Defense specialization and character introduction.
※The main story begins at the sixth chapter.
As requested, I write this.
Spoiler warning.
Those seeing it for the first time should skip.
Added a few characters, and slightly expanded each section.
Maple / Honjō Kaede
Birthday: October 22
Black hair, black eyes. Hair length reaches just below the shoulders.
Height: 145 centimeters.
Not fat, not thin—standard build.
Small chest.
Appearance is unified in black as the base color for all weapons and armor, accented with red, harmonizing with her hair color, resulting in a first impression of complete black with high probability.
Her favorite equipment, with combat effectiveness considerably high.
Movement speed: walking < floating Shiroppu < brutal < self-destructive flight. Shiroppu has a deep green body.
Six wings sprout from her back. Additional weapons. She calls forth aberrations from her allies’ resources. There is no other word for such a sight—monstrous. Tentacles grow as well.
She learns quickly, though not in the way of sharp intellect. Still, flashes of insight, sudden leaps in thought, reveal a genius of sorts.
Her tolerance for pain is low.
Her actions follow whims. She moves toward what seems interesting, what seems fun.
Not calculated. Not driven by what benefits might arise. Her actions stem from a directness so pure it borders on childish.
She has few likes or dislikes. Her taste leans toward the childish.
Among the games she has come to play, this one is the most enjoyable—invited here by Sally.
The atmosphere inside the game is little different from outside.
She has grown accustomed to the game. She may now perform slightly more advanced maneuvers.
Sally / Shirogane Risa
Birthday: July 11
Dark brown hair, same color eyes.
Hair slightly longer than Maple's.
Height: 155 centimeters.
Slender but healthy, no chest.
Armor fades from dark blue at the top to black at the boots. Gradient.
Oboro is a pure white fox.
Her unnatural evasion ability depends on focus.
When unwell, she can be struck with startling ease.
This evasion skill was developed through solo play in past games. She has not been hit once, nor has she died—though that does not mean she has never been struck or perished before.
Bullets are deflected. Attacks are dodged. The focus cultivated to win has become so refined that evading by millimeters is now automatic.
Combat centered on water and illusion is fluid and unpredictable. Responses are extremely difficult to anticipate.
The current approach to gameplay has become genuinely enjoyable now that Maple and I can play together properly.
Therefore, I take on as much of the preparatory work and difficult attacks that Maple dislikes as possible.
The atmosphere differs significantly between in-game and out-of-game.
Outside the game, the mood is bright and open. Inside the game, as time passes, I grow calm and still, like a warrior who has arrived at the battlefield.
When I played with Maple briefly before, she was startled.
Afraid of ghosts. Once recognized, escape is the only option. Evasion skill drops drastically.
Occasionally, a bloodthirsty mood.
Crom / [blank] [blank]
Birthday: June 12
Brown hair, same-colored eyes. Short hair.
Height: 180 centimeters.
Adult.
Rather sturdy build. Armor suits me better than light gear.
All equipment is red.
Since switching to the unique set of armor, the appearance has become noticeably distinct. Despite being a ranker, the fame exceeds what the person themselves realizes.
Upon entering 【Maple Tree】, a smile imbued with gentleness and resignation has been mastered.
Skills acquired from event medals—such as one that shields the entire party, or another that nullifies damage—have solidified her as a reliable great shield user.
An exception handler is assigned separately.
Her playstyle is cautious and deliberate, judging what must be protected with calm precision.
This tendency extends beyond combat. Protective aura, fatherly aura—strongly present.
Though Maple, the great shield, keeps her from standing out, she earns deep trust from the rear-line group by steadfastly defending them in chaotic battles.
Her role as an unseen pillar is strong. Fewer sacrifices in 【Maple Tree】 events are due to Crom’s efforts.
Good-natured, honest, broad-minded, serious.
As a fellow wielder of large shields, he once thought he might one day surpass Maple.
His partner is Necro, a floating ghost armor. Through skill, they merge in combat, enhancing both defense and offense.
