Boulders the size of millstones, propelled by the principle of leverage, flew from simple catapults and crashed heavily onto the walls and into the city of Paris.
Dozens of archer and crossbowmen squares, drawn out into thin formations, drew their bows and loosed arrows in an exchange of fire with the Zombie Soldiers on the walls.
Accompanying the blasts of horns, high-spirited Egyptian and French Army soldiers braved the rain of arrows and rolling stones to rush up the already erected siege ladders, climbing the walls to engage in bloody hand-to-hand combat with the zombies guarding them.
On the battlefield that resembled a meat grinder, soldiers fell continuously, but new soldiers immediately filled the gaps. The two sides engaged in this bloody piece-exchange behavior on the southern side of Paris.
A piece exchange originally refers to the act in chess where both sides allow the other to take a piece.
But on the battlefield, it was an exchange of lives; what both sides were trading were the lives of the soldiers under their command.
What is the most important thing in war?
Intelligence!
With both sides lacking information about the other's situation, they helplessly chose this most sacrificial method of warfare.
The allied forces hoped to force Jalter's high-end combat power to reveal itself through continuous pressure, so as to better respond to them.
And Jalter's side was doing the same; while one side hoped to gain intelligence on the other, they were also waiting for reinforcements arriving from Britain.
Precisely because of these nearly identical thoughts, the current battlefield had turned into this bloody piece-exchange mode, with both sides gritting their teeth and holding on, hoping for the other to show a weakness first.
Kiritsugu frowned, guarding Irisviel as she continuously cast spells to heal the wounded. Watching the bloody slaughter on the battlefield, a trickle of blood had unconsciously leaked from his tightly clenched fist.
Illya looked at the blood leaking from Kiritsugu's fist and, sensing the sky-piercing rage emanating from him, timidly tugged at his hem.
"Kiritsugu!"
Hearing Illya's voice by his ear, Kiritsugu slightly loosened his fist and turned to give Illya a gentle smile.
"Illya, I'm fine. It's just... I'm a bit angry at my own powerlessness!"
Saying this, Kiritsugu spread his blood-stained hands and looked at them before him, a trace of a helpless, bitter smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
Smiling at his own powerlessness, his naivety, and his arrogance.
'Isn't this exactly what I've always done? Sacrificing the few to save the many! Sacrificing these soldiers to save the proper human history—Kiritsugu Emiya, what are you angry about?'
But the now-emotional Kiritsugu, watching those soldiers he had spent quite some time with day and night enter this meat grinder with their dreams only to become cold numbers—witnessing this ancient war that was far more cruel than the modern era—only then did Kiritsugu realize he was just an incompetent man, not some Ally of Justice.
Yes, the even more cruel ancient warfare. Soldiers with dreams, soldiers defending honor—they were ordinary humans first and soldiers second; they would be afraid, they would cry, they would laugh. The power of the spirit is not infinite.
But standing behind them were the disciplinary squads and the reputation of their entire families. They could be afraid, they could cry, but they could not retreat, could not flee, and could not surrender. They could only grit their teeth and fight to the death, praying for the protection of the Goddess of Fortune, and then turn into strings of numbers in the casualties.
After the offensive had continued for about fifteen minutes, Lily was the first who couldn't hold back anymore.
"Rin! Let me join the attack!"
Rin shook her head with a bitter smile. Rin also wished she could just go all out with her firepower to help the alliance take Paris, but it wouldn't work. This was an alliance, not her solo show—at least not for now.
Rin looked at the enthusiastic Cleopatra and Marie, who, despite the pity on her face, had determined eyes, and she sighed silently.
"Lady Lily, there's no need to rush. It's not time for you to take the stage yet! I believe as the Knight King, you must understand!"
Cleopatra waved her hand and spoke to Lily with a smile.
"But... but..."
Mo-kun quietly tugged at Lily's clothes and shook her head at her.
Compared to Lily, who had just stepped into the stage of kingship, in the eyes of a battle-hardened general like Mo-kun, the alliance's current behavior was undoubtedly correct.
The King of Conquerors also shook his head at Lily.
"Although the deaths and injuries of the brave soldiers are indeed heartbreaking, this is their duty. Lily, you cannot negate their duty and glory. As kings and commanders, we can strive to bring better battle situations to the soldiers and give them better equipment, but we cannot fight for them. This is their battlefield, their fight. If everything needs to be done by the king, then they lose their reason for existing!"
"Big guy, I agree with those words!"
The King of Conquerors' words couldn't help but remind Mo-kun of her father in her past life, who led the charge in every battle and did everything personally. It's undeniable that such a king is indeed inspiring, but by always acting this way, King Arthur's behavior undoubtedly caused her generals and subjects to doubt themselves.
Whether it was charging into enemy lines, strategic command, or internal and agricultural affairs, King Arthur took it all upon herself, which inevitably made her generals and subjects feel they had lost their value. After all, if the King can do everything and do it well, then what is the value of our existence?
Actually, when Mo-kun launched her rebellion, she didn't even know why she wanted to rebel against her father. Now Mo-kun understood a little—perhaps she wanted King Arthur to unload the burden of being a king and let her return to being the person Artoria, so that a smile could bloom on her face again!
Thinking of this, Mo-kun looked at Lily beside her. 'But none of that matters anymore. I've already found the most perfect father in my heart!'
Watching the soldiers on the battlefield being driven off the walls once again, Cleopatra turned to Rin and Marie beside her.
"Rin, Marie, I think we can raise the stakes for the first round! What do you think?"
Marie nodded with determined eyes and said decisively.
"For the future of France, I'm counting on you, Cleopatra!"
"Do as you see fit!"
Cleopatra gave a radiant smile, then stood up, her body emitting a brilliance as bright as gold.
"My servants! Attack!"
Great roars and neighs erupted from the allied camp.
Four Sphinxes flapped their wings and flew out from the camp, screeching as they arrived over the battlefield, firing beams of light to bombard the walls of Paris.
Over a dozen hundred-meter-long Giant Snakes crawled out from the camp, hissing as they charged toward the walls. In those massive snake pupils, all that could be seen was coldness—a bone-chilling coldness.
Seeing the giant beasts join the battlefield, the allied soldiers let out earth-shaking cheers, believing that under the rampage of the giant beasts, Paris would soon open its arms to the alliance.
"Gudako, summon the Innocentius with me. Chaldea can't be looked down upon either!"
"Yes, Master!"
"Roar!"
And as dozens of five-meter-tall Innocentiuss, their bodies emitting scorching flames, entered the battlefield, the allied cheers reached a climax!
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