October 2034 

《Current Time — 10:07》

The 50th floor, much like the other 73 floors, remained static and never changed in the slightest—not even a single trace of dirt could be found on the streets nor yellow wear on the flyers littered around the safe zone as if the entire town was eternally stuck in a temporal loop.

However, to the players who had long since grown accustomed to life trapped in this death game, this was just another day at the office.

"I'm getting a little low on potions and crystals... Maybe I should stop by Agil's place and see how the old man is doing? Hopefully he hasn't gone senile..." A young man with (H/C) hair and sharp (E/C) eyes said to himself as he hummed a jolly tune while walking through the relatively empty streets.

"Uwaaaaah... Boooossss..." He looked down to see Argo grabbing onto his leg with dramatic tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry for not getting the information to you on time..."

"For the last time," Y/N grabbed her and lifted her into the air like she was a cat, attracting the attention of any passersby as they walked past them. "I told you that was not your fault! Besides, that was more half a year ago, so give it a rest already!"

"No can do!" Argo landed on her feet. "I never run from my debts, so you gotta tell me how I can repay you!"

"It's not like I saved your life—I only gave you twice the amount of Cor for your service fees..." Y/N folded his arms and stared up into the sky in thought. In the azure ocean above them, there was only a few clouds that came out to play today and they happily drifted by their lonesome. "I got it. How about you tell me about some new rumors? Any new dungeons or rare mob loot?"

"Information, eh? Good thing you came to the best, most reliable source of information!" Argo proudly pointed at herself.

"Also the most humble, it seems..." Y/N rolled his eyes and together they walked off in a random direction, the man leisurely strolling down the streets with his hands behind his head while listening to Argo's ramblings.

"Let's see... There's the High Orc field boss on the 47th floor. I heard he drops a pair of gauntlets that will improve all of the wielder's forging skills. He's supposedly guarded by a horde of Lesser Orcs that usually require two parties to handle, but I reckon you can handle it within two minutes. There's also murmurs of a dragon boss lurking in the mountains of the 59th floor who drops scales and bones that can be used to craft high tier armor. Oh, and there's also—" Argo continued to list off more bosses that dropped rare loot alongside closely-kept rumors, but none of them quite tickled Y/N's fancy. 

"I heard that, on the 65th floor, a certain information broker almost got killed by the boss living in the large lake in the center. Is that true?"

"You didn't have to remind me about that!" Argo elbowed his ribs. "But, yeah. I almost died there." Her expression turned dreamy as she let out an even dreamier sigh. "You shoulda seen the person who saved me, Boss! She was so strong and fast! She even took out the boss on her own before turning to me with those beautiful eyes of hers and made sure I was alright! I'm telling you, Boss, that you woulda fell in love on the spot, I guarantee it!" She let out a dramatic gasp. "Actually, I was supposed to meet with her today to treat her to a meal. Why don't you come along and meet her yourself?! Then, we can consider ourselves even."

"How the heck is that supposed to make us even?!" Y/N pinched her cheeks, forcing a pained squeak from the girl, before he eventually let her go. "Fine. It's not like I have a lot going on right now anyways. Lead the way."

With a fast salute, Argo walked ahead and he followed the shorter player through a series of alleys and gaps in between buildings that she explained to be "shortcuts." Perhaps, they were indeed as she said, shortcuts, but he didn't see how breaking into shops through a window and swiftly exiting through another could be considered a shortcut when taking the road was much less tedious and probably took the same amount of time, but he decided not to question the girl.

"See? Told ya the shortcut would be worth it!" True to her words, they made it to the café faster than they would have if they walked normally. The only downside was that it was only—

"By 12 seconds." Y/N shook his head. "We saved 12 seconds and committed at least ten crimes on the way here."

"Yeah, but...it was fun, right?" Argo winked.

"...Can't argue with that."

"See? I knew you'd be reasonable, Boss!" Argo laughed and gestured for him to follow her around the side of the building and onto the outdoor patio overlooking the crystal clear lake that somehow fit inside the safe zone. There were already a lot of people here, but Y/N could see an empty table with 4 chairs in the corner with one of the chairs already occupied by someone who, although had their face covered by the hood of the black cloak they were wearing, he could only assume to be the Argo's savior. "Over there! C'mon!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming..." Y/N said as he was dragged by the arm towards the table.

"Yoooo~!" Argo waved to the person who saved her. The woman looked up and under her hood, her lips curled into a tiny smile when she saw Argo before they parted in shock upon seeing the other person joining her. "I brought along a plus one, hope you don't mind. He's trustworthy though, trust me!"

"I... I don't mind." The woman's voice reached Y/N's ears and his eyebrows furrowed in recognition as he unknowingly began to tune out Argo's spiel, too invested in the woman's voice that seemed so familiar and yet he couldn't quite put his finger on where he heard it.

Y/N leaned down to take a peek under her hood and even though she turned away, his eyes then glanced down to the white kimono under her black cloak.

And, then he smiled.

"—But, I call him 'Boss!' You can just call him P/N. Boss, this right here is—" Argo was interrupted by Y/N taking the seat to her savior's right and her confused expression turned to one of shock when he gently grabbed the woman's right hand with his own right, brushing his thumb over her soft knuckles.

"It's been a while since I last saw you..." Y/N's left hand reached over to the woman's hood and carefully pulled it down, taking great care to avoid ripping the black cloth with the two red horns sticking out of the woman's dark purple hair. "Acheron-san~"

"Correct... If I recall correctly, it's been one year since we last saw each other face-to-face." Acheron's replied. Her face remained the same unmoving permanence Argo remembered from that day that looked like it could weather the storms of isolation for hundreds years without the slightest change. However, in Y/N's presence, Argo was beginning to see the cracks of Acheron's cold exterior forming—no, reforming might be more accurate as vibrant life returned to Acheron's purple gaze and a discrete warmth quietly lit up her expression.

'Are they...' Argo began to wonder before quickly shaking her head and taking a seat across from Y/N. 'Nope! That's none of my business.' She cleared her throat to get their attention. "So, you two know each other? That makes things easier for me!"

"What do you mean?" Y/N questioned, gently squeezing Acheron's hand while she tried to contain the quiet gasp that escaped her as a result of the unexpected gesture and all the while Argo watched them with a blank stare before eventually shaking her head.

"Now, P/N. I know what I'm about to say might upset you since this all started with me trying to pay you back, but—"

"It's fine, Argo." Y/N flashed her a brief smile that beamed with radiance thanks to the sun shining down on them overhead. "Consider your payment paid in full. I think I owe you one now."

"What's this about payment?" Acheron butted in. 

"Oh, that's right. I guess an explanation wouldn't hurt." Y/N gave Acheron a brief run-down about the events took place in March and April [Chapter 5], starting from the meeting discussing how to deal with the Geocrawler that also served as an awkward reunion with Asuna and stopping after Sparkle, disguised as Argo, stabbed him in the back, and he made sure to spare no detail. "I...see." The displeased frown on Acheron's lips painted a thousand words and at the same time, it said little about how she truly felt.

"She stabbed you while disguised as me?! That's messed up."

"Meh. It's all water under the bridge. Anyways, what were you about to say?"

"Right," Argo cleared her throat once more. "I had a favor to ask of you—both of you, in fact!" Her words got Acheron's attention, shaking the Raijin's wielder from her thoughts. "You see, there's rumors of a dungeon said to contain two extremely powerful artifacts that can make anyone unstoppable!"

"Oh, I get it. You want us to get it for you so you can sell it for a high price?"

"No, no, no. You misunderstand. I don't care about the items themselves, I only care about whether it actually exists or not."

"...Huh?" Both Y/N and Acheron stared at the information broker like she just grew a second head.

"Don't get me wrong, I'll gladly accept them if you wanna hand them over, but something tells me that you two won't after seeing their effects." Argo smirked at their confused reactions. "Don't worry about it. Anyways, as I was saying, all that matters to me is that you two prove that the dungeon itself exists."

"You want us..." Y/N began.

"...to prove the dungeon is real?" Acheron finished.

"Exactly. One of my former sources was the one to tell me about it in the first place. What he failed to tell me was that the dungeon shifts positions every 24 hours at 06:00, and...well, emphasis on 'former.' Because of him," Argo slammed a fist on the table, attracting the attention of everyone else at the café—or rather, the attention of the ones who weren't already eavesdropping on the conversation. "My reputation went down the gutter! Do you know how long it takes to fix these type of things?!"

"So, you want us to track down a dungeon that moves every 24 hours, possibly fight our way through hordes of mobs, and fight the bosses at the end for artifacts that may or may not exist? Couldn't you ask this from other players?"

"No, that's impossible. Although the dungeon changes locations, it always stays on the same floor... And, I'm sure you can guess which floor that is if I'm asking you."

"The 74th floor, huh..." Y/N guessed and Argo nodded her head in confirmation as all of the interested eavesdroppers quickly lost said interest.

"I know this is way too much to ask of you, but—"

"Alright, we'll do it." Y/N and Acheron replied in unison and without hesitation as Argo stared at the pair in complete shock.

"Woah, are you sure about this? I wouldn't hold it against either of you if you said no, you know?!" The short-haired girl chuckled nervously.

