In a derelict building a short distance from the city center, a group of players had gathered. One of them had just finished speaking, and a murmur of unease rippled through the room.
"So... that's your plan to lure Shana out? It's true that it would probably work, but still..."
"Whatever the methods, luring him out gives us the home-field advantage. It's better than just sitting around waiting for him to slip up."
"Look, I didn't actually come up with the idea," the speaker admitted. "I just overheard some people talking about it in the city. I thought the content was a bit questionable, but since it seemed effective, I figured I should report it."
This was, of course, a plant by Sterben and Noir. They had patiently spread plausible rumors, waiting for someone else to take the bait and execute the plan. To fuel the fire, they had spent days whispering about Shana's alleged "mistreatment" of his female companions.
People have a natural tendency to believe what serves their own narrative. The players gathered here didn't necessarily believe that Shana was blackmailing women; they wanted to believe it. Shana's enviable relationships were simply too much for their fragile egos to handle.
"Are you guys serious? You're actually going to do this?" one of the participants asked, looking pale.
"Whether you like the ethics or not, you can't deny it's a valid tactic," someone countered.
"But... kidnapping one of his circle and using her as a hostage?"
"In the end, we're doing this to save her," Noir said, his voice smooth and cold. He sat in a corner, his face hidden beneath a deep hood. He had carefully positioned himself so that his affiliation remained vague, leading the others to assume he was simply a member of a different squadron. "Once the truth comes out, she'll thank us."
"I guess... maybe you're right..."
"Are you saying you don't want to save a woman in distress?" Noir pressed, his tone dripping with mock conviction. "If so, you don't belong here. Go back to the city and keep your thumb in your mouth while more girls fall prey to Shana's toxicity."
"I—I didn't say that! I want to help as much as anyone!"
"What about the rest of you?" Noir asked.
Under the weight of that performative heroism, no one dared to voice a dissent. The collective peer pressure of the group, masterfully guided by Noir, effectively silenced any moral objections.
"Alright. Let's look at this as a rescue mission. We'll endure the 'sacrifice' of our reputations to liberate those women from Shana's grip."
"Right! Justice is on our side!"
(Justice, huh?) Noir thought behind his mask. (There's no "justice" here, and not a single woman Shana is "oppressing." God, these people are so easy to manipulate it's actually boring.)
The details were finalized. They would split into shifts to monitor the city. As soon as one of Shana's companions moved alone, they would coordinate the abduction and spread the news, luring Shana into their trap.
"How did it go?" Sterben asked later.
"Piece of cake," Noir laughed. "They're a bunch of idiots. Total puppets."
"I see."
"To make sure Shana is sufficiently pissed off, we'll participate a little on the day of," Noir added. "But we're slipping away the second he shows up."
"Should I help you boost your stats before then?"
"Yeah. I never intended to level this character, but under the circumstances, putting a few points into AGI to increase my movement speed wouldn't be a bad idea."
"Alright. I'll contact my brother."
"Thanks. I'm counting on you."
Three days later, Rosalia logged into GGO. After two days of resting in the real world, she felt completely refreshed and ready for some action.
As luck would have it, Usushio Tarako happened to see her as she entered the city.
Is that... the girl from the other day? I wonder if there's any new info... maybe I should see if she wants to trade notes.
But as Tarako moved toward her, he noticed a few of his own lower-ranking squadron members lurking in the shadows, watching her with predatory focus.
What are those morons doing? Why are they acting so suspicious?
Before he could call out to them, the men lunged.
"What—?!"
Rosalia tried to fight back, but they were well-prepared. They pinned her down, snapped high-level restraints onto her wrists and ankles, and shoved a gag into her mouth. Then, one of the men hoisted her over his shoulder and broke into a sprint.
It was an unwanted "sack of grain" carry—and it happened so fast that even Tarako didn't have time to intervene.
"Those idiots... what the hell have they done?!"
The selection of these specific kidnappers had been Noir's doing. He had overheard Spiegel's complaints about Tarako and used the story of their recent clash with Shana to incite the low-level members. By using Tarako's men, he aimed to escalate the conflict between the two powerhouses.
However, Noir hadn't anticipated that Tarako himself would be standing right there. Nor did he know that Shana and Tarako had made peace during their post-battle celebration, or that Tarako had recently pledged his support to Shana.
"Dammit! I have to stop them!"
Tarako gave chase, but he was a moment too late. By the time he reached the outskirts, his men had met up with players from other squadrons. The group had swelled to over twenty people. Even for Tarako, charging that many players alone was suicide.
"This is bad. If I don't fix this, Shana's group will think my whole squadron is behind this. I have to find Shana and explain... but first, I need to know where they're taking her."
Tarako shadowed the group until he saw them enter a specific building in a cluster of ruins outside the city. Once he confirmed the location, he sprinted back to Shana's base. He found Shana walking toward the entrance alone and rushed to intercept him.
"Shana!"
"Oh, Tarako. Long time no see."
"Shana, I'm so sorry!"
"...Hmm? What's with the sudden apology? Did something happen?"
Tarako took a ragged breath, trying to steady his voice. "I met a girl named Rosalia the other day. She's one of yours, right? She was in the videos."
"Yeah. Rosalia mentioned meeting you. Let me guess: some of your guys are still holding a grudge and want to pick a fight?"
"It's worse than that. It's my fault for not keeping them on a shorter leash... but just now, a group of them kidnapped her."
"...Oh?"
