Itai no wa Iya nanode Bōgyo-Ryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu

Just as she had decided, Sally returned to Maple Tree.

“I’m back!”

Sally came back just as Yui and Mai were picking up the metal b.a.l.l.s.

Maple was about to help, but then realized that she wouldn’t be of any use, and so she gave up.

They were so heavy that Kasumi could barely pick them up, so there was no way that Maple would be able to.

“Oh! Welcome back, Sally!”

“Here are 4 orbs!”

“Woah!” “Woah!” “Woah!”

The trio all raised their voices in surprise.

If they could protect these, they would receive so many points.

Chrome and Kanade came out from the back when they heard the loud applause.

After that, Kasumi and Izu returned from their second scouting mission.

They had taken 8 orbs in all.

And they already succeeded in guarding 3 of them until they disappeared after giving them points.

One was the orb that Sally, Kasumi, and Chrome had taken together, and two were from medium-sized guilds that Sally had robbed through a cunning scheme.

Now they had orbs that Kasumi and Izu had brought back, and orbs that Sally had brought back.

They needed to protect these five orbs now, which meant that they could not let their guard down.

However, the orbs were being protected by the strongest shield in the game.

Even if there were players that could get through, they could easily handle it without too much effort.

“Oh, that’s right! I generally just the took the orbs and ran, so some guilds will probably come to retrieve their orbs. Though, they’re all small guilds.”

“Really, no matter how many times I hear it, I find it hard to believe…”

Kanade muttered.

“Ah, speak of the devil.”

Chrome pulled out his weapon and looked at the entrance. Players were pouring in now, and their numbers showed clearly that this was not just a single small guild.

As the smaller guilds were having a hard time, they had quickly formed an alliance.

This situation meant that there were no merits to betraying each other until the end, and so they would use each other until they knew whether or not they could take the orbs back.

The players that burst into the cave saw that there were 6 orbs.

And only 8 players protecting them.

Such a quickly formed alliance would not be very well organized, but they had 50 players in all. It was a tremendous difference in numbers.

Furthermore, their morale was at its peak now that they saw what was essentially a mountain of treasure. Some of them were already cooly planning on defeating their allies, once the enemy was gone.

Ah, how lucky they all were.

It was possible that they could s.n.a.t.c.h 6 orbs after just killing 8 players.

They would never have such a great opportunity ever again.

They all shouted and charged forward.

Magic flew through the air, dust rose.

Bloodshot eyes looked at the 8 players, who were strangely relaxed.

“Is this the first time that all 8 of us are fighting?”

“I think it is the first time that all of us are part of the battle. Especially with Izu.”

“Maple, do the usual.”

That was all Chrome needed to say, and everyone knew what he meant.

In the first place, Maple really only had one role when it came to this event.

“Understood! ‘Dedicated Affection’!”

“Yes, ‘Heal.\'”

Kanade immediately healed Maple as her HP had gone down. They left no openings.

Maple started to walk forward now, and the others followed her.

The two groups crashed into each other, and their weapons slashed.

Yui and Mai were repeatedly hit by attacks that came from all over the place, but neither of them would fall.

“‘Double Stamp’!” “‘Double Stamp’!”

With a thunderous noise, players flew into the air. The players that now moved away from Yui and Mai were met by a billhook and sword.

“Hahh!”

“Oomph!”

The players who endured and dodged those attacks and tried to go for the orbs first were the smart ones.

They escaped the area of ground that was shining, as they hurried to the orbs. But a rain of bombs fell on top of them.

“Oh, how naughty of you. Trying to just go for the orbs.”

With Izu and Maple there, they were no different than the other fighters.

They were a huge threat.

And any that managed to force their way past them were invited to Kanade’s library.

“‘Paralyze Laser.\'”

Kanade unleashed a low power, high paralysis-rate laser that spread throughout the air in an even layer. Its added effect was powerful, which made up for the fact that it had a limited range.

Still, there was also a player here to finish their work, even if Kanade didn’t kill them.

“Ggg..gaah!:

“Dd.a.m.n it!”

The players who were hit by the lazers groaned as they tried to escape, but their movements were sluggish.

“Goodbye then.”

The culprit who had stolen their orbs.

Kanade stopped the movements of the players, and Sally sent them back to their guilds.

As this was happening, players who were in the advance guard were falling one after another.

Before they knew it, the alliance army was destroyed, and those who had lost heart were running for their lives.

However, there were still a few who continued to fight back.

“‘Leap’!”

There was a player who had slipped through Chrome and Kasumi and jumped forward, seeming to have no intention of surviving.

And then he swung his sword at the player who had supported the frontlines and had the wings of an angel.

“‘Defense Break’!”

“‘Pierce Guard.\'”

As if smashing with both the words and the sword, the last strike took all his remaining strength, but the cruel declaration robbed it of all power, and his attack merely bounced right off.

He sensed the presence of two great hammers at his back, and the last thing he saw was a player whose hood was so deep, that he could not see her face.

“Maple… We made a mistake.”

He whispered in despair before the great hammer slammed into his body.

None of the final remaining players were able to touch the orbs.

It was a complete defeat for them.

Oh, and yet they were all so lucky.

They had been the first people in history to see this team of 8 in action. They had experienced it.

Surely, this would be something that they could boast of when the event was over.

They had experienced a ?battle with the most ferocious party within the game.

Eventually, the sky became full of darkness, and the first night arrived. A night to be full of raids and a.s.sa.s.sinations.