"I am not Kashi," Suzuki reflexively shot down Taidan's conjecture. But, he quickly realized that deflection would only lead to more questions or at least a lengthy explanation, so he added, "But, yes, I am a member of the Twilight Wolves. Also, I meant no deceit when choosing the team name. I did not think to link the in-game guild name to our world."

"No worries. I understand," replied Taidan. The young man looked at Ayumi with admiration in glittering eyes. "Judging from our reports and how you carry yourself, you can only be Ms. Lightwood." A soft, teasing smile teased the edges of his lips as he added, "Surely, you will not say I am wrong?"

Ayumi politely nodded. "No, you are correct. I play Leila Lightwood of the Twilight Wolves. Let me take this as an opportunity to thank you all for cooperating over the Oni Hill event. The mission would have failed if even one of you were not present."

"I'm not so sure about that." Taidan chuckled as he glanced at Suzuki. "Somehow, I feel you would have managed just fine."

"Taidan."

"Ah, sorry, boss." Taidan apologized, realizing the atmosphere was turning weird. Pa! He suddenly clapped, the abrupt shock softly resetting the room's atmosphere, and then pointed at the map. "Let's get back to the topic at hand. Seeing as we have under a week to prepare, I propose we immediately adopt Crazy Head's plan."

"That's a bit hasty, isn't it?" Titan's Breath's leader, Kaido, asked with a frown. "We can optimize it further with a little more time."

Surprisingly, Natsu shook her head. "Normally, I would agree with you. Even I can spot problem areas that could do with some refinement. Unfortunately, we only have a week until the assessment. The sooner we can start practicing the mission, the better. We could easily waste a few days trying to get it perfect."

"I concur," Ayumi agreed. "We are fortunate enough to have obtained the general layout of the bases and surrounding forest. It would be a waste if we did not use VR Builders to practice our infiltration. I, for one, have never gone skydiving. I imagine it will not be easy to learn in a week, even with the aid of Virtual Tech."

Taidan flashed the two ladies an appreciative grin and then looked at the remaining leaders. "So, we agree?" Both leaders nodded, prompting him to exclaim, "Then, we have to decide the teams, right!? From your plan, I don't think it's wise to group up by our respective teams." Taidan counted his fingers as he muttered, "I'm counting... one, two... three teams. First, to infiltrate the relay station; second, to strike the dam; and final, to infiltrate HQ early."

"Yes," confirmed Ayumi. "To reduce the chances of detection, the relay station infiltration team must have the smallest number. Three is preferable for stealth, but five is enough if we want to add more security should they need to escape. Since this mission requires a high degree of hacking knowledge, I recommend Yuhi Jade from our team. The rest of our team members are not suitable for infiltration missions." Well, except one. Ayumi furtively glanced at Suzuki. Suzuki was equally skilled in stealth, but she would be daft if she wasted such a potent weapon when they had much bigger fish to fry.

"Kairi and Kai can go from our end," Kaido offered, and then clarified, "Kairi has a degree in electrical engineering, so she might be of some assistance, and Kai leads our spy units in-game, so he is well-versed in stealth missions. Neither should hold you back. You have my word."

Ayumi nodded and then looked around the table. "Anyone else?"

Understandably, many were hesitant. By all accounts, the relay mission did not seem like it would have many chances for combat, which, they surmised, equaled minimal opportunities to accrue points. When Ayumi was about to move onto the next objective, a tiny, determined voice stated, "I'll go."

Numerous eyes turned in unison to the small girl who held a giant lollipop in one hand. Akiyo's brows furrowed as she sensed the distrust, panic, and insecurity from numerous eyes. Given her condition, she was used to those gazes, but dealing with them never got easier.

"What's your specialty?"

Akiyo looked up in surprise at Suzuki's abyssal eyes. It was weird, but his eyes felt strangely warm when compared to the distrust in everyone else's. Until now, only Natsu treated her as an equal. Although the rest of her team was nice, they saw her as the team's little child instead of an equal. No matter how much she achieved in the game, no one aside from Natsu took her seriously as long as she had this cursed body.

Until now.

