In an instant, the flas condensed into a compact orb. It shrank in size but glowed even brighter.
No matter how many tis I see it, it's still cool.
Ian squinted slightly at the sudden brightness, watching the Fireball flicker steadily above Lucia's open palm. At first, she'd kept her divine power and magic separate—but now, the orb shimred with a seamless blend of both.
Did she unknowingly grow stronger battling Inaskurgl?
Ian had infused chaos into his spells before, but this was sothing else entirely. It was beyond anything the ga had ever accounted for—more like an entirely new branch of magic. If it needed a na, divine spellcraft seed the most fitting.
Maybe it was just a temporary state, born from Lucia's unique gift and the strange nature of the demonic realm. However, that didn't change the fact that right now, she was every bit a divine mage.
A mage who can even stack casts, at that.
In the ga, that kind of technique only beca possible after mastering advanced Vision spells.
Feeling the gap in talent anew, Ian swallowed a dry laugh.
Grrrr…
Of course, even so, he had to say what needed to be said. As Moro snorted, seemingly displeased, Ian leaned his head toward the top of Lucia's.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but don't forget our goal, Lucy. Only take out the ones who are closing in."
"I know. Don't worry. This is just practice," said Lucia, lifting her head.
Her crimson eyes glimred as she looked up at Ian.
"On that note, could you help with my mask? I forgot to take it off."
"Not a problem." Ian reached over and unfastened the clasps on either side of her mask.
As the loosened mask slid down to the back of her neck, her lips, slightly curled, ca into view.
She bared her teeth in a grin as she added, "Now I can finally breathe easier. I can feel the magic, too."
So she's planning to recharge while fighting.
Just as Ian let out a chuckle, the slope of the saddle gentled. They had reached the summit of the highest dune in the area.
As Lucia lowered her gaze again, Ian turned to face forward once more.
Beyond the black desert and the copper-stained sky, a gray wasteland stretched out, as if marked by a boundary line. The terrain appeared slightly sunken, likely because of the black dunes running along the edge, encircling it like a rim.
Either way, we're almost there.
Ian took in the slow, rippling sea of ash before them. Of course, he was the only one with the leisure to observe the Desert of Death.
"Goddamn it…"
The others were preoccupied scanning the base of the hill.
A vast tide of monsters had revealed itself, stretching endlessly in both directions. They were beneath the sand or camouflaged to blend in, making them look like a writhing wave of sand, rising to swallow everything ahead. And they were much closer than expected.
—Watch the right diagonal, Lucy. That side is the fastest.
As Moro snorted and galloped down the hill, Yog's unhurried whisper continued. Its voice conveyed a strange sense of excitent rather than tension.
"Next one's on the left. Might even be faster," Diana added quickly, speaking softly enough for only Ian to hear.
He didn't need to guess who she was speaking to.
—Yes. Pointy Ear says left this ti.
Hearing the whisper that followed imdiately, Ian also lowered his gaze.
Beyond the gently sloping downhill path, he spotted a six-legged, dark gray lizard charging straight toward them. It was probably the fastest one Yog had ntioned.
That's quite big.
Ian, staring at the horn protruding from the center of its head and the long, trailing afterimage of its reddish-brown eyes, shifted his gaze to the left on instinct. Sothing that looked like a wheel bristling with spikes was rolling toward them. Of course, it wasn't a real wheel.
What is that, so kind of spiked pill bug?
The reason Ian could afford such leisurely thoughts was, of course, because he trusted the divine mage sitting in front of him. Lucia remained perfectly still, seemingly unaffected by the constant whispers around her.
Fwoosh…
She simply held the twin Fireballs in her hands, gazing down the slope.
However, Ian knew she had entered a complete battle stance. The twitching fingertips of her outstretched hands beneath the fireballs were proof enough.
It was only a few seconds later that Lucia suddenly thrust out her right hand without a word.
Whoosh—
The fireball, once quietly burning above her palm, surged forward like a cot—leaving behind a trail like a teor's tail as it sliced through the air.
Its path arced over the approaching basilisk's head just as the creature crested the dune.
Screech!
As if sensing what was coming, the basilisk let out the roar it had been holding back and charged forward without slowing. The fireball that had shot through the air exploded an instant later.
Boom!
With a wave of searing heat, dazzling sparks burst outward in every direction. To Ian's eyes, the scattering embers looked almost like fireworks, raining down around the charging basilisk.
Scree—
The creature, now covered head to tail in flas, tumbled across the ground. A cloud of black sand shot up around it, but the orange fire clinging to it refused to go out. It continued to burn relentlessly.
Fwoosh—
And it wasn't just the basilisk. The embers scattered across the area did the sa, sizzling through the black sand and turning the slope into a sea of fire.
It bore the exact traits of the sacred fla. It would burn unceasingly until the divine power within the embers was exhausted.
Feels like hellfire itself, Ian thought, a smile tugging at his lips.
Fireballs bursting like white phosphorus grenades—this was no ordinary magic. He had felt it before, during his battle with Inaskurgl, that divine spells were in a league of their own. Even the most basic low-tier spells carried power that rivaled high-level magic.
Screech—
At the very least, it was enough to slow down the oncoming horde of monsters. It had not only sent the shrieking basilisk rolling across the ground but also caused the ones behind it to falter, scrambling to change direction in a frenzy. The creatures tangled together in their panic, so tumbling straight into the inferno.
