Defense specialization and Demon King Four.
While attending to the whole battlefield, Sally continued the high-speed combat with Dread.
The summoned aberration wielded hooked claws at the ends of its unnaturally long arms, attacking relentlessly from a speed surpassing both of them.
Of all the summoned aberrations, it was the two who reacted to the one that moved with exceptional speed.
Cutting off the route to [One Night Castle], they engaged in a delicate exchange without using any skills. Skill cooldowns would be fatal against this opponent.
Exploiting the applied buffs and debuffs, they chipped away at the enemy’s HP—slowly, yet surely.
When the aberration lunged, Dread stepped forward without hesitation, evading the hooked claws and countering with a slash that severed the arm.
When the aberration swung back with momentum toward Sally, its claw was struck precisely and knocked aside, leaving deep wounds across its body.
Their styles are nearly identical when facing such an opponent. They deflect the enemy’s attack. Secure a safe margin. Deliver a precise counter.
“……!”
The wounded HP triggers the next motion. Spinning, it slashes with claws at the surrounding area. Both step back in unison, avoiding the strike. As they advance again, they simultaneously sense it.
“[Ice Spike]!”
“Shadow [Hide]!”
Sally ascends. Dread vanishes into shadow. Yet both feel the danger. They do not hesitate. They act solely on that awareness.
Dread’s form disappears like [Divine Speed]. Deep claw marks scar the ground in succession. As the motion slows, the aberration’s speed drops. Its form becomes visible.
“Troublesome…”
“We can manage if we keep distance… Or we could simply repel it.”
“Ah… that’s not bad either.”
“Suggested it, but can we manage it?”
“Since the first time we crossed blades, haven’t I been improving?… Learning it was troublesome.”
Though she added that she wasn’t as flawless as Sally, Dread seemed confident.
Just as Sally had copied Dread’s instinctive dodge, Dread had learned the parry—executed with extraordinary precision—from Sally.
“I understand. I believe.”
“Ah, good. Let’s do it.”
“Yes.”
The aberration accelerates again. Closes the distance in an instant. Swings invisible clawed limbs.
A high-pitched shriek as Dread deflects it.
“Hah!”
The short sword, swung past in passing, scatters damage effects through the air, trailing a luminous afterglow.
“Made it easy on me, didn’t you?”
Sally deflects the invisible claw with the same ease. The damage effects radiating from Dread’s wound mark the path, but if it were that simple, she would not be here.
Each attack aimed at them only adds more wounds. When speed drops and form becomes visible, it is the aberration that bears the marks—body torn open, a ruin of flesh.
“If you have no more tricks, keep attacking until you die.”
“No need. Having them would only be trouble.”
They stand side by side, weapons raised. Come. Throw yourselves into death.
No powerful attack skill, no magic, no invincibility, no healing—none required.
Only faith in their skill.
They are not built to be broken by some underling of a demon lord. The strongest weapon, the only one they rely on—their combat skill alone—presses the high-speed aberration into a corner.
The aberration's relentless assault, delivered without pause, only accelerates the rate at which damage accumulates—driving itself ever closer to death.
Maple, among those with exceptional ability, and Pain, who stands out even among them for combat prowess, face the demon lord head-on. A single aberration, wielding a large spear and shield, blocks the path with unyielding defense and precise, brutal offense.
"【Shattering Holy Sword】!"
Pain swings the holy sword downward. The aberration guards with perfect timing, countering with a red spear thrust that pierces Pain’s shoulder, freezing him in place with a skill animation, scattering damage effects.
Yet, Pain’s innate high stats, and multiple damage-cutting skills—including passive abilities—activate, reducing the wound to minimal harm.
Pain’s life remains far from danger, even if struck several times. By the time this continues, Mizari’s recovery will be complete.
HP does not diminish significantly upon impact. Pain’s overwhelming baseline stats, combined with multiple damage-reduction skills—including passive abilities—render the wound negligible. There is no weakness to exploit.
“[Guardian Holy Sword]!”
Avoiding the shield’s guard while receiving the spear, he twists the blade into position. If both inflict damage, the aberration without recovery or damage mitigation will succumb first. A no-guard exchange, yet the advantage lies with them.
“[Flame Emperor]! [Eruption]!”
Mii’s blazing flames envelop the aberration. Accelerated by [Flare Accelerator], Mii moves with unnatural agility for a mage, capable of fighting even amidst the chaos of close-range attacks.
Maintaining proper distance, striking from beyond the spear’s range, she rains down fire unrelentingly.
Pain, pressing close despite the risk of damage, forced the enemy into brutal melee, leaving Mii free to strike.
“[Flame Lance]! [Great Flame]!”
It mattered not if the shield was raised. No hesitation, no delay.
She pressed high-damage magic, ignoring form changes, shattering the body.
The demon with the great shield, guarding the demon lord visible in the rear, continuing to cast spells. That was the target. Not the creature before them.
