Chapter 89
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Noa and Dilia's Participation
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4.
Noa and Dilia joined the battle.
The fight resumed, but the state of the battlefield didn't change.
The reason was simple.
There were far more monsters pouring out from the Abyss Rift than they could cut down.
"Ugh, it feels like they're increasing even more."
"...I can't see the end."
Looking at the black horde swarming toward them, Noa and Dilia muttered with weary faces.
Ullan nodded silently in agreement.
The Abyss Rift showed no signs of closing.
And the monsters kept coming endlessly. Indiscriminately battling in this situation wasn't wise.
'If it were my past life...'
He wouldn't have cared about tactics or anything.
He would have just focused on smashing the enemies in front of him until he collapsed from exhaustion.
But after meeting the other heroes.
And fighting alongside them, Ullan's way of fighting had gradually changed.
'Of course, I still don't know tactics.'
But he had learned to consider efficiency.
Ullan scanned the battlefield with cold eyes.
The first thing that caught his eye was a monster the size of a building.
'Large upper species, Korcus.'
Warriors were better suited to handle those than mages.
Because Korcus's hide had the ability to reduce magic effects.
So for a mage to kill one, they had to expend far more mana than against other monsters.
It wasn't an efficient way to fight.
'But I'm different.'
Ullan could simply swing his Spirit-enhanced axe with full force to tear through the tough hide and cleave a Korcus in half.
So entities like Korcus, which resisted magic, were best left to warriors.
'On the other hand, for the magic beasts...'
It would be inefficient for him.
Magic beasts were mana-born creatures.
They were relatively weak to magic but, being incorporeal, highly resistant to physical attacks.
Of course, Ullan could rip them apart with brute force.
'But there are so many of them.'
Even just counting those on the battlefield now, there were nearly a thousand. And that was after some had headed to Sector 1.
In other words, eliminating magic beasts would require Ullan to swing his axe that many extra times. Compared to Korcus, the efficiency was too low.
His thoughts ended.
Kwachik!Creeeak!
Ullan cleanly bisected the Korcus that had closed in. Then he spoke to the two girls preparing magic from the rear.
"We'll divide the roles."
"Pardon? How?"
"I'll keep protecting you like this and handle the big ones. So ignore everything else and just focus on reducing the magic beasts."
As soon as Ullan finished speaking.
Noa and Dilia nodded.
It was a proposal so simple it was almost embarrassing to call it a plan, but it was still better than fighting without any strategy.
She canceled the magic she was about to cast.
Dilia turned to Noa.
"Roughly, split them, half and half?"
"Ugh, sorry, that might be tough for me."
"Why?"
"Well, I haven't learned many useful spells for situations like this."
Noa's master, the shaman Ajuh.
One of the named characters in the original Arsen Continent Chronicles, she was among the top ten 'supporters' on the entire continent.
And Noa, trained by Ajuh, possessed only supporter-specialized skills.
'That's why I entered Arsen Academy to learn offensive shamanism.'
But even that had failed.
Because the spells Noa wanted to learn were only available starting from year two.
Of course, that didn't mean she had no way to attack. She had various curse skills.
'But...'
Magic beasts were incorporeal mana creatures.
So curses didn't work on them.
After Noa's response, Dilia furrowed her brow and sighed.
"...Noa, you're really useless."
"I-I can disrupt enemy formations or block retreats! Or gather them in one spot or..."
Noa rattled off excuses.
But Dilia had long lost interest in her. Looking back at the battlefield, she chewed her lip and muttered.
"That many... is a bit... overwhelming..."
"Can't you just use Meteor Shower?"
At that moment.
Ullan, who had just felled a third Korcus, said casually. Surprised by his question, Dilia asked back with wide eyes.
"H-How do you... know about that?"
"I heard it before."
Did I say that out loud?
Dilia tilted her head.
It made sense.
Meteor Shower was one of her private worries she'd never shared with anyone.
'But since Ullan knows...'
She must have let it slip unconsciously sometime.