"Your reputation is on the line and you're our friend. Of course, we'll help you out." Y/N told her as Acheron nodded in agreement, the former giving their friend a warm smile while the other kept her stoic expression that had a hint of adoration behind her gaze.

"You guys..." Argo sniffed and wiped her eyes with her arm. "Alright! I'm counting on you two!"

"Yeah!" Y/N chuckled. "So, where is the dungeon this time?"

"I....." Argo's smile faltered. "I, uh....." She then visibly deflated, every ounce of excitement leaving her joints as she faceplanted into the table. "I don't know."

"...You don't know?" Y/N frowned and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey," Argo lifted her head, her left eye twitching in anger. "Cut me some slack, okay?! The dungeon always changed location every day at 06:00 sharp and I just woke up an hour ago!"

"If you don't know, then perhaps you can ask your information broker friends and message us when you find out?" Acheron offered.

"That is, if she gets the information on time..." Y/N muttered under his breath, but Argo heard him clear as day. Perhaps, that was intentional however as shown by the smirk dancing on the male's lips.

"I thought you forgave me for that!"

"That doesn't mean I won't bring it up to make fun of you." Y/N laughed while Argo pouted intensely at him and kicked his leg underneath the table, his smile quickly contorting to a wince of pain. "Ow! You little piece of—"

"That's enough, you two." Acheron cut in, taking a moment to glance at them individually before settling her calm gaze on Argo. "How long will it take for you to find out?"

"It's difficult to say, but I think I can get the info by sundown."

"I'm starting to understand why people don't rate your services highly." Y/N commented with a wry smile, earning himself another kick to the shin. "Alright, that's it." He stood up, walking around the table. "C'mere. You're taking a swim in the lake."

"Waaaaah! Acheron-san, save me!" Argo ran to the other side of the table and hid behind her savior who simply sat there, unmoving.

"I saved you the first time. This time is on you." Acheron simply told her and opened the menu to see what the café had to offer while Argo's pleas for help went unheard. 

Y/N lifted her into the air and tossed her into the lake. He patted his hands done and peeked over Acheron's shoulder, resting his chin on her shoulder as he asked, "What are you planning on ordering?"

"According to the game time, it's still breakfast. How does three expressos sound and the two of us will go get something to eat later?"

"Sure, why not? I never had coffee before though. My mom never let me try it."

Acheron chuckled. "I can see why." She said and placed their order.

Y/N was confused by what she meant but didn't question her further and reclaimed his seat next to her. "So," He leaned forward with intrigue shining in his sparkling (E/C) eyes. "What have you been up to?"

"I've only been focusing on leveling and getting stronger. I need all the strength I can get." Acheron responded.

"Yeah, I can understand that." Y/N squeezed her hand, giving her a warm smile that made her smile in return. "And, now we're together again. We're gonna be unstoppable after we party up—just like old times."

"Party up?" Acheron failed to mask the surprise (and excitement) in her voice.

"It'll probably be best for us to stick together from here on out. We're nearing the 75th floor and who knows how strong the 74th floor boss will be. Even though most of them will hold me back, there's strength in numbers, you know?"

"I see..." Acheron's gaze fell to the table, feeling a tad disappointed in his response but pushed that feeling down. Tried to, at least.

Thankfully for her, Y/N immediately picked up on her somber mood. "Naturally, that's not the only reason. The real reason why I want to party with you again is because," He reached over with his right hand and tilted her chin upward to face him and his endearing smile. "I missed you."

Acheron felt her heart skip a beat and although her expression remained unchanged, the subtle pink color of her face said more than she could at the moment. "I-I see..." She tried to turn away but Y/N's grip, while gentle, was far stronger than she thought and so she settled on averting her gaze. "I..... I missed you too." A soft whisper left her lips, a barely audible confession that, luckily, Y/N's ears was able to pick up on.

"...Really?" The young man's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he leaned forward. "Three months ago, I tried to meet up with you again but you didn't sound like you wanted to see me."

Acheron winced, remembering that day as clear as day. "That was... different."

"Different?" Y/N tilted his head and reminded Acheron of a cute puppy she recalled staring back at her from the window of a pet shop when she was still in junior high.

Before Acheron could get lost in her memories, she shook her head and anchored herself to the present. "I was following the advice of a book I bought to...help me." She confessed and brought out the book for him to take a look at.

Y/N took one glance at the book's cover and snorted. "...Acheron, you can't be serious." Much to her confusion, he fought back the laugh trying to escape his lungs. "The real book this was ripped from was written before you and I were born. Why would you take advice from something so outdated?"

"...Oh. In hindsight, I suppose it seems foolish." Acheron's voice was steady as usual, but Y/N could hear the underlying embarrassment behind her words and handed the book back.

"You don't need a book to know what I'm about to tell you, right?" Y/N grinned and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "Just tell me how you truly feel—no lies, no half-truths—and I'll respond in kind. I trust you, Bosenmori. So, try to place your trust in me too, okay?"

"...Alright." Acheron whispered with a visible smile dancing on her lips.

"Well, well, well... Aren't you two comfy..." Y/N and Acheron turned to see Argo, dripping head to toe, standing there with an annoyed glare. "I'm happy for you both. I really am." The contrasting different between her appearance and her dry tone made the former laugh in amusement.

"Chill out. Your HP can't drop when you're inside a safe zone and the lake is inside the town's boundary line." Y/N reminded her.

"That doesn't make it any less scary!" Argo shouted at him with the intimidation level of a newborn kitten, which only made him laugh more.

Right when she was about to say more, the NPC waitress approached their table and set down three plastic cups of coffee.

"Breakfast? On me?" Y/N offered.

"...Fine." Argo eventually accepted with a huff.

Timeskip

《Current Time — 12:25》

After what was initially breakfast with an awkward tension that soon melted away, Y/N and Acheron decided to go their separate ways from Argo, allowing their shared informant friend to do her job.

To pass the time, they decided to take a walk around town together to see if there was anything interesting going on and ended up in the shopping district. There was at least fifty stalls on each side of the road with a wide variety of goods they sold, ranging from popular items like health potions, teleport crystals, cooking ingredients, and equipment to more niche options like throwing picks and effect-less accessories (rings, earrings, and necklaces) meant for appearances only.

"Hm? Hey, Acheron. Look," Y/N pointed to a pair of silver earrings, each embedded with a purple amethyst jewel. "I think these would look perfect on you!"

"I don't really wear jewelry, except if...." Acheron placed a hand over her chest, directly above the silver-amethyst necklace her now-deceased guild members had gifted her over a year ago.

Y/N's eyes dipped down to her hand and he wordlessly understood the implication. "Hey, don't sweat it." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled kindly. "If you don't want to, then that's perfectly fine!"

Acheron was too embarrassed to admit it, but his comforting smile was a sight she found herself longing to see every night, along with the feeling of his hand holding hers, before bed during their one year long separation. So, she did the next best thing and faintly smiled at his understanding.

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by a crowd of at least 80 people walking through the street who had also thought today was a good day to go shopping and the pair soon found themselves swept up in the masses.

"Acheron!" Y/N shouted as he stuck his hand through the sea of players, all eager to find the best price for their desired items. He quickly yanked her out of the noisy whirlpool of greedy sinners and pulled her into a tight hug to ensure she didn't get swept away again as he watched them leave. 

When the massive crowd finally left, Y/N and Acheron were left standing in an empty street, save for the various NPCs attending their shop without the slightest concern for the players who were surveying their wares only moments ago until they were unfortunately swallowed up by the shopping mob.

"Phew..." Y/N let out a relieved sigh. "Good thing I saved you in time, eh?" He laughed and let go of Acheron but she remained still as a statue with her arms wrapped snugly around his core. "Bosenmori?"

"Just...a few more seconds." Acheron pleaded, leaning her head against the left side of his chest and listening to his heartbeat. It didn't matter if everything she felt and heard was artificially woven to appeal to her five senses—Y/N was alive and well, and that's all that mattered at that moment.

Y/N didn't speak and instead silently pulled her in tighter. "I'm still here, okay?" He calmly reassured her while patting and rubbing her back.

Eventually, after three minutes, they parted.

"Feeling better?" Y/N asked to which Acheron answered with a small nod. "That's good to hear." He smiled and grabbed her hand, interlocking fingers with the purple-haired woman as they walked off together. "Stay by my side, okay?"

"...Alright." Acheron responded with a ghost of a smile, enjoying the comforting sensation of his warm hand heating up her cold fingers.

In the real world, the autumn season had only just begun, casting a chilly current across the entire world. The Aincrad was designed to emulate the outside world's weather and performed this task flawlessly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Y/N noticed Acheron shivering and took off both his white haori and black scarf, and draped the former around her shoulders. "Here. It's not much but it'll keep you from freezing to death." He joked while wrapping his scarf around her neck.

"What about you?" Acheron looked him up and down before her eyes suspiciously stopped at his tight-fitting black shirt.

"Don't worry about little ol' me. As long you're all warm and bundled up, I'll be fine too." Y/N gave her a thumbs-up along with his usual toothy grin. He soon noticed her downward gaze however when she didn't respond. "What's wrong? Does this shirt look bad on me? I can change if you want—"

"No!" Acheron suddenly blurted before she hastily looked away, clearing her throat and trying to hide the soft pink color of her face. "I mean... No, it's fine. Let's just continue walking...please?"

