Defense specialized, devotion offering love.
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Additional description.
Five days had passed since Maple had entrusted Iz to prepare her full set of equipment.
At the same moment Maple logged in and appeared at the guild home, Iz emerged from the workshop.
"Your equipment, Maple-chan... it's finished."
"Really?!"
"Yes, I'll show it to you now."
Iz pulled from her inventory a full suit of pure white armor, a large shield, a short blade, and a silver tiara.
Blue gems were set at several points as accents on every piece of equipment.
The overall impression, excluding the tiara, was that of a holy knight.
"Are you really becoming a knight?"
Maple donned the full set and verified the equipment's abilities.
【Seraphic Tiara X】
【HP +250】
【Seraphic White Shield IX】
【HP +300】
【Seraphic Holy Blade VIII】
【HP +200】
【Seraphic Holy Armor IX】
【HP +350】
“What… are these numbers, like X or IX…?”
Maple murmurs.
“They’re the values added through 【Enhancement】—a feature exclusive to gear crafted via the 【Smithing】 skill. Unlike event gear, 【Smithing】-crafted items can’t have skills attached. This is the trade-off.”
“I see…”
“The success rate for 【Enhancement】 depends on the 【Smithing】 skill level. Reaching the maximum value, X, requires considerable luck.”
Frederica had crafted the highest-grade equipment, nearly without compromise.
She muttered quietly to herself afterward that her gear was two tiers stronger than Crom’s—though Maple, absorbed in checking her own gear, did not notice.
While Maple examined her equipment, the remaining four guild members arrived at the guild home.
Hmm... Oh! So this is the gear Izu made. Nice. Fits well. Makes me want new gear too...
Maple wanting gear... I'm afraid to know what happened...
Ah, yeah...
Maple, white suits you too!
Crom, Sally, Kasumi, Kanade speak in turn.
Then... shall we go fight? While I explain why I was given this gear.
All agree, if it means seeing what happened.
Izu decides to come along too, wanting to witness the [Love That Offers the Body] in this gear.
This spot should do.
Maple flies with Shiroppu carrying everyone, descending into a region known for frequent monster swarms.
Then... here we go! [Love That Offers the Body]!
A crimson damage effect bursts from Maple's body.
As it fades, the ground within a ten-meter radius around Maple glows faintly.
Not only that.
From Maple’s back, two pure white wings extend. Above her head, a glowing white ring hovers.
Her hair turns a brilliant gold. Her eyes deepen to a profound blue.
““““Eh...?””””
“I felt the same way at first.”
“Ahaha… looks change so much… ah, now I’m a monster.”
For a moment, all four halt their thoughts. Then, they shift. Maple could do anything. They accept it.
They have grown accustomed to Maple.
“Everyone! You’re safe even if you take damage!”
“I’ll take it… you wouldn’t understand anyway…”
Izu steps forward, in front of the monster, and takes the attack on her body.
Yet Izu’s HP bar does not move.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
“It’s Maple’s skill… everyone in the party within this glowing area constantly has 【Cover】 applied… seems like.”
“Her HP is reduced to a fixed value at the start, though…”
She had equipped Iz with gear for the HP cost.
Love That Offers the Body is a skill, like the skill of the Poison Dragon (Hydra), that contains multiple abilities within it.
Even so, Maple still holds back some power.
All of it requires an HP cost.
With her previous equipment, Maple did not have enough HP to activate all those abilities.
It is also the complete superior replacement of the Chivalry of Universal Love.
The extra quest is not mere show.
……So it means everyone in the party has the same defense as Maple, then… wow…
While inside this area, one cannot defeat any other member without first defeating Maple.
Yet defeating Maple is no small task.
One must strike through all allies to even have a chance.
Moreover, the rules demand that one must strike a specific person—brutal in design.
Sally cannot possibly be hit. Crom will deflect with his great shield. Kasumi can evade.
Only someone like Kanade among the fighters might be struck.
"But Maple has changed her gear, hasn't she? Could her defenses have weakened to the point they can no longer nullify our attacks…?"
