Chapter 432: Dazzling Figures on the Battlefield

Standing beside Riveria was a blonde girl holding a battle standard, firmly guarding the chanting mage. It was Jeanne of the Focalors Familia, currently directing the remaining members of the Loki Familia to precisely intercept any straggling monsters attempting to break through the rear lines.

"—OOOOARRRGHHH!!"

Suddenly, a distinctly different howl erupted from the monster swarm. A Fomor, noticeably larger than its peers, roughly shoved its obstructing kin aside and charged violently toward their position. Mid-stride, it raised its massive bone club high, aiming squarely at the weakest point in their defensive line. The sheer oppressive weight of the behemoth washed over them, causing a dwarven warrior in the vanguard to widen his eyes in terror through the gap in his shield.

A strike delivered with terrifying arm strength slammed brutally into the makeshift shield wall. Accompanied by the agonizing screech of warping metal, a corner of the frontline was forcibly blown away. Several warriors were sent flying backwards, coughing up blood, as a massive gap was instantly torn open.

"Molten Knight, plug the breach!" Finn, acting as supreme commander, barked the order the moment the opening appeared.

In the next instant, a silver-white mech currently skirting the edge of the battlefield descended from the sky, bringing with it searing heat and trailing flames. It landed precisely in the gap. The dual swords in its hands became a lethal whirlwind, instantly hacking the monsters that had crossed the shield line into bloody ribbons. It was Firefly, having reached Level 4 and transformed using her armament magic.

However, the even larger Fomor—clearly an Enhanced Species—responded to Firefly's appearance with a far more frenzied roar. Ignoring the enemies around it, the beast hoisted a giant club capable of smashing city walls and brought it crashing down toward Firefly's head.

Faced with this crushing blow, Firefly didn't dodge. The silver-white arms of her mech braced, and the flames wrapping her dual swords shifted from crimson to blinding white. With a sharp cry, two fiercely concentrated arcs of flaming sword aura crossed through the air, colliding violently with the descending hammer.

BOOM—!!

A violent shockwave of explosive force swept frantically outward from the point of impact. The frontline warriors gritted their teeth, anchoring their shields into the ground just to withstand the aftershock. Yet, a girl hiding behind the shieldbearers was still blown away by the turbulent air currents.

"Lefiya?!"

Despite the layers of heavy shields protecting her, the immense shockwave sent the frail elf tumbling clumsily across the hard ground. Before she could recover from her dizziness, a massive, pitch-black shadow loomed over her. It was a Fomor with a vicious, beastly face that had luckily survived the blast.

Stared down by that blood-red eye, Lefiya's breath hitched. Reflected clearly in her wide, terror-stricken dark blue eyes was the blunt weapon swinging straight down toward her, reeking of death.

In that hair-raising fraction of a second, a crimson slash tore through the air.

"Eh?"

In Lefiya's vision, a streak of red fire sped past, so fast she didn't even have time to process it. Immediately after, a massive spray of blood erupted from the Fomor's body. Its gigantic head tumbled through the air before hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

The bewildered elf raised her gaze. Standing quietly in front of her was a white-haired young man, letting the aftershocks of the battle rustle his hair. He gave the Godslayer: Surtr a sharp flick, casting the blood from its blade.

"Aiden!" From the direction of the vanguard came Tiona's excited cheer; she had witnessed the entire sequence of events.

"Are you alright?" Aiden turned around and offered a hand to Lefiya, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Lefiya grabbed his hand and somewhat frantically pulled herself up, hurriedly patting the dust off her skirt.

"Glad to hear it. Protect yourself," Aiden instructed simply, before his figure vanished from the spot with a faint whistle of wind.

A moment later, crimson sword light flashed at the edges of the rear formation. He engaged in close-quarters combat with the remaining monsters that had slipped past. With clean, decisive strikes flashing before the eyes of the mages and archers, he annihilated every last Fomor that had breached the defensive line in mere seconds.

Having thoroughly cleared the threat to the rear, Aiden didn't pause for a second. The ground beneath his feet shattered as he launched himself into the sky like a cannonball. Arching over the heads of the frontline shieldbearers, he seamlessly cut into the densest part of the monster swarm, converging with the silver figure currently locked in a fierce blade dance.

"...Amazing," a soft murmur escaped the lips of an unnamed adventurer.

Wind and fire played a perfectly synchronized concerto. Ais's sword was agile and swift, a lethal silver whirlwind precisely severing limbs and breaking formations. Aiden's sword was searing and tyrannical, a flowing crimson comet reducing all obstacles to ash. Their every movement was a display of gorgeous yet profoundly cruel efficiency. The two nimbly dodged countless heavy, swinging arms, sending monster bodies and heads flying one after another.

The clustered swarm of vanguard monsters was rapidly diminishing at a visible rate. Every adventurer present, whether from the Loki Familia or the Focalors Familia, was captivated by those two dazzling figures on the battlefield, completely won over by their unimaginable strength.

You are the incarnation of hellfire.

Eradicate all things, and draw the curtain on bloody warfare.

Then, from the rear of the formation, an immense surge of magic swelled upward like a volcano about to erupt. Finally, the lengthy, continuously woven incantation reached its conclusion.

Sword Princess, Aiden, fall back!

Robin's crystal-clear mental link accurately pierced through the clamor of the battlefield, landing sharply in Aiden and Ais's minds. Receiving the order simultaneously, the two shared a tacit glance toward Robin's position before leaping backward in unison. Under the unwilling, roaring gazes of countless Fomors, they traced two beautiful arcs through the air, touching down lightly in the center of their camp like dragonflies skimming a pond.

Burn everything to ashes, sword of Surtr—My name is Alf!

In the next instant, the massive emerald magic circle violently expanded with an explosive crack, enveloping not only where Aiden and Ais had stood, but every single Fomor in sight. The entire battlefield fell within the spell's area of effect.

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