The monsters roared and charged toward their prey, daring to step out of the protection of the city wall and turn their backs on it.
While the monsters had low intelligence and their individual strength was slightly greater than that of ordinary soldiers, they were still far inferior to the two hundred warriors alongside Ritsuka. However, with tens of thousands of weaker creatures amassed together, even the combined might of the two hundred warriors was overwhelming, creating a sense of pressure that made Ritsuka uneasy.
But this was not Ritsuka's first time witnessing a battle involving tens of thousands of troops.
Lily, mounted on a white warhorse adorned in silver-white armor, glanced back at her temporary subordinates.
Having experienced a previous singularity, Ritsuka could attest that King Arthur, in terms of physical appearance, was known for blossoming later in life. Lily, at this early stage, carried a youthful demeanor that made it hard to associate her with the title "king."
Suddenly, a young girl who appeared no older than fifteen and had a charming face descended from the sky. Naturally, the soldiers, who were strong enough to face third-rate servants, were somewhat taken aback. Yet their loyalty to Ophis prevented them from showing any dissatisfaction—neither through words nor actions.
Even so, Lily, with her angelic heart, did not want these soldiers to head into what seemed like a nearly impossible battlefield with suppressed feelings of dissatisfaction.
"Gentlemen," Lily said, turning her horse to face her soldiers with a serious expression.
"I know you may not have faith in me, and I am indeed quite inexperienced. According to the Master's words, I am merely a half-baked leader with only theoretical knowledge, right?"
The cavalrymen remained silent, their expressions unreadable.
"As I am now, I cannot guarantee that I can protect each one of you and ensure your safe return... but that might not be what you truly seek."
Lily was undeterred by the silence and continued with a determined look.
"This is war. Sacrifices are inevitable. There will be losses. What I can promise is that your sacrifices will not be in vain. I will strive to secure the victory you desire!"
"So please, help me!"
After Lily's impassioned plea, the soldiers still did not respond, but they seemed to grip their weapons a little tighter.
Lily knew that her words might not have a huge impact, given her lack of leadership experience, but she felt it was necessary to make a promise for the sake of the pioneers risking their lives to clear the way.
Jeanne watched Lily with a smile and gave a slight nod.
This heavy cavalry had been trained by Jeanne herself, so commanding them was straightforward for her.
Jeanne unfurled the holy flag, bearing the symbol of Uruk's 'snake,' and held it in her left hand, while her right hand grasped the spear she had found in Ophis's treasury.
"Time is running short. I have nothing more to add. I make the same promise as Lady Lily: I will protect Uruk until the very end! Prepare yourselves!"
Jeanne turned her horse to face the monsters, and the knights behind her lowered their visors in unison.
As the monsters approached, Jeanne's once holy and gentle face hardened with resolve.
During the Hundred Years' War, Jeanne d'Arc saw every battle and every kill as a sin. Despite others believing she fought to protect her homeland, she never ignored the guilt she felt for the war's continuation and the resulting loss of life.
Jeanne took on these sins willingly, not imposed by others but carried by her own choice.
Now, as the monsters bared their fangs at humanity, the saint raised her battle flag once more and charged into battle.
"One more sin to repay…" Jeanne thought, feeling a pang of sadness.
Even though she had to lead two hundred lives into the maelstrom of death, she felt the fire of determination burning in her heart.
"It's not the right time yet…" she murmured softly, urging her horse forward and pointing her spear ahead. "Attack!"
The cavalry charged towards the wave of monsters like arrows shot from a bow!
A hundred cavalry versus ten thousand monsters seemed daunting, but the cavalrymen did not hesitate.
"Master of Chaldea, it's almost time to get into the carriage," Merlin said with his usual cheerful demeanor, reminding Ritsuka.
"Ah... yes, I understand."
"Don't worry, we can monitor the battle through the monsters from within the carriage."
Merlin smiled, noticing Ritsuka's concern.
"Then I'll ride in the same carriage with the Master~"
"Ms. Quetzal… Never mind. Master, I'll stand on the roof to fend off any potential attacks!" Mash said, jumping onto the top of the carriage.
Although Merlin promised to use illusions to conceal the carriage as much as possible, Ritsuka had doubts about his reliability.
Even Merlin himself admitted that hiding it from Kingu would be extremely challenging.
"Let's move out too!"
With preparations complete, Lily commanded her troops and followed Jeanne's forces at a short distance.
From the carriage, Ritsuka anxiously watched the images projected by Merlin.
At this point, Jeanne d'Arc, as the vanguard, was less than 500 meters from the monsters. The impact of a monster's charge would be far greater than that of an ordinary horse, and the 'special horses' trained by Ophis had never faced real monsters. Despite Ophis's claims about easily overcoming an elephant, Ritsuka was skeptical about whether these special horses could withstand the monsters.
The direct clash would cause significant casualties on both sides, and while the monsters could handle the losses, Ritsuka worried about the extent of the casualties after the collision.
Though Ophis had promised to give them an advantage at the start, Ritsuka began to doubt the reliability of her vow.
At this moment, the two sides were only 300 meters apart.