Defense specialization and after the preliminary round.
851 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
The preliminaries are over.
852 Name: Nameless Great Shieldbearer
The outcome will come later, but no one here has died—so there is hope.
853 Name: Nameless Spearman
Strong.
854 Name: Anonymous Mage
The tame monster’s work—really quite impressive, as I’ve come to realize once more.
855 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Strong one. I took them as ally, but there were moments I’d have died without them.
856 Name: Nameless Archer
Strength remains strength, even without such things.
Alone, it’s immense.
857 Name: Nameless Spearbearer
There were places during the event that seemed forbidden to enter.
A place one avoids approaching of their own volition
858 Name: Nameless Great Shieldbearer
It feels like one of our members is involved in this.
859Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Perhaps.
Maple had been on the map the whole time, ignored without a glance.
That’s what I think, too.
860 Name: Nameless Spearbearer
I saw it myself—only the chosen may approach.
Ordinary folk perish when drawn in.
861 Name: Nameless Great Shieldbearer
The flames rising somewhere every so often—damn, that’s a problem.
I cannot do such a thing.
862 Name: Anonymous Mage
Stay as you are.
Do not turn part of the field into a death zone as if it were natural.
863Name: Anonymous Archer
You are enough as you are.
It is well as it is.
864 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
And so, Maple-chan, who’s supposed to die if approached, was constantly appearing on the map—what was she doing all along?
865Name: Nameless Spearman
She seemed to be summoning monsters by using herself as bait.
The sight of monsters bursting from the woods, one after another, falling in a flash—this is no longer horror.
866 Name: Nameless Shieldbearer
So Maple-chan was using herself as bait the entire time during the event...
867 Name: Nameless Magus
What do you mean?
868 Name: Nameless Shieldbearer
Maple-chan supposedly ran a full circuit around the field inside the mouth of some enormous crocodile in the final stage.
No footage was captured? She seemed quite regretful about it.
869 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
How did she even end up there?
870 Name: Nameless Spear User
Asking her wouldn’t help. She doesn’t seem to understand it herself.
Is it within comprehension?
871 Name: Nameless Archer
Wasn’t she playing a different game? Her goal differs from ours, doesn’t it?
872 Name: Nameless Magus
I thought I’d been hit by that crocodile—what kind of crocodile shoots beams, anyway?
Of course, a crocodile doesn’t need to shoot beams. It can just bite.
872 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
She’ll still get stronger, won’t she?
She’s been with her summoned monster all along, learned all its skills, probably.
873 Name: Nameless Greatshield User
Shiroppu’s still getting stronger, you know.
We’ll see for sure during the main event later.
874 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Is she really getting stronger?
That there’s still more ahead—it’s terrifying.
875 Name: Nameless Mage
I’ll just look forward to it. It’s frightening too, though.
876 Name: Nameless Archer
Fearful, that’s always been the case. Never get used to it.
877 Name: Nameless Greatshield User
Not something you get used to easily.
Thought I’d become Maple, but only recently got spooked by a tentacle.
With the preliminaries over, all players, including Maple, awaited the announcement of results.
The staff room, now calm after the preliminaries, proceeded with finalizing rankings. Names familiar to the staff appeared among the top.
The outcome seems unlikely to be a major upset.
The stronger factions appear to have found their expected strong monster candidates. There's nothing to be done about it. Perhaps we should have strengthened the PV P element a bit more.
That is true. Let us apply it to the next round.
They reviewed their shortcomings, completed the tasks, and then moved, as usual, to the standard observational phase on player behavior.
...Did we place an area boss?
No... nothing definite.
That could be what the players are thinking, depending on the situation.
A considerable number must be caught up in it.
Mii’s inferno, Pain’s torrent of light, Iz’s explosions, Kasumi’s mist forest, and Maple’s indescribable, incomprehensible presence.
These had grown to the point where they could be called area bosses.
This time, one might say the terrain, combat style, and rules aligned perfectly. Indeed, quite so.
So, that’s how it is, I suppose.
Look at one thing at a time. Keep the good, change the bad.
With that, they play Maple’s footage first, as if to say, “The stimulus comes early.” The image shows the meadow, once untouched, now utterly transformed—layers of skills superimposed, reshaping the land. There, where Maple had stood, the scene unfolds.
That flower… ah… I see.
No one would go to Maple’s spot even if their position were revealed. It’s a monster summoning device, pure and simple.
No, not quite right… not that at all…
I understand. That feeling.
Was it wrong to have taught that effect in the jungle before?
The footage continues, unbroken. When Maple disappears entirely into the crocodile’s mouth, the operations room erupts in reaction.
Why does she go in so completely?
"Good thing we dissolved the stomach. Would’ve been another internal explosion otherwise."
"Monsters with internal organs—no good, really."
Yet, despite the nods of approval from the others, who had quickly corrected the octopus incident, the crocodile—once praised—was soon reduced to a mobile vehicle.
"Why won’t it come out of the mouth?"
"Can’t say. But the movement speed is impressive, no doubt."
"Should’ve used piercing attacks on the fangs..."
They continued, shifting scene by scene, arguing over adjustments—this way, that way—confirming each detail.
"Will the boss in the main battle be alright?"
"Hope we’re not the ones getting wrecked... They’ll be grouping up and attacking next."
"Should be us attacking, not the other way around."
"If they’re acting like an area boss already, it’s hard to tell who’s who anymore."
That holds some weight.
The coordination with the tame monsters is undeniably strong. Yet if that is the case, then they should match it with appropriate monsters. Gazing at the data of the monsters prepared for the main battle, all eyes turn toward one another—expectant, uncertain.