Merle and Haku were both cornerstones in cancelling the attack. Though, since cooldown had to be taken care of too, the role had been alternatively switched.

Since Merle wasn’t prepared, Haku sucked in a deep breath to take that place. However—

(Ack, that stance is—! No, neither can make it in time!! Change of plan!!)

However as Allen analysed Nestirad, who had already finished accumulating spiritual aura and was about to detonate it, and his distance from Haku, he knew it was a lose situation as Nestirad would be long prompted with his attack by the time Haku’s skill would reach him.

<>

He changed his order and relayed the next move to everyone.

“Got it!”

“Like this!!”

The rearguard like Sophie and Rosalina were standing atop the fallen giant tree to escape from the swamp, and at their command, they kicked the trunk beneath them and jumped away.

“Haa. I caught you!”

“Woah?! Thank you, Formar!!”

Vanguard also quickly copied that command, and Formar, too, stopped on his next move, and instead prioritised saving Peromas who was still grovelling. Formar gripped Peromas by his collar and jumped up.

With everyone leaping into the sky within the same instant, Nestirad was the only one left behind in the ground.

<>

Seeing that everyone was taking shelter in the sky, Nestirad smashed the heel of his plan into the ground.

The strike caused numerous shockwaves to shoot out, pulverizing any fallen tree into wood dust within the several tens of metres of space; however the damage didn’t reach any member.

Chaotic Palm Strike’s damage could only take place if the target was on the ground. But on the flip side, the buff remover effect took place in dome space around Neestirad. The rearguard like Mackris and Kuwatoro managed to stay away from getting caught into the range with their distance.

Tamtam also escaped from the effect, though in his case, he didn’t have any buff, but Haku and Magla, who’re busy with their breath or physical attack couldn’t escape.

(Damnit! Vanguard, and mid-guard have completely lost their buff. All of our effort would be for naught if we don’t do anything! Maybe I should have Haku immediately move too? Thankfully, Shea’s 100 consecutive hit combo condition has yet to be cancelled since she managed to dodge the attack.)

The silver lining in the situation was that Shea still managed to retain the spiritual aura on her fists, an indication that the effect of combo was still at its place.

[Debuff Types and Combo Conditions]

1. Attacks that only apply debuff aren’t counted among combo counts.

2. Attacks that apply debuff and deal physical attacks as well can be registered in the combo count.

3. Magic, breath attack, and debuff attacks aren’t counted among combo counts.

Debuffs come in three types: one type that applies a debuff alongside an attack, and another type that applies a debuff without reducing the target’s health, regardless of whether the attack is physical or magical.

While debuffs in condition (1) were the most potent, types (2) and (3) had the advantage of dealing damage while simultaneously applying the debuff, making them harder for the target to avoid. And factoring the damage dealt, it could also contribute to a quicker defeat of the opponent.

Similarly, only the type (2) attacks from the opponent could affect the combo. Consequently, through Nestirad slyly made his move just as their team had finished the combo requirement, they managed to retain the effect as they only had buff cancelled at worst case.

However with the window of opportunity now present, Nestirad swiftly amassed a spiritual aura in his right arm just as Allen and his team had come down to the ground.

(He sure had everything else huh. The skill would surely do us serious numbers now that our status were down. Haku, it’s your time to shineeee!!)

<>

<>

Haku’s skill <> was first invoked in this exchange. Regardless, there was no sign Nestirad was going to stop in his movement.

(Ah, so the attack cancel effect didn’t take place huh. It must be because of the difference in status. Maybe it could’ve been achieved after putting <> into a berserk state.)

Nestirad was still plagued with Luck’s debuff effect, reducing his status, however Haku’s attack still missed, seemingly because buff was doing the heavy work against Nestirad’s still monstrous status.

Though, in Allen’s eyes, as everything transpired in some slow motion due to intelligence stats, this attack was inevitable even with buffs in place. And Nestirad had been shrewd in his timing to launch the attack. He had whipped his attack when no one could promptly escape as they’d just jumped down.

Perhaps, not even Bird A’s <> could teleport them away before the attack zooms at them.

With Nestirad catching everything in the whole sweep, the escape option was none.

<>

Like a piece of grass sucked in a cyclone, Shea in her beast-ified state approached Nestirad’s right hand.

“Hey, hey! You know buffs have lost their effect, don’t you!?”

“Yeah, it’s dangerous!!”

Dogora raised his voice in impatience, and Kurena urged the same.

Everyone’s expressions were dyed in a sense of urgency. How could they not? Trying to tank <> without buff was practically suicide move.

