Ophis first thrust her left hand forward, causing two purple beams of light to slant down from the sky and sweep toward Tiamat.
Her right hand was not idle either. She resisted the backlash and unleashed a brilliant red wind capable of cutting through anything.
With precise control, Ophis slashed toward Tiamat in the same manner. After executing these attacks, she didn't even check their impact. Instead, she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, then slowly opened them toward Tiamat.
In the next moment, everyone in Chaldea felt as if the space encompassing Ophis and Tiamat had become detached from the world.
"This is… the reactions of King Ophis and the goddess Tiamat are weakening. What is happening?"
Three cutting attacks struck Tiamat forcefully, halting her advance temporarily.
However, as Ophis prepared her next move, she noticed a significant shift in Tiamat's demeanor. If Tiamat had seemed confused before, she now exuded a serious and focused presence.
Was it possible that the attempt to "exile" her had triggered something?
Despite the concern, Ophis knew she had to press on. The arrow was on the string, and it had to be shot.
"Aaaaaaaaaa—─"
Tiamat suddenly unleashed a powerful burst of energy, shattering both the light column and the wind blade. Simultaneously, a red ray shot out from her forehead, heading straight for Ophis!
Ophis reacted, but she couldn't become intangible in time to avoid the attack. The speed of light made dodging impossible.
As a creation-level deity, Tiamat's attack was certainly capable of inflicting real damage on Ophis. Yet, Ophis was confident that, as long as her Infinity remained, she could endure any damage.
With that thought, Ophis let the blood-red beam pierce through her heart.
"Hmm…"
The intense pain surged through her mind and soul, causing Ophis to tremble. But she did not falter.
At this moment, light began to gather at the center of Tiamat's forehead once again.
"Will you come again…"
Ophis frowned, preparing herself.
Although the damage was manageable, it would be preferable to anticipate and avoid future rays.
But something felt off. Tiamat's gaze was not fixed on her but on Uruk. That goal seemed…
"Oh no!"
For perhaps the first time, Ophis's face showed a drastic change.
Before she could act, a thick beam of light shot out.
In an instant, it pierced through the dragon and snake above Uruk, hitting the center of the Ouroboros spell!
"Oh—"
The dragon snake wailed as it dissipated, and the Ouroboros technique began to tremble ominously.
"…"
Ophis's expression returned to its usual indifference. Without a word, she clasped her hands tightly before Tiamat's slightly open hands.
The next moment, the space that had been isolated suddenly became extremely illusory.
"Aaaaaaaaa───"
Tiamat's voice, still melodious but now tinged with anxiety, filled the air. She lunged forward, opening her massive mouth to bite Ophis.
Ophis stood motionless, watching the rows of fangs drawing nearer until they closed with a powerful snap!
Almost immediately, the world returned to normal.
Chaldea's members watched the scene anxiously.
"Hey, what just happened? Did Tiamat's response suddenly vanish?"
After a few seconds, Roman's voice rang out in concern.
Everyone noticed that while the world's changes had disappeared, Tiamat remained in that illusory state.
"Could it be that King Ophis actually banished Tiamat's true form outside the world?"
Quetzal mused, stroking his chin and observing Tiamat, who appeared to be moonwalking in place.
Then, Ophis slowly floated out of Tiamat's closed mouth.
"Ophis?"
Ritsuka noticed something odd about Ophis's expression. Though she usually appeared expressionless, there was an unmistakable tension in her eyes now.
Suddenly, Ophis vanished.
Before Ritsuka and the others could grasp the situation, Roman's alarmed voice broke through.
"The energy above Uruk seems strange!"
"What?"
At that moment, the Ouroboros spell on Uruk became increasingly distorted before beginning to collapse. In the next second, a massive surge of magical energy erupted!
Just half a second before this energy reached Uruk, Ophis appeared at the center of the explosion. The wild energy was forcefully halted, then redirected and absorbed into Ophis's body.
"Hey, what is happening…"
Ishtar looked at the vanished barrier and the various spells in the city with concern.
The energy continued to burst forth and was absorbed into Ophis for nearly twenty minutes before subsiding.
───────────────────────────────
"So, the current situation is that the goddess Tiamat was temporarily sealed in the cracks of the world by King Ophis, and what remains is just a residual image, correct?"
Everyone had returned to the temple. Through the communicator, Roman began to clarify the current situation based on Ophis's intermittent updates.
"Since Uruk is the center of Mesopotamia, Tiamat, the beast of evil, will surely target Uruk. It is estimated that in two days, she will be able to break through the seal and head towards Uruk. The process is expected to take over a day."
"Yes, before that, I will move the underworld to the land of Uruk. As long as I can force Tiamat into my territory, our chances of winning will significantly increase!"
In a mirror next to Ophis, Ereshkigal declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
"Then, let's take care of ourselves during these three days."
After everyone left, a pained expression finally appeared on Ophis's face.
She had been somewhat careless.
Tiamat had actually attacked her Infinity directly!
Though it wasn't easy for her to be attacked, she had released the concept of Infinity to save Uruk, giving Tiamat a chance to strike.
The destruction of Infinity had caused severe backlash against Ophis.
If not for this, she might have been able to push Tiamat out of the real world entirely.
Moreover, the power Tiamat initially infused into her had begun to erode her body.
That beam of light seemed to have drained a significant amount of Tiamat's original power. Even though Ophis suppressed it with immense energy, she couldn't eliminate the foreign magic completely.
Indeed, the Mother Goddess was intelligent...
Suppressing the pain that assaulted her spirit, Ophis took a deep breath.
Just three more days…