Amid the unending roar, time rewound to the moment Bell took Ais's left hand.
The two exchanged a glance. Without the slightest hesitation, they threw themselves into their respective battles.
"Awaken."
Listening to Riveria's song, Bell swiftly began chanting his Magic.
The battle had only just begun, yet the situation was already extremely unfavorable.
The Elf Princess's barrier alone could not withstand the firestorm. Bete and the others charged at the forefront, but even with their magic swords, they were completely unable to break through the Female Body Type monster's defenses and interrupt its chant. The enemy's casting speed was absurdly fast. Even with an ultra-long incantation, it was faster than Riveria, making it absolutely impossible for Lefiya to weave a barrier spell in time.
Bell immediately realized that this fierce battle was unlike any they had fought before. It was a contest of Magic.
The massive tentacles repeatedly clashed with the weapons of Ais and the others, pushing the battle toward a prolonged struggle. But the moment the balance of Magic tipped to one side, the entire situation would change in an instant.
Ring.
Ring.
White light gathered in Bell's palm.
The enormous magic circle beneath the Female Body Type monster's feet flickered with an ominous glow. The terrifying Magic Power emanating from it seemed utterly inexhaustible.
Bell understood just how serious the problem was. The enemy had launched an ultra-long incantation immediately after its initial surprise attack without the slightest pause, which meant its Mind reserves were beyond imagination. Once Riveria's barrier shattered and the flames burned her badly enough to take her out of the fight, everyone would be left exposed to the threat of Magic for the rest of the battle.
"Hear now, the love song played upon the tower of purity.."
Bell did not hesitate to use his trump card.
Among the current party, aside from Riveria, Bell was the only one capable of completing a defensive Magic spell in such a short time.
"Via Shilheim!"
With Riveria's shout, an emerald circular barrier enveloped everyone.
Just as before, the rain of flames battered the barrier, and a pained groan escaped the Elf Princess's lips.
The firestorm had not weakened in the slightest.
Crack.
The sound of fracturing rang out once again.
"Ugh…"
Ryuu frowned.
Even with the boost from [Astrae Serenade], Riveria's Magic still could not withstand the fierce rain of fire.
As unease spread through the group, a clear bell chime, utterly different from the terrifying roar surrounding them, reached their ears.
"Divine Light • Voyage (Argo's Ship)."
Bell seized the moment and cast the spell.
The chant for [Argo's Ship] was short, so Bell had deliberately slowed his chanting to give [Argonaut] a little more time to charge.
The Magic he had taken hold of was Riveria's passionate love.
White light intertwined with emerald radiance and spread across the barrier on the verge of shattering.
Had Bell cast the spell alone, there was no way it could have withstood the rain of flames. But barrier Magic was, in essence, a tangible shield formed from Magic Power. Filvis's Light Shield was one example. Although it could not be repaired once damaged, pouring Magic Power into it could keep the barrier intact, and adventurers could even brace the Light Shield from behind to reinforce its defenses.
What Bell was doing now was much the same.
Empowered by [Argonaut] and the [Magic Power] he had accumulated, Bell poured additional strength into Riveria's barrier.
Because they were using the exact same Magic, the white light met no resistance at all and merged completely with the emerald glow.
"It's holding…?"
Lefiya blinked in surprise.
She knew the boy could borrow other people's Magic, but she had never imagined he could perfectly reproduce even the Elf Princess's strongest defensive spell.
Heat surged through the air as torrents of flame continued crashing against the barrier without pause.
"Frontline, get ready. The moment the rain of fire ends, charge out."
Finn watched the barrier calmly, his admiration for the boy growing.
It was precisely because of Bell's bell that Finn had chosen a conservative strategy instead of staking everything on a single desperate gamble.
Now, that decision had proven exceptionally wise.
"The Hero of Argonaut and the Vice Captain are amazing!"
Tiona grinned as she looked at the boy with open admiration.
The others sheltered beneath the barrier also expressed their gratitude in their own ways.
"…"
Bell silently held up his palm, continuously pouring Magic Power into the spell.
Unlike Lefiya's Magic, [Argo's Ship] did not require Bell to connect his chant to someone else's after completing the incantation. Because of that, he could release another person's long-form Magic in an extremely short amount of time.
Not only that, the spell's power also changed depending on the strength of the other person's affection. Bolstered by Riveria's love, Bell was able to fully perform a supporting role, helping the Elf Princess maintain the barrier.
"Mm… I can feel it clearly… Bell Cranel's Magic Power is all pouring into me…"
Riveria shuddered involuntarily.
She tightened her grip on her wand, and the pained expression on her face gradually gave way to a faint blush.
Although it was merely an infusion of Magic Power, the caster could still experience a unique sensation from it.
It was similar to Lefiya and Mikoto. Magic that had to be continuously maintained fed sensations back to the caster. Otherwise, Riveria would not have looked so pained earlier.
The white and emerald lights blended together, completely shutting the violent waves of heat outside the barrier.
"…"
Ryuu was speechless.
For some reason, she could not shake the feeling that there had been a faintly sensual undertone to the Elf Princess's words.
Ryuu quickly remembered why they sounded familiar. Ever since Syr had fallen in love with the boy, she had said similar things before…
Hiss…
Ryuu looked toward Riveria, who was holding her wand aloft, and noticed the trace of red on her dignified face.
Could it be…
No. Secretly thinking ill of the Elf Princess and indulging in fantasies like that in her own head. Was she really such a shameless person?!
Riveria-sama's face had to be red because of the heat from the rain of fire.
Yes. That was definitely it.
Ashamed of her lewd thoughts, Ryuu tightened her grip on her wooden sword and forcibly put an end to the baseless speculation.
Meanwhile, the other elf girl was bright red from head to toe.
"Elf Ring."
Lefiya continued chanting her Magic. She knew perfectly well that the Elf Princess's words had carried that sort of implication.
And the reason she knew was very simple. She had experienced it herself shortly before the expedition.
When Lefiya and the boy had fired light arrows at Ais together, their Magic had been identical, causing her Magic Power to merge with Bell's.
Under normal circumstances, something like that should have been impossible. But the boy's Magic was simply too unusual, and their Magic Power had shown no rejection toward each other whatsoever.
Thanks to that, Lefiya had experienced an extremely peculiar sensation.
That was why she had been unable to stop herself from licking her finger afterward…
Remembering the secret and humiliating incident, Lefiya unconsciously rubbed the finger that had once touched the boy's lips.
That idiot, the permanently horny rabbit…
Lefiya's gaze moved back and forth between Bell and Riveria.
Inside the barrier, countless thoughts swirled together.
The flames gradually dimmed, and the deafening roar weakened with them.
At last, the firestorm came to an end.