(Eiji Pov)
We, who were acting separately from Isam-san, were currently attacking the fortress while blending in with the other monsters. I crouched behind the shadow of a larger creature, skillfully deflecting incoming attacks with the large shield in my hands.
“Aight~! This is quite intense!”
“It really feels like we’re in the middle of a war!”
“It’s even more immersive than a VR movie. We’re the characters, so it’s only natural.”
“Aah~, I get what you mean~~!”
“Aren’t you all a bit too carefree?”
My party members, who were clinging to my back and shoulders, seemed to be enjoying the situation without understanding the hardships I was facing. It was my role to be the tank, but couldn’t they show a bit more appreciation?
“Come on, Eiji-san. Stay calm.”
“That’s right. Even if we get killed, we’ll deal with it when the time comes. Let’s stay calm and keep our guard up.”
Perched on both my shoulders, Seventh Armor and Moth-san casually patted my head with their wings. They weren’t entirely wrong in what they were saying… or were they? It was hard to make a judgment… Whoa! Magic! That was close!
“Heeh. You can actually get some decent drops from the dead trolls.”
“Yeah, and it’s fun sneaking around like this. They have no idea.”
Currently, I, Eiji, along with Usaji, Seventh Armor, Moth-san, and Shiitake, were blending in with the horde of monsters attacking the fortress. Once the fortress was conquered, our plan was to snatch a few items and make our escape.
All our equipment consisted of secondhand weapons and armor collected from previous battles. It might seem meager, but I thought it would help us go unnoticed within the horde. In reality, we managed to deceive the monsters, who could only see the fortress in front of them, which ultimately allowed us to fight like this.
“Ugh, it’s so heavy!”
Isam-san had suggested that if possible, we should take down a few players. He also mentioned that it could be a profitable venture if we succeeded, so as Moth-san had said, even if we failed, it wouldn’t turn into a major issue.
So, I should take it easy, but there’s no way I could be that relaxed. I mean, this shield, which is just a roughly shaped piece of sturdy wood, is robust, but it’s a fact that its performance falls short of withstanding attacks from high-level players.
“Gah!? A crack in the shield!?”
I had lost count of how many hits it had taken, but the shield, which had been absorbing magic spells and arrows, finally cracked. Oh no, oh no, oh no! At this rate, it’ll break!
“Gooooah!!!”
Just then, the fortress gate shattered. The slightly larger troll, which had been battering away at the front line, had finally achieved its goal!
“Now’s our chance! Let’s charge in!”
“We’re going for it!”
“This is exciting!”
“Surprisingly, it’s working out!”
“Oh, I can only provide support, and I’m a bit slow, so I’m counting on you. Please take care of that.”
I was eager to get inside the fortress as soon as possible. While Seventh Armor and Moth-san were filled with fighting spirit, Usagi remained composed even in such a moment, and Shiitake went at her own pace. Despite our lack of coordination, we rode the wave of the monsters and rushed into the fortress.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Damn it! The gate is about to give way!”
“What should we do?”
“Even if you ask me, I have no idea!”
Players who had been participating in the battle from the top of the castle gate were in a state of panic as the gate appeared on the verge of being breached. They were not a coordinated military force, and it was only natural for them to be flustered. Since most of them were ordinary people, it couldn’t be helped.
“Calm down, everyone!”
“T-Taro-san…”
There were five fortresses, and the participants in the event were distributed to ensure a roughly equal distribution of strength. However, players belonging to the same guild were always dispatched to the same fortress.
Naturally, this led to players from each fortress being organized by someone who was the leader of the strongest guild around. In this fortress, that role was filled by Taro, also known as Taro Saemon-no-jo, the leader of a large guild called “Warring Turbulence (Sengoku Ransei)”.
He was selected because of his ability to bring together everyone, from hardcore history buffs to those who simply liked the Japanese style, from combat-oriented jobs to production-oriented jobs. Coupled with his personality, most players, mainly from small and medium-sized guilds, were willing to work under his command.
