CH 342

We were finally in the end phase of the guild battle.

Score as of now was ‹White - 11,950P vs Red - 7270P›, a total difference of ‹4620P›.

Out of 5 Big Castles, 3 are under White while 2 under Red.

The gap between ‹Eden› and ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› was gradually coming out.

Around 35 minutes has passed since the starting of the guild battle, and only 10 minutes have remained before it ends. In the end phase, the core tactic revolves around maintaining the position and arrangements of one's own squares as well as the squares in protection period.

And it had been mentioned earlier too, but the victory condition for ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› is to take down the ‹Eden› base in the remaining 2 minutes of the guild battle. This means they have to snatch the squares that are in the proximity of base to their side in the remaining time until the last two minutes.

It was hard to tell what kind of mechanism was being used, but a barrier had been erected around the base to prevent the invasion of the opponent team, attacks didn't pass either. The only way is to snatch the adjacent squares, which will disperse the barrier, and making it possible to mount their raid on it.

This is the optimal plan ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› would want to achieve.

In contrast, ‹Eden› plan is to seize the opponent's squares while forming a layer of own white squares as a wall to prevent them from capturing it.

And right now, in the northern area where ‹Eden› base is, a huge reversal was taking place.

"Celia-san, please take care of 2 squares in the north! The one in the southeast, Celestine-san! And Pamel-san and Shizu-san, please head to Southwest square!"

As the ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› were paving their path to the white base, ‹Eden› was running around to keep them at bay. Furthermore, it was basically a one sided suppression.

With ‹master-Planner Princess› and ‹Dragon's Miniature Garden›, it would have been strange if not in contrast. The icing on the cake was the difference in members count, and so, ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› were being gradually cornered.

‹Eden› meanwhile was efficiently capturing the squares under the instruction of Rina. The northern area was already dyed in white.

The remaining red squares were far and few there, and ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› were gradually reaching a deadlock.

The path would be cut off if they didn't do anything, it was just a moment of time before they were to be chased away from the northern area as well.

Currently, the majority of the ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› members has managed to gain a foothold, but in all honesty, a future where they can get hold of a command tower looks bleaker than a withered tree in the heart of winter.

That being said, there is still one other way for ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› to win, and that's to take down all the Big Castle; though this is the talk of never happening fantasy.

After all, they are standing at such a precipice that a single Big Castle takeaway from them spells their defeat. In short, one life among ten deaths is a grim reality for them.

They neither have sufficient time, nor battle power.

——However, not enough. This is just tasteless like an unsalted cracker.

Guild battle simply doesn't have the two team participating. There are also audiences watching over them.

Comments are flooding out from them. It is a stage where the audience is fervently cheering.

A bland, expected ending like this is just too anticlimactic for their enjoyment.

"Rina. I am also heading out."

"Zephyr-san too?"

What I wish for is the flowers. The flowers that make the audience excited like a roaring inferno.

And speaking of flowers in the guild battle, it's of course good ol' PvP battle. The PvP battle climax from earlier has raised similar fire inside me.

So far, it was mostly a one-sided development. There was also some exciting battle, overwhelming opponent with our strategist was also pretty good.

However, both ‹Eden› and ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star› must have wanted this as well; PvP battles.

They have the chance to win, while this guild battle is basically in our bag. That's why. This is just the moment to lift the ban on pvP battle.

"Rina, here , here and here. Gather everyone who wants to fight."

"Ah, but are you sure? Even if we don't do anything, it will still be our win."

As expected of her. She immediately understood my intention and asked back.

However, I am sorry Rina. Even though you worked hard to create this advantageous field for us. But you see, I am lifting the ban precisely because you have secured our victory.

In short, the fruit of victory we are enjoying is all her achievement.

Everyone will be delighted.

"Well then, I am leaving the rest to you. Rina."

Leaving behind these words, I arrived at the place near the central squares where Rina, Shizu and Pamela are holding back Saturn, Tom and Polish.

Apparently, battle already began and the Saturn team unable to cross the wall of Lana and others, is being held back.

"Shiiiit! If only, if only we can get past thisssss!"

"We're running out of time. Shall we make a suicide attack!?"

"Ugh, we are not going to overturn the outcome at this rate! Saturn!"

"Grrrrh Stopping is not an option. Then let's bulldoze through it! Call in our reserve force for the base base! We are going to take down their home base first!"

Saturn and others started action while shouting so.

......Has the thought that shouting like this will expose their plan to their opponent as well never crossed their mind?

"A wishful thinking you have there!"

And sure enough, Lana comes out from the shadow of the protection period while putting her hands on her waist, taking an imposing pose.

Saturn and team flashed a bitter expression.

‹Best of the Best, the Great Star›, after being blocked by Lana and others following my instructions, seems to be in a dilemma.

Judging from their earlier discussion, their plan was to bring out reserved members as well to increase battle power even if it meant leaving their base defenceless, and breakthrough from here towards our base.

Sure enough, I expected them to take that step.

"I kept you waiting."

"Zephyr! Don't you need to defend the base?"

"Same-desu! Is there no need to seize squares-desu?"

"Thanks for your effort, Pamela and Sizu. It's fine. We're going to fight them. Let's send them to ‹Loser's Room›."

"Fufu. Just leave that matter to me!"

With these words, Lana rested a vaguely familiar looking mace on her shoulder.

As someone who always had talisman-type equipment, that mace stood in stark contrast to her.

