Defense specialization and Tower Third Floor 6.

They discussed for a moment. Decided to launch Sally’s water magic from a safe altitude above.

Since Maple’s gunfire had proven ineffective, they would try the same method used against the minor monsters encountered during the journey.

As an added precaution, Maple changed to white gear, increased her HP, and prepared the damage immunity skill—Aegis—contained within Love That Offers the Body.

After fully restoring her HP with a potion, Maple informed Sally that she was ready.

“Ready! Whenever you are—hee, haven’t used anything but Love That Offers the Body in ages.”

“Then float the large shield, Maple? Yes, like that… and then…”

Maple adjusted her height slightly and levitated two large shields. Sally climbed onto the lower one and secured her feet to the shield with thread to prevent falling.

"Swish—how’s that? Can you reach?"

Maple slid the large shield smoothly downward, lowering the height until Sally’s magic just grazed the giant’s form.

"If you keep adjusting with its movement, it should be fine. We’ll retreat if anything goes wrong."

The additional shield floating between Sally’s platform and Shiroppu served as a relay point.

Maintaining the limit of distance from Maple, the floor rotated slowly around the giant, keeping the same spacing.

"Uuu… this is still tough… Sally! How’s it going?"

"I don’t know for sure if it’ll solidify, but aim carefully! Damage is registering, but—"

"Of course! Hold on, Shiroppu—do your best too."

Maple lowered the black turrets growing from her back and arms.

Sally, not specialized in magic and working alone, took considerable time, but at last the colossal form made of lava solidified into black stone in an instant.

At that signal, Maple initiated the attack.

"【Attack Start】! Shiroppu! Spirit Cannon!"

A rain of projectiles and beams fell from Maple and Shiroppu.

They struck the giant, chipping away at its HP with a grinding sound.

"We did it! The gun worked too!"

Maple attacked, her voice light with triumph, when the giant's body began to glow red once more.

"Ahh… it’s over already. Sally, please—wait?!"

Just as Maple reached to have Sally solidify her again, the giant’s arm, blazing fiercely, raised a massive flame toward her.

"Maple, defend!"

"Eh, um! 【Aegis】!"

Maple’s light flared outward, enveloping the two and Shiroppu.

Red as a mass of molten rock filled their vision, yet the light nullified it entirely, shielding them.

As the light faded slowly and their sight returned to normal, they confirmed the giant’s presence.

“Eh!? Sally, what’s that!?”

Maple’s eyes, upon seeing where the giant had stood, beheld a blue-glowing mass hovering slightly above the ground.

“Not fire… ice?”

As if responding to Sally’s words, ice spread from the center outward.

It covered the molten floor, climbed the walls, formed a large icicle on the ceiling.

And from the mass, ice extended like growing wood, shaping the form of the giant.

“Form change! But HP remains unchanged… and….”

Sally turned to Maple and smiled.

I can fight too, Sally—ice is no problem!

They’re weakening from the other side.

Heh heh… then, [Attack Initiated]!

Maple’s attack landed, unlike when she was in flame form.

Yet, though the advantage was clear, she could not strike unopposed.

Good, keep going… huh?

Maple, focused on striking downward, felt a sudden shadow beneath her feet. She glanced up.

A icicle, fallen from above, rushed toward her.

Y-ya—! Wait! Ugh…

The icicle shattered Maple’s weapon with a loud crack. It struck her back as she tried to dodge, scattering red damage effects.

—Defense breached! Maple, get Shiroppu back! They’re falling fast!

Sally slid down a pillar of ice.

Maple returns Shiroppu to the ring, then falls straight toward the ground.

Change equipment... good!

Getting quicker at switching gear, huh?

Practiced—! Now, attack mode!

Maple switches to black armor, assuming a combat stance while watching the sky above.

Sally too summons an ice pillar, now able to use the technique.

Just as the two prepare to strike, a white glow spreads across the ground. A massive wave of ice crashes down with a thunderous sound.

Maple, coming!

[Seeping Chaos][Attack Initiated]!

The creature Maple releases collides with the ice wave, shattering it. Yet a fragment strikes Maple directly, disrupting her stance.

But no damage follows.

Just a regular attack—fine!

Sally swiftly ascends the ice spire, reaching the giant’s massive shoulder and severing its neck from head to shoulder.

She dodges the ice thorns erupting for defense and the falling icicles, moving with precision across the narrow platform, scattering blue aura with each strike.

“Good. If it’s not burning, it’s simple.”

“Huh?”

Maple, evading the icicles while accepting the ice wave and the giant’s fist without hesitation, notices frost creeping over her body.

She shakes her arms, brushing at it—unsuccessful.

“Sally, be careful! Something… something’s freezing…?”

Maple calls out to Sally, who moves through the air with no urgency. She assesses the situation. No immediate effect. She continues the attack.

“…Too many things that don’t affect Maple. Hard to tell if it’s dangerous. I’m fine for now.”

As HP decreased, the attacks grew fiercer, stronger, yet still not swift enough to overwhelm Sally. She avoided them with ease, her mind free to focus elsewhere.

Damage accumulated. A sudden, intense cold burst from the giant.

“Maple, decide before you turn to flame!”

Sally delivered one final flurry of blows, then leapt into the air to retreat.

“Leave it to me—【Poison Dragon (Hydra)】【Seeping Chaos】【Brutality】!”

Maple, in her monstrous form, lunged forward as the giant staggered from the attack.

She exhaled flames, pushing back the cold, tearing open the icy body, biting it apart.

“This ends it!”

As countless ice spikes erupted from the ground, Maple unleashed a final blow, flames streaming from her mouth.

The giant's body cracked and crumbled from the tip, collapsing into fragments of ice that shattered into motes of light, dissolving into the air.

"I won... hmm, I thought being in the air would be safe."

Maple, still in her monstrous form, lowered her body, shoulders drooping.

"Well done. Hmm, skill acquired?"

"Ah, me too! Check, check."

Sally and Maple opened their status screens, startled by the unexpected notification, verifying the new skills they had gained.

"Seriously, I wonder how you even check that... "

Sally murmured, watching Maple's monstrous form.