Author Note: Sorry for those who had to wait a long time for this chapter, I can offer no explanation other than me being a lazy, procrastinating bum. Anyways, this chapter is the longest I've written so far, so make sure to take your time with this one.

March 2034

Before today, Sachi could never imagine herself being a part of a meeting discussing strategies for a troublesome field boss guarding the entrance to Floor 56's Labyrinth. Then again, she also never imagined herself being quite a high level as she was now and exploring more of what Aincrad had to offer on its higher floors.

Sachi was far from an arrogant person, and knew basically everything she was able to achieve could be credited to Y/N and Kirito. Although the former was not as knowledgeable as the latter when it came to game's core mechanics, his presence served as an anchor for whenever her nerves went haywire such as when they were about to fight a field boss, enter a newly discovered dungeon, or like they were now.

The tension in the war room was thick enough to the point that Sachi wouldn't have been surprised if one of them drew their swords and met resistance in the air. She was hesitant to enter the room when they first arrived and only felt comfortable after Y/N gave her some words of encouragement — a simple task he took upon himself to do every time he noticed her unease, and Kirito held her hand.

Although Sachi felt her nerves calm thanks to the warm welcomes from Klein and Agil (who she later learned were friends of Y/N and Kirito), that didn't stop the source of her anxiety that took the form of a young woman with strawberry blonde sending a steely glare in their direction with her hazel eyes. 

In Sachi's eyes, the woman was the embodiment of everything she wasn't — strong, confident, outspoken, a natural leader, and so on.

"Y/N! Are you paying attention?!" Her voice thundered across the table, and landed where they stood.

And loud. That too.

"Hmmm?" Y/N somehow had found a wooden chair to use and sat cross-legged on top of it, his mouth full of the instant noodles he prepared at the start of the meeting. "Mhmmm!"

"For the love of— Swallow now!" She commanded. Y/N blinked in surprise but did as she said, and slurped down his noodles in one fell swoop.

《00:01》

《00:02》

《00:03》

《00:04》

《00:05》

"GULP! ...I'm not pooping tonight."

"Y/N! Have you been paying attention this entire time, or are you here just to waste our time?!"

"Can't I do both, Asuna-chan?" He asked, earning a stink eye from 'Asuna-chan.'

"I don't even know why I bother with you..." Asuna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Since no one else has a plan, then here's mine. We'll use the villagers as bait and lure it into the village."

A wave of gasps and uncertainty rippled across the other players present. Out of the corner of Sachi's vision, she could see the playful smirk on Y/N's lips invert into a stern frown.

"Wait a second." Kirito stepped up. "If you do that, the villagers will be killed!"

"That's the idea. While the boss is killing NPCs, we'll attack and destroy it."

"Your logic is sound." Y/N stood up and tossed aside his noodles, causing the people next to him to flinch but it dissipated into shards the moment it left his hands. "But, the plan doesn't sit right with me. Even if it succeeds, who's to say you won't consider reusing this plan in the future? And, what if instead of NPCs, you choose to use your own men as bait?"

"I know where to draw the line. NPCs are only objects. If they die, they will respawn. We players do not have that luxury but what we have is the ability to turn their strength to our strength. do you understand, Y/N?" Asuna stared deep into his (E/C) eyes with an adamant gleam behind her eyes.

Sachi could feel the tension in the air thicken with each passing moment as Y/N and Asuna's staredown started to affect the people around them. She was starting to feel antsy, as if witnessing a violent storm approaching her home from the horizon and feeling just as powerless to stop it.

Eventually, to Sachi's surprise, Y/N sighed in defeat and sat back down. As everyone's attention gradually returned to Asuna who looked just as surprised as her before putting on a stone-cold expression, she watched him pull up his menu and couldn't help but wonder who he was chatting with.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

P/N: The kids and I miss you :(

Acheron: ...?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

"I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with your plan." 

Sachi's attention shifted back to the meeting when she heard Kirito talking and watched as Asuna looked in his direction, sending him an icy stare.

"I, Asuna, Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, will oversee this operation. The three of us may have partied in the past, but do not expect special treatment. You two will obey my orders." She glanced between Y/N and Kirito with a look of indifference before continuing the meeting.

When the meeting was over, all the players and parties went their separate ways, the exception being Y/N, Kirito, and Sachi who stuck together.

"Sheesh. And that's why I hate these meetings. Everyone's so uptight. If they keep being so serious, then they'll never learn to relax." Y/N tilted his body left and right, his hands resting casually behind his head.

"I think you're the one who should take this more seriously." Kirito laughed until he noticed the uneasy look on Sachi's face when they locked eyes.

"It was hard to breathe in there." She admitted, as if hearing an unheard question from him.

"Don't sweat it." Y/N told her. "Today was just to test the waters. 

"T-Test the waters?" Sachi repeated slowly.

"Yeah, a field boss usually doesn't require as much manpower as a floor boss so we'd figure that today would be a nice opportunity to see how you'd do in future meetings. But, if you can't handle the heat, then next time you and Kirito can find some place to cool down, and I'll tell you the details afterward."

"See? There's nothing to worry about." Kirito reassured her. "If it makes you feel better, this is the first time in a long while since we did this and we were also nervous."

"I wasn't nervous at all." Y/N piped up.

"Yeah, well, you're never nervous. I don't know how you do it, dude..." They laughed.

'...P/N and Kirito...' Sachi stared at the ground, her lips trembling. 'Even now, they're still looking out for me. If they were on the frontlines, with the two of them working together, nothing would stand in their way. But, they chose to stay behind to help me catch up as soon as possible in levels and gear.'  Her hands balled up into shaky fists. 'They've probably done this hundreds of times already and, yet, here I am being a scaredy cat just because of a meeting.'

"But, man. Asuna sure has changed a lot since the last time we saw her. Hard to believe that's the same person who didn't know how to do a Switch."

"Yeah, although I don't think the person who didn't know about Sword Skills until he was Lv. 10 should be the one talking..."

"...I blame the devs."

"Don't you remember that meeting in the amphitheater? They were handing out tutorials guidebooks in the 1st floor's town..."

"I was..." The sound of a high-pitched squeal akin to a pig's echoed in Y/N's head as a serious expression clouded his features. "...busy. Anyways, I'm not too sure about this boss. It'd probably be best to delay the fight until we find another way to tackle it. Maybe we missed a quest somewhere?"

 "Um... I-I...I'll be right back!" Sachi suddenly shouted and retreated with a small bow while Y/N and Kirito exchanged confused glances.

The young girl lightly jogged away until she was out of their sight and veered to the left, silently walking into the meeting room which was a small cave transformed into a suitable location.

Still leaning over the table and analyzing the map was a lone Asuna. Her eyebrows knitted together in concentration and her jaw was tense as beads of sweat ran down the side of her forehead. Her hazel stare lacked the same iciness she regarded everyone else with and instead looked almost troubled as she glared at the map like she was about to stab it with the rapier resting on her hip.

"Asuna-san?"

"H-Huh?!" Asuna flinched when she heard her voice and scrambled for her weapon, and scanned the room only to find Sachi standing there, looking about as dangerous as a newborn puppy. "Oh, it's just you... Did you need something?"

"N-No, not really... I, uhm..." Sachi wanted to scream. She wanted to slap herself. She wanted to curl up into a ball and lay on the floor. What was she even doing here? She didn't know either, but her feet must have brought her here for a reason. What was that reason? Again, she didn't have an answer. "I actually had an idea...f-for the field boss." 

"Oh, really?" The surprise in Asuna's voice was not lost on Sachi, but when she looked up, she didn't see any mockery or annoyance — only curiosity. "What exactly did you have in mind then?"

"T-Tomorrow, let me draw the boss's aggro!"

"P-Pardon? I must have misheard you. Did you say..."

"Yes," Sachi nodded and straightened her slouching body, putting on a more resolute expression. "Please allow me to draw the boss's attention! I have a shield and—"

"Let me stop you right there." Asuna held up a hand to stop her, clearly unconvinced. "I believe this is your first time being here, right? Let me lay out the floor plan for you to visualize. The path to the Labyrinth is through a narrow corridor just wide for the GeoCrawler to crawl through. In a normal circumstance, this would be fine since we could use its limited mobility to our advantage and attack from both sides but unfortunately for us, an invisible wall is blocking us from climbing the surrounding walls. That means we can only attack it head on."

"I...see."

"As for the GeoCrawler itself, its appearance is similar to that of an armored earthworm with four legs. The tough shell on its back is too tough for even blunt type weapons to crack open, which leaves only the soft underside as the only suitable spot to deal damage. However, even that is impossible. Not to mention, it has sharp jaws capable of tearing apart metal and can spit acid that will melt through your shield within seconds. Do you understand the situation we are in?"

"Y...Yes..."

Asuna's harsh glare softened upon seeing the defeated expression of the other girl. She offered a kind and attempted to comfort her, "It must have taken a lot of willpower to speak up but—"

"But, why won't you listen to Y/N and Kirito?"

The gentle smile on Asuna's lips turned into a frown at the question.

"That...has nothing to do with you."

"B-But I'm sure if the three of you put your heads together, you'll come up with the perfect strategy!"

Asuna didn't show any signs of readily giving in and instead asked Sachi, "What are your thoughts on Y/N?"

"E-Eh? Why do you want to know that?" Sachi thought about it for a second. "I guess I can say that he's a little eccentric and very confident in himself, but he also has a kind heart."

"Then, how about Kirito?" The KoB Vice Commander followed up and immediately noticed the bashful blush on Sachi's face that the latter tried to hide.

"W-Well...Kirito-kun is very kind, knowledgeable, and gentle. He's always open to other people's opinions, always ready to hear out their problems and doesn't hesitate to take the time out of his day to help them. There was this time when—" Without realizing it, Sachi began to ramble on and on, her tone steadily growing in confidence with every word.

'Ah, I can understand now...' Asuna thought to herself and allowed the girl to continue her rambling. What she wasn't prepared for was the almost 20 minute long spiel, and quickly voiced her displeasure, "Okay, I get it! You can stop now."

"O-Oh, sorry..."

"Anyways, I have to ask: Did one of them ask you to do this?"

"Wh-What?! No! Why would they do that?!"

"..."

".........You're talking about Y/N, aren't you?"

"Bingo." Asuna placed her hands on her hips. "Did he set you up to this? I'd bet money that he was the one who told you to use a shield in the first place."

"W-Wow, you know him so well."

"I knew it. After all that talk about me sacrificing the lives of NPCs, he goes out of his way to make you take up the Tank role."

"Hang on, that's not fair. He wasn't—" Sachi tried to explain but Asuna was on a roll now. She cursed her lower AGL stat as she could barely keep up with the more confident lady who left the room in a hurry.

Waiting for them outside was Y/N chatting with Kirito, Klein, Agil, and a handful of other players.

"You're quite the hypocrite, aren't you?" Asuna called out to the (H/C)-haired male who looked over with his pair of (E/C) eyes to see her stomping in his direction, an annoyed glare directed at him.

"I support you one time, and this is what I get in return." Y/N smacked Kirito's shoulder.

"Sorry..."

"Whatever... Anyways, what are you talking about?"

"You say that I don't value life and yet you're making a delicate girl be your tank!" Asuna jabbed a finger into Y/N's chest and sent a quick glance at Kirito. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?!"

A frown made its way onto Y/N's face. He looked at Sachi and noticed her trouble expression, and immediately pieced everything together.

"When you're partying, a valuable skill is to acknowledge your party member's strengths and weaknesses. Srirachi doesn't have it in herself to hurt someone even if they're an enemy mob, but," Placing a hand on Sachi's head, Y/N ruffled her hair until it was a mess, looking like she had just woken up. "she has a kind heart — one that wants to protect those dear to her, and that's more than enough."

"H-Hey, my hair!" Sachi tried to duck away but Y/N's grip on her shoulder remained firm and resolute.

"Oh, shaddup. Kirito still thinks you look cute." His words made her face burn with embarrassment and not too far away, Kirito was also left in a flustered state. "Isn't that right?"

"Y-Yeah, you still look great, Sachi."

"Th-Thank...you..." The short-haired girl barely managed to squeak.

"Look at you go, stud!" Klein laughed and playfully smacked Kirito on the back.

"Not gonna lie, I didn't think you had it in you." Agil chuckled. He sighed, "I guess I owe you 1,000 Cor..." and transferred the funds to Y/N who gladly accepted the money with a cheeky grin.

"Geez, when you smile like that, it reminds me of Argo."

The smile on the young man's face vanished as he asked, "...Who?"

"Huh? You haven't met Argo yet?!" shouted Klein.

"Am I supposed to?"

