Instantly, another wave of comments swept across the screen.
Yamakaze, don't lose to Xeexee next time! Yeah, Yamakaze's gotta be like this! I don't care who wins, I just want to see a good fight. Xeexee, argue back! Say something! Yamakaze-san, please go out with me! (Though I'm a guy!)
Yamakaze glanced at the monitor behind him. Seeing that last comment, his shoulders slumped in dramatic defeat.
"Goddammit... I wanted to be popular with girls, not guys..."
"What's wrong with that?" Muse X deadpanned. "As long as they look like a girl."
"Oh, please. It's not like I don't dislike that kind of—LIKE HELL I DO! I hate it!"
The screen instantly filled with a wall of lols and ws.
"A-Alright, let's bring the topic back," Thinker stammered, trying to regain control. "Xeexee-san, what do you think about what was just said?"
"Well, to be honest, it sounds like nothing more than a desk theory..."
Meanwhile, in the taverns of GGO, various voices were shouting and debating, but as Xeexee spoke, the spectators quieted down for a split second to listen.
In that exact moment, Sterben—completely hidden beneath a ghastly ghillie suit—stood up in the virtual crowd.
"It's almost time. Get ready to match my timing."
Noir, who was secretly broadcasting the feed, spoke through the connection to Kyoji, who he assumed was watching.
At that very moment, however, Kyoji had just discovered a certain note in the real-world room and was spiraling into utter confusion.
"What is this...?"
The title of the note read:
'Players I Want to Get Along With'
And at the very top of the list was a name that had been written, erased, and rewritten countless times.
'Shana'
"Why would he write this...? What was up with his attitude until now...?"
Beneath it, a list of other player names was written down.
'Yukko' 'Haruka' 'Misaki' 'Pitohui' 'Yamakaze'
"Why are Pito-san and Yamakaze-san's names here too...?"
And when he saw the final name written at the bottom of the list, Kyoji's mind completely shattered.
'Spiegel'
"Wh... what...?"
Just then, Noir's voice crackled from the smartphone Kyoji had hastily shoved into his breast pocket.
"It's almost time. Get ready to match my timing."
Startled, Kyoji scrambled to pull out his phone. Staring at the screen in a state of absolute, panicked confusion, he raised the trigger-style syringe.
From the phone's speaker, Sterben's voice rang out to the GGO audience.
"Xeexee, false champion. It is time you face judgment by the hand of true power."
The moment the sound of a gunshot echoed from the broadcast, Kyoji's mind went completely blank. I have to stab him, I have to stab him now.
He slammed the syringe through the fabric of the clothes and directly into Xeexee's chest. He didn't have time to verify the exact position. His only thought was to make sure the needle reached Xeexee's flesh. With trembling hands, he slammed the plunger down.
"Damn it! Damn it! I don't understand any of this anymore, but I have to do this or Brother will abandon me...!"
Muttering frantically to himself, Kyoji stared at his phone, silently praying as he watched Xeexee's status.
And in the next instant, it happened.
"Therefore, as I said, it ultimately comes down to the individual player's capabili—g-gah... ugh...!"
On the screen, Xeexee's face suddenly contorted in agony, and he collapsed to his knees.
Right beside Kyoji in the real world, Xeexee's physical body began to violently twitch and spasm on the bed.
"Good. Well done. Pull back."
Hearing Noir's voice through the phone, Kyoji panicked and fled the room as fast as his legs could carry him.
"What's going on?"
Shana, who had been silently listening to Xeexee's counter-argument, frowned as the champion suddenly began to writhe in pain. On the screen behind them, the comments quickly shifted from teasing to concern and confusion.
What's wrong? What happened? Did he suddenly need to take a crap? He looks like he's in serious pain. Uh, this looks bad. He's probably gonna get disconnected.
Just as the comments predicted, the word DISCONNECTION flashed in bright red letters, and Xeexee's avatar vanished from the stage.
"Ah, it seems Xeexee-san has experienced a connection issue. I'm sure he'll be right back, so everyone, please keep your channels tuned right here!" Thinker announced quickly.
But even after waiting for several minutes, Xeexee did not log back in.
Seeing no other choice, Thinker decided to play his final trump card early.
"Well, it seems we have a bit of technical trouble on our hands, so we're going to move up our schedule! Please welcome our special guest... Shana-san, come on out!"
Hearing her cue, Shana stepped out in front of the cameras, casting a lingering, worried glance at the spot where Xeexee had just vanished.
The moment she appeared on screen, an absolute landslide of comments obliterated the feed.
OH MY GOD, IT'S THE REAL SHANA! What a crazy surprise! I'm so glad I stayed to watch! She's here! We win! Who even needs Xeexee anymore? Shana-sama, wave to the camera! Shana-sama, please marry me! (And yes, I am a girl!)
Catching a glimpse of that last comment on the monitor, Yamakaze slumped even lower, utterly defeated.
"What is this disparity between Shana and me...?"
"Cheer up, Yamakaze," Muse X said, tapping his shoulder. "You should just find happiness with that guy who wanted to go out with you."
"Are you kidding me?! Someone... anyone, please, teach me what real love is!"
Once again, the screen drowned in a sea of lols, and the broadcast smoothly resumed.
The show ended up being a massive hit, and Xeexee's sudden disappearance was completely forgotten by the audience by the end of the night.
And from that day forward, Xeexee never logged into GGO again.
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