Defense specialization and the burning town.

As each progressed through their respective routes, the first to reach the 'Demon Lord's Power' was the fourth-layer area that Kasumi was clearing.

A message arrived: a quest had been triggered, rewarding the 'Demon Lord's Power III'. The members of [Maple Tree] adjusted their schedules and set the date for the operation.

On that day, the eight gathered at the guild home to begin preparations before the challenge.

"Fourth-layer area was first to arrive. We’ve been overtaken."

"I enjoyed exploring. Perhaps that’s why I completed so many quests in a single day."

"The fourth layer suited Kasumi. She likely has more experience from that layer than we do."

"Information’s already out, right?"

Ah. It's only natural that the basic progression relies on completing quests, so we can't match the speed of a large guild. Still, I intend to make full use of it.

He does not wish to mark 【Maple's Tree】 with a black star. He has decided to use every piece of information available online, because defeat is not an option.

"This time, Mai and Yui will be the key attackers. Do your best."

"Yes…!"

"We'll handle it!"

"Right! Let's all check the boss's data and plan the details!"

With eight members, many options are available. Maple and Crom will provide defense. Mai and Yui will lead the offense. The remaining four will act as lubricant, ensuring all eight function as one cohesive party.

"Then let's begin. First, the boss's attack patterns…"

Thus, having prepared even a secondary plan in case the main strategy failed, the eight set forth toward the final boss at the terminus of the four-layer area, determined to end its life for certain.

Since Kasumi is the one who can accept quests, Kasumi leads the group as they move through the town in the four-layer area.

They arrive at a tower standing out sharply in the center of the town. As in the previous layers, the town's leader, who issues the quest, resides here.

"I've accepted quests here before, but this is the first time we've all met."

Kasumi ascends the stairs, each step echoing sharply. At the top, she opens the sliding door before her.

"You've come. Is your preparation complete for the final request?"

A warrior stands with a fine blade at her waist, clad in full armor, a helmet with cheek guards, purple flames flickering from her eyes. Her expression is unreadable. The low, resonant voice and stillness carry an indefinable pressure. The air in the space tightens.

"Ah. I will take this request."

"Though sealed away, that flame is powerful. It will soon overflow. Time is short."

"..."

"Trust in the merit I have earned. Return with good report."

She speaks. The man issues a quest toward Kasumi. The quest, named 'Cursed Flame of the Prison Realm,' demands exploration of the otherworld where a monster forged from a demon's power is sealed, and the destruction of its origin—the boss.

The task is clear from the words. Enter. Strike down the boss. Nothing complex.

"Then, it will be a formidable foe. Even knowing its nature, it is no simple matter."

"Right, let's focus."

"Yes. Let us confirm the procedure one final time."

"I'm starting to feel nervous..."

"Come on, big sister! We're all counting on you!"

"We're all doing our best, but your movements are especially important. Do your best."

"We'll leave the movement to Iz. No need for skills or anything."

"Everyone, let's do our best!"

To obtain the third 'Demon's Power,' Maple and the others departed from the town in the fourth-layer area.

Having accepted the quest, they traversed the field, opened the large door beyond the burning violet flame that had materialized, and found a realm beyond.

Standing on the long stone path in the center of a burning Japanese-style town, Maple and the others gazed toward the tall tower blazing crimson in the distant realm of eternity.

That tower's base was the boss's location—the final battlefield.

“Love That Offers the Body—Residual Light of Salvation!”

As Maple entered the otherworld where the boss resided, she immediately activated two defensive fields.

Most attacks along the path involved fire. The range was wide. Without Love That Offers the Body, Mai and Yui might have died instantly.

……Already coming.

Kasumi’s words made all look up. In the night sky, countless fire arrows, shot from a burning town, were clearly visible, streaking toward Maple and her companions.

Maple quickly lowered her shield, conserving the use of her skill, and nullified all damage from the descending fire arrows. She walked through the sea of flames as if nothing had happened.

The relentless barrage of arrows and the spreading flames from impact points would normally be impossible to endure.

The value of Maple’s existence cannot be measured, even if only one of these is neutralized.

“Don’t step outside the range— it’s been raining down forever!”

““Yes, ma’am!””

Mai and Yui, standing just beyond the shelter, would die instantly upon stepping into the flames beneath their feet. They remain perfectly still, moving only in step with Maple.

Against these eight, two archers emerge, stepping back from the stone-paved path ahead.

They draw bows taller than their frames, unleashing powerful, searing arrows in unison.

“It’s fine.”

“Leave it to us!”

Sally and Crom step forward. They know from prior intelligence that these arrows pierce defenses. They cannot be allowed to strike Maple.

Sally parries with her dagger. Crom blocks with his great shield. Both meet the oncoming arrows with force.

““We’ve got this side covered!””

The warriors burst forth from around Maple, their blades slick with blood, bodies aflame. A tough monster, resilient enough to counter with fire against approaching foes, possessing considerable HP.

Yet, tough as it may be, that is only in terms of ordinary player standards.

““Aahh!””

Mai and Yui, who had known they would charge, meet the oncoming blow with their great mallets.

