The five continued talking.
Pitohui, muttering "Acht, Acht," asked Shana about its origin.
"Acht? What's it mean?"
"German for eight."
"Cool! Guten Morgen!"
"What are you on about…"
"Sil-vous-plaît?"
"That's French…"
"Oops, my bad!"
Ignoring Shana's exasperation, Pitohui pressed on.
"Where's 'two'?"
"…Off on a journey, maybe."
"Ha! Let cute kids travel, right?"
"Yeah, so you never need to."
"Grr!"
Sinon, listening to their banter, asked Shana, "You said it already had a name, but you just named it. Is there a story?"
"Yeah…" Shana's face softened with nostalgia.
Sinon's heart skipped, caught off guard.
"Acht is short for Acht Faust, a unique SAO gear—half shield, half melee weapon. Probably one of a kind."
"Got it," Sinon said, sensing its importance and staying quiet.
Pitohui, true to form, didn't. "Cool! Acht's perfect for that gun!"
"You just said 'two' and 'Guten Morgen.'"
"Did I? Your imagination, Shana!"
Shana silently bonked her head. Pitohui crouched, wincing. Sinon changed topics.
"That Aspidokeron—could you have soloed it with Acht?"
"Yeah, I did."
"So overpowered."
"Attack from outside its detection range, and it's one-sided."
Sinon nodded, asking more about sniping.
"From the field's edge, no counterattacks?"
"Not in tight spaces."
"Other enemies like this? Could I do it?"
"There are more. I'll show you. Your gun might work on some, but a longer-range rifle could boost your odds."
"I'll think about it."
Sinon's drive as a sniper had grown. She was practically Shana's apprentice, and he admired her ambition. His earlier "most trusted" comment wasn't entirely a joke. Pitohui, still crouched, joined in.
"Are anti-materiel rifles rare because they're too strong when they click?"
"Maybe," Shana said. "Hard to say."
"How'd you get Acht?"
"It was…" Shana's voice grew heavy.
"You know about the crazy strong enemies in the city's underground?"
"Heard rumors!" Pitohui said.
"Explored down there once, ran into one."
"Alone?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, you survived? Killed it? Had enough bullets?"
"No way…"
Shana's tone was pained.
"Ran out of ammo, thought I was done. All I had left was this knife."
He flashed two knives at Pitohui.
"Charged with these, fought two hours, and finally won. Acht dropped from it."
The four were speechless, imagining the ordeal only Shana could endure.
"You didn't die?" Shizu finally said.
"It was humanoid. One hit would've killed me, but I managed."
"Humanoid?"
"A nasty gun-spraying one. Got in close, did my thing. Staying focused that long was brutal."
"So you had a shot at winning."
"Pretty much."
Only Shizu and Benkei followed fully. Sinon was lost, and Pitohui, never shy, asked, "Humanoid? Why's that matter?"
"I'm good against humanoids."
"Good enough to win?"
"We haven't fought properly, have we? Wanna try? Attack me with a knife."
"Sure!"
Pitohui faced Shana, knife ready. Sinon watched curiously. As Pitohui moved, her knife was knocked away, and Shana's blade was at her throat. She couldn't react.
Sinon tilted her head. "Pit, why'd you take that hit defenselessly?"
"I didn't! I tried attacking!"
"Didn't look like it."
"I swear!"
Sinon didn't get it. Shana turned to her. "Your turn."
"Okay. Not great with knives, though."
Sinon borrowed Pitohui's knife, awkwardly poised to strike. The moment she tried, her knife flew back, and Shana's was at her throat. Stunned, she understood.
"Pit, you were right."
"Told you! It's nuts, right? It's like he disarmed us the second we tensed to attack."
"Yeah, exactly."
"That's about right," Shana said.
Both stared, awestruck.
"Is that why you were one of the Four Kings?" Sinon asked.
"Not a secret, but yeah."
"Near invincible against people."
"I'm a counter-fighter. Even I lose to some—like Holy Sword, Black Swordsman, or Flash."
"All Four Kings…" Sinon muttered.
"Their styles counter mine. Shizu's too—her thrusts are hard to read. Even if I dodge, her volume overwhelms."
"Wow…" Pitohui said, eyeing Shizu and Shana with admiration.
Sinon did too.
"So, I worked hard for Acht. Sinon, if you want an anti-materiel rifle, never give up. Keep fighting. Your weapon's out there."
"Thanks, Shana. Really helpful."
Sinon never forgot his words. She decided to upgrade her gun and stick with the group. She spent less time with Spiegel, unknowingly setting the stage for later events. For now, she just loved being with her new friends.
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