"Riveria!!!!!!"
------------------------------------
"I understand!"
Riveria, who had long been on standby at the side, raised the Staff in her hand, and as a green magic circle lit up beneath her feet, once again deployed the exact same barrier magic as Fron!
"[Via Shilheim!]"
At the very instant the enormous golden magic barrier once again covered and protected everyone!
The enemy's attack arrived as well!
"[Meteor Storm--!!!!!!!!!!!]"
A gigantic magic circle spun and spread across the dome, and immediately afterward, blinding flashes tore through the surroundings, striking directly and precisely toward the entire battlefield!
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, "
An endless swarm of magical meteors mercilessly bombarded everything within sight. Whether adventurers, worms, or Violas, none were spared!
The fallen spirit, driven by primitive instinct, "she" senselessly destroyed everything!
The true body protected within the flower bud wantonly writhed, swelling with feral, maddening power.
"CRACK, "
Almost the same as Fron's, Riveria's barrier also lasted only a few seconds under this even more terrifying magical assault, before cracks spread densely across its surface.
"Riveria, you must hold on!!!!"
"Ah, I know!"
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, "
But clearly, the enemy had no intention of giving the adventurers another chance!
"WWAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, "
A piercing shriek resounded once more. The enemy's lower body petals spread open, and, one after another, worms and Violas were decomposed into the most basic magical stones, greedily absorbed and devoured!
"Th-that is…"
"She's… reclaiming her magic power… strengthening herself again!"
"CRACK, "
"BANG, "
"THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD, "
With bug-like means, the enemy once again amplified her magic, and Riveria's barrier, after a shrill wail, was mercilessly shattered!
Finn's expression twisted in horror, while Raul and the others gazed skyward, their eyes reflecting the magnified swarm of meteors, filled with despair.
Bete, Tione, Tiona, and the others stood trembling, utterly helpless, not knowing what to do.
"Gareth, protect Lefiya and Anakitty!!!!"
"Hah, leave it to me. Mere meteors, "
With a grunt, Gareth planted himself before the supporters, raising two massive tower shields above their heads!
On the other side, even without Finn's reminder, sensing danger in an instant, Ais roughly pressed Fron beneath her, tightly embracing the young man's body, using her own to shield him!
"--!"
"Ais, you idiot!"
At the brink of life and death, everyone struggled with all their might to survive.
"Everyone, defend yourselves!!! You must survive this!!!"
Finn's hoarse shout hadn't even finished before the ground-shaking impact arrived!
Then, countless meteors fell, in an instant burying the adventurers in a storm of violent destruction.
The dense meteors were the true embodiment of calamity, descending from above carrying colossal, overwhelming power!
They struck the earth, shook the earth, shattered the earth, annihilating everything within sight.
The few adventurers, beneath this natural-disaster-like assault, let out screams of despair and agony.
The massive shockwaves following the impacts instantly buried them, then scattered them, some even blasted into the sky like ragged sacks, tumbling down again, vanishing without a trace.
The defensive stances of humans were meaningless under such overwhelming magical might, people simply disappeared in the overlapping explosions.
The bombardment continued relentlessly for over half a minute. Such an ultra-intense saturation strike of magic, no Lv.6 could possibly retain strength to fight again.
Especially Riveria, whose magic had shattered, suffering immense backlash!
...
As the magical bombardment ceased, the entire 59th floor once again sank into a brief, eerie silence.
Only the enemy's lower body, endlessly whipping its vine-like tentacles, swayed, while her female upper body spread its arms wide, grinning eerily and exuding cries of joy.
"Crackle…"
The gray earth was gone, leaving only cratered ruins burning with purple flames.
The monsters that once filled the vision, vanished.
The enclosing green walls, gone.
Looking around, only a few tattered supporter packs lay scattered, their spilled supplies mostly ruined.
"Cough, cough, damn it. Not even giving me time to prepare."
--!?
A battered figure suddenly propped themself up unsteadily, clutching their weapon.
"Ais, how's your condition? Can you still stand?" The one who rose was none other than Fron.
At the final moment before being consumed by magic, he had reversed their positions, cradling the girl within his arms, shielding her with the Black Goliath Cloak and the "Fire Spirit Cloth." Thus, they narrowly escaped the calamity.
"I-I'm fine."
Ais, also forcing herself upright, looked slightly disheveled. Her once-glittering golden hair was now coated in dust, her armor battered.
The only exception was the hairclip, the small gift from Fron, which remained perfectly intact.
"Drink this Elixir."
From his pouch, he pulled out the only preserved vial of Elixir and forcefully pressed it into her hand. Then Fron began searching for their other companions.
"Everyone, are you all okay? If you can hear me, answer!"
Across the dust-filled, cratered battlefield, faint groans could be heard.
Fortunately, not far away, he soon found the supporters.
When the shockwave struck, they had been grouped together, and though knocked down, they weren't blasted apart by meteors, thus collapsed in a pile.
"Ais, come help!"
He lifted Alicia and Lefiya, pouring the Elixir down their throats, while calling the golden-haired swordswoman, who had somewhat recovered.
"Tch, damn it, never thought I'd be pushed this far!"
At that moment, the gruff voice of the old dwarf rang out.
"Old man, are you alright?"
Seeing the dwarf lying on the ground, his whole body charred black, Fron asked with worry.
"Hmph, this is nothing… cough cough…"
Yet even as he spoke, the old man coughed blood.
It seemed that under the magical assault, he had shielded the younger ones, especially the supporters.
Then… the one who had been blasted into the sky and fallen back must have been this strongest warrior.
Otherwise… who else could endure such grievous wounds and still be alive? It could only be this dwarf.
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T/N: Bonus Chapter for 300 power stones; next two chaps at 350 power stones