DanMachi: Unlimited Blade Works

"Riveria, quickly, deploy the barrier!" Finn's voice, void of its usual composure, carried a tone that Tiona and the others had never heard before. Without hesitation, Riveria, her expression tense, began chanting her magic.

As an expert in the arcane, she knew exactly the kind of attack they were about to face.

"Bombard them! Stop the enemy's chant!" Hearing Finn's successive orders, Raul, the other supporters, and Lefiya, who had already prepared her magic, roared in unison.

"Fire together!"

"[Volley Fire Javelin]!" The magic swords from the supporters and Lefiya's hundreds of fiery arrows flew toward the Fallen Spirit. Even Shirou launched his Broken Phantasm, aiming to strike the Fallen Spirit.

But the Fallen Spirit showed no reaction. Facing the barrage of attacks, she nonchalantly fanned out the ten enormous petals of her lower body to meet the oncoming bombardment. The furious cannon blasts collided with the massive petals, yet there was no sign of the Fallen Spirit being affected. Explosions and flashes were the only results.

"Completely unharmed?" Everyone's expressions darkened at the sight of the Fallen Spirit remaining untouched under their combined powerful firepower. Even Shirou, who had anticipated such an outcome, couldn't help but be stunned.

The reason for his "anticipation" stemmed from his past experiences. Shirou no longer trusted the information he had received from the anime in his previous life, especially when it came to combat intelligence. He had learned that trusting such sources might one day lead to his demise.

"[Burn, burn, burn, vortex of flames, wall of crimson, roar of hellfire. Grant me the power of the storm to seal the world, burn the sky, burn the earth, burn the oceans, burn the lakes, burn the mountains, burn life, turn everything to scorched earth, unleash the roar of grief and rage, for my fallen hero (beloved)...]"

"[Dance gracefully, spirits of the air, masters of light. I have forged a contract with the guardian deity of the forest, may the song of the earth envelop us, protect us…!]" The chants of the Fallen Spirit and Riveria filled the air. An ultra-long chant, with the volume of the Fallen Spirit's words unimaginable. Her speed of chanting far surpassed Riveria's.

It's important to note that chanting magic wasn't just about reciting words. During a chant, the condensation, processing, and conversion of magic power occurred simultaneously. Everything had to move in sync for the magic to be released properly. Any misstep could result in a magical misfire, which could easily destroy the mage's very existence.

Thus, rhythm was the key to effective incantation. Gradually increasing one's chanting speed while maintaining the rhythm was essential, something only the most skilled mages could master. Riveria, as Orario's strongest mage, was undoubtedly at the peak of this craft. Yet, when it came to chanting speed, she was completely outpaced by the Fallen Spirit.

As the battle raged on, the Fallen Spirit's chant rapidly condensed her immense magical power, unleashing superhuman artillery magic at a terrifying speed.

"Damn it, we can't even get close to the enemy!" Finn, realizing the bombardment had no effect, ordered an assault. But the Fallen Spirit's countless lashing tentacles kept them at bay. Furthermore, while attempting to break through, they had to protect Riveria, who was still chanting her powerful defense spell. Under the relentless tentacle attacks, the group struggled just to keep Riveria safe.

"[By the name of the Proxy, I command, grant me the name of the Flame Spirit, Incarnation of Flame, Queen of Flame…]"

Shirou, Tiona, and Tione continuously blocked the tentacles attacking Riveria. Meanwhile, Gareth, Bete, and Tsubaki advanced to confront the monsters, and Ais deftly dodged the tentacle strikes.

The enemy was not only chanting magic but was also launching tentacle assaults and defending with her massive petals. Facing such a multi-pronged assault from a super-large creature, Finn, observing the battlefield, clenched his teeth.

"Everyone retreat into Riveria's barrier!" As they fought to protect Riveria, she completed her chant.

"[I implore thee to become a colossal wall of forest light to protect us…My name is Alf!]"

Realizing the extreme danger of the situation, Riveria unleashed her most powerful defensive spell.

"[Bále Þelheim]"

An emerald magic circle appeared beneath their feet, emitting a dazzling light. It transformed into a dome-shaped green field, enveloping all members of the Loki Familia, including herself. This barrier magic was capable of isolating all physical and magical attacks.

As Riveria completed her incantation, the Fallen Spirit, having also finished her chant, unleashed her magic.

"[Infernal Storm!]"

The world was instantly bathed in fiery red.

A fiery storm, like a flame spirit, swept toward the Loki Familia. It crashed like a tsunami, flooding the floor with burning heat. A crimson wave surged before Riveria's eyes, engulfing the entire section of the floor—from their standing position to the farthest passage—transforming everything into flames.

The barrier and the fiery storm collided violently. Riveria, straining to maintain the barrier, wore an expression of pain. This was the first time Shirou had seen her like this. Tiona and the others, too terrified to move, understood that if they failed to hold back the attack, they would likely be reduced to ashes.

As the inferno raged on, cracks began to form in the barrier—the strongest defense Riveria had ever created.