62-062
The attack team had a week to prepare for the approach to the Abyssal shaft.
Reinforce the encampment and conduct dozens of forced reconnaissance missions. The team also cleared out all possible bosses except the ones that could be killed. With every conceivable preparation, the troops headed for a rematch.
Federico noticed his breathing getting shallow and forced himself to inhale.
In front of him was almost the same scene as a week ago.
It was the intimidating figure of the dark purple colossus in the huge amphitheater, the Lucrete of the Seven Gardens.
The arena where the fierce battle was fought a week ago is now silent and free of dust.
Federico waited for the signal, aware of the party leader, Shiroe.
This quiet young man has changed a lot in the past week, Federico thinks.
After that defeat, he began to talk to all the members often. I've always known that he was a skilled enchanter, but his skills have improved over the past week. The sight of him equipped with a new staff that he seems to have pulled out of his luggage, Federico and the others quickly became familiar with it.
This is not the time to be talking about four or five. They will do whatever is necessary to increase their chances of winning. I think Shiroe responded well to that Federico and his team.
The reason why the raid team's food situation has improved over the past week is also thanks to Shiroe and his team.
They were generous with foodstuffs from their magic bag, which improved the quantity and quality of their meals. Lugius, an amateur chef who was in charge of the team's food, was grateful. 'I think we've been sparingly served up until now, haven't we? But it was small, and it quickly disappeared.
There was also the fact that the Silversword side had treated them as customers. It wasn't something that could be blamed on one side.
Besides, the matter of their annihilation was significant.
"Death is a horrible and painful thing, but it can also bring people together. I'm not saying I wasn't friends with my high school friends and my college friends, but the raiding team we have now is something else. The fact that we shared that painful experience with each other is a big part of it, and I think we're more of a battle buddy than a friend.
(Though you can't be friends with someone you don't like.)
Federico thinks as he bites his lip.
(You can't keep hating your war buddy.)
That was true for Siloe, and it was true for Demikus as well.
Azalea, who sits with her eyes closed as if in meditation, lightly raises her right hand.
Using the Summoner's (Summoner) special skill, Phantom Possession (Soul Possession), she possesses a summoned follower monster and scouts it out in its form. He must have released the possession, and with a couple of head bobs as it is, he tells William, "No change in standby position. No other enemy shadows," he raised a brief report.
It's just as we've been scouting for the past week.
The raid bosses seem to have learned to cooperate, but they have their own ideas and preferences, and they are not infallible. That's what Siloe from Log Horizon has said several times during the past week. He's a soft-spoken, thoughtful young man when I talk to him, but if the rumors from Akiva are to be believed, he's an evil mastermind who can even control the soldiers of Hell.
(Not much of a problem either way.)
Federico thinks.
Indeed, Shiroe is an introvert. She feels the walls with a dour expression on her face. His explanations are dicey and circumspect. But these are minor flaws. The members of the Silver Sword have no right to speak for others either. They are a group of cripples, all of them more or less quirky. Shiroe may be an eccentric, but he's classified as a common-sense person in Federico's group.
When that Shiroe chanted a short key word, the magic was activated. It's an elixir spell. This aid spell used by the Grantor uses to increase the power of the recovery spell used by the target.
My companion Lugius seemed to try the Heartbeat Healing with his left palm upwards. A bright green light and warmth fell on Federico. The amount of recovery has certainly increased. Federico was grateful to Shiroe's back as she cast her backup spell in turn.
The time to prepare is over. Now it's time for the Silver Sword.
It's a continuation of that night when William shouted as if he was going to spit out.
A small countdown. Naotsugu was the first one to run out of the way to steal Zero's timing. The second party's Guardian Warrior greatly outdistanced the others and headed alone to the Lucrete of the Seventh Garden.
(Still....) Still..........
With William's left hand stretched out horizontally and the battlefield in view, Federico and the others hold still. With their eyes on Naotsugu's back, they wait for the first round (first attack).
''Castle of Stone!
Naotsugu shouted as he raised his shield just before Ruseart. The absolute special skill of a guardian warrior that nullifies all damage. With only ten seconds of invincibility, Naotsugu overcame the first massive attack wielded by Lucrete, the Hearken Moonlight Mourning Bell.
''Now!''
With a shout, William ran off.
The first time I saw him, he was in the same boat as me.
It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of it. Those two are difficult to defend against unless you have a top tank full of cover and heels, a dinkron. Naotsugu, Shiroe's companion, was able to get away with it with a single Castle of Stone. It has been determined that the restrictions on the reuse of the Hearing Moonlight Mourning Bell (recast time) was 90 seconds in the last battle. In other words, Ruseato would not be able to use the Hearing Bell for another 87 seconds. There is no powerful ranged attack on Ruseato right now. It's a single-strike attack, although the Kneel, the Great Stake of Dark Silver is certainly a threat. This gives Federico and his men the opportunity to move safely and flawlessly into position.
For the Raiders, it was a natural partnership, but the corner of Federico's mouth was agape at the sight of a guardian warrior from a small to medium-sized guild doing it perfectly.
I'm still afraid of "death".
But more than that, it's an uplifting experience for me.
In this moment of charging shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades-in-arms, this moment when the difficult partnership was decided, Federico's heart soared like a glider playing in the wind. It was probably a childish sentiment that was mocked by the world, but in the words of the guildmaster that Federico admitted to, "To hell with it".
