Chapter 17:
The Strongest Protagonist
“HERE GOES,” Livia muttered.
The apparatus from the royal ship that had been implanted on the Licorne responded to her. The Licorne amplified her powers, drawing on the energy it received from the Sacred Tree.
“Well, this is beyond what I expected,” Cleare said, gobsmacked.
Suffused with Livia’s impressive power, the Licorne was wrapped in faint white light. None of the nearby monsters could withstand the radiance. Any within a several-meter radius of the Licorne—and even some farther away than that—instantly disintegrated, reduced to wisps of black smoke and unable to regain their form. The Licorne’s luminance remained undiminished even after their defeat.
“This level of power is mind-boggling,” said Angie with awe. “Livia, what in the world…?”
Livia smiled at her. “I can’t explain it myself. All I can say is that, right now…I want to use this power to help Mr. Leon.” She’d rather have avoided using these powers if she could help it, but for Leon’s sake, she wouldn’t hesitate.
Livia stretched her left hand out, and the Licorne shone even more brilliantly. A tremor ran through the ship as it struggled to withstand her energy output.
Carla clung to Marie. “The whole ship is shaking. What’s going on?!” she squeaked in alarm.
It didn’t matter that no one had ever taught Livia how her powers worked. She moved automatically, as if the answer came to her naturally. Her instincts were all she needed to guide her.
White particles of light gathered around the Licorne, clustering into a shape that resembled Livia herself. It didn’t include all the details of its producer, but it possessed her basic outline. Its eyes glowed blue-white, and with the Licorne at its center, it towered over everything.
Any monsters that tried to attack it were instantly annihilated, but Livia’s form phased through ally ships and left them untouched.
Voices flooded through their communications network.
✦ ✦ ✦
✦ ✦ ✦
“It’s almost like the Saint. No, a goddess!”
“Yes, the goddess of victory!”
“All hail the goddess!”
Of course, only at a time like this would the Holfortians recognize Livia as their victory goddess. They all cheered as she effortlessly vanquished the monsters assailing them. But though Livia’s power was impressive, it took a great toll on her. If she didn’t brace herself and focus, she’d likely lose consciousness completely.
Angie kept her arms tight around Livia, providing physical as well as mental support. “Don’t push yourself too much,” she said.
“Thank you, but this is the one time I have to do just that.”
“Then use my power too.” Angie squeezed Livia’s hand.
Outside, red particles of light gathered around the Licorne. They clustered together, forming a red dress around the giant Livia replica. When she thrust her left hand forward, several magic circles manifested in the air around her over a diameter of several hundred meters. Arrows of light shot from them; tens of thousands showered down on Arcadia.
Panicked, Arcadia launched a magical barrier to protect himself and his surroundings. The arrows soon burst past it, exploding on impact with the fortress. It had no way to protect itself any longer, and Livia’s single attack reduced it to floating wreckage, a fragment of its former glory. Her power’s ability to cause destruction was overwhelming.
Marie gawked. “Wh-whoa. If we keep it up, we might really win this thing.”
Livia wasn’t so optimistic. “We don’t have much time,” she said. “We need to retrieve Mr. Leon quickly.” She could see Arroganz’s broken form on the monitor.
Snapping her eyes shut, Livia linked her vision to the giant outside to see the entire scene around them directly.
“Found him!” she said.
Thankfully, Arcadia had been focused on her and the Licorne and hadn’t touched Arroganz.
Livia’s voice filled with fury. “Get away from Mr. Leon!” she shouted.