Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Um…"

Unable to face that intense and pure gaze, Ai Lei turned her head away, burying her face in her hands and letting out a barely audible nasal sound.

Snapped!

Samael, relieved to receive a response, nodded and gently grasped Ellie's wrist, her expression more serious than ever before.

"I know you will be willing to protect Sumerian culture and the people of Sumer!"

"me too!"

"Over the past six months, I have traveled all over Mesopotamia and have fallen in love with this land and its people!"

"I helped them fight off monsters, defend Uruk, and even persuaded the feathered serpent god Kukulkan to join the human side!"

These impassioned speeches, though only a few sentences long, are heroic epics filled with so much adventure and effort.

"King Gilgamesh wanted to reward me several times, but I refused each time."

Then, the ancient serpent glanced back at Merlin, Anna, King Gilgamesh, Ishtar, and the other figures accompanying him.

The King of Heroes readily nodded at this undeniable fact and said no more.

Samael turned and stared at his owner, his emotions somber and his tone solemn.

"Because this honor should not belong to me alone!"

"No one knows better than me what sacrifices Ereshkigal made to protect the souls of the living!"

"To preserve their sanity, to endure loneliness, they painstakingly crafted gun cages..."

"To prevent the monsters from invading Kusa, I had no choice but to bear the infamy and use the power of death to turn my protected city into a wasteland..."

"In order to perpetuate Sumerian culture, they willingly endured the misunderstandings and curses of the world, joined the Three Goddess Alliance, hoping to seize Uruk first and bring Mesopotamia under their protection..."

"Although you are in the darkness, you have done more for them than someone like me who walks in the sunlight!"

It knows everything?!

The goddess, whose thoughts and pretenses were constantly exposed, buried her head in her hands, her face flushed, and looked completely at a loss.

"Please lift your head! Stand tall!"

"This is not a misdeed that needs to be hidden, nor a shameful act to be remorsefully committed, but a glory that should be celebrated!"

Samael patted his owner's shoulder heavily, lifted her chin, looked her in the eye solemnly, and spoke in a voice that left no room for doubt.

The goddess subconsciously tensed her back, but her gaze remained somewhat evasive and bewildered.

"For millennia, you have endured solitude, diligently fulfilling your duties as a goddess and maintaining the workings of life and death!"

"For thousands of years, you have had no happiness, sorrow, joy, or even friends of your own, yet you are still willing to create light for the underworld and preserve reason for souls!"

"For thousands of years, humanity has blamed itself for all the misfortunes of disease and death, allowing them to lay down their burdens and move forward better!"

"Doesn't everything you've done deserve a word of affirmation? Doesn't it deserve a word of praise?!"

"You are more qualified than I to stand before the Royal Palace Tower!"

"You deserve to enjoy the sunshine, the cheers, and the praise even more than I do!"

Those standing still couldn't help but fall into deep thought amidst this resounding question.

Even Gilgamesh, the most arrogant king who was ruthless in his sarcasm, fell silent for a long time.

It turns out that this painful duty is not just torture; some people find happiness in it.

It turns out that this act of goodwill towards the world is indeed understood and appreciated by some.

Ai Lei had lost her timidity and inferiority complex at some point.

That inexplicable surge of courage allowed her to calmly observe each visitor as the mistress of the underworld, and from that silence, she sensed a profound respect.

At this moment, two salty, wet marks slid into my lips and teeth.

She subconsciously raised her fingers and gently wiped her cheek, her eyes gazing at the glistening liquid on the back of her hand, lost in thought.

I was actually crying…

Mingming should be very happy...

Ellie-chan will work hard today too.jpg

Chapter 96 The Holy Grail and I: You Can Only Choose One (Two Updates)

"Ereshkigal, I want to stand on the side of humanity and share in the cheers of victory with you, so that the underworld may bloom with flowers!"

Samael solemnly extended his hand to his former owner, making a sincere invitation.

However, despite experiencing the highs and lows of emotions, this seasoned, proud, and pessimistic individual has his own principles.

The goddess hesitated, her eyes flickering, and a hint of unease appeared on her upturned pretty face.

"Humans cannot defy fate, I'm worried..."

Gilgamesh, who was always decisive, was displeased and wanted to speak sarcastically.

However, when the king saw Merlin's index finger held up to his lips, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

Oh, you did a good job, you actually managed to win over my entire crew.

When his gaze fell upon Ishtar, who was chained up by Anna and hidden in her sleeve under the guise of protection, his smile widened.

A shepherd's ritual? Haha, that woman really got herself into trouble. It's good that you're handling it.

Enjoying a farce in your spare time is a good form of entertainment.

Yes, it needs a little more fuel to make it even more interesting.

The King of Heroes raised an eyebrow, his right hand reaching deep into the Gate of Babylon to explore, while he pondered with amusement.

"Young man, you have rendered meritorious service to Uruk many times, and today you personally entered the underworld to rescue me. It's time to distribute the reward together."

"You will definitely need what I give you."

Immediately, a large golden cup with mysterious patterns engraved on its outer wall was thrown from Gilgamesh's hand to Samael, who was negotiating with the goddess.

The ancient snake's eyes bulged, and it felt the gaze of its owner behind it like thorns in its back, while the object in its hand became hot.

