Wreathed in flames, Ryuu transformed into a streak of light, lunging directly at the Consecrated Flying Serpent. The monster, having taken Firefly's Rider Kick head-on, was currently thrashing wildly in the air, desperately attempting to stabilize itself.
Just as Ryuu closed in on her target, the golden sand beneath her violently erupted. A second, ambushing Consecrated Flying Serpent shot out of the ground like a bolt of green lightning. Snapping its massive jaws wide, it lunged at Ryuu's flank, bringing with it a rancid, putrid gale.
Yet, Ryuu didn't break her stride, nor did her eyes waver in the slightest.
She had teammates she could trust implicitly.
A crisp shout rang out, and another figure wreathed in flames arrived, moving later but striking first.
It was Alise.
The flames spiraling around her limbs were even more intense than Ryuu's. The desert sands beneath her feet instantly melted and crystallized under the blistering heat, emitting a continuous sizzle. Alise transformed into a streak of fire that tore through the air, flawlessly intercepting the ambushing Consecrated Flying Serpent.
Her gleaming longsword traced a beautiful, deadly arc through the air. The razor-sharp blade instantly sheared through the serpent's incredibly tough hide, sending a fountain of emerald blood spraying into the sky.
The Consecrated Flying Serpent shrieked in agony. Coiling its massive body, it gathered dense wind elemental energy around its head and unleashed a ferocious barrage at the red-haired maiden.
Countless cyan wind blades shredded the air with ear-piercing shrieks, raining down like a dense volley of arrows, completely sealing off all of Alise's avenues of escape.
Facing this inescapable death trap, Alise showed no fear whatsoever. The longsword in her hand moved faster and faster, eventually blurring into a dazzling barrage of afterimages, constructing an impenetrable web of steel before her.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amidst a rapid staccato of metallic ringing, every single wind blade was shattered and deflected.
On the other side, Ryuu's assault had reached its target.
In her hand rested her new weapon, personally bestowed by Goddess Astrea upon her return—[Alv's Lumina: Astraea].
This magical armament, which perfectly functioned as both a sword and a staff, was the masterwork of Cecil, the genius blacksmith and current Captain of the new Astrea Familia. Forged from a branch of the Great Holy Tree from the Wiene Forest, it incorporated brilliant Magic Gems, the Sacred Water of the Star Cavern, Drops of Elf, and Ryuu's original wooden sword, Alv's Lumina. The raw materials alone cost a staggering 120 million valis.
Had it not been for the fact that nearly every material (save for the Sacred Water) was freely gifted by those who admired Astrea's charm and sense of justice, this blade would have never seen the light of day. It tremendously amplified the user's magic, especially when synergizing with elven magic to produce exponential effects. Even among all First-Class Armaments, the quality of this sword was easily ranked at the very top.
Currently, the Consecrated Flying Serpent that had clashed head-on with Firefly and been blown away by the shockwave was frantically twisting in the air, desperately trying to conjure a protective wind barrier.
It was far too late.
Like a meteor tearing through the night sky, Ryuu's silhouette effortlessly pierced the thin, half-formed barrier. The [Alv's Lumina: Astraea] let out a clear, ringing hum as the stardust-gleaming blade, carrying an elf's unyielding resolution for justice, slashed forward with precise elegance.
A harrowing flash of a blade cut through the air.
The powerful Level 4 monster didn't even have the chance to let out a final cry. Its colossal body was cleanly severed in two, its emerald blood staining the scorching desert sands.
As Ryuu executed her target, Alise's battle on the other flank was rapidly approaching its explosive finale.
Faced with an endless, torrential downpour of wind blades, the red-haired maiden didn't retreat a single inch. Engulfed in flames, her longsword spun into a blinding crimson halo. Every single wind blade was accurately, violently, and unreasonably smashed to pieces in mid-air. The turbulent air currents generated by the shattering blades didn't hinder her; instead, they acted as fuel, making the flames spiraling around her burn even fiercer.
"Is that all you've got?!" Alise let out a sharp, commanding cry. The sands beneath her feet were instantly vitrified by the extreme heat radiating from her body.
She gave the Consecrated Flying Serpent no time to recover. The very instant she shattered the final wind blade, she launched herself forward like a cannonball, transforming into a streak of fire that violently crashed toward her opponent.
The serpent shrieked in terror, its massive body recoiling in a desperate attempt to create distance.
But Alise was faster.
She and her blade seemingly fused into a single entity, becoming a heaven-piercing spear of fire.
There were no flashy techniques—only the purest, most direct, and overwhelmingly violent display of power and speed. Wrapped in blazing inferno, the longsword carried a will to incinerate all things. With surgical precision, it shot upwards, piercing straight through the serpent's closing lower jaw and bursting out the top of its massive skull.
Emerald blood and brain matter instantly vaporized under the ultra-high temperatures, emitting a sickening hiss.
The formidable Level 4 monster stiffened mid-air for a fraction of a second. The light of life rapidly faded from its eyes, and like a kite with a snapped string, it plummeted heavily into the boiling sands.
Meanwhile, the sky above the other side of the battlefield had long since been eclipsed by several ominous shadows.
"—[Luminosité Eternelle]!"
Amidst Jeanne's solemn chant, she hoisted her holy banner high. A translucent, golden, dome-shaped barrier erupted from the earth, firmly sheltering her, Robin, and Hyacine inside.
Outside the barrier circled several shrieking Consecrated Red Vultures.
Their heads strongly resembled vultures, featuring terrifying, bone-white hooked beaks. Ferocious light burned within their narrow eye sockets, framed by a ring of dark crimson feathers that formed flame-like totems. Their bodies were massive yet unnervingly gaunt, sparsely covered in crimson feathers. Large patches around their chests and abdomens were completely bare, exposing ashen bones and keratinous plating, exuding a uniquely putrid, mutated aura.
With every beat of their broad, elongated wings, rolling waves of heat washed over the battlefield. Their primary flight feathers shifted in a gradient from blazing orange to deep crimson, tipped with white, their edges flickering like translucent, burning flames. At the ends of their thick, red-and-black legs were massive bone talons capable of tearing through solid steel.
Fusing the feral brutality of birds of prey with the macabre eeriness of the undead, they scattered an aura of frenzied slaughter—born from the abyss—across the burning sands.
"SKREEE—!"
The Consecrated Red Vultures unleashed ear-piercing screeches, diving from multiple angles to launch a furious assault against the golden barrier.
Some unleashed torrents of scorching flames, while others violently gouged the shield with their metallic-gleaming talons. Every single strike triggered violent ripples across the golden wall of light, accompanied by deafening booms.
Yet, this fortress built on faith remained utterly impenetrable.
Inside the barrier, Robin and Hyacine were far from idle.
"Let it resonate!" Robin commanded, tapping the air with her fingertips.
Invisible waves of sonic barriers pulsed outward from within the shield, precisely striking the diving Vultures. The monsters hit by the sonic blasts visibly staggered in mid-air, their flight trajectories thrown into chaos. Some, taking direct hits to their wings, plummeted violently from the sky, crashing heavily against Jeanne's golden barrier.
───
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