Chapter 79: The Eve of the Betrayal
"Now, begin teleporting with the Corridor Crystals. I look forward to your brave fight."
With Heathcliff's declaration, the portal in front of the boss chamber opened, and the selected elite members were teleported in one after another. Once all had confirmed entry, the assault team proceeded through the door into the boss chamber. As reported, there was no sign of the boss, and the door had yet to close.
"I'll advance to the center. Everyone stay alert—once the doors close, watch your surroundings carefully, especially above."
Saying this, Hachiman cautiously advanced. After reaching a certain point, the doors shut with a loud boom—and at the same time, Asuna shouted.
"It's above us!"
At the sound of her cry, Hachiman charged toward the entrance. The boss dived toward him, but he was too fast, dodging just in time. The boss revealed itself behind him.
[Skeletal Reaper]
"So it is a centipede, but I didn't expect it to be made of bones."
"Those scythes look terrifying. A direct hit might be instant death!"
"The legs seem to be covered in sharp blades too. Side attack teams, keep that in mind."
Hachiman's precise prediction left Kirito, Klein, and Agil speechless—only Asuna muttered with admiration, "That's my Hachiman-kun."
"Tanking unit, form a semicircle around Heathcliff at the center! Take the front line to test the boss's strength!"
"Everyone else, flank from both sides and observe its movements! Report any unusual motion from the lower body immediately!"
"Understood!"
"Tanking unit, advance!"
Heathcliff stepped out in response. When a scythe came down, he blocked it with his shield without flinching. Meanwhile, another member hit by the opposite scythe was sent flying.
"Fill the gap in the formation!"
While shouting, Hachiman rushed to the downed tank, poured a potion down their throat, and asked:
"How did that strike feel?"
"Unrealistically heavy! A direct hit could zero out your HP instantly."
"Got it. Rejoin after full recovery."
"You got it!"
Hachiman raised his voice in warning:
"The scythe attacks are extremely dangerous! A direct hit is lethal! Stick to the original strategy—chip away carefully and block cautiously!"
The instant he declared "instant death," tension spread, but none of the elites flinched—instead, their eyes burned with fighting spirit.
"No significant movement on either side! The legs seem defensive!"
"That's useful. Consider abandoning one side."
Hachiman quickly adjusted the strategy:
"Heathcliff, suppress the right scythe! Interfere when it turns!"
"Easier said than done."
Heathcliff responded with a wry smile, but it disappeared in a flash.
"Call for help if it gets dangerous. I'm counting on you, Commander."
"Understood."
"Left scythe goes to Holy Dragon Alliance's main tank group! Focus on interference—don't take it head-on!"
"Roger!"
"Remaining tanks, concentrate defense on the right! Abandon the left!"
"Attack teams, strike during the scythe's downswing! Hit and retreat! Use skills with short delay for precise damage!"
"Understood!"
Then Hachiman gave orders to Nezha:
"Nezha! Go all out from behind Heathcliff and aim for the head! It might trigger a stun!"
"Yes, Mr. Hachiman!"
The battle gradually stabilized, but the tank group handling the scythe continued to take heavy damage.
While the left side rotated frequently and took potions, Heathcliff alone maintained his defense and even cleverly countered the boss's turning attempts.
'A duel with Kirito would be a brutal match. He's way stronger than before.'
Estimating Heathcliff's HP loss, Hachiman decided to rotate him out before the final phase. He called to Asuna:
"Asuna, take command for now. Prioritize safety."
"Got it. You're switching with the Commander?"
"Don't push yourself."
"I can't let you become a one-week widower."
"If that happens... I'll go with you."
"Then I absolutely can't die. Heathcliff! Switch out! I won't last long—take over once you're healed!"
Once the formation shifted, Hachiman skillfully handled the scythe like it was a humanoid enemy.
Though he couldn't perfectly block the heavy attacks, he disrupted them just in time and struck the base of the scythe. The other scythe's sneak attacks were intercepted by Schmitt.
"Thanks, Schmitt."
"I owe you... I'll definitely protect you this time..."
The two spoke intermittently while defending.
With Hachiman tanking, an unexpected bonus occurred: his disruption caused the boss's rhythm to break, and Nezha's critical hit triggered a stun.
"Full assault! Sever its legs! Tanks, maintain formation in case it revives! Wait for my signal once stun ends!"
"Kirito, unleash your ultimate! Agil, Klein, fall back after your skill delay!"
Just as Heathcliff returned at full HP, Hachiman rotated to the right wing.
Heathcliff slashed off legs near the right scythe, and Hachiman and Kirito each cut off several limbs.
Others couldn't keep up. Asuna, though powerful, wasn't suited to slashing with her rapier.
When the stun mark on the boss's head disappeared, Hachiman gave the next order:
"Return to original formation!"
The group, already prepared, swiftly repositioned.
With fewer limbs, the boss's attack speed increased, but its HP dropped steadily.
Kirito's short-delay combos and Asuna's precise thrusts were especially effective.
As the boss neared berserk mode, a new command was issued:
"Left tank group, switch with me! Schmitt, guard my left! The rest deploy right under Lind's command!"
"Roger!"
"Heathcliff, coordinate with Nezha and use a reinforced counter! I'll help cause delay."
"Again with the casual orders."
"You can handle it, right?"
"I'll do my best."
"Sorry, I won't be able to heal—treat this as the final round."
"Understood."
Hachiman shouted to all:
"Listen up! Stun it before berserk mode! The moment the stun mark lights up, tanks go full damage!"
"Yeahhh!!"
"Nezha, go!"
"Yes!"
As Nezha lunged with all his strength, Heathcliff's shield bash skill activated simultaneously. Hachiman shattered the scythe's offense and added a combo with Angry Demon Sword.
The boss raised both arms, defenseless—Nezha's final strike perfectly triggered the stun.
"Kill itttttttttt!!"
"Oooooooohhhh!!"
A rainbow of sword skills flooded the battlefield, and the boss's HP dropped like a rock.
Before it could recover, the words "CONGRATULATIONS!" lit up.
On the this attempt, the raid team successfully defeated the Floor 75 Boss guarding the quarter-point of the game—with zero casualties.