"It really is a Spirit…"
Inside the underground sanctuary of the Guild headquarters, Ouranos-sama's stunned murmur made the flames flicker.
Reflected in his blue eyes was an utterly bizarre being.
Its lower half was a twisted, grotesque amalgamation of monstrous parts. Enormous yellow-green flowers and countless thick tentacles were piled together to form its legs, creating a densely packed, nauseating sight.
Its upper half, however, was the complete opposite.
It was a woman as beautiful as a goddess, with long green hair cascading to her waist. A robe of dazzling colors covered her green skin, and her figure possessed all the graceful beauty of a woman.
A red glow rose from the enormous magic circle, climbing all the way to those emotionless golden eyes.
They had no pupils and showed no emotion, yet those golden eyes seemed drawn to Ais, staring fixedly at the blonde girl.
"Ouranos, are you saying that's a Spirit?!"
Fels turned around and urgently questioned Ouranos-sama.
Long before the gods descended to Gekai, the Great Hole already existed in the mortal world. Monsters poured out of it, bringing endless despair and disaster to Gekai.
Moved by compassion, some of the gods sent the Celestial Spirits down to Gekai to help humanity drive back the monsters. The heroes who rose up in resistance received the Celestial Spirits' protection, further increasing their strength as they sounded the horn of humanity's counterattack against the Great Hole.
"Yes… That is most likely a being that entered the Dungeon a thousand years ago and was devoured by monsters."
As though recalling something, Ouranos closed his eyes in sorrow.
Once a child of the gods, a beautiful legend recorded in the Sacred Chronicles of the Labyrinth, it had now been assimilated by monsters and become an enemy of humanity.
This was the [Unknown] the gods had once sought, yet it was also the outcome every benevolent god wished never to see.
"It retained its consciousness for a thousand years, and it can even use Magic?! Then Loki Familia…"
Fels stared at the crystal in shock.
[Enhanced Species]. A mutation that should have belonged exclusively to the Dungeon's monsters had somehow been acquired by a Spirit. The monster Loki Familia now faced was something whose power could not be measured.
"If their opponent is a Corrupted Spirit, I'm afraid their chances aren't good…"
Ouranos opened his eyes and stared gravely at the Female Body Type displayed on the screen.
"Let us hope Bell Cranel can lead them through this crisis. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to risk everything and force Freya Familia to go to their rescue…"
The flames continued to flicker as Ouranos-sama's murmur lingered throughout the sanctuary.
...
The Dungeon, 59th Floor.
Unease rippled through Ais's golden eyes.
"Is that… a Spirit?"
Just as during the incident in Rivira Town, Ais trembled from head to toe. The blood in her body seemed to surge violently, binding her thoughts and crushing her reason.
Her ears rang. Her lips trembled.
For Ais, time stopped at that moment, but the other pair of golden eyes showed no hesitation whatsoever.
"Arise, flames…"
The Chant that had once been drowned out by the Viola's shriek suddenly reached everyone's ears without warning.
"A Spirit? Magic?! I don't get any of this!"
Tiona's eyes widened in astonishment.
First came the sudden firestorm, then immediately afterward, a Spirit monster began chanting Magic. With no time to process one shock before the next arrived, most of the adventurers in the middle of the battlefield were thrown into confusion.
"Riveria, barrier Magic! Vanguard, stop the monsters from breaking through! Everyone else, do everything you can to interrupt the incantation! Bell, I'm leaving Ais to you!"
Finn was the first to recover from his shock and swiftly issued his orders.
Behind the Female Body Type, dozens of Viola plants and Virga monsters crossed the ash-covered wasteland, roaring as they charged toward the group.
At the same time, an eerie, terrifying voice like a funeral dirge from hell continued to drift through the air without pause.
"Arise, flames. Rage, rage, rage. Vortex of fire. The crimson wall. Hellfire's roar. May the ardor of the gale plunge the world into grief and misery. The sky shall burn. The earth shall ignite. The seas shall boil. The fonts shall churn. The mountains shall erupt. All life shall turn to ash. May the lives of the great ones serve as atonement for the coming choler and grief…"
The incantation was being recited at an unimaginable speed.
An exceptionally long spell, laced with a chilling laugh.
As the Female Body Type's shrill voice rang out, even Riveria's chanting speed paled in comparison.
Finn wasn't the only one who noticed it. Everyone could feel the terrifyingly vast amount of magic power gathering around her.
A second Firestorm.
A rain of fire that even the strongest barrier could not withstand.
That horrifying realization flashed through everyone's minds.
"Stop it!!"
Bete poured everything into his speed, using the body of a Viola as a foothold to leap high into the air and stop the Magic from being completed.
His silver boot swept diagonally toward the Female Body Type, but an enormous tentacle suddenly lashed out and effortlessly blocked his attack.
With a deafening roar, a barrage of flames streaked past Bete and shot straight toward the Female Body Type's head.
Explosions erupted one after another.
Yet every attack from the Fire Magic Sword was likewise blocked by the enormous flower buds.
"It's that hard?!"
Tiona cried out in shock as she collided head-on with one of the monster's tentacles.
Using her Durandal sword, she cut down an incoming Virga, but when she struck the Female Body Type's massive tentacle, the impact sent a numbing shock through her arm.
Tione desperately swung her halberd as curses spilled from her mouth.
"Do these things ever stop coming?!"
Gareth swung his massive axe as he stood guard in front of Riveria and the others.
There were simply too many tentacles. He couldn't abandon his position on the front line to attack the Female Body Type the way Bete had.
The enormous tentacles possessed the brute strength of a Floor Boss, while the massive flower buds were incredibly tough. Together, they formed countless spears and shields, buying time for the Female Body Type to continue her Chant.
Even Ais couldn't break through that solid barrier.
She had faltered when she first saw the monster's appearance, but then the boy took her hand. Warmth flowed into her heart, bringing Ais back to her senses.
Bell said nothing more to her. He simply held her hand and met her beautiful golden eyes for a moment.
Ais understood.
The boy was beside her.
Everyone needed her strength.
That was enough.
Holding onto that warmth, Ais tried to attack the Female Body Type directly, but countless tentacles blocked her path.
"…"
Finn realized that interrupting the Magic would be difficult.
For an instant, he considered taking action himself, but the enemy had yet to reveal all its cards. Even if the boy could take over command, if Finn's spear throw after going berserk failed to interrupt the incantation, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Everyone, fall back! Get inside Riveria's barrier! Protect the supporters!"
Finn listened to a certain voice, glanced to his side, and made his decision.
"Your envoy beseeches you, Salamander. Incarnate of fire. Queen of flame…"
"Firestorm."
"Via Shilheim!!"
The twisted Chant and the beautiful song ended at the exact same moment.
The next instant, flames vast enough to swallow everything dyed everyone's vision crimson.
***
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