Iz / ○○ ○
Birthday: April 5
Pale blue hair, same-colored eyes. Hair reaches to the waist.
Height: 162 centimeters.
Moderate chest. Slim frame.
Adult.
Wears goggles with black rims and a worn coat with many pockets. Boots.
The goggles rest atop his head. Not worn.
His real-world hobbies shape his in-game playstyle.
In the real world, his hands are dexterous. He excels at cooking, sewing, and writing neatly.
He is drawn to crafting clothes, weapons, armor, and items exactly as he imagines them in the game. This fascination led him to specialize in production.
Even among works he finds satisfactory, he sometimes decides not to display them in his shop.
He avoids combat whenever possible.
Yet since obtaining the unique series, he has begun to consider fighting acceptable—provided he is with the members of 【Maple's Tree】.
As a result, Iz is now a bomb specialist. His main weapon, bombs, can detonate with enough force to consume an entire forest if prepared in time.
The only issue is the risk of harming allies.
He must not be allowed time to craft firearms or cannons. He must be taken down quickly. Close combat is impossible.
His partner is a fairy named Fei. She can render bombs invisible, amplify item effects, and make acquiring rare items easier.
Kasumi / — —
Birthday: September 25
Black hair, black eyes, long hair with ends neatly trimmed.
Height: 165 centimeters.
Visible beneath the kimono, though obscured by fabric, she has form.
Build: average.
Adult.
Attire: pink kimono, purple hakama, sword and traditional Japanese style prominent.
Like Izu, her real-life preferences influence her in-game appearance; in Kasumi’s case, her real-life tastes affect her equipment.
In reality, she favors traditional over Western attire. Prefers green tea.
Though her real-life background included antiques and appraisal, the narrative context made mentioning it to Maple feel unnatural, so it was half-eliminated.
Behavior pattern: same as Crom—step back, act only when certain.
Thus, she and Crom are compatible.
Secondary guardian role.
Speaks freely with both genders. High communication skill. Calm demeanor.
Combat style: basic swordsmanship leveraging high speed and offensive power. …or so it should be. Yet upon notice, she is already a multi-stage blink slash specialist, her cooldowns shortened.
The way she moves—flitting through the air with multiple mobility skills—feels most akin to a game mechanic.
Her partner: a white serpent named Haku. With her body expanded to colossal size via [Overgrowth], she crushes enemies beneath her.
Kanade / ○ ○○○
Birthday: December 1
Crimson hair, wild and unkempt. Crimson eyes. Pale skin, so fair she might be mistaken for a girl. Hair length similar to Maple’s.
Slim build.
Height: 151 centimeters.
Outfit: red beret, spade-shaped earrings. Clothing in deep red and black tones, casual in style—its essence eludes me.
A staff shaped like a Rubik’s Cube.
Memory is exceptionally sharp. The mind is sound at its core, yet overthinking in social settings makes interaction less natural.
Still, a deep resonance with Maple’s unfeigned innocence has drawn them close.
Time spent at the seaside during the event was more enjoyable than any before.
Diet and sleep remain irregular. Meals are acceptable so long as nutrition is present.
Recently, there has been a slight improvement.
Basic actions involve following Maple to enjoyable things.
Delighting in the variety of experiences Maple brings—new things, again and again, after such a long time of joy.
Maple still challenges to games like Othello, winning every match without effort.
A private game of predicting Maple’s next move is played alone—every attempt ends in defeat.
Her partner is the slime So. By mimicking, she can wield the magic of Kanade’s grimoire without consuming its power, having grown quite useful over time.
Yui & Mai
Yui / ○○ ○
Birthday: March 3
White hair, gray eyes.
Hair reaches just below the shoulders.
Height: 135 centimeters.
No chest. Younger twin sister.
Equipped with two massive, white hammers and a frilly, delicate white dress.
Mai / ○○ ○
Birthday: March 3
Black hair, black eyes.
