Defense Specialization and the Abyssal Depths III.
They reached the door leading to the Boss Room, having stacked numerous buffs on the boss and inflicted many debuffs upon themselves.
"Let's confirm the effects before entering."
"Agreed. I'll apply buffs too—might make up for some of the penalties."
"I'll pull out items as well."
While Maple retrieved her buffing items, Sally listed the effects imposed by the dungeon.
First, the enemy's attack power and movement speed were enhanced. Then, reduced damage taken by Maple and the others. A decrease in healing effectiveness. Finally, a restriction preventing the reuse of a skill already used once.
None of the effects were ones willingly sought, but they were far better than the alternatives. Had they chosen otherwise, they might have faced severe weakening—Sally losing health rapidly upon skill use, for instance. Compared to that, the current effects seemed acceptable.
"Good. We've applied our buffs. Let's proceed as planned."
"First strike wins. And even without using that skill twice, it's enough."
"Let's go!"
Collecting the Demon King's power ended here. The three resolved in their hearts to win. They entered the Boss Room.
Immediately upon entry, a massive black cube, perfectly cubic, filled their vision.
Maple and Sally recognized it. It was the boss from the ruins of the Eighth Layer. The answer to the sense of familiarity that had lingered throughout their journey.
The boss that had stolen Maple’s ancient weapon was precisely the same obsidian cube.
It had transformed into various weapons during that encounter. Though born of the same ancient ruins, its core differed. It shifted through forms—human, weapon, fish, the kraken outside—before settling into a quadrupedal shape resembling a panther.
Speed-focused, by appearance. With movement speed enhanced, allowing it to move freely, that was unacceptable.
“Maple!”
“We’re fine.”
“[Rebirth of Darkness]!”
As Maple activated her skill, Sally and Kanade rose into the air aboard their flying machines.
“[Ancient Sea]!”
“[Ancient Sea], Oblong [Phantom][Shadow Clone]!”
“[Green Archer][Flock of Sky Guardians]”
A negligible number of entities summoned by the three—just enough to secure their count. All of them transformed, the strongest opening pressure of [Maple’s Tree] activates.
“Ka-ijyo!”
Confirming the divergent forms emerging from the drop, Maple releases the ground’s darkness that swallowed Sally and Kanade.
The skill is sealed, but it was never meant to be used twice in one battle, so there is no need to concern oneself.
The swarm of aberrations overlap, compressing space, advancing like a wave toward the boss. Speed matters nothing if there is no place to flee.
“We don’t seek a fair fight, so it doesn’t matter. Heh. If we can defeat it this way, then so be it.”
“If it cannot be repelled, then we have won.”
“Everyone—do your best!”
Some individuals among the raging boss, having been thrown beyond the range of Maple’s Love That Offers the Body, are struck down. Yet safety for Maple takes precedence. Moreover, even if a few fall, countless more of the aberrations of Rebirth’s Shadow remain.
As they act, the boss, leaping about, is seized by a swarm of aberrations. The value of HP differs greatly between a single boss and replaceable aberrations that attack in succession. If ten aberrations fall yet the boss’s HP drops by only twenty percent, the result is a significant gain.
Ten percent. Twenty percent. Thirty percent. When the mid-boss’s HP falls below seventy percent, a black sphere rises above it.
The sphere spreads pale blue light across the entire room. Then, it erases the buffs that had been affecting the three of them, along with the horde of aberrations filling the space.
“Ahh, not quite so smoothly, then.”
“Maple, hold your guard firm! Kanade, maintain your stance on Sou.”
Okay. Leave it to me if things go wrong.
Ah! She’s transforming again!
A human with a spear forms on the back of the panther-like boss. Mounting it, the human swings a long spear. The panther charges forward with force.
[Flame Bullet] [Wind Cutter]!
Sally casts magic, but the panther evades it with agile movements, boosted by speed buffs.
This seal is a hassle… [Cannon Water]!
Every time she uses a skill or magic for distraction, the seal weakens and her hand cards diminish.
Sally actively uses the airborne machine, outside the seal’s effect, accelerating sharply and closing the distance, drawing the boss’s attack toward herself.
Yō, to! [Point-Target Attack]!
The heavy strike pierces the mounted human form, dealing damage. But the boss repels Sally’s follow-up with quick spear maneuvers and charges toward Maple.
“Predator! Hundred Demon Procession!”
Maple summons the one who was not devoured by the Rebirth of Darkness—a warrior unmatched in battle—and hurls them at the boss. The boss, faster, leaps aside to escape. But that direction is also away from Sally and the monster Maple called. Kanade, who cannot be fooled by that limited space, does not hesitate.
“Seal—Still Anchor. You’ll run that way. The subordinates of Maple have reach, after all.”
