"You really went all out there, Shana. Were you actually pissed off, or was that all for show?"
"I wasn't 'snapping,' exactly. I mean, while I was talking, my irritation started to redline a bit, but it was fundamentally part of the strategy."
"Well, you definitely set the stage. For now, it looks like we're just playing a high-stakes game of Whac-A-Mole."
The Genji Army had already gathered in the second-floor hall of the World Tree Fortress. Shana had been thorough—he had already pre-emptively rented every single Humvee available at the rental shop. He now controlled a fleet of ten. Since he had previously asked Zaskar to increase the rental cap for civilian vehicles, there wouldn't be a total shortage of transport in the city, but the remaining cars were low-mobility, non-combat models.
The members of the four Squadrons who had committed to the Genji cause—Usu-shio Tarako, Yamikaze, Dyne, and Eva—had been briefed on this location beforehand. Shana had even chartered several buses to whisk them away the moment they claimed their White Flags, ensuring they arrived at the fortress before the event officially kicked off.
"Man, you are abusing those 'Organizer Privileges' for all they're worth," someone joked.
"If you count gathering people here early, maybe," Shana replied. "But I gave the opposition a fair chance to join me. This fortress, the Black, my beam saber—I earned all of those myself. Even that blacklist was my own work. I requested the event, but I haven't received a single ounce of 'developer favoritism' in terms of gear or stats."
"When you put it that way... yeah, you really are in a league of your own, Shana."
"If I was 'favored' at all, it was just being given the platform to make that speech."
"It was a magnificent speech, Shana-sama," a voice cut in from the side. "It succeeded perfectly in swelling the enemy's ranks exactly as we planned."
Shana turned toward the speaker. "Master... thank you."
"Please," the player replied with a dignified bow. "Call me Sebas."
"Ah, right... Sebas."
The player known as "Sebas" was, of course, Tsuzuki. Shana had originally had no intention of making Tsuzuki use such a cliché name. As his student, he felt a certain resistance to pinning a meme-tier name on a man he respected so deeply. While bringing Tsuzuki into GGO for instruction had always been the plan, the name change had a very specific, real-world reason.
[Flashback: Real World]
"Chairwoman, I've come to visit as requested."
"Eh? Oh... oh my! Hachiman-kun! You actually came!"
Despite the recent drama, Hachiman had shown up at the Chairwoman's office with a perfectly composed face. The Chairwoman, who had been feeling slightly dejected thinking Hachiman might avoid her for a while, was pleasantly surprised. She greeted him with a radiant smile.
"Come in, come in! Sit down. I'll make tea. Oh dear, what should I do? I didn't expect you so soon, so I'm only wearing light makeup today."
"Don't worry about it. You're always beautiful, Chairwoman."
"Oh! My goodness! If I'd known, I would have worn something a bit more... provocative..."
"I'm sure whatever you wear suits you perfectly."
Naturally, Hachiman had a reason for being so uncharacteristically charming. This was the groundwork for recruiting Tsuzuki into GGO. But he was dealing with the Chairwoman—if he brought up the favor immediately, she'd realize he only came because he wanted something and would inevitably pout.
So, Hachiman spent the first day reminiscing about high school. The Chairwoman listened, delighted. The next afternoon, Hachiman returned once more.
"My! Two days in a row? Should I call home and tell them I won't be back tonight...?"
"Sorry, I actually have something I can't miss in the game today. If I don't go, Yukino will be furious with me."
"Oh, that sounds terrifying. Yukino-chan is quite scary when she's angry."
"I wonder who she takes after," Hachiman said with a wry smile. "Maybe the version of you I heard about from your own high school days?"
The Chairwoman made a playful, huffy face. "It couldn't be helped! Back then, I was obsessed with laying down the tracks for Haruno and Yukino's lives."
"But you've stopped doing that now?"
"Of course. Those girls are climbing to new heights all on their own now, without me needing to guide them."
"Well, it's a relief. I can actually be around you now without feeling like I'm walking through a minefield."
Hearing that, the Chairwoman happily sat down next to Hachiman, leaning her weight slightly against him. Though she still had her "runaway train" moments, Hachiman didn't dislike her current persona—in fact, he found it quite likable, so he let her stay there. He knew that since she had no son of her own, she viewed him as a sort of surrogate son (albeit with a bit too much flirting mixed in).
Eventually, Hachiman steered the conversation toward ALO and GGO.
"...So, even though it's a game, it requires real-world training. My Master's instruction has been a lifesaver."
"I see. To think Tsuzuki's skills would be useful for something like that. In a peaceful country like Japan, they're usually quite redundant."
"And lately, my circle in GGO has grown. I have to teach the new members the ropes, and honestly, it's a lot of work."
"Oh? In that case, shall I lend you Tsuzuki?"
(Aha. She took the bait...)
"Are you sure?" Hachiman asked.
"Yes. But on one condition."
"What is it?"
"Tsuzuki's in-game name must be 'Sebas'."
"Wait, what?" Hachiman blinked. (Are you serious?)
"Actually, Tsuzuki and I had a conversation about that once," she explained with a giggle. "During a chat, he mentioned that the quintessential name for a butler is 'Sebas.' He even seemed to consider changing his actual name at one point. It quite shocked me."
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