The iron masses shatter armor, send the warriors easily to the afterlife. Still, if they close the distance, the warriors possess piercing attacks. This is the fourth-layer area’s boss, waiting in another realm—no room for complacency. The strength of the monsters along the path has grown markedly, far beyond what came before.

“Closing the distance slowly.”

“Yes.”

Arrows with piercing effect continue to fly. The warriors’ strike after closing in. For the 【Maple Tree】, a creature with a specialized defense mechanism, this is the path’s decisive weakness.

Front-facing arrows are met by Crom and Sally, the warriors by Mai and Yui, centered on them. Kasumi stands ready in case Sally and Crom miss, using the instantaneous teleport of [First Blade: Mirage] to slip past enemies approaching Mai and Yui, halting them immediately.

Reinforced by Iz and Kanade’s backline, always conscious of healing and damage reduction, the final defensive line is formed. Each fulfills their role. Even with minor errors, the formation allows passage through the path without irreversible resource expenditure.

This is the optimal solution for the 【Maple Tree】, assembled in advance with full information, built to win.

No slack is permitted. The eight continue steadily toward the distant, blazing tower.

The closer they approach the boss’s lair, the denser the fire arrows fall from above.

It is no concern for Maple, yet the growing number of guards and the volume of arrows from the front are not so easily managed.

“Crom! — First Cut — Mirage!”

“Thank you!”

“Sorry…!”

“Leave this to us!”

“We’ll buy time with the barricade!”

Only a few guards slip through at once. Here, stay calm. Kasumi, Kanade, and Izu form the core, gaining just a moment.

One block of attack. A few seconds of delay. The great mallet will catch up. No need to force a fall.

Knowing the enemy numbers would grow, they respond without haste.

“Amazing…”

Ahead, Crom glances sideways, deflecting piercing arrows with his shield, precise and steady. His voice carries no strain.

Deflecting arrows with a dagger differs vastly from blocking with a shield. At first, Crom had intended to assign this duty to Maple, the other shieldbearer. Yet, with Sally’s confidence and Maple’s trust as foundation, Sally was placed in charge of defense.

She knocks each arrow aside with flawless precision. As if it were natural. One might say she defends more safely than Maple herself.

Crom focuses solely on defending his own arrows. He knows it is natural for Sally to perform so well. He cannot afford to falter while she excels at such a difficult task.

“Everyone! Keep going!”

Maple holds a potion in hand, mindful of recovery should the worst occur. She raises the ancient weapon in place of the Mechanos, now destroyed by fire, and walks straight ahead, surveying the entire field.

For Maple, the most important thing is not dying. If Maple dies, the rain of fire arrows will descend with its true threat level. That is utterly unacceptable.

Aware that she too is a force that shapes events, she maintains the protective field shielding all.

“[Ancient Weapon]!”

Closing the distance inch by inch, she releases the accumulated energy—countless fire arrows—once the archers in the distance fall within range.

At the archers, who bear no defense, a long-range sniper rifle fires a luminous bolt.

The archer, staggering from the impact, was struck by the next assault. The frontal pressure vanished. Maple and the others advanced at a faster pace. Not with the long-range sniper rifle of the ancient weapon’s transformation, but with the machine gun, optimized for rapid fire.

“Ancient Weapon!”

Using the endless energy source of fire arrows and sustained burning to overwhelm the player, Maple left no room to raise her bow. From above, a torrent of blue light bullets shattered the stone paving, destroying everything ahead.

The archer, though possessing a high HP—though not quite a warrior—could not endure the unbroken barrage. One by one, they fell. The path opened for Maple and her companions.

“Hah… we’ve arrived!”

“Looks like it. The warrior’s gone too.”

The eight who had cleared the path had just reached the center of the town. There, the main roads from east, west, south, and north met. The samurai who had emerged from the shadows of the buildings vanished. The rain of fire arrows had ceased.

Yet the tall tower indicating the boss’s location remained distant. Still, they had arrived. There was a reason.

With a groan, the burning building collapsed, flames surging upward. The fire became a wall, sealing off all four roads around them.

Once sufficient space for combat was secured, the sound came—horse whinnies, the heavy tread of galloping feet.

“Not allowed through.”

Through the wall of fire, a great horse formed of flame charged in. Upon its back, a knight in armor. The man swung his long spear once. The tip ignited. He stared at the eight, as if to burn them all to ash.

Opposing them is the gatekeeper before the boss. If they cannot pass through here, they have no right to claim the Demon King’s power.

"Proceeding as planned!"

Sally shouts and leaps forward, striking the armored warrior with magic. It is not meant to deal damage, but to draw the warrior’s attention.

The lance swings—naturally equipped with piercing defense, an attack that cannot be endured even within the range of Love That Offers the Body.

Sally dodges the inhumanly fast triple thrust with ease, turning her back on the warrior. To her, a spear is no more than a bullet or lightning—simple to avoid.

Sally’s role is not to inflict damage. It is only to create an opening for Mai and Yui’s attacks.

"“Double Impact!”"

The moment the sixteen iron masses swung down, aiming to crush the horse and armored warrior into powder— the horse and its rider, together, vanished into a geyser of flame.

