Twenty minutes had passed. Twenty minutes of methodical planning, walking and hellfire. Stages of the Gungeon came and went surprisingly smoothly. A balanced team worked wonders against hordes of monsters great and small. From the ankled sized beetles which spluttered into pixels with a single round, to yet more giant Mechs that took well over five minutes of constant firing to whittle down. Yet, together they pulled through. Starbug annihilated hordes with any explosives she could throw and detonate remotely. Subaru blazed away at anything that moved, switching to his Micro Uzi for any that dared to catch him on the reload. Sabretooth shouted orders on a whim, precise and clear, while snapping between his SPAS-12 and G-36C on a dime. Itsuki kept to the rear, occasionally behind some bollards, taking extremely precise shots at any foe, felling them in a single blow. With the four working together as a single unit, they swiftly marched onwards.
Hundreds of monsters fell by their guns and explosives, from the smallest of bullet sponges to giant Mechs that dwarfed buildings. Their ease of progress was… surprising to each of them, but Itsuki especially. He had witnessed parts of the BoB, he was somewhat aware of their successes. However, nothing he saw prepared him for working alongside them. Ever since day one, Itsuki was surrounded by the best and the most serious. Every moment had to matter, you had to be the best at everything. There was no upper limit, you had to keep progressing and getting better with each sunrise. Yet, here, he could smile and even laugh alongside the others. They did not pester for questions about himself nor demand duels at first sight. Instead they simply just traded jokes and equipment to fit the moment. Even if Itsuki was an outsider to the three, they welcomed him as a valid member of the team. If only some of his squadron were like this…
"Yo, Itsuki! You're falling behind again!" He shook his head, breaking his thought process. Itsuki was indeed falling behind, lost in his own thoughts. At the worst of times as well. Their last objective was just over a small gravel hill where bright white light flowed over like a waterfall. Tarmac, which once guided them along their path, had vanished suddenly. Buildings and other forms of infrastructure were now behind them, for better or worse. The hill was quite steep as well, forcing the four onto all fours to reach the top, swinging their weapons over their backs.
Sabretooth was first to reach the top. He scanned the area ahead while Starbug and Subaru climbed behind. Itsuki had only just begun his ascent as the three all reached the top. Beneath, was the final stretch before the end of this Gungeon. A final sprint to the finish. There was no turning back now. Do or die. Glory or defeat. Loot or nothing.
"Seems like we got the 'Objective: Survive' ending…" Sabretooth grumbled, looking through his green sci-fi binoculars. "No cover, nothing but dirt until a small door on the other side. Several little guys here and there too… We cannot stop under any circumstance. It'll be like the whole US military will be chasing us. Longer we stay in the open, less of a chance we will have of getting through. The bigger guys seem like they may come through those six doors on either side or behind. I will lead the charge, carving a route in melee. Starbug, you're on the rear guard. Less guys on our trail, the better. Subaru, spray and prey. Get as many smaller guys as possible. Itsuki, you're behind me with supporting fire. I'm relying on you to keep 'em off my back. Any questions?"
"I have not been in CQC for a while, so I might be a little rusty." Itsuki finally joined the three at the top. "Just gun and run, huh? Piece of cake."
Subaru and Starbug nodded with grins. They were ready.
"Excellent. Now, on your feet! We are leaving!"
The four slid down the hill at the same time, weapons in hand. Pebbles and small rocks flicked up as they glided downwards. A thin trail of smoke followed the four downwards. Sabretooth kept himself as steady as he could, holding his arms out horizontally. Starbug used a sheet of metal as a sled, charging head first to the ground. Subaru tripped up early on his descent, causing him to roll uncontrollably. Itsuki dug his heels in and simply drifted down, arms in pockets without a care. An alarm rang, screeches echoed from every corner possible. They had to keep moving.
Once they reached the bottom, the colossal doors began to open with creaks loud enough to deafen the roars of an endless horde. An endless horde of flesh, steel and enough rockets to level a town. As soon as there was big enough of a gap between the open doors, monsters squeezed through, piling on top of each other in an attempt to break through. Soon, a tide of them gushed through, limitless in ferocity. Five hundred metres to go.
