The center of the capital.

A desperate surge of magical power was felt coming from the direction where the Verrier were supposed to be.

Aria was moving her feet toward the magical power that was resisting, trying to break free from the barrier.

(...I made it!)

Aria pushes her physical abilities beyond her limits and sprints at full speed toward the plaza in front of the royal castle.

Along the way, she also sensed the presence of Luna and Sofia, who were also heading toward the center.

She could tell everyone was running in a hurry.

Monsters that hinder the journey. They were already starting to weaken due to the effect of the barrier, but there were still some individuals who retained considerable strength.

While momentarily held up by those guys, she headed toward the center and finally reached the plaza.

What Aria saw was a scene of despair.

Baldus and Aldo were lying on the ground, battered and bruised.

Standing as if to protect them are Verrier and the remaining few knights.

And there is the Tyranno Behemoth about to bring down its tail on them.

"...!"

Aria kicked off the ground and, by a hair's breadth, slipped between the Tyranno Behemoth and Verrier.

"Aria-sama..."

"Argh!"

She didn't have time to respond to Verrier's voice.

Aria forcefully flicks its tail back.

(I made it...! Everyone is still breathing!"

Aria's gaze sharpened, and she tightened her grip on her sword.

And then, she immediately struck back with a blow. However, the slash cut through the air.

The Tyranno Behemoth leans back to dodge.

(...It seems the barrier has been destroyed. With this, I think I can manage somehow!)

"Verrier-sama! Take the two of them and evacuate immediately...!"

"...Yes!"

She could not land a fatal blow in the battle against Tyranno Behemoth.

Faster than it looks, Aria's attack misses.

However, it was enough of a blow to separate the Tyranno Behemoth from Verrier.

They fought with equal strength, exchanging blows.

As their attacks continued without either being able to defeat the other, the Tyranno Behemoth showed frustration as it unleashed a breath attack.

It was when Aria tried to block that unexpected blow with her sword.

A magical barrier appeared before Aria's eyes.

"Aria, are you okay?"

It must have been something Sofia deployed. It effortlessly blocked and deflected the Tyranno Behemoth's blow.

It was then that the Tyranno Behemoth looked irritated as it turned its gaze toward Sofia.

Lightning strikes down from the sky upon the Tyranno Behemoth.

The Tyranno Behemoth, after taking a direct hit, momentarily knelt but quickly rose again.

(...If the two of them were here, we would not lose.)

Aria steadily accumulates magical power in her sword.

To defeat this monster with a single blow.

The sword trembled, and magic permeated it.

The sword Darius gave her will absorb all of Aria's violent magical power.

As if responding to the master's will, Altair, which had begun to emit a dazzling light, was gripped again, and Aria raised her face.

"You can do it, Aria."

"Yeah."

"Sofia, let's pave the way together!"

"Leave it to me."

The first to move was Sofia. She charged forward, releasing healing energy throughout her body as if to unleash Deneb’s power.

The Tyranno Behemoth swung its tail, but she dodged it with a fast movement and threw a punch from close range.

The Tyranno Behemoth tried to cast a spell, but it seemed Sofia had read it.

She punched it away, magic and all.

The giant body momentarily lifted, and the Tyranno Behemoth groaned in agony and slowed down.

Luna doesn't miss that opportunity.

A spear of fire appears on Luna's staff.

"―Aria!"

"I understand!"

As Luna screamed, the spear of fire she unleashed collided with Tyranno Behemoth's breath.

"You think you can pay me back with just that much?"

Luna smirked, infused it with more magic, and then swallowed the Tyranno Behemoth's spell.

"...!?"

The Tyranno Behemoth looked surprised as it leaned back to dodge.

But that was too big an opening.

Like an arrow, Aria had already flown into the Tyranno Behemoth's embrace.

She held the light-enveloped 'Altair' above her head.

(Darius-sensei... please lend me your strength!)

Everyone's power.

She swung Altair while carrying everything toward the Tyranno Behemoth's neck.

The Tyranno Behemoth tenses its body and unleashes its magical power.

It must have been trying to deflect the sword.

However, that sword is not so weak that it would stop at that level.

The sword struck Tyranno Behemoth's neck directly.

There's no resistance at all. The sword passes through smoothly, like paper.

The Tyranno Behemoth's eyes widened in shock.

As if it didn't know such a sword existed, one that could pierce its body so easily.

"It's over...!"

She throws her head back.

But Aria doesn't stop there.

Without losing any momentum, it was sucked into the exposed body of the Tyranno Behemoth.

The Tyranno Behemoth, sliced to pieces and split in two, didn't even utter a death throe.

The giant's body collapsed, and the ground shook throughout the entire royal capital.

What remained was silence.

And then, a little later, warm light shone upon the Aldrian Capital City.

Before they knew it, the ominous magical power that had covered the sky had dissipated, and the restored barrier was filling the entire city with pure light.

Just as the land is regaining the breath of life, it was once uninhabitable.

"...Is it over?"

Verrier muttered briefly and looked incredulous.

Aria turned back to her and gave a wide grin.

"Yes, it's over. This is the end of the battle, everything is finished now."

"Aah... Aah...!"

Hearing Aria's words, Verrier was happily shedding tears.

The cheers of the surviving knights were so loud that they could be heard all the way in the Asteria Kingdom.

Chapter 57