“Six wings,” Alan mumbled as he darted away from Aria’s Miasma of Rejection.
More rainbow-colored wings had grown out of her back, sending her mana even higher. Each attack she wielded against them was now magnitudes more powerful than the one she’d started with. If she reached the First Kingdom in her current state, she could reduce it to no more than an empty lot in less than a day.
“Not gonna lie, balancing offense and defense is pretty hard,” Norman said.
Aria acted more like a force of nature than an enemy. If all the heroes wanted was to avoid her attacks, they could run away. However, the Imperial Flower Hexagram Seal Array needed its target to be right in the middle of its six magic circles, and the heroes also had to ensure that the ones drawing the circles didn’t come under attack. They had to fight back Aria in order to keep her in the same spot, but weak attacks wouldn’t draw her attention. On the other hand, if they made their attacks too powerful, they would run out of mana and have no strength left to dodge or block.
With a mighty roar, Dora conjured a large boulder with earth magic and forcefully launched it at Aria. The speed at which it flew made it seem like she’d tossed a pebble instead of a thirty-meter-diameter monolith. Regardless, the noise—which had grown in both quantity and density thanks to Aria’s additional wings—pulverized the boulder before it even drew close to her. She didn’t so much as blink in response.
“Hah, so an attack of that level is no longer worth her attention,” Dora said.
“In a regular battle, I think that would’ve been strong enough to reduce half a military base to rubble. I guess that means nothing save for our ultimate moves is gonna cut it anymore,” Kevin said in a bout of exasperation.
This girl really is like my natural enemy, Alan thought once again. Since he couldn’t use his mana of light against Aria, he had no attacks powerful enough to draw her attention. I’ll have to try a different approach.
Alan glanced over at Derek and Isabella. They were still working on the third and fourth circles, though they were almost finished.
“Let’s change our strategy, guys,” he said, then relayed the plan he’d just come up with to Dora, Kevin, and Norman. The three of them nodded their affirmation.
Aria stood as silent as ever and unleashed another wave of her miasma. The four heroes scattered to the winds and managed to dodge the assault by a hair’s breadth.
“I’m counting on you!” Alan shouted to the other heroes.
“Gotcha.”
“It’s a good call.”
“Talk about a pain.”
Norman, Dora, and Kevin each replied, in turn.
Another wing grew out of Aria’s back—the seventh one—causing the noise to grow denser. Her presence alone had started to warp the space around her. The seal could only handle one more wing.
The final bout began. The heroes poured mana into their powerful attacks. Somehow, they would have to hold Aria in place while also keeping her devastating noise at bay.
“Have some of this!” Norman was performing particularly well, thanks to his high mana.
“Hah, someone’s having a good time.” Dora tossed a boulder more than double the size of the previous one.
“I hate being compared to you two!” Complaining all the while, Kevin delivered a powerful slash cloaked in intense wind magic.
The three heroes poured their bodies and souls into attacking Aria. Their attacks formed craters in the ground around her, and the ensuing cloud of dust covered the sky as far as the eye could see. With such power on display, one might expect even Aria to take some damage.
But when the smoke cleared, the girl stood unharmed. And on her back was...
“An eighth wing,” Dora said with sweat pouring down her forehead. They’d reached the seal’s limit.
With every new wing, a curse-like pattern spread to another part of Aria’s body. Now that she’d reached eight of them, the pattern practically covered her. She looked much like she had before the end last time, a sight that had once chilled even Dora to the bone.
“But we made it in time.” Alan’s voice rang out loud and clear. He was standing on a completed magic circle.
“We’re fortunate the Imperial Flower Hexagram Seal Array is nonelemental magic,” Isabella said.
Alan had entrusted the diversion against Aria to the other three and switched his role to drawing the magic circles. Since his mana quantity was low, he’d only helped a little bit, but that small push made all the difference.
“We’re starting! Move to position!”
At Derek’s signal, Norman, Dora, and Kevin each moved to one of the six magic circles.
“Ferocious man and gentle woman, dazzling light and chaotic darkness, writhing life and still death, mix and govern the whole of creation.”
As Derek chanted, the six of them poured high-quality mana into the magic circles, forming shining lines on the ground that connected them into an enormous hexagram. Then, they shouted in unison:
“May fortune be upon humanity! Seal this disaster away! Imperial Flower Hexagram Seal Array!”
A massive crystal appeared to surround Aria, but she instinctively resisted. Her noise battered against the encroaching crystal, but it formed faster than she could destroy it. The Miasma of Rejection that had boasted unmatched strength until moments ago was being suppressed.
The Imperial Flower Hexagram Seal Array was the human world’s oldest and most powerful sealing technique. No one knew for certain if the legend was true, but according to Continental Orthodoxy scripture, it was a technique that had once sealed God himself.
As the story went, God once appeared in the human world, granting the emperor authority and magic and blessings to the people. However, he couldn’t forgive the indelible stains on people’s hearts, and over time he began to judge them, yet he also wanted to forgive them. To prevent his own rampage, he created the seal stones from imperial blood, devised the Imperial Flower Hexagram Seal Array, and bestowed it upon humanity. Humanity used the array to seal God, and he placed his hope in those who were willing to oppose even him to carve their own future.
The seal array only worked against God and the creatures who’d received his blessing, so it couldn’t be used against demons. As Aria was human, the ultimate sealing magic could engulf her inside its crystal, just as it had once before.
“This is the final push!” Alan shouted.
The six heroes intensified their mana input into the circles, wringing every last ounce of strength they could from themselves, holding nothing back. The crystal grew even faster and surpassed the force of Aria’s miasma. In the end, the girl became completely enclosed in the crystal.