"Uh... Okay?" Y/N looked at her weirdly. He eventually shrugged it off, continuing to walk down the street with Acheron in tow, and pretended to not notice her glancing at him every now and then. "Hm? What's going on over there?"

Up ahead, there was another crowd of players that was thankfully much smaller, about 10-15 people, and not actively trying to ruin their day.

"You witch! You dare show your face around here?!"
"My friend can't muster the courage to leave 1st floor because of you! What do you have to say to that?!"
"Witch! Witch! Witch!"
"She should atone for her sins!"

"What's going on?" Acheron whispered, finally shaken out of her trance.

"No clue, but..." Y/N pulled her along as he started to push his way through the crowd. "I'm too invested now to walk away." He whispered with curiosity brimming from his smile to which Acheron sighed in exasperation at his talent for getting involved in everything that interested him. Although, she quickly realized it was that trait of his that ultimately ended up saving her life and so she decided it wasn't too bad.

When they made it to the front of the crowd, however, Y/N stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed at the target of the spiteful mob.

"As I do with all my clients, I warned them beforehand that my divinations of the future may be unsettling for the masses. However, they still pleaded me to tell them and I felt no obligation to prevent them from having their way." Black Swan calmly responded with the patience of a saint. 

The lavender-haired woman had foregone the clothes Y/N remembered vividly from the last time he saw her and instead wore an entirely new outfit consisting of a purple veil on her head, a low-cut purple dress with black accents and a halter strap neckline that is attached to a lace choker, a white fur shawl around her bare shoulders, long purple gloves that reach her biceps, and black-and-purple thigh-high heeled boots.

"Silence, you witch! Accept my duel request!"

"I have no intention of involving myself in violence." Black Swan politely declined.

"Why you... If you won't willingly accept," The man at the front of the mob stomped towards her, his boots clicking loudly on the ground. "Then I'll just have to make you!"

Just when his hand was about to seize Black Swan by the wrist, another hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist, effectively stopping him in place. "What the?!" He looked to his left to see Y/N standing there without the slightest trace of warmth in his expression. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Just a friend of hers." Y/N jabbed a thumb in Black Swan's direction. "Don't you have better things to do than harass a defenseless player?"

"That's none of your business! Whatever. If you're so righteous, then you can take her place!" The arrogant player sent Y/N a duel invite to which he wordlessly accepted, tapping the «Half Loss Mode» button.

The countdown began at 60 seconds and it didn't take long for the timer to count down to 0 as a loud beep signaled the beginning of the duel.

"DIE, YOU BASTAAAAARD!!!" Reaching over his shoulder, the man pulled out a steel battle axe and charged ahead.

"Are you an NPC or what?" Y/N asked in pure disbelief. He couldn't believe his ears after hearing his opponent let out such a generic battle cry. 

"SHUT UP!!!" The man roared in anger as he approached and swung his battle axe down towards Y/N. The sharp steel edge was about to tear into his shoulder and the man smiled at his victory. He was already planning out his victory speech until he felt a strong force stop his axe in midair.

Looking down, he could see Y/N placing a finger on his large weapon's sharp edge.

"Oh, not bad. It's made by a decent blacksmith, but it ain't no Liz original." Y/N taunted. He slid his finger down the axe's blade and grabbed its shaft before a (F/C) light covered his hand and the axe broke into two pieces.

"I-Impossible!" The man gasped.

"Yeah, no. You might actually be an NPC..." Y/N sighed like a disappointed father and tossed the splintered wood to the ground. He then placed a (F/C) glowing hand on the man's chest and performed a lethal one-inch punch that sent his opponent tumbling backward onto his back and shattering his armor.

The man coughed in pain and sat up, his pained expression morphing into shock as he helplessly watched his metal armor explode into shards, leaving him only in his small clothes.

《00:09》

《P/N is the victor.》

"Y-You... You cheated! You're a Cheater!" The bitter man pointed an accusatory finger at the winner.

"No, I'm the winner." Y/N corrected him and unsheathed his «Meteoric Katana», a soft click affirming his weapon being locked in place.

"That's impossible! I'm almost level 75! There's no way you could beat me!"

"Hah? You're still that low?" Y/N tilted his head in thought. "...Actually, wait. That's the average level of most players nowadays, right? Maybe, I'm just the exception and everyone else is just average or, in your case, below average. At least last 10 seconds next time."

The man scowled and got up. "You son of a—" While it was admirable in a weird way that he could still keep his bravado while essentially naked, there are times when one must know when to retreat and lick their wounds.

"If you'd like, then we can have another duel. How does Total Loss Mode sound this time? That goes for everyone here." Y/N's chilling glare tore through the man's confidence and forced him to take three steps back before hastily leaving with his tail tucked between his legs as Y/N turned that same death glare to rest of the crowd who soon followed the first man's lead and hastily left as well.

The (H/C)-haired surveyed the departing mass, clearly unimpressed with their lack of courage, and turned his now softened gaze to Black Swan. 

"Heeeeey, Black Swan-san, it's been a while, huh~? I didn't think I would see you up here." He asked to which Black Swan smiled and slightly giggled at his infectious enthusiasm.

 "Indeed. How has your journey been?"

"It's been pretty good. As you can see, I'm still alive and kicking." Y/N laughed and noticed Acheron standing off to the side, eyeing Black Swan with furrowed brows and a deep frown, and motioned for her to join them. "This is Acheron, one of my dear friends and the person I trust the most in this game." His praise was successful in snapping Acheron out of whatever thoughts she was entertaining, causing her to straighten our her posture and stand at attention with a rather proud look on her face.

"Interesting..." Black Swan gave Acheron a quick glance over and returned her attention to Y/N, also giving him a glance over that lasted a little longer than Acheron would have liked. "It's astonishing how defined the graphics of this game are..." She stepped closer and placed a hand on his chest to trace a finger over his pecs with an unreadable expression while Y/N and Acheron watched her with confused and shocked expressions, respectively. "Very detailed indeed, yes..."

"P/N," Acheron tried to keep a steady tone, but the barely audible crackles of lightning and tiny particles of red light pouring from the sheath of «Raijin» conveyed her true emotions. "How do you know this lady?" She asked, and the air started to feel heavier as if electricity was starting to build.

However, if Y/N noticed, his expression didn't show it. "I met her back in February. She's a fortune-teller and does a lot divinations for me with her «Divination» Skill which have been a surprisingly huge help in helping me get stronger." He happily stated with an upbeat smile.

"I don't recall there ever being a «Divination» Skill in this game..." Acheron said suspiciously.

"When you consider the overabundance of skills this game has to offer, then you'd realize it was only a matter of time until it was discovered. As to why there's little talk about it, it's a very complicated skill that requires prior knowledge from the real world with little benefit to the user. I doubt that combination of prerequisites would entice many players."

"I see..." Acheron's response lacked the usual conviction—for good reason however, some may argue, because she was too preoccupied watching Black Swan closely. Her purple-eyed stare widened when she saw the diviner's hand move downward to take his right hand. 

Before her mind could even catch up, Acheron's body had chosen to make the executive decision to step in and wrap her arms protectively around Y/N's right.

"Acheron?" Y/N was confused when he felt her pull him away, but something in the back of his mind told him to stay quiet when he finally felt the electricity in the air.

"Black Swan-san. Though we may be trapped in a game, the unwritten rules of the real world still apply in here. It is rude to lay your hands on someone else's—on someone else without their permission." The wielder of the «Raijin» reminded the fortune teller who merely smiled in amusement at her words.

"Interesting..." was all Black Swan had to say as Y/N almost see the lighting sparking between them.

"Uh....... Anyways! What exactly are you doing up here on the 50th floor, Black Swan-san?" Y/N was eager to change the topic in the hopes of dispelling the rapidly growing tense atmosphere.

"Everyone from the 35th floor moved here, including potential clients. From a business standpoint, it is natural to also change locations to one of the most popularly dense floors, is it not~?" Black Swan teased him with a wink that made Acheron unknowingly tighten her grip on Y/N's right arm.

"Oh, yeah... Guess that makes sense." Y/N awkwardly laughed and for once, he was unsure of how to progress without setting off any figurative landmines.

"But, what if I were say that..." Black Swan approached him from the left to mirror Acheron by hugging his left arm. She leaned forward, pushing her ample breasts up against his arm, and whispered, "Perhaps, the real reason why I came here is to find you. After all, the last time I saw you was three months ago and the void left in the wake of your absence has grown too unbearable to handle. What would you say to that?"

Her question went unanswered however as Y/N soon realized the volatile position he was placed in.

On one side, he had the rosy fields of summer afternoons lulling him into a state of serene bliss as the warm memories flooded his head while the symbol of her elegant maturity pressed against his body.

On the other side, he had a brewing storm sending tingles through his body and down his spine thanks to the rough grip she kept on his arm and the sharp gaze drilling into the side of his head, her stare growing more restless with each passing second of his telling silence.

Timeskip

《Current Time — 16:40》

"...I hear the salads here are quite delicious." Black Swan peaked over her menu to find Y/N reading the menu laid out in front of him with an uneasy expression while Acheron sat there with her arms crossed. Her eyes were closed and her face was devoid of any emotions, and yet the suffocating aura radiating from her drowned out any doubts as to what her true feelings were.

