Momonga stood a short distance away facing towards his party, each of them preparing their gear for the coming boss fight. As he waited, a message rang through to him.
[Is something the matter Ulbert-san?]
[No, nothing just curious on what you would be spending on first, because I have to warn you, It was said that being Undead meant that the body capsules benefits would be muted.]
Momonga didn't answer, making Ulbert question him a second time. [Ulbert-san. Why are you do so adamant about this? I thought you of all people would understand why I'm being cautious about the situation.]
[... I confess Momonga-san. I do not hate Touch Me-san.] Momonga was momentarily stunned of the confession that came out of nowhere. [I was born a loser you see. Just like you, I only finished elementary school. Enough to get a job, or should I say, a chance to live.]
[My parents loved me you see. They loved me very much that they both worked, day in and day out. Both of them trying their best to give me a better life. Yet... they died... and their corpses were never even found... or so I believed.]
[Years down the line, I'd find out that they never really bothered to look for them. The collapsed building was actually worth more. All of the years of services... it amounted to nothing. Nothing.]
[My beautiful mother who walked home with lifeless eyes, ripped clothes, bruises and semen dripping down her legs... the mother who had nearly tried to give up on life, held back only by my hardworking and loving father... the same father who did not escape the same fate as my mother...]
[I admit it Momonga-san, I hate them. Those who were born winners in life. Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths and still had the balls to complain about their place in life. But most of all... I am envious of them.]
[Despite the nightmares and the gut wrenching things I knew they could do. I knew there are those who are not like them. I just... I wish I was in your place.... Wonder what it would feel like to be on top for once.]
[Ulbert-san...]
[I wonder what it would feel... to make them feel what I felt... I'm the kind of guy who has seen the worst of our kind Momonga-san. The kind of guy who despite it all, still wishes that there is light beyond the tunnel... the same guy drowning in darkness that all he could do is scoff at it all.]
[Just think about it Momonga-san. With you up there... Maybe you can give this 'Pessimisticly' hopeful idiot a hand.]
"We're ready. Guildmaster." said Buku who's pink form showing various magic item floating within her gelatinous body.
Behind her stood Nishiki Enrai with several scrolls at his thighs and a large one on his back. Yamaiko with both gauntlets emitting a soft glow. And Eliza with her crimson sword set ablaze with blood red flames and another silver and gold ornate sword at the other.
Momonga saw that his party is ready. Turning back to Ulbert -who hefted a staff on his shoulder, Momonga nodded and said. "Let's go."
With a push of the doors, they were greeted by an empty room with a half-broken statue at the middle and several teleportation circles pulsing all around it. And with resolute steps, Buku triggers the trap and a flash of light engulfed them all.
They suddenly found themselves standing in the middle of an open coliseum. Momonga and his friends turned their eyes in unison to the massive being that stood in the center of the arena like a wrathful Nio statue.
It was a boss which stood nearly five meters tall, with six arms resembling an Asura. From the exquisite craftsmanship of its armor, they could guess that it boasted a strong defense.
Four of its six arms held melee weapons — a sword, an axe, a spear and a club, each wreathed in an aura of fire, cold, electricity and acid respectively. Its remaining two hands held a bow. All this suggested that it was a physical attacker with multiple elemental attacks.
And with flash of its gold encrusted eyes, it spoke in a reverberating tone. "Oh foolish ones, you who would dare challenge us. Face our might. We who become stronger with every binding removed from us."
"...there wasn't any foreshadowing of any bindings till now huh."
"Umu."
"Good to know... Now let's get this Show on the Road!"
[Haste] Eliza casted, boosting Buku's movements as her form slid with great speed, circling around the boss.
Asura thrust its flaming sword and a magic circle appeared beneath Buku. She zigzagged, trying to lose the circle but everytime she would escape outside of its range, it would just reappear beneath her instantly.
"[SOLAR FLARE]"
The words floated in the air as the boss's skill activated. A Burst of fire erupted with Buku at its center. Her HP barely dwindled but inside, she was already fuming.
The boss used a skill inaccessible by players, meaning that it was a Unique Skill. Making them change their tactics from feeling out the boss and planning, to forcing them to a more aggressive playstyle while they improvise.
