On the plains north of Uruk, a sizable army was advancing slowly. During the Age of Gods, magical beasts capable of wielding magical powers were common, and methods to control them were well-established.
The army's leader rode a cheetah-like monster, his square face set in a knightly frown as he surveyed the surroundings.
"Still no movement from Uruk?"
"Yes, the scouts ahead haven't detected any signs of troop mobilization."
The commander stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"According to the information we received, the new king of Uruk seems to have abandoned the city-state. It looks like this rumor is not unfounded..."
"So, our king sent us here to assess the other side's strength first, right?"
The commander's deputy, also mounted on a cheetah-like monster, spoke up.
"Yes, even if there have been no issues so far, we must proceed with caution."
The deputy frowned.
"Isn't this risky? If Uruk can't deploy its army without the king's orders, they might still be able to mobilize defenses if we delay too long."
Although an urgent march by the enemy might force a defensive response, it would likely be unprepared, giving them an advantage.
The commander shook his head.
"A forced march has no benefit. Even if Uruk's army can't leave the city without orders, the defenders must be ready."
He gazed into the distance, as if he could see Uruk across the horizon, his expression serious.
"Moreover, there's no evidence that the king of Uruk is so incompetent or foolish as to ignore a siege. Wasting our energy now would be unwise."
Uruk's kings were known for their talents. The city was favored by the gods, and even the current king was said to have been chosen by them. The commander didn't believe the king lacked any special qualities.
"And..."
He paused, sensing an ominous premonition.
A strong wind blew, raising dust and obscuring the soldiers' vision.
"Stop!"
The commander, startled, raised his hand and shouted.
About fifty meters from the army, a girl appeared.
Her appearance was striking, but the commander was on high alert. One person facing an army of a thousand might seem reckless in later times, but in the Age of Gods, where even heroes were common, it was not unusual for one person to challenge an army.
"Who are you?"
The girl ignored his question and instead asked,
"Who sent you?"
The commander frowned, signaling his troops to form a battle formation as he observed her.
"Are you here to stop us?"
"No answer?"
The girl shook her head, seeming puzzled.
The conversation felt like two parallel lines that never intersected. The commander, irritated, didn't want to offend someone whose background was unknown but didn't want to waste time either.
His troubles were quickly resolved but with a jolt of fear.
"Never mind…"
Seeing that the commander remained silent, the girl shook her head again.
Suddenly, seven purple magic circles appeared behind her.
"Destroy them..."
"Throw spears!"
The commander's orders came without hesitation. Spears rained down upon the girl.
She ignored the threat and continued charging her magic circles.
As the spears were about to hit her, a burst of energy erupted from the girl, deflecting all the spears and stirring up dust, which affected the soldiers.
"Raise your shields!"
The commander quickly gave the order, though it soon became apparent that it would be ineffective.
The seven purple torrents of magic pierced through the army's formation, heading towards the distant horizon.
The commander felt intense heat from the nearest magic cannon.
The attack required no technical skill, yet it caused over half the army's casualties.
"The enemy's magic power is immense!" the commander gritted his teeth.
"We can't give them another chance to attack! Follow me and charge!"
He spurred his monster into action, with about a hundred soldiers on similar beasts following.
Halfway there, the commander's eyes widened in shock.
Three magic circles appeared in front of the girl, aimed directly at them.
— I thought the magic would take time to charge. But can this number of magic circles compensate for that?
He urged his monster to leap, but his original position was engulfed by the purple magic.
"Curse it!"
The commander roared as the three magic circles remained, now aimed directly at him from the air.
The last thing he saw was the girl's silver-grey eyes, devoid of emotion.
"King, you're back."
At the entrance of the palace hall, Ophis landed gracefully. The waiting priestess and other important figures of Uruk knelt before her.
Ophis nodded and was about to enter the temple.
"King..."
Seeing Ophis's gaze shift towards her, the priestess swallowed nervously.
She had intended to ask if Ophis wanted to address any official matters but feared being ignored.
"Well... the other side might also..."
"No."
"Well?"
Ignoring the unimportant priestess, Ophis walked directly into the temple.
For Ophis, accepting the role of "king" meant taking action when necessary. Ignoring state affairs was one thing, but allowing harm to come to her people was a dereliction of duty.
Thus, she had acted.
Despite initially having difficulty finding the enemy army due to directional errors, the experience served as training for energy control.
However, in order to avoid future troubles, Ophis questioned the surviving soldiers for the exact location of the enemy city-state and the leader's residence.
Then she fired a cannon.
It was also a practice of her precise long-range strike capability. Although the target was the royal palace, some innocent people inevitably suffered due to her imprecise control.
In different circumstances, this might have been acceptable—war is known to harm ordinary people.
But Ophis's role was not merely as the king of Uruk. She was also the "wedge" driven from heaven to restrain mankind and prevent the gods' connection with earth from becoming alienated.
Such an existence could disregard human lives and act on a whim, having not communicated with the gods for a long time.
This deviation from divine intent triggered the gods' wrath.
Thus, a divine restraint was created—a clay figure molded by God's hands.
It was a soulless monster without any rationality.