Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Those were not stars, but pentagrams, some upright, some reversed, some large, some small.

Pentagram?

Yin Yang Dao...

Samael's eyes were thoughtful as he slowly moved forward, protected by several layers of triangular shields of despair.

One by one, the pentagrams hurtling toward the target were engulfed in the blazing white light curtain that shot into the sky from the protective triangle.

The successive bursts of etheric tides swept in all directions, and the distortion originating from the array gradually subsided. The familiar mountain path and the outline of the castle tower reappeared in Samael's eyes.

On the roof of the castle tower, which had almost no good tiles, appeared a effeminate figure with long, black and white hair, black eyes, and dressed in a red and black Onmyoji outfit.

"Michimitsu Ashiya?"

Although his tone was questioning, Samael's eyes revealed a clear understanding.

The pentagram holds a special place in Japanese Shintoism and is considered to be the first talisman invented by Abe no Seimei. However, there is another legend in the Shima region that Ashiya Dōman was the inventor of the pentagram, so this talisman is also called the Dōman seal.

Upon hearing this, the sorcerer on the rooftop's expression changed drastically.

really……

With a quick glance, Samael became even more certain of the man's identity.

Ashiya Dōman was an Onmyōji (yin-yang master) during the Heian period of Japan. He was a contemporary of Abe no Seimei and was born in Harima and studied under a non-official Onmyōji school, known as the "Wild Phōshi".

There are various records and legends about his life. Most believe that he was an Onmyoji whose strength was second only to Abe no Seimei, but he was despicable and committed many evils, and was eventually defeated by Seimei.

The two most famous stories about Doman are: one is that he helped the Minister of the Left, Fujiwara no Akimitsu, to curse and kill the Regent, Fujiwara no Michinaga (at that time, Japan was in the Heian period of regency, and Michinaga, as the Emperor's father-in-law, held real power), but was thwarted by Seimei and exiled; the other is that he became Seimei's disciple and plotted to kill him, but was thwarted and killed by Seimei's senior disciple, Doshojin.

Interestingly, in some local legends, Daoman is described as an eccentric but highly effective ward off evil spirit, beloved by the people. Temples in these areas still enshrine images of Daoman.

In short, in terms of personality, he is a character who is both righteous and evil.

In other words, it's an unstable bomb.

Such people often have the potential to become behind-the-scenes manipulators.

Samael narrowed his eyes and his figure vanished from Ashiya Doman's sight in an instant.

No, not disappearing...

It was so fast that it couldn't be seen with the naked eye!

The sorcerer on the rooftop saw the shadow beneath his feet inexplicably lengthen, his pupils shrank to the size of pinholes, and goosebumps rose on the back of his neck.

In an instant, Ashiya Doman's arm muscles bulged, veins stood out, and his jet-black fingernails suddenly grew several inches longer, the tips gleaming with a chilling light and a faint black aura.

"My fingertips can reach anywhere!"

With a roar, his right arm, etched with jet-black patterns, whipped up a gust of wind and swung violently backward.

Suddenly, a sharp crackling sound rang out in the air, and from the black mist swirling around the fingertips came the wails and curses of vengeful ghosts and evil spirits.

However, the grotesque arm instantly exploded into a bloody mist after colliding with a swung fist.

Immediately afterwards, the fist slammed into the sorcerer's head with undiminished force.

"boom!"

In an instant, Ashiya Dōman's entire upper body was smashed into a pile of minced meat, and his lower body fell straight off the roof and landed on the stone platform.

Samael glanced at the half-corpse on the ground, then raised his arm again expressionlessly.

In an instant, the mutilated half-corpse, looking pitiful, suddenly leaped up and ran a hundred meters at lightning speed, putting distance between himself and Samael.

Immediately, a cloud of dark mist enveloped the upper half of the corpse, and with a series of writhing movements of flesh and blood, Ashiya Dōman's complete body was reassembled.

However, after this battle, the sorcerer's face seemed to have turned quite pale.

As soon as Ashiya Dōman opened his eyes, his forehead veins bulging, he pointed at Samael on the roof and jumped up and down in anger, as if he had been greatly wronged.

"You even plunder corpses, do you have no humanity left?!"

"You won't die from this level of injury. Stop with your little tricks."

Samael rolled his eyes at Ashiya Michiman below and gave a cold smile.

Ashiya Dōman did not die in the previous attack. Moreover, as a Heroic Spirit, he possessed the skill of "life-extending techniques" and the secret art of resurrection.

