"Oh?"
Standing again on his wyvern's back, Kingu gazed toward Uruk's northern wall with mild interest.
Right now, the first wave of demonic beasts was still a few minutes from reaching the north wall, yet Uruk had already made its move.
About two hundred heavily-armored cavalrymen surged out swiftly from the main gate, forming up in formation with their backs to the city wall.
And the most conspicuous among them was undoubtedly a certain chariot, standing out even more glaringly than these heavy cavalry who shouldn't even exist in this era.
Meanwhile, the defenders on the northern wall itself seemed to have taken the wrong medicine, gathering their forces outside the walls as well.
"I see now..."
Kingu smiled faintly.
"With horses like those…it'll be troublesome. I can't exactly control these beasts with finesse, nor can I easily cluster them to stop a cavalry charge..."
Once more he leapt from the wyvern, muttering softly to himself.
"In that case, I suppose I'll handle things personally."
...
Ritsuka swallowed nervously, eyeing the rapidly approaching horde, her mind drifting back to the conversation she'd just had with Ophis.
"Eh, m-me?"
Upon hearing Jeanne call her name, Lily let out an adorably confused squeak.
"Yes. Given the unpredictability of combat, splitting into two units is ideal... Although these warriors each have their own commanders, they've only ever undergone basic training and simulations. They lack real mounted combat experience, so it's better for someone experienced in this area to guide them."
Jeanne nodded calmly, explaining her rationale.
Indeed, it was the first time deploying this unit in real combat—so it felt rather rushed. But there was no choice: once the enemy learned of these tactics, they'd soon develop specialized beasts to counter cavalry. Ophis could only strike at the perfect moment for maximum effect.
On Lily's side, despite her initial stunned reaction, she understood exactly why Jeanne had chosen her.
King Arthur's name was famous worldwide, yet Artoria Pendragon had an even more resounding title in this world: the King of Knights.
While the title "King of Knights" hadn't originated from any exceptional skill at leading cavalry—rather, other factors had earned her that name—if she couldn't command knights effectively after bearing such a title, she might as well remove her skirt in disgrace right now.
However…
Lily lowered her head awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, but… while I do possess knowledge about commanding cavalry, I have no real experience. Right now, I'm not truly the King of Knights—just an inexperienced, half-baked knight."
The Lily summoned here represented Artoria's younger years. While she possessed memories of future events, these were merely images and scenes like a movie in her head.
No matter how many war movies you watched, without real battlefield experience, your knowledge was mere paper talk.
At present, Lily didn't possess any innate leadership skills.
Yet despite her earlier uncertainty, Lily quickly resolved herself and raised her head firmly.
"If Jeanne-san is still willing to believe in someone like me, then I certainly won't hold back my strength!"
At this, Jeanne smiled warmly.
"Of course!"
After all, back when Jeanne herself had first led an army, forget experience—she hadn't even had knowledge! Yet she'd stubbornly pushed (rushed) her way through anyway.
Thus proving: in medieval Europe, when it came to warfare, charging recklessly was good enough!
Now wasn't medieval Europe, true, but the combat methods were even simpler—so recklessness still sufficed.
Compared to her former self, Lily was more than adequate.
At that moment, Altera and Arjuna approached, and Arjuna swiftly reported.
"The demonic beast horde will arrive in about ten minutes. From my observation, they're gathering another wave inside the forest—and it'll be more than three times larger than the first!"
"Thirty thousand, hm..."
Ophis nodded quietly.
Then, roughly sixty thousand would remain within the cedar forest itself. Their odds of successfully reaching the Beast Goddess would correspondingly rise.
"But…isn't openly breaking through like this going to attract more demonic beasts to surround us?"
Ritsuka voiced the persistent doubt that had been bothering her.
Even if beasts lacked intelligence, wouldn't the fake Enkidu make every effort to prevent their easy approach toward the Beast Goddess?
"Don't worry."
Yet Ophis shook her head calmly.
"If my guess is correct, once you break through the northern wall's encirclement and enter the cedar forest, you won't encounter organized beasts again unless you stir up trouble yourselves."
"Then…what if you're wrong?" Ritsuka asked, lips twitching slightly.
"I'll avenge you properly," Ophis responded earnestly.
"I…see. Well, thank you, I suppose?"
Seeing Ophis completely serious, Ritsuka sighed.
Ophis's speculation wasn't without reason.
Allowing this stalemate to drag on wasn't beneficial; Kingu also likely desired a breakthrough.
Due to internal conflicts, Kingu couldn't openly strike first. However, if a scenario emerged where Ophis was pinned down, thus enabling them to slip through, Kingu likely wouldn't order beasts to pursue.
But still...
As the group returned to the walls, Ophis turned toward Merlin.
"The fusion is complete, yes? Send him out. Hold back Enkidu."
Given Kingu's conflicted mindset, he might justify not sending beasts by dismissing their effectiveness—but if Kingu himself wasn't occupied…
Considering the body belonged to Enkidu, even Ophis might need careful consideration before exacting revenge.
"I'll take care of it."
Merlin seemed genuinely serious now—though perhaps he had always been, hidden beneath a carefree facade.
"Arjuna covers from the wall; Jeanne's first cavalry unit opens the breach; Lily's second unit escorts Chaldea into the forest."
Ophis quickly assigned everyone's tasks.
"As insurance, Uruk's troops will tie down beasts after your breakthrough, preventing reinforcement—and possibly luring more beasts out. Altera, stall the beasts initially until Uruk's formation stabilizes...then assist with Enkidu."
"I'll borrow Ishtar, who's busy extorting soldiers over there. As for Quetz…"
Hearing her name, Quetzalcoatl tilted her head inquisitively.
"I was going to mention earlier—I was supposed to stay at the northern wall, throwing Marduk's Axe after Merlin gave the signal. But I don't mind fighting Kingu too, you know?"
"No," Ophis firmly declined.
"Ishtar stays beside me. Chaldea's combat strength alone might be insufficient—if you accompany them, it's safer. Due to the alliance terms, you can't directly attack—but you can protect them if needed, correct? As for Marduk's Axe…"
Ophis abruptly vanished, reappearing seconds later with the enormous axe previously strapped onto Quetzal's pet pterosaur.
With a grunt, Ophis placed it atop one of the Dingir cannon batteries, drawing speechless stares from everyone.
"This works. When Merlin gives the signal, fire using this. Merlin's staff already provides targeting coordinates, so accuracy won't be an issue."
"Ah, perfect! I much prefer spending more time with Master, anyway!"
"Ehh—!?"
Quetzal laughed cheerfully, pulling Ritsuka into a crushing hug.
"Then…I'm counting on you."
Ignoring that scene completely, Ophis spoke softly.
"May fortune favor you all."