That day, Zexeed found himself standing at the edge of "Infinite Hell" with Yukko and Haruka in tow.
It had all started at a tavern, where a snippet of conversation had snagged Zexeed's attention.
"Hey, speaking of which," one player had said, "I was passing by Infinite Hell the other day and saw a ridiculous number of enemies swarming into that old spaceship."
Psh, Zexeed thought, a smirk playing on his lips. Why are these amateurs acting like this is news? That's a daily occurrence. Total rookies.
Despite his internal mockery, he found himself leaning in to listen.
"Wasn't it just some poor soul who didn't know better getting their welcome-to-the-grinder initiation?" another voice asked.
Exactly. It's not rocket science, Zexeed mentally agreed.
"That's what I thought too," the first player continued. "I actually hid nearby for about an hour, thinking I'd pick off whoever came running out for some easy loot."
Talk about having too much time on your hands... though I guess I'd probably watch for a minute or two. Just a minute, though!
"But here's the thing: nobody ever came out. I thought it was weird, so I asked a veteran friend if he'd ever seen anything like it. By the time I looked back, the enemies had already reset to their non-active state."
What?! Zexeed's eyes widened. I've challenged that place a dozen times. No matter what you do, those mobs never just lose interest...
"Then, right after that, Shana's crew walked out of the ship. They had these huge grins on their faces, like they'd just hit the jackpot. I knew that guy was a monster, but surviving that place? He's on a different level."
S-Shana?! Zexeed's teeth grinded together. That bastard... he's actually farming in there? But how? How the hell did he make it out alive?
As Zexeed spiraled into thought, the conversation at the next table surged on.
"Are you serious? It's called Infinite Hell because the spawns never end, right?"
"That's the theory. I guess if your dps is high enough, you can actually clear it?"
"I remember a top-tier squadron tried that a while back. They went in fully geared and still got wiped."
"Then that means Shana's squad is..."
"Maybe he just got lucky not showing up to the BoB. Maybe the real 'strongest' isn't Zexeed, it's Shana—"
"Whoa, hey! Shut it!"
"Oh..."
The two players finally noticed Zexeed's presence and turned pale, their mouths snapping shut. Fortunately for them, Zexeed was too buried in his own thoughts to pick a fight. They scrambled out of the tavern as if the floor were on fire.
By the time Zexeed snapped out of it to demand more details, they were long gone. "Hey, wait! Tell me more about—and they're gone."
Fueled by a mixture of curiosity and spite, Zexeed began dragging Yukko and Haruka into Infinite Hell. They tried several times, but it was a disaster. Every attempt ended with them fleeing for their lives within minutes.
"Damn it! These mobs are such a pain in the ass!" Zexeed spat, ducking behind cover.
"What even is this?" Yukko cried out over the gunfire. "How are we supposed to deal with this many?"
"I don't see a way through," Haruka added, her voice tight with frustration.
"How does Shana do it?" Zexeed growled. "How does that bastard turn a place like this into a regular hunting ground?"
Watching their leader spiral, the two girls exchanged a series of hushed whispers.
"Zexeed is really taking this hard," Yukko murmured.
"Usually, his best trait is that he doesn't overthink things," Haruka whispered back. "He just charges in with all that unearned confidence and somehow makes it work. But not today."
"Not when Shana is involved."
"Exactly. Why does he fall apart the second it has anything to do with that man?"
The decline in their performance was undeniable. Zexeed had lost his edge, and his desperation was making their combat sessions look like a joke. They weren't even fighting; they were just surviving. The sheer brutality of Infinite Hell stood before them like an insurmountable wall.
Meanwhile, Yukko and Haruka had been steadily improving their own skills. The more they grew, the more they began to grasp the sheer scale of Shana's ability. Without realizing it, they had started referring to him with a newfound respect—a shift Zexeed noticed, but was too defeated to comment on.
As the three of them trudged back toward the city, Yukko, who was scanning the horizon with a monocular, stiffened.
"Wait... someone's coming this way!"
"What? For real?" Zexeed asked, perking up.
"Look, over there..."
Zexeed pulled out his own glass and focused on the approaching figure.
"Is that... a bicycle? And is that... Shana?"
"Wait, there are bicycles in this game?" Haruka asked, blinking in surprise.
Even as they spoke, Shana was closing the distance at a breakneck pace. Behind him, a mob of players followed in hot pursuit. Stray bullets whistled through the air, and Zexeed's eyes narrowed as he realized what was happening.
"That bastard's being hunted. Right, it must be because of that meeting the other day."
"Meeting? What are you talking about?" Yukko asked.
"Well, you know how Shana is always surrounded by girls? Like Nyangoro and the rest? Word is, he's got some kind of dirt on her and he's forcing her to follow him. A bunch of guys got together to 'rescue' her and take him down. That mob must be them."
Haruka stared at him, her expression completely flat.
"Setting aside why you're assuming it's about Nyangoro specifically... what is that? That makes zero sense."
"Haruka, I have thoughts too," Yukko interrupted, "but let's save them for later. We have to deal with Shana now."
"Right. Zexeed, what's the plan?"
"We attack him, obviously!"
"Ah... of course we are," Haruka sighed.
The two girls retreated into their private huddle.
"Yukko, what do we do?"
