Defense specialization and Demon King III.
The movement shown by the enemy upon approach. From limited information, Maple and the others immediately assigned roles, each turning toward a boss-class aberration.
The assignment was correct.
"Maple staying in reserve is reassuring!"
"Yes. But we can't let this through. Clearly... it's targeting the rear."
The aberration facing Syin and Kasumi flies through the air with large wings. Its head and both arms have deformed into cannon barrels. Should they even slightly relax their offense, it turns those barrels toward the rear.
Designed to ignore the front line and focus solely on the rear, if allowed to pass unchallenged, it would strike the rear—where the Demon King endlessly produces small aberrations, suppressed by fire support—shattering the balance.
Now that there are no flying machines, my skill shall shine!
Shin mounts the floating blade of his Crack Sword and ascends into the sky.
"Wind God!"
The raging blades of wind strike the aberrant form alongside Shin’s Crack Sword. A barrage of buffs and debuffs—more intense than usual—led by Frederica, Wilbart, and Hinata, unleashes an assault far exceeding the expected power of Shin’s usual technique.
"Should be heavily reinforced... tough one, this."
Responding to the damage, a swarm of red bullets, equal in number to Shin’s attack, rushes back in retaliation.
"Ha! Don’t underestimate me!"
He accelerates the swords stationed around him, deflecting the red bullets. He shifts the swords serving as footholds to dodge those that slip through. A natural motion, as if each sword moved and counterattacked on its own. This was skill honed over long years, fighting with nothing but the Crack Sword as his sole focus.
"Kasumi!"
"Aa!"
While maintaining defense and evasion, Shin arranges the remaining swords in a stair formation, creating a foothold for Kasumi and supporting her attack.
"Blood Knife!"
Climbing the sword staircase, he strikes the aberrant form with a whip-like liquid blade, leaving a deep wound.
The bullets aimed at Kasumi follow the same pattern. Kasumi counters with a different approach, distinct from Shin’s.
"First Cut • Mirage!"
A teleportation targeting an enemy. Not a swift movement like Cover Move. No path exists for this. The bullets meant to strike Kasumi vanish. She is not caught. She is allowed to appear directly before her target. Her heavy blow slices through the torso.
“This is… not quite as formidable as the Demon King…!”
An attack blessed with the highest-tier buff is never light. Yet it will take some time still to fell the aberration before her. Her estimation comes from the aberration’s high HP and defense, judged by the damage inflicted and the remaining HP bar.
The battlefield’s overall state is also considered. She does not wish to prolong the fight. A bombardment from the general commanding from anywhere, pushing forward the two who press the assault, strikes.
“[Ancient Weapon]!”
Blue laser sears the alien form. Maple, able to move freely and wield long-range attacks, floats in midair under Hinata’s Gravity Control, securing a position to fire across all enemies, joining the assault between defensive maneuvers.
Reacting to a side attack, the alien halts movement entirely, turning its head toward Maple.
It is a large opening, revealed amidst the relentless, breathless combat.
“Wen—Invisible Sword!”
“Triple Sword—Lonely Moon! Fourfold Sword—Cyclone!”
Shin presses forward, applying additional damage, using the Crack Sword previously reserved for defense. Kasumi leaps with skill, launching repeated strikes.
No need to concern themselves with what lies behind. No need to worry about their own safety. Maple is the target. Even if an attack is launched, it matters not.
The conditions for focusing solely on dealing damage were perfectly aligned.
The repeated strikes driven into Maple once more drew the attention of the two. They would not fall, of course, but they had advanced significantly toward the goal of eliminating the aberration.
"Good support. Honestly, you'd never guess she was a great shield user!"
"I agree. Keep chipping away at it. To reach victory, we must reach the Demon King."
"Right. No time to dawdle!"
The cannon-like arms and head shifted with a metallic groan, reshaping into two barrels.
Accepting the transformation of their summoned subordinate as natural, the two turned their focus to eliminating the immediate threat before them, so they might move toward the Demon King.
Velvet, Drag, and Lily face off against a slender, unnatural being wielding a red staff. Each time it strikes the ground with the staff, a crimson magic circle unfolds. It summons unnatural creatures one after another, just as the Demon King does. An enemy resembling a subordinate of the Demon King.
“[Aurora]!”
