Sweeping the Battlefield

Black Lancer Artoria to help Nitocris guard the city in the Underworld. The city there had the fewest defenses, and even with the Underworld's legions, it would be difficult to stop the Reincarnation of the Eleven Children and the massive beast tide. However, before riding away, she left her Holy Lance behind because she was worried that there wouldn't be enough troops there. As a goddess, she could fight even without the Holy Lance. Quetzalcoatl, Artoria hurriedly returned to guard Ur. A third of the population there had not yet been relocated, and moreover, the soldiers of Ur had recently been transferred to Uruk, so the situation there must be even worse now.

It can be said that this sudden catastrophe dealt an even more severe blow to the remaining human race in Mesopotamia.

"So these guys really did come from the Primordial Sea, Merlin?"

"I'm sorry, Rovey, I can't answer that question either, but there's no doubt that these Eleven Children are inextricably linked to Tiamat. Similarly, this result was something neither my Clairvoyance nor Gilgamesh's Star of Omniscience could have predicted." Merlin let out a soft sigh.

"But everyone knows their purpose—to slaughter all humanity."

As they walked, Rovey and Merlin exchanged information, while Leonidas also reported on the battle situation.

"In the six minutes of fighting just now, the death toll reached 723. Those breaches outside and the scratches on the city walls were all caused by Demonic Beast. In other words, just one surprise attack has resulted in the loss of so many brave warriors. It's truly..."

Listening to Leonidas's words, Rovey looked at the land outside covered in blood and bones. In just five minutes, the defense against one wave of attacks had cost hundreds of lives. Without them, the entire north would have fallen in an instant.

"Tell me where your Scathach is, and the locations of the other Eleven Children, Merlin."

Rovey stated directly, "I'll handle the rest."

"Are you going to wipe out all the Demonic Beast by yourself?"

Isn't it obvious?

"Oh, those are some cool words." Merlin shook his head upon hearing this, and then said, "I don't know. Scáthach is quite far from here, and those two Eleven Children are no match for her, so you can rest assured. However, the other Eleven Children are also quite far from here, and it won't be easy to catch them. Moreover, when you leave here, there's a high chance that even more Demonic Beast will emerge. I think it's better to deal with the current situation first."

"..."

Rovey did not reply, but stared intently at the endless battlefield ahead and the approaching tide of beasts.

This is not part of the plot in Chapter 7. The only thing that can be thought of is that some of my actions have caused some entirely new events in the Absolute Demonic Front that even King Gilgamesh could not have foreseen.

"Sigh, although it might not be appropriate for me to say it, but..."

Merlin narrowed his eyes, observing Rovey's thoughtful expression, and said, "Rovey, please don't take all the blame upon yourself, and don't complain too much about yourself. After all, these things have nothing to do with you. I know the resentment you feel right now. But do you think these Demonic Beast wouldn't have come if it weren't for your affair with Tiamat? It was just a matter of time. So, this calamity has nothing to do with you. Even Gilgamesh knew this long ago."

"Everyone is fighting for this now, instead of shirking responsibility and wallowing in self-pity... and no one will blame you for it."

Merlin spoke words of comfort, which surprised Anna, who was standing nearby.

Leonidas, who was standing nearby, spoke up at this moment, "Although I don't know the situation very well, there's no need to blame yourself. As Servant has fought in this city for a long time, I am well aware of the differences in Uruk. It is an irreplaceable city of glory."

"Despite facing countless Demonic Beast every day, despite the attacks of the goddess, and despite the vast disparity in strength, Gilgamesh, myself, and all the people of Uruk firmly believe in one thing—"

"Humanity will ultimately prevail, and Uru will stand forever!"

"..."

Although he was depicted as a tall, muscular warrior, Leonidas, when he uttered these words, radiated a unique brilliance that rivaled that of any wise man.

"Haha, I've said a bit too much, but that's what everyone means, so don't overthink it. Let's fight together and overcome this together!"

After saying what was on his mind, Leonidas went back to the front lines to take command.

Only Rovey, still deep in thought, remained, along with Merlin and Anna.

