Defense specialization and the ninth layer.
Time passes. The day arrives when the ninth layer is implemented. Maple and the others of [Maple Tree] are set to gather in eight, heading toward the tower that plunges deep beneath the water.
"Among the rewards from the eighth layer, [Swimming] and [Diving] have both increased in level."
"It will be useful even in the ninth layer."
"Leaving so soon. But we’ll have to return if we wish to create more of those water-based things."
"Uu… it would’ve been nice if we’d gotten the [Swimming] skill too."
"Stamina is lacking…."
"We’ll make up for it today. I’ll be grateful if you handle it swiftly."
"“Yes!”"
"Alright then, let’s move right away!"
"Shiroppu, please."
Since they must align their steps together, Shiroppu is convenient this time, regardless of terrain.
Maple activates Gigantification on Shiroppu. They mount the creature’s back. The group flies toward the tower.
“On the ground, we relied heavily on Hak.”
“Flying is still incredible.”
This time, the dungeon and monsters are primarily underwater. The sky holds no threats. They fly freely.
No incidents occur. The eight reach the tower.
Shiroppu halts near the entrance. They leap onto the tower. Maple returns Shiroppu to its original size. Even she cannot enter a building in Gigantification.
Maple stands at the center, prepared and activated the item Love That Offers the Body, stepping into the tower’s interior. The upper levels remain above water, still bearing furniture. Within the room, ten meters in diameter, a wooden door set into the floor leads downward. Lifting it would open the ceiling of the level below.
“Not a staircase, then—so it can block the water.”
“No monsters present. Should be safe to descend.”
The intact furniture confirms this remains an entrance.
“Then I’ll stand here for safety!”
Maple positions herself near the door, containing the path downward within the cylindrical range of Love That Offers the Body.
“Then I’ll open it.”
Crom opens the door. With no windows, the lower level is pitch black. Illuminating it with a light reveals the space below remains un-submerged, yet something stirs.
“…Something’s there.”
Maple’s defensive net extends downward, so there is no issue. Yet the only thing ascending is a vertical iron ladder. Jumping in all at once is difficult.
“Mai or Yui, or perhaps Kasumi—bring one of them and jump in.”
“…But we’ve already secured the upper level.”
Iz then smiles faintly. Crom senses it. He halts his descent. That is the safest path.
What follows is unbearable. An avalanche of bombs flows down from the sole entrance. They fill the room completely. Then a crystal erupting fire is thrown in. The door is shut.
“Cover your ears!”
Immediately, a deafening roar shakes the lower floor. The wooden door, unyielding and unbroken, does not open on its own. The floor where Maple and the others stand feels nothing. Those below, if any remain, are surely dead.
……The advantage of position is frightening.
Yes. That’s true.
We’ll move forward like this for now. We’ll think when we’re in water.
Thus, several floors pass. Unrestricted bombardment by Iz’s attacks reduces entire rooms to rubble. Monsters within vanish without form or name.
……It’s scary when Iz gets the advantageous position.
That’s amazing! With this, everyone’s safe!
Attack is the greatest defense. If everything is blown away before anything happens, there is no problem.
Wait—something’s changed. From here on, it’s water.
Oh? Then the bombs won’t work, I suppose.
It’s not dark anymore. Large fish are swimming through it.
Shall we go in wearing diving suits? Let Mai and Yui cause chaos at the center.
I can protect you at the moment of entry!
Then, let’s go.
With Maple present, there would be no problem. Still, Crom leads, followed by Mai and Yui.
As they plunge into the water, the fish inside react—teeth glinting, darting forward in a sudden charge.
No time to waste on me. Mai, Yui!
“Quick Change!”
By the time Crom draws the fish’s attention, Mai and Yui enter late, swinging eight massive mallets.
Each mallet holds the force of Iz’s bombs combined.
Just swinging them—ordinary attack—but it surpasses the destructive power of other players’ ultimate skills.
The great hammer shattered into dust, vanishing completely. The two figures' simple violence swept through the room in an instant, reducing everything to nothing.
Fuu… I know I won’t take damage if I’m hit by an ally, but it still puts me on edge.
