bookbashuk Page 204
Page 204
“Their world has Blackwatch, so we need to build our own faction as well. Moreover, building a player faction will provide many conveniences for your... no, for our actions in the real world.”
Listening to the conversation between Ashikaga Miwa and Asagiri, Shinomiya Kaguya, Fujiwara Chika, and Hayasaka Ai exchanged glances, all three women somewhat surprised.
While they were still worrying about how to clear the dungeon and how to hide their player identities, Asagiri had already begun to prepare to build a player faction in this world?
Kaguya Shinomiya couldn't do that, neither could Ai Hayasaka, a maid in the Shinomiya family, nor could Chika Fujiwara.
Because their strength is not strong enough.
but……
Fujiwara Chika looked at Yuuki Asuna and asked with a smile.
"Are the three of us now considered members of the player faction you formed?"
"This one……"
Seeing that Asuna Yuuki was looking at her, Asagiri picked up the Coca-Cola on the table, took a sip, and then spoke frankly.
"Fujiwara-kun, you didn't lift a finger in the fight, you were just coasting the whole time, weren't you?"
"I didn't cheat."
Fujiwara Chika pouted, made a cute expression of slight annoyance, and rested her cheeks on her hands, looking somewhat unconvinced.
"Kaguya just told me not to use my abilities recklessly, as they might have negative effects. So, based on probability and expected results, I don't need my abilities when I have the upper hand. I only need them to turn the tide when I'm at a disadvantage."
"Oh, that's how it is."
Asagiri nodded noncommittally, then looked at Hayasaka Ai sitting there.
"Your ability is imitation?"
Hayasaka Ai glanced at Kaguya Shinomiya beside her, and only after seeing the other nod did she reply.
"Yes, I can mimic the enemy's abilities to some extent, but I'm better at disguise."
Asagiri nodded slightly, then asked with a smile.
"Then can you imitate my appearance?"
What do you look like?
Hayasaka Ai was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening.
"Oh, you mean your outfit in battle? If it's just your appearance, that's fine. I can also imitate the spell you used to create ice spears, but I can't replicate your physical attributes and that enhanced state."
While listening to Hayasaka Ai and Asagiri's conversation, Kaguya Shinomiya had a strange and embarrassing thought pop into her mind.
Right, why didn't I think of that before?
Hayasaka Ai can disguise herself as someone else; if she were to disguise herself as Utsunomiya-kun...
When I'm at home every day, can't I just enjoy watching Utsunomiya in all sorts of poses and expressions?
Is this right?
No, that's not right!
Kaguya Shinomiya realized how absurd her thoughts were, quickly shook her head, and blushed, wondering what was wrong with her.
Putting aside whether Hayasaka Ai would agree to such an outrageous request, the key point is...
This makes her seem like a slutty, obsessive woman.
"Very good, then..."
Asagiri looked at everyone present and began to give instructions.
"With this building as the center, within a radius of fifty meters, Phantom, Violet, and Necro, the three of you will split up and guard it. Kaguya Shinomiya and Chika Fujiwara will guard it together with Ai Hayasaka, who is disguised as 'Shadow,' which is my appearance when I'm in action. Ashikaga-sensei, you will be responsible for protecting Kayaba Akihiko in the underground building with my Persona. I will stay here and guard the only entrance to the underground shelter."
"Hey, hey, Utsunomiya-kun."
After Asagiri finished explaining her plans, Fujiwara Chika raised her right hand like a well-behaved student asking a question in class, eager to try.
"We also want a codename for the operation—it sounds really cool."
As Fujiwara Chika finished speaking, she noticed that Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi were all looking at her with a smile and a hint of pity. Before she could figure out what was going on, she heard Asagiri say imposingly.
"Operation codename? Very well, then I, Lord Shadow, shall bestow upon you the temporary codename for this operation!"
Asagiri waved his hand, first pointing to Kaguya Shinomiya sitting there.
"Love brain!"
Then, he pointed to Hayasaka Ai.
"Mat person!"
Finally, Asagiri looked at the bewildered Fujiwara Chika and said, word by word.
"The cancer of the earth!"
Kaguya Shinomiya, Chika Fujiwara, and Ai Hayasaka: "..."
Asuna Yuuki patted Chika Fujiwara on the shoulder and chuckled softly, covering her mouth.
"Chika, you actually let this guy help you come up with code names... You really made the right choice."
68
Chapter 68, the gatekeeper BOSS.
Ten minutes later, underground, in a room with metal walls on all sides, including the ceiling and the floor.
"Mr. Kayaba, please rest here for a while."
Ashikaga Miwa sat on the sofa, looking at Kayaba Akihiko who was holding a cup of black coffee, and said in a calm tone.
"In a little over four hours, once it's safe, you can rest at the hotel I've arranged for you..."
"It's ok."
Kayaba Akihiko took a sip of bitter black coffee, his expression so calm that even Ashikaga Miwa was somewhat surprised.
"I just think it's quite interesting."
Kayaba Akihiko glanced at the tall, imposing Shura standing there, his body covered in dark red patterns, exuding an invisible sense of oppression. His eyes revealed a few unreadable emotions before he looked at Ashikaga Miwa sitting opposite him.
"Ms. Ashikaga, the people who protected me before, and those who attacked me, were all 'players,' right?"
Most ordinary people don't know about "games" and "players," but it's normal for a top scientist like Kayaba Akihiko to have heard about the rumors. Ashikaga Miwa wasn't surprised that the other party could guess the truth, and she didn't continue to make meaningless denials, but simply nodded slightly.