They are doing this by their own choice, just as the cries of that night slammed into this world as a challenge.
Federico had died many times since he came to this other world.
Many times he was brought back to that dark memory. It's a re-experience of regret and disappointment.
But not once did the companions of the Silver Sword appear in those memories. The same is true when talking to the friends around them. That made Federico happy. It may be said that it was just for fun, so it's only natural, but still, it feels like the Silver Sword is a group of friends that he has no shame in, a place where he can't be ashamed of, and it proves that.
--friends.
It's been a long time since I was embarrassed to use that word.
At my age, it's a hassle to think about how much is a friend and how much is an acquaintance, and even if you were to decide on such a definition of the word, human relationships are just what they are. It is equally useless to get to know each other even better or to keep away from each other even more, felt Federico, a newbie businessman.
Hearing the word 'friend' from a mere high school guildmaster was a surprising experience, to hear the word 'friend' from a mere high school guildmaster made his eyes heat up. You never know how you feel about yourself.
Maybe you'll be able to return to your world eventually.
You might think it's ridiculous to go back to the days of going back to your home and work, remembering what you're doing now, and being prepared to die.
That's not a bad thing, but that doesn't mean we can't say no to ourselves now. This is the raid zone, and we are the raiders.
Viperstrash!
Leaping high and using the dark purple cage as a foothold, Federico slammed the Flame-Blade Sword (Flamberge) into Lucéart's arm. The viper strikes 《Viper Strash》 didn't do much damage, but along with the bleeding icon, it reduced Ruseato's attack hit rate. That number is 4%.
A mere 4%, Raider would never say it was a mere 4%. This 4% is the potential to save the same amount of recovery spells, a 4% that allows you to continue fighting with less MP consumption, a 4% that increases your chances of winning the battle, if you ask me, in Federico's ego.
Dinkron, who switched his defensive role from direct connection, comes forward.
Although he is one of the most graceful men in the Silver Sword, his defensive abilities, made of Phantasmal, are second to none, even for Isaac the Black Sword. In contrast to his usual gentle voice, the dinkron lets out an eardrum-shaking cry. It's a war cry. Extended by the effect of the item, it raised the state anomaly resistance of the surroundings.
The power resides in Federico's body along with the chattering vibrations.
He continued to attack with his power to get behind Ruseart, who seemed even slower than last time. The role of the attacker (attacker) is to accumulate damage by unleashing white soldier specialties in all directions. Considering this strategy, the start of the attack was extremely important.
At the western edge of the Coliseum, about ten meters away from the battle over the Ruseart of the Seven Gardens, a metallic sound that could be called modest resounded twice.
It was the Silver Sword's samurai, Rarograd, using the Slit Iron Sword.
As we had previously investigated, one of the iron bars was cut off, revealing a gap that a human-sized man could pass through with relative ease.
Even though Federico saw it at the edge of his vision, he made further attacks.
(Still)
The onslaught of the attackers, which increased their output all at once, will inflict no small amount of damage on Ruseato. There's not much Ruseato can do now. The large damaging attacks that you should be able to rely on are nullified by Naotsugu, and he doesn't have an attack that can break through Dinklon's solid defense.
If he were to call for help from his friends, Federico and the others would be kicked out, but Ruseart himself has not yet lost ten percent of his HP. There's no way he can call for help. -- but Federico was biting down on his fears inwardly.
There was no guarantee. At any moment, those two raid bosses might intrude. Or another boss might appear - there was no absolute guarantee there. There are only speculations about the map of this zone and the cooperation of the guardians that I have scouted and confirmed.
The time is ticking away and Federico and his team are attacking and holding out, waiting for the mission to begin.
They wanted to win.
With only the desire to win, they attacked desperately.
Federico's beloved sword, Muspel's Breath, was wielded like a small typhoon by the adventurer's brute force and slammed repeatedly against the armor of the lucerto. The deformed armor cracked crystalline with red-hot severity, and flying glass fragments marred Federico's bearded face. Even that didn't bother him.
Federico himself had never thought of himself as such before, but apparently he liked to be right.
He had learned that over the past week.
It wasn't that I wanted to win, or that I wanted to defeat this powerful enemy, or that I wanted to win honor and treasure. Nor was there an ounce of anger or hatred in my heart.
I just wanted one thing: the right retribution.
This was the raid that William wanted to win to the point of tears.
It was a battle that the Silver Sword had overcome many deadly battles.
I'd hate to think it was in vain. I don't want to think that we were foolish enough to continue our foolish, pointless challenge. It would be too sad if that were the case.
I have nothing against Rousseauart. In fact, I even feel respect for him.
It's just a testament that Federico and the Silver Sword are what he wants.
You were right. And you're right and you're strong.
All I need is proof.
Critical!
With William's sharp voice, the buffers and healers run off to make a detour. The Seventh Garden of Rousse-art is changing. It's a good idea to take off your cracked armor and turn your body into the color of snow - a white knight mode.
The shattered black armor expands into a shade-colored swamp, creating countless warriors. Rousseart's trap zone restricts the movements of the adventurers inside. It is a sticky, ranged attack that sticks to your ankles. Avoiding the area, the raid team changes its formation.
Hurry! It's the Shiroe Squad that's cutting in!
