Chapter 124: Five Armies March Together
On the plaza in front of the Great Quest Gate, an enormous army had gathered. Rumors sparked more rumors, and the surrounding area was packed with curious onlookers. Under the watchful gaze of countless players, several player factions marched toward the center. This force was composed of General Eugene, [Absolute Zero], and the lords of various territories.
Everyone assumed that one of these prominent figures would take the lead, but to everyone's surprise, the one entrusted with the command was an unknown player no one had seen before. The allied forces had no objections or complaints about this. It seemed the lords had already communicated this decision in advance.
That nameless player raised his right hand and suddenly swung it forward. "Full assault!"
That nameless player—of course, was Hachiman. At Hachiman's command, the allied army let out a thunderous battle cry and charged into the Great Quest, while the crowd erupted into wild cheers.
Under the gaze of the spectators, the Salamander Army and Sylph Army charged in first. Then the Cat Sith Army entered and summoned their dragon mounts. Once all Cat Sith troops had mounted up and completed formation, The Undine Army deployed at the rear, establishing a support system.
Finally, with General Eugene at the front, Hachiman and the others held the center. The grandeur of this scene made everyone present feel incredibly proud to be part of this moment.
"Kirito, Leafa, Recon, and Eugene—I'll leave the vanguard to you four. Don't let the enemy flank us. Dragon Knights, engage head-on to support the main offensive."
"Recon, I'll leave the rear to you."
"Y-Yeah! I'll definitely protect Leafa!"
"Never thought I'd be fighting alongside you."
"Fate is strange. When this is over, let's duel again."
"Hah, this time I'm winning."
"Alright—full advance!"
Once formation was complete, Hachiman gave the order to advance. The rest was up to the field commanders. As they moved forward, everyone stayed alert for enemy appearances.
When they reached a certain point, lights suddenly flickered on the walls, and angelic-looking enemies surged out.
The light spread at an alarming rate, and in the blink of an eye, the allied forces were surrounded by countless enemies.
"Whoa, Eugene, this is even more than the rumors said."
"Yeah, individually they're not strong though."
"So it's saturation attack tactics—just like something that bastard would come up with."
"That bastard?"
"Oh, the mastermind behind this event."
"I see… then let's show them our power. Kirito, go!"
"Yeah!"
"Let's go too, Recon!"
"Right!"
As Kirito's squad advanced, the surrounding enemies suddenly moved all at once.
"Salamander Knights, first formation! Dragon breath attack!"
"Salamander Army, front line! Launch long-range skills!"
"Sylph Army, front line! Fire long-range skills as well!"
The barrage of ranged attacks hit the enemies. Amid thunderous roars, the first wave was annihilated. But in the next moment, the walls again flickered with light, and even more enemies poured out.
"So that's how it is… we'll need to suppress the surroundings while an elite team penetrates deeper."
"Advance to a certain distance, and when we're within charge range, our squad will break through alone."
"Rotate barrage cover, full army support!"
The allied army carefully timed their dragon breath and additional skills' cooldowns, launching barrages in turns as they slowly advanced.
Occasional enemies who broke through the barrage were quickly eliminated. Wounded soldiers retreated to the rear for healing from the Undine Army, then returned to the front line immediately.
"Gathering so many allies really worked. No matter how many enemies there are, we can handle it."
"Numbers really do matter. I finally understand the effort of the Unbeaten Magician."
"You still have time to crack jokes? Looks like you're handling it well."
"For now, yes… but look over there—the enemy is about to charge us." Yukino said as she pointed skyward. Hachiman looked up— The dome ceiling was now blanketed with dense lights, as if the entire sky was glowing.
"They're finally coming… I'm counting on all of you." Hachiman shouted to his comrades.
"Our turn at last!" —Klein "My arms are itching to fight!" —Agil "I'll fight this time too!" —Silica "Let's defeat the bad guys!" —Yui "Wait for me, future sister!" —Komachi "This time I'll prove my worth!" —Iroha
Finally, Yukino concluded: "As long as we don't get one-shotted, I can heal instantly. Let's show them our power!"
"Alright—full army, all-out advance!" Hachiman gave the final command for total assault.
"This is the moment to show the strength of the Salamanders!" "Let the Sylphs unleash their potential!" "Undine Army, spread out and heal all allies with AoE magic!"
The entire army charged forward like a steel wall. The enemy met them head-on. The scene was like running water relentlessly washing away a block of ice— Turning the faucet further while lifting the ice—the water volume increased.
If the situation didn't change, the ice block (i.e., the allied army) would eventually melt away. That was the crisis the allied army now faced.
"Never thought it'd be this bad… We definitely can't win on our own…"
"Don't say that, Eugene! You still want to fight me again, right?"
"Yukino, the Undine Army is nearing its limit!"
"I saw Ms. Möbius rushing over earlier. We should still hold on a bit longer. Hachiman, what now? We still have our main force, but if both wings fall, it's over."
"We probably can't reach the depths directly from here. We'll have to endure for now."
"Got it. I'll leave the timing to you."
"Everyone, hang in there a bit longer!"
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at the Rect Progress Corporation...
"Good evening~ Your bento order is here~"
"Oh great, let's go eat. Zaimokuza, you're on duty until the next shift. Oh, and take care of signing for this."
"Ah, understood."
The employees took their lunch boxes and moved into the next room. Zaimokuza stayed at the door, monitoring the inside. He gave the delivery person a signal. The delivery person immediately started operating the control terminal.
"Just wait... I'm going to help too." After completing the operation, the delivery person waved Zaimokuza over.
"Zaimokuza, press this button—it'll lighten Hachiman's load. I'm leaving this important task to you."
"C-Can such a heavy responsibility really be entrusted to me?"
"You still talk funny, huh? You want to help Hachiman, right? Don't hesitate—press it. Once we're done, we're outta here."
"Understood… Hachiman, I'm coming to help!"
Zaimokuza, imagining the face of his friend fighting desperately, resolutely pressed the button on the control panel.
"Prepare for the assault! Focus all attacks on the enemies ahead!"
Following Hachiman's order, the main force concentrated on frontal attacks, though advancement remained difficult.
"Leafa, are you alright?"
"Not really, but we must break through here. Even if I fall, we have to move forward. Got it, Recon?"
"…."
From Leafa's expression, Recon saw her resolve. He quietly made up his mind.
"Leafa, I'll create an opening. Please don't waste it."
"Recon?"
"Hachiman, I'll disrupt the enemy front in a flash. Charge through when I open the gap!"
"Recon, what are you planning!?"
"Because… I'm a comrade too!"
"Got it. I'm counting on you!"
Recon charged forward. Enemy fire focused on him, and his HP dropped rapidly.
"Hachiman! Save Recon!"
Leafa cried out in panic.
"Recon has a plan. He's a man—I believe in him."
"…Yeah, then I'll at least…"
Leafa shouted:
"Recon! You got this!"
Hearing the encouragement, Recon found his strength again. No matter how many attacks he took, he pressed forward while chanting a spell.
Amid the storm of gunfire, he endured until the chant was complete.
With a self-detonation, the surrounding enemies were obliterated.
In front of Hachiman and the others—a passage appeared.
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