"Correct."
"That's true..."
Kayaba Akihiko tapped the side of the porcelain coffee cup lightly with his fingers. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly asked a question that Ashikaga Miwa had not expected.
"Is this so-called 'game'... really that fun?"
"Interesting? This..."
Ashikaga Miwa originally thought that such a dangerous and terrifying game, where there was always the risk of death in another world, had nothing to do with the word "interesting". However, when she saw Kayaba Akihiko's expression, she suddenly remembered the way Asagiri discussed game-related matters in front of her.
These two people...
Perhaps it's surprisingly similar.
Whether it's interesting or not is a subjective feeling, and I can't make a judgment.
Ashikaga Miwa said that first, then immediately changed the subject.
"But I know this game is real. If you don't give it your all, you will die. Not only will the players in the game die, but our world will not be spared either. One player I know, who is currently the strongest player, does find this game very interesting."
"he……"
Kayaba Akihiko muttered softly before speaking.
"Is this the person I saw on the tram before?"
"Yes."
"Um……"
Kayaba Akihiko nodded noncommittally, then fell silent, seemingly deep in thought, and the room became quiet.
……
Two hours later, on the roof of a two-story residential building 45 meters away from the three-story shops.
Fujiwara Chika scanned the area again with her binoculars, and after confirming that there was no one in sight, she did not put down the binoculars but remained in an observing posture, and sighed.
"Sigh... It's good that no enemies are attacking, but isn't it too quiet? What if no one comes at all?"
"If you were in that situation, would you dare to come?"
Kaguya Shinomiya twirled the long sword in her hand and spoke in a calm tone.
"In the final stage of completing the game, a hidden mission suddenly appeared, and the location of the target was shared in real time via the eye icon app. Anyone with a little common sense can deduce that since the system has reduced the difficulty of searching for the target to almost zero, it means that in the system's judgment, even if the players participating in this dungeon know the target's real-time location, they cannot easily approach it. Unless they are players who are absolutely confident in their own strength, or those in Blackwatch who are completely unafraid of death to achieve their goal, it is impossible for them to take such a high risk to try to complete this hidden mission."
"Compared to this..."
Disguised as "Shadow," but still speaking in her original voice, Hayasaka Ai whispered.
"Kaguya, is it really the right choice for us to get so deeply involved with Utsunomiya and the others?"
"What do you mean?"
"This isn't like you."
Hayasaka Ai's tone was very calm, but her words were completely undisguised.
"If it were you in the past, you would have weighed the risks and benefits of cooperating with Utsunomiya and the others before making a rational decision. But now... I'm not sure whether you made this decision after rational thought or because of personal feelings."
Kaguya Shinomiya's lips parted slightly: "I..."
Hayasaka Ai didn't give Shinomiya Kaguya a chance to speak coyly, and said it bluntly.
"I don't think decisions made based on emotions are wrong, but I hope you can think clearly about what Utsunomiya-san really means to you. Is she just a collaborator? An accomplice? Or... someone you like?"
“To me, Utsunomiya-kun is…”
Just as Kaguya Shinomiya was speaking, they suddenly saw a cloud of dark particles rise into the sky. They immediately realized that this was a signal from Kotoko Iwanaga, meaning...
Enemies are coming.
……
When Kaguya Shinomiya, Ai Hayasaka, and Chika Fujiwara arrived, they found Megumi Kato, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Asuna Yuuki confronting more than twenty players dressed in various styles.
"Six people...?"
Upon seeing new reinforcements arrive, the twenty-odd players from the other world all looked wary and subconsciously took a few meters back.
"Huh? They didn't attack?"
Upon hearing Fujiwara Chika's question, Yuuki Asuna kept her gaze fixed on the players opposite her, gripped the shimmering light in her hand, and replied softly.
"Although they are cooperating, it is clear that they are a few player teams that were temporarily formed and there is no trust between them, so they are all hesitant."
Just as Asuna Yuuki said, although these twenty-odd players came from another world, they were just like the players in this world. Even though they had reached a consensus to cooperate, they were still wary of each other.
Launching an attack without knowing the strength of Yuuki Asuna and the others would inevitably involve huge risks. And if you get injured in the battle, who knows if those players who originally said they wanted to cooperate with you will kill you in order to take your phone?
Without trust, there can be no cooperation.
There are only two solutions in this situation.
The first method is to fight separately in small teams. The second method is to do what Asagiri, Yuuki Asuna, and others have done before, by demonstrating absolute strength to become the maintainer of the "cooperative order" and lead the other players in battle.
Clearly, among the twenty-odd players in front of them, there was no one who could command respect.
"Scatter!"
Upon hearing one of the players' words, the twenty-odd players reached a consensus and instantly split into six different player teams. Heading in six different directions, they bypassed Yuuki Asuna and the others in front of them, intending to directly attack the location of "Kayaba Akihiko".
"Hmph, want to run away?"
Asuna Yuuki flashed, her crimson cloak leaving a blur as she instantly appeared in front of one of the player teams. The rapier in her hand flashed as she aimed at a player dressed in white, who appeared to be a mage.
"Sword technique, like flying stardust!"
Amidst the eight flashing sword lights, the mage-class player didn't even have time to scream before his body was sliced into pieces. Meanwhile, Kato Megumi drew her bow and aimed at another player team, quickly firing an arrow. Iwanaga Kotoko was also busy at work.
"Pale Domination!"