Hum…
As Samael lightly tapped his finger, the projections of the seven figures marked with question marks gradually lit up. The writing below, which had been blacked out and obscured by Ether light, appeared one by one, assigning them class-like titles and revealing the true identities of the seven mysterious helpers who had appeared in the Persian camp.
Lancer: Vritra. A serpent demon god, or evil dragon, described in the Rigveda and Mahabharata. King of the Asuras, and also a native god of Persia. Possesses extremely powerful immortality and Dragon attributes. It is recommended that Sigurd assist in dealing with him…
Archer: King David, lightly wounded. King of ancient Israel and one beloved by God's grace. His weapon is sound waves produced by playing psalms on his harp. Take note of the sling stone at his back. It contains a trace of the power of fate, granting it a forced-hit effect, while also carrying a special attack against giants…
Assassin: Cain, heavily wounded. The first murderer of kin and ancestor of sinners. Skilled in throwing daggers, and capable of turning his blood into swarms of bats. Because he is protected by the Jewish God, he can, when necessary, activate a sevenfold damage reflection… Grendel, the giant slain by the Norse dragon-slayer Beowulf, seems to have been a descendant of Cain. The properties carried by Beowulf may be effective against Cain's descendants…
Magus: The Queen of Sheba. She appears in the Old Testament, in the Books of Kings, as well as in the New Testament. She is said to have been the enigmatic queen who ruled the Kingdom of Sheba south of Jerusalem. She once visited Jerusalem with a great quantity of tribute to seek instruction from Solomon, the wise king of Israel.
She posed three riddles to Solomon, but he saw through them all one by one. Legend says the two had a marital relationship.
In addition, rumors say the Queen of Sheba possesses the bloodline of spirits. She is an outstanding Summoner and Magus, able to command the triplet spirits "Ahat," "Shtayim," and "Shalosh" to fight for her…
Rider: Martha, captured. Inspired by God's manifestation, she serves this deity. She possesses powerful offensive ability against Dragonkind and terrifying close-combat techniques…
Berserker: Lev Lainur Flauros. The incarnation of Flauros, one of Solomon's seventy-two Demon Gods. It is very likely that he can share information with the seventy-two Demon Gods of Solomon and coordinate with them. Be sure to seal this thing's perception. Ideally, eliminate him inside a Reality Marble…
This was far too detailed. It was practically digging up the opponent's ancestral graves.
Everyone was amazed, treating the precious intelligence that had been revealed like treasure. In the next engagement, they could use this foreknowledge to tailor the most suitable opponents and battlefields for each of them.
With that, in one-on-one battles, their chances of victory would rise by at least twenty to thirty percent.
However, among the seven new trump cards Persia had brought in, only six were lit up. The Saber listed at the front still had a question mark drawn over him.
"Your Majesty, could even your learning fail to uncover the identity of this black-armored swordsman?"
Leonidas frowned slightly. Being direct by nature, he could not help standing up to ask.
"I wouldn't call it learning. I've simply had a little more luck than most. As for this Saber, I don't have a definite answer."
Samael waved his hand slightly and answered honestly. Yet a knowing chuckle rose from below, as everyone simply took this as modesty from the Sage King before them.
See? Truth is taken as lies, and lies are taken as truth. Why can't a deceiver also possess the quality of "honesty"?
The Ancient Serpent muttered inwardly, feeling somewhat melancholy. But he quickly gathered his thoughts, his gaze becoming calm as he changed the subject and spoke quietly.
"Although I can't confirm it, when he released his Noble Phantasm's True Name, he called the magic sword in his hand Dzus qara, meaning 'Black God.' Based on that clue, I did think of someone who fits."
Then Samael lit up the dim card in the third row and revealed the answer.
Saber: Batras. Also known as the Son of the Sword, he is an immortal great hero from the mythological epic of the Caucasus region, the Nart Epic.
Guardian of the Magic Cup [also known as the Magic Chalice, it can be considered an existence of the same source as, or the origin of, the later Christian Holy Grail. A sacred object used specifically to indicate and bless heroes who save the people], and an outstanding leader of the Nart people.
To save the punished souls of his parents, he once made enemies of the gods, slew deities, repelled angels, killed giants, and fought fierce battles against many Phantasmal Species that threatened humanity's survival.
However, he was betrayed by the Nart people, who feared his power. Yah.Sari, the Son of God sent by the Supreme Being, broke through layer after layer of restrictions, activated supreme authority, and defeated him.
In the end, to absolve his parents of guilt, he submitted to that God and converted to the faith that had been forced upon him.
As for the sword named "Black God," it was the Sacred Gear of the weapon god Sefa, which he seized from Seneg, the enemy who killed his father.
With that kind of background, it was no wonder he could withstand Samael's strike after he activated the Flaming Demon Sword Laevatein and released its Noble Phantasm's True Name.
This reasoning was so clear and well-founded that everyone was basically certain the black-armored swordsman was this so-called "Batras."
Just as the heroes were assigning their respective opponents, Jaguar Warrior slapped one hand on the table and raised the other high, looking indignant.
"Samael, I protest! Out of these seven heroes, aside from that snake woman I'm facing, why are the other six all connected to the Jews and their god? Referee! Change the lineup! Are you looking down on Jaguars? If they can fight them, I can fight them too!"
Smack!
A pale hand suddenly struck the table in front of Jaguar Warrior with a muffled sound.
It's over!
Jaguar Warrior caught sight of the savage shadow rising beside her. Her PTSD erupted, and she very skillfully shuddered, crouched on the ground, and covered her head, protecting her face first as she waited for the violent person behind her to plant her in the dirt.
"Exactly. These are clearly the seven heroes Cyrus the Great sent to support the Persians, so why are six of them connected to the Jewish tribes and their faith? That makes no sense!"
However, the expected fist of justice did not arrive. Quetzalcoatl focused on the front instead, frowning at the seven heroes in the third row as she voiced her doubts seriously.
Samael recalled a certain beautiful country in the future that had been hollowed out by Jewish elites. His eyes flickered as he spoke quietly.
"That's because the Jews are very good at borrowing someone else's chicken to lay their own eggs. Their god is the true object of worship in Zoroastrianism. And his former titles were King of Kings, God of Gods, Holy of Holies…"
"Marduk!"
Hearing this, Ana, Kukulkan, Jaguar Warrior, and Leonidas all changed color and shot to their feet. Their eyes met, and each saw the shock and fear on the others' faces.
Samael flicked his fingernail, lowered his eyes, and continued calmly.
"Oh, right. He also showed himself once during the Greek Age of the Gods. Back then, he called himself 'God'…"
Hiss! The War of the Titans! The First Temple!
This time, even the Greeks and Romans could no longer sit still. They suddenly understood, and heavy gasps filled the hall.
Damn it, that old bastard really is haunting them like a ghost. And he never does anything decent!