Otherwise, a magic illiterate like him wouldn't mention it first.
Organizing her thoughts.
Dilia nodded.
"You're right. That should work."
Meteor Shower.
A 7-star constellation spell that, true to its name, rained down meteors like a storm—a strategic magic.
However, its incantation was complex, and it consumed a massive amount of mana, making it one of the more difficult spells even among constellation magic.
"But I'm still... inexperienced."
Among all magic and spells.
From 7-star onward was archmage territory.
It wasn't something for Dilia, who was still at advanced mage level.
'Of course, I understand it theoretically...'
But could she execute it perfectly? No. So Dilia repeated weakly.
"And my mana is... a bit short..."
"Ah! If it's mana, don't worry."
Noa interjected suddenly.
Along with a glowing blue talisman.
"I made these in advance just in case. Here, take it."
"What's this?"
"Mana talisman. Exactly what it sounds like—a talisman storing mana. Put it in your mouth and breathe in to absorb the stored mana."
In other words, similar to a mana potion.
Dilia instantly understood and looked at her with newfound respect.
"Noa, you're weirdly useful."
"Hehe, right?"
"Useless in combat, though."
"Ugh, stop calling me useless."
Noa groaned dejectedly.
Dilia let out a light laugh. But soon her face turned serious again.
"Ullan. Let me be honest."
"Speak."
"I have no confidence."
Clutching her skirt tightly.
Dilia bit her lip.
"I've never succeeded once."
After her answer, she bowed her head.
As if apologizing for being useless, prepared for any criticism. But the response was unexpected.
"I know."
"Huh?"
"You wouldn't even try otherwise."
No attempts meant no successes, naturally. At Ullan's words, Dilia's eyes widened.
"H-How did you..."
"I heard it before."
The same answer as before.
Ullan quietly recalled. The story from Dilia in his past life.
"Dividing realms by star rank is based on ordinary mages. Those loved by mana are different."
One night after a battle, around a campfire with Ivela, talking about past regrets.
Dilia had suddenly said.
"In other words, if you perfectly understand the theory regardless of realm and have enough mana, even an advanced mage can cast 7-star spells."
Explaining magic realms out of nowhere. Then she sighed with a gloomy face.
"That's why I regret it more. If only I'd tried Meteor Shower then, I could have saved more soldiers..."
Self-reproach for belated realization and lost lives. Recalling Dilia's past life's regret, Ullan ended his reminiscence.
And spoke.
"It's fine."
"...What?"
"Even if you fail, it doesn't matter."
"Why...?"
"Win or lose this battle doesn't change based on your spell's success."
It would just take a bit longer.
Ullan decapitated another charging monster and spoke calmly.
"So try it."
"..."
"So when the time comes to use Meteor Shower someday, you won't hesitate."
That way, she could shed some of the regret she'd carried in her past life.
After finishing what he wanted to say.
Ullan refocused on the fight.
Meanwhile.
Dilia stared at Ullan's back with trembling eyes. Then she clenched her fists.
'Ullan's right.'
She hadn't challenged the unknown.
If she had to name a reason, it was the expectations around her and the burden of failure.
The genius mage of the duchy was expected to succeed naturally. That pressure had weighed heavily on her shoulders.
'But...'
Ullan was the first to say failure was okay. The moment she heard it, the burden melted away like snow.
Her shoulders felt much lighter.
Dilia smiled faintly.
For some reason, it felt possible now. Moments later, with resolve on her face, she spoke.
"...I need a little time."
"I'll buy as much as you need."
"I'll help too!"
Ullan and Noa answered simultaneously.
As if waiting for those words. Then Noa spread talismans around Dilia.
"What's this?"
"A formation."
Short answer.
Followed by a detailed explanation.
"It blocks surrounding sounds and mana flows. Simply put, it helps you focus solely on your magic."
She didn't know the exact effects, but she felt Noa's intent to help. Dilia nodded silently.
"Huuuu."
Starting with deep breaths in and out.
Dilia concentrated.