Now, Gilgamesh is dead, the underground of Uruk is about to be hollowed out by Ereshkigal, and the Holy Grail is within reach.

It can be said that with just one more step, this god of the underworld will become the true winner in the alliance of the three goddesses and carry out his own ideas.

Samael, who had painstakingly created the right atmosphere, saw that the wind was turning against him and the boat might capsize, so he cursed inwardly.

Holy crap! You're such a glutton, you really don't mind making things worse!

And that wasn't all; the hero king continued to add fuel to the fire.

"Alright, the Holy Grail is yours. I don't care what you do with it."

"Furthermore, you are currently acting as the acting head of the government in Uruk..."

"The dead have no right to interfere in the affairs of the living. What you do next is up to you."

You think so highly of me? I'm so grateful!

Samael's eyes were filled with resentment, and his teeth were grinding.

If it weren't for the need to appease Ereshkigal, he would have grabbed this pleasure-seeker by the collar and thrown him to Siduri, so that the High Priestess and Gilgamesh could "talk" about their life ideals.

Ereshkigal shifted restlessly, her gaze fixed on the Holy Grail, her voice filled with anticipation.

"If you agree to hand over the Holy Grail of Uruk to me, and we all go into the underworld to hide for a while, the calamity may pass."

"As long as a new era begins, humanity may be able to survive on Earth again."

Samael gripped the Holy Grail tightly and shook his head firmly.

“Aileen, you know very well that the underworld is a forbidden place for the living. Without the protection of magic, only ghosts can enter!”

"Having abandoned their homes and extinguished the legacy of their civilization, they can only wait underground for their reason to dissipate!"

"Is that kind of living still considered living?"

"Do those kinds of humans even deserve to be called humans?!"

In each increasingly escalating interrogation, Ai Lei remained speechless, yet she still retained her stubbornness and fear.

This is not the future of humanity! Nor is it the answer I'm looking for you!

"The flower of civilization may take root in the dark and corrupt mud, but in the end it will proudly bloom on the ground and bask in the sunlight!"

"This is the kind of Sumerian civilization that deserves the favor of the gods!"

"These are the Sumerians who deserve your protection!"

Then the ancient snake gripped Ai Lei's fair wrist tightly, its words ringing out, constantly eroding her resolve.

"Besides, if I can't even protect the flowers on the ground."

"Then what right do you have to defy the divine order, causing the underworld to bloom! To let you walk freely on the earth, basking in the sunlight!"

The goddess was stunned, then lowered her head and murmured softly.

"I just... wanted to protect you in my own way..."

"Arei!"

Samael raised his voice, raised his head, and stared down at his former owner with sharp eyes.

"Kusa has become a dead zone, the souls of the people are imprisoned, but their hearts still beat! Their blood still flows!"

"Neppur and Babylon have both fallen. Ask those who died in the gun cages if they regret it!"

"Eridu and Ur are occupied by dense forest. When we arrived, the soldiers were still busy training. They had not given up the fight!"

"Even if those places have been completely swallowed up, Uruk, where I live, will still exist forever!"

Looking at that impassioned figure, Ai Lei felt a sense of shame and inferiority, as if she had done something wrong, and lowered her head.

Samael slammed his right fist into his chest, his words ringing out like the clang of metal on metal.

"Aileen, don't you understand?"

"Whether it be dense forests, monsters, or death, have the three goddesses truly conquered us?"

"As long as the flame of Sumerian civilization remains unextinguished, humanity will live on in glory!"

Immediately, a crisp clinking sound rang out, and Ai Lei slightly raised her head, only to see the Holy Grail, filled with flower seeds, being pushed in front of her.

"Then, my goddess, I have made my choice. It's your turn!"

"You continue to cling to the arrogance of God, using the name of protection to slaughter the entire Uruk!"

"I am still willing to bow down to the humans I love, to bask in the sunlight with them, and to fight to the very last moment!"

Faced with relentless questioning, Ereshkigal was thrown into disarray. She bit her cherry lips and remained silent for a long time before slowly extending her fingers and palm toward the Holy Grail.

Everyone sighed helplessly and slowly closed their eyes. Samael's heart sank to the bottom.

However, a moment later, the crisp clinking sound coming from inside the Holy Grail interrupted everyone's thoughts.

One by one, colorful flower seeds fell through Ellie's fingers, while the Holy Grail remained standing in its place.

"Do you think the flowers that bloom in the underworld will be even more beautiful than those on earth...?"

"Yes, I promise!"

Samael looked into those eyes that held a hint of playfulness amidst the melancholy, and a smile crept onto his lips.

Giving up the Holy Grail and choosing flowers means that the owner is going to fight for the beauty of this world!

After going through countless hardships, even putting himself on one side of the scale, Samael finally persuaded Ereshkigal. Relieved, he collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.

Since the battle of the Absolute Demonic Front, he has been like a clockwork, never having a moment of rest.

Even with an immortal body, one cannot withstand such torment.

Therefore, seeing that the overall situation was settled, the Ancient Serpent waved weakly to summon his teammates who were watching the show behind him, leaving the remaining tasks of making a contract with Ellie and negotiating countermeasures to them.

The gentle goddess, harboring strange thoughts, blushed as she prepared to help Samael up.

Whether snake or human, all she longed for was recognition of her own soul.

The rest is not important at the moment.