Chapter 64: Anger!
Olivas's declaration left many speechless, and Asfi immediately questioned him.
"Do you even understand what you're saying?"
Orario wasn't just the center of the world; it also served as a blockade against the Dungeon monsters, humanity's last bastion.
If Orario was destroyed, a devastating war between humans and monsters would surely erupt, plunging the entire world into chaos.
"Of course I do!"
Olivas retorted, his voice filled with fervor.
He pointed towards the towering pillar behind him.
"Can't you hear her? 'She' wants to see the sky! If that is 'her' wish, I would gladly die for it!!! After I fulfilled 'her' desire, and 'she' will surely fulfill mine. 'She' is everything to me!!"
As if echoing his words, a massive flower bud detached from the pillar and crashed down before them.
"Kill them all!" Olivas commanded the monster.
The enormous carnivorous plant stirred, its countless vines erupting from the ground and striking at the adventurers nearby.
Faced with the mountain of writhing tentacles, the adventurers from Hermes Familia could only flee in disarray.
Olivas, the one who is responsible for this chaos, reveled in the sight, his laughter echoing through the chamber.
"Olivas Act!!!"
Suddenly, a voice cut through the mayhem, causing Olivas to turn his head.
There stood Filvis, her long black hair flowing behind her, her white battle attire stained with grime.
"You caused such a tragedy, and yet you dare to show your face again?!"
All traces of her usual coldness vanished as anger burned in her blood-red eyes.
"You... you took my comrades! All of them!!!"
Olivas scoffed at her rage.
"You were a survivor of that incident too. Look, I died there as well. We're even, aren't we?"
His words instead ignited the fuse of Filvis's fury.
Her right hand gripped her dagger tightly, while her left hand brandished her staff.
"Only you!! Olivas Act!! I will kill you!!!"
Uncontrollable rage consumed Filvis, burning away her sanity.
"[Sweep, holy staff of crushing evil]"
Chanting her magic, Filvis lunged at Olivas, her dagger aimed at his heart.
"Are you sure about this? Your comrades are waiting for your support, you know?"
Olivas effortlessly swatted away her magic and caught the dagger with his bare hand.
The sharp blade couldn't even scratch his skin.
His words snapped Filvis back to reality, and she glanced towards her temporary companions.
Shiro was carrying Lefiya, dodging and slashing at the vines that whipped towards them.
Should she continue her attack, fueled by hatred, or rescue her comrades who were under siege?
There was only one answer.
"Damn, that thing is huge. Getting hit by it would definitely be bad," Shiro muttered, holding Lefiya with his left arm while deflecting vines with his sword.
"Lefiya! Quickly cast Riveria's defensive magic! I'll take it down in one shot!" He shouted towards the blushing elf in his arms.
Lefiya could use all elven magic, and Riveria, who saw her as her successor, had naturally taught her all her magic.
"Wah!! I can't!!! I haven't mastered Concurrent Chanting yet!!!" Lefiya cried out.
Concurrent Chanting is a high level technique involving casting magic while fighting or moving around.
It was a skill almost all magic swordsmen possessed, but Lefiya, having just overcome her fear of monsters and using a sword for a short period of time, had neglected to practice this crucial technique.
"This is troublesome," Shiro thought.
The high-speed nature of the battle made it impossible to set Lefiya down so she could properly chant her magic.
And without any defense, Shiro couldn't risk taking a direct hit from the carnivorous plant-like monsters.
Just as he was contemplating how to deal with the carnivorous plants, Filvis's voice reached his ears.
"[Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil]"
In response to her short chant, a wall of magical energy materialized around him, providing a temporary shield.
"You have a way to kill this disgusting monster, right?" Filvis asked, her voice laced with a newfound determination.
Shiro smiled confidently, feeling the protective barrier emanating from Filvis's magic.
"Of course."
"Um... Torajirou-san, what are you planning to do?!" Lefiya squeaked, sensing something was about to happen.
However, before she could finish her question, Shiro dashed forward.
He sliced through the approaching tentacles with ease.
To prevent the Viola from escaping by severing its limbs like before, he charged directly towards its main body.
The Viola didn't seem particularly bothered by Shiro's approach, perhaps viewing him as no different from any other insignificant insect.
It swung a powerful tentacle towards him.
This time, Shiro didn't dodge or attempt to deflect the attack with his sword.
He dismissed his sword and met the incoming tentacle with his fist.
Crack, crack, crack—
The magical barrier around him began to shatter.
After all, Filvis was only a Level 3 and lacked Lefiya's magic-enhancing skills.
To withstand a direct attack from a monster, even for a brief moment, was already remarkable.
And that brief moment was all what Shiro needed.
"ROOOOOOOOOAR!"
His fist collided with the tentacle, and the monster roared, sensing the imminent threat.
All its vines converged towards Shiro, attempting to poke a hole through his body.
"Die."
Just as the vines were about to pierce him, the monster's body began to disintegrate.
The vines, robbed of their power source, fell limply to the ground.
The monster's fragmented body slammed onto the floor with a sickening thud.
"H-How... how is this possible? This was a gift from 'her'!!!"
Olivas, who had planned to summon another Viola, stared in disbelief at the scene, clutching his head as if trying to convince himself it was all an illusion.
And then…
Boom!
A loud crash drew everyone's attention.
A figure, trailing smoke, came flying through the wall.
It was Revis.
She slammed into the ground, her body skidding across the floor, leaving a long trail in its wake.
Her momentum finally ceased before the quartz pillar.
"Ugh..." Revis groaned, dropping her broken sword.
Her shattered armor and countless wounds spoke volumes about the brutal battle she had just endured.
"Revis!" Olivas, losing his composure due to the Viola's demise and his companion's critical condition, rushed to her side and grasped her shoulders tightly.
"Where's the Sword Princess? Tell me, you killed her, didn't you?"
Revis didn't answer.
She simply stared coldly at the hole she had created in the wall.
The others followed her gaze.
There, standing at the entrance, was Ais Wallenstein.
Her chest rose and fell slightly, hinting at her exhaustion.
"Ais!" Lefiya cried out in joy, still nestled in Shiro's arms.
But something about Ais's expression made her feel uneasy.
Ais leaped down from the entrance and approached Shiro.
When he was still wondering what she was going to do, she reached out and gently pulled Lefiya away from his embrace.
"..."