Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

After several crises, the group had developed a tacit understanding with each other. They chatted casually in small groups with their close friends and acquaintances, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the messy cups and plates on the table were cleaned up by the nymphs and Valkyries serving outside the hall. Samael then frowned and got down to business.

"Gentlemen, the decisive battle is imminent. In order to familiarize ourselves with our enemy as much as possible, the Athenian Academy has drawn portraits of the Persian heroes based on descriptions of warriors and on-site observations. Now I will explain their most likely real names, origins, and corresponding weaknesses..."

Upon hearing this, Medea, who was attending to her, raised her hand and lightly waved her staff of the Moon, using the ether floating in the air to outline three rows of three-dimensional models of figures in mid-air, and added textual explanations.

Yes, they are exactly the same.

Samael glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at the sorceress.

It seems Medea has developed a passion for making figurines in private, and her understanding of three-dimensional composition is so thorough.

Samael then composed himself and gave a brief introduction and analysis of the Persian heroes in the top, middle, and bottom rows to the crowd.

First, the ones in the front row: Darius I and Xerxes, the two Persian kings; Arash, the great hero; Scheherazade, the sorcerer; and Darius III, whose portrait has turned black to represent his death in battle...

These were mostly familiar faces from the early Greco-Persian Wars. The Greeks and Romans in the Panhellenic League had a considerable understanding of them, so Samael didn't elaborate.

However, the information from the ancient serpent was more accurate and thorough. In addition to the information that was known on the surface, it even revealed the personality weaknesses of each character, the fundamental attributes that could be countered, the divine words used to activate skills and Noble Phantasms, and even some unknown negative effects after the Noble Phantasms were used.

For example, Scheherazade's fear of death and easily swayed personality, the legend that Arashna's body would be torn to pieces after a powerful arrow, and the infighting between the two Persian kings—these are all advantages that can be utilized, whether in pre-battle planning or in the actual battle.

With the clear and concise explanation, everyone present dispelled their carelessness, adopted a more serious attitude, listened attentively, and asked questions from time to time to prepare for different situations.

However, the information about the old Persian heroes had been largely deciphered by Greek and Roman intelligence organizations, so there wasn't much to emphasize. In addition, with the defection of the Assassins, Samael quickly finished his explanation and turned his attention to the three targets in the second row.

These are the three Indian gods Karna, Rama, and Ganesha, representing the second wave of Persian reinforcements after the established Persian heroes.

Legend has it that they came across the ocean for some reason and were recruited by Xerxes.

What's even more noteworthy is that these three are all top-tier demigod heroes.

Karna possesses golden armor that is impervious to the gods and a lightning spear that can destroy even the gods with a single blow.

The Golden Armor has an additional noteworthy feature: it can reduce all hostile interference (physical attacks, magic, curses, and other interference concepts), nullifying 90% of their effects and reducing the damage suffered by its host, Karna, to only one-tenth.

In addition, this thing not only has amazing defensive capabilities, but it can also recover from injuries sustained in normal battles through its self-healing function. Combined with Karna's own immortality, its effectiveness can be described as quite abnormal.

However, the strongest fortresses are often broken from within. This divinely crafted weapon cannot defend against attacks generated from within, but as the son of the sun god, he can generate flames within his body to quickly burn and purify them.

Therefore, defeating this Indian cheater will be quite difficult.

Samael's countermeasures were either to use magic against magic, or to use Achilles and other overpowered characters with similar immortality to stall Karna, wear him down, bypass this troublesome enemy, and first take down the other Persian strongholds, as long as Karna could be distracted along the way.

That's what the previous garrison at Thermopylae did.

Alternatively, one could address the issue from within; the potent poisons provided by the healer and Scáthach's special attack against divinity could both produce good results.

Alternatively, they could exploit human weaknesses and find a way to capture the little girl possessed by Ganesha, forcing her to submit.

After several rounds of discussion, the group decided to stick to the old rules and have Achilles, who already had experience fighting enemies, lead Karna to the Chaos Sea to hold him back and take him hostage. This was not in line with their heroic ideals.

As for that little homebody Ganesha, if that girl can step out of the tent, then leave her to Nero. With the true form of the machine god in hand, his own brat won't suffer much.

