Defense Specialization and the Hour of Decisive Battle 3.
This is the third match.
Thunder. The rain of lightning intensifies. Sally closes in on Hinata, who floats in midair, held by Velvet.
"Being able to move freely—it’s a pain, isn’t it?"
"Wouldn’t mind if you just gave up right now."
"Can’t do that."
Sally, within the range of Maple’s Love That Offers the Body, feels no need to concern herself with Velvet’s lightning or Hinata’s debuffs.
Maple remains unharmed, enduring the full force of the top-tier assault.
"Attack Initiated!"
"Ice Wall!"
Hinata intercepts Maple’s bullets with an ice barrier, shielding Velvet. Velvet deflects Sally’s short sword with her gauntlet.
Hinata handles Maple’s long-range attacks. Velvet counters Sally.
It was inevitable. With Sally pressing close, delivering harsh, relentless strikes, there was no room to spare attention for Maple’s attacks.
Without focus on Sally’s assault, her head could be severed at any moment.
Yet neither could the two remain defenseless.
“[Ice Mountain]”
“[Violet Lightning]!”
“W-wah! S-Sally!”
Ice surged upward from beneath, launching Maple away. No damage. The goal was simply to move her.
Velvet’s aim was to force Sally beyond the range of [Love That Offers the Body].
“…You’re quick to react, aren’t you?”
“Mm.”
After the burst of lightning subsided, Sally adjusted her weapon as if nothing had happened.
The range of Love That Offers the Body shifted rapidly backward, yet Sally reacted with speed, stepping back to counter Velvet’s lightning strike, nullifying it.
“This won’t work if we keep going like this.”
“Yes.”
Seeing Maple rise unharmed, reassembling the weapon shattered by the ice mountain impact, they both realized anew they must target Maple, not Sally.
Even without The Unyielding Guardian, breaking through that defense is necessary to threaten Maple. The rain of lightning that had ended countless players is powerless before her.
“Besides, Sally’s gaps are terrifyingly few right now.”
She is another person entirely from when they last fought. When she tries to slip past to reach Maple, Sally blocks her path with precision. To pierce through her and strike Maple is less practical than simply slipping past.
Velvet’s area attack. Hinata’s movement disruption. Sally’s inconvenient skills are all nullified by Maple.
To defeat Maple, Sally must be dealt with. To defeat Sally, Maple must be overcome somehow.
“I don’t think we’re out of options… but if you won’t come, I’ll go.”
“…!”
Velvet and Hinata feel the shift in Sally’s presence. They watch her next move closely.
“[Thunder God’s Return] [Rain of Lightning]”
Lightning erupts from Sally. A downpour of lightning begins from the sky.
They could not mistake that skill. It was identical to the one Velvet used—same power, same range, a central technique long known in battle.
Velvet flinches, eyes widening at the scene before her as she instantly retreats beyond the reach of the lightning rain.
“Copy… or something like that?”
“Prepare for it. Can’t confirm without checking…”
From what Lily had said, Sally used skills from Pain and Maple as well.
Just as Pain’s skill was an illusion, this could be the same.
“Running away won’t help!”
Velvet lacks the skill to dodge that lightning rain. Only Sally, standing right before her, possesses such an unnatural evasion.
Still, to defeat Maple, she must step into the lightning strikes Sally unleashes.
“[Electric Accelerator]!”
Hinata, having prepared a healing spell of light magic, resolves her will and leaps into the downpour of lightning.
The falling lightning strikes Velvet instantly, yet passes straight through her body and explodes against the ground.
"Go on, then."
"Still a phantom, it seems!"
"Ah, well then!"
Sally closes the blue panel opened at a distance, reapplies a buff with the item drawn, and advances with electric arcs wrapping her form, twin daggers raised. Velvet, no longer needing to heed the thunder, focuses entirely on Sally’s attack, leaving her defense against Maple’s assaults to Hinata.
