Feidric's magic circle was immense, spanning a massive circle roughly one kilometer in diameter. Thus, the instant Aria's group and the Child of Flesh emerged from the darkness, they were already within its effective range.
As the magic circle activated, an immense suppressive force materialized out of thin air. The Child of Flesh, which had been fiercely battling the trio, suddenly felt as if a weight of several thousand pounds had been dropped onto its back. Its entire body shuddered and was slowly forced downward, its upright stance collapsing into something resembling a crawl.
Although Feidric's magic was only at twenty percent of its full power, this creature wasn't a true Child of Flesh either. Feidric himself was momentarily stunned by how effective his spell was, but he quickly recovered and shouted, "Now!"
In truth, his reminder was unnecessary. Aria and Olivia, already in their Flow State, had unleashed at least thirty or forty sword strikes in the time it took Feidric to speak. Golden and crimson sword lights crisscrossed, one following the other, completely dominating the battlefield with a sea of dazzling light pollution. The special effects were cranked to the max.
Despite being on the same battlefield, Douglas felt completely unable to intervene. The three of them were still under the effects of the divine magic Rhythm of War, which theoretically should have linked their minds. Yet, Aria and Olivia's movements were simply too fast.
In their Flow State, by the time their intentions reached Douglas's mind, the two women had already executed their attacks and were swinging their swords for the next strike.
It was no exaggeration to say that despite being "mentally linked," Douglas couldn't keep up with their speed at all.
"Too fast!" Douglas muttered to himself, but this only deepened his confusion. In her Flow State, Aria's thought and reaction speeds were pushed to their absolute limits, severely diminishing the effectiveness of Rhythm of War. So how was Olivia coordinating with her so perfectly?
Even if Olivia also had a Flow State, it wouldn't explain it. Flow State was a single-threaded ability; it was impossible to simultaneously fight and efficiently process thoughts transmitted from Aria. This meant their flawless coordination had nothing to do with Douglas's Rhythm of War.
Instead, it was because the two of them already had exceptional coordination—so exceptional they didn't need any communication to know what the other was thinking or planning, allowing them to coordinate their attacks perfectly. But how was that possible? Wasn't today the first day Aria and Olivia had met?
Douglas stared blankly at the scene before him. The swirling special effects made the entire battle look like a movie with its visuals cranked to the max.
Feidric turned to the blood-soaked Douglas and said, "You've done enough! Fall back and rest!"
As he spoke, Feidric pulled out a Magic Power Potion and downed it in one gulp, replenishing a bit of his mana. Without a hint of conservation, he began unleashing one spell after another.
"Sixth-Level Transmutation: Disintegrate!"
"Seventh-Level Enchantment: Word of Pain!"
"Fifth-Level Abjuration: Multiple Barriers!"
Disintegrate was, of course, Feidric's signature spell. A slender beam of red light shot out, striking one of the Child of Flesh's legs in an instant and reducing it to a cloud of black mist.
Normally, Disintegrate would reduce a target to fine dust, but that didn't happen. This meant the Child of Flesh wasn't made of physical matter at all. Was its true body just a mass of darkness?
As for Word of Pain, its effect was simple: it amplified the pain of an already injured target a hundred or even a thousand times over. Sure enough, after being hit by the spell, the Child of Flesh's movements visibly stuttered.
The final barrier spell was cast to protect Olivia, who had already sustained several injuries while pursuing the Child of Flesh earlier.
"ROAR—!!!"
The Child of Flesh suddenly let out a piercing shriek, its entire body seeming to turn transparent for an instant. But as the magic circle beneath its feet buzzed with a low hum, its form solidified once more.
Evidently, the Child of Flesh had realized the situation was unfavorable and tried to retreat. However, Feidric's magic had suppressed its Shadow Teleportation, causing the attempt to fail.
"Strike while it's down!" Douglas couldn't help but shout. "Target its injuries!"
Against a normal enemy, Aria and Olivia, as Paladins, would never resort to such a ruthless tactic. But when facing an Outer God—a supreme evil—the rules changed.
Golden and red sword flashes crisscrossed, leaving more and more wounds on the Child of Flesh. Where Aria's blade struck, golden light lingered in the gashes, refusing to dissipate and inflicting continuous damage.
However, Aria and Olivia were also accumulating injuries. In the heat of battle, who could guarantee they'd never make a mistake?
It was no exaggeration to say that Feidric could no longer replenish their shields faster than they were shattering. Fortunately, Aria's Divine Artifact buff granted them incredible self-healing, allowing them to maintain near-peak condition and continue fighting.
With their inexhaustible stamina, the true toll of this battle was on their minds. As long as Aria and Olivia could grit their teeth and remain resolute, they could fight on indefinitely.
"Hah... hah... I can't go on!" Feidric collapsed onto the ground, several empty potion bottles scattered at his feet. His hands trembled violently. The repeated cycle of chugging potions to replenish his magic power only to immediately expend it had left his entire body wracked with excruciating pain.
Even the magic circle on the ground was nearly depleted. But just then, Olivia roared "Divine Smite!" for what felt like the hundredth time. Unlike before, this strike was far more powerful, engulfing the entire battlefield in flames—even Aria was caught in the inferno.
The Child of Flesh pressed its attack, but its tentacles swung through empty air where Aria had been. Blinded by the flames, it momentarily lost track of her. This wasn't a major setback; the Outer God immediately turned to attack Olivia, ignoring the searing fire. The pressure on Olivia instantly skyrocketed, and within seconds, she was covered in fresh wounds.
But within the heart of the blaze, Aria—her body wreathed in fire—raised her Divine Artifact and began to channel power. Ignoring the agony of the flames, she focused as a brilliant golden light gathered around her.