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Defense Specialization and the Sixth Floor

Having successfully cleared another area, Maple and Sally set their sights on the Sixth Floor. However, the atmosphere in the guild home was tense on the day they decided to tackle the new floor. Maple was slouched on the sofa with a grim expression.

“Sally, what do you think?” Sally asked.

“Mm, uh… ah…” Maple groaned, unable to form a coherent response.

As they waited for Maple’s decision, Chrome, Mai, and Yui entered the guild home.

“Good work, Maple. I heard you finished the Fifth Floor without any issues,” Chrome said.

“Yes! We cleared it in one go, no problems!” Maple replied enthusiastically.

“And without any prior information?” Mai added.

“You’re amazing!” Yui exclaimed.

“Our wide range of adaptability really helped,” Chrome noted. “So, what about the Sixth Floor? Is Maple coming?”

“I… I…” Maple stammered.

“What do you want to do?” Sally pressed gently.

“I’ll go…!” Maple finally declared.

“Are you sure? Will you be alright?” Sally asked, concerned.

“I won’t be okay… but I want to see it through with Sally this time,” Maple resolved. She looked at Sally with determination. While the task at hand was simply entering a horror-themed area, Maple’s decision carried weight for her.

“Got it! I’ll protect you the whole time! Want to stay in my mouth?” Sally offered.

“Yes,” Maple agreed.

“Roger that!”

“Alright, it’s settled. We’ve only got one more push to get the ‘Demon King’s Power.’ It shouldn’t take too long,” Chrome reassured them.

“Mai and Yui, we’re counting on you,” Sally said.

“Yes!” they responded in unison.

“With Maple, you two should have a much easier time. We’re counting on you,” Chrome added.

“Leave it to us!” they replied confidently.

With that, the five of them teleported to the Sixth Floor.

The Sixth Floor

The Sixth Floor was dimly lit, with graveyards scattered everywhere, will-o’-the-wisps floating in the air, and occasional eerie voices echoing in empty spaces. Like the Fourth Floor, its atmosphere was distinctively isolated from other areas, creating a spooky ambiance that affected Maple deeply.

“”Atrocity”!” Maple transformed into her monstrous form.

“Alright… call if you need anything… if you need it,” she muttered, keeping her eyes shut as she climbed into Sally’s open mouth.

The inside of Sally’s mouth, in her “Atrocity” state, was an extremely high-performance shelter, physically blocking all attacks while allowing communication and mobility.

“Ready to go!” Sally announced.

“I’ll guide us to our destination. Just run ahead,” Chrome instructed.

“Okay!” Sally responded.

Sally carried Chrome, Mai, and Yui on her back and sprinted across the field, following Chrome’s directions.

Field Exploration

After running through the field for a while, Chrome instructed Sally to stop. The dim field was dotted with eerie blue flames, and the scattered graveyards indicated where monsters would emerge from. The sky was filled with semi-transparent ghosts, making it clear that the environment was not conducive to Maple’s comfort.

“This time, we need to hunt monsters here. If we can defeat a set number within a certain time, it will lead us to the boss we’re after,” Chrome explained.

“Got it!” Mai and Yui responded.

“Maple and I will use “Provocation” to draw them in. Then, Mai, Yui… and possibly Maple? We’ll rely on you to wipe them out,” Chrome continued.

“Understood!” Mai and Yui confirmed.

“Okay, let’s split up and gather monsters,” Chrome instructed.

“Yes!” they responded.

Chrome and Sally ran in opposite directions, using “Provocation” to draw monsters towards them. Ghosts from the sky and zombies from the ground converged on them, along with faces formed by the flickering blue flames.

“Mai, Yui!” Sally called out.

“Leave it to us!” Mai and Yui responded.

When Chrome and Sally regrouped, they found Mai and Yui wielding eight burning sledgehammers each. With “Helping Hand”, they floated the sledgehammers in the air and swung them at the horde of monsters Chrome and Sally had gathered.

“Hyahh!” they shouted in unison.

The pure, unavoidable force of their hammers vaporized anything they touched, obliterating every monster in sight. Their attacks were more efficient and powerful than any of Maple’s full-power assaults, with no cooldowns to worry about.

With Maple’s “Provocation” and the power of Mai and Yui, the monsters stood no chance. They were eradicated almost instantly.

“You two are amazing!” Sally praised.

“Leave it to us,” Yui said.

“We won’t lose to these monsters,” Mai added.

