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

Mi immediately used ‘Flame Empress’ and then ‘Explosive Flames,’ sending an explosive wind at the oncoming Yui and Mai.

However, the knockback effect only worked on Maple, so the attacks would not directly lead to stopping those two.

But still, changing Maple’s position meant changing the area of invincibility as well.

Now Yui and Mai would not be able to move forward in the field that Marx had covered in landmines, and they had no choice but to move back.

The familiar method of defense that Mi had used brought about the best results for them.

“‘Explosive Flames’!”

“Co-, ‘Cover Move’!”

Mi sent Maple flying back, and then Maple moved towards Yui and Mai who were running towards her.

“Yui, Mai, over here!”

Maple called for Syrup and put the two on it’s back so they could escape into the sky.

This was because there was a possibility that she wouldn’t be able to protect them here, when there was someone who could use powerful knockbacks.

“‘Flame Spear’ ‘Flare Accel’!”

Mi started to alternate between midrange attacks with ‘Flame Empress’ and close range attacks with the flame spear in her hand and acceleration.

Maple was swinging her left arm, which was now a sword, but she could not keep up with the accelerated Mi.

Even ‘Predator’ was unable to catch Mi.

“So even ‘Flame Empress’ is no use…!”

However, Mi was unable to deal any damage either.

Mi had a.s.sumed that her firepower at its strongest would be enough, but that was not the case.

“Misery! Marx!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“‘Explosive Flames’!”

“Woah! Ahh!”

Misery’s piercing attack came for Maple as soon as she was knocked back by Mi.

On top of that, Marx’s traps caught her arms and legs.

“Mmm…”

Maple swung her sword arm and cut the plants that held her so she could escape. Then she used her great shield to block the piercing attacks.

With her sword that was the size of a greatsword and a great shield, there were too many things that made it difficult to land a hit on Maple.

Furthermore, the fact that the enemy wanted to avoid entering the attack range of the vicious looking ‘Predator,’ meant that even with Maple’s slower speed, she had enough time to protect herself.

But when it came to distances that were out of ‘Predator’s’ range, Maple’s methods of attack were limited. She could only use the shortsword skill one more time, and so she could not waste it here.

“What should I do…oomph!”

Mi’s repeated knockback attacks pushed her out of her stance.

Even if they didn’t hit her directly, the knockback effect would apply to her if it hit ‘Predator.’

And if there was a trap behind her again, then she would be in trouble.

“Hmph!”

Mi, Marx, and Misery were all keeping a distance from her. And not only were they much faster than her, but the ground was littered with traps meant to slow her down. The way that these three rankers were fighting her was completely different from when attacking a monster.

They never came close to her, but continued to use their mobility to confuse her as they waited for their chance.

Mi and the others knew that getting in one piercing attack would not mean anything, and so they avoided using them.

“Misery, I’m going to use it! Adjust the defense power after this!”

“Ye-yes!”

As soon as another of Marx’s traps activated, Mi used another one of her skills.

“Flame Prison.\'”

“Hm? What…!?”

Flames erupted in a circle around Maple and stretched up into the sky. She was surrounded in a wall of fire.

The top was open, but it was incredibly high up.

She tried hit the wall of fire with her sword, but it did not crumble.

“What!? I’m taking damage!?”

Maple realized she was taking a fixed amount of damage at regular intervals, regardless of her defense power. And so she sent ‘Predator’ back and drank a potion as she waited for the skill to finish. However, it seemed to be taking its time.

The skill was a trump card that Mi could only use once a day. It would not finish so easily.

“What should I…hmmm…”

Maple considered her best course of action.

On the other side, Mi was emptying potion after potion.

‘Flame Prison’ could be maintained as long as you had MP, and the limit was 10 minutes.

However, maintaining it for a whole 10 minutes would mean that you had to drink dozens of MP potions.

Considering the nature of this event, this strategy should have been avoided, but they had little choice since they were up against Maple.

“So…what will happen?”

“It would be nice if she just died like this.”

“Hmm…I don’t think the traps will hold much longer…”

As the three strong players talked like this, a black ma.s.s shot up into the air with a burst of fire, then fell down outside of the cage.

They may have been strong, but they had now flipped a switch in Maple that should never be flipped.

“‘Deploy All Weapons.\'”

Maple transformed in front of all of them. She was covered in shining black weapons from head to toe, and this appearance gave off an intense sense of being overpowered to any who saw it.

They had forced Maple into deciding that she could not win like this, shattering one of her shackles and so unleashing a new strength.

“This time…I will be the one attacking!”