Their guns started blazing in all directions. Small 'n' quick spherical Sentry Drones darted above them as Full Metal Arachnids covered the ground in a layer of metal. Red eyes lit up every corner of the ground. The walls themselves became red. More were coming.
Various guns hung loosely under the grey drones, they fired randomly in the general direction of the players. None hit their target. Some hit their fellow drones however. Others were simply gunned down with a few shots. Though structurally weak, their swiftness and relatively small size (diameter of around ~50cm) made them tough targets to hit while on the move. Bullet circles danced much more while under pressure. Thus it was simply better to spray and hope for the best.
Although not carrying guns themselves, the hand sized spider bots were still threats. Especially due to their sheer numbers. The entire floor behind them had become the bots. Nothing but the bots. Their silver exoskeletons reflected red lights from many others of its kind. Some jumped, higher than a person, attempting to latch onto one of the players. None succeeded. After all, they too fell with a shot or two.
Four hundred metres to go.
"We got more bad guys coming in!"
Itsuki looked back at the hill they were on only a minute ago. There was no hill visible. All he could see was an endless tide of monsters, great and small in size. Scorch Komodos rapidly gained pace. Red slithers through a field of grey. A burst of half a dozen rounds did the trick. Fireballs rained from above, only just skimming past them. They had to keep moving.
Three hundred metres to go.
"GUYS! We got a problem!"
The four watched in horror as they continued their run for the exit. Another War Gear Mecha trudged to the top of the hill, followed by another identical one. Their screeches blew everything else out of the water. They were ready for war. Standing proud, they let rip missile after missile. Whistles thundered above the four. Smoke filled the air, to the point of near choking. Yet, stopping still was not an option. No matter what, they had to keep pushing. Even if their rapidly changing positions were slowly being overrun by the hordes.
Two hundred metres to go.
Sabretooth constantly switched between his SPAS-12 and the red photon sword. Two shots in a Scorch Komodo here, then a quick switch to slash a dozen Full Metal Arachnids, before snapping back to blast a Sentry Drone that got too close. Starbug simply threw whatever explosives she had at the time, while spraying randomly with her M16 between each grenade. Scores of enemies fell. Subaru kept to well aimed bursts at priority targets. A komodo about to launch a fireball? Delete with five rounds from his M63A. Then switch to an uncomfortably close spider bot, killing it with exactly one shot, before summoning a Micro Uzi to prevent several Drones from getting too close, with three rounds each. Itsuki kept up with the pace easily. His Draguov was too slow for the horde, and had been since the beginning of the fight. Thus, he adopted a similar style Subaru, only with his optical submachine gun and the loaned MP5 as a backup if he was caught off guard while reloading. He fired well aimed bursts into the horde. Each bullet hit a target. Every bullet mattered. 'Looks like I don't need that deployable cover after all…'
One hundred metres to go.
Now all that remained between the four at the door was a steep hill. Not steep enough to require crawling on all fours, but steep enough to impede progress and allow the horde to get closer by the second. They begun to climb. By the time all of them had begun their climb, the horde had just smashed into the bottom of the hill. They were gaining. Being sitting ducks here would make them prime targets for the Mechs. They began to charge their orange beams of light, uncaring where they hit.
"Starbug! Explosives!" Sabretooth called out, just over half way to the top.
"How many should I drop?" Starbug questioned, firing the last bullets out of her magazine.
"Yes! Just do it!"
"On it! Say hello to my boomsticks!"
Suddenly, every small explosive imaginable dropped from Starbug's inventory and pockets. These explosives included: a stick of dynamite, three frag grenades, two Molotov cocktails and a plasma grenade to name just a few. They ran like a waterfall behind Starbug. A pile grew rapidly at the bottom of the hill. None of the monsters noticed, they simply kept on attempting to climb, piling onto each other. The War Gear Mecha closed in as well. They slowly marched down the hill and towards the group's position. A tide of monsters flowed around the Mechas' feet, somehow avoiding being trodden on. Each one swerved on instinct.
