"Hey, look. It's Shana..."
"That bastard... he's just taking a stroll out there like he doesn't have a care in the world."
"Is he alone? This is our chance! Call everyone in!"
"O-on it!"
From the sudden shift in the city's atmosphere, Shana knew the rats had taken the bait.
Time for a little walk to the Warriors' Graveyard, Shana thought. Good thing I had Ikoma prepare that 'special item' for me.
Once he confirmed that the enemy scouts were tailing him at a discreet distance, he began a leisurely trek toward the outskirts of the neutral zone.
I wonder, Shana mused idly, if a player's gravestone appears in the Graveyard while they're converted to a different game? Or does it only show up when they quit for good?
He shook the stray thought away and refocused his senses on the path behind him.
Hmm... they're starting to bunch up. Time to check in with Rosaria.
He tapped his comms. "Rosaria, what's the situation on your end?"
"It's a madhouse," Rosaria's voice crackled in his ear. "Players are scrambling to follow you. It looks like Pale Rider's faction was the first to spot you. He just headed out through the gates looking very pleased with himself."
"Oh? A big name right out of the gate, huh?"
Shana tried to conjure an image of Pale Rider's face, but he came up blank.
"Pale Rider... I know the guy is supposed to be skilled, but he's so bland I can't even remember what he looks like."
"You seriously don't remember his face?"
"Eh, I'll recognize him when I see him."
Rosaria sighed. Realizing they needed a better way to track their targets, she added, "I'm going to start photographing everyone and building a database."
"That sounds like a lot of tedious paperwork. Sorry for dumping that on you."
"It's fine. I have the Master helping me now."
Shana remembered why he'd invited Nyangoro (Yukino) to GGO in the first place.
"Right. I forgot that was her actual job. I'd started thinking of her as just another eccentric addition to the squad. Is she actually useful?"
"Extremely."
"Glad to hear it. At least she's earning her keep."
"Administrative work is much smoother now," Rosaria admitted. "Though we're still struggling to analyze the data from the Governor's Office. The Laughin' Coffin remnants are experts at staying hidden... even from the Master's eyes."
"They're professional shadows... If they can slip past her, they're better than I thought."
"We've narrowed the list of unknown players down to about ten, but we can't pin them down. They might be retired veterans, players who never come to town, or someone's alt-accounts. It's a mess."
"Put a pin in that for now," Shana said. "Anyone else coming my way?"
"No new movements. You have a total of sixteen pursuers."
"Copy that. Keep me posted if the count changes."
"Understood."
The line went dead, and Shana let out a long, theatrical stretch.
"Alright. Time to put on a show."
He pulled out a U-shaped monocular and peered through it, careful to keep his movements subtle so as not to alert his tail.
"Pale Rider, Pale Rider... let's see... ah, that guy. Probably him. Close enough."
In reality, the player Shana had identified wasn't Pale Rider at all. But Shana didn't particularly care—he was going to wipe them all out anyway, so the specifics were academic.
"The terrain here is perfect—plenty of dips and rises to lose a tail. Time for my secret weapon. It's a bit low-tech, but it'll do. Come forth, my noble steed!"
Shana reached into his storage and pulled out a large object. He swung his leg over it and settled into the seat.
It was a bicycle.
It was absurdly analog for a world of high-tech firearms, but it was efficient. Shana looked back with a purposefully dramatic start, acting as if he had only just noticed his pursuers, and began pedaling like a madman toward the Warriors' Graveyard.
"Let's go, Tayuguro!"
Shana had apparently named the bike after Yoshitsune's legendary black horse. The bicycle, being an inanimate object, did not respond, but Shana seemed to be enjoying the role-play immensely, shouting encouragement to his "steed" as he rode.
"What the—?! A bicycle?!"
"He spotted us!"
"After him! Don't let him get away!"
Muffled shots rang out from behind him, but the bullets whistled harmlessly through the air. The undulating terrain made it nearly impossible for the pursuers to line up a shot on a fast-moving target.
"Pale-san, what do we do?!"
"Damn him! Just run! Don't let him out of your sight!"
Among the sixteen pursuers, a few had AGI-focused builds and were keeping a decent pace on foot. However, Shana was pouring his massive STR stat into the pedals, and the distance between them refused to close.
But distance wasn't Shana's only goal.
Only eight of the sixteen pursuers were able to keep Shana in their sights. The other eight were still following the trail, but they had fallen significantly behind. Shana had successfully split the enemy force in two.
As he cleared the entrance to the Warriors' Graveyard, he keyed his comms to the "White" Humvee.
"This is Shana. White, do you copy?"
"This is White. Signal is loud and clear."
