"Oh, is this the King of Uruk? This is the first time I've seen him up close."
Seated comfortably, Ophis allowed Quetzalcoatl to pinch and poke her face, observing Ritsuka and the others with indifferent eyes.
"Hahaha…"
Ritsuka could only manage a bitter smile in response.
Finally, Ophis sighed.
"Explain it to me."
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"Yeah…"
After listening to Ritsuka's explanation, Ophis nodded.
To summarize, Quetzalcoatl had no hostile intentions toward humans. She had joined the Alliance of Three Goddesses to secure the Holy Grail, which she intended to use to contain other goddesses and protect humanity. The three hundred warriors weren't killed; instead, they were taken back to Quetzalcoatl's stronghold for safekeeping.
As Ritsuka and her group successfully infiltrated and interacted with Quetzalcoatl, the goddess developed a strong fondness for Ritsuka. Consequently, Quetzalcoatl chose to become her servant and join Uruk.
"You don't seem surprised?" Ritsuka asked, noticing Ophis's calm demeanor.
"Could it be that you anticipated this situation?"
"No," Ophis replied simply.
"As long as the probability isn't zero, there's nothing to be surprised about."
It was more reasonable for Quetzalcoatl, being a pinnacle of goodness, to act in a benevolent manner, right?
"Is, is that so…"
Ritsuka's mouth twitched slightly. The idea that it wasn't surprising if it wasn't impossible seemed to make sense upon reflection.
"Now that Quetzalcoatl has joined us, we can achieve many things, right, King Ophis?"
At Merlin's words, Ophis looked puzzled.
"Merlin, didn't you know?"
"Well?"
Seeing Merlin's genuine confusion, Ophis shook her head.
"No… never mind."
Merlin frowned in thought as Roman spoke through the communicator.
"With Quetzalcoatl's power, you should be able to handle the Goddess of the North, right?"
"Ah, indeed."
Ishtar nodded but then curled her lips.
"It's just that… Quetzalcoatl is very powerful. Even the Goddess of Warcraft might struggle against her. However, due to the covenant, comparing their strengths is meaningless."
"Ah, so even with Quetzalcoatl, dealing with the North Goddess is still a challenge?"
"No."
Ophis interjected.
"The Axe of Marduk should be in Eridu, correct?"
"Oh~ I see, so that's what King Ophis meant… By the way, I sense a similar aura from you, King Ophis. Why is that?" Quetzalcoatl asked with a smile, poking Ophis's face.
"Well, it seems this isn't the time for such discussions. Regarding the Axe of Marduk, I brought it here because I anticipated certain situations," Ophis said with a slight smile.
"I see. The Axe of Marduk is the weapon Marduk used to defeat the goddess Tiamat in myth, right? It should be able to inflict significant damage on the Goddess of Warcraft, who possesses Tiamat's divinity."
Roman's voice grew excited through the communicator.
"That's right. You can discuss how to use it against the Goddess of Warcraft… It's perfect."
Ophis brushed off Quetzalcoatl's hand, stood up, and looked toward the temple door.
"Hiduri, have you completed the task I assigned?"
The priestess girl bowed and responded respectfully.
"Yes, I have accomplished my mission."
Ophis nodded and then turned her attention back to Chaldea and the others.
"We have time along the way. Let's head to the north wall first."
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"Look at this…"
The Chaldeans stared in amazement at the scene before them.
The plain was nearly covered by a tidal wave of magical beasts, with swarms of flying beasts darkening the sky above.
"Based on rough estimates, including those hidden in the cedar forest, the total number of enemy monsters exceeds 100,000. However, they don't seem to plan a full-scale attack initially. The first wave will consist of about 10,000."
Jeanne of Arc, following behind Ophis, reported with a solemn expression.
"After replenishment and integration, the North Wall's combat force is now around 5,000… This is nearly all of Uruk's remaining combat strength. If the enemy sends only 10,000, we can hold them off with the city walls. But we can't rule out the possibility of a second wave…"
"Wait, how are we supposed to reach the North Goddess if we're surrounded by so many monsters!?" Ritsuka exclaimed in panic, causing everyone to fall silent.
Originally, Ritsuka and her team had planned to use an active attack from Uruk as a distraction and then sneak into the cedar forest where the Monster Goddess was hiding. However, the north wall was now entirely encircled by monsters, making any attempt to sneak in or even break through the horde a significant challenge.
"Then force your way through."
"King Ophis!?" Ritsuka's eyes widened, and Merlin stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Does King Ophis intend to take action personally?"
"Well?"
Roman and others were stunned.
Indeed, if it was the same kind of attack as before, even if there were more monsters, it would be ineffective...
No, if Ophis took action herself, no number of monsters would matter. It seemed that if Ophis took on the battle, the Chaldea team might become redundant.
But Ophis shook her head.
If she fought directly, it would turn into a decisive battle between her and the goddess. She didn't have time for that right now.
"Is that troop ready?" Ophis asked, looking at Jeanne, who nodded firmly.
"They are all ready."
"Good…"
Ophis turned her gaze toward a specific spot in the monster horde.
"Then use it here."
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On a two-legged dragon, Kingu had a clear view of the Uruk walls.
"Has it appeared…"
Landing gently, Kingu gestured forward.
"Well, let's use this to test if you're ready to face 'Mother' directly."
With violent tremors, the army of magical beasts began advancing toward Uruk's northern wall.