Eventually, her pockets were finally emptied as the four reached the top. The fleshy mass of monsters still grew. Yet more still piled on top. Sabretooth scanned the tide before smirking.
"Starbug, you have permission to detonate the payload."
"Thought you'd never say it for a second. FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
And, just like that, there was light. A bright, blinding light. A bright light that engulfed the whole area with a brilliant white light. There was only a deafening roar of screeches and collapsing rock. The four covered their eyes. A shockwave of hot air swept passed them. They struggled to stay on their feet. Then, as quickly as it began, the explosion stopped.
Itsuki was the first to take a peek. The ground had been painted an ash black, from their feet to far beyond the slope. Most importantly, there were no monsters, none whatsoever within the blast radius. It had bought them time, time to catch their breath, time to escape, but was it enough?
"All enemies at ground zero have been neutralised. Still got plenty inbound however," Itsuki said, staring at the Mechs still slowly marching their way to them, "We should hurry. The War Gear Mecha are still approaching."
Thus, with a quick nod from Sabretooth (and a cheer from Starbug) they rushed for a metallic door. To most, it seems like a normal metal door, with a reflective silver surface and flimsy handle. The light at the end of the tunnel at last. However, the War Gear Mecha weren't going to allow them to escape that easily.
"Guys! We need to speed up the pace!" Subaru shouted, speaking as fast as he could get his words out. "Let's go! Let's go!"
The squad's temporary respite was in fact null invoid. Becoming more visible by the second, a Mecha had begun its climb up the hill at a much quicker pace. First, the head appeared. Then the ovaloid wings drifted into view with leaps and bounds. Time was up.
Metal creaked and grinded. With each step, and tiny slip, the Mecha grew closer.
"How the hell did it gain so much in so little time!" Starbug boomed, taking the odd brisk look over her shoulder. "Something that big shouldn't move that quickly!"
"Maybe they move quicker when you aren't looking at them?" Replied Subaru, chucking a smile in her direction.
"Lookin' at 'em, they definitely don't look like angels of any kind, humanoid or fifty-eyed wheels." Sabretooth thought, glancing at their chaser. "They don't weep either…"
"Now isn't the time!" She scored the two. "Soon this place will be a laser show and not the good kind."
Between the four and their escape, was fifty metres of flat ground. No cover in sight. Just brown and grey dust from a giant wall of rock to the slippery slope. Another Mecha joined the first, creaking in strain and clunking in anger.
"Everyone behind me!"
Itsuki launched two smoke grenades simultaneously. Smoke burst from both, blocking their sight of the Mechs and the Mechs' sight of them. Red lights danced in the smoke.
"Last stretch! Go, go!"
They raced for the door.
Just visible through the smoke, orange orbs began to expand. Whirring echoed as it grew. A rumble of countless feet. Yet more grinding of metal. Red Bullet lines pierced the smoke. It was now or never. Sabretooth reached for the handle as the lasers thundered towards the group. The flames of Armageddon rained upon them. A great flash of light erupted from the smoke, yet the firepower did not cease. In fact the intensity only grew as missiles swept across the battlefield. A grand creeping barrage of overwhelming power. Yellow smashed against tidal waves of orange. Great gusts of wind swept up smaller monsters, sending each far away. Another Mecha arrived, which joined alongside the others with its own suppressing fire without hesitation. Liquid dripped from their metallic mouths. The ground itself became scorched black.
CLUNK!
Gradually the Mechs stopped firing their lasers only to roar and scream. They paced forwards and backwards in frustration, red eyes glowing brighter than car's headlights on full beam. Dust arose from their unrelenting stomping. The reason for their anger soon became revealed. As the smoke cleared, ash was all that remained. All four managed to escape through the cover of the smoke almost entirely unscathed.
