The Abyssal Shaft

The Abyssal Shaft is the third episode of the Log Horizon 2 anime. It aired on October 18, 2014.

Cold Open
The raid team manages to unlock the door to the Abyssal Shaft, a bit nervous to take on this new raid zone of the utmost difficulty.

Descent
Shiroe explains the roles of the Abyssal Shaft Raid Party as they fight their way through the dungeon:
 * Party 1: Tank the enemy at the front line.
 * Party 2: Mobilize to intercept straggling enemies around the area.
 * Party 3: Damaging priority target and avoiding prolonged confrontation.
 * Party 4: Auxiliary support for Party 3, including eliminating boss minions.

He further exposes that raid zones are huge complexes that contain tons of risky places to navigate, the monsters in raid areas are stronger than normal and drop rare items that can be made into special items. Most of the party is getting to learn to work well together, except for Demiqas, who is fighting without regard for teamwork or his own welfare.

The first raid boss they encountered was Vendémiaire of First Prison. Recognizing it as a reskin of a boss from Nine Prisons of Helios, they know a bit of what to expect in the dungeon. However, it unleashes new abilities that comes as a shock to the raid party. Many members were either killed or were knocked out of the elevated platform, forcing the party to retreat several times and learn the boss' attack patterns. While they never completely wiped out, they had come close to utter defeat.

The next raid boss they encountered was El Raida of the Fifth Prison, who specializes in resetting the aggro generated by the adventurers. It took a dozen attempts to finally defeat her.

Stumped
Three weeks into the raid the rest of the bosses are nowhere to be found, and the dungeon became more perilous further in. This has consumed a considerable amount of supplies, particularly in maintaining the legendary weapons crafted with rare materials only obtained from raids. Shiroe decides to share his own provisions, which extended the lifespan from 10 days to 20. While it is not a game changer, William is amazed Shiroe gathered that much. He also reflects on the reduction of his guild since leaving Akiba, and taking up the raid offer despite not knowing what they're looking for. He is no expert in battle, but his guild remains loyal and willing to embark on top-tier raids with him.

Demiqas has a tantrum over his resentment against Shiroe, but has to admit that he is a large contribution to his fighting power in the raid. Naotsugu is concerned over Shiroe's challenges in managing this raid, and reckons that he overworks himself to protect Akiba, the home he'd built for his guild, which is practically his family in this world.

Snowfell
Log Horizon prepares for the incoming holidays, comparing Christmas with the Lander holiday Snowfell. They bring up Overskills, which Nyanta explains are hidden techniques discovered through experimentation that aren't obtained by traditional means. This intrigues Akatsuki as a very useful item for her arsenal.

On the rooftops, Enbart Nelles has equipped his Royal Guard armor and determines that the adventurers had overstayed their welcome.

Trivia

 * The raid battles in this episode were not depicted in the light novel, only mentioned.
 * Appearances of Vendémiaire and El Raida are changed in anime. In the light novel, Vendémiaire is a winged snake, and El Raida is a white horse.