This method of prolonging life is a secret technique of the monk Hakdo, used by Abe no Seimei in "The Tale of Abe no Seimei," but Ashiya Dōman, as his follower, secretly practiced and distorted it. He transformed himself entirely into malicious information, constantly replicating and multiplying himself as an information entity, making it an evil technique that brings substantial immortality.

It was precisely because of this life-saving secret technique that Ashiya Dōman was able to compete with Abe no Seimei, the most outstanding Onmyoji of that era, and as a wild monk, he was able to fight against the Onmyoji gang that represented the official government at the time, and carve out his own niche.

However, judging from the feel and magical reaction...

As for the mastermind behind it all, it doesn't seem to be...

But this cunning nature is truly ingrained in his bones!

Samael's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly twisted his body, swinging his right arm like a spear to deflect the short sword coming from the left, striking Shuten-dōji squarely in the chest.

The Demon King of Mount Ooe, already at his last gasp, coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing into the mountain behind him and being buried by a pile of fallen rocks.

Uh, sorry, it was a slip of the hand...

Samael caught a glimpse of Shuten-dōji's seemingly sunken sternum, and his lips twitched involuntarily. He silently apologized in his heart.

It was already flat, and now it's really concave.

Seeing that the main attacker, Shuten-dōji, was being brutally beaten, Ashiya Dōman, who was responsible for drawing the enemy's attention, couldn't help but shrink back and quietly move backward.

Samael glanced at a timid sorcerer, then looked down at the castle tower beneath his feet.

If Ashiya Dōman can't be considered the mastermind, then the real answer seems to lie here.

However, just as the ancient serpent was about to step into the dilapidated temple, several pentagrams flew from a tricky angle and struck his chest, drawing his attention back to him.

Ashiya Dōman looked at the man who had swatted away his Yin-Yang technique like a fly, and couldn't help but swallow hard, his face stiffening.

His body's strong survival instinct kept reminding him: Escape!

Escape the castle tower! Escape Mount Tanba! Escape this guy in front of us!

This is the only chance to survive...

However, the sorcerer took several deep breaths and finally suppressed his instinctive reaction. Contrary to his usual behavior, he stood upright in place, raised his hands to form a hand seal, and solemnly chanted.

"Lord Xianguang, awaken! The Epoch of Light has come to an end. The simulated divine cores are now connected, the Dark Sun is at its critical juncture! — 'Raging Tides: The Left Palace of Evil Spirits'!"

In an instant, the sky was once again covered by pervasive darkness. The ever-changing hand seals frantically absorbed the resentment of the hundred demons and evil spirits and the murderous aura of the entire Tamba Mountain. A black sun with vertical eyes gradually took shape and hung above Ashiya Doman's head, like a pitch-black crown.

Back then, he attempted to curse and kill the then-powerful Fujiwara no Michinaga, setting up a devastating curse that was equivalent to slaughtering the entire city. If it were to be successfully reproduced, its power would instantly devastate the entire capital, bring misfortune to the people, and leave the streets littered with the corpses of the starving dead.

Of course, those in power will also die.

Currently, the technique created using the combined energy of the entire Tamba Mountain and the malevolent energy of a hundred demons, while powerful enough to inflict a curse on ordinary people, is still quite potent.

However, if the target is the deity on the other side who has exorcised the calamity god Orochi, it can probably only play a temporary restraining role at most.

Even though he knew the truth, Ashiya Dōman did not back down. He almost exhausted his magical power and launched a full-force attack on the deity on the castle tower.

Seimei, Seimei, although I have won against you, after all this fuss, it seems that our endings are not much different.

Tch, when you do the math, it's still a loss.

Ashiya Dōman looked up at the towering castle tower and laughed heartily.

Never mind, I've already won once anyway.

Since we've been used to losing before, what's wrong with losing one more time?

When you're out in the world, you have to have some sense of morality.

Thick black mist and hideous evil spirits kept penetrating Ashiya Doman's body, and the ethereal sorcerer grew taller and taller, almost level with the castle tower.

"Skull-hatted Ashiya Dōman, please enlighten me!"

The indistinct black figure spoke with a voice like thunder, decisive and swift.

Even a morally ambiguous Onmyoji like you is willing to risk his life for you. I'm getting more and more curious about who you really are.

Goddess...

Samael ignored Ashiya Doman's invitation and went straight to the large, dilapidated hole in the roof that led directly into the castle tower.

As the evil spirit's heavy fist swung down, a dazzling sword light pierced through the black mist, and a four-armed, wrathful statue of a benevolent king drew its sword and struck.