"'Loud and clear'?" Pitohui's voice broke in. "Isn't it a little suggestive when a girl says that?"
"Shut up, Pito. Do you have eyes on me?"
"Yes," Ikoma reported. "We just saw Tayuguro pass by."
"Do you see the tail?"
"Let's see... one, two, three... eight targets just passed. Should we engage?"
"Negative. There's a second group of eight following behind them. Wipe out the rear group first."
"Understood!"
Shana then switched to Sinon's private channel. "Sinon, do you copy?"
"Yeah... loud and... I mean, I hear you."
Sinon had clearly felt Pitohui's predatory gaze and decided to skip the standard radio etiquette.
"Pale Rider is supposed to be in that group. If he's in the rear squad, make him your priority. He's all yours."
"Pale Rider is here? Got it. Leave it to me. Ikoma-kun, move the White into position. We need a direct line of sight on the approach path."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Ikoma, having grown quite comfortable behind the wheel, maneuvered the transport Humvee into a perfect enfilade position among the weathered tombstones. If the road was the stem of a lowercase 'i', the Humvee was the dot at the top. Because the road curved sharply just before the graveyard, the window of engagement for the enemy would be extremely narrow.
Sinon popped the roof hatch and settled in with her Hecate II.
"Ikoma-kun, the moment I fire, floor it. Once we're in front of them, we'll use the doors as hard cover. I want to drop at least one more before we close the distance. Pito, brace my legs so I stay steady."
"Roger that!"
"Okey-dokey! I'll just get a good grip on Sinonon's legs!"
Pitohui stared intently at Sinon's thighs as she moved into position. She leaned over to Shizuka.
"...Hey, Shizu."
"What is it, Pito?"
"Don't you think these thighs are a little... dangerous? The line from the thigh to the hip is just so... suggestive."
"Wait—!"
Sinon felt her face flush hot, but she couldn't move or look away; she had to keep her eye on the scope. She could feel Shizuka's analytical gaze following Pitohui's finger, examining her legs.
"I suppose I can see why boys would be into this," Shizuka mused. "Yes... they are quite scandalous."
"Right?! I wonder if Shana likes this kind of line?"
"Hmm. Probably. Most boys do."
"Hey, you two," Shana's voice crackled over the comms, cold and flat. "Stop making up perverted head-canon about my preferences."
"Eep!"
"S-Shana?! You were listening?!"
"Obviously. Pito, Sinon's face is probably bright red right now. Just shut up and hold her steady so she can actually hit something."
"I-I am not red!" Sinon squeaked.
She was relieved that her head was outside the vehicle, assuming the others couldn't see her blush. However, the sheer pitch of her voice made her embarrassment painfully obvious to everyone in the Humvee.
"Targets acquired. Rear group of eight, approaching now," M said from the navigator's seat. He apparently had no interest in participating in the thigh-based banter; a true professional.
Ikoma stared ahead, jaw set, while Nyangoro sat beside him, looking down at her own legs as if contemplating something profound. But the moment M spoke, the atmosphere in the car sharpened.
Shizuka readied her rifle. Pitohui clamped her hands firmly around Sinon's legs.
"Pale Rider spotted," Sinon whispered. "Taking the shot."
Unlike Shana, Sinon had a perfect memory for faces from the second BoB. She centered the crosshairs on Pale Rider's forehead and squeezed the trigger.
CRACK—!
The Hecate II roared. Pale Rider's head vanished in a spray of digital fragments. Even an elite player is just another target when caught in a high-caliber ambush—a terrifying reality of GGO that even Shana wasn't immune to.
"Target down."
"Moving out!"
Ikoma floored it. The White Humvee's engine screamed as it lunged onto the road.
"Second target down," Sinon reported, firing once more before ducking back into the cabin and drawing her Glock.
The Humvee screeched to a halt, broadside to the remaining six pursuers.
"Pale-san's down!"
"What?!"
"Ambush! Return fire!"
"I'm trying! But our rounds aren't even scratching that Humvee!"
The six team members spilled out of the vehicle, using the armored doors as shields while they unleashed a horizontal hail of lead. The enemy's return fire sparked harmlessly off the Humvee's reinforced plating.
The skirmish was over in seconds. Just as the last enemy pixelated, a ping came in from Shana.
"I've got movement ahead of me. It's... Xeexee'd and his cronies!"
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yukkun and Haruka?"
"Yeah, no mistake. I'll handle things on this end. Finish your sweep and get over here as fast as you can."
"Rear group neutralized. We're on our way!"
Ikoma slammed the Humvee into gear. There were still eight enemies left from the initial tail, plus Xeexee'd's group of three.
The real fight was just beginning.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 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!"