Aria dreaded the travel down towards the Boss Room. Twenty-three levels of endless gloom, knowing that at the end of everything, she would be sent to face the toughest enemy she had ever faced in her life. It wasn't pleasant, one might say. It also didn't help that on the way down, the S-Rankers were subjected to the dreadful scenes where thousands of broken down golems were littered all over the floor. Yudonia had cleared out all of the Elder Dragon corpses for research, but there were still traces of dragon marks all over the walls.
Deep claw imprints decorated the stone cold surfaces of the dungeon while small craters of broken rock made it uneven for Yudonia's cars to pass through. Often times, the thick ancient musk of decaying flesh could be whiffed as the raid force passed by numerous dried up platters of blood where the corpses once were. It was hell, knowing that they were about to face an enemy that could bring the mighty Dragon Race of old to its knees. However, they had to press on.
It wasn't long until they had reached their final destination. A tall gate that splits in half was blocking their passage into the final room. There, ancient hieroglyphics, similar to that of the dungeon entrance, decorated the gloomy black door. Oddly enough, unlike the walls that surrounded it, the massive gates were immune to damage or time itself. There weren't even dust or dirt staining its ornate design. However, even though it was spotless, no one wanted to be the first to touch it. Each time someone tried to get near, a primal warning would ring, forcing them to push back in anxiety and fear. It truly was a door fit for the Boss Room of the S-Rank Dungeon.
"Are you ready?" Guardian Paladin Arius, the nominal leader of the entire raid force, asked for the final time. They had been briefed about their tasks, the strengths and weaknesses of the bosses, and most importantly, they had been preparing themselves for this very moment for five long days.
Unlike the other guardians in the dungeon, the S-Rankers couldn't separate themselves into four distinct groups to deal with the bosses. S-Class Magicians possessing the [Higher Fire Magic] were now scattered evenly among the entire raid force and the Tanks, Knights or Paladins had been moved to protect the Healers and Supporters. Assassins and Rangers had been moved nearer to the front while Martial Artists or Weapon Masters were the primary sources of defence for the Magicians with the higher firepower. Even Aria couldn't escape her fate and was placed right smack in the middle of the raid force to facilitate using her outrageous magic output.
"Yes, sir!!!" All of the S-Rankers unanimously answered.
Spearmasters, Swordmasters and Archers all brandished their weapons. Magicians increased the mana output by waving their wands and staffs. Summoners brought out all of their mystical familiars and pointed them straight at the dungeon doors. Healers and Supporters all buffed those in their immediate surroundings. Strength Booster, Increased Vitality, Crystal Defence, Higher Magic Resonance, Chaos Mantle, Hyper Regeneration… These were some of the few buffs being provided to all of the S-Rankers. They were going to go all out from the start. There was no need to hold back anymore, particularly against the Angel and Demon from the ancient era.
"..." Aria gulped. She couldn't even feel the boosts being stacked onto her body. Her mind was entirely focused on the Boss Room ahead. For good measure, she had brought all of her treasured items, valuables that Aria would never want to lose.
In her right hand, an S-Tier Magic Wand created out of a deceased Dragon's tooth, a mystical unicorn's horn, a deceased Nine-Headed Bird, and finished off with three Esoteric Pearls from the Obsidian Oyster. It was a precious artefact created by the most famous S-Class Artificer in the world, and it had an ability that no other magic item could grant its wielder. It could increase all of Aria's Magic by one level. So now, her [Higher Space Magic - Level 8] was now [Higher Space Magic - Level 9], [Higher Fire Magic - Level 7] was transformed to [Higher Fire Magic - Level 8] and so on and so forth.
It was a broken item, no doubt. That's why there were only ten of such wands in existence and fortunately for Aria, she possessed one of them.
Typically, the young Archmagus would keep it locked up in the safe of Yudonia's most secure bank, only taking it out to admire every once in a while. However, against those monstrosities, Aria was willing to use every weapon in her arsenal, even if it meant losing the wand that could easily fetch a hundred million dollars on the marketplace.
