In truth, it wasn't just the regular members of the raid group who couldn't adapt to the BOSS's change in attack patterns—even top-tier players like Akimi and Kirito were finding it difficult to cope.
The BOSS's ridiculously high attack power meant that the vast majority of players couldn't possibly survive a direct hit from the Elemental Dragon's breath attacks.
On top of that, while dodging, players also had to consider the positioning-blocking effects of the BOSS's rain and freezing breath, all while figuring out the right timing to attack.
And now, the BOSS's attack frequency was absurdly high.
If a player was even slightly slower in reaction, movement, or execution, it wasn't just a matter of getting injured—it could mean instant death or crippling damage.
This forced everyone to maintain an intense state of hyperfocus at all times, with zero room for distraction or carelessness.
But people aren't machines.
The human brain can't operate like a computer and run non-stop.
When someone is fatigued, zoning out is inevitable.
And in a battle of this level, losing focus for even a moment could cost your life—just like that one ALS member who didn't even realize he was frozen.
He only paused briefly to catch his breath, and the BOSS's rain combined with an ice breath attack immediately froze him in place.
While he was immobile, the Elemental Dragon—its body wrapped in flames, torrents of water, and crackling lightning—came barreling toward him.
His teammates instantly panicked and tried to save him, but they were helpless.
They had no way to dispel the frozen status, and they couldn't block the Elemental Dragon's attack either.
The one person who could block the attack—Heathcliff—was too far away to reach them in time.
Just when everyone thought that player was a goner and would become the fourth casualty of this boss fight, two figures rushed in from either side, raising their weapons to intercept.
"Savage Fulcrum!"
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Kirito's triple heavy strike diverted the Elemental Dragon's flight path away from the frozen player; meanwhile, Akimi, spinning continuously as he charged forward, unleashed his sword skill with unmatched force, disrupting the dragon's flight and slamming it into the ground.
Due to its momentum, the Elemental Dragon skidded a long distance across the floor before finally crashing into the wall and coming to a stop.
Just that one coordinated attack from Akimi and Kirito shaved off a quarter of the dragon's first HP bar.
As soon as their attacks landed, the two didn't hesitate—they leapt backward to retreat.
The moment they left the spot, thick dark clouds formed overhead, and deep blue rain came pouring down with a splattering noise.
"Hey! Kibaou, Lind... and Heathcliff!"
Akimi looked at the Elemental Dragon slowly getting back up in the distance and shouted toward Kibaou, whose face had grown grim, "Looks like from here on out, your guild members probably won't be able to participate in the fight—"
"…What are you trying to say?"
Kibaou asked with a frown as he dodged incoming attacks.
"From now on, the offense will be handled by me, Kirito, Asuna, Agil, and the three of you guild leaders. As for your members, all they need to do is dodge and stay out of our way."
Before Kibaou could even process the feasibility of that plan, someone else yelled in protest, full of resentment, "What's that supposed to mean, Young master?! You looking down on us?!"
Other players also voiced their dissatisfaction, protesting Akimi's arrangement angrily.
But to their surprise, Akimi replied expressionlessly,
"I'm not looking down on you—but the truth is, right now, you are holding us back. Isn't that a fact? Sure, you're all elite players, top-tier even. But up to this point, how many times have we had to save you? How many times has our raid rhythm been disrupted because of your mistakes?"
"I get that you want to increase your contribution rating—that's understandable. But ask yourselves honestly: how much are you really contributing to this fight right now?"
After hearing his blunt words, the players were left speechless.
They didn't know how to argue back.
At that moment, Kibaou stepped in to smooth things over, saying,
"Alright, let's go with this plan for now. Once we've dealt with the Elemental Dragon, you guys can get back to hitting the BOSS."
Then Lind and Heathcliff also agreed to Akimi's plan, instructing their respective guild members to follow the orders.
Since the guild leaders had given the green light, even the most disgruntled members had no choice but to go along with it.
The seven strongest players in the raid group then gathered to divide roles.
"Heathcliff and Agil, you two will handle crowd control—breaking the Elemental Dragon's attacks will be up to you. Kibaou and Lind, you'll assist them from the flanks and apply harassment attacks. Asuna, you'll be our mobile support, our safety net. The main attackers will be me and Kirito. Everyone okay with that?"
Akimi's eyes were locked on the Elemental Dragon as he spoke in a low, steady voice.
"No problem," the others replied in unison.
"N-No problem…" Kibaou was the only one who hesitated before answering.
Then, raising an eyebrow, he muttered,
"Hey, hey, kid—I told you I'm the one giving the orders here, didn't I?"
But Akimi ignored him completely and, lifting his Nichirin Blade, charged straight at the Elemental Dragon.
The others didn't waste time either and moved according to the plan.
Kibaou grumbled,
"Tch… whatever. I'm not gonna argue with him,"
before heading toward the position Akimi had assigned him.
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