Tianyuan Flower, wielding two swords, walked up the steps and stood in front of Samael, assuming a fighting stance.

"I am Fujiwara Genshin, the swordsman Shinmen Musashi-no-kami. I request to fight!"

Those sharp eyes were filled with disgust for the twisted monster before them.

He was well-versed in the Five Elements, considered himself a transcendent being who could even occasionally control nature, and mocked the ordinary people who were insignificant, fragile, and diligently living their lives.

Those who enjoy trampling on human dignity and beliefs for entertainment are the ones who should be eliminated!

Swords flashed, blades were drawn, and malevolent thoughts filled the air.

Blades clashed with demons, and the flames of war roared in front of the castle tower.

At the same time, before Samael could even get his footing inside the castle tower, he was struck hard from behind with a powerful blow.

However, the seasoned serpent reacted even faster, immediately pushing its shoulders back and grabbing the arm that was over its shoulders with lightning speed, executing a textbook over-the-shoulder throw to complete the counterattack.

"Gotcha! My goddess!"

"You...you...released...Chronos?!"

In the struggle, a pair of deep blue eyes saw the man pressing down on her and were filled with astonishment.

At this moment, upon hearing the name of a god that once belonged to him, Samael was completely dumbfounded.

Hestia? It's you!

Chapter 73 Athena, step forward and take the blame!

The girl with her hands pinned down on the floor has black pigtails and wears a pure white dress. She looks young and her temperament fluctuates between that of a young girl and a little girl. However, she has an overly dignified and beautiful face that is both endearing and pitiful, yet also exudes a noble and heroic air.

Indeed, the woman before us is Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, who was the first of the twelve Olympian gods to retire from the world.

At the same time, she was also the first child of Cronus, the second generation of gods, and Rhea, the queen of the gods, and the eldest sister of Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.

However, compared to her brothers and sisters who pursued power, this hearth goddess was a complete anomaly.

She not only relinquished her divine position to Dionysus, the son of Zeus, early on, but also lowered herself to mingle with mortals on earth every day.

Because she never caused trouble and had a dislike for problems, Hestia gradually became a rare recluse in the Age of Gods, avoiding involvement in anything that could be done.

Whether it's the family drama of the "model couple" Zeus and Hera, the Olympian crisis brought about by Typhon, the king of monsters, or the Trojan War that determined the fate of the Ares and Olympus systems... and so on, there are almost no records of this goddess of the hearth in a series of events, big and small, in the ancient Greek pantheon.

At that time, Samael, as the creator and supervisor of ancient Greek humanity, was entrusted by the prophet Prometheus to secretly keep an eye on the interactions between the gods and humans. This is how he came to have some contact with Hestia, who was living among humans, and formed a fairly good relationship with her.

Otherwise, given this stove goddess's tendency to stay home for centuries, it might be impossible to find her even if you wanted to build a relationship with her.

Through repeated contact, Samael developed a very good impression of Hestia.

On the one hand, such a divine king bloodline that doesn't fight for power and is so peaceful is even rarer than a giant panda.

Even though Hestia is a bit of a homebody, Samael will still treat her well.

After all, it's better to keep her alive in the human world than to have her side with Zeus and become an obstacle to the overthrow of divine authority on Mount Ares.

On the other hand, Hestia's power to control all the hearths in the human world brought many conveniences and benefits to the development of ancient Greeks.

For example, because she got along very well with Athena, who was also a virgin goddess at the time, the two often visited each other and together they invented many technologies that benefited human society, such as the spinning wheel and the stone mill...

For example, Themis, who also preferred quiet, maintained a good personal relationship with Hestia, and the two worked together to improve matters such as marriage and family law...

In conclusion, this goddess of the hearth has indeed made significant contributions to human development.

Mount Ares's ability to rise to power and drive the Olympian gods to Rome to reclaim wasteland also owes some credit to her.

Therefore, after the Trojan War, the gods of Mount Ares, who had successfully seized power, treated this half-one of their own very well.

They not only preserved Hestia's temples and shrines throughout Greece, but also generously allowed this ancient goddess to continue to reside in her own territory.

However, logically speaking, even if the gods return, when did this shut-in who has been a recluse for thousands of years change his personality?

Not only did he travel all the way to Tokyo, Japan for the first time, but he also became the big boss who commands all the demons in the singularity?

But compared to Samael's confusion at this moment, the shock on the hearth goddess's face was obviously much stronger, and she couldn't help but ask the question first.

"Why are you here?"