"King!?"
Several days passed quickly. Early one morning, Siduri entered the temple as usual to report the latest intelligence, but the scene before her left her stunned.
Violent energy fluctuations filled the entire temple, with purple magic power swirling throughout the space, slowly rotating around the center of the hall. If not for the temple's exceptional energy-blocking properties, all of Uruk would likely have been thrown into chaos by this unprecedented surge of magic.
Ophis stood at the center, her black robe lined with blood-red patterns. Her eyes were tightly shut, and the dark gold armor on her exposed hands and feet gleamed ominously. A massive purple magic circle rotated beneath her, centered around a symbol representing infinity—a serpent biting its own tail, the mark of Ophis.
"King Ophis, what's happening?"
Siduri was unfamiliar with Ophis's current appearance but had some idea of what it entailed.
–––Mythical Armor.
The Mythical Armor wasn't just some high-level equipment or treasure; it was a weapon that manifested when a powerful being with divine attributes materialized their divinity. It took various forms, often appearing as protective gear. Even in the Age of Gods, this ability was rare, but given Siduri's position, it wasn't a secret to her.
The overwhelming divinity emanating from Ophis, as intense as the sun, confirmed to Siduri that Ophis was in this exalted state. However, she couldn't fathom why Ophis would unleash her Mythical Armor at this moment. Could it really be related to the missing five-year-old on West Street?
"Siduri..."
After some time, the rotating magic circle beneath Ophis sank into the temple floor and vanished. Ophis opened her eyes, and Siduri was taken aback by the transformation. The dark grey eyes, once lifeless, now shone with a bright silver light that sent a shiver down her spine.
In this era, having Mystic Eyes was a skill still exclusive to gods.
"Siduri, what do you think of those people?"
Ophis asked, her voice calm yet commanding.
"The members of Chaldea are exceptionally capable..."
Siduri began, but Ophis cut her off.
"I don't need empty praise. How do their combat abilities measure up against the Servants on the front line?"
Faced with Ophis's intense gaze, Siduri instinctively lowered her head.
"Well... both Lady Lily and Lady Mash are still not on par with Sir Altria and the others."
What surprised Ophis was Siduri's sudden resolve as she continued:
"But! I believe their true strength is greater than what we've seen. With Master Ritsuka's command and support, they aren't without a fighting chance against the front-line Servants!"
Hearing this, Ophis nodded, and the dense magic in the temple began to recede.
"Good. Send them to investigate the southern forest, and have Merlin accompany them... If they can't find that target, it's fine. They'll likely end up heading there on their own."
"I understand…"
Siduri bowed, but before she could carry out the order, a soldier burst into the temple, interrupting them.
"King!"
Siduri frowned slightly—not out of irritation but concern. A soldier wouldn't dare to interrupt like this unless something urgent had happened.
"King..."
The soldier, having removed his armor to move faster, knelt on the ground, panting heavily but pressing on to deliver his message.
"Report! A woman calling herself Quetzalcoatl has torn down the city wall with her bare hands and entered Uruk through the south gate. She's now headed straight for the temple. Due to the monster battlefront, Uruk's reserves are depleted. Please retreat for now; we will eliminate the threat at any cost!"
Ophis frowned.
I let my guard down while making preparations, and she took advantage...
Siduri's heart sank at this news. She quickly bowed again to Ophis.
"King, please leave this to the soldiers..."
Ophis closed her eyes, sensing the situation in the city through Uruk's barriers. She then opened her eyes and exhaled softly.
"That won't be necessary."
"King..."
Before Siduri could further plead, another soldier ran into the temple and knelt down.
"King... I regret to report that the operation failed."
"Explain."
Ophis sat down, her expression calm as if this news was expected.
"Yes! We formed a battle formation and did everything in our power to stop her. Even the reinforcements that arrived recently joined the fray, but Quetzalcoatl's strength was overwhelming. After killing 300 of our soldiers, she suddenly stopped."
"…Is there more?"
Noticing the soldier's hesitation, Siduri pressed him.
"In addition, Quetzalcoatl... the woman said she'll return tomorrow at sunrise to kill another 300 people, continuing until all the people of Uruk are dead. Also, the bodies of the fallen soldiers were taken by individuals suspected to be her followers."
"…"
For a moment, the temple fell into a heavy silence.
"King?"
Siduri then noticed that Ophis had taken up her magic wand, the tip glowing with purple light. The light shot skyward, not directly piercing the temple's roof but instead being absorbed by a suddenly appearing magic circle. The energy gathered above the temple and formed a small purple sun, which then shot off like a meteor towards the southern jungle.
A few seconds later, a violent tremor shook the temple, its force unmistakable.
Only then did Ophis lower her wand.
"The Chaldean team should have arrived by now."
As if on cue, the Chaldean trio, with somewhat uneasy expressions, appeared at the temple's entrance alongside Merlin and Anna.