While the group bombarded Y/N with tidbits about this "Argo" person and recounted their experience with her (except for Sachi who looked just as bewildered as him), Asuna watched on with a bud of envy sprouting in her chest. She observed everyone unwind in his presence and, although she would rather die than admit it, the Vice Commander of the KoB also felt her usual alertness slowly melt away into an unfamiliar serenity that reminded her of simpler days. 

Asuna couldn't understand how Y/N did it, but his voice alone was enough to cut through the tension in the air (like it had done in the meeting room) and his presence was like an anchor to those around him, helping them stay grounded during moments of fight or flight. Was it his confidence that evoked a peace of mind on whoever he cast his (E/C) gaze on, or was it something else?

Regardless, Asuna quickly snapped herself out of the Y/N-induced tranquility when she noticed more people entering the town. Now, that wouldn't have been an issue if it weren't for the few hushed whispers and gossips her ear picked upon.

"Look at that. The Vice Commander is staring at him."

"Uheee~ Can't blame her, he's quite the looker."

"I never saw the Vice Commander with that expression before..."

"I am not staring!" Fighting desperately against the furious blush forcing its way onto her face, Asuna unsheathed her rapier and pointed it in Y/N's direction. "I challenge you to a duel, Y/N!"

"A duel?!"

"Woah, time out. Let's all calm down and—" Kirito tried to defuse the situation but his efforts were in vain once Y/N stepped forward.

"Sure, why not?"

"Don't agree so readily!"

Kirito's words fell upon deaf ears, however, and Asuna sent a duel request that Y/N accepted without a second thought and unsheathed his nodachi.

"You still use that?" She scoffed. "You know you can have someone forge a much stronger weapon for you, right?"

"Of course I do. I just haven't met a good enough blacksmith who can fulfill my request. Besides, I can't just throw it away." Y/N murmured. He had an affectionate glimmer in his (E/C) eyes as he fondly stared at his old friend before re-locking eyes with Asuna, the fondness making way for his usual brimming confidence. "Anyways, what's the stakes? What does the winner get?"

"If I win, then..." Asuna looked around, glancing at everyone until her gaze landed on a certain someone. "Sachi will leave your party and join the KoB."

"E-Eh?!" Sachi, along with everyone else, was taken aback by Asuna's request.

"What? I can't trust those two with an innocent girl." Asuna huffed.

"Now, hold on a sec..." Kirito frowned. "We wouldn't dare to do anyth—"

"Deal. Only if you take Kirito too." Y/N was quick cut in, too quick for the Black Swordsman's liking.

"Huh?!"

"What? Oh, come on now. If you're separated from Sachi, then you'll be a whiny mess and won't shut up about her."

"What? Why would I want Kirito?" Asuna asked incredulously.

"I'm standing right here, you two..." Kirito muttered, a depressed aura radiating from him.

Y/N and Asuna turned to stare at him and said in unison, "We know." before redirecting their gaze at each other.

"Nice to know how much you two care about me....." He sighed in defeat. Luckily for him, Sachi was there to comfort him with head pats to which he wordlessly accepted.

"What happens if I win?" asked Y/N.

"It won't happen. But, let's say there's a one-in-a-million chance that you win and it ends up happening, then I suppose I will do any ONE thing you ask of me."

"...Anything, huh," Y/N repeated with a smirk, the sight reminding Asuna of the smile he gave her after beating the first floor's boss and she once again found herself in a precarious situation. "I'll hold you to it."

"W-Within reason!" She shouted, fighting yet another blast of warmth from steaming out of her ears.

《5》

《4》

"Hey, what's going on here?"

"«The Flash» is dueling someone!"

《3》

《2》

"Who's that?"

"No clue but he must be special if she's dueling him."

《1》

《FIGHT!》

At the sound of the virtual bell, Asuna dashed forward and reached Y/N before most people in the crowd could react.

"So fast!"

"There's a reason she's called «The Flash»!"

'Yeah, she's fast, no doubt about that...' Kirito watched Asuna thrust her rapier towards Y/N, every sharp movement creating a small gust of wind that pushed his black hair upward. 'But...' He shifted his gaze towards their expressions to see the strain on the rapier user's face and the lax look on his best friend's. 'It won't be enough to faze Y/N...'

True to his words, despite Asuna's impressive speed, her attacks were not connecting in the slightest and left not even a scratch on the man. His (E/C) eyes had little trouble following her movement and he dodged accordingly as if he knew where her precise jabs would land.

A twitch in the wrist of the hand holding his nodachi made Asuna flinch and she barely had time to raise her rapier to block the powerful one-handed swing that lifted her off the ground and sent her skidding back a few feet.

"W-Woah!"

"With just one hit, he sent «The Flash» flying..."

"Not just that, he's keeping up with her in terms of speed!"

"How come we haven't heard about him before?!"

'I guarded against it but it still did damage...' Asuna panted and her gaze went to the top left corner of her vision where she could see her health still in the green and around 90%. 

The KoB Vice Commander return her gaze to Y/N who waited patiently for her. He cracked a small smile when he saw her standing there and waved at her, and that was enough to set her off into a seemingly single-minded charge.

Asuna's rapier resumed stabbing through the air and at her opponent whose expression remained undeterred. As one would expect, her repeated stabs only pierced through the air and with every dodge from Y/N, she could feel her anger bubbling underneath until she felt it explode in the form of her rapier shining light green.

The glow around her rapier alerted Y/N and he finally put on his "locked-in" face. He raised his nodachi and blocked every precise strike with the flat side of his katana, and after the final one, he looked up to see Asuna was nowhere to be seen. Then, he felt a presence behind him and spun around in time to block her rear attack exactly like how he did with her previous attacks, successfully stopping her assault without breaking a sweat.

"Damn," Agil whistled. "What terrifying reflexes..."

"Yeah, he might even be faster than Kiri—" Klein stopped himself and awkwardly laughed. "I-I mean..."

Kirito shook his head, "Nah, you're right. In terms of theoretic knowledge, it's a bit up in the air since it's nearly impossible to tell what's going on in that mind of his but when it comes to practical application..." He smiled. "Y/N's unmatched in that field."

A loud smack caught their attention and they looked to see Asuna's rapier spin in the air and clatter onto the ground. She tried to run over and pick it up but was stopped when she felt a hard object slam into her stomach, causing her to spit up saliva, and was sent flying again. This time, Y/N had launched her upward into the air and jumped after her as a bright green glow engulfed his weapon.

"The battle's over." said Kirito, without a shred of uncertainty in his voice.

Tightly gripping the hilt of his nodachi, Y/N delivered a rapid flurry of slashes and finished off the combo with a punch to the gut that sent Asuna crashing into the ground.

When Asuna crashed into the ground, she let out a pained cough and attempted to get up, only to be met with the cold sensation of steel pressing against her neck. She looked up to see Y/N staring down at her, his (H/C) hair softly waving in the gentle breeze flowing through the town and the blinding sunlight reflecting off his black nodachi.

"Good game."

"Tch...." Asuna scoffed but nodded in defeat.

《Winner — Y/N》

《Time — 00:56》

"How many hits was that?!" If it were possible, Klein's jaw would no doubt hit the floor.

"I-I counted 6? Maybe 7 or 9? At least, I think I did..." Agil muttered in awe.

"It's a 20-hit combo." Sachi said confidently, surprising the two with her unfazed reaction.

"T-Twenty?!" Klein's jaw definitely would reach the crust of the Earth by now. "Even eight is crazy, but twenty sounds impossible!"

"Although it looks like and is classified as a 20-hit combo," Kirito interjected. "Only 10 hits is actually performed by Y/N while the system performs the remaining 10 slashes that will always be paralleled and mirrored to his own. For example, an upward slash to the right will result in a downward slash to the left from the system."

"An attack that is actually 2 attacks from opposite directions, it sounds like something that would be tough to parry but much more manageable to block with a shield." Agil shuddered at the thought.

"Tell me about it..." Kirito rubbed the back of his hand. Meanwhile, next to him, beams and rays of pure happiness radiated from the proud smile on Sachi's face. "The main weakness is that the sword skill can only be used on airborne enemies. Regardless, his «Wind God's Whisper» looks to be razor sharp, as always."

"Wait, then does that mean I could also learn it?! I use a katana too!"

"Sure. You just need Lv. 750 in the Katana Skill and Acrobatics Skill."

"Aw, man. I don't have another Skill Slot..."

There was a brief pause before Sachi spoke up, saying: "Skill Issue."

"Damn..." Agil looked away, trying his hardest not to laugh.

"So mean..." Klein's shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, you've been hanging around Y/N too much." Kirito sighed like a disappointed parent.

"Hehe..."

The four watched Y/N sheath his nodachi on his back and crouch down to extend a hand to Asuna who reluctantly accepted it.

"C'mon, let's go join them."

Timeskip, One Month Later

April 2034

Sachi collapsed to the floor, a sweating and panting mess.

"Take five?" The exhausted girl slowly opened her eyes to see Kirito staring down at her with a smirk, resting his blade on his shoulder as a few beads of sweat ran down his neck.

"Yes, please...." She squeaked. Her body felt sore and her muscles ached from carrying around her new shield. "New" might be a little misleading since it was the first shield Y/N and Acheron had her try to use. Only now, it was the only shield she had left.

"I actually think you're starting to grow into that new shield of yours." Another man's voice called out to her. Soon, his face entered her field of view and she could see his pair of bright (E/C) orbs sparkling with amusement.

Sachi pouted, "I have to since my old one was corroded from the GeoCrawler's acid! You know, that giant worm creature I had to fight by myself for the first five minutes because of you!"

"Aw, c'mon! You did good during those five minutes! Genius move to shove your shield into its throat and have it choke to death! I never thought of that!" The cheeky tone in his voice made her pout intensify but before she could complain some more, Kirito stepped in.

"Alright, alright. Break it up, you two." He spoke to them like how one would to small children. "Take a breather, Sachi. C'mon, P/N, it's been a while since you and I dueled."

Kirito sent Y/N a duel request. The latter gladly accepted with a gleeful smile and unsheathed his signature nodachi for this fairly common habit of theirs. However, what made today's sparring session different was the newly acquired weapon that the black-haired male picked up during the gap between their last and current duels: the «Elucidator».

"You gonna use that thing?" Y/N pointed at the black blade with his own.

"Yeah, why not give it a test run?"

The two players kept their distance and circled around one another, clockwise, before dashing forward and a sharp 'Clang!' echoed across the empty field, followed up by a small gust of wind ruffling every blade of grass within twenty feet. Sparks flew across the air with every clash of their swords along with the beads of sweat practically jumping off their faces from how fast they were moving.

Sachi sat up and watched the two's majestic dance of steel and sparks. It wasn't exactly a rare sight per say, but she couldn't help the awe from surfacing in her face as she watched them go at it.

"High five!" Y/N suddenly shouted, the unexpected shout causing Kirito to falter in his attack, and he lowered his left hand until it was just outside of his friend's field of view. "Down low."

"Wh-What?" said Kirito, clearly taken aback by this random outbursts, but he felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked down to see a (F/C) light around Y/N's hand and barely managed to block the uppercut with his «Elucidator». Thankfully, for him, his sword remained intact and absorbed the brunt of the powerful yet lighting-fast punch, but he was sent flying upward.

"Too slow." Y/N twirled his katana as a (F/C) light engulfed the spinning blade. 

In the air, Kirito was about helpless as a fish out of water and Y/N didn't hesitate to take advantage by jumping after him and performing the same Sword Skill he used against Asuna —the same attack that shredded through Asuna's HP like it was paper.

"Nggh!" Kirito gritted his teeth and tried his best to block as many slashes as he could, both normal and wind. His muscles and eyes strained to keep up with the double slashes, and just when he was about to give up, the raging storm finally subsided, giving him the opportunity to finally strike back against Y/N, and much like him, he wouldn't let this chance slide.

Kirito placed his «Elucidator» in his right hand and reached over his shoulder with his now free hand, grabbing another sword from his inventory.

"K-Kirito-kun!" Sachi scrambled to her feet. An uneasy expression can be seen on her face as she called to him, "Are you sure about this? Someone might see you!"

'She's right, but if it's only for one attack, then...' Kirito raised his swords as a blue glow engulfed them. Still in the air, he slowly spun forward and accelerated downward towards Y/N who raised his nodachi to block the attack. 'It's fine!'  

"HAAAAAA!!!" Kirito roared and poured all his strength into his blades as Y/N pushed back against the attack with both hands supporting his katana.

Chink!

"...!" The two's eyes widened and they perked up when they heard the peculiar sound. Confusion overtook them until they noticed the glowing blue swords slowly cutting through the black katana.

With one final push, Kirito's swords cut through Y/N's nodachi, sectioning it into three pieces — the cut off pieces of the black katana fell to the ground and shattered into hundreds of shards of data, and he slashed Y/N's chest in an "X" motion.

Y/N stumbled backward, his HP dropping to 80%, and held up what remained of his loyal weapon: the handle and the now square-shaped edge of the blade.

