Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"You stop right there, or I'll skewer you and grill you today!"

"Killing! Killing!"

Little Black hopped and skipped like a nimble rabbit, escaping the iron stakes and leading the conflict toward his own mother, Yustissa.

The chase between the two caused a commotion within the arriving group.

That almost explicit revelation left the proud and stubborn one who refused to admit it utterly ashamed, and he secretly held a grudge against Xiao Hei.

The third to arrive, Artoria Alter, glanced at the two making a ruckus, shook her head, and then looked at the traces left at the bottom of the pit. Her golden eyes flickered thoughtfully.

"you do this delibrately?"

Samael smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

At this moment, Yustissa gracefully approached the edge of the pit, raised her hand to cover her lips and chuckled softly, gazing at the distant mountains beyond the wilderness with a meaningful look in her eyes.

"So, can we now confirm the location of that castle tower?"

Samael raised the corners of his lips and spoke leisurely.

"Don't worry, I left a mark on her."

"You're so mean, Father..."

"You didn't send anyone to chase after them either, did you? We're even."

The father and daughter looked at each other from a distance, and their expressions were both tacit and disdainful.

Artoria Altter's forehead veins throbbed, and she couldn't help but feel an urge to punch someone.

Those two are absolutely awful, beyond redemption...

Seeing that the heroic spirits of the shogunate had arrived, the ancient serpent leaped out of the deep pit and lazily stretched its limbs in the sunlight.

"Let's go, it's already dawn, now it's our turn to hunt."

The counterattack is finally about to begin!

Upon hearing this, the spirits were invigorated.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot about this."

As he spoke, Samael raised his hand and gestured towards the deep pit. An egg, half the size of a human, with intricate patterns, emerged from the broken skeleton of the serpent god and landed in his palm.

Through the interwoven patterns of light on the outer shell, one could vaguely see a purple phantom, half-human and half-snake, curled up inside.

Now that I know you are the key to reviving the evil god Orochi, how could I let you leave so easily?

Samael glanced at the snake egg with a mocking expression, then casually tossed it into the magic array to seal it away.

Chapter Seventy: Are you going to take the punishment or not?

Daytime on the fifth day.

Humanity, which had been on the defensive for so long, finally turned the tide with the arrival of a certain descended deity.

As the first rays of dawn broke, Samael led all of the Shogunate's elite troops across the crumbling walls and into the wilderness.

At this moment, there are still four hours until dark.

By the sixth day, it is estimated that there will only be two hours of daylight left.

If the delay extends to the seventh day, this singularity will become completely dark, and the sun will no longer rise.

However, there should be enough time.

Samael slowly searched for the lingering scent in the air, stopping occasionally to observe the surrounding traces to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced behind him and saw Himiko, with her loose twin ponytails and wearing a shrine maiden's outfit, giving him an infectious, sunny smile.

Samael nodded slightly and smiled in return.

In order to achieve victory in one fell swoop, he even brought the Sun Queen with him.

If necessary, a purification ritual can be performed directly on-site.

Even if the battle is delayed into the night due to some unforeseen event, our own heroic spirits still possess the ability to fight a protracted war.

At that time, the night, which is favorable to all the demons, will not be able to hinder the heroic spirits of the shogunate.

The ancient serpent looked up at the distant mountains on the horizon where a trace of night had not yet faded, and a pleased smile appeared on its lips.

So, checkmate (is about to die)...

Meanwhile, on the ancient mountain path shrouded in mist, a disheveled figure, supporting himself on the railings on both sides, stumbled and walked up to the door at the end.

However, perhaps because he was too weak, or perhaps because he was too tired, the disheveled figure lost his footing and was about to fall to the ground and roll down the mountain.

"careful!"

Fortunately, a pair of hands reached out from the morning mist and helped the staggering figure to his feet.

"How are you, Shuten-dōji?"

"He's not going to die yet..."

Shuten-dōji glanced at the ugly Gozen in front of him, but his usual slightly tipsy and teasing mood was gone, replaced by a gloomy and solemn expression.

"Take me to the castle tower quickly! Father failed. To buy me time, Ibuki volunteered to stay behind and cover the retreat. We can't interfere in a war between gods. Now, the only thing we can do is ask the goddess to intervene..."

Upon hearing this, Ushi no Gozen's heart sank. She immediately dragged the weak and exhausted Shuten-dōji toward the stone gate at the end.

"Hey, Cow Girl, be honest, you betrayed humanity and joined our demon camp, only to end up like this today. Have you ever regretted it...?"

A murmur, seemingly melancholy and wistful, echoed in her ears. Ugly Queen paused slightly before speaking calmly.

"Why should someone with a clear conscience regret their actions? Shouldn't it be those with guilty consciences who should be regretting their actions?"

Ugly Gozen glanced at the Demon King beside her, her words carrying a double meaning, then she helped the half-paralyzed Shuten-dōji up and strode forward again, her steps firm.

"Haha, that's true!"

Shuten-dōji seemed completely oblivious to the sarcastic remarks, laughing heartily and leaning half his body on Ushi-gozen's shoulder, his thin cherry lips curving into an upward arc.

"Then, I will tentatively acknowledge you as my partner, Lord Raikou..."

The woman who arrived at the door did not speak, but instead focused on opening the magic circle diagram leading to the castle tower.

As the light patterns lit up, she carried the half-paralyzed Shuten-dōji directly into the doorway.

After a familiar ripple and twist in the air, ancient steps and a majestic pavilion came into view.

Nothing much has changed.

The two exchanged a glance, breathed a sigh of relief, and prepared to enter the castle tower as soon as possible to report to the goddess.

However, the moment they stepped onto the stairs, a pentagram-shaped magic circle lit up beneath their feet, causing the two exhausted women to feel as if they were stuck in quagmire, unable to move an inch.