"It's fine! Even without any gear, her VIT exceeds a thousand!"
"Ha ha… a thousand?"
Kasumi and Crom found the idea so absurd they could barely suppress laughter.
The two decided then and there to abandon further thought.
On the way back, riding atop Shiroppu, Crom began speaking.
"I was discussing Maple and Sally on the bulletin board. Should I have stopped?"
"Hmm… I don't mind. Whatever I told Crom can be known."
"I'm the same as Sally, you know…"
“Even if it’s known, nothing changes.”
If Crom had posted what he now knows on the bulletin board, Sally’s evasion would not diminish, nor would Maple’s defense weaken.
Crom does not know how skills are acquired, so he cannot write the crucial parts.
It was no real problem for the two of them.
126 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Hey.
127 Name: Nameless Spear User
Yo.
Joining Maple-chan’s guild, huh…
That’s annoying! I’m jealous!
128 Name: Nameless Great Sword User
Sounds nice.
I asked Sally-chan to get close—nothing beyond that.
129 Name: Nameless Bow User
Give me info.
There’s something, isn’t there?
But I won’t ask about things that shouldn’t be spoken of.
130 Name: Nameless Spear User
Once we’re family, it’ll be harder to share info, huh.
Give what you can.
131 Name: Nameless Magician
I’m counting on you.
132 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Got it.
First, Sally.
Sally was an outsider from the PS faction.
From what I saw, she wasn’t using any skills.
She fought monsters several times. No damage was visible.
Then, an aura appeared.
133 Name: Nameless Archer
That event—was it Sally?
134 Name: Nameless Great Sword User
She’s evolved.
The aura.
135 Name: Nameless Spear User
Hmm.
Sally might have an unknown skill, too.
Not as much as Maple, but still.
136 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Now, Maple.
These past few days, Maple went somewhere alone.
When Maple returned—
137 Name: Nameless Great Sword User
Teasing.
138 Name: Nameless Spear User
Hurry.
139 Name: Nameless Magician
What? What happened?
140 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
She was an angel.
141 Name: Nameless Bow User
Maple-chan knows about angels, then?
142 Name: Nameless Magician
Too late for that now.
143 Name: Nameless Great Sword User
Maple-chan has always been an angel, hasn’t she?
144 Name: Nameless Spear User
Obviously.
145 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Well, yes, but—
I’ll rephrase.
Maple-chan returned with the ability to manifest an angelic halo and wings, her hair turned gold, her eyes blue.
146 Name: Nameless Spear User
Huh?
147 Name: Nameless Magician
You blink, and suddenly that happens.
148 Name: Nameless Great Sword User
Why? Where did such a skill come from?
149 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
I don’t know.
The skill’s name is Love That Offers the Body.
It costs HP to activate, and it constantly covers all party members within range with Cover.
When Maple-chan uses it,
Party members within range become invulnerable unless Maple is defeated.
150 Name: Nameless Greatsword Wielder
Has he finally attained the second form?
Wouldn’t it be better to become the final boss?
151 Name: Nameless Spear Wielder
Even the depiction of hell feels lukewarm.
If you look away for a moment—
then it will be that.
I will return with the third form.
Absolutely.
152 Name: Nameless Greatshield Wielder
Moreover, it has been confirmed that Maple still has VIT over one thousand even when all gear is removed.
153 Name: Nameless Archer
I don’t understand anymore.
154 Name: Nameless Spear Wielder
One thousand without gear is abnormal.
Is her body made of steel?
Or perhaps orichalcum?
155 Name: Nameless Greatsword Wielder
But Maple hasn’t been playing that long, has she?
The rumors about Maple started before even reaching the second layer.
There must be something in the first layer.
156 Name: Nameless Shieldbearer
That’s what I thought too.
If that’s the case, then I don’t see why another Maple-chan couldn’t appear—second or third, it doesn’t matter.
157 Name: Nameless Magus
Exactly.
We don’t understand why only Maple-chan can do it.
We discussed it further as a group, but no one recalled how Maple acquired her skill.