On the other side of the door, the four took every moment they had to regain their breaths. It was over, at last. The rewards, the memories, the sensation; it was all theirs to keep.
They had found themselves within a stainless steel corridor with rivets galore. Battleship grey sheets of metal covered every surface. Every and any sound echoed loudly. With plenty of movement, one could create their own orchestra of noise. For now the squad rested.
Subaru was the first to his feet, raising his fists in the air in never-ending energy. "Now that was just badass! Can we go again? Please! It was so fun!"
"Easy there tiger." Sabretooth spoke, still having his back against the wall. "That's enough dungeon running for one day. They weren't kidding about the difficulty on the later parts… I hesitate to think what it will be like on the harder difficulties..."
"We gotta try at some point though." Starbug giggled, tapping her feet on the metallic floor, "We don't have to get through all of it to earn some rewards, remember? I'd prefer to do this over any further BoB or Squad Jam. PvP can get boring so quickly, y'know."
Subaru nodded in agreement.
Sabretooth rose to his feet with a stretch. "Very well. Whenever we have spare time again, we can do this once more. I'm always on call however, so bare that in mind. Anyway let's-"
Out of the blue, Sabretooth was interrupted by a hand tugging gently on his right shoulder. It was Itsuki. He turned to face him, only a few inches away. He stared from above at Sabretooth, narrowing his eyes slightly. Sabretooth responded with the same expression.
"You three work very well together, something I can respect." Itsuki mumbled, "I would like to know how you lot won the last Battle of Bullets and how you make a team like this so effective. Any information will be most thankful."
Holding his hands up, Sabretooth answered. "If you truly wish to know... I-no we will tell the tale. But first, we should head back to the Glocken for a change in scenery."
He clicked his fingers.
SBC Glocken, some time later…
Sabretooth leaned back on a glass chair. He wondered where to start, recollecting his memories of the past. But as he glanced at his platoon-mates, he paused as a thought occurred to him, a way to begin the tale.
"Right, so you've heard of Death Gun, yeah?"
Itsuki nodded. "Ever since he showed up the day XeXeeD died, it would be difficult to find anyone who has not heard of him."
"Yep. Mister 'I will bring justice to all who deserve it' malarkey. Nobody knew how people were dying… let alone how he was able to do it or how connected they were," Sabre continued, his tone cautious but not to Itsuki's ears. "Needless to say, people were a little scared of him and what was really going on."
At that point, Subaru chimed in. "It was around that time that we approached by a guy to take him down-"
"Because while some were scared of Death Gun, there were plenty who weren't," Sabretooth quickly interrupted. "And not to name names but we happened to know some folks who wanted to take him down a notch, show that skull-faced cosplayer that he was bluster and… all that," Finished, he shot his support gunner a look and at that moment, Subaru got his story straight. "Er, yeah. Reallll scary, he was. Had to be cut down to size 'n' all."
"And with us wanting to win gold in the Battle of Bullets that was right around the corner, I figured we could kill two birds with one stone," Sabretooth continued, the fabrication becoming gradually comfortable for him. "Rumour was that Death Gun only went after top players, so the plan was to win the BoB and take him down. Of course, as you well know, winning the BoB ain't an easy task, by any stretch of the imagination."
Itsuki chuckled a little, "You can say that again… Now, please continue. You have already interested me so far."
"Very well." Thus, with a clearing of his throat, he resumed the tale. "It all started one day when me and the Platoon were out patrolling the desert when we heard an ambush close by… Turned out, there was a serious firefight, real close one… Didn't even notice we were about. We conducted some scouting to observe the fight, which is when we saw this sniper take on Behemoth practically by herself-"
"Seiba got lovey-dovey at the sight of that," Starbug joked, incurring an embarrassed slap at the back of the head.
"... Turns out she was Sinon, one and only. I thought a pro sniper would increase our odds, especially with the plan I came up to draw Death Gun out…"
"-So you recruited her." Itsuki interrupted. "I'm impressed. She rarely works well with other people, mostly sticks to herself for most missions. You four seemed to work quite well in the BoB, from what I saw anyway… Sorry, please continue."
