Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Now, by the grace of the Lord, this man who once murdered his own family is fortunate enough to be among the Seven Horsemen of the Grail, serving as an assassin.

The towering figure, who had been waving a large golden cup in his hand, suddenly stopped, his raised eyes glancing down indifferently.

"you failed?"

Under the gaze of those golden pupils, everything seemed humble and insignificant, life as fragile as ants and dust, utterly trivial.

The invisible pressure sent chills down the spines of the sinners on the ground, causing them to break out in a cold sweat, and their frivolous voices became dry and strained.

"Yes...yes, my lord, please punish me..."

"The stench of darkness on you is too strong. Holy flames can wash away this filth. Go down."

Cain's pupils contracted, and his face turned even paler.

Flame signifies boundless light.

Protected by darkness and standing scorched by holy flames, he was able to remove the remaining turbulent ether from his body, but it was not a simple blessing. In a sense, it was a different kind of punishment that tormented his spirit and body.

But faced with that majestic and vast presence, he dared not resist in the slightest, and obediently bowed and withdrew from the tent.

As the blood-stained figure retreated from the tent, the air inside seemed to freshen up considerably.

Among the six riders remaining in the shadows of the camp, the two figures at the end of the line near the entrance relaxed their furrowed brows and showed a hint of ease on their faces, clearly expressing their likes and dislikes towards a certain criminal.

On the left, a man with short, blue hair leaned against the corner, lightly strumming the harp in his hand, producing pleasant and melodious tunes. A shepherd's cane was tucked into the waistband of his neat, tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt. Although he looked handsome and refined, he exuded a strong sense of scum and a lazy, frivolous aura.

The gentle and serene woman on the right has a beautiful face, with long purple hair with bangs, pure blue eyes, and wears a loose white high-necked dress with red trim. She wears a cross pendant around her neck, the golden light of which shines into her fair skin, making her look exceptionally holy, like a kind older sister next door. In her hand, she holds an elegant holy staff with silver, purple, and red colors, which is the same height as her.

As the purple-haired girl next door moved her wrist, the elegant holy staff that had changed position made a dull thud at the end, forcefully smashing a not-so-shallow pit into the ground that had been compacted and filled with stones.

That's right, the thing this girl next door is holding is made of pure metal, and it weighs at least several tens of kilograms...

The imposing figure lowered the large golden cup in his hand, his back slightly pausing as he looked down at the shadows at the front and spoke softly.

"How's the progress on that thing?"

"My lord, everything is progressing steadily. This miracle will be completed in three days at the latest."

In the dimly lit corner, a man with brown curly hair, wearing a green trench coat with a fur collar, walked over, raised his hand to remove the green top hat from his head, placed his hand on his chest and bowed, slightly opening his narrowed eyes to reveal dark pupils, and then raised the corners of his lips to answer respectfully.

"David, you won't disappoint me like your son did, will you?"

The golden eyes gazed intently at the back of the line, and the scrutinizing gaze made the slacking, distracted man with the sparse blue hair shudder. He immediately shrank back, chuckled dryly, and nodded frantically, his expression respectful.

“How could that be! Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Glory, majesty, power, and authority all belong to you. No one dares to disobey your divine decree. Even everything I have is a gift from you. To repay this favor, I am willing to offer all my loyalty. I only regret that I cannot personally escort that brat who angered you before you so that you may judge him.”

Faced with this flattery, a foreign beauty with dark brown skin, blue eyes, and a pair of fluffy animal ears standing up from her purple hair, dressed in gorgeous and elaborately colored clothes, secretly rolled her eyes at the praise of King David.

I remember you committed many adulterous and lewd acts, and even broke the precept against murder. You also neglected to complete the First Temple during your term of office, leaving the mess to your son.

If even the head of the household is crooked, how can you expect to hand over your son to avoid punishment?

"Excellent! Then the world will be at my feet!"

The imposing figure on the throne nodded in satisfaction with the answer, his fingertips twirling as he nimbly played with the large golden cup in his hand.