Following William's instructions, the group danced, one by one, into the passage beyond the bars. At the end of the passage was the Ibra Habra of the Three Gardens.
The counterattack of Federico and his team would begin here.
Demikus was among the first group to jump into the western passage.
The high-ceilinged granite passageway led straight ahead, with huge columns as decoration. The end of the passage was hazy in the dusk, but I knew from my scouting that the great hollow (hall) beyond was filled with the flaming serpent Ibra Habra.
Demiquas looked around, but as he ran straight after Naotsugu, he started to move as well.
The guardian warrior Naotsugu, who protects himself with metal armor, is like a slow tortoise from the point of view of Demikus. I've been told that he is desperately in a desperate hurry, but his speed is only about half that of his lightly armed counterpart. If Demikus is serious about using the Phantom Step or Wyvern Kick, he can leave them behind in a single breath.
However, if he did that, Demikus would be the first to run into the Flame Snake (Raid Boss). The only way to avoid that was to move after Naotsugu, although it was abominable.
The group is moving in a vertical team led by Naotsugu and Demikus.
The first party is retreating with the team's first tank, Dinkron, at the back of the line, preventing the shadow warriors. It won't be fast enough. It would be the role of Demiquas and the others to take over the lead by proxy while their main defense party was dealing with the rest of the team.
The first part of the operation was simple.
In that infernal hour of destruction, Ibra Habra of the Three Gardens and Tartuffe Luger of the Four Gardens opened the iron gates and emerged (...).
Yes, they weren't big enough to fit through the bars. And the gate, which can be considered a huge cage, can only be opened from the side of the passage.
Perhaps if this were an ordinary raid content, both gates would be unlocked after defeating the Ruseart of the Seven Gardens, but this is not the case now.
This strategy made use of that labyrinthine structure.
In other words, the gist of the operation was to use the Colosseum as a prison to isolate the Ruseart. The Ruseat would not be able to enter the corridor down from the Coliseum. He would not be able to chase the group that had escaped into the western passage. Of course, there was no possibility of them entering through destruction or other methods, so I guided them to the white knight mode, which had less offensive capabilities. It was also factored in that if the shadow warrior was not defeated, Ruseart would not be able to move while in white knight mode.
With the covert type summoned beasts that were allowed to enter through the gaps in the bars, the reconnaissance of the situation ahead has already been done. The operation has been well communicated in several case divisions, but the most fortunate case is as follows.
Lucrete is practically incapacitated, as he cannot get through the bars or destroy them. The ice giant Tartaurgar at the end of the east passage may be able to open the east gate and come to the Coliseum, but the west gate cannot be opened for the same reason as Lucéart. They would effectively be out of power. Demikus and his group would defeat the flaming serpent Ibra Habra and continue onward to the farthest point of this zone, and become the champion of this dungeon.
--But none of the raid members thought that they could gain victory that simply.
Even if they broke through the Flame Serpent Ibrahabra, it didn't mean that there wasn't a Raid Boss further on. According to Shiroe, the structure of this labyrinth meant that it was possible to get here without crossing the bars, even from the east side of the passageway, as long as one could go far enough. If Ibra Habra had a hard time, the Tartaulgar of the Garden of the Four Noble Truths would surely come rushing in as soon as possible.
In the first place, it was only wishful thinking to think that Ruseat and Tartaurgar would not be able to destroy the bars. It may only be a stall, but the possibility of being breached should be considered. And once they are breached, they will be destroyed and this operation will never be able to be carried out again.
That's right. Even if Demikus and the other Adventurers can be resurrected, the situation is always changing. The same opportunity will never come again. Knowing this, the members of the Silversword continue to run down the corridor, tense.
(d*mn it!
But that's just the way it is (...).
There is no such thing as a completely predictable and stable future. That is common sense in the world that even a schoolboy can understand. There is always the possibility that someone else may interfere with your plans. I woke up on Sunday morning and ate breakfast while watching TV. How many times have you been able to do just that? If you're alive, it's natural for things to go wrong.
It was in this other world (Elder Tail) that I had completely lost sight of that fact. I thought it was a game and that I could do anything I wanted. I was under the illusion that because I could do anything, I could do anything I wanted.
And then Shiroe beat him to it.
Demiquas, it occurred to him. Sometimes things don't go the way you want them to, and this place is unmistakably real. But even after realizing this, he still gets the illusion again and again. I am deceived by the cheesy, game-like surface of this world. It's the same this time. No matter how many times I try to brace myself and warn myself to never let my guard down, my caution begins to leak out like a loose tap, and I lick it.
(Bottom line, I let my guard down and I lost. I lost because I licked it. ...I lost because I'm making fun of those guys.)
It reminds me of my poorly built daughter looking at me with her hands on her hips.
She looks mortified. I guess she despises Demikus. That was no surprise. Demikus did terrible things to the Earthling. He didn't kill her, but he violated her, sold her out, and forced her to work. They couldn't possibly like him. They just don't hit you because of the difference in strength.
She wasn't s*xy, she was like a chicken rattle. She laughed sarcastically as she stared hard with her glazed eyes. If you're going to play the master of your own words, then get on with killing me. That's what you're going to say. If you're not going to kill me, then get out of my way, you can't clean up. That's what I've been told.
This time Demekeus has been defeated once and for all.