I didn't even have to guess hard about her intention.

"This mace is really something for beating. I borrowed it from Hannah."

"......I see."

So it was right in thinking it looks familiar, nevertheless, Hannah's huh. I think she named it Mei-chan No.2?

I turned to look at the pitiful Saturn and others, who had their faces dyed red from trying to make a breakthrough while glancing at our direction.

"You scoundrel! Don't you dare look at me with such pitiful eyes."

"Damn you, How humiliating!"

"Stop, reign in your feelings! They're four, we have to wait for reinforcement!"

The Polish barely managed to stop Saturn and Tom and who looked ready to jump at me any time.

Nice decision, Polish. There's no way for them to contend with us, whether it is levels or members normally.

So the basics is to wait for reinforcement. However, there is no need to wait for them.

"Let's start. ‹Grenade›!"

"Here comes their attack! Dodge themmmmm!!

Shizu heartlessly triggered the grenade, causing a loud explosion.

The grenade fired from the muzzle flew in an arc toward Tom.

Tom had tried to evade immediately as soon as Polish's shout reached his ears, but——

"‹Ninja Technique - Shadow Bind›-desu!"

"Ghhhh, my legs are feeling slow——!"

However Tom was struck with ‹Bind› state at the merciless support of Pamela, delaying his escape.

Then a grenade hit, it exploded. Alongside Tom......

"Gahhhhh!?"

"Tom!? Are you alright!?"

"Cough Guh. Y, Yeah, somehow. I would have dropped dead there without my trained muscles. Polish, heal me."

"T, That's quite a sturdy muscle you have. It's a relief you are alright, ‹Mega heal›."

So there was truth in the words that by developing muscles, one can survive even after being caught up in a grenade explosion, eh?

Polish casted healing magic on Tom who survived the attack.

He was full of opening.

"‹Lightning——"

"Not in my watch! ‹Flare›!"

I was about to sweep them with ‹Lightning Burst› when Saturn attacked, so I had to cancel it and dodge.

"Great, Saturn!"

"Be more vary about the surroundings."

"My ‹Lightning Burst› is a third order skill tree magic so it takes a bit of time to activate it, and ‹Flare› being Intermediate lower-grade magic, it has faster activation time.

Hmm, glad to see he is properly putting my teaching into use.

"You saved me there, Saturn.:

"As expected of you."

When Tom and Polish said their thanks, Saturn's bad habit rear its ugly head here.

"Hmoh, nothing much."

"‹Shining Sabre of the Sacred Light›!"

"Guooohhh!?"

" "Saturn!?" "

At the moment Saturn put up a haughty smile, his pride stroked by their praise, Lana's strongest move stuck him with a loud boom sound which blew him away, spinning and tumbling on the way.

"His smile irked me just now! ‹Light Blade›!"

"‹Rapid Shot›!"

"‹Giant Shuriken Art›-desu!"

" "Gahhhhh!!!!"

Following him, the combination of Lana, Shizu and Pamela's attack assaulted Tom and Polish.

The two focused on dodging them and barely managed to survive.

"Uooooh. Get your act together, Saturn! ‹Heal›! ‹High Heal›!"

"Guh, I let down my guard! I would have been insta-killed if I hadn't improved my resistance."

Saturn and others fell into disadvantage. Even when Tom's tried to take advantage of situation,

"If i just slipped into their defences!"

"Not in my wake, ‹Barrage›!"

"Gaaaaah!?"

He was pushed back by Sizu's gun skill ‹Barrage› from her direction.

Breakthrough from here looks to be an unattainable dream for the,.

I glimpsed Mei-chan Ver.2 in Lana's hand shining ominously. Perhaps, the time for it to shine was approaching.

Though, it seems like it will have to wait for a while.

"We keep you waiting, Saturn!But ferret not, We have arrived!"

"Let us handle this scene!"

"I didn't expect Brave to directly come out in person. The time to use this fist has finally come."

The consecutive skill attacks continue, assaulting Tomma and Police.

The two focus on evasion and narrowly manage to survive.

"Uoooh! Saturn, get it together! 'Heel!' 'High Heal!'"

"Gah, I let my guard down! If I hadn't increased my RES, I might have been instantly killed."

The Satans are at a disadvantage. Despite Tomma's attempt to charge in amidst the chaos,

"If you get close enough, then-"

"We won't let you! 'Barrage'!"

"Grrrahhh!?"

They are pushed back by Shizu's gun skill, 'Barrage,' hitting her face.

Breaking through was difficult.

I had a suspicious feeling that Mei-chan No. 2, wielded by Rana, was shining ominously. Perhaps its time to shine was fast approaching.

However, it seemed that it would still be a little while before that.

"Saturn! Sorry to keep us waiting!"

"Let us handle this!"

"I never expected the hero to come out in person. Finally, the time to use this fist has come!"

Almost simultaneously with those words, three figures appeared from the south.

First one was the same second year student, ‹Reckless Wizard›, who had been gagged and captured just before the guild battle started. Second was another second year student with a smooth sparkling bald head, ‹Dangerous Monk›.

And finally, the last one, another second year student, was ‹Punching Magician›, fluttering his jey-black cloak while performing shadow boxing with taping coiled around his fist.

They were the reinforcement of ‹Best of the Best, the Great Star›. (Reinforcement?)

....... All three of them have troll jobs, can they even handle the situation?