Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"By the way, Mesopotamia is currently mainly ruled by the Assyrian Empire, and the one who just came to power is a woman named Semiramis..."

"I heard that she was robbed because of her beauty, but later she found an opportunity to kill her unscrupulous king husband, took charge of the government herself, and established great achievements."

"Well, the magnificent Ishtar Gate was actually built in my name, and I'm sometimes even regarded as an incarnation of myself. It seems my faith is the most enduring!"

"I feel like we're compatible. Do you think she'll immediately offer up her treasures and pray to me the moment I show my face?"

Ishtar proudly raised her chin, quite pleased with the way her divine name was being sung across the earth, while her eyes gleamed with golden light.

Samael was speechless, but secretly grumbled to himself.

You are the goddess of war; people built the gates of Ishtar to proclaim their victories in foreign wars.

As for good compatibility, there's nothing to be proud of.

Your original form, the Old God that was wiped out by Marduk, is infamous among male creatures.

She only killed one husband, but you killed five or six?

Besides, all this talk is just about coveting the treasures of the Assyrian Empire, isn't it? And faith too!

Wait, Semiramis? The Assyrian Empire?

It can't be her, right?

The ancient snake stroked its chin, its expression slightly surprised.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Let's cause trouble! Let's cause trouble! Let's cause trouble! (1/3)

Semiramis, the Assyrian queen, an ancient poisoner.

At the same time, she is also one of the participants in a future game called "Holy Grail War," and perhaps the two will have the opportunity to meet again in the future.

The Holy Grail, the omnipotent wish-granting machine, summons seven heroes from different eras to descend onto the same stage, united in their destiny. The ultimate victor will be blessed and have their wishes fulfilled.

Samael narrowed his eyes, his expression meaningful.

Where did the existence and concept of the Holy Grail originate?

One of the most famous relics of Christianity, it is symbolically imbued with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, inviting the baptized to drink it, blessing the disciples and believers, thus cleansing their sins, and granting them the power of rejuvenation, resurrection, and so on.

As far as he knows, Marduk, the King of Kings, is God and, in some ways, the "father" of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in Christianity.

Suddenly, a thunderbolt struck Samael's mind, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Wait a minute! The Holy Grail… perhaps it's not just Jesus who possesses it…

Even the original origin did not come from that divine child!

Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes! The Uruk Cup!

And there's more! The detonator that triggered the third storm in the Mesopotamian world was also a Holy Grail that was inserted through the hole in the sky!

There were seven of those things, belonging to the demon king Getia who intended to burn away humanity in the future!

Goetia, on the other hand, was a consciousness born from the remains of King Solomon!

In his own memory, after King Solomon died, the seventy-two demons sealed inside his body developed independent thoughts, falsely claiming that they were Solomon (therefore, from their perspective, they were the Magic King Solomon), and began to promote the cause of energizing all mankind, namely, burning away human reason, collecting spiritual particles, and reshaping the planet.

In a sense, King Solomon also possessed the Holy Grail!

The third Mesopotamian storm triggered by the Uruk Cup...

The Demon King Goetia manipulated the seven Holy Grails, creating seven singularities that caused the burning of humanity...

The Holy Grail War, conceptually based on the actions and legends of Jesus Christ, will one day...

Goodness, no wonder anything related to the Holy Grail ends up badly.

Judging from the points where these three lines intersect, you've never given up, Lord Jehovah, King of Kings!

The ancient snake gently nibbled at the fingernails, its brow furrowing and scattering. After a long while, it lowered its fingers and looked at the hero king who was engrossed in handling the judgments of the dead.

"King Gilgamesh, are there any peoples or kingdoms on earth that adhere to monotheism?"

Gilgamesh paused slightly, then frowned and pondered for a moment.

"Yes! Jews! Israel!"

Although Samael had expected this, his pupils still contracted involuntarily.

