"This is worse than I thought," Sterben sighed theatrically. "Even I can't see a way out of this maze for you."
Spiegel should have noticed then. He should have noticed that their loot and kill counts were normal. He should have questioned why Sterben was suddenly so talkative.
"I'm sorry," Spiegel whispered. "I'm sorry you have to worry about me this much."
Sterben leaned in.
"It's infuriating, isn't it? Zexceed, using people for his own selfish desires."
"Yeah."
"It's sickening. Making you suffer so much you can barely afford your monthly connection fees."
"Yeah."
"The very fact that a man like that exists is a blight on everyone."
"Yeah."
"You just want to kill him with your own two hands, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe if you killed him in the real world, you'd finally find your way out of this dead end."
Spiegel looked up, his eyes meeting Sterben's.
"You were always good at that kind of thing, weren't you, Brother?"
"I had to be. I lived in a world where if you didn't kill first, you were the one who ended up dead."
"Then... I'm just like you are now."
"Exactly."
"I'll... I'll try to think of a way to break through this situation. Just a bit more."
"Good."
Later, when they logged out and met face-to-face in the real world, Shoichi spoke to Kyoji.
"If it's for your happiness, I will find a way. A way to kill the enemy in reality at the same moment you kill them in the game."
Kyoji nodded, and Shoichi delivered the final blow.
"A man like you... you'll definitely be able to make the person you love look your way."
"...Really?"
"Of course. Even a loser like Zexceed has women trailing after him. Once you've killed him and proven you're stronger, no woman will be able to ignore you."
"I see... Yeah, you're right. Then I can finally be with Shino..."
"Exactly. Asada-san should fall for you."
"Yeah... she should. You're right. She really should fall for me."
"It's only right. Belonging to you would be the greatest happiness she could ever know."
"Thanks, Brother. I feel... I feel better now."
"Good. See you tomorrow, Kyoji."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Brother."
Kyoji retreated to his room. Left alone in the hallway, Shoichi couldn't suppress his laughter.
"Who the hell is 'Asada-san'? And 'Justice'? Me?" He chuckled darkly. "Hardly. Welcome to the world of shadows, Kyoji. It's showtime."
Shoichi fell asleep that night deeply satisfied, remembering the look on Kyoji's face—a face twisted by a base, dark desire for Shino.
"I see. You played him perfectly," Noir said.
"We have Zexceed to thank for the setup."
"If we can get Zexceed to slip up during this event, the transformation will be complete."
"And if I can nudge him toward choosing a model gun for the next BoB..."
"Then the real fun begins."
And so, Spiegel was dragged deeper into the abyss. Shino, whose eyes were fixed entirely on Shana, remained blissfully unaware of the shadow looming over her.
"Yo! Thanks for coming, everyone!" Shana called out.
"Don't mention it, Shana!"
"We should be the ones thanking you!"
As the players shouted back their gratitude, Shana continued.
"Once three more people enter the fortress zone, the event will trigger. I have my teammates waiting outside; once they arrive, we begin. Is everyone ready? Double-check your gear!"
No one raised an objection. Sensing the timing was right, Shana messaged Rosalia, who was on standby in the outskirts.
"Okay, Rosalia. Head our way."
"Roger that. Sinon and Ix are getting tired of waiting."
"Sorry about that. We're counting on you."
"Leave it to us."
Minutes later, the familiar system message flashed across every HUD in the fortress.
[WARNING: A HOSTILE FORCE IS APPROACHING THE WORLD TREE FORTRESS. COUNTDOWN INITIATED. ARRIVAL IN 1,200 SECONDS.]
"Oh, a short one this time! Twenty minutes until contact! Man your stations!"
The event had begun. Shana took her usual position atop the main gate alongside Shizuka, Pito, Benkei, Yamikaze, and Usu-shio Tarako.
Amidst the preparation, Usu-shio Tarako approached Shana.
"We've still got a bit of time... Hey, Shana, can I bend your ear for a sec?"
"Sure, what's up?" Shana replied easily.
Tarako spoke hesitatingly. "Actually, I've got some trouble in the real world. My lease is up soon, and I have to move. I was thinking of finding a place halfway between my school and the Soleil cafe, but I haven't been able to find anything good..."
Shana quickly scrolled through her mental list of properties and hit on the perfect match.
"I see. Well, you've been a huge help with the part-time work, so let me return the favor. I'll introduce you to a great place."
"Seriously? Man, that's a lifesaver!"
"I can probably get the rent lowered for you, too. Hey, Yamikaze, you want to move in there, too?"
"Wait, for real? Tell me everything after this."
"Will do. But first, let's survive this fight."
"Hell yeah! I'm starting to get pumped!"
"That's the spirit!"
And so, thanks to Shana's intervention, Usu-shio Tarako moved house. Later, when Noir went to perform a final reconnaissance on the address he had scouted to target Tarako, the man was already gone.
Without ever knowing it, Usu-shio Tarako had just walked away from his own death.
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