"Yuusha, do it now!"
Loki-san gave a signal to me and Yuu-chan for us to attack them.
I glanced at Yuu-chan for a moment, then the two of us nodded at each other. That meant we were both ready.
Just as we had planned beforehand, the magic I would use would be cast before Yuu-chan's.
That meant the attack I released would appear once more, this time in the form of Yuu-chan's attack.
So far, I could only use magic up to the seventh tier. I could say that my magical ability was high, because I had studied it ever since I was little.
But this time, I wanted to try using seventh-tier magic again, because the number of enemies was large and they were gathered in one place.
I pointed my magic staff in the direction my eyes were fixed on, and began gathering my Mana to form a magic circle.
Layered magic circles began to appear in front of my staff. Since this was my first time trying it, I would only use three layers.
Of course, the magic circle I was using was different from other spells. Perhaps only a few people could use this.
Yuu-chan continued to watch me closely as I focused intently on the magic I was about to use.
The same went for Loki-san and the others. They probably felt amazed as they watched my magic.
Naturally, that was a normal reaction when witnessing the use of magic they rarely ever saw.
"The blazing heat, a sea of fire stretching wide before me, endless wrath from within, the color red symbolizing arrogance, ferocity, and power."
"The unceasing ferocity of burning ash, red flames that continue to burn for those who walk the wrong path."
"Let everything burn as one, guide the living into ruin within the heat of flames, sixth-tier magic, Fire Ground!"
The layers of the magic circle I had created were now filled with magic, a brilliant crimson glow shining vividly.
The staff felt heavier as it restrained the magic so it could be used according to my will.
"Next!" I muttered, at least to make myself feel more fired up.
In truth, the spells I was about to use had all their chants written in books, and anyone who studied them could use them as long as they put in the effort.
But what set me apart from others was that this time, I planned to merge multiple spells into one, meaning—
"Hime, are you sure you can handle that?" Yuu-chan asked beside me. He must have already known what I was about to use.
A powerful wind born from the Mana around me made the area feel as though it were being struck by a raging storm.
"Of course!" I replied before closing my eyes once more.
I had already used a great amount of Mana, and it would likely all be depleted once this fusion magic was complete.
But this was all for the sake of this world, and for our hero party as well. There was no other path if I did not use this technique.
"The cold concentrated within your body, water touched by your frigid air freezes, cold air radiating from your layers."
"Pure white snow born from gathered water and clouds, density formed from your very shape."
"A cold that pierces deep into the body—cold, cruel, painful, loneliness, loss—all merging within your soul."
"Freeze everyone before me, solidify them all, sixth-tier magic, Vonalyta Ice!"
The second layer of my magic circle changed color to blue, and a chilling cold began to reach my hands.
My staff was now restraining two immensely powerful spells at the same time.
The people around me stared with expressions of fear, anxiety, and, above all, awe.
"Yuusha, don't overdo it!" Forn-san shouted, making me realize just how worried they were about the powerful magic I was about to unleash.
If I remembered correctly, I had once read that the elf race was among the creators of all magic in this world.
That was why they surely understood how dangerous the technique I was about to use truly was.
I could see it from the expressions on their faces. To them, I must have looked like a human trying to surpass the limits of her own magical ability.
The final step to complete this fusion magic was to move their positions into the third layer of the magic circle to merge them together.
It was incredibly difficult. Sweat began to run down the side of my head, and my hands felt unbearably heavy now.
No matter what, I would see this through until it succeeded!
Just a little more, everything would merge… just a little more, please, let it work—
"Hah, you look like you're having a really hard time. Let me help you," Yuu-chan's voice rang clearly in my ears.
Suddenly, I felt someone touch my shoulder, and I was certain it was Yuu-chan.
Thanks to that touch, I felt something change within my body.
The Mana that had been in complete turmoil from merging two spells, placing an enormous burden on my body—
Since he touched me, I felt my Mana become more controlled, making the fusion magic far easier than before.
If this continued, everything would go smoothly, and I could even use more spells.
I glanced at Yuu-chan's face for a moment, and he smiled at me, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Reflexively, I returned the same expression before turning back to the fusion magic.
——
This is it! It worked.
