All that remained was a field of ruins, and the faintest trace of a body, vanishing into nothingness.
---------------------------------------
"Ahhhhhhhhhh, "
Even the Fallen Spirit let out a sharp, tragic scream from the pain.
That was the heavy wound brought to her by magic. Even though as a [Enhanced Species] she possessed a self-healing ability stronger than a mutated monster, this was not something that could be healed in a short time.
Compared to the heavily injured Fallen Spirit, Fron, who was fighting head-on against the twisted enemy, wasn't faring much better either.
The magic explosion was all-encompassing. Fron's entire body was tattered and torn, countless bones broken.
Sixty percent of his skin was burned, and even his handsome face was half destroyed. His shriveled lips split open, oozing with blood.
His dazzling, sword-maiden-like short hair was mostly burned away, and the black Goliath cloak on him looked like a beggar's rags, barely hanging on.
The staff in his hand rolled aside. Thanks to its "Durandal" property, it wasn't damaged, but the magic crystal and the tip of the staff had dulled, losing their rightful power and sharpness.
"F-Fron, "
Covered in dust and dirt, Ais, Alicia, Tiona, and the others who could still move moved toward him, crying in grief as they fell before the man lying miserably on the ground, life or death uncertain. They let out piercing wails of despair.
"No, no, Fron, don't die! Don't leave me all alone, I beg you, please, please wake up! Please, please, I'm begging you!"
Ais knelt by the young man's side, her soft little hands clutching Fron's large hand tightly, as the girl sobbed uncontrollably.
The wind descended.
But where would wind come from, in the Dungeon?
A gentle breeze brushed across the cheeks of the companions drowning in grief.
No one noticed, in Ais' golden eyes lowered in sorrow, a pitch-black darkness spreading within.
Hu,
Her blonde hair fluttered behind her as the girl powerlessly released the young man's charred hand.
"A-Ais, ?"
Hu hu hu hu hu hu hu hu hu hu,
Her body was swallowed in the intensifying storm.
--?
She slowly lifted her head. What appeared were lifeless black eye sockets, as the darkness of vengeance erupted from within her!
"Boom, "
The green breeze turned into a black storm, sweeping around the girl like a natural disaster!
"Calm down, Ais!" Finn's face paled in shock at the sight of Ais in this state!
"Forgive me, Finn. Allow me this one selfishness. I will avenge Fron!"
"No matter who the enemy is, or how strong she is, I don't care. Because the one I care about has already left me."
"Then at the very least, I'll drag that twisted existence down with him!"
The silver rapier was gripped tightly in Ais' hand, as the black storm wrapped around her body.
"Screeeech…"
The overwhelming power even made her beloved sword cry out in pain, but Ais no longer cared.
She only wanted revenge, for the youth with the warm smile!
With a light tap of her toe, "tap," Ais' figure vanished, rushing toward the powerful foe who had just recovered.
"----" Finn silently picked up his spear and slowly walked to Fron's side.
Without turning back, but staring directly at Ais as she slaughtered monsters summoned anew by the enemy, he spoke.
"Fron's sacrifice was worth it. He created this chance for us."
"Now, I will slay that monster."
The [Braver] Finn Deimne thus declared.
His emerald eyes fixed on the twisted, grinning monster. Then, turning his face slightly, he looked at Fron lying on the ground.
"I, Finn Deimne, in the name of [Braver] ask you all, what do you see in your eyes!?"
"Is it despair? Fear? Or ruin? No, none of those!"
"In my eyes, I see Fron's courage! He has brought us hope!"
"The only hope, our sole hope! And at the end of that hope lies victory!"
"The road has already been paved. Do you not have the courage to step upon it and claim victory!?"
"That is nothing but a monster we must defeat! A stepping stone to the glory we will seize, ahhhhhh!!!!"
"I swear, in the name of the goddess, to tread the path of hope that Fron opened, and I will lead you to reap the fruit called victory, come with me, companions!"
The [Braver]'s words shook their hearts, shook their eyes, shook their bodies, shook their souls!
The little Pallum's not-so-great figure appeared at that moment vast and towering!
His soul shone, dazzling and brilliant!
What is a [Hero]? Nothing more than this!
...
In the chaotic sea of consciousness, a fragmented soul drifted endlessly.
It had no goal, no purpose, drifting in confusion.
Until a surge of chaotic, intense negative emotions struck, and the soul slowly regained its sense of self.
Outside, the intact half of Fron's face twitched.
His eyelids trembled, and with difficulty he opened his dim eyes.
"----"
Piercing screams, the sound of monsters being torn apart, the clash of weapons and armor, adventurers' shouts mingled with monster roars, the thunder of magic swords and spells shook the earth and stirred the spirit.
Returning from chaos, his consciousness slowly awoke.
His lone eyeball rolled slightly, refocused, he turned his head and saw the brutal battlefield clearly.
Tiona's great sword swung. Tione's weapon spun.
The dwarf's massive axe smashed through the wall of despair, the werewolf's silver boots rained flames of magic from the sky.
An emerald magic circle beneath Lefiya gleamed brightly, healing magic's gentle radiance veiling companions like a silken cloth.
Magic swords, arrows, round shields, swords clashed against monsters. Blood blurred their vision, but it did not cool their hot blood.
The Loki Familia, on the path of hope he carved, was launching their final charge toward [Victory]!
"I see… so that's how it is, huh. Good… just as expected of you, my family!"
Trembling lips curved into a faint smile, his heavy mouth moved up and down, haltingly chanting that familiar song of magic once more.
"[Pius' staff, Pione's light, ]"
"[Intersect with the authority of healing and heal everything, ]"
"[Dia Panakeia, !!!]"
