A vast magic circle radiating light from immense magical power.
The sky twisted and opened up, touched by the emitted light.
And a gigantic meteor emerged, squeezing through the rift in the opened sky.
The heroes, enchanted by the scene resembling a moment from a myth, heard the voice of the great wizard who brought that myth into reality.
Meteor.
It was the strongest and worst magic that erased an entire nation from the world.
At the same time, it was the secret magic that humanity had prepared to annihilate their enemies.
The moment the wizard uttered its name and completed the magic,
The heroes witnessed the meteor crashing down towards their foes.
And,
There was light.
KWA-AAAAANG——!!!!
Immediately after an overwhelming flash that could blind anyone,
The follow-up was a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and the earth.
“KYAAAHH!!”
“UWAAAAAH?!”
With the deafening sound, vibrations surged, and a few startled individuals screamed.
They thought they might be inadvertently caught up in the shockwave caused by the falling meteor.
However, contrary to their concerns, no such misfortune occurred.
This was due to Martina and Dwight meticulously modifying the magic circle in advance, limiting the destructive range of the magic to within the boundaries of the magic circle.
Additionally, they had set up protective magic to shield against shockwaves in front of their barrier, just in case.
Thanks to that, the heroes could safely observe the entire spectacle from a distance unaffected by the magic’s destructive power.
“…Gulp.”
“…This is no joke.”
Even though they understood all this, the heroes couldn’t help but tremble and swallow dryly.
If they hadn’t enforced the limitations, they and most of the city would’ve been swept away by the shockwave created by that magic.
The most powerful blow that humanity could currently deliver might be likened to the explosion said to have existed at the beginning of time, with just a hint of exaggeration.
The heroes’ eyes held the image of mushroom-shaped clouds soaring high into the sky and a plain covered in thick dust.
It was a terrifying sight, as if a calamity had struck.
However, what the heroes felt while witnessing that scene was not fear, but excitement and exhilaration.
This disaster was directed at their enemies, not at them.
And perhaps it was because they witnessed such a sight.
Someone suddenly mumbled.
“Getting hit by such an attack, no matter how much of a Witch of Gluttony you are…”
But right after that mumbling,
-■■, ■■■■■■■──!!!!!!!!!!!!
A chilling roar resonated.
The dust hovering over the plain blew away like a curtain.
And then the scene beyond the dust was revealed.
What lay there was,
“…Oh no, crazy. She really took that magic?”
“How can she be so unscathed….”
It was the Witch of Gluttony, looking extraordinarily healthy.
How could this be?
Despite the ground being obliterated from the magical clash and the demonic beasts that filled the surroundings vanishing in the explosion,
The witch standing there, seemingly untouched, was so shocking that anyone would be astounded.
“…Oh no, she really can endure that?”
But despite the seemingly harmless nature of the secret magic, Martina observed,
“…Well, it’s fine.”
She merely raised the corners of her mouth slightly.
“I said take the hit and die, but I never really thought she would. Just as I expected.”
That everything in this situation was as she had anticipated.
Murmuring this, Martina subtly monitored the reactions of the heroes standing behind her.
“That damned thing…”
“Does she even have a conscience….”
Despite their expressions showing exasperation, the heroes were not overly shaken.
This was because, as Martina had mentioned, everyone already knew that the Witch of Gluttony could endure magic.
If the Witch of Gluttony could be taken down by a single powerful spell, would she have been able to rampage throughout history like this?
The very thought of overpowering the Witch of Gluttony with a single spell was pure greed.
At this point, someone might wonder:
So, was that magic from just now completely meaningless?
“…Of course, that’s absolutely not the case.”
Murmuring this, Martina recalled the plan they had devised to confront the Witch of Gluttony.
She, along with others who had battled against the Witch of Gluttony, had been brainstorming intensely to bring her down.
Initially, they all thought that the witch’s menacing capabilities stemmed from her staggering regeneration ability, almost instantly restoring any damage thanks to her miasma.
Or they believed it was her ability to absorb anything within the range of her scattered miasma.
However, upon actually confronting her, they realized that the most threatening ability she possessed was something else entirely.
That was her overwhelming capacity to produce miasma infinitely, given enough time.
In the end, her other abilities could only pose threats because they were supported by her vast reservoir of miasma.
A person’s strength isn’t infinite.
Thus, if the fighting dragged on, they would inevitably be crushed by the witch’s endless power, leading to defeat.
Therefore, everyone who had fought the Witch of Gluttony reached the same conclusion.