On the ground glowing with Love That Offers the Body, two shadows collide. Velvet’s gauntlets and Sally’s daggers meet the attacks precisely, scattering sparks with a sharp metallic clang.
"Violet Lightning!"
Lightning erupts from Sally’s dagger, filling Velvet’s vision.
The impact is no different than Velvet’s own. Velvet maintains distance and evades safely.
“Even illusions are troublesome!”
Sally presses forward, blinding Velvet’s sight, then turns abruptly and pursues.
“[Ice Wall][Ice Spear]!”
Hinata raises an ice wall between herself and Maple, blocking the line of fire. She releases an ice spear with ease.
“[Ice Spear]!”
Sally dodges it effortlessly, then fires an ice spear at Velvet in the same manner.
Velvet does not flinch.
She advances without pause. The ice spear strikes Velvet’s left shoulder—shatters with a sharp crack, unexpectedly.
“Wha—!?”
Ice shards scatter. A clear damage effect. An unforeseen event slows Velvet’s motion.
“Oboro [Phantom]”
“! [Electromagnetic Leap]!”
Sally detaches from the afterimage, leaving a spark behind as she shifts to pursue.
Yet Maple’s judgment is not so dull as to miss the shift beyond the wall ahead.
“[Attack Initiated]!”
Several lasers are fired, closing in on Velvet midair. The precise shooting, long practiced with their weapon, indeed strikes Velvet.
“[Gravity Control]”
Velvet suddenly jerks upward, as if pushed by something unseen.
The slight deviation, though unintended, is enough to dodge the lasers.
“Got lucky!”
Velvet runs across the air, avoids Maple’s fire, and lands on the ground.
Maple, too, has maintained distance to evade Velvet’s through-and-through attack. The delay between the attack’s release and impact proves fortunate for both.
Yet a new concern rises to trouble both of them.
“Is it not a phantom!?”
“Try to see through it.”
Velvet watches Sally approaching, accompanied by her doppelgänger. Amid the dazzling lightning bursts around Sally, she notices, unnoticed until now, a white mist emerging—similar to Hinata’s.
It is cold. Whether from that source or a bluff meant to confuse them, neither can tell.
“Let’s avoid the ice for now!”
Damage is minimal. After healing the wound with Hinata’s basic restoration magic, Velvet charges forward again, toward the unknown Sally.
“……”
Sally concentrates once more. Something has gone right.
To Velvet, this equipment looks like her usual gear. In truth, it is composed of two unique series, made to appear identical through the use of a Disguise.
The actual attack was water. A mimicry performed by aligning the skill name and effect with Hinata’s, then freezing it through the 【Icebound Domain】. Without knowledge of the mechanism, one would assume Sally had copied Hinata’s skill.
【Wind Cutter】!
Sally advances while maintaining pressure. With 【Love That Offers the Body】 active, any piercing attack or range deviation is harmless. Other attacks carry no threat.
She maintains 【Illusion Reversal】 and prepares her next move.
Maple!
—!
A hand signal called out. Prearranged, it conveyed Sally’s intent clearly and only to Maple.
【Ice Spire】!
The spire created restricts Velvet’s movement. Simultaneously, it serves as a tether for high-speed traversal, bringing Sally to Velvet’s front.
At Sally’s speed, such distance is negligible.
"Initiate attack!"
Bullets rain from Maple, now fixed in place. Trajectories that miss are left untouched. Those that might strike are blocked by the ice wall and gravity’s pull.
Yet in that moment, Hinata’s skill activates to respond. Sally lunges straight into the opening.
"Double Slash!"
"Vibration Fist!"
The set motions of the skill. Even for Sally, who never permits contact, a gap emerges.
Velvet deflects one of the daggers, glowing red, with her gauntlet. She twists her fist into the opening.
"Cancel."
As Sally speaks, the next dagger—expected to strike—veers from its intended path. It guards against Velvet’s thrusting fist.
Skill cancellation. Velvet has never heard of such a skill.
Sally steps forward, half-body shifted. At the moment Velvet attempts to respond.
