On the morning Yahata met Elsa Kanzaki, Asuna and Komachi gathered at Haruno Yukinoshita's home, forming what was dubbed the Hikitani Family Demon Lord Ladies' Meeting. The name, coined by Haruno herself, wasn't a nickname others gave her—it was a playful jab at Yahata, who frequently called her a "demon lord." Annoyed but amused, Haruno adopted the title as a way to tease him back.
"So, what's with the visit, you two?" Haruno asked.
"Well, I wanted to ask you something, sis," Asuna said.
"Yup, yup! Haruno-neesan, do you know any tips for fighting with guns or must-have skills for combat?" Komachi added.
Haruno's eyes widened, and she immediately called out to Tsuzuki, her assistant nearby.
"Tsuzuki, get a hospital on the line, stat! Where's the first-aid kit?!"
"Whoa, hold on! We're totally fine!" Asuna protested.
"Tsuzuki-san, wait! It's nothing serious! Somebody stop her!" Komachi pleaded.
After the commotion settled, Haruno, now calm, decided to hear the full story. Given that she'd put Yahata through live-fire training, she had a hunch about their intentions. Of course, she had no plans to subject the girls to anything that extreme—it was just theatrics, a nod to her flair for the dramatic. Since Yahata hadn't consulted her about their visit, Haruno opted to get the details straight from them.
"So, you two want to make sure you don't drag Yahata-kun down and came to me for advice on what you can do beforehand?"
"Yeah, sis, got any tips?" Asuna asked.
"Anything we should know how to do? Something manageable for regular people?" Komachi added.
"Hmm…"
Haruno pondered for a moment before pulling out her phone.
"It's a game where you fight with guns on a battlefield, right? Something like this might help."
She showed them a video of a rappelling descent.
"Oh, I know this!" Asuna exclaimed.
"It's that thing where you slide down a rope from a building, kicking off the wall—zoom, zoom!" Komachi said.
"And here's another version," Haruno added, switching to a different clip.
"What is that? No way, no way, no way!" Asuna gasped.
"Sis, these people are going the wrong way! They're running down the wall toward the ground!" Komachi said, stunned.
"Relax, even I wouldn't tell you to do this in real life," Haruno said, laughing at their panic.
"You can practice in ALO."
"Oh!"
"That makes sense!"
"Listen, you two. VR tech was meant for this kind of thing. So, let's start training!"
"Heck yeah!"
"Let's do it!"
The girls rushed home to grab their NerveGear and AmuSphere, then returned to the Yukinoshita household. The three logged into ALO together.
"Alright, let's start with standing on a wall. The key is to lose your fear. If you feel like falling, just fly, right?"
"Soleil-san, this is kinda scary at first," Asuna admitted.
"By the way, Hachiman-kun can do this," Haruno said casually.
"What? Seriously?"
"I caught him practicing it alone once."
Haruno smiled, recalling the memory.
"What are you doing all by yourself?"
"Uh, training to join the Self-Defense Force."
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
"It's called rappelling. You use a rope to descend cliffs or walls quickly."
"…And that's useful for what, exactly?"
"Probably something."
"Hmm."
Soleil watched Hachiman practice tirelessly, never growing bored. She offered amateur tips, laughed when he slipped, and cherished the rare, quiet moments they shared. When Hachiman finally mastered the technique, Soleil felt a surge of pride, as if it were her own achievement. Now, seeing his two "sisters" tackle the same challenge, she poured everything she'd learned from Hachiman into teaching them—tips, force control, all of it.
"Sis, I did it!"
"Komachi nailed it too!"
"What? That fast? It took Hachiman-kun half a day!"
In just three hours, the girls had mastered the skill. It made sense—Soleil was passing on Hachiman's hard-earned knowledge, and with enough courage, the learning curve was steep.
"Any other skills we should have, sis?" Asuna asked.
"Hmm… Let me ask Tsuzuki. He's ex-military. Well, ex-mercenary, technically."
"What?!"
"No way!"
The revelation floored them. Who'd expect someone with that kind of past so close by? This was peaceful Japan, after all. Then Haruno gasped, as if recalling something.