It wouldn't last forever, but as long as it gave Moro enough ti to pass, it was more than enough.
Fwoosh— Boom!
By then, Lucia had already hurled a second fireball from her left hand.
Only after the blinding explosion did Ian glance toward the left flank.
Amidst the sea of flickering embers, the spiked creature that had been rolling like a wheel was now hurtling away, engulfed in fla. As its coiled body unraveled midair, dozens of twitching legs erged from beneath its jagged, armored shell.
Damn, every single one of them is uniquely disgusting.
Still, Lucia's strategy had been remarkably effective. Moro charged ahead, passing the sea of flas without encountering a single obstacle.
"Good," Lucia murmured, though she wasn't even looking at the inferno she'd left behind.
She was already forming another fireball in her palm, eyes fixed intently on the path ahead, as if accomplishing her goal was all that mattered.
—Brilliant. But co on, Lucy, enjoy this a bit more. The next one's coming from the right again. Don't just stop it. Let's make it explode.
Yog whispered with a chuckle. Clearly, it was enjoying the chaos Lucia was creating.
Ian, however, couldn't help the slight furrow in his brow. "Don't let him get to you. You're already doing great. There's no need to overdo it."
"Don't worry, Sir Ian. I'm perfectly calm." Lucia glanced back with a flicker of crimson in her eyes, which curved gently as she smiled. "But it'd be a lie to say I'm not enjoying it."
So it runs in the blood, Ian thought, smiling.
It made sense—Lucia hadn't taken part in a proper battle since the campaign against Inaskurgl. It wouldn't be strange if she had been itching for action, especially now, with her stigmata overflowing with divine power.
"I wouldn't dream of stopping you from having fun," said Ian, slightly nodding toward the front. "Just keep going like this. I've got your back, so don't worry about anything else."
"I already wasn't." Lucia smiled even brighter and turned ahead, flinging her right hand forward in one fluid motion.
Fwoosh, boom! Boom!
Dazzling explosions lit up the black desert one after another, like beacons marking the path ahead for the galloping Moro. The size and targets of the blasts varied, but the outco remained the sa every ti.
Screech! Screech!
The air echoed with the shrieks of countless monsters.
However, Moro, barreling through the center of it all, never once slowed or changed course.
The initial burst of excitent eventually faded, leaving behind only its relentless, driven pace. The sa was true for the horned black knight and the masked fairy riding with them—any lingering tension had lted away.
"Unbelievable."
Seren, now letting the flail hang loosely at her side, suddenly let out a breathless sigh. She had braced herself for a desperate battle, yet now it seed like she might spend the entire encounter just watching.
"This brings back mories," said Diana. Even amid it all, she kept scanning their surroundings, her silvery-white hair catching the light.
Seren glanced at her and asked, "mories?"
"During the height of the war," Diana replied without even looking at her.
Her eyes shifted to the opposite side of the sky as she continued. "Spellcasters would show up late, making a flashy entrance like that. Though, of course, Lucifer seems to do the work of several mages all on her own."
Seren's lips parted slightly.
Diana narrowed her eyes. "You haven't seen many battle mages before, have you?"
"I was part of the reinforcent corps that joined late," Seren muttered, a little sheepishly. She was among the youngest of the Black Lions. "The world fell into darkness before we even reached the battlefield."
"So you were one of the lucky latecors rescued by His Highness," Diana said as if she understood. Her tone was slightly arrogant, mixed with a peculiar hint of amusent.
However, Seren, seemingly not noticing at all, simply nodded. "Yes. That's when I swore to dedicate my life to him."
"You must have had chances to see spellcasters after that, though."
"Everyone takes a different amount of ti to overco their fears. By the ti I sought His Highness again, many mages had already died or gone mad. Of course, there were so mages left, but…."
Her gaze shifted forward. A fireball exploded in the sky ahead, scattering orange flas in every direction. "I've never seen such an impressive sight."
"Well, sothing even more impressive happened while you were unconscious."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing." Diana shook her head, casually scanning the surroundings again. "Anyway, there's no denying how impressive Lucifer is. She's doing the work of several mages with nothing but low-tier spells."
"Those are low-tier spells?" Seren's eyes widened more.
Diana gave a half-hearted shrug. "Hard to believe, I know. But, yes."
"My goodness…" Seren muttered in disbelief again.
Diana didn't respond. She just kept glancing around, occasionally twitching as if Yog's whispering was getting on her nerves.
Realizing belatedly that Diana was scanning the skies, Seren finally asked, "By the way, what are you looking for?"
The mont she asked, Diana's eyes stilled. From behind her mask, her brows drew together. "Those."
Seren whipped around instinctively.
The swarm of monsters trailing them once filled her vision. The dust clouds raised by the creatures and the smoke spewed from the sea of fire mixed chaotically in the sky.
And through it, silhouettes with widespread wings were faintly visible.
Seren, finally rembering the monsters she had montarily forgotten, exclaid. "Wyverns!"
"I was hoping they'd stay hidden in a blind spot. It was a foolish hope," Diana muttered, eyes locked on the silhouettes rippling faintly through the sky.
She dipped her head slightly and spoke low. "Yog. Tell Lucy the wyverns are closing in."
"There's no need for that," Ian cut in.
Diana blinked and turned her head toward him.
"Lucy can keep her focus on the front, just like she's doing now." Ian, who had straightened his back, was looking up at the sky behind them.
His eyes shimred with a light brown magic. "Handling pests like that is the job of the support."
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