In a secluded meeting room atop the city gate tower
"Hey, that elf girl was pretty impressive, right? Too bad she's still so young I couldn't even make a move. Ah~ I'd rather go for a mature elf older sister!" Sora stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Bro, you're a pervert."
"Oh come on I'm getting on in years! Besides, they're elves! Don't you want to touch their ears?"
"Hmph!"
Shiro was clearly upset, and nothing would soothe her now.
Shaka stayed silent… I'd also like an older sister to cuddle with. Maybe even get a mind massage.
They moved away from the crowd and headed toward the inner city. Rows of stretchers were neatly arranged in an open area, with pharmacists rushing back and forth. Kanade and Yui were helping bandage wounds their movements were skilled and practiced, as if they'd done this many times before.
Under Sora's command, most casualties were in critical condition with low blood volume, leaving medical staff overwhelmed.
As they walked, Shaka asked, "How are the guard casualties looking?"
Sora dropped the banter and spoke in a low voice:
"Since we planned to minimize losses from the start, numbers are within acceptable limits. Only 5 died instantly from magic attacks. Many are seriously injured, but thanks to Miss Black Cat, we've barely got things under control."
"The School District also sent therapists situation's stabilized now."
Sora and Shiro led Shaka to a makeshift treatment room. Peeking through the door crack, he saw the black cat in a pure white outfit, white cat ears perched on her head, with a gentle milky-white breeze swirling around her.
From inside came Dekomori's dramatic screams:
"You stinky cat! You're just getting revenge on me! I can still be saved death!!"
"Ugh, the unknown power sealed in my heart is about to awaken! If I don't get healed soon, the world's doomed!"
Another injured patient shivered as they listened: "Shouldn't you treat her first? She sounds really bad off."
The black cat rolled her dead-fish eyes: "Have you ever seen a critically injured patient who can yell that loud?"
A gust of white wind flowed into the patient's body, slowly healing their wounds. The speed wasn't as fast as traditional healing magic, but it was efficient.
Sora explained calmly: "According to the black cat, it's slow healing achieved by reversing the effects of poison and incurable curses."
"Black cat is cute." Shiro's attention was clearly elsewhere.
Great now the familia has a healer!
After the patient left, Shaka went in and lay on the bed: "Hey Boss Cat let me have a turn too."
Dekomori squeezed in and sprawled across his back: "I ordered the 'death' service first seventh technician!"
The black cat was speechless, slapping Dekomori's rear: "Get out of the way."
"Ugh—" Dekomori shuddered and spat out blood.
Shaka exclaimed excitedly: "Hey She's seriously injured! Super injured!"
"A great cripple?!" The black cat looked shocked, instinctively tensing up before remembering this was a teammate.
She shot Shaka a glare… What are you yelling for? You almost made me attack you both!
Her paw extended, white ears twitching, and soon misleading sounds echoed from the room:
"Ah~ Dekomori get off me I'm gonna die!!"
"Ah, you move! I want more!"
Waves of pure white light massaged their bodies, sending tingling currents through their bones it was an indescribably pleasant feeling…
A moment later, Shaka pushed open the door with a serious expression, only to find Sora looking strangely flustered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Sora shook his head frantically, his face contorted into a weird grin.
Shiro was even more direct she peeked into the treatment room… Dekomori lay unconscious and drenched in sweat, while the black cat wiped her hands with a handkerchief…
Shiro hugged Sora tightly: "You.. you, you're a lolicon!"
Shaka rolled his eyes: How dare you say that about me?
Moments later, they passed through a corridor and arrived outside a prison cell.
Shaka finally spoke up: "Tell me what was your plan for this battle? I deserve an explanation."
Shiro raised her hand: "Everything went according to plan."
Sora shrugged and explained in detail: "Like Shiro said we planned everything from the start."
"Even the School District's arrival time?" Shaka asked curiously.
"Of course. We never made our battle plan about annihilating the enemy…" Sora said casually.
"For a defensive battle, knowing when reinforcements arrive is the top priority."
Shaka's expression was odd: "How did you confirm that?"
Sora smirked: "You forgot we're players! What we can't do in-game, we can do offline!"
He patted Shaka's shoulder: "Commander Shaka it's time to push the game company to develop a communication system. Having to log out and use a chat group just to send a message is way too much trouble."
Shaka: "..."
So that's how it was. They must have coordinated with the black cat beforehand.
Is this the kind of understanding top players share?
"What about Lulune? If we needed someone to draw fire, wouldn't she be safer since she's stronger? I didn't see her at all during the defense."
Shaka had noticed this on the battlefield but hadn't had time to think about it then.
Shiro interrupted suddenly: "She brought me fried potato balls. Too bad I didn't get to eat them."
"Fried potato balls?"
Shiro immediately covered her mouth: "Brother said not to tell you…"
You did this on purpose, didn't you?
Sora twitched his lips and admitted frankly: "I sent [Mud Dog] to catch the mastermind."
