"Altira?"
The girl in pure white had appeared on the city wall without anyone noticing.
"Is everything all right?"
In response to Ophis's question, Altira nodded calmly.
"Well, I'll leave it to you then."
Ophis nodded, having only asked to confirm.
Arjuna, with his strong ranged abilities, was well-suited to handle the Scorpion Man, who was also adept at long-range attacks. On the other hand, Altira would need to get close to engage in combat.
However, Altira's strength was impressive. Based on her performance in the previous battle, her level was even slightly higher than Arjuna's, so there shouldn't be any issues.
With Arjuna guarding the city and Altira tasked with finding and defeating the Scorpion Man, this arrangement seemed more effective than the previous plan.
"But don't go too deep."
After some consideration, Ophis issued this caution. Even though Altira was strong, overwhelming numbers could still be a risk.
Ophis then recalled the recent events.
"Merlin, can you locate the Scorpion Man?"
Hearing this, Merlin smiled faintly.
"Have you finally figured it out? You can see him. Although you might be discovered, you'll definitely be able to see him."
As a monster, the Scorpion Man was not to be underestimated. The eleven sons of Tiamat, including him, were as powerful as gods. Naturally, they could perceive Merlin's clairvoyance, just as the gods could.
"You only get one chance."
Ophis nodded.
Since the enemy would likely try to block or hide from Merlin's sight, it was crucial to find them quickly after the observation.
"Merlin, Hercules, Altira—Merlin can sense the location where my Noble Phantasm hit before, right? Once you get there, use your clairvoyance to locate him."
Ophis quickly gave the instructions after further consideration.
"Altira will launch the attack, while Merlin will use illusions to cover the battle and prevent any mishaps. Hercules will assist Merlin. You can choose to support Altira, protect Merlin, or resist any enemy that breaches the illusion."
"Yes, yes, King Ophis, stop fussing like an old lady and leave it to me."
After giving Merlin a swift kick off the city wall, Ophis nodded to Altira.
"I leave it to you."
Altira responded with a calm nod and followed Merlin as he jumped off the wall. Ophis then patted Hercules's elbow, and the large man followed suit.
"Tell Jeanne what happened and ask her to defend the city well. Then go and get Medea from the Priest's Court."
After sending the last messenger with these orders, Ophis was left alone on the city wall and sighed in relief.
Medea could assist and heal the frontline soldiers. Most importantly, if Altira, Merlin, and Hercules couldn't find or defeat the Scorpion Man, Medea's treasure would be crucial for regular repairs.
Or she could also handle ordinary damage.
...It seems that the city wall might hold after all?
Ophis felt somewhat speechless. Medea's presence was often overlooked due to her low profile, but her role was actually very important.
If not for the new magical girl event... no, if not for the city wall issue, Ophis might have forgotten about the princess.
But...
Ophis narrowed her eyes and watched as Merlin and his companions slowly disappeared into the north.
Her heart started to feel uneasy...
After a moment of hesitation, Ophis's figure transformed into a purple light spot and vanished from the city wall.
───────────────────────────────
In a dense forest further north of Uruk's northern wall, there was an open space with a diameter of several hundred meters, contrasting sharply with the surrounding forest. A huge crater in the middle suggested a powerful explosion.
The King's Treasure had hit the target from a great distance, causing such devastation. However, it was clear that this approach had not succeeded in capturing the enemy.
After a light jump, Altira landed in the middle of the pit, looked around, and picked up a fragment that resembled a monster's shell.
With a gentle squeeze, the shell shattered.
"Fragile..."
"That's not quite right. Judging by the structure, it should be a reinforcement that can be energized."
Merlin followed, showing no sign of exhaustion, while Hercules trailed behind.
"Where's the enemy?"
"Hmm... Kitaburilu might be nearby, but he could also be far away. If we approach him now, we might alert him, right?"
"Find him before he escapes and then eliminate him."
Altira glanced coldly at Merlin and said calmly.
"Is that so... Then I'll start working—though it seems there's no need to say this anymore."
A hoarse and deep voice suddenly echoed all around.
"Oh, this really fits the image of a boss. Is this magic? Or a monster's special ability? By the way, is there a reason for this?"
"…"
The voice was interrupted by Merlin's rapid-fire questions. It seemed stunned for a moment before continuing.
"The person seems a bit afraid of you, but in my opinion, you just have some strength and excessive bravery. You foolishly walked into the trap. Although we've made various preparations, it seems we overestimated your intelligence. Just die in this endless torrent of monsters."
Without wasting time, the dense forest erupted with countless red lights, and the atmosphere grew extremely tense. The growls of wild beasts filled the air.
Altira quickly glanced around.
Are they all magical beasts?
Unable to pinpoint the exact location of the enemy leader, she decided...
We need to destroy all these miscellaneous soldiers first.
A colored pen... a three-colored stick-shaped sword appeared in her hand. Altira prepared to strike, but Merlin stopped her.
Merlin, with a wicked smile, directed his gaze with precision.
"Scorpion Man Kitaburilu, I heard you're known as a 'Sage.' So, as a sage, when did you get the illusion that it's your army surrounding us, rather than us surrounding your army?"
As soon as Merlin finished speaking, the magical beasts hiding in the forest began to stir.