Atop its enormous, grotesque body, the Female Body Type glared viciously at the boy.
Blocked?
It was blocked!
The two Thunder Spears that should have caught him by surprise had vanished into smoke.
There was no spray of blood, no mangled corpse. All that remained was a dazzling pure-white shield and the completely unharmed white-haired boy.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
The Female Body Type screamed in a frenzy.
Consumed by rage, she wanted to chant another short Magic spell and take the boy's head, but the situation would not allow it.
The pillars of flame had incinerated every Viola and Virga monster on the Floor. With the tide of monsters no longer obstructing them, the adventurers closed the distance at astonishing speed.
Left with no choice, the Female Body Type changed targets.
"Arise, flames..."
An extremely long Chant once again echoed across the battlefield.
The pillars of flame unleashed by the emerald-colored Elf had stripped away her defensive trump card, but her opponent must have expended an enormous amount of Mind in the process as well.
As long as she could complete the Firestorm, the enemy would never be able to raise another barrier powerful enough to protect everyone.
One strike.
A single strike would decide the battle.
Both sides had lost their defensive trump cards. All that remained was to see who could land the fatal blow first.
"Rage, rage, rage. Vortex of fire..."
The Female Body Type rapidly wove her Chant.
Up until now, the enemy had been controlling the course of the battle.
That hateful white-haired monster could wait. Once she dealt with everyone else and devoured [Aria], there would still be plenty of time to kill him afterward.
That's right. She would not be fooled again!
Her long Chant had only been interrupted because the spear had come too suddenly. If she guarded against it in advance, she could block it with the flower bud.
Yes. Exactly.
As long as she did not let the white-haired monster distract her, victory was within reach.
The Female Body Type spread out a massive Magic Circle, a chilling smile appearing on her beautiful face.
Yet within her golden eyes, the white-haired boy suddenly appeared once more, haunting her like a specter that refused to leave.
With the monster horde gone, Bell could easily charge toward the front line as well.
"W-wait! Can't I get down and run by myself?!"
Feeling herself jostled with every step, Lefiya asked in confusion.
The boy had carried her earlier so they could evade the monster horde. Now that the threat was gone, Lefiya could not understand why she still needed to remain on his back.
She herself had already grown accustomed to traveling this way. Everyone had seen them anyway, so there was no harm in enjoying this warm closeness a little longer. Besides, this faintly sweet embarrassment was just right. It was nothing compared to the intimate contact they had shared while practicing Concurrent Chanting.
Even so, Lefiya could not stop thinking about the look the Elf Princess had given her earlier.
That piercing irritation... Could Riveria have been jealous of her?
After all, Riveria-sama and Bell Cranel were lovers. The way Lefiya had suddenly hugged the boy just now must have looked like a deliberate provocation...
The thought immediately made Lefiya want to climb off the boy's back and explain herself to the Elf Princess.
She did like the boy very much, and being pressed against his back really was comfortable, but she absolutely did not have any improper intentions. She certainly was not thinking about doing anything strange with Bell Cranel...
As her imagination wandered, the golden-yellow-haired Elf let out a silly giggle, a pink atmosphere completely at odds with the battlefield seeming to surround her.
"Lefiya, Light Arrow Magic!"
Bell ignored the foolish giggling behind him and quickly issued his command.
It was certainly something to celebrate that the golden-yellow-haired Elf had overcome her fear and grown stronger, but Bell could not help wondering whether she was developing in a rather strange direction.
"...Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree."
Lefiya obeyed without hesitation and began chanting her Magic.
Even setting aside Bell's position as commander, the golden-yellow-haired Elf trusted the boy with all her heart.
Her trust was so pure that Lefiya herself forgot she had been worrying about remaining on his back just moments earlier. The next second, she was hugging Bell tightly again as she sang her song of love.
"..."
Bell kept his eyes fixed on the Female Body Type as he sprinted forward.
The reason he was still carrying Lefiya was simple. She was slower than him and would not be able to reposition herself quickly enough to fire her cannon Magic at the crucial moment.
The golden-yellow-haired Elf's well-proportioned body did nothing to hinder Bell's speed.
In only a short time, the two moved from the far left side of the Floor back toward the left side of the main battlefield.
Reflected in Bell's crimson-scarlet eyes, an enormous Magic Circle appeared beneath the Female Body Type. Red magical light, the sign of the approaching Firestorm, steadily rose from it.
Everyone saw it.
"Is the fire Magic coming again?!"
Tiona shouted anxiously.
She had fought alongside Riveria countless times. The annihilation Magic from moments earlier had already consumed a great deal of the Vice Captain's Mind, which meant raising another barrier would be extremely difficult.
Even if they managed to retreat in time, they would have no way to withstand the raging flames.
"Can we interrupt it?!"
Realizing how dire the situation had become, Tione could not help cursing.
They had nowhere left to retreat. The moment the fire Magic descended upon the battlefield, their entire formation would collapse.
"Tsk."
Bete pushed his speed even further, but countless tentacles blocked his path.
No matter how swiftly he attacked with his twin swords and kicks, he could not break through the massive tentacles standing in his way.
"If you can't make it, get behind me!"
Gareth roared.
He raised his massive axe and braced himself for the coming impact.
"..."
Even Ais's wind could not reach the Female Body Type. All she could do was desperately swing her slender sword, cutting apart the tentacles rushing toward her.
"Aaaaaah!"
Finn's eyes were bloodshot. The silver spear in his hands seemed to thirst for blood and slaughter as it repeatedly tore through the attacking tentacles.
In his berserk state, he wanted to hurl the spear, but what remained of his reason warned him that the previous attack had only succeeded because the Female Body Type had been caught off guard.
A second spear would very likely be blocked.
Because of that, Finn hesitated for a single instant.
Without his commands, the vanguard could only judge for themselves how best to respond to the enemy's assault.
And the Female Body Type's chanting speed was simply too fast, making that problem even more dangerous.
Just as everyone's anxiety reached its peak, the boy's shout rang in their ears.
"[Braver], throw your spear in five seconds! Tsubaki, get the spare spear ready and hand it over the instant he throws! Everyone else, maintain your speed and keep advancing!"
Bell shouted toward the group ahead and to his right.
During the earlier fighting, he had not been positioned with the vanguard, so he could only command Riveria and the others at the rear.
Bell could have shouted instructions based on his own reading of the battlefield, but the sheer number of monsters had obstructed both visibility and communication. Carelessly issuing orders in those conditions might not have helped Ais and the others at all. Worse, it could have distracted them and interfered with their own judgment.
Now, those obstacles were gone.
Bell formally took over command.