Defensive specialization and 'Thunder Storm' 2.

The four continue without pause past the final checkpoint, moving straight toward the summit.

"How's that, Hinata? She's really amazing, isn't she?"

"Yeah! Amazing!"

"Um, well, I mean..."

"Hinata's the one who's truly strong!"

"Velvet's strong too. But I've never seen someone like Hinata before."

One must not charge into Hinata's skill range without preparation. Her defense surpasses Velvet's lightning strike. A single hit and skills chain into one another, rendering movement impossible. The danger is high.

"If it's Hinata and me, we're invincible!"

Beside Velvet, who speaks with absolute confidence, Hinata blushes, overwhelmed by praise. But the claim is not exaggerated. It is proven in battle.

"We and Sally—we’re invincible, too!"

"Sounds great!"

"Being told that straight out, I’d better not disappoint."

"Then let’s finish the boss battle in one go and see Maple’s partner in action!"

"Really… I can’t wait."

Having witnessed a full fight with her own eyes, the anticipation was even greater. She ran up the hillside, eager and restless.

"Ah, but this is our first boss battle with four people—might be stronger than expected."

"I think we’ll be fine if we give it our all. Honestly, if even that fails, the boss must be quite something…"

All present are strong. Each one stands out. The four of them together are unmatched. No ordinary boss could stand against them.

"Hinata! Whatever comes, I’m counting on you!"

"Defense’s my responsibility!"

"Y-yes… I feel… so dependable…"

Her method of dealing damage is steady. The boss will likely focus on Maple and Velvet.

Sally, like Velvet, does not know what the four-person boss battle will entail. How it unfolds will be determined only when the battle begins, and they will adapt accordingly. For this, time to observe the enemy’s movements will be plentiful, as long as Hinata and Maple are present.

As usual, there was no difficulty during travel. The four entered the Boss Room without hesitation, opening the door without delay.

The place was the summit of a mountain carved into a bowl shape, surrounded by sheer rock walls, resembling a colossal colosseum. At the center of the combat zone stood a stone statue, larger than those encountered earlier, wielding a stone spear and shield, clad in armor.

This is my first time with a spear! Hinata, I’m counting on you with everything I’ve got! [Thunder God’s Return!]

Yes...!

Good, I’m a predator too!

Now then, how will it play out?

Each maintaining their combat stance, they advance cautiously, keeping within the range of Maple’s Love That Offers the Body, watching the stone statue as it begins to move, as before.

It’s coming!

As Maple and the others draw near, the statue stirs. Its massive spear thrusts skyward. As they pause to assess, the statue bends its knees and leaps high into the air.

Whoa! It jumped!

It’s charging straight down!

The spear glints sharply, even from afar. The intent is clear—a powerful strike from the opening, aiming to shatter their formation.

But if that’s the case...

Then it’s ours!

Um, the ability... is “Melting Wings”!

As Hinata activates her skill, the charging statue abruptly loses momentum and crashes to the ground.

【Freezing Ground】【Chain of Stars】【Plague Propagation】

Maple uses her skill to sew the fallen statue to the ground, as always reducing its defense. She aims her firearm. Sally and Velvet charge forward, one wrapped in flame, the other in crackling lightning.

【Electromagnetic Leap】!

【Path of Water】!

Sally swims through the water. Velvet leaps, leaving trails of lightning. They close the distance in an instant, striking with full force.

【Eye of the Storm】【Rain of Lightning】【Field of Thunderbolts】!

Lightning erupts around Velvet, centered at her feet. It falls without mercy, burning and scorching the stone statue, slicing through its HP bar with sharp, rapid drops.

【Quintuple Slash】!

The moment the attack’s target shifted to Velvet, Sally chose a skill-based assault. The damage surpassed that of a normal attack, delivering a satisfying blow even without full enhancement of Sword Dance.

【Attack Initiated】【Oozing Chaos】!

Maple could not strike the Poison Dragon. From behind, she fired a ranged attack so powerful it served as overwhelming support. Damage effects burst from various points on her body, as if even the stone shield could not block all of it.

Freezing Ground could only halt movement. Still reeling from the attack, she thrust a massive spear toward Velvet, who took the most damage.

【Parry】【Full-force Strike】【Chain Lightning Strike】!

The thrusting spear struck the raised fist and deflected, missing Velvet entirely. Using the moment created by the skill-based guaranteed defense, Velvet drove a right straight into the stone statue’s foot.

The lightning erupting in response struck with overwhelming damage, the relentless rain of lightning adding to the effect, preventing Sally, still attacking on the opposite side, and Maple, still firing, from shifting their target to the boss.

The boss, overwhelmed by damage in an instant, finally broke free from Hinata’s restraint and tried to escape the range of the falling lightning.

“I’ll do it too! One more time!”

At that moment, Maple launched herself with a self-destruct maneuver, flying through the air and bouncing across the ground until she reached Velvet’s feet, then activated the skill. It was the same skill that Hinata wielded, one Maple also possessed.

“【Frozen Ground】!”

Ice spread across the ground once more, in rhythm with Maple’s voice. The boss, recoiling, was pinned to the earth.

"Overwhelm it!"

"Cut it down!"

This moment, the only chance, left the boss no escape. Its end was no different from the stone statue at the final checkpoint.

"Ah… it’s over."

"Surprisingly quick. Well done, Maple."

"Yeah. Well done."

"Um… what now…"

Having defeated the boss, Velvet turned toward Sally. Sally nodded silently, her resolve unchanged. Velvet immediately issued the challenge.

"Fight hard, Sally!"

"I won’t lose. Not ever."

"Say that again."

"Velvet… I’m cheering for you."

"This battle might be more fun than the boss!"

Sally accepted Velvet’s challenge. The two vanished in a flash of transfer.