Sensing that something was wrong, Fron relied on his perception and superior physical ability to retreat quickly, using his cloak to shield himself as he frowned at the changes in the monster.
Compared to others, he could feel with far greater clarity the warning from his sixth sense, and the immense threat lurking within those throbbing jet-black veins.
"Don't tell me, is it a curse?"
He had no time to think further.
As in the next second, those jet-black veins, swollen to their limit, split open with a "bang, bang, bang," and immediately, countless droplets of blood burst forth like a storm of arrows.
"AAAAAHH!"
In the blink of an eye, someone was hit!
Tiona and Tione, who had been closest, used their superhuman reflexes to swing their weapons and knock the blood aside at the last instant, avoiding it with the decisiveness of first-class adventurers.
However, the other front-liners became prey.
Before their eyes, the black rain spreading outward struck the unlucky ones, and they let out bone-chilling screams of pain.
On the skin of the adventurers who were hit, the moment the black, ink-like substance touched them, corrosive smoke rose, only for the flesh to instantly turn into deep, abyssal black.
Even more horrifying was that the surface wounds weren't the truly terrifying part. The real terror was the effect carried within this attack!
Blood gushed endlessly from their eyes, noses, and mouths, as if something inside them were tearing them apart.
They writhed in agony. Whether they were from the Loki Familia or the other Familia, without exception, every one of them suffered the same fate.
They collapsed to the ground, rolling back and forth, crying out as if on the brink of falling apart, suffering in agony.
The sudden events unfolded so quickly that shock filled Tiona and the others' faces.
Even the calm Finn couldn't help but change expressions.
"Fron?"
A scene beyond comprehension, only the healers could provide an answer.
Squatting down and closely examining the wounds and the ink-black substance clinging to the bodies like maggots burrowing into flesh, Fron furrowed his brow and said grimly:
"This isn't poison. It's a curse."
"..." His words left everyone speechless.
Looking again at the grotesquely dramatic effects that could hardly be described as merely "instantaneous," even Asfi and Amid, who also understood what it was, widened their eyes.
A curse has nothing to do with possessing abnormal resistance. Everyone will suffer the same symptoms.
Hearing Fron's analysis, the adventurers reacted immediately, rushing to use the Antidotes for curses.
However, when the potion was applied to their comrades' wounds like a universal cure, the next second brought an unbelievable sight!
"AAAHHHHHHH, , !? "
"Szzzzzzzz..."
The potion could not neutralize the ink-black curse at all.
It clung to the wounds like a maggot that refused to let go, and because of the intense reaction between the medicine and the curse, the victims' pain increased even further, one of them had already begun to roll his eyes back.
"H–how is that possible!? It's not working!? Even the potion made specifically for curses can't dispel it!"
Seeing their comrades still vomiting blood and writhing in unbearable pain, the group let out anguished cries.
Even the experts were stunned.
After all, this medicine was specifically made to treat cursed weapons.
And where did the remnants of the Evilus get those cursed weapons? Naturally, from Barca.
Since Barca created them, how could the potion not work against him?
Fron, Amid, and Asfi, three masters of the arcane, exchanged looks, each seeing the same shock reflected in the others' eyes.
"It's possible that some unknown change occurred. Perhaps, the curse has been strengthened by something, making the potion ineffective."
Asfi's eyes lit up. She looked up at the grotesque, disgusting monster and murmured:
"The Jewel Fetus, a fallen spirit combining with Barca's curse might have triggered some reaction. Or the spirit blood strengthened the curse. In any case this situation is extremely troublesome."
Looking again at the Monster, Fron's eyes grew heavy.
Compared to Fron and Asfi, Amid held her breath, her delicate face turning extremely serious.
"A powerful curse, huh."
...
With that one unexpected super AOE from the transformed Barca, the balance between both sides shattered instantly, throwing their formation into chaos.
Blood fell to the ground from one adventurer after another, releasing black smoke and filling the already dim hall with miasma.
As if that weren't enough, under everyone's intense wariness, Barca began scattering more black blood.
Then, before the front-liners could retreat, a chain of screams erupted.
Trying to recover the situation, the adventurers serving as mid-guards and flank support dragged their convulsing, near-death comrades back, fighting desperately to escape the deadly black rain.
But the enemy's scatter-shot attack wasn't naive enough to let anyone escape while carrying another person.
The densely packed droplets, launched at extreme speed in fan-shaped, radiating arcs, filled the entire space. The relentless black rain pushed many into a desperate corner with no way out.
In an instant, the encirclement around the monster shattered.
Within barely ten seconds, the battlefield had undergone a dramatic, shocking reversal!
"Amid!" Fron called out to the healer.
Hearing Fron call, and the message within it, the elegant silver-haired girl took a deep breath, then spread her arms. A massive silver magic circle unfolded around her.
"Dia Fratel!"
A gentle, holy rain of light appeared, falling from above and shining upon every wounded adventurer.
Pure white radiance descended, bringing the warmth and relief that only Amid's magic could grant.
Under everyone's surprised gaze, the effect was immediate, just as rapid as the curse's activation.
The adventurers collapsed on the ground stopped convulsing at once, those who had been bleeding coughed repeatedly.
Feeling their bodies lighten instantly, realizing that even their internal injuries were healed, they showed expressions like waking from a nightmare, finally freed.
"It-It's Amid's magic!!"