Seven bosses in total, including the Final Boss, each linked to a specific day of the week.
The middle of the week, Wednesday, had been reserved for the emergence of the Final Boss, which was meant to be Eleanor's transformation into that role.
Thursday was for the incident that would set Marie-Ange on the path to becoming the 'Sylvan Scourge.'
In short, this was a week like no other, as each day brought forth an event that gave rise to a future boss of Dimension Break, a line-up that in reality would now become a series of terrifying powerhouses standing as enemies of the world.
Because of the previous day's events, where Eleanor's life and continued safety were at risk, she hadn't given any thought to the scheduled boss emergences.
'What kind of messed-up schedule is that?' Eleanor cursed inwardly. 'If I ever find the devs of that game…!'
Her thoughts lingered on that as she and Helga, after spotting some of the armed attackers trying to drag civilians out from a shop where they had been hiding, quickly dispatched them from the land of the living.
"Tsk… they jammed signals. I can't get any messages out," Helga muttered with a frown, staring at her phone's dead screen, troubled by the Azure Sky Cult's ability to sever even her direct line to her mother.
"They've caused enough of a commotion. Imperial Knights will be here soon. We just have to wait it out until then and make sure they don't find us, particularly you," Eleanor replied.
She knew that the leader of an Azure Sky Cult division powerful enough to lead a kidnapping attempt on the Elven Princess would surely recognise Helga if they happened across her.
But even as she spoke, Eleanor still had other thoughts.
'This is the event that creates one of the most irritating enemies to deal with in the future… do I interfere?'
If she prevented the Elven Princess from being kidnapped, she could change the fate of Datov, but she had no idea which of the armed attackers would be the one to discover the princess.
On top of that, she knew full well that several of the cultists were scattered throughout the mall, and she and Helga could not possibly fight them all in their current state.
Helga's guards were already tied down battling the waves of attackers outside, and the Imperial Knights would take time to arrive and launch a rescue since the cult still held hostages.
Her deliberation was cut short as they turned into a remote hallway leading to one of the mall's back stairs.
Eleanor instantly sensed a surge of magic power, but before she could react, Helga grabbed her arm, pulling her back and throwing up a protective shield just as one of the shops across the hallway erupted in an explosion.
'Again?!'
Eleanor barely restrained her shout as she caught sight of yet another store being obliterated.
She drew her sword, bracing for enemies to pour from the smoke, but instead of attackers, what reached her were screams, gunfire, and the clash of steel, clear signs that a battle was already raging in the wake of the blast.
After a few tense moments, the sounds abruptly stopped, and the area fell dead silent.
Turning to Helga, Eleanor asked with a raised brow.
"Should we?"
"We don't have another choice. Trying to pass unnoticed would be impossible. Besides, the noise has probably drawn more of them," Helga replied.
With that, the two, weapons at the ready, closed the distance, peering around the edge of a shattered window at the scene inside the burning shop.
It appeared to be a furniture store, with broken stacks of plates and overturned tables scattered everywhere, shards strewn across the expensive-looking carpet.
Several armed men were gathered around something.
Vaulting through the broken window, they slipped behind one of the fallen stacks and hid close, straining their ears to listen.
"You traitor!"
It sounded like the incensed voice of a young girl reprimanding someone.
Eleanor peeked out, spotting an effeminate boy shouting at the armed men surrounding him, while two other elves in suits stood before him, weapons raised in an attempt to shield him.
Several bodies lay motionless on the floor, either unconscious or clearly dead.
Most noticeably, a few suited elves stood alongside the armed men, and on the boy's wrists were a pair of multicoloured bracelets.
Eleanor quickly realised what had been fastened around the boy's hands, and as her eyes swept over the other two, she smiled wryly, recognising that the brown-haired boy with delicate features was, in fact, not a 'he.'
'That's definitely Marie-Ange.'
The presence of the green-haired female elf wielding a sword, the best support character for her playable version, was all the proof she needed.
It was a pairing reminiscent of Helga and Vincent.
And yes, even World Bosses could have playable versions. Or rather, of all the bosses born this week, 'Eleanor Crafiel' was the only one without a playable unit.
'Wait, now's not the time for that, Eleanor!'
Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she turned to Helga, who was silently observing, and mouthed,
'That's our elf royal.'
Helga frowned, clearly failing to recognise the disguised Marie-Ange, which was understandable. It wouldn't be a disguise if it were easily seen through.
Eleanor had inferred it based on the situation and the presence of Marie-Ange's best support unit, Aleesia Faesys.
'Wait…didn't it say in the lore that she sustained a serious wound during the kidnapping?'
"Aaaugghh!"
The scream of pain rang out just as Eleanor recalled that crucial detail, and she turned to see Aleesia collapsing to the ground, blood gushing from her stomach.
As for who was responsible, the male elf who had been beside Aleesia, his sword now coated in blood, was the clear culprit.
He had initially appeared to be on Marie's side, but the way he kicked the wounded Aleesia left no doubt that he had switched sides.
As Aleesia's face contorted in anguish, her body slowly stiffening as muffled screams escaped her, Marie's own expression drained of colour. Staggering back in shock, she whispered,
"No, this can't be. No…not you, too…"
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and even from their hiding spot, Eleanor and Helga could see how much her arms and legs trembled as she recoiled, though there was nowhere left to retreat.
When her back hit the wall behind her, the futility of escape became clear, and at that, the male elf burst into manic laughter.
"That's the look I wanted to see! Ha-ha! Do you think I endured years of your bratty entitlement for nothing? It was all for this moment. And yes, it was worth it!"
As Marie's expression turned into one of despair, her hands unconsciously fidgeting with the cuffs on her wrists, which Eleanor assumed had been fastened by one of the elves who had betrayed her, she shook her head erratically, like a doll about to run out of batteries.
At that moment, one of the armed attackers stepped forward, while his comrades kept their guns trained on her.
Eleanor turned to Helga, who silently cut her index finger with her thumb, letting a drop of blood fall. Then she raised her other hand and began a countdown.
3.
2.
1.
As soon as the final finger went down, Eleanor leapt over the table, using Mach Step to launch herself directly at the group's leader.
"Wha-?!"
The man barely had time to react before Eleanor's fist, travelling at 100 m/s, slammed into his face, the impact sending him crashing through the side wall with a deafening blast.
Immediately, Eleanor grabbed a nearby table and hurled it at the male elf, who swung his sword to split it in two.
"Who are y—? Aaaaugh!"
His voice transitioned into a scream as a bullet of condensed blood shot through the air, piercing his sword hand and tearing a hole through his wrist.
As his sword dropped, the gunmen opened fire on Eleanor, who was about to dash away when a wall of blood suddenly erupted in front of her, repelling the bullets speeding toward her.
Eleanor spun back toward the male elf, and in the same second her Mach Step activated and deactivated, she was already behind him, Impact Compression activating as she delivered a clean uppercut to his chin just as he turned and instinctively tried to use magic.
She felt his bones crack and saw a few of his teeth fly from his lips.
Instincts were useful, but irrelevant when the threat could still move faster than reaction time.