……!?
A sensation of damage to the side of the abdomen.
Consciousness shifts instantly toward it. A deep, tearing wound. The overflowing damage effect speaks of the attack's force.
[Gravity Control]!
Hinata forcibly pushes Velvet backward, rescuing her with cold precision.
[Ice Castle][Heal]!
Maple intercepts the attack. Though Sally is free to move, she cannot pass through the physical barrier.
Are you alright?
Just barely… this is troublesome!
Sally held back during the duel. She had known this would happen, but not to this extent.
Trapped by the ice wall, Sally gives Maple a thumbs-up, as if to say well done.
The coordination they practiced. Difficult, yes, but Sally strengthens her confidence. She can do this now.
Sally activated two mechanisms.
There is no skill called 【CANCEL】. That was merely a perfect imitation of 【DOUBLE SLASH】. Through 【DISGUISE】 and technique, skills can be replicated. If not activated, they can be interrupted.
It is no more than swinging a weapon.
The deep wound she delivered to Velvet. The strike Hinata failed to block. Velvet could not react.
Maple’s bullet, hidden until the very last moment behind her own body.
As soon as it entered the area, it appeared to veer far off through 【MIRAGE】—slipping past Sally, who had stepped halfway in, becoming invisible. Just as Maple once made her bullet vanish, Sally made it disappear.
Next, I’ll finish you—!
To perceive an enemy’s tactics in battle without understanding their mechanism is impossible.
Sally, certain of this, fixed her gaze on Velvet, who had leapt from the ice wall and landed in midair.
"Amazing! What on earth is going on?!"
"Sorry, I can’t tell you."
"I really don’t know! I couldn’t react at all—so—"
Sally halted her advance, sensing Velvet had made up her mind.
"I’ll stop responding."
Thinking in detail won’t catch up to Sally. Even with Hinata at her side, Velvet understood she could not outmaneuver Sally through tactics.
Continuing the fight under unknown attacks only worsens her position. There is no benefit in a long battle. The only course is not to match every small move.
What must be done. She had decided it was to impose her strength.
"【Longing for the Summit】"
"……!"
A sudden burst of blue aura. The moment Sally perceived it. Velvet surged past Sally’s side at unnatural speed.
Too fast to react. With violent acceleration, Velvet outpaced Sally.
"【Hyper Acceleration】!"
"【Hyper Acceleration】!"
Velvet increased speed again, matching Sally’s acceleration.
"Maple!"
Unreachable. Sally had no doubt. She signaled Maple.
"【Attack Initiated】!"
Maple fired a bullet, aimed. Velvet evaded with staggered acceleration and aerial movement through gravity control.
Moving so violently, Maple’s attack missed entirely.
"【Cocytus】"
As long as 【Love That Offers the Body】 remains, using it against distant Maple would only immobilize her.
The effect functions without issue as long as Maple is the target.
【Fragile Ice Sculpture】【Rusting Armor】【Collapse of the Stars】
Debuffs descend one after another, some familiar to Maple. Yet Maple has fought countless enemies. She knows her weaknesses well.
【Pierce Guard!】
Before Hinata can seal her skill with 【Thought Freeze】, Maple reinforces her resistance to piercing attacks.
【Violet Lightning!】
Velvet, too, knows the danger of Maple’s shield. She launches a lightning strike at the frozen Maple, then charges forward when the shield ceases to react.
【Thought Freeze】
【Battle Aura Awakening】【Explosive Fist!】
Velvet, circling to the side, raises her fist as her aura intensifies.
【Pierce Guard】 is active. Maple focuses solely on attack, not defense.
Yet it was Sally who interrupted.
【Change Body!】
Maple’s position instantly swapped with Sally’s, barely avoiding Velvet’s fist.
【Water Cannon!】
A burst of water disrupts Velvet’s stance, then Sally steps in front once more, shielding Maple.
“Sally…?”
“…How did you know?”