—*Thwack*

Shea’s fist, as she invoked the divine technique, and Nestirad’s hand clashed against each other. An intense shock rocked the entire body of Shea, as it was supposed to, given how Nestirad towers above them in status. The Sacred Orichalcum armor she donned displayed signs of destruction.

*Crunch*

<>

Moreover, despite the fist covered by a sacred artifact, the shockwave still crushed her fist, blood oozed from all over.

Nestirad let out a content snort, assured the victory was his due to the abysmal gap in status.

“Shea!!”

Dogora couldn’t help but shout out. He had feared Shea’s flesh wouldn’t be able to withstand the force of <> and be shredded mercilessly.

<>

But in contrast to everyone else’s feelings, Shea lifted her blood oozed lips in a smile.

The part of Nestirad’s body which got hit by a knuckle bathed in an intense glow, like the radiance of a supernova explosion. And—

*Pssst* *Crack-Crack-Crack*

Akin to how a small crack into the dam could lead to its destruction, a crackling sound emitted from Nestirad’s right hand—the point of contact against Shea’s fist—as the massive damage circulated inside his giant body.

The damage, as if delivered by a titan even beyond Nestirad, caused several indents to appear on his arms, and in a split second later, the whole arm was disintegrated from its roots.

<>

A bewildered voice leaked out of Nestirad as it saw the destruction of its right arm, but it had yet to witness the more.

(A damage that will continue to gnaw on the enemy until their demise if hits… was it?)

The effect of Shea’s divine technique was apparent already.

Once struck, the opponent would never find a solace until the endlessly bursting damage consumed them entirely.

The arm was just the beginning, and the damage continued to travel through Nestirad’s shoulder, torso, head, left arm, and legs. Blood oozes out from all corners of his body as the damage reaches beyond his capacity.

<>

Still, there was something, or an objective that it couldn’t forget yet, surprising Allen.

(What in the world is he so desperately searching for?)

Flesh continued to burst apart from all over Nestirad’s body, yet he forced his body to stand up. However the leg, too, burst apart when he tried to push himself, and he lost his balance. But his tenacity didn’t give in. If leg wasn’t going to work out, he would use left hand to support himself, and try to raise his body.

“Wait, what?! He’s trying to stand up, everyone!! Hurry up and deliver the judgement!!”

Rosalina chimed in to finish the battle seeing Nestirad’s desperate attempt.

<<......>>

But Shea stayed on her spot quietly. It seemed she had judged any further follow up was unnecessary.

<>

Nestirad tried to deliver an attack at Shea, however he had just swung it when it, too, burst apart.

“……The battle has been fought enough. Now peacefully enter your slumber. I will look for your lost thing.”

<>

(Wait, just that? What about the experience points? Level up?? Hellooo???)

Nestirad had let out a growl at Shea’s word, and ultimately, the endless burst of damage swallowed him whole.

The rest of the team members, saving Allen and Keel, fell into silence, slowly catching up with the fact they’d at last defeated what was the behemoth of an enemy,

In the meantime everyone was occupied with lingering feelings, Keel rushed toward the vanguards. On the other hand, Allen was checking the log in Grimoire, and was baffled that there was no level up.

“At last, we did it, huh? Right, healing takes priority first.”

Keel murmured his impression and promptly focused on healing everyone, especially Shea.

“Hehe! We got him this time!”

“Yeah, and everyone made this victory possible. Haku and Merle too, it helped you act according to plan.”

Basking in the victorious trump, Luck hopped on the spot Nestirad was a while ago.

Kurena shared the same sentiment, and turned to praise Haku and Merle for their timely intervention against Nestirad’s attack.

<>

Haku puffed his chest in pride and uttered an adorable roar in enthusiasm. Merle also came down from Tamtam and rushed toward Kurena and Shea’s position.

“Amazing, everything was as Allen-sama had planned. You did great, Peromas-san, I am convinced why Allen-sama said you to be our final weapon.”

“Huh? No, if anything, Formar saved me.”

“Right, Peromas. We’re going to talk later. I would surely like to hear why you ignored the instruction of Allen-sama.”

“There is none, but that this life is eternally meant to protect Sophiarone-sama.”

Merle recalled the beginning of their battle, and how Formar focused on moving Sophia out first, and reprimanded him for that. Though the latter wasn’t bothered any one bit.

As the air of relaxation engulfed everyone, there was but one member whose face was all red.

“Damn you, Shea. You really are getting bolder, huh! Did you even realise you could have died there if you had failed?!”

Amidst the celebratory air around his comrades, potato-face Dogora snarked at Shea, his face beat red from the bubbling fury.

T/N – Oh, I had updated chapters last week, but it appeared I forgot to unlock them. This is a 6 chapters update.