She mentally calculated what was needed to complete the incantation, preparing the spell step by step.
And during that time.
Noa, having finished the formation, gazed at the distant Abyss Rift.
'How long do they plan to keep coming?'
The monsters showed no sign of thinning.
Watching them swarm like ants made her skin crawl.
But she wasn't worried.
Ullan was still full of energy, and the troublesome Korcus had been handled easily.
'Surely the lord won't appear, right?'
A sudden ominous thought.
Noa hurriedly shook her head to dispel the anxiety.
At that moment.
The magic beasts' momentum shifted abruptly.
[Grrrrarrr!]
All the monsters glared this way.
Precisely at Dilia.
Likely sensing the massive mana reaction from the forming Meteor Shower incantation.
Soon, they charged at Dilia with ferocious killing intent.
But they had forgotten one thing.
Kwaaaaaang!
Ullan was in front of Dilia.
Gripping axes in both hands, he unleashed merciless blows, tearing and shattering monsters.
Realizing they couldn't reach their goal with Ullan there? The monsters began howling to disrupt her concentration.
[Kwaaaaa!]
[Kiyaaaa!]
Truly horrific voices.
Like scraping metal with a blade. And that wasn't the only reason for the horror.
"Ugh! My ears..."
Their voices were composed of mana.
So even just vocalizing felt like magic.
Pain like needles stabbing her eardrums.
Noa grimaced and stepped closer to Dilia. To share the formation's sound-blocking effect.
This choice was divine.
"Come at me! All of you―!"
A shout that reverberated across the battlefield.
The warrior's roar countering the magic beasts' threats unleashed a powerful shockwave.
Kwagagagag!
A master's Spirit-infused roar.
The resulting shockwave was strong enough to shred the magic beasts' bodies. But Ullan wasn't satisfied and bellowed at full volume.
"I won't let a single one through―!"
Nearby magic beasts exploded unable to withstand the shockwave. Even the large upper species Korcus staggered.
Noa sincerely felt relieved.
'Good thing I set up the formation.'
She might have burst her eardrums like at the entrance ceremony. Without it, Dilia's spell would have broken midway.
As she sighed in relief.
Flash!
The incantation etched in the air glowed.
The spell was complete.
With it, an enormous amount of mana was sucked into the incantation. Then Ullan turned and shouted something.
'Noa! They're fleeing.'
Reading his lips.
Soon, Noa saw the magic beasts scattering in all directions. Dispersing to brace for the falling Meteor Shower.
"Can't let that happen."
She had anticipated this.
And prepared accordingly. Noa pulled out all the talismans from her pouch and tossed them toward the battlefield.
Pabababat!
The talismans scattered, chasing the dispersing monsters.
Soon, Noa's spell activated.
'Chains of the Kin.'
A 6-star advanced spell that bound monsters of the same type with chains and dragged them to one spot.
In the original, it was the lifeline skill of the shaman class, famous for defining their value.
'Essential for herding hunts.'
Especially when the Abyss Gate opened, it truly shone.
Because per the original lore, all Abyss monsters belonged to the 'Abyss' type.
Charrararak! Clank!
Mana chains wrapped around every monster on the battlefield. Then they all yanked toward the center.
'It couldn't bind the Korcus, though...'
Excluding it, the other monsters couldn't escape the Chains of the Kin. As the monsters were immobilized.
"―――."
Dilia's lips moved.
And the sky was covered in starlight.
Though it was nearly noon, the brilliant starlight outshone the sun. Following Dilia's fingertip, they poured down to the ground all at once.
Hwoong! Koo-goo-goo-goo!
Flashes tearing through the sky and clouds.
Countless star fragments, wrapped in flames, headed for the battlefield. The monsters thrashed to escape the chains, but it was futile.
The moment the first star hit.
The one-sided massacre began.
Kwaang! Bang-bang-bang! Kwaang!
Star shards slamming mercilessly.
The meteor rain swept the battlefield like it would shatter the world.
"It's been a while."
The sight of the battlefield being thoroughly devastated was always spectacular. Ullan grinned.
