While Dearmudin prepared the 'operation,' the battle continued.
Instead of aiming for complete annihilation, our tactics shifted to suppression or stalling.
If we could annihilate Cromwell, we would, but—
Killing Cromwell, who had devoured tens of thousands of monsters and spewed out their powers in all directions, was extremely difficult.
"Ah! Aaaaaah-!"
The power output was too high.
The violent currents of magic bursting out with her roar boiled and tangled like tentacles, bouncing in all directions.
The enormous antlers on Cromwell's head continuously spewed magical light, devastating everything around her.
Seeing the flashing antlers on the monster's head, I shivered.
"It's like a damn Christmas tree...!"
Come to think of it, it is the end of the year! There's no Christmas in this world, but the timing is about right!
Like a Christmas tree wrapped in lights, Cromwell was radiating light and magic in all directions, and we were desperately trying to suppress and hold her in place.
Boom! Boom boom!
The magic bursts imbued with all kinds of abilities smashed roads and buildings, and the melee heroes on that side agilely flipped through the air to dodge.
"We're reaching the limit of stalling, my lord!"
Lucas, cutting through the tentacle-like magic currents with a blade of light, shouted urgently.
"The monster is expanding its territory! At this rate, all of Crossroad will fall under her magical influence!"
Having devoured tens of thousands of monsters, Cromwell wielded that magic indiscriminately, and the range was gradually increasing.
Moreover, these attacks also served as defense. The wildly spewing magic field was condensing around her, transforming into an impenetrable layered barrier.
Our long-range attacks were neutralized, and the melee heroes couldn't withstand the waves of insane magic and were gradually pushed back.
If this continued, Lucas's worry that Cromwell might destroy all of Crossroad could come true.
'But her magic is extremely unstable.'
Right now, Cromwell was vomiting out the magic she had consumed without restraint. There was no design or strategy.
She was just wielding it reflexively, desperately, like a tantrum from a very angry child.
The magic wave was unstable, the output reaching unbelievable highs and then dropping to lows.
'We have to aim for the moment when her magic pattern hits the low point and disappears!'
At that moment.
"Prince Ash!"
A voice came from above.
Looking up urgently, I saw Dearmudin soaring in the sky with the magic robe [Old Phoenix]. And—
"Why am I doing this again!"
Clinging to his side, wriggling, was the illusionist Violet.
Ignoring the struggling Violet, Dearmudin shouted.
"We are ready!"
Though Violet seemed unprepared, I trusted her to pull through as she always did in actual combat.
"Everyone, listen up! Follow the plan I instructed earlier!"
While Dearmudin was preparing, I had already briefed the heroes on the plan.
Now it was time to execute it.
"I will give the timing signal! When I do, pour everything into it!"
"Yes-!"
As soon as I finished speaking, a terrifying surge of magic erupted from Cromwell.
"I have to win..."
Crying blood like a waterfall, Cromwell roared.
"I have to win since I ate so muchooooooo!"
The antlers glowed a dazzling light green, and the monster's magic burst out indiscriminately the next moment.
Magic spewed out without any concept of conservation or operation, forming huge tentacles—no, branches that grew rapidly and targeted the living humans around.
As Lucas warned earlier, it was power capable of destroying all of Crossroad.
"Melee units, all—!"
Evangeline then dashed forward.
"Block it-!"
Dozens of melee heroes with shields fearlessly rushed forward. Into the raging currents of magic that would surely leave no bones behind if they were swept away.
Clerics had wrapped the heroes' bodies in holy armor, and I also created real-time magic fortresses around them to support them.
"Huuuuup!"
Evangeline timed it perfectly, slamming her shield into the ground,
Flash-!
Rectangular magic shields formed over the bodies of all the heroes charging forward against the magic currents.
Evangeline's ultimate, [The Last Fortress].
Boom!
All the shield bearers surrounding Cromwell in a circle shone brightly as they nullified the enemy's attack.
Their magic walls evaporated and disappeared in front of them, and even the holy armor melted away.
But Evangeline's [The Last Fortress] held firm until the end.
"It really... hurts...!"
Evangeline, sharing the burden with her allies due to [The Last Fortress], smiled with a bloody nose.
"Your attack... lacks true malice...!"
Indeed.
It's different from the Lord of the Flies or the Black Dragon. Those two monsters attacked with pure intent to annihilate humans, trying to kill us.
