"Viola! Squeeze every last drop out of that pillar!"
The instant Revis's words echoed through the cavern, the ground shook violently, as if the very dungeon itself had awakened.
The walls pulsed with an irregular rhythm, and a suffocating pressure fell upon everyone present.
Ais, who had been mid-swing, ready to strike Revis with all her strength, froze in place.
Her instincts screamed — something terrible was about to happen.
Her eyes shot upward, catching the trembling ceiling reflected in her golden irises.
The other adventurers halted as well.
Glances were exchanged, weapons raised, and the sharp sound of their held breaths mixed with the distant echo of cracking stone.
Then the source of the tremor revealed itself.
The giant Viola, parasitizing the massive quartz pillar at the center of the floor, began to writhe grotesquely.
Its plantlike body swelled and contracted, pulsing as though it possessed a beating heart.
A wet, grinding sound filled the chamber — the unmistakable noise of something being drained dry.
The monstrous plant was devouring the pillar.
The glowing crystals melted into streams of pure magical energy, consumed mercilessly by the creature.
The sound was sickening — a blend of suction and snapping, like bones being crushed.
With a thunderous crack, the quartz pillar began to splinter.
Fissures spread rapidly, and the bluish glow emanating from within was replaced by a sickly violet hue.
The shockwave rippled outward.
Every vine and tendril connected to the plant inflated violently, bulging as if veins were about to burst.
They pulsed in unison, releasing waves of dense, almost tangible magic.
Then, the entire floor of the dungeon vibrated — a muffled roar echoed through the underground cavern.
All at once, hundreds of dormant flower buds on the walls and ceiling burst open.
It was a sight both beautiful and horrifying.
Colorful petals scattered through the air, glimmering under the dim torchlight, and from within them emerged new creatures — more Violas.
Each flower gave birth to one, two, three abominations, and in the blink of an eye, hundreds rained down from above, crawling along the ground, their tendrils lashing outward in every direction.
The sound of their movement — scratching, snapping, the whisper of leaves slicing the air — became a symphony of pure terror.
"How can there be so many of them!?" one adventurer shouted, panic breaking through his voice.
Despair took hold of the group.
Even the most seasoned warriors faltered.
It was impossible to count them all — an endless ocean of living monsters surrounded them.
"Everyone, regroup! Don't get separated!" Shirou's voice thundered through the chaos, sharp and commanding.
He swung Kanshou, parrying a lunge from a nearby Viola, and with a single counter, cleaved the creature apart — its viscous sap splattering across the stone floor.
"Ais!" he called out.
"Forget about us! Go after that red-haired woman! Take her down before she catches us off guard!"
"But—!"
"No buts! Just trust me!" Shirou's voice was fierce, almost a roar.
For a moment, Ais hesitated — her gaze flickered between her surrounded allies and the distant figure of Revis.
Then, resolve blazed in her eyes.
She gave a firm nod, and with a powerful leap, shot forward like a streak of golden lightning.
Shirou watched her go for only a heartbeat before turning back to the fray, spinning both blades and cutting down two more Violas that lunged at him.
The situation was dire.
The adventurers were exhausted, the terrain worked against them, and the enemy seemed endless.
"Alright… what now?" he muttered, scanning the battlefield.
Fear was etched on every face around him.
They trembled — some even took an unconscious step back.
If he allowed that fear to spread, they were already dead.
He assessed his options.
Half his magical energy remained — barely enough for another major projection.
Using Caladbolg was out of the question; its blast radius would obliterate his allies along with the monsters.
He needed precision — control.
But before anything else, he needed to rekindle their will to fight.
"Bete! Take the front line!" he commanded.
As he spoke, the air around him began to vibrate with intensity.
Magic surged, condensing into a visible form, and within his mind, the blueprint of a divine weapon took shape.
A deep hum resonated through the cavern as a massive blade, lacking an edge, materialized in his hands.
"Ig-Alima: Verdant Field that Cuts a Thousand Mountains — False!"
Power exploded outward in a sweeping arc.
The blade sliced through the air — and for an instant, the world itself seemed to split apart.
A single green line traced the cavern's expanse, and the next moment, hundreds of Violas were cleaved cleanly in two.
The impact was overwhelming.
Even the air trembled, as if cut by the strike.
Fragments of the monsters rained down like grotesque petals, coating the ground in a glistening layer of sap and gore.
Lowering the fading weapon, Shirou exhaled, his body radiating residual magical energy.
"Don't panic! Trust me — victory will be ours!" he shouted, raising his fist.
The words struck like a spell.
The adventurers, once paralyzed by dread, felt their hearts ignite again.
The image of that single blow rekindled the flames of courage buried by despair.
"OOOOHHHHHH!!!" the unified roar shook the cavern.
Shirou smirked, seeing the fire return to their eyes.
"Lefiya! Prepare your spell! You have to wipe them all out!"
The elf inhaled sharply.
"Yes!" she replied, her voice steady.
She planted her staff firmly into the ground and began her chant.
[I desire the name of Wishe.]
[Ancestors of the forest, proud siblings.]
[Answer my call and come to the plains.]
[Bonds that tie, promise of paradise. Turn the circle and dance.]
[Come forth, circle of fairies. Please, grant me your strength.]
The air shimmered around her.
A golden magic circle bloomed at her feet, expanding outward in radiant light before shifting to a brilliant emerald hue.
Ancient runes orbited the circle, spinning in harmony with her song.
It was her magic — Elf Ring,
a powerful invocation capable of channeling any elven spell in existence.
As Lefiya chanted, the Violas reacted.
Dozens of them turned toward her, charging with a frenzy, their tendrils writhing like starving serpents.
"Protect Lefiya!" Shirou shouted.
He projected ten Muspelflamme Arrows and fired them in rapid succession.
Explosions tore through the swarm, clearing a path in the chaos.
Even so, more Violas emerged from the smoke, advancing through the flames.
Shirou planted his feet firmly before Lefiya, his twin blades glowing faintly in the green light.
He pointed one toward the incoming monsters and growled:
"From here on out… none of you are getting past!"
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(End of Chapter)