Mai and Yui keep clear, but the iron mass passing before them—destroys everything—causes the body to stiffen reflexively.
"Such a thing—!"
It worked.
"Thank you for the defense, Maple."
Heh heh, I didn’t need it at all thanks to the two of you.
The ability to attack freely, unburdened by fear of harm, stems from that sense of security. Crom hears this and nods once, alone, recognizing it as the true role of the great shield bearer.
Seemed to have ended without incident.
"Ah, Sally. Well, if those two swing their weapons, the weaklings won’t be a problem. Still, the vertical reach of Love That Offers the Body—just barely, it’s painfully effective."
"Yes…."
The range was broad enough to cover the tower’s width. Breaking through Maple’s defense was the condition for the tower’s monsters to enter the arena. Everyone knew it was so strict it bordered on impossible.
"Alright, let’s press forward! Leave the attacks to all of us!"
With eight present, Maple need not force herself into offense. That meant she must keep a potion ready, in case of sudden damage. As long as Maple remains standing, collapse of the line is unthinkable.
The strategy shifts from Iz to one centered on the four attackers: Mai, Yui, Kasumi, and Sally. They press forward, deeper into the dungeon. Fast-moving monsters fall to Kasumi and Sally. Those with high HP or defense are shattered by Mai and Yui, their strength surpassing the enemy’s.
Crom draws their attention. Necro’s skill lowers their AGI. No difficulty arises. The monsters fall.
“Truly impressive. We don’t even need to attack.”
“Haha, I’m glad. I can save my books now.”
“More of them, huh. Will we ever use them all?”
“Might. Possibly.”
“If Kanade uses all of them, it’ll be something.”
“Haha, yes. If we need every skill, we’ll use them.”
Maple and Iz cannot imagine what kind of foe would require such a thing.
The three speak when Sally pops her head up from below.
“Done—. Next one’s deep, so we’ll all go in together.”
“Yesss!”
“How many floors do you think it’s gone through? I’ll get the spellbook ready just in case.”
“Yeah. Can’t see outside, but it’s gone deep. A boss isn’t out of place yet.”
All gather and move to the next floor. The floor vanishes entirely, leaving only the outer walls stretching down into the distant depths. The way the floor collapsed—how the edges remained, how the fragments broke—looked less like erosion by water and more like the work of something enormous, shattered from within.
“Pretty deep. Getting all the way down’ll be tough.”
“Still, not having separate levels means we can move forward without pause.”
“…Something glowed? Everyone!”
While discussing what to do, Sally noticed a glow far below and signaled the others. At once, all looked down. Three glowing masses of water flew in sequence, spaced apart.
Sally and Kasumi dodged swiftly. Crom blocked one with his shield. Iz and Kanade barely avoided it, but Mai and Yui, slow by nature and lacking the Swim skill, could not escape.
The impact burst into bubbles and effects. Maple was the only one affected by the Love That Offers the Body. All turned to look at her.
……No damage. But the air—!
Maple confirmed the number of impacts by the sharp reduction in remaining oxygen.
So there is a gap like that…!
Disgusting. An enemy in a long dungeon that drains oxygen.
Yet the shift in atmosphere and the altered battlefield suggested, with certainty, this was a boss’s attack—unlike anything before.
The form remains unseen. The distance is too great. Only long-range strikes rise from the deep, dark depths, surpassing the current position.
“Shield it! We’ll defend with me and Maple at the center. Dive to the bottom. If we linger, Maple will suffer!”
“Right. I’ll prepare defensive magic.”
“I’ll deflect with my blade. I have 【Heart’s Eye】. I’ll catch the attack’s warning.”
“Maybe my great shield can be useful too?”
“Mai-chan, Yui-chan. We’ll protect you. So reach the bottom and strike it down!”
““Yes!””
“Alright! Everyone, move!”
Under Maple’s command, the eight descend toward the bottom. Maple and Crom take the front, Mai and Yui held back. Defense is secured. Iz and Kanade provide support. At the forefront, Kasumi and Sally move to intercept the attack.