Velvet speaks to Sally, ignoring Maple’s puzzled expression.
The positions swapped. Velvet had never seen such a powerful skill before. There should have been no reason, not in this moment, to protect Maple so fiercely.
She looks at Sally, brow furrowed, as if questioning the success of her plan.
“Our guild has someone who knows many skills—someone with an exceptional memory.”
“So you knew, huh?”
“It’s not a piercing attack, is it?”
Kanade remembers the effect, cost, and name of the skill she saw in the [Divine Archive] perfectly. Sally taught her over time, and by today, she has memorized every detail.
[Pulverizing Fist] was indeed among them.
It is a high-impact attack. Nothing more.
"Aha! That's right! But... there's no second one!"
A bluff. That possibility exists. Yet it does not suit Velvet, who has charged forward with clear intent.
"Maple, be careful. [Pierce Guard] only blocks piercing attacks."
If Velvet’s heavy strike, backed by Hinata’s unprecedented debuff, carries more destructive force than imagined.
Maple understands Sally’s words.
Velvet now can break through Maple’s defense head-on. At least that is what the two of them believe. Judging by the sequence of movements, that is the more reasonable assumption.
I’ll take the hit when danger comes. Trust me.
Yeah, I understand.
Maple cannot match Velvet’s speed with her shield. Thus, Maple focuses on offense, while Sally takes defense.
Maple and Sally stand close, weapons pointed at the two ahead. They must not let Velvet’s speed outmaneuver them. From here, they will shield each other, watching for the enemy’s opening.
The storm of lightning causes no damage. Only that fist is dangerous.
— [Swift Charge]!
Velvet charges toward them. Outpacing Sally, who lacks the acceleration skill, Sally is left far behind. One strike—directed at Maple.
— [Attack Initiated]!
Dodging the shot with a sidestep, Velvet closes in. Velvet’s movement is faster than Maple’s turn.
— [Thunderous Strike]!
The column of lightning engulfs Maple. Not an attack meant to inflict damage, but a bolt designed to destroy the weapon.
“[Ancient Weapon]!”
Blue sparks. The black cube hovering around Maple cracks with a sharp sound, reshaping into a rotating cylinder.
It fires a bright blue energy projectile at high speed toward Velvet, who closes in.
“Huh—!”
“[Barrel Deployment]!”
The broken weapon redeploys, launching a follow-up attack. Yet Velvet’s speed increases further with time. It cannot catch her.
Velvet outpaces even the bullets, moving straight toward Maple. Sally intercepts her.
“[Ice Spear]”
The ice spear is launched. A distasteful image flickers across Velvet’s mind.
She chooses evasion, shifting her body off the trajectory. Sally swings her dagger.
“I’m faster!”
She dodges Sally’s dagger, brakes, and steps aside. Damage effect erupts from Velvet’s shoulder. Maple is nearby. Ammunition is limitless. Sally, aware of Maple’s shots as if eyes were planted on her back, can erase anything she wishes with [Mirage].
“—again…!”
An unknown attack. Yet both have resolved not to flinch. They press forward, healing as they charge.
“[Frozen Ground]!”
Hinata restrains Maple. The two pass Sally’s side, closing in on Maple.
“—!”
“Neither do I hold back.”
Deeper than before. Heavier than before. The sensation of damage. The wound slicing through the abdomen is not from Maple’s bullet or laser.
“[Oozing Chaos]!”
“[Ice Wall]!”
The moment consciousness drifted from Maple. The monster’s mouth collided with the ice wall and exploded violently.
“[Triple Slash]!”
Velvet turned at Sally’s voice, eyes widening. There was the reason Velvet had been severed.
In one hand, Sally held a blue dagger. In the other, a gray longsword.
Sally charged forward, cutting at Velvet without pause.
“Huh… still able to do weird stuff, huh!”
“[Cancel]!”
Sally, not having activated any skill, redirected Velvet’s motion, shifted her stance, and thrust the longsword forward.
