55th Floor of Ayn Grant.

Grandsam.

Headquarters of the Knights of the Blood Alliance.

Asuna, who was busy analyzing intelligence, couldn't help but stretch her waist, although SAO is a data-based body, she still feels "tired" after sitting and working for a long time.

Asuna stood up and peered out through the office window.

For a moment, the scenery outside the office building came into view.

The city of Grangsam, where the headquarters of the Blood Alliance Knights is located, is also known as the "Iron Capital".

Unlike other towns, which are mostly made of stone, the main structure of this town is a "giant minaret", all made of steel that glows black.

Although many players have settled here because of the thriving art of smelting and carving, there are no street trees at all, and it gives the impression that it is particularly cold when the wind blows during this autumn season.

This huge minaret is very reminiscent of the floating castle "Ayn Grant" itself, so Asuna is not particularly fond of it.

But it can't stand that the leader Heathcliff likes it here, and many members of the Blood Alliance Knights also feel that the Iron Capital is in line with the Blood-Blooded Knights' iron-blooded and resolute character.

The minority obeys the majority, and Asuna has no choice.

Therefore, it also became the headquarters of the Blood Alliance Knights.

"It's been a year!"

Feeling a gust of autumn wind, Asuna couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Although Asuna always anesthetizes herself with her busy work, her longing for her hometown still overflows from time to time.

That's right.

It's been a year since the last time Wings of Liberty defeated the 25th floor boss alone.

If you count the time elapsed before the 25th floor, she and many other players have been trapped in this steel castle for almost a year and a half.

In a year and a half, there is really a lot to change.

Nowadays, Asuna has begun to get used to waking up every morning to see her fantasy-style bedroom.

I'm also used to being able to make a meal that looks incredibly beautiful with just two clicks, and I'm also used to eating a hearty meal by myself.

As for what I think about every day, it's also how to get to the next floor as soon as possible.

Even, some memories of the real world are beginning to fade.

So much so that Asuna has the illusion that she was born in the world of Ayn Grant!

I have to say that habit is really a very terrible force.

But.

Every time she dreams back at midnight, Asuna still can't help but miss her hometown.

In the real world, Asuna hates her mother's big baggage, she has to intervene in all aspects of her life, and even always introduces her to all kinds of "young talents".

This made Asuna feel like she was a marionette in her mother's hands, always thinking about how to escape.

But.

After nearly a year and a half of not seeing each other, Asuna still can't contain her thoughts about her parents, her brother and father.

After being trapped in this world for a year and a half, she can still know the progress of the game, and she finally has a hope.

But how should mom and dad in the real world suffer?

Other than that.

In reality, what happened to her body?

Asuna doesn't think the game will last forever.

If a person lies still for a long time, even if there are good nursing conditions, they will still slowly weaken.

And that's just a physical slow death!

Even more frightening is the chronic death in society.

If you are trapped in this game for three or four years, your peers in reality will probably leave them far behind.

It is said that there is a gap between three years and a gap in five years, if she continues to be trapped like this, her real life will probably be completely rotten!

Every time she thought of this, Asuna's heart couldn't help but tremble.

Sometimes I even feel so anxious that I can't sleep all night!

But.

The progress of the strategy really can't go any faster!

In the course of a year, the two major guilds of the Blood Alliance Knights and the Wings of Freedom can be described as "fighting fiercely".

On the tenth day when the 25th floor defender boss was defeated by the Wings of Freedom, the Blood Alliance Knights, led by the leader Heathcliff, attacked the 26th floor defender boss alone.

Ten days to attack a floor, it's really not slow.

After all, you only live once, and if you lose it, you can't get it back.

Following the Wings of Freedom, the Knights of the Blood Alliance revealed their grandeur and told all players that the defending boss of the Knights of the Blood Alliance could also be attacked alone.

The name of the mysterious leader of the Knights of the Blood Alliance, Heathcliff, has once again spread throughout SAO.

And this is like a clarion call for war!

On the ninth day after the Blood Alliance Knights defeated the 26th floor defender boss, Makino led the people of Freedom Wings to defeat the 27th floor defender boss again without injury.

This feat once again shocked many people's jaws.

