It was a Formor that was noticeably larger than the others around it—clearly an enhanced variant of its kind.
As it charged toward them, it shoved aside its fellow monsters along the way, raising its weapon high above its head in a massive overhead stance.
A Level 4 vanguard directly in its path widened his eyes in horror through the gaps of his shield.
In the next instant, like a storm sweeping through, the overwhelming force of the blow caved in the shield and sent the vanguard flying. A section of the frontline collapsed instantly.
"Bete, fill the gap!"
"Tch, what the hell?!"
The white-haired wolfman clicked his tongue in annoyance, switching from guerrilla tactics to rushing forward and taking up position at the front.
But it was already too late. With a breach in the frontline, several monsters had already broken through into their formation.
The monsters that had infiltrated the formation roared with deafening fury.
The mages and supporters, who had been safely shielded by the vanguards, now stood exposed before the monsters, their faces drained of colour in terror.
Line and Lefiya were among the mages, but faced with such creatures, their hearts nearly stopped from fear. Their minds were completely overwhelmed, making it impossible for them to even attempt proper evasion.
The Formor's attack exploded forth.
Lefiya instinctively tried to dodge, but the monster was far faster.
Formors were Threat Level 4 monsters. In groups, even the top-tier vanguards of elite Familias struggled to hold them back, let alone a fragile mage.
In that split second, just as the Formor's club was about to strike Lefiya, a gleaming blade flashed from the supporters' ranks.
The blade traced a circular arc, intercepting the club and redirecting its force toward the ground.
Though Lefiya avoided a direct hit, the shockwave sent her flying backwards.
"Tch! Such monstrous strength!"
Eiji withdrew his katana, shaking his slightly numbed arms.
The difference in strength was at least tenfold!
If not for the Taichi sword technique he had used to deflect most of the force, that single strike might have crippled him. Even so, his arms were left trembling and numb.
The Formor roared in fury, raising its club once more—this time aiming at the one who had drawn its aggro.
Tiona gasped, instinctively moving to help.
"Idiot, don't abandon your post!"
Tione quickly grabbed her. The others inside could hold out for a bit, but if they left their positions now, the frontline would collapse entirely.
He had intended to dodge at the last moment and counterattack, but the sheer force of the club's impact nearly sent him flying, making any meaningful retaliation impossible.
"—Flickering Light and Passing Shadows!"
A fierce glint flashed in Eiji's eyes.
Then, he charged straight at the Formor.
The monster's erratic breathing and movements made it hesitate for a split second. By the time the silver blade was right before its eyes, it was too late to react properly. It instinctively raised its club to block—
But in that instant, Eiji's slashing speed suddenly multiplied. The Formor's guard missed entirely, leaving it wide open as the blade closed in.
The monster's muscles were as tough as Eiji remembered from the Floor Boss Goliath.
His arms shook violently as the blade, driven by unreasonable momentum, tore through the tendons of the Formor's arm.
The Formor's right arm was instantly disabled, its club dropping uselessly to the ground. Howling in pain and rage, it swung its remaining left fist at Eiji.
Having already landed his strike, Eiji immediately pushed off the ground with his toes, retreating swiftly with a swordsman's footwork, narrowly evading the monster's retaliatory punch.
While Eiji kept the Formor occupied, several supporters finally rallied, raising their shields and surrounding the monster.
Eiji pulled a throwing blade from the pouch at his waist.
In the next moment, the blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, piercing straight through the Formor's eyeball and into its brain, splattering gray matter everywhere.
The Formor's struggles ceased instantly before its body dissolved into black smoke.
"Is this really the time to celebrate? There are still two more!"
Eiji snapped, striding toward the other two battlefronts without pause.
Three Formors had broken through their formation.
The strongest one had been stalled and killed by Eiji, but the other two weren't as easily dealt with. A few Level 3 adventurers were barely holding them off with their shields, too afraid to even attempt an attack.
A golden slash tore through the formation.
Cracks appeared simultaneously on both Formors as a golden-haired girl, her long hair swaying, wielded a rapier that cut through them like a hot knife through butter. In moments, both monsters were reduced to chunks.
Without sparing a glance for the cheers and praise, she swiftly left the formation—even charging past the frontline and into the horde of monsters.
As a Level 5, she wreaked havoc among the Level 4 monsters.
"Amazing. As expected of a first-class adventurer."
Eiji exhaled in relief. With the executives stepping in, the frontline stabilized once more, and the rear ranks regained their composure.
"You're the insane one here! I've never seen a Level 2 take on a Formor—let alone actually kill it!"
Someone nearby threw him an incredulous look, as if he were the real monster.
But Eiji wasn't satisfied.
He had used his ability three times just to barely defeat a single Formor. Without it, he could only manage to hold his own—killing one was outright impossible.
"Now, unleash the inferno—"
Emerald hair fluttered in the wind as a silver staff glowed with magical power. The incomparably beautiful elf, Riveria, chanted with unwavering focus.
"Thou art the incarnation of hellfire, purging all creation, unveiling the curtain of bloodshed and war—reduce all to ashes, Sword of Surtr. My name is Alf."
For a full minute, her chant rang out like a rallying cry, pushing the vanguards to grit their teeth and hold the line.
Flames roared to life.
From the magic circle on the ground, countless pillars of fire erupted, spreading outward in a deafening explosion. The blazing pillars, hot enough to scorch even the ceiling, avoided allies like Ais and the others at the front, instead engulfing the entire Formor horde.
Riveria's wide-area annihilation magic reduced all fifty Formors to ash in mere seconds.
Heat and embers filled the air.
The world was enveloped in scorching flames.
Every adventurer, Eiji included, lowered their weapons as if reborn.
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.