The restaurant's dining hall was one massive square-shaped room with 6 booth seats lining the sides with windows looking out into the town and 25 circular tables even spaced in the center in a flower pattern. The back of the dining hall was allocated to a large open kitchen area where the restaurant's chefs worked diligently for everyone to watch.

"Have you decided on your order, Ms. Acheron?" The diviner offered a kind smile.

".....Not yet."

"I see... Then, how about you, Y/N?" She asked. In the background, Acheron flinched and her body froze at Black Swan's words. "Have you decided on what you wanted to order?"

"...Yeah." Y/N's voice remained firm and his expression neutral, but a bead of sweat ran down the side of his head when he felt Acheron's gaze boring into him, asking him the silent question of: "Why does she know your name?" He hastily tried to change subjects, "Tell me what you want and I'll place the order."

"Nonsense, allow me the honor. This is quite the rare occasion after all. To be blessed with such pleasant company." Black Swan's tone was final and left no room for even the slightest chance of an argument.

Reluctantly, Y/N told her his order and after some (a lot) of brooding from Acheron, they all placed their orders and sat there in uncomfortable silence. He could tell that neither of them particularly minded the lack of conversation and were content with staring at him for differing reasons. Some people might say they wouldn't complain about being in his position, but once they felt the heavy atmosphere he was subjugated to, Y/N knew for a fact that they would agree his current predicament was worse than a life sentence.

"So! Have you been here before, Black Swan-san?" Y/N tried to strike a conversation.

"No, this is my first time as well. I overheard the name of this establishment while I was admiring the trinkets and wares of a shop near my house. If I recall correctly, there is a distinct characteristic of this restaurant that sets it apart from the competition..." She trailed off and Y/N followed her eyes to see NPCs dressed in maid outfits delivering the food to the tables—at least that was what he initially thought was happening, but after closer inspection, he noticed the lack of the «NPC» tag above their heads.

"Players work here?"

"Correct," Black Swan giggled at his surprised expression. "As far as I'm aware, this is the only restaurant in Aincrad ran entirely by like-minded players and no NPCs. Fascinating, isn't it? Despite being trapped in here, some people still take it upon themselves to accept the roles no one else would for no apparent reason. Humans can be quite complex at times." She said with a hint of amusement and admiration.

"That's true..." Y/N replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see Acheron staring at him with a blank stare and knew without looking that she was still upset with him.

"You asked me this earlier, so perhaps you wouldn't mind answering it yourself. What exactly are you doing down here on the 50th floor, Y/N?" asked Black Swan. "I'm sure someone with your skill is capable of handling yourself on the higher floors."

"I'm stopped grinding when I heard that the Assault Team is preparing to take on the 74th floor boss, and I know that the monsters on the 75th will definitely give more EXP!" Temporarily, Y/N forgot about Acheron's displeasure and his (E/C) eyes sparkled with excitement as he rambled on about optimal EXP routes, which vendors to sell the mob loot to for maximum profits, what drop materials are important for his weapon upgrades, etc. and Black Swan found his abundance of enthusiasm incredibly endearing.

"I don't think I need to ask this, but will you be partaking in the floor boss battle?" She asked, already knowing what his answer will be.

"Yeah," Y/N was too caught up in his excitement and completely forgot about Acheron's miffed state as he smoothly slid his chair over to her side and pulled her into a side hug. The unexpected gesture caught the wandering ronin off guard and quickly dispelled the imaginative rainy cloud looming over her head. "Me and Acheron are gonna beat the boss by ourselves! Kirito, Sachi, and the others better be ready to handle the fodder while we do all the heavy lifting." He smirked confidently.

'How cute...' Black Swan couldn't help but think to herself, giggling when she and Acheron locked eyes to which the latter averted her gaze with her ears starting to turn a bright shade of pink.

"Sachi? She's still on the frontlines?" Acheron asked, trying her best to subtly lean into the hug without Black Swan noticing.

She did but decided to keep quiet.

"Of course she is. You know she and Kirito are a mess when they aren't together. Seriously, they're inseparable at this point." Y/N reminded her.

"Oh, that's right..." 

Acheron thought back to the time when it was the four of them helping Sachi grow used to her tower shield. They were both aware of the black-haired boy and girl's bond, but didn't think too much about it until, one day, Y/N wanted to split off into groups of two because he had wanted to sneak off with Kirito to the upper floors and gain more experience, leaving the shy girl in Acheron's care. Needless to say, by the time the sun went down, she and Y/N were somehow more happy to see each other again than Kirito and Sachi after having to spend an entire day babysitting and protecting them from monsters sneaking up on them as they were too absorbed in their endless worries about the other to notice.

"Icky stuff right there, am I right?" Y/N cackled.

"I thought it was pretty cute." Acheron tried to defend the unofficial couple.

"Not at the time, you weren't. I think you were more annoyed than I was." Y/N reminded her.

"...I was not." Acheron tried to tell him, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Hehe~ You look adorable when you're trying to lie." Y/N told her, chuckling when he saw the way Acheron's face lit up with a faint scarlet hue and how she tried her best to keep her calm expression intact.

"What a precious memory..." Black Swan watched them with a faint smile, feeling the tension in the air vanish.

"Pardon me, you three. Here are your orders~!" A young woman's voice startled Y/N as the owner skipped over to their table from his blindside with three trays on each arm and, whether through pure luck or incredible balance, didn't drop a single one as she evenly spread them across the table. "I'll be your personal waiter for today, so please let me know if you need anything! I'll be on standby. I sure hope you enjoy your meal~!"

"Thank you! Itadakimasu!" Y/N said and didn't hesitate to dig into the dishes he ordered, an explosion of perfectly balanced, well-designed symphony of flavors hitting him harder than any boss he encountered. "Mm! This is amazing!"

"This is...good." Acheron lifted another spoonful of the soup she ordered to her lips and gulped it down. The pleasant flavor reminded her of her mother's cooking and brought a bittersweet smile to her lips as she recalled those distant days.

"Black Swan-san. Is that all you're eating?" Y/N asked with his mouth full, having devoured an entire steak within seconds and probably breaking a few records. His eyes was set on the small salad sitting in front of the lavender-haired woman that paled in comparison to the five dishes he and Acheron ordered together. "If you want, I can order another salad for you."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Acheron scolded him and used a napkin to wipe off the sauce smearing the corner of his lips.

"It's what I'm used to. No need to worry about me, please enjoy yourselves." Black Swan reassured them with her calm, mature, and almost sultry voice that put almost everyone she came across at ease with its hypnotic allure.

Almost everyone.

"It's okay, don't worry about it! I can afford it if that's what you're worried about. Waiter!" Y/N called out to the woman who brought their food. "Can we get—"

Y/N felt his blood run cold and he stopped mid-sentence when he finally took a nice, long look at their waitress who waved at him with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

《Source: https://t.bilibili.com/938397096583626793》

"Oh... Fuck." Y/N felt a bead of sweat run down his neck when he locked eyes with Sparkle.

"What's wrong?" Acheron followed his gaze, and glanced between him and Sparkle. "Do you know her?"

"Uh... No, nothing like that." Y/N stood up, "I'll be right back. I need the bathroom." 

Y/N left without letting them get a word in and grabbed Sparkle by the hand on the way out. 

The door to the men's bathroom was kicked open and the loud slam that followed shortly after was muffled by the door closing behind the two. The wall of the men's bathroom shone briefly before flashing the «Immortal Object» box, but neither of them cared much for the notification. 

"What are you doing here? You better not have put anything inside the food." Y/N glared at Sparkle who met his harsh stare with an amicable smirk.

"Oya~? Just what type of girl do you take me for, mister? Besides, you woulda noticed a lot sooner if I poisoned you...Or, maybe you just missed me that badly and you wanted an excuse to go somewhere private with me?" Sparkle teased with a smug grin. "Naughty boy~"

"Cut the bullshit. Tell me why you're here." Y/N demanded, clearly not in the mood for her shenanigans.

"Jeez, so hostile and for what? I don't remember doing anything that would tick you off." Sparkle tilted her head, "trying" to recall if there was such a moment that make him dislike her. Of course, she came up "empty" handed.

"You literally stabbed me in the back."

"What? I never... Oh. Lemme guess, «Illusory Deciphering»?" Sparkle's smile soured into a disappointed pout. She reached up and took off her mask, her appearance unchanging from Y/N's POV. "Boo. You're no fun. Here I thought we could get along swimmingly. I went through a lot of trouble to get one of the staff members by themselves before I replaced them, you know."

"Why would you go through all this trouble then?" Y/N's tone never shifted from the cold, unamused tone he started the conversation with.

"Hm... Good question. Well, to put it simply: When people kill in this game, there's usually two outcomes: 1. They regret having to kill someone, but eventually try to justify their actions and make flimsy promises of never killing again; 2. They take great joy in snuffing out another person's life and continue without remorse. I saw it, you know—back when I was disguised as that girl. I saw something else in your eyes. You take no joy in killing, but you don't harbor any regrets after the deed is done. When I see someone like that," Sparkle's smile resurfaced as quickly as it sunk under the complicated waves that were her mask of emotions. Her gaze landed on Y/N's arms that kept her pinned against the wall before returning to the man's deadly glare. "I just can't help but wonder, what exactly makes someone like that tick? What really gets them going?" Sparkle's eyes widened and pupils shrunk in sick delight at whatever she was imagining. "I wanna see it! I wanna see their fuse go off! I wanna see them explode! When you detonate, you better make sure I'm there to witness it, okay?!"