When the earthlings are dead, they're dead. He knows that, and yet he lives for his one and only life. He's betting all of his existence, what little he has left, to get his way. The cheap life of Demikus is not even close to being balanced by the cheap life of Demikus.
He has licked this other world.
He thought it was just a game, and that's why he lost to Shiroe.
Before I could correct that belief, I was defeated by the supposedly powerless Daichijin.
The Silver Sword also beat me. The first time they encountered him in the tavern, he was beaten the first time, and after that he was made to lick the floor several times, leaving Brigantia in a state of utter devastation.
If that had been the only thing that could have saved us, we would have lost to William, even as a guild master. Despite that kind of devastation, that game cripple still had two dozen friends to follow him.
There was nothing left for Demikus to do.
The chalk passageway made of masonry suddenly came to an end.
The ceiling, which was originally as high as a six-story building, burst into a large circular natural space. It was a large, egg-shaped hollow with a radius of about thirty meters.
It was surrounded by an ochre-colored rock with bright orange spots. The rocky wall of the hollow is followed by a slope a few meters wide that spirals downward. The puddles here and there are blue. The great hollow, surprisingly brightly colored hollow was illuminated by a white light.
'What is that smell?'
Yeah, the Hot Springs Festival.
Naotsugu's line in response to Shiroe in the rear made Demikus understand. It's the smell of sulfur. It would make sense if these brightly colored rocks were tainted by sulfur and chemicals.
The group ran down the outer corridor of the spiral. A prone serpent, the Ibra Habra, seems to be sleeping at the bottom of the great cavity.
That's probably what the raid boss is waiting for.
Just as we had discussed, Naotsugu jumped down the last ramp towards the giant snake.
There's not a lot of support, but that doesn't mean there's not enough time to make careful preparations. I'm acting as if it's not there.
He charged with Tetra's Reaction Activation Recovery (Reactive) and Lugius's Pulse Recovery (Heal on Time) on his back. The figure was magnificent, even from Demikus' point of view, without any hesitation.
Demiquas also leaps into the air as if to shake off his own fear of cowering. The members of the Silver Sword followed suit, jumping down one after another to join the battle.
All at once, a melee ensued.
Probably the cavernous descent from this corner of the Great Void is the 'correct' answer. At that end, the farthest point of this zone, the goal, exists. However, there was no convenient iron bars at the entrance of the cave, so it was impossible to divide it further. The only thing we needed to do here was to get rid of the flaming snake, the Ibra Habra in the Garden of Three, and that was the Tartuffe in the Garden of Four. The only thing we had to do was to get rid of the Flame Serpent, the Ibra Habra of the Three Gardens, before the Tartaulgar of the Fourth Garden appeared as reinforcements.
The long-range attack party became impatient and arrowed ice spells in rapid succession.
Demiquas swore, but Naotsugu seemed to have managed to take on Ibra Habra.
In the midst of the storm of fire that loomed in front of them, a scene that looked more like some kind of disaster or accident scene than a monster, the metal-armored festival dharma shouted Anchor Howl and frantically unleashed a sword to incite hostility. Even Demikas had learned that the hate directed from the monster to the tank was not steady at this time, right after the battle began. It is understandable that the attackers wanted to deal damage as soon as possible, but if they were in a hurry, there was a possibility that the target would change and it could become an accident.
''Fortress Stance! I'm going to test the performance of my new shield and armor!
Naotsugu takes a posture of sitting down as if he were backing up against a wall. A blue aura erupts from his feet, and this technique is a defensive stance, a specialty of the Guardian Warrior (Armor Scarecrow). While holding the opponent in check with his large shield, he unleashes a long-sword attack from behind it. This technique, which increased defense in exchange for loss of mobility, was something that a martial artist like Demiquas did not have.
However, even Demiquas has wings of mobility, an ability that Naotsugu does not have.
''Oh, oh! Aura Saber!
Demiquas swung a kick from the air, armed with golden light.
The blow, which had a large axe-like trajectory, stabbed into the flaming outer skin of the flaming snake. It couldn't have been effective. Aura Saber is a special skill that, due to its characteristics, is capable of dealing damage that is not greatly affected by defense. Moreover, the Forest Curse Master's Energy Protection reduces fire damage considerably. At least you won't be dying every time you attack.
Demikus dodged the tail of the swerving Ibra Habra of the Three Gardens, which was as long as a small bus, with Phantom Step. He leapt into the air and unleashed a wyvern kick, dragging the afterimage with him.
The Wyvern Kick.
And the Wyvern Kick.
From the soles of these heavily armored assault boots, which looked like they were made out of scrap metal, the bottom of the Sturm Asalter Sabaton Boots, a thud, thud and a thud could be felt that pierced through to your brain. It's such a series of attacks that if you do this in Susskino, you can turn an abandoned building into a veritable pile of rubble. Demikus isn't the only one. Beside Demikus striking out with a green light, Federico wields his flame-bladed sword repeatedly, and the other melee attackers of the raid team are sticking around like dwarfs swarming around a huge body, from Ibra Habra's perspective.
Suddenly, both of Demiquas's legs began to glow silver.
It's the enhancement spell 'Keen Edge' controlled by Shiroe.
(d*mn it.)
