Defense Specialization and the Depths of the Abyss, Part 3

After applying numerous buffs to the boss and debuffs to themselves, Maple and her team finally arrived in front of the door that marked the entrance to the boss chamber.

“Let’s go over the effects on us one more time before we go in,” Kanade suggested.

“Good idea. I’ll also apply some buffs; it might help to offset some of the disadvantages,” Sally agreed.

“I’ll get out the items we need,” Maple said, pulling out buff items.

As Maple prepared the items, Sally listed the effects imposed by the dungeon. First, there was the enhancement to the boss’s attack power and movement speed. Next was the reduction in the damage Maple and her team could inflict. Then, the decreased effectiveness of healing. Lastly, there was the effect that sealed any skill after it was used once.

None of these debuffs were desirable, but compared to the alternatives, these were the lesser of the evils. The other choices could have drastically weakened Sally, such as reducing HP every time a skill was used, so they were fortunate to have avoided those.

“Alright, we’ve applied all the buffs we can. Let’s stick to the plan,” Kanade confirmed.

“Strike hard and fast. Even if we can’t use that skill twice, once should be enough,” Sally added.

“Let’s do our best!” Maple cheered.

This was the final battle to collect the last “Demon King’s Power.” With determination in their hearts, the three of them entered the boss chamber.

Immediately upon entering, they were greeted by the sight of a massive black cube hovering in the center of the room. Maple and Sally recognized it—it was the boss of the ruins in the Eighth Layer. The déjà vu they had felt throughout the dungeon now made sense.

This was the same black cube from which Maple had ripped the “Ancient Weapon.” Back then, it had transformed into various weapons and attacked, but while this cube was from the same ancient ruins, its core was different. After briefly shifting between various forms—human, weapon, fish, and even the Kraken they had encountered outside—it finally settled into a quadrupedal form resembling a panther.

It was clearly a speed-focused type. Given that its movement speed was already enhanced, letting it move freely would be dangerous.

“Maple!” Kanade called out.

“We’ll be fine,” Sally assured.

“‘Reverse Rebirth’!” Maple activated her skill, and as she did, Sally and Kanade used their flying machines to lift off the ground.

“‘Ancient Path’!”

“‘Ancient Path,’ Oboro, ‘Phantom World,’ ‘Shadow Clone’!”

“‘Green Archer,’ ‘Heavenly Guardian’s Flock’!”

The three of them summoned their respective allies—small in number, but enough to serve as fodder. All of these were reborn into formidable entities, launching the “Maple Tree’s” strongest preemptive strike.

“Release!”

As Maple confirmed that the transformed creatures were crawling out, she lifted the darkness that had enveloped the area, which had even swallowed Sally and Kanade. Though the skill was now sealed, it wasn’t one that could be used multiple times in a single battle anyway, so there was no need to worry.

The swarm of abominations surged forward, closing the space and rushing toward the boss. No matter how fast it was, there was nowhere to run.

“It’s not like we’re aiming for a fair fight. If this takes it down, so be it,” Kanade remarked.

“As long as it can’t push back, we should win,” Sally added.

“Everyone, do your best!” Maple cheered.

Some of the creatures were taken down as the boss thrashed about, but Maple had prioritized keeping herself safe. Besides, even if some of the creatures fell, the “Reverse Rebirth” abominations were still plentiful.

Eventually, the swarm caught up with the boss. In a battle where one side had expendable troops and the other did not, the value of HP was vastly different. Even if ten abominations fell, if they managed to shave off 20% of the boss’s HP, it was a significant gain.

As the boss’s HP dropped below 70%, with plenty of abominations still remaining, a black sphere appeared above the boss, spreading a pale blue light throughout the room. In an instant, the swarm of abominations and all the buffs on the trio were wiped out.

“Ah, things won’t be that easy, huh?” Kanade noted.

“Maple, fortify your defenses! Kanade, get Sou ready,” Sally instructed.

“Okay, leave it to me if anything happens,” Kanade replied.

“Look, it’s transforming again!” Maple exclaimed.

The boss, now in its panther form, sprouted a human figure wielding a spear on its back. As the rider brandished the long spear, the panther charged forward with great speed.

“‘Flame Bullet,’ ‘Wind Cutter’!”

Sally fired off her spells, but with the speed buff, the panther deftly dodged the attacks.

“This sealing effect is a pain… ‘Iron Water Cannon’!”

Every time Sally or Kanade used a skill or spell to keep the boss at bay, that ability was sealed, reducing their options.

Sally, using her flying machine to its fullest, accelerated and closed the distance, drawing the boss’s attacks toward herself.

“Take this! ‘Pinpoint Attack’!”

Sally’s heavy blow pierced the human rider, dealing significant damage. However, the boss’s swift spear work prevented her from following up, and it dashed toward Maple.

“‘Predator,’ ‘Night Parade of One Hundred Demons’!”

Maple summoned her strongest allies that she had not used for “Reverse Rebirth,” sending them charging at the boss. The panther leaped to escape, but its movement was restricted by the sheer number of enemies, including Sally and the monsters Maple had called forth. With the boss’s possible escape routes limited, Kanade was ready.

“‘Seal ・ Steel Anchor.’ I knew you’d try to escape that way. Maple’s minions have quite the reach,” Kanade said with a smile.

