With a final incantation from Mélanie, she drove the warhammer into the ground. "Arcane—CINDER-MAUL ANATHEMA!"
Upon activation—a 15-meter radius domain exploded outward from her position, the air shimmering as an invisible boundary snapped into place like a dome of compressed force.
The forest within it warped slightly—colors intensifying to fiery hues, the ground turning chargeable under her influence.
Solid surfaces—trees, rocks, even the golem's stone hide—glowed faintly with infused mana, ready to detonate at her command.
Opponents inside felt the pull, their movements subtly hindered as the space bent to keep them trapped, like flies in amber.
Nor, caught at the edge of the domain, felt the shift immediately—his cubes humming in protest as the explosive mana clashed with his compressive power.
"Tch, so she's an Grade lll sorcerer huh? What a hassle." he muttered, snapping his fingers to form a protective barrier around himself, Lily and the golem.
But Mélanie was already moving, her body enhanced by the explosive manipulation surge.
She swung her hammer in a wide arc at Nor, the head releasing a focused blast on impact that exploded against his cube shield in a burst of crimson fire.
The force pushed him back a step, cracks forming in the barrier for the first time.
"Too late for that!" she laughed arrogantly, marking the ground with another strike—infusing a nearby tree with unstable mana that detonated seconds later, sending shrapnel flying toward Lily.
Lily flipped away with a giggle, her ghosts phasing through the blast unharmed. "Ooh, boom-boom time? Fun!"
But the domain's trap pulled at her, slowing her evasion just enough for a shard to graze her coat.
Her green-eyed ghost countered, lunging at Mélanie with spectral claws, the warrior bashed it aside with her hammer, the explosive aura repelling the ethereal form.
"Stay still, pinky! I'll smash your pretty face next!" Mélanie taunted, charging forward and slamming her weapon down, creating a chain of explosions along the marked path that forced Lily to dodge erratically.
The golem, partially within the domain, roared as Mélanie's mana seeped into its vine-covered limbs, charging sections for detonation.
Small blasts erupted along its arm, cracking stone and sending pebbles flying.
It swung a massive fist, but the domain's bend slowed the strike, allowing Garrick to dodge and counter with his dual swords.
"Big boy's trapped too—perfect! Otes, hold it steady!" Garrick yelled, slashing at the golem's knee with azure mana bursts that chipped away at the rock.
Otes braced his tower shield against the golem's leg, runes flaring to absorb the pressure.
"I've got it! Enéas, light 'em up!" he grunted, his voice strained but determined.
Enéas Lambert, floating above, channeled lightning into the domain. "Thunderhead—strike!" bolts arcing down to chain between Nor and the golem.
"You freaks think you can stand against us? We'll turn this forest into your grave!"
Nor compressed the lightning into harmless sparks with his cubes, but the domain's explosive feedback caused one cube to shatter, forcing him to reform it quickly.
"Annoying," he growled, snapping to cube a rogue sneaking up on Lily—the attacker folding inward with a scream. "Lily, ghosts on the mages—shut them down!"
Lily's red-eyed ghost phased through Enéas, knife slashing— the mage dodged with a levitation twist, but the ghost's touch left a spectral wound that burned like acid.
"Get this thing off me! It burns!" Enéas yelped, his arrogance cracking as he hurled a wind gust to repel it.
Mélanie laughed maniacally, her body straining under the arcane's 30-second limit—sweat beading, veins bulging, but she pressed on. "Feel the burn!" She said to herself.
She marked Garrick's path with hammer strikes, detonating explosions that boosted his charges, the duo tag-teaming Nor with synchronized assaults.
"Dual Fang Chain Lash!" He launches one sword forward to impale the target, while the second lashes around to strike from behind via linked chains.
Nor quickly reacted by sidestepping "It's useless." after dodging the attack he gave a devastating punch at Garrick's face letting out a crunch noise.
Garrick body went flying to the trees behind him again this is the 2nd time, "D-damn you demon cul—!" he coughed.
"Watch out!" Enéas shouted toward Garrick as the Golem launch an attack with a its massive fist.
The other adventurers had no time of helping Garrick as they were blocked by Lily's ghost—not letting them pass through.
Garrick hold in and blocks the attack with both of his sword, sparks flying. "Damn it!" he gritted his teeth.
Mélanie grins faltered as she tried to run towards Garrick in a high speed dashing through the trees.
However... Nor blocked the way forming a massive cube barrier again trapping her inside.
"What—?" This time she has no strength to resist, her Arcane side effects slowly taking a toll on her.
"Arcane!"
"Twin-Link Cataclysm!!!" As he activates his Arcane, he channelled mana and magic through both greatswords, which begin to emit a silvery, shimmering aura.
The energy extends from the blades to form invisible, razor-sharp chains that are physically linked to the weapons – he must maintain focus and bodily control to guide the chains as an extension of his own limbs.
"Interesting! he didn't even do his incantation!" Lily commented while jumping around excitedly.
She adds, "It's my first time seeing someone do that~!"
A 20-meter diameter domain activates upon use, anchoring Garrick at its center.
The chains can extend the full length of the domain, with two primary modes of operation.
"No Incantation huh? Using an Arcane without its proper incantation is like trying to ignite a complex magical engine without its starter fluid – it can still be done, but with worse and more dangerous consequences." Nor thoughted.
Chains shoot out to ensnare the Golem, wrapping around limbs or objects to immobilize him.
"Nemog—!" Sylas shouted still tied up in the tree, his voice has a mix of worry.
"Hey, white hair dude!" He called off Nor and yelled, "Release me and I'll help you defeat those guys!"
Each link is reinforced with magical energy, making them nearly impossible to break through with physical strength alone.
Nor giggled in amusement after hearing the elf request. "Help? I don't need one."
"I can take him on by myself." He declared in a cool tone, a faint of grin can be seen from his lips.
The chains lash and slash like whips, with the greatswords acting as both anchors and offensive focal points.
Garrick's swung the blades sending the chains whipping in wide arcs.