Huge pillars of flame erupted from the Magic Circle, roaring skyward like arrows of fire.
All-directional annihilation Magic.
The flames gathered all of Riveria's magical power, their might surpassing even the Demi Spirit's Firestorm.
Countless torrents of flame erupted beneath the monsters' feet and surged all the way to the ceiling of the Floor.
The Viola monsters blocking Ais and the others' path, the horde that had chased after the boy and veered toward the left, the giant Violas that had dropped from the ceiling to ambush him... Every last monster was swallowed by the flames.
Unlike the crimson world from before, Riveria's Magic locked precisely onto her enemies without harming a single ally.
At the center of the emerald-colored Magic Circle, a pillar of fire carrying the Elf Princess's fury erupted and shot straight toward the Female Body Type's upper body.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Her piercing scream summoned countless green spears, forming a towering wall without a single gap.
This was supposed to be her trump card for capturing [Aria].
But the Female Body Type instinctively realized that before the surging emerald magic, neither the armor of the giant flower bud nor the countless tentacles at her disposal could escape being consumed by a sea of fire.
The enemy had grown stronger.
She did not understand how, but the Female Body Type could sense that, in that brief instant, the emerald Elf's magic had risen yet another level. Compared to her already immense magical power, the increase was no more than a shower falling into a lake. Yet that tiny difference was just enough to tip the balance between offense and defense and turn the attack into a lethal blow.
The pillars of flame were simply too powerful. There was no way she could withstand them.
Her long green hair whipping around her, the Female Body Type roared and summoned a barrier of green walls that completely enclosed her body.
In the next instant, dozens of flaming spears slammed into the towering wall, triggering an explosion on an unprecedented scale.
Thick smoke billowed upward as the shockwave swept across the entire Floor.
The deafening roar went on without pause. Pillar after pillar of fire tore through the green vines and incinerated the towering green walls.
By the time the emerald magic dispersed into scorching motes of light, the green walls surrounding the Female Body Type had vanished without a trace.
"Aaaaaaah!!!!"
Before the smoke and dust had even cleared, the Female Body Type tore at her long hair, her face twisted into a hideous expression.
Her defenses had been broken.
She had been tricked.
That white-haired monster had deliberately drawn her attention to buy time for the fire Magic!
Damn it, damn it, damn it...
She had to kill that hateful monster!
...
On the other side, in stark contrast to the hysterical Female Body Type, the golden-yellow-haired Elf was almost completely at ease.
"Come, ring of fairies. Please - give me strength."
Lefiya lay against the boy's back, chanting the spell one word at a time.
Perhaps it was because something similar had happened when they first met, or perhaps because this position felt both familiar and warm. Even in the middle of such a brutal battlefield, Lefiya did not feel the slightest trace of fear.
In the past, she would have been trembling from head to toe, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Feeling the endless warmth spreading through the places where their bodies touched, Lefiya shyly drew even closer, pressing herself against the boy's back.
This was only to make sure [The Requited Love Bond] worked properly. That was why she was ignoring the fact that her chest was pressed against him. Yes, that was definitely the reason.
"Elf Ring."
The moment Lefiya realized that she no longer hesitated to make intimate physical contact with the boy, her face turned bright red.
At that exact moment, she caught Riveria giving her a complicated look.
The Elf Princess's gaze felt rather piercing, and Lefiya instinctively responded.
Almost as though staking her claim, the golden-yellow-haired Elf tightened her arms around the boy and continued chanting.
"Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil!"
The Chant was complete.
Lefiya stared at the massive pillars of fire still roaring around them, wondering who she should cast the shield of light for, when a spear of lightning suddenly pierced through the smoke and came straight at the boy.
"Pierce, spear of lightning. Your envoy beseeches you, Tonitrus. Incarnate of thunder. Queen of lightning..."
The Female Body Type had seized the opportunity. Using the thunderous roar of the erupting fire pillars as cover, she had completed the Chant for her Thunder Ray Magic.
There was nothing left between the Thunder Spear and the boy.
With the explosions and smoke concealing the attack, there was no way her opponent could react in time.
This time, she would definitely kill it!
"Thunder Ray."
Lightning surged forward like an assassin's arrow, aimed directly at the boy.
But Bell had already anticipated it.
"Dio Grail!"
Lefiya's Magic finished at precisely the right moment. She raised her wand and unfolded a barrier of light in front of the boy.
The light shield collided with the Thunder Spear, and the tremendous impact forced the golden-yellow-haired Elf back.
It was the same short Chant and the same Magic, yet the thunderbolt was noticeably stronger this time.
Earlier, when Bell had lured the Female Body Type into attacking, Lefiya had managed to block the Thunder Spear because the thunderbolt had swallowed up a monster standing along its path, weakening the attack before it reached her.
"Hear now..."
The instant the pillars of fire erupted and the monsters behind him ceased to be a threat, Bell ended the Storm's Ability-Granting Magic and began chanting [Argo's Ship], preparing to cast barrier Magic.
"Ugh..."
Listening to the boy's Chant, Lefiya gripped her wand with all her strength.
She knew perfectly well that no matter how fast Bell could cast his Magic, he could not switch between spells without leaving even the slightest gap. The clever boy had already accounted for that, which was exactly why he was carrying her on his back to deal with this surprise attack.
The entire plan depended on complete trust.
The boy trusted Lefiya. He believed she was strong enough to withstand the full force of an undiminished Thunder Spear.
"Ugh... An attack like this is nothing!"
Lefiya turned her strained groan into a determined shout and poured even more magic into the barrier.
The deep golden Magic Circle blazed with light.
I'm nothing but a magic idiot...
So why does he trust me this much? Why would he entrust his life to me?!
Bell Cranel may be smart, but he really is a huge idiot!
Lefiya's eyes widened, and her blue pupils seemed to take on a faint shade of pink from [The Requited Love Bond].
"I... I'm not... going to lose!"
Light burst outward.
With the golden-yellow-haired Elf's cry, the Thunder Spear shattered against the shield of light.
She stopped it.
Before Lefiya could even feel relieved, another flash of lightning entered her vision.
The Female Body Type's chanting speed was astonishing.
The light shield Lefiya had raised was already riddled with cracks. There was absolutely no way it could withstand another attack.
It should have been a hopeless situation, yet the corners of the golden-yellow-haired Elf's lips rose into a smile.
Because the bell, Bell Cranel, was right there beside her.
"Divine Light • Voyage (Argo's Ship)."
Under the boy's unwavering gaze, a second shield of light rose before them.
The Thunder Spear crashed into the light shield.
The explosion drowned out every other sound.
And yet, for some reason, to Lefiya it sounded like beautiful fireworks streaking across the night sky, blooming deep within her heart.
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