A large anchor appeared from the air, its chains rattling as it ensnared the boss and pinned it to the ground. The boss was immobilized for a few seconds, enough time for Kanade to set up an attack.

“My skills can’t be sealed—they’re single-use anyway,” Kanade remarked.

“‘Sextuple Slash’!”

“‘Oozing Chaos’!”

With the boss unable to move, they unleashed a barrage of powerful attacks. Maple’s “Predator” and “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” joined in, surrounding the boss and pummeling it.

As the boss broke free from its restraints, its HP dropped further, triggering another transformation.

Four black spheres floated in the air, resembling simplified suns with triangular spikes orbiting around them. As they began to glow with blue sparks, they each locked onto a target, aiming thin beams of bluish-white light.

“‘Large-Scale Magic Barrier’!”

“‘Icicle’!”

Sally used an ice pillar, Kanade a barrier, and Maple her own body to intercept the incoming lasers.

As they focused on defense, the boss took advantage of the moment and pounced on Kanade with even greater speed than before.

“…! ‘Spirit Light’!”

Kanade narrowly avoided the attack with an invincibility skill, but the panther’s claws and the rider’s spear relentlessly pressed on, trying to finish him off.

Maple, accompanied by her summoned monsters, was the one to intervene and shift the tide.

“Yaaaah!”

“Maple!” Kanade exclaimed.

Accelerating with her flying machine, Maple charged with her large shield, smashing into the panther’s abdomen and tearing through it with “Devour.” At the same time, her “Predator” and the giant demon from “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” struck the boss, ripping it away from Kanade.

“Are you alright?” Maple asked.

“Thanks to you, yes. Let’s go on the offensive with Sally,” Kanade suggested.

“Alright! Leave the defense to me!” Maple responded, stepping forward to protect Kanade and give him the space he needed to cast his spells.

“You’ll regret ignoring us!” Sally shouted.

Dodging the lasers with ease, Sally closed in on the boss, landing successive blows without using her skills. This allowed her to avoid any skill-induced delays, ensuring she could evade the boss’s retaliatory strikes.

“Fast… But speed alone won’t let you hit me,” Sally taunted.

The boss’s sharp spear thrusts and slashing claws couldn’t touch Sally, who prioritized evasion and precision.

With the boss’s attention on Sally, the other two had a clear shot.

Two of the giant demons from “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” absorbed the incoming lasers, allowing Maple to create more time for Kanade. Sally kept the boss’s attacks focused on herself, while Maple physically blocked the lasers, giving Kanade the freedom to act.

“It would be a waste not to let Sou unleash this,” Kanade said, referring to Sou’s next attack.

Standing beside Kanade, Sou—Kanade’s perfect mimic—continued his chant, white magic circles forming at his feet.

“Syrup! ‘Mother Nature’!”

“‘Path of Water,’ ‘Frozen Earth’!”

With Syrup’s help, Maple created massive vines, while Sally froze the water she had conjured, cutting off the boss’s escape routes.

“Sou, ‘Divine Flame’!”

The timing was perfect. As Sou completed his chant, a large white magic circle appeared beneath the boss, and pure white flames erupted from it.

The boss, attempting to flee but hindered by the ice and vines, was engulfed in the holy flames, taking severe damage. Although it barely survived, the boss retreated from the burning vines and prepared for its final transformation with its remaining sliver of HP.

Numerous laser cannons materialized in the air, filling the chamber. As they aimed at the trio, charging up to unleash a devastating barrage, Kanade was ready.

“Thanks to Sou, I had time to prepare this,” Kanade said, opening his magic book.

The magic circle Kanade had prepared—the fastest one he could deploy for just such an occasion—was already in place, even as the boss’s laser cannons began to fire.

“Thanks to you two, this was easy,” Kanade smiled.

All elements combined in a single devastating spell. The powerful blast struck before the lasers could fire, obliterating the boss’s remaining HP.

The shattered remains of the laser cannons clattered to the floor, dropping materials with a loud crash. While the trio gratefully accepted these spoils, they knew the real prize wasn’t the materials.

“Oh!”

In the heart of the fallen panther’s remains, a glowing orb floated. Maple rushed over, picked it up, and confirmed the item name.

“‘Demon King’s Power VI’! We did it!” Maple cheered.

“Whew, congratulations, Maple. I’m happy for you. This should be the last one we need, right?” Kanade asked.

“It should be. Now all that’s left is to defeat the Demon King… but…” Sally hesitated.

“That’s going to be the hardest part,” Kanade acknowledged.

“Yeah… It’s going to be tough,” Maple agreed, looking troubled.

The challenge ahead was daunting. The maximum number of participants allowed in the battle against the Demon King was three full parties, totaling twenty-four players.

If they failed due to a lack of firepower, they would have to re-clear all the final dungeons of each floor before getting another chance. Considering Maple and Sally’s remaining time, it seemed almost impossible.

“Krom said he’d call for reinforcements if we needed them. It might be worth relying on him,” Kanade suggested.

“Once we use the items needed to challenge the Demon King, there’s no turning back. Let’s make sure we’re fully prepared before we go in,” Sally advised.

“Right! I’ll talk to everyone about it!” Maple decided.

“We’ve come this far, Maple. We’re going to win,” Kanade assured.

“Of course!” Maple grinned.

Tucking the final “Demon King’s Power” safely into her inventory, Maple and her team exited the dungeon.

—

Ah, the final battle is upon us.