The goal is to deliver Mai and Yui to the thing beneath. Nothing cannot be struck down if within range.
“Four this time!”
“Leave it to us!”
“One will be mine!”
Kasumi swings her blade swiftly. The water mass splits into fine bubbles just before impact, vanishing. Sally shifts her weapon to a large shield, holding firm. Maple and Crom each deflect the remaining two. Not a single shot strikes home.
“Thank you!”
“Division of labor.”
“Ah, proper use of talent. You two focus on knocking the boss aside.”
While skillfully evading the successive bursts of water, Kasumi and Sally sensed the subtle shift in the current beneath them.
“The flow… Kasumi!”
“【Mind's Eye】!”
To confirm Sally’s instinct, Kasumi activated her skill. The world before her eyes flared crimson with attack prediction effects, save for the walls.
“Stay against the wall! Something’s coming!”
Kasumi’s words, under the effect of 【Mind's Eye】, carried no error. What was about to happen would unfold in mere seconds.
As all of them pressed to the edge, a surge of water shot upward from the center. To be caught would inflict damage and send one back to the starting point.
“Stay at the edge! Don’t return!”
“Kasumi, can you keep going?”
“…Yes. 【Warrior of the Battlefield】. 【Mind's Eye】.”
Red aura rises from Kasumi’s body. Skill cooldown shortens abruptly. Even 【Mind's Eye】 can now be used consecutively.
“If the effect ends, the skill becomes unusable. But as long as the two reach their destination, my skill matters little.”
Even if 【Warrior of the Battlefield】 disables the skill, protecting Mai and Yui remains the greater gain.
No proper attack can strike Kasumi now.
She evades every incoming assault—perfectly, without premonition. Not by experience. Not by instinct. No mistake. No misjudgment.
After completely dodging the rushing current, the effect of 【Warrior of the Battlefield】 fades. Kasumi’s vision returns to normal.
“Time’s up… I leave the rest to you.”
“Hiding well. Should be visible soon.”
She stared into the depths. In the darkness, countless lights flickered like stars.
Eight of them understood what this meant.
"Creating a barrier!"
"Sō, [Awakening] [Mimicry]. [Guard Magic]"
Kanade and Sō deployed a barrier between them. Izu swiftly threw a crystal into the water. A crackling energy barrier flared into existence.
The source of the light beneath the water was a barrage of water bullets. An unblockable storm of projectiles rained down upon the eight. Those on direct paths were stopped by layered defensive walls. Each impact absorbed. Each strike avoided.
"...I see it!"
Sally, leading the formation, finally discerned the boss's form. A massive body, stretching across the width of several fins and towers. A shimmering, pale blue scale. It was not a fish. It was a water dragon.
The water dragon senses the eight approaching closely. It shifts its body and ascends at tremendous speed.
……No! Not letting you pass! If you get through, the balance will reverse!
If struck and pushed aside, it must retreat upward again. That is unavoidable. But with these eight, a momentary opening is enough.
Sō, Slow Field!
Necro—Weight of the Dead!
The space distorts as Sō acts. Behind Crom, a massive skull floats for an instant, summoned by Necro’s power. Both slow the dragon’s movement, reduce its speed.
Call of the Abyss!
One of Maple’s tendrils, fully extended, strikes the body. A burst of damage effects explodes. But this is not the true effect of the skill. It is solely the result of Devouring. The tendril’s actual power lies elsewhere.
A sharp crack echoes. The water dragon’s body twitches, frozen for a single instant. As expected of a boss, the effect lasts only a second. Yet in that second, movement ceases completely. And there, waiting for that moment—long, long before—stand two figures.
““【Double Impact】!””
Sixteen massive hammers strike the body in unison, delivering a devastating blow. No ordinary boss, nor even a raid boss with special resistance, could endure such force.
Sixteen impacts surge through the frame. The boss’s HP vanishes in an instant.
The tower grows quiet after the defeat. Moving through its still interior, a magic circle appears at the base. It marks the passage to the next layer.
“Good work—everyone! Thanks to you, the oxygen’s fine!”
“Good. Maple, nice paralysis.”
“Rare to see that tendril’s paralysis do the real work.”
