The thick smoke and volcanic dust leftover from the ultimate explosion were slowly swept away by the wind. At the center of the Great Plains, the giant crater formed by the clash of extreme powers now became the final stage.
Zald stood in the middle of the crater, resting his weight on his sword, Grattor. His chest armor was cracked, and fresh blood seeped from his wounds. Even so, his breathing was still controlled, and the sharp look in his eyes showed his stamina was not yet depleted.
Across from Zald, Orario's eight pillars regulated their heavy breathing.
Finn Deimne planted his spear into the ground. The Pallum captain's tactical brain processed hundreds of variables. The simultaneous frontal attack had just proven to be a failure; Zald possessed the physical endurance and reflexes capable of breaking a random barrage, no matter how strong the attack was.
"Everyone, listen!" roared Finn using Command Howl, his voice slicing through the howling wind and instantly uniting the focus of his seven comrades. "Attacking randomly will only give that man the chance to use Afterglow to sweep us all at once! From this second on, we change our formation structure into two complementary combat units!"
Bell Cranel's red eyes looked at Finn. He immediately understood the direction of Finn's thoughts.
"First Group: Me, Ottar, Gareth, and Riveria!" continued Finn with absolute tone. "Our job is to be the locking chain. We will hold his movements, lock down his weapon, and restrict his movement space. Second Group: Bell Cranel, take command! Take Leon, Ais, and Ryuu with you. You are the executioner's blade. Find his blind spots, dismantle the gaps in his defense while he's busy with us, and shatter his balance!"
"Understood!" Bell replied, tightly gripping the Hestia Knife.
The division was brilliant. The First Group was filled with heavy-class veterans with physical endurance and wide-area magic to act as the "Hammer and Anvil". Meanwhile, the Second Group was filled with extreme-speed fighters skilled in lethal maneuvers.
Leon Vardenburg, whose sword still emitted residual light, turned to Bell. "Command us as you wish, Bell Cranel. I will follow the rhythm of your command."
Ais Wallenstein and Ryuu Lion nodded quickly. Both immediately adjusted their rhythm and stances to support the Second Group's movements.
Zald wiped the blood from his chin and raised Grattor. "Two combat groups? A classic pincer tactic. Come forth! Show me how sharp the fangs of your formation are!"
"Move!" yelled Finn.
The First Group immediately took the initiative. Gareth Landrock, the armored dwarf, dashed forward like a living tank. He activated Dvergr Enhance and Ardigalea, hardening his muscles and skeleton beyond orichalcum steel. Upon reaching within ten meters of Zald, Gareth jumped high and slammed his axe perpendicularly into the ground.
"Ardigamma!"
A seismic shockwave exploded. The ground's surface beneath Zald's feet split open, forcing giant boulders to jut upward. The goal was not to injure, but to ruin Zald's footing.
Zald stumbled slightly, forced to lift his right leg. In that precise moment, Riveria Ljos Alf completed her Chant Chaining from the rearguard.
"Via Shilheim: Liv Ilusio!"
Instead of a shield to protect her comrades, Riveria manipulated the absolute defense magic to enclose the airspace on Zald's left and right sides, forming a narrow corridor that restricted the swing radius of his greatsword, Grattor.
"Troublesome magic!" Zald muttered. He intended to destroy the magic walls, but Ottar had already dashed straight towards him through the intentionally opened corridor.
The King activated Stortus Ottar, letting his energy swirl wildly to recover stamina instantly. His black sword glowed golden due to Hildis Vini. Ottar did not swing his sword; instead, he dipped his shoulder and delivered a pure physical tackle of Level 9 scale toward Zald's chest.
BAMM!
The physical collision between the two giants was deafening. Zald held off Ottar's thrust with his left arm, his feet dragging backward. However, from the shadow of Ottar's back, Finn Deimne shot into the air.
The Pallum captain's left hand had been enveloped in a dense dark blood-red glow. He pressed his thumb to his forehead.
"Hell Finegas!"
