Telepathic message, during the Awakened battle

[kokuyoyo]

We're not getting anywhere. These things aren't the real threat, and they're only going to keep coming.

Second round, pay attention.

If your username had a wheel, immediately look for people who are murdering these things with apparent experience. Keep finding more of them. Make sure a group can keep you safe. Stay away from the lockers.

If you had a pair of blades, find the people being most targeted and defend them. If these things get rid of us Navigators, you'll die easily.

Do that immediately.

And for everyone... We need to lure the true form of our enemy out. These rats are just meant to exhaust us.

If we can find a way to a larger area like the gymnasium, we should set up bait. Since these things want Navigators so badly, some of us should be what sets the trap.

[There's the sound of a mental sigh that whispers through everyone's minds.]

Unless anyone has any better ideas...

Comments

[kokuyoyo]

[And in response to literally all of his friends flipping their shit- ]

The people you know are kind of stupid aren't they?

[kouteipenguin]

They're nothing of the sort!

[Except for Guts. Maybe.]

[kokuyoyo]

They're not thinking straight.

If they keep this up, we're all going to end up dead.

[touketsu]

We're a team, actually. Acting like we're anything else is what will get us all killed.

[kokuyoyo]

So you're going to get in the way?

[kouteipenguin]

Never.

[kokuyoyo]

That's what it sounds like to me.

[kouteipenguin]

Then you're mistaken. My friends could never be in my way. If they insist on being by my side, that isn't a shortcoming on their part.

[hachitaro]

Can we save the anime friendship speeches for later, please?

[kokuyoyo]

Then pull yourself out of being bait and let others step in.

[kouteipenguin]

I won't back down from what I've said I'll do.

[kokuyoyo]

You're ill fit for it.

[touketsu]

Well, if you're going to do something stupid, I'm obviously not going to go along with it.

[kokuyoyo]

Aren't you the ones being stupid...? It won't be bait if a bunch of people are clustering around it.

[touketsu]

It won't be bait if it's too small to draw attention, either. Something big will gobble that up before we can lift a finger. It's stupid!

[kokuyoyo]

Then we add more Navigators, not Combatants.

[touketsu]

Agh! Why are you so...!

You add both, enough so no Navigator is left unmarked! We can disguise the Combatants or...if they seem injured and not like a threat, it won't even matter to our enemy that they're there. Then someone can heal them at the first sign of trouble.

[kokuyoyo]

"Disguise"... You really are oblivious aren't you?

I think we're done here.... You're obviously someone who's going to end up getting another killed...

[kouteipenguin]

[he has to actually pause before he snaps at him mentally and arrange his thoughts here-]

...It's true that they're not solely thinking tactically, but there are clear advantages to having backup immediately ready. Besides, does it sound like they'd stop if you told them to?

[kokuyoyo]

Who said anything about telling them?

[....The sad thing is that those words weren't even an accident. He means what he says.]

Backup will obviously be in place, but I don't think they can properly act it.

[kouteipenguin]

Then it's clear that you don't know them.

[Because screw you.]

[kokuyoyo]

One of them almost got devoured by a rat.

[So Chikusa thinks he knows enough.]

[kouteipenguin]

[Not something he's glad to know. But-]

But he wasn't.

[kokuyoyo]

You're welcome for that.

[kouteipenguin]

... I don't know the circumstances, but... if it's as you say, you have my gratitude for intervening.