"Opposite...?"
"Yeah! It's clearly a coordinated maneuver, but the information was locked down tight; I couldn't find out the objective. They just suddenly started moving!"
"Got it. Keep digging for info inside. If they aren't on the offensive, they'll want rumors to spread so we hear about it. They want us to follow them."
"Understood, Hachi—ah! I-I mean... Master! I shall continue the investigation, nyan!"
The sudden shift in persona was so abrupt Hachiman's brain simply failed to process it. Ten seconds of dead silence passed before the circuits finally reconnected.
"...Are you on drugs?" Hachiman asked flatly.
"N-No! How rude! I know you went to that cat-ear maid cafe with Asuna and Shino!"
"...How do you know that?"
Hachiman wondered when she had started calling Asuna by her first name, but he pushed that aside to find the source of the leak.
"Have you heard of ACS?" she asked.
"What's that?"
"AI Communication System. It's an app Argo-部長 made to kill time. It's run by a Kayaba-spec AI."
"What is that woman even doing with her life...?" Hachiman muttered, exasperated.
"It's a mix of a massive group chat and a voice-activated search engine," Bara explained. "For example, if you ask 'Where is May Queen + Nyan2?', it shows the location. If you ask 'How do I get there?', it gives you the fastest route and the cost. Because the AI is so smart, it understands vague questions. It's incredibly convenient and packed with features."
"...So you heard about the maid cafe from Asuna and Sinon through that app."
"Exactly! And since you apparently had such a strong reaction to cat ears, I decided to give you some fan service as a real kitten!"
Hachiman didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, yeah. You're very cute. So cute."
"Wh-What's with that half-hearted tone?! Praise your kitten properly for once!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm praising you. Now get back to GGO."
"Urgh! You... just you remember this!"
"Yeah, yeah. Remembering, remembering."
"The next time we meet, you'd better have some heartfelt words ready!"
She hung up in a huff. Hachiman sighed, muttered "ACS, huh?" and opened his PC to look at the GGO map he'd mapped out.
"Opposite direction from the fortress... No way. The First Fort?"
His finger landed on a ruin known as The First Fort, so named because it was the closest stronghold to the city. It was designed as a defensive bottleneck for large armies, featuring double-layered stone walls and a narrow gate accessible only through a path flanked by steep cliffs. If they dug in there, it would be a nightmare to root them out.
"I see. So they've finally decided to stop playing fair and just win at any cost."
If Hachiman's team failed to attack the fort, everyone—including those hunkered down—would be disqualified for inactivity. However, if even a few Heike members remained active elsewhere—like the rumored white-haired girl—the Heike Army could maintain their eligibility by skirmishing with her. Once the main forces timed out, the Heike would win by default. They wouldn't get the "Boss Kill" bonus for Shana, but they would win the war.
"With that many people, a frontal assault is suicide... I might have to go against his wishes and team up with Musketeer X. At the very least, we could force a draw."
As he stared at the map, his eyes caught a note he'd made long ago.
"Wait... this is... just like the 'Reverse Drop' at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani. Even the names are similar."
Hachiman hummed to himself as the pieces clicked into place. Strategy decided, he logged into GGO and contacted Rosalia.
"Find anything?"
"The rumors are spreading, nyan. The enemy has holed up in the abandoned fort, nyan."
"Whoa. You're so cute I almost passed out for a second. Let me know if anything else happens."
"Wait, you—!"
Hachiman cut the call and muttered to himself, "If you want a compliment, do that while wearing the cat-ear maid outfit in front of me. Then I'll actually mean it."
(Unbeknownst to him, Benkei overheard this and leaked it on the ACS app later that day. By nightfall, Bara would be buying her own maid uniform.)
Shana spent some time working on something with Floria's help until the rest of the group arrived. Once everyone was gathered, she spoke.
"It looks like the Heike Army is going for a 'do-or-die' strategy."
She explained the layout of the First Fort and the enemy's plan.
"Ah, that place! This is going to be a pain."
"What's the move? A frontal assault is impossible, right?"
"Is it really that bad?"
"Take a look," Shana said. "I had Floria help me put together a 3D tactical map."
A holographic image of the First Fort flickered into existence. Even as a rush job, it was detailed enough to convey the sheer hopelessness of attacking the position.
"This... yeah, there's no way," Comike muttered.
"Agreed. Frontal entry is out of the question," Sebastian added.
With both military experts in agreement, Shana confirmed that a standard approach was off the table.
"I agree. We aren't taking that head-on. But I do have a plan."
She laid out her strategy for the group.
"Are you serious? That's a total blind spot..."
"It might actually work."
"The risk for the diversionary team is high, though..."
Comike stepped forward. "Shana, let us handle the frontal assault."
Everyone turned to him.
"The truth is," Comike continued, his eyes burning with intensity, "we have an unavoidable... 'job' to attend to. We can only participate until tomorrow. So, let us take the high-risk role. If we go down, it doesn't matter for our schedule—and we promise to complete the objective before we fall."
No one argued. The fire in his eyes was enough to silence any objections.
"Alright. Now that the plan is set, let's make a 'triumphant return' to the city, even if it's just for show."
The Genji forces divided into ten Humvees and rolled back toward the city. Comike and Tommy rode in the Black Humvee, while Kemoner joined Yamikaze's squad to fill their vacancy. Yamikaze and Kemoner seemed to hit it off immediately—rumors began to circulate that Yamikaze shared Kemoner's "specific" hobbies, though no one could confirm it.
In the city, the atmosphere shifted as the engines roared.
"Hey, look at that!"
"Is that Shana? Everyone! The Genji Army is back!"
"What? Is the war over?"
"The Heike guys all cleared out of town earlier this evening."
"So they fled the capital? Miyako-ochi style?"
"Who knows. But one thing's for sure—the Genji are here in full force."
The Heike players remaining in the city as scouts hid in the shadows, terrified of being spotted. They could only watch from the dark as the Genji reclaimed the streets. For now, the city belonged to Shana.
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