Samhaim roared and lashed out with his warhammer, the massive weapon shattering the flagstones as we scattered.
"Whoa," Sonata said as she deflected a flying stone with her shield. "He hits like a truck!"
"Just try not getting hit!" Rainbow cried as she used her wings to jump over a tumbling chunk of the floor. She drew back her bow, arrow glowing with a sword skill and released it, the arrow bursting into flames as she fired.
I darted forward, my longsword stable in my grip as I used the recoil time to lay a double slash to the bony leg of the boss, backhand then forward. I heard the sound of Sunset's quadruple attack landing and the crunch of a hammer on stone.
"Consarn it," AJ shouted. "He's moving again!"
I ducked back as Samhaim went to kick out at us, most of us avoiding it and Sonata blocking with her shield. The force was enough to send her skidding back, grunting with the impact.
"I don't know if I can hold him, you guys," she called out. "He's a lot stronger than any of the floor bosses we've faced before.
I growled, sword powering up with another skill as I charged my horn, grabbing a loose bit of stonework. I jumped, landing on the stonework I levitated to the best height I could manage and then leaped out and released the skill I had charged, a helm cracker swing. My blade connected, then rebounded off the tough skin of the Pumpkin King's head.
I saw bolts of magic slamming into him as I dropped back to the ground, fire erupting around his clothing. I glanced at his HP bar, and saw that we had only whittled away a tiny bit of the first bar.
Aria slammed her staff down on the ground, a wash of fire rushing forward to race up the boss' leg. Rarity followed up with a blast of lightning from her wand, but a swing of the hammer deflected it, the bolt gouging a long gash in the wall. His eyes flashed blue and he zeroed in on Rarity.
"Rarity!" Sunset cried, racing over to our friend, but Sonata beat her there, her shield catching the hammer stroke. It seemed for a moment she was going to hold, but then her shield shattered and the hammer continued down, crushing her to the stone floor.
"Oh, fish sticks," she muttered before bursting into the death animation.
I paled. We hadn't lost anyone since the fifth floor. I felt rage build up and I rushed the boss, screaming as I raised my sword pulling it's attention from Rarity as she stared at the slowly disappearing bits that had been Sonata. My sword bit into it's back, the long arc creating a huge gouge. The beast turned and glared at me, an upward swing of the hammer dodged by leaping over it. Another arrow lanced out, ice crusting over one of his joints, followed by fire and lightning at the same point.
Samhaim stumbled backward and slammed his hammer pommel onto the floor, a bright light flashing and another debuff appeared on my interface, indicating that magic was now halved.
"Roadapples," Sunset grumbled as she resettled her rapier. I glanced at her, seeing the anger in her eyes. Anger that I knew was never favorable to the one that had brought it out. She caught my gaze and nodded, and together we rushed forward.
He lashed out with the haft of his hammer, causing me to halt my assault to block. "Switch!" I called out.
Sunset flew forward, her speed surpassing even mine as she unleashed another four strike combo. The Pumpkin King roared in agony and I saw that his health bar had finally lost one level. We were making progress.
Another volley of arrows and magic lanced in as I felt the healing spell from Fluttershy wash over me. I quickly got out of the way of our opponents strides to avoid another kick and saw him swing his hammer at me. I went to block the blow only for it to not land as he switched his attack out for a punch that connected with the ground near Fluttershy, the shockwave blowing her off her feet and back several yards, ragdolling as she landed.
"SHY!" Rarity screamed, turning and blasting lightning at the boss. I saw the girl struggle to her knees, only to wobble a little.
"Aria," I called, but the Siren was already in mid-cast, the argent light surrounding Fluttershy and raising her HP back to the yellow.
Rainbow cried out in pain as the backswing of the feinted hammerswing caught her across the chest, slamming her into the ground and stunning her. She struggled to get to her hooves but was crushed under another strike.
"Bastard," Applejack growled, charging in and smashing her hammer into Samhaim. "Pick on someone yer own size!"
We concentrated our efforts on the boss that had taken two friends from us so casually and wore him down.
"Berserk status coming up!" Fluttershy cried, trying to keep us from taking too much damage. We all backed away slightly, trying to keep an eye on his movements, none of us knew what his berserk status was like and we didn't want to be too close to it when...
He breathed fire. Lots of fire. Most of use were able to stay clear, but the stream engulfed Aria, her death animation winking out before the flame died down. He went to start a heal phase, but Sunset and AJ lashed into him. I backed away and looked over at Fluttershy.
"Use a crystal and get out of here," I told her.
"They aren't working," she said. "I tried to use a heal crystal on myself and it wouldn't activate.
"Full crystal countermeasures?" I said, looking over. I gritted my teeth and called out. "AJ, Sunny, can you hold him for ten seconds?"
"You've got five!" Sunset shouted back.
I activated a skill I hadn't used yet, a second sword materializing in my grip as I charged back in.
"Switch!" I shouted, striking with both swords, then dropping into a guarding pose to cross block his downswing. I saw my HP dip a bit from the shock, but I wasn't seriously hurt.
"Let's go," I said, beginning my attack phase, both swords powering up under the sword skill. I started lashing into the boss, two strikes for every step.
I heard AJ's painful shout as a missed strike sent her flying.
"Gotta go faster!" I gritted, speeding up.
"Switch out!" I heard Sunset say, her rapier flashing in to land a handful of strikes.
"Berserk status upcoming!"
I spun around behind the boss, powering the sword skill again. "Gotta go faster!" I said to myself, forcing the sword skill to go off before it was fully charged and laid into the boss again, interrupting his berserk attack and forcing him to face me.
"Switch!" I shouted, seeing Sunset's rapier glowing bright purple.
"Yah!" she shouted as she leapt into the air and hit with the strongest combo she had, her eleven hit strike.
I saw Fluttershy cast an attack spell as Rarity drank a potion.
Samhaim turned and swung a strike at Sunset, but I struck with a double crosswise strike, throwing his trajectory off and Sunset merely used the hammer's haft as a ramp to leap up and unleash the eleven strike combo, Samhaim reeling from the devastating final strike.
Sunset landed near me and looked over, and I nodded as we rushed in, three swords crossing as we leapt and brought down the blades across his neck, severing the gourd that served as his head.