"Wh—What the hell is this?!"
"Pale, this is bad! A massive swarm of mobs is closing in from the rear!"
"So that's what that announcement was about..."
"O-orders, sir? What's the call?"
"What are our numbers?"
"We should have about twenty squadrons. We've mobilized over a hundred players total!"
"Then we can take 'em! Focus on the enemies behind us. We need to clear an escape route now!"
At 그 moment, a crack of gunfire echoed from the fortress. The players mounted in the jeeps scrambled to bail out as the vehicles took fire.
"The drivers are okay since we had them hunkered down, but several of them have blown tires!"
"Damn it! They're specifically picking off the perimeter jeeps! The cars in the middle are boxed in!"
"Here come the mobs! Use the cars as cover! Fire! Open fire!"
Under the relentless precision of Shana and Sinon's sniping, the enemy vehicles were rendered useless one after another. Then, a concentrated barrage erupted from the fortress, raining down on the rear of the enemy formation.
"Suppression fire from the rear! We're sitting ducks! We're gonna get wiped!"
"Pale, what do we do?!"
"Gah... Shana! Curse you, Shana! Fine, we have no choice! Front line, keep eyes forward! Rear line, engage the enemies behind us!"
"B-but we're up against a fortress! No matter how much we shoot back, we won't even scratch—"
"It's a diversion! Front line, concentrate your fire on a single point and blast a hole in their line! We're making a break for it on foot!"
Naturally, such a desperate gamble stood no chance of success. In the end, Pale Rider's head was ventilated by a shot from Sinon, and the Heike Army forces stationed there were utterly annihilated.
Back in the city, the display showing the remaining squadrons for the Heike Army plummeted instantly to 190. The players watching the monitors in town gasped in collective shock.
"Whoa, look at that! The Heike squadron count just fell off a cliff!"
"I happened to be watching—it happened in a heartbeat. They just vanished!"
"Shana is a beast!"
"What the hell happened out there? I can't wait for the recorded broadcast tonight!"
"It's the only thing we non-combatants have to look forward to!"
While the spectators were buzzing with excitement, the atmosphere among the Heike Army was like a funeral wake. Word had reached them: Pale Rider's death was confirmed.
Pale Rider eventually appeared at the tavern where his comrades gathered, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Hey, hey, you okay? What happened, Pale?"
"Man... it was a disaster."
Garrett, Shishio Richie, and Xeexee'd listened to Pale Rider's explanation in stunned silence. These three were considered the core of the Heike Army's veteran strength.
"You're kidding... The enemy has a literal fortress?"
"Grrr... That bastard Shana... That absolute bastard!"
"The intel said Shana was showing up to pick up some comrades. Which squadron was it in the end?"
At Xeexee'd's question, Pale Rider's expression twisted with pain.
"That's the thing... I finally caught a glimpse near the fortress. The ones in Shana's Humvee... it was Okka-san and Misaki."
Garrett's face went pale. Shishio Richie's went bright red.
"Are you serious? Of all people, it's the Girls' League..."
At Garrett's mutter, only Xeexee'd remained composed.
"The Girls' League siding with them is a heavy blow. At this point, there are effectively zero female players in GGO who will take our side."
He likely said "effectively" because he still had Yukko and Haruka by his side. Truthfully, the Girls' League had never given Xeexee'd the time of day to begin with, so he felt no personal sting in being their enemy.
Garrett added, "The glares we're getting from the guys who follow the Girls' League are gonna be brutal, too."
"My Misaki... Shana, I'll never forgive you!" Richie roared, his fighting spirit ignited, though his words only echoed hollowly through the tavern.
Meanwhile, the battle at the World Tree Fortress was still in its white-hot depths.
"Our numbers have grown, but this sheer numerical disadvantage is still a grind," Shana noted.
"Shana, the enemy count at the entrance is starting to peak," Sinon warned.
"Right... Alright. Shiz, Kei, Pito—get ready for the breach. Tarako, Yamikaze, you two can handle melee, right? Position yourselves at the left and right of the entrance and mop up any stragglers. If you use your guns, watch for friendly fire. Ikoma, Sensei—take the Black and break the encirclement. And... Eva. You can handle a minigun, right? You're coming out on the Black. Show me what you're made of."
At the unexpected nomination, Eva began to tremble. It wasn't fear; it was pure, unadulterated joy.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"Dyne, you're in command here. I'm borrowing two of your men. M, take the White and follow the Black. Break through and hit them from the perimeter. Ginrou... and Spiegel. Go with M and turn the enemy into Swiss cheese from behind."
"Eh... Y-Yes! I'll give it everything I've got! Just watch me, Shana-san!" Ginrou shouted, fired up by the recognition from his idol.
Spiegel, too, felt a swell of pride at being called out by name.
(Jushi X... I'm going to fight for Shana-san first. You're in one of those last two squadrons, aren't you? I'll be waiting...) Ginrou thought, resolving to fight hard enough for the both of them.
Sinon called out to Spiegel. "Good luck, Spiegel. I've got your back."
"Yeah. Thanks, Sinon."
