✦ ✦ ✦
Each slice was as deep as it was sharp. Even as the flaming spears scorched her, she ripped through the king’s HP.
The instant the last blow landed, Sally made a new foothold for Kasumi, who jumped again, positioning herself diagonally above the reeling king.
“Seventh Blade: Pulverize!”
Her katana swung down from above, a direct hit on the king’s shoulder—slamming her into the ground below. This also gave Kasumi the distance she needed to recover—and set things up for their main attackers. The twins had been waiting for this.
“You handle the air!”
“We’ll handle this!”
Kanade’s barriers and Iz’s items blocked the rain of fire while Maple and Chrome soaked the flames from the fore.
While Sally and Kasumi kept the king busy, they’d closed in—all for this moment.
““Farshot!””
An inescapable broadside. The twins’ sixteen-hit barrage—right after Kasumi’s twelve.
The powerful shock wave ripped through the king’s health and slammed her into the far wall once more.
Yet all could clearly see that the boss still had HP remaining.
“……to the bitter end. Expanding this room was worthwhile!” the king’s voice echoed.
The flame walls parted, and a massive black dragon’s head emerged. A moment later, sharp-clawed legs and massive wings. The king had fully transformed, and the sheer bulk of her dragon form clearly needed this much space.
She took to the sky, and a roar shook the room, shattering all barricades and Ice Pillars.
Her jaws yawned open, and within were roiling flames. Everyone knew what that meant.
“Please, Maple!”
“Quick Change!”
““Heal!””
Maple changed to her white armor, increasing her HP—which Sally and Kanade instantly topped up. By now, the king’s red-hot breath was threatening to turn the entire room into a sea of fire.
Destruction well over what any ordinary means could block.
Fight the extraordinary with the extraordinary.
Maple Tree had an ultimate weapon that defied all reason.
“Aegis!”
Light burst into a dome over all eight heads, soaking the red-hot flames.
An AOE invincibility move. The most powerful possible defense—Maple nullified the boss’s ultimate move. The battle was now in its final phase. Clearly, they could afford no mistakes on the path to victory against this foe.
“Stay focused, Maple.”
“Will do!”
One final push. With their eyes on the dragon boss, Maple Tree raised their weapons.
✦ ✦ ✦
Maple’s strongest defensive skill, Aegis, had canceled out the king’s breath attack, but the dragon’s maw above was already brimming with flames again. If it had more attacks like the one Aegis had blocked, there was little they could do. Perhaps the next one wouldn’t one-shot them, but they lacked the resources to keep Mai and Yui safe until the fight was done.
Without Martyr’s Devotion, any defensive measures would work against them.
“Breath attacks?”
“We can handle those!”
The rain of fire continued unabated, and the twins were helpless against that. But they did have a means of countering the breath itself.
“Right! Kanade, Iz, back ’em up!”
“On it!”
“I can buy a bit of time!”
““Cover!””
Iz’s items and Kanade’s spells blocked the flames. Maple and Chrome’s shields blocked still more. A moment later—there was a fwoosh, and all-consuming fire breath descended from the king.
“You first, Mai!”
“I know!”
Mai leaped out from behind Chrome, eight hammers at the ready.
She didn’t flinch, eyes on the approaching flames. Her hammers swung.
“Titan’s Lot!”
The hammers hit the flames. The breath had exceptional destructive force, but so did Mai.
She’d sacrificed speed, durability, adaptability—all manner of things—so that her attack might be far beyond what any player was meant to have. Her hammers hit the flames and deflected them back at the king.
“With me!” Sally yelled, leading Mai and Yui forward.
The king’s AOEs were only getting bigger. The breath was flashy and powerful, but not all of this worked against them.
“It’s so big we don’t need to set you up!”
Kasumi’s Blood Blade banished the flames. Sally made walls with spells, momentarily making some room.
They no longer needed any elaborate setups.
The boss they were targeting was now huge and not nearly as fast. The twins could easily hit her.
““Farshot!””
Plus, she was low on health. They were within shooting distance of victory. Best to go for burst damage and a quick win.
“Full Deploy! Ancient Weapon!”
With Aegis done, Maple swapped her gear back and added Ancient Weapon to the barrage.
“Gonna borrow that! Full Deploy! Reality Twister!”
“Same!”
“I’ll back you up!”
Sally deployed copies of Maple’s weapons, adding to the cover fire. Iz was blasting bombs, and Kanade started mixing in attack spells with the defensive ones.
“Multi-Cover!”
Chrome bought time for them to rack up damage. Still the king’s HP held out and they all saw the signs of another breath attack coming.
They’d expected as much.
This time, Yui stood before the encroaching fires. What Mai could do, so could Yui. Success was guaranteed.
“Titan’s Lot!”
This time, Yui batted back the inferno. Scored by her own fires, the king lost significant HP. All hoped this would be enough to down her, but a tiny bit of HP remained. As she righted herself, flames sparked in the king’s mouth and gushed from the burning walls behind her.
“Shoot…!”
“Maple!”
“Atrocity!”
At Sally’s cry, Maple took monster form and bounded ahead. The flames hit her, and her sheer bulk blocked the rest.
Seven players in her shadow escaped harm, and Maple charged at the king through the fires.
The king’s flames and claws struck first. But Maple’s defenses ignored them both, and she leaped at the king in the air.
Maple breathed fire of her own, burning the king, and her claws sliced the boss’s flanks.
“How’s that?!”
Maple’s teeth sank into the king’s throat.
And that polished off the last of the HP bar. The dragon king reverted to human form.
The fiery walls died down, and the room returned to its original size.
All signaled that the fearsome battle was finally done.