Of course, there were some who resisted and some solo players who found it tiresome to be part of a group in the first place, so not everyone obediently followed him. However, in this situation, human psychology tended to pay attention to those who spoke up first. With an avatar depicting an elderly man with a full, snowy white beard, he spoke with a voice as vigorous as his appearance.
“This fortress can no longer hold! It’s plain to see that the gate will be breached at any moment now! However, the fortress’s defense commander entrusted us with this task!”
Upon hearing this, the players seemed to stir once more, but Taro Saemon-no-jo unsheathed his Japanese sword from his waist with a grand gesture. This naturally redirected everyone’s attention towards him.
“We may die, but we will rise again! However, those called ‘the residents’ cannot! Hence, it is only natural for us to serve as their defenders! But I, for one, have no intention of dying for nothing!”
And with that, he paused for a moment, surveying the entire scene before continuing.
“By this point, it’s clear that victory is beyond our reach. We cannot prevent the fall of the fortress. However, if we take the head of the enemy’s general, we may be able to throw them into disarray!”
He then pointed the tip of his sword at an unusually large creature. Almost as if on cue, the gate was breached, and the monsters came charging in like an avalanche.
“From here on, we shall become a single arrow! Pay no mind to the rank-and-file! Aim for the general’s head only and fight to the death!”
“””Uh…Uwooooh!”””
The players began to run furiously, with Taro Saemon-no-jo in the lead. They were all lacking in military knowledge, so they couldn’t afford to engage in another defensive battle, no matter how skilled their leader was. However, simply allowing themselves to be slaughtered was nothing but a pointless death.
Therefore, Taro Saemon-no-jo decided that hunkering down and trying to fend off the enemy would end in disaster. Instead, he turned his focus toward taking out the enemy general. This would relieve the players from the stress of a defensive battle, and the morale raised by the desperate charge would improve their fighting spirit.
A highly aggressive leader. It was certain that the majority of players, including himself, would die at least once, but this strategy would buy them the most time possible to allow the NPCs to escape. This was the only and best plan that Taro Saemon-no-jo could come up with.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Hmm, hmm. Well, this is interesting… They’re really giving it their all.
Usuba, looking down on the battle situation from the roof of the watchtower, observed the players’ movements with an amused expression. In a situation where they were bound to be killed no matter what, they decided to initiate a desperate charge. Since they were going to be killed anyway, he admired their refusal to give up.
“He has the charisma and solid ability to bring together all the people in this situation… I’d love to have a go with him if he were in perfect condition.”
Ultimately, Usuba’s nature boiled down to whether the opponent was someone he’d want to fight or not. In terms of passion for PvP battles, he might be the best among the players.
“…Boss, he’s running away through the back door.”
“Is that so? Just as we planned, it couldn’t be better.”
From their vantage point, they spotted figures sneaking away through the back door. However, nothing has deviated from their expectations so far. Their plan was progressing exceptionally smoothly.
“I’m relieved that there aren’t any NPCs insisting on staying and fighting to the end. In the WSS system, there are many AIs that act based on pride and stubbornness rather than rational thinking.”
“Boss, why are we letting them go? I know it’s in line with mister Isam’s instructions, but still…”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to kill them all? That NPC seemed more powerful than us. It’s a missed opportunity, don’t you think?”
“Is Isam-san going to fight him? Did he need a strong enemy for his experience points or something?”
“…”
This instruction of “let the NPC in the role of the enemy commander slip away” was given to them by Isam. This was the reason why the members of the Persona guild had reservations. For them, who desired strong foes and unrestricted combat, letting a clearly high-level NPC go was akin to releasing a captured prey.
Although they were able to get an arranged battle with a player known as the “Nightmare of the Northern Mountains” through negotiations, everyone appeared dissatisfied. Usuba chuckled, perhaps finding his guild members’ reactions funny.
“No, no, you see, by letting them go, we can have a more enjoyable time in the future. Now, let’s withdraw quickly and move on to the next stage.”
