After what felt like long, unpleasant minutes of her body tingling and twisting, everything finally stopped.

  “Damn. That’s way more than I would have thought.” Ast’s voice reached her ears from the side.

  But the weird thing was, it had come not just from the side, which felt somehow farther than before, but also kind of from below. She opened her eyes, turned her head towards the source, and immediately frowned in confusion. As much as she could in her panther form, of course.

  A miniature version of Asterios stood next to her humongous paw. He could literally use it as a sofa if he wanted, resting on its furry surface comfortably. Raising it slightly up, she could squash him easily too. The weird sight made her very perplexed.

  ~Why did you make yourself small, Master?~ Miria asked, cutely tilting her head to the side.

  He chuckled and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Look around.”

  She did as instructed and gasped mentally. It wasn’t that Asterios had gotten smaller, it was she who had gotten big. Her body was now as tall as the tree line, rivaling the elephant monster she had felled not that long ago. She could literally peek over the crowns full of leaves.

  Spotting many small and tiny monsters running around the battlefield, she got an urge to roar and did exactly that. An immense shockwave exploded from her position, bending the nearby trees in half as the force of her voice rolled over the plain. Even the mind-controlled beasts stopped dead in their tracks for a second.

  “And now, let’s make you prettier,” Asterios said after the echoing noise faded away.

  Something flashed bright red, and with a loud whoosh, Miria’s entire panther body lit up in crimson flames, just like her fur had in the past during one of Ast’s techniques. She looked herself over in wonder before turning her head back to Asterios.

  Spotting his wide smile, she gave his small figure a mighty lick, almost toppling him as he chuckled at her action, overcame with pure joy and happiness.

  “Enough!” Asterios laughed and pushed her giant muzzle away. “Go. You have quite some catching up to do. And don’t transform back until you are done. The spell will definitely fade away when you do, so don’t expect to turn into a giant.”

  ~Thank you, Master! I love you so much!~

  Miria spun around, lowered her posture, and leaped forward, crossing almost half of the battlefield. An enormous panther of pure crimson flames suddenly pounced on a group of completely unaware beasts and began tearing them into shreds while releasing ferocious, booming growls. The soldiers watching her go cheered merrily at the deadly sight.

  “So, you grew wings now, huh?”

  An unexpected voice reached Ast’s ears from behind, somewhat familiar but he wasn’t exactly sure how. Turning around, he found the figure of a warrior woman wielding a greatsword with dark brown hair woven into a ponytail cleaving through some poor wolf.

  “Rudy?” He raised a brow at her.

  “Oh, so you still remember me?” The woman chuckled heartily. “Hiya, handsome. Long time no see, right?”

  Asterios was mildly surprised to see his old friend right next to him. A quick look around allowed him to spot the rest of Rudy’s team scattered over the battlefield, now that he knew what he was looking for. Tesser and Douhlim fought their own small battles amongst the soldiers and a bunch of other adventurers he had seen in the guild earlier.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, stabbing a running horse-shaped monstrosity with his armblade as it passed by.

  “Fighting, what else?” Rudy laughed openly with a wide smile. “Can’t miss a good party, can we?”

  Asterios shook his head and chuckled too. “You know exactly what I meant.”

  “Eh, details.” She spun around and wounded a few more beasts on her path. “We can talk more after the fun time is over, but basically, we heard that Glimmervale gained a new lord whose name was suspiciously similar to a person we are familiar with, so the boys and I decided to give it a check and showed up literally around this evening. We didn’t expect you to throw us such a nice welcoming party, though.”

  “You are welcome,” he answered with a smirk.

  Rudy shot him a grin and grunted, swinging her heavy sword to the side. “Alright. Talk to ya later. Both of us have places to be right now. See ya!”

  The muscular woman threw a sloppy salute at him and sped away to join one of her friends.