Mai and Yui felt the heavy mallet strike the ground, their minds registering the unexpected turn of events.

At the same instant, the wall of fire behind Maple and the others trembled— from atop a galloping horse, the armored warrior lunged forward, spear poised, relentless.

The enemy’s form, charging with crushing force, was the first thing to draw Crom’s reaction.

“[Cover Move][Cover]!”

He shifted position swiftly with the skill, deflecting the heavy thrust and sweeping slash with precise guard, blocking all damage, leaving no one struck.

“[Tornado]!”

“[Barrel Extension][Attack Initiated]!”

Kanade attacks the armored warrior with magic. Maple strikes with laser. Damage is certain. But not enough to break through. The armored warrior gives a command to the horse. It charges forward, leaving a trail of fire. The warrior vanishes beyond the wall of flames.

"This isn't going as planned...!"

"Sorry..."

"No need to worry. You couldn't adjust your strength in that state."

Even with prior knowledge, it is not yet perfect. Especially in cases with infinitely few trials under identical conditions, some things remain unexplained.

Few attacks possess the destructive power of Mai and Yui. And even fewer could unleash such overwhelming force at this moment—especially with the boss still ahead. Without the cooldown of a powerful skill, such extreme damage would be impossible.

That is why avoidance through transfer, when high damage is expected, remains unconfirmed.

Yet the plan had been carefully laid. The intended route of a single, decisive strike with Mai and Yui had not unfolded as expected. Still, alternatives remained.

“Quick Change!”

Mai and Yui switched their equipment, removing all 【Rescue Hands】 and reducing themselves to minimal gear.

“Tsukimi, Awaken…!”

“Yukimi! Awaken!”

While preparing their partner’s summoning, the enemy charged forward, wreathed in flames.

“Such a use for it exists, then?”

Izu tossed a deep violet potion toward Mai and Yui.

It emitted a low hum and a writhing violet effect, clinging to them, altering something within.

“Tsukimi!”

“Yukimi!”

“Power Share!”

“Cover!”

Crom catches the spear in the same manner. From beside him, Tsukimi and Yuki, riding together, leap forward and swing the great maul in a horizontal arc.

A thunderous crack split the air. Massive damage effects erupted from the armored warrior’s form.

Got it!

It… worked!

Unarmed, she takes from Iz the debuff potion meant to weaken enemies—reducing 【STR】—and uses 【Power Share】 to divide her status with the tame monster, pouring excess 【STR】 into it.

The enemy's damage immunity threshold is lowered below its threshold through triple weakening. Even so, the power remains unmatched by full-buffed Kasumi or Sally.

Using the side path skillfully, they landed a heavy strike—Kasumi and Sally pressed the attack.

An enemy reeling from damage is a perfect target.

"【Warrior's Skill】【Fourth Sword Style: Whirlwind】!"

[Quintapulse Slash]

【Attack Initiated】【Ancient Weapon】!

【Hydro Laser】

Maple and Kanade join the assault from behind Kasumi and Sally.

A crimson and azure laser severs the upper body. A powerful water magic pierces through from the horse’s neck to the armored warrior’s torso.

Still standing, the warrior swings the spear in a sweeping motion, clearing the surrounding enemies. The motion is already input into all their minds.

Mai and Yui, who struck first, maintain distance. Kasumi and Sally rise into the air using flight machines to evade.

Crom, who stepped forward to block the charge, takes the sweeping blow on his large shield and, through 【Provocation】, draws the armored warrior’s attention.

With the boss’s focus fixed on the low-threat Crom, all damage dealers are free to act.

Mai and Yui, having flown away from the spear’s reach using their aerial machines, join Sally and the others. Four of them raise their weapons and launch a sudden assault on the armored warrior.

““【Double Impact】!””

“【Point-Target Attack】”

“【First Strike: Mirage】!”

The heavy blows land above, carving deep wounds into the body. The flaming horse they rode sways, then collapses. The armored warrior tumbles to the ground.

“What… this… unbearable… regret…”

The fallen warrior does not rise again. Together with the horse, they vanish with a soft *ping*, dissolving into light.

At the same moment, the ring of fire surrounding the four dissipates, its intensity fading. The path of stone tiles reemerges, straight and unbroken.

“Phew. We should’ve removed Mai and Yui’s debuffs before attacking.”

“True. Another warrior will appear. Better to be fully ready.”

“Let’s return our gear before we go. I’d really like eight great hammers, even if it’s just for the two of us.”

“Good. The fire arrows came down again, just as expected. It’s fortunate there’s no fixed damage attached to them.”

“Don’t worry—we have items to remove debuffs. Here, use this. It’ll be fine.”

“Thank you very much!”

“Alright! Let’s head out once we’re ready.”

It did not go exactly as planned. Still, the mid-boss armored warrior was defeated without issue.

Yet the boss was already known to be no easy foe, even with prior information.

To avoid mistakes at critical moments, and to react instantly should anything unexpected occur, Maple and the others rechecked every small movement for the boss battle—using the unusual state in which the overwhelming number of fire arrows had been rendered entirely powerless to their advantage.