When did the defending boss become so easy to be attacked?

Either way, it's exciting news for all the players who are trapped.

Each floor is raided, which means that it is closer to home.

Wings of Liberty has gone further, how can the Knights of the Blood Alliance fall behind?

Then, in less than 7 days, the Blood Alliance Knights successfully attacked the 29-layer boss of the defending layer.

This made the other guilds a little unable to sit still!

There is no other reason, the Blood Alliance Knights and the Wings of Freedom are fighting each other, almost covering the defending bosses on all floors, and the gap with other guilds is getting bigger and bigger.

If you let the Blood Alliance Knights and Wings of Liberty continue to sing this one-man show, it is estimated that there will be nothing to do with other guilds in the future.

The first to take action was the alliance of the three holy dragons of the 10,000-year-old elders, and not only that, but the Ayngrunte Liberation Force, which was stationed in the first layer of the starting town, set sail again, returned to the raider group, and launched a charge towards the 30th floor.

However, the brutal truth proves to everyone once again that not every guild is a Freedom Wings and Blood Alliance Knights.

Not every regimental commander is Makino and Heatscliffe!

The two Grand Masters and the two Guilds once again proved to everyone that mortals in the world of genius did not understand.

However, when the Raider floor reaches 35 floors, the progress of the Raider slows down again.

Even the Wings of Freedom and the Knights of the Blood Alliance, the two strongest guilds, can't do it alone to attack the defending boss of a single floor.

on this.

The Knights of the Blood Alliance do it to scale!

The head of the group, Heatscliff, personally came forward to recruit guilds of all sizes, and the size of the Blood Alliance Knights expanded dramatically.

The guilds of all sizes in the strategy group were almost wiped out.

Today's Blood Alliance Knights are not only more elite, but also large-scale.

If you only look at the number, the Blood Alliance Knights must definitely surpass the Wings of Freedom, and it is the first guild of SAO.

However, along with this, the Blood Alliance Knights became a bit mixed.

For example, the Knights of the Blood Alliance stipulate that each cadre should be equipped with a guard.

Asuna's bodyguard was Kratir, which bothered Asuna.

Of course, Asuna's biggest feeling is that the aggressiveness of the Raiders group and even the people of the Blood Alliance Knights is no longer as strong as before.

It made Asuna feel terrible!

As for the Wings of Freedom, they didn't expand as wildly as the Blood Alliance Knights.

The strategy of Wings of Freedom is still the absolute elite route.

However, Wings of Liberty is useful for production players, such as the Smith, Beast Tamer, Tailor, Apothecary, Bard...... These players have developed a very close working relationship.

It is precisely because of this that every player in Wings of Freedom is an absolute tyrant.

The equipment on his body is so luxurious that it is a mess.

As for all kinds of disposable consumables, every time you raid the floor, it's more like throwing out without money.

Not only that, but Wings of Freedom has even extended its hand to intelligence sales, entertainment manufacturing, clothing and food production, and so on.

For middle- and lower-level players, the influence of the Wings of Freedom is not comparable to that of the Blood Alliance Knights.

on this.

The Knights of the Blood Pact don't care!

In fact, sometimes the Blood Alliance Knights don't understand the idea of Wings of Freedom.

In the eyes of many people in the Blood Alliance Knights, it is actually very unworthwhile to spend so much time, energy and money on middle and lower-level players.

With all this time and energy, it is better to raid one more floor.

No matter what the strategy is, the current Blood Alliance Knights and the Wings of Freedom are still inseparable.

As for which guild is the largest guild in SAO, players have a scale in their hearts.

Strictly speaking, in today's SAO, players either belong to the free line or belong to the blood alliance line.

The real third faction is basically compressed and has no room to live.

still responded to that sentence - the eldest and the second child fought, and the third child died.

A year has passed, and the Holy Dragon Alliance, which was once the third largest guild, is now almost squeezed into a younger brother.

Over the past year, the distance between the Holy Dragon Union and the Liberation Force of Ayn Grant and the Knights of the Freedom Wings Blood Alliance has not only not narrowed, but has become farther and farther.

I have to say, it's really a sad story.

Of course.

The Killing Guild Smile Coffin is an exception!