Shana's response was soft, almost airy. But Tarako felt a sudden, violent chill—as if the temperature in the street had plummeted ten degrees in a single second. Shana's expression hadn't changed, but the air around him had grown heavy and sharp.
"Tell me exactly what happened."
Breaking into a cold sweat, Tarako detailed everything he had seen.
"I see. So there are at least twenty enemies."
"That's just the group I saw on the move," Tarako added. "I don't know how many were already waiting at the building."
"Regardless, the information is appreciated."
Just then, Shana's comms chirped. It was Ikoma.
"Ikoma, what is it?"
"Shana-san, where are you?"
"In front of the base."
"Oh! I see you! Stay there!"
Ikoma came sprinting down the street, but the moment he made eye contact with Shana, he skidded to a halt. He approached slowly, looking as if he were walking into a lion's den. Shana ignored the hesitant behavior and introduced the two men.
"This is Ikoma, my teammate. Ikoma, this is Usushio Tarako."
"A-ah, the legendary Usushio Tarako. I've heard much about you."
"'Tarako' is fine. It's easier to say," Tarako grunted. "Wait... Ikoma? I didn't think Shana had any guys on his team."
"I'm a craftsman, so I don't usually do front-line combat," Ikoma explained. "Nice to meet you, Tarako-san."
"Makes sense why you aren't in the spotlight then." Ikoma leaned in toward Tarako and whispered, "Hey... did you do something to piss him off?"
"I... is he really that mad?"
"Look at his eyes," Ikoma whispered back. "That 'sleepy' look and the blunt tone... that's his reaction when he is legitimately, dangerously furious. You know Shana is Hachiman from ALO, right? Do you know about his past?"
Tarako gave Ikoma a long, measuring look before whispering back. "...You mean 'Silver Shadow Hachiman' from the SAO Four Heavenly Kings? Yeah. My buddy was in SAO; he told me the stories. I'd never tell anyone else—Hachiman saved his life. My friend was a mid-tier player who got cornered by Pks. He says he only exists today because Hachiman and Asuna stepped in."
Ikoma nodded. "I was in SAO too. I only ever saw Hachiman like this once. It was when a player was stalking Asuna and harassing her in a public square. The guy was a top-tier player, BoB-level by today's standards. Hachiman demolished him in three seconds flat. I literally couldn't see him move."
"Are you serious...?"
"I just wanted to make sure it wasn't you who triggered him. I'd hate to see you get deleted."
"Phew... thanks for the heads-up. I think I'm safe then."
Their hushed conversation ended as Shana looked over at them.
"Ikoma, you called because of a rumor?"
"Yes. There's talk going around that an 'Anti-Shana' group snatched one of our members."
"It's more than a rumor," Shana said. "Tarako just confirmed it."
"What?! Then we have to call the others immediately!"
"No," Shana said flatly. "No one else is logged in right now, and we don't have time to wait for a lobby to fill. Rosalia could be getting hurt while we talk. The game prevents harassment, but I can't rule out physical damage in-game."
Shana looked at Ikoma. "How's the Humvee?"
"One of them is fully finished. I went all-out on the modifications."
"Good. I'm going to the enemy base. Alone."
"Wait, no way!" Ikoma protested. "I'm coming too!"
"It's too dangerous for a non-combatant."
"I'll be fine! I'll stay in the Humvee and use the new weapon systems to support you!"
"...Alright. Thanks, Ikoma."
"Of course! She's my teammate too!"
Tarako, who had been listening in silence, stepped forward. "Wait. You're really going in with just the two of you?"
"That was the plan," Shana said.
Tarako made his decision in a heartbeat. "Make it three."
"Three? You're coming?"
"Yeah. Normally I'd call my men, but I don't know who I can trust right now. I'll reach out to one person I know who is reliable and fast. It won't take long."
"Are you sure?" Shana asked. "This could mean a civil war in your squadron."
"It's my responsibility," Tarako said firmly. "Even if my squadron dissolves over this, I'm standing with you."
Sensing the genuine resolve in the man's voice, Shana nodded. Tarako felt a flicker of internal pride—it felt like a proper way to pay back the debt his friend owed Hachiman. He wasn't even worried about losing; the idea of Shana losing didn't even enter his mind.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."
"Don't sweat it. Let me call my contact. Where are we meeting?"
"The rental garage."
"Got it. I'll make him hurry."
Tarako pulled up his friend list, muttering to himself. "Musketeer X isn't on... damn, she would've been perfect. Oh! Yamikaze is online. Everyone else is a no-show... figures."
Tarako contacted Yamikaze, who agreed to help the second he heard the details. (It was a stroke of bad luck for Musketeer X; if she had been online, she would have earned a permanent place in Shana's inner circle. But today was not her day.)
A few minutes later, Yamikaze appeared at the garage.
"Hoh, Yamikaze? So you're the one Tarako called," Shana said. "Long time no see."
"We've met before?" Tarako asked.
"Twice," Yamikaze said with a grin. "The first time, I happened to see Shana taking down high-level mobs with nothing but a combat knife. I stayed to watch the show."
"Good times," Shana said, a faint, dangerous smile touching his lips.
"Thanks for coming, both of you. I appreciate the help."
"Hey, I've always wanted to see what it's like to fight beside you," Yamikaze said. "And besides... I heard the gist. I have no patience for cowards who hide behind hostages."
"My sentiments exactly," Shana said.
"Me too," Tarako added.
"Count me in on that," Ikoma finished.
The four men climbed into the modified Humvee and roared toward the ruins. Conflict was approaching, and Shana's wrath was about to be unleashed.
-------------------------------
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