"Guess that means I win this time?" Kirito asked cheekily, panting heavily.

"Where did you learn to count?" Y/N huffed and pointed at Kirito's HP after he put away his destroyed weapon.

《Kirito — 54%》

《Y/N — 80%》

"Yeah, but you don't have a weapon anymore. The duel's over." argued Kirito.

"Fine, let's say the duel is done... And, who has more HP at the end?" countered Y/N. 

"That's not right! I can still fight and you can't."

"Let's be honest: You only won because you used that skill. If you hadn't, I would still have my weapon and beat you soundly."

"Like you're one to talk. What's with that 'high five' trick?!"

While the two boys bickered, Sachi watched them from the sidelines and giggled at their enthusiasm.

"What are those two doing?"

Sachi looked to her left to see Asuna standing there as her usual self: annoyed and hands on her hips.

"Good afternoon, Asuna-san." She greeted with a kind smile, the good-hearted gesture making Asuna's disgruntled expression soften by a slight margin.

"Same to you." The strawberry-blonde-haired girl gave her a curt nod before returning her attention to the two players still arguing, "Are you idiots done bickering yet?"

"Nuh uh. / Yeah huh." Y/N and Kirito said at the same time, prompting the former to bonk the latter on the head, dropping his HP to 48% and crowning him the victor.

"Ow!"

"Stop whining," Y/N put him in a headlock and gave him the meanest noogie in history. "I'm the one who just had to watch their weapon get broken, ya know?"

"Oh, right... Sorry about that. I didn't mean to—"

"Your weapon broke? Do you mean that old katana of yours?" Asuna huffed. "I'd say it's for the best. We're almost at the 75th floor, but you're still using that thing? It's like you're intentionally limiting yourself!"

"...I guess you're right." Y/N released Kirito. He pulled out the fragmented katana from his inventory, stared at it for a few seconds, before putting it away again with a shrug. "I have to find a proper burial spot for it."

"If you want, you could smelt it down and use it for your new weapon." Kirito offered.

"Maybe... But, I'd still have to fuse it with stronger materials so it can keep up with higher level weapons and at that point, I might as well use a different base material."

"I guess that makes sense... Anyways," Kirito turned his attention to Asuna. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to be here?"

'Oh, brother...'  The black-haired boy rolled his eyes while Sachi quickly tried to defuse the situation.

"N-No, that's what we meant! It's just that we're surprised to see you away from the frontlines and didn't expect for you to be here."

"Hmph. Well, at least ONE of you understands tact." 

"Can you just tell us already?"

"Hmph. if you must know, then I'm here for him." Asuna pointed behind her, at Y/N who waved back with a blank smile.

"Huh? Why him?" asked Kirito before remembering, "Oh, does this have to do with that bet you made a month ago?"

"...Maybe."

"So, what exactly did he make you do?"

"That's none of your business!" Asuna quickly snapped, a faint blush visible on her embarrassed expression.

"Woah! Now, I kinda don't wanna know..."

"Easy, tiger." Y/N placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled at Kirito. "We just go out and have dinner together, and she's the one paying for it all."

"D-Dinner together?" A blush crept up Sachi's face.

"Every night?!"

"That is when you eat dinner, yes."

"And, you didn't invite us?!"

"Of course not. You and Sachi are having your lovey-dovey time every night." Y/N bluntly stated, causing the couple to flop around like fish out of water as they tried to deny his words, to no success. "Yeah, yeah. We get it. Since it's the last time Asuna's gonna pay for my meals, why don't you two join us?"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, Asuna could use some friends. Maybe she won't be so bossy all the time."

"Excuse me?!"

"Mhm. Yeah, so as I was saying, let's go grab something to eat already. Let's pick the most expensive restaurant on this floor." Y/N walked off casually, with his arms lazily behind his head and Kirito right next to him, echoing his sentiment.

Meanwhile, behind them, Asuna was desperately holding herself back from stabbing both of them in the back, only finding the strength to do so thanks to Sachi.

"T-Take deep breaths, Asuna-san..." Sachi patted her back. 

"That asshole already cost me hundreds of thousands Cor..."

"If it'd make you feel better, I promise to make sure me and Kirito don't buy anything outrageously expensive!"

"...You promise?" asked Asuna in a rare moment of vulnerability.

"Mhm!"

As Asuna would soon find out, however, when Sachi says, "Mhm" she meant no.

"Mmmm~~!! Shoooo gooood!!!" Sachi moaned when the taste of the steak she ordered hit her taste buds, sending bursts of delight to her brain.

"50,000 Cor for a piece of steak..." Asuna glanced at Kirito sitting next to the "promise-breaker" and enjoying his curry. "And 70,000 from him..." Her eyes twitched when she looked to her left, in Y/N's direction, and saw the empty dishes stacked at the end of the table. "250,000 Cor for a total of 370,000 Cor..."

"You gotta learn to stop worrying about money. Trust me, you'll be a lot happier that way. Plus, the whites in your hair will thank you for it." Y/N leaned back in his seat with a content smile as he patted his stomach.

"IT'S MY MONEY THAT'S BEING SPENT!!!"

"See? This is what I'm talking about." Y/N laughed, but Asuna was in no such mood and banged her head on the table, groaning in annoyance. "If it makes you feel better," She tilted her head to stare at him with just her left eye. "I'll make it up to you in the real world."

"Are you trying to trick me?" She was apprehensive, and had every right to be, especially with who she was talking to. She was ready for him to turn the tables on her in a snap of a finger.

"I've literally never lied once to anyone."

"Why does that sound a lie...?" Asuna sighed once more. She looked out the window and at the sunset-veiled streets of Floor 59's town, listening to the noises of the inn fizzling out in the background, becoming white noise. Outside, the low-hanging sun cast hundreds of shadows across the town with its radiant blaze. It was a familiar sight that Asuna had seen many times before in the lower floor's towns and she found herself slowly grew accustomed to it, but that in itself was also a cause for one of her fears. "Do... you really think we can make it out of here?"

"Of course." replied Y/N instantly. "We're all making it out of here."

"How can you be so confident that we can clear the game?"

"...Because I'm here and alive. Do you need a better reason to believe?"

"You're way too cocky for your own good..." Asuna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "One of these days, you're gonna get humbled real fast."

"But, it won't be from you." Y/N smirked at the sight of the small frown forming on her lips and stood up. "C'mon, let's go take a walk."

Asuna raised an eyebrow but agreed, following him to the entrance where they were stopped by the NPC that was in charge of the establishment.

"Greetings, patrons. It seems that you've finished your meals and wish to leave! We hope our dishes were satisfactory. But, before you leave, you must—"

"Kirito will pay." Y/N jabbed a finger behind him.

"WHAT?!" A loud roar of shock and anger echoed throughout the room, startling every other player who all looked in his direction.

"Understood! Please enjoy the rest of your evening."

Giving the owner a nod, he grabbed Asuna by the wrist and ran out with her in tow, laughing when he heard the shouts for him to return.

"I could... have... paid!" Asuna said in between breaths as she found herself caught in Y/N's tempo as they ran away. 'How fast can he run?!'

"Don't worry, Kirito is loaded with cash. He'll be fine!"

"If you say so..." Asuna mustered an uneasy smile.

By the time they slowed to a steady gait, the sun was still setting in the background, casting a darker shade of orange over the town.

"So, how's the KoB treating you?"

"Why are you asking?" Asuna immediately got all defensive.

"Jeez... You weren't talkative back then, but this is something else entirely." Y/N shook his head in defeat. The past ten minutes were spent trying to make small talk with the strawberry-blonde woman who shot down every attempt with professional ease. "I can't even hold a conversation with you now."

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds and Asuna eventually broke the ice with a sigh.

"Sorry... I can't help it. It's been...alright."

Y/N hummed, "Heard your leader was quite strong."

"Yeah, that's right." Asuna stuck out her chest with pride. "Commander Heathcliff was able to hold off Floor 50's boss on his own for 10 minutes and they call him The Strongest Man. Just because you somehow beat me doesn't mean you're the best."

"Funny. That thought never crossed my mind." Y/N cheekily replied, enjoying how fast the smirk on her face melted away. He turned his gaze towards the darkening skies with an unreadable expression. "The Strongest Man, huh..."

"..." Asuna silently studied his face before clearing her throat, "Anyways, you've been asking all the questions so far. It's my turn now."

"Sure. Shoot."

"What've you been up to since we disbanded our party back on the 1st floor?"

"Nothing exciting. Just grinding mobs and quests to level up quick as possible, planning farming routes to gather materials to sell while waiting for mobs to respawn, and—" Y/N went on to list off everything he did since then and while it was a list of mundane tasks that left even him bored, Asuna still listened intently. Then, she noticed his expression suddenly change, his lips shifting into a small smile. "Oh, then after all this solo leveling, I met Acheron."

"Ache...ron?"

"Yeah, Acheron." Y/N said plainly, as if that explained everything. He quickly noticed her confusion and added, "Ah, just someone I traveled with for, like, 4 months. We haven't seen each other for half a year though. The only other person other than Kirito that I'll fully trust to watch my back."

Asuna watched him closely and could see the resolve behind his eyes and heard the sincerity in his voice. "Sounds like he's a reliable person." She laughed.

".....He?"

"EEEEEEEEEEK!!!!"

Just then, before either of them could say anymore, the loud shriek of a woman caught their attention and they hastily rushed to the scene. They ran at full speed, only to find a crowd of players in front of the church looking up at a man in full metal armor, hanging from the church and trying to yank out the crimson blade stabbed through his chest.

"What are you doing?! Pull it out!" shouted Asuna from below.

"He can't." Y/N calmly pointed at the jutted edges of the weapon stuck in the man's chest. "The barbs are stopping him from pulling it out."

"Y...You stay down here and catch him!"

"I'll certainly try my best."

Asuna frowned at the lack of concern in his tone but pushed that to the side for now, and hastily climbed the tower's internal staircase.

"Hey, you know you can just cut the rope around your neck, right?" Y/N shouted up to the man. Unfortunately, the dying player couldn't hear his voice and continued his vain attempt of yanking the sword out from his chest, flailing like a fish out of water in the process. "Oh, for the love of..."

Y/N bent down, feeling the muscles in his legs tense up, and he launched himself into the air, grabbing onto the ledge near the unnamed player. 

"...!" The hanging man's eyes widened in shock when he saw Y/N hanging next to him (in a much more pleasant situation).

"Don't worry, I gotcha—" Y/N reached over to grab the rope choking the armored man and was ready to save him when his hand was unexpectedly seized. He looked down to see said man holding him by the wrist and staring straight into his soul with a pleading glimmer in his eyes.

"What the..."

Then, within a flash of blinding light, the hanging man shattered into hundreds of data shards, leaving Y/N stunned as he let go and landed on the ground, right next to the murder weapon.

* * * * *

"And then he just... died." Y/N finished recounting his side of the story to Asuna. In his hand was the barbed weapon that had been left behind and, much to his chagrin, it was in fact NOT a sword but rather a spear.

"The most obvious conclusion is that the man was challenged to a duel and the other player impaled him with that spear, tied a noose around his neck, and tossed him out the window." Asuna glanced at the wooden pole where the other end of the rope was tightly tied around. 

The pair stood in a small windowless room on the 2nd floor of the church, the only source of light being the dull warm glow of the sunset peeking through the doorway leading to the outside.

"Not really. We shoulda seen a "Winner!" message, but that's obviously not the case."

"The only way to hurt someone in a safe area is via a duel." Asuna reminded him.

"True. But a duel wouldn't permanently kill a player for losing." Y/N looked out the doorway, "We're at the town's center and since that man still hasn't respawned here, we can rule out your silly little theory."

"Silly?" Asuna scoffed, "Either way, we can't ignore this. If someone actually found a way to PK inside a safe area, it will be dangerous inside towns as well as outside. I'll have to leave the frontlines for a bit, but I have no other choice."

"Not really," Y/N shrugged. "You staying on the frontlines or being here won't make much of a difference in the end."

"...Excuse me?" Asuna nearly bit her tongue, stopping herself from going off the rails on the man standing in front of her. She was used to her underlings readily awaiting orders before speaking, and yet Y/N did the complete opposite.

"What? I just mean this isn't exactly that important to worry about."

"Are you kidding me?!" Asuna glared at him, "How can you say that about a glitch that can and will be exploited?! Once the news spread about this, which it absolutely will, panic would ensue—"

"That's only assuming it is a glitch." Y/N cut her off, "If you wanna call it a glitch, then I won't stop you. But, we've been trapped here for almost 1.5 years and there hasn't been any exploits and glitches reported by any player. Why now all of a sudden? Kayaba might be a lot of things, but I wouldn't label him as deceitful. Everything he's implemented in this game was for a reason and backpedaling doesn't sound like him. Anyways, you're right about one thing: We should get to the bottom of this as soon as possible before everyone panics." 

