"You fragile? My ass!"
Eiji almost wanted to curse. No matter how "fragile" Riveria might seem compared to warriors like dwarves, she was still an adventurer at Level 6, far stronger than him physically.
But the Dragon Tooth Warriors were already swarming toward them.
"—Tempest!"
Ais, without hesitation, summoned a fierce gust of wind to wrap around her body.
Then, with a graceful leap, she soared over the horde of Dragon Tooth Warriors and charged straight toward Udaeus.
"Raaaargh!"
The skeletal king let out a furious roar, pulling back its massive right arm like a drawn bow, gathering immense force, and then swinging it down toward Ais.
Boom—!
In the blink of an eye, a huge crater formed on the ground, shaking the entire cavernous hall violently, showcasing the sheer power of the strike.
Ais, her agile form enveloped in wind, effortlessly dodged the attack. Then, as she flipped in midair, she gathered all the wind surrounding her and focused it onto the tip of her sword.
With that, she descended from above, carrying immense kinetic energy as she aimed directly at Udaeus's bone joints.
Udaeus's body was incredibly tough—even a Level 5's attack couldn't damage its bones. However, its joints remained a weak point. If she could shatter them, she could significantly weaken its combat strength.
Ais had been charging her magic for a long time, making her descending strike exceptionally fierce.
Her sword struck the skeletal king's right shoulder joint. With a loud crack, Udaeus's right shoulder shattered and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Yes!"
Ais's eyes lit up.
A strong start!
"Graaaaaah!"
The skeletal king, enraged, slammed its remaining left hand onto the ground.
A brutal counterattack was coming in an instant.
On the other side, while the Dragon Tooth Warriors failed to stop Ais, they didn't turn back to chase her either. Instead, their hollow eyes locked onto Eiji.
Then, in unison, they raised their bone swords, bone axes, and bone shields, silently charging at him.
"Veil of the Holy Spirit is a magic that can defend against all attacks, but it accumulates damage. Once it reaches its limit, it will disappear automatically. However, before that happens, it makes you invincible."
Riveria's voice came from behind him.
This was the second stage of her defensive magic—"Veil of the Holy Spirit," capable of blocking all physical and magical attacks.
Eiji understood the effect well.
This was like… what was it called again? Oh, right—Jeanne d'Arc's Noble Phantasm!
Wait, no, that was the Marshal's Noble Phantasm. This magic was more like Jeanne's own Noble Phantasm.
"With this magic, I have nothing to worry about!"
Eiji licked his lips, his expression fearless and bold.
He stepped forward toward the Dragon Tooth Warriors in large strides.
Close combat began immediately!
Clang!
With a ringing sound effect, his silver katana sliced through the air, forming a sweeping arc that knocked aside the leading Dragon Tooth Warrior's sword. The deflected weapon crashed into another warrior wielding an axe, causing them both to topple over.
Eiji took a direct hit from the weapons of nearby warriors—a sword and an axe—but while the green veil shimmered protectively around him, he quickly moved in, beheading the two fallen warriors.
Like Udaeus, Dragon Tooth Warriors had weak points in their bone joints. Destroying their spines was an instant kill.
The green veil remained unscathed, as if attacks from Level 4 monsters were insignificant against it.
The defensive magic was far stronger than expected.
No wonder Riveria was called the strongest mage in Orario.
Eiji felt reassured.
With unwavering determination, he charged into the midst of the Dragon Tooth Warriors, abandoning defense entirely. He focused only on speed, moving swiftly through the battlefield, beheading one enemy after another.
"You reckless fool!"
Riveria was startled by his fearless assault, anxiously watching him while also keeping an eye on Ais. She was now worried for two people at once.
A few minutes later.
Just as the green veil thinned to a faint layer, Eiji had finally wiped out all the Dragon Tooth Warriors.
"That felt amazing!"
Breathing heavily, Eiji grinned as he glanced at the protective veil around him.
He had never fought so recklessly before. With all damage absorbed, it felt like having the ultimate defense!
"Hey, Udaeus, is that all you got? Come at me with something stronger!"
Eiji shouted provocatively.
Riveria watched him speechlessly.
Meanwhile, Udaeus was still focused on chasing Ais.
Ais was using her agility to the fullest, dodging countless times with the help of the surrounding winds. Udaeus couldn't even land a proper hit on her, barely reducing her protective veil at all.
Failing to strike its target over and over again, Udaeus grew increasingly furious.
Then, hearing Eiji's taunt—though it didn't understand the words—it certainly grasped the provocative tone.
Boom!
It slammed the ground again.
Shhhhk—shhhhk—shhhhk—!!
In an instant, the sound of spikes piercing the ground echoed throughout the chamber.
From the center where Udaeus stood, dozens of pitch-black spikes burst out from the earth. Their razor-sharp tips exuded an aura of deadly menace, capable of skewering any living creature.
Ais, unable to dodge completely, was struck by two of them, causing a significant portion of her veil to be shaved away.
The spikes varied in height—some were less than a meter tall, merely meant to obstruct movement, while others were two to three meters high, making it impossible to approach.
This was Udaeus's "legs."
It willingly sacrificed mobility, burying its lower body underground just to execute this deadly move!
At the same time—
Another twenty Dragon Tooth Warriors emerged from the ground, clicking their jaws ominously.
"Yes! More!"
Eiji cheered with excitement. Without giving the newly spawned warriors a chance to react, he immediately charged forward with his blade.
"Riveria, give me another layer!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"Ais needs one too!"
"…O spirits of the woods, heed my call. O garb of the forest, grant my wish—Alf—!"
Riveria was exasperated.
She realized she had misjudged the situation. She should have actively engaged the Dragon Tooth Warriors earlier instead of staying back, or else she wouldn't be repeatedly casting defensive magic for these reckless fighters.
As the thin layer of the first veil faded, a second, thicker green veil enveloped them again.
Eiji's face lit up with joy.
A super support!
This was fantastic!
"Come here, precious experience points! I'm farming you all today—ten times over if I have to!"
While Eiji reveled in his monster grinding, Ais found herself in a dangerous predicament.
Boom!
Having been tricked one too many times, Udaeus finally lost its patience.
With a mighty slam, it created another massive spike from the ground—this one over six meters long, pitch-black, and exuding a chilling aura.
Then, gripping the spike tightly, it wrenched it free from the ground, brandishing it in its hand.
—That wasn't just a spike.
It was a massive, pitch-black sword!
Without hesitation, Udaeus swung the enormous blade with overwhelming force!
***
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