  Asterios shook his head again with a small smile, flapped his wings to launch himself into the air, and joined Tina, who had just cut two Wyverns in half with her incredible water scythe by spinning vertically. She flicked her hair aside with her free hand after finishing and locked gazes with Asterios, blushing lightly.

  No more flying monsters or beasts came their way yet so they observed the battlefield together. Countless creatures rushed into the plain they had created. Their numbers were seemingly unending. It looked like one giant flood spilling out of the forest.

  But, that flood crashed right into the almighty and powerful women standing proudly against it.

  Selene’s abilities were perfect to take care of multiple opponents and the shining fox lady rained technique after technique on the poor entities. Each of her punches or kicks, boosted by spiritual energy, carved craters, holes, tunnels, and corridors in the ground, pulverizing anything standing in their path. Various swords, blades, spheres, and other projectiles made of cerulean mana swung around her and finished the leftover opponents the other techniques missed.

  Silvia was not that far after her when it came to devastating power. The fiery princess’ spells and abilities burned entire clusters of monsters each time she cast something. Her three tornadoes kept circling her position whenever she moved, giving her enough peace of mind to focus on dancing and preparing other attacks undisturbed. Just now, she finished another spell and a giant head of a True Dragon made of pure amber fire peeked out of a glowing formation, breathing orange hellfire on her enemies, drowning them in a sea of flames.

  Now buffed by Asterios, Miria also left a lot of scorched ground behind herself, pouncing and rolling around her own part of the battlefield. Each swipe of her impressive claws sent violent arcs of crimson flames forward, slicing through rows of enemies. Her jumps caused explosions of fire to spread in circles, pulsing repeatedly for a good few seconds afterward. Of course, she still swiped and tore the monsters with her natural weapons, enlarged to be even more impressive and deadly.

  Bryn followed her role and circled above their forces, throwing a simple shielding spell at a man or woman in danger, or diving down to aid the injured soldiers with her Healing Magic. As she had said, her golden barrier was impenetrable. The few beasts that had managed to sneak close to it couldn’t do anything against the solid wall of spiritual energy no matter how strongly they attacked.

  In the meanwhile, Asterios and Tina handled the sky without any issues too. The number of flying enemies was much lower but they usually were slightly bigger and more dangerous. But, the blue-haired Summoner lady handled herself better than well, utilizing her strengths to their full potential. And, paired with her beloved, she danced in the air with pure glee and happiness as they assisted each other, coordinating their attacks perfectly, thanks to the deep bond they shared. Most of the time, Asterios could leave the beasts to her and focus on supporting the others with various techniques.

  Naturally, the girls weren’t the only ones fighting this small war. The guards and soldiers dealt with their own opponents bravely too. Thanks to the culling commenced by Ast’s companions, they could fight more confidently. Their new, freshly enhanced gear straight after professional and meticulous maintenance certainly played a big role in their performance too. Literally, everyone was more than happy to slash, stab, or smack their enemies with their extremely sharp and durable weapons. It was pure joy to use them.

  Among them, Venuzathor’s minions wreaked chaos in the enemy’s ranks. The frightening Lightning Elementals launched themselves after the beasts and monsters with pure, animalistic ferocity, using their glowing white claws of both their hands and feet to tear their opponents to shreds while releasing various screeching and ominous noises. They bit, swiped, stabbed, and ripped everything in sight. They didn’t lack magic either, often using various simple lightning-based spells or just covering their limbs with a shocking layer of crackling energy. They knew no fear and lived for only one goal, to pulverize their enemies.

  Now and then, a black spike or two shot out of the monsters’ and beasts’ shadows, piercing their vital organs, which usually resulted in the death of their owners. Umbra mostly preyed on the poor creatures deep in the forest, where no one could see him sinisterly suck all the life and spiritual energy out of his prey, but he still assisted the main forces whenever he felt like it. He appreciated the chance to fully let go without having to worry about holding back. The people near the town could only feel some ominous energy coming from his direction, unaware of what was happening in the shadow-filled forest.