Y/N pushed himself off the wall, and jumped down to the first floor while Asuna studied him carefully before following him outside.

'Is this really the same person from before...?' 

By the time Asuna caught up with Y/N, he was already addressing the crowd of spectators.

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP!!!" His voice boomed throughout the area and rippled across the mass, and startled Asuna, "IF ANYONE HERE SAW WHAT HAPPENED, FROM START TO FINISH, THEN YOU BETTER STEP UP NOW OR WE'LL CONSIDER YOU AN ACCOMPLICE!!!"

Asuna pulled him to the side and hissed, "What are you doing?!"

"Hehe~ I've always wanted to be the detective in a murder mystery, like Sherlock Holmes or Batman! Usually, I'm just beating the crap out of everyone, like Bruce Lee...or Batman!"

'Never mind, it's still him...' Asuna sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel a migraine rapidly creeping up on her.

"E-Excuse me..." A timid voice caught their attention, and the two saw a timid-looking woman with purple hair hesitantly approaching them. 

"I-I'm sorry for not stepping forward sooner." She bowed her head in apology.

"No, no! Please, just ignore my...friend here." Asuna sounded like she wanted to call Y/N anything other than that. "May we know your name?"

"R-Right... My name is Yoruko. The man that was just killed... His name was Kains and..." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "A-And we were supposed to meet up for lunch, but we got separated in the plaza. I looked around, and then saw him hanging from the church w-win... w-window..." Yoruko broke off into a choked sob, and Asuna gently patted her back.

"I'm so sorry for your loss... I can't imagine what you're going thr—"

"Sweetheart, can you answer a question for me?" asked Y/N, prompting the two to look up and see him now wearing a 1980s detective outfit. A wooden smoke pipe rested between his lips as he scratched his head. "Did this Kains fellow perhaps have a history of accepting duels?"

"Where did you... No, no, why are you wearing that?!" Asuna pointed at Y/N.

"Er... Not to my knowledge, detective." Yoruko answered truthfully.

"And, why are you playing along?!"

"I see... Then, it's highly unlikely he died as a result from accepting a duel. And, if he was planning on meeting up with you, then it's just as unlikely the murderer forced him to accept said duel."

"That doesn't—"

"W-What? Who would think he died because of a duel? I-It must have been murder!"

"Precisely. What a fool they would be! Do you agree, my dear Watson?" Y/N gave Asuna that smug smirk she grew to despise, only made worse by the smoking pipe hanging from his mouth.

"...Let's focus on Kains for now, Yoruko. Got it?" She smiled, yet it lacked any warmth. 

"O-Okay..."

"Good." Asuna's expression softened. "Is there anyone who would've wanted Kains dead?"

"...!!!" A look of terror crossed Yoruko's face. Her face rapidly lost its peachy color and her eyes widened at whatever thought she was having. However, she eventually steeled herself in order to shake her head no.

"You have such a way with words, Watson."

"You. Shut up." The cold stare sent his way did little to rattle him, but Asuna had more pressing matters to attend to, in the form of the woman shaking in her arms. "I'm sorry, that was an insensitive thing to ask. Is there a safe place you can stay at?"

"Y-Yes..." Yoruko nodded and carefully instructed them where to go, all with a distant look behind her eyes.

"Please, allow us to escort you back then, sweetheart." Y/N took another puff from his smoke pipe. "It would rather be unfortunate for all of us if you suffered a similar fate as your lover."

"?!" Asuna stiffened and shot him a nasty glare upon hearing his rather apathetic demeanor.

"Alright..." Yoruko nodded again.

"Splendid. Show us the way then." Y/N firmly told her, the commanding tone behind his words causing her to flinch.

"U-Understood, detective..." She nodded for the thrice time, nervously averting her gaze.

"...?" Y/N raised an eyebrow when he saw the fear in her eyes, recognizing the look from somewhere, but before he could say whatever was on his mind, Asuna stepped in and gently steered Yoruko away.

"Yoruko-san, I am so sorry for his rudeness. Please ignore him."

"Don't get too handsy, Watson." Asuna heard Y/N say from behind her and she swore she was seeing red, but somehow managed to reel herself back in and held tightly onto Yoruko's trembling figure.

"Ignore him, Asuna..." The KoB Vice Commander repeated to herself like a mantra, slightly worrying Yoruko. Her thoughts were interrupted when the three sets of footsteps dropped to two, and she looked her shoulder to see Y/N standing there, surveying the crowd. "What are you doing?"

With his back turned to her, she couldn't know his thoughts. However, if she had, Asuna would have sensed something was wrong by his serious frown.

"I thought I felt someone staring at me."

"Maybe — hear me out on this — is it because of your earlier shouting and outfit?"

"Oh... Maybe you're right!" Y/N turned back to face her with a bright grin.

"Why do I even bother with you?" Asuna shook her head disapprovingly and the young man followed her, his expression swapping to a stone-cold exterior whenever he glanced behind them, trying to pinpoint the source of unease.

* * * * *

"Thank you for walking me here." Yoruko thanked them, standing outside an inn that resembled a motel in the real world.

"Don't worry about it. Let's talk more tomorrow."

"...Right..." The purple-haired girl bowed and closed the door behind her.

"Well done, Asuna-chan. Your people skill is a lot better now. Did they teach that in KoB training?" Y/N chuckled, now wearing his usual clothes, but Asuna didn't say anything and simply left him behind. "Hey, wait up! What's your problem?"

Asuna suddenly stopped and spun around, "My problem?! What is your problem?! Yoruko-san just watched someone close to her die and you're out here goofing around and playing dress up! What is wrong with you?!"

"You remember that talk we had about white hairs? Maybe, you should just chill out for a sec and take a deep breath?" Y/N offered, but Asuna wasn't having any of it.

"People are out here dying, Y/N! While we're having this argument that shouldn't need to be had in the first place, lives are being lost and people are dying in the real world!" Asuna shouted and pushed him up against the wall. "...Do you know what it's like being responsible for someone else's life?" Her voice faltered. "'The frontlines are moving too slow.' 'Ugh, what's taking them so long to beat this game? I wanna go home already.' 'Oh, looks like there were more casualties again. How pitiful.'"

"Asuna, you shouldn't let those people get inside your head."

"That's a lot easier said than done." She scoffed.

"Ehm... Then, I guess you can learn from me?"

"'Learn from you?' Oh, right. If I wanted to listen to your words, then I would have returned to the frontlines like you wanted me to!"

"Look, Asuna." Y/N said slowly in a steady tone, "There's a good reason why I wanted you to stay away from this. It's because—"

"I'M NOT AS STRONG AS YOU! IS THAT IT, P/N?!" Asuna snapped, the raw emotions behind her words stunning him and the lifeless streets into silence. She rested her head against his chest while her shoulders rose and fell in a shaky rhythm. What felt like hours of uncomfortable stillness passed before Asuna spoke again, her voice more fragile than glass, "After we beat Illfang together... Do you know what it was like for me after I was left behind without even a goodbye? Did you ever think about reaching out to me once? I'm not as confident or charismatic as you, nor am I anywhere near as knowledgeable as Kirito. If you asked me to join you, I would've been more than glad to accept. But, you never looked back once, did you? And, you know what? I was fine with that. I was content with that. I'm glad for my role as Vice Commander. But, then you two decided to barge your way into my life again and made me remember how helpless I felt back then. Then to make matters worse, you came back with a third member. What? Is she supposed to be my replacement?" She choked back a bitter laugh that crumbled into a sob.

"Asuna..."

"Just...stop." Asuna begged. "If you don't want me here, then I'll just go. You can handle this by yourself, can't you?" She pulled away before quickly breaking into a sprint without looking back once while her long strands of strawberry blonde hair following gracefully behind her.

Y/N silently watched her leave until she was gone around the corner. He turned his gaze upward at the pearl crescent moon looking down at him with pity as he reciprocated the gesture, wondering how many times it was forced to witness unpleasant scenes like this.

"E-Excuse me." A familiar voice slicing through the constricting veil distorting Y/N's thoughts was enough to free him, and he directed his gaze to see Yoruko standing there with a concerned expression. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for her to have that look on her face, but something about Yoruko popping out of nowhere left him feeling unnerved. "Is everything alright?"

"...Yeah." Y/N mustered an uneasy smile. "Everything's fine. Anyways, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be staying inside where it's safe?"

"I'm sorry... It's just... When I heard shouting outside, I thought something bad might have happened to you two and..." She trailed off, looking down at the floor with a troubled expression.

"Look, I appreciate the thought but Asuna and I are plenty strong. We can look after ourselves, so don't worry about it and get some sleep, okay?"

"If you say so..." Yoruko glumly nodded and began to walk back towards the inn she was staying at. She was about to open the door when she stopped upon hearing the male calling out to her.

"Hey, uh... Sorry for putting on that outfit and playing detective earlier."

"Oh..." She turned around. "Is that why you two were arguing?"

"Not really, but it was brought up and in hindsight, I feel kinda crappy about it. You know, wrong time, wrong place, and all that." Y/N sheepishly rubbed his neck, refusing to make eye contact.

"It's okay. It was a little funny."

"R...Really?" The young man's confusion was written all over his face, and Yoruko couldn't help the tiny giggle from escaping her lips.

"Kains... Whenever he spoke of something he was really passionate about, he would also have the same shine in his eyes." Yoruko glanced up at the night sky, smiling fondly at the white glitter woven into the onyx veil with a distant look in her gaze. "To be upset at someone for being themselves is no different than being upset at someone for being alive. No one deserves to be hated for that. If you really want to make it up to me, then please help me see this through to the end."

"...Yoruko-san."

"Hm?" Yoruko was about to leave but halted when she heard Y/N calling out to her.

"Is there anything you're hiding from us?" The young man's question lingered in the air for a moment before Yoruko broke the still night air with a firm, 'no.' "I see... Good night, then."

"Good night to you too. I'm counting on you." The young man watched her walk away and stop a few steps away from her door, only to turn around and wave him off. "Good night!" She said again with a smile.

Y/N did the most appropriate response and waved back with a friendly smile, but something about the whole situation felt off to him. 

Regardless, he silently turned away and walked a few blocks away before stopping to open his inventory and pull out the spear, the moonlight glistening off its red blade. Balancing the spear in his hands, Y/N continued onward to who knows where with the weapon in hand.

The road to his next destination was far from an unfamiliar one. In fact, it was one he had taken many times in the past, except now he was devoid of any company on this pilgrimage. Thankfully for him, it was an ever shorter trip than usual since he was already in the 57th floor's town and had full access to the teleport gate where he said:

"Teleport: Arcade."

And a flash of white light engulfed his avatar, teleporting him to his destination: the 50th floor.

The 50th floor was the same as Y/N remembered: hundreds of brick-built buildings organized in such a way that it created a labyrinth of sorts from the alleyways and streets outside their perimeters, stalls selling items unique in their own way, and red lanterns hanging overhead and working in tandem with the golden lamps to illuminate the streets.

As Y/N made his way towards his destination, Asuna's voice swam in his head and resurfaced like a bubble whenever he thought it disappeared.

I'm not as strong as you! Is that it, P/N! Is that why you didn't want me here?!

"No, that's not it."

You never looked back once, did you?

"..."

Eventually, Y/N stopped when he found himself where he needed to be: right outside of a small, out-of-the-way shop in an alleyway.

"Thank you! Come again." The shop owner's voice called after the latest customer leaving the shop with a heavy sigh.

"Scamming more people, unc?" Y/N entered the shop with a bright grin, his (E/C) gaze glancing over every item laid out for display, ranging from standard weapons and shields to health potions and cooking ingredients.

"Stop saying my shop is a scam. Business is already scarce as it is with you and Kirito slandering me!" Agil shouted at him. Despite the intensity behind his harsh words, he also had a smile as they dapped each other up. "Anyways, what brings you here?"

"I need a weapon appraised and you're the only one I know with that skill." Y/N pointed the spear at Agil before tossing it over to him. "Think you can handle it?"

A playful smirk made its way onto Agil's face as he asked, "Who do you take me for?" before sitting on a stool and began appraising the spear.

While his friend was concentrating on analyzing the spear, Y/N took a seat and waited patiently, his eyes staring off into the distance. It was clear that he was thinking about something important, judging by the stern gaze, and he eventually pulled up his menu.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

P/N: You still awake?

A few seconds passed.

Acheron: Yeah. 

Acheron: Is everything alright?

P/N: Ofc. I'm just checking up on you. It's been a while since I last saw you.

Acheron: Yeah.

Y/N could see the three-dotted bubble pop up and disappear multiple times before another message was sent to him.

Acheron: If there's anything troubling you, then make sure to reach out to me. 

