Chapter 117: Embracing Your Ambitions in the Light — Part Three

Psyger-0: "...The boss of this area... is called the Usurper Dragon."

Sunraku: "...Uh."

Psyger-0: "What makes it... troublesome is... it uses the 'Steal' spell... It takes your magic attacks... and fires them back at you..."

Sunraku: "I see. No, that's not what I—"

Psyger-0: "Beyond that... since it's a dragon... it flies and breathes fire, so... it's important to switch between offense and defense... like a turn-based battle..."

Sunraku: "Hmm-hmm. So you switch responses between your turn and the enemy's turn. No, more importantly—"

Psyger-0: "...When its health gets low... its behavior pattern changes. Especially... when it's near death... it tries to steal your weapon, so... if you can't respond... it'll take it. If you stagger it... it drops the weapon, so... getting it back is... simple enough."

Sunraku: "Yeah, I'm just gonna come out and say it—we're lost, aren't we?"

Psyger-0: "...NoSuchThingAtAll?"

The sun had long since set, and moonlight gently illuminated the darkness of night. In response to my blunt question, Rei-shi replied in a noticeably stiff voice. No, come on—even I, tackling this area for the first time, can tell we're lost. Sure, we've been fighting nothing but level 99 monsters, and I can't exactly claim we've been moving in a straight line. But even so, this isn't the kind of area where you wander for hours on end.

Psyger-0: "...Um... I'm sorry."

Sunraku: "Ah—nah, don't worry about it. My wallet's actually gotten pretty full, so..."

At her faint, guilt-ridden apology, I shake my head and tell her not to worry. In truth, we'd gotten a pretty decent haul of drop items, so I'd managed to recharge my funds—which always seem to grow pitifully thin with every round of equipment and item restocking. And as long as I make it to Fifticia by tomorrow morning, it's all good. Even no-lifers make mistakes. Still, she seems to be taking this way harder than I'd expect. I should probably change the subject. That said, we've already talked quite a bit, so it's also true that we're running out of topics. Something that could spark conversation... Right.

Sunraku: "Still, SLF's level of detail really is incredible. The moon is so beautiful tonight."

Throughout history, there have been plenty of games that poured effort into their scenery. But even compared to those, SLF stands head and shoulders above the rest. VR—virtual reality, simulated reality... from the star-filled sky to the patterns of craters on the moon's surface, it's all close to reality, and yet creates a landscape that's fundamentally different from the real thing. The fact that the night air you breathe in carries a chill—just how abnormal is that for a game? It's too lifelike to write off as merely high-quality.

Psyger-0: "Th-Th-then... I could die happy...!"

Sunraku: "WHY?!"

It shouldn't be the kind of thing you get that worked up over. What is this? Some kind of apology-by-seppuku thing? She looks like a knight on the outside—is she actually a samurai on the inside?

Sunraku: "No, no. Even with respawning, it's not worth dying over as an apology. This, too, is just another way of enjoying the game. Yeah."

Psyger-0: "Huh...? Ah, y-yes! You're right! The graphics are incredibly realistic, aren't they? Hahaha..."

Did I say something that could've been misinterpreted? Well, whatever. It's nighttime, so visibility's a bit rough, but not enough to be a real problem...

Sunraku: "Rei-shi, do the monster spawns change between day and night?"

Psyger-0: "They do... yes. Especially a monster called the Pack Hellhound—an advanced variant of the Packhound—which is quite troublesome..."

Sunraku: "Ah... yeah. I know about those. Yep."

Packhounds, huh... those guys, huh... wait, there's an advanced variant too?

Psyger-0: "That said... with your curse and all... the monsters we need to watch out for are..."

Animalia: "Oh my, if it isn't Maximum Firepower Psyger-0-san and Sunraku-san."

Suddenly called out by name, Rei-shi and I both turn toward the voice.

Psyger-0: "...Animalia...-san?"