Hair reaches just below the shoulders.
Height: 135 centimeters.
No chest. Older twin sister.
Equipped with two massive, black hammers and a frilly, delicate black dress.
The two are a bundle of contradictions—massive hammers, dainty outfits, small frames, and absurdly high attack power.
In the real world, lacking in strength, she poured all her stat points into attack power within the game.
Maple shares a similar mindset, and feels slightly like an older sister.
Her principle is to do her utmost to be of use to everyone.
She hopes one day to develop a fighting style unique to the two of them, one that fully expresses their individuality—so much so that she might stand beside Maple.
That resolve binds them together, and they have forged a singular style known as the Great Mallet Eight Blades.
They swing sixteen massive mallets, each capable of killing with a single touch, while unfolding a physical barrier of black and white around themselves.
To touch or to be touched—every battle with them is a one-hit kill deathmatch.
Her partner is Yukimi and Tsukimi, bears. They share a strength-boosting skill for the player, but if Mai and Yui share it instead, Yukimi and Tsukimi’s attack power increases, raising the potency of their area attacks.
Their movement speed improved by drawing on Yukimi and Tsukimi’s strength.
Pain / — —
Birthday: May 10
Blonde hair, blue eyes. Hair smooth and slightly long.
Height: 177 centimeters.
Slim but muscular build.
Adult.
Guild: Gathering Holy Sword.
Armor: pure white armor, pure white shield, sword blade to hilt entirely white. Uniform white.
Imagery: holy knight.
Same color tone as Angelic State White Armor Maple. Side by side, they look harmonious.
Good appearance.
Attack style is unmistakably holy. More fitting for the protagonist than Maple.
Playstyle prioritizes combat with assured victory.
Fighting Maple is an unusual exception.
She possesses means to inflict damage upon Maple. When she finds a path to victory, she intends to fight again.
That is part of the reason she registered as a friend.
Buffs over debuffs. Damage reduction and damage increase applied to herself. Status acquired through level progression makes straightforward one-on-one fights impossible.
She can perform area attacks. A player with no weaknesses.
Her partner is the White Dragon Ray. Capable of flight, naturally. Also provides area attack support and defensive assistance.
A reliable partner, befitting Pain.
Dread / ○○○ ○
Black hair, black eyes. Brown skin. Hair is short.
Height is 167 centimeters.
Light and nimble. Limbs are long.
Adult.
Guild affiliation: Gathering Holy Sword.
Armor changes with mood—no fixed set. Common trait: equipment designed to fit the body as closely as possible.
Only two plain short swords are worn at all times, regardless of armor.
No desire to alter the sensation of attack.
Prefers to avoid troublesome matters, but when necessity is certain, a switch activates.
Hands most things over to Pain unless convinced otherwise.
Keen instincts.
Combat style: use of skill to disrupt, followed by sudden assault.
Moderate offensive power, high speed.
Companion: the wolf Shadow. Possesses the ability to manipulate shadows. Can burrow beneath the ground for emergency evasion—effect extends to party members. Enables greater flexibility and a different role in group combat.
Drag / ○○ ○○
Light brown hair. Eyes the color of dried earth. Short hair.
Height: one hundred and eighty-eight centimeters.
Heavyset.
Adult.
Guild affiliation: Gathering Holy Sword.
Equipped with a large axe prioritizing performance, a power fighter.
Did not care for appearance, but on one occasion during equipment maintenance, a craftsman player handed him a copper-colored armor with subtle decorations matching the image of Drag’s ground-based skill, insisting he wear it.
Performance was good. Refusing felt improper. He grew attached and continued wearing it.
Large frame. Muscles pronounced, especially in the arms.
Rough in manner, but fundamentally kind.
Combat style: charges forward with raw power.
Though Frederica, a fellow Gathering Holy Sword member often paired with him, sometimes struggles to support, they manage to work together in the end.
Her vision is not narrow. She sees more of her surroundings than most players assume.
