The crowd outside had turned invisible but the players were still able to see the four dungeons lined up behind each other. They could not see the hidden Hogosha dungeon though.
The Hogosha dungeon was not visible on the map either. Other players' territory would not appear on the map since it was already a conquered piece of land. It would only show up if the conquered land exceeds a five hundred meter radius.
So the hundreds of spectators were staring at Hitori's territory and wondering when the battle would start. Fifty– now more– players had sent a spectating request but it was declined.
Kuzu and his guild were also waiting for the clock to hit zero o'clock. His men were ready and split into five units– he preferred to denote them as 'waves'. The first wave, second wave, etc. His every unit consisted of twenty-five people and five monsters, except for the first unit.
In the Pontianak lair, on the thrones, was where the trio was sitting. The courtyard was cold and empty as always.
Kamiya zoomed in on their defense line-up, "So this is our defense line-up." He showed them the four dungeons lined up behind each other.
"First the Kori dungeon, I do not mind giving it away; when we win the battle it will be ours again," Kamiya explained. Kori dungeon, the weakest of all, was lined up as the first dungeon for Enemy to crash.
Kamiya continued, "Yuki's Lair. The boss is a Christmas elf and she is pretty intelligent. It would be a shame to let her go. She is not strong so she can not do much."
"So you will let go of Yuki's Lair too?" Reon tilted her head.
Kamiya glanced at her and gave her a quick nod before removing to the next dungeon, "I have set the hidden Hogosha dungeon between Yuki and Pontianak lair. I hope his one unit gets pulled into this dungeon, I have some interesting traps for them."
"But if they take down this dungeon…"
Hitori's eyes widened, "Fierce." He had this urge to stand and meet her once, "S- she will—"
"She will not. We are not going to give dungeons away from this point. We will destroy half of his army in the Hogosha dungeon. But that will not stop him, he will advance with his army."
"To the Pontianak lair?" Reon said.
Kamiya nodded. "This is our stronghold, Pontianak lair is our base. No matter what happens, we have to defeat all of his men till he makes it to the courtyard."
Kamiya gulped. It sounded impossible already. "We can not let them reach the final dungeon… or it will… it will be the end." Kamiya stared at the map spread in front of them.
"What is the strategy in Pontianak lair? We are not going to move from here then how will we fight?" Reon asked. She had the plan messed up with each other. This was her first time and the nervousness was getting to her.
"Just as I said," Kamiya said, "We have to hold this lair. No matter what. Reon-san, you will use your weapon just as planned. Hitori, you will be the main fighter– hand to hand, I mean."
"Hm." Hitori nodded his head. He was assigned to be the main fighter. The probability of him engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Kuzu was high. Hitori knew it and he was ready. It had to be him or Kamiya.
"And me, as always, cover you from behind. You will join me later, we both will cover Hitori." After Kamiya finished, there was pin-drop silence for a few minutes.
They did not realize but time flew and they were now left with only four minutes. They were brought to the realization when a hundred players sent them a spectating request.
"Are these Kuzu's men spamming requests?" Kamiya frowned but Hitori cleared the misunderstanding for him.
"No," Hitori said, "they can not. The raiding party can not ask for spectating permission." Kamiya looked at Hitori, "So it is not Kuzu nor his men."
"So really a hundred men want to see us fight? Why?" Reon demanded innocently.
"Maybe because of the world announcements?" Kamiya shrugged.
"Yeah, they may have recognized us from the world announcements as players who conquered Onogi's dungeons."
"Do you know Reon-san that Onogi has been making a riot?"
"Huh? What kind of?" She looked at Kamiya… innocently.
"He binged conquering other players' dungeons and lairs. Like, literally BINGE." Reon's mouth dropped.
"T- these people are… then…" both Hitori and Kamiya nodded.
Outside, Yaban and Kuchiki had waited for more than ten minutes so now even they were curious to know when the fight was starting as no side made a move.
"Are you sure?"
"I am." Kuchiki nodded. And then he pressed the 'send request' option.
Kamiya was busy declining the requests when he read Kuchiki's request. He jumped from his throne and almost rolled down to the courtyard.
"H- heck!" He panicked. Kamiya ran frantically to Hitori, "T- take a look at this!" He threw the screen on Hitori.
Hitori was startled. He took a look at the screen and learned why Kamiya was acting strangely, "T- they are here to watch?"
Kamiya nodded his head frantically, "The Unbeatable Duo is here to watch our battle. What do we do?"
Reon was confused once again but she was more nervous as the time continued ticking away. Hitori and Kamiya exchanged glances.
When two minutes were left, they received a message from Kuzu.
"Why? Why would not let our polite audience spectate our battle?" It read, "Or perhaps you are afraid of letting them see you lose the battle pathetically."
They both knew it was a message to provoke them. But yet, both of them took it seriously.
Hitori got up from his throne too and looked at the scene outside. His eyes fell on Kuzu who was grinning like a maniac.
Ding.
Another message flashed. When Kamiya took a look, his eyes popped out, "Two hundred…" Hitori creased his eyebrows as he turned his head around to Kamiya, "Two hundred requests."
Hitori was left speechless. He turned his head back to the screen and thought for some time while Kamiya was just amazed and shocked and nervous at the same time.
Hitori looked at the time. Thirty seconds. "Let them in." He turned around and walked to his throne.
"It is time…" Reon mumbled.
"Let them in, Kamiya. Let them see that Onogi's men are nothing but a bunch of street thugs."
Kamiya gulped. His trembling hand made it to the 'accept all' option, slowly.
Time ticked. Twenty seconds were left. Kuzu and his men were eagerly waiting. When the time hit eleven fifty-nine and forty-five seconds, they all screamed in excitement.
That was a sign for the crowd to guess that the battle was about to start. And it was confirmed when Kamiya accepted their requests.
Loud shouts from the invisible audience spread through the three hundred and fifty-meter radius. Kuzu grinned, he knew his provocation was successful.
Now this way, the audience will see him take down Hitori's trio which in return will create, plant, and prove Onogi's fear in the audience's mind and heart.
Kuzu's plan, simply, was to gain more power and spread Emperor Onogi's fear across the gaming world.
Seven seconds. Reon pushed herself deep into her throne and sat quietly. Kamiya and Hitori had placed themselves in their thrones too.
All they had to do was wait patiently for five seconds more. Four seconds when Kamiya gulped and opened his mouth.
"Guys," he said, "if this works out…" he stopped to rub his mouth, his face, and then his forehead.
Hitori turned his head to Kamiya while Reon only focused her ears on Kamiya's voice. She was too stiff and rigid to move.
Kamiya pulled the collar of his robe and adjusted his sleeves, "If we win this battle… then I will take you to my sister." Hitori nodded, "I will take you to meet my sister."
"Cool." One second was left.
Kuzu drew his shortsword out from its scabbard on the right side. He was left-handed.
Tik. Time changed from eleven fifty-nine to zero: zero. Kuzu lifted his blade and pointed it at the Kori dungeon's entrance.
"Aaah!!"
"Ahh~!!"
"Argh!!"
His men shouted their lungs out this time in both excitement and anger. Kuzu's fist unit consisted of twenty-five men and twenty-five monsters charged at the defense shield.
The audience all had held their breaths for this moment for the last fifteen minutes. They all cheered when the battle started and Kuzu's men broke through the defense shield.
This marked the start of the battle between Kuzu and the trio. And also marked the start of the war between Onogi and Kamiya.
Hitori leaned forward, and Kamiya pulled out a wide screen in front of him. Reon closed her eyes and leaned back into the throne, trying to calm herself down.
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