Chapter 558 Defense Specialization and Final Preparations

As the event drew near, Sally continued her final adjustments in the training room alone.

Thanks to Velvet’s help, Sally had chosen a path she might never have reached on her own.

Maple had decided to participate in solo PvP—a future that would never have occurred without someone strongly urging her, especially given that group PvE was still an option.

The wish Sally had never been able to voice was finally nearing fulfillment after a long journey, making numerous friends, and enjoying many happy days.

“Thanks, Velvet.”

Perhaps this would be Maple’s last battle, or even the end of her time in the game altogether. Precisely because it could be the last chance, Sally knew she couldn’t let hesitation rob her of this opportunity.

Because that would surely lead to deep regret.

It was a step she had long been afraid to take, but now Sally was finally taking it.

“I’ll win. That’s all I need…”

Deep down, she wanted Maple to be strong—strong enough that Sally would wonder if she could really win. Strong enough to defeat Sally herself.

But that wasn’t something Sally could control. For true competition, both sides needed the same burning desire—that had always been Sally’s concern.

Yet now, she decided not to worry about it anymore.

Having made her decision, there was no meaning in hesitation.

All Sally could do now was hone her skills to perfection, ensuring that when the time came, her own lack of strength wouldn’t spoil that precious moment.

“【Super Acceleration】!”

She swiftly dodged magic from a dummy enemy, closed in, and delivered a precise strike. Despite the dense barrage, Sally dodged everything with practiced ease.

“Hah…Not bad. But—”

A hit-and-run tactic of rapidly closing in for quick strikes. Simple yet powerful, it had always been Sally’s staple—but it wouldn’t work against Maple.

Not because of Maple’s reflexes, but simply because of her overwhelming defense. Normal attacks and magic were ineffective, forcing Sally to rely on skill-based strikes.

“I need to create even bigger openings…”

She’d long desired this chance—to have the strength to defeat her closest friend. She knew how to fight Maple. Now, she just needed to elevate it to a higher level.

Once again, Sally spent a long time in the training room that day, sharpening her blade further.

Sally wasn’t the only one preparing for the event.

Having depleted many of her items in the Demon King battle, Iz was busy crafting replacements for her weapons and defensive barriers.

Just then, the door to the workshop opened, and Maple entered cheerfully.

“Iz-san! I brought the materials!”

“Thank you! That’s very helpful! Actually, I was just finishing up here anyway. Let’s take a break—would you like tea and snacks, Maple?”

“Oh, can I? Yes please!”

“Great, give me a moment.”

“Okay!”

Maple stepped outside and sat on the sofa in the common area to wait. Soon Iz emerged, placing freshly prepared tea and snacks in front of her.

“Wow, this looks delicious…”

“Eat as much as you like. If it’s not enough, I have plenty more in my inventory.”

They hadn’t used any of Iz’s food during the Demon King battle, leaving her inventory fully stocked. Maple happily began enjoying her tea and snacks as she chatted with Iz.

“Iz-san, you and the others chose PvE, right?”

“Yes. Apparently, both PvE and PvP will give the same medal rewards. In that case, we thought it best to go with PvE, where everyone can participate together. Besides, neither I nor Kanade excel at one-on-one fights.”

Iz wasn’t a combat-focused player, and Kanade had exhausted many valuable spellbooks in their previous battle, weakening his fighting strength considerably. Mai and Yui, despite their powerful offense, struggled with defense and had never been keen on PvP in the first place.

“And I’ve heard the monsters in PvE might be prototypes for the eleventh floor’s monsters. So, it’s perfect timing to see how well we handle them as a group without you and Sally.”

Without Maple and Sally’s support, facing powerful new enemies would become a challenge—and a crucial test for 【Maple Tree】 moving forward.

“We thought this was the ideal opportunity to get plenty of experience fighting without you two.”

From now on, they’d have to fight without the two strongest members. Fortunately, Mai and Yui still packed great firepower, and Chrome’s defense remained solid. The remaining six guild members had proven their excellence countless times before.

“So don’t worry,” Iz reassured Maple gently.

“Yes…Good luck!”

“We’ll be fine. Everyone’s really dependable.”

As they talked, Chrome and the others returned, and soon everyone except Sally, who was still training, gathered in the guild home.