"Now that I think about it, I saw Tsuzuki and Hachiman-kun whispering about something the other day…"
"Could Hachiman-kun have gotten training from Tsuzuki too?" Asuna wondered.
"Didn't Onii-chan say Tsuzuki taught him to drive for his license? Maybe he mentioned being a mercenary then?" Komachi suggested.
"That's plausible. Alright, you two, log out for now," Haruno said.
"Okay!"
"Got it!"
After logging out, the three went to question Tsuzuki.
"Yes, I did give Yahata-kun some training," Tsuzuki confirmed.
"I knew it!" Komachi huffed.
"Tsuzuki-san, please teach us the same stuff!" Asuna urged.
"Training? I only taught him the basics," Tsuzuki said modestly.
"Like what?"
"Room entry tactics, rappelling, driving various vehicles, free climbing, building defensive positions with whatever's around, and maintaining proper shooting posture, among other things."
The girls exchanged glances, clearly overwhelmed. Learning to drive seemed impossible in the time they had, and free climbing required more strength than they possessed. When they voiced this, Tsuzuki chuckled.
"You're overthinking it. Focus on a game-oriented approach. Driving in-game doesn't require traffic rules—just make it move. There are no signals or pedestrians in GGO. Running over enemies with a car or bike? No problem. For free climbing, practice on a three-meter wall. You don't get tired in-game, and you're stronger than in reality. Get the knack, and you're set."
"Oh!"
"That makes sense!"
Seeing their enthusiasm, Tsuzuki's gaze softened, and he smiled.
"The only other thing is maintaining proper shooting posture. If that works, I can guide you."
"Yes, please!"
"Thank you!"
"Let's make today count."
Thus began their training under Tsuzuki's guidance. They ran obstacle courses with model guns, snapping into shooting stance at the sound of his whistle, pausing for posture checks. They practiced driving cars and bikes on the Yukinoshita estate—no license needed. The only hiccup was that the cars were automatic, though Tsuzuki advised learning manual driving later if they got the chance. Caught up in the moment, they even studied motorboat operation in a classroom setting, though the estate lacked a suitable water body. They trained on room entry tactics in a separate building and, learning Yahata knew them, picked up hand signals too. Defensive fortifications were trickier—lacking materials, they settled for theory. They also learned basic gun handling.
Bit by bit, the girls built up non-skill-based abilities for GGO. These weren't exactly skills young women typically needed, but driven by their desire not to hold Yahata back, they powered through. As dusk fell, the lessons wrapped up.
"Thank you so much, Tsuzuki-san!" they said in unison, bowing.
Tsuzuki smiled warmly. "It's just a game, so have fun out there."
"Will do!"
"Thank you!"
After thanking Tsuzuki again, the girls, thanks to Haruno's arrangement, headed to the Yukinoshita family's bath to unwind.
"Wow, what a huge bath!"
"Sis, a bath after exercise feels amazing!"
"My arms and legs are killing me."
"But I think I lost some weight!"
"No way, me too! Sweet!"
As the girls marveled at the spacious bath, Haruno joined them a bit later.
"Good work today, you two."
"Thanks, Haruno-neesan!"
"Hey, sis, don't you ever bathe with Yukino?" Asuna asked.
"Hmm… We used to a lot when we were kids, scrubbing each other's backs. But since middle school, not so much," Haruno said, a touch of regret in her voice.
"Then I'll scrub your back today!" Asuna offered.
"And I'll do yours, sis!" Komachi added.
"Let's line up, then," Haruno said.
The three stood side by side, washing each other's backs. Asuna glanced at Haruno's chest, a bit envious.
"Sis, your chest is huge…"
"You've got plenty to be proud of too, Asuna-neechan," Komachi teased.
"Hey, Komachi-chan, where are you touching?!"
"Come on, you two, finish up and get in the tub!" Haruno laughed.
"Yes, ma'am!" they chimed.
Haruno and Asuna teamed up to scrub Komachi's back. Then, the three sank into the tub together, letting out contented sighs. Though not bound by blood, their closeness as they sat side by side made them look like true sisters. They chatted happily, careful not to overheat, and fully relaxed, washing away the day's fatigue.
-------------------------------
Curious about what happens next?
You can read up to 30–40 chapters ahead right now on Patreon!
👉 [patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support! 💕