The gale roared.
The Desperate Sword clashed with the razor-sharp foreclaws, unleashing a killing intent more violent than anyone could have imagined.
One side wanted to slaughter every foreign object.
The other wanted to cut down every monster.
Pure killing intent collided head-on. There was no defense at all, only relentless offense.
As Ais, wrapped in storm winds, thrust toward Juggernaut, the rest of the party immediately moved.
"Bell! The Elixir!"
Lefiya rushed to the boy's side and pulled the Elixir from her pouch.
She forced her trembling hand steady, quickly pulled out the cork, and brought it to Bell's lips.
Lefiya did not want to believe reality, but her heart pushed her to act. She did not waste a single second.
"Give it to Riveria."
Enduring endless pain, Bell gave his decision firmly.
The words were almost forced through his clenched teeth.
When an Elixir took effect, it would bring intense pain to the user. The worse the injury, the more obvious that effect became.
Bell had barely managed to steady his mind and stay conscious. If he used the Elixir to stop the bleeding, he might faint and become unable to continue commanding.
"But..."
Lefiya desperately tried to hold back her tears, but when she saw the boy's face twisted in pain, they spilled out despite everything.
Clear tears flowed like a burst dam, blurring Lefiya's vision.
Of course she understood what the boy was worried about. But Bell had already pushed himself this far, and he was still thinking about everyone's safety.
If he drank the Elixir, he could fall asleep peacefully.
Even if it was only self-deception, he could at least gain a moment of relief.
"Please. This wound... can't be healed."
Bell stared into the blue eyes of the golden-yellow Elf.
His blazing crimson eyes had not lost the slightest trace of fighting spirit.
He could not fall yet.
Even if he were not in command, even if he did not carry responsibility on his shoulders, Bell still wanted to see the girls smile.
At this critical moment, Bell swore he would protect Riveria and the others.
"Uu... I understand!"
Lefiya answered through her sobs.
Bell Cranel would not be crushed by pain. When he stepped forward for Riveria, he had probably already foreseen the consequences.
That unwavering resolve was the one thing Lefiya could not betray.
The name Elixir sounded all-powerful, but its healing effects had limits. An Elixir could restore gouged flesh, stop bleeding, and mend bones.
But regenerating a lost body part was impossible. Otherwise, the Chienthrope girl from Miach Familia would never have needed to replace her expensive prosthetic limb.
The boy's right arm could no longer be restored.
Lefiya clutched the Elixir tightly and ran toward Riveria, who had fallen to the ground.
Beneath her fluttering golden-yellow hair, scattered tears fell across the floor.
"Bell!"
Ryuu bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
She had completely shed her aloof, dignified mask and anxiously checked the boy's condition. Even though Bell had pressed a towel against the wound, blood kept dripping down.
Ryuu's sky-blue eyes trembled without stopping. Tears gathered in them, and she bit her lip even harder.
"Use healing magic."
Bell gave the order calmly.
He knew the Elf girl before him was fighting against her own nightmare.
The same explosion, the same Calamity, the same tragedy.
The fact that Ryuu had broken free from the shackles of the past and rushed to the boy's side at once had already taken tremendous courage.
The nobler the Elf, the easier it was to sink into the mire of morality. If the two of them had not gone through so many events together, Ryuu might have frozen in place, shaken by Calamity's birth.
Bell understood that very clearly, but Ryuu felt she had not grown at all.
Even so, she followed Bell's instruction and quickly began chanting her magic.
"The song of a now distant forest. The nostalgic song of life."
Ryuu's voice trembled slightly.
The tears brimming in her eyes seemed afraid to interfere with the Chant, so they stubbornly remained there without falling.
Those tears revealed the Elf girl's worry and concern, while her trembling voice spoke of her despair and pain.
As the song rang out, Bell moved as well.
"Hah..."
Bell took a deep breath and removed the towel from his severed arm.
Black-red blood filled his vision, but he did not hesitate at all. He raised his left hand and aimed it at the wound.
He could not let pain disturb his thoughts.
He could not let agony make him panic.
He had to refine his Mind.
Not a bombardment, but a perfectly controlled burn.
"Firebolt!"
The instant the words left his mouth, a fireball the width of a thumb formed in Bell's left palm.
Flames brushed across the wound. The searing heat ravaged his sense of pain, scorching the wound until it hissed.
"Please bring the mercy of healing to those that seek you."
Ryuu finally began to cry.
She chanted the healing magic almost through sobs.
"Noah Heal!"
Pale green light enveloped the boy.
Ryuu's magic had excellent healing power, but it took time to work.
For Bell, that was exactly the effect he needed now.
The pale green light intertwined with crimson flame. A moment later, the blood stopped flowing, and a hard black scab formed over the wound.
Compared to the instant healing of an Elixir, stopping the bleeding this way allowed Bell to keep his reason and avoid fainting.
Under the effect of the healing magic, the pain also eased slightly.
"The monsters are being drawn by the wind. Ryuu, hold them off for now."
Bell surveyed the battlefield around them, said nothing unnecessary, and quickly gave his order.
Although they could hear the roar of fireballs from the hollow, the Valgang Dragons' Flame Pillars were not coming this way. Finn and the others must have made a decision and drawn the Valgang Dragons' attention.
The gale howled, and the surging Magic Power attracted the Viola monsters.
Ryuu turned away, reluctantly tearing her gaze from him.
To keep commanding, Bell had cast aside his grief over losing his right arm and endured pain beyond imagination.
Right now, all Ryuu could do was obey the boy's words.
She tightened her grip on her katana and charged swiftly toward the Viola monsters.
"Alicia, frost magic!"
Bell glanced at the badly injured Riveria and shouted his order to the blonde Elf.
"Got it! Where should I cast it?!"
Alicia wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and gripped her wand tightly.
She looked at the boy with eyes full of resolve and began chanting her magic.
"Frozen skies, heavenly rain."
As the sorrowful song rang out.
Bell narrowed his eyes and calmly glanced at Juggernaut.
He pointed toward the large hole in the passageway and said,
"Seal the hole and the passageway. We have to kill it here."
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