Merlin exclaimed, "This is truly remarkable! The will and brilliance of humanity are indeed the most wondrous things. It seems I'll have to work a little harder from now on. And you, Rovey, have you had any insights?"

"Reflections..."

Hearing Merlin's question in his ear, Rovey laughed and spoke softly.

"Isn't it right in front of us?"

As he finished speaking, his hand slowly clenched into a fist, and an extremely dazzling yellow light, along with a small, circular Light Wheel, rose slowly behind him.

"I'll be right back."

He turned his head and looked at the distant horde of Demonic Beast.

Chapter 263 Sweeping the Battlefield

Soon, the second wave of beasts arrived.

Standing on the northern city wall and looking outwards, the scene below was more chaotic than any battlefield I had ever seen before.

Everywhere you look, without exception, is filled with traces of blood and distortion.

As the sun gradually rose, revealing a faint red glow in the sky, blood of two different colors, red and black, continued to bloom. The streaks that pierced the sky were not shooting stars, but cannonballs burning with magic. All that echoed in the air were the roars of Demonic Beast and the angry battle cries of people.

At this moment, the entire battlefield of Uruk was roughly divided into three parts: the north, the south, and the front. The beast tides facing the three directions surged in like a flood, intending to crush this city that had resisted so stubbornly for so long. Meanwhile, on the other side, a few flying creatures were able to cross the defense line and reach Uruk directly. Counterbalancing them were the archers on the watchtowers, who wanted to take Uruk down in front of them as quickly as possible.

This time, the Demonic Beast didn't have the more obvious purpose they had before. All they wanted was to kill all humans and destroy Uruk. So, no matter where they were, soldiers on high ground were no different from those on the front lines. As long as they were on this battlefield, they could be attacked by various Demonic Beast at any time.

——

The direction of the Uruk city gate.

"It's here! The flying Demonic Beast is coming again! Fire! Fire the arrows now!!"

"Yes, sir! Launch a new counterattack immediately!!"

Swish swish—!!!

After a loud shout, the soldiers once again nocked their arrows, and then, after countless draws and releases, a dense barrage of sharp arrows pierced the night, straight through the wings of numerous flying Demonic Beast in the night sky.

"Roar!!!"

Screams echoed through the night sky as a dense rain of arrows pierced the Demonic Beast's body, leaving numerous horrifying wounds. Countless drops of bright red liquid flowed from these wounds, trickling down in the direction the arrows fell, creating a blood rain of Demonic Beast blood that stained the warriors' bodies and everything beneath their feet.

"Gah!!!"

Witnessing the deaths of their comrades and the flow of blood did not halt the Demonic Beast' advance. Rather, they felt no fear or cowardice; their sole purpose was to follow the Eleven Children's lead and exact revenge on the humans of the land. Death was meaningless to these numb, mindless monsters. So, after a few Demonic Beast used the corpses of their fallen comrades to deflect arrows from the night sky, they continued their charge towards the watchtower in front of the city gate.

"We can't stop them! We simply can't stop them!!"

"What do we do now?! Where are the reinforcements?!"

Some soldiers cried out in anxiety.

Based on the current situation, it is predicted that the defenses deployed around the main city gate alone will hardly be able to withstand the onslaught of the Demonic Beast.

After all, this is the entrance and exit of Uruk. Although it is heavily guarded, it is not the two major battlefields that protect Uruk in the north and south. Although they have encountered Demonic Beast here before, they have always been small groups. This is the first time they have encountered such an overwhelming beast tide, so they were caught off guard and even numb.

"We have to stop them, even if we can't! Uruk is just behind us, we absolutely can't let them get past—ah!!"

The soldier, who was struggling to direct a small defensive force, hadn't even finished speaking when he gripped his bow and arrows and continued firing. Before he could react, the giant bird hidden in the sky suddenly swooped down, piercing his body with its sharp beak. Then, to his astonishment, it carried his corpse into the sky, where it vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Cough cough... Damn it...!!"

After a period of intense pain, he felt his body being pierced, blood gushing out, life slipping away, and even his consciousness becoming blurred.

