Sweeping the Battlefield

The soldiers were able to hold them off largely because Scáthach single-handedly dragged the two Eleven Children away, taking them far away to prevent the fighting from affecting this area.

Merry and Ushiwakamaru set up defenses at the main gate of Uruk.

In the southern front, Demonic Beast and even Gilgamesh himself came out of the palace to activate the King's Cannon to resist.

It's fair to say that the entire Uruk is in complete chaos at this moment.

However, Uruk was not the only city facing this dire situation; the city of Ur in the Underworld, ruled by the Quetzalcoatl, was also under attack, forcing them to divide their forces.

Black Lancer Artoria to help Nitocris guard the city in the Underworld, where defenses were the least developed. Even with the Underworld's legions, it would be difficult to withstand the Reincarnation of the Eleven Children and the massive beast tide. However, before riding away, worried about insufficient troops, she left her Holy Lance behind. As a goddess, she could fight even without the Holy Lance. Quetzalcoatl and Artoria rushed back to guard Ur, where a third of the population had not yet been relocated. Moreover, Ur's soldiers 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 throughout 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 goal—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, we lost so many brave warriors in just one surprise attack. It's truly..."

Listening to Leonidas's words, Rovey looked at the land outside covered in blood and bones. In just five minutes, a wave of attacks had been held back, but behind it lay 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, 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 away, and capturing them won't be easy. 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 Seven. 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, standing nearby, spoke up at this moment, "Although I don't know the full story, there's no need to blame yourself. As Servant has fought in this city for a long time, I am well aware of the uniqueness of 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?"

"A realization..."

Hearing Merlin's question, Rovey smiled 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 could see was invariably filled with traces of bloodshed 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. The only sounds echoing in the air were the roars of Demonic Beast and the angry battle cries of the 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. Anyone on this battlefield was at risk of being attacked by Demonic Beast at any time.

--

The direction of the Uruk city gate.

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

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

Swish 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, striking 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 gruesome 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 companions and the flow of blood did not stop these Demonic Beasts from their attack. In fact, they felt no fear or cowardice whatsoever. Their sole purpose was to follow the Eleven Children's lead and take revenge on the humans on the earth. Death was nothing but empty talk to these numb, mindless monsters. So, after a few Demonic Beast used the corpses of their companions to block the arrows in the night sky, they continued to 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 alarm.

Based on the current situation, it is predicted that the defenses deployed around the main city gate alone will be insufficient 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, a giant, monstrous 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 burst of intense pain, he felt his body being pierced, blood gushing out, life slipping away, and finally, his consciousness fading.

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.

"Gah--!!!"

With its eyeballs pierced by a sharp blade, the strange bird lost its vision and screamed in agony. Then, its massive body fell uncontrollably to the ground, taking the soldier it had pierced with it with it into the undetectable dust of the battlefield.

"Shoot an arrow!!"

Although witnessing the sacrifice of their comrades 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 commonplace. Now, it was no longer surprising for anything to fall from the sky, not 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 line. 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 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 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—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, using their weapons as gears to keep things afloat. Although they were on the verge of collapse, they miraculously managed to hold on.

However, the numerical disparity 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, swinging 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 crumble 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.

"Ugh! 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, supporting him, dropped his spear and immediately took the shield from his hands, 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, swarming down from above, intending to completely destroy the battle formation.

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 helping them temporarily escape their desperate situation. Then, a nimble and petite figure stepped on the spears she had thrown and darted across the battlefield, landing on the battle formation formed by these warriors. Immediately afterwards, she drew her long sword and quickly cleared away the surrounding enemies for them.

"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 cracking; 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 a war between people and more like a primitive slaughter—am I right, Benkei?"

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

"I really didn't expect you to show up, 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 continuing to fight 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 already understood when I retreated during the day—after witnessing and learning of Leonidas's selfless act of using his body to block Gorgon's advance, and Ibaraki-dōji's unleashing of his Noble Phantasm, showing that even as a demon he did not desert, I already felt extremely ashamed. But... these are not what touched me the most."

"Oh, so why did you come back?"

After cutting down the pursuing Demonic Beast with her sword, Ushiwakamaru leaped behind Benkei. The two stood on either side, each holding their weapons, ready to face the surging tide of Demonic Beast. She asked casually, her tone incredibly calm, as if she didn't care about the reason.

"It was humans, it was 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.