"...You're insane." Y/N verbally spat.

"Yeah, maybe. Maybe, I have a few screws loose." Sparkle's eyes returned to normal as she giggled and stood on her tippy-toes to whisper, "But, everyone could use a little Sparkle in their life~"

Before Y/N could comment on that god awful pun of hers, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Y/N, is everything alright?" The person soon pushed open the door to reveal it to be Acheron on the other side. "Do you need......" She trailed off when she saw the rather compromising position Y/N was in, with Sparkle pinned against the wall.

"Acheron, this isn't... I swear that—"

However, faster than Y/N was expecting and with more strength than he gave her credit for, Sparkle broke free from his hands, grabbed him by the shirt, and smashed her lips against his, shocking both of them.

The unexpected kiss lasted three seconds before Sparkle finally pulled away, a thin trail of saliva connecting them that soon broke. She eyed up Acheron with a smirk while she tapped on her menu and sent Y/N a friend request. "Make sure to message me later~" She giggled and moved his right hand while he was still stunned, accepting the request for him.

"We're leaving, P/N." Acheron quickly closed the distance and grabbed Y/N by the arm, storming out the bathroom with him in tow while Sparkle watched with her twisted sense of humor.

"'Y/N' and 'P/N,' huh... Considering how affectionately she said it, I'm guessing the first one is his actual name." Sparkle reasonably concluded as another mischievous smirk made its way to her lips. "Oh, I can tell this is gonna be so much fun for the both of us, Y/N~!"

Timeskip

《Current Time — 20:50》

Four hours.

That was how long Acheron stayed silent.

"Are you mad at me?" Y/N knew the answer to that question even before he thought to ask it, but the silence in the room was stiffening to the point where he thought that death by asphyxiation was genuinely plausible.

The two of them were lying down together under the warm, heavy sheets that did an amazing job of keeping their body heat trapped under the covers and protecting them from the chilly autumn weather.

Y/N heard shuffling to his left and peeked to see Acheron finally rolling over to face him with her usual expression, although in this instance, there was a slight glimmer of softness behind her gaze.

"Earlier with Black Swan... I'll admit that I wasn't acting like my usual self." Acheron offered an embarrassed smile when she remembered the way she acted and gratefully accepted his left hand when he offered it, cupping and squeezing it with both of hers. "However, when I opened the door and saw the disdain in your eyes while you were looking at that girl, I knew how you felt about her... Although..." Her expression briefly darkened. "I wasn't expecting for her to..." She shook her head. "To answer your question, no. I am not mad at you, Y/N, but, I must know: Who was that girl?"

"You promise not to get mad and do anything reckless?"

"I..." Acheron's eyebrows knitted together at his words and her flashed briefly with concern until she forced a resolute expression onto her face. "I promise I won't do anything reckless."

"Okay... Well, you remember when we were talking about that murder case and Argo was with us?" Y/N began slowly.

"...Yes?" Acheron nodded, not seeing the point of bringing this up.

"And you remember that Sparkle girl I mentioned?"

"You mean the girl that stabbed... you......" Acheron trailed off and the room was devoid of any noise as she laid there, staring off into the distance with her eyes glazed over. She eventually sat up and opened her menu, taking out her «Raijin» and telling him, "...I'll be back soon."

"You promised you wouldn't do anything reckless! Y/N reminded Acheron, seizing her by the wrist before she got too far and, after a bit of struggling, finally managed to convince her to stay under the warm blanket by hugging her close. "See? Isn't this better than going back outside in that freezing temperature?"

"Mmm...." Acheron hummed monotonously and despite not saying any words, Y/N could tell she agreed.

"You should be careful. Sparkle has a mimicry item that lets her disguise herself as other players. If you have the «Illusory Deciphering» Mod for the «Searching» Skill, then it won't have any effect on you." Y/N explained.

"Don't worry, I already have that skill and mod. But, how exactly did she get the jump on you if you also were capable of seeing through the illusion?" asked Acheron.

"I... didn't know about mods until afterwards." Y/N awkwardly laughed.

"...Perhaps, it'd be best for us to stick together for the rest of the floors..." Acheron whispered with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Sounds like a marriage proposal to me. I'm fine with that." The young man teased, his words dying Acheron's face the soft pink color of embarrassment, and she was glad he couldn't see her face.

"...Please don't tease me like that, Y/N. I don't think I'm ready for anything near that level of commitment yet..." She murmured.

"Sorry, sorry. Bosenmori-san, will you please forgive me~?" Y/N "begged" her.

"...Fine." Acheron "reluctantly" gave in.

"See? This is why I love you~" Y/N said to her, jokingly.

"What did I just say about teasing me...?" Acheron sighed. Yet, she still leaned into the hug with a small smile. The pink color in her face burned hotter, turning crimson, from his teasing remarks and she tried to hide it by snuggling up closer to him and placing her head on his shoulder, right out of his vision.

Right there, in Y/N's arms, Acheron was content with staying there until the game ended or the heat of the universe wiped them out—which ever came first, as long as she was sleeping peacefully in his gentle embrace. She could feel drowsiness slowly take over her mind and her eyelids felt heavier with each passing second she spent near him, reminding her of the last time they spent a night together and holding hands like they were now. 

Everything felt perfect to Acheron.

The large blanket covering them both pressed their warm bodies together, as if reminding Acheron she was still very much alive and so was Y/N, and that's all that mattered to her. The soft mattress underneath them supported their weight, much like how the man holding her close had always promised to do for her in the whispers they shared every night. Acheron couldn't be more happier to be in this situation, her tiny ghost of a smile widening until it became a full-fledged, down-to-earth heartfelt expression that showed the kind, compassionate soul underneath her blank exterior.

Everything was perfect in Acheron's eyes.

Then, she heard—

"How precious~"

—a third person's voice.

Acheron's eyes shot open and she looked past Y/N to see Black Swan lying on her side next to him, much closer than Acheron would have liked, and wearing a dark-purple translucent night gown over her purple nightwear.

《Source: https://t.bilibili.com/938397096583626793》

"...Y/N." Acheron slowly began in a stern voice, her smile long gone now.

"Okay, look..." As if he could read Acheron's mind, Y/N responded, "Yeah, Black Swan's been here the entire time—no clue why—but I couldn't just tell her to go away, you know? Since this is her house and everything, we gotta abide by her rules... At least, that's what Mom told me to do."

"We're in her house?" A frown slowly formed on Acheron's lips.

"It's true." Black Swan answered for Y/N, "After you stormed out of the restaurant, you wandered aimlessly around the town with no clear intent. Despite that, you managed to discover every dead-end—quite impressive, if I must say. Regardless, Ms. Acheron, we're glad to have you back with us again."

"Then... I suppose I should thank you." Acheron definitely didn't sound too thrilled to do that, "...Thank you, Black Swan-san."

"No need to thank me. In fact, you should be thanking Y/N for sticking by your side the entire time. Who knows what may have happened to you if he hadn't remained by your side?" Black Swan told Acheron whose frown grew more troubled from her words. 

When Acheron noticed Black Swan sit up, she let out a relieved sigh she hadn't realized she was holding back, only for the lavender-haired woman to merely take off her veil and set it on the night stand before lying back down. "You're not leaving?" She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but she was at the point where she didn't care anymore.

Thankfully, Black Swan didn't seem to take offense to her unfriendly tone and told her, "Y/N said it was alright for me to be here." before chuckling after seeing the look Acheron gave the young man between them.

"It was one of the conditions she gave me...." Y/N explained with a tired sigh.

"I see..."

The three of them said nothing and laid there for what felt like an eternity of awkward silence in the darkness.

"Well, isn't this fun?" Black Swan spoke up. Neither Y/N nor Acheron could tell if she was being sarcastic or not. "This must be one of those... Oh, what was it called again? It's when you go to someone else's house to sleep with them and other people."

A sleepover?

...At least, that was what Y/N's brain thought, but what came out of his mouth instead was:

"A threesome?"

"Other way around, Y/N." Acheron casually pinched his face while her gaze was set on Black Swan. "You're talking about a sleepover, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right. A sleepover. Is this what that is?" asked the mysterious woman the two struggled to get a read on.

"I... wouldn't know. I never been to one before." Acheron confessed, remembering how her father's reputation had practically isolated her from all of her classmates and prevented any chances of anyone talking to her.

"Me neither." Y/N admitted as Acheron glanced to see him staring off into the horizon with his own set of woes. 

Eventually, Y/N shook his head and once he noticed Acheron's concerned expression, he flashed her a beaming smile to reassure her that he was fine.

"I guess the three of us have that in common then." The young man laughed.

"Perhaps, we do~" Black Swan giggled. "Although, I'm surprised to hear you never attended one, Y/N. You always struck me as someone who didn't have trouble making friends or, at the very least, making yourself known to others."

"Is that your impression of me? Well... I wasn't always like that. Mom and Sis always say that I used to be a different person back in middle school and that they're thankful that I changed a lot since then."

