Defense specialization and the decisive moment.

As each prepares, time passes swiftly. Surviving players gather one by one around the outer walls.

The six of them—【Maple】 included—are present. They wait for the signal to move out.

"Maple, please ride behind."

"Thanks, Yui."

Maple’s skyborne strategic weapon from last time is not used this time. With Wilbert still active, she will certainly be watched. The enemy will react faster, having already seen it once.

The sky offers little escape. Assistance is hard to reach. The risk does not justify the return. That is the judgment.

Her lack of speed is easily compensated by riding atop Yukimi.

"Well then… even though we have the 【Ark】, I’d rather not have to fire it."

"If Markus isn’t here, then 【Night Castle】 won’t appear either. Let’s keep them on edge."

I’m ready. I’ll show you just how useful I can be.

The defense is weak. On an open battlefield, Mii cannot easily begin chanting Awakening. The role of the small elite guilds, led by Maple, is to move across the field and suppress threats at specific points. Velvet and Mii are top priorities for surveillance.

Quantity matters. The outcome of the main battle will be decided by large guilds centered around the Gathering Holy Sword. Proper use of resources, as they say.

As they speak, the monsters on the field shift. They move in unison, turning toward the enemy lines.

Here we go, Maple.

Yes.

Amidst the chorus of players beginning their advance, Maple’s guild also begins to move.

As the advance began, each guild’s scouting members continuously rotated their skills, confirming no ambush awaited the main force.

From the reconnaissance unit that had moved ahead, a report came through—no traps. The formation advanced with full readiness. Then, finally, the enemy monster’s dust clouds rose ahead, and the silhouettes of many players came into view.

All drew their weapons anew. The air tensed with the anticipation of battle.

Only the thunder of the monster’s charge echoed across the field. This time, the enemy had taken the first strike.

“[Pain]!”

“[Crom]!”

“Stay calm!”

Pain called to her guild members. Reconnaissance confirmed [Levity] had not been used. Without panic, a vast array of barriers was deployed instantly, absorbing the lightning and flame, minimizing damage.

Two attacks signaled the onset. Magic erupted from both sides in sequence.

Barriers unfolded, shielding the vanguard that surged forward. The two armies collided.

“Frederica!”

“Yes, yes!”

“Ray—[Full Mana Release][Flow of Light]”

[Multiple Full Teleportation]!”

To reduce numbers and break formation—fastest possible. Sally leapt beside Pain, who held aloft a holy sword blazing with light.

“Borrowing that.”

“…!”

Pain understood Sally’s intent. He swung the sword, all buffs concentrated into its edge.

[Holy Dragon’s Light Blade]!

The flow of light unleashed by Pain struck the enemy lines. Each countered with their own skill.

Damage nullified. Simple. The strongest defense. For this reason, the counter [Dawn] was feared.

Yet even without nullification, such skills possess flaws. Sally recognized this as obvious.

“[Holy Dragon’s Light Blade]!”

Sally’s weapon emitted the same light as Pain’s. Slightly delayed, it sent a wave of light toward the enemy line.

Damage nullified. Powerful, yet effective only for brief durations.

“[Illusion and Reality Reversed]”

The player who nullified Pain’s single strike was silently struck again by the exact same effect. It slipped in as an extension of Pain’s light, yet delivered damage as a separate attack.

Sally could replicate only Pain’s skill. She could not replicate the buff applied. Still, many players vanished without understanding the mechanism.

With a large gap opened in the formation, allied players surged forward in a single charge.

If you know you cannot receive it, negate the damage and block it. That is standard. There is no need to use ordinary barriers or defense boosts.

Only one point. That gap was the target.

"Sally, those four."

"All present."

"Head for destruction."

Pain's crucial role was fulfilled with a single strike.

Now, if Maple can be taken by surprise, the rest will fall. Then, with no hesitation, they will overpower with Rebirth of Darkness.

"Maple?"

"Buffed inside Iz-san's special box."

"...? Understood. If you say it's fine, then I trust it."

Pain summoned Ray, activated Gigantification, and swiftly mounted Sally before rising into the sky.

The player knocked back by Pain and Sally’s combined attack was replaced by Lily’s summoned troops, allowing the two to locate Lily and Wilbert. The continuous effects of their skills, and their distinct equipment, made them stand out clearly within the group.

“Ray! [Divine Dragon’s Breath]!”

A burst of light unleashed toward the group. Both moved backward, avoiding being caught in its full spread.

From above, the battlefield was clearly visible.

Mii and Velvet’s attacks were inflicting damage, but Pain and Sally’s numerical advantage was pushing their side forward.

……

With the two maintaining distance, the enemy’s rear guard should have no room to flank.

Still, just as when Kasumi fell, Pain hesitated—whether to charge forward or not.

Let us go. We can manage two against two. If we can pull those two from the battlefield—

Understood. There is no use in hesitating. Ray [Meteor]!

Ray descends, wreathed in light. Naturally, the target is the enemy rear, Lily and Wilbert.

They knew, as well, that Pain and Sally were aiming for them.

Lily, diverting her summoned soldiers to maintain the front line, also recognizes the dire state of the main battlefield.

As Ray approaches, the two pause to assess their situation and speak.

"Wilbert, worse than expected. This is Sally’s doing."

"Yes."

"Send word."

"...Understood."

Pain’s first strike was expected to be blockable. It does not go so easily, however. Still, there is no intention to be pushed back and lose like this.

[Reproduction][Puppet Wall]!

Ray charges into the wall, constructed by reassembling Lily’s summoned soldiers, and breaks through, landing on the ground below.

This time, I won’t let you escape.

I’ll take my revenge on Kasumi.

