"So, did it go as planned?"
"I'm not sure. I might have overplayed my hand and slipped up a bit."
Sterben and Noir met outside the city limits, keeping their voices low.
"Meaning?" Sterben asked.
"The scenario I envisioned was simple," Noir said, crossing his arms. "We hurt Rosaria, and those idiots lead Shana on a chase to the top floor. Shana sees her in that state, and the resulting fallout becomes a massive, public scandal. But the bastard... he somehow bypassed the entire building and appeared on the top floor instantly."
"He's as reckless as ever," Sterben muttered.
"Yeah." Noir nodded. "The problem is the gap in knowledge. He understands what is and isn't possible within GGO's system better than we do. That's our biggest disadvantage."
"I see."
"Because of that," Noir continued, "I started spreading rumors in town without realizing that only the two guards and myself actually knew Rosaria had been tortured. It was a lapse in judgment. He probably knows it was us now."
"Then it's time to pull back," Sterben said.
"Agreed. We've already lit the fire; it'll spread on its own now. We just need to go dark so he doesn't catch our trail. Besides, we have other things to investigate."
From that moment, the duo shifted their strategy. Noir decided to focus on leveling up crafting skills—not necessarily to make items, but to understand the full scope of what was possible within the game's mechanics.
Sterben, meanwhile, began a much darker task. Using the data he had harvested during the second BoB, he began cross-referencing player IDs with real-world identities. He started scouting physical locations: who lived where, how many people were in the house, and most importantly, how easy it would be to pick the locks on their front doors.
Because of this shift into the shadows, Shana and his team would remain completely unaware of the brothers' movements until the eve of the third BoB.
"Shana, you're going to be the bait?"
The following day, the full Shana Corps gathered at the base to discuss their next move. Shana's proposal was met with immediate scrutiny.
"How exactly do you plan to pull this off?" Shizuka asked.
"I go out into the wasteland alone, making it very obvious that I'm flying solo," Shana explained. "The team waits in ambush. When the vultures swoop in to pick at me, we wipe them out."
"Simple enough," Shizuka mused.
"Wait," Nyangoro interrupted. "This is Shana we're talking about. He definitely has a secondary objective."
Shana smirked. "I might have a few ideas."
"And what is the strategic goal here?" the Master asked.
"We repeat this cycle. Some people's spirits will break after the first defeat, but most will get hot-headed and come back for more. Eventually, they'll realize they can't win by throwing themselves at me individually. And when that happens... well, does anyone want to guess what they'll do next?"
Pitohui, Ikoma, and M all raised their hands.
"Let's go with... Pito." Shana pointed to her, curious about her chaotic take.
"Um! They'll realize being defeated is actually a reward and try to turn it into a kinky game of—!"
"Okay, I was an idiot for asking you. Ikoma, go."
"They'll try to close the gap by grinding for better gear!" Ikoma said earnestly.
"A very 'you' answer, Ikoma. But there isn't another craftsman on this server who can do what you do. Next. M?"
"Weak animals have no choice but to form a pack," M said flatly.
"Bingo."
"A pack, huh?" Shizuka said. "That makes sense."
"They'll pool their resources and try to overwhelm us with numbers," Shana continued.
"And how do we counter that?"
"We supplement our own forces. We'll call in Dyne, Tarako, Yamikaze, and Eva's group. We meet their numbers with our own veterans."
Nyangoro looked at Shana with a hint of nostalgia. "You used to try to shoulder everything yourself, Shana. You've certainly changed."
"I'm not the only one who's grown up, Master," Shana replied with a wry smile, thinking back to the girl he had met years ago. "And once the enemy is gathered into one place... we goad them."
"Goad them?"
"Wait, you want to provoke them on purpose?"
"It's not just for the sake of being a jerk," Shana clarified. "It's about forcing them into a single, decisive battle. I want them to mount a massive campaign, gather every hater and 'hero' they can find, and put them all in one spot. And once they're all there... I'm going to walk right into the middle of them."
"What?!"
"Ooh! That's my Master!" Pito squealed.
"I'm going to propose a total war," Shana said, pointing toward the southern horizon where a gargantuan, crumbling silhouette loomed. "And the stage will be right there."
"What is that place?" Shizuka asked.
