A massive magic circle, radiating light from its overwhelming magical power.
As the light poured forth, the sky twisted and opened.
A colossal meteor made its appearance, breaking through the rift in the heavens.
The heroes, who had been captivated by this mythical scene, heard the voice of the great magician who had manifested this myth into reality.
“Meteor!”
It was the most powerful and dreadful spell capable of erasing a nation from existence.
At the same time, it was the trump card that humanity had prepared to annihilate their foe.
The moment the magician uttered that name, the heroes witnessed the meteor plummeting toward their enemy.
And then,
There was light.
Boooom──!!!!
Following an overwhelming flash that threatened to blind them,
the next thing was a deafening roar that shook the earth.
“AAAH!!”
“Whaaaat?!”
The loud sound created a shockwave that startled a few, causing them to scream.
They feared that they might be caught up in the impact of the meteor falling.
However, contrary to their worries, no such disaster occurred.
This was because Martina and Dwight had meticulously modified the magic circle in advance, limiting the spell’s destructive power to the area within the magic circle.
Just in case, they had also set a protective barrier at the forefront of the area where they were standing.
Thanks to that, the heroes were able to watch all the spectacle safely, away from the magic’s destructive reach, yet…
“… gulp.”
“… This is no joke.”
The heroes couldn’t help but shiver and swallow dryly, knowing what could have happened.
Had they not limited the range, not only would they have been affected, but most of the city would have been swept away by the impact of that spell.
The most powerful strike humanity could deliver at this time felt exaggeratedly reminiscent of the explosion said to have occurred at the beginning of time.
Before the heroes’ eyes, a mushroom-shaped cloud soared high into the sky, and the plains were enveloped in a dark cloud of dust.
It was a terrifying sight, as if disaster had struck.
However, what the heroes felt while witnessing this spectacle was not fear, but excitement and exhilaration.
Because the calamity was aimed at their enemies, not themselves.
And perhaps because they witnessed such a sight, someone murmured.
“After taking an attack of that magnitude head-on, regardless of the Witch of Gluttony…”
But just after that muttering,
– ROOAAAR, RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH──!!!!!!!!!!!!
A chilling roar echoed loudly.
With that roar, the dust that had covered the plains was blown away, revealing the sight beyond the clouds of dust.
What appeared there was,
“What the hell? Is she really okay after taking that magic?”
“How can she be so unharmed…?”
The state of the Witch of Gluttony was far too intact.
How could this be?
The ground was pulverized from the magical clash, and all the Lesser Demonic Beasts that had filled the area vanished in the explosion,
yet the figure of the witch, standing undeterred in the very spot she had been, was an unsettling sight that could easily break their spirits.
“Seriously, is she enduring that?”
Yet, despite the seemingly negligible effect of their trump card, Martina simply murmured.
“Well, it’s alright.”
She merely lifted the corners of her mouth as she spoke.
“Even though I told her to take it and die, I never thought it would really happen. It’s just as expected.”
This whole situation was, as she whispered, just as she had anticipated.
Observing, Martina subtly watched the responses of the heroes standing behind her.
“That damn wretch…”
“Does she really have no conscience…?”
Though their expressions showed their exasperation, the heroes were not significantly agitated.
It was possible because everyone had already known, just as Martina had said, that the Witch of Gluttony would endure the magic.
After all, if the Witch of Gluttony were a foe that could be taken down by a single powerful spell, how could she have rampaged throughout history until now?
The thought of defeating the Witch of Gluttony with a single spell was sheer folly.
If one were to hear just this, they might ask.
“Then, did that last magic mean nothing?”
“Of course, that’s absolutely not true.”
Martina murmured, recalling the plan she had devised to confront the Witch of Gluttony.
Martina, and everyone who had previously battled the Witch of Gluttony, had pondered deeply about how to take her down.
At first, they all thought that the threat posed by her formidable abilities was her monstrous regenerative capability that allowed her to recover almost instantly, or her ability to absorb magic by stepping into the area saturated with magic she scattered.
However, after facing her, they realized that the most threatening ability the Witch of Gluttony possessed was distinct from their initial expectations.
It was her overwhelming ability to produce magic indefinitely, as long as there was time.
Ultimately, her other abilities could only be threatening because they were supported by the vast amount of magic she possessed.
A person’s strength is not infinite.
Thus, if the battle drags on, they would inevitably be gradually overpowered by the witch’s infinite power.
Therefore, everyone who had fought the Witch of Gluttony came to the same conclusion.
To defeat the Witch of Gluttony, a short-term battle was essential, ideally a very brief one.
Thus, Martina prepared a single spell.