Finn's eyes turned blazing blood-red. His battle lust exploded, suppressing his rationality to the absolute minimum for the sake of deadly speed. Relying on Dia Fianna, Finn thrust his spear like a series of lightning bolts. Dozens of thrust trajectories aimed at the gaps in the armor at Zald's neck, shoulder joints, and knees.
"Sharp thrusts, Braver!" Zald twirled Grattor with one hand, forcing his Hunter to adapt. He parried the majority of Finn's thrusts and used the residual deflection to kick Ottar's chest.
But Zald realized something fatal. He was too focused on withstanding the brutal onslaught of the First Group that the absolute blind spot at his back was completely wide open.
"Second Group, attack!" shouted Bell Cranel.
Like an invisible storm, Ais Wallenstein arrived first. Being at Level 7, her Ariel magic compressed the wind vortex until it turned deep green. Using the wind as footholds in the air, Ais slashed Desperate toward Zald's wrist holding the sword.
Claaang! Zald twisted his wrist, blocking Ais's sword with his arm guard. However, Ais was not the main attacker; she was merely paving the way.
From the air, Leon Vardenburg unleashed a barrage of Blaze of Round. Ten swords of light plummeted like a meteor shower, targeting Zald's locked legs and back. Zald was forced to use the Strong Body skill and the pure endurance of Deus Ambrosia, letting the swords of light explode on his back so as not to release his grip on Grattor.
The explosion of Leon's light created a thick veil of dust. Slipping through from behind that veil, Ryuu Lion dashed in.
Ryuu's blue eyes sharpened. Mind Load and Aero Mana activated simultaneously. The Elf didn't aim for Zald's body, but the ground he stood on. Using the Astraea Record fighting style that copied Kaguya and Alise's techniques, Ryuu slashed Alvs Iustitia horizontally toward the back of Zald's knee. As Zald kicked his leg back to parry, Ryuu spun her body and fired a micro-scale Luminous Wind right into Zald's ear.
The explosion of the wind star ruined Zald's audio balance and orientation for half a second.
Half a second was more than enough for Bell Cranel to move.
The white-haired youth's Level 8 status blended perfectly with his Initiative skill. His red eyes predicted the direction of Zald's falling balance. Bell did not use a wide slash. He slid low over the ground, spun his body, and fired a compressed Firebolt magic into the soles of his own feet.
The Hestia Knife in his right hand was coated by a dense shockwave compression from the Afterglow technique.
Slaaash!!
A spurt of blood sprayed into the air as the Hestia Knife tore through the armor gap below Zald's left ribs, leaving a fairly deep slash wound before Bell jumped away.
"Gkh...!" Zald growled softly, feeling real pain for the first time.
The battle did not stop there. The formation spun like the gears of a chainsaw. As soon as Bell and the Second Group retreated, Ottar and Gareth advanced again to take over the frontline, slamming their heavy weapons to prevent Zald from regaining his breathing rhythm. Riveria switched her magic base to Van Alheim, chanting a short Luna Aldis to heal Ottar and Gareth's muscles in real-time as they fought.
For five full minutes, the Great Plains served as the silent witness to the most merciless orchestration of battle. Clashing metal spewed sparks, shockwaves tore the topsoil down to the bedrock, and the air pressure boiled from the collision of magic and pure physical power.
Zald was truly surrounded. The First Group (Finn, Ottar, Gareth, Riveria) became an absolute iron cage binding him, while the Second Group (Bell, Leon, Ais, Ryuu) acted as the scalpel slicing his vital points bit by bit.
Every time Zald tried to twirl Grattor to unleash the hellfire of Rea Ambrosia, Gareth would shatter the ground he stood on, or Leon would fire Blaze of Round at his arm joints, canceling the momentum of the slash before it reached maximum power. Zald was forced into the most brutal close-quarters combat that provided no room for his long-range slashes.
"Incredible..." Zald murmured amidst the fight, parrying Finn's spear, holding off Gareth's axe, and dodging Ais's wind sword simultaneously. Blood seeped from dozens of slash wounds on his body.
Zald felt the endurance limit of his body. The relentless barrage of attacks continued to drain his stamina and worsen the wounds all over his body.
