A pink, petal-shaped shield blocked the approaching flames.
The torrent of fire split open before Shirou, flowing to both sides.
Behind him, everyone looked at the man holding the shield and felt an overwhelming sense of trust.
Shirou always managed to surprise everyone at the most critical moments.
Gritting his teeth, Shirou tightened his grip on the shield.
Unlike a standard magical barrier, wielding this shield meant Shirou also had to withstand the kinetic force behind the enemy's magic.
And every layer that was destroyed transferred part of the damage to him.
If he lost balance and was thrown backward, then no matter how strong the shield was, it would become useless.
Bang!
The sound of the shield shattering rang through the air.
Rho Aias, with its seven layers of protection, had just lost its first layer.
Once the first one broke, the remaining layers shattered in quick succession. At the same time, Shirou could clearly feel the pressure intensifying from the front.
Although the situation grew more dangerous, an odd glimmer flashed in his eyes.
He sensed that the enemy's magic was nearing its end; this was the final strike.
"Ais, catch Riveria!"
As soon as he spoke, Shirou tossed Riveria—whom he had been holding—to Ais behind him.
Feeling the scorching heat closing in from all directions, Shirou braced himself, pressing his hands firmly forward to endure the impact.
"Hold on!"
Bang!
With the sixth layer of the shield exploding, Shirou struggled to keep his footing. Only the final layer remained.
But that last impact was tremendously fierce; even without changing his stance, his body was pushed back relentlessly.
His boots carved two deep trails into the ground.
Just as Shirou was about to give in, a sudden force pressed against his back, supporting him.
The moment he felt the hand there, Shirou knew exactly who it belonged to.
With his comrades holding him up, Shirou roared:
"RAAAAHH!!!"
Though the first six layers had shattered, the final layer endured.
Thanks to Shirou's stubborn will, he had protected his companions and weathered the storm of flames.
The fire spell had ended, leaving only Shirou's ragged breathing echoing through the quiet space.
After that brutal clash, Shirou felt utterly drained.
"I really just want to lie down and rest…"
Hearing his exhausted sigh, Tiona and Tione—still supporting him—shouted:
"That was amazing, Shirou! You saved us all!"
"Did I?"
Staring at the scorched floor and the ruins around them, there was no pride in Shirou's eyes.
Riveria, affected by the backlash of her magic, couldn't cast another spell immediately.
If the corrupted spirit unleashed another spell now, things would become truly dangerous.
"Thank you, Shirou. You saved my life," Riveria said.
"What are you talking about, Riveria? I don't think that spell could have killed you."
"Who knows?"
Shirou looked at Riveria, still panting, and felt little reassurance.
"Shirou, be careful. My thumb is still throbbing—the danger isn't over," Finn warned.
"Again?"
In the anime, the spirit fired two spells, yet Riveria's barrier endured both before breaking.
Here, the spirit had cast only one spell, and Riveria's barrier had still shattered. If not for him, she and Gareth would certainly be dead.
How had Loki Familia survived the subsequent spells in the original story?
They had far more supporters than they did here.
"Did someone die at this point?"
As if confirming Finn's intuition, a singing voice echoed through the chamber the moment Shirou's words faded.
[Gather, breath of the earth — my name is Alf]
"Seriously? Riveria, you can still chant?"
Seeing this, Shirou asked her anxiously.
"Via Shilheim won't hold for long. I have to use another spell!"
"Then let's do it!"
Raising the final remaining layer of Rho Aias, Shirou shouted.
"Understood!"
As Riveria chanted, the corrupted spirit recited its own incantation.
[Roar, mighty earth. Rise, rise, rise. Shell of the land. Iron gleam.]
[Hammer of the cosmos. Let the Genesis covenant summon rock and stone.]
[The sky shall burn. The earth shall split. The bridge shall rise. Let the axes of aether rain down ruin and calamity.]
[Your messenger beseeches you, Gnome. Incarnation of earth. Queen of the land.]
Too fast!
The corrupted spirit's chant was simply far too fast.
Although this spell wasn't as lengthy as an extended incantation, its speed was unbelievable.
If the Flame Storm had been a high-speed chant, then this one was supersonic.
The corrupted spirit was continuously redefining the limits of the Loki Familia's understanding.
The shorter incantation combined with its incredible speed resulted in the spell being cast almost instantly.
As the magic circle above the spirit's head expanded rapidly, Finn bit his thumb and shouted:
"Hurry, Riveria!"
"No, it's already too late! The corrupted spirit's casting speed is too fast!"
Seeing the magic circle complete in an instant, Shirou lifted the last remaining layer of Rho Aias and shouted:
"I'll buy as much time as I can!"
[Meteor Swarm]!
The glow of the magic circle illuminated everyone's eyes.
A massive surge of magical power condensed into a single point—then countless meteors fell from the sky.
"Get behind me!"
Retreating toward Riveria as she continued her chant, Shirou raised his shield, protecting everyone beneath him.
He instantly felt the crushing weight of the spell.
The meteor swarm summoned by the corrupted spirit was overwhelmingly heavy—not only because of its magical force, but also the sheer kinetic energy of the falling meteors.
At that moment, Shirou felt as foolish as a lone soldier using a shield to block a rain of boulders launched from enemy catapults.
He could easily die before the shield even shattered.
But fortunately, Shirou's own endurance was greater than he had ever imagined.
Before his body could be crushed, the shield in his hand was already on the verge of breaking.
Glancing back at Riveria and the others chanting behind him, Shirou's eyes blazed with fierce determination.
He had to protect them.
He gripped the shield firmly in one hand and focused his magical energy in the other.
"How could I fall here?!"
The instant the final layer of Rho Aias shattered completely, Shirou swung his left hand and projected another weapon—one large enough to cover everyone.
It was an enormous sword, wide and sturdy enough to shield them all.
This time, Shirou didn't manifest the conceptual power of the weapon; he simply intended to use it as a physical shield.
Holding the massive sword above them to block the incoming barrage, Shirou roared:
"I promised Loki I'd bring everyone back safely! We're not falling here!"
(End of Chapter)