"Memories work in mysterious ways, don't they? Years may pass, but one can still recall the past events that molded them and others into the people they are today, especially when it involves their loved ones. Wouldn't you agree, Ms. Acheron?" Black Swan asked.

"I..." Acheron's expression turned troubled when she thought back to her complicated past. The fighting and arguing between her parents that ultimately lead to their divorce played out in her mind like a broken record. The teasing from her classmates that soon turned into bullying once her father publicly disowned her still sent shivers down her back. The struggles of juggling high school and work after her mother's passing, forcing her to live independently, caused her to ball up her hands into fists. "I... agree."

Y/N, sensing Acheron's mood and noticing her body slightly shake, immediately sat up and brought her closer while whispering words of comfort. It wasn't the first hug she received from him and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"My apologies, I shouldn't have dredged up bad memories." Black Swan apologized. "Perhaps, I should—"

"No," Acheron stopped her, "It's fine... I'm fine... I was just... reminiscing."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Y/N whispered. 

When Acheron shook her head, he nodded and wordlessly continued to comfort her by patting her on the back until she, at the very least, stopped shaking.

A few minutes passed before someone broke the silence. 

"Even though I do not know what a sleepover entails," Y/N slowly began while continuing to comfort Acheron, "I'd imagine that since it's usually between friends, maybe you two should properly introduce yourself to each other first? I mean, I already know you both, but today was the first time you two met."

I suppose that's a good starting point. Black Swan reasoned. "As you already know, my name is Black Swan and the services I provide are... often seen as witchcraft by the masses." Even without explicitly stating it, both Y/N and Acheron knew she was talking about the angry mob from this afternoon and wondered if this was the only time something like this happened. "Recently, I made the decision to move to the 50th Floor. However, I must confess that the reason I gave earlier was a lie. The actual reason is because I foresee one man's journey ending by the end of this year, and I wish to see the conclusion with my own eyes."

"...!"

"...Y/N?" Acheron could easily tell something was wrong when she felt Y/N's body freeze up and heard the sharp intake of air from him. "What's wrong?"

"...Nothing's wrong." Y/N mustered a small flimsy smile.

"...If you say so." Acheron was far from convinced, but decided that if he didn't want to tell her now, then she would patiently wait until he was ready. "My name is Acheron. I used to be a captain of the Main Advance Team before... they were wiped out by the 25th Floor Boss. At the time, I was on temporary leave and partying with a guild until..." Her gaze fell to the bed before bouncing up to lock eyes with Y/N. "Then, I met Y/N." Acheron smiled and squeezed his hand. "He helped me get through a rough time, to say the least."

"It was all you. I didn't do anything special."

"You were there for me when I needed you to be. That's..." Acheron pursed her lips. "That's more than I can say for almost everyone else in my life."

"And, I'll continue to do so, Bosenmori..." Y/N promised, wrapping both arms around Acheron's waist and holding her tightly.

"I know you will." Acheron quietly chuckled and pressed an ear against the left side of his chest. She listened to the calming rhythm of his heartbeat and could feel the tension in her body leave her upon feeling the comfort of his arms snaked around her, and she leaned deeper into the hug.

Black Swan watched them from the side with a small smile and chose to remain silent, not wanting to ruin their moment. She waited patiently until they separated to say, "Bosenmori? Is that your real name? It's quite beautiful."

"Oh..." Acheron obviously wasn't expecting to hear that. "Thank you. My grandparents gave me that name. I'm thankful to them for everything—my name, raising my mother, taking care of me when I was little and my parents were too busy with work. Everything..." The sweet smile gracing her lips as she reminisced about the past suddenly soured. "Unfortunately, my grandparents grew sick when I was still in elementary school and passed away together. Not too long after, so did my mother."

"I... understood your feelings. After my mother and her father passed away, my grandmother has been taking care of me on her own. Without her, I don't know where I'd be. That's why I always help her with her flower shop."

 "Um... Well," Y/N scratched the back of his head, "To be honest, I don't know much about my biological family. But, what I do know is that the family I have now is all I care about. I'm kinda jealous of you two, actually. I don't have anyone who I can call Gramps or Grams..."

"In that case," Acheron leaned away, her purple gaze staring into his (E/C) stare, "When this game is over, I can introduce you to them."

"I..." Y/N hesitated while, in the background, Black Swan's smile faltered as well. The young man, however, quickly regained his smile and nodded. "I'd like that. Let's do our best to make that happen. Okay, Bosenmori?"

Acheron smiled in acknowledgement and nodded.

The rest of the night followed a similar pattern. They took turns talking about themselves, ranging from personal matters such as their favorite hobbies and interests in the real world to more casual conversations like what their daily routines were.

At one point, the conversation had steered over to peaches and Acheron went on a near hour-long speech about the nutritional value. What made it even better was the fact that Y/N and Black Swan could see her eyes were shining with passion but she still had her poker face, making her look (even more) adorable.

At another point, the conversation turned to the missing questline that many players were complaining about that suddenly vanished from their quest logs. Acheron wasn't too sure what the quest entailed but through the hushed whispers she was able to pick up on by accidentally eavesdropping, she recalled something about a small army of warriors chasing after some so-called "god." Y/N remained quiet during that while Black Swan giggled.

While the night passed, Y/N couldn't shake off the feeling that he was forgetting something. Whenever he tried to, that ominous sinkhole in his stomach returned and brought with it more anxiety.

Eventually, the in-game clock struck midnight [00:00], and they decided to end the impromptu "sleepover" there. 

Black Swan stepped out of the room to give them some privacy, but not before peeking her head inside one last time. "Good night, you two. And... I enjoyed our talk. Perhaps, we can do this more often." Black Swan chuckled, stifling a yawn.

"I wouldn't mind..." Y/N yawned. He stretched his arms and plopped down on his pillow with a cozy smile. "...As long as Bosenmori doesn't mind either."

"...I wouldn't be opposed to that." Acheron nodded with a small smile that Black Swan returned. 

"Then, it's settled~ Sleep tight." Black Swan sang. 

Just when the diviner was about to leave, Y/N called out to her, "Wait, before you go... You already know our real names, but what's yours?"

Black Swan was silent for a few moments before she sent a wink in Y/N's direction. "Why don't you two take a guess~?" She teased them and closed the door behind her.

"Ugh... She's a handful, isn't she?"

Pot calling the kettle black... Acheron thought with a tiny amused smile and laid down next to Y/N as they faced each other and held each other's hand like they always did. "I missed this..."

"Me too..." Y/N replied, still fighting that gnawing feeling in his chest that he was forgetting something important. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't push that gut feeling away and it kept him wide awake long after Acheron fell asleep. 

And, it certainly didn't help that Y/N found Acheron's quiet snores adorable. That, in tandem with her serene expression, made him lose track of time as he watched her sleep like a log, knowing he was there to watch over her.

It wasn't until a little over 5 hours later, around 05:10, when Y/N was beginning to nod off, only to be awakened by a message from Argo.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Y/N muttered," Hm...? Oh, that's right..." He quickly remembered what he was forgetting, "She wanted us to help her clear a dungeon..." 

Y/N tried to get up, only to be stopped by a weight on him. When he looked down, he found Acheron resting her head on his chest and snuggled up close to him with a small smile. 

Y/N wasn't ashamed in the slightest to admit he was tempted to ignore Argo's message and sleep through the stream of messages sent by the shorter woman, but he knew that Acheron would scold him for abandoning his friend. At the same time, he didn't want to wake her up and contemplated leaving her behind to get some much-needed sleep, but, should something happen to him, he didn't want to put her through the mental anguish of re-experiencing what happened to her former guildmates again.

With a heavy sigh, Y/N placed a hand on Acheron's shoulder and shook her awake. "Sorry, Bosenmori, but Argo needs us right now."

Acheron's eyes slowly opened and her half-awake gaze landed on his face before moving downward, and she soon realized that she had been using it as a pillow. Rather than freak out or blush furiously, however, she traced a finger down his chest with a sorrowful expression. "...Does it still hurt?"

"It never hurt. It never did. You could never hurt me, Bosenmori." Y/N gently reassured her, earning a soft hum from the purple-haired woman before she dozed off.

Timeskip

《Current Time — 05:25》

"C'mon, c'mon... Where are they?"

Argo paced frantically back and forth in front of the dungeon's entrance, her gaze darting in every direction she heard a sound come from. 

The forest was pitch black and her eyes struggled to see through the shadows created by the masses of trees. Her only hope of seeing if anyone was approaching was her hearing or the tiny glimpses of moonlight peering through the narrow gaps between the crown of the trees.

Argo was well aware that if she asked anyone else to do this for her, they would have outright refused her or made some lame excuse to leave. That's why she waited. And waited. And waited for a little over half an hour in the freezing night for them.

Eventually, Argo heard a pair of footsteps approaching her spot, and looked up to see Y/N heading in her direction with Acheron secured on his back.

"Hey, you made it~!" Argo happily skipped over to them, "I know I'm already asking for a lot, but there's only less than half an hour left before the dungeon shifts locations, so—"

"Argo," Y/N cut her off and sat Acheron down next to a nearby tree, "Come here for a second..."

