"Alicia, you should get some good rest. Oh, I'm done eating. I have something else to do, so I'll be going now." Ryougi Raku said as he left his seat, placing money on the table.
"Raku-kun, you don't need to pay! You've been eating here for so long, consider it my treat!" Alicia quickly said.
"Heh, small business, I understand! Alicia, your parents work hard, it's not good to treat people using your own name. Besides, do I look like someone who lacks money?" Ryougi Raku shook his head and chuckled.
"Uh..." Alicia was speechless. Ryougi Raku's behavior over the past month indeed made him seem like a rich young master, although Alicia didn't know why such a young master would come to this remote little town. However, she didn't dwell on it and stopped worrying about the money.
"Goodbye then, Alicia!" Ryougi Raku waved at Alicia and walked out the door.
"Goodbye, Raku-kun, be careful on your way!"
Watching Ryougi Raku gradually walk away, Alicia wiped the sweat from her forehead. She hadn't done anything, yet she felt exhausted. Alicia felt as if something within her body was awakening, but as an ordinary person, she didn't know why.
Away from Alicia's bakery, Ryougi Raku's expression gradually grew serious. According to the information he had received, the True Ancestor Princess had already arrived in France, and it wouldn't be long before she found this place. At the same time, accompanying the princess was the Twentieth of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, and the Fifth Executor of the Burial Agency, Merem Solomon!
'Merem Solomon, huh... This won't be easy...' Ryougi Raku frowned in thought. He wasn't so arrogant as to believe himself invincible. The strength of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors was beyond doubt; they were much more powerful than Servants, beings that only a complete Heroic Spirit could contend with!
Although in Tsukihime, a few of the Twenty-seven Ancestors died quite tragically, that was entirely due to Tohno Shiki being the protagonist. Moreover, in those countless parallel worlds, the endings where Tohno Shiki was killed were probably far more numerous than the endings where he defeated the Twenty-seven Ancestors... Even with a cheat-like ability like the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, even with the secret techniques of the Nanaya family, for him, an ordinary person, to defeat the Twenty-seven Ancestors was, in Ryougi Raku's opinion, unimaginable... However, when it came to cheats, Ryougi Raku deeply understood that his own abilities were truly unsolvable. If he could truly reach the realm of analyzing all things, then creating and destroying everything would merely be a matter of his will... But a mere decade of life hadn't allowed him to fully and profoundly utilize this power. This wasn't some wish-fulfillment novel; true power required the accumulation of time and the mastery of experience.
However, even knowing of Merem Solomon's arrival, Ryougi Raku wouldn't be afraid. No matter how strong Solomon was, he couldn't kill him. Since he couldn't be killed, there was nothing to fear... Meanwhile, at an airport in France, a private jet landed on the runway. The cabin door opened, and only two people emerged...
"Wow, is this an airplane? It's amazing that it can fly in the sky!" a young girl with short, golden hair exclaimed in an exaggerated manner.
"Indeed, Princess! Humans, to a certain extent, are truly powerful!" a handsome young man respectfully stood to the side, bowing his head as he replied. Occasionally, he would look up, and his gaze towards the girl was filled with fanaticism, just like a crazy fan seeing their idol.
"Mm-hmm! Merem, you're right. But after sleeping for so long, so much has changed here!" The girl nodded vigorously, her ruby-like eyes looking around the airport, a cheerful smile on her face. However, she also seemed a little dazed and silly.
These two were none other than the True Ancestor Princess—Arcueid Brunestud—and her fanatical follower, the Twentieth of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Merem Solomon!
Merem had known of the Princess's awakening, and he naturally knew the reason for it—Roa had reincarnated again... As a fanatical follower, Merem naturally made all preparations before the Princess was fully awake. After her awakening, he used a private jet to bring Arcueid to France, guided by the Princess's perception through Gaia.
"Alright! Now that we're here, that disgusting scent is getting stronger and stronger! It looks like Roa will fully awaken soon, we need to find him first!" The Princess suddenly said with a serious expression, her previous dazed cuteness completely gone.
"Princess! Allow me to accompany you in finding Roa!" Merem bowed and requested.
Arcueid thought for a moment and then agreed to Merem's idea.
Although she was a bit of a natural airhead, she wasn't stupid. Human society had changed so much that it would be very troublesome for her to navigate it alone. With Merem's help, everything would go smoothly... Her hatred for Roa made her want to resolve things as quickly as possible!