With that overpowered wand in her hand, Aria summoned out a golem using her [Creation Magic] and added a bubble of protection. The robes that Yudonia's Ranker's Association gave were of excellent quality, but they weren't capable of defending against the strikes of the two outrageous bosses.
Arius oversaw the entire Raid Force, scrutinising every detail. Only when he was satisfied, did he begin the final march. "Now… Let's enter!"
A succinct roar. But that was all it took to press on the nerves of the eighty-seven S-Rankers. Four Paladins with the highest strength numbers divided themselves into two and pushed hard on each one of the doors, splitting the gate in half and revealing the light coming out from the Boss Room. Compared to the dull setting of the corridor, the Boss Room was far brighter. It had an array of lights beaming down from the heavens, making the place seem just a little more ethereal.
Aria whistled in awe at the ancient marvel. Beep… Beep… Beep… The mosimeters on the S-Rankers' bodysuits started to ding as the readers spiked to over a thousand montgen, the densest mana concentration reading ever recorded outside of a laboratory. If any of the S-Rankers removed their robes, their skins would be fried within seconds.
And finally, the two inhabitants of the chambers came into view.
The Angel Guardian had its torso firmly rested on a nearby wall, as roots and vines supported itself upright. On the other hand, the Demon Guardian was leaning its back against the same wall, its head pointed downwards as if it were a powered-down robot. Though the S-Rankers couldn't sense any movement or life, they knew that the two Guardians were ready to pounce at just a moment's notice.
"Everyone to your positions!" Arius barked his orders with his right hand raised. Flame Thaumaturge Nassisa, the most essential member of the Raid Force, was floating about with two phoenix wings sprouted out from her back. At the same time, nine small suns orbited around her, ready to expand at just a moment's notice. Aria was in a similar boat. She had summoned a few fiery balls to rotate around her, while she tightened her grip around the priceless wand she had. It was finally time...
"Ready! Go!!!"
Through that one roar, all of the eighty-seven S-Rankers charged into the threshold of the Boss Room. The moment they crossed the line, the Angel Guardian woke up from its slumber and like a ghoul from a horror movie, rotated its head to spy on its intruders. There was a considerable distance between the S-Rankers and it. It was advantageous for both parties. The S-Rankers could set up their formation while the Angel Guardian could activate its magic to protect itself and the room it had been created to defend.
Simultaneously, the Angel Guardian triggered the Demon Guardian to awaken while the roots and vines that flowed down its upper torso came back to life. Trees began to tower up onto the ceilings while roots flowed endlessly, creeping ever so closer to the Raid Force. Rapidly spinning leaves that cut sharper than any razors were summoned out. The final wing that the Angel Guardian had was now glowing brighter than any sun or moon, bringing forth new waves of roots and vines with each passing second.
Against any regular enemy, the Angel Guardian would have expected to suck its opponents' mana dry, supplying it with even more to continue on its eternal service. However, they could have never anticipated the full might of Yudonia's intelligence. Flame Thaumaturge Nassisa was the first to strike.
"Burn of all my enemies, and turn them to ashes! [Muspelheim]!!!" Nassisa screamed out with both her opened palms facing the two bosses. Four of the miniature suns that orbited the woman expanded rapidly, blasting itself into a million pieces. Once one spark touched the floor, it couldn't stop. Continuously spreading like the plague, the middle part of the Boss Room was now covered with a crimson wall, with temperatures reaching a thousand degrees Celsius on average. Those that stood inside of the White Sorceress Minerva's barrier were mostly unaffected, but those that didn't…
"Fuck, it's hot!!!" One S-Ranker cried as he jumped back. Even after being blessed by [Greater Fire Resistance], the heat was still unbearable for the common S-Ranker, and only the most resilient of warriors could stand unfazed by everything.
