Defense specialization and Demon King Seven.
When the Demon King dispelled the tempest he had enveloped, the magic circle spread behind him shattered and vanished, and the giant aberration fully liquefied, ceasing all movement.
"Unexpectedly capable, heroes. Too weak for an aberration? Very well."
Red liquid spreading at the Demon King’s feet—just moments ago the aberration—defied gravity, rising into a sphere and enclosing the Demon King within.
"Maple, be careful."
"Yeah. I'm using the Love That Offers the Body...!"
All focus on the Demon King’s movements, each checking their defensive talismans again.
The progression so far has been favorable, and strong defensive measures remain.
As long as they are cautious, instant death should not occur.
From the red sphere before Maple and the others, thick droplets fall with a slow, sticky drip.
One drop. Two drops. As each falls, a thing creeps out from where it strikes the ground.
It is like the bullet the Demon King first unleashed.
Earlier, the thing that emerged from the impact site had been monstrous. Now, it is different.
Before them stands a being identical to the Demon King. Dressed in crimson, wielding twin blades as red as blood, wings spread from their backs. The pressure they emit declares, without question, that such a mass summoning cannot be tolerated.
……!
Sally is the only one who notices the difference between the Demon King’s true form and these duplicates. It is in the reach and thickness of the twin blades they hold. A precision so exact it borders on obsession—the meticulous awareness of attack range, down to the millimeter, developed to evade strikes.
Sally’s eyes caught the slightest difference. The precise observation that had sustained her thus far concluded that the weight of that strike had increased.
Around the red sphere sinking into the core, a barrier resembling a defensive mechanism stretched outward. From the four unfolded magical circles, arms wielding massive swords emerged.
In the second half of the battle, the Demon King, having amplified output, unveiled the full threat within its form, seeking to destroy Maple and the others.
“That might be the phantom penetration attack! Check it, please!”
“Ray!”
Pain, superior in mobility and capable of broad response to unforeseen events, launched from Ray.
“Limitless, then…!”
Though time passed slightly longer, a new droplet began to fall from the sphere. When that droplet falls, another copy of the Demon King will appear.
Over ten copies of the Demon King, Pain rides atop Ray and plunges into the fray.
The Demon King's copies evade Pain's feint, slashing at Ray with twin blades. The attack shifts to Maple, redirected by Love That Offers the Body.
“—!?”
“Light of Healing!?”
“Pain-san, please return!”
“Ah…! I see…! That’s right…!”
Mizari instantly restores Maple’s HP, which had dropped by nearly forty percent, and shields her. Pain, as Sally says, attempts to retreat.
“Melting Wings…!”
“Hellfire Flame…!”
“Thunderclap…!”
“Annihilation Light…!”
By nullifying the pursuing copies’ flight, Hinata leaves Pain as the only one still airborne. Pain gains distance.
Even so, the copies do not cease pursuit. Mii, Velvet, and Kanade’s attacks pierce them.
The powerful strike, forcefully rejecting the three as they halted, firmly stopped the duplicates' movements. Pain’s return was secured.
“[Area Expansion][Ice Wall]!”
“[Ice Spikes]!”
Hinata and Sally sealed Pain’s rear with ice, physically pinning the duplicates in place. In the time gained, Maple and the others must quickly formulate their plan.
“Even if we apply damage cut and reinforce defense… Maple can withstand at most four hits. If we all step forward, it will be dangerous.”
“Ah… even with [Resurrection], if attacks overlap and Maple falls, it will become troublesome.”
Mizari’s recovery could only restore HP after damage had been taken. If HP were fully depleted first, recovery would be impossible.
Once death is reached, the effect of Love That Offers the Body will be lifted. That will greatly influence the battle to come.
"Even if we ignore the main body, we must still attack it. Resources must be allocated to that."
As Sally said, the battle cannot begin without striking the Demon King hidden behind multiple layers of defense. The duplicates are merely duplicates, no matter how many are destroyed. They do not advance the fight.
Pain adds further grim news.
"Those duplicates did not actively target me, even though they were right before us. Likely, they are programmed to focus on the rear."
The rear line has inherently low combat capability when engaged. If an enemy skilled in close combat rushes in, and cannot be eliminated, total annihilation is a common outcome in any guild.
It is difficult to maintain healing spells forward while under attack. Maple, receiving the damage-cut and healing area effects laid at her feet beside Mizari, finds it most stable to guard the rear.
Yet this time, the enemy possesses piercing attacks. To prevent Maple from falling, another guardian must be assigned to deal damage and eliminate the advancing duplicates.
The board grows complex in short time. A single misstep may cause collapse before a conclusion is reached. Amid this, a quiet voice drew all attention.
“Do not worry about the rear. If you can handle the Demon King, it will be fine.”
Markus spoke. His decisive stance—dismissing excessive concern over the duplicates—appeared somewhat unexpected, given his usual demeanor.
She had not simply waited without acting. She was not skilled at rushing forward like the others, nor did she have the luxury of haste—but they had given her time. That was why this castle, the Night Fortress, would not fall so easily. The Empire of Flame fights strongest when it stands firm.
While the aberration and the Demon King were held at bay ahead, the Night Fortress fortified its defenses at the rear, using the time granted. Markus’s traps and Iz’s items formed layered defenses. The fortress now appeared impregnable.
“We trusted you to attack… holding a siege is our strength, but we cannot endure forever…”
“Haha, don’t falter at the very end! That’s what our Markus says. What do you think, Maple?”
Shin, having fought alongside Markus for long, supported his plan and turned to Maple with the question.
"Sally! Come on, attack with the rest of us! If anything happens, your back is secure! I’ll protect you, and you’ll be protected!"
"Got it. Let’s go, Crom!"
"Good. My turn’s finally coming. The Demon King won’t make it easy."
"If the two shieldbearers split now… Notes!"
Maple remained in reserve. The Demon King’s position lay beyond the range of Love That Offers the Body. Frederica had completed her preparations. All was set.
There were two shieldbearers. Now was the time to use their advantage.
Previously, Maple’s defensive reach had held. Now it was time to dismantle the threat with accumulated skill and strategy.
Sally commanded the front. Markus, master of the One-Night Castle, led the rear. Maple and the others split into two groups. They would do their utmost to break the Demon King’s assault.