“[Transformation]”
The thrusting sword transformed into a spear. The sudden change in reach pierced Velvet.
Seeing Velvet drop, Sally returned the weapon to its original form—a blue dagger—hidden it behind her back, spun it once, and switched hands.
The real from the fake—nowhere to tell.
"Where on earth did you find such troublesome things? I'd like to know."
The skill effect is fake. The weapon. The visible form. Even the skill name changes each time, altered by Disguise. Only Sally can perceive everything accurately now.
She calmly rebukes Velvet, who presses forward. Velvet's output is high, but Sally feels the match still lies within her control.
…………
Still, that advantage is on thin ice. The calm demeanor serves as a deterrent.
Uncertain. Usually Maple’s role, but now Sally’s duty.
The winning path is clear in her mind. Yet.
【Poison Dragon】【Attack Initiated】!
While Maple attacks, Sally gathers her thoughts.
The source of her unease lies in Velvet and Hinata’s skill composition.
Velvet and Hinata each possess two axes. Lightning and hand-to-hand combat, ice and gravity.
She had never seen another player use this skill. Only Sally, who possessed two unique series and could mix them, would understand. These two likely shared the same nature—holding multiple unique series. Yet unlike Sally, who concealed her true form with a Disguise, their gear showed a unified appearance.
There is little choice but to accept this as well.
If that is so, one thing to consider is removed. Pessimism cannot be avoided, but the possibility is kept in the corner of the mind.
Maple, I will trigger it at the moment time runs out.
Understood!
If one could use it without limit, the yearning for the summit would have been employed from the start. Not doing so means it is not that way.
If that is the case, the opponent will not stand idle. This is the final trial. Sally opens her inventory, reapplies buffs with an item, and steadies her resolve.
"Velvet-san."
"……Please! I'm counting on you!"
Velvet cuts through hesitation and replies.
She came here knowing the risk. Better to give everything than to retreat halfway.
"Here we go!"
"Understood!"
"【Zero Gravity】!"
"Wah—?!"
"Maple!"
Sally’s expression hardens. One bad feeling has come true.
Immediately after violet light spreads from Hinata, everything not anchored to the ground lifts into the air.
Bullets in flight, poison on the ground, even the lightning descending from above. Only Maple, who absorbed the skill meant for Sally, floats helplessly in midair. With Hinata’s aid, controlling gravity, Velvet dashes through the sky.
"Hinata...!"
"[Attack Initiated]...w-what!?"
Maple's eyes widen as she watches the newly fired bullet lose momentum before impact, drifting lazily upward into the sky.
"[Ice Column]! [Thread Manipulation]!"
Sally, the only one not floating, surges toward the heavens.
Even so, her mobility in midair is outmatched by the one who commands gravity with ease.
"Too slow!"
"[Fragile Ice Statue] [Rusted Armor] [Collapse of the Stars]"
"Maple, cut through it!"
"[Ruthless]!"
"[Explosive Shatter Fist]!"
With no hesitation, Maple—transformed into a monstrous form by Sally's command of "[Ruthless]"—is pierced through by Velvet's fist. A violent damage effect erupts. Flesh explodes outward. Maple's body is slammed into the ground.
"[Awakening]! Shiroppu, [Great Nature]!"
"[Ice Column]!"
Maple is bound to the ground by Shiroppu’s vines, Sally holding her in place with an ice column, preventing her from rising.
Being immobilized is better than floating.
“Can’t dawdle anymore! Let’s go!”
Maple now has only Sally to protect her. With every projectile rendered useless, Maple has no weapon left. Overcoming Sally’s defense—this is the final and greatest barrier.
Sally advances to meet Velvet, who has come for the final confrontation.
“[Aurora]!”
“……!”
Maple vanishes, along with Sally, swallowed by a pillar of light—skill not meant to be Sally’s.
No matter how she moves, the gap in speed will cut her off. Velvet turns sharply, circling wide. Something unseen slices through her body.
“Again…!”
