This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

[STATUS: REGEN: 30 SECONDS]

Taking a glance at my buffs, I noted the fact that Shen's regen was much faster in terms of healing than Guidance's was. Maybe it was some kind of balance for the way all of her [Moves] worked at melee range? Either way, I was going to abuse that by riddling Shizu's captor with bullets.

"Shade!" I called out.

"On it!"

[*BANG! BANG! BANG!*]

[*SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!*]

A flurry of shots and whips cracked out into the open air, severing numerous tentacles from behind Shizu as our [Manifests] glowed with unbridled energy. If Guidance was lying about how us low level scrubs would still somehow be able to punch way above our weight class, then I'd be believing her whole-heartedly right now.

[FUTILE]

Keeping up the pace, I watched as Shen and Maruki did their best to keep apace with Shizu. Our tank was taking hits like a champ now, and Shen wasn't healing him as much anymore. His health was even relatively healthy despite taking a few hits from the princess.

...

Wait, did severing the tentacles weakened the boss?

[ELDRITCH WAVE: 53%]

"It's charging again, Moriya!"

"Shall I stun her?!"

Shade and Maruki's calls fell on my ears as an experimental idea popped into my head. If severing tentacles meant that she was weakened, then perhaps we can tank the raidwide?

"Don't!" I stopped our tank mid swing. "I want to see if-"

[*askudgi8agsd7*&OATWO*&AGSduasdasdf*]

⬛⬛⬛

[CONTINUE]

Well, that didn't work as expected.

"Why did you stop him?!"

I almost flinched when Shade got up to my case, his anger palpable as he pointed at Shizu. "We were having so much progress! Haven't we already proven that we'll die if Maruki doesn't stun her?!"

"Shade, each tentacle we sever weakens her attacks," I quickly explained, standing my ground as I replied. "If we can cut all of them, then maybe we don't even need to stun him."

"Well, clearly that didn't work out as planned," Shade huffed. "At least we get to try again."

I let out an awkward chuckle as I turned to face Shizu again. This made it so that we had, what... four wipes now?

"We shouldn't be wasting time trying out other things when we already know something that works," Shade huffed, his whip coiled at the ready as he chided. "We're freeing Shizu. That's the only thing that matters."

"Fair enough."

With a shrug, I assumed my usual stance as we all took our positions. Once again, it fell to me to call out the pull, and call it out I shall.

"Hit it!"

Once more, Maruki led the charge with a [SHOUT!], grabbing Shizu's attention and tanking the first deadly hit that should've killed him if he wasn't ready. Shen quickly applied a [REGEN] on me, and Shade and I promptly began working on [Taenia's Tentacles]. Each with each coordinated hit, we severed one tentacle, further weakening our enemy as we methodically went through the fight.

[ELDRITCH WAVE: 22%]

"Stun!"

Maruki did was asked, and we continued on with the fight. Slowly but surely, the attacks weakened, and we went through each known mechanic rather smoothly. Nobody died this time, and we were able to focus on the task of whittling down these appendages from countless to only being a handful.

Eventually, the world turned black and green, Shizu having entered the phase where she'll cast the uninterruptible raidwide on us.

[ANOMALOUS WAVE: 21%]

"Let's see if we'll survive this time," I gritted my teeth, hoping that Shade and I did more than enough to weaken this thing's attack. Then again, "Maruki! Do you have an invulnerability [Move] on you!"

"Of course!" our tank promptly replied. "Shall I-"please visit pαпᵈα-:)ɴᴏᴠᴇ1.co)m

"Use it!" I called out, one of my pistols already raised up high as I was about to do the same.

"[Shroud]!"

"[PROVIDENCE]!"

At our combined shouts, a sheen of red and blue engulfed our respective positions. I kind of felt bad leaving Shen and Shade out to dry, but this was a spur of the moment decision that may or may not even work.

"Moriya?! What're-"

"W-Wha-!"

[*aouisyhda9shdYT*O&T^&*$iohnasd*]

I gritted my teeth in anticipation for yet another death. This time, however, it didn't come. Instead, a wave of ones and zeroes harmlessly washed past my barrier, Maruki's doing the same as we stood against certain death.

Shen and Shade, however, weren't so lucky.

I gritted my teeth as I saw them die, engulfed by the deadly wave of numbers that Shizu just let out. A beat passed, and the wave dissipated, our shields along with it as the world reverted back to its original dank self.

"We're alive!" Maruki proudly announced.

"But we're not done yet!" I quickly reminded him.

[WE WILL HAVE IT]

[OUR ANSWER: 2%]

Another cast bar appeared, signaling yet another mechanic that we had to contest against. This time, however, it was filling up slowly, moving as if it was giving us time to kill it before it could kill us.

Another DPS check?

"Maruki! Hit it!"

"Of course!"

Aiming my sights, I let out as much damage as I could, even using a few [Moves] as we raced against the proverbial clock. Shizu simply stood still, a wave of energy seemingly building up beneath her as the few tentacles keeping her aloft pulsed with life.

I might as well try something new.

"[Blood Shot] [Blood Spread] [Blood Shot] [Blood Spread]"

[*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*]

Every other [Blood Shot], I fired off a [Blood Spread], my pistols shifting to fire off a burst of blood in a wide arc towards the tentacles. It was something I almost forgot I had as a [Move]. With the tentacles seemingly sharing a health bar, having an attack that acted like a shotgun would probably be very effective.

[HP: 53]

ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom Riddling the tentacles with a flurry of bullets, I managed to reduce the number of tentacles down to single digits as they all began to avoid my shots. I aimed to fire some more, but my dwindling health prevented me from shooting any further.

"Dammit..."

[OUR ANSWER: 94%]

I clicked my tongue. The bar was almost full, and we had no other choice but to eat whatever it was going to dish out. Maruki was still trying his best, but I'd already crossed my arms in wait as the inevitable happened.

[*alsdhaishgdoiY&T*&T*&TA342g3geusbd*]

⬛⬛⬛

[CONTINUE]

I let out a deep breath as I found myself back in the same position in front of Shizu. I could only assume that that was the final mechanic, which meant that we were close.

"Heh..."

I couldn't help but chuckle. If my hunch was correct, then we've seen the whole fight then.

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛

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