"In-game, I play as a saboteur or bodyguard, depending on my mission." Akiyo looked at Natsu, who smiled and nodded. Emboldened, she continued, "If you're building an infiltration team, most of them'll need spy stuff. But that'll weaken their defensive capabilities. I'll join as their bodyguard and muscle if things go south. With me around, no one'll touch a hair on their heads."

"I didn't think of that," Suzuki admitted. Both he and Ayumi had been too focused on the importance of stealth that they forgot to consider adding some muscle to the team. Of course, with a little more time, they would have spotted this flaw, but Akiyo had saved them that time.

Ayumi agreed with Suzuki's judgment. The war exposed the fact that Akiyo's in-game character was melee-based. Unlike magic-based players, melee characters could carry their skills into the real world. Of course, their IRL bodies limited their performance, but that would not be a problem for this mission – they would be controlling Gladiators.

"Alright, the infiltration team will consist of Yuhi Jade, Nagasaki Kai and Kairi, and Kuoshimida Akiyo." Ayumi looked at Kai as she said, "I propose Nagasaki Kai as the captain of this squad. Are there any objections?" Predictably, no one objected to the appointment, so Ayumi moved on.

"Next, we should choose the dam sabotage group," stated Ayumi as she zoomed in on the dam's structure. "Stealth and speed are the most important variables here. Once the infiltration team uploads the virus, the sabotage group must quickly destroy the dam."

Taidan softly tapped on the table. "Since we'll rely on explosives for this mission, we don't need a large squad. One should be enough, but two can also go for redundancy. We will also need an additional four or five to provide security after finishing the mission. I imagine the path to the extraction point won't be smooth once the fireworks go off."

"Sounds great," admitted Ayumi with a nod. "So, who will go for this mission?"

"Why don't I go for this one?" Taki volunteered to everyone's surprise. Most could guess his identity from the game using context clues. Merriheim's infamous greedy merchant never joined battles. Could he carry out a critical mission like this?

Sensing the distrustful gazes, Taki responded with a thin smile, "Hey, just because I rarely fight in-game doesn't mean I can't fight. Besides, I've undergone specialized underwater training. I'm the best fit for this mission." He paused and then added with a cheesy smirk, "Plus, I really want to avoid the meat grinder."

"Heh, sounds great." Taidan chuckled. The second part of Taki's statement resonated with most of them, so they believed him. Besides, they could use this week to test Taki's capabilities in VR. It would not be too late to replace him if he fell short. "So, who'll go with you?"

Narasu Chimei, who had remained quiet until that moment, chimed in, "Yama-kun, Suzu-chan, Ruko, and Daichi can join you." Chuckling at the skeptical looks, she clarified, "We operate in the Isles region, so we have a lot of experience sabotaging underwater structures. You'll definitely find them useful, especially if you encounter undercover sentries. Trust me; fighting underwater is way different from aboveground combat."

"I'll be in your care," Taki said softly. Seeing as the man himself was unbothered, the rest no longer felt the need to push the issue. Sure, there was a risk that those four would betray Taki, but without proof, accusing or suspecting them beforehand was beyond disrespectful – especially when many did not want to take up the same post for fear of missing out on combat opportunities.

Ayumi briefly glanced at Taki and then stated, after receiving a nod of acknowledgment, "Alright. You five will sabotage the dam immediately after the enemy's comms go down. After the explosion, the river should take roughly fifteen minutes to reach and flood the enemy's HQ. Before then, we need to sabotage the enemy's mech successfully. Of course, if the opportunity presents itself, we can also attempt to assassinate the target early. However, the priority must remain on sabotaging the mech suit as quickly and completely as possible. It's better for one of us to face an entire base worth of battle-suit aliens than for all of us to face a single mech. We'll die, end of."

Natsu softly tapped on the table as she said, "In that case, we need to create a splinter cell team to enter and sabotage the enemy mech before the rest rush in for clean-up."

"Not a team. Just one." Suzuki suddenly spoke up, drawing all eyes onto himself. Seemingly unfazed, the young man looked at the projected headquarters. "This mission requires subterfuge of the highest order. The slightest error will send that alien running to his mech. The fewer variables, the better. One person has to carry out this mission."

"Let me guess. You are that one person?"

"I believe I am best suited for this mission, but if you have a better candidate, I am willing to step aside." Suzuki looked at Natsu. He sensed the accusatory sarcasm in her voice but chose to ignore it.