“[Scorching Heat]!”
“[Radiant Holy Sword]!”
The certainty that they would not lose in a simple battle of attrition drove both forward without doubt.
They nullified the enemy’s growing damage by layering self-healing and damage reduction. At last, Pain and Mii dispelled the creature before them. They stepped forward, one step ahead, toward the demon lord.
"Mi, send this aberration flying."
"Ah. Full power."
"「[Awakening]!」"
The Bond Bridge of the two glowed. Ray and Ignis appeared.
"Ray [Flow of Light] [Full Mana Release]"
"Ignis [My Body to Flame]"
Pain was enveloped by the light of the sacred dragon. Mii was wrapped in the fire of the phoenix. Damage and attack range of both surged further.
Pain's holy sword blazed. Mii's staff erupted with flame.
At the critical point, it became a devastating strike forward.
"【Holy Dragon's Light Blade!】"
"【Destructive Great Flame!】"
Blinding light and flame filled the field of vision.
The maximum power of the two shattered the giant shield held by the aberration guarding the demon lord, along with everything else.
A zone of burning damage, imbued with the effect of a holy sword's assault on the demon lords.
The impact of this strike should be decisive. The resistance is palpable. The two watch beyond the white and red glow, awaiting the demon lord's emergence.
A single shadow, like a bullet, pierces through the two colors of light. From behind the giant shield—blown apart by their attack—a demon emerges, wings sprouting from its back, scattering damage effects, laughing as it flies at high speed.
Though its HP is slightly reduced, the damage is insufficient to match the power of the two attacks unleashed. The positioning suggests it avoided the direct hit, relying on the aberration as cover. Close combat is exactly what Pain desires.
“[Scorching]! [Crimson Wave]!”
Mii fires from behind Pain. A wave-like area attack, but the Demon Lord charges straight into Mii’s flames, swinging both swords to extinguish the blaze.
“Ah…!”
As Pain readies his blade, the Demon Lord accelerates abruptly, vanishing from sight in an instant.
A technique resembling Divine Speed. Nothing prevents a being of such aberration from wielding it.
“Rei, [Holy Guardian]!”
A defensive skill activated on instinct. The two blades of the显现 Demon Lord, bypassing the sword held in defense, slice deep into Pain’s shoulder, scattering massive damage effects.
Pain’s HP, unshaken by countless thrusts from the aberration’s spear, drops to sixty percent.
The weight of the sword Sally senses becomes visible as damage.
The blow would have been fatal had it not been for Pain. Grimacing at the damage, Pain attempts a counterattack.
Ducking backward as the sword swings down, the Demon King lunges through the brief opening.
Unnaturally high mobility. Attack power. Damage reduction and recovery—too far beyond the threshold for damage trade to be viable. Facing the fully extended twin blades, Pain searches her hand, as always, for the best move.
“【Cobalt Move】!”
In that instant, the clash between Demon King and Hero. A joker intrudes upon the life-or-death battle.
Maple, having made up for the distance Pain and Mii covered, leaps into the gap between the Demon King and Pain, compressing space with 【Gravity Control】.
“Yaaah!”
Receiving the same high-speed sword technique as Pain, yet her HP does not drop.
Maple shatters the damage trade with a method no one else can replicate, slamming her great shield forward.
By exploiting her unique status, she need not consider defense at all—her attack comes swift. The direct blow of the swung shield activates 【Evil Consumption】, and the Demon King’s HP drops sharply.
A card even 【Gathering Holy Sword】 lacks. Maple’s fierce counter strikes deep into the Demon King’s abdomen, forcing it to retreat.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah! Thank you!”
“Maple, Pain! Watch out—here it comes again!”
The three guildmasters fix their gaze upon the front line. The Demon King erupts with a vast, crimson aura from its twin blades—same hue as the dress.
The magic circle designed for firing projectiles that summon aberrations faded, dissolving into nothingness.
A clean hit from Maple’s [Greed] had triggered the shift to the next attack pattern.
Small aberrations dwindled under the continuous spell. The specially summoned aberrations, each displaying flawless response, were one by one destroyed. The Demon King turned his aura-flaring sword toward the front.
Immediately, a massive magic circle unfolded beneath Maple and the others. Not spanning the entire room, but too large to avoid with ease.
[Formation Change]!
The prearranged role. One of the cards, set to be played in sequence when certain conditions were met.
Maple and the others were instantly transported inside the distant [Night Castle] by Lily's skill, witnessing the magic array before them spewing forth a crimson light like flame.
"Thank you so much!"
"Was always the plan. But what now...!"
Lily did not return the thanks, her gaze fixed ahead. An attack pattern utterly unfamiliar, and the magic array on the ground still faintly glowing.
It strongly suggested the reactivation of the earlier wide-area attack.
Fight here, the Demon King had declared.