"Anyway, we helped Sinon get out of her pickle that she found herself in. Well, us three just kicked down the door and the battle was resolved quickly. Soon after she accepted my invite and the plan to join in the Battle of Bullets. Whenever possible, all of us would group up towards the centre of the major city and fight anyone in our way. But, first thing's first, we had to qualify for the final royale. Wasn't too hard thankfully, even with the odd scare."
"Qualifying was dead easy." Starbug commented, resting her legs on a low-lying table, "That's all we had to do while Sabre did some real digging."
"Yeah, it was kinda dull." Subaru sighed heavily. "I mean Mr. Detective here did most of the boring work. We just-"
"Hey c'mon. You two weren't useless at all!" Sabretooth interjected. "Our arses would've been toast were it not for your driving skills Subaru or for your knowledge of explosives Starbug."
"Hey! What about-"
"I'll get there when we get there," Sabretooth chided. "Now where was I… Ah yes. The actual fight itself! Numbers thinned very quickly, like twenty were killed within the first few minutes or whatever. Moreover, there was an unfortunate gap in positions when we spawned in. I managed to spawn in the city with Sinon, but Starbug and Subaru were in the fields…"
"We just followed the gunfire and explosions." Starbug and Subaru said at the first time, before bursting into laughter. Itsuki smiled as well, hidden by his hand which he rested his head on. "Came in like a wrecking ball too!"
"Indeed you did… On a chariot of fire with bikers in hot pursuit. Then I and Sinon managed to parachute down, with myself onto their Humvee. But yes, we got to the last few dozen in the BoB, but Patriot - my former friend - almost screwed things up. He was one of the bikers. The others had to buy time as Death Gun went after us..."
"Yeah! It was like hardcore!" Subaru boomed, slamming his hands on the table. "Me tearin' through the map with Sinon riding shotgun-"
"Until he got lucky and nailed you in the head. I saw everything, man." Starbug quietly squealed as their driver pinched her cheek in retaliation.
"You two did a great job." Itsuki applauded. "Without your help, this whole thing would have never happened. It was an entertaining watch as well. Yes, I was knocked out earlier on. By being at the wrong place at the wrong time unfortunately. But, alas, I could watch your four's adventure towards the end. Enough about me, your story is far more interesting than mine. What happened next?"
Starbug and Subaru looked at Sabretooth, silently convincing him to continue and finish off the tale. He obliged.
"For a little while, I had been knocked out of action, and had become unable to help too much in the firefight for reasons… I'd prefer not to go into. By the time I came to, it was just me, Sinon, and Death Gun left… One shot at getting him, that's all we had. None of us were gonna run anymore… We were going to make a stand, by the highway. Sinon and I put up a good fight - put on an even better show for the audience… A duel with photon swords. He was good, but he lost the moment I put the pieces all together. Hell, Death Gun truly lost before we even fought because then-"
"BANG! Death Gun got nailed right between the eyes!" Starbug laughed as her exclamation elicited a reaction. "Didn't even see what hit him!"
"Ugh, you beat me to the punchline..." Sabretooth grumbled. "And Jesus, don't scare me like that."
"Sorry, sorry! Couldn't help it! But seriously though, the ending sooooo anticlimatic."
"W-what?" Subaru sputtered. "What're you talking about? That was badass! Everyone was on the edge of their seats watching it all play out."
"Okay, fine. But what about the fact that Seiba and Sinon didn't even fight in the end? Last man standing in the BoB wins big, remember?"
"Who's complaining besides you? First ever draw in the history of the Battle of Bullets, what's wrong with that?"
"Knock it off, you two," Sabretooth intervened. "As I'm sure you know, the whole thing was a distraction. A distraction to allow Sinon to get into a good position to nail that Death Gun. Took a few shots, but she shot true. In fact… that Garand I tossed you to back then? The same one I tossed to her, the gun that altered our fates."
