"And what was that line from the doll just now…?"
"Ah..." Shino looked at the floor, her face heating up. "S-sorry. I wasn't trying to hide it on purpose, but… I'm a member of Valhalla too."
"WHAT?!"
"Seriously?!"
"Yeah, it's true," the doll confirmed. "She's a registered member."
"Wait, for real-o? What's your handle-o?" Daru asked, leaning in.
"Nobody knows me yet. I haven't officially started activities. But my name is… well, I guess it's fine to tell Daru-san and Faris-san. It's Sinon."
Daru's eyes went wide. "Ohhh… am I witnessing the birth of a legend right now-o?"
"You're exaggerating…"
"No way! Valhalla is a mysterious, legendary guild that we've been obsessed with for ages-o!"
"The Princess was a formal member of Valhalla all along-nyan… incredible-nyan!"
The group turned back to the screen as Hachiman sparred with Kizmel, Eugene, Leafa, and Fuka-jiro. Shino felt a lump in her throat when she saw Fuka-jiro. (Fuka-chan… just wait for me.)
The fights themselves looked surprisingly low-key to the onlookers.
"It was a bit plain, except for the very end."
"What was with that scary Santa guy at the end?"
"The power gap was too large," the doll explained. "If the core executives were there, it would have been a lot flashier."
"Even with the Sylph Heavenly King and the Salamander General?"
Daru, the resident Valhalla fanboy, took over the explanation. "The Black Swordsman, the Berserk Healer, Absolute Zero, and the Absolute Tyrant are on a whole different level-o. Absolute Zero is a healer, so she's different, but the Absolute Tyrant can take on an entire army by himself-o."
"I see…"
Just then, Hachiman logged out. Back in the room, Hachiman opened his eyes and sighed. "Well? Was that a decent enough tour?"
"It was amazing…"
"The fighting was a bit underwhelming, though," Shiina teased.
"I know," Hachiman admitted. "I felt the same way."
"Is that why you did that weird transformation at the end?"
"Pretty much."
Daru lunged forward, hand outstretched, eyes shining. "Please shake my hand! I'm a huge fan-o!"
"Uh… Faris, who is this?" Hachiman asked.
"This is Daru-nyan. The guy I mentioned earlier-nyan."
"Ah, the 'Super Hacka' I've heard about."
"If Hachiman-san says it, then I'm a 'Hacka' for life-o!" Daru shouted, so moved he even used a respectful suffix for Hachiman.
Hachiman smiled. "You can just call me Hachiman, Daru."
"Uwoooo! I am intensely moved-o! Hachiman, let's be friends forever-o!"
"Uh, sure. I might need your help with some tech stuff later, so I look forward to it."
"With pleasure-o!"
Hachiman checked his watch and frowned. "Crap, that took longer than I thought. It's almost time for the meeting. Shino, sorry, but we're going to have to log in from here."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Do you… not want them to see you in that game?" Hachiman asked, glancing at the girls.
"N-no, it's fine. They already know I'm in Valhalla anyway. It's a bit late for secrets."
"Fair enough. Faris, can we extend our stay? Probably about two more hours."
"Of course-nyan!"
"What's about to happen-o?" Daru asked.
"Daru, are you familiar with VR shooters?"
"Yeah, I keep tabs on all the major titles-o."
"Good. Then you and the doll can handle the commentary for what's about to happen."
"Understood-o!"
Hachiman turned to the girls. "This next fight is going to be a lot louder, so just sit back and relax. Let's go, Shino. The crowd is probably already gathering."
"Right."
"So Shino-chi is going in too this time!"
"Good luck, Shino! I don't really get it, but do your best!"
"Hachiman-san is with her, so I'm sure they'll be fine. Be careful!"
"Thanks, everyone," Shino said with a small smile.
Faris gave Hachiman a final wink. "My Hero, I'll be waiting for the news of your victory-nyan."
"Heh. Right. Leave it to me. I'll come back with the win."
Hachiman and Shino adjusted their AmuSpheres for GGO and initiated the dive. On the monitor, the atmosphere shifted drastically from the bright fantasy of ALO to a gritty, post-apocalyptic wasteland.
"Wait, what game is this?"
"I thought they were going back to ALO."
A deep, gravelly voice echoed from the monitor. "Shana! You're late! Is Sinon with you?!"
"Sorry, Teach. We had some business to attend to," Hachiman's voice replied through the screen.
"Shana!" another voice called.
"Yo, Shizuka. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Wait, Shino-chi is Sinon, but… is the person named 'Shana' actually Hachiman-san?" Mii asked.
Daru began to tremble, his eyes fixed on the screen in total disbelief.
"Daru-san? What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?! This is a catastrophe-o! A world-shaking event! To think that the legendary 'Shana' of GGO and 'Hachiman' of ALO are the same person!"
Daru's scream echoed through the cafe, leaving the four girls to stare at him in utter confusion.
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