Acheron: I'll try my best to help.

P/N: Ditto.

Acheron: ?

P/N: It means, "Same to you." Tell me if you need help with anything too, Bosenmori.

Acheron: It's been a while since I thought of my real name.

Acheron:

P/N: It's getting late.

P/N: You should get some sleep.

Acheron: Yeah.

Acheron: Ditto.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Y/N allowed himself a tiny smile after reading Acheron's latest message and dismissed his menu when he heard Agil.

"It's a player made weapon, named 'Guilty Thorn' made by some person named 'Grimlock.'"

"Impossible. Someone and something even more edgy than Kirito?"

"Yeah. This isn't exactly the product of a top-ranked blacksmith either, that's for sure." Agil handed the weapon back to Y/N. "So, what exactly is the significance of this weapon?"

Y/N briefly explained the entire situation to Agil, leaving out certain parts like Yoruko and the recent fallout with Asuna.

"Someone's HP dropped to 0 within a safe zone? And it wasn't a duel?"

"Nope, there wasn't a winner's message and we can rule out Sleep PK too. A...friend of theirs who happens to be our witness was with them a few minutes before they died."

"Strange... There didn't seem to be anything particularly unusual with the weapon."

"Oh, really?" Y/N looked down at the crimson spear in his hands, an unreadable gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah. Nothing special. The damage for its weight is decently balanced and its condition is fine too. The only thing weird about it is the barbed blades, but given its name, maybe not—" Agil glanced over to see Y/N holding the spear in a reverse grip and readying himself to bring the crimson steel blade down. "Woah! HEY!!"

The shop interior's peaceful ambiance was rattled by a stool toppling over, followed by metal cutting into flesh.

"Yeah, you're right." Y/N looked down at his right palm, where the tip of «Guilty Thorn» embedded itself. Bits of red data covered where the weapon met his hand, but otherwise, he was perfectly fine. "My HP is fine, so how did Kains die...?" He pondered until his gaze landed back on the spear. "Can you inspect this spear again, unc?"

"First of all, stop calling me that. Secondly, you're freaking nuts, dude." Agil let out a sigh of relief and kicked his stool back on its feet, and sat back down on it.

"It's fine. I have a large enough health pool."

"So? Just because you're hella strong doesn't mean others will stop worrying about you, you know? In fact, it's probably the opposite. Once everyone starts to realize just how strong you are, they'll set their eyes on you, including PKers. Hell, I bet people are talking about you after you duel with...Asun...a." Agil glanced around. "Say, where is she? Didn't you say she was helping you with your investigation?"

"We got into a little...argument. I don't think she's going to want to help anymore...or see me again." 

"I get it, I won't pry any further. Just try to apologize sooner rather than later." As if sensing the follow-up question, he raised a hand to stop him. "It's not a matter of who is right or wrong. Better you repair your relationship with Asuna than watch it burn."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience, unc. Did you and the missus get into arguments?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Agil's chuckling last only for a couple of seconds until he frowned at being called "unc" again.

After that, Y/N patiently waited for Agil to reevaluate the spear as he sat on his words.

"Not a single change." Agil reached to hand back the spear, but Y/N stopped him.

"And, what about its durability?"

"Huh? Why..." He checked again, and his eyes widened when he noticed that, "Wait, it went down?!"

"Then, it really is just an ordinary weapon. That would also explain what I saw. If HP can't drop but equipment durability can, then that means what I saw back then was Kains's armor being destroyed instead of him dying."

"The animations are pretty similar, but, why would he fake his own death?" asked Agil.

"I don't know... but, if there's someone who does, it would be Yoruko." Y/N put away the spear and stood up, making his way towards the front door. "Can you do me a favor and inform Kirito about the situation and have him watch over Asuna?"

"Sure, and what about you? Are you going to visit this Yoruko person?"

"Of course not. If I do, then she'll be aware of me and who knows what she'll do next. Besides, I already have a vague idea of what's going on here, but I need more information. I think it's time I met this 'Argo' person."

"Whoa! You sure about that?" Agil grabbed his arm.

"What's the issue?" Y/N's eyebrows gathered at his confusion. "Everyone seems to know her already, except for me. Is she too busy right now?"

"N-No, nothing like that. It's just..." The sigh from Agil made the younger man tilt his head. "Argo's...different from most people."

"...?"

* * * * *

The fountain running behind Asuna helped distract her mind from her previous...explosion. Almost mind-numbingly so, as she found herself being lulled back to a state of tranquility the longer she sat there. 

A small part of herself scolded her for acting so carelessly by being so relaxed, despite the dire circumstances. However, the rapier user couldn't muster the energy to fight back anymore as the rest of her successfully convinced her to leave this all behind and return to the frontlines.

Asuna stared at her reflection in the constant rippling waters, smiling bitterly at the doppelganger staring back. It described her perfectly, she thought. No matter how many times she thought she had changed since then, she was still the same little girl who desired validation from others. Validation that she was smart. Validation that she was alive. Validation that she existed.

And, only one person could offer this comfort and fill the void in her heart.

When she closed her eyes, Asuna could see her mother standing there, looking down at a younger version of herself with a wavering expression that she knew wouldn't last for many years.

"Are you sure you don't want to pick one out yourself?" The distant voice of her mother echoed in her mind. 

Even after all this time, Asuna could still recall where she was when she heard these very words and the events leading up to it. They were at the toy store, standing in the stuffed teddy bear aisle after her previous one was mangled from wear and tear.

"Yes!" The adorable chirp of her younger self made her feel slightly better.

"That stuffed bear, I received it for doing well on my tests..." Asuna whispered to no one. "It was proof that I was smart. Proof that I deserved I was worthy of her love. Then...it was destroyed again." 

Asuna's smile vanished as her thoughts wandered back to him. The young man with (H/C) hair and (E/C) who stood out from the waves of people entering her life amongst her other friends and acquaintances. One of the first people to extend a hand out to her and now the first person who she burnt the bridge to with her earlier outburst.

Asuna wanted to smack herself but she stopped herself. 

What good would that do? 

She knew she should apologize, or at the very least, talk to him about what she said in a more refined manner. 

At the same time, the same thought popped in her heard: 

What good would that do?

"Asuna-san?" 

Asuna flinched, not expecting anyone to still be awake at this time. She looked to her right to see Kirito and Sachi standing there, and was rightfully confused as for why they were here. 

"Agil-san told us about the murder." The latter whispered.

"But, how did he..."

"P/N told him to do it." Kirito stated bluntly to which Sachi winced.

"...And, Agil-san told us about your little argument." The short-haired girl standing next to Kirito stressed as realization dawned upon the male's face and he sheepishly apologized. She regained her gentle tone and asked, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"...No.... I mean," She shook her head, "No, you shouldn't ask me. I won't be helping in this investigation, just like he wanted."

The unofficial couple exchanged worried glances and had a silent conversation, resulting in Kirito running off to leave them alone.

"Asuna-san, can we sit together?" Asuna didn't respond. However, she still followed Sachi to the nearest park bench and sat with her for several minutes of unbreakable silence. "P/N-san..."

"...!" At the mention of the man's name, the Vice Commander of KoB straightened herself, and Sachi had to hold back the urge to laugh.

"He has a habit of getting carried away when he's excited. Even though I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming to deal with, right?" asked Sachi with a tilt of her head, a small smile lighting up their surroundings. 

"...Y-Yeah."

"Considering what happened... I can imagine he put on a detective outfit and tried to impersonate a famous person."

"That's...exactly what happened, yes. How did you know?"

"I figured as much." Sachi giggled. "It just sounds like something he would do. He always pushed Kirito and I to join him on any quest that sounded fun to him, and he always seemed so invested in the story and any NPC's dialogue."

"I see... Must always be fun with someone like him around."

"Perhaps..." Sachi analyzed Asuna's face, noting her souring expression. "Asuna-san, do you hate P/N-san?"

"...What? What makes you think I hate him?" Confusion took over Asuna as she inquisitively tilted her head.

"...Oh. So, then you like him?"

"WH-WHAT?!" That confusion quickly melted away into an embarrassed blush. "Why w-would I like someone like... him?!"

'Oof... This is gonna be harder than I thought...' Sachi thought to herself, her cheeks adorably puffed up as she wondered what to do next. "Hm... Then, maybe you can tell me everything that happened today with him."

"I... I don't know. Will that really help?"

"It wouldn't hurt."

Asuna pursed her lips, thinking it over. 

A few seconds passed until Sachi spoke up again, "From the time I spent with him, there's always one I admired about P/N-san." She gently touched Asuna's shoulder, stirring her from her thoughts. "He doesn't put any unnecessary pressure on anyone and only offers whatever advice he has to, well, offer. Even when I felt "pressured" a month ago to help them, it was all just in my head. On the surface, it doesn't seem like much, but to me, it feels so... nice to not have expectations put on me."

"Expectations...?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry..." Sachi sheepishly scratched her face. "It's a no-no to share details from your life, right?"

"Usually... But, we've been here for so long, this might as well be our actual life."

"That's true..." Sachi leaned back to admire the stars. "...Both of my parents work hard from morning to night to make sure the three of us are able to have a roof over our heads. They always told me to focus on my studies and push me to get the best grades so I can secure a higher-paying job after I finish high school. One of the main reasons I even joined my school's Computer Club was because they forced me to. I didn't want to at first, but I eventually caved in. Thankfully, the other members were very welcoming and accepted me as one of them. Soon, it didn't feel like another mandatory obligation I had to do for my parents like prep school or summer classes."

Sachi hadn't intended to ramble after that, but Asuna listened closely to every word, feeling each word resonate with a different part of her. Hearing about her woes of staying up past midnight to study for a particularly difficult exam made Asuna wince in remembrance and massage her temple. Her heart ached in unison when she heard how many times Sachi wished she could go outside and enjoy the summer rays while trapped in the confines of her summer classes.

With every moment shared with her, Asuna was more confident in believing that the girl in front of her could understand her. And, if she could, then maybe she could answer...

"Sachi, do you think I'm in the wrong?"

Sachi's expression grew confused, but she wordlessly returned the favor by listening to Asuna's explanation about what happened after they left the restaurant, specifically her snapping at Y/N. "I see... I'm sorry, but I can't answer that question, Asuna-san."

"You... can't?"

"No, but I know someone who can."

"Who?"

Sachi smiled and booped Asuna on the nose. 

"You."

"M-Me?"

"Yes, you. You're the only who can determine if you were in the right or wrong. You don't need anyone else to tell you these things."

"But, I..." Doubt crept onto Asuna's face, and was soon wiped away by the warm, comforting touch of Sachi's hands on hers.

"Asuna-san. When I first met you, I thought you were a cold, uncompromising person who didn't care for others. However, now that I got to know you better, I can see that I was wrong for seeing you as anything other than caring, loving, and sympathetic among many things. I looked up to you, and I still do now. Despite how low you may think of yourself, just remember that, in my eyes, you are just as strong as P/N-san and smart as Kirito. I believe in you, Asuna-san."

For the first time in her life, Asuna felt a surge of relief upon hearing those words. Tears pricked at her eyes as she tried desperately to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to break through her wall of resilience. 

It took all her strength to resist the urge to break down right then and there. However, the previous cracks made from her earlier lashing out expanded as wet sniffs and choked sobs slowly broke through, causing the entire dam holding her feelings back to collapse.

Sachi was far from prepared to catch the strong, widely admired KoB's Vice Commander in a tight embrace, but here she was now and she had no intentions of failing her new friend. "There, there..." She gently rubbed her back.

As time passed, Asuna's sobs grew quiet and her whimpers lessened to silent sniffs, and Sachi was there to guide her like a beacon to her destination.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that." To say Asuna was embarrassed was a severe understatement, as much as it was obvious to make said statement.

"It's okay. Sometimes it feels nice to let it all out." Sachi still had her pure, innocent smile that made anyone who witnessed it feel warm and fuzzy. "What will you do now?'

"I... I promised Yoruko that I would help her, and I can't break my promise. Will you help me?"

"Of course! But, what will you do when you see P/N again? You should see him again even if neither of you two say anything..." 

"I..." Asuna pondered. The first conclusion she came to was to apologize for her outburst, but the more she thought about it, was she really in the wrong? Even then, she didn't feel exactly proud of being "right" either. "I'm not sure. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Sachi seemed to be satisfied with that answer, and just in time too as Kirito rejoined them.

"Okay, Agil gave me the full run-down and shared what he learned with P/N. Apparently, he went to find Argo and told us to act like nothing's happened."

"A-Argo? Why would he..." Asuna trailed off.

"He said he needed more information before deciding what to do next. I have a feeling we'll learn what he learns by tomorrow after we meet up with Yoruko."

"Wait, 'we?' You mean you're also going to..."

