"Yui, any sign of surveillance?" Hachiman asked, scanning their surroundings.
"Nothing so far, Papa," Yui replied.
"Good. Looks like we don't have to worry about pursuers," Hachiman said.
"Then it's full speed ahead!" Kirito grinned.
"Alright, let's link up with Yukino's group. Move out!" Hachiman called to the trio.
But as Hachiman rallied them, Leafa tilted her head, motionless, her fingers hovering over an interface window.
"Leafa, something wrong?" Hachiman asked.
"Yeah, I've been messaging Recon to see if he's got any new info, but he hasn't replied," Leafa said, frowning.
"Could he be logged out for a break?" Kirito suggested.
"Hmm, his status shows he's still in-game," Leafa murmured.
"That's a bit concerning, but we'll have to wait for him to get back to us," Hachiman said.
"Yeah… alright, let's go," Leafa agreed, closing her window.
"Right," Hachiman nodded.
The trio abandoned their attempts to contact Recon and plunged into the Lugru Corridor.
"Hachiman, keep an eye on our rear. Leafa, you're on point since you know the way," Kirito directed.
"If any monsters pop up, we take them out fast," Leafa added.
"Leafa, Kirito, I'll leave that to you two," Hachiman said.
"Got it," Leafa replied.
"Shouldn't be too tough. The enemies around here aren't that strong," Leafa noted confidently.
From Leafa's assessment, the local monsters shouldn't pose a problem. Still, Hachiman preferred to avoid them if possible, so he turned to Yui. "Any monsters nearby?"
"No, Papa. It looks like the monsters in this area have been nearly wiped out," Yui reported.
"Can you sense enemies beyond walls, Yui?" Hachiman asked.
"Yes, that's no problem," she confirmed.
"Maybe Yukino's group cleared them out," Kirito mused. "Leafa, how many monsters are usually around here?"
"Hmm… probably more than a four-person party could clear," Leafa said thoughtfully.
"What?" Hachiman's eyes narrowed, a bad feeling creeping in.
"Something up?" Leafa asked.
"Rough guess, Leafa—how many people would it take to clear out this many monsters?" Hachiman pressed.
"Yui, are there no enemies around us at all? What's your detection range?" Leafa asked.
"About a hundred meters for sensing," Yui replied.
"No enemies within a hundred meters in this terrain…" Leafa mused. "I'd say it'd take at least ten parties to pull that off… oh!"
Leafa's eyes met Hachiman's, realization dawning.
"Exactly," Hachiman said grimly. "The Salamanders are moving in force. If your gut's right, Leafa, we're talking over ten parties—a small army."
"But mobilizing that many just to take out seven of us?" Kirito questioned. "Seems excessive."
"Even with Yukino's reputation, it's overkill," Leafa agreed.
"This doesn't feel right," Hachiman said. "No monsters means we don't need to watch our backs. Let's pick up the pace and link up with Yukino's group ASAP."
Prioritizing speed, the trio sprinted through the corridor. Their efforts paid off, and soon Leafa announced they were nearing the lake. At the same time, Yui detected Yukino's group. Guided by Yui, they successfully rendezvoused with the four, who were concealed by magic.
"Sorry, keep you waiting?" Hachiman asked.
"No, you're here faster than expected," Yukino replied.
"Didn't run into a single monster," Hachiman explained.
"…What?" Yukino's brow furrowed.
"Did you guys encounter any?" Hachiman asked.
"We ran into a few," Yukino said. "We scouted the bridge and then stayed hidden here. The enemy must've reinforced or passed through while we were waiting. I should've been more thorough."
"How many were at the bridge?" Hachiman asked.
"When we checked, about thirty," Yukino answered.
"Leafa thinks there could be over ten parties out there," Hachiman added.
"Tch…" Yukino faltered, a rare flicker of panic crossing her face.
"That could mean over a hundred enemies," she said, regaining her composure.
"Not all of them are likely waiting in ambush," Hachiman reasoned. "That's way too much firepower for us."
"You're right," Yukino agreed. "We don't know why they're mobilizing so many, but let's focus on the enemies in front of us."
Hachiman nodded, turning to the group for a quick status check. "Any chance of a sneak attack?"
"No go," Yukino said. "The terrain forces a head-on clash."
"Got it. Kirito, Leafa, you two good after the run?" Hachiman asked.
"I'm ready to roll," Kirito said confidently.
"I'm fine. I can fight right now," Leafa added.
"Alright, let's move," Hachiman said.
"Hell yeah!" Kirito pumped his fist.
"Hachiman, let's do this!" Klein cheered.
"Yui-Yui, in-game it's just Hachiman. Get used to it," Hachiman teased.
"Ugh, okay," Lisbeth mumbled.
"C'mon, big brother, let's go!" Komachi urged.
"Move it, senpai!" Lisbeth added.
"Jeez, when did you all get so bloodthirsty?" Hachiman muttered.
"We've grown," Yukino said with a smirk.
"Grown in the wrong direction, maybe," Hachiman quipped. "Whatever, let's go!"
The seven marched boldly toward the bridge, sticking to their pre-planned formation: Lisbeth at the center front, flanked by Kirito and Leafa, with Yukino and Iroha in the middle, and Hachiman and Komachi guarding the flanks. The Salamander forces noticed them immediately, emerging onto the bridge. As expected, there were about thirty enemies.
"Yukino, should we try talking to them first, or go straight for the attack?" Hachiman asked.
"Information's always good to have," Yukino said. "I'll take the lead since I'm the most well-known."
"Makes sense. Some nobody like me wouldn't get their attention," Hachiman said. "Say whatever you want."
"Got it. I'll make use of my nickname too," Yukino replied.
"You sure? You hate that thing," Hachiman noted.
"When there's an effective tool, letting emotions stop you from using it is foolish," Yukino said coolly.
"Hah, that's so you," Hachiman chuckled. "It's all yours."
Yukino stepped forward, her voice clear and commanding. "Greetings, Salamanders. I'm Yukino—Absolute Zero Yukino."
"A polite introduction. I'm Kagemune, one of the Salamander army's commanders," a man replied. "Gotta say, I expected you to just charge in."
"I'll cut to the chase," Yukino said. "Are you here to ambush us?"
"Afraid so," Kagemune admitted.
"For the fame of taking down Absolute Zero?" Yukino pressed. "That's a lot of people for a trophy hunt. Think that'll really boost your rep?"
"If it was about fame, we'd match your numbers for a fair fight," Kagemune countered. "That's how it works, right?"
"So you're aware surrounding a woman with a small army is a bit shameful," Yukino said dryly.
"No comeback for that," Kagemune said with a shrug. "But we've got our reasons."
(He's calmer than I expected. 'Reasons,' huh? Should I push harder?) Yukino thought.
"As you know, I'm just a frail healer," she continued. "I'm no General Eugene, flipping battles single-handedly. All I do is keep my team fighting longer. So what's the point of pinning me down here?"
"I just follow orders," Kagemune said, sidestepping her probe. "I don't know the big picture."
Yukino smirked. "Fine. I won't waste time on your stalling. We'll fight our way through. Seems like that's the last thing you want."
"You knew I was stalling from the start, huh?" Kagemune chuckled. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag, we'll do our best to hold you here. Absolute Zero's party, plus Leafa, is a real threat. We've got intel and countermeasures ready. Those two guys with you? Nobodies. They won't make a difference. Even if we can't beat you, we'll keep you pinned down."
"Ignorance is a scary thing," Yukino said coolly. "You'll learn who they are the hard way. When you're sent back to town, you can regret your foolishness."
Kagemune didn't respond, silently raising his right hand and swinging it forward. At his signal, a heavily armored Salamander unit stepped up, each wielding dual shields.
"They're going full defense to stall us," Yukino observed. "I'm very curious why they're so desperate to keep us here. Alright, everyone, let's deliver judgment to these fools!"
With a resounding "Yeah!" Team Hachiman snapped into battle formation. Thus began the battle on the lake bridge in Lugru Corridor—a nightmare for some and a crucible for others.
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