"The ruins of the Old Capital. The developers built it as a vanity project, I think. It's a massive urban ruin, but it's a 'null zone'—no monsters spawn there. It's basically a tourist spot for ruin enthusiasts."
Sinon nodded. "No enemies, no loot, no purpose. Most players never bother going there."
"Which makes it the perfect battlefield," Shana said. "I'm going to ask Thinker to broadcast the whole thing. If we turn it into a massive 'event,' we can shift the narrative from a scandal into a sport. We'll make it so big that the stupid rumors get drowned out by the hype."
"I see... you're turning the defense into an open challenge," M noted.
"Exactly. We'll still deal with the rumors—Tarako is tracking down that guard with the video, and we'll leak that once we have it. But for now, we prepare to fight ten times our own number."
The room was filled with a sudden, electric tension. No one objected. The plan was set.
"So, where are we setting today's ambush?" Benkei asked.
"Let's go with the 'Warriors' Graveyard.'"
"The what?" Nyangoro blinked.
"You wouldn't know it, Master. Only a few people do."
"I know it," Sinon said.
"Me too!" Pito chirped.
"I am also familiar with the location," M added.
"Of course you three do," Shana chuckled.
"What kind of place is it?" Shizuka asked.
"It's just a field filled with rows of old, weathered gravestones," Pito explained proudly. "The lore says they're soldiers who died in an ancient war."
"Are there any mobs?"
"None. It's close to the city, so it's a safe zone for monsters. But the cool thing is... the graveyard actually grows."
Shizuka tilted her head. "How?"
"Rumor has it that if a veteran player with a high-level character retires or deletes their account, a new gravestone appears there," Pito said.
"That's... actually a nice touch," Shizuka admitted. "But why there, Shana?"
"Because a Humvee parked among the graves won't stand out. From five hundred meters away, you won't be able to tell if it's a vehicle or a large monument."
Shana began issuing roles. "We're taking the transport Humvee today. It can fit eight people if we squeeze, unlike the heavy-duty one."
"We should probably give the cars names," Benkei suggested. "And the base, too. It'll make communication easier."
"Good idea," Shana said. "Let's start with the base."
"Val—" Shizuka started.
"Veto," Shana cut her off immediately.
"The Love Nest!" Pito shouted.
"Pito, I'm going to puni—actually, never mind. M, hold her down."
"Understood."
Nyangoro spoke up with a straight face. "The Nyanko House."
"Master... your character is really slipping lately," Shana sighed.
"Shut up! This is my dream world!"
Ikoma whispered a suggestion. "Kurama..."
"That's it!" Shana snapped his fingers.
"What's a Kurama?" Shizuka asked.
"Mount Kurama is where Minamoto no Yoshitsune lived when he went by the name Shana," Shana explained.
"Oh, I like that!"
"How about 'Kurama Mountain'?" Benkei suggested. "We can just say 'Meet at the Mountain' for short."
The base was officially named Kurama Mountain.
"Now, for the Humvees..."
"Maybe the names of Yoshitsune's horses?" Benkei asked. "Ikoma, do you know any?"
"That would be Tayuguro," Ikoma answered instantly.
"Nice, Ikoma-kyun!" Pito cheered.
"A bit of a mouthful for comms," Shana mused.
"Why not keep it simple?" Sinon suggested. "Take the 'Black' from the horse's name. One can be Black, the other White."
"Works for me. The heavy-duty one is Black, the transport is White."
"Alright, back to business," Shana said, his tone turning sharp. "Operation: Bait. We're using the White Humvee. Rosaria and Kei, you're on surveillance in the city—tag anyone who follows me. Ikoma, you're driving. It's good practice. Master, you're in the navigator's seat to keep an eye on his driving."
"Leave it to me," Nyangoro said.
"The rest of us are in the back. Sinon, you're on the Hecate. Stay near the roof hatch."
"Got it."
"I'll head to the Warriors' Graveyard on foot. Rosaria, ping us the count of the pursuers. Once they're in position, Sinon will pick them off to cause chaos, and Ikoma will bring the Humvee in for the pincer move. I'll lead them into the killing field, and we hit them from behind."
The operation began. Shana walked boldly through the city gates, his face uncovered, a lone silhouette heading into the wasteland.
It was the first act of what would later be known as the GGO Genpei War.
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