Otherwise… who else could endure such grievous wounds and still be alive? It could only be this dwarf.
--------------------------------
As Fron searched, in a short time, fortunately everyone was found.
Unfortunately, however, Riveria also completely lost consciousness due to Magic Rebound, losing all combat ability.
On top of that, backup items, magic swords, and potions were largely destroyed. At this very moment, the [Loki Familia] had already been driven into a desperate corner.
Even though everyone, following Fron's suggestion, had worn "Fire Spirit Cloth," under that kind of magical attack, their bodies were already battered and torn apart.
Groaning, under Fron's call, they forced their trembling bodies up with their arms, looking at the enemy, like a blazing inferno dividing the entire floor into two worlds, speechless.
Picking up the shattered white-silver staff with fragments of magic crystal, looking at the unconscious Riveria lying in Ais' arms and the ruined sacred robe that had possessed extremely high magic resistance, Lefiya, who hadn't directly taken the hit, was pale, her eyes brimming with tears.
The boastful dwarf was severely burned all over, barely supporting himself while sitting on the ground. Like Riveria, his top-class equipment had been completely destroyed.
With both leaders losing the ability to fight, the scene threw the others into silence.
Meanwhile, the Pallum captain standing by pressed down on his charred arm, his green eyes scanning everyone's faces. Nobody knew what he was thinking.
"Th-this kind of enemy, how in the world are we supposed to defeat it!?"
Despair filled the faces of Tiona, Tione, and Bete, let alone the others.
"[O earth, respond, ]"
"--?"
Even without reason or wisdom, monsters driven only by primitive instinct could still strike when one was already down.
To the utterly defeated [Loki Familia], the enemy's chant once more was no different than a death knell.
Crack,
The string of calmness in Fron's mind snapped.
All along, Fron had appeared calm and composed, but only when cornered in desperate straits would he reveal another side of himself.
Like against the Black Goliath, like during the last expedition, like against Olivas.
But this time, it was even more suffocating, more terrifying, more despair-inducing than ever before!
The companions who had always been his support, the family silently standing behind him, were now fallen.
Then,
"This time, let me become your support!"
Step, step, step, step––
With Fron's slow but firm strides, step by step, the tip of his staff dragged across the ground, leaving behind a twisted scar.
"You think chanting is something only your side can do? HAAAA!!!"
Gripping his staff, Fron burst out from the silence like a furious lion, his body erupting in black thunderous flames. With one step on the fractured edge, he leapt into the burning wasteland, faster and faster, until his figure blurred, charging headlong at that twistedly grinning enemy of life and death!
"[Face your end (Ragnarok)!]"
"[Surtr!]"
While sprinting, he chanted the name of his magic!
His figure wrapped in black flames and lightning, like a demon crawling from the abyss, eyes blazing with perilous light.
"Heh, "
The twisted being tilted its head, sneering.
"[Come forth, come forth, O shell of the earth, O treasure of black steel, O hammer of meteors, O covenant of reversal and creation;]"
"[Burn the heavens, shatter the land, erect the bridge of heaven and earth, bring down the axe of the sky, catastrophe of ruin, ]"
A long chant, one level below super-long incantation!
Though weaker in power, against already devastated adventurers, it was more than enough!
And with the aid of ultra-high-speed chanting, the speed of activation was, faster still!
"[In the name of the Executor, receive this! My name is Gnome, embodiment of earth, Queen of the Land, ]"
Seeing a tiny crawling insect dare charge at it without fear, the spirit's expression did not change, continuing its eerie smile as it chanted the words of calamity with otherworldly skill!
"Fron!!!?"
His companions, stunned, looked at that fearless figure. Perhaps it was an illusion, but something within their bodies was being ignited by Fron.
It was the blood flowing within the beings known as adventurers, ignited!
Blood, pumping!
Heart, pounding!
Thump, thump, thump,
He raised his hand, pressing against his chest.
Feeling the surge of his mind and body, somehow, the shaken heart grew resolute.
Thump, thump, thump!
Under the gaze of companions whose eyes grew ever brighter, that figure charged straight forward.
In his eyes, there was nothing else.
"'Reader,' activate!"
"'Scholar,' activate!!"
"'Infinite Super Magic,' activate!"
"'Magic Dominator,' activate!!!"
Final form [Surtalogi]; once again!
", "
BOOM,
"[Storm of Meteors, !!!!!!!!!]"
The sky darkened once more, a terrifying magic circle covering the entire battlefield!
But at that very moment,
"[Storm of Meteors, !!!!!!!!!]"
"--?"
Completely identical, though smaller in size, the exact same colossal magic circle shone above Fron's head!
One above, one below! In the next moment,
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM,
Meteors collided!
The meteors falling from the above and those rising from below exploded midair into dazzling fireworks!
No, that wasn't fireworks. It was ruin, destruction itself!
"Fron!!!!!"
Everyone raised their heads to the youth who, in the face of a mighty foe, stood bravely at the very front, his back to his comrades and friends, carrying their hopes.
"..."
His figure was engulfed by blinding light, the deafening blast and violent shockwave once again sweeping away his injured and defenseless companions. Only their cries of grief echoed across the barren wasteland.
"I will not lose, monster!!! To protect my comrades, I will never lose!"
"Explode for meeeeeeeee, !!!"
With a ferocious roar, he poured all his magic into the spell, clashing against the monster!
"Heh, "
The entire 59th floor, under that searing light, lost all color.
Only the beams of magic stretching out from the two vast magic circles remained.
"UAAAAAAAAAAAA, !!!"
His cheek was torn open, his right arm turned to charcoal, his cloak tattered. Blood gushed from deep wounds along with his shattered armor.
Yet, the youth bleeding all over, smiled.
BOOM,
The scorching heat and flames that twisted sight devoured his figure, the roaring shockwave consuming the youth's furious howl.
All that remained was a field of ruins, and the faintest trace of a body, vanishing into nothingness.