The Order of the Holy Swords led the way, followed by several other large guilds. Their guild masters were all working closely to ensure a smooth march forward. As they neared the walls of their enemy’s base, they finally caught sight of the army Lily had teleported away. Naturally, there were also plenty of players who had stayed behind to defend the town. At that moment, every guild master was on the same page: take down the retreating force before it could merge with the defenders.
“Charge! After me!”
Pain touched base one last time with allied guild masters and then yelled the order.
With berserk allied monsters on their side, the front line roared into the thick of battle.
“Tornado!”
“Tidal Wave!”
Even among basic spells, these were powerful, and the goal in using them here was to block the army’s approach.
But the charge could not be stopped. As shields blocked the spells and barriers were cast, the gap quickly closed.
“Goooo!” Maple yelled, cheering them on from the back of the main force. She wasn’t there simply to boost morale, though—she had Glow of Deliverance lighting up the ground as proof of her protection. With a sharp damage reduction and an autoheal in effect, the charge wouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon.
“Lightning Rain!”
Bolt after bolt crashed down from the sky above as the rumble of thunder shook the very air. Healing spells flew thick and fast in a desperate bid to keep pace with the frequent bolts.
As long as they didn’t die instantly and their healers still had MP, they could soak this storm.
“Can’t reach all the way back!”
Spells were coming fast and furious but losing power before they reached Chrome.
He was taking point and protecting Yui, Iz, and Kanade, but no ordinary attacks could hope to reach them from this distance. He was watching out for the extraordinary.
But given the last battle, something about the situation felt odd to him.
“Where’d Mii go?”
There was no sign of her fire spells. His first thought was a surprise attack, so he scanned their surroundings.
It didn’t take long to spot her.
There was Ignis, soaring high in the sky and trailing rising flames in its wake.
“Pain!” Chrome yelled and someone else sent Pain a message.
“They’re actually going for it?”
Mii had left the battle a step ahead of them, taking a few guild members with her to fly off and attack their castle.
“Forget her! Attack!”
“Don’t falter!”
The guild masters shouted to their forces, rallying them to keep pushing ahead.
All of them had known Mii might take this option, but they could only consider it a swift path to her own defeat.
Attacking their base required incredible DPS. And to those left here, Mii’s absence made things much easier. After all, they had far more people attacking this castle—in this race to the throne, they held the advantage. Thus, their call was to maintain this offensive.
✦ ✦ ✦
In the town ahead, Lily had somehow made it through the gate.
“They’re all yours!” she yelled at Velvet’s back.
“You just do your thing! I got this!”
They’d made it in time. Now all they had to do was carry out their plan to turn the tide of war, and they’d win this from behind.
Sparks began radiating out across the ground around Velvet.
Polar Flash? Thor’s Hammer again? Each had proved their destructiveness in the prior battles. Players at the front line hesitated, not wanting to step any closer.
“Ah-ha! It’s on! Lightning Channel!”
A series of powerful bolts, one strike after another, surged past where Maple Tree stood, finally striking far, far across the field.
It was a high-speed transport skill and allowed her to carry allies to a spot she’d marked ahead of time.
She’d used the same skill to flee town earlier, but now she was using it to attack.
Before their very eyes, Velvet abandoned the base, flying instead to aid Mii in her attack.
Their numbers had been steadily declining, so holding out had never been a practical option. In which case, better to go for broke, leave their defenses thin—and gamble on a swift strike.
“All Armies Attack!”
From her flying machine atop the walls, Lily activated a skill.
Well aware the previous battle was a losing fight, she’d kept this in reserve for the town defense as soldier after soldier filled the streets within the walls.
Wilbert had given his life because he knew Lily was vital to the success of this plan.
“I’m good at buying time. The longer you take, the better for us!”
The distance to the throne room was still quite far. Which side would break through the town defenses faster? Their only choice was to play into the enemy’s plans.
If this plan failed, there were no more chances. Players riding tamed monsters came charging out of the town gates or flew overhead, and even the most fragile player primed for mutual annihilation.
To thwart this reckless plan and seize victory, Maple’s side threw themselves into the fray.