An anchor extends from midair, chains clanking as it pierces the ground and binds the boss. Movement halted for several seconds. The basic setup in the Maple Tree, a role Kanade alone performs, the one everyone relies on.
“My skill—sealing it is pointless.”
Kanade’s skill—especially the powerful ones—are stored in a magic tome, one-time use. There is no value in sealing them, if they will never be used again.
【Sextuplus Slash】!
【Oozing Chaos】!
The boss cannot move. Now is the time for a heavy blow. 【Predator】 and 【Hundred Ghosts at Night】 close in, surrounding the boss like a bag of meat.
The boss breaks free from restraint. As its HP decreases, further changes occur.
Four black spheres float in the sky. Spikes shaped like triangles spin around them, rotating like a simplified sun.
Yet, clearly, they are no ornament. As soon as blue sparks begin to scatter, thin, pale blue beams extend from each, locking onto targets.
【Massive Magical Barrier】!
【Ice Pillar】!
Sally intercepts the delayed laser with an ice pillar. Kanade blocks it with a barrier. Maple stops it with her body.
In that moment, thought consumed by defense, the boss lunges at Kanade with even greater speed than before.
……! —【Spirit Light】!
Kanade defends with her invincible skill, but once the boss closes in, it attacks with relentless speed, claws and spear slashing at her without pause.
Maple, leading the creatures, leaps into the fray and alters the situation.
Yaaah!
……! Maple!
Maple, accelerated by the flying machine, charges forward, her great shield striking the leopard’s abdomen, tearing it open with【Greed】, then snapping it apart with【Predator】, and finally hurling it away with the golden staff of the great demon of【One Hundred Ghosts】, pulling the boss away from Kanade.
Are you alright?
Heh heh, thanks to you. Alright, let’s counter with Sally.
Yes!
Maple stands before Kanade, shielding her, securing space to cast magic with calm precision. She faces the boss.
You’ll regret ignoring me too long!
Sally dodges the laser with ease, closing in on the boss without using her skill. She lands rapid strikes—perfectly timed to avoid the boss’s counterattack.
Fast. But that’s all you’ll manage.
Every thrust of the spear, every rip from claws—Sally avoids them all, relying solely on evasion, never using her skill. The boss cannot land a single hit.
So long as Sally draws attention, the boss is left open.
The lasers come. The two giant demons take them instead. Maple creates space for Kanade. Sally draws the boss’s attacks. Maple blocks the aerial lasers with her body. Kanade is free.
Better not waste this opportunity.
Beside Kanade, a duplicate of Soo stands motionless, spreading a white magic circle at her feet, chanting without pause.
"Shiroppu! Great Nature!"
"Water Path—Ice Binding Domain!"
Maple uses Shiroppu's power to summon thick vines. Sally freezes the water she creates, sealing the boss's path.
"Sō, Divine Flame!"
The moment is ripe. Sō's incantation ends. A large white magic circle unfolds beneath the boss. Pure white flames erupt.
The boss tries to retreat, but is blocked by ice and vines. Too slow. It takes heavy damage, a fatal wound from the holy flame. Yet barely alive, it escapes through gaps in the burning vines, performing its final transformation with the last of its HP.
One after another, laser emitters manifest, filling the air. All barrels turn toward the three, charging energy to incinerate them all.
"Only I managed to prepare ahead of Sō."
The opened spellbook. The fastest deployed magic array, prepared in case the boss survived, surpassed the laser cannon the boss had unleashed with full power.
"Thanks to the two of you, it was easier."
A storm of elemental magic. It surged through the Boss Room before the laser cannon fired, erasing the boss's remaining HP.
The laser cannon shattered into fragments, clattering and rolling across the ground, leaving behind raw materials.
The materials are accepted gratefully. But the goal of Maple and the others is not the materials.
"Ah!"
A lump remaining in the boss's corpse, where the heart of the leopard had once been. Maple rushes toward it, picks it up, and checks the item name.
"‘Demon King's Mana VI’! Yes!"
"Phew, congratulations, Maple. I'm happy too. Is this all the necessary items?"
“That should be it. Only need to defeat the Demon King now….”
“That’s the hardest part.”
“Hmm, yeah… that’s true…”
Maple frowns, her expression troubled. The maximum number of players allowed for a boss challenge is twenty-four—three full parties.
Repeatedly, if they fail due to insufficient output, they must re-clear every last dungeon across all areas. The burden is heavy. Given how little time remains for Maple and Sally, that is unlikely.
“If Crom-san can summon reinforcements, relying on that might be a viable option.”
“Once we use the items to challenge, there’s no turning back. We must decide carefully.”
“Yeah! I’ll ask everyone!”
“Maple, you’ve come this far. You’ll win for sure.”
“Of course!”
Maple and the others carefully stowed away the final Demon King’s power. They emerged from the dungeon.
Ah, the final battle, then.