A column of lightning erupts centered on Velvet. Electric pulses race through all enemies within range. This is one of Velvet’s powerful techniques, capable of instantly eliminating ordinary foes. Yet the main body, and the underling summoned by the staff-wielding unnatural, survive.
“[Earth Wave]!”
Drag’s skill causes the ground to ripple. It splits open and erupts like shrapnel, hurling stones outward.
The damage is not great. The important part is that every enemy struck is knocked back.
“[Simultaneous Barrage]”
Summoning is not the privilege of enemies alone. The soldiers Lily has arrayed scatter bullets, gradually wearing down the aberrations alongside Velvet’s relentless lightning.
"Not bad. If we hold firm, the storm of lightning will wear down even their core!"
"Knockback. A fine ability. To be able to defend freely—no wonder you’re one of the top warriors of the Gathering Holy Sword."
Drag’s passive grants knockback to all his skills. Once he unleashes a area attack, no one can approach properly unless they negate the knockback.
Normally, he would follow up with a lunge to exploit a disrupted stance. But this time, his role is simply to deny approach.
The staff, once a single weapon, now splits into two. The number of summoned aberrations increases. Lily keeps pace with the rising summoning rate, but the growing disparity in durability among her summoned troops begins to affect the line of battle.
This way, it’ll take quite some time! If possible, I’d prefer to target the enemy directly…!
I can clear a path! Though there’s risk involved.
Still, we must aim. If anything goes wrong, I’ll recover them with [Formation Shift]. If we keep being pushed back, the situation will worsen.
Lily swings her banner high. Supports the charge of the two.
…Got it!
Then let’s go!
[Electric Acceleration]!
The burst of lightning increases Velvet and Drag’s speed. They dash toward the towering aberration holding a staff, beyond the endless tide of creatures.
[Quick Factory] [Reproduction] [Toy Soldiers] [Sand Swarm] [Simultaneous Barrage]!
Lily chants her skills in fluid motion. Instantly summoning a vast number of troops, she scatters bullets like rain.
【Ancient Weapon】【Seeping Chaos】【Attack Initiated】!
Hah. Still impressive power, as always.
Please do your best!
Ah! That’s enough!
Lily waved her banner high as the two charged forward. Signal to Maple and Hinata.
The strongest force summoned was Maple. Her relentless aerial assault struck alongside Lily’s soldiers’ gunfire, inflicting damage and driving back the aberrations.
【Split Earth】! 【Grand Lance】!
【Thunderclap】!
Those that could be felled were felled. Those that needed only to be stalled were knocked back by Drag.
Rocks spearing upward from the ground. Columns of lightning spreading radially. The two advanced, scattering damage across the wide front.
【Burn Axe】! Here! Get out of the way, get out of the way!
【Heavy Dual Strike】! I’ll be passing through!
Thrown back, thrown back—two who forced a path through the wreckage are pursued from behind by a surviving aberration.
“[Additional Summoning][Puppet Wall]!”
Lily summoned soldiers to block their path. They split apart instantly and reformed into a thick wall, severing the two from the aberration.
“No interference. I’ll be the one to face it. Not satisfied with that?”
With no need to watch their backs, the two focus solely on the enemy before them.
“[Charge]! [Full Swing]!”
Drag steps forward in front of Velvet, engaging the aberration wielding a staff first. As a summoner, close combat is clearly not his strength. The axe he raises meets the blow head-on, sending him soaring straight upward.
Not a knockback—knockup. The aberration, lifted high, can do nothing but accept a free fall.
“[Battle Spirit Awakening]!”
A burst of explosive aura. Velvet waits below, fists clenched, ready for the descent.
“[Explosive Smash]!”
Velvet’s highest-damage skill. A heavy blow strikes the aberration, delivering damage far beyond the lash of thunderous rain. The aberration writhes, its body twitching as a third and fourth arm, each holding a staff, form—but this is beyond the comprehension of the two.
“[Power Axe]!”
With a deep thud, Drag’s axe briefly halts the aberration’s body, lifted by Velvet’s fist, then sends it soaring again into the air.
“Keep doing that until you die.”
“The next strike… here it comes!”
Velvet readies her fist once more, crackling with lightning. She waits, poised.
If it endures, then it will break. Until that moment, keep it still. Keep striking.
A simple plan—thus lacking countermeasures—violent in its directness. The result holds value only in that it focused solely on attack, leaving defense entirely to Lily.
They chose to answer the enemy’s destruction with their own selfless defense.