Argo was confused, but obeyed his command and took a step closer. That extra step closer allowed her to get a closer look at the man's face to see the dark bags under his eyes that blended in with the darkness of the forest.

"Ow!" She yelped when Y/N grabbed her by the face and pinched her cheeks.

"If you ever ask me to do something this late again, I'm gonna personally dunk you into the lake next time, got it?"

"G-Got it. Sorry..."

Satisfied with her response, Y/N let her go and approached the dungeon's entrance, running a hand over the smooth, polished wooden material. 

When Y/N heard that Argo found the dungeon's entrance, he was half expecting to be crawling through a crack in the earth until he fell into the actual dungeon, where he would then be swarmed by legions of mobs. Instead, he found himself standing in front of a pair of castle doors in the middle of a small clearing leading to nowhere.

"I know it might be rude of me to say this, but there's less than 30 minutes left before it changes locations again, so maybe you should wake up Acheron-san...?" Argo nervously asked.

"And, whose fault is that?" Y/N's tired gaze darted over to Argo who awkwardly chuckled and tapped her thumbs together. "...But, I guess you're right." He approached Acheron and knelt down to shake her awake. 

Not even a moment later, the mystical pair of amethyst-colored orbs belonging to the female ronin fluttered open and she let out a small yawn, sounding refreshed. Soon, her reinvigorated gaze turned to face him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Y/N said with a tired smile.

Acheron remained silent and took note of the exhaustion in his visage before cupping his face. "How much sleep did you get?"

"Same as you!" Y/N tried to tell her in a convincing manner, but she saw through him with ease.

"Don't lie to me." Acheron calmly scolded him, pinching his cheeks a smidge.

"Sorry..." Y/N apologized.

Nodding, Acheron turned her attention to Argo who was uncomfortably standing a little over ten steps away, not wanting to interrupt their little moment. "What do you know about the dungeon, Argo?"

The whisker-faced informant cleared her throat and approached the pair. "It's not exactly the most complex dungeon."

"Oh. So, it's absolutely the most complex dungeon in the game." Y/N sighed. "Got it..."

"Shut up," Argo pouted and kicked him in the shin, "I'm being serious here. It's rather straight-forward compared to the other sub-dungeons we've seen so far. Just a few hallways and stairs, and then a few enemies sprinkled in between for you to take care of. Nothing too serious."

"Nothing too serious?" repeated Y/N.

"Nothing too serious!" Argo proudly reassured him. "Argo-Guaranteed!"

* * * * *

"'Argo-Guaranteed,' my ass!" Y/N angrily shouted.

They were in the midst of sprinting down one of the many long hallways belonging to the massive castle they found themselves teleported to, after stepping through the large door. Torches lined the walls and chiseled stone columns while underneath them, a red carpet muffled their footsteps. 

Contrary to what Argo told them, the dungeon was massive, about the size of the 50th Floor's town, and that wasn't even taking into account the numerous towers winding around the castle and separate areas connected by a bridge.

"It's difficult to ascertain the layout of a dungeon without going in yourself." Acheron skid to a stop and spun around. She used her sheathed katana to smack aside three arrows of the volley fired their way before dodging the rest and following closely behind Y/N. "I think we can let it slide this time."

"Fine..." Y/N reached over his shoulder and gripped the handle of his «Forge God's Eternal Dream» that was resting on his back.

Up ahead, guarding the stairs was a massive knight more than twice their height, fully decked out in steel armor. It banged the bottom of their halberd on the floor and proudly showed off its giant shield despite the its poor condition while four archers stood behind them.

《Sentinel Knight》

《Level 67》

《Sentinel Archers》

《Level 65》

"Sorry, but..." Y/N leapt up and swung his greatsword that glowed a bright (F/C), "We don't have time for you!" His weapon collided with the giant knight's shield, causing it to bend abnormally, and sent the giant knight skidding backward into its allies. The towering shield glowed brightly before shattering into blue shards.

Acheron closed her eyes and her hair slowly turned white as she unsheathed her katana that crackled with red lightning. At speeds that neither the Sentinel Knight nor the Sentinel Archers could keep up with, she dashed forward and slashed them multiple times before re-appearing right next to Y/N. She sheathed «Raijin» with a loud click, and her hair returned to its normal dark purple color right when more slashes landed and a small explosion of red lightning engulfed the five, killing them.

(Pretend her hair is changing colors and the lightning is red.)

"Woah, what was that?!"

"It's a new Sword Skill for my «Nihility Bladework» called «Octobolt Flash»." Acheron sounded rather proud when she said that, leaving Y/N to wonder if she named it herself. Either way, she looked cute with the subtle prideful glimmer in her eyes and the faint smirk on her lips.

"That's so cool! You have any new Sword Skills?!"

Just then, the sound of bowstring slapping the air caught their attention and Acheron looked to her left to see an arrow flying toward her. 

Before it could even get within arm's reach, Y/N shielded her with his greatsword and the arrow bounced harmlessly off the dense metal. "Looks like they caught up to us."

Behind them, they could hear multiple footsteps approaching while in front of them, more enemies clambered down the stairs. It didn't take long until Y/N and Acheron were sandwiched between two large groups of mobs, including more Sentinel Knights and Sentinel Archers. 

"So, you got any new Sword Skills that might help us here?" asked Y/N. "If not, then I can handle this."

"Just one. But, I need them to be a little closer." Acheron told him.

"Leave it to me." 

Y/N walked ahead and slammed his «Forge God's Eternal Dream» into the ground, and activated his «Taunt» Skill. As one would imagine from that name, immediately after he used the skill, the army of enemies around them locked solely onto him.

Blinded by their programming, the Sentinel Knights stomped towards him while the Sentinel Archers, whether also doomed by their programming or blinded by their artificial pride, tossed aside their bows and drew their swords to follow their allies.

When all the knights were within striking distance, Acheron crouched and placed a hand on «Raijin's» hilt. The blade glowed bright purple as she swung her katana while leaping up, taking everyone but Y/N into the air with her.

The moment Y/N saw this, his eyes widened and tears started to well up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away and brought out his «Meteoric Katana» before leaping up with the now green-bladed weapon to perform his long-awaited «Wind God's Whisper» and cutting every monster into pieces.

Y/N and Acheron landed next to each other, and as if they were in a cinematic movie, they sheathed their katanas at the same time as the chunks of bodies landing on the floor before dispersing into data shards.

"You... You have a Sword Skill that can knock up multiple enemies?"

"Yeah," Acheron turned around, "I learnt it when my «Katana» and «Acrobatics» Skills reached Level 750—" She was cut off by Y/N cupping her hand together.

"Bosenmori," Y/N pressed his lips to the back of her hand and stared into her soul with a lovestruck expression, "Let's get married."

"I-I told you to stop teasing me..." Acheron replied and closed her eyes, fighting desperately against the furious blush trying to take over her face. The short battle lasted until she re-opened her eyes and found him still staring at her with the same expression. "...Y-You were being serious?!"

"Yeah, why not?" Y/N's beaming smile made Acheron avert her attention elsewhere, refusing to meet his gaze, lest she succumb (further) to his charm. "Do you know how long I've been searching for someone who also knows how to do the «Thunder God's Roar»? A damn long time! Though, I guess we should maybe call it the «Thunder Goddess's Roar» now?" He chuckled.

"Enough... We don't have that much time left to be fooling around." Acheron lightly chided him.

"Alright, alright. Sorry, I'll stop." Y/N apologized and took a look at the time to see it was 05:40.

Together, they scaled the stairs in record time and at the top, they stepped out onto a balcony leading to a large stone bridge outside that was connected to another part of the castle. The moment they stepped on the bridge, enemies spawned in—ten Sentinel Knights standing guard on the bridge while twenty Sentinel Archers aimed their bows at them from atop the walls of the other end.

"How should we approach this?" Acheron whispered, placing a hand on her katana. She glanced around to see if there was another possible route, but came up short. To her surprise, Y/N didn't say anything as he took another step on the bridge, entering their aggro range.

Acheron was ready to follow him, but he put his arm out to stop her. "...Y/N?" She said his name in a mixture of concern and confusion.

"Don't worry," Y/N flashed her a smile. "I got this."

Y/N walked ahead by himself, staring down the waiting soldiers with a confident smirk.

"Fènghuáng."

A bright fiery golden light engulfed his body, forcing Acheron to shield her eyes. 

When the blinding flash died down, she found Y/N standing there with a fiery golden cape dangling over his left shoulder, fiery golden ethereal claws and talons shrouding his hands and feet, two golden feathers sticking upward out of his hair, and a pair of fiery golden phoenix wings floating idly behind him that followed every movement of his shoulder.

"Y/N...?" Acheron began slowly, feeling a bit uneasy by his sudden transformation, but she realized her worries were unfounded after he looked over his shoulder and flashed his usual smirk.

"Let me show off a little, okay?" 

Y/N didn't wait for an answer and charged ahead, faster than Acheron could react. 

Within the blink of an eye, the first three Sentinel Knights fell back with what seemed to be a fist-sized hole through their heads and crashed down into the bridge, shattering into pieces of data. 

The remaining seven Sentinel Knights raised their shields to defend themselves while the twenty Sentinel Archers stationed above the walls scanned the bridge for any signs of the man.