Although he said nothing, Itsuki paused with awe. Sabretooth continued. "Everyone played their roles perfectly. Without everyone there, we simply wouldn't have won as you said. We won over Death Gun, and in doing so we won over our..."
Sabretooth stopped himself from continuing. What happened next… That was not for anyone else's ears. Such things, he thought, were better not told. At least for the time being. Just thinking about it himself, it sent shivers down his spine. He definitely did not want to experience that again, being that close to death.
His hesitation, though brief, could not escape the notice of all listening. Subaru and Starbug shared discreet nervous looks under Itsuki's uncertain stare. But just then, an unexpected presence greeted them from behind.
"Fancy crossing paths here," a pillar of a player greeted with a gruff voice. "You busy right now, Sabretooth?"
Itsuki looked up at the player. He was a giant to say the least, towering above everyone else, hell, everyone Itsuki had ever seen or heard of in GGO. A grey exoskeleton covered most of his body, with open segments at the joints (allowing for greater movement). His short hair, though mostly grey as well, had brown highlights. His blue eyes, once scanning the others and Itsuki especially, landed on Sabretooth like searchlights catching an intruder. The giant leaned in close laying a metal hand on the table with an invasive crash but Sabretooth was somehow unfazed. He looked up and although nowhere his height he met the giant on the same level. "Hey there, Patriot."
Patriot. Of the "Guns of Liberty" squadron, one of the few that Itsuki knew could rival his in all categories, especially firepower. And with this behemoth of a warrior that trait was made manifest before his eyes. But what bewildered him even more was when Sabretooth and Patriot suddenly clasped hands.
"... Long time no see!" Sabretooth greeted with a laugh. "How's that little shop of yours? Last we talked, it was going through some renovations."
"Oh yes. The renovation is nearly complete, just waiting for the new windows to be delivered. Then we can reopen, perhaps throw a little celebration while we are at it. You should turn up once in a while, you might find something you like. How's your jobs doing?"
"Taking some time to get use to. Especially with those that sometimes refuse to work with each other. The other… Is a little better I suppose. Never thought I would've entered such a role, but here we are. I'll have to give you a tour at some point. I'd like to think my input into the system was for the better."
Sabretooth cleared his throat, turning back to Itsuki briefly. He remained mostly emotionless, with only a hint of interest emanating from him, to see the very player that Sabre recalled as being his foe during the BoB behaving as an old friend. "What's the great Patriot doing in a place like this? I thought you stuck to the PvP zones and the lower levels of the Glocken."
Patriot sighed, raising a hand to scratch his hair, "I do, usually. But with the new patch already out and the tournaments to celebrate it coming fast around the corner, there is plenty to prepare for. New weapons, equipment, playstyles... A new meta is developing as we speak and I intend to be at the top of the game. A lot of money is running on it. As you are fully aware, plenty of bets made depend on our success on the biggest stages of GGO. Letting the audience down would not go well for your reputation or credits earnt. Now, I would go into more detail, but you Itsuki and your squadron are a potential rival in the leaderboards. Sharing 'secrets' isn't my style. Remember the last time two different squadrons attempted to converse in a possible new meta?"
"How can I forget?" Itsuki replied narrowing his eyes, "I recall all too well… Had an informant leaking inside information. As a result many squadrons now flat out refuse to collaborate with others, much less talk. It was all over MMO Today. Anyway, I have kept you two too long. Today was very fun Sabretooth. We should do that again in the future again."
"Oh of course!" Sabretooth smiled, Itsuki couldn't help but give a small smile as well, "I'll keep in contact."
Thus, with a friend request and a wave goodbye, Sabretooth and Patriot made their way down the busy main street. They chatted between themselves, laughing as they went. Barely any time ticked by before both of them had vanished in the rapidly moving tides of vehicles and fellow players. Even with Patriot's height, he could not be seen in the horde. Itsuki watched as they walked away until they were no longer visible. The other two sat somewhat awkwardly, with Subaru flicking through a blue screen filled with white lettering and Starbug attempting to whistle.