To defeat the Witch of Gluttony, they must engage in short, swift battles—and as briefly as possible.
So, Martina prepared just a single spell.
To do so in a short battle.
To pack as much power into one spell to inflict the greatest damage on the witch in the shortest time.
And the magic she had prepared with that intention was indeed yielding considerable results.
Martina, with sharp eyes, gazed at the Witch of Gluttony.
At first glance, she seemed to have sustained no damage at all…
But upon closer observation, it became clear.
Despite still being massive, the witch’s size had significantly decreased compared to before she was struck by the magic.
And the regenerative processes on the tentacle-like appendages were progressing a bit slower than before.
This was solid proof that the Witch of Gluttony had indeed been hit by magic.
To be precise, it was evidence that she had expended a substantial amount of her miasma.
Martina grinned fiercely and mumbled towards the witch.
“No matter who you are, what can you do now? After taking such a hit without time to replenish your miasma, you’ll have to deplete the reserves you’ve hoarded.”
How much she had consumed remained uncertain, but having taken on a spell powerful enough to wipe a nation off the map, it was clear she had depleted a significant portion of her miasma.
“Of course, if given time, you’ll recover the expended miasma quickly.”
Just like she said, the moment there was a slight gap, the demons began absorbing the miasma produced from the dying magic, attempting to help the witch recover.
But,
“We’re not the kind of fools who’d just let you do that, you know.”
The witch’s attempt to recover her miasma would not succeed.
“Miss, please.”
“Leave it to me.”
By now, in the sky,
-Alf Ad Astra.
A brilliantly radiant constellation had emerged.
“─Listen! Astra will now exert all its power to prevent the witch’s recovery!”
“““Yes, Master!!!”””
All members of Astra, led by Sylvia, joined forces to cast a sanctuary.
In the land where sacred starlight dwells, there is no place for foul entities.
The miasma the witch sought to absorb was completely erased by the purifying power of the star spirits.
-■■, ■■, ■■■!!!!!!!!!!
As the starlight poured down, the witch let out a painful scream.
Sylvia, watching the screaming witch, said,
“It’s going to be painful. This time, it’s different from before.”
Unlike the previous time, where they struggled to deal with the miasma the witch dispersed, this sanctuary was now directly striking the miasma.
The reason for the difference was simple.
Sylvia turned her head toward the north, where the World Tree was growing, and murmured in gratitude.
“Astra risked everything this time.”
Just as Martina amplified her magic by depleting the sacred remnants, Sylvia strengthened the sanctuary through the power of the World Tree.
The prospect of losing the World Tree after regaining it after 500 years startled some members of Astra, but ultimately, everyone unanimously agreed to this decision.
If they lost against the Witch of Gluttony, both the World Tree and Astra would vanish.
Moreover, the direct permission from the stars to use what was prepared for them meant there was no need for hesitation.
“With this, the witch’s recovery is restricted.”
The power of the World Tree combined with the dazzling light to limit the witch’s strength.
Humans cannot overcome infinity.
But,
“If it’s finite, then we can win.”
To turn infinity into finiteness, they gathered the sacred remnants.
The gathered sacred remnants were used in various necessary places.
Tears of the Ocean were used to amplify the power for cutting miasma.
The World Tree was employed to strengthen the sanctuary to stop the recovery of miasma.
And then,
Martina asked Dwight, who stood behind her.
“How long do we need?”
“40, no, 30 minutes should be enough.”
After hearing that answer, she turned to Sylvia.
“Did you hear, Miss? Can you hold out for 30 minutes?”
“I can manage for a whole day if needed.”
Hearing this, Martina nodded and shouted to the heroes.
“There’s 30 minutes until the spell circle reactivates! Just hold out, and we’ll win!!”
With her shout, a faint light began to seep back into the massive magic circle drawn beneath the feet of the Witch of Gluttony on the plain.
Martina had prepared just one spell to take down the Witch of Gluttony.
But she had no intention of using that spell just once.
As the Commander, as an adult.
Having heard the last request from a friend to take care of her daughter.
She wanted to avoid putting others in harm’s way 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.
Flames blazed brightly on the magic circle behind her.
Tears of the Ocean were used to amplify the power for cutting miasma.
The World Tree was used to strengthen the sanctuary to stop the recovery of miasma.
And the last one.
An unquenchable flame stood ready for the finale.
“No matter who you are, you can’t withstand this twice.”
Facing the last of the sacred remnants, the finishing bullet, Martina declared to her enemy.
“There’s still one shot left.”
Until victory, only 30 minutes remain.
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