Demikus clicked his tongue evasively. He wanted to spit on it, but the heat from the flaming snake's release left his mouth parched. Instead, Demiquas clicked up the huge agitator of the Ibrahabra that had cruised in front of him. The Tiger Echo Fist. Even with this technique, which has a poor accuracy rate, you can still hit the Raid Boss's giant body as you wish.
The reptilian eyes, cloudy and white as the moonstone, looked down on Demikus and directed an inorganic killing intent at him.
''Wide range, get away!
Demiquas stands on his knees in the middle of the front line that leaves at the same time at William's command and crosses his arms in front of him. Demiquas intends to use his arms to defend against the attack of the flames.
It was neither insulting nor careless. It was a statement of determination in Demiquas's own way.
Demikus did not even blink once as he was swallowed by the whirlpool of flames spat out by Ibrahabra.
◆
Flames rolled backwards in front of Naotsugu's eyes. The venomous crimson, which was different from what you see on the game screen and even sticky, swallowed Naotsugu like a rampaging beast.
But even in such a purgatory, Naotsugu maintained a forward leaning posture with his eyes narrowed.
His entire body was indeed hot. It was natural since he was being burned by the flames. But on the other hand, that heat was also the extent of being naked on the asphalt under the hot sun in the middle of summer. It certainly made my skin crusty, but not unbearably so.
There were currents and waves in the flames, and Naotsugu observed them calmly and took a deep breath when he found a gap. He held his breath as if he were diving underwater. It was a precaution to avoid burning his lungs, but at this rate, the inhale might not have been fatal.
(And that arrogant martial artist, you do it.)
What's going on right now is Tetra's Reaction Activation Recovery, Lugius's Pulse Recovery, and even Toko's Damage Blocking Barrier. These pseudo-recovery spells are called class heals. The wide area annihilation attack just now, Purgatory Feast Without Mercy, was a powerful one. Even if you use the Divine Guardian's Damage Blocking Barrier to negate roughly six thousand damage, and the Priestess' Reactive Activation Recovery to recover nine hundred or so, this level of damage is still too small. It wasn't surprising that Naotsugu could have been nearly killed by the earlier attack.
I'm not sure what to make of it.
Perhaps it was the Covering. This is a special skill that allows you to take damage from close range group members on your shoulders. It is true that Demikus, as a martial artist, has a higher resistance to attribute attacks than Naotsugu, and the amount of HP itself is greater. Thus, by spreading out the damage, Naotsugu is still able to stay on the front lines. Naotsugu reviewed Demiquas for a moment.
''Ouch, we're almost there! Towningbrow!
Naotsugu feeds Ibra Habra a specially made blow to earn hate.
Indeed, this great flame snake is terrifying. The huge head is approaching like a dump truck's assault, and the reddish-black mouth is as powerful as a heavy construction machine. It's approaching at the speed of a train accident, which makes my legs weak and limits my vision.
But as if to shake off the power, Naotugu's lips are fished up into a smile.
It's a false sense of humor. The truth is, there is no room for laughter.
However, the room is always a vague thing. If you think you don't have it, you don't, and if you think you do, you do. Even if there is plenty of time for a three-day weekend, there is no time to scrub and clean the kitchen, and even when you have to stay at the office because of the financial crisis, there is enough time to look for a newly developed private brand of pudding at the convenience store. That's about it.
So, as long as you can laugh, you can afford it. Even if you don't, you will be born.
Believing that, Naotugu wields his sword again.
He shouts a taunt, raises his shield and takes a defensive stance, not taking a step back.
Then he smiles fearlessly. To Naotsugu, the first defender of the raid, the Prima Defender, is like that.
''Good!
That short cry from Naotsugu must have told him everything. William said from the back row, "Damage me while going around to the left! He instructed.
Naotsugu's smile deepens. As I thought, William understands.
No, it's been more than three weeks since we invaded this
Naotsugu's body is showered with recovery spells one after another, and his HP begins to rise.
Even though there was a tactfulness of Demikus, its total HP has dropped to about 30%. Unlike Demikus, who covered for himself with one-point relief, powerful normal attacks also rained down on Naotsugu without interruption. Scales that were reversed like a sword mountain are repeatedly fired at Naotsugu. In order to reduce the damage and prepare for the next attack, it is necessary for the safety of the entire team to recover Naotsugu's HP. That's why even Naotsugu doesn't hold back.
In the midst of the staggeringly fierce battle, Naotsugu was reminiscing about the old days.
Of course, it might have been a good idea to play around compared to this otherworldly one, but Naotsugu was also the main tank at the Tea Party of the Debouchery. It's not that he has no experience in raiding. In fact, the group called the Tea Party is the one that has been raided repeatedly to an astonishing degree. In the first place, Kanami had a tendency to disregard the victory or defeat of raids. She was a woman who thought of raiding as a way to get rid of obstacles to tourism. I can't help but laugh at the fact that she even got involved in raiding overseas servers just to "see the new scenery".
''Ho! "Yoiyama
The new equipment, the Armor of the Silver Ridge Oath, was dependable and worthwhile. Because of the smooth connection of the whole thing, it has a sense of stability. There are no parts that flap around anywhere. The Lion King's Rigid Shield is also excellent. The impact on my arm is much lessened than before. With this, I should be able to continue this fierce battle for hours. If you guide the shimmering point of light in your field of vision to the center of the shield, even the tail of the Ibra Habra will repel it without retreating. I can feel that my defense has improved a lot.