Zald's gray eyes narrowed. If this formation couldn't be destroyed from the outside, he had to detonate it from the inside.
"Don't think you can cage me forever!" roared Zald.
He suddenly extinguished the Rea Ambrosia fire on his sword, sacrificing destructive power to lighten the weapon's weight. With reflex speed that defied gravity, Zald caught Gareth's axe with his armor-plated left hand, letting his arm bone crack. Utilizing that opening, Zald swung Grattor toward Finn's spear, knocking the Pallum captain into the air.
Without an obstructing shield, Zald solidified his footing. All his remaining strength and energy were compressed into a single breath to break the encirclement.
"Rea Ambrosia: Radial Burst!"
Instead of slashing forward, Zald slammed the Grattor sword perpendicularly into the bottom of the crater. The blazing fire of Rea Ambrosia exploded along the ground in all directions, spewing pillars of black-red firestorms that cracked the earth and knocked back all the attackers surrounding him simultaneously.
"Hold on!!" shouted Gareth, planting his feet into the ground and using his massive body as a shield for Riveria.
Ottar withstood the blast of fire with both his arms. Ais cleaved the burst of heat using Ariel, while Ryuu dashed backwards taking cover behind the expanse of Riveria's magic wall.
The pincer formation was finally broken. The eight Orario pillars were scattered.
Zald stood in the center of the crater, his breathing heavy yet steady. His black armor was cracked and torn on various sides from the barrage of slashes, revealing wounds that began to bleed, but the smile on his face grew even firmer.
"Outstanding teamwork and coordination," Zald said, lifting the Grattor sword which was once again enveloped in the blazing fire of Rea Ambrosia. "You managed to prove the sharpness of your strategy. Now, it's time to see whether your resolve and pure strength can withstand my final swing!"
Zald raised his greatsword steadily. Without holding back in the slightest, he channeled all his remaining strength into the final Afterglow swing to conclude this decisive clash.
Finn Deimne readied his spear while staring at Zald. "This is the decisive clash. Expend all your strength to break through his attack!"
Ottar merely replied with a firm nod. "Welcome the attack." He focused all his physical attacking power into his black sword, ready to clash with pure strength on the frontline.
Leon Vardenburg stepped forward to stand alongside Ottar. The knight smiled faintly. "I have recalled all ten of my swords."
Leon activated Dvergr Rebellion. In a single breath, all ten of his Blaze of Round magic swords were shattered consecutively. The destruction of that autonomous defense triggered a massive surge in the physical parameters of Leon's body, awakening the Supreme Light ability. His body radiated a brilliant holy light that focused all his ultimate attacking power onto the sword's blade.
On the other hand, Finn Deimne pointed his spear straight at Zald. The Pallum captain deactivated his Hell Finegas magic. His eyes returned to normal, his breathing ragged. Instead, he triggered the ultimate magic that could only be used once in 24 hours.
"Tir na Nog..."
Finn's spear absorbed all the status, levels, and accumulated Falna points he had gathered over decades, transforming it into a pure gold magical projectile that radiated extreme heat.
Bell Cranel stood on the frontline, standing alongside those top-class veterans. Ais, Ryuu, Gareth, and Riveria stood behind them, focusing their remaining Mind to create multi-layered defensive walls so the impact of the attack later wouldn't kill their own comrades.
Bell's left hand held his right wrist, which gripped the Hestia Knife. He closed his eyes for a moment.
Chime... Chime... Chime...
The sound of chiming bells echoed clearly and consecutively amidst the roar of the plains' wind. The dense white light particles of Heroic Wish: Argonaut gathered around the Hestia Knife.
Bell injected the Firebolt magic into that vortex of light, burning it into a blazing red fire glow. Finally, he compressed his slashing power using the Afterglow technique, locking those three destructive forces into one stable entity at the tip of his knife's blade.
Bell opened his eyes, locking onto the target without hesitation.
Across from them, Zald swung Grattor.
"Afterglow: Maximum!!" roared the Gluttony.