Over the past year, the smiling coffin has become more and more rampant.

Peace players are almost patient to the extreme!

The Knights of the Blood Alliance and the Wings of Freedom even intended to initiate sanctions against the Smiling Coffin, but the question of who was in charge of the two guilds became a very important obstacle in the middle.

That's right!

Nowadays, because of the continuous competition, the Wings of Freedom and the Knights of the Blood Alliance, although they have not torn their faces openly, the opposition between the open and the secret is still relatively obvious.

Although Asuna even has some admiration for Makino and Wings of Freedom, the gap between the two is widened by the issue of identity and position.

It's only been a year, but Asuna feels a little unrecognizable to these former players.

Especially the Blood Alliance Knights, there have even been some signs of internal power struggle recently.

This made Asuna very unhappy!

It's just a cage, but there is still leisure to fight for power and profit, I really don't know what those profit-hungry guys think.

Call~~~

Asuna let out a long sigh of relief, intending to spit out all these knots in her heart.

[What should I do when I get home tonight?] ]

Asuna hadn't returned home yet, but her heart had drifted to her home on the sixty-first floor.

The 61st floor of the main block, called "Sermbulut", is small in size, but it is all made of white granite, and there is a street centered on the ancient city of ornate minarets, which contrasts beautifully with most of the green spaces dotted within, and the market has a wide variety of shops.

The convenience of life and the beauty of the scenery are the core reasons why Asuna chose to make her home on this floor.

Instead of using the Transfer Crystal, Asuna chose to walk to the Transfer Door near the Spire.

Transferring such a thing as a crystal is not only a consumable, but also incredibly expensive.

Even a rich woman like Asuna didn't have the luxury to take the transfer crystal home.

However, just as Asuna was about to leave, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

It was Kratier who walked through the door.

Seeing his face so serious that it was not like words, Asuna suddenly felt a pressure rise in her heart.

If it weren't for the need to maintain her image, Asuna couldn't help but want to show her bitter melon face.

Do you want to keep a straight face?

If she didn't know, Asuna would even mistakenly think that she owes this guy hundreds of millions!

However, as an eldest lady, the good upbringing she has cultivated since she was a child makes it difficult for her to say too mean words.

Asuna: "What's the matter?" ”

Kraidir said respectfully, "Lord Asuna, I just received a tip that President Makino of the Wings of Freedom has given everyone a holiday. ”

"Holiday, are you sure you heard me right?"

Asuna was a little stunned, unusually shocked.

Wings of Liberty and the Knights of the Blood Alliance are old rivals, even if Kraidier tells Asuna that Wings of Freedom has successfully conquered the 70th floor boss, Asuna will not be too surprised.

However, Asuna really didn't expect this holiday.

For Asuna, the word "holiday" is so old that Asuna almost forgets that there is such a thing as a holiday.

Although, as the deputy head of the regiment, even if she quietly skips work, it is estimated that not too many people will gossip.

But she hasn't missed a single time so far.

What's more, most of the Knights of the Blood Alliance strategy meetings are held under the auspices of Asuna.

Although, when attacking the boss of the defending layer, the head of the regiment, Heathcliff, played the role of fixing the sea god needle.

But Asuna's prestige in the Knights of the Blood Alliance is really unmatched except for Heathcliff.

Asuna wondered, "Do you know why?" ”

Kladir's antique face showed a hint of strangeness, "It is said that the Mid-Autumn Festival is about to come, and the people of the Wings of Freedom plan to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival on a cruise." ”

Mid-Autumn Festival?

Cladir's words immediately reminded Asuna of some of the past.

Asuna couldn't help but recall the scene when the family held a moon-viewing banquet, and even couldn't help but recall the taste of "moon dango".

Fragrant and rich, the lips and teeth are vibrant!

What should I do if I suddenly want to eat tsukimi dumplings?

Here I have to mention the difference between China and Japan, the same Mid-Autumn Festival, China pays attention to looking up at the bright moon, and Japan is more lingering on the moonlight on the water.

As for the "moon dumplings", it is equivalent to the "moon cakes" here in China.

It is a must-eat delicacy during the Mid-Autumn Festival!