Her partner is the golem Earth. High defense. Guards with wall generation. Breaks enemy barriers. Skills rooted in the ground.
A reliable partner, filling the gap in defense that Drag lacks.
Frederica / ○○ ○
Birthday: July 19
Blonde hair. Crimson eyes. Side tail.
Height: 154 centimeters.
Small chest.
Guild: Gathering Holy Sword.
Unlike Drag, she takes care with her equipment’s appearance. A staff adorned with glittering embellishments. Robes befitting a mage. Boots. A pouch at her waist.
Tends to treat matters lightly. Has suffered for it several times. Yet she does not change.
And does not lose confidence.
In battle, her high MP recovery allows her to handle offense, defense, and support with ease. A versatile type.
Broad but shallow.
Thus, she is most often outmaneuvered by opponents specializing in single-point tactics.
She frequently supports Drag. Frederica, in truth, views their relationship as one of mutual protection and trusts Drag completely.
Currently, she comes often to the Maple Tree to seek revenge against Sally.
Her companion is a plump yellow bird named Notes. Round in shape.
Her skills enhance the power and quantity of magical effects, increasing Frederica’s offensive output further. She matches Maple’s barrage from the Machine God without yielding.
Mii / — —
Birthday: March 18
Crimson hair, crimson eyes.
Hair length: slightly longer than shoulder length.
Height: 154 centimeters.
Average bust. Standard build.
Guild: Kingdom of the Flame Emperor
Equipment: a short staff, pitch black with a red gem at the tip, a cloak, and a robe of black and red.
A guildmaster radiating charismatic aura, overwhelming enemies with sudden burst damage and rapid combat.
Yet beneath the surface, a gentle girl who favors cute things.
She maintains the persona she has settled into, acting to conceal her true self.
Her combat style is always swift, ending battles quickly.
It is also a way to avoid revealing her flaws.
Her companion is the phoenix Ignis.
Now able to fly, Mii can burn the earth from above. The range of her flames has strengthened, and her destructive power is sharpened.
Marx / — —
Gray hair. Black eyes.
Her bangs fall across her eyes.
Height: 157 centimeters.
Slender.
Affiliated with the guild: Kingdom of the Flame Emperor.
Wears a robe, as befits a mage.
Most of her gear is gray.
Appears timid by nature, but her abilities are genuine.
Success does not bring confidence.
Appears frail, as if she might collapse with a touch. Speaks little.
Yet when she commits, she becomes slightly more animated.
Once her focus breaks, restarting takes time.
Fights primarily through traps. Strong if prepared.
Always waits.
Poor match with Maple.
Partner: Clear, a chameleon.
Can vanish, erase traps. Like Mii, her partner enhances her strengths.
Mizari / — —
Golden hair, green eyes. Hair longer than her waist.
Height: 168 centimeters.
Large chest. Bouncy.
Adult.
Guild: [Land of the Flame Emperor]
Wears a clerical-style hat, white robe, long staff with decorative tip.
Known as [Saint] due to her gear and powerful healing magic.
Holds means of resurrection.
She excels at healing magic due to her broad视野 and keen observation.
She delivers healing once again today.
Her combat style is support from the rear, maintaining the frontline, yet she fights at the highest level alone.
Still, her true value emerges in group combat.
Her partner is a white cat named Velvet. A tame monster without active skills, she boosts Mizari and nearby party members through passive abilities.
Her only active skill is powerful, but difficult to use effectively.
Syn/〇〇 〇〇
Black hair, black eyes.
Hair of average length—neither long nor short.
Height: 172 centimeters.
Adult.
Standard build.
Guild: [Empire of the Flame Emperor]
Armor: iron-colored, plain in design. Shield and sword of unadorned steel.
Fights by scattering and launching the sword.
Height, weight, appearance—everything ordinary.
King of the Ordinary. Villager A.
Can be said to be heroic for reasons opposite to Pain.