With a meaningful tone to his voice, Usuba brushed off his companions and leaped down from the watchtower and out of the fortress.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
(Eiji Pov)
We stormed into the fortress gate, but we had already decided what to do once inside.
“Well, I’ll be going around causing some havoc. Don’t expect too much from me in the fight~!” Shiitake said.
“If things get bad, leave it to me!” Seventh Armor added.
Shiitake and Seventh Armor were planning to collect supplies from the fortress that seemed useful. They were also planning to eliminate those who tried to wantonly damage the resources. While there was a possibility of encountering other monster players, they were instructed to either eliminate them or escape when that happened.
It seemed that Isam-san didn’t want to increase the number of players involved in the plan anymore. That’s because not all players who would join would be as enthusiastic as us, and having too many players would lead to disputes over the shares. It’s probably not the only reason, but I can’t say for sure.
“Take this! Hmph!”
“Fufu! I’ll claim this one!”
“Gaburi”
We mixed in with the army of trolls and slaughtered our enemies. The soldiers had fairly high levels, so we didn’t push ourselves too hard. However, since we outnumbered them, we could also take down soldiers dealing with other monsters from the side. Yeah, you could say it was like a bonus stage!
I didn’t exactly relish the idea of killing NPCs, but hesitation wasn’t an option when it was a matter of kill or be killed. The hostility coming our way from the soldiers was all too real, and in the end, they were just going to end up getting killed by other monsters anyway, so it made little difference. Besides, the reason I had chosen a monster avatar in the first place was because I wanted to experience this kind of situation, even if it was simulated. I had no complaints, and if anything, I was grateful to Isam-san for this.
“Hey, Eiji, Moth-san? Shouldn’t we step in before things get worse?”
“Yeah… You’re right. They’re up against very strong opponents.”
“At the forefront, that one is a samurai, right? I’m sure he’s a player.”
Following Usaji’s outstretched finger, I spotted a group of individuals charging fearlessly into the ranks of monsters; their equipment displayed a distinctly Japanese style. They wielded swords and polearms and wore armor that ranged from traditional samurai armor to more contemporary armor, all from different eras. I had a hunch that this was a guild of players with a deep appreciation for Japanese history.
It’s interesting, I suppose. Personally, I’m more inclined toward the aesthetic of a huge shield that could hide my entire body, so I don’t see myself putting on such equipment.
“Are they aiming for that giant troll?”
“That seems to be the only logical option. They probably plan to take it down and make a quick escape in the chaos. Not sure, though.”
I was pretty sure Usaji’s guess was spot on. During this event, even though it was just a one-time deal, since the players could resurrect after death, they were the ideal candidates for the role of a vanguard. Isam-san also mentioned that if a player’s personal chosen role was to fight until death for the NPCs, they’d fight tooth and nail till the very end.
“Having too few monsters left wouldn’t be good, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Especially strong monsters who can’t be replaced; we must ensure they don’t meet their end.”
“So, we need to slow down the other party.”
This, too, was in line with Isam’s instructions. While our survival took precedence, he also wanted us to minimize the damage on the monsters’ side as much as possible. It meant we had to do our part in slowing down the players’ momentum without pushing ourselves to the limit.
“It’s impossible to fight head-on. I don’t think we stand a chance.”
“In that case, we’ll have to go for it from the rear.”
I believed the leading group were likely high-level players. It would be impossible to stop them with our normal equipment, let alone with the tattered drops that we equipped to blend in with the monsters.
“One, I’ve come up with one idea,” Usaji said.
“…Whenever you have that look on your face, you’re thinking of something outrageous.”
Usaji grinned mischievously as she said that. Despite the short time we’d been party members together, I knew her well. She was definitely cooking up some devious plan right now!
“But if things go well, it could be quite rewarding, you know?”
“…Can you at least tell me about it?”
As I had expected, Usaji’s plan was far from wholesome. However, neither Moth-san nor I could come up with an alternative, so we decided to go through with it. Ah, I hope it works out for the best!
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