Now, gather your resolve, Wil. Defeat brings morale.

Yes, let’s win, Lilie.

Lilie raises her banner and summons a soldier before her.

Sally and Pain charge forward at the same moment.

Lilie’s feet are not swift. The distance between her and Sally, who leaps without hesitation, closes in an instant.

[Double Slash]!

Sally’s dagger glows crimson. A flurry of strikes rains down on Lilie. She blocks them with her banner, unmoved. She does not counterattack. She watches Sally’s movements with calm precision.

[Cancel]!

Sally halts mid-motion and thrusts forward. Lilie steps aside and sends a soldier after her.

You’re still listening, aren’t you?

Of course.

Velvet's survival meant the attack shown that night was shared with Lilie.

"Then how about this? — Auto-cancel!"

Sally wraps herself in crimson light and charges forward, matching pace with Pain.

"——Holy Radiance Sword!"

"——Shield with My Body!"

Pain, still under the effect of Multi-Phase Transference, sweeps aside the soldier guarding Lilie with a grand technique. Sally slips through the opening.

"Triple Slash!"

Just as Lilie moves to counter Sally's barrage, the dagger in Sally's left hand shifts course and thrusts toward Lilie.

"…!"

Lilie narrowly avoids it, deflecting the second dagger in her right hand as intended.

The dagger in Sally's left hand, having altered its path, returns to its original trajectory and attempts to cleave Lilie again.

Then, from beyond awareness. The dagger in her right hand changes course. It strikes Lilie's flank.

“Nn…!?”

“[Servant’s Sacrifice]!”

At the cost of Wilbert’s HP, Lily’s HP is restored, her defense boosted, and she gains room to breathe. Lily, in turn, with practiced motion, again places a soldier as a living barrier between them, creating distance.

“Haha, I see. Even when warned about the [Triple Slash], one still reacts, doesn’t one?”

The basic motion is memorized. Yet against Sally, it works against her. The skill’s trajectory, which she would normally avoid unconsciously, drifts slightly off—just enough to miss Sally’s weapon.

“Just what’s the mechanism behind that skill?”

“No seeds, no tricks.”

“Haha, well, I suppose.”

In truth, as stated. Yet Lily does not believe Sally’s claim that there are truly no seeds, no mechanisms.

“Pain. Next move.”

“Understood. Let’s sync.”

Lily’s summoning soldiers and defensive movements. Sally conveys to Pain her resolve to end it decisively, even if prolonged.

““【Super Acceleration】!””

“【Toy Soldiers】【Reproduction】!”

To halt the accelerating Sally and Pain, Lily summons more soldiers. Yet that is precisely what the two have already anticipated.

“【Holy Sword of Destruction】!”

“Truly makes me want to cry!”

Pain’s extraordinary holy sword instantly eradicates the summoned soldiers.

Lily’s skill has a far shorter cooldown. Repeating skill exchanges will eventually turn the tide in her favor.

Sally, however, does not allow that. She exploits the opening created by Pain and closes the distance.

In response, Lily focuses her awareness solely on Sally’s weapon.

“【Double Slash】!”

As Sally swings her dagger, Lily concentrates on the dagger’s motion.

【Fireball】!

The declaration follows. At the instant the magic flashes through her mind, the dagger transforms into a longsword and cleaves Lily deeply.

Indeed...!

Lily realizes, recalling Velvet’s mention of the skill 【Transmutation】. Even that is not true.

Sally easily dodges Lily’s thrusting flag and counters with another stab from her dagger.

【Wind Cutter】!

This time, a blade of wind forms behind Sally. Lily frowns, attempting to evade the blade, but her abdomen is already split before the impact.

Hah, troublesome!

Sally herself is 【Mirage】. Longer than the longsword. The real Sally’s weapon, now enlarged to the size of a greatsword, inflicts a deep wound on Lily in the instant Lily’s attention is drawn elsewhere.

Damn it… no time to think!

Skill declaration, visible effect. Confusing thought and reaction with uncertainty.

Sally’s skill, as always, robbed her target of thought and movement.

Hearing about it was different from seeing it used. Reflexes, once triggered, could not be controlled so easily.

“【Water Ball】!”

A momentary pause to consider what the skill truly was—enough for Sally.

Moreover, in the current state, where the full nature of Sally’s skill remained ungrasped, the response would lag far beyond a single instant.

A 【Cannonwater】 named 【Water Ball】. It erupted from beneath, lifting Lily into the air.

“This is… harder to react to than expected.”

“Ray!”

Pain leapt onto Lily mid-air, closing in on Ray with sudden speed.

“Sorry, Will! Please!”

“[Judgment’s Holy Sword]!”

The sword strikes toward Lily, drawn from Wilbert’s hand. The final words echo.

“[I Shield Myself]”

Wilbert’s voice. The holy sword’s impact hits Lily—but the damage is transferred. Wilbert’s HP vanishes.

“Saved!”

“Yes. Now….”

Lily bows briefly to Wilbert, then lands on the flight machine she has just summoned. She turns and flies toward the group, escaping.

“Wilbert did well…!”

Lily frowns, eyes fixed ahead.

The sky-eye now fully under Lily’s control expands her vision. Unlike Wilbert, Lily cannot process the full information load of her awakened state. Even if she could, only for a moment.

Necessarily, her abilities are narrowed to a single individual’s capacity. The Authority cannot be used. Yet, even with her vision expanding sharply, she takes in the battlefield’s state.

“Expected, then.”

The situation is poor. But the players have not diminished to the point of being unable to fight.

“Now, here we go.”

Having been shielded by Wilbert, Lily must now act with precision. She fixes her gaze upon the enemy lines.