Waaaaah~~

At this moment, the mournful sound of bugles reached the camp, and the tremors of the army's marching assembly caused the pebbles and gravel on the ground to be stirred up.

“My lord, the project is not yet complete, and we are already attacking the Greeks. Won’t the losses be too great? Once the land of Greece is accepted by you and begs to submit, it will be your people who die and are wounded.”

The purple-haired saintess, holding a cross-shaped scepter, frowned slightly, a hint of pity appearing in her eyes, and stepped forward to earnestly offer her advice.

"Marda, the Spartans have broken through the blockade and are heading to Athens to seek an alliance. The war at Thermopylae should not be delayed any longer, otherwise more innocent people will die in the ensuing battles."

Just as you tame the man-eating dragon Tarasque, to tame a beast you must first pull out its claws and shatter its hard shell.

Salvation without sacrifice is pale; to demonstrate compassion, bloodshed is necessary before it is truly precious!

His imposing figure spoke calmly, his gaze profound.

The purple-haired saintess listened to the teachings of the heavens, pondered for a moment, suppressed her compassion for life, looked ashamed, and then looked up at this majestic being with burning eyes.

"My lord, please allow me to go into battle, assist the army in breaching the Thermopylae fortress, and clear the way for you!"

"Ha, staying here is quite boring. I'm getting a little hungry, so I'll just go out for some fresh air."

At the same time, a figure with black horns on its head, long golden hair, and wearing a black and gold dress stepped forward. Its brown vertical pupils flashed excitedly, and the sharp serrated teeth revealed when it opened its mouth sent chills down one's spine.

When viewed from afar by the light, its dark brown skin reflected light like scales, and a jet-black tail swayed in the darkness.

Chapter 108 We must guard against the evil consequences of our sins, so that the Kingdom of Heaven may come!

"You wicked creature, you're truly incorrigible!"

Just as the blonde, brown-skinned beauty turned around, yawning, and was about to step out of the room, a silver-purple cross scepter suddenly appeared, blocking her path.

"Frido, with me here, you will never escape to commit evil!"

The purple-haired saintess, brimming with a sense of justice, her brows furrowed with murderous intent, rebuked and declared without any politeness.

"What? You can go, so why can't I? You're just a human. I used to eat you as snacks. Are you kidding me? You mean you want to fight?"

The tanned blonde beauty raised an eyebrow, her snake-like eyes narrowed in displeasure, and she cracked her wrists, then glanced at him with a cold smile, her expression haughty.

"However, you little girl can't stop me."

Vritra is the serpent demon, or evil dragon, in the ancient Indian epic poems Rigveda and Mahabharata.

Her name means "obstacle," and she possesses the powerful ability to block water flow and cause droughts. She has waged several large-scale wars with Indra, the ancient Indian god of thunder.

In addition, Vritra is also said to be an Asura, possessing the title of Asura-dhara, which is the king of Asuras.

In the Mahabharata, there is a description of the demon army, including the Karakaya and Rakshasa, led by Vritra, which caused Indra's gods to suffer a bitter battle.

However, in reality, in the age of gods where information was exchanged, the so-called Asura was actually a derogatory term used by Indians to refer to the invading gods of other countries.

Their true origins and identities are the gods of Persian Zoroastrianism.

For this reason, Frida not only possesses the power to "block everything," but also the ability to transform it into a purely violent military force, as well as the power to create drought, making him extremely powerful.

Let alone one Martha, even ten or eight of them would be no match for this god of war.

In a sense, it can be said that in Cyrus the Great's summoning, this seemingly alluring blonde beauty is among the strongest of the seven riders.

Aside from Cyrus, who provides magic to sustain the spirit's physical existence, there are few who can restrain this Asura God of War.

Therefore, even though the atmosphere inside the tent became increasingly tense as the two women got closer, the other four riders wisely kept their distance and made no attempt to mediate.

