Defense specialization and miniature collection 2.
The stone statue slowly took damage, finally collapsing to its knees and falling flat. Maple turned toward the teleportation circle, thinking it was over, but paused again, noticing something was wrong.
Why won’t it vanish…?
The statue lay motionless on the ground, its HP at zero, showing no sign of fading into light. Curious, Maple approached and tapped it gently.
I thought I knocked it down… huh, water?
A wet squelch echoed beneath her feet. She looked down. Water spread across the ground. She recalled that same thing had happened when she came with Sally. Suddenly, a torrent of water erupted from the surrounding earth.
Whoa—!?
Maple stepped back, startled. From the water around the stone statue, chains clattered forth—several, stretching out from the surface. At their ends, anchors bit into the stone, securing it firmly. Then, without pause, the statue was dragged through the shallow pool as if the ground had never been there.
Maple held her breath, watching something unlike anything she had seen before. As the statue was pulled under, a human in a diving suit emerged in its place, followed by something resembling a battered submarine.
She had fought underwater monsters before, but never anything like this.
The appearance of HP bars above them confirmed the threat. Maple went on guard.
“This would be nice as a miniature too!”
It pleased Maple that she could deploy someone to explore within the small sea. Yet the opposing tendencies were too divergent; their capabilities remained unknown. Maple tightened her resolve and deployed a weapon that stood apart even among blades and spells.
“[Attack Initiated]!”
When Maple fired a bullet, the boss sank directly into the ground and evaded it. The water receded as well, and Maple widened her eyes.
“Eh!? …Wah!?!”
Thinking it had fled, she felt the water surge upward in an instant beneath her feet. She was stitched shut by a multitude of anchors before she could react. [Predator] and [Shiroppu] were shielded by [Love That Offers the Body], allowing them to wait, watching for the next move should anything occur. As they did, Maple’s feet flashed white for a moment—then she was hurled away with terrifying force.
“B-blasted?…”
A massive column of water rose, and droplets fell like rain. The boss’s attack had shattered even the anchor, allowing Maple to escape. Had she been struck normally, she would have been reduced to splinters. Instead, she was simply blown away. She regains her footing. For now, she withdraws her [Predator] form. If the enemy dives underwater, she will ascend into the air. She rides atop Shiroppu’s back, rising above the surface.
“Haa… startled me… but now we’ve gained distance!”
Maple checks the ground below. The anchor will not reach this far. The boss rises from beneath the surface at regular intervals. Just before surfacing, the water spreads outward—easy to predict where it will emerge.
As expected, the anchor does not extend far into the sky. Consequently, the blast is not triggered.
“Perhaps I’ll chip away at its HP here for now. If it strikes from below, I can’t avoid it completely…”
Maple redeploys the weapon she just deployed and immediately shattered, then fires a beam at the rising surface. The beam is caught by a sudden dome of water, and by the time the rising mist dissipates, she has already retreated beneath the surface.
“Not much resistance… this won’t work.”
Feeling the attack had no effect, Maple, secure in her safe zone, considers how to inflict damage.
“Only way is to strike when it emerges… hmm.”
She understands that repeating standard attacks is pointless if they are blocked. Maple thinks of any useful skill or item she might try, and a single plan comes to mind.
“Right, this should work!”
Maple moves to the edge where the ground is visible, pointing the dagger downward.
【Poison Dragon】!
The globule of poison Maple releases strikes the ground and explodes, spreading a pool of toxic mire. She continues shifting position each time her cooldown ends, releasing 【Poison Dragon】. The entire colosseum becomes engulfed in poison. After a moment, water spreads from beneath the poison, and the boss emerges. But the place it appears is different from before—thick with lethal poison. As it rises, its body is immediately consumed by the toxin and forced back down.
Yes, it worked!
The scene is grim, yet this remains the best method of dealing damage without taking hits. Each time it rises, its body is consumed by poison, HP dwindling slowly. There is no countermeasure against Maple high above. It sinks again, immersed in poison, repeating the cycle.
"Been ineffective lately. Good to see it working again after so long."
The damage is not severe. Maple has long grown accustomed to waiting. This is a test of endurance, and she is already where she wishes to be. There is nothing difficult about it. Just wait.
"Something happened…?"
Maple stops paying attention to the boss and scans her inventory for items to pass the time. Inside, there are puzzles like the ones Kanade often plays with, various decorative objects, and food, packed tightly together. Most are entertainment items, meant to be handed to Iz or exchanged for coin.
From within, Maple selects a few and settles into a fully relaxed position atop Shiroppu.
"Better do what I can. Acid Rain!"
She summons a downpour of acid from above. With the boss cast into hell, Maple finally begins to relax.
She waits, slowly, as the boss perishes of her own accord. Only when the final light fades into nothing does she realize how much time has passed.
Maple, meanwhile, had lain sprawled, idly toying with her inventory. The clink of the boss’s final collapse startled her awake. She rose with a slow, deliberate motion.
“Finished! Ah… where did I strike her?”
She looked down. The spot where the boss had fallen now held a pool of water. No need to search the colosseum for the dropped item.
Maple approached the pool, lowering Shiroppu. She stepped into the poisoned marsh. After a moment, she noticed a faint glow within the purple mire. She hurried toward it, crouched, and picked up the object. Not a miniature figure. Not a submarine. A small, strange black box, palm-sized.
“…Where does one open this?”
Maple examines it closely. No visible seam. No lockhole. Nothing to suggest it opens.
Perhaps I should take it back for now.
It will do no harm just to store it in inventory. Unless some strange debuff activates, there is no reason to avoid carrying it. Thus, Maple claims the item named ‘Lost Legacy,’ and as she exits the dungeon, she considers how to defeat the next one faster, praying for a miniature submarine this time.
Maple had spent days defeating raid bosses and collecting miniature monsters. The ninth event, long-running, now reaches its final day. Final day means one last raid boss remains.
Gathered at the guild home, the members of 【Maple’s Tree】 prepare their strategy for departure.
The boss seems to grow stronger each day. On the final day, the strongest one yet is expected.
I agree. With the end approaching, many players will likely gather. To face that...
The boss will probably have high HP and strong area attacks. Even surrounded by many, it must be possible to fight. Yet, 【Maple’s Tree】’s strategy remains unchanged.
We will proceed as always—protect Mai and Yui with full strength, and have them attack.
No one surpasses Mai and Yui in dealing damage. Maple and Crom lead. Kanade holds a magic tome to nullify damage. Iz uses items for defense. Kasumi and Sally serve as sub-attackers—removing obstacles and deflecting attacks—sent to the boss’s side.
Once within reach of the boss, they can reduce HP to zero with sustained, lethal-class damage from normal attacks.
““We’ll do our best!””
This role is one only the two of them can fulfill. Mai and Yui tighten their resolve. As the raid boss has been faced repeatedly, reliance on this offensive power is no longer limited to the members of [Maple’s Tree]. There is no greater comfort than a dependable ally.
“Then let’s begin!”
To ensure no delay, the eight set out slightly early, waiting for the raid boss to appear.