Seeing the Princess's agreement, Merem Solomon was overjoyed, but his face remained unchanged. If a group of women saw his boyish, handsome face, they would surely go crazy... 'Fantastic! This is alone time with the Princess!' Merem screamed internally. Of course, his feelings for Arcueid were unclear, even to himself. He didn't know if it was the White Princess's personal charm or the influence of Crimson Moon that deeply attracted him.
"Mm-hmm! Let's go then!" As if her previous seriousness was an illusion, Arcueid suddenly scratched her head and smiled foolishly again.
"As you wish, Princess!" But Merem naturally wouldn't think so impolitely; he still replied respectfully... Even though there was a considerable distance between them, Ryougi Raku seemed to sense something. The entire atmosphere became Stern (Suicide -Suicide is a Chinese term meaning 'somber and desolate' or 'stern and chilling').
'Is Roa finally going to revive?' Ryougi Raku thought as he gazed at the sky...
---
At night, Ryougi Raku looked up at the already full moon. It would soon be a true full moon, he thought... Roa was also expected to revive on that night.
However, Ryougi Raku currently had no interest in that reincarnated snake, because the back of a figure standing in front of him was so captivating.
"Oh? I didn't expect to meet anyone here so late. Are you also here to admire the town's scenery?" Ryougi Raku said, half-truthfully. He truly hadn't expected to encounter her here.
"Huh?" The accosted princess turned her head in surprise, revealing her perfect face to Ryougi Raku.
The girl had exquisite features, short, golden hair fluttering in the wind, and innocent and pure red crystal eyes. But deep within those eyes, Ryougi Raku could sense a hatred, a coldness... She wore a simple slip dress, seemingly unfazed by the cold night, her exposed skin as white as snow. The thinness of her clothing accentuated the girl's beautiful figure, her slender, elegant legs encased in stockings, which was somewhat regrettable.
The girl was the True Ancestor Princess, the being closest to the True Ancestor King, Crimson Moon. Both her fighting style and appearance could be said to be identical to Crimson Moon. Crimson Moon's body was created by the will of the planet; such exquisite craftsmanship was a realm that humans could not freely intrude upon.
One could say that the girl was the most noble crystallization created by the entire planet... This beauty left Ryougi Raku in awe. Since his birth into this world, he had never seen such a perfect person. Even his sister, Ryougi Shiki, with her universally captivating beauty and irresistible personality, still couldn't compare to this princess in terms of appearance alone. No matter what, beings born as humans would more or less have flaws, but as the crystallization of the planet, the princess's appearance was truly perfect.
Of course, that was only her appearance. If personality were included, this princess was truly too far from perfect... "Mm-hmm, I am indeed here to see the panoramic view of the town. That way, if Roa tries to escape, I can easily catch him!" Without any hidden agenda, the White Princess blurted out her purpose. If it were an ordinary person, they would surely be confused by her words, as who would know this person's name? However, Ryougi Raku naturally understood.
"Then, I wish you success, big sister..." Ryougi Raku said with a beaming smile.
"I will definitely succeed! Roa must die by my hand!" Arcueid said sternly, gripping her fists. But was it really appropriate to talk about fighting and killing in front of a child?
However, this serious demeanor didn't last for more than a few seconds. Arcueid reverted to her dazed and cute self. "Wait, big sister? Are you talking about me?" She pointed to herself with great surprise.
"Yes, there are only two of us here, so of course I'm talking about you..." Ryougi Raku said.
"Eh? Is what you're doing now what they call 'hitting on someone'?" Arcueid pondered seriously.
Ryougi Raku almost fell to the ground when he heard that, but his face still turned into a mortified expression.
"Then, what's your name, big sister?" Ryougi Raku continued to act innocent on the surface, but inwardly he was bitterly amused.
"My name is Arcueid Brunestud. And what's your name, little brother?" Arcueid said with a smile.
"My name is Ryougi Raku, and I come from the Far East, Big Sister Arcueid..." Ryougi Raku immediately stated his name, and at the same time, called her Arcueid, which could unconsciously bring them closer.
"Then I'll call you Raku. The Far East?" She tilted her head in confusion, then quickly set aside her doubt, looking intently at Ryougi Raku. The scene became awkward for a moment.
Ryougi Raku was quite helpless, not knowing what the Princess in front of him was thinking, and he also didn't know what to say to start a conversation.
Just then, a cat's meow broke the silence.
"Is that Ren?" Hearing the meow, Arcueid said happily.
A black cat walked over from not far away. Its pure black fur was exceptionally soft under the moonlight, and it wore a large bow on its back. With elegant, light steps, it quickly approached Arcueid. The cat's eyes curiously scrutinized Ryougi Raku.