“Oh, Maple, did you also come to drop off materials?”

“Yes! Did you too, Chrome-san?”

“Yeah. We took down some tough monsters and got some good drops.”

“Mai and Yui’s attacks worked perfectly. Our usual setup was flawless.”

With Sally absent, Kasumi and Kanade had drawn attention, Chrome had closed in with his shield, and Mai and Yui had finished it off with sixteen powerful strikes. Any normally strong monster would easily fall against such an attack.

“We thought we’d see just how far our strategy works in the upcoming event,” Kanade added.

“Oh, that’s exactly what Iz-san and I were just talking about!”

“Really?”

““We’ll do our best!””

“Yeah, you two are the core of our offense, after all!”

““Yes!””

Shifting the conversation, Iz turned back to Maple.

“I was surprised though—Maple, you joining PvP alone was unexpected.”

“Velvet asked me…but actually, there’s another reason.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“My first event ever was also solo PvP. So I thought it’d be fitting to end the same way.”

“Oh, right—the first event!”

“It feels so long ago…”

“I met Maple when she was still a complete beginner. It’s nostalgic.”

“So, I thought it’d be nice to finish the same way I started.”

“I see! Like checking how much you’ve grown during your adventures?”

“Yes!”

“Maple’s growth, huh? It’s truly been remarkable.”

“Really?”

“I’m sure everyone else agrees.”

“Hmm…”

This journey, everything it had given Maple, every change it had brought—this final event would serve perfectly to gauge that growth, reflecting her very first battle.

That was Maple’s true reason, beyond Velvet’s request. She wanted to recall all the happy memories by revisiting the start of her journey.

“I hope you get to see how much you’ve grown.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best!”

“Good luck, Maple and Sally!”

““Good luck!””

“Yes!”

With everyone’s heartfelt encouragement, Maple’s determination grew even stronger.

Then came the day before the event. Kaede and Risa were walking home together from school.

“It’s finally tomorrow, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s been a long journey, but now it feels like it went by in a flash.”

Time always seemed to pass faster when having fun.

“I’m expecting big things from you, Kaede.”

“If I’m doing it, I’ll do my best! Though it seems there’s no ranking or anything.”

“Yeah. Let’s just relax and have fun.”

“I wonder what the field will be like?”

“The official information says it won’t be very big, but there are lots of terrains. And you can have sudden battle royals or isolated duels without interruptions.”

With a separate PvE field, there would be no monsters—only pure player battles.

“You know, since we even beat the Demon King…let’s go undefeated all the way.”

“Ooh, nice goal!”

“After all, it’d be lame if the second-generation Demon King lost.”

“Eh? Second-generation!?”

“You inherited the skill, right? Wait, you also inherited from Oni with 【Hyakki Yakou】. Kaede, you’ve got a lot going on.”

“I did end up with many skills…”

“You got 【Loving Sacrifice】 from angels, 【Atrocity】 from demons, and didn’t you inherit 【Machine God】 too?”

“Yes! For that, I’m the third generation!”

“A hybrid successor, huh?”

“No, I’m not! Well, maybe I am a bit…”

Feeling she was getting some undesirable titles, they settled comfortably on the best-sounding option: second-generation 【Demon King】.

“Then, as the 【Demon King】, I can’t lose!”

“That’s the spirit.”

“But if I’m 【Demon King】, you should have a title too, Risa.”

“Hm, maybe a 【General】 or one of the 【Four Heavenly Kings】?”

“That’s not cool enough…”

“How about taking it from my skills? Though I don’t have as iconic ones as you.”

“Well, Frederica sometimes calls you a 【Ninja】.”

“Ah! True, I vanish, split into clones… Ninja, huh?”

Kaede thought deeply. Ninja suited Risa, but against the title 【Demon King】, it felt slightly inferior.

“I got it! Risa, you’re 【Hero】! A Demon King needs a Hero!”

“【Hero】…Yes, that does fit.”

“Right? You’re really strong, after all.”

“Maybe you overestimate me, but I’ll take it.”

Now called 【Hero】 by the 【Demon King】 herself, Risa felt it was fate.

Because a 【Hero】 is someone who defeats the 【Demon King】.

Her resolve surged quietly. It was the eve before the event—a special moment, yet another ordinary, precious day for them both.