The spectators, who had been a bit let down by how quickly the final duel ended, were swept up in the excitement of the final result.
"WOOOOO! GENJI! GENJI!"
"I knew the side with the girls would win!"
"They actually wiped out a force forty times their size. Unbelievable!"
"That's our Shana!"
Back at the camp, Shana was currently collapsed, his head resting in Gunner X's lap.
"Sorry, Max. Haa… I never want to do an event that grueling again. My brain feels like it's boiling."
"You did amazing, Shana-sama! You should take a long break from fighting and just relax!"
"Yeah… I think I'll take you up on that."
The rest of the Genji Army began to arrive, flushed with victory. Gunner X spotted Shizuka and waved her over.
"Shizuka-sama! My shift as the pinch-hitter is over. Please take over! Shana-sama is groggy!"
"Eh? Is he okay?"
"Just all the accumulated stress coming out at once," Shana mumbled. "Don't worry about it."
"O-Okay. I'll take over then, Gunner X-chan."
"Main Wife-sama, please call me Max."
"Oh, right. Understood. I look forward to working with you, Max-chan."
"Likewise!"
The members of the Genji Army gathered around Shana, offering their congratulations one by one.
"Yo, Shana! Hell of a job!" Dyne grinned.
"Dyne… thanks for everything this time."
"Shana-san, are you alright? Please rest well," Spiegel said softly.
"Spiegel… I got Xeexeeed back for Yamikaze."
"Haha, even the great Shana hits his limit, huh?" Tarako teased.
"Shut up, Tarako. If you've got time to talk, massage my legs."
"Oh? In that case, I shall—" Misaki started to lean in.
"N-No! Misaki-san, I was joking! I'm fine! Totally fine!"
"So you are human," the Sensei remarked. "I was starting to have my doubts recently."
After speaking to everyone, Shana finally called over the MMO Today cameraman.
"That was truly something else. Thank you for letting us broadcast this, Shana-san," the man said.
"Thinker-san? You were the one filming?" Shana asked, surprised to see the head of the organization himself.
"If you ever plan another event, please let us know."
"Haha, I think I'm done for a while. I'm exhausted."
And so, the Genpei War—a conflict that felt both eternal and fleeting—came to an end. Those who fought for the Genji earned the respect of the player base, while the Heike were branded as fools who followed a lie. The rumors were dead, and for the time being, the only thing directed at Shana would be envy, not malice.
Later, Yukko and Haruka discussed the results.
"It ended exactly how we thought it would."
"Well, it couldn't be helped, Yukko. Emotionally, I'm glad they won anyway."
"True. Well, let's go console Xeexeeed-san."
"Yeah. He used a dirty trick and still lost. He's probably depressed as hell."
"Ahaha! His stock has hit rock bottom!"
"Nothing's changed there, then. But he's still our top earner, so we need him to keep working hard."
As for Yamikaze…
"Hey! Shana! Everyone!"
"Y-Yamikaze-san! I… I…" Spiegel stuttered.
"You did good, Spiegel. You respected my wishes and got the word to Shana. Thanks," Yamikaze said with a bright smile.
"Yes, sir!" Spiegel replied, though the hatred for Xeexeeed that had taken root in his heart remained, cold and deep.
Shana looked up from Shizuka's lap and gave Yamikaze a deadpan stare. "...Hey, Yamikaze. Why are you even here?"
"As soon as I respawned, I sprinted all the way back from the city!"
"Seriously? You've got too much energy…"
"You look like death, though. Good work out there!"
"Shut up. Your voice is vibrating in my skull."
"S-Sorry."
Shizuka, still stroking Shana's hair, smiled at Yamikaze. "It's okay, Yamikaze-san. He's just being a tsundere because he's embarrassed."
"Hey, Shizuka…!"
"Is that it?! Haha! You know, Shana, even when you're being prickly…"
The entire Genji Army shouted in unison:
""""""""""WE DON'T HATE IT!""""""""""
With that, the group disbanded for the day, heading back to the city in a convoy of Humvees. Yamikaze was given the honor of riding in the lead vehicle, Black, along with Shana, Shizuka, and the war's first casualty, Rosalia.
Suddenly, Shana turned to Yamikaze. "Hey, Yamikaze. You're acting all cheerful, but you're actually incredibly pissed that you lost to Xeexeeed, aren't you?"
"...You can tell?"
"Obviously."
"To be honest, I thought I could take him even with the terrain disadvantage. I guess I got a little cocky."
"Don't sweat it. Just challenge him again later."
"Sigh… honestly, everything is going wrong lately. I keep failing part-time job interviews, I lose to that idiot… it's one thing after another."
"A part-time job?" Shana asked.
"Yeah. I've been gaming too much lately, and my savings are… well, let's just say they're thin."
"Is that so? Want me to introduce you to a job?"
"Wait, really?! I don't care if the pay is low, I'll take anything!"
"The hourly pay is 3,000 yen. The hours aren't long, though."
"Are you kidding me?! Shana, give me your feet! I'll lick them clean right now!"
"Get away from me…"
Shana turned to Rosalia. "Anyway, Rosalia. I've found a good sample for you. Work him to the bone."
"Understood."
"Eh? Wait, what? What's going on? Oh! Right! Before the war started, Rosalia-chan said she was Shana's subordinate…"
"Exactly," Rosalia smirked.
Yamikaze's face lit up as he connected the dots. "I see, I see! Hey, Shana, can I bring Tarako along too? He mentioned he failed a job interview the other day, too."
"Oh? Rosalia, can we take another?"
"We can always use more high-level players. It's not a problem."
"Alright then. It's a deal."
"Yes! Alright, Shana! I'll let Tarako lick your feet, too!"
"I said stop!"
Though a few strange problems remained, Shana and his friends finally began their return to a peaceful, ordinary life.
-------------------------------
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