...
"That light!"
"Could it be--"
"Wonderful!!"
"Bang--"
The silver rapier wrapped in a pitch-black storm unleashed a lightning-fast slash, colliding with the enemy's barrier and sparking upon impact.
The girl, her eyes hollow and filled with despair, resembled a merciless killing machine as she repeated her attacks endlessly, as if she knew no exhaustion.
Even when knocked away by the enemy, she would charge in again, hacking wildly, like a wounded beast with blood-red eyes.
"Ais!!!!!!"
"Fron, it's Fron! Fron isn't dead! He's still alive!"
"----"
The silver rapier froze mid-air, the girl's body stiffening.
"Bang--"
A vine tentacle lashed out, sending the golden-haired swordswoman flying, then immediately launched a follow-up attack.
But at that moment, light returned to the golden eyes of the girl, and the twisted monster's power lost its meaning.
She spun around without hesitation, running toward that figure.
"Ais?" Her companions fighting fiercely also noticed the girl swordsman's movement.
They followed her line of departure, and then,
"[Dia Panacea--!]"
Blue magic shone brightly from the rear.
The supporters, their eyes brimming with tears, swung their weapons as they fought monsters, but their gazes turned toward the figure they were protecting.
"So it's true, I knew it, after enduring such a desperate battle, how could he die so easily!"
As if he had already known, Finn's face lit up with a carefree smile.
"Hahaha! That kid's body is tougher than all of us put together!"
A giant axe cleared a path for Finn as everyone fought through hordes of monsters, closing in on the twisted creature.
"Riveria, did you already know?"
"Ah, because my healing magic worked on him." The implication was clear, healing magic doesn't affect the dead.
"Then you… is it because of that child Ais?"
"Yes. She's already able to control that power. I wanted to see how far she could go."
"But Fron has already awakened!"
"Yes, this is good too!"
...
"F-Fron…"
"Cough, cough… Ais, is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. I… I thought you were already…"
"How could I die so easily? Don't forget… my life is tough, even the old man said so!"
Hearing the young man's cold joke, her sobs broke apart.
Fron shakily lifted his hand, wiping away the girl's tears, and under the glow of magic, gently caressed her delicate cheek.
"I'm fine. Go fight, Ais. Everyone needs you!"
"No…"
"Go fight!"
"..."
"I'm okay. My ability, don't you trust me? Don't forget, this is that masked guy's magic. Just give it a little time, and I'll be fully up and fighting again!"
"Don't say things like that!"
"Hurry now, everyone is waiting for you to defeat that monster!"
"Then… be careful!" Reluctantly, the girl let go of the young man's hand, his warmth lingering in her palm.
But as she turned, sharpness and resolve rose from her, and she, Ais Wallenstein, had to defeat that twisted monster!
Once again, the girl charged into battle, clashing fiercely with the enemy.
Turning his head toward the roaring, chaotic land, feeling his body slowly recovering, Fron began calculating in his mind.
'The enemy's strength is definitely not just Lv.7. Its magic power surpasses Riveria's, not only can it chain-chant, but also use ultra-short, short, long, and ultra-long chants.'
'Most terrifying of all, it can speed-chant and even ultra-speed chant. Add to that its speed, strength, and agility combined with vine tentacles, its offensive potential is roughly Lv.8. And with that plant armor, its defense is also Lv.8.'
"In summary, the enemy is a fallen spirit with dual-specialization in offense and defense at Lv.8 potential. Its only weakness is immobility, but… it can infinitely summon worms and Violas, plus endless high-strength vine tentacles… in a one-on-one, you can't even approach its main body, let alone finish it off."
"Overall, its potential lies somewhere between the upper Lv.7 and just a little shy off Lv.8."
Through Fron's analysis, the enemy's power took shape.
Such an unheard-of terrifying monster, let alone Fron, a newly minted adventurer, even Finn and the other three leaders had likely never seen such a thing…
Outside of the three great adventurer commissions, this monster was the highest tier that existed in the Dungeon.
And unlike other monsters… it could use magic!
Never forget, magic has always been a power that transcends levels.
At Lv.5, Fron's full firepower could already wound Lv.6 to weaker Lv.7 monsters.
Riveria, as the city's strongest mage, could push past even one and a half levels in extreme situations.
But even so, it still wasn't enough against this enemy.
Because this foe, with Lv.8 potential, also wielded magic. Even without skill amplification, its destructive force…
It spread across half of the 59th floor, shattering full-power barrier magic from Fron and Riveria alike. Concentrated into a single strike, it would…
Clearly, if such magic directly struck someone, the outcome would not just be chance annihilation, it would certainly be annihilation.
But now, Loki Familia had no retreat. Even facing a monster capable of using magic, they could only walk the path of hope to its very end!
Victory, that was the only option!
"Step--" Under Fels strongest single-target healing magic, his external wounds were nearly healed.
Fron propped himself up with one hand, struggling to stand.
With Reader, Scholar, Infinite Super-Magic, Magic Dominator, and the complete outburst of his auxiliary magic, his body had been left not only battered but also weighed down by immense side effects.
Even with healing magic, muscle weakness and searing headaches ravaged his body and mind.
"Haa… before night ends, we must defeat that monster!"
His skill's night time buff still lingered, this was their best chance.
Clang, he picked up the dimmed staff, his ragged cloak, torn apart by the aftermath of explosions, fluttering like a beggar's.
"Alicia, Anakitty, Raul, Tsubaki. Thank you for watching over me just now."
"Fron?"
"Yeah… with the support from everyone, no matter what, we must win!"