Sally cuts through Hinata’s ice and gravity defense, striking Velvet with precision.
Arm, leg—each time she nears Maple, a damage effect erupts from some part of her body.
Still, both regain stamina, waiting for an opening.
The light of [Aurora] fades. Sally and Maple become visible. Velvet lunges at Maple in an instant.
“Not through.”
““[Awakening]!””
“……!”
Sally tenses for a moment at Velvet and Hinata’s declaration. She visualizes the worst possible scenario in an instant, spinning her thoughts at high speed.
“Bluff. Right?”
Sally advances, swinging her dagger. It shifts mid-motion into a greatsword, slicing Velvet shallowly.
“Not bad.”
The damage effect bursts like fresh blood.
Two who wield distinct, powerful skills. The unavoidable, severe drawback—filling every slot of their adornments.
Bond Bridge cannot be equipped by either.
Yet. The truth long concealed, even for a moment, slowed Sally’s strike.
That moment was enough.
Cut flesh, break bone. Velvet slips past Sally at high speed, taking damage.
“Cannon Barrel Expansion! Attack Initiated!”
“Iron Core!”
Not granting the luxury of evasion, Velvet relies on a brief but potent damage reduction and Hinata’s defense, moving through the barrage with minimal dodging.
“Violet Lightning!”
Shattering Maple’s weapon with a lightning strike, she dives into range.
“Ancient Weapon!”
Maple deploys her unbroken weapon. A black pillar, sparking at the tip, begins to rotate in alignment with her outstretched right hand.
"Hinata!"
"【Frail Ice Statue】【Rusting Armor】【Collapse of the Stars】!"
"【Explosive Fist】!"
Before Maple’s weapon can strike, Velvet’s fist closes around her.
Evading is impossible.
It happens as both expected—Maple’s defense shattered head-on, her HP bar blown away.
Still. Maple grimaces at the damage, her eyes fixed on the intensifying sparks swirling around her outstretched right hand.
"【Counter】!"
"…【Thunderbeast】!"
Blue light spills from her right hand. Only one HP remains. If alive, still able to move. Velvet’s finishing blow, redirected through her own attack, pierces the giant white tiger—formed just moments before for emergency evasion—now struck through by Maple’s massive blue laser, carrying Velvet far beyond the horizon, flung into the distance.
"Maple!"
"Yeah!"
Absolute trust. When Sally lets Velvet pass without a word. When Maple knows she will survive.
Thus, no need to dodge. No need to defend. Only attack.
Only place her life in Sally’s judgment.
Faking a buff application, checking the timer at intervals. Based on Sally’s precise second-by-second timing, the plan was set for this moment.
Now, the clock passes twelve by just seconds.
"...!"
"Next, our turn."
Sally presses into Velvet. Speed still differs. Retreat or fight.
Sally does not hesitate. This is all the plan allows. Now only pressing remains.
“【Divine Speed】!”
“That…!”
Hinata’s eyes widen, trying to stop Sally’s motion. Normally, Dread’s skill would have erased Sally from sight.
“Velvet-san!”
From the left, space warps. Sally appears. Unstable, but must be met.
“【Ice Spear】!”
Both recognize the ice strike as illusion. The real one cannot hit this.
The real body is on the right. Sally, having drawn attention with 【Mirage】, closes distance with 【Divine Speed】, and pulls taut the thread extending from her left hand.
At the other end is Maple, fully healed.
At her chest. A crimson sphere, crackling with sparks, visible through the shattered armor. The 【Break Core】 glows brighter, capable of blasting both of them apart.
"First...!"
"Run."
She speaks briefly. Cuts the gravitational path connecting them. Steps forward, in front of Velvet.
"【Isolation Domain】!"
The target is herself and Maple. A violet dome spreads from Hinata, sealing both of them in a space where interference is impossible.
"Wha—!?"
"Fufu... not a chance."
Immediately after Hinata’s soft laugh, an explosion erupts at Maple’s center. It fills every corner of the space Hinata has created.