After regaining control of his avatar, Satoru stretched hard, then patted his shoulders and lower back as if exhausted. He accepted the cigarette Souji handed him. Right in front of the grand gate to the World Tree, on the broad, sacred steps, several of the Salamander big shots were each squatting on the stair ledges.
Without anyone arranging it, they all looked like exhausted convention-goers smoking by the roadside and eating bus exhaust.
Every one of them had the beautiful appearance of a fairy. Each of them could have earned fans on looks alone. That made the sight of them sitting with their legs spread, eyes narrowed, cigarettes dangling from their mouths like farmhands on a smoke break even more absurdly jarring.
Shadow Song, in other words Souji Yae, raised one of those wickedly charming eyebrows and flicked ash from his cigarette with pale, slender fingers.
"So it looks like the difficulty isn't low, huh?"
"Doesn't seem like there is a limit on player count?"
Ichirou, Grannis Darkhammer, gave his head a stylish toss, looking exactly like the leader of a biker gang. It was a complete waste of that elegant, graceful fairy face.
"As long as we gather the many brave warriors under our command, breaking through the World Tree will be a trifling matter," Montifa declared in a magnetic baritone. He seemed to find something itchy and lifted one foot to scratch it with his hand. "As Yurnero from the dark abyss has said, a conspiracy of the Fairy King lies hidden above the World Tree. A lost warrior has not only returned in triumph but brought us a challenge. We have no reason to fear."
He took a drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled.
"When I think about it carefully, the Salamanders now march under my leadership. Taking castles and seizing territory requires no more than a few words from me. It is about time we accomplished some grand feat worthy of legend."
"This world no longer has any value left to conquer. If it must remain so dull, then it would be better to destroy it. Heh... In the end, the other fairies, even the Holy Elves, are merely dancers fluttering in the palm of my hand, mine to command as I please."
"I think you've lost your damn mind," Grannis retched. "Keep going! You're almost making it sound real!"
"I'm worried that once he logs out and sees, in the mirror of his own room, not a tall, long-legged fairy prince but an honest-to-god otaku slob, it might trigger a full personality collapse," Souji said, pursing his lips.
Satoru fell into thought.
"Actually, there is still something I don't quite understand," he said. "In other games, it made sense when professional studios occupied the top tier. They had manpower, they had time, and they had connections with whale players. But ALO is basically skill-based. And it isn't as if you can run scripts on one computer and play a dozen accounts at once... So how did you people end up dominating the Salamanders?"
"There will always be people looking for PvE inside PvP," Souji said. "Besides, in a VRMMO like this, there are tons of sightseeing players. And did you really think gear, glamour, and cosmetics in this game don't cost money? They're more expensive than buying clothes in real life. Look at our boss. Do you think there are so few people with symptoms on his level?"
"As long as it isn't purely technical, once you understand how the economy works, how hard can it be to rake in money? Once you have money, recruiting troops and buying talent becomes smooth as hell." Souji blew out another mouthful of smoke. "Even in purely technical competitive games, it isn't like we've never taken boosting orders."
"This is actual body-controlled combat, though, not keyboard and mouse, right?"
"Have you forgotten what the great Grannis Darkhammer used to do?"
"Wasn't he..."
"A thug! A delinquent! A rampaging chuunibyou brat! He used to call himself the Blue Lightning of Gunma's Sharp Fang Crew! Loved that whole graffiti-on-the-body aesthetic, rode a secondhand junked motorcycle, and strutted around like he owned the world. Then he went to the station once and almost lost what was behind him, so he learned his lesson."
"Fuck! Can you stop bringing that up?!" Grannis, off to the side, looked uncomfortable from head to toe. "If I had watched National Geographic back then instead of Young and Dangerous and Crows Zero, maybe I'd be at the University of Tokyo, Keio, or Waseda right now!"
"So when it comes to smacking people around, ambushes, cornering targets, and dirty violence, he's experienced. Haven't you noticed his greatsword is basically a baseball bat?"
"Sometimes I use a hand axe..." Grannis objected gravely.
"You mean that thing that looks like a brick?"
"..."
"Then there is me. You know I do operations. I don't bother with petty scraps. Your friend here handles large-scale warfare, strategic coordination, and first-rate raid leading. Someone like me is in demand anywhere."
Souji held the cigarette especially high between his lips, then glanced at Montifa, who was picking at his foot beside him.
"He's just the ugly money-counting one. Don't worry about him. His younger brother is actually decent and has real skill, though he is a little reckless. I don't mean that as an insult... I just think he's stupid."
"Shadow Song, are you talking again about the ordinary lives of our previous incarnations?" Montifa's throat bobbed as he spoke with slow dignity.
"Yes, Sakuya Miara."
"Ah, what a nostalgic name. I remember the day I was born. All of Lordaeron whispered my name, and the gods, in their mercy, offered their blessings. They said I would one day be king."
