"If that's the case, we have to try everything we can! Let's hit him with everything we've got!"
"Abyss's ability can't be omnipotent. I'm sure there's a weakness somewhere."
"To find it... we just have to keep attacking with all our might!"
"Hero's Condition #1: Never Give Up! That is our creed!"
Even after witnessing Abyss's nearly invincible power, Melt and the others showed no sign of wavering as they spoke with fiery determination.
Yugo moved to join their circle and launch his own attack, but Anhel gently held him back.
"Yugo, stay back and watch our fight. Don't push yourself."
"What are you talking about? Abyss is a monster. We all need to—"
"That’s exactly the point. Even if we find a gap in his defense, it won't matter if no one's left to exploit it, right? We’ll be the ones to expose his weakness. You just focus on conserving your stamina and magic power so you can finish him off."
They couldn't win this without a total effort. That was precisely why they were taking the lead. While lightening the load for Yugo—the one with the best chance of victory—Anhel and the girls would do everything in their power to uncover the flaw in [Word]. Having stated their purpose, Anhel turned her gaze toward Marcos.
"Marcos! You’ve noticed something, haven’t you? Then stay there and watch. If you keep your eyes on Abyss while we fight him, you might finally grasp the true nature of the discrepancy."
"Wait! I am the most capable defender here! It makes more sense for me to be on the front lines—!"
"That's not it, is it? Have you already forgotten what Ryuga-san said?"
"He told us to keep doing whatever we can with everything we have. That’s why we’re going to give this our best shot."
"Yugo, Marcos—watch our battle and find the weakness! I believe in you two. I know you'll figure it out!"
"You guys...!"
It was a brutal, self-sacrificing role, yet they took it on because they trusted Yugo and Marcos implicitly. As Marcos struggled to hide his astonishment at the girls' smiling faces, Abyss spoke up.
"Are we quite finished with the meeting? I personally don't mind waiting, but it's really you who'll be inconvenienced—"
He was provocatively reminding them that time was running out for Finale, his attitude dripping with composure. However, he was cut short as a Wind Arrow detonated right in front of him. A second, third, fourth... Setsuna showed no sign of stopping as she peppered him with shots. Abyss shook his head with an air of mock exasperation.
"Goodness, what rowdy children. You clearly haven't learned the basic manners of not interrupting someone while they're speaking."
Abyss sneered, mocking the girl for launching what he considered to be futile resistance. As he spoke, Anhel and Sakura charged from his flanks, weapons at the ready.
"Sakura, let's go!"
"Understood!"
"Hmm, I see. So that's the plan."
Abyss muttered as he watched the two close in from either side while still under fire from Setsuna. He made no move to defend himself. Anhel and Sakura reached him, swinging the massive hammer and the naginata with everything they had.
"Seyaaaaaaah!"
"Hah! Haaaaaaaaah!"
"Hahaha! I told you, it’s useless!"
A crushing blow from the hammer and a sharp, cleaving strike from the naginata. The girls unleashed a coordinated combination attack that blended blunt, slash, and shot attributes, yet Abyss didn't even flinch.
Their strikes were halted by an invisible wall surrounding him, failing to land a single direct hit.
"Tch...! This didn't work either!?"
"I see what you were thinking. You thought that if you hit me with Different Attribute Attacks—blunt, slash, and shot—all at once, one of them would surely bypass the defense. But it doesn't work like that. That’s why [Word]—and why I—am the strongest!!"
Abyss swung his arm as he shouted, releasing a violent shockwave that tore into Anhel and Sakura. The two were sent flying, but they had anticipated the counterattack and immediately righted themselves to launch the next phase.
"Then how about this!?"
Sakura cried out, her naginata's blade suddenly wreathed in churning water as she struck. Anhel unleashed a torrent of fire from her transformed magic item, Setsuna whipped up a fierce gale, and Raiha joined in with a bolt of lightning. The four-way elemental assault converged on Abyss from all sides... but?