Kirito raised an eyebrow, "You're not going to drop out, are you?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I... Never mind." Asuna shook her head and looked down, a tiny smile present on her face.

"Good. Let's meet up here and we'll meet Yoruko together tomorrow."

* * * * *

By all technicalities, the next day had arrived for everyone but for Y/N, even after the clock struck midnight, the night was still young. It didn't matter to him that the moon was slightly farther ahead in the black sky than it was only a few hours ago, he had a mission to accomplish.

Y/N's footsteps echoed across the empty alleyway he was walking through, shortly followed by the soft yet distinct jingle of his coins bouncing in the sack tied to his belt. With both hands behind his head and his relaxed stance, he looked like an easy target for thieving passerbys.

"Oof!" A small cloaked figure bumped into him, and he was quick to catch them. "Sorry!"

"It's alright. Don't worry about it!" Y/N let them go and continued his march for a few steps before looking over his shoulder and pointing at the sack in their pocket, "A 100 Cor is your initial fee anyways, right?"

The short person stopped right at the edge of the alley, just before stepping out into the barren streets.

"Who's asking?"

Y/N raised his hands above his head in surrender, "P/N. A friend of Kirito's. I heard a lot about—"

"Oh, I know you! A-chan mentioned you a lot before~!"

"'A-chan?'" Y/N blinked once and the player was up in his face, trying to get a better look at him. 

Coincidentally, this let him do the same and he noted the person's (who happened to be a nimble-looking tomboyish girl) facial features underneath the hood: caramel eyes, curly golden-brown hair, and cat whiskers painted on her face. He had to admit, she was kinda cute. 

"Say, how much Cor you've got on ya? I know it sounds weird, but I gotta know these things before we can talk busin—"

"Dunno — probably like 15 to 20 million Cor though. I don't spend much Cor, except for upgrades and repairing my equipment, so all the money I make from selling mob loot keeps piling up."

Argo's eyes sparkled like gems and she cleared her throat. "Pardon me, what exactly do you need me to do, esteemed guest?" She asked in a honey-sweet tone.

'Agil was right about her. Actions speak louder than words, but the jingle of coins is the loudest to her ears.' Y/N wordlessly shrugged, "Need you to dig up someone's past for me — just their guild and the members if that's possible."

Argo's eyes reverted to their normal shapes and her lips curled into a frown. "Why do you need this information? And, who is it?" Y/N sighed and then briefly explained everything. "Oh, I get it now. Trying to understand their motives for staging a death, eh? I can do it, buuuuuut~" The twinkle in her eyes returned and Y/N swore they were Yen-shaped now.

"120,000." He stated plainly.

"Pleasure doing business with ya~!" She shook his hand. "Let's add each other, and I promise to get you your information within the next 24 hours, boss~!"

"Boss...?" Y/N was left with mixed emotions when he heard that. Something about a brown-haired female informant with an obvious feline motif calling him "boss" made his head dizzy, but he brushed it off. "Aaaand... accepted! Here's the payment."

"Perfect~! Now, I'll just... Hm? Why did you give me double—"

"Listen, Argo," The girl looked up and let out an involuntary squeak when she found Y/N leaning down to her level, his face inches away from her. The pair of glowing (E/C) lamplights shone ominously in the darkness and stared into her, sending a chill down her spine. "I know it's a little rude to ask, but can you place me in front of your queue? I really need that information ASAP, got it?"

"S-Sure thing... boss." Argo avoided eye contact, praying to whatever god or goddess watching over her that the rather dashing man in front of her couldn't see the blush adorning her face from the cover of darkness.

"Thank you~!" Y/N thanked her and took a step back, none the wiser of what exactly transpired. All he knew was that he was getting his information soon. "Let me know if you need any..." He trailed off as he watched the hooded figure round the corner without so much as a goodbye. "...help."

Left with nothing else to do, Y/N was ready to leave the alleyway and make his way towards the nearest inn to turn in for the night when he felt a sudden wave of unease as if someone was watching him just like when he first met Yoruko and whipped around to find... nothing. He looked behind him again and ended up with the same result.

"I need to get some sleep." was the reasonable conclusion he came up with, and he eventually left the desolate alleyway.

Surprisingly, that night's sleep found Y/N much faster than he anticipated and morning arrived within the blink of an eye. Sunlight peeked through the glass windows of his room and rays of light shone on his face, rousing him from his slumber. 

While Y/N was weighing the pros and cons of sleeping, a knock on the door to his room made him practically leap out of bed.

"I'm up, I'm up!" The PTSD of his mother banging her fist against his door on a school day felt like drinking 10 cups of coffee for Y/N and all the drowsiness in his body evaporated. He opened the door and that was the signal for Argo to wander in and plop down on his bed with a yawn.

"Morning..." Argo yawned again.

"...Good morning to you too?" Y/N closed the door and approached Argo. He was about to shake her awake until he noticed the bags underneath her eyes and took note of how fast she fell asleep, and retracted his hand. Instead, he lifted his blanket and covered her smaller frame.

By the time Argo woke up, the golden daytime rays had changed to an orange evening coloring along with the skies and Y/N returned with dinner.

"Oh, you're finally awake?" Y/N asked in between shoving mouthfuls of pizza into his mouth.

"Yeah... Had to pull an all-nighter to get all the information you needed." Argo mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She peeled the blanket off and swung her legs off the bed, taking a slice of pepperoni pizza for herself. "Thanks for the breakfast."

"Employer's responsibility." Y/N chuckled. "Besides, you do know it's almost nighttime, right?"

"N-Night?!" She nearly choked on her food and might have if her young client hadn't passed her a cup of water to save her. "I was out that long? I didn't ruin your plans for the day, did I?" Argo asked sheepishly.

"It's not a big deal. I just killed some mobs and went shopping for health pots." 

"I... see."

Y/n was perplexed by Argo's unwillingness to look him in the eyes until he realized the reason behind her odd behavior. "I won't take back the bonus I gave you — not like I can anyways. Even though you crashed on my bed, you still got me the information as soon as you could."

"Well, if my generous boss says so, then I won't argue~!" Argo chirped and returned to her normal savvy self in no time. She went back to enjoying the taste of her pizza while purposefully ignoring the almost disappointed blank stare from said "boss."

After they finished their dinner, they cleaned up and sat on opposite ends of the inn room's round table.

"So, why don't you tell me everything you managed to learn?"

"Right." Argo nodded. "Based on my sources, Kains and Yoruko used to be a part of a small guild, about 8 players or so, named 'Golden Apple.' Around 8 months ago, they defeated a rare monster who dropped an item — a ring that increases agility by 20."

"...By 20, you say?"

Argo wagged her finger, "That information will cost you extra, boss~"

"This damn cat..." Y/N grumbled and leaned back in his chair.

"In the end, they voted 5-3 in favor of selling it. Their leader, Griselda, ventured to a town on the frontlines in order to hand it over to a broker. However, she never came back and her name was discovered to be crossed out in the Black Iron Palace, leading to the disbandment of their guild."

"Considering that the existence of the item hasn't been discussed in the news, we can only assume that she never got around to selling it and it died with her. The murderer must be within the remaining seven members, and the most suspicious culprits would've been the three players who wanted to keep it."

"And, that would be Kains, Yoruko, and a tank player named Schmidt. That third name..." Argo frowned and leaned her chin on her hand, trying to remember. "If I recall correctly, that's the name of a player on the front lines belonging to the Main Advance Team."

"MAT, eh...?" A sigh escaped Y/N's lips.

"Got beef with them?"

"Not really... Besides, killing 30 of their rejects." The contrast from his nonchalant tone to his chilling words left Argo stunned. 

When he opened his eyes to glance at her face, Y/N was expecting to see something akin to fear, apprehension, or even disgust. However what he saw instead was unexpected. Argo's eyes were wide, yes, but the elated sparkle in her eyes sent a familiar shiver throughout his body as she looked him up and down with interest with a neutral smile.

Y/N shut his eyes, blinked twice, and when he opened them, he saw Argo sitting there, staring back at him with a concerned expression. Nothing felt off to him now and that voice buried deep inside of his mind trying to warn him of something went away.

"Are you okay, boss? Is something wrong?!" The rising panic in Argo's voice ironically helped calm him down.

"Yeah, I think I'm going insane!" Y/N wanted to say but simply shook his head and the unsettling pit in his stomach withered away. "I'm fine... Anyways, how is Grimlock related to this?"

Argo was clearly still worried but continued onward regardless. "Apparently, he is Griselda's husband — in-game, of course. If your theory about Kains and Yoruko faking a death inside a safe area is true, then it stands to reason that they're working together with Grimlock to force a confession from Schmidt or the other members."

"That does make the most sense..." Y/N agreed, but the uncertain expression he had said otherwise. "Although, something doesn't add up."

"What do you mean?"

"When you marry someone in this game, your inventory is shared with your spouse. If you or your spouse dies, all of the items of the dead go automatically to the survivor's inventory. Since that ring went missing and there haven't been any rumors of where it came from, wouldn't that mean Grimlock has it?"

Argo's eyes widened. "But if Grimlock has it, then the people who killed Griselda must have purposefully left it in her inventory. That would mean..." 

However, before they could continue their line of thinking, a message popped up in front of Y/N who opened it.

"What's wrong?" asked Argo. She shuffled over and rested an arm on his shoulder.

Y/N felt the hairs on his arms stand and the tingly feeling returned, but when he glanced towards the door and used his «Searching» skill, he came up with nothing. 

"Kirito messaged me and told me... Yoruko is dead."

"Er... When you say dead, do you mean as in 'dead' or like 'dead-dead?'"

"She was in a safe zone." Argo let out a silent 'Oh.' and nodded. "It also looks like they were somehow able to make a correlation and called Schmidt to a private meeting. They'll probably confront him tonight. Quick, tell me, where was Griselda buried?!"

"F-Floor 19's field, but—" 

Y/N made his way toward the door until he was stopped by a tug on his hand.

"Wait!" He turned around to find Argo looking up at him, eyes gleaming with brave determination. "Take me with you!"

* * * * *

The 19th floor's field was far from a hospitable place to build a home. The trees were barren and decaying without any signs of foliage possibly being grown from its branches, an ominous blanket of mist covered the rocky floor, and the lifeless area eternally devoid of sunlight was too quiet for even the bravest of players' likings.

In the middle of an empty field, sat a large twisting tree with a silver plaque at the bottom reading:

GRISELDA

FRIEND, LEADER, LOVER

"Griselda... The only way I can survive is with your forgiveness..." A man wearing knightly armor kneeled in front of it. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry! Forgive me, Griselda! I never imagined this would happen!"

An eerie silence followed in the wake of his apology.

"Really?"

The man let out a very unmanly yelp when he heard an echoing feminine voice and looked up at the tree as if he were expecting a spirit to float out of it.

"Really? Really?"

His head snapped to look behind him after hearing footsteps rapidly approaching from behind, only to find a small rabbit looking up at him. The tiny animal tilted his head before hopping away.

"Oh, it's just a rabbit..." He let out a sigh of relief and turned forward to see a hooded figure standing in front of him. "Eeeeeeek!!"

"What did you do? What did you do to me, Schmidt?"

The ghost of Griselda repeated over and over, brandishing another spear that was a mirror image of «Guilty Thorn».

Schmidt shrieked and bowed. "I... I only... The day we decided to sell the ring, a note and crystal just appeared in my belt pouch, and the note told me to—"

"Who told you? Who told you to?"

Another voice, this one being a man's, made the tank player pause and look up to see another robed figure next to Griselda's ghost.

"G-Grimlock? You died t-too?"

"Who? Who have you these orders?"

"I-I honestly don't know! The note just said to bind the crystal to the room where she was staying, so they could enter, and then t-to put the crystal in the g-guild's shared storage..."

"That was all I did!"

"I never meant to get her killed. B-Believe me... please!" Schmidt begged.

Another eerie silence passed before one of the ghosts spoke.

"We recorded all of that, Schmidt."

"...H-Huh? R-Recorded?" Schmidt looked up and watched the two hooded figures reveal themselves to be Kains and Yoruko, the latter holding a Recording Crystal. He released the breath he knew very much that he was holding and sat back. "So, that's how it is. You cared that much about Griselda."

"You didn't hate her either, did you?"

"O-Of course not! You gotta believe me..." The look on the couple's faces didn't exactly look like they believed him. "I mean... It's true that the rare weapon I bought with the money let me clear the Main Advance Team's entry requirements, but..."

Suddenly, Schmidt stopped midsentence and crumpled forward. He slowly looked to his right shoulder and found a dagger sticking out of it.

'Paralysis?'

"One down~~~!" A psychotic voice made Schmidt look up to see a hooded figure crouching in front of him and another similarly dressed person pointing a sword at Yoruko and Kains.