"However, compared to Karna, that boy named Rama is truly terrifying."

When the three Indian deities were mentioned, Kukulkan twirled his empty wine glass, his smile fading and a look of seriousness appearing on his face.

"Of course, this is an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the three pillar gods of Hinduism and the god of order, and has a status that is in no way inferior to the four creator gods of the Mayan solar age."

Samael's eyes flickered, and he nodded in agreement, revealing the true identity of the Kosala king in one sentence. He then gave a general account of the contents of the two great Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, concerning Karna and Rama.

In the story, Rama is said to have destroyed three thousand worlds with a single arrow in India.

Although there is no shortage of self-praise from Indians, as the supreme god who governs order in India, Kukulkan is at least an equal opponent to him, so the two have fought many times and it is difficult to determine a winner.

Despite having extensive experience in combat, the task of intercepting Rama still fell to Kukulkan.

"Tsk, this child is quite stubborn and has a strong sense of self-loathing. She's the type of person I, as an older sister, am not good at dealing with..."

Quetzalcoatl rested his chin on his hand and sighed helplessly, but then looked up at Samael and smiled, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"However, since it's Samael's request, then there's no problem. After all, Samael, you're more cheerful and to my liking..."

Sunlight?

Everyone looked up at the Holy King, who was coughing and flipping through documents, his smile sinister, clearly plotting how to harm the enemy hero. Their lips twitched slightly.

Do you have any objections?

Sensing the favor shown to her elder sister, the Feathered Serpent, the ancient serpent straightened her back, raised her eyes, and looked around the hall with her star-shaped pupils opening and closing.

Okay, you're sunny, you're wise, you're as pure as a lily, alright?

A group of close friends and confidantes responded with teasing expressions, inwardly complaining.

The three Indian gods had found a worthy adversary. After discussion, Samael decided to try his best to stall them, since the three men's interests with Persia were not necessarily that deep, and there was no need to force a fight to the death.

So next up are the final seven.

Chapter 182 The Jews' Use of a Chicken to Lay Eggs

hum...

As Samael lightly tapped his finger, the projections of the seven figures marked with question marks gradually lit up. The words below, which had been obscured and blackened by the ethereal light, were revealed one by one, giving them titles similar to official positions and clarifying the true identities of the seven mysterious helpers who had appeared in the Persian camp.

Lancer: Vritra, a serpent demon or evil dragon described in the Rigveda and Mahabharata, the king of the Asuras, and also a native Persian god. He possesses extremely powerful immortality and dragon attributes. Sigurd is advised to assist him...

Archer: King David (minor injury), King of ancient Israel, a man favored by God. His weapon is the sound waves generated by playing the Psalms on a harp. Note the stone lock on his back, which contains a trace of divine power and has a guaranteed hit effect. It also has a special attack against giants...

Assassin: Cain (severely wounded), kinslayer, ancestor of sinners, skilled in dagger throwing, his blood transforms into swarms of bats. Because he is protected by the Jewish God, he can launch a seven-fold damage reflection when necessary... The giant Grendel, slain by Beowulf, the Norse dragon slayer, seems to be a descendant of Cain, and his characteristics may have an effect against Cain's descendants...

Caster: Queen of Sheba, appearing in the Old Testament (Book of Kings) and the New Testament. She is said to be the enigmatic queen who ruled the Kingdom of Sheba, located south of Jerusalem, and who once visited Jerusalem with a large amount of tribute in order to seek advice from the wise King Solomon of Israel.

She posed three riddles to Solomon, but he saw through them all, and it is said that the two were husband and wife.

Furthermore, it is rumored that the Queen of Sheba possesses the blood of spirits and is an excellent summoner and magician, capable of commanding the triplets of spirits "Ahat," "Shtayim," and "Shalosh" to fight for her...

Rider: Martha (captured), inspired by the divine intervention of God, serves this god and possesses formidable offensive power against dragons, as well as terrifying close-combat skills...

Berserker: Raef Lenore Flauros, an incarnation of Flauros, one of the Seventy-Two Demons of Solomon. It is highly likely that he can share information and coordinate with the Seventy-Two Demons of Solomon. Be careful to seal his senses, and it would be best to annihilate him within a Reality Marble...