  Asterios slotted a new token into his Spellslinger and activated the mid-tier spell. Brown energy formed the shape of a crossbow-sized bow over his blade and he drew the spiritual string back. Letting it go, he launched a quick arc of mana at the nearby Jade-Skinned Gargoyle. The spinning disc decapitated the creature and he repeated the motion against three more of its kind. Right after he was done, the Runic Chip cracked and was pushed out of the slot with a whizz of pressurized air.

  “There’s literally no end to them,” Tina commented after arriving next to his side, flapping her magnificent wings to hang still in the air.

  “That’s what I’ve been afraid of after seeing that huge, chaotic gate. Who knows how much contaminated mana the formation absorbed in the years of its existence.” Asterios sighed. “Thankfully, the ritual doesn’t seem to be strong enough to control more powerful entities or we would be in much more trouble.”

  “It’s already incredible that we can hold out against an entire stampede on our own. The town doesn’t even have walls but it’s not like it needs them with Bryn present. I’m sure that this battle will birth many tales and legends considering the perspectives of normal people and soldiers watching it unfold from the sidelines.”

  “Who knows?” He chuckled. “We certainly need the walls just in case we won’t be around. I’m sure our parents will take good care of them with Imadil and Cynthia.”

  ~Hey. I think we might be ready to have a try at it.~ Grea’s voice echoed in their heads.

  Asterios and Tina shared a look and he smiled at her. “Great. Let’s wrap it up and get back to sleep.”

  Chapter 40

  Knocking on the Void’s Door

  After Asterios and Tina finished off the few remaining beasts heading their way, he looked around the battlefield.

  ~Bryn, do you think you could take care of the sky too while we are gone?~ he asked everyone through the bond he shared with his companions.

  ~It should be of no issue, Master,~ the Valkyrie responded immediately.

  ~I’ll lend you a hand if you need it,~ Selene joined in. ~Miria and Silvia are doing great on the ground so it shouldn’t be a problem for me to split my attention a little bit.~

  ~Yep! Leave it to us, Master!~ the panthergirl added cheerfully.

  ~Thanks, everyone. Selene, let Silvia know about the change. She isn’t able to hear us yet. I’ll head with Tina to the guild and then most likely to the breach. Have fun but don’t drop your guard,~ Asterios wrapped up their mental conversation.

  But Selene’s teasing chuckle actually prolonged it for a moment later. ~Yet?~

  ~Not now.~ He and Tina exchanged soft smiles. ~We can talk about it anytime later but I’m pretty sure all of you are aware that I enjoy hanging around our princess quite a bit.~

  Miria’s giggle echoed in their minds. ~I can’t wait for Silvia to join us!~

  Asterios shook his head with a faint sigh and flew towards the town with Tina by his side. Bryn immediately took their place, and they could see their gorgeous friend envelop the head of her staff with golden energy, creating a beautiful and deadly ethereal blade alongside its edges, turning it into something akin to a fusion of a fancy spear and glaive.

  In a flash, the Summoner duo arrived in front of the Adventurer’s Guild and dropped to the ground. They walked inside with a quick step. The main hall was pretty much empty, save for a few adventurers who didn’t look confident enough in helping with fighting. Not every single one had to play an offensive role even partially.

  Sharing a nod with Truvi, who they spotted behind one of the reception counters, they headed upstairs and reached the guildmaster’s office. With a sound knock, Asterios led them into the room, and everyone turned their eyes to them. Grea literally buzzed as she trotted close to the duo and threw herself at him.

  “We got it! I’m sure of it!” she announced again, stealing a quick kiss from his lips. “Let’s get rid of that abomination once and for all!”

  “Amazing. I knew you could do it.” He stole one back and set Grea down next to him, glancing at the elves. “What do we have to do?”

