The Santa-like figure's mouth was fixed in a grin, occasionally letting out eerie chuckles. Whatever was processing in Hachiman's mind was unclear, but its eyes moved independently, darting left and right. With a bow-legged stance, it stomped alternately, gliding toward its prey. The disorienting movement threw off the Salamanders' sense of distance, allowing the figure to close in effortlessly. One by one, Salamanders were shot down in rapid succession.
The Salamander army descended into chaos, their ranks utterly disorganized by the unsettling sight. Normally, Eugene's leadership could restore order, but he was locked in a standoff with Kirito, unable to act.
"Dual-wielding greatswords of that size? You're no bluff," Eugene said, eyeing Kirito.
"Only swords heavy enough to suit me," Kirito replied with a smirk.
"Every dual-wielder I've met just carries two weapons for show. Can you actually entertain me?" Eugene challenged.
"I'll go all out to meet your expectations," Kirito shot back.
As if synchronized, their duel erupted. Eugene swung his demonic sword Gram horizontally at Kirito's neck. Kirito raised a blade to block, but Gram's ability let it phase through enemy weapons. The strike passed through Kirito's sword, heading straight for his neck.
"Got you!" Eugene shouted.
But Kirito was already gone, diving downward without moving his sword. In the next instant, his second blade arced toward Eugene's torso. Eugene, anticipating this, leaped back.
"A light greeting, huh? You're interesting," Eugene said.
"You're not bad yourself," Kirito replied. "Thought that was a clean hit."
Kirito launched his own assault, his dual blades a blur. Eugene parried while seeking openings to counter. Kirito dodged and struck, then dodged again. Their clash grew fiercer with each exchange.
Meanwhile, Hachiman was wreaking havoc, having reduced the Salamander forces by nearly seventy percent. But his limit was approaching. Yui, monitoring his status, calculated his remaining MP and transformation time. She zipped from Hachiman to Yukino.
"Yukino, Papa can only stay in that form for one more minute," Yui warned. "When he reverts, he'll be disoriented for a moment, leaving him vulnerable. Please cover him then."
"Got it," Yukino said. "Everyone, prepare to move to Hachiman! One minute!"
As Yukino's group moved, a sharp-eyed Salamander party on the ground seized the moment, launching an attack. The timing, though coincidental, was impeccable. Time ticked by mercilessly, and Hachiman's transformation wore off. Disoriented, he began to plummet.
"Big brother!" Komachi cried.
"Komachi, go to Hachiman!" Yukino ordered.
"We've got this!" Leafa added.
"Komachi, save senpai!" Lisbeth urged.
"Right!" Komachi, the nimblest of the group, broke from the fight and raced toward Hachiman. But trouble compounded. Some Salamanders, regaining their composure as Hachiman reverted, fired attack spells at the falling figure. Before Komachi's eyes, Hachiman was about to be struck.
"Big brother!" Komachi screamed, fighting back tears as she flew on.
The spells hit—or seemed to. A radiant barrier deflected them all. "A defense spell? A high-level one…?" Komachi muttered, confused, but didn't stop. She caught Hachiman and retreated swiftly.
As she did, three unfamiliar players streaked past—Gnome, Cait Sith, and… Salamander. "Who're you?!" a Salamander shouted.
"Why's a Gnome here?" another demanded.
"You're a Salamander! Traitor!" a third accused.
"Don't care!" the Salamander player snapped. "I'm just here to save my friend!"
"That's the deal," the Gnome added. "Can't abandon a buddy in trouble."
"Hachiman-san's under our protection!" the Cait Sith declared.
The trio charged the Salamanders, their terrifying strength more than filling the gap left by Hachiman. Meanwhile, Komachi landed, slapping Hachiman's cheeks. "Big brother, wake up! It's morning!"
"Ugh… sorry, Komachi, I blacked out for a sec," Hachiman said, groggy. "You saved me?"
"No, it wasn't me," Komachi said. "Some strangers, I think!"
"Strangers? Who?" Hachiman asked.
"That'd be me," a voice called from above. An Undine girl landed beside them.
"Don't know who you are, but thanks," Hachiman said. "I'm Hachiman."
"I'm Komachi! Thank you so much for saving my brother!" Komachi added.
"I'm Meguri," the girl said. "That was close. Glad I made it in time…"
To Hachiman's surprise, Meguri was crying. Alarmed, he pressed her. "Uh, Meguri-san, why are you crying?"
"I… I finally found you," she said, tears streaming.
Before Hachiman could react, Meguri hugged him tightly. Despite his usual instinct to deflect female contact, her intensity left him no choice but to accept it. He glanced at Komachi, who only tilted her head in confusion. Yukino's group, having dispatched the enemy party, approached but froze at the sight.
"Hachiman, what's going on? Who is she?" Yukino demanded.
"Uh, she saved me," Hachiman explained. "And… she seems to know me."
"Know you? Like, in real life?" Yukino asked, eyes wide.
"Yeah…" Hachiman nodded.
Yukino, Lisbeth, and Iroha gaped, stunned. Leafa, sensing something personal, spoke up. "Sounds like there's a story here. I'll check on Sakuya's group."
"Thanks, Leafa," Yukino said.
Leafa flew off, leaving Hachiman to refocus. "Alright, everyone here's a real-life friend," he said to Meguri. "You can speak freely. Who are you?"
Calming slightly, Meguri wiped her tears and looked at the group. "Since it's just people I know, I'll use our old names. Yukino, Yui, Iroha, Komachi—hi, everyone. It's been a while! And Hikki, welcome back! I'm studying abroad, so I couldn't visit. I thought about calling, but I wanted to say 'welcome back' in person."
"Studying abroad?" Yukino said, a spark of recognition in her eyes. "Are you…?"
"Got a guess?" Hachiman asked.
"Maybe, but I never heard she played ALO…" Yukino trailed off. "No way…"
"That's right," Meguri said, smiling through tears. "I'm Meguri—Shiro Meguri! It's been ages, everyone!"
"Shiro-senpai!?" the group gasped in unison.
"Hikki, I was so worried," Meguri said, hugging him tighter. "I'm so glad you're back safe…"
Hachiman, flustered, looked to the others for help, but they nodded encouragingly. "Show some guts for once," Yukino said.
"Do it right, Hikki!" Lisbeth urged.
"Big brother, you can't keep making girls cry!" Komachi scolded.
"Come on, senpai, nail this!" Iroha added.
"Uh, alright," Hachiman muttered. Gently patting Meguri's head, he said, "I'm not going anywhere, so please stop crying. I made it back safe. I'm okay now, Shiro-senpai."
Meguri wiped her tears, looking up at him. "Really?"
"Yeah," Hachiman said.
"Really, really?" she pressed.
"I promise," he assured her.
"Okay. I trust you," Meguri said, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
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