After a moment's consideration, the ancient serpent, having edited and revised its thoughts, delivered a serious warning to the people of the underworld.

"You mean, the establishment of the Jewish state was likely orchestrated by God the Father—or rather, Marduk?"

Ishtar's breathing became labored, and her face was filled with astonishment.

Similarly, Ereshkigal, Enkidu, Gilgamesh, and the others exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing the news, their expressions grave.

The war between the gods Aa and Ea had only just ended, and now that guy is already causing trouble again?

Or rather, the so-called post-war peace and tranquility is just wishful thinking on their part; Marduk has never relinquished control over the world.

Their eyes met, a deep sense of apprehension filling each other's gazes.

There was no way around it; the King of Kings had left too deep an impression on them, and was far too powerful.

In the war against the gods Aea, the human side had an extremely luxurious lineup.

Among the main gods alone, there are five goddesses: Gorgon, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, the Leopard Man, and Kukulkan.

Add to that a Grand Assassin, a near-Grand Magician, the Chains of Heaven, the Wedge of Heaven, and himself, an existence defying fate.

Thus, they were utterly defeated when they fought Marduk at the Temple of Ea.

In the end, it was only through the desperate efforts of everyone to create an opportunity for Tiamat, the Mother Goddess of Origin, that they were able to turn defeat into victory at the end of the Tablet of Fate.

Looking back now, I realize that the battle was won with immense effort and hardship, and there was a significant element of luck involved.

Now, the divine consciousness of the mother goddess Tiamat has followed Samael on a long journey, three of the five goddesses have left, and even the once united Sumerian city-states have been conquered by other tribes because of their incompetence.

If Marduk were to descend again, even if all of them in the Underworld were to fight to the last man, they might not be able to stop the ambition of the King of Kings.

As his thoughts returned to their original state, the previously harmonious atmosphere suddenly became stagnant and oppressive. Even the hero-king Gilgamesh couldn't help but furrow his brow and mutter a cold laugh.

"No wonder, I can't understand how these old, weak and sick Israelites managed to escape Ramses II's pursuers and cross the chaotic and stormy Red Sea."

"Born with sin, he lived in the Egyptian civilization for over 400 years, finally receiving God's forgiveness, returning to the Promised Land, and establishing a nation..."

"Isn't this exactly the kind of rhetoric that bastard Marduk loves to spout? It seems those Jews have been tamed."

Ishtar immediately pulled out a handful of gems, gritted his teeth inwardly, and glared fiercely.

"Why don't I just go up there and wipe out Israel! If one Noble Phantasm isn't enough, then I'll use two!"

You idiot, you're so weak-willed, yet you dare to swagger around in front of Marduk?

What if Israel is still hiding a secret, able to communicate with their God? Aren't you afraid your "good father" will send a spirit to strike you?

Samael's lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes.

"Ishtar, you're too reckless! And utterly inhuman!"

Hearing Ereshkigal's calm advice and the action of pulling Ishtar back, the ancient serpent breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Thankfully, although that idiot is unreliable, at least my pet owner is quite rational.

"Or I'll secretly dig a tunnel to connect to the underworld, spread death energy, and imprison all the Jewish souls!"

The goddess of the underworld's eyes flickered as she held the gun, her palms itching with anticipation.

She's done this kind of thing not only in Kusa but also in Uruk; she's very familiar with it.

At this moment, Enkidu stepped forward, raised his hand, and placed his fingers on the shoulder of this mischievous goddess, his expression serious.

"I can make my move tonight and use the Lock of Heaven to seal off the human vessel that can summon spirits."

"Digging tunnels is nothing! Even if we can't show ourselves directly, earthquakes or floods will do! My ancient Garan isn't to be trifled with!"

Ishtar picked up the palm-sized, clumsy-looking, yet "majestic" bull of the sky, not to be outdone.

As they watched the goddesses and sages discussing how to effectively and swiftly destroy a human nation, High Priestess Siduri and the Holy Prostitute Shamhat twitched at the corners of their mouths and their faces darkened.