However, even after being carried into the sky by the strange bird, the soldier still gripped the arrow tightly in his hand, then used it as a sharp dagger and plunged it into the bird's eye.

"Gahh..."

With its eyeballs pierced by a sharp blade, the strange bird lost its vision and cried out in agony. Then, its massive body fell uncontrollably to the ground, becoming an imperceptible speck of dust on the battlefield along with the soldier it had pierced.

"Shoot an arrow!!"

Although the sacrifice of their comrades before their eyes was extremely painful, there was no time for anyone to mourn. For soldiers who had experienced life and death separations time and time again, such things were obviously already the norm. Now, it was no longer surprising for anything to fall from the sky, even the head of their comrades.

"Next one, keep pushing!"

Another soldier took over command. One fell, another took his place, and in just a few seconds, a completely new person replaced him, continuing to hold the position. Although the soldiers changed hands repeatedly in just a few minutes, there was no confusion or wavering in their eyes. For the warriors of Uruk, death was already a thing of the past, and—soon they would be able to reunite in the Underworld.

"Arrows alone are not enough!"

"They're getting closer and closer to the city gate. Send men out immediately to form a battle formation to hold them off!"

"Yes, sir!!"

As soon as the order was given, a battle formation of dozens of men jumped down from the city wall without hesitation using the ropes that had been set up. In the gap between the Demonic Beast reaching the main gate, they arrived at the main gate, raised their spears and round shields, and formed a Sparta battle formation. They then slowly advanced, heading straight to meet the fierce onslaught of the monster horde.

Unlike the ordinary soldiers of Uruk, they were trained by Leonidas, the elite of the elite, and even more so, they were Age of Gods warriors who had surpassed their limits and completed Sparta training. At this moment, they were also an impregnable human defense line.

So even when facing the raging beast tide at close range, their military formation did not waver, and everyone stubbornly persisted in their steps.

The first wave of impact arrived instantly, accompanied by a piercing sound that sent chills down one's spine.

"Thump thump thump—!!!"

With a constant roar, feeling the pressure, and hearing the shields and bones humming under the weight, these warriors who had inherited the name of Sparta gritted their teeth and simultaneously thrust their spears through the gaps in their shields, killing dozens of Demonic Beasts.

"Continue!"

The Sparta formation shifted, and the warriors suddenly raised their shields, deflecting the claws of several crimson Demonic Beast that tried to tear them apart. Then, seizing the opportunity, the warriors pierced the Demonic Beast' most vulnerable parts—their bellies—once again, completing the second round of defense.

There were six military formations, each consisting of fifty men, with a total of three hundred men per formation. These three hundred warriors, bearing the name of the New Spartan Warriors, guarded the main gate, defending this important defensive line that led to the city of Uruk.

Like true Sparta warriors, they used their own bodies as a barrier to hold back the flood, and their weapons as gears to keep them afloat. Although they were teetering on the brink of collapse, they miraculously managed to keep going.

However, the difference in numbers was still too great. Faced with tens of thousands of Demonic Beasts, a defense line of only a few hundred or a few thousand people was ultimately insufficient to completely hold them off. Human strength has its limits, and when the warriors were exhausted, that would also be the time when they died.

"Roar!!"

"Awoooooo!!!"

Clearly noticing this sudden appearance of the battle formation that was blocking the advance of the beast tide, the Demonic Beast on the battlefield turned their rage on the humans behind the round shields. They bared their ferocious fangs and continued to charge with their sharp claws, trying to kill all of these humans on the spot.

As the number of Demonic Beast increased and their impact grew stronger, the once-solid battle formation began to falter under the relentless onslaught of the Demonic Beast torrent. Soon, Demonic Beast seized an opening, leaping high into the air and launching a fierce attack from above. Taking advantage of the soldiers' defensive stance, the monsters pounced down and bit off most of one soldier's shoulder.

"Aaaaaah! Damn it—!!"

