He proceeded to explain the concept of swapping aggro to manage cooldowns and health.
"Ah, I see. It's about creating an interval for recovery," Ai summarized.
"Exactly. Whether or not you can pull that off smoothly determines if you live or die."
"Oh, we'll be fine," Ai said confidently. "We're twins, after all."
"Yeah! I usually have a pretty good idea of what Ai is thinking," Yuu chirped.
Ai smirked. "Oh really? Then do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
"Yep! You're thinking: 'I wonder if Hachiman is really never going to press my switch.'"
"Correct."
"Stop dragging that joke out!" Hachiman snapped.
However, when he put them to the test, his concerns vanished. The two of them executed the Switch with flawless, intuitive timing. They moved like two halves of a single mind. Hachiman realized they were ready. It was time to head for the Floor Boss.
"Let's start with a Field Boss. Want to try it just the two of you?"
"Yes!"
"It'll be tough at your level, but I'll jump in if things get hairy. Give it a shot."
"You got it!"
"Wait, let me see those weapons first. I haven't seen those models before."
They handed them over, and Hachiman brought up the item properties with practiced ease. His eyes widened. "Wait, what? These stats are higher than a fully reinforced Anneal Blade."
"Really? We found them in that dungeon I mentioned!"
"With these and the katana... yeah, you can do this."
"Truly? Thank goodness," Ai sighed.
"All that hard work paid off, Ai!"
Hachiman watched from the sidelines as they engaged the Field Boss. He was floored.
Are you kidding me? Yuu's movements... she's on the same level as Kirito was back then. And Ai's footwork—it's like watching a veteran. How is this possible?
Once the boss shattered into polygons, Hachiman walked over to the celebrating pair.
"We did it, Hachiman!"
"Well? You can praise us now, you know."
"Yeah... you guys were incredible. You've gotten way better."
He praised them honestly, and the two puffed out their chests with pride.
"Ehehe!"
"Fufu."
Hachiman reached out and gently patted both of their heads. Ai looked up at him.
"If you want to know the secret, it's the Auto-Trace System."
"Auto... what?"
"We have it at home. It forcibly traces the movements of experts and burns the muscle memory into your body."
"Ah... I see. The true potential of VR," Hachiman mused, thinking back to Tomomori during Kaede's surgery.
"Exactly. So, we've had the basics hammered into our systems."
"Hehe, something like that!"
"I see. That's a huge advantage."
(Good grief,) Hachiman thought. (At this rate, they might actually surpass me one day.)
They made a beeline for the First Floor Labyrinth.
"Wow, my body actually remembers the shortest route..." Hachiman muttered.
"Straight to the boss!" Yuu cheered.
As they walked, Ai turned to him. "By the way, what is the boss here?"
"A Kobold with a bunch of minions. I forget the name."
"Heh."
"Just keep your eyes on the boss's movements. Don't miss any telegraphed attacks."
"Is that a flag you're setting?"
"Who knows."
Finally, the massive boss appeared before them.
"Illfang the Kobold Lord?" Ai read the nameplate.
"That's the one."
"Alright, let's do this!"
"I'll clear out the mobs," Hachiman said, drawing his blade. "Go get 'em."
The twins charged. Illfang's HP bar began to drop at an alarming rate.
Seriously? Hachiman thought as he effortlessly swiped through the minions. Is being five levels higher than we were really this much of a game-changer?
Because Hachiman was one-shotting the adds, it should have been easy, but the twins were shredding the boss so fast he actually had to hustle to keep the field clear. Finally, Illfang's HP hit the red zone. He tossed his buckler, his weapon transforming into a long odachi.
"Yuu, back off! The weapon changed!"
"Got it! Switching out!"
Ai stepped forward alone to face the boss's new phase.
"Now, what are you going to do?" Hachiman murmured.
The moment Illfang raised his blade to strike, Ai unleashed a horizontal slash across his torso and sprinted right past him.
"Whoa, fast."
Since the target was no longer in front of it, the boss was forced to cancel its motion to turn toward her. It might sound slow on paper, but the boss's reaction speed was blistering; Ai's timing had to be perfect to pull that off.
Is she going to finish it alone? No—here comes Yuu.
Just as Hachiman predicted, Yuu lunged at the boss's exposed back, unleashing a single-hit Sword Skill. She disengaged immediately, and the two began a rhythmic, alternating assault that left the boss completely bewildered.
"They've got this," Hachiman relaxed. The minions were gone. All he had to do now was watch.
A few moments later, the final blow landed. Illfang shattered.
"YEAH!"
"Too easy," Ai smirked.
"Nice work. Did you get the last hit, Ai? I think the Coat of Midnight dropped."
"Eh? Oh, you're right."
Ai immediately equipped the iconic black coat. "Well? How do I look?"
"Huh... it looks different than the one I remember. I guess there's a female version of the model."
"Oh, really?"
"It suits you, though. Looks good."
"Hmm... Yuu, you try it on."
Yuu swapped into the coat. "Eh... it feels kind of 'off' on me."
"Yeah, I think Ai pulls that one off better," Hachiman noted.
"I agree. In that case, I'll keep it."
They activated the gate to the second floor and returned to the city.
"Man, that was so much fun!"
"It really was."
After returning home, Hachiman ended up staying the night. The three of them slept side-by-side. The next morning, as Hachiman was preparing to head out, he turned to Yuu.
"Yuu, next time, practice using your sword with your left hand too."
"Left hand? Sure, okay!" she agreed without hesitation.
"And Ai, work on your sliding steps. Also, make sure you can handle that katana with just your right hand, even if it's only for a short burst."
"Understood. I'll get on it."
The two girls clung to Hachiman from both sides, reluctant to say goodbye. He gave them both a gentle pat on the back.
"I'll be back. Work hard until then."
"Yeah! See ya, Hachiman!"
"Come back soon!"
Hachiman left the house and logged out.
(It goes without saying that a few days later, Hachiman actually followed through and gave Argo a princess carry, which became the talk of all of Soleil.)
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"