The chill of ice and the heat of fire are intertwined with the anvils used to craft equipment.

Lizbet mixed the remaining 'crystal quartz blocks' that Kirito used before with the 'lava blocks' he got this time, and kept beating them with a hammer.

It was a very bold attempt, but a voice in her heart told her that this time it would work.

Engrossed in the red-glowing metal, a burst of bright sparks scattered with a crisp sound.

In the smelting skill item explained, only the number of times the block is struck according to the type of weapon to be crafted and the level of metal used. 】

- In other words, there is no room for the player's skill to intervene in the act of striking metal with a hammer.

Although it can only be interpreted in this way, in the SAO, where various rumors and special phenomena are intertwined, there are also theories that the rhythm of the percussion and its own momentum will affect the final result.

Although Lizbet considers herself a rational person, this is the only statement that convinced her, who has many years of experience.

Therefore, when she was making weapons in the past, she never thought about anything else, but focused her consciousness on her right hand wielding the hammer, and kept her heart empty.

Looking back now, one of the reasons why the weapons cast for Xia Qianshi in the past always failed, I'm afraid that I was too distracted in the process of building, right?

But this time, I won't have any more distractions.

Because the heart is no longer confused.

The brilliance of the cast increased as the smelting continued, and the feelings in Lizbet's heart gradually became stable. She had the feeling of her heart overflowing from her right hand, flowing through the hammer into the weapon in her birth.

- And then, that moment finally came.

I don't know exactly how many times—between two hundred and two hundred and fifty strikes sounded, and in the pure white and cherry red light, a one-handed straight sword gradually took shape.

When the light had completely dissipated, Lizbet took a deep breath and picked up the sword with both hands.

It was handed over to Xia Qianshi, who was standing side by side with her.

"Qianshi, in the future, please use this sword to save all players from this game."

……

When Xia Qianshi came out of Lizzebet's forge house, the one-handed straight sword that burst out of the 69-layer guard boss on his back had been replaced.

Instead, there was a beautiful, beautiful one-handed straight sword, even a bit luxurious for a one-handed long sword, with a thin body but not as slender as a thin sword. As if receiving the characteristics of a block, the blade of the sword is based on red, but it is intertwined with strips of white.

It's like the cherry blossoms that are still blooming and are made up of pure white snow for eternity, which is very beautiful.

Just like the name of this sword.

- Sakura blowing snow.

Sword name (apellation): Sakura blowing snow

Range: Forceful

Sword Skill Type: Slash

Attack: 850-870

Durability: 1550

Weight: 175

Equipment requires: 85

Equipment capacity (equip): +50

Strength (streagth): +32

Agility: +56

Skill: Speed Amplification

Enhancement times: 0/43.

……

……

"Yui."

Probably because she helped her father, on the way home, Yui walked forward with cute strides.

When he heard his father call his name, he immediately turned around, his little head was slightly tilted, his long black hair like a waterfall fell down, his eyes were wide open, and his facial features were delicate like a doll.

“……”

Probably because of the loss of his parents very early, Xia Qianshi has an unimaginable obsession with family affection.

So when Yui looked at him with envious eyes and called him daddy, even though he knew that this little girl was his enemy, his heart was inevitably shaken.

But even so, there are some things that must be said.

"Are you really going to imprison the players in the game forever?"

"......" Yui bowed her head in silence.

"Answer honestly, don't lie to Dad."

"Hmm." Eventually, Yui nodded slightly.

…… Sure enough, that's the case.

Xia Qianshi took a deep breath.

To be honest, for Xia Qianshi, he didn't care about the fact that he was trapped in the game, because there was nothing worth caring about in reality, and his life was already linked to the earth, as long as the earth was not destroyed, he would not die.

On the contrary, he even wishes to be trapped in the game all the time, because there is the family, friendship, and love that he craves.

So, he doesn't hate Yui like the other players.

However, he knows that he can't be so selfish, Asuna, Kirito, Achill, Yuki - his lover and friend, they all have their own concerns in reality, and they all want to get out of this game.

Even for the sake of these people, he has to work hard for the game.

"Yui, I can understand your feelings."

Squatting down in front of Yui's small body, Xia Qianshi pressed her thin shoulders with both hands, and said in a calm tone:

"I won't talk about the big truth of thinking about others, probably you won't understand it, but think about your mother a little, okay?"

"—she's going to die."

"No!!"

Yui shook her head violently, almost got rid of Xia Qianshi's hand, and said very excitedly:

"Mommy won't die! Even if she dies, I can resurrect my mother, and our family will be together forever! ”

"I'm sorry, Yui...... I'm talking about death, not in the game, but in reality—"

Yui's eyes widened instantly, and Xia Qianshi slowly continued:

"During this time, many people have passed out in the safe zone one after another - why did they pass out when they were not attacked in any way?"

"Excluding all possibilities, the only answer left is that our physical condition in reality has occurred."

"Now our real body should be lying in a big hospital, and the nutrients transmitted through the infusion tube are sustaining life."

"But this condition can't last forever, lying down all the time will make the body very weak, and it will be a big trouble in case of illness, and those who fainted before are probably in real physical condition."

"Our lives are counting down, and once the lives of real life die, even if you are the game master, it is impossible to save us."

Xia Qianshi looked directly into Yui's eyes and said word by word:

"Yui, would you like to watch us die?"