The others rushed forward with Nishiki Enrai flashing forward in great speed. [Viper's kiss] a text box appears on top of him as he stabbed the titan at the ankles.
[Poison- Resist]
Asura's eyes shifted to him, only for Eliza to attack with [Enchanted Blade] and [Arcana Strike]. Her swords dealt both physical and magical attack at the same time in a single swing.
Using [Life Essence] Momonga was able to calculate the damage and informed his team of its lesser physical resistance and greater magical resistance.
His observation suddenly sharpened when he saw Asura thrust its flaming sword towards Nishiki Enrai, who was too baffled at the oncoming strike that he casted a skill instead of dodging. [Uke Negashi] His skill allowed him swipe the sword with his arms and deflect it to the side but he did not escape the fire damage, making him flip backwards to the middle lines behind Eliza who instantly rushed the enemy.
[Breaker], [Furious Assault]. Her first swing, smashed against the armor with the explosive sounds of a smashing rock, further reducing the boss's physical resistance, followed by consecutive slashes.
Again, Asura swing its axe at Nishiki Enrai, who jumped to the side, avoiding the massive weapon.
[Shield throw], [Impact Hammer Blow]
Buku threw her shield like a frisbee while her gelatinous form shifted like a cannon ball, hurling herself at great speed and smashing explosively against the titan's chest. But it did not change its target.
Yamaiko, seeing another sword thrust wipe out 1/3rd of Nishiki Enrai's HP casted her healing spell, [Greater Healing]- only for Asura to turn towards her.
Doom fell on the party's shoulders when it shifted its attention. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Momonga casted [Reality Slash] and Ulbert casted [Fire Storm] with the others joining in for a relentless barrage with hopes to gain the boss's attention.
Seeing the Boss raise two weapons when reaching Yamaiko, Buku immediately casted [Transposition] switching places with Yamaiko who instantly casted [Regen] to Buku who received substantial damage.
The whole party was surprised at the outcome, with Buku losing half of her whole HP.
Being friends with her made the others fully aware how resilient her build truly is. Being a pure tank with little to no physical damage, with skills spent on protection of both herself and allies along with crowd control to manage hate. Her defense was assuredly top notch, yet this boss- Asura, wiped out half of that with a single strike.
Panic clawed is way towards their hearts, as the boss's attention refused to shift to any other party member despite their assault and chased Yamaiko across the coliseum.
All but one.
"...I made a mistake..." Momonga whispers. "We shouldn't have waited for the others to finish their bosses...I made a mistake."
"Momonga! Snap out of it." Ulbert shouts in slight panic. "I don't know what to do! We need you to lead us!"
"But-"
"I will punch you later if that makes you feel better!" shouted Nishiki Enrai. "Now help us fight this damn thing!"
"Momonga-onii-san! What do we do!"
"I- I'm-"
*BAM!* dirt was thrown around with dust flying everywhere along with both Eliza who was thrown and bounced against the coliseum wall by an axe and Buku who was struck by a club. Her character bounced across the dirt twice before rolling into a slumped state with the notification [Stunned] and [Poison] hovering above her head and her HP bar more than half empty despite the Regen.
In his panic state, a message rang through which he instinctively answers. [Momonga-san! Monsters has appeared at the final area!]
"What... Bu-" 'You said it was a safe area...'
[Please! Hurry! We won't hold much longer!]
His mind wandered for a moment, images of his team, fighting for their lives against an insane boss. And his Guildmates, struggling against an endless horde of enemies. Like a jolt, Momonga's eyes refocused with a firm tone, he spoke.
"Focus on the attack! And tear him apart!" Momonga shouted. "Buffs on speed and strength, dodge and deflect, Buku-san you're on lifeguard duty!"
"Roger!"
"Yamaiko-san!" -"Yes Guildmaster!"- "Sustain our HP above halfway point!" -"Roger"-
"Nishiki-san!" -"Waga Aruji!"- "Cripple it! As many debuffs as you can. If it doesn't stick focus on output, retry every 25% mark!" -"Hai!"-
"Eliza."
"Yes, master?"
"Go."
She smiled and says. "Hai!"
Momonga turned to Ulbert. "Come Ulbert-san. The Shitty-Devs were more than happy to gives us a stress relief, let us not waste it!"