Animalia: "Oh my, to be remembered by name by a top player—I'm honored."

But that's not all. Behind Animalia, a good dozen or more players are lined up. And every single one of them is, without exception, clad in full gear. This doesn't look like any picnic.

Animalia: "Just to be sure... might I ask why you two are here?"

Sunraku: "...Standard area clearing. You?"

Animalia: "Is that so... Then it seems this isn't a case of double-booking."

Double-booking? I glance at Rei-shi, silently asking if some event is happening here, but she shakes her head—she doesn't know either.

Animalia: "Between Arthur Pencilgon and that online cross-dresser... it's truly impossible to predict what you people will pull next. So I thought, perhaps... but it seems my fears were unfounded. In that case, would you kindly stay out of our way? You might want to stop us, but surely even you understand how reckless it would be to take on all of us?"

Sunraku: "Ah—wait, wait, wait. Hold on. What's this about? The entry conditions for Rabituza haven't been decided yet, you know?"

Why are they suddenly so hostile toward us? Sure, I've been thinking, "If possible, I'd like to fudge things regarding Rabituza," but I haven't actually done anything yet. There's no reason for them to direct hostility at me. Yet here they are—Animalia and the members of SF-Zoo—weapons drawn, already in combat stance. For a split second, the worst possible scenario flashes through my mind: maybe they got tired of waiting for my answer and switched over to a PK clan? But something about this doesn't fit.

Animalia: "Yes, it's fine now. Back then, we begged you for a way to visit Rabituza on a regular basis... but it's fine now. I'm sorry, but can we consider that agreement... null and void?"

Sunraku: "...I'm not following. Can I ask you to explain?"

Animalia: "If you—and Psyger-0-san over there—promise not to stick your noses into this."

I glance sideways at Rei-shi and give a single nod. She seems to understand. Rei-shi lowers the hand she'd placed on her greatsword.

Sunraku: "That should satisfy you. Now explain."

Animalia: "Hehehe... We, you see, have learned the conditions for the Unique Scenario you've been so desperately hiding."

Sunraku: "What?"

Don't tell me the existence of "Epic of the Vorpal Bunny" has leaked? No—I want to believe that's impossible. Even if it got out through my biggest currently-unresolved bomb—that "Akitsu Akane" person—what would've leaked isn't the EX scenario, but the preceding step: "Invitation from Rabituza."

Sunraku: "By the way, what's your source?"

Animalia: "We shouldered the debts of your leader."

Sunraku: "Time-out."

Making the "T" gesture for time-out with both hands, I check the contents of my inventory. Then I confirm my current equipment loadout, assemble a rough strategy chart, and the moment I've achieved certainty that I can annihilate that bastard without fail—time-in.

Sunraku: "Ah, please continue."

Animalia: "...What were you just...?"

Sunraku: "Oh, don't mind me. I was just figuring out how to beat that scumbag (fucking bastard) bloody."

For starters, I'll blow that chatty jaw of hers clean off with an uppercut, then send her on an uninvited visit to the scorpions' home. As I solidify that resolution, Animalia seems slightly taken aback, but she continues regardless.

Animalia: "R-Right... Ahem. In short: to reach Rabituza, you must 'land a cumulative total of one hundred or more critical hits on Lycagon the Nightslayer.' We've already confirmed that this is the trigger condition for the Unique Scenario that allows permanent access to Rabituza. So we no longer need to rely on you."

Animalia presses on. Every clan member present here, she explains, is an elite debuffer capable of stopping a monster's movements. They'll halt Lycagon the Nightslayer's movements, land continuous critical hits, and thereby fulfill the Unique Scenario's conditions. And when it comes to raid battles, SF-Zoo surpasses even Schwarz Vulf—if they get serious, even petting Lycagon would be easy.

