Heroic spirits manifesting as magical bodies could only exert one-tenth of their power from life, but with the nearly endless mana from the Fountain of Memory as a supplement, they could release high-tier magic without any restraint.
Especially Weilan and Kaibole, both former Nine-Order Mages—they even had to hold back their strength to avoid killing some of the weaker elves.
But this one-sided situation didn’t last long.
As countless lava-covered meteors began to fall from the sky, Leah knew the tide was about to turn.
When the battlefield shifted to an open area, it wasn’t just the Wind and Thunder Twins who could go all out—it also included the Flame Meteor Twin Calamities, who had destroyed the most cities during the War of Divine Fire.
They had been hiding in the crowd, chanting magic together, and by the time Leah noticed them, it was too late.
“Uncle Etheriel! Please deploy defenses immediately!”
With her sharp shout, a dense array of diamond-shaped shields covered their heads.
When the one-man-thick falling rocks collided with the defensive magic, Etheriel’s hastily cast barrier immediately sprouted a web of cracks, making their hearts leap into their throats.
Fortunately, as the mages joined in reinforcing the defense, the cracks quickly healed.
The shield became indestructible, stubbornly withstanding the impact of the Flame Meteor Twin.
But the threat they faced wasn’t just the impact: a shockwave that could shatter internal organs, blistering heat, and the deafening roar of the collision—all of it tormented the protected fighters without respite.
What was worse, there wasn’t just one such Flame Meteor.
When they looked up, their vision was filled with black and red.
Countless flaming meteors rained down from the sky, each with the same destructive power as the one above their heads.
They looked around.
The only town in the Natural Forest had become a sea of fire under the Flame Meteor’s might.
Sulfur fumes and smoke polluted the air.
They didn’t even dare to breathe, for the next lungful might not be life-sustaining oxygen but deadly sulfur smoke.
As they took in the scene, a single word appeared in their minds simultaneously: “Calamity.”
“The Starfall Fire released by Feiniyasi and Bolin through simultaneous incantation is one of the most destructive Ninth-Tier spells. Etheriel’s defense won’t last long—we have to interrupt them!”
As former comrades in battle, Weilan and Kaibole knew exactly how terrifying Starfall Fire was.
Even the fusion magic they released at their peak couldn’t match it in destructive power.
But now, they could barely maintain their magical bodies under the residual force of this spell, let alone deal with Feiniyasi and the others.
“No good. Magic won’t work.”
Mela’s charged Seventh-Tier water magic was blocked by a defensive barrier before it could reach the two elves.
To stop them, a high-tier warrior would have to step in.
“Let me handle it.”
Leah’s pretty face darkened.
She had planned to conserve her strength, but at this rate, if she didn’t act, they’d be wiped out.
“Please wait a moment, Princess Leah. As the two most critical combatants in this battle, you and Miss Winnidith must reserve all your power for dealing with the Sacred Tree.”
Olivier grabbed her wrist, smiling with seductive charm.
“Since I promised you I’d hold them off, no matter what happens, you don’t need to worry about them.”
‘Huh?’
Leah looked into her eyes, noticed something, and put the sword she had just drawn back into its sheath.
Howl~~~
A high-pitched wolf howl arrogantly crashed into the battlefield.
As everyone wondered what was happening, a black figure dashed out from the rubble, stepping over flames.
He had razor-sharp, crimson fur.
‘Gareth!’
The Empire’s envoy recognized him instantly.
And if he was here, it meant the Orc Tribes had officially joined the battle.
“Little one, tell me—was it you who killed Azman?”
An icy chill crawled up Winnidith’s spine.
She immediately cast a light magic spell behind her to the right.
Under the light’s glow, a mass like sticky filth coalesced into a humanoid figure with a snake tail.
Amala of the Shadow Snake Tribe.
‘Shadow Snake Tribe’s Amala.’
Winnidith recognized her and tensed up immediately.
She knew that Amala and Azman—whom she had killed—were husband and wife.
At this moment, no one could be sure whether Amala would act on personal grudges and ambush her.
Arns, tasked with protecting Winnidith, already had his sword pointed at Amala.
The moment she made a move, he would drive his blade into her body.
“Ah, why has the atmosphere suddenly become so stiff?”
Olivier placed her hands behind her back, speaking cheerfully like a carefree little girl.
“Amala, don’t forget how you agreed with me yesterday~
If you try to cause trouble now, hehe, even if I kill you, Gareth won’t say a word, you know.”
Olivier’s blatant threat made Amala back down, but the recent loss of her husband still made her glare viciously at Winnidith.
“I will avenge Azman.”
With that, before Winnidith could react, she dissolved into a puddle of black sludge and seeped into the ground.
From the moment she disappeared underground, the temperature inside the barrier began to drop rapidly, returning to normal in no time.
“Amala is just a 6th-tier Magic User—useless on the front lines. Better to use her to lower the heat from the meteors. Whew~ It was really burning up earlier.”
Olivier wiped the sweat from her face.
Seeing Winnidith still on high alert, she smiled brightly.
“Are you really worried that Amala will take revenge on you?”
“Having a snake with your life in its sights is always uncomfortable.”
Winnidith looked toward the center of the defending army.
Gareth, already transformed into a beast, rampaged through the elves like a crimson truck.
Ordinary elves couldn’t stop him before Silas, providing air support, restricted their movements with Steel Feathers.
The stronger Eighth-Tier guard captains were pinned down by Weilan and the others, forced to watch as Gareth closed in on Feiniyasi and Bolin, who were casting spells.
Bang!
When he was only a step away, Gareth’s ankles exploded with force as he leaped into the air, lunging at them like a wolf pouncing on a lamb.
Swish!
Layer upon layer of defensive magic stood before him like a turtle shell, but Gareth didn’t even glance at them.
He channeled all his Douqi into his claws and shattered the barrier in mere seconds.
At that moment, the two completely undefended Ninth-Tier Mages were only a meter from his claws.
Whoosh!
Clang!
But that single meter became a distance he could not cross.
A red figure darted out from the shadows, using a dagger to block Gareth’s sharp claws.
At the moment the two mages were about to be threatened, Luonan, who had been hidden in the shadows waiting for an assassination opportunity, forced himself to reveal himself.
‘An elven Ninth-Tier warrior?’
Gareth’s eyes regained a moment of clarity, then plunged back into endless frenzy.
‘So what?! He is the War God’s valiant Battle Maniac, the Divine Chosen personally selected by the War God! A mere assassin—how could he stop him!’
As Gareth’s consciousness fully sank into boundless madness, his Douqi began to rise layer by layer, and even blood-red patterns appeared on the surface of his muscles.
Even Elaril, who was controlling Luonan, felt a flicker of surprise.
“I see—so this is the power granted to them by the Orc deity? It seems the War God doesn’t want Mother to awaken either.”
Elaril merely sighed.
In truth, she didn’t consider Gareth a threat.
No matter how strong he became, Eighth-Tier was still Eighth-Tier.
If not for the injuries Luonan had sustained recently and hadn’t fully recovered, even Gareth’s unleashed potential couldn’t hold him back for long.
Moreover, since Gareth had already shown himself, among Leah’s group, aside from Leah herself, there was no warrior left who could threaten Feiniyasi’s existence.
And once Leah formally entered the battlefield, she would gather all her forces to capture her at any cost.
But if she continued to hide, Starfall Fire would annihilate them all, and victory would still be hers.
“Come on, Leah. Make your choice.”
Elaril’s smile suddenly froze, then twisted into an expression of disbelief.
In her perception, another Eighth-Tier Battle Maniac had appeared on the battlefield!
‘How is this possible?!’