A shrill, defiant scream rang out as his body was torn apart, rendering him incapacitated. The soldier, his eyes filled with resentment, fell to his death. His comrade, who had been supporting him, dropped his spear and immediately took the shield from his hand, beginning to maintain the battle formation with both hands. However, the demonic beasts, having figured out how to break the Demonic Beast, would not let them go. Soon, more and more Demonic Beast trampled over their comrades' bodies and pounced down from above, intending to completely destroy the battle formation.

Swish, swish, swish!!!

However, at this critical moment, accompanied by a series of ear-piercing whistles, blood-stained spears were kicked rapidly from the city wall, piercing through the Demonic Beast like fierce arrows and temporarily saving them from their desperate situation. Then, a nimble, petite figure stepped across the battlefield using the spears she had thrown, landing on the warriors' battle formation. She then drew her longsword and swiftly cleared away the surrounding enemies.

"Ushiwakamaru- sama!!"

Upon seeing that petite and graceful figure, the soldiers in the battle formation cried out in delight.

"Yes, it's me. You guys evacuate first. Leave the rest to me. I'll cover your retreat."

Ushiwakamaru nodded slightly and then said this. He then leaped high into the air, grabbed a spear stuck in the battlefield, and used his powerful legs and agile movements to turn several more Demonic Beast into corpses. Finally, he spun and fell in mid-air.

"Snap—!!"

That was the sound of bones breaking. Another Demonic Beast that had tried to ambush her had its head pierced through by her blade and fell to the ground.

"What a disgusting enemy. It's less of a war between people and more of a primitive slaughter—am I right, Benkei?"

Releasing the spear he was holding, Ushiwakamaru swung the long sword in his other hand, severing another Demonic Beast in two. He then glanced at the dark brown figure that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, his expression complex.

"I never expected you to show up again, Benkei."

She simply asked a question without showing much dissatisfaction, nor did she question him about where he had gone when Gorgon arrived. Ushiwakamaru continued as before, seemingly not caring at all.

Benkei, understanding this, lowered his head and answered while simultaneously fending off the Demonic Beast.

"I'm sorry, Ushiwakamaru. I backed down again during the day because of fear."

Swinging his weapon, Benkei killed several Demonic Beasts that were attacking him. This time, he did not run away.

"Hmm? Then why did you come back?"

Hearing his answer, Ushiwakamaru wasn't surprised, since it was the same as in the past, but she was still curious.

She was curious as to why Benkei had returned.

"Because of Ms. Merry, she found me hiding in the alleys of Uruk, told me what had happened here, and encouraged me not to do anything I would regret, so I came..."

Upon hearing Ushiwakamaru's question, Benkei, standing behind him, solemnly replied, "Actually, I had already figured it out when I retreated during the day—after seeing and learning about Leonidas's selfless act of using his body to block Gorgon's advance, and Ibaraki-dōji's release of his Noble Phantasm, showing that even as a demon he did not desert in the face of battle, I was already deeply ashamed. But... these are not what touched me the most."

"Oh, so why did you come back?"

After cutting down several pursuing Demonic Beast with her sword, Ushiwakamaru leaped behind Benkei. The two stood on either side, each holding their weapons, bracing themselves for the surging wave of Demonic Beast. She asked casually, her tone utterly calm, as if she didn't care about the reason behind it.

"They were humans, they were those warriors..."

Back to back, Benkei didn't turn around, nor did he see Ushiwakamaru's expression. He gripped his long sword tightly and continued to fight off the Demonic Beast, while simultaneously uttering the answer in his heart.

"Soldiers?"

Ushiwakamaru was somewhat surprised by this.

"That's right, it was those valiant warriors who inspired me. If it were just Leonidas, Ibaraki-dōji, and other beings who far surpass me in every way, I would only feel ashamed and embarrassed, lamenting my own cowardice. But what truly made me make my decision were those humans..."

On the chaotic battlefield, the two stood back to back, wielding their weapons in coordination and fighting.

Because they are Servant, their physique and martial arts skills are far superior to those of ordinary humans. Not to mention that they are heroes who have fought countless battles and are worthy of being named on the Throne of Heroes. Therefore, the battlefield in front of the city gate, which originally required hundreds of people to hold, was cleared by the two of them.

While fighting, Benkei shared his inner thoughts and feelings.