"Just like in meetings with many other kings, King Ophis attacks without warning!"
Without any prior communication, Mash and Lily immediately prepared for defense, with Mash taking the lead to shield them from all attacks. Meanwhile, she reported the current situation to someone unseen.
Ophis raised an eyebrow slightly and gave her wand a slight shake. The lasers aimed at the shield stopped mid-air, defying the laws of physics, and then dispersed before reaching Mash. Instead of hitting the shield, the lasers began to surround the two of them.
"Transient Wall of Snowflakes"
Mash wasn't caught off guard. A silvery light radiated from her shield, creating a protective barrier around them from all angles.
"Oh?"
Ophis gently bent her index finger, redirecting dozens of lasers to shoot straight down at them, striking the silver light barrier.
Bang bang bang bang bang──
The result was clear. The lasers couldn't penetrate the silver barrier. When they hit, the magic power couldn't sustain itself and exploded repeatedly.
"Take this!"
Amid the smoke, Lily leaped out, wielding a holy sword similar to Merlin's, and brought it down heavily towards Ophis.
Keng────
The surprise attack failed as the holy sword was deflected by Ophis's wand, sparking on impact. Easily brushing away the holy sword, Ophis quickly swung the wand towards Lily's head.
The attack missed, and while Lily felt a tinge of regret, she wasn't surprised. From their initial encounter with this singularity, it was clear that Uruk's king was no pushover.
Lily dodged Ophis's attack and, with no hesitation, a black shadow surged towards Ophis from the air—it was Mash, holding her shield and blocking the way.
At the same time, a powerful golden light burst from Lily's holy sword.
The shield was of high quality, and with the added force of the fall, it was impossible for ordinary Casters to face it head-on. This allowed Lily to buy time to charge her attack. If Ophis retreated, Lily could launch a light cannon while the enemy was still unprepared.
These were the ideal plans in their minds.
The sphere atop Ophis's wand, covered in purple and gold, surged with potent magic power. It then condensed into a larger purple sphere.
"Wait, this reaction!?"
Roman's voice suddenly crackled in Ritsuka's communicator.
Ophis, of course, couldn't respond to Roman, and the fighting continued with no time for conversation. Ophis's wand came crashing down on Mash's shield.
On impact, the magic power in the sphere exploded, sending Mash flying. The concentrated magic then formed a beam and shot towards Lily.
"Hmm!?"
Taken by surprise, Lily could only hastily unleash all the remaining magic from her treasure towards Ophis.
The golden and purple energies collided violently, causing Lily to be thrown back like Mash.
Though they were a bit disheveled, both Mash and Lily were mostly unharmed. Any minor injuries were quickly healed by Ritsuka, who was watching the battle from the rear and directing their actions. They were ready to fight again in no time.
"King Ophis's combat characteristic is that she has no weaknesses... Although her attack methods vary, this remains constant..."
Mash remarked to Lily, showing some concern.
A lack of flaws didn't mean perfection in battle but rather no specific vulnerabilities. Essentially, there was a counter to any attack.
Lily frowned.
Despite her own awkwardness, the combination of her and Mash was defensively strong but lacked the decisive offensive power needed against an enemy like Ophis.
The standoff continued...
Chaldea hoped to leverage Mash's defense to find opportunities in Ophis's attacks, but Ophis merely watched them without moving.
"King, if you don't intend to kill us, then you should stop now... You are all skilled warriors, worthy of being accepted under your command. They must be the strangers mentioned by Merlin in the past, right? If we can win them over, it might improve the current situation."
As Chaldea braced for another round, the priestess Siduri suddenly knelt and spoke.
Having spent considerable time with Ophis, Siduri understood that the king often acted on impulse and struggled to stop halfway through, creating awkward situations. In such moments, Siduri had to mediate.
"You are the people from Chaldea, correct?"
Finally, the purple hue on the sphere atop Ophis's wand faded, returning to its original golden color. Ophis turned her attention to Ritsuka.
"Yes... Yes, my name is Fujimaru Ritsuka, and I'm a Master from Chaldea!"
Ritsuka stepped forward, swallowing nervously, and met Ophis's gaze with determination.
"Well... I'm not concerned with your name. I won't hinder you from your goals, but I won't assist you either until you truly understand what you need to do."
After a brief pause, Ophis spoke to Ritsuka.
In truth, Ophis wasn't sure what to do herself. She figured it was best to let the professionals handle it. From Ophis's perspective, the real turning point would be the goddess in the south she had never met. However, Ophis lacked the resources and energy to explore the south or send anyone, including Chaldea, to their deaths.
Unless Chaldea proved their worth, Ophis would not allow them into the southern jungle.
As for not providing support... Uruk simply didn't have the resources to assist.
"As long as you prove your worth, I can offer some guidance."
Ophis added, considering Merlin's unease about facing the goddess's power alone. If Chaldea demonstrated their strength, they could be asked to help explore the southern jungle's secrets.