Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Is it so delicious?

Samael looked at Chloe's closed-eye reminiscence with suspicion. Out of curiosity, he picked up another set of prepared knife and fork, cut a piece of earthworm meat that Yustissa had somehow obtained, and put it in his mouth to taste.

As the steak enters the mouth, diners close their eyes and savor the flavor.

Chewing... um... it's very fresh...

Chewing again... mmm... very chewy...

Then chew...it's incredibly chewy...

Finally chewing... ugh... chew my ass! This isn't even cooked through!

It smelled earthy, bloody, and fiery—it felt like biting into a hot volcanic rock!

Realizing something was wrong, Samael wanted to vomit to avoid suffering this ordeal.

"After we finish this dinner, to show my sincerity in cooperating, I can share a secret with you, Father."

A meaningful smile appeared on Yustisa's fair face, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

"For example, let me introduce you to the eighth of the Seven Riders of the Shogunate, the core of the city that has been able to maintain itself to this day."

Samael's eyelids twitched, and he immediately pulled his head back from the trash can, swallowing the piece of earthworm meat that was hard to swallow, forcing a stiff smile onto his twitching face.

"The taste is great, it's so delicious I want to keep coming back for more."

But then, the ancient snake changed its tone, its smile becoming somewhat sinister.

"You just said that we should show sincerity?"

"I heard!"

Chloe quickly raised her hand to provide evidence, blocking Justissa's escape route for sophistry.

"You only call this home-cooked food when we eat together? You don't even lift a finger, do you not consider us family?"

"That's so insincere!"

Samael looked displeased, while Chloe echoed his sentiments, appearing as if they shared a common hatred.

Two against one...

Yustissa raised an eyelid, and under the watchful eyes of two pairs of eyes, she could only force a smile, pick up her knife and fork, and join the family meal.

For a moment, the room fell silent. The three people at the table puffed out their cheeks and chewed the earthworm heart repeatedly.

However, facing the earth dragon, which was known for its defensive capabilities, the three of them were so tired that their gums ached, and the atmosphere became increasingly awkward. They stared at each other like three hamsters staring at each other blankly.

"Ah, my soup!"

A moment later, upon hearing a noise from the kitchen, Her Highness immediately got up and rushed into the kitchen.

Samael and Xi Chloe simultaneously lowered their heads, opened their mouths, and spat the half-cooked dragon meat into the trash can.

Just when everyone thought the covert confrontation was over, Yustisa actually smiled and brought out a plate of soup from the kitchen.

"The broth is here!"

Her Highness served each person a bowl of blood-red soup, the scales not completely scraped off and the few distinctive body parts inside indicating that it must have been taken from some unfortunate earth dragon.

Immediately afterward, amidst the dark expressions of Samael and Chloe, Yustissa, who had returned to her seat, took out a set of alchemical cutlery engraved with runes such as "toughness" and "sharpness," carefully cut the earth dragon's heart into the smallest possible pieces, then swallowed it whole, revealing a satisfied smile.

"I'm going to wash my hands..."

"I'm a little full, I need to go to the bathroom."

Soon, Samael and Chloe followed suit, each creating a set of alchemical utensils to deal with the inhumane earth dragon meat.

Finally, with the combined efforts of the three, the sumptuous dinner came to an end, and the three of them finally stopped this self-torture.

After eating and drinking to one's heart's content, the stomach and intestines feel bloated and astringent. The body's internal energy is circulating, accumulating and surging heat, which makes one feel drowsy and lethargic.

Samael and Yustisa tacitly started a new topic, waiting for the contents of their stomachs to be digested.

The two talked about the origins of Greek and Roman culture, the grandeur of the Renaissance, ancient anecdotes, and popular brands of today; they discussed the reforms in alchemy and the rapid development of science and technology... They surprisingly found themselves having a very pleasant conversation.

"...Speaking of practical changes to runes, such as the inscription on this fork, although it perfectly recreates ancient techniques, some parts need adjustment considering the materials and practicality. We can..." Samael, getting excited, waved the fork and began a detailed analysis.