"There's still more to come! Come on, more festivals!
Naotsugu raised his barbaric voice.
'Hi. Naotugu-san, you're in the groove!
Tetra called out lightly as he reapproached before he knew it.
Naotsugu leaned forward even more to protect Tetra from the flames and said, "Leave it to me, this is it! He shouted back. Tetra jumped up with her hand on Naotsugu's shoulder and called out to the hall.
'Everyone! Are you in the groove?
The battle was fierce, and no concrete reply was returned to Tetra. But all of them are looking at Tetra. It's no wonder that attacking the target to be defeated, the Ibra Habra of the Garden of Three, means watching Naotsugu take on the onslaught, and now Tetra is shouting to the battlefield over Naotsugu's shoulder.
A thunderous echo fills the hall. It was the will of the raid team, who each responded to the little idol's question in the form of their own deadly force. Swords and axes were swung down in rapid succession, or ice and thunderbolts struck the giant monster.
Tetra smiled at the sound, and with a challenging look on her face, she raised her right hand rod high into the sky.
''Yooosh, ichu yo! Come on, guys! I can do my best, so keep up the good work!
The brave voice of Tetra made me forget that we were underground. His voice climbed once up to the heavens and then descended on his friends.
The sky above filled with light and the seven-colored aurora appears. The curtain of light flickered and played gentle music while holding countless meteors in its midst. The Aurora Heel is a special spell. It's a special spell. Among the three recovery professions in the Elder Tail, and the many recovery spells they possess, the Aurora Heal is the only spell that can be said to be exclusive to the raid. It's the only spell that is exclusive to raids. Its recovery range is to share its healing light with all of the companions gathered under the Aurora, even a hundred of them.
''Booming, festival!''
Of course I'm an angel!
With a big smile on his face, the Priestess of Healing spins around and throws out spells one after the other. The speed of the spell surpassed even the Silver Sword's supposedly skilled healers. It's probably because of Shiroe's support, but he is an imposing raider.
Naotsugu, too, is riding that momentum, launching attack after attack.
So far, so good. It seems that Ibra Habra in the Garden of Three is less than the Ruseart in the Garden of Seven, just as Shiroe had expected. Also, it doesn't have the ability to recover by changing its form. A range attack and a scorching hot area that will rob you of your physical strength just by getting close to it are the characteristics of the Ibra Habra.
However, anticipating this, the team had changed all the fire resistant equipment in their luggage and had been given suitable protective spells. The HP of the Ibra Habla of the Three Gardens is enormous, but they've already shaved off half of it. If we continue to deal damage at this rate, we should be able to defeat it.
(I'm not going to let my guard down, though.)
Naotsugu paid attention to the situation around him while watching the movements of the flaming snake.
''That's it!
I'll take care of it.
He's not just letting Tetra hear this. They are appealing to everyone around them.
Their shields are trustworthy. The defenders of the raid need to have a sense of trust that they are still in good hands.
If difficulties can be solved with a single feeling of "we can win" or "we should be able to win," then no one will have a hard time. There would be no need for Shiroe's tricks. On the other hand, however, raiding is a game in which you are actually defeated by a single thought, such as "we're going to lose" or "we might lose".
If it's to inspire their friends, they'll raise their voice and even take on theatrics.
A hand on my shoulder and a soft warmth, completely different from the heat of the fire, spreads throughout my body. Tetra's small recovery is now in effect. In order to maximize the recovery ability of the Healing Priestess, the little hand came to the front lines of the flames swirling around and served as Naotsugu's partner with his usual jovial, undiminished mouth.
Even Tetra knows that. Tetra understands that this trivial exchange of ideas will help everyone. Naotsugu knew that, and it made him feel good. He was able to put a real smile on his face that wasn't meant to reassure everyone.
'Naotugu-san, have you fallen for me?'
"No!
Isn't this the part where things get flagged up?
I'm gonna ruin everything with that line.
He returns a denial to the question of the jerking tetora, flinging the tip of his tail, thrust out like a spear, to the side at the point of light indicated by the shield. It's a question that makes you wonder if you really understand. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get it right.
''I have something to report to you, Naotsugu-san.
What's the matter with you?
Because I have a hard time bringing it up at a time like this.
The fierce battle continues, although Tetra twists and turns while deliberately saying aloud, "Fidgeting". It's a good idea to keep the shattered sulfur stones from flying in Tetra's direction by flicking them with his hands and feet. I went along with him.
"I'm actually in the log horizon,
What?
Beyond the stage of looking at the side, Naotsugu turns around.
There was Tetra with her usual confident expression, her cheeks flushed as usual.
''It's a lie, Festival.''
Seriously.
Why?
That's because I'm playing with Naotsugu-san. The self-proclaimed idol is in the best of moods, laughing and performing a series of small heels. The only thing I can't stand is that every time she does a recovery spell, she makes a kitten-like gesture and hits Naotsugu's side armor with her rod, knocking it away.
''Roughly, who's permission do you get to talk like that!
You're Mr. Shiroe?
Hey, White, don't do anything you don't have to do! Don't do anything you shouldn't have done!
But we can't just continue to laugh like that.
The Ibra Habra, standing upright like a monument in a theme park, opens its mouth wide and begins to inhale. The air and flames are sucked in with a roaring sound. It was a preliminary motion for the huge damaging range attack
''It's coming!