"Really? You will just step aside, no questions asked?"

"I think you have the wrong impression here." Suzuki's gaze turned even colder as he glared at the opposing guild leader. "I only care about finishing the mission. Prizes, placement, all of that are irrelevant. The only thing that matters is finishing the mission and getting everyone back home."

"Then, I apologize for my rude behavior. It's my first time working with you, so trusting your intentions is a little hard."

"No problem. I don't trust you either," Suzuki openly admitted, causing a tense silence to fall over the room. Uncaring of their feelings, the young man looked around the room. "Honestly, I don't trust any of you. But, just like at Oni Hill, I believe intelligent people can set aside their differences when their interests are aligned. So, I choose to believe in that – in the fact that we all want this mission to succeed. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission. I hope you all are professional enough to do the same."

Taiga chuckled as he watched several people's expressions darken in rage. "Heh, should I say as expected of that blockhead? How'd he manage to piss everyone off equally?"

"What?" Saeko teased with a knowing smirk. "Are you jealous he's going to steal your title of 'Most Annoying Being to Ever Exist'?"

"You know, you take too much pleasure in breaking your boyfriend's heart. Are you perhaps a sadist?"

Saeko rolled her eyes and turned away with a snort. 'It's my fault. I should never have engaged a crazy bastard in mudslinging.'

Ignorant to the little family spat, Ayumi coughed and clapped her hand to dispel the nasty atmosphere, "Focus, people, we're almost done." Having drawn the attention, she quickly clapped and said, "Here's what we'll do: Suzuki will infiltrate first while the rest of us secure a perimeter around the compound. I imagine reinforcements will surge in from other outposts once the base gets flooded. Most of us will have to fight off the reinforcements, while a few check the aftermath to confirm or carry out the target's execution. For the second team, I recommend the leaders of each group. The five of you should be enough to handle all challenges. The rest of us will secure the perimeter and provide backup should it be necessary."

"Wow, I must say, I can see how the Wolves became such a terrifying force," Taidan joked as he adjusted his glasses. "Your management and strategic skills are nigh-on divine."

Ayumi nodded. "Thank you for the compliment, but Twilight Wolves grew because of the joint efforts of every member in our guild, not just me."

Taidan chuckled. His glittering eyes seemed to remark, 'As expected,' but he ultimately did not say any more. Instead, he stretched and then remarked lazily, "I imagine it'll take some time to recreate the scenario in a VR Builder. Why don't we go play for a bit to deepen our bonds?"

"Yeah, I'm all for that, but I've already built the scenarios," Jade teased with a shit-eating grin. "I just need your Genaco IDs, and I'll forward the link. It's fully customizable, so you can test out any scenario. Oh, but I don't have the building schematics, so I couldn't add that. I'll update the interiors if anyone can work some espionage magic to get their hands on those."

Taidan's eyes twitched slightly at Jade's revelation. He peeked at Kimuri and inwardly cursed when he saw his boss lazily sucking on a thistle. Yeah, he knew that expression very well. The boss was about to train them to death! Goddamn it! 'Wait. I can still turn this around. If I emphasize the importance of building teamwork—

"Great. Send it to me." Suzuki's voice trashed Taidan's hopes. The even crazier training maniac picked up his phone and pulled up the secret shops previously revealed by the other teams. "I need to test out the available Gladiators and practice my skydiving; haven't done one without magic or wings. The demolition team can also begin testing out which placement of bombs will deal the best damage in the shortest amount of time to the dam. I also need to check the extraction point – make sure they are viable."

Tightly frowning, Suzuki absentmindedly stood up while browsing the webpage. Muttering under his breath, the young man left the gathering without so much as a word.

Taidan watched Suzuki leave, then let out an exasperated sigh when he saw everyone else pull out their phones. "I guess partying's out of the question then. Alright, Jade-san, please share your details so I can send us our IDs. We'll group into our respective teams and meet up in VR."

Jade did not question why Taidan had everyone's ID. The young man appeared to be the type to befriend everyone he met. So, after a quick exchange, she sent the link to everyone's IDs. Soon after everyone checked the link's authenticity, they began to disperse while not forgetting to thank Jade for her hard work.