"Honestly? Unless we absolutely have to, I don't want to get involved with Shana. It's a lose-lose situation."
"Nothing good ever comes of it," Haruka agreed. "And after hearing that 'blackmail' story? As a woman, it just feels... gross."
"Right? Their logic is so twisted."
They weren't necessarily "Team Shana," but they weren't about to support a lynch mob fueled by petty jealousy. After Zexeed's victory in the BoB, their finances were finally stable; the last thing they needed was to start a pointless feud.
"Why is it a given that he must be blackmailing them?" Haruka muttered.
"It just sounds like a bunch of lonely guys acting out their insecurities."
"Anyone with eyes can see those girls genuinely like being around him."
"It's obvious..."
Understanding the situation far better than their leader, the two made a decision.
"Zexeed, we're running low on ammo, so we can't provide much cover fire," Yukko lied smoothly.
"We'll hide over there and act as backup if things get ugly," Haruka added.
"Wait—really? Uh, fine. I got it," Zexeed stammered, sensing their prickly mood but unable to challenge it.
As the girls ducked into the brush, Shana finally roared into view. Zexeed leveled his rifle.
"Shana! Say your prayers!"
Shana didn't even slow down. "Hey, Zexeed! Nyangoro's right behind me!"
The mention of her name made Zexeed hesitate for a fraction of a second. In that heartbeat, Shana zipped past him. A split second later, a hail of lead meant for Shana tore into Zexeed instead.
"What—"
"Oh!"
"Zexeed!"
The girls jumped up to help, but it was too late. Zexeed's avatar shattered into digital fragments.
Seeing the two girls exposed, Shana executed a sharp U-turn, leaped off his bike, and tackled them both to the ground.
"Hey!"
"What do you think you're—"
Thwack. Thwack.
A volley of bullets whistled through the air exactly where their heads had been a second ago. The girls froze, Shana's intention becoming crystal clear. Ignoring them, Shana drew his weapon and began returning fire at the approaching mob.
"Why... why did you save us?" Yukko stammered.
"We're your enemies," Haruka added, bewildered.
"Shut up and start shooting," Shana barked. "If you've got guns, use them
"Right! On it!"
"Covering you!"
As they began to lay down fire, Shana grabbed his mount, Taiyukuro, and tossed the mechanical beast forward to act as a makeshift barricade.
(Sorry for the rough handling, Taiyukuro,) Shana apologized silently before joining the fray.
Caught in a stalemate, the strange trio worked in perfect, if reluctant, sync.
"To answer your question," Shana said between bursts, "I saw you didn't actually want to shoot me. I don't know if you did it on purpose, but I saw you holding back from a distance. I'm just settling the debt. Plus... my body kind of moved on its own."
The girls didn't have the breath to respond, but they heard him. Moments later, Shana's companion, White, launched a surprise flank on the mob, wiping them out in seconds.
"Shana," White asked, approaching them. "What happened to Zexeed?"
"Got caught in the crossfire and died," Shana said simply.
"I see. And these two?"
"Saved them by chance. They tried to let me pass earlier, so consider the debt paid."
"That sounds like you," White noted with a small smile.
"You two," Shana turned to the girls. "It's a bit of a tight squeeze, but you want a lift?"
Yukko and Haruka declined immediately.
"No, thank you. We've caused enough trouble for you—and Zexeed would probably have a heart attack. We'll walk back."
"Consider us even!" Haruka shouted.
"Fine by me. Guess we're enemies again. See you on the battlefield."
As Shana and White disappeared into the distance, the two girls began the long trek back to the city.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"This feels... really complicated, doesn't it?"
"Yeah..."
Yukko sighed. "We started GGO because we wanted to take down someone just like him. But in this world, Shana is that guy. And we can't beat him. Not even close."
"It's a harsh reality check."
"I don't even care about that anymore, honestly. This is still fun in its own way."
"And we've made back our investment, at least."
For the first time that day, they both shared a genuine smile.
"We made the right call back there, didn't we?"
"I think so. I feel bad for Zexeed, but his logic was just wrong. Shana and his crew... they actually looked like they were having fun together."
"I don't want to make the same mistake we made at the reunion," Haruka said softly.
"Exactly. Maybe we've actually grown up a little. I feel like... I could almost apologize to him now. Just a little bit!"
"I get it now. That guy... he's actually a lot like Shana, isn't he?"
"Just a little bit."
The trials of GGO had tempered them. In Shana, they saw reflections of Hachiman—a person they had once fundamentally misunderstood.
"I wonder if he was like Shana back in SAO too."
"Probably. It's starting to click."
"I guess it makes sense why the girls flock to him."
"I mean, compared to Zexeed... right?"
"Yeah, I can't exactly see Zexeed as a romantic lead."
"Definitely not!"
"But he is our leader, so... maybe a little more charisma?"
"It's Zexeed. Let's not ask for miracles."
"Fair point. As long as he keeps the profits coming, I'll keep my mouth shut."
"Agreed."
Having learned their lesson from the sting of the past, they didn't falter this time. From that day on, while they remained under Zexeed's command, they began to offer their own restrained opinions—a shift that would eventually alter the course of Zexeed's final movements in the war.
It seemed they had grown. Just a little bit.
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