Danmachi: Strongest Familia

"Endless earth, raise your boundless heights and divide the world! — 'City of Earth!'"

From afar, Joan completed her incantation, and a pale yellow magic circle expanded under Riveria's feet. Earthen walls surged up around her, quickly shielding her from all sides. However, the sturdy stone walls, seemingly impenetrable, crumbled like paper under Balor's powerful strike.

Yet, it bought them precious time.

"Dance, Spirit of the Air, Lord of Light. I am bound by contract to the Guardian God of the Forest; let us play the song of the earth to shield us—transform into a wall of forest light and protect us—my name is Alfred!"

The 'Barrier of Dimension Blocking' emerged as an additional layer, deflecting Balor's claws and buying Riveria a vital moment to regroup.

With this cover in place, Riveria took a deep breath, summoning her mana without delay. Her staff's inlaid gems glowed intensely as she invoked the spell of [Wes Windheim], spreading a massive magic circle across the floor, enveloping everything within sight. With the mana flow belt amplifying her reserves, she had no concern about running out of magic.

Thanks to advanced runes within her ultra-long incantation, Riveria condensed much of the original chant into fewer words.

Behind her, the familia members were already working to cover the others' retreat. Even her seasoned comrades were taken aback; Riveria hadn't revealed this formidable spell even in battles with Zald.

As the power within Riveria surged, her eyes shone a faint blue, giving her an ethereal allure—though, in the middle of battle, no one had time to appreciate the sight.

Balor, sensing the imminent threat from the magic circle beneath it, locked its crimson gaze onto Riveria and charged, showing no hesitation. Even while advancing, it spewed searing blue flames. However, Riveria's Dimension Barrier held firm, neutralizing the attack. Within seconds, Balor demonstrated startling speed, closing the distance with a momentum that seemed to make the sky itself fall upon them.

Riveria, undeterred, unleashed the stored magic in the circle at her feet, and its power erupted in a blinding beam of light. Balor's advance halted mere inches from her, as if repelled by an invisible divine barrier.

Slowly but surely, the light forced Balor backward. The dense outer layer of its abdomen began to crack and peel away, exposing raw flesh. The intense magic tore into Balor's body, leaving fresh, bloodied wounds!

A pained roar echoed as the last layer of Balor's defenses gave way, and a flood of magic poured into its core, violently destabilizing it. Its massive form swelled, pressing against the rocky walls, ballooning with pent-up energy, needing only the slightest external force to trigger an explosion.

"Now!" Riveria shouted, her face contorted with pain from the strain of controlling so much magic. Her voice, hoarse, urged her team into action.

Ready for this moment, her companions unleashed a coordinated attack, their strikes pummeling Balor. Suspended and vulnerable, it was a large, easy target.

Riveria had planned it this way, wanting her teammates to share in the experience of bringing down a powerful Floor Master—a triumph that would help even low-level adventurers progress.

In a final moment, Balor's body succumbed to the unbearable pressure, bursting into a gruesome spray of flesh that dispersed into black smoke before vanishing entirely.

Only a massive magic stone, taller than a person, remained, crashing to the ground and leaving a deep crater.

"Well—that went easier than expected," Riveria exhaled, relieved. The mana expenditure had been far more draining than she anticipated; she'd have to be cautious about overusing it in the future. If this attack hadn't worked, she'd have had little energy left to defend herself.

As the team secured the magic stone, which provided a partial mana restoration for Riveria, the expedition regrouped and began their advance toward the 50th floor.

Upon reaching this floor—a designated safe zone—the tension in the team lifted, and many felt like collapsing in exhaustion. Though the defeat of the 49th-floor Floor Master had brought a sense of safety, the relief of a truly safe floor was irreplaceable. Here, they were free from the suffocating anticipation of monsters appearing at any moment.

"Riveria-sama, our supplies are nearly exhausted, and our supporters are reaching their load limits," Joan reported.