A dense wave of black-red fire slash shot straight ahead, cleaving the ground and sweeping the air in front of him with incredible destructive power.
"CHARGE!!" shouted Finn.
Leon Vardenburg shot out first, firing his own body as the absolute sword of light, Supreme Light. Ottar leaped into the air, swinging his Level 9-powered Hildis Vini vertically. Finn Deimne released the Tir na Nog throw that tore the air.
And in the middle of the three of them, Bell Cranel ran straight ahead and unleashed his ultimate slash.
"ARGO VESTA: IGNIS ZANKOU!!"
The four techniques struck the exact same point simultaneously.
The collision of those four powers triggered a massive explosion instantly. A loud boom shook the plains, hurling fragments of earth and a heatwave that swept the entire crater.
The shockwave from the center of impact swept the ground, tearing the earth's crust, and leveling the rocky hills into fine sand. Riveria's Liv Ilusio magic wall cracked severely, forcing Gareth and Ais to withstand the wind pressure with their physical bodies so they wouldn't be blown into the air.
The bright white light swallowed everything for more than ten seconds.
Slowly, the roar of the twilight wind was heard again. The light particles faded, replaced by ash and thin smoke blanketing the new giant crater.
At the bottom of that crater, an absolute silence gripped.
Leon Vardenburg lay flat on his back, his holy light extinguished, his armor shattered, and he had completely lost consciousness. Ottar knelt with both hands supporting the ground, his black sword broken in the middle. Finn Deimne fell face down, all the strength from his levels completely drained by Tir na Nog.
In the rearguard, Riveria, Gareth, Ais, and Ryuu sat limply, unable to lift their weapons anymore.
The only one still forcing himself to stand tall on Orario's side was Bell Cranel. His right hand holding the Hestia Knife was severely blistered, his skin scorched up to his elbow limit due to the close-range explosion. His breathing sounded hoarse and broken, blood flowing from his forehead and nose. However, his red eyes refused to blink, staring straight ahead.
Before them, Zald still stood stiffly.
However, the greatsword Grattor in his hands was now broken into two pieces. Its red steel blade lay shattered and scattered on the ground. The wounds on Zald's body gaped wide, and fresh blood flowed heavily, soaking the ground he stood on.
Zald looked at the broken hilt of his weapon, then shifted his gaze to Bell and the fighters of the new generation before him.
A sincere smile adorned the veteran's face.
"You guys... are truly incredible..." Zald whispered softly.
Both knees of the Gluttony finally hit the ground. His massive body staggered forward and collapsed, crashing into the crater's dirt. Zald, the Gluttony, had officially fallen in battle.
Silence instantly enveloped the crater as the giant body finally fell. The eight Orario fighters panted heavily in their respective spots, realizing they had successfully brought down Zald even though all their strength was completely drained with nothing left.
However, before they could let out a long sigh of relief, the atmosphere inside the crater suddenly changed.
A bone-piercing coldness crept into the air. The sound of the wind and the rustling of sand seemed to vanish instantly, swallowed by an absolute silence that pressed upon their consciousness.
From the edge of the crater, a female figure stepped down calmly.
Alfia.
The silver-haired woman wore a dark gothic-style dress that trailed neatly to her feet, entirely untouched by the dirt of the battlefield. On her neck, a necklace with a green gem gleamed coldly. Her hands, covered in dark, sheer gloves, were folded elegantly in front of her body.
Alfia stepped past the fallen fighters, then stopped right beside Zald's body.
Slowly, Alfia opened her eyes. Her right eye was emerald green, while her left eye was silver-gray. That heterochromatic gaze looked coldly at her unconscious comrade, then shifted to sweep over the helpless remaining Orario fighters.
"So, Zald lost, huh," Alfia said. Her voice sounded melodious and clear, yet it radiated a heavy pressure that froze the atmosphere.
Alfia stared straight at Bell and his comrades who had reached their physical limits. The corners of her lips curled up slightly.
"You managed to bring him down," Alfia continued in a flat tone. "Then... do you still intend to fight me? Just so you know, I am far stronger than Zald."
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P - Gem_Blanks
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