Defense specialization and the tenth event.

The light surrounding Maple and the others fades. The place is no longer the guild home, but the central square of a town.

Yet this is not the original town of the ninth layer. It is a field perfectly replicated for the event. Other players who have been transferred here survey their surroundings, confirming anew who has become allies, and display reactions of joy or dismay.

Maple's group has chosen the land of fire and wasteland. Within the town, flames dance as decoration. A single black shadow descends from above, scattering the flames with a gust.

"Ah, quite a gathering. Welcome."

The king of this land, distinguished by dragon-like wings and tail, hovers in the air with a confident smirk.

"You understand the rules? Our soldiers are within the Town. Use whatever you can. Even a traveling stranger must fight bravely."

Two nations are not far apart for players with high 【AGI】. One careless moment, and proximity may close in an instant.

"Of course I shall take part in the battlefield. Be mindful above—avoid being caught in the fray."

The king spoke. He rose in altitude, his body enveloped in black light. A moment later, it burst inward, and a massive black dragon soared into the sky.

That was the signal. A display appeared in the air, marking the event's start. Now, free to act. Guilds already forming strategies. Some players rushed toward the wall, eager to be first. Others turned toward the castle. All moved with purpose, wasting no time, each driven by their own aim.

We can’t settle here. Let’s step back for a moment.

That’s right.

Following Sally’s words, Maple gathers the members of the 【Maple Tree】 and moves a short distance from the plaza, seeking a calmer space to speak. Before stepping forward, Maple glances around briefly, searching for a particular player.

The other side seems to have done the same. Their eyes meet quickly—Pain.

Pain issues orders to his guild members, then signals something to Frederica nearby. Frederica turns and runs toward them.

Safe to join forces. I’ll handle communication. You can rely on me.

Got it. Thanks.

The 【Love That Offers the Body】 works even on me, outside the party. That’s reassuring. Really reassuring.

Frederica, able to communicate more fluidly through her partner Notes's skill, takes on the role of mediator between 【Maple Tree】 and 【Gathering Holy Sword】 this time.

With Frederica added to the group, Maple and the others step away from the square.

Once they have moved a short distance and the surroundings grow quiet, Frederica speaks first.

"Hey, what about 【Maple Tree】?"

"First, we observe... wasn't that the plan?"

"That's fine, Maple."

"Aw, so no sudden moves?"

"Maple suits waiting. And under these rules, strength lies where the most people gather."

Since 【Love That Offers the Body】 affects all players on the allied side, it proves especially effective in areas where players are numerous and combat likely.

"Besides, early on, we want to watch how the enemy acts. Wasn't Pain thinking along similar lines?"

Frederica nods in reply to Crom’s question.

Reaching the throne— the victory condition of this event— is what must be guarded above all else.

“Some summoned monsters can fly. And there are items usable during this event.”

With an item that temporarily commands a monster, anyone could scale the high outer wall and head straight for the castle.

If forces concentrate there, defense becomes impossible. The loss is decided in an instant.

“From what we could see of the plaza, the guilds that were on alert seemed not to be allies.”

“None of the people from the Kingdom of the Flame Emperor were present…”

“They might be over there.”

Maple and the others had assumed that, since Mii led the Flame Emperor's Kingdom, choosing a nation of water and nature—ill-suited to their enemy's strength—would be unlikely. Yet their calculations had proved wrong.

"I saw it too. Neither Thunder Storm nor Rapid Fire was present."

"If Kanade says so, it must be true."

Kanade, with her flawless memory, remembered every player's face. If those guild members were absent, it was logical to assume they were on the enemy side.

When Mii’s Ignis arrived, and those top players from the guilds entered the fray, whether they could be stopped remained uncertain. To claim it could be done was difficult. That was why they chose to observe carefully at first, testing the enemy’s movements.

"Still, the opponent likely finds bold actions just as difficult."

"Yeah. So we’ll just watch calmly, join in where it looks winnable, avoid the dangerous spots."

"Right! Let’s do our best!"

Maple’s unit, though small in number, possesses abilities far surpassing others. They aim to participate in skirmishes as skirmishers, shifting the tide of battle in their favor.

In an event where death is not permitted, even small victories accumulate into something significant.

Maple and the others rechecked the map compiled by Sally, continuing to watch for enemy forces descending from above.

Once decided, they moved to claim a better position, climbing onto the outer wall.

At this distance, Maple could detonate her weapon and send debris straight to the royal palace.

Few Teim monsters move faster than this self-destruct flight, so if the player defending the royal palace gains a little time, it should arrive without issue.

“Notes, be ready—”

Frederica reached the top of the wall and scanned the surroundings before calling out to Notes.

The enemy players had not yet advanced this far, it seemed. Only the monsters that had spawned in the field and the allied players, forming ranks with shield bearers at the front—devoted solely to defense—were moving.

“Notes! Sonar!”

Notes, perched atop Frederica’s head, let out a high-pitched cry. A ripple-like effect spread outward from Notes.

“No enemy shadows! Hmm, I suppose it’s safe to relax a little now?”

“Hm. Useful. So this is an侦查 skill.”

Fufufu, a real marvel—those who turn transparent, even they can be seen. Sally’s 【Mirage】 can be pierced too.

She felt it in the duel.

Still, there is a cooldown. From now on, when suspicious movements occur—

Frederica lowered her gaze briefly, then spoke to the players arranged in formation.

Frederica can cast buffs from here, so it is important that the player below also recognizes this. Knowing a powerful buff is active allows them to move more aggressively than usual.

Remain here and keep watch for a time. Then proceed as planned.

Crom and Kasumi nod in response to Sally’s words. As in the fourth event, the five who excel at waiting patiently focus on basic defense, while the others thin the enemy players. With Kasumi and Sally, firepower is sufficient. With Crom, defense presents no issue.

They intend to approach with greater detail, confirming the front lines’ state, while avoiding full-scale combat as much as possible.

Maple, capable of arriving instantly through self-destructive flight regardless of terrain or battle conditions, chooses to remain in stable positions. From the outer wall, she can prepare to be blown into the sky with ease. But during combat, such certainty is not possible.

To gain advantage in battle, one would wish to place Maple across every battlefield. Yet that is impossible. Thus, positioning her at the most critical site is only natural.

"Then I’m off."

Be careful. If you fall, there’ll be no recovery.

I’ll be careful not to overextend.

Don’t push yourself too hard, Sally!

Yes. I know. You too—be careful. This time, the opponent is a player. Maple’s weakness will be targeted.

Understood! I’ll be careful!

Sally nodded slightly, resolving not to repeat the same mistake. After a pause, the three set out toward the enemy camp.