[Damn!] ]

Asuna suddenly felt that the gluttony was a little overwhelmed.

However, at this moment, Kratir's words came again.

"Also because of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, Makino and Wings of Freedom are hypocritical. Where is our Knights of the Blood Alliance determined? It's a shame that someone as arrogant as Makino is still on the same level as the head of the regiment! ”

Hearing Kladir's words, Asuna suddenly frowned, and somehow, a nameless fire burst out of her heart.

Makino is an arrogant person, so what is she?

Asuna grimaced and said heavily, "Kratir, don't say anything about Makino being worthy of being on the same level as the head of the regiment in the future." If someone hears it, it will only make people look down on our Blood Alliance Knights! ”

Kladil was a little confused.

As Asuna's bodyguard, Kladir still has some understanding of Asuna's temper.

This deputy head of the regiment is cold and cold, but his temper is still very good, and he has almost never blushed at others, let alone reprimanded people so seriously.

Asuna-sama...... What's going on?

Obviously, he is degrading the Wings of Freedom, the sworn enemy of the Blood Alliance Knights!

However, as Asuna's bodyguard, Kladir naturally did not mean to offend Asuna because of such a trivial matter.

"Yes, I know it's wrong, I won't say it again!"

Asuna nodded, "So be it." By the way, please also help me ask for a leave of absence for the head of the regiment, and I also plan to have a Mid-Autumn Festival. Of course, if conditions permit, everyone of the Blood Alliance Knights, also take a holiday! ”

Huh?

Crutillon was a little confused.

How could the Knights of the Blood Pact be so weak?

What's more, the Wings of Freedom holiday is over the Mid-Autumn Festival, if the Knights of the Blood Alliance follow suit, wouldn't it mean that the Knights of the Blood Alliance will be compared to the Wings of Freedom?

Kladir immediately took out the attitude of a loyal minister and said, "Lord Asuna, you must not do it! ”

However, as soon as Kratir was about to talk, Asuna left directly using the transfer crystal.

Clatilton petrified.

...... with transfer crystals As for it?

Could it be that Lord Asuna also wants to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival like that little white face of Makino?

As soon as he thought of Makino's handsome face, Kraidir was uncontrollably envious and jealous.

Every time the Knights of the Blood Alliance and the Wings of Freedom clashed, it was almost always Asuna who stood at the front.

Asuna and Makino often quarrel over the strategy plan.

Either Asuna rebuked Makino's plan for being too radical, or Makino reprimanded Asuna's plan for being too rigid.

The quarrel between the two has now become a kind of interesting talk in the strategy group, and even in the entire SAO.

But.

I don't know if it's an illusion, but Kraider vaguely felt that Asuna seemed to be hostile to Makino and Wings of Freedom, not like a member of the Blood Alliance Knights.

As soon as he thought of Makino's handsome face, Kratir's heart suddenly became a little cloudy.

Makino's reputation, in the eyes of Kraidier, is a miserable one.

It seems that the most beautiful female players in SAO seem to have some inexplicable relationship with Makino.

You must know that the ratio of male and female players in SAO is out of balance to the point of madness.

It is no exaggeration to say that as long as it is a female player, it is more popular.

But girls like Asuna, Yuna, Celica, and Yuki are even rarer than S-class items or props.

It seems that the Lori named Celica seems to have been tricked by tabloid reporters at a concert.

Thereupon.

The entertainment tabloid of that time was almost full of several large pages, and it was all kinds of gossip news about Makino and Celica.

[Asuna-sama won't ......]

However, as soon as this thought arose, it was ruthlessly stifled by Kraidier.

No way!

Asuna-sama and Makino, a weak little white face, won't have anything to do with each other!

Don't speculate for more than half a sentence, if the two bump into each other, it's for sure that they quarrel.

Despite this, the threat called Makino still loomed in Kradil's mind.

Although he was only Asuna's bodyguard, Asuna belonged to him in Cladeir's eyes.

Makino...... Damn it!

It's amazing to be handsome?

Asuna-sama wouldn't have anything to do with a weak guy like Makino!

Clader firmly believes that Asuna-sama is different from other superficial creatures. (Recommended reading: Reading Files 2013)