They reached the cell door merchant Baker sat inside, completely listless.
"Isn't he the mastermind?"
"It wasn't me!"
Baker gripped the iron bars like a madman, eyes bulging with rage:
"I didn't do it! Those lunatics forced me!"
Veins stood out on his wrists and neck; his expression shifted between ferocity and agony. Shaka stepped back: "What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know." Sora was also surprised and kept his distance, questioning from afar: "Your plan failed. Tell us everything you know."
"They forced me!" Baker's voice was hoarse from shouting:
"That night, my guard and I were getting ready to leave. I'd already decided to abandon the deal and go home, but I went to inform the client out of respect for my reputation."
"But then other people showed up. They captured my guard, experimented on him, fed his corpse to monsters, and threatened me into bringing that thing into the city!"
He tore open his shirt, revealing octopus-like veins winding across his chest, with a colorful magic stone embedded in his flesh.
"This is…"
Shaka's pupils contracted sharply. Knowing the background, he recognized exactly what this was.
The multicolored magic stone cultivated by Fallen Fairies implanted in humans to create monsters?
That was a major boss-level threat, and Shaka had no desire to face it so soon.
Baker reached out desperately toward Shaka:
"They threatened me with this! I had no choice! Please save me I'll give you money, lots of money! Just save me!"
Shaka was silent for a moment, thoughts racing through his mind before asking in a deep voice:
"Who are they? What are they planning?"
"Them? There were three… no, two, plus a god! They seemed to be recruiting my client, then killed them to cover their tracks when the info leaked!"
Baker suddenly remembered something: "They said… 'What you're researching is too childish we have something far more interesting to offer!'"
"Then they put the stone in my guard, and he died. Then it was my turn! MY TURN!!!"
Before he could finish, the magic stone merged into his body. His chest began to carbonize, spreading across his entire form.
Sora covered Shiro's eyes; Shaka turned away as well.
"Do people here turn to ash when they die?" Sora asked in confusion.
"Don't treat this place like a game. Even SAO wasn't that simple." Shaka warned.
Sora fell silent.
The three left the prison and settled in a reception room.
Shaka thought for a moment before asking: "Any other leads? What do you know about the group [Mud Dog] mentioned?"
Sora explained calmly: "Let me start from the beginning. I knew from the start that anyone who could organize such a massive monster siege wouldn't be ordinary."
"People like that are usually conceited and arrogant. So I deduced they'd hide in the city, maybe even come to the battlefield to watch their 'masterpiece'."
"That's why I sent our strongest member—[Mud Dog] to keep watch. It was both insurance and a backup plan."
He grinned: "Sure enough, after you lured away the beast tide, the culprit was exposed. You won't believe this, but the mastermind was the owner of the potato ball shop."
Shaka was stunned: "Him?"
Wait, why can't I remember what he looked like?
"I just didn't expect even a Level 3 wouldn't be enough. [Mud Dog] was seriously injured one hit almost killed her."
"In game terms, that guy's strength is way beyond the current version."
Sora's expression was strange: "According to Mud Dog, the opponent was Witt a Level 5 Dark Faction cadre. She survived only because another suspected Dark Faction member showed up. Seems they had an internal conflict, giving her a chance to escape."
"I heard the explosion from the wall—it was intense."
Shaka knew the "Faceless Man" was part of the evil god Erebus's familia from the Dark Ages. Born colorblind, he could only see gray and red, which drove his obsession with killing. Seven years ago, he participated in the "Absolute Evil" incident and was spared by Astraea. Now he was back for revenge?
But…
"Another familia?" Shaka stroked his chin.
Sora rested his chin in his hand: "Heard it's called something like Dark Night, a rising force?"
Dark Night? Lord Shadow?! Minoru Kageno?
Wait how did he end up fighting the mastermind? And he seriously injured a Level 5 on his first day?!
Is it really that wild here?
Shaka was dumbfounded!
Sora noticed his reaction: "What, do you know them?"
"No."
Shadow's clearly playing his own game. Can't expose his identity now otherwise, he might cry..!
Shaka changed the subject: "Wait if you knew the mastermind was strong, why send [Mud Dog] to risk her life? That doesn't seem like you."
Sora sighed: "[Mud Dog] is our strongest card, but we weren't without options."
Shiro raised her hand: "I predicted it."
"Huh?" Three question marks appeared over Shaka's head.
Shiro confessed honestly: "My magic let me see that [Mud Dog] would appear before me with fried potato balls two hours after the battle started."
Sora covered her mouth: "Hey we agreed you wouldn't say that!"
Shiro turned away: "Brother's a womanizer. I'm not happy about it."
Shaka was speechless: "What kind of prophecy is this…?"
He pulled out the parchment: "If [Mud Dog] used up the prophecy magic, then where did this come from?"
Sora covered his face and didn't answer.
Shiro puffed out her chest proudly: "Everything went according to plan!"
Regarding this…
Shaka was speechless