As the three Beast Vassals charged straight into the ranks of the Laḫmu, the tide of battle finally began to shift.
"Roar!"
The thunderclad lion bellowed, its body turning into pure lightning. Wherever it passed, the air itself trembled, bursting apart with crackling detonations as tens of thousands of bolts of thunder wrapped around the Laḫmu, scorching them into ash.
"Neigh!"
The two-horned steed galloped furiously, racing across the skies of the battlefield, releasing shockwaves that stirred raging gales, shredding the Laḫmu one after another.
"Shriek!"
Even the man-faced, lion-bodied, scorpion-tailed beast roared within its violet flames, the toxic miasma radiating from its body spreading across the field. The Laḫmu caught within convulsed violently, only to melt away into sludge.
The three Beast Vassals slaughtered without pause, finally inflicting true casualties upon the enemy.
At the same time, Altera and Ishtar also dove into the fray.
"How unfortunate—there are no helpless humans here for you to rampage on. You'll vanish right here!"
Ishtar directed Maanna in a sweeping arc, gathering beams of light and scattering them like falling blossoms.
Each impact blasted Laḫmu into the air, scattering them like insects before her radiance.
Altera, unlike Ishtar, did not unleash wide explosions. She became white lightning itself, dashing back and forth across the battlefield.
Her Sword of the War God was wreathed in destructive energy, turning it into the deadliest weapon in existence. With each swing, she cleaved apart Laḫmu that no dragon or fiend had been able to slay, felling them instantly.
The combined might of two Servants and three Beast Vassals lit a beacon of hope for humanity—they could win.
"Divine Authority Seals! Fire!"
At a commander's order, soldiers upon the walls smashed the lapis lazuli bases of their Divine Authority Seals, unleashing mana. Countless beams shot forth, raining down upon the battlefield.
The volley was devastating.
For these were no ordinary shells or arrows, but Noble Phantasms from Gilgamesh's treasury.
Each one carried immense might, and unleashed in a coordinated barrage, their destructive power rivaled the greatest Anti-Army Noble Phantasms. Their impact was undeniable.
And as Uruk's soldiers rallied with renewed morale, Rozen's army of familiars followed suit. They howled and surged forth, abandoning all defense, attacking as relentlessly as the Laḫmu themselves.
After all, they were Rozen's familiars—wounds could be healed with mana, and even destruction was not true death. They would merely return to Rozen's soul, awaiting the next summoning.
If the enemy fought without regard for life, then to hesitate now would be laughable.
The familiars went berserk, some striking even after being skewered, others dragging enemies into mutual destruction.
How could mere thousands of Laḫmu stand against hundreds of thousands of beasts?
Minutes later, every Laḫmu that had rushed Uruk was annihilated.
But then—
"Qkde qkde! G@'fffffffffffffff!"
"Qkde qkde! G@'fffffffffffffff!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
From across the plain, more Laḫmu poured forth.
They showed no fear, only gaping maws and hideous laughter, as if mocking humanity's futile efforts—mocking them to the core.
"I have to say, I'm pissed off now."
Ishtar ground her teeth in fury.
"..."
Altera said nothing, but her face grew even colder.
Even Rozen had his patience worn thin by their screeching voices and grating laughter.
If there were truly a hundred million of these monsters, Rozen felt his own sanity might collapse before the end.
"This really will never end…"
Forcing himself calm, Rozen began to think.
With his mana and power, summoning armies numbering in the hundreds of millions was possible. But the enemy was still multiplying. As long as Tiamat, the Beast of Creation, remained in the Black Sea, Laḫmu would continue to be born.
Rozen wasn't afraid of attrition. If Tiamat could spawn endless Laḫmu, he could summon endless familiars. Neither side would yield.
But unlike Tiamat, Rozen also had to defend Uruk—hundreds of thousands of lives within its walls. If two armies numbering in the hundreds of millions clashed, he would not have the strength left to protect the civilians.
Even if just a fraction broke through—say, one in ten thousand—that would mean over ten thousand Laḫmu rampaging inside Uruk. In mere minutes, every citizen would be slaughtered.
Defense was always harder than offense. They couldn't remain on the back foot forever.
With that realization, Rozen made his decision.
"Come!"
At his call, multiple figures appeared before him.
"""""Master!"""""
They knelt upon one knee.
Altera said nothing, but Ishtar and the Chaldea staff were stunned.
For from these figures radiated mana on par with top-class Servants—some even of the highest rank.
They were none other than the great leaders of Hyakki Yagyo: Shuten Doji, Tamamo-no-Mae, Emperor Sutoku, Otakemaru, Suzuka Gozen, Momiji, Nurarihyon, and Ibaraki Doji.
"Hold this line. Don't let a single one through. If the other gates falter, move to reinforce them at once."
Rozen's order was absolute.
"""""As you command!"""""
The yokai accepted without hesitation.
Relieved, Rozen left behind the Hyakki Yagyo and his army of familiars, his own body transforming into a streak of light that shot across the sky.
Seeing him depart, Altera dissolved into mist, shifting into Spirit Form to follow.
"W-Wait! Where are you going!?"
Ishtar finally reacted, hastily urging Maanna to pursue them.
Without looking back, Rozen replied:
"While Uruk still holds strong, while the pressure remains manageable—we'll strike at the source."
His words made Ishtar's expression harden.
Of course she understood what he meant.
"You intend to—"
Ishtar's eyes locked onto him.
"That's right."
Rozen nodded, his gaze fixed upon the horizon, as though he could already see the Black Sea beyond.
"We're going to face the Mother of Creation."