Sometime later.
The battlefield was filled with thick dust.
When the wind cleared it, the gruesome scene was laid bare.
Not a single one left.
The magic beasts had long turned to dust and scattered. Even Korcus, known for strong magic resistance, lay shredded like rags.
Annihilation of over a thousand enemies.
Noa swallowed dryly.
'This is...'
The Star Witch, Dilia Arpen.
The great archmage who would later reach the continent's pinnacle.
It felt like glimpsing a fragment of a great hero's prowess; her body shivered involuntarily.
"Haa, haa!"
Meanwhile, the one who created this overwhelming scene breathed raggedly, on the verge of collapse.
Mana depleted to the brink.
It should have hurt, but Dilia's lips were filled with a radiant smile.
"I... actually did it."
A proud smile.
Overwhelmed by her own achievement. Still beaming, Dilia looked at Ullan.
"It's all thanks to you, Ullan."
"Yeah. Good work."
Ullan smiled faintly too.
Now, when the day came to use Meteor Shower, she wouldn't hesitate.
She'd regret less than in her past life.
Finishing his thoughts, Ullan patted Dilia's shoulder and turned. To finish off the dying monsters.
"Leave the rest to me."
"...Yeah. Please."
With her weak reply.
Dilia collapsed.
Fortunately, Noa was there to support her, preventing a full fall to the ground.
Carefully laying her down.
Noa shouted energetically.
"Ullan! Don't worry about Dilia."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Yes! I'll guard her... Huh?"
Noa trailed off in a daze.
With a shocked expression. Ullan asked curiously.
"What is it?"
"M-My mana won't move!"
"What?"
Noa screamed.
And not just that.
Beyond her internal mana stagnating, all mana flows in the surrounding area halted simultaneously.
As if frozen solid.
'Frozen?'
Noa's eyes widened.
A sudden realization. About an enemy with such ability.
And among them, only one could freeze mana flows over this range, as far as she knew.
"N-No way...!"
Her trembling gaze turned to the Abyss Rift.
At that instant.
The rift tore open wider.
Kwaduduk!
Now twice as large as when it first appeared. But the real change was just beginning.
Kwachik! Creeeeak!
Space ripped with a deafening noise.
From the vastly enlarged rift beyond, nine eyeballs gleamed.
Each a different color.
The moment they locked eyes.
"...!"
Indescribable terror gripped her.
Not even a scream escaped.
Her mind went blank, refusing even thought.
Moments later, the owner of the eyes emerged.
Nine eyeballs.
Two pairs of wings.
Threatening horns and claws. Rigid white scales. An existence so intimidating that the large upper species Korcus seemed cute by comparison.
Witnessing the despair from the Abyss.
Its presence etched into her mind.
『Abyss Lord』
One of the six lords ruling the Abyss.
The moment she recognized it.
Immense pressure crushed her body.
Breath choked off. Like someone roughly gripping her lungs.
Thump! Thump!
Heart pounding as if to burst.
The fear and despair she thought gone enveloped Noa.
Dilia's reaction was no different.
Her despair-filled face proved it.
'Even Ullan...'
Winning against that without losses was impossible.
To defeat an Abyss Lord unscathed required all seven heroes.
So Ullan's face must be stiff now too. Facing an enemy with no chance of victory.
But looking at Ullan.
"...?!"
Noa could only gape.
His face wasn't tense at all. Just twisting his lips into a smile.
'He's... smiling?'
As if to confirm, Ullan was grinning.
His heart raced wildly too.
Excitement blooming with intense exhilaration.
From the moment he spotted it, Ullan couldn't stop his joyful grin.
'That guy...'
The monster that freezes mana.
The nightmare of all mages.
The lord he failed to subjugate in his past life.
Thus, Ullan bellowed its name with a face radiating murderous intent.
"Frost Dragon―!"
Ecstasy spreading across his face.
At this second chance for revenge, Ullan smirked. The most belligerent smile since entering the academy.
23. Declaration of War