Combat style is solid. Few weaknesses, but lacks decisive edge... until receiving an unexpected idea from the eccentric Maple, mastering high-mobility combat using the Crack Sword. A processing load that would overwhelm an average player, yet manages to handle it somehow.
When members of the Empire of the Flame Emperor, Gathering Holy Sword, and Maple Tree are all present, their ordinary appearance among such distinctive gear makes them stand out the most.
Companion: the hawk Wen. Controls wind, attacks with wind blades combined with the Crack Sword.
Velvet / — — — — —
Golden hair, red eyes.
Silent, she appears the very image of a gentle lady. In truth, she holds such a position in the real world. Lives in a fine estate, as one might expect.
She carries no weapon. Normally, she holds a parasol—merely for atmosphere.
Her magic is basic, offensive in nature.
...Yet her true nature is exceedingly lively, revealing flaws with ease—far more so than Mii ever could.
Her original combat style is that of a relentless infighter. Her weapons are gauntlets on her fists, and lightning that rains down around her like a storm.
Her natural physical ability is high. Defensive techniques, learned through overzealous practice, now serve her well in battle.
She came to 'New World Online' to train herself to hide her flaws, and to release tension in an environment where revealing them is acceptable. Hinata recommended it.
Hinata is someone she knows in the real world as well.
Hinata / ○○ ○
A long, deep purple hair, nearly black. The back locks are braided into a thick three-strand braid, concealing both eyes—contrasting sharply with Velvet’s true form, which appears calm and subdued.
Her clothing is unobtrusive, not flashy, merely pleasant to look at. Similar in style to Mai and Yui, but with minimal ornamentation.
Her weapon is a doll—its appearance slightly unsettling. Though primarily a magical attacker, Hinata’s strength lies not in offense...
Her combat style relies on debuffs, and on hindering movement through gravity and ice.
She possesses a vast array of skills that are troublesome for opponents: skill suppression, defense reduction, movement restriction. Yet her specialization in debuffs means she lacks decisive power when alone.
That is where Velvet comes in—her guildmate.
By following Velvet through gravity, she maintains optimal positioning at all times.
Velvet is also known in the real world.
Wilbert / ○○ ○
Tall and slender man. Adult.
Weapon: a bow nearly his own height. Armor: light, designed for offense over defense.
Fighting style with the bow: simple, high-damage, rapid fire.
Excels at eliminating one enemy at a time with a single, fatal shot. Possesses an extraordinary range of detection, striking first with long-range arrows even from beyond the enemy’s sight.
Like Maple, uses quick change to switch equipment, alternating between two sets.
During equipment change: a butler’s suit with strong buffs.
Also, together with Lily, controls a tamed monster, altering their combat style further.
Lily / ○○○ ○
Long black hair. Maid uniform. Red and yellow heterochromia. Weapon: a mop, named a spear.
When equipped, same as Wilbert—buff mode. Assists Wilbert’s one-hit kill attacks with multiple buffs.
After equipment change, wears a suit adorned with glittering decorations. Weapon shifts to a banner inscribed with a crest. Hair turns pink.
Combat style shifts dramatically. Summons large numbers of summoned soldiers, applies buffs, and fights through sheer numerical superiority.
Maintains multiple abilities to produce soldiers and reduce cooldowns, enabling constant summoning without pause. Without handling this, the fight cannot proceed.
Conversely, struggles against opponents who easily defeat summoned soldiers.
Height
Yui 135 cm
Mai 135 cm
Maple 145 cm
Hinata 150 cm
Kanade 151 cm
Mii 154 cm
Frederica 154 cm
Sally 155 cm
Marx 157 cm
Velvet 160 cm
Iz is 162 centimeters tall.
Kasumi 165 centimeters
Dread, 167 centimeters
Mizari 168 centimeters
Lily — 170 centimeters
Sixteen years old, one hundred seventy-two centimeters tall
Pain — 177 centimeters
Crom, 180 centimeters
Wilbert — one hundred and eighty-five centimeters
Drag 188 centimeters