Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"However, children should be more like children. Some things and burdens should be considered when you grow up."

As the conversation shifted, Eri quickly realized what was happening, hurriedly opened her eyes, avoided the warmth that she found somewhat alluring, and emphasized with an embarrassed expression.

"Hey, I'm not a child!"

"Yes Yes Yes……"

Samael looked at that stubborn little face, nodded perfunctorily in agreement, and rolled his eyes slightly.

"Alright, get some rest. I should go now."

Then, the ancient snake waved its hand and turned to return to the gun tower.

As night approached and time dwindled, there were still many details to finalize with his temporary teammates.

"Wait a moment!"

However, just as Samael turned around, Eriyo called out from behind.

"What's wrong?" Samael turned to look at the hospital bed, his smile unchanged.

"I..." Eri hesitated for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying her true feelings with some shame, "Can I hug you?"

The ancient snake paused slightly, looking at the other side with some surprise.

Under that gaze, Eri turned her head away, waving her hand impatiently to change her mind.

"Oh well, it's getting dark, you should go now! Just pretend you didn't hear anything..."

Just as Eri was speaking, a pair of strong arms pulled her into their embrace, and she felt the firmness and warmth of their chest.

The exorcist girl subconsciously forgot to resist, and instinctively buried her head deep in that safe haven, her hands involuntarily clasping tightly around the man's waist.

Samael gently stroked the little head in his arms, remaining silent, but his lowered eyes were filled with a trace of pity.

There is a special symptom in psychology called skin thirst syndrome.

If you love him, hug him. The most effective way to soothe a crying person is to hug them, just like a mother holding her baby and gently comforting his body. The baby will gradually stop crying and smile happily at his mother. We convey and feel love through physical intimacy. If there is a lack of physical contact for a long time, some adverse physiological and psychological reactions will occur. This symptom is called "skin thirst syndrome".

The formation of "skin thirst syndrome" is related to close relationships. Some people develop this symptom because they did not have a stable and healthy close attachment relationship in childhood. Lack of social skills and inability to establish normal social relationships with others can also cause this symptom.

This type of person craves being touched and close contact, which is a compensatory psychological response to a lack of love received during childhood and adolescence.

The condition of the child in her arms is probably related to her upbringing, in which she lost both parents at a young age.

However, this is not a big problem. It is just like eating when you are hungry or drinking when you are thirsty. These are all normal physiological needs.

Eriyo's desire for him may stem from the fact that his words, actions, and help filled a void in the girl's heart, giving her a sense of closeness and security.

After all, no matter how hard the outer shell is, once it's pried open, the heart is soft, especially for a child who has never seen his parents since childhood.

Samael showed great tolerance and patience towards these demands.

Half an hour later, Eri finally snapped out of her warm reverie, hurriedly got up, coughed repeatedly, and turned her head away, trying to appear nonchalant.

Samael smiled without saying a word, waved, and turned to walk out the door.

Watching her receding figure grow smaller and smaller, Eriyo inexplicably spoke.

"You won't abandon me, right? No matter what!"

Samael paused, turned around to look at the exorcist girl who looked nervous and was clutching the sheets tightly, and smiled warmly, nodding gently.

"certainly……"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, her small face, bathed in twilight, lit up with a bright smile, like a ray of sunlight immersed in the night.

"Take good care of her; it's best if she doesn't go out during this time."

Stepping out of the room, Samael glanced at Chitose Masuru waiting outside and whispered some instructions.

This near-death experience seems to have had a significant psychological impact on Eriyo. Her mental state is unstable, and she needs someone to be with her right now.

Although I heard from Hana Rin that the relationship between the grandmother and grandson was not harmonious, as her only relative, she should bear this responsibility.

Fortunately, Chitose Masuru was a reasonable person. She first thanked him, then nodded slightly in agreement, and went into the bedroom to keep her granddaughter company.

"Actually, Grandma Masuru has a tough time too. Eriri's parents passed away early, and she's not good at taking care of children. Not only can she not cook, but even Eriri complains that she's an idiot when it comes to housework."

Hana Rin, standing to the side, watched Masuru Chitose's retreating figure and spoke up to explain on behalf of this elder.

As she spoke, the little girl sighed again.

"Moreover, I heard that when Eriri was a child, Grandma Masuru accidentally cut her ear while trimming her hair."

