Chapter 54: Reinforcement
"Absolute Frost Domain!" a cold, sharp voice echoed through the crumbling room.
A thick wave of blue frost blasted across the floor, turning the wet stone into solid blue ice.
The creeping ice rushed up the Behemoth’s legs, freezing its massive stone feet to the cavern floor.
Heavy ice crystals wrapped around the beast’s rusted iron chains, locking its arms in place with frozen anchors.
Elara Snowveil stepped out of the shadow of the doorway, her silver hair flowing behind her like a winter banner.
Her winter-blue eyes were sharp and focused, her hands glowing with pure Ice Sovereign mana.
Her mana was no longer cold and frozen inside her veins.
Ever since her intimate nights with Leo, her ice magic flowed faster and hit three times harder than before.
Beside her stood Celestia Raine, the First Princess’s top battle mage.
Celestia’s purple robe fluttered in the freezing wind as three glowing arcane rings rotated around her hands.
Her arcane fever was completely under control thanks to Leo’s warm touch in the library.
She moved with effortless grace, casting high-tier spells without feeling any pain in her chest.
"Gravity Bind: Triple Circle!" Celestia chanted with crisp authority.
Three heavy purple magic bands locked around the Behemoth’s thick stone neck and shoulders.
The heavy gravity pushed the giant beast’s head down toward the floor, stopping its deadly foot stomp in mid-air.
Both women had felt the violent earth tremors in the dormitories above and rushed down through the old scholar passage.
They had been studying ancient dungeon maps in the private archive when the floor started shaking.
When their eyes found Leo standing in the water, their breath caught in their throats.
Leo stood tall without a shirt, his broad muscular chest covered in dark monster blood.
Behind him, Saintess Seraphina sat on the wet ledge in a soaked white robe, her cheeks flushed red.
Elara’s chest tightened with a strange feeling of jealousy and relief, but she kept her voice cold and steady.
She saw the way Seraphina looked at Leo with pure trust in her eyes.
Elara knew that look well because she felt the exact same way whenever Leo held her close.
"We felt the earth shake in the north wing," Elara said, her eyes never leaving the monster.
"What on earth is a Third Age Titan doing under the church bath?"
Elara looked at the giant stone monster with a cold, analytical frown.
"The ancient records said all twelve anchors were sleeping in the deep earth."
"The Void God’s poison is waking them up early," Leo explained in a low, dangerous tone.
"This beast is just the first of many calamities that will strike the empire if we do not act."
She took two steps forward, standing beside Leo in the cold water without hesitation.
Her frost mana spread around her boots, keeping the floor stable under their feet.
"It is an ancient tectonic anchor corrupted by void poison," Leo answered in a firm, commanding voice.
"Its outer armor is connected to the land. We must break the shell together before we can reach the core."
Celestia’s purple eyes widened as she looked at the glowing purple runes on the beast’s spine.
As a master scholar of arcane magic, she recognized the dangerous truth right away.
"Leo is right," Celestia called out, her voice loud and clear.
"If the beast dies with its outer shell intact, the core will detonate and destroy the capital."
Celestia stepped beside Elara, her purple arcane rings spinning faster around her wrists.
"The ancient books spoke of these Vanguard Titans, but we thought they were only legends."
"They are very real," Leo replied, his voice firm and steady.
"And they will destroy everything unless we work together right now."
Celestia looked at Leo’s broad back, feeling a rush of heat in her chest despite the freezing air.
She remembered how he had healed her burning meridians in the library, giving her back her life and her magic.
She would gladly follow him into the deepest fire if he asked.
The Behemoth let out a furious roar, straining against the heavy ice and purple gravity rings.
Cracks formed across the frozen floor as the Titan’s massive muscles flexed.
"We do not have much time!" Seraphina shouted, her golden light shield flickering in the wind.
She took a deep breath, focusing all her holy energy on her silver beads.
"The monster’s magic is rising fast. If it breaks free from the ice, it will smash the whole underground level!"
The holy maiden gathered her strength, ready to follow any command Leo gave her.
She looked at Elara and Celestia with grateful eyes, knowing that together they had a real chance to win.
Leo stepped to the front of the three heroines, taking absolute command of the battlefield.
"Elara, freeze the armor plates until they become brittle!" Leo ordered with calm authority.
"Celestia, use your gravity arrows to shatter the frozen stone!"
"Seraphina, use your light to reveal the core crack!"
All three high-status women nodded without a single word of doubt.
In normal times, noble ladies from rival houses would never take orders from anyone.
Yet under Leo’s alpha leadership, they moved like a single, perfect unit.
In the face of deadly danger, they trusted Leo’s voice more than their own academy teachers.
The Behemoth roared with fury, its red eyes blazing as its immense strength began to crack Elara’s ice.
Its heavy stone tail smashed against the back wall, sending more rocks crashing into the water.
Leo, Elara, Celestia, and Seraphina stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to strike together.
Four different types of magic filled the underground hall: blue ice, purple arcane light, golden holy rays, and deep black gravity.
The four energies swirled together in perfect harmony around Leo’s body.
The Titan roared in frustration, sensing that the four humans before it were ready to tear it apart.
Its six crimson eyes burned with dark hatred as it raised its massive stone claws.
Leo took the lead, drawing the monster’s full attention as the three heroines prepared their ultimate strike.