"This is a big catch. A Main Advance Team bigshot." Another hooded figure stepped out of the fog, holding a butcher's knife.

'The guild of murders,' Schmidt's eyes shot over to the tattoo symbol on the back of their right glove, depicting a coffin with a cat-like smile, 'Laughing Coffin!'

"Now, what shall we play?" The one holding the butcher's knife, clearly the leader, wondered out loud.

"Let's do that one thing, boss... The game where they kill each other, and only the winner survives!"

"Last time we did that, you killed the survivor anyway."

"If you spoil it, we can't have a game, boss!"

"Alright, let's get started." The leader approached Schmidt on the ground and raised his butcher's knife, bringing it down on the paralyzed man...

"HOLD IT!!!"

...only to stop midway when he heard someone's voice echoing across the dead forest. He looked up to see a shadowy figure in the distance, getting larger and more importantly closer, prompting him and his men to jump back.

"Wait, you actually stopped? Not what I was expecting..." Standing there with a bright gleam in his vibrant (E/C) stare was Y/N, giving Argo a piggyback ride. "Anyways, you three better back up before I send you straight to hell."

"You tell 'em, Boss!" Argo cheered.

"Who are you?!" The crazy Laughing Coffin member pulled out a knife, but was stopped by the leader.

"I'm impressed someone discovered us so quickly. But, do you really think you can take on all three of us at the same time while defending your friends?" The leader asked.

Y/N tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck.

"Absolutely."

"Boss, what should we do? If he has backup, then—"

"Oh, don't worry. It's just me." Y/N proudly stated.

"You idiot! Why would you tell them that?!" Argo repeatedly smacked his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"...I see... Very well. Let's have a little wager, shall we?" The leader snapped his fingers, and his men sheathed their weapons. "I'm intrigued by your thought process. If you can answer my questions without getting them wrong, we'll leave peacefully. If you can't, well... Let's hope for your sake, you don't."

"Are you trying to stall for time? That's not going to help you in this situation." Y/N finished his stretches and went to pull out his katana... only to remember it was broken. "Shit." He muttered under his breath and waved aside his menu.

"Of course not... I'm just... intrigued about a few things. Tell me, what was the reason that made you think their deaths," He pointed his butcher's knife at Kains and Yoruko. "were faked?"

"It's pretty obvious. When I tried to save him, he stopped me with a pleading look in his eyes. Not to mention, although Yoruko was a good actor, she didn't put her entire heart into her role as a grieving lover. Later, after I got the murder weapon appraised, I found out it was a normal weapon without anything special to its name. So, I did the most reasonable thing and stabbed myself with it." 

Out of the corner, Y/N could see the horrified and shocked expressions of Yoruko and Kains respectively. Argo's arms tightened around him and he didn't have to turn to know what look she was giving him, he could already feel the intense stare drilling into the back of his head.

"Impressive, but I must ask why did you come here? You knew this would turn out to be something deeper than a murder hoax, yet you still came. You know nothing about these two other than the fact they lied to you and your friend, yet you still choose to help them. Why?"

"What kinda question is that? I'd say it's human nature to see something through to the very end, no matter what it is. But, I suppose the main driving force was Yoruko asking me to do exactly that."

"Wh-What? I never said anything like that!" The sincerity in Yoruko's voice made Y/N's confidence waver, but before he could ask, the two other Laughing Coffin members pointed their weapons at them.

"Shush! This is getting good~!"

"You... didn't?"

"Boss, ignore them. They've already lied to you once, what will stop them from doing it again?" Argo whispered into his ear, trying to comfort him, but something about the tone of her voice brought back that sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Yeah... I guess." He nodded, but he didn't sound sure himself.

"Moving on, how did you learn about Grimlock? Their guild was far from a famous one. Their rise and collapse went unnoticed by everyone except their own members."

"Like I would tell you that—" 

"It was me —Argo!" She suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs and her head popped out over his left shoulder, nearly causing him to lose hearing in that ear. "The best dang informant out there!"

"And the most humblest..." Y/N muttered sarcastically and pushed her face back, ignoring her yelp. "You better tell me where the rare monster is after all this is done. I need that +20 in AGL."

"Yeah, yeah. I will, I will..."

"W-Wait, how did you know about the ring?" Kains shouted to Argo who simply looked at him and flashed him a wink and an Okay gesture.

"Cuz I'm the best dang informant out there!"

"...No, no. That's impossible! You couldn't have learned—" Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by one of the Laughing Coffin members slamming the hilt of their blade into his chest, causing him to crumple.

"Kains!" Yoruko knelt down.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" shouted Y/N.

"Don't forget who we are." The leader tossed the butcher's knife in his hand. "We are a guild of PKers who thrive off the fulfillment of taking someone's life through hundreds of methods. Now, for my final question: Where is our fourth member?"

"F... Fourth member?" Y/N repeated slowly, the sinking sensation returning to him.

"Yes, when Grimlock reached out to us to bury his past, I chose three other 'siblings' of mine to help me pull this off. Naturally, only three of us were needed — one for Kains, one for Yoruko, and one for Schmidt. So, what exactly did they do? Keep in mind, that we'll be generous and give you three tries. But, if you can't give us the correct answer," The leader pointed his weapon at Kains, Yoruko, and Schmidt. "We'll kill them."

Y/N frowned and reluctantly nodded.

《Y/N's POV》

A fourth member? Who the hell could it be?! No, no, where the hell could they be?!

Wait... Who said they were telling the truth? Why did I believe him about being a fourth member? He could be lying to me!

"You're lying, there isn't a fourth member," I tell him.

The leader tutted and shook his head disappointingly. 

"Incorrect." 

He snapped his fingers and his two goons grabbed Kains and Yoruko by the hair, pressing their knives to their throats to silence their cries, while he pressed his knee against the back of Schmidt's head.

"Hold on, how can I know you're telling the truth?!" I tried to stall for time, but my brain was already overclocked, trying to come up with my next answer.

"You're not in the position to be asking questions. Only answering them."

Fuck. Shit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.

Ding!

A notification popped up but I swiped it aside.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kains and Yoruko looking at me, horror was written all over their expressions and I absolutely could not blame them.

Maybe, it's...

Ding! Ding!

I cursed under my breath and swiped the notifications away. Who the hell was even contacting me now?

"It's Grimlock, isn't it? He's the one who sought you out the first time, and now you're here to help him finish burying his past once and for all. It makes the most sense."

"Incorrect again. One more try."

"What? There's no one else it could be."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Argo finally spoke again. "Boss, let's think it over." She whispered and I nodded.

"Yeah..."

That's right. Asuna and I found Kains hanging from the church, and I watched him "die" in front of me. Then, we interrogated and escorted Yoruko back to the inn and we had that small fight. After that, I went to Agil's shop to have him appraise the weapon and we discovered that «Guilty Thorn» wasn't a special weapon at all, and I even tested it on myself. A few hours later, I met Argo for the first time and learned more about Golden Apple from her the next day. Finally, now we're here.

Who could it be?

Panic started to seep in. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. My ears were ringing from all the conversation replaying inside my mind. I felt nauseous, to the point where I felt like throwing up. The world around me was starting to spin.

And, then a thought occurred to me:

"Where is Asuna?"

"What do you mean, boss?"

"She should be here by now with Kirito and Sachi... Where is she?"

"You don't seriously think it's Asuna, right?" asked Argo in disbelief.

Asuna as the fourth member? That's impossible. With her rank as Vice Commander of KoB, there would be too many eyes on her, and... I know she's not that type of person. She's empathetic and understands the value of human emotions and life, and she couldn't handle blood staining her hands, not even from a criminal's.

But, then who else could it be?

Kirito? No, no. Also impossible. We've been friends ever since day one, and he's practically my brother at this point. He couldn't be the fourth member.

Sachi? Even more impossible. She couldn't hurt an ant if she tried.

Agil? Can't be him either. He spends all day in that dinky little item shop of his. There's no way he has time to be killing people.

Klein? Yeah, maybe when pigs fly.

Bosenmori? No way in hell.

Silica? Same reason as Sachi.

Ms. Black Swan? Same reason as Agil, except probably even more broke.

Could it be Kains, Yoruko, or Schmidt? No, it doesn't make sense.

Who could it be?! Think, Y/N!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! 

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!! THINK!!

...

...

...

...

...

Huh...?

Wait...

《3rd Person POV》

"Argo..." Y/N whispered to the informant.

"What's wrong, boss?"

"What did you call Asuna?"

"Huh? Asuna — I called her by name."

At that moment, several questions popped up in his head:

1. That sensation that he was being watched after meeting Yoruko and Argo for the first time... Who was responsible for that?

2. Why did Yoruko say she didn't encourage him to continue helping them when he vividly remembers her doing exactly that, and he doesn't see the point of her trying to lie?

3. If the ring Griselda tried to sell was only known to the guild members — Griselda, Grimlock, Kains, and Yoruko — and possibly the Laughing Coffin members, then how did Argo...

"You..." Y/N slowly looked behind him, at Argo to find her smiling with a cold, indifferent expression. "Who are you...?" 

Pain shot throughout his body from his right shoulder and he collapsed to the floor. Looking towards his shoulder, Y/N found a dagger sticking out of it, and below his health bar, he saw the paralysis icon.

"Wowie~~ I wasn't expecting you to actually piece the puzzle together!" "Argo" giggled.

Y/N looked up to see the imposter standing over him, flashing a dangerously smug smirk in his direction. They reached up to their face and pulled off a kitsune, causing their form to shimmer until they returned to their normal self.

Standing over him was a petite young woman wearing the same black cloak as the other three Laughing Coffin members, with dark brown hair tied into two high pigtails with red ribbons. Her hair reaches her hips and has pink tips, fringe middle bangs, and side bangs at different lengths on either side of her face. She has fluorescent pink eyes with a light-colored butterfly detail under her pupils, a small cherry blossom flower tattoo on her right collarbone and back, and tiny black dots under each of her eyes. Although Y/N couldn't see her outfit under her oversized black cloak, she still wore the same gloves as her guild members carrying the infamous Laughing Coffin symbol.

"Who are you?" Y/N wanted to ask, but the paralysis prevented him from having his way. Thankfully, the girl seemed to understand what he wanted to ask — startlingly so.

"The name's Sparkle~! I've been following you for some time now, you see? Ever since I saw you in front of that church, I made sure to keep an eye on you while my friends went about on their business." This Sparkle girl sure sounded sweet, but even a deaf person could hear the underlying insanity in her voice. Sparkle smiled and mounted Y/N's back, leaning down to whisper into his ear, "It's a good thing you didn't check your messages, or else the fun would have ended too soon."

Grabbing Y/N's hand, she "helped" him open his menu and open his messages to find a red bubble next to Argo's name.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Argo: Sorry for the long wait, boss!

Argo: I got the info you needed.

Argo: Where do you wanna meet up?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

"Don't feel too bad, no one would blame you for ignoring it when you're facing three orange players." Sparkle giggled and then with surprising strength that betrayed her petite physique, she flipped Y/N onto his back and straddled him. "Oh, but it's no fun if you don't get to talk." She smiled and took sadistic delight in ripping the dagger out of his shoulder.

Y/N could feel the paralysis effect disappear and as much as he wanted to get up, the dagger pressing against his throat told him to stay put. "You've been watching me this entire time? Then, all those times when I felt someone staring at me..."

"Oh, yes! That was me~!" Sparkle smiled proudly. She put her mask back on, and instead of taking the form of Argo, she was now a mirror of Yoruko, leaving the real one feeling rather conflicted. "Thank you for listening to me back then. It would have been mega boring if you stopped there. Will you always listen if a pretty lady asks you to?" She teased.

"No comment," Y/N grumbled. "That mask of yours, it lets you take the form of another player and bypass the system? That's pretty bullshit."

Sparkle giggled. "If that was true, then the game would automatically patch or destroy it, darling. I can only take the form of a player, but my Player ID will remain the same. Think about it, when I was disguised as Yoruko-san, why didn't I go back into the inn room? Why did I stay outside and wave to you?"

"That's... uh..."

"Furthermore, when I was that cute little informant, didn't you, according to the system's logic, invite me inside your room~?" Y/N remained silent and averted his gaze. "Are you... Aww, you're blushing~?! Hey, everyone! Look at him! He's blushing!!" Sparkle laughed in haughty manner, her laughs being the only sounds in the forest.

Thankfully for Y/N's pride, help soon arrived in the form of a flash of white hitting Sparkle, sending her flying away.

"Ouch, ouch..." Sparkle muttered and picked herself off the floor.

"Looks like I made it in time." 

Y/N sat up and massaged his throat. He looked up at his savior and was surprised to see Asuna standing protectively in front of him, glaring daggers at the four Laughing Coffin members. 

"So, what will it be? I have backup on the way. Do you wish to fight 40 frontline warriors?"

