Chapter 552 Defense Specialization and the Demon King 7

As the Demon King dispersed the violent storm around herself, the massive magic circle behind her shattered and vanished. Simultaneously, the colossal aberration liquefied entirely and ceased moving.

“You’ve done better than expected, heroes. The aberrations weren’t enough? Very well.”

The crimson fluid, once aberrations, defied gravity and rose into a sphere, enveloping the Demon King within.

“Maple, be careful.”

“Got it! I’ve still got [Self-Offering Love] active…!”

Everyone carefully reassessed their defensive options while monitoring the Demon King. Progress thus far was good, and they still held powerful defensive cards. If cautious, no immediate death awaited them.

Before Maple’s eyes, thick, viscous droplets dripped from the red sphere, one after another. Where these droplets landed, something emerged. Previously, similar projectiles had spawned aberrations—but not now. Instead, these beings mirrored the Demon King perfectly: clad in crimson dresses, wielding blood-red twin swords, and spreading menacing wings. The pressure they exuded made clear that allowing numerous summons would be catastrophic.

“…!”

Sally alone discerned a subtle difference between these duplicates and the Demon King’s true form. The replicas’ swords were slightly thicker and longer—a minute difference, yet clear to Sally, who had meticulously trained to dodge attacks down to millimeter accuracy. Her careful observation concluded these replicas wielded heavier strikes.

Around the Demon King’s submerged form, defensive barriers emerged, and from four magic circles came giant arms brandishing massive swords. The Demon King had entered her second phase, openly radiating lethal intent.

“Those duplicates might have piercing attacks! Check carefully!”

“Ray!”

Payne immediately reacted, riding Ray, whose superior mobility made him ideal for handling sudden crises.

“They keep coming endlessly…!”

Although slowly, more droplets began forming, promising additional Demon King replicas. Over ten replicas surrounded Payne as he charged. Evading his attack, they countered swiftly, their twin blades striking Ray and transferring damage directly to Maple through [Self-Offering Love].

“…!”

“[Healing Light]!”

“Payne, fall back!”

“Right! …! I see—makes sense now…!”

Misery quickly healed Maple, whose HP dropped nearly forty percent instantly. With Maple stabilized, Payne obeyed Sally and retreated.

“[Melting Wings]!”

“[Hellfire]!”

“[Thunderclap]!”

“[Destructive Light]!”

Hinata nullified the flying capabilities of the pursuing duplicates, ensuring Payne’s safe return. Mii, Velvet, and Kanade immediately unleashed devastating counterattacks, halting the enemy’s advance.

“[Extended Range] [Ice Wall]!”

“[Icicle]!”

Hinata and Sally quickly erected ice defenses behind Payne, buying precious moments to strategize.

“Even stacking damage reductions, Maple can probably handle four attacks at most. It’s dangerous to move everyone forward,” Velvet assessed rapidly.

“Exactly. Even with [Resurrect], if attacks overlap and Maple goes down, we’re in serious trouble,” Misery added.

Misery’s healing restored HP only after damage was inflicted; total depletion meant recovery was impossible. Losing Maple even temporarily could disrupt the entire battle plan.

“Besides, we must also attack the Demon King’s main body,” Sally reminded them. Defeating replicas alone wouldn’t advance the battle. Payne reported another complication:

“Despite my presence, the duplicates ignored me. They seem designed specifically to target our rear guard.”

Typically weak in close combat, the rear guard being overwhelmed by melee-oriented enemies could easily lead to complete annihilation. Maple’s stable choice was guarding Misery and staying inside the damage reduction and healing area effects, protecting the rear line.

However, given the piercing attacks, extra personnel were needed to ensure Maple wasn’t overwhelmed. The board had grown complex, demanding an optimal strategy swiftly, or else risk instant collapse. Amidst these considerations, Marx’s calm voice caught everyone’s attention.

“Don’t worry excessively about the back line. Focus on taking out the Demon King. We’ll handle defense.”

This confident statement from Marx was surprising, given his usual demeanor.

“Like I said earlier, we haven’t been idle. I’m not great at front-line combat, and my preparations took time, but you gave me that. Trust me—this [One-Night Castle] won’t fall easily. [Kingdom of the Flame Emperor] excels at stationary battles.”

While others fought, Marx had reinforced the rear defenses meticulously. Marx’s traps and Iz’s items created layers of impregnable defenses.

“Trust us and push forward. We’re good at holding positions, but we can’t do it forever…”

“Haha, don’t lose confidence now! Well, Marx insists we can hold. Maple, your call?” Shin added supportively.

“Sally! Go with everyone and attack! Even if something happens, the rear line is safe. We’ll guard each other!”

“Got it. Let’s go, Chrome!”

“Finally, some action. Demon King sure keeps things interesting,” Chrome agreed.

“With two shield users splitting up, now’s our chance. Notes!”

Since Maple remained behind, the Demon King’s location was outside [Self-Offering Love]’s range. Frederica had finished preparations and done her part.

Two great-shield users meant exploiting tactical flexibility. Previously, Maple’s unparalleled defense was decisive; now was the time for skills and strategies honed through countless battles.

Front-line command would be Sally’s, rear command Marx’s. Resolutely, Maple’s team split into two forces, each determined to break through the Demon King’s final onslaught.