The fire wasn't for nothing, though. Those creeper vines and roots that could suck out one's mana was now being held back by the flames of [Muspelheim], allowing the Raid Force to escape completely unscathed by the Angel Guardian's first attack. No one was going to give Nassisa a pat on the back. Why? Because the next attack was about to arrive.
The Demon Guardian had finally awoken and immediately sprung into action. It closed in the distance within the blink of an eye, moving past the indomitable S-Tiered Fire Magic as if they were grass. It had a clenched fist and was about to swing it at Nassisa's flying body, ready to end the pesky fire in one fell swoop. Alas, Yudonia had even planned for that scenario as well.
"[Taunt!!!]" A resolute voice echoed through the chambers, halting the Demon Guardian instantly. Just a few metres away, a twenty-metre tall, fully armoured man stood firm. It was Finn. Having possessed Giant's Blood, the young S-Ranker was one of a select group of humans that possessed the Skill [Giantification]. Now that he was on a matching eye-level as the Demon Guardian, the young tank forced the Boss to focus entirely on his body.
Even though the Demon Guardian didn't have any vocal cords, the S-Rankers could feel the shift in its attitude. It was angry… Way, way too angry… It moved like a swan, completely ignoring the battered down body that it had and instantaneously appeared right in front of the huge Paladin. There was no way that Finn could run, and he knew that. He strengthened himself with all the Skills that he had. [Higher Hardening], [Indomitable Will], [Unmovable Wall]... Finn had executed them all. But was it enough?
BAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
Of course not… The Demon Guardian slammed a fist straight onto Finn's chest completely shattering the S-Tier Armour that was handed down to him. Blood spurted out of the man's mouth, and his entire body shook with terror. For a moment there, his mind blanked out, and he was uncertain of where he was.
"FINN!!!" Aria screamed out, fearing that her old teammate had kicked the bucket. She wanted to rush back to assist the Paladin. However, Luke who had been by Aria's side all this while, grabbed onto her shoulders to stop her from doing anything brash.
"Aria! Don't worry! It's all part of the plan!"
"What plan?!" The S-Class Archmagus was responsible for dealing with the Angel Guardian. She knew that the Raid Force was going to distract the Demon Guardian, she just didn't know how. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait for long.
Miraculously, Finn's arms were still capable of movement. Perhaps it was due to the overwhelming amount of buffs that he had or Yvette, as well as a myriad of healers, constantly casting [Higher Recovery], but the man was still alive. He was unconscious, yes, but the instincts of an S-Ranker, particularly that of a battle Paladin, was not one to be trifled with. Finn unknowingly grabbed onto the Demon Guardian's extended arm, locking the Boss in place for a second or two.
It seemed short, but in the realm of an S-Ranker, one second could change the outcome of the entire battle. With Finn sealing the Demon Guardian's movements, the rest of the Raid Force got to work.
"[Blaze of the Inferno]!!!" Flame Thaumaturge Nassisa hollered out, sending out an intense ray of fire that could melt any metal on earth, and created a wall of fire separating the two Bosses. Other S-Rankers did the same. Magic flew all about, sealing the Angel Guardian in one corner and the Demon Guardian in the other. That split second where Finn stopped the Demon Guardian was now reaping its fruits. Every single soul responsible for attacking the Demon Guardian pounced, using all sorts of Skills and Magic to confuse the seemingly unbreakable Boss, leaving the Angel Guardian completely open for Aria and the others to fight.
Rogue Lord Kama was the leader for the assault on the Angel Guardian. He barked: "Fire Mages! Burn off all the weeds and open a path! The Assassins and Martial Artists are going to test the physical limits of the Angel!!!" The dagger in his hands twirled around in joy the few Magicians with [Higher Fire Magic] readied their wands and staffs. Aria was no exception.
She was worried about Finn's condition, but there wasn't any time to waste in the S-Class Dungeon. They had to move quickly so that the Paladin's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain...