The morning sun heralded a long day ahead. Having completed their daily training regimen, Hachiman and Kirito were steadily preparing to log into ALO.
"Hey, I wonder how Klein and the others are doing," Hachiman mused.
"According to Yosino, they've made contact," Kirito replied. "We should be seeing them soon."
"No way! Are they ready to log into ALO?" Hachiman's eyes lit up.
"Sounds like Yosino arranged the software for them, so they'll be online in no time," Kirito said with a grin.
"Hell yeah! Team Hachiman's making a comeback in ALO!" Hachiman pumped his fist.
"When did we become 'Team Hachiman'?" Kirito raised an eyebrow.
"It's just a placeholder, man," Hachiman chuckled. "Hey, Kirito, once everything's settled, what if we started a guild in ALO? Back in SAO, I know Asuna, Lisbeth, and probably even I wanted to join a guild you'd lead."
"So that's how it was, huh?" Kirito scratched his head, a sheepish smile forming. "Kinda feel bad about that."
"Nah, things were crazy back then. No helping it," Hachiman said, waving it off. "If you're cool with it, let's make it happen this time."
"Deal. I'll look into it," Kirito nodded.
"Honestly, coming up with a guild name's gonna be the hardest part," Hachiman admitted.
"Tell me about it. I'm the type to overthink that stuff," Kirito laughed.
"Anyway, it's almost time to meet Leafa," Hachiman said, glancing at the clock. "Today's probably gonna be packed with events, so let's bring our A-game. This is the first step to saving Asuna and Lisbeth."
"Right. Let's do this!" Kirito said, his voice brimming with resolve.
As the appointed time arrived, the two logged into ALO. Outside the inn, Leafa came running, waving enthusiastically.
"You two ready? Today's gonna be intense. Got your game faces on?" she asked, her tone lively but serious.
"Locked and loaded!" Kirito shot back.
"I'm good to go," Hachiman added calmly.
"Kirito, you're as hyped as ever," Leafa teased. "Hachiman, cool as a cucumber, huh?"
"Don't let the face fool you. I'm a bit on edge," Hachiman admitted.
"Really?" Leafa tilted her head.
"Yeah. We've got combat and alliance negotiations coming up," Hachiman explained.
"Oh, right! Recon sent a report," Leafa said. "After subtly passing along our timing, Sigurd was apparently sneaking off to contact someone. He's been in a suspiciously good mood since."
"Shady as hell," Hachiman muttered. "Looks like a fight's inevitable."
"Recon said he's sticking around to keep spying since something's still bugging him," Leafa added.
"We owe Recon big time," Kirito said. "Alright, you two, let's move out!"
"Got it," Hachiman and Leafa replied in unison.
The trio ascended the Tower of Wind, reaching its summit. The view from the top was nothing short of breathtaking—a sprawling vista that stretched endlessly before them.
"You two think you can keep up with me?" Leafa challenged, a playful glint in her eye.
"Question is, can you keep up with us?" Kirito shot back, smirking.
"Big talk! Here we go!" Leafa laughed.
"Let's show her what we've got!" Kirito called.
"Don't burn out too fast, Kirito," Hachiman warned.
"I got this. Let's fly!" Kirito replied.
With that, the three took flight toward the city of Lugru. Leafa was undeniably fast, her wings cutting through the air with precision. But Hachiman and Kirito kept pace effortlessly, flying side by side, which left Leafa a touch dejected mid-flight.
"I was pretty confident in my flying, you know," she muttered.
"Don't sweat it," Kirito said lightly. "We're barely keeping up as it is."
"Really?" Leafa glanced at them.
"Yeah," Hachiman chimed in. "Flying's one thing, but our extra movements probably tire our wings out faster than yours."
"Always the analyst, huh?" Leafa smiled.
"But when it comes to top speed, I'm not losing," Hachiman declared, accelerating with a burst of speed.
"Oh, it's on!" Kirito grinned, matching his pace.
Leafa scrambled to keep up but gradually fell behind. "Ugh, you guys are fast," she groaned, a mix of frustration and admiration in her voice. "Kinda stings to lose like this."
She pushed herself to chase them, but the race didn't last long. Hachiman and Kirito soon landed, their wings fatigued from the sprint. Leafa touched down beside them.
"Guess you were right, Hachiman," Kirito said, catching his breath.
"I could probably keep going a bit longer," Leafa admitted.
"We covered a lot of ground, but it definitely took a toll," Hachiman noted.
"Let's take a breather," Leafa suggested.
Just then, Yui's voice piped up, sharp with urgency. "Papa! Someone's following us!"
"Pursuers or just tailing us?" Kirito asked.
"Two people, Papa," Yui reported.
"Only two, huh? Probably just trackers," Hachiman said. "Yui, are they heading straight for us?"
"No, it looks like they landed a ways back," Yui replied.
"Definitely tailing us, then," Kirito said. "We need them to keep following until we reach Lugru to spring the trap on Sigurd."
"As long as they don't attack, they're no threat," Hachiman added.
"Let's not worry about them and take our break," Leafa said.
After resting until their wings recovered, the trio took off again. After several such cycles, the silhouette of a city came into view.
"That's Lugru," Leafa announced.
"Finally," Kirito said, exhaling.
"Got here faster than I expected," Hachiman remarked.
"No interruptions helped," Leafa pointed out.
"Yui, are our shadows still with us?" Kirito asked.
"Yes, Papa. They're keeping their distance," Yui confirmed.
"Perfect. Let's head into the city," Kirito said. "Leafa, get in touch with Yukino and the others."
The trio entered Lugru. Leafa slipped away to contact Yukino's group before their pursuers caught up.
"Papa, the two from earlier are here," Yui whispered. "One's behind the inn, the other's behind a tree to your rear."
"Yui, check if they're watching us without being obvious," Kirito instructed.
Yui peeked out from Hachiman's pocket, climbing to his shoulder for a subtle glance. "They're sneaking looks at us. Definitely surveillance," she reported.
"Waiting for us to log in, tailing us across a long distance, and now staking us out? Talk about dedication," Hachiman said dryly.
"Look, Leafa's back," Kirito said, waving her over.
Leafa jogged toward them, waving back. "Yukino's group is here as planned. I'll take you to them."
"Hang on," Hachiman said. "Those guys are still watching us."
"Where?" Leafa asked, craning her neck.
"Yui says one's behind the inn, the other's behind the tree back there," Kirito explained.
Leafa started to turn, but Hachiman stopped her. "Don't look. Act natural. Maybe slap your cheeks like you're psyching up and peek through your fingers. If you recognize them, stretch casually to signal me."
"Got it," Leafa said. "Alright, time to get pumped!" She slapped her cheeks, glancing through her fingers. Confirming their identities, she stretched dramatically.
Hachiman caught the signal and raised his voice for their eavesdroppers. "Alright, let's head to Lugru Corridor in an hour. Yukino's group should arrive on the other side by the time we break through."
Kirito and Leafa nodded, emphasizing the timeline. "One hour, got it," Kirito said.
"Yep, one hour!" Leafa echoed.
The two observers, hearing this, made a show of contacting someone before slipping away.
"Trap's set," Hachiman said with a smirk.
"Those two are Sigurd's lackeys," Leafa said. "Not in his party, but I've seen them around."
"You think Sigurd's really gonna make a move?" Kirito asked.
"Hard to say," Leafa replied. "But sending people just to confirm our plans? Seems like he's up to something."
"If you know him that well, he probably is," Hachiman said.
"We've only got an hour, so let's meet up with Yukino's group," Leafa urged.
"Lead the way, Leafa," Hachiman said.
Leafa guided them to an inn near the corridor's exit, where Yukino's group had secured a spacious room. Hachiman kept an eye out with Yui's help, but no suspicious figures appeared. They reached the inn without incident, reuniting with their allies as planned.
"Sorry for dragging you all into this," Hachiman said, bowing deeply.
"Really, we owe you an apology," Kirito added, following suit.
"Don't worry, big brother! Komachi's got plenty of fight left!" Komachi chirped.
"Senpai, Kirito, I'm totally fine!" Lisbeth declared.
"Hachiman, Kirito, the real challenge starts now. Let's do this!" Klein said, pumping his fist.
"Raise your heads, both of you," Yukino said firmly. "This is our fight too. We'll follow your lead, Hachiman, and give it everything we've got. But I'll speak up if I think something's off—I'm not here to just nod along."
Hachiman struggled for words, overwhelmed. "I… thanks, everyone."
Kirito clapped Hachiman's back with a grin. Leafa watched the scene, her eyes tinged with quiet envy.