Draw the vanguard! Federico stays and continues to debuff. Take less damage!
Naotsugu and William's cries were almost simultaneous.
The formation changed again. The raid team's melee squad that pulled up like a tide.
This is to reduce the overall damage by pulling out of the fire storm's attack range. Reducing damage is not only important to reduce the effort of the recovery crew, but also to conserve MP.
However, that formation move was disrupted.
The fourth party, Azalea, who was supposed to be attacking from a distance, the
A new battle begins with such force that there is no time for a hectic regrouping.
There were two exits to this great underground cavity. One is the white granite passage above where Naotsugu and the others entered. The other is a cave passage that extends from the bottom of the cave.
Now, a huge barbarian warrior, a pale giant wearing a wild fur coat, the Tartuurger of the Fourth Garden, has entered the cave passage.
The
It would be a lie to say that there was no upset in Hiroma.
It was natural if you had experienced the painful annihilation of the last time. But that momentary rigidity is immediately broken by William's scolding.
The Silver Sword's pride and joy, Dinkron, jumped out like a bullet and used the Castle of Stone to charge at the frost giant. The elven warrior jokingly knocked off the club's sideways cleave, which was several meters in diameter alone, and positioned himself at the entrance to the passage. It's a good thing that you're a raider, because there's nothing useless about that move.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one, because you're not the only one. For now, the second prediction was correct.
It seems that the iron bars of the Colosseum cannot be opened by the Ruseart of the Seventh Garden.
However, Ibra Habra and Tartuffe Ruger, who are defending their positions east and west of the Colosseum, can enter the Colosseum, or they can move to each other's location via another secluded passage that is not in the Colosseum.
Even if they were able to outrun the Ruseart, it was within the realm of expectation that they would have to deal with both the Flame Serpent Ibra Habra and the Frost Giant Tartaurgar at the same time. Normally, that would mean that they were in limbo. There were no twenty-four people (full raids) who would not be destroyed by the attacks of the two raid bosses. Because their attacks are too overwhelming.
But is that really the case?
Shiroe had doubted it in that moment of awakening and had come up with this plan.
In the decisive battle of the Colosseum, Silver Sword and Shiroe and the others were annihilated partly because they were confused by the unexpected situation of the Raid Boss joining them, and their cooperation was disrupted. This was due to the fact that he was hit by a wide range of attacks at the same time. Regardless of which one was used, it was a lethal attack for the rearguard, but if you received both attacks at the same time, you couldn't help but die.
However, the vanguard might have been able to withstand one of them.
Remembering Ruseart's attack, Shiroe didn't think that a raid boss in the same zone would have an attack power far beyond that one. It might be more than that, but it wouldn't be possible to double it. Whether it was an Ibra Habra or a Tartarusgar, Shiroe concluded, it was not impossible to withstand that attack.
If the raid bosses didn't overlap each other's|attack range, it would be possible to just endure it, was the conclusion Shiroe came to, and the gist of his strategy.
This large underground cavity was large enough to do just that. Naotsugu took up position on the southwest wall to hold off Ibra Habra's attack, while the guardian warrior who supported the Silver Sword, named Dinklon-the man who supported the Silver Sword-at the entrance to the northeast corridor will keep Tartaurga glued to the wall.
The two shields adjusted their positions to protect each other from ranged attacks.
Their positioning is very precise. They each have their own healers, but this is not enough. Some healers will need to raid both Naotsugu and Dinklon, but if they are too far away from each other it will be too late. The further away they are, the safer they will be from ranged attacks, but this time their recovery spells won't be able to reach them.
It was expected that if I kept the distance just barely, there would be no "safe zone" inside this great cavity that would prevent me from getting into either ranged spell. For the rear-guard wizards and archers, it would be a tightrope battle in which they would have to keep adjusting their position in detail while avoiding the constant ranged attacks from either side that were constantly attacking them.
However, when William heard about Shiroe's plan, he replied with a fierce smile.
We will win, Shiroe, he said.
The "Mithril Eyes" is now proving its words, firing what appears to be a single line of fire without resting its hand, while sending a flurry of instructions.
Shiroe also fought without sparing any of them.
This is no longer the time to hold back.
It's true that they were able to catch the blows of the two terrifying raid bosses. However, that was by using Dinkron's Castle of Stone, a special move. That's why I decided to save it for the first game. The two shields had to be supported by recovery spells to stabilize the battlefield, which meant consuming the MPs of the only six healers on the team at a fast pace. Anticipating this situation, the members of the team had held back on their spells up to this point, but if they were to conserve poorly in the future, they would lose the lives of their vanguard. Now that this is a tight-rope battle, the collapse of the shield role would mean a collapse of the front line, and if they did so, it would lead to an immediate result of total annihilation.
And that means that hope in this zone will disappear.
"Federico, attack power reduction buff, attack range reduction buff.
Wow.
Tetra-san, crank up the recovery power.
I can't take it up any higher.
We're here to help. --Force step!
Shiroe casts a special support spell on Tottora. It accelerates all of Tora's reuse restriction time timers. The increase in speed is less than 20%, but that number is not small. The normal reuse restriction time for Aurora Heel is 600 seconds. If he didn't interrupt the Force Step, he would be able to use it again in 480 seconds. Shiroe uses the Mana Siphon to supply even that much more MP. This is a special skill of the Mana Siphon, which allows her to pass her MP to her companions.