"Hold on. You crossed into the wrong game."
"No, I remember it quite clearly. Back then, I also had a group of warriors who could stand alongside you. We set out from the East, and the peoples we trampled devoutly submitted to House Shidong." Montifa waved his hand at something that did not exist. "But later, I was stabbed by my future self. Kingdoms, beauties, legends... all of it became smoke in the past."
"Fuck, you really are mentally ill, aren't you?"
"Nonsense. Absolutely not."
With a cigarette in his mouth, Satoru stared up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and suddenly felt that raiding the World Tree might be a little unwise.
...
"I am surprised a man like you exists among the Spriggans."
"Thank you for the compliment. Now, will you listen to me?"
"Of course. As agreed, if you could defeat me, I would treat you as an envoy." The man, with a powerful body and a face as sharp as a bird of prey, stepped out from the glow of revival and studied the Spriggan youth who had suddenly inserted himself between the Salamanders, Sylphs, and Cait Sith.
"Then let me hear what you have to say." General Eugene folded his arms and, for the moment, set aside the thought of continuing the fight.
"The Sylphs and Cait Sith formed an alliance this time, and you found out and came to attack because you had information from a mole on their side, didn't you?" Kirito said, letting out a long breath.
"Hmph. No need to hide it. That is exactly right." Ignoring the surprise around him, Eugene admitted it openly.
"Then, as I said earlier, the Spriggans and Undines have already formed an alliance, and the fact that I came here to stop you means we lean toward them rather than toward you and your allies. If war really breaks out, the Salamanders should be ready to fight four races at once." Kirito adjusted his voice and spoke loudly.
Eugene narrowed his eyes at him, then looked toward the lords of the two races on the other side.
"You formed your alliance to raid the World Tree too, didn't you?"
"We did."
"Then this is perfect. A few days ago, my brother gave the order. Before long, all Salamanders will also launch an assault on the World Tree. Our goals overlap, so in the end, war is still unavoidable." Eugene snorted.
"What...? That brilliant Montifa? But why so suddenly?" one of the Sylphs could not help exclaiming.
"Who could guess my brother's intentions so easily? Let me say this first. Even if four races go to war with us, we Salamanders may not be able to say we will win, but none of you should expect a good end either. In the end, all five races will simply lose the strength to attack the World Tree again for a long time."
"After all, the Salamanders are not as loose as you people. Especially when you speak of a grand alliance between four races, conflict is inevitable, just like the insider among the Sylphs this time. 'This game is surprisingly good at tempting greed.' That is something my brother once told me."
"You there, Spriggan. I can see you have decent skill, and you had the courage to stand in our way. I will give you a chance. If you have any objections or ideas, I will take you to meet my brother. Say whatever you have to say there. But my other companions are not as agreeable as I am. When this is over, they may not escort you out. They may simply kill you and let you wait out your respawn timer. What do you say?"
Kirito hesitated.
"Kirito..." the female Sylph player beside him said worriedly.
"I'll go with you." After a moment, Kirito gritted his teeth.
"This is too sudden..."
"It's all right, Leafa. As long as it has to do with raiding the World Tree, I can't stay out of it. Either way, as long as words can still be exchanged, there is a chance." He reassured the friend who had helped him ever since he entered the game.
"No way... Montifa, General Eugene's brother and the current lord of the Salamanders," Leafa whispered, leaning closer to him, "is a political operator who knows exactly how to manipulate people. Other people are always the ones who lose out against him. He isn't a player anymore. He is treating this game like a chessboard for his own amusement."
"The Salamanders have had the ability to raid the World Tree for a long time, but he has refused to move, always taking pleasure in plundering the interests of other races instead. To him, the final reward of unlimited flight is meaningless. Only the thrill of conquering other people satisfies him. Someone like that is the 'strongest' player at the opposite extreme from pure technical skill."
"Even so..." Kirito clenched his hand. "We can't stop here. Leafa, thank you for staying with me all this way. Don't worry. Just wait for good news from me."
For the moment, Kirito did not look back at Leafa. He spoke solemnly to Eugene.
"Please lead the way, General Eugene."
"Then follow me. Fall back." The Salamander smiled proudly and turned to command his troops.
...
"You are in luck. My brother and several generals are all in Alne, the city at the World Tree. It will not take much time for you to meet him. Be happy, Spriggan. Ordinary players do not usually get a chance like this." Eugene dismissed his guards and personally led Kirito toward the center of the World Tree.
What put some pressure on Kirito was that the closer they drew to the site of the Grand Quest, the fewer players there were around them. In the end, aside from Salamanders, there were almost no players of other races at all.
And one glance was enough to tell that the remaining Salamanders were skilled. Whether it was their upright, sentinel-like posture or the exceptional equipment they wore, all of them were elite-level players.
"This is a public area, isn't it?" Kirito asked.
"Hmph. We need only use force to drive away the irrelevant."