When Grandma Masuru discovered the bloodstain after the haircut, she was speechless and remained depressed for a long time afterward. Even now, Eriyo still has a faint mark on her left ear. I even secretly checked to confirm it, and it turns out it's real…”

As Hana Rin continued to reveal information, Samael, who was about to cross the door, suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around and looked back. His gaze swept around the room and finally landed on the blank wall. He seemed to be lost in thought, and his brows gradually furrowed.

"what happened?"

Hana Rin looked at Samael, whose reaction seemed a bit strange, and asked him in surprise.

Samael turned around, smiled, and waved to Hana Rin in front of the door.

"It's nothing. Shouldn't you go down and see me off at this time?"

"Ah, yes, yes!"

Instantly, upon hearing the handsome man's request, a certain looks-obsessed person immediately recalled scenes of male and female protagonists parting ways in Japanese and Korean dramas, and their eyes lit up as they nodded repeatedly like chickens pecking at rice.

Then, without waiting for Samael to speak, Hua Lin, just like in soap operas, took Samael's hand and happily walked downstairs.

After walking a distance from the apartment, Samael stopped and said goodbye to Hana Rin.

"Let's leave it here for now."

Then, the ancient snake looked around at the gradually spreading darkness of the night, as if it had thought of something, slapped its forehead, and opened its right hand towards Hua Lin.

"Oh, right, I also brought you a gift."

A pure black scale lay quietly in his palm, exuding a jade-like beauty.

There seem to be a few strange engravings on it.

Apart from that, it has no other distinguishing features.

Hua Lin examined the gift in her hand, the expectation in her eyes gradually fading, and her gaze turned strange.

"You didn't buy this under the Akihabara overpass, did you?"

Samael gave an awkward smile, neither confirming nor denying.

But that expression seemed to say it all.

The area beneath the Akihabara overpass is now a magic supply street lined with countless small shops. According to the various peculiar shop owners operating there, this area used to be a place that sold electronic parts.

The surface level houses souvenir shops catering to tourists, selling things like dubious amulets, cursed items, and interior decorations...

They also sell gadgets that can be activated by using Command Seals.

To a legitimate magician, the owners of these small shops are just a bunch of amateur collectors, and the goods they sell are of a laughable, low-quality level.

It seems they were probably scammed by those unscrupulous merchants.

"Thank you, it's a very exquisite item, I really like it!"

A bright smile bloomed on Hana Rin's face as she carefully wrapped the scale in a handkerchief and placed it close to her body in her pocket.

Samael smiled and waved, watching Hana Rin return home.

As the hopping figure disappeared from sight, the ancient snake looked around, its eerie gaze landing on the telephone booth beside it.

Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, at the castle tower.

Under the thick darkness of night, the swaying shadows of the trees danced in the wind, like monsters that gradually twisted and deformed.

On the two interlocking mountain peaks, Shuten-dōji is on the left, and a tall woman with dark brown skin and shimmering snake patterns and scales is on the right.

That was our Saber.

Two pairs of eyes, one purple and one red, gazed together at the deep pool nestled in the valley.

"The raging waves of the Eight Veins illuminate and shatter all calamities!"

A tall, slender figure with dark brown skin slowly raised the bluish-black curved sword in his hand, which resembled a snake's tail vertebra, as wind and thunder surged in the sky.

"A riot of colors, yet divine and demonic poisons abound!"

Shuten-dōji raised his bluish-purple gourd and poured the full cup of nectar into the deep pool as a sacrifice, causing the water at the bottom of the valley to surge like snakes and pythons.

The two figures standing atop the mountain gradually blurred and merged during the chanting, becoming one and blending into the mountains and rivers.

"boom!"

In an instant, dark red magma erupted several meters high, and the overwhelming torrents of fire resembled countless world-destroying fire dragons. Thick smoke billowed in the wind, and the entire mountain range began to tremble violently. The mountain gradually collapsed, and a bottomless crack spread in all directions. Dozens of ghosts who were unable to dodge in time were swallowed up by the magma and the fissure in the earth.

Meanwhile, Kyoto, which was originally peaceful and prosperous under the cover of night, was devastated by toxic volcanic ash and a violent earthquake. Houses collapsed and the ground subsided. Whether it was the new humans blessed by the Holy Grail or the heroic spirits who descended to earth, they all appeared so weak and insignificant in the face of the power of nature.

"Roar!" The roar was like rolling thunder, and a terrifying figure that blotted out the sky emerged from the dark red magma and surging waves!