"belch……"

Just as the ancient serpent was about to engage in a new round of academic discussion with Yustissa, Chloe's burp interrupted his thoughts and pulled him back to reality.

"Ahem, it's getting late, we should go check on the Shogunate's Eighth Knight."

Samael composed himself, interrupting the joyful moment, his eyes now showing a hint of seriousness and subtle wariness.

Chapter Sixty: The Approaching Night

Gun turret, top floor.

"Father, please go first."

Yustissa stood sideways in front of a portal of light, lifted the hem of her skirt, bowed slightly, and gracefully extended an invitation to Samael.

"Together."

With a smile, Samael reached out and grabbed Yustissa on either side and Chloe, who was trying to slip away, pulling them both to his side without a word, completely surrounding him, before dragging them both into the portal of light.

Having suffered such a loss, Gu She couldn't possibly let his unfilial daughter go unnoticed.

With a ripple of air, and a sensation akin to passing through a film of water, the view suddenly opened up before me.

The first thing that catches the eye is the series of old steps and the torii gates built on both sides. The fox stone carvings along the way are very similar to those that Samael saw at the Inari Shrine.

Is it...

Samael's heart skipped a beat, his dark eyes flashed, and he instinctively grabbed two makeshift shields and quickened his pace.

After climbing over a hundred steps, you reach the end.

A giant, gnarled tree grows into the sky, its fiery red leaves fluttering like dancing flames. Ema (votive plaques) hang from its branches by red ropes, their rustling sounds in the wind crisp and melodious.

The construction of the top floor at the front was also somewhat unexpected.

It was not a shrine hall in the traditional sense, but a circular stone altar with a diameter of several tens of meters.

It is engraved with twelve golden incantations, which rotate and light up like the markings on a clock face.

Bathed in golden light, the stone platform resembled a sun in the sky, though its light seemed to gradually dim as it flickered.

A graceful figure knelt in the center of the stone slab, draped in a solemn and holy white ceremonial robe, and wearing a magnificent crown of gold and red, the patterns and outlines of which mimicked the radiance of the sun.

It wasn't that dead fox.

Samael stood in the courtroom for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

Her headdress, ceremonial robes, and sun-patterned attire somewhat resembled those of a shrine maiden serving the gods.

Suspicion arose in Samael's mind, and he wanted to observe the man closely to find out his identity.

However, the witch had her back to the steps, her head bowed, her hands clasped to her chest, her shoulders shaking, and her mouth opening and closing continuously.

It seems like they are praying.

Soon, the priestess, who was a beat slower to react, noticed the gaze and movement behind her. Her body stiffened, and she abruptly withdrew her hand and turned around, revealing a face with brown hair and golden eyes under her crown, and a slightly naive look in her features.

It's actually her!

Samael was taken aback, and immediately recognized the witch's identity.

Queen Himiko of Yamatai worshipped the sun goddess Amaterasu as the orthodox priestess of light.

Legend has it that she was the ruler of the ancient Japanese kingdom of Yamatai, skilled in using a magic called "Kido" to govern the people through bewitching.

The Yamatai Kingdom appeared suddenly and disappeared suddenly during an era of fragmentation into numerous small kingdoms and prolonged warfare, while Himiko was the queen who ruled the country with divine power.

Both are shrouded in mystery and have intricate connections with the sun god Amaterasu.

根据天文学的计算，大约在卑弥呼过世前后，于247年3月24日和248年9月5日、北九州地区可见到两次日食。

This account aligns with the Japanese mythological record, the Kojiki, which recounts how Amaterasu hid in the Ama-no-Iwato (Heavenly Rock Cave), plunging the world into darkness. Furthermore, statistical calculations using the average reign length of emperors also show that Himiko's era and Amaterasu's era overlap.

Therefore, Seicho Matsumoto, Motohiko Izawa, and others proposed the theory that Himiko was assassinated. They claimed that when the solar eclipse occurred, Himiko, the priestess who served the sun god, lost her spiritual power, and was thus killed by the people of Yamatai.

