-157- Seven Servents

"Roar——!"

This was a dragon's roar unlike that of a wyvern, more ferocious, more imposing, and sending shivers down one's spine.

The source of the sound was a fierce dragon with a massive head, sharp spikes covering its shell, a tail armed with poisonous spines, and six robust claws. The beast charged into the ranks of the French army, roaring furiously as it wreaked havoc. Its claws and tail became deadly weapons, sweeping through with a single motion, conjuring gusts of violent wind. Amidst the screams and cries, it shattered the elite French forces and sent bodies flying like discarded trash, an incredibly horrifying sight.

Atop this monstrous dragon's head stood a young girl dressed in saintly garb, wielding a staff resembling a cross. Her appearance was as beautiful as a goddess emerging from the water.

She was...

"Rider!"

Aside from this fearsome dragon, a group of monsters assaulted the French army.

They were sea monsters resembling octopuses and starfish, their bodies displaying murky black-purple patterns. Their viscous tentacles were rather repugnant.

This swarm of sea monsters was controlled by a magician with a smooth, youthful face, but a pair of eyes that stood out. The sorcerer, adorned in voluminous robes embellished with luxurious precious metals, wore a maniacal and malicious smile. Like insects, they pounced upon soldiers one by one, ensnaring them with their tentacles and then forcefully twisting, spattering blood in every direction.

This was...

"Caster!"

Simultaneously, distinct from the preceding two, a Servant took action. Leaping down from a building's rooftop, they charged towards the French army.

This figure wore a French-style cavalier tailcoat, brandishing a Western sword. With a gentleman's hat upon his head, his appearance seemed a mix of handsome man and graceful woman, much like a skilled fencer.

Rushing into the heart of the French army, his Western sword danced like a breeze, creating a succession of sword movements. The sharp glimmers of their sword transformed into radiant petals, appearing as if they were gently cascading down, striking the soldiers one after another.

This seemingly beautiful and enchanting sword dance, when it landed on the soldiers, struck precisely at their vital points. It cleaved through throats, pierced hearts, and felled them one by one, leaving behind only patches of blood.

That was...

"Saber!"

By now, the enemy's formation was fully revealed:

Saber.

Lancer.

Archer.

Rider.

Caster.

Assassin.

In addition to the "Dragon Witch" herself.

This time, Rozen found himself facing seven Servants in total.

Now, these Servants seemed to be directed by the "Dragon Witch," fighting valiantly on the Orleans square. Iron stakes, instruments of torture, arrows, fierce monster, sea monsters, and sword dances interweaved in a chaotic dance of destruction.

Faced with all this, the French soldiers could only accompany the scene with screams and cries. Gilles roared amidst the horde of monsters, Mash defended with her shield, struggling against the onslaught, and Rozen rode his magical wolf, dodging attacks passively with its exceptional agility.

In this hellish scene, the "Dragon Witch" on the dragon's back burst into delighted laughter.

"Kill!"

"Kill them all!"

"Offer up cries of despair, curses, and tragedy to the Lord above the Heavens! Let him witness true hell!"

"Hehe... Hahaha... Hahahahaha!"

The witch who was once revered as a saint laughed like this. Her laughter, filled with mockery, resentment, and dark emotions, echoed alongside the screams, cries, and roars, enveloping the entire scene.

In the face of this hopeless situation, Roman, who saw everything from Chaldea, had only one thing to say:

"Quick, Get out of there!" Roman urgently shouted to Rozen and Mash. "The enemy is too overwhelming! There's no chance of winning!"

With a group of seven Servants and a large number of Wyverns on the enemy side, how could Rozen secure a victory with just a group of ordinary humans and one Servant?

Or rather, from the very beginning, Rozen never had the idea of winning solely with this setup.

The reason for agreeing with Gilles's strategy, attacking Orleans, was simply due to Rozen's own plans.

One of those plans was to assess the enemy's strength.

The group of seven Servants and the legion of Wyverns.

"Is this all the obstacles this time?" he wondered.

No.

Certainly not.

A spine-chilling feeling, like a thorn in his back, continued to prick Rozen's skin, reminding him that the puppet master behind the scenes had yet to reveal themselves and was still concealed.

Furthermore, even though Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, and the others—six Servants in total—had been summoned, how could one be sure that the enemy hadn't summoned even more Servants?

All of this was telling Rozen that things were far from simple.

However, regardless of Rozen's considerations, there was only one thing to do now.

And that was...

"Retreat!"

Rozen shouted towards Gilles's direction.

"We must retreat!"

But....

"The gates of hell can only be entered; there is no way out."

In mid-air, atop the dragon's back, the "Dragon Witch" smirked and finally raised the flag in her hand.

However, at this point, Rozen wouldn't give her the chance to act again.

"Buzz!"

Vast magical power swept over the entire square, transforming into dense prana.

Weapons held by countless fallen soldiers on the square floated into the air. With a turn, they all faced the direction of the "Dragon Witch."

"Go!"

Rozen manipulated with Telekinesis, causing all the weapons to shoot out like bullets, creating sonic booms. They rained down like a deluge, converging towards the "Dragon Witch."

"...!?"

The witch's mocking expression froze as she halted her half-raised flag, and forcefully stomped on the wyvern beneath her feet.

"Roar!"

The wyvern roared and immediately ascended, evading the incoming barrage.

Yet, under Rozen's manipulation, all the weapons changed direction one after another, pursuing their target.

Seizing this moment...

"Mash! Clear a path!"

Rozen didn't spare his magical power.

At that instant, Rozen unleashed his full strength.

"Woosh!"

Mash's aura surged tremendously.

"What is this...!?"

Mash, who was dodging the incoming iron stakes and instruments of torture, was astonished.

It wasn't just Mash; even Roman in Chaldea was taken aback.

"What... What's happening?! Mash's overall power have increased substantially! Especially her attack and defense stats, they've risen drastically!"

Certainly, it was drastic.

Because, at that moment, Rozen had applied all the knowledge he had gained from his previous world onto Mash.

"Rigid Body" enhanced Mash's physical capabilities.

"Magic Defence" boosted Mash's defense.

"Magic Resilience" increased Mash's attack power.

Added with the copious amounts of magical energy infused into Mash's body, and her strength had surged dramatically.