"Good."
Ryoji let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"I didn't expect that Corrupted Spirit to be able to grant Magic, though."
He stared grimly at the monstrous bull.
The overwhelming sense of danger he'd felt just now had probably come from that lightning-based Magic.
Enhancement-type Magic usually wasn't as destructive as offensive spells, but it far surpassed them in versatility.
Ais's 'Ariel' was the perfect example. It enhanced her body, letting her attack, defend, evade, glide, and much more. The possibilities were nearly endless.
Its biggest advantage, though, was its incredibly short chant. Most enhancement spells only needed a single verse before they were ready, making them almost impossible to guard against.
The standby spell from before. This enhancement spell now.
Every time, the Corrupted Spirit kept one hidden trump card in reserve, luring her opponents close before springing the trap and killing them.
Her battle instincts were frighteningly sharp.
"ROOOOAR!"
A thunderous roar shook the room.
The bull monster yanked its head free from the wall and bellowed in fury.
"AAAH!"
At the same time, the woman's upper body screamed.
It was as though two separate wills coexisted inside the same monster.
Suddenly, the bull raised both forelegs.
'Crackle!'
Violent arcs of lightning danced across its entire body as tremendous heat gathered in its front hooves.
Not good!
Ryoji tensed.
"Jump!"
Just as he was about to move, Ais's sharp warning rang out beside him.
'Boom!'
The bull stomped.
Then stomped again.
Again.
And again.
It repeatedly lifted its forelegs and slammed them into the ground in an endless barrage.
'Bzzzzzt...!'
Countless bolts of lightning burst from its legs, sweeping across the entire chamber until the room became a sea of electricity.
The floor collapsed under the relentless impacts while lightning spread in every direction.
Raging air currents and blinding electric arcs tore apart the floor, walls, and ceiling. The metal around them became the perfect conductor, turning the entire room into a place where no living thing could survive.
"That's terrifying..."
Ryoji hissed.
Wind supported his feet, keeping him suspended in midair.
Ais floated beside him, doing everything she could to keep the wind from dispersing.
Even with the Endurance of a Level 5 adventurer, falling into that ocean of lightning would leave you lucky to survive at all.
"Ahaha!"
The Spirit spotted the two of them in the air and broke into delighted laughter.
"...Charge forth, Spear of Thunder! In the name of the proxy, I command you! I bestow upon you the name of the Spirit of Lightning, the incarnation of thunder, the Queen of Lightning!"
The giant bull gradually stopped moving.
But the woman on its upper body began chanting a long spell.
"So that was it... She was deliberately forcing us into the air!"
Ryoji's face darkened.
"Danger!"
Ais's expression changed as well.
What now?
Ryoji's mind raced, countless thoughts flashing through his head.
The ground below had become a sea of lightning. Touching it meant certain death.
Keeping both of them airborne at high speed was already pushing Ais to her limit. At the Corrupted Spirit's chanting speed, she'd soon unleash a barrage of spells they had no chance of dodging. They had already experienced just how terrifying her Magic was back on the 59th Floor.
Using 'Lightning Flint' from this distance would be a joke.
On top of that, she was protected by lightning armor and those twin tails acting as a second layer of defense.
She was unbelievably strong.
This bull avatar was virtually no weaker than the Death God Amaryllis they had fought on the 59th Floor.
The difference was that defeating that monster had required the combined strength of the entire Loki Familia.
Now...
There were only Ryoji and Ais.
A massive magic circle formed in midair, its center aimed directly at the two of them.
No... there wasn't time to think!
The battle had become so desperate that Ryoji couldn't afford another second of hesitation. Every instinct in his body screamed at him.
He threw away his twin blades.
In the next instant, two cross-shaped swords materialized in his hands.
Ais's eyes widened slightly.
That stance...
"'Lux Caelum!'"
Hesitation meant defeat.
In a single motion, Ryoji poured every last ounce of strength into his body and hurled both swords at once.
A brilliant flash erupted.
The twin streaks of light flew side by side like a pair of stars crossing the night sky.
A deafening explosion, far louder than anything before it, echoed through nearly half of the artificial labyrinth.
The air split apart like crashing waves. The resulting shockwave became a raging hurricane that swept through the chamber, forcing Ais to push her wind barrier to its limit.
Across from them, the Corrupted Spirit's upper body had vanished completely.
The giant bull disintegrated into ashes, inch by inch.
Two overlapping holes had been blasted through the floor, plunging down to who knew how many levels below.
It was an utterly devastating finishing blow.
Ais unconsciously held her breath.
No matter how many times she saw that attack, its overwhelming power still sent a shiver through her.
At least...
The crisis was finally over.
She turned, lifted the unconscious Ryoji onto her back, and sprinted out of the room.
---
Meanwhile, inside the control room...
An oppressive silence settled over both gods and mortals alike.
Thanatos, Kali, Ishtar, Barga, and the recently returned Revis and Argana all stared blankly at the largest water screen floating before them.
"...Hahaha... Why did the Bull of Heaven lose to a mere Level 5? Isn't that just ridiculous?"
Thanatos covered his face, baffled laughter escaping through his fingers.
"At least lose to a few Level 6s!"
Getting beaten by a single Level 5 just made all the "merchandise" they'd prepared look pathetic.
"'Gasp...'"
Argana and Bache both inhaled sharply, their faces filled with horror.
"..."
Revis silently rubbed her arms.
They were covered in goosebumps.
"My apologies, Ishtar. I let you see something rather embarrassing."
Thanatos let out a long sigh.
There went any hope of sponsorship.
For the foreseeable future, Evilus would have to tighten its belt.
"Embarrassing? What are you talking about?"
Ishtar looked at him in surprise, clearly not understanding.
"Didn't we just discover something truly beautiful?"
The dark-skinned goddess lifted her head.
Her eyes burned with excitement, as though she had found a once-in-a-lifetime treasure.
At the end of her gaze...
...was the young man being carried away on the Sword Princess's back.
"That boy is absolutely fascinating."
---
"Mmm..."
A splitting headache dragged Ryoji toward consciousness.
He groaned, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep, but the image of the artificial labyrinth suddenly flashed through his mind.
His eyes snapped open.
"You're awake?"
"Thank goodness!"
The moment he regained consciousness, two delighted voices greeted him.
Ryoji looked around.
It was a place much like a hospital.
He was lying in a bed surrounded by white curtains.
Standing beside him were Ais, whose tense expression had finally relaxed, and Tiona, who looked so relieved she was on the verge of tears.
"This is the Dian Cecht Familia?"
Understanding dawned on him.
"Right... the battle. What happened?"
"It's over."
Ais answered softly.
"You've been unconscious for a whole day since Ais carried you out!" Tiona quickly added.
"What about everyone else? How many casualties?"
The moment he asked...
Ais and Tiona both fell silent.
"Most of the injured have been healed. Airmid removed Finn's curse as well."
Ais paused before quietly continuing,
"As for the dead... there were four."
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395