  Fievedem stepped forward. “First of all, we need to get there, but I don’t think that will be an issue with your abilities.”

  Suanori made a heavy sigh, capturing Ast’s attention, and he sent her a reassuring smile after their gazes met. She nodded, trying to respond with a more confident expression.

  “After that, we have two options,” Imadil continued after the elf woman. “Technically, it’s three, but two of them are equally dangerous.”

  “One and two, we destroy the circle or overload the fissure,” Cynthia took over. “Then three, the safest but also the most complex one, we try to add a few parts to the spiritual array, based on the documentation we’ve been able to decipher, and hope it shuts off without blowing up half of the surrounding area.”

  Asterios rubbed his chin while thinking. “I assume we are fairly confident in going with the third option, right?”

  The Summoner lady delegated by the queen nodded at him. “After learning about some of the finer details of this ritual, I should be able to take care of it. The process requires my undivided focus, though, so I will need all the protection we can muster while doing my part.”

  “Which might be a little bit troublesome considering that we’ll be working right next to a giant pit spewing out dozens of monsters,” Suanori added.

  “Maybe it would be if we didn’t have him.” Grea grinned impishly while running her hand over Ast’s jawline. “And his strong mates, of course. Not to discredit all those badass girls.”

  Giving his flirty professor a tug on her slim tail where no one could see it, Asterios made Grea’s eyes widen briefly before her eyelids fell halfway in an expression of pure yearning.

  “I like the vote of confidence but let’s not get too rash,” he berated her while kneading that tender appendage within his fingers. “Let’s get to it, then. The faster we can close it, the safer it’s going to be for the others at the frontlines. Do you need to gather anything?”

  “I already asked Umbra to fetch a few things for us, so we are good to go.” Grea bit on her bottom lip but quickly turned a bit more serious. “Anyone?”

  All the people in the room shook their heads and Umbra materialized over Ast’s shoulder. He brought Asterios and Suanori to the vicinity of the crater first so that Tina and Grea could join him quickly through a gate. Then, the others were brought to them in pairs too. A moment later, they stood together at the back of the huge hole, watching as many monsters climbed or flew out of it.

  “I’ll begin immediately. Please, watch over me in the meanwhile.” Fievedem shot Asterios a glance and moved closer to the edge with her two escorts.

  “I don’t think we’ll need to do much,” Suanori said soon after the trio left. “These creatures pay no attention to anything that isn’t on their path to Glimmervale.”

  Just in case, everyone kept a close eye on the woman and the two other elves. The men tidied up the ground around the edge of the crater from debris and used some kind of a liquid solution to burn away the remaining grass, uncovering the dark brown earth underneath it. She, in turn, drew intricate patterns over the prepared surface, slowly moving clockwise around the pit’s rim.

  Asterios could tell that those were purely elven and did share some similarities with the sigils and lines they had seen in the magical circle down in the cavern. Fievedem’s drawings were clearly much more precise and mystical. They had definitely analyzed enough information to interfere with the chaotic formation, but she surely was an even bigger expert at Summoning Magic developed in her homeland than he had first assumed, perhaps being a person of much more importance too.

  And that person had immediately knelt in front of Imadil.

  But it was not the time to ponder over such things. As Suanori had said, the monsters didn’t care about anything they were doing around the hole, and Fievedem soon covered over half of the circle. Unfortunately, she stopped at that point, and everyone walked closer to the trio.

  “I won’t be able to continue with them pouring out like this. We can solidify the patterns after finishing the circuit but before that, the monsters could break them while crossing the lines,” she explained.

  “Then we have to stop them. At least for as long as you need to finish,” Tina replied. “Let me try.”

  Asterios nodded after she looked at him and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. Tina enjoyed their brief, loving exchange while also receiving some more of Ast’s scorching hot mana. She pulled away with a shy smile and a faint flush on her charming face. Giving Asterios one last warm glance, she sauntered towards the cliff with a little bounce in her step.