"Perhaps they’re swallowed before paralysis sets in, ordinary monsters as they are."
Yes…
Having cleared the dungeon, this world of endless water will now part ways for a time.
There is oxygen too. They would gain nothing by lingering here. The eight stepped onto the magical array leading to the next layer.
What kind of place could it be!
A surprise for you to discover when you go.
The eight of them vanish into light. After a moment, the white void of sight returns to normal. Beneath their feet, solid ground is felt. They remove their diving suits and confirm, through the open view, the world spread out below.
What lay there were two distinct areas, clearly visible from the hilltop.
One side holds water and ice. The other, flames and echoing thunder. Each side, white as a foundation, embodies light and shadow. One displays a lush forest. The other, exposed rock and pools of cooled lava. Contrasts abound, visible at a glance.
In both directions, large towns stand clearly visible from afar.
"Hah—hah. I think I grasp it now. A conflict between opposing individuals, so to speak."
"Ah. If it's this clear, then perhaps."
"Which side will the guild choose? Or will it be personal?"
"Which do you prefer, sister?"
"Eh… well… the one with more green seems safer…"
The faces of the Maple Tree group each react to this new sight, unfamiliar to them.
"What about you, Maple? Likely, one side or the other will be chosen. First impressions—light or shadow?"
Maple is darker than light, by skill alone. Though even so, she has replenished the light component at the eighth layer.
“Mmm, can’t tell until I’ve looked around.”
“True enough. We’ll decide when the event comes.”
Until then, they will continue exploring, and choose their path.
The green, lush side appears scenic. The other side, overflowing with lava and jagged rock, seems dangerous—yet holds things unseen before.
Maple hesitates, but both sides surely have their merits.
“Alright! Let’s go exploring!”
Looking down at the new layer, Maple declares with energy.
350 Name: Nameless Spear User
Finally, a chance to fight.
351 Name: Nameless Bow User
Time to show my growth.
352 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Don’t know the details yet, but I’ll do my best not to quit early.
353 Name: Nameless Mage
I’ve grown stronger, but monsters are still monsters, that’s for sure.
354 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Not quite one-on-one, seems more like tactics matter.
355 Name: Nameless Mage
Ah… one of the monster family.
356 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Who? Who?
357 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
How was it? Nothing special in the eighth layer?
358 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
There was stuff, but just… stuff.
359 Name: Nameless Spear User
Something’s definitely going on. Doing it. Doing it. Doing it.
Definitely doing it.
360 Name: Nameless Bow User
No, nothing strange is happening. Nothing at all.
Nothing strange…?
361 Name: Nameless Mage
Soon it’ll be player vs. player. We’ll find out firsthand once we’re on the enemy’s side.
362 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
At least spare me the tyrant type.
363 Name: Nameless Spear User
What now? If just one tentacle became the whole body—
364 Name: Nameless Bow User
Ah, been underwater the whole time, huh.
Adding a few more tentacles wouldn’t be surprising.
365 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
What do you take Maple-chan for?
366 Name: Nameless Spear User
Final boss.
367 Name: Nameless Bow User
Monstrosity plus human, divided by two—angel, a little.
~With tentacles added~
368 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Add weapons too.
369 Name: Nameless Mage
Indeed, first.
370 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
Still, it’s always the other side getting eaten, isn’t it?
371 Name: Nameless Spear User
Don’t eat casually, like it’s natural.
372 Name: Nameless Bow User
But really, there’s no guarantee it’s gotten stronger.
373 Name: Nameless Greatsword User
Too much wishful thinking.
Could such a thing have happened?
374 Name: Nameless Great Shield User
See for yourself.
375 Name: Nameless Magus
Doesn't that suggest we are facing an enemy? I would like to see it up close, though...
No one can know what lies ahead until they see it with their own eyes. Of course, that applies to all players, not just Maple.
Maple and her companions, along with rivals from the Gathering Holy Sword, the Flame Emperor's Kingdom, thunder storm, and Rapid Fire, each continued their daily routines, pursued exploration of the ninth layer, and awaited the day of the upcoming player-versus-player event.