"Marda, step back. The saint's mercy should not be stained with too much innocent blood."

Cyrus the Great, seated on his throne, first gently dissuaded the purple-haired saintess, then shook the golden goblet in his hand, his eyes gleaming.

"As for you, Phrido, Xerxes has just recruited three heroes from India. Their names are Karna, Ginak, and... Rama..."

If you're interested in traveling with them, you could join the fight.

The Serpent Demon first revealed a sinister smile full of malice, but then, upon hearing a certain name, his pupils contracted, his eyelids twitched, his gaze shifted, and he turned off the flames and declined Cyrus's offer.

"Forget it, I've suddenly lost interest. I'd rather go back and get some sleep."

"Very well. In the meantime, I happen to have other plans. If nothing unexpected happens, you should stay near that thing and wait patiently for the day of the decisive battle!"

Cyrus the Great withdrew his gaze, raised the golden cup, looked around at the six riders in the tent, slowly rose, and earnestly admonished them.

"Remember: You have been summoned to earth in a time of peril by the Holy Grail. Beware of sins and their consequences, so that the Kingdom of Heaven may be restored and light may shine forth!"

"By contract! I obey your commands, and my life is one with your sword!"

At this moment, the six figures inside the tent knelt down one after another, solemnly making a promise to the summoner.

Just as Cyrus was calming down his six unruly contractors, the war at Thermopylae had already begun.

Leonidas, who was on high alert, rallied his Spartan soldiers to form a fierce battle formation while peering down through the battlements to observe the enemy's movements.

As the ground shook, the Medes were the first to rise up.

The Medes wore narrow sleeves and tight-fitting, knee-length corsets embroidered with exotic oriental patterns. Beneath their magnificent attire were linen or scale armor similar to that of the Greeks.

They carried two or three short spears, each 1.5 to 1.8 meters long, which they could use for both throwing and close combat. They also used Defoe shields with notches on both sides for protection.

In addition, some people carried short swords at their waists. These soldiers generally wore headscarves that only exposed their faces, indicating that their equipment was inferior. Some of the wealthier Mede soldiers would wear semi-circular helmets in the style of steppes under their headdresses to make up for the lack of head protection.

The Scythians, following closely behind, wore pointed hats with ear and cheek guards. Some nobles were equipped with helmets purchased or captured from Greece, and wore studded leather armor, tight-fitting clothes, and scale armor. They carried battle axes at their waists and leather quivers sewn from the scalps of their enemies, appearing fierce and ruthless.

The Greeks who were withdrawing from the Thessalian lines looked at the blood-stained spoils in the hands of the Scythians with eyes that seemed to spit fire, but they remained unmoved by discipline.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Meanwhile, in order to reduce the pressure of hand-to-hand combat, the main Persian army in the distance secretly set up their bows and launched a volley of long-range shots before the battle began.

Meanwhile, the scattered Medes and Saka on the front lines also coordinated their bows and released a dense rain of arrows, creating a continuous barrage of firepower.

"Raise your shields! Defend!"

At the messenger's command, the Greek hoplites inside Thermopylae skillfully formed a shield wall to fend off the dense barrage of arrows.

After several rounds of attacks, the arrow rain had little effect on heavy infantry, but the arrows that landed on the shields still increased their weight, or pierced the arms and legs of a few unfortunate men through the gaps, bringing bursts of blood and screams, and putting considerable psychological pressure on the shield bearers.

By the time the wounded were dragged to the rear for treatment, the enemy forces had already approached Thermopylae.

The Medes and Saka, who had begun close combat, put away their powerful bows and advanced rapidly. Their ranks were unknowingly stretched out by the narrow mountain path, preventing them from utilizing their numerical advantage, and their formation became scattered. At medium range, they habitually hurled several volleys of short spears before engaging in melee combat with another, only to find themselves running headlong into Sparta's elite 300-strong royal guard.