That's incredibly detailed; it's like they dug up the enemy's ancestral graves.

Everyone was amazed, regarding the valuable information that had been released as a priceless treasure. In the next engagement, they could use their foresight to tailor the most suitable opponents and venues for these individuals.

In this way, in a one-on-one situation, our side's chances of winning are at least 20% to 30% higher.

However, of the seven new trump cards the Persians acquired, only six were revealed, with the swordsman (Saber) at the forefront still marked with a question mark.

"Your Majesty, is it possible that even your vast knowledge is insufficient to ascertain the identity of this black-armored swordsman?"

Leonidas frowned slightly, and, being outspoken, couldn't help but stand up and ask.

"I wouldn't call myself erudite; I just happened to have a bit of luck. So I don't have a definite answer about this swordsman."

Samael waved his hand slightly and spoke earnestly, but a knowing chuckle came from below, who took it as the humble words of the holy king before them.

See? They treat the truth as a lie and the lie as the truth. Why can't fraudsters possess the quality of "honesty"?

The ancient snake muttered to himself, feeling somewhat melancholy, but he quickly composed himself, his gaze becoming calm, and then he spoke in a low voice.

"Although it's impossible to be certain, based on the fact that when he unleashed the true name of his Noble Phantasm, he referred to the demonic sword in his hand as 'Dzus qara,' which means 'Black God,' I've thought of someone who fits this clue."

Samael then lit up the dim card in the third row, revealing the answer.

Saber: Barthus, also known as the Son of the Sword, is an immortal hero in the mythological epic "Nart's Narrative Epic" which is popular in the Caucasus region.

The guardian of the Magic Cup [also known as the Grail, which can be said to share the same origin or source as the Holy Grail in later Christianity, a sacred object specifically used to indicate and bless the heroes who save the people], and the outstanding leader who leads the people of Nalt.

To save the souls of his parents from punishment, he once defied the gods, slaying deities, defeating angels, killing giants, and engaging in fierce battles with numerous fantastical species that threatened human survival.

However, he was betrayed by the Nart people, who feared his power. Yah Sari, the son of God appointed by God, broke through numerous restrictions and unleashed his supreme power to defeat them.

Ultimately, in order to absolve his parents of their sins, he surrendered to that God and converted to the faith imposed upon him.

The sword called "Black God" is the artifact he seized from his father's killer, Senegal, from the weapon god Sefa.

With such a background, it's no wonder he was able to withstand Samael's attack, which unleashed the true name of his Noble Phantasm by activating the Flaming Demon Sword Leivadin.

Such a logical and well-founded deduction led everyone to basically confirm that the swordsman in black armor was the so-called "Bartras".

Just as the heroes were assigning their opponents, the leopard man slammed his hand on the table and raised the other hand high, looking indignant.

"Samael, I protest! Why is it that of these seven heroes, apart from the snake-woman I fought, the other six are all related to Jews and their gods? Referee! Substitute! Are you underestimating leopards? What they can fight, I can fight too!"

Snapped!

A pale, white hand slammed down on the table in front of the leopard-man, producing a dull thud.

Ruined!

The leopard-woman caught sight of the menacing shadow that suddenly rose beside her, triggering her PTSD. She instinctively flinched, crouched down, and covered her head to protect herself, waiting for the violent men behind her to bury her in the ground.

"That's right, they were clearly seven heroes sent by Cyrus the Great to support the Persians, so why are six of them associated with Jewish tribes and their beliefs? It doesn't make sense!"

However, the expected iron fist of justice did not arrive as scheduled. Quetzalcoatl turned his attention to the front of the stage, frowned at the seven heroes in the third row, and solemnly expressed his doubts.

Samael's eyes flickered as he recalled a beautiful country in the future that would be hollowed out by Jewish elites, and he spoke softly.

"That's because the Jews are very good at using others to their advantage; their God is the true object of Zoroastrianism's worship! And his former title was King of Kings, God of Gods, Saint of Saints..."

"Marduk!"

Anna, Kukulkan, the leopard man, and Leonidas's expressions changed drastically upon hearing this. They stood up abruptly, and as their eyes met, they all saw the shock and fear on each other's faces.