Spiegel had been dragged into the war by Dyne and the others, but he had intended to join the Genji Army from the start. Sinon's presence was a factor, of course, but he also didn't believe a word of the bizarre rumors surrounding Shana. It was ironic that his own biological brothers had been the ones spreading those rumors; however, Spiegel possessed enough common sense not to dance to the tune of Sterben and Noir. Above all, he respected Shana. Thus, even while feeling a pang of jealousy over Shana and Sinon's closeness, he took his place in the Genji ranks.
Shana's group was the first to rappel down the front of the fortress, landing on the soil and immediately beginning to carve through the enemy lines.
"So that's the legend in action..."
"Seeing it in person is something else, isn't it, Okka-san?" Eve said innocently.
Okka-san nodded, impressed. "That swordplay... Shana aside, who on earth is that Shizuka girl?"
Benkei was primarily support, and Pitohui was still unaccustomed to the blade, so they fought a step back and remained inconspicuous. This left the stage to Shana and Shizuka, whose synchronized swordwork overwhelmed everyone watching.
"The way Shana-sama's black blade glimmers... it's beautiful. Simply divine..."
"You, try to show some restraint," Okka-san chided Misaki. "I have a very important role for you later."
"Yes, ma'am~" Misaki stuck her tongue out playfully and began picking off enemies in the rear, careful not to get in Shana's way.
Under Dyne's command, a hole was punched into the enemy flank. Finally, it was time for the Black and White to shine.
"I'll carve a path with the minigun! Ginrou-san, Spiegel-san, please clean up anyone I miss!" Eva shouted.
"Leave it to us!"
"Let's do this, Eva."
"Right, Spiegel-san!"
"Alright, move out! Charge!"
At Nyangoro's signal, the two vehicles surged forward. Eva concentrated her fire on the areas Shana's group hadn't reached, clearing a path directly in front of the Black.
"Sensei, I'm deploying the ram! Keep your speed up!"
"A ram? Like a literal battering ram? When did you... Not bad, Ikoma!"
"I stayed up all night building it for this war! Eva-san, hold on tight so the impact doesn't throw you!"
"I'm on it! I'm a pro at this!"
Despite her appearance, Eva had an incredible sense of balance—a trait from her days as the captain of the rhythmic gymnastics club. She wasn't going anywhere. Nyangoro slammed the vehicle into a weak point in the enemy line, successfully breaking the encirclement. The White followed close behind, unleashing a ferocious assault on both flanks.
"Good, they're through. Shall we get a little serious, Shizuka?"
"Right. Let's sweep the area while we have the chance."
The two accelerated their pace, becoming a whirlwind of steel that decimated everything in their path.
"Shana, Shiz, wait for me!"
"Big brother! Big sister! You're going too fast!"
"Pito, keep up or there won't be any left for you!"
"Kei, try to keep up with your big brother like you used to."
"Don't go fabricating my childhood memories, Brother!"
"I'm telling you, it was like that before you were old enough to remember..."
Soon, the immediate vicinity was cleared, leaving only enemies encroaching from the sides.
"We've pushed out pretty far; Tarako and Yamikaze might be feeling the pressure. White and Black, split left and right and keep the pressure on. Pito, Kei, mop up the remaining stragglers here. Shiz and I are low on energy, so we're heading back to recharge."
"How many people did you two even cut down...?"
"And here I am with energy to spare..."
Following Shana's orders, the team redeployed. It was then that Spiegel, riding on the White, saw it.
"Ah—!"
One of the enemies Tarako had downed hadn't been finished off. The player was sluggishly pushing themselves up, aiming a weapon at Tarako's exposed back. Tarako hadn't noticed yet.
Usujio Tarako...
The memory of the verbal abuse Tarako had once hurled at him flashed through Spiegel's mind. Spiegel took a deep breath. He squeezed the trigger.
The bullet screamed through the air and took the head off the enemy just as they were about to fire.
"Whoa! Narrow miss... You saved my skin, Spiegel!"
Tarako turned and waved with a grin. Spiegel told himself that he had made the right choice as he continued the fight. Finally, the last of the enemies were purged, and Gloria announced the end of the event.
『The enemy has been completely eradicated. The World Tree Fortress remains secure.』
A massive cheer erupted from the Genji Army. Those outside returned to the fortress, and after a brief rest, a victory celebration began.
"Man, you really saved my ass, Spiegel. Thanks."
Spiegel looked at Tarako's face, feeling a bit conflicted. He hadn't forgotten the humiliation of their previous encounter. As if sensing his heart—or perhaps completely oblivious to it—Tarako bowed his head.
"I'm sorry for the things I said to you before. Even if we were enemies then, I went too far. I'm truly sorry, Spiegel."
Spiegel's heart gave a jolt. He felt like he was going to cry—and in reality, he did shed a few tears, but since he couldn't stop them, he simply offered Tarako a bright smile.
"I only did what any comrade would do. Let's keep working hard together!"
"Yeah! You bet!"
"I'll never forgive anyone who would torture Rosaria-san!"
"Damn straight! We'll give 'em hell!"
Spiegel wondered what he would have thought if he knew the people who had actually tortured Rosaria were his own brothers. But that was a truth he would never know. For Spiegel, this day was, perhaps, the peak of his life.
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