"Roar!" The monster roared to the sky, its eight dragon-like heads peering in all directions. Its blood-red vertical pupils, the size of lanterns, flashed with a cruel and tyrannical aura. Its serpentine body, covered with jet-black scales, emerged from the surface of the dark red magma, pulling out inch by inch from the shattered golden array. The smell of decay and blood permeated the air, and the nearby vegetation withered and died instantly.

In the darkness of night, true terror suddenly descends.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Human Evil, Devour!

"The God of Disaster—Yaki...Orochi!"

In the city, humans and heroic spirits standing amidst the devastation looked up at the approaching demon god, their bodies trembling, their pupils almost shrinking to slits.

The followers and residents of the four main islands of Japan, in particular, felt an instinctive fear.

Yamata no Orochi, also known as Yamata no Orochi or Yamata no Orochi, is a giant demon in Japanese mythology, a demon king who surpasses the three great yokai.

According to the Kojiki and the epic tales passed down from ancient times to the present, this calamity god is synonymous with "death" and "disaster." Wherever he goes, he turns the land into a dead zone and a swamp, where everything decays and turns to dust. Almost everyone grew up listening to his stories.

Legend has it that when the sea god Susanoo was exiled to the mortal realm, he encountered the Yamata no Orochi causing chaos. In order to save the beautiful girl Kushinada-hime who was being sacrificed, Susanoo took advantage of the Yamata no Orochi's fondness for alcohol, got the evil spirit drunk with strong liquor, and finally killed it while it was asleep.

The fact that even Susanoo, one of the three main gods of Japan in the Kojiki, had to outwit him to win demonstrates the immense power of Yamata no Orochi.

"Crack!"

In that brief moment of contact, the magical barrier outside the city, constructed with the power of the Holy Grail, shattered instantly, failing to even slow down the speed of the Yamata no Orochi's crawling.

Eight heads, each the size of a mountain peak, peeked out from outside the wall, their eight pairs of scarlet vertical pupils gazing down at every corner of the city. Their red and black cores hissed out, exuding a sinister and ferocious aura.

The floodgates of memory were breached by a torrent of shock and awe, and panic spread with it.

"Today, the grand feast has begun, and my fellow countrymen are welcome to take their seats!"

Above the night sky, which was filled with lightning, Ushi-Gozen, with her long hair flying wildly, raised her arms and shouted. Then she took out the blue sake gourd left by Shuten-dōji and poured it downwards. The rich, golden nectar fell straight into the city.

The intoxicating fragrance wafted through the air, intoxicating passersby, and the rich aroma of wine seemed to be an invitation to enter.

The giant serpent's eight heads emitted a series of high and low hisses, its head and tail swaying as its enormous and ferocious body crushed the city walls and headed straight for the center of this mad feast.

—Shinjuku, Gun Tower!

"Stop it!"

Archer Tomoe Gozen, who was the first to react, rushed out of the tower and swiftly slashed at one of the ferocious snake heads with her naginata.

"Form up and meet the enemy!"

Miyamoto Musashi, Suzuka Gozen, and other heroic spirits, leading the assembled Black Warriors, followed closely behind, attempting to stop the Yamata no Orochi from advancing.

"Don't think about it!"

Standing in the sky above, the ugly king roared coldly, summoning thunder, striking the heavenly drum, and gathering a horde of demons and monsters.

At the same time, a host of demons and monsters, including the Tengu, Tsuchigumo, Hanawa, Jorogumo, Hitotsuba, and Rin-yūdō, surged out of the darkness and poured into the city through the breach opened by Yamata no Orochi.

"Om Arulika Svaha... Dispel evil and eliminate filth!"

Tomoe Gozen recited the seven-syllable mantra of the Lotus Department, drew her bow, and frantically poured her magical power into it. As the intense heat reached its peak, a blazing white arrow of red lotus shot forward.

In an instant, a roaring fire dragon brutally burned the Tengu, Flying Head Barbarian, Inner Bird, and other demons and monsters along its path to ashes before crashing into the thunderclouds in the night sky.

The thunderous sound of the heavenly drums abruptly ceased.

Ushi-Gozen tossed aside the shattered drumsticks, looked down, and slowly drew her long sword, which was surrounded by lightning, her gaze chilling.

However, at this moment, the arriving Shogunate Heroic Spirits had already launched a new round of fierce attacks, and she had no time to pay attention to Tomoe Gozen, who was causing trouble once again.

"Grass, read its text—renowned throughout the world, the Great Tonglian. Like eight clouds standing atop a tiled roof, sparrows pierce and slay hordes of evil spirits. Manjushri's Wisdom Sword, the Great Divine Power—Heavenly Demon Rain!"