue the conversation, she wanted to take a step back, compose herself, and talk somewhere where no one else was around.

However, the insects did not accept it easily.

"Don't be so cold to your mother! She hasn't finished speaking yet!"

Eri sighed. "You said you're my mother? What's your name?"

She felt that Novia, as her friend of a thousand years old, had no reason to deceive her that her mother's name was indeed Nami.

"That's beautiful."

The sudden or unexpected words made Eri tremble in disbelief.

So this really is my mom? My mom is an insect? Huh? Wait, if she's insect-like, then how come I'm human? Is this the miracle Taira no Masakado was talking about? Are you kidding me? Is this why I don't have a Servant? This is a bit...

"...No, my mother doesn't have this name, you are not my mother."

The insect did not speak.

Soon after, Eri thought she heard a faint sigh, and whether it was her imagination or not, the insect in her hand seemed to hunch over a little more.

"Stop rambling, what exactly do you want to say? Just say it."

“I’m sorry, but… please, I really am your mother.”

In short, with her mind in complete chaos, Erise ignored Novia and went straight back to her room. Rusena was still asleep, so the atmosphere was calm. Then Nami started the conversation with these words: "Erise, you really live a very low-key life. Don't you feel stifled living so humbly?"

Nami probably noticed the small size of the room and the neatly arranged clothes, which is why she said that. However, it wouldn't be much different from Eri's room in Kuonji Temple. Eri didn't really care about these external requirements.

Upon hearing this, Eri didn't seem angry; she simply replied coldly:

"That's enough. I'm content as long as I have a place to call home in this world."

"Oh, I didn't expect that. Eri, you're such a carefree kid."

"Well, it's alright."

"So, where do we live, are there any places to play?"

Of course not. When I was a kid, I was either getting beaten up by Lucius until I bled, or I was arguing with the Demon King, or I was dealing with those classmates who came to find me because of the Demon King. I didn't really want to go out and play. Staying at home and looking down at the bustling crowds was enough for me.

Just as Eri was about to shake her head, she suddenly looked up at Tokyo outside the window as if searching for a non-existent memory, and then couldn't help but murmur—

"Yes, there is a large area surrounded by the sea, with many clothing stores. I used to go there every day with... I really loved it there, Shinjuku..."

"Hi."

Na Mei laughed, "You really do have some wonderful memories, you little rascal."

"...But there's no going back now."

Eri looked slightly forlorn.

"Can't you go back?"

"Do not."

Eri thought to herself that Shinjuku was still there, but now she was all alone. "What I mean is, although there were happy times there, I couldn't find my place there, so I can't go back."

"That's not how it works."

In an instant, the beautiful voice suddenly changed, and Erise looked at her in disbelief.

"I think you're not unable to go back, you're just afraid to go back!"

Although Eri Se didn't realize that she was Izanami, as Izanagi's sister and lover who had broken with Izanagi, how could she not see that her daughter's expression was exactly the same as her own? Daughter, how did you end up on your mother's old path?

"What do you know about me?"

Eri's expression was unusually calm, as if she didn't care about anything. "You have no right to reprimand me."

"Oh, this... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

The previously arrogant Izanami suddenly became meek, "You know, even if we break off our friendship, we can still develop a bond from that..."

"...I don't need friends."

What's wrong with you?

"I'm not being difficult, I just don't need any more friends."

"No way, don't think you can escape my eyes. You little brat, you don't have any friends to begin with, do you?"

Eri wanted to vehemently refute this, but as Nami said, she really had no friends at all. Sometimes she would think that if the Demon King were still around, maybe she could make friends with people her own age and play with people of normal age.

"...Hmph, what a loser."

Whether it was because she was a daughter or not, Eri's mood was suddenly ignited by Izanami's words. She turned her face away in dissatisfaction, her cheeks flushed, and then glanced at Rushena, who was still fast asleep with her face to the pillow, and pushed her.

"Who told you this is one of my friends? I have many, many more friends than you can imagine!"

Afterwards, Eri's actions woke Rushena up, rubbing her eyes. Her light green hair was tied in a bun, and the girl looked incredibly pitiful. Her hazy red eyes, just awakened, were very captivating. To sum it up in one sentence, Eri had to admit that Rushena was cute. And just as Chitose had said, the Demon King liked children... Oh wait, what am I thinking...?

However, contrary to the expected sound of surrender, Izanami cried out in astonishment upon seeing Roshena's face.

"Wow!"

Because the sound seemed to indicate that something terrifying and strange had happened, Eri asked curiously.

"What's wrong? Why are you making that sound?"

"...No, no, it's nothing."

Izanami's tone carried a hint of tension.

"Eri, you're up so early! That's amazing!"

As soon as she woke up, Vairocana revealed a gentle, motherly smile. As an enlightened being and also revered as a woman, she has been the object of human faith and her aura for many years, which has made her seem even more compassionate. In their time together yesterday, Erise felt that she seemed to be a cheerful person. She didn't know whether to say that it matched her gentle appearance or that this personality was quite unexpected.

"So, Eri, who is this little bug? Could you introduce it to me?"

The person Rushena was referring to was Izanami, who was currently lying motionless in Eri's hands, as if she were dead, ever since she saw Rushena's face.

"...Okay, this is a dead bug I found nearby. It may have some bacteria on it, so please don't get too close."

"Hmm, although she looks cute with her chubby cheeks, her eyes are too wicked. What a pity, maybe Eri should just throw her away."

Eri nodded in agreement, and then Lushena smiled happily, a lollipop that had appeared out of nowhere in his mouth.

"Okay, now I'm going to go find Buddha's Heart and Buddha's Fruit with Novia, who looks a bit like the teacher. Remember to come, Eri!"

After saying that, Lu She left without looking back.

Meanwhile, Eri let out a deep sigh of relief as she remained in her room. She was finally leaving; she had really acted impulsively just now.

"You seem so indecisive. If you can't even figure things out yourself, you can't become a winner."

"what are you saying?"

"It's nothing, I was just telling you to act quickly."

"quick?"