While the words announcing the Third Bullet of Bullets flashed across monitors all over the city, Spiegel was among the very first to notice. Heart hammering against his ribs, he broke into a frantic sprint, tearing out toward the city gates.
"I can't believe it's happening now of all times... Damn it, I need to move!"
Suppressing his surging anxiety, Spiegel urged his avatar forward, sprinting toward the dilapidated shack outside the city limits that Sterben utilized as their makeshift base of operations.
"Brother, we have a major situation! The official announcement for the Third BoB just dropped!"
"I see," Sterben replied calmly, his virtual eyes narrowing slightly. "It is sooner than we anticipated."
"I'm going to head over to the Governor-General's office right now and stake the place out to see if XeXeeD shows up to register. I need you to stay close by and monitor the perimeter just like we planned."
"Understood."
The two rushed toward the Governor-General's office. Just as they arrived on the scene, XeXeeD's distinct avatar materialized near the entrance.
"Whew, that was close... We made it in time."
"Go ahead," Sterben instructed, his voice low and steady. "Approach him. Make absolutely certain you drop the reminder about choosing the model gun reward."
"Right."
Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Spiegel adjusted his posture and forced a casual, friendly smile onto his face before calling out to the heavy-armored player.
"XeXeeD-san!"
"Oh? Well if it isn't Spiegel! What's up? Are you here to register for the BoB too?"
"Yes! Making it into the main tournament is my ultimate goal!"
"Spoken like a true competitor! Well, keep grinding, kid, and maybe one day you'll manage to climb up to my level!"
(As if I would ever want to become a filthy, corrupt piece of trash like you.)
The venomous thought flared in Spiegel's mind, completely blind to the fact that he was rapidly becoming a monster of the exact same breed. It was Spiegel's fatal flaw, but since Sterben—the only person who truly understood his darkness—actively encouraged it, the chances of Spiegel ever realizing his own hypocrisy were practically nonexistent.
"Yes! I'll do my absolute best!" Spiegel replied, keeping his utter disdain locked tightly behind a bright, enthusiastic voice.
Swallowing his disgust, Spiegel proceeded to thoroughly stroke XeXeeD's ego, waiting patiently for the right conversational opening before subtly steering the topic toward the tournament rewards.
"By the way, XeXeeD-san, do you still plan on requesting the real-world model gun replica of your signature weapon?"
"Huh? What are you... Ah, wait! Oh, oh, oh! Yeah, yeah, of course! That's exactly the plan."
(This bastard completely forgot about it, didn't he...)
Spiegel felt a cold sweat break out, profoundly relieved that he had managed to intervene just in the nick of time.
"In that case, I think I'll go ahead and finalize my registration right now too."
"Smart move. Better to get these things handled early so you aren't scrambling at the last second."
The two stood side by side to complete the digital application process, exchanged a brief farewell, and went their separate ways. Spiegel immediately ducked into a secluded, dimly lit alleyway, where Sterben silently materialized from the shadows beside him.
"How did it look?"
Spiegel asked, confident in his performance but unable to completely shake a lingering sense of apprehension. Sterben offered his customary, laconic reassurance.
"Flawless."
"Yes!"
"Furthermore," Sterben added, "I spotted another familiar face standing right next to him. I took the liberty of securing his real-world address as well."
"Oh, really? I noticed someone there, but... who exactly was it?"
"The guy who served as a lookout back when we ambushed and abducted Rosalia."
"Ah, I remember now! Wow, hopefully that one turns out to be a hit too."
"Indeed."
Sterben then turned to Spiegel with a tactical proposition. "XeXeeD's real-world residence isn't very far from our current location. Shall we conduct a reconnaissance sweep tonight?"
"Is it really that close? Yes... let's do it."
A profound sense of relief washed over Spiegel. A dark, hollow smile crept onto his face at the realization that the hour of XeXeeD's judgment was finally at hand. Spiegel was fully intent on delivering the strike with his own two hands, a fact that caused Sterben a minor degree of professional concern.
(He's becoming far too emotionally invested in this specific target. Ideally, I wanted his first kill to be someone entirely disconnected from his personal grievances.)
However, recognizing that Spiegel would likely refuse to yield no matter what argument he put forward, Shouichi pushed the thought aside and focused on the logistics.
"Alright. It will be infinitely safer to infiltrate while XeXeeD is actively logged into GGO rather than when he is asleep. We will launch our move the moment he sets out for a combat run."
"Understood. I'll head over to his usual tavern and see if I can casually coax his schedule out of him under the guise of a chance encounter."
Spiegel set out intending to make direct contact, but when he arrived at the establishment XeXeeD frequented, the heavy-hitter was nowhere to be found. He had likely logged off to grab dinner. Instead, Spiegel spotted Yukko and Haruka chatting in a booth.
"Hey, Yukko, who do you think is going to take the championship this time?"
"It's bound to be Shana-san, right? It honestly pains me to admit it, but that guy operates on an entirely different level."
(That guy? What a bizarre way to phrase that. She uses the respectful '-san' honorific, yet refers to him as 'that guy'...)
In reality, Yukko simply maintained a baseline of respect for Hachiman's overwhelming prowess as Shana, and her casual phrasing carried no deeper meaning beyond their history as former classmates. But Spiegel, entirely ignorant of their real-world connection, found the exchange deeply suspicious.
Before he could dwell on it, the girls' conversation naturally shifted toward XeXeeD.
"He's out hunting mobs tonight, right?"
"Yeah. Apparently there's a specific material he needs that drops at an incredibly low rate."
"What's his window?"
"He said he'd be grinding from eight to ten every single night for the foreseeable future."
"Man, XeXeeD-san really doesn't mind grinding out mind-numbing, repetitive tasks, does he?"
"I guess that's the price you have to pay if you want to stay at the top. True dedication, right?"
"I don't mind tag-along grinding, but I could never sit down and plan out a tedious schedule like that on my own."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
Overhearing the exchange, Spiegel smirked under his breath, thoroughly satisfied that the information had dropped right into his lap without any extra effort. He immediately hurried back to Sterben to relay the schedule. With the designated hour fast approaching, the two brothers swiftly logged out of GGO and mobilized toward XeXeeD's physical coordinates.
"It really is closer than I thought."
"Now we just need to assess the structural vulnerabilities of the building."
"Right."
"Dai-Ni Mofumura Mansions," Shouichi muttered, reading the building sign.
"XeXeeD's real name is Tamotsu Mofumura, right? Since the building shares his surname, it's highly likely the property is owned by his parents or relatives. Judging by the naming convention, it's probably just a dilapidated, old apartment complex."
"Most likely."
Their analytical assessment proved entirely accurate. Upon arriving at the coordinates, the brothers found themselves staring at a heavily weathered, decades-old apartment complex tucked away in a quiet back alley.
"This is perfectly manageable. Keep a sharp eye on the perimeter and ensure no one approaches," Shouichi ordered.
"Got it."
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