"Is that really all right? Other players must resent it. They might even report you to the operators."
"No matter. We naturally compensate the players we drive away with money. Even high-level players who look down on that amount will not blame us too harshly. As for why, true high-level players know my brother. Did I not tell you? He runs a professional game studio."
"You never mentioned that at all...! And even if that is true, you people are way too dictatorial!"
"Why? We have never harmed players who sincerely have no intention of competing. When we happen across sightseeing players in the field, we even lend a hand. It is only the lords of other races, those restless people, that we contest with, seeking the pleasure of clashing against them."
Eugene said it as if it were perfectly natural.
"This is an officially recognized PvP-focused game. It encourages fighting and plunder between races. In that case, do not condemn one side too harshly just because it has become too powerful and upset the balance."
Still, blocking off a public place, and a place like the World Tree at that... really was going too far.
Kirito followed him with a stiff expression.
"Ho. They are on the steps ahead. Open your eyes and look carefully, Spriggan. The people before you are some of the strongest in ALO." Eugene's proud voice rang out.
Kirito lowered his head and tried to ease his nerves. Only now did he understand what Leafa had meant. These people were no longer merely players. They were applying the real world's law of the jungle to competition in this virtual place... If he had to say it, there was even something familiar about it.
Just like in Aincrad, they acted seriously and efficiently because this world felt close to reality.
Then what were those Salamanders who had achieved a level of domination not even Heathcliff had managed?
Would they have corpse-gray eyes that radiated actual pressure? Would they ignore him with total disdain? As people who held power over an entire race, their character builds were surely superior to the ordinary. Perhaps, from appearance alone, they might rival an Evil God-class boss.
At that moment, Kirito understood deeply that he was in a "one man alone" state. He took a deep breath and looked ahead.
"..."
Silence.
A long silence.
"Do you see them? Let me introduce them. Starting from the right, that player collapsed on the steps with a cigarette in his mouth, looking like a street-corner deadbeat, is Grannis Darkhammer. He is a warmonger who often serves as captain of assault teams. His own strength is also considerable, and he loves hunting other powerful players. Some call him the Blood-Soaked Crimson Lotus."
A flicker of are you kidding me? flashed through Kirito's eyes.
I heard that... deadbeat? No, wait. Why does your tone still sound so proud?!
"The one to his left is Shadow Song, the highest-level operations commander among us Salamanders. He personally commands every large-scale raid, including the hunt for Evil Gods in Jotunheimr. Before him, there is no battlefield judgment more excellent than his, and no boss mechanic he cannot see through. He is a figure like a God of War."
Eugene's voice became even more reverent as he spoke.
Kirito's expression grew stranger and stranger.
"And the one in the center, picking at his foot, yes, that Salamander with an aura aloof from mortal life, is my elder brother, the undisputed ruler of this game, Montifa!"
"Oh... oh." Kirito could only answer dryly and perfunctorily.
Are you really not... making fun of them?
And why are such fearsome figures sitting on the steps in an old-dog squat, smoking and sunning themselves? Shouldn't they be surrounded by a ring of Salamanders radiating killing intent, seated on golden thrones in some luxurious hall, looking down on me, the lone little Spriggan?
You really didn't just hire a few extras from the street for pocket change to trick me, did you?!
Right. This has to be one of those hidden-camera prank shows on TV. These definitely are not the real Montifa and the others. This is a setup to mess with me.
"Um, General Eugene. I came here to negotiate seriously," he said gravely.
"And I am introducing them seriously."
"...Stop messing with me."
"How rude!" Eugene frowned and pointed toward the veterans above. "They are the pinnacle of this game. They are… hm? Wait. Isn't there one too many? Who is that strange Salamander standing so close to my brother, chatting with him like they're best friends, and even getting all touchy-feely?!"
"Hey! You nameless nobody! How dare you squat beside my brother like some old dog and smoke with him—!!"
Kirito's face went blank.
With a metallic clang, Eugene suddenly drew the Demonic Sword Gram from his back. His wings beat once, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"So once our Salamander Dragon Cavalry charges in, breaking through is only a matter of time…" Montifa had been chatting and laughing with Satoru when he suddenly felt a chill.
"Holy shit, assassin! Protect your lord!" he cried in alarm.
"What the hell are you yelling for?! He's clearly coming for me!" Satoru ducked just in time, letting the sword tip brush past him.
"Brother!" Eugene roared.
BOOM.
Right before Kirito's eyes, the Salamander general was struck in the face at the same time by the two people from Eugene's own introduction—the Blood-Soaked Crimson Lotus and the God of War—and was sent tumbling headfirst down the steps.
"Fuck, now even my little brother's lost it. Forget it. I'm logging out and dragging you two to the hospital." Grannis blew on his hands, the brick-like weapon in his grip gleaming in the light.
"You scared the hell out of me, you bastard," Souji said with a glare.