As I listen—taking it in with something approaching detached contemplation—I rescind my Pencilgon-throttling plan. Watching Animalia deliver her triumphant speech, I understand everything: why SF-Zoo suddenly pulled out of our deal, why they're so confidently spouting incomplete flag conditions... All of it is a killer pass from Pencilgon, who kicked the ball called SF-Zoo straight to me.

(That woman's methods really are vile...)

Running into me here was probably a coincidence, but everything up to SF-Zoo breaking their agreement with me was likely dancing on the palm of her hand. What a piece of work. She made SF-Zoo itself dance just to squeeze out more resources—that scumbag model.

(Landing critical hits on Lycagon isn't the only flag condition. She didn't lie, but she gouged them with information full of holes...)

At the very least—though it's not confirmed—the flag conditions definitely involve "specific weapons," "specific level," and "specific party size" in addition to the critical hit count. No matter that the opponent is a Unique Monster, the act of mobbing it with a huge group would never be recognized as Vorpal Soul. And since they're the ones who broke the agreement, just how much can we demand as leverage to renegotiate...? What's more, what comes into play here is the fact that I myself only ever spoke to Pencilgon in uncertain terms. I see—Pencilgon sold SF-Zoo a map full of holes, presenting it as though it were complete. But those holes weren't deliberately chewed out; the map was moth-eaten from its very source.

(Even if I get grilled about it, as long as I play dumb with "that's all the information I had," there's no way to prove otherwise as long as Oikatzo and I keep quiet.)

She must have known that a Vorpal weapon is actually necessary, and that level and party size are likely factors too—yet the only people who can prove it are us, her allies. A precautionary line absolutely dripping with malice. No matter how you slice it, SF-Zoo is being played for a sucker. A spider's web woven from information so perfect that even I—having just now grasped the full picture—am utterly convinced of it... Honestly, shouldn't that woman be slapped with far more flamboyant penalties for the sake of all players? How do I put this—I feel like I've been handed the detonator to a walking bomb. Or maybe I feel like a puppet who's been handed the scissors to cut his own strings. Looking at the smug expression on Animalia's face before me, I can't say I have zero urge to spoil the whole thing... but for a certain reason, I need to let these guys swim a little longer.

Sunraku: "One last thing... why did you come here...?"

Animalia: "Hehe... I see you've noticed after all."

A wind blows through the darkness of night. A digital wind, carrying a chill. For a single moment, its ripple shivers across my skin, and I could swear every sound in the world—save for the players gathered here—had been severed.

Animalia: "This is an advantage known only to us, SF-Zoo... We, you see, have succeeded in pinpointing exactly where Lycagon the Nightslayer appears."

A wind blows through the darkness of night. But it's no atmospheric current born of weather—it's the displacement of air caused by the manifestation of a massive presence.

Animalia: "After all, this is the edge of the area, far off from the exit. For you two to be in a place like this—well, can you blame me for suspecting that someone besides us had figured out Lycagon's pattern?"

A wind blows through the darkness of night... Wait. The edge of the area, far from the exit? Don't tell me—Rei-shi, are you directionally challenged? I turn a half-lidded stare toward Rei-shi, and her imposing avatar averts its face sideways, looking profoundly apologetic.

Sunraku: "To think you'd pinpoint not just the area but the exact coordinates... I'll bump up my evaluation of SF-Zoo a bit."

Animalia: "Why, thank you. Now, you two can just stand there and watch as we take down a Unique Monster."

A wind blows through the darkness of night. It is pressure. It is breath. It is the very shimmer of shadows compressed into the shape of a wolf. A low, quiet growl—confirming the humans gathered at the place it had marked...

The Unique Monster Lycagon the Nightslayer let loose a magnificent roar. For the sake of getting to pet Vorpal Bunnies, SF-Zoo absolutely could not let Lycagon the Nightslayer escape. SF-Zoo launches their all-out ambush. As Sunraku and the others behold terror within the darkness, Pencilgon's schemes envelop Animalia.

Next time: "Animalia Falls."