*BOOOOMMMMM*
"Behind me!"
Reacting instantly, Riveria chanted swiftly, creating a barrier around herself to absorb the impact.
"Guhhh!"
"Stay strong, Riveria!"
However, the attack was too powerful, and the shockwave mercilessly pounded Riveria's barrier, quickly forming cracks.
Witnessing this, Riveria groaned while applying more force to her staff.
This was a test of endurance; the first to yield would be the loser. Fortunately for the group, the shockwave subsided, with Riveria emerging as the victor.
*Grrrr*
But it wasn't over. Undeus growled as he saw his attack blocked, lowering his fourth and third hands and vigorously spinning his two large swords.
*BOMM*
*Creak... Clink*
This time, Riveria couldn't stop it. Her barrier shattered like glass.
"Gareth!"
"Ohhhh!"
With no other option, Gareth stepped in to block the blow, using two large shields thrown by Tsubaki.
Being the one with the highest resistance statistics in the group, his body was robust and as sturdy as a tank.
Even with that, Gareth began to give way. His feet were pushed backward while he held the shield firmly in front of him.
"Ohhhh!"
"You can do it, old man!"
"Go!"
Helplessly watching Gareth, Bete and Tione shouted. Fortunately, Gareth prevailed.
"Tsubaki, heal Riveria. The rest, follow me. We need to flank him."
Riveria, being the only one hit by Undeus's area attack, was sent flying. Seeing her wounded body on the ground, Finn clenched his fist and ordered Tsubaki.
No matter what, they needed Riveria's magic. Their chances were slim, but if they found Undeus's weakness, they could win.
Fortunately, Undeus's attacks were slow, allowing them to be dodged.
"Understood!"
Dividing, Finn and the group launched forward.
*ROOOOOAAAAARRRR
In response, Undeus stamped the ground, causing enormous bone spikes to emerge.
*CLANG
Clashing swords and spinning on their axes, the group dodged and evaded, well aware of the toughness and strength of these bones.
"Ais, gather power, find an opening. We'll cover you."
Finn's eyes gleamed. Although he couldn't see Undeus clearly, he trusted Ais to do so.
Ais had the highest attack, so he commanded, "Yes."
With the wind swirling faster around her, Ais didn't hesitate. The longer it took, the more her injuries accumulated, and her combat power decreased.
---
"Can you get up? Come on, we need your strength."
Using an elixir on Riveria, Tsubaki helped her up. As the only mage in the group, Riveria's wide-ranging spells were necessary if they wanted to defeat Undeus. Running away was no longer an option.
The spikes at the entrance were too strong, and Undeus wouldn't give them time to destroy them. Descending to the lower floor wasn't an option either, as Undeus was guarding the exit. With his annoying ability to summon bone spikes from the ground, the only way to survive was to defeat him.
But for that, Riveria was needed...
"Thank you, Tsubaki..."
Opening her eyes with difficulty, Riveria looked at her group, now dodging and attacking Undeus. However, like before, Undeus remained unscathed.
"Guh?!"
"That barbaric dwarf!"
Shaking her head, Riveria watched as Gareth was tossed into the air by Undeus's sword strike. Being the slowest in the group, Gareth was having a tough time. He couldn't get too close; otherwise, he would only see Undeus's sword strikes with his eyes.
Fortunately for him, Undeus was concentrating his attacks on Ais, so his attacks were only the result of shockwaves. Otherwise, he would already be dead.
"It's okay, Tsubaki. Help them, don't worry about me."
Taking a deep breath, Riveria leaned on her staff, and a magic circle formed at her feet.
"Alright... I'm counting on you."
Raising her greatsword, Tsubaki gritted her teeth and joined the group. Fortunately, Undeus was the lone king, so there were no other monsters in this room besides him. As long as Riveria didn't get too close, she would be fine.
---
*CLANG, CLANG
(More power...)
Assuming a stance, Ais waited...
Her comrades were doing their best to buy time. The wind around her fluctuated as her sword glowed.
She needed to deliver a critical strike, strong enough to weaken Undeus.
*Bam, bam
"Guh..."
(Patience... Not yet...)
Almost losing composure watching her comrades being hit without defending themselves, Ais bit her lip and forced herself to calm down.
After all, she had to calculate her attack well. Undeus's armor was too tough to leave a mark, so that wasn't an option. Now she understood the importance of information and knowing her opponent.
('Hit your opponent where they least expect it... Find their weaknesses and strike.')
Recalling these words, Ais closed her eyes slightly, then opened them abruptly.
"Ais! Now!"
Striking in succession, Finn looked towards Ais. This was their chance since Bete, the Amazon sisters, Tsubaki, and he attacked Undeus's arms.
Undeus couldn't help but step back, creating enough space for an attack.
*Bam
Of course, Ais wouldn't miss this chance. She immediately lunged at the vulnerable Undeus.
"Lil Rafaga!"
Finding the weak point in his armor, the wind around her sword gathered and spun.
*CLANG.
Colliding with the joint of the fourth arm, she had noticed a space that his armor didn't cover—a small weak point. Betting on her strongest attack, she struck...
*ROOOOOAAAAARRRR
*Creak...
And she wasn't wrong. Undeus roared, and his fourth arm fell.
Seeing this, Finn and his group's eyes gleamed. This was hope. If they managed to break Undeus's arms, his threat would diminish, and defeating him would be just a matter of time.
"Rea Laevateinn!"
But it wasn't over. Riveria's magic had completed, and seeing everyone move away, she activated her spell.
*ROOOOOAAAAARRRR
A massive fire collided with Undeus, engulfing him in a sea of flames.
"Great! We can do it!"
"Let's go, team!"
Tiona and Tione clenched their fists, and the despair they felt was replaced by an aura of determination.
"Well, you bastard! I'll hit you as many times as I want!"
Even Bete was infected by Tiona's enthusiasm, revealing his fierce canines and ready for another round.
On the other hand, Finn frowned. Although he was glad the plan worked, the pain in his thumb didn't subside; it increased.
"I don't think it's that easy..."
Even Gareth felt it. Being the one who took the brunt of it, he knew that a monster like Undeus wouldn't fall as easily as Tiona imagined. Moreover, his body was injured, and he couldn't move as swiftly as at the beginning.
...
Tsubaki remained silent, but she gripped her greatsword. She had nearly been hit before, and she still felt her body trembling in the face of imminent death. The same went for Ais. She didn't let this small victory get to her head, knowing that things weren't as easy as they seemed. Besides, her stamina was decreasing along with her mana.
"Haaa...haaaa"
Breathing heavily, Riveria knelt down. This was too much even for her. Casting two large-scale spells in a short period, along with maintaining the barrier, wasn't easy. She almost felt her mana being drained, and she could only watch as Undeus was consumed by the flames.
*BROMMMM
However, while the Amazon sisters cheered in enthusiasm, the room's ceiling changed color, releasing a terrifying aura.
*ROOOOOAAAAARRRR
This was Undeus. His roar was louder than before, and at the same time, the fire around him extinguished, revealing his body with charred bones and only three arms.
"This is bad..."
Despite his appearance, the flame in his eyes burned brighter, and the swords in his hands changed to a deep red.
*Bam
Finn, being the first to notice his change, quickly raised his guard. Unfortunately, Undeus was faster, taking momentum on his bony legs and appearing almost instantly in front of the group, swinging his third arm to attack the defenseless ants.
---
TN: This volume close to end :p