Shinji Matou at Your Service

The Burial Agency is widely known, but due to their secretive practices and their tendency to annihilate its enemies, few people know the actual appearances and identities of its members. After a brief observation, Shinji didn't directly reveal Ciel's identity. Instead, he said, "It's not you."

Ciel didn't understand and instinctively asked, "What do you mean, not me?"

"The person I'm looking for isn't you," Shinji said as he continued walking forward.

"Stop!"

The girl in the nun's habit flicked her wrist, and another Black Key blocked his path.

"Who are you looking for?"

"A person with a very young-sounding voice," Shinji repeated his tactic and acquired another Black Key.

"Can you let me pass?"

"No, I can't. The person you're looking for is my companion. Even though I don't like that guy either, a companion is still a companion."

With a quick motion, Ciel now held six Black Keys in her hands.

"If you insist on going forward, I'm afraid I can't let you."

"I mean no harm. I just want to talk to him. Is that impossible?"

"This…"

Before Ciel could answer, another voice rang out.

"If you mean no harm, then why did you injure him?"

The voice belonged to another girl, also dressed in the distinctive black nun's habit of the Holy Church, and also a mixed-blood. Unlike Ciel, who had short straight hair, this girl had long wavy hair. Ciel's hair and eyes were sky blue, while the girl had silver hair and golden eyes. The girl also appeared younger and smaller in stature than Ciel.

The newly arrived girl wasn't standing on a tree but was hiding behind a rock, forming a pincer movement with Ciel, one from above and one from the side.

Shinji casually glanced at the silver-haired girl, calculating in his mind.

A person he hadn't seen before. She doesn't seem like Father Dawn of the Sixth Seat. The first seat, Narbareck, can also be ruled out; the personality and characteristics don't match. So, is she one of the Second, Third, or Fourth Seats?

No, it doesn't seem like it. She doesn't feel as dangerous as Ciel and doesn't match the rumored image of those monsters. Though it could be a disguise, Merem and Ciel should be enough to deal with a Dead Apostle, so there's no need to waste additional resources.

Is she a Church Executor, or perhaps the infamous and tragic Eighth Seat, always replaced after being ruined?

While analyzing, Shinji's actions didn't slow down. He tossed the flamethrower to the ground with one hand and pulled a sealed bag from his pocket with the other, throwing it toward the silver-haired girl.

"I only retaliated slightly and didn't cause him any real harm. The abnormal state he's in can be resolved if he drinks this."

In a flash of silver, the plastic bag was shot in midair, bursting open.

The red liquid scattered on the ground, quickly soaking into the dark red earth, leaving nothing behind.

Another Black Key, huh? Can't you Church people come up with something new?

While he complained inwardly, Shinji also confirmed the girl's identity—similar techniques to Ciel's, Armor Piercing, so she's probably that unlucky Eighth Seat after all.

Shinji looked at the girl with a hint of pity. She's so pretty—why would she choose to be the short-lived Eighth Seat?

Although the liquid was quickly absorbed, the girl determined its contents through the scent in the air.

"Blood? This is bad!"

Blood is the only food for Dead Apostles, and even the faintest scent of blood can incite unrest in the forest, let alone a whole 200cc blood pack.

As she feared, just as the blood was absorbed, a root thicker than her waist burst from the ground beneath the Black Key, snaking toward the girl like a giant serpent.

Gritting her teeth, the girl swiftly moved, catching six Black Keys between her pale fingers in the blink of an eye.

But before she could throw them, a grenade had already hit the black root. The explosion shattered it into pieces.

There was no doubt it was Shinji's support. He had realized the consequences of the blood pack breaking faster than the girl and reacted accordingly. After throwing the grenade, Shinji picked up the flamethrower and burned the remnants of the root along with the surrounding holes until the ground cracked and dried before releasing the flamethrower's trigger.

"Are you okay?"

The girl didn't relax because of Shinji's help. She gripped the Black Keys tightly and shouted, "Get back!"

Ciel wore a similar expression, clutching six Black Keys in her hands. Shinji couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.

"I understand you're being cautious, and in a place as dangerous as this, that's natural. But I've shown with my actions that I mean no harm. Can't you trust me a little?"

"How do we know you're not doing this on purpose to lull us into a false sense of security before attacking and eliminating us all at once?" the girl retorted coldly.

Eliminate you all at once? Girl, have you never seen Merem's combat style or know Ciel's abilities? These two are notoriously hard to kill, especially the latter. Even a Magician might not be able to kill her for good.

Of course, he couldn't say that aloud, or it would cause serious misunderstanding.

"What do I gain from eliminating you?"

"You'd have to ask yourself that. Maybe there's a benefit, or maybe you're just a sadistic psycho who enjoys torturing women. Or perhaps you want to capture us and do unspeakable things."

The girl's words were harsh, but her expression remained impassive, creating an odd contrast.

"A sweet girl like you, why say such nasty things? Besides, I'm not interested in minors, and even if I were, you wouldn't stand a chance. If you want to know why—it's too hopeless. You don't have a way to win against me, so it's better to give up on meaningless things."

"Your words are just as nasty."

"Sorry, those weren't mine. It was something your companion said to me earlier. I just repeated it to show him that I could."

"Enough!"

Perhaps realizing that the conversation would never end, Ciel interrupted their exchange.

"My companion has already paid for his rudeness. Let this matter end here. Please leave."

"What if I don't want to?"

After saying this, Shinji suddenly dodged to the side.

In the next instant, six Black Keys struck the spot where he had stood, blasting a large hole in the ground—Ciel's response.

Though it seemed forceful, she had held back.

Because Shinji is human, a pure human. If he were a vampire or another supernatural being, they wouldn't have bothered with words; they'd have gone straight for the kill.