To infuse as much strength as possible into that one spell, inflicting the greatest damage to the witch in the shortest time.
And that intention, embedded in the prepared magic, had indeed yielded substantial results.
Martina glared sharply at the Witch of Gluttony.
At a glance, she seemed completely unharmed…
Yet if one observed closely, they could verify that the witch’s size, still substantial, had significantly shrank compared to before the magic hit her.
Also, the regeneration of her tentacle-like appendages at the ends was somewhat slow.
This was irrefutable evidence that the Witch of Gluttony had sustained damage from the spell.
To be precise, it was proof that she had consumed a considerable amount of magic.
Martina, grinning ferociously, murmured toward the witch.
“No matter who you are, what can you do? You took that kind of attack without even having time to replenish your magic, so you’ll have to scrape from your reserves.”
How much she had consumed was uncertain, but since she had taken a spell with the destructive power capable of erasing a nation head-on, she had undoubtedly used quite a bit of magic.
“Of course, if given time, any magic consumed would recover swiftly,”
Just as she said that, the moment a brief gap appeared, the Lesser Demonic Beasts began to dwindle, seemingly trying to absorb the magic produced from the magic that had just killed them.
But…
“We’re not fools who would just let that happen, knowing that.”
The witches could not achieve their intent to recover magic.
“Lady, please hold on.”
“Leave it to me.”
By now, high in the sky,
“-Alf Ad Astra.”
A brilliantly radiant cluster of stars floated.
“─Listen! Aegis will now exert all effort to prevent the witch’s recovery!”
“““Yes, Lord!”””
The entire Aegis, led by Sylvia, united their strength to unfold a sanctuary.
On the land where holy starlight lingered, there was no room for the wicked.
Thanks to the purifying power of the star spirits, the magic the witch had aimed to absorb was cleanly eradicated.
“-■■, ■■, ■■■!!!!!!!!!!”
As the starlight poured down, the witch let out a painful scream.
Sylvia glanced at the witch as she cried out in agony and said.
“It’s going to be painful. This time, it’s different from last time.”
Unlike before, when they could barely manage to deal with the magic the witch scattered, this time they were inflicting direct damage to the magic itself.
The reason for this significant difference was simple.
Sylvia turned her head back to face the north, where the World Tree was growing, bowed slightly in gratitude, and murmured.
“Aegis has put everything on the line this time.”
Just as Martina had consumed the sacred relic to amplify her magic, Sylvia had strengthened the sanctuary through the power of the World Tree.
Some members of Aegis were flustered at the thought of potentially losing the World Tree they had reclaimed after 500 years, but ultimately everyone had to consent to this decision unanimously.
If they lost to the Witch of Gluttony, both the World Tree and Aegis would disappear.
Moreover, since they had received a direct blessing from the stars to use it for the sake of themselves, they had no reason for hesitation.
“With this, the recovery of her magic has been contained.”
The stars, pouring down with dazzling light, restricted the witch’s power.
Humans cannot overcome the infinite.
But,
“If it’s finite, we can win.”
To make the infinite finite, they gathered the sacred relics.
Those collected relics were used where they were needed.
The Tears of the Ocean for amplifying the magic to cut down the magical power.
The World Tree for strengthening the sanctuary to impede her magic recovery.
And,
Martina turned to Dwight, who was standing behind her.
“Dwight, how much time do we need?”
“40, no, 30 minutes will do.”
After hearing that answer, she turned to Sylvia.
“Did you hear, lady? Can you hold on for 30 minutes?”
“I can last all day if needed.”
Upon hearing that, Martina nodded and shouted to the heroes.
“30 minutes until we reactivate the magic circle! If we hold on, victory will be ours!!”
With her shout, a faint light began to illuminate the enormous magic circle drawn on the plains beneath the feet of the Witch of Gluttony.
Martina had prepared a single spell to defeat the Witch of Gluttony.
However, she had no intention of using that spell only once.
As the commander, as an adult.
Having heard the last request of a friend who entrusted her daughter to her.
She wanted to keep others from fighting as much as possible.
Thus, the beginning of the battle would be her magic,
and the end would also be her magic.
Martina gazed at her enemy, the Witch of Gluttony.
Before her, the magic circle blazed with flames.
The Tears of the Ocean for amplifying the magic to cut down the magical power.
The World Tree for strengthening the sanctuary to impede her magic recovery.
And for the final part,
“No matter who you are, you won’t be able to endure this twice.”
Facing the last remaining sacred relic, while carrying the final bullet for completion, Martina declared to her enemy.
“There’s still one shot left.”
Thirty minutes until victory.
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