A golden blur passed by and took out seven Sentinel Archers on the right wall with one pass before it bounced back to take out the remaining three faster than they could react. 

The other ten Sentinel Archers fired at the spot where their allies stood only a few moments ago, and only hit the air.

Suddenly, Y/N appeared in front of a lone Sentinel Knight, tapping on its leg to get its attention. It quickly reeled its right arm back and thrusted its weapon towards the man who remained glued to the spot until the tip of its halberd was only less than five centimeters from piercing his skull. He easily dodged the telegraphed attack and jumped up to stab his katana through the tiny hole of the Sentinel Knight's helmet, killing it.

Acheron watched in awe as he jumped from one Sentinel Knight to the next, repeating this until the second to last Sentinel Knight fell to the ground and its shattered remnants entered the stream of data in the great heavens above.

"11 more..." Y/N turned his gaze to the final Sentinel Knight and ten remaining Sentinel Archers, only to watch as they glow brightly before shattering into fragments. 

The millions of glass pieces swirled together, creating one massive conglomerate of data before the blob started to morph into a different shape that soon revealed itself when the light died down.

《Sentinel Royal Knight》

《Level 75》

"We don't have time for you..." Y/N calmly told it, lacking his usual excitement. "So, I'll finish this in one attack."

Y/N lifted his left arm and curled his raised hand into a tight fist. Bright golden flames swirled violently around his fist as if it were a black hole sucking in the lifeforce of a yellow sun, and he reeled back his arm to throw a punch towards the Sentinel Royal Knight.

"Eminence."

The force behind the attack, while it killed the Sentinel Royal Knight in less than a second, also destroyed parts of the castle behind it due to its small AoE effect and shook the already crumbling bridge. Not even a second later, the ground underneath Y/N's and Acheron's feet gave way, and they fell into the deep chasm the bridge was designed for.

Acheron was far from a helpless damsel and her immediate response was to spin herself towards the nearest rubble, and use it to jump a higher spot and so on. It wasn't until after her third leap did she get snatched out of the air and looked to see Y/N floating in the air.

"When you told me that you wanted to show off," Acheron looked to her savior, admiring his new form, "This is far and away from what I was expecting...Although, perhaps I should've learned to flip my expectations when it comes to you."

"Pretty cool, right? Check it!" Y/N landed on the side where the now collapsed bridge was supposed to take them and set her down. He then switched from his «Phoenix Mode» to his «Dragon Mode». "Look," He pointed at his horns, "We're matching now!"

Acheron silently approached him and placed a hand on each of his horns, brushing her thumbs against the smooth surface of the protrusions. She was too distracted by them and didn't realized Y/N was talking to her until after he stood up and his horns were slightly out of reach.

"Bosenmori, is something wrong?"

"Oh. Uh..." Acheron retracted her hands and cleared her throat, "Nothing's wrong..." Out of the corner of her eye, at the top left of her vision, she noticed his health bar had dropped substantially, roughly 16% down from the max, and panicked. "What happened to your HP?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. This skill costs a percentage of my max HP to maintain, about 6% every 12 seconds. That combined with the «Eminence» Sword Skill, which costs 10% of my max HP to use, should bring my HP down to 84%. It's kinda annoying that I can't heal from skills like «Battle Healing» and «Meditation» or by using items like potions and healthy crystals while its active, but it makes sense since how freaking OP it is." Y/N laughed, "Besides, I can just turn it off like this." The golden flames around Y/N died down as he turned his attention to the chapel in front of them. "Now, let's go and—"

A soft tug on his white Haori stopped him.

"Don't..." 

Y/N looked over his shoulder to see Acheron staring at the ground, her long purple locks covering her face. 

"Don't use that skill anymore. Not when it places you in that much danger."

The (H/C)-haired man slowly turned to face her and tilted her chin upward. He felt a cold hand stab through his chest and squeeze his heart tightly when he saw the pleading look she was giving him even though she knew her words wouldn't sway his stance on the matter.

"You know I can't promise that, Bosenmori." Y/N softly told her, "We all have to do our part if we want to survive and return to the real world. You want to leave too, don't you?"

"I do... But," Acheron leaned forward, placing her head on his chest while her arms wrapped securely around him and muttering sadly, "What's the point if you won't be there with me?" She squeezed him tighter. "Please. Promise me you won't use that skill anymore."

Every second of silence without a response from Y/N made Acheron pray harder. She prayed to whatever god watching over her that he would listen. She prayed that her words would reach him. She prayed that he would at the very least lie to her, so she could pretend everything would be alright.

But, Acheron knew better than that.

"Bosenmori..." The sincerity in Y/N's voice made her heart sink and she already knew his answer even before he said it. "I can't make promises that I know I'll break in the future."

"I know..." Acheron sighed and let go. She leaned back and looked up at him with a defeated expression. "And, that's one of the many reasons why I love you." She smiled sadly and pecked him on the cheek.

"...Bosenmori?" Y/N grew confused before he then felt her hand touch his stomach and looked down to see her holding a yellow Crystal in her other hand.

"Paralysis Crystal. Activate."

Y/N opened his mouth to shout, but he was stopped by the Crystal's effects running through his body and fell forward like a puppet with its strings snipped. 

Acheron caught him right before he fell to the floor and gently set him down on her lap. "I'm sorry, Y/N. But, I can't lose anyone else I care about." She patted his head with a bittersweet expression before gently placing him on the ground and standing.

Bosenmori! BOSENMORI!

Y/N wanted to shout for her to come back, but his mouth didn't budge in the slightest and he watched helplessly as she stepped inside the dungeon boss's room.

* * * * *

The inside of the boss room followed a similar design as the rest of the castle. It was one massive, empty, windowless room with multiple chiseled stone pillars and arches holding up the ceiling as they ought to be.

Acheron quietly took a few steps before looking back to see a wall block the entrance. "There's no going back now..." 

She turned ahead to see two bosses spawn in front of her.

《Smough — Sentinel Royal Executioner》

《Lv. 85》

《Ornstein — Sentinel Royal Head Knight》

《Lv. 85》

Acheron glanced at the duo, noting their drastically different builds, and then at the time to see it was now 05:47.

"The number 13 is quite unlucky, isn't it?" She muttered to herself and closed her eyes, placing a hand on «Raijin's» handle as red lightning crackled around the blade and her hair turned white.

I'm sorry, Y/N...

Her eyes opened to reveal a pair of crimson orbs before the room exploded with blood-red bolts of energy.

《Chapter End》

Y/N — Level 111

Stats:

HP — 22,200

STR — 20(+150) [170]

AGL — 20(+180) [200]

0 Remaining Stat Points

Skill Slots:

Skill 1 — Sprint Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Passive Running Speed V

▪ Shorten Sprint Cooldown IV

▪ Steady Footsteps Mod

Skill 2 — Searching Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Simultaneously Detected Enemies III

▪ Increase Detection Range V

▪ Tracking Mod

▪ Illusory Deciphering Mod

Skill 3 — Katana Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Critical Hit Chance XII

▪ Shorten Sword Skill Cooldown Time VIII

Skill 4 — Martial Arts Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Enemy Stagger Time X

▪ Shorten Sword Skill Cooldown Time VIII

▪ Heavy Blows Mod

▪ Concussive Blows Bonus

Skill 5 — Parry Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Parry Window VIII

▪ Successful Parry Bonus

▪ Staggering Parry Mod 

Skill 6 — Battle Healing Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Regeneration Amount V

▪ Increase Regeneration Rate IV

▪ Additional Max HP% Scaling Mod

Skill 7 — Extended Weight Limit Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Weight Limit VIII

▪ Weightless Items Mod

▪ Halved Equipment Weight Mod

Skill 8 — Acrobatics Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Evasion Window VI

▪ Increase Jump Height III

▪ Untouchable Bonus

Skill 9 — Rallying Spirit Lv. 1000

▪ Increase Ally Support VII

▪ Increase Ally Support Range III

Skill 10 — Meditation Lv. 1000

Skill 11 — Sol Dynasty Lv. 870 [Unique Skill]

▪ Increase Stat Bonuses VII

▪ Critical HP Threshold Mod

Skill 12 — Two-Handed Sword Lv. 800

▪ Increase Weapon Heaviness X

▪ Shorten Sword Skill Cooldown Time VI

Skill 13 — Taunt Lv. 757

▪ Increase Defenses While Taunting V

▪ Increase Maximum Taunt Range II

Skill 14 — Berserker Lv. 602

▪ Increase Damage Dealt III

▪ Increase Critical Hit Chance II

▪ Immortal Demigod Mod

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

Stored Skill 1 — One-Handed Sword Lv. 502

Stored Skill 2 — Light Metal Armor Lv. 676

Weapons:

Forge God's Eternal Dream +35 (10 Toughness, 20 Quickness, 5 Heaviness) 

[Rank S - Requires 150 STR, 100 AGL, and «Two-Handed Sword» Skill]

Range: Far

Attack: 1100-1200

Weight: 450

Type: Slash/Blunt

Durability: 9000

Meteoric Katana +50 (20 Sharpness, 10 Accuracy, 20 Durability)

[Rank A - Requires 60 STR, 120 AGL, and «Katana» Skill]

Range: Medium

Attack: 690-700

Weight: 180

Type: Slash

Durability: 1800