But Cromwell, perhaps because she had become a zombie?
Her attacks were indiscriminate and reckless. That's all.
There's no keen edge of malice. No determination to kill.
As if unsure of where to go.
"You're bearable, you zombie bastard-!"
Thud!
The melee units endured to the end,
"Uraaaaaaah!"
Evangeline let out her characteristic war cry, raising her shield sword overhead.
[The Last Fortress] grants a wide-range [Damage Save] effect to allies.
In other words, it collects all the damage dealt to allies and—
Boom-!
Returns it with [Damage Payback]!
Raising her shield sword glowing like it was on fire, Evangeline wore a resolute expression.
Simultaneously, Cromwell's magic output dropped sharply. Having expelled immense output, her magic pattern plummeted to a low point.
"Now! Junior-!"
I shouted, and Junior, who had been preparing a magic circle with other wizards in the rear, screamed back.
"This is our last hit today-!"
Magic artifacts aiding Junior's spell shone, and the wizards channeled their magic into her.
For this one hit, almost all the wizards on the monster front had abandoned their subsequent magic usage. We had to finish this with this hit!
Junior gathered all the support and cast [Elemental Disassembly].
"Take this...!"
Boom-!
A halo appeared in the sky, space shattered, and [Elemental Disassembly] exploded onto Cromwell.
Junior's ultimate pierced through the gap created by the dropped magic output, significantly thinning the dense magic field around Cromwell.
"Now! Pour everything-!"
As I shouted, Evangeline hurled her shield sword.
The shield sword, imbued with [Damage Payback], flew like a missile toward Cromwell and exploded on impact with the magic field.
Crack, crack...!
One layer of the magic field surrounding Cromwell cracked,
Boom!
And shattered with an explosion.
But it was only one of the many layers of the magic field surrounding the monster.
There were still layers of the magic field left around the monster.
'But the crack has formed!'
And this was our only chance to break through all those magic fields!
With Evangeline's shield sword marking the spot, it became the target of all our attacks.
"Fire!"
"Pour everything in-!"
Verdandi sliced with [Isagum], Kuilan unleashed his ultimate technique, and Mikhail continued to throw crimson magic spears without rest.
All the heroes poured out their ultimate moves.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Unable to withstand it, the magic fields broke layer by layer.
"Kellybay!"
Using the [Imperial Seal Ring], I gathered all the 'will' of humanity I could, forging it into a giant nail.
Flicking the giant nail of will into the air, I shouted.
"Finish it off!"
"Leave it to me!"
Kellybay, summoning the power of the ancestral god, swung his war hammer, which glowed with golden magic, making it hundreds of times larger.
Spinning like a top in the air, Kellybay struck the head of the nail with his hammer.
Thud!
The nail of will, flying like a beam of light, struck Cromwell's magic field—at the exact point we had all been attacking.
Crack!
The nail shattered the magic field like breaking glass, tearing through dozens of layers of magic fields at once.
"Lucas!"
I turned and shouted.
"Finish it-!"
Lucas was already running.
Rushing forward, Lucas leaped into the air, slashing his dual swords in an X shape.
Slash!
The long-range slash of light struck the nail, shoving it in, and instantly split the remaining dozens of magic field layers.
"Ah..."
But by then, Cromwell's magic pattern was recovering.
"Aaaaaaaah-!"
The monster's surging magic erupted again, attempting to form new magic fields—
At that moment.
"—I've got it."
Boom!
Damien, waiting atop a spire, took the shot.
In the brief moment between the disappearance of all magic fields and the formation of new ones.
His precisely aimed shot pierced through that instant gap and struck Cromwell's forehead.
Thunk...!
"...?!"
It wasn't an attack bullet.
It was the last of our concentrated cure, all packed into a single shot.
"Ah...?!"
Cromwell was the source of the zombie parasites. This cure bullet wouldn't kill her.
But it could disrupt the zombification mechanism—stop the function that made the dead body move.
"Aah, aah...?!"
As if in disbelief, the surging magic stopped, and Cromwell staggered...
Whizzzz!
Dearmudin and Violet descended from the sky.
"Please, let this work-!"
Violet, eyes tightly shut, shouted.
"[Daydream-!]"
And Violet's fingertips, imbued with a pale purple magic, touched Cromwell's forehead.