"Ashiya Dōman, what are you doing!" Ushi-Gozen and Shuten-dōji were both shocked and furious.

"I'm sorry, you two, but you probably can't go in right now." A soft, feminine voice came from the stone platform above. A man with long, black and white hair and an eerie aura raised his right hand with long, slender nails and pressed it forward.

Suddenly, Shuten-dōji felt a sharp pain in his chest.

As she looked down, she was shocked to find a wisp of almost invisible mist coiled around her heart.

Like a venomous snake lurking in the darkness...

Seeing that the power hadn't been dispelled by his pentagram array, Ashiya Dōman narrowed his eyes, gazing at the misty valley below. His previously languid expression vanished, and his soft voice gained a new depth and seriousness.

"It seems we've been discovered."

Found...

At this moment, Samael, standing at the foot of the mountain, also looked up in surprise.

Unexpectedly, this small mountain was full of hidden talents, causing the mark I had planted on Shuten-dōji to be exposed prematurely.

However, it was still too late.

If I'm not mistaken, this should be Mount Tanba, the legendary city where a hundred demons are said to reside.

Samael looked at the mountains shrouded in mist, existing in a state between reality and illusion, and his expression was knowing.

The Tanba region is located in the central part of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is the center of the Ōeyama mountain range, also known as Mt. Tanba or "Yosa no Ōyama". According to folklore, the castle of demons led by Shuten-dōji was built here.

However, just like that human city, Tokyo is the true face of Tokyo during the day, but at night it is covered by the information of Kyoto.

This so-called Tanba Mountain is quite the opposite.

During the day, this place is just an ordinary mountain range and wilderness of Tokyo, but at night it reveals its true nature as a city of a hundred demons.

Therefore, the shogunate's heroic spirits, who fought against the nighttime parade of a hundred demons and patrolled for traces during the day, never learned of the passage into Mount Tanba.

But with Shuten-dōji, the "traitor," leading the way, the outcome was naturally different.

Samael slightly raised his hand, and with a flick of his fingers, he drew several runes. The surrounding thick fog was immediately dispelled, and a winding path led to the top of the mountain.

"We've got work to do, everyone."

The ancient snake turned its head to warn those behind it, appearing listless and lacking the high spirits it had displayed when it set off.

His gaze was particularly melancholic when he looked at Himiko, who was sheltering from the rain under the shade of a tree with a lotus leaf over her head.

She appears to be a carefree, energetic, and cheerful young woman who also has the duties of a sun priestess, and she always evokes images of sunshine and optimism.

But for some reason, Himiko's constitution unusually attracted rain.

Sure enough, they had barely left the city when, in less than ten minutes, the once clear sky was suddenly filled with strong winds, lightning, thunder, and torrential rain.

Even more outrageous is that wherever they went, that dark, shiny cumulonimbus cloud followed.

Gradually, the torrential rain washed away most of the traces and smells.

This caused considerable trouble for Samael's tracking.

Otherwise, he should already be following behind Shuten-dōji, having already ascended the so-called "Tenshukaku".

"...Ugh, it's raining heavily again. Why does it always pour like this whenever I think about going out... ugh?"

At this moment, Himiko, her feet covered in mud, looked utterly dejected and couldn't help but let out a mournful cry.

She originally loved the sunlight, the fruits of the earth, and people's smiles; she loved living in harmony with nature. But for various reasons, she had to become a homebody to maintain the mystery of her identity.

I finally managed to get out, but it was raining heavily, windy, and accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Along the way, they didn't get to see any scenery; they were all soaked to the bone.

Sensing the oppressive atmosphere emanating from her companions, Himiko shrank back and coughed slightly.

"Ahem, rainy days seem to be good for rice growth, right..."

As she spoke, Himiko quietly moved behind the leader to avoid the resentful gazes of her teammates.

However, as they got closer, Samael, who was being pushed around as a shield, became somewhat unsettled.

Having just experienced a rainy day, her clothes were inevitably sticking to her skin after being soaked in water. In addition, Himiko had only put on a rough cloth shrine maiden outfit for ease of movement before running out. Under these circumstances, that simple, retro-style garment was practically useless.

As Himiko pushed and rubbed against him, Samael could even clearly feel every inch of the body behind him undulating.

Sure enough, all the nutrients accumulated in my chest, and none of them went to my brain.

The ancient snake sighed and rubbed its forehead, its body steaming with heat, drying the damp marks on its back.

It's so warm and comfortable, just like Amaterasu!

For a moment, the shrine maiden, who was close to the sun, couldn't help but lean closer, squinting her eyes and humming softly in enjoyment.

Feeling the undulations behind him, which seemed to have been compressed into a pancake shape, Samael suppressed the urge to hang Himiko on a tree to wake her up. He braced himself against the sharp gazes around him, forced a smile, and pointed to the path ahead.

"Time is of the essence. Let's set off once we've rested enough."

Faced with a formidable enemy, neither the dim-witted Himiko nor the others who wanted to make snake soup on the spot could help but quickly gather their thoughts and step into the ethereal mist.

With each step, the surrounding scenery shifted and distorted.

What comes into view is a vast sea of ​​clouds, red leaves covering the ancient stone steps, and a sky gradually turning into a magnificent purple at sunrise...

And, the demons and monsters that roam and dart through the forest!

"Form ranks! Break the formation!"

Tomoe Gozen stepped forward, wielding her naginata. Marks on her hands lit up, and black warriors materialized from the shadows behind her, drawing their swords and charging towards the oncoming monster.

As he watched the Black Warriors surge through the mountains and forests like a black torrent, a barely perceptible sigh appeared in Samael's eyes.