The wind that had been raging around me slowly began to fade, as if being absorbed into the light gray magic circle before me.
That color made my heart surge with excitement. For the first time, I had created an entirely new spell. This was truly amazing!
Yuu-chan immediately stepped back a few paces, leaving everything to me once again.
"All right, here I go!" I said with a cheerful smile.
Yukito-san, I hope you can see this magic from wherever you're fighting right now—though that's probably impossible.
But at the very least, I want you to know that I could never have used this spell if I hadn't been on this journey with our party.
Because you are the center of us all, I always want every spell I cast to be seen by you—geh… I'm starting to think such strange things.
"Fusion magic, Vonalyta Ground, freeze and burn all the land before me!!"
——
(Yuu side)
Honestly, I still couldn't believe that Hime had decided to attempt something so insane.
But I couldn't let her suffer, which was why I helped her earlier.
The fusion spell Hime created, Vonalyta Ground, affected all the ground beneath the enemies' feet within a radius of about five hundred to a thousand meters from where Hime was standing.
The land beneath the monsters in that area slowly turned a bluish-white color, as if it were about to freeze at any moment.
The monsters immediately grew confused by the reaction of such powerful magic, staring down at their feet in panic.
The demon leading them also became confused and halted their advance.
They probably thought the spell was merely meant to intimidate them—heh, how wrong they were.
Cruss.
In an instant, all their bodies were engulfed by ice erupting from beneath the ground.
They were trapped within masses of ice that now protruded above the surface.
Loki-san, Forn-san, and the other elves looked utterly stunned by the spell.
Some of them stood there with their mouths agape at the ferocity and terrifying power of the magic.
But that wasn't all the fusion spell had in store!
The surprise didn't end there. The glass-like blue ice slowly began to turn reddish.
"Oi, look at that!" "What's going to happen!?"
"That spell… I think fire is going to burst out from inside the ice!"
"T-that… everyone, prepare for an explosion!"
Smoke slowly began to rise from within the ice, and in the next instant, a tremendous explosion resounded before us.
BOOM!
It wasn't a massive explosion, but its effects were devastating.
It took nearly a full minute before the smoke was carried away by the wind.
When it finally cleared, we could see the bodies of monsters and demons scattered across the ground like trash.
What was shocking, however, was that many of their bodies had vanished, as if they had been swallowed by the fusion magic.
"Y-Yuu-chan, I did it!" Hime said as she walked toward me and hugged me tightly.
"W-wait, it's too tight— Ah—" I replied.
We were quickly surrounded by many people who had previously been lined up as a formation. They all burst into cheers for Hime's achievement.
"Amazing, Yuusha!" "We are all grateful that your party came!"
"What incredible magic, you will surely succeed, Yuusha!"
I looked once more at the places where the monsters and demons had disappeared. If it was like this… I didn't really need to attack, did I?
The effect was far greater than I had expected, and I believe it wiped out a significant portion of the enemy forces advancing toward us.
Amid this joy and relief, Loki-san gathered everyone together.
"All of you, the Yuusha have provided us with tremendous support. Now it is our turn to aid them!"
"Raise your swords and shields, prepare your greatest magic, and spread through the forest to launch surprise attacks!"
"We cannot win unless we join the fight, so everyone, ADVANCE!!!" The forces under his command began moving to attack the remaining enemy troops.
At this point, there really was no chance for me to take the spotlight, huh?
Some of the elves stationed here immediately began providing support to Hime, offering her water and other aid.
Since the forces holding the line had moved to attack, those of us remaining behind the barrier could only wait for their return while staying on guard.
"You two, you two were incredible! I never imagined your magical power was this immense!" Forn-san said cheerfully after witnessing Hime's spell.
"Ahaha… thank you for the praise—"
Forn-san immediately grabbed Hime's hands, his eyes sparkling.
"I want you to teach me how to use a fusion technique like that, please, Yuusha!" Forn-san pleaded.
Hime looked surprised by Forn-san's request. Well… I suppose the final decision would be hers.
Yukito-sama… we succeeded here. Did you manage to defeat your enemy over there?
I'm sure he did if he was together with Luke. For now, I'll focus on restoring Hime's Mana.