In typical hunting party battles, it is relatively easy to recover your MP by taking a break. For this reason, the Mana Controller, which manages and restores MP, is often held in low esteem.
But Shiroe loves that rare trait, and has been cultivating it ever since.
With the dizzying intoxication of MP depletion, Shiroe continues to attack, measure and provide MP. Enhanced resilience for recovery jobs like Tetra and Lugius, and enhanced attack jobs like Federico and Demikus. While experiencing the battlefield in all of the expansive nearby, Shiroe turns his attention to the details.
''Here it is!
Lugius plunges one arm into one of the boiling puddles of sulphurous odour and unleashes a long chant. It is a very specific summoning of a squire used by the forest spellcaster (druid). The light from the furry armguard reached high into the air as if seeking the atmosphere and suddenly materialized into green. It was a summoning technique called Sequoia of Life, a summoning technique that can be contracted with a high level raid among the forest spellcasters who follow nature and spirits.
"Four spots, come closer!
Even William's command is frustrating, as the wizards gather in the shade of the great tree.
This summoning technique, known as the Sequoia of Life, is used to create a broad-leaf tree with magical powers. The shade of the tree is filled with a green light that continuously restores the HP of the friends in the vicinity. The amount of recovery is inferior to that of the Forest Cursed Master's Heal, but it is the greatest advantage to be able to provide long-lasting recovery to all the friends who huddle in the shade of the tree.
Shiroe does the math.
You'll be able to see the future in the sharp eyes behind the glasses and think about the future, with a look beyond the battle arithmetic that Minori had performed.
The number of twenty-four is four times the number of people in Minori's party of six. However, just because the number of people increased fourfold, the combination of their specialties and actions increased exponentially. Each one of these possibilities was examined, scraped off, picked up, or combined, "read".
Each swing of a companion's attack, or a drop of recovery.
The change in enemy threat level due to weakening magic (debuffs) that pile up like a rage. The invisible amount of hate remaining and the plasticity of action options in their margins.
The ever-changing HP of my friends was like an equalizer panel in Siloe.
Sensing the tide in the ever-decreasing timeline of battle, Shiroe differentiated it.
'Naotsugu, accelerate!
Aye!
Mr. Bolognese, step back.
Yes.
Each one is just a "sentence".
They are linked together to form a "sentence" with a purpose.
Naotsugu's face flashed in Shiroe's mind. Tetra's smile and William's stubbornly bitter smile, too. Federico, Lugius, and Demikus. And the faces of the Silver Sword.
Shiroe was nodding deeply, self-consciously.
Even Shiroe knew what William said.
Now the battle has become a "story" that has reached Shiroe.
It's a marching song that inspires you to keep going when you're on the verge of failure.
Something that William had called "the secret" touched Shiroe, too. It was the same quality of that nostalgic peace that Shiroe had been surrounded by at the tea party.
From Shiroe's white staff, which released all of the operations called full control (full control) combat (encounter), an incantation flew out of Shiroe's "White Staff of Ruined Wings". The Karma Drive, which resembles a large bird that slices through the air, landed on the flaming snake Ibra Habra, causing countless shining icons to pop.
(Fifteen percent........sixteen percent.......eighteen percent......)
Shiroe bit her lip and focused her mind.
The 【Squire Summoning: Life Sequoia】 used by Lugius was a favorite. That spell can restore a total of ten people's HP by more than thirty percent.
The Flame Serpent's wide-ranging attack, Purgatory Feast Without Mercy, seems to be about every 180 seconds. Lugius's Mercy Rain and Life Burst will take care of the next one. The next one is 360 seconds later. This blow was nullified by the Castle of Stone, which restored the restricted reuse time. Then, five hundred and forty seconds later, Tetra's Aurora Heel recovered.
Shiroe reads through it with such concentration that his vision loses its color.
It's possible to sink Ibra Habra in the Garden of Three before the 720 second mark. The effect of Shiroe's Karma Drive restores the MP of the companion who took a critical hit on that flaming snake. With this output of damage, he could finish off the Ibra Habra in 700 seconds at the latest.
After that, flip all your forces to the Frost Giant Tartuffe Ruger to take it out.
Considering the remaining MP resources, it's not a fight you can afford, but it's possible to win it just in time.
It may be thin ice, but it's a winnable possibility.
Shiroe is there to squeak it out.
He won't let the arithmetic that can be done for it be interrupted until the end. Putting his overheating mind into the ice box, Shiroe requested.
'Keep the damage output at this level.
Did you hear what that nigger said? Get fired up, crush! Don't be stingy with it!
At the moment William gave the group that command, an ominous black mass fell into the hall.
Botori.
Botori.
It stood up from the heaving ground and re-holstered its weapon in an inhuman motion.
A warrior that could be described as a splinter created from the Shadow Spire - the Lucéart of the Seven Gardens. Its fighting ability is far from that of the Rousseart, but it can still easily take on a few adventurers.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. That darkness, which had spread to the ceiling, hung down and became drops of heavy oil, giving birth to a warrior of shadows.
It was true that Ruseart would not be able to pass through the iron gate.
But the human-sized black spires he had created had passed through the gates, just as Siloe and the others had done, and emerged onto this battlefield.