"He is lucky you know." Itsuki sighed, still staring blankly into the crowd. "To have friends like yourselves. You three really make a good team. Many would spend countless hours in their attempts to perfect their fighting styles. Yet, here you lot are, doing it like instinct… Keep it up."
"Shall we pass on the message to Sabretooth when we get the chance?" Questioned Starbug, trying to hold back a grin.
Itsuki nodded. "Please do. Oh, and whenever he is free I would like to request a duel. Just to see who is really on top."
"Consider it done!" Subaru gave an overdramatic thumbs up as a response, which was quickly followed by a slap by Starbug. "So, uhh… We've kept you from your squadron long enough judging by… that guy…"
Subaru looked over Itsuki shoulder to a blue haired guy leaning against a grey metallic wall (beneath a small red neon sign saying 'The Good, The Cheap and The Mercenary', hand pressed against his glasses and looking in their direction. The player did not move a single muscle. Subaru nudged Starbug, who quickly noticed as well.
"Yes! We've kept you long enough!" Starbug spluttered out quickly standing, trying to avoid the stranger's gaze. "Just send a message if ya want to have a chat!"
Starbug grabbed Subaru's hand before jogging off into the crowd, in the opposite direction of where Sabretooth and Patriot went. They too vanished in the endless tides of other players, leaving only Itsuki with three empty seats. He could only sigh, lowering his head for a brief moment before raising it once again.
"Finally, they've gone. Thought they would not leave."
The stranger stood behind Itsuki, still glancing at where the two fled to.
"You didn't have to scare them off like that, Taipan. We were having a nice chat." Itsuki grumbled, hand on chin. "And yes, I managed to get through the rest of the Gungeon with them. They are capable to say the least. We will have another attempt later on. Next time, bring a more balanced team. No need for two snipers."
"Understood. Anything else?" Taipan replied as cold as ever. "We do have a schedule to uphold."
"Of course… Hmm… Keep an eye on that Sabot platoon. Discretely. Especially their leader, Sabretooth. I want to know more about him. More the better. Anything found must be directly reported to me. No exceptions."
"Any particular reason? I know he tied for winning the last Battle of Bullets, but is that worth our time and resources?"
"Yes. Yes it is. I can assure you." Itsuki blended truth and fiction as naturally as breathing. "More we dig up, more interesting the investigation will become. Their strategies are unorthodox at best. If we can adopt more tactics like them, or at least get some inspiration, our rankings shall increase rapidly. Besides… when have I been wrong about such things before?"
Taipan did not respond to the question.
"Now, let us head back to our headquarters. There is plenty to discuss…"
Thus, with a slight smile, Itsuki left the table and walked towards the centre of the Glocken with Taipan close behind. They did not converse further. With plenty of conversations that drifted heavily past them like a thick mist of words, it was hard not to some that came and went in a sea of noise. Yet, somewhere in this ocean of chitchat, Itsuki knew Sabretooth still wandered nearby even if he could not hear or see him. It did become quite hard to travel quickly during peak times after all. Even if he somehow managed to get to the light-drowned outskirts, Itsuki would not be too far away. He would be there, listening and waiting, for the next grand adventure.
"Hope we meet again soon, Sabre…"
Author's Notes:
Panzer_Bros:
I do apologise for the hiatus, a lot has happened between the last chapter going up and this one. But, I hope this was worth the wait, somewhat at least. Please enjoy!
One thing I like exploring is possible metas in these games and how they would develop with updates. These updates could add various weaponry or vehicles that may shake up a few things here and there. Also, a return of Patriot! Though more minor in the previous fic than I previously wanted, I do plan for him to appear more often in this fic compared to that one. I hope his interactions are interesting to read. The main plot will be returned to within the next few chapters.
Any and all feedback will be most thankful, while helping in many ways to put out these chapters quicker.
I am a part of the Sword Art Online Fanfiction Central discord server! Copy the link to join (remove spaces): discord .gg /HTauXae2gd