This theory suggests that after Himiko's assassination, the Yamatai Kingdom fell into chaos until a new priestess, Daiyo, was chosen to serve the sun god, which brought stability to the kingdom. This is the source of the Nihon Shoki's record that Amaterasu, who had once hidden in the Ama-no-Iwato (Heavenly Rock Cave), reappeared.

Therefore, Himiko is known as the "Queen of the Sun" and the "Judgmenter of Light," and is the spokesperson for the sun god Amaterasu, who conveys divine messages to the human world.

"General? And Chloe? What brings you here?"

The Queen of Yamatai turned her head and forcefully moved her throat, swallowing her words slightly, as if asking casually.

Samael's gaze swept over the grain of rice at the corner of Himiko's mouth and her hands that shrank back slightly. The sacred filter he had been wearing shattered instantly, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

He now knew what the Sun Queen had been doing with her back to the steps.

"Huh? A newbie?"

Soon, Himiko noticed the third person in the audience. She was stunned for a moment, then a bright and sunny smile appeared on her face, and she generously extended her hand.

"Are you also here for the purification ritual? It's a pleasure to meet you!"

However, as the right hand was extended and opened, revealing a half-eaten rice ball, the scene became somewhat awkward.

"Ah, sorry sorry."

Himiko quickly hid the rice ball in her other hand, and wiped it with her sacred ceremonial robes before formally shaking hands with Samael.

At this moment, the Sun Queen grabbed the guest's arm and shook it enthusiastically. Her bright smile had a somewhat naive quality to it.

Samael glanced back at Yustisa behind him and asked casually.

"So, the eighth rider you're talking about is her?"

“That’s right, Ruler—Himiko, Queen of Yamatai.”

Yustissa nodded with a smile, her ruby-like eyes flashing with a meaningful light.

"However, to be more precise, she should be called Zero."

"Do you remember that Tokyo Tower? My mother and I found her in those ruins..."

Chloe, who was standing nearby, immediately added, telling Samael about their general experience.

After they awoke from this strange singularity, they visited the ruins of the Holy Grail War and found Himiko, who was in a lost state, at the foot of Tokyo Tower.

At that time, there were almost no heroic spirits in the city, only most humans who were still in shock.

But as time went on, the number of heroic spirits in the city increased, and the demons began to wreak havoc.

In order to maintain order and further investigate the truth, Justeza established the Shogunate and summoned and gathered the Seven Riders and the Black Warriors.

They appeared on the battlefield of the Holy Grail War, and seem to be among the first Servants to arrive in this singularity.

"Actually, I don't know what happened. I just seemed to hear a voice calling me, and when I woke up, I was here..."

Himiko scratched her head, looking equally bewildered.

That night, she heard "that".

Incredibly distant, yet incredibly close. Like a whisper, yet also like a shout.

It was both illusory and clear. I was like a reflection, and the reflection deepened my own perception. Then came the distant past, the ancient wisdom that sustained this place.

It was a mirror, as bright as the sun, reflecting the distant stars.

So, listening to this wondrous celestial sound, she stepped into it in a daze.

I see……

If I'm not mistaken, this Sun Queen hidden in the gun tower should be the secret weapon that has allowed the Shogunate to survive to this day, and also a clue left by a certain sun god.

Samael's eyes flickered, as if he were deep in thought.

The oracle priestess who serves the sun god Amaterasu possesses the power of the sun god, so theoretically she could indeed purify the evil substance in the night through the purification ritual.

Therefore, even with the change of day and night and the presence of foreign elements in the magic, the Shogunate's Servants were still able to remain conscious and continue to carry out their missions.

Moreover, the Yamatai Queen's class is Ruler, which maintains order, perfectly matching the current mysterious situation.

A spokesperson for the oracle?

If that's the case, does that mean...?

Thinking of this, Samael had an idea, looked up at Himiko, and asked.