"Hahaha! Indeed Guildmaster!"
[Death Knight], [Death Emperor], [Triple-Maximize Magic: Obsidian Swords]
A skeleton of full plate littered with spikes, holding a tower shield and a flamberg alighted by purple flames rises next to a crowned skeleton with a longsword, garbed in golden plate covered in soot and a tabbard tattered and decayed. And around Momonga, three pairs of sword shaped obsidians appeared.
[Hell priest], [Summon: Wrath] [Hell Enchant: Spirit Swords],
A skinny humanoid with pale skin climbed from a fiery crack beneath the earth. Its head covered in metal with spikes speared into it and a pair of golden gauntlets with a golden belt with a skin like scroll dangling between its legs, littered with hellish letters.
Next to it is a muscular demon wreath in flames with a pair of bat-like wings and a pair of menacing horn on its beast like head.
And around him, appeared a pair of longswords made of black flames with crimson color running through its center.
The summons were given one command, attack.
As if responding to their summons, Asura raised its Axe, gathering dark clouds up high that cracked with lightning.
Buku rushed in, [Shield Attack] and [Shield Stun]. While Nishiki Enrai performed. [Shadowbind] and [Hobble]. The rush of destabilizing skills made the Asura lose its footing forcing it to take a step back, with the clouds dispersing at the same time.
Before Momonga could celebrate a message appeared in front of him. [They're getting stronger! Please Hurry!!!]
"Finished it!"
"""""Hai!"""""
The teams attacked in relentless fashion, unleashing their spells and monsters against the boss. Buku was on Lifeguard duty which she naturally interpret to saving those with low health and with survival skills on Cooldown.
Yamaiko focused on spells buffing her allies and healing constantly towards Eliza, Nishiki and Ulbert who has been chased tirelessly by the boss.
Eliza and Nishiki focused on output and damage while inflicting lasting debuffs on the enemy. Unfortunately it was resistant to most of them, excluding the slow effects and those that destabilize its movements.
Ulbert had spent most of his time barraging the enemy with constant spells of the eight tiers and higher. Focusing entirely on destructive and explosive spells than cutting and piercing that is slowly dealing less and less damage.
Momonga on the other hand, stood at the side performing buffs on his allies while sending the Death Emperors with Corrosive Aura to attack and his Death Knights in defense of both Ulbert and Yamaiko.
Seeing the enemy lift another weapon, another prompt appears.
"[Neptune Lightstorm]"
Momonga teleported next to Yamaiko, followed by Ulbert and created [Wall of Skeleton] sheltering them like an umbrella. While Yamaiko took the chance to cast [Greater lethal] to Momonga and heal him.
Buku raised her shields, Nishiki Enrai activated one of his scrolls that made him appear and reappear at random places everytime a light would pierce him.
Eliza on the other hand activated her skill, [Valor] which allowed her to increase her damage the more hits she takes while engorging herself on defense stats the more hits she delivers. Chained with her [Furious Assault] and with the 'Life Steal' properties of her sword, it allowed her to endure the light storm while attacking at the cost of losing three quarters of her HP.
The storm subsided and while most of the monsters were destroyed, Momonga took advantage of the remaining death knights defending them and summoned one of his Lieutenants.
From behind him, his shadow stretched and clawed out a skeletal hand and dragged a black hooded skeleton with eyes burning with purple flames from the darkness. As the cloaked being knelt behind Momonga, it plunged its skeletal hand to his shadow and pulled out a scythe made of silver blade and a gnarled bone like pole.
"[Grim Reaper Thanatos], Attack."
With the roar of wails made out of various voices, the creature of death vanished and reappears behind Asura and slashed at it, immediately inflicting [Decay] status to the boss.
The battle went smoothly from there. With summons aiding in providing additional targets for the boss, the party slowly got into the rhythm of the fight. The only true problem they faced was the constantly increasing damage of the boss as it loses more HP, the rising resistance to physical attacks and the insanely randomized attention of the boss, completely ignoring Hate, agro, or taunts.
Suddenly, amidst an exchange against both Nishiki, Buku and Eliza, the Asura jumped back to the middle of the coliseum and crossed its arms.