Defense specialization and final adjustments.

A slight adjustment has been made to the previous point around.

Having grasped the event schedule and content, the members of Maplewood gathered to discuss, then began preparations for the event.

Fortunately, the schedule allowed all members to participate, so roles were divided accordingly.

Maple, Yui, Mai, and Izu would serve as base defenders.

Sally, Crom, and Kasumi would conduct attacks.

Kanade was assigned to handle both defense and offense.

Crom and Kasumi would engage monsters to collect dropped items.

This served two purposes: increasing Izu’s gold holdings and sharpening their senses.

Sally left the guild home, claiming training in evasion.

Yui and Mai headed toward the second level, planning to improve their coordination while remaining inconspicuous.

Canae headed into the field, tasked by Izu to gather materials for crafting a top-tier MP potion.

Maple, having been told she could freely explore as a guild member, decided to wander the third level aimlessly while collecting dropped items.

Sally stepped alone into the second level’s high-density monster zone.

She continued dodging attacks without pause. The blue aura enveloping her grew larger, reaching full expansion, yet the onslaught did not end.

Sally maintained precise movements, striving to extend her focus duration.

Fortunate, as Sally was a high school student on mid-summer break, allowing prolonged gameplay.

………fuh!

The attack, stronger than any dagger should be, cut down monsters one after another, yet more emerged without pause.

Sally moved her body relentlessly, pushing toward the goal she had set for herself.

……uh, I’ll try staying up all night.

Sally continued doing her utmost, without pause.

Yui and Mai fought on the second floor.

Their strategy for the event had been decided. Assigned an important role in preserving Maple, they moved with fierce determination.

Equipped by Iz, they wore two great hammers matching the color of their hair—white and black, paired with matching pure white and pitch-black armor.

They wore two rings and a choker as adornments.

Each item enhanced 【STR】, optimized to the extreme for offense.

Now they moved to protect one another. But with Maple’s support, abandoning defense for attack would result in disaster.

Some might consider blocking their strikes with a shield.

Depending on the shield’s strength, it might shatter entirely.

Those who faced them then would not remain calm.

And so, without understanding, the attack strikes and ends.

"Double Impact!"

A flurry of blows delivered by skill is nothing but overkill.

Both had recently acquired several skills.

Among them was Throw.

And both of their inventories were filled with iron balls the size of a basketball, handed over to Iz.

Yet this time, they would not use them.

Maple, told she could do as she wished, stroked Shiroppu’s head while raising her level, having Shiroppu dismantle the dragon’s armor.

Once all armor was destroyed, they could reactivate Machine God.

That would increase defense.

Maple decided to make this a daily routine until the event.

"Ah! Shiroppu’s level went up!"

Maple smiled warmly, patting Shiroppu’s head.

"More skills. Wall?"

The Wall skill generates a destructible barrier around the equipped user for thirty seconds after activation.

Maple tested it. Immediately, a high wall rose two meters out from her, forming a perfect circle.

Attack from this side seems impossible. The enemy faces the same.

From the enemy's view, it resembles an egg.

Whatever emerges from within will be monstrous.

"Whatever skill Hikari learns next... she'll still grow, won't she?"

Maple had set aside a scroll she'd meant to buy after having her weapon dismantled by the poison dragon.

The scroll contained the skill Pierce Guard.

A defense against piercing attacks, applied to large shields.

With this skill, piercing effects are nullified.

Maple had been too distracted to retrieve it, but she had not forgotten its existence.

The reinforcement of the guild's main body concluded without issue. Kanade's grimoire continued to grow steadily.

Iz's gold had accumulated to a sufficient degree. Enough materials for item crafting in the [New Realm] had been prepared without issue.

Sally completed the final adjustments perfectly, having worked through her fatigue.

Crom and Kasumi pushed the guild's performance to its limit. Maple became harder. Yui and Mai gained greater firepower.

And so, once each had completed their tasks during the preparation period, the event finally arrived.

This time, eight participate.

"Target the upper ranks!"

No objections!

The first guild battle in the game, initiated by Maple and Sally.

They stepped into the battlefield, enveloped in light, eight of them united in resolve to demonstrate the power of their elite few.

Next event begins.

Yui and Mai are to be imagined in attire more akin to delicate frills than armor.

Angel of Annihilation.