“Great job, everyone! That’s the first stage cleared. Look at this,” Chrome said, pointing to a blue flame floating in front of him. It wasn’t a monster they had missed, but a guidepost.

“We’ve encountered this before. It will show us the way to the boss,” Chrome explained.

“Monsters will be drawn to us, but with Maple, we can handle them while we move,” Yui added.

“Got it,” Sally said.

“Let’s get going. I’ll provide guidance along the way,” Chrome said, touching the blue flame. It created a path of flames leading them to their next destination.

Sally carried the three on her back, with Maple safely inside her mouth, following the path and clearing monsters with Mai and Yui’s help.

Boss Battle

The path led them to a large hole in the ground. Moans and wails echoed from the bottomless pit, indicating a massive concentration of monsters below.

“We could descend slowly with flying machines, but… that won’t be necessary this time, right?” Chrome asked.

“Leave it to me! “Self-Offering Love”!” Sally responded, extending angelic wings from her monstrous back, ready to absorb the impact of the fall. Chrome had researched the pit beforehand, knowing there was no risk in jumping.

Sally grabbed onto the three securely and leapt into the hole.

After a brief freefall, they landed with a thud, crushing the enemies beneath them. Mai and Yui quickly dealt with the remaining monsters, clearing the area in seconds.

An opening in the wall at the bottom of the pit led further into the dungeon. Sally, still in her “Atrocity” form, could fit through the opening easily.

“It’s convenient to stay in this form, isn’t it? That’s why I left this quest for later,” Chrome explained.

“Thank you!” Sally said.

Chrome’s foresight allowed Sally to keep Maple safe inside her mouth while progressing through the dungeon.

“Sally, will you be fighting?” Chrome asked.

“If needed, yes,” Sally replied. Though she could fight, Mai and Yui’s strength meant she often didn’t have to.

“We’ll make sure you don’t have to,” Chrome assured her.

“Yes!” Mai and Yui echoed.

With Maple’s protection and their eyes scanning the darkness ahead, they moved forward.

“The path is straightforward, but ghosts will emerge from the walls,” Chrome warned.

“We’ll be careful!” Sally said.

“No, you won’t have to,” Chrome countered.

“Huh?” Sally was puzzled but soon understood. As ghosts emerged from the walls, Mai and Yui’s burning hammers instantly obliterated them.

“See? That’s how it was during the Sixth Floor exploration. With Maple here, we shouldn’t have any issues,” Chrome explained.

“Leave it to us!” Mai and Yui assured.

“You’ve got this!” Sally encouraged.

The three worked together seamlessly, advancing through the dungeon with ease.

The Final Battle

The speed at which they reached the boss room was unmatched, thanks to Mai and Yui’s prowess. Unlike the Fifth Floor, where careful observation was needed, here they could move swiftly, eliminating enemies instantly.

“Alright, the boss has a few tricky parts. Listen up,” Chrome began explaining the key points for the upcoming battle. Despite the boss’s damage restrictions, the team had the experience to handle it.

“Ready, Maple?” Chrome asked, feeling a tap from inside Sally’s mouth.

After briefly discussing tactics, they entered the boss room, finding themselves in a murky space littered with bones and poison pools.

As they recalled their fight against the Poison Dragon, the ground rumbled, and a skeletal dragon emerged, glowing with an eerie blue flame.

“Intruders… be gone!” the dragon roared, reanimating the surrounding bones into skeletons.

“First strike wins!” Sally yelled.

“Don’t give them a chance!” Mai and Yui responded, crushing the reanimated skeletons with their hammers while advancing.

Chrome charged ahead, drawing the dragon’s attack to himself. A blue flame gathered in the dragon’s mouth, and it unleashed a powerful breath attack. Chrome, prepared for this, withstood the blast and remained standing.

“Now, go!” he shouted.

Sally transported Mai and Yui closer to the dragon. As the dragon summoned more skeletons, Sally unleashed a torrent of water, clearing the way.

“”Flash Flood””Water Dragon””Wave Ride”!” Sally’s attacks pushed the dragon out of hiding, exposing it to Mai and Yui’s devastating blows.

“”Decisive Battle Mode””Double Strike”!” they shouted, delivering powerful attacks that overwhelmed the dragon’s defenses.

“Wow, impressive… but always better to be safe,” Chrome muttered, watching the dragon disintegrate under the onslaught.

With the dragon defeated, they completed the Sixth Floor with remarkable efficiency, thanks to their teamwork and Maple’s protective abilities.