Itai no Wa 219
Defense Specialization and Tower's 3rd Floor 6
After discussing for a while, they had decided that they would try shooting it with Sally's water magic from a safe distance in the air.
As Maple's shooting didn't work, they decided to use the same method which they had used on the small fries along the way.
And just to be safe, Maple also changed to her white gear and after healing up, she started preparing the damage nullify skill 'Aegis' which was included with 'Body lifting affection'.
After replenishing her health to max, she informed Sally that her preparations were complete.
"Preparation done! Ready whenever you are. Fufu, It has been a while since I have used anything other than 'Body lifting affection'.
"Alright then, Maple, make your large shield float? Yea, like that… all that's left is-"
Maple changed the altitudes of the two large shields and made them float. Sally jumped on to the lower one and tied her legs to the shield to make sure she wouldn't fall off.
"There we go, what do you think? Will it be in range?"
Maple adjusted the height further so that Sally's magic just barely reaches the giant.
"I think it should be fine if I just match the giant's movements. I will back off, if something happens."
The shield, which was in between Syrup and the one Sally was on, was basically the relay point.
As there was a limit to how far the shields can be from Maple, they maintained that distance and moved in circles around the floor.
"Hmmm, as I thought, it's hard… Sally, how's it going?"
"I don't know if it will actually harden but fix your aim properly to make a direct hit! It is taking damage but…"
"Of course! Here we go… Syrup, you do your best too, alright?"
Saying that, Maple aimed her gun turrets downward.
As Sally wasn't really specialized in magic and was alone on top of that, it did take a while but she was finally able to harden the giant's body which was made of lava.
Maple started attacking, taking that as the signal.
"'Commencing attack'! Syrup, 'Spiritual Cannon'!"
Rain of beams and cannonballs poured upon it.
All of them hit the giant and kept scraping away its HP bar.
"We did it! The guns are working!"
Just as Maple was getting delighted seeing her attacks having an effect, the giant's body started glowing red.
"Ahh, it's already over. Sally, counting on… you?"
Just as Maple finished asking Sally to harden the lava giant again, flame came bursting out of the blazing giant's huge hand. It was heading towards Maple.
"Maple, defend!"
"Eh, ah — 'Aegis'!"
The light Maple produced expanded in a flash and wrapped up the two of them and Syrup.
And although lumps of lava also came flying straight at them, it was all nullified by the light.
The light slowly faded and the two looked towards the giant.
"Ehh?! Sally, what is that?!"
At the place the giant was standing, shining blue lumps were floating a bit above the surface.
"It isn't… flame? Ice?"
As if to grant what Sally had just said, ice started spreading throughout the surface with the ice in the center.
It filled out the entire lava floor and even reached the walls to the ceiling and created icicles.
And then, just like trees grow but at a rapid speed, ice grew from the lump and the giant stood up.
"It changed forms! But it didn't recover HP… besides…"
Sally looked towards Maple and grinned.
"Even I can fight if it's against ice, Sally!"
"It weakened up for us."
"Fufufu, well then, let's commence the attack!"
And as Maple started her offense, it started inflicting damage unlike the time when it had the fire form.
However, while they had an advantage against this form, it was not like they could continue one-sided attacks.
"Alright, let's get it down at this…… eh?"
As Maple kept attacking facing down, she noticed that a shadow fell on her.
She quickly looked up and realized a broken icicle was falling right towards her from above.
"Ah… Saoww-owww! Uuu……"
The icicle destroyed Maple's weapon with a loud noise and Maple took a direct hit to the back when she tried to dodge.
"Defense penetration! Maple, take back Syrup too! These icicles keep on falling!"
Sally created an ice pillar and descended down to the surface.
After returning Syrup to her ring, Maple also followed Sally to the surface.
"Changing equipment… alright!"
"You've gotten faster at changing equipment."
"I practiced! And with this, I am in attack mode!"
As Maple changed to her black equipment, she entered battle stance, while staying alert of the icicles.
Sally also created an ice pillar with her 'Ice Pillar' skill.
And just when the two of them were about to start attacking, a chill went through the surface as it started glowing white and released a wave of ice with a loud noise.
"Maple, here it comes!"
"'Oozing Chaos' 'Commence attack'!"
The monster Maple released collided with the wave of ice and divided it. Even then, a part of the ice made contact with Maple and broke her stance.
However, it didn't lead to any damage.
"I will be fine as long as it's just a normal attack!"
In that interval, Sally connected the ice pillars quickly, got on top of the giant's shoulder, and sliced from its neck to its head.
She continued her attack, emitting a blue aura, all the while dodging the icicles dexterously in that narrow foothold.
"Alright. It's simple as long as it's not burning."
"Hm?"
Maple moved and attacked while evading the icicles and realized that before she knew it, her body was getting frosted.
She tried brushing them away but wasn't able to clear all of it.
"Sally, be careful! Something… something is making it freeze here… or is it?"
As Maple warned Sally, she realized that it didn't really affect her much so she continued her attacks.
"….There are too many things which don't have any effect on you so it's hard to understand. I am fine for now, I guess."
Although the giant's attacks grew even fiercer and its power also increased as its HP was being depleted, because the enemy wasn't fast, Sally had the leeway to think about other things even while evading.
And as they kept accumulating damage like that, the giant released a conspicuously stronger cold wave.
"Maple, finish it before it turns back to flame!"
After adding some more intense shooting at the end, Sally jumped off to dodge.
"Leave it to me, 'Hydra', 'Oozing Chaos', 'Atrocity'!"
As the giant staggered after receiving the attack, Maple charged in her monster form.
She breathed out flame from her mouth to force back the cold wave and started crunching off the giant's ice body.
"This is the end!"
Just as many ice thorns erupted from ground, Maple launched her final attack while breathing out fire.
As she did that, the giant's body started crumbling apart from the ends and finally reached its core, which burst open and dissolved into the air.
"We won… Mm, I thought we would be safe in the air."
Still in her monster form, Maple lied down.
"Good work. Mm, skill acquired?"
"Ah, me too! Lemme check, lemme check."
Seeing the unexpected notification, Sally and Maple opened up their status menu to check the skill they had just acquired.
"Really, how are you checking it like that…"
Sally muttered, staring at Maple in her monster form.