While warriors from other city-states had donned lighter linen armor or scale breastplates, these 300 warriors, with their superior physical abilities, wore bell-shaped bronze breastplates. Each held a large bronze shield with a bronze face and border in their left hand, and raised a spear in their right, thrusting downwards at the Persians' eyes or necks not protected by their helmets. While the first rank of warriors fought the enemy, the Spartans in the two ranks behind would seize the opportunity to thrust their spears into the gaps in the Persian shield wall, ruthlessly finishing them off.

Even when scattered swords and spears struck the bronze armor of the Spartan royal guard, the activated intricate incantations and the surging divine blood within the soldiers caused their limbs to go numb and they to stagger and fall to the ground.

Blood Warriors! They're all Blood Warriors!

The Medes and Saka who were clearing the way were stunned. In a moment of confusion, wave after wave of soldiers were disemboweled.

Similarly, at the nearby gateway, the Greeks from the other city-states took advantage of Thermopylae's impregnable terrain, using their superior position to fiercely attack the Persian sword-wielding enemies with sharp spears, employing superior strength to overcome their weaknesses.

Alexander, who was in charge of commanding the flanks, deployed the famous "Greek phalanx" defensive formation, which consisted of a wall of shields made up of wide shields, with long spears thrusting out in succession.

The small shields and short spears of the Thracians and Medians in the Persian army were no match for this spinning killing machine, and hordes of soldiers fell before the shields of the Greek phalanx.

"No mercy! No prisoners!"

Leonidas roared, raised his spear and pierced through two Persian soldiers, launching a counterattack with the royal guard at its core.

As the Persian soldiers at the front were stabbed to death with ease, the Spartan guards in the second rank used the spikes at the bottom of their spears to finish off the fallen enemies. The phalanxes along the line advanced slowly, leaving the ground littered with the remains and weapons of the fallen.

Even if a soldier falls due to exhaustion or being shot by an arrow, the soldiers in the back row immediately step forward to fill the gap, and other members also step over their fallen comrades to be treated by the subsequent medical team.

In just a few dozen breaths, a counter-attack caused the Persian vanguard, whose lines had been stretched, to lose thousands of men, forcing them to retreat urgently and regroup.

The Greeks, too, retreated to their defensive lines, cleared the battlefield, stripped the enemy of their armor, and amassed their spoils, erupting in deafening cheers.

However, Leonidas and Alexander, who were looking at each other from the city walls, couldn't help but furrow their brows and gaze at the assembled Persian army, their eyes filled with deep worry.

This is just the beginning; a few victories are simply not enough to change the overall situation.

hum!

Suddenly, a massive, dark procession surged across the mountain path, rushing forward. Two figures seated on thrones were flanked by one on each side, while in mid-air, a figure resembling a golden sun suddenly rose and shone brightly.

The two Persian kings, the immortal army, and... that formidable enemy from another land, Karna, the son of the Indian sun god!

The war is progressing faster than they imagined!

Leonidas and Alexander exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking to the bottom.

Chapter 109 I will protect your integrity with my life!

At noon the next day, the two carriages, accompanied by the whistling wind and billowing dust, sped towards the Acropolis of Athens, which was already beginning to take shape.

Leading the way were still Queen Gogo of Sparta and Helen, the High Priestess of the Moon.

However, the second carriage, driven by Samael and following closely behind, was much lighter than the previous two days, and there was only one passenger left.

The unfortunate women who were rescued from the bandits' den have been sent to towns along the way.

With the money they were given, they forgot those unbearable memories, changed their names, and concealed their past. If all went well, they would begin a new life.

Suffering will eventually come, and even though the world and fate are messed up, life still goes on day by day.

As for why they weren't taken directly to Athens for resettlement.

On the one hand, Samael and Sparta are currently too busy to do anything but be a good person.

On the other hand, don't forget that the bandits on the road are so rampant, they might have some dirty dealings with some noble families in Athens. With so many people going in, it's impossible not to attract attention. They might even lose their lives in a muddle.