The supersonic projectile streaked across like a giant bird of light, instantly bypassing allies to reach the corrupted spirit, its target locked squarely on her chest!
That was her weak point—Eiji's instincts screamed it.
But.
Clang!
Suddenly, the dozens of flower-like appendages lining her lower body bloomed open, stacking into dozens of layered armor in the blink of an eye.
With a thunderous impact, the supersonic projectile tore through over ten layers of floral armor before finally lodging in place—only to be spat out with a wet plop by the petals.
"Damn, that armor's tough!"
Eiji's eyes narrowed.
The others witnessed the scene as well, their expressions hardening.
It was common knowledge among them that Eiji's throws packed the force of a Level 6 adventurer. Yet, those dozens of layered floral defenses had managed to block it—proof of just how formidable their durability was.
Boom!
A second broadsword left his hand.
With a piercing shriek, the blade cleaved through the air like a wand parting waves, following the same trajectory straight for the spirit's chest once more.
"Gaaaaah!"
Her face twisted with irritation.
Crack!
A series of sharp snaps echoed as her lower body suddenly swelled—
No, not swelling. Extending.
The shadowy mass of flesh split apart, transforming into a downpour of tendrils that lashed skyward.
Over a dozen tendrils merged into a single monstrous appendage over a meter wide before slamming down with crushing force.
The flash of steel vanished abruptly—the broadsword clattered to the ground.
"Even the tentacles...?"
Eiji didn't respond, his eyes locked onto the phenomenon.
No—upon closer inspection, the merged tendrils bore deep gashes, on the verge of snapping entirely.
Eiji abandoned ranged attacks.
Dropping low, he shot forward like the wind itself.
At this distance, projectiles couldn't breach that monster's defenses. He had to close the hundred-meter gap to land a decisive strike!
Thud!
"Ugh—so heavy!"
Amid the creature's howls, the rain of tendrils descended.
Tiona fearlessly raised her greatsword to block—but the moment they connected, her face twisted in pain. Her arms shuddered violently, the impact nearly wrenching the weapon from her grip.
"Careful! These things hit like a Level 6!"
Tione and Bete, who'd been about to meet the tendrils head-on, immediately aborted and dodged instead.
Though not on Gareth's level, Tiona was undeniably a powerhouse. Despite her slender frame, among Loki Familia's Level 5s, she boasted the strongest muscles.
If even she struggled to withstand a direct hit, the others stood no chance.
Avoid the tentacles at all costs.
The realization struck the group simultaneously.
"But there's too many of them!"
Bete relied on his superior speed.
Weaving desperately through the storm of tendrils, his voice rang out, frayed with frustration.
A rough count put their numbers well over a hundred.
"Quit trying to brute-force it! Focus on cutting them down first!"
Tione wielded two kukri knives, her agile figure dodging the frenzied assault of tentacles before swiftly turning to slice through any that couldn't retreat in time.
But when a second tentacle lashed out, she hastily retreated.
Under the relentless whipping of the tentacles, the hundred-meter distance felt like an insurmountable chasm.
Even Ais, far away, was entangled in the rain of tentacles. Despite using her wind magic, she struggled to close the gap.
In fact, the corrupted spirit had directed the majority of its tentacles toward Ais, making her the one under the most pressure. Her resistance was only possible because her wind was powerful enough.
But even an insurmountable chasm could be crossed—if one had the right stride!
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, a figure flashed past Bete's vision.
His advance through the rain of tentacles was like a sailboat navigating a storm—each dodge seemed perilously close, yet he narrowly avoided every strike.
With this near-limit evasion, he sprinted forward at terrifying speed through the onslaught.
"I won't lose to you!"
Bete's eyes burned with fury.
He drew a magic sword from his waist pouch, absorbing its power into his silver boots before kicking out, unleashing a burst of explosive flames that forced the surrounding tentacles back. Then, like a lone wolf, he charged forward ferociously.
Across the ashen wasteland, Eiji calculated the attack range and trajectory of each tentacle with centimeter precision, constructing a mental model of the enemy's assault before dodging with micro-level precision.
While others were held back by the tentacles, only he charged ahead at a terrifying pace.
"Annoying insect!"
The Demi Spirit, whose gaze had been fixed solely on Ais, finally took notice of Eiji's relentless advance, her murky golden eyes narrowing in irritation.
Having experienced his throwing skills firsthand, she knew letting him get close would be disastrous. Reluctantly, she diverted most of the tentacles besieging Ais to intercept him.
Instantly, Eiji's pressure multiplied.
Dozens of tentacles lashed out at subsonic speeds, sweeping across the ground and kicking up monstrous ash, uncaring of the insects and flowers caught in the crossfire.
"But at this distance—!"
His eyes flicked between himself and the corrupted spirit.
Through relentless sprinting, he had already closed over fifty meters, leaving only a short stretch between them.
Normally, such a gap could be crossed in less than half a second. But now, with countless tentacles sweeping back and forth and hordes of monsters lurking beside the spirit, brute force alone wouldn't break through.
Boom!
Eiji kicked off the ground.
As he surged forward, mana cycled through his body, propelling his speed beyond the sound barrier in an instant!
Under the stunned gazes of Bete and the others behind him, his figure transformed into a streak of light.
Before anyone—even Finn—could react, he had teleported right before the Demi Spirit!
His feet left the ground as his blade thrust straight for the monster's chest!
One strike—that was all it would take to kill this abomination.
Eiji was certain of it!
At this moment, even the Demi Spirit herself hadn't processed his sudden acceleration, staring blankly at the spot where he had vanished.
It's possible—
That thought lasted only an instant.
Boom!
Boom!
Amidst the continuous explosions, a massive green vine armor appeared between him and the monster.
Boom!
The human cannonball slammed into it with full force.
After the deafening blast, an immense impact instantly surged through his entire body, sending him flying backward. He bounced violently across the ground several times before finally dispersing the force.
"What just happened?"
Eiji stood up from the ground, his armor heavily shattered, staring in disbelief at the fallen spirit.