Even if Israel and Sumer don't have much connection, at least consider the feelings of us two pure human beings.

"Are you trying to make me laugh to death, you bunch of idiots!"

"What's the point of destroying Israel, you bunch of idiots!"

Two roars of unbearable anger came simultaneously.

Gilgamesh, his forehead veins bulging, picked up a mud slab and smacked each of the troublemakers on the head.

Samael looked at the three figures kneeling side by side on the ground, each clutching a large bump on their head, admitting their mistakes and repenting. He felt a strange sense of sympathy for the hero king whose blood pressure had spiked.

Life is tough in both Greece and Mesopotamia.

Chapter 77 Proxy Wars (2/3)

"The world wall of Mesopotamia, sculpted by the Mother Goddess herself, remains steadfast. The separation between gods and humans has long been completed. Even if Marduk wanted to descend to the mortal realm, it wouldn't be so easy for him to stir up trouble."

Samael glanced at the three people being punished, then let out a soft snort and bluntly stated his intentions.

Immediately, the ancient snake narrowed its eyes and sneered, its expression playful.

"Moreover, Israel may not necessarily allow itself to be manipulated by the King of Kings."

Gilgamesh seemed to have thought of something, his brow furrowed slightly, and an image of an arrogant white-haired boy sitting on the throne appeared in his mind.

"You mean..."

Samael began to recite, with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Just like you, King Gilgamesh, some proud souls will break free from the shackles of fate, even at a terrible cost."

"Perhaps we won't even need to lift a finger; Israel will become a collapsing edifice."

Rebelling against divine will is not without its price.

In order to withstand the three storms and deny the so-called Mandate of Heaven, the Sumerian civilization, which had lasted for thousands of years, finally declined under Gilgamesh.

Similarly, Israel received God's blessing, and after the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon, it reached its zenith, but also quickly came to an end.

Its rise was swift, and its fall was sudden.

The Magic King, who possessed divine wisdom and commanded the seventy-two demon gods, never truly manipulated humanity, even as he watched them tragically experience the pilgrimage of life.

In the end, Solomon personally returned the Ten Commandments given to him by God, accepting his own fate of decay and the decline of the Kingdom of Israel after his death.

This is tantamount to delivering a vicious blow directly from behind the King of Kings.

Perhaps the God who belittles the human species will never understand the pride that is etched into the very bones of humankind.

The time for farewell has come; with this I forsake the world—Ars Nova…

Samael recited the farewell words etched in his memory, overwhelmed with emotion.

Unfortunately, he and King Solomon have no connection at the moment.

Of course, it cannot be guaranteed that in this world where gods and miracles exist, there will be some deviations in human lifespan and the timing of historical events.

But if the Assyrian queen were in power now, and Assyria was the strongest of the land's nations, then according to everyone's accounts, King Solomon should have already come to an end.

In other words, Israel is now all show and no substance, and has no one of note to speak of in the future.

"Samael, are you saying that we can let Israel develop unchecked and nothing will happen? We don't need to cause trouble for humanity?"

That's good, that's good.

Ai Lei patted her chest lightly, feeling a great weight lifted from her shoulders.

She was very satisfied with her current life and with the underworld. If the King of Kings could behave himself, this goddess of the underworld would be happy to water the flowers and tend the plants every day.

Anyway, Gilgamesh and the others can do the hard work.

Samael smiled slightly, flicked his finger at his owner's forehead from a distance, and began to explain in a thoughtful manner.

"Whether it's different faiths, different tribes, or nations on earth, in the final analysis, it's all about human beings competing with each other."

"If you intervene and wipe out one of the humans, not to mention whether it will attract Marduk, it is unfair and goes against our original intention of parting ways with the gods."

"Human wars should be decided by humans."

Moreover, even out of respect for King Solomon, they had no reason to destroy Israel.