If they stepped in, they'd be caught in the blasts… all they could do was stand and watch helplessly.
---------------------------------------
But obviously, those lunatics who had long since lost their reason and were left with nothing but fanatical faith had no intention of standing idly by!
Even if they were obstructed or even killed by the Violas, they still charged desperately in this direction, trying to drag the adventurers down to die with them.
And Asfi and the others also knew: once they were dragged into the quagmire of melee, then both sides would see them as targets for annihilation.
They absolutely could not let them get close, that was Asfi's resolve.
But what should she do to stop the enemy's assault without getting close?
Magic? Impossible… too slow!
Magic swords? Limited in number.
"Explosive oil"? There was only a tiny bit left, and besides that, it was her last trump card.
Thinking back and forth, sweat beaded on Asfi's forehead in anxiety.
But at that moment, Fron awkwardly rubbed his nose and coughed twice.
"In close combat, you all can't help much, right?"
"Flame demon?"
Asfi seemed to recall something, her eyes widening slightly with a flash of realization, and for the first time her fair face revealed a smile.
Fron Argon, rear guard, exceptional-rank mage, skilled in ultra-short chants, short chants, long chants, ultra-long chants, and rapid-cast magic.
Also proficient in parallel chanting, consecutive chanting, standby chanting, and other advanced techniques, the No. 2 mage of the Loki Familia.
"[Firebolt]!"
"Boom, "
Staff in hand, Fron stood in place, transforming into a magic artillery battery, firing rapid-cast spells one after another at the enemy.
No matter if it was a Violas, or a self-destructing fanatic, all of them were engulfed and mercilessly destroyed in the raging flames of magic!
At that moment, Fron seemed like a completely different person. No longer the humorous, cautious, and timid mage, he had become a cold and ruthless executioner.
The overlapping wails, curses, shrieks, the monsters' howls and screams, all mixed together, struggling and suffering under the searing flames, until they were finally reduced to dust.
The blazing fire lit up the entire space, pushing everything into stark relief.
With just one person, taking advantage of the chaos, he nearly wiped out both sides!
"When did magic get used like this?"
"That's not the main point, is it? Rapid-cast magic is already outrageous, but why is the flame demon's rapid-cast magic so terrifyingly powerful? Nelly, do you know?"
Asked by the black-haired catgirl Tabitha, Nelly stared blankly at Fron, who was stepping on a magic circle and firing rapid-cast spells nonstop, her little face dumbstruck.
"I-I don't know either! I've never heard of such a thing! Not even Lady Riveria, the strongest mage in the city, is this ridiculous!"
"..." Everyone fell silent.
Asfi, having calmed down slightly, saw Fron's exaggerated power and was left speechless.
'So this is the flame demon of the Loki Familia… No wonder there are rumors outside that his power is unmatched among peers, even capable of fighting above his level. Looks like it's true, just with this overpowered rapid-cast magic, few could ever hope to surpass him.'
"Damn bastard!"
While Fron rained down fire on the battlefield, deep within the cavern, Olivas coldly watched, seething with rage!
The new breed of Violas he had painstakingly cultivated with massive manpower and resources were being wiped out in droves before they even had a chance.
He hadn't refrained from sending them to attack Fron, but the man not only had masterful parallel chanting, more importantly, he was using rapid-cast magic!
Even if the area of effect wasn't as wide as large-scale annihilation magic, rapid-casting once every few seconds was bad enough, wasn't it!? And the power… this wasn't rapid-cast at all!
Each blast annihilated several giant Violas. Who would believe this was "rapid-cast magic"!?
Ever since being transformed into a Creature, Olivas thought nothing in the world could stand against him, yet here appeared this outrageous flame demon, crushing his plans.
And as he was thinking this, he didn't realize Fron had already fixed his sights on him.
But the chaotic battlefield didn't allow Fron to close the distance. No matter how strong he was, if he stepped into the ground he had just scorched clean, the Violas and lunatics would instantly turn on him.
He was cautious about death, so,
"Asfi, this will never end like this. Do you see that guy… the white-haired fellow in those tasteless clothes?"
"That beast tamer?"
"Yeah. He hasn't entered the fight at all, not because he doesn't want to, but because he can't. Look at his positioning, always guarding the Jewel Fetus and giant flower behind him. He… should be the Tamer."
Fron's reasoning was clear, backed by plenty of evidence, so his deduction was highly convincing.
"I see, so it's him… Right, if we take him down, these Violas will collapse on their own. Without unified command, the monsters won't pose a threat to our Hermes Familia. You stay here and keep covering everyone. I'll find a way to break through. Once that white-haired freak is down, this battle ends."
Asfi understood just how dangerous the situation was.
Don't be fooled by Fron stylishly forcing back enemies with rapid-cast magic, his mental strength wasn't limitless.
"I understand."
Hearing Fron's words, Asfi was reassured. Then… flicking her pure-white cloak, the girl rushed out.
Her route was carefully chosen, not straight through the battlefield center, but skirting the edge in a wide arc.
At the same time, Fron, intentionally or not, used magic to cover her, blasting aside any enemies who noticed and tried to attack her.
"Oh? So the troublesome flame demon didn't come personally, she did? Makes sense. If the flame demon moved, the entire front would collapse instantly. I didn't expect them to think of sending the 'Perseus' to deal with me."
Behind the mask, his eyes gleamed with feral cruelty, devoid of human emotion.
He stared coldly at the rapidly approaching Asfi, lips curling into a sneer beneath the mask.
"It's the Perseus! Stop her!" A white-robed figure spotted Asfi darting along the edge, ignoring the Violas and adventurers, and shouted a command.
"[Firebolt]!"
"Boom, "
The commander had just issued the order when he was greeted by a blazing column of fire that nearly spanned half the battlefield.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Seizing the opportunity, the girl leapt over the crowd and rushed straight toward the man standing in the deepest part of the domain.
Between them, nothing remained, just a wide stretch of green carpet.
In that moment, their eyes met.
The opponent was only an arm's length away.