In the clearing Kanade guarded, his black sparks were demolishing buildings all around, turning the town into a heap of rubble.
“Scorcher.”
“Purple Bolt!”
“Superspeed, Slow Field, Calamity Cannon.”
Thanks to his speed boost and the speed debuff, Kanade gained a velocity advantage, dodging Mii and Velvet’s attacks. Maintaining distance from the enemy racing through the catastrophe storm, he buried some stragglers with a white laser beam.
“You’ve got one of everything!”
“Well, not everything. Death’s Reaper.”
At Kanade’s call, a bloodstained scythe appeared at Velvet’s throat.
“—!”
“Good reflexes.”
Just before the scythe slit her throat, Velvet managed to lean back, out of the way.
Pure reflexes were the only way to dodge something that unpredictable.
“Mii, this ain’t getting us anywhere!”
“Velvet, if you go all out, that’ll give us an opening.”
Both guild’s members offered suggestions, and they decided the attack was worth the risk.
There was no telling how long Kanade would be generating these black sparks, and they didn’t have time to wait for the skill to run out. They needed to end this fight, here and now.
“Spark Impetus!”
Velvet sped up all the allies around her, and the whole group charged at Kanade.
Mii hopped on Ignis, flying higher.
“Mother Nature! Tornado!”
Kanade summoned giant vines to block their paths, then followed up with a literal tornado. Once they were immobilized, they’d fall prey to the sparks. But this went for Kanade, too—the girl he was facing was all about electric storms. And he had no desire to be caught within range of her attacks.
“Cover Move! Cover!”
As she charged in, other players shielded her, the sparks on the wind scorching their bodies.
“Thanks!” she said, not breaking stride. Taking Kanade down was the one way she could repay the favor. “Dart! Superspeed!”
Velvet sped up and found Kanade in range of her bolts.
“Mass Spell Barrier! Ground Lance!”
“Parry!”
His barriers blocked the lightning, and a spear made of rock shot from the ground, making her flinch.
But Velvet used a skill to null Kanade’s attack, and make that last step in.
“Mighty Blow!”
“Blink.”
“Hnggg?!”
Leaving an afterimage behind, Kanade moved to the rear.
Velvet’s fist swept through empty air, but a volley of spells chased after him.
“““Crimson Wave!”””
A wave of fire—a Flame Empire trademark. Maybe a third of the total force had been eliminated, but plenty of players remained with access to powerful magic.
But as powerful as these spells might be, at this distance evasion was possible.
Kanade dodged easily, refocusing on Velvet’s lightning rain before the flames died down.
“Thunderclap!”
A column of lightning spread out around Velvet. Black sparks shot in, aiming for the post-skill lag and scorching the players who’d stepped in to defend her. They knew they weren’t winning this fight without losses, and were all prepared to sacrifice themselves to earn the ultimate victory.
“Inferno Cage!”
“……!”
With multiple AOEs giving him no room to maneuver, and Mii not attacking at all, he’d momentarily lost track of her. And the moment he did, a massive fiery prison surrounded him.
“Invulnerability won’t work.”
Kanade’s memories told no lies. He knew he had no skills to escape this predicament. He was trapped inside this burning cage.
“Hmm, if I could move like Sally, I’d have won.”
“If there were two of her, that would suck!”
“Heh-heh, true enough.”
Still, he’d bought a solid chunk of time. And so, placing his faith in Maple, Kanade vanished.
“Let’s go!”
Velvet led the charge toward the castle.
Kanade had laid down a zone at the entrance that no one could enter, so naturally, there was no one around.
“Mii! I wanna hit ’em first!”
“Agreed. I’ll burn the players in the castle interior.”
“And I’ll hit the ones out front!”
Realizing Kanade was eliminated, players at the castle began preparing spells, hoping to fend them off.
“Overcharge!”
This would run her out of lightning, but by then, this event would be over. With Velvet at full strength, the sky above her lit up, waiting for her to wield the power of the thunder god.
“Electromagnetic Leap!”
She threw herself forward, not about to let anyone escape.
“Thor’s Hammer!”
A column of lightning connected heaven and earth. Players used every skill at their disposal in a desperate bid to defend against it, even as Thunder Storm’s rank and file charged right in without a moment’s pause.
They knew Velvet’s strengths and how to take advantage of them.
“Raaaugh!”
“Over there, get ’em!”
“Gah…!”
“Dammit…!”
Players caught in the lightning were blinded even if they survived it. Teamwork with Velvet involved closing in swiftly and hitting those players the moment their invulnerability skills ran out.
When the light died down, none lived to tell the tale. That was how their guild fought. Only the exceptional could dodge this combo at first sight.
And if they’d backed off out of range, they wouldn’t catch up to Velvet before she reached the throne room. They didn’t have to care about escape routes—any players giving chase were as good as defeated already.
“Noice! You’re all the best!”
“No time for talk! Move!”
“I know!”
They raced up the stairs toward the castle. Ignis had swooped up ahead to the plaza outside, wreathing Mii in phoenix fire.
“Fire Unto Me! Raging Inferno!”
Her flames cleansed the entrance, burning through the doors and racing down the corridors. Lighting up all the rooms nearby, Mii’s attack provided no escape. Anything in range was incinerated.
They had no time to waste clearing corners.
“Mii, I’m going in!”