Samael flicked his nails, lowered his eyes, and continued speaking calmly.

"Oh, right, he also made an appearance in the Greek pantheon, where he called himself 'God'..."

Hiss! The War of the Titans! The First Temple!

Now, even the Greeks and Romans couldn't sit still any longer. They were all suddenly struck by a realization, and heavy gasps filled the air.

Damn it, that old bastard is really persistent, and he doesn't do anything right!

Chapter 183 We are the apocalypse!

"Undeniably, this third wave of reinforcements, the Seven Riders of God, is indeed very powerful. They are the sharp blades used by the supreme god of Persia and Judah to sweep away the remaining enemies, unleash Ragnarok, and launch the Last Judgment against humanity..."

Samael turned his head to the side, his solemn gaze sweeping across the three rows of Persian reinforcements, his tone slow and authoritative.

The relaxed atmosphere of the banquet vanished, and everyone sat up straight, listening attentively.

"However, while the sword is sharp, what cannot be ignored is the one who wields it!"

The ancient snake's eyes flickered, and its tone suddenly changed. With a slight raise of its left hand, two humanoid figures in the fourth row appeared on the light screen.

Cyrus the Great, Emperor of Persia! Mithras, the God of Light!

As everyone slowly read the characters beneath the image, they were suddenly struck by the reminder and their pupils constricted slightly.

Since the start of the war, Cyrus, who could determine the movements of the Persian army, and Mithras, who represented the intentions of the Persian gods, seem to have remained hidden behind the scenes and have not yet made a formal appearance.

"I fought Cyrus twice, on the day of the fall of the Roman god and in the final battle on the land of nothingness. Based on my guess, he should have inherited the power of the Persian god of war, Vereslana. Moreover, this guy also possesses the legendary Book of Destiny, which can control the gods. He is really troublesome to deal with."

The Seven Horsemen of God appeared at this exact moment, neither earlier nor later; it was most likely Cyrus's doing. Moreover, according to the Assassins' report, he should be among the Persian army…

Samael recalled his experiences from several encounters, offered his analysis, and reminded everyone. Then he turned to look at the image of the six wings on the back, his brow furrowing as he solemnly pondered.

"The second one is Mithra, the god of light. I haven't had direct contact with him, but he was involved in the rebellion on Mount Ares that night. If I'm not mistaken, this guy should be wielding a calamity artifact called the [Horn of Doom]..."

The source of the plague buried deep beneath Athens, the recent mutated locust army Abaddon, the deep-sea serpent Leviathan, the Behemoth war beast Behemoth, the calamity eagle giant bird Shera, and the fire spirit Ifrit are all basically related to him.

Unfortunately, this guy is very well hidden. Even our last scheme failed to lure him out. It seems we won't be able to force him to reveal himself until we deal with the three rows of hounds above.

The group recalled the several crises that had occurred at Thermopylae, which seemed to coincide with the appearances of Cyrus and Mithras. They suddenly realized that these two sword-wielders were the key to the problem.

"Furthermore, there's the worst-case scenario..."

However, before everyone could catch their breath, Samael once again flicked his fingers and pulled out the figures in the fifth row.

This time, however, there was only one target, and the entire area was shrouded in darkness by the flow of ethereal light, making it impossible to glimpse the true answer.

"Velluslana, the Persian god of war, is a servant god of Mithra, the god of light, who is said to be an incarnation of Ahura, the lord of wisdom. What we need to deal with may not be just two sword-wielders. According to various signs, that 'God' may very well... have already descended!"

Samael spoke slowly and deliberately, his gaze cold and unfocused. Through meticulous analysis and integration of information, he brought to the surface an iceberg hidden deep beneath the sea.

As their true adversary was revealed by the Allied Commander, the men from various units turned solemn. The slight arrogance of "the advantage is mine" that had arisen earlier was instantly washed away by the dark memories and intense sense of oppression.

"Gentlemen, whether it is the 'Doomsday Judgment' punishing humanity or the 'Ragnarok' targeting the gods, prepare to face this war that will determine the future!"

Now, there are only three days left until the so-called 'divine revelation' and 'eternal kingdom' that they speak of. We must annihilate the Persians before that time and expose the one hiding behind the scenes!