"Tch, dammit. You took too long, Sparkle!"

"Ugh, shut up, Johnny. We let you have all the fun last time. Besides, he technically answered the last question correctly, so we were supposed to let him go."

Something about the way she said that made Y/N think they were going to do anything but.

"Enough." The leader snapped his fingers and his two goons released Yoruko and Kains. "We're leaving."

"Booooo! I guess it can't be helped..." Sparkle sighed in disappointment and winked at Y/N. "See you later, alligator~ Let's have even more fun next time~!" She skipped away into the mist after her fellow guild members.

"P/N!" After making sure the orange players were gone, Asuna knelt to help him stand up and gave him a health potion as a precaution. "Are you okay?" The worry in her expression surprised him.

"Got stabbed, but at least I got to eat pizza earlier. So, I'm pretty fine."

"You... You... I thought you were going to..." Y/N was mentally preparing himself to be scolded, but ended up being pulled into a tight hug. Whatever witty remark he had ready felt inappropriate, and all he could in response was to return the hug while patting her back. "I-I thought I was too slow."

"I'm still here, don't worry. I'm glad you're unharmed." Y/N gently whispered and they separated.

When he heard the crunching of leaves, Y/N looked up to see Kirito and Sachi arriving with a man in their custody who he could only assume to be Grimlock. He and Kirito had a silent conversation that ended with them nodding and Y/N stood up, helping Asuna onto her feet after she finished wiping her eyes.

"Hello, everyone. It's been a while." Grimlock smiled.

"Grimlock-san... Did you... Did you really..." Yoruko's question hung in the air and the lack of response from Grimlock said everything. "Why?! Why did you need the money from the ring so badly that you had to kill Griselda, your own wife?!"

"...Money?" muttered Grimlock, his smile vanishing. "Did you say money?" 

Grimlock started to chuckle before he settled on frowning. 

"It wasn't for the money. I had to kill her while she was my wife. She was my wife in the real world too, you know."

"...!"

"The ideal wife, the perfect wife... Pretty, submissive... We never had a single fight. But then, when we were trapped in here, that all changed. Only one of us was overcome with fear from being trapped in a death game... Me. She looked so much happier, so much more alive, than she had in the real world. I had to accept it — the Yuuko I loved was gone. Thus," Grimlock spread his arms to the black sky. "I decided to seal her within my memories here — in this world where murder was legal and who could blame me for that?!' He laughed maniacally.

"You killed your wife for that...?!"

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Y/N's eyes narrowed and if looks could kill, Grimlock should be dead ten times over.

"You say that, yet was one of the driving factors for your argument with the Vice Commander not because you grew possessive of her and wanted her to obey your every word?"

"You think I wanted Asuna to return on the frontlines because I wanted authority over her?" Y/N scoffed. "You're even stupider than I thought. I wanted Asuna go back because that was the safest place for her. When I first watched Kains 'die,' I didn't know how far this little conspiracy would go or who we would make enemy of if we got involved, and I didn't know if I could protect her. At least, if something were to happen to me, I would be fine with knowing she was safe and sound with her guildmates even if she hated my guts."

"P/N..." Asuna said slowly.

"How selfless... Do you really believe you risking your life will make a difference in the end? Do you really think you can shoulder the burden of thousands of lives? Do you?!"

"If me risking my life can help us beat this game and return to the real world, then I don't see the problem in doing so. And... if everyone needs someone to look to as we march forward into the unknown, then I will gladly take up that mantle when the time comes. I'm sure Griselda would say the same."

"You... You..." Grimlock fell to his knees in defeat.

"Please, leave this to us." Kains and Schmidt carried the unresponsive man away while Yoruko stayed back to bow to the four of them before joining up with her former guildmates.

Soon, the skies began to turn a light shade of pink and the sun began to peek out from the horizon.

"Huh? I thought this place was supposed to be dark forever." Y/N shielded his eyes from the blinding sphere.

"Hey, P/N..." Asuna began but Y/N merely sighed and raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't you dare apologize. If you do, then I'll start to feel like I was never in the wrong." He approached the small hill behind Griselda's grave that looked out to the ocean and motioned for Asuna to follow.

Crouching down, Y/N summoned his old katana and held it aloft. Despite its broken edge and the cracks in the blade, it appeared just as majestic and powerful to him as it had when he first received it.

"Back then, you asked me why I used this when there were hundreds of stronger weapons. It's because this weapon is irreplaceable to me."

"Irre...placeable?"

"No matter which weapon I use, it will never be the weapon that I got with my friends, Kirito and Asuna. Even if I melted it down and reused the materials, it won't be the same weapon from the fight against Illfang. Every night, before I go to bed, I take it out and think back to that boss fight with you guys and even though it's been more than a year since then, it was still my favorite moment in this game."

"Oh..." Asuna looked down in guilt. "I-I didn't..."

"But, maybe it's time for me to bury this weapon and for P/N and Asuna to say goodbye to each other for the final time," Y/N suggested to which Asuna's eyes widened. 

It was clear the KoB Vice Commander wanted to say something in protest, but instead she held back. 

"If that's what you truly want... then so be it." Asuna mustered a weak smile.

"Thank you, Asuna..." Y/N offered one last smile and allowed his partner to do its job in life one last time by stabbing it into the cliffside. 

He and Asuna stayed like that, neither making an attempt to ruin the moment as they listened to the roaring waves beneath them. The former faced away from the latter who stared aimlessly into the seemingly infinite span without much brilliance behind her dull orbs.

Asuna was unsure of what to do next, and sat there on her legs. She didn't know how long this moment would last before they went their separate ways, but at that moment, she had nothing else to blame but herself. It was her fault for lashing out at him, she told herself, and even though she knew it wasn't entirely true, she couldn't help but still have these regrets.

However, her wallowing in self pity was interrupted by a hand reaching out to her, and she followed it to see Y/N smiling at her.

"My name is Sekai Y/N. May I know yours?"

"...H-Huh? Whaat...?" A few years from now, Asuna would frequently look back at this moment and cringe at the tears streaming down her past self's face. "But... But..."

"You didn't actually think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?" Y/N's laughing barely lasted five seconds before Asuna hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest. "Hey, c'mon. You gotta stop crying, you're not a kid anymore." Confused about why his words made her cry even harder, Y/N was left at a loss on what to do. He simply sighed before a small warm smile slowly made its way to his lips and he patted her back.

Eventually, Asuna pulled away and wiped her eyes of the warm tears of happiness flooding them.

"Sorry... Um..." She took a deep breath. "My name is Yuuki Asuna. Let's get along, Sekai-san." Asuna offered and was met with his usual bright smile she hadn't realized she was sorely missing — not that she would ever admit.

"Just call me Y/N, okay? Let's try our best to be honest with each other from now, alright? No need to be so formal, Asuna."

Asuna giggled at this forwardness. "Okay!" She nodded with a dazzling smile.

While they laughed and made up, Kirito watched them from the background.

"He's such a drama queen..." He shook his head, although that did little to hide the noticeable blush on his cheeks.

"Kirito-san..." Kirito looked over to Sachi who observed the sunrise with a relaxed look. "If you married someone, and then you discovered they had a side you didn't know about, what would you do?"

"I guess... M-Maybe I'm lucky? I mean, if you marry someone, that means you like them. And if you find out they have another side to them that you also fall in love with, then wouldn't that be great?" Kirito awkwardly replied.

"...Yeah." Sachi beamed at him. "I think so too."

"They're so icky," Y/N whispered to Asuna, the pair watching them with blank expressions.

"Yeah..." She agreed.

"I can hear you two talking!" Kirito shouted, trying to force down the embarrassed redness creeping up on him.

"He's such a drama queen." Y/N ignored him.

"Yeah." Asuna agreed again as they took one last glance at the worn black katana overlooking the seas before beginning to walk to walk away, with an annoyed Kirito and a flustered Sachi. "What do you three plan on doing now?"

"I gotta get a new weapon. I'm thinking of switching to a two-handed sword. Until then, I think I'm probably gonna run it solo for a little bit and max out my skills."

"You're leaving...?" Sachi asked sadly.

"Don't worry," Y/N patted her head with his signature grin. "You have your boyfriend to protect you! He won't ever leave you."

"H-Hey!"

"I guess you're right..." Sachi smiled while Kirito covered his face.

"Although, there's one thing that concerns me," Asuna spoke up, garnering everyone's attention, "How exactly did that girl get the jump on you, Y/N?"

"What girl?" Kirito asked, and Y/N told them about Sparkle including her mask. "Sounds like a mimicry item. Its effects are easily countered by the «Illusory Deciphering Mod» for the «Searching» Skill. If it was able to bypass that, then it could be an issue for everyone."

"Wait, mods?"

"Yeah, mods. Most skills gain a mod slot every 100 levels—with the exception of weapon skills, which give a slot every 50 levels—that allow you to modify said skill." Asuna explained like this was pretty standard, which it was, but that didn't stop her eye from twitching when she saw the clueless look on Y/N's face. "Wait... You have been adding mods to your skills, right?"

".................Of cou—"

"Of course, my ass!"

"Now, now. A refined woman of great intellect shouldn't be saying such words... Although, I don't think I can full-heartedly call someone who used their actual name for their character intelligent."

"I... You..." Asuna's anger and frustration from the past few days bubbled together, and it eventually erupted like a volcano. "I can't believe I was worried about you! You are single handedly the most idiotic, annoying, stupidest, thick-headed—" Asuna continued to list off more words.

Meanwhile, Kirito and Sachi once again found themselves as spectators.

"I'm so glad they're talking again." The latter beamed.

"And, I'm so glad that they're... frrrriends again?" Kirito shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping him. He looked back at the sunrise and suddenly froze. "S-Sachi..."

"Hm?" The mentioned girl followed his gaze and also froze up.

"—person I know!" Asuna finished, breathing heavily.

"I noticed that you didn't call me ugly." Y/N proudly smirked, posing with his right hand covering his mouth. "Guess you can't lie to yourself."

"Why do I even bother?" The blonde girl felt a headache coming on, and decided to walk away when two silhouettes sped by them, kicking up a dust trail. After squinting their eyes, they could see Kirito running away with Sachi riding his back.

Confused, Y/N and Asuna turned around to see Griselda (or at least, her ghost) standing by her grave. The pair glanced at each other before waving at the ghost who returned the gesture, and calmly walking after their friends.

"What's their problem?"

"No clue."

Griselda's ghost watched them leave and after they disappeared into the distance, she reached up and revealed herself to be Sparkle in disguise.

"So, she was lying about backup." She mused as the tree shook and crouching atop of the branches overhead was one of the faceless Laughing Coffin members.

"Let's go after them then! You heard the one with (H/C) hair, he has no weapon! Easy pickings!" He laughed.

"...No. Let's let them go. Besides, that P/N guy is my target." Sparkle grinned sadistically, her head swimming in all the ideas she planned to do to Y/N.

"Aww, c'mon! Let's just finish them right here and now!"

"...Johnny. Come here for a sec, will ya?' Sparkle's voice lacked that playful nature she always spoke in, but the man didn't notice and jumped down.

"What's up? You got a plan on how we can gut—"

In the blink of an eye, she roundhouse kicked the man, sending him stumbling backwards onto his ass and hitting his head on the tree.

"Listen up," Sparkle forced him to look her in the eye. Through her eyes, the man could see into her soul and found nothing but whirlpools of madness, insanity, elation, and, above all else, a strong yet simple desire for amusement in whatever twisted form she imagined it to be. "When I tell you to bark, you bark. When I tell you to stop, you stop. When I tell to get on all fours and beg, you beg. When I tell you to stop breathing, you suffocate. Don't forget you and the others are just extra props for me to put to use in my theater, understood?"

"Y... Yes, ma'am."

"Good, now remember," Sparkle leaned down to repeat herself one last time:

"P/N is mine to toy with, and mine alone."

Sparkle giggled and then chuckled. Then, she threw her head back to laugh, her laughter echoing across the forest of the 19th floor as, for the first time since joining the guild, the Laughing Coffin member in front of her felt what could only be described as true insanity.

《Chapter End》

Y/N - Level 88

Stats:

HP — 17,800

STR — 20(+110) [130]

AGL — 20(+140) [160]

11 Remaining Stat Points

Skill Slots:

Skill 1 — One-Handed Sword Lv. 502

Skill 2 — Sprint Lv. 901

Skill 3 — Searching Lv. 749

Skill 4 — Katana Lv. 862

Skill 5 — Martial Arts Lv. 850

Skill 6 — Parry Lv. 758

Skill 7 — Light Metal Armor Lv. 676

Skill 8 — Battle Healing Lv. 852

Skill 9 — Extended Weight Limit Lv. 720

Skill 10 — Acrobatics Lv. 763

Skill 11 — Rallying Spirit Lv. 524

Weapons:

None