“Remember the shortest route!”
They knew the layout. Down this hall, up those stairs, round that corner.
Then—
“Multi-Firebolt!”
“Cover Move! Cover!”
“Augh, if only that had downed ’em…”
Frederica was waiting outside the throne room proper, in a wide area with many branching passages. And not just waiting.
Chrome and a whole row of great shielders were lined up in front of her.
“How are you here?!” Velvet yelped.
“Ha-ha…we had a pleasant flight.”
The Yui Express Sphere had landed right outside the castle. While Kanade bought time, they’d been running down the halls.
Kanade had hung on just long enough for them to slide into the final fight.
“Time to make one last stand! Necro, Burst Flame!”
“Multi-Firebolt! Notes, Amplify, Round!”
““Cover!””
The enemy great shielders soaked Chrome and Frederica’s fires.
There was no room to dodge here, but that went both ways.
“Purple Bolt!”
“Pyre!”
“““Cover!”””
Fire and lightning filled the hall. No one could soak that and live. Each second counted; each player sacrificed meant another lived a little longer. Each attack halved the number of defenders still standing, but until they hit their limit, they’d make sure Frederica could dish out damage.
“Electromagnetic Leap!”
““Superspeed!””
“Don’t let ’em slip by you!”
Players put their bodies on the line, pushing back.
Chrome planted himself in Velvet’s path, shield raised, short sword swinging.
“Double Whammy! Chained Strike!”
“Gah…!”
Two hard hits to his shield, and the lightning shattered his HP.
““Crimson Wave!””
“Pyre!”
“Chrome!”
“Spirit Light! Cover!”
Nulling the damage and guarding Frederica, he weathered the flames. But Velvet shot through the inferno, slamming her fists home just as his invulnerability ran out.
“Multi-Heal!”
“Ack, I got no luck,” Chrome swore, knocking Velvet away with his shield. Dead or Alive had failed to kick in on the first strike, and he’d used up Indomitable Guardian.
“Push through!”
“Necro, Dead Weight!”
“Multi-Firebolt! Multi-Wind Blade!”
“No matter!”
Frederica’s spells claimed many a life. Paying that no heed, they cast spell after spell, downing her defenders one after another.
“Mighty Blow! Discharge!”
If they got through here, it was all over. Velvet sidestepped Chrome’s shield, landing her fist on his side and sending him flying. A barrage of spells followed, robbing him of health.
Chrome slammed against the wall, drubbed by a multi-hit lightning combo.
Dead or Alive had let him persist through several decisive hits, but he could feel his vision going black.
“Damn, that was a good strat.”
As he vanished, Mii’s fireballs bore down on Frederica.
“Flame Empress!”
“M-Multi-Barrier!”
“Gotcha!”
“Augh…!”
Frederica had put up barriers against Mii’s attack, and Velvet slid under them. A punch from one side sent her flying away.
She was a pure mage build and could not withstand a blow like that. She went crashing into a suit of armor.
The throne room was exposed, and Velvet burst in.
✦ ✦ ✦
Back at the watery nature kingdom, the heart of the collapsing castle bore its own battle. Lily had her troops filling the throne room, making this their side’s last stand.
Crack. Snap. Sounds that should not be shuddered through the air as a grotesque face peered through a hole in the wall.
Pain and Sally led the wave, followed by monsters Lily could not defeat.
“Holy Condemnation!”
“Superspeed!”
No need for detailed strategies. Pain blew aside the summons, and Sally ran through the gap.
“Reproduce. Retainer Rampart.”
Making physical walls, Lily tried to buy every second she could.
“Oboro, Spirited Away.”
Sally burned another of her pet’s skills, slipping right through the wall.
If only her flag could land but a single hit—Lily’s hands clenched on the pole, already certain that was impossible.
“Awaken. Mandate: Apocalypse Fire.”
Lily staggered from the strain, as flames filled the room. Even Sally could not dodge without the space to do so.
“Leap!”
Before the flames caught her, Sally jumped.
She soared right over Lily’s head, toward the throne.
“That, I can…”
The flames were everywhere. If the Sally overhead was false, they’d have killed her.
Summoning the last of her strength, she thrust her spear upward.
“Substitute!”
“Wha……!”
Sally was replaced by a girl in black armor as Lily’s spear struck its mark right in the chest.
And did no damage.
The ultimate defensive build sailed right on overhead, rolling to a stop against the throne.
An instant later, fanfare rang out—proof that Maple’s side had won.
✦ ✦ ✦
“We were one step away!” Velvet wailed.
She was pounding on the barrier just before the throne.
This wall had stopped her short even as she leapt toward her goal.
She turned back to find Frederica rolling across the ground, wand aimed at her—one HP remaining.
“How are you still alive?!”
“Hahh…hahh…I’ve got good luck…and you can blame Chrome, too.”
“Grr, that dude is so tenacious!”
At the moment of his death, he’d used Pigeon Post to send a skill to Frederica: Dead or Alive. This let Frederica survive a blow she should not have. Knowing she had that skill, Frederica had intentionally jumped into that suit of armor to hide the effect of it activating.
She’d counted on her luck, summoned the last of her strength, and bought one further moment that had changed the final outcome.
The event was over, and all players were surrounded by light that would take them back to the regular map.
✦ ✦ ✦
