Due to the abnormal state of the Singularity, Uruk's gates weren't left open at all times. They operated on a fixed schedule, with gate guards inspecting anyone entering or leaving the city.
Outside of these designated times, the gates remained closed—entry and exit permitted only with a seal from the king or the High Priestess.
This was a special precaution to counter the occasional magical beast that managed to slip past the northern front and head straight for Uruk.
It was dusk now. The gate guards waited as usual for the order to open the gates, ready to receive troops rotating back from the northern frontlines to rest inside the city.
But then, without any warning, the gates came under attack. A woman who called herself Quetzalcoatl smashed through the heavy doors with her bare hands and entered the city alone, overwhelming the defending soldiers without resistance.
Nearly a hundred soldiers lay unconscious or worse in her wake.
"Alright! Uno! Dos! Tres!"
Like slicing through vegetables, Quetzalcoatl effortlessly took down one soldier after another. The guard captain quickly organized his men into a spear formation to block her advance toward the Tower of the Gods.
"It's no use! Get back!"
Olga Marie's voice rang out from behind them, trying to stop the futile resistance.
At that moment, Quetzalcoatl leapt into the air with a jump no human could hope to match. The trained soldiers instantly realized—they weren't dealing with a normal enemy.
She hurled the bodies of fallen soldiers at the formation. The sight of their comrades thrown like rag dolls dealt a heavy blow to the defenders' morale.
The front line instinctively raised their shields and weapons to guard themselves, but Quetzalcoatl's downward strike didn't land directly.
The magical barrier they'd conjured barely held against the impact, but cracks had already begun to spread. Quetzalcoatl blinked in surprise, then grinned, licking her lips with growing excitement as she put more force into her legs.
The moment the barrier shattered, a battering ram struck her in the abdomen. Her body was thrown off course and crashed into a nearby house, sending dust and rubble flying.
"We hit her!" Add shouted with sharp enthusiasm.
But Gray wasn't convinced. She'd definitely landed the blow—but she didn't feel like she'd dealt real damage.
Sure enough, Quetzalcoatl rose from the dust cloud, completely unharmed. She let out a cheerful, satisfied laugh.
"Sixty points! That's some serious strength. Even among humans, you're top-tier! I can feel it—you've got a dragon's aura!"
It was the new power Gray had acquired during the Sixth Singularity, when her existence had resonated uncontrollably with the Lion King. After undergoing the inheritance ceremony, her body had become even closer to Artoria's, awakening what was known as the Dragon Factor.
That power still remained within her. Simply by breathing, she could produce mana continuously—an overwhelming advantage in this Age of Gods.
After ten days of battles within the Singularity, Gray had come to rely on this power with growing confidence, believing she could truly protect the people around her.
But Quetzalcoatl had not only seen through it—she was growing even more fired up, and that sudden surge of bloodlust made Gray feel a sense of dread.
"Everyone, fall back! We'll hold the line here!" she called urgently to the soldiers behind her.
"Understood! We're leaving it to you two, honored guests from afar!"
The lead soldier knew full well that Quetzalcoatl was an opponent far beyond their ability to handle. Staying would only distract the foreign fighters who had come to defend Uruk.
"Hm, so... according to the rules, are substitutions allowed, or not?" Quetzalcoatl tilted her head, treating the skirmish like a tournament. "Personally, I'd say no... but if it makes the match more exciting, then I'm all for it!"
"The match?" Gray blinked in confusion.
"Of course! We're not fighting to kill—this is to give people courage!"
With that, Quetzalcoatl leapt again. Her limbs spread wide in midair, forming the shape of a great "X." Then she suddenly curled inward, hugging her knees and spinning as she plummeted.
It's coming!
Gray instinctively knew she couldn't take it head-on. "Add! Shield!"
In an instant, Add transformed into a broad shield, large enough to cover her entire body.
Boom—!
The impact rattled Gray's arms and legs with a jolt of numbness.
Legend had it Quetzalcoatl could command flying dragons. But even without that particular disadvantage, Gray doubted she could withstand her power for long.
"Gray!" Olga Marie staggered in the backblast, unable to cast any supportive Magecraft.
The single blow shook Gray's defense. Quetzalcoatl flipped back to gain distance, then dashed in again while Gray was still off-balance.
"Alright, let's settle this with a hundred-meter wrestling throw!" Quetzalcoatl said, beaming with a fierce, radiant smile.
It was a smile full of pure joy—devoid of hatred or hostility.
This was a kind of strength Gray couldn't begin to comprehend.
But just as Quetzalcoatl charged in, a different gust of wind rose from the ground, cutting across her path.
"Oh?"
A tornado cloaked in swirling black crows didn't slow her much—but the crimson spear that pierced through the vortex forced her to halt, twist her body, and narrowly avoid the incoming thrust. She casually caught the base of the spear's head with one hand.
"Tch..."
Shiomi had struck the moment he landed, purely on instinct. And yet, it missed entirely.
"Not bad! Your spear's got bite—Big Sis really likes it!" Quetzalcoatl's grip was immense. No matter how hard Shiomi pulled, the red spear wouldn't budge. "Let's have a fun and rowdy wrestling match!"
Shiomi didn't reply. Realizing the spear couldn't be withdrawn, he quickly twisted his wrist, shifting his stance.
"Thunder Reign."
Lightning raced down the shaft of the red spear, wrapping around Quetzalcoatl's body.
"Magic, huh?"
When the blinding light faded, she looked at Shiomi—who had released the spear and backed away—with an intrigued expression.
Her body bore signs of the electric discharge, but she remained completely unharmed.
"Nice shock! All tingly and zappy! You've really mastered fighting with Magecraft... definitely worthy of being defeated by me—"
Before she could finish, Artoria swung Rhongomyniad from behind. She had quietly maneuvered into position while Shiomi launched his large-scale spell.
This time, Quetzalcoatl dodged with an exaggerated backward bend, barely avoiding the blow. In doing so, she released her grip on the red spear.
Shiomi immediately retrieved it, and with a powerful thrust, his crimson spear intertwined with Artoria's pure white strike. Red and white lances of light wove together into a glowing net aimed straight at Quetzalcoatl's torso.
Just as it was about to hit, a deafening blast rang out.
Until now, Quetzalcoatl had been fighting barehanded—but at last, she drew her weapon.
It was a distinctive blade embedded with obsidian—the Macuahuitl.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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