Time continued to pass, little by little.
During this time, the horde of demonic beasts relentlessly launched assault after assault against the Absolute Demonic Front, seeking to trample it and claim the southern lands of Mesopotamia.
Unfortunately for them, the soldiers of Uruk were incredibly tenacious. They took shifts continuously, rotating in and out of the frontlines, defending tirelessly. When exhausted, they switched out; when injured, they withdrew.
Wave after wave, they fought, using little more than barricades and long spears to block the advance of the beast army.
The demonic beasts threw themselves at the defenses in droves, but were ultimately skewered by the spears of Uruk's soldiers and fell dead upon the earth. Though some did manage to leap toward the defenders, they were met with solid barriers, unable to breach the line.
Thus, the beasts were defeated one after another.
Of course, humanity wasn't without losses. At times, breaches occurred, and several lives were lost to the fangs of the magical beasts.
But the gaps in the defense were quickly filled, and the beasts were pushed back once more—never able to break through the Absolute Demonic Front to invade Uruk itself.
And so, the war between humanity and demonic beasts raged on without rest, painting the land in blood and corpses.
But overall, the beasts suffered far greater losses. Human casualties were fewer. The outcome, in terms of sheer results, was clear: humanity was winning this battle.
This state of affairs even left Mash awestruck.
"I never would've imagined that humanity in the Age of Gods could be this strong, especially when their enemy is magical beasts…"
The defenders of the frontlines weren't heroes or magi—just ordinary soldiers. Yet with little more than spears and shields, they held back hordes of magical beasts. It was nothing short of miraculous.
Despite their numbers, each magical beast was formidable. According to Rozen, their strength ranked somewhere between mid-tier and upper-tier familiars. It would normally take at least ten skilled warriors to bring down one. Yet here, mere hundreds of soldiers were holding back thousands. It was truly incredible.
Even Altera gave rare praise.
"Though outmatched in both number and strength, they used tactics and formation to overturn the tide of battle."
Exactly.
At a glance, it seemed the beasts outnumbered and outpowered the humans—but upon closer inspection, it became clear: the Uruk soldiers fought with coordination and fluid adaptation.
For instance, when groups of magical beasts charged, the soldiers would ignore the rear ranks, focusing their strength on just a few at the front. Around three to five men would gang up on a single beast, block it with their barricades, and then finish it off. Then they'd quickly rotate positions and repeat the process for the next incoming wave.
So even though humans were fewer, they always maintained a numbers advantage at the actual point of engagement, allowing them to efficiently exterminate wave after wave of beasts.
By contrast, the magical beasts, while individually strong and vast in number, were disorganized—driven purely by instinct to charge at prey. With no coordination, they were easily defeated in detail.
Rozen was certain.
"There has to be a very capable military commander behind this."
Enkidu had previously mentioned that Gilgamesh had recruited certain talents through "special means." This must be one of them.
Rozen could imagine the kind of figure it must be.
Because Heaven's Eye had already detected exceptionally powerful spiritual presences occasionally flaring across the frontline.
And they didn't belong to humans.
From Chaldea, Roman also sent a report.
"We've detected multiple Servant signatures. There are definitely Servants on the frontline—and not just one!"
That's right. There were Servants at the front.
"Are they neutral Servants summoned independently by the Holy Grail?"
Rozen had wondered—and asked Enkidu.
Enkidu had responded:
"I don't know either. Gilgamesh never said how he brought them here. Maybe he summoned them himself using the Holy Grail?"
That was certainly possible.
But now wasn't the time to debate it.
Rozen and Enkidu remained silent, hidden in the mountains, waiting patiently for their target.
Until—
"Spirit Origin detected approaching rapidly!"
Da Vinci's voice rang out over the communicator.
"The Spirit Origin's parameters and mana reaction—there's no doubt. It's a presence similar to Rhongomyniad, the goddess from the Sixth Singularity!"
Almost at the same moment, a streak of light soared across the sky, rapidly closing in on the Absolute Demonic Front.
"She's here!"
Enkidu perked up.
Rozen narrowed his eyes, a spectral gleam flickering through them as he used Spirit Vision to see the light's true form.
It was a girl—slender, fair-skinned, with the air of a noble lady from the house next door.
She had long, lustrous black hair tied into twin tails, fluttering naturally in the wind. Upon her head was a golden crown-like ornament. Her outfit resembled a mix of swimsuit and exotic antiquity—leaving over 80% of her skin exposed, even her feet bare. A daring appearance.
Yet despite how bold and revealing it was, the look had no vulgarity to it. Instead, it radiated a strange charm and beauty, even a glittering sense of nobility—as if she were a princess descended from the stars.
She was standing atop a grand, ornate bow that floated midair, soaring at high speed.
Through Rozen's Spirit Vision, he could clearly see a divine aura surging from her form—this girl who looked like a noble lady was undeniably a true goddess.
Yes—
She was the Goddess of Venus: Ishtar.
And the bow beneath her feet was no ordinary weapon, but the Celestial Boat Maanna—both her weapon and her vessel.
Said to be the divine ship that raced through Mesopotamian myth, Maanna served as a stellar gateway connecting Earth and Venus. It was both Ishtar's weapon and her mount, with a multitude of functions.
Thanks to Maanna, Ishtar could freely soar across the world, earning her the title of Mistress of the Sky.
Now, that very goddess had appeared before Rozen.
"Lord Rozen."
Enkidu turned to Rozen.
"Yeah." Rozen nodded lightly. "Let's do this."
At his word, Enkidu smiled slightly.
Mana surged around him like a storm.
"Hmm?"
In the sky, the swiftly flying girl seemed to sense something and turned her gaze toward them in surprise.
Then—
"Now!"
Enkidu leapt from the mountain, sweeping his hand through the air as golden ripples shimmered into view all around him.