"My King!?"
Several days had passed in the blink of an eye. As Siduri entered the temple early that morning to deliver her usual report, she froze at the sight before her.
Powerful waves of magical energy filled the entire hall, every inch of the air saturated with swirling purple light. The mana pulsed like a living thing, pressing against Siduri's skin and flooding her vision.
If not for the temple's walls—constructed from materials capable of blocking extreme magical output—the entire city of Uruk would already be in chaos.
At the center of it all stood Ophis. Her black robes were traced with glowing crimson patterns, her eyes shut tight. Golden-black armor gleamed faintly around her hands and feet. Beneath her feet, an immense purple magic circle rotated slowly, its center marked with a symbol of infinity—Ophis's own sigil, the serpent devouring its tail.
"My king… what is happening?"
Though Ophis's current form was unfamiliar, Siduri still recognized what she was seeing.
──A Mythological Mystic Code.
Not merely a high-grade weapon or Noble Phantasm, but a manifestation of divinity itself—armament born from a god's essence. Such relics were exceedingly rare, even in the Age of Gods. Most served a defensive purpose, and their activation signaled that something far beyond mortal scale was at stake.
From the overwhelming divine pressure radiating from Ophis, Siduri instantly understood the gravity of this state—yet she couldn't comprehend the reason.
Why would Ophis activate her Mythological Mystic Code now? Surely a missing child in the western district wasn't enough to justify such power.
"Siduri, is it…?"
Before Siduri could finish her question, the magic circle beneath Ophis sank slowly into the stone floor, vanishing from sight.
When Ophis opened her eyes, Siduri involuntarily gasped.
Those dull gray pupils now shone with radiant silver light.
The eyes of divinity.
Mystic Eyes belonging to gods alone.
"Siduri. How are those people?"
Instead of answering the question forming on Siduri's lips, Ophis's voice cut straight to the point.
"The guests from Chaldea possess truly remarkable abilities…"
Siduri began carefully, but Ophis interrupted almost at once.
"I have no interest in empty praise. Compared to our frontline Servants—how strong are they?"
The glow in those eyes was so sharp that Siduri instinctively lowered her head.
"Well… neither Lady Lily nor Lady Mash can yet match the likes of Lady Altera or the others."
Then, almost as if surprising herself, Siduri looked up again, her tone firming.
"But I believe their true potential far exceeds what we've seen. And with Lady Ritsuka's command and support, they could stand shoulder to shoulder with our best."
Ophis listened silently, then gave a single nod. The suffocating pressure that filled the temple began to fade.
"That will suffice. Send them south into the jungle to investigate. Have Merlin accompany them as well… If he's nowhere to be found, don't bother. He'll wander over on his own soon enough."
"Understo—"
Siduri bowed, but before she could finish, the sound of running footsteps echoed through the temple.
"My King!"
Siduri frowned—not at the interruption itself, but because no soldier would ever enter this hall unannounced. For one to do so meant a true emergency.
The armored man stumbled to his knees, chest heaving, but his report came out without hesitation.
"Reporting! A woman identifying herself as Quetzalcoatl has torn down the southern wall with her bare hands and broken into Uruk through the southern gate! She's advancing toward the temple as we speak! Our reserve troops are insufficient due to the demonic beast frontlines. My king, please retreat temporarily—we'll eliminate the intruder at any cost!"
Ophis's brow furrowed.
Because of her preparations earlier, she had lowered her vigilance slightly—and now someone had slipped through the barrier.
Siduri's heart tightened. She bowed deeply.
"My King, please leave this to our soldiers—"
But before she could finish, another soldier burst in, dropping to his knees beside the first.
"My King… forgive us. We failed to stop her."
"Explain."
Ophis sat down calmly, her face unreadable.
"Yes! We formed defensive formations and resisted with all our strength. Reinforcements arrived, but Quetzalcoatl's power was overwhelming—we couldn't hold. However, after killing exactly three hundred soldiers, she suddenly ceased her attack."
"…Anything else?"
Siduri's voice was quiet, cautious.
"Yes, one more thing. She declared that tomorrow morning, at the same hour, she will return to kill another three hundred people—and continue each day until everyone in Uruk is dead. The bodies of the fallen have already been taken by what we believe to be her subordinates."
"…"
A heavy silence fell over the temple.
"My King?"
Siduri's eyes widened as Ophis tightened her grip on her staff. Violet light flared at its tip as she thrust it skyward.
The roaring mana column didn't tear through the roof; instead, it was instantly caught by a sigil above, channeled into the highest spire of the temple.
There, it condensed into a blinding violet sun—then streaked away like a comet toward the southern jungle.
Moments later, the air shook with a thunderous shockwave, the force reverberating even through the temple floor.
Only then did Ophis lower her staff.
"The ones from Chaldea should be arriving right about now."
And as if in answer to her words, the temple doors creaked open—revealing the slightly disheveled Chaldea trio, plus Merlin and Ana, standing awkwardly at the threshold.
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