November 23, 2023, Floor 11, Taft.

"Cheers to our moonlit black cat group!"

"Cheers!" xN

In an ordinary tavern, there is a group of young people celebrating something with great vigour. Of course, they didn't have a private venue, let alone fancy food and fragrant drinks, it was just a simple dinner with friends.

However, one of the young people did not get up to toast with the others, but watched the others celebrate happily in embarrassment.

"Then, for the sake of saving his life, Kirito, cheers!"

"Cheers!" xN

"Dry ...... Cheers. ”

Kirito, who was sitting on the main seat, was very uncomfortable and passively catered to the enthusiasm of others. As a lone ranger who has always been just one person, this kind of scene is really hard Kirito.

Although in the first level of the boss battle, he formed a team with Asuna. But from beginning to end, it was only a temporary team, and after the Raiders ended, the two separated again.

To say that Kirito is completely willing to part with Asuna is a real lie. Asuna, who is among the top few in the SAO world, can be said to be quite attractive to Kirito who is almost in puberty.

It's just that after the battle, the two continued to return to the state of the lone ranger, after all, neither of them would be entangled with each other's self-acquaintance and cheekiness when they first met.

Then, two months ago, Asuna, who was already a little prominent, joined the Knights of the Dawn Guild, and Kirito blessed Asuna for it.

Well? Which is the "Knights of the Dawn"?

Uh-ahem, history always has similarities, or it should be said that it is inevitable **** of history here.

After the end of the first boss raider, the raider group was still established. And the four guilds that make up the strategy group are the Wind Forest Volcano Guild, the Holy Dragon United Guild, the ALF (Army) Guild, and the Knights of the Dawn, as well as some Lone Ranger players.

You ask, why is the "Knights of the Blood Alliance" hidden?

The answer is that the "Knights of the Dawn" replaces the existence of the "Knights of the Blood Alliance".

Airi Kayaba, who is behind the scenes, is being trained by Yukikaze in the world at this time, how could Heathcliff or something appear? And how could the "Blood Alliance Knights" be established in this world?

However, there is still a certain team that stands up in the name of knights, and that is the "Knights of the Dawn" guild, which can be said to be the number one in strength at this stage.

As for the president of this guild, it is the host who organized the first BOSS strategy meeting, a person who claims to be a knight by profession, Diabel.

After seeing and hearing that many friends who are also closed beta players have lost their lives because of the so-called experience, no matter how greedy this guy is, it is impossible for him to rush up and grab someone's head, or give it away.

You know, except for some changes to the attack method of the boss's final form, the others haven't changed anything. If you don't know that there is a trap, then you are really dead.

I won't tell you that Xuefeng just wants to see if anyone is so stupid......

Although, Diabel gained great prestige and established the Knights of the Dawn Guild. However, due to his careful approach to the strategy, Kirito succeeded in snatching the head as if it were an unchangeable history, and obtained a special item: the Night Coat.

Speaking of which, by the way, Kirito still received the nickname of "The Sealer".

After all, there is never a shortage of envious, jealous and hateful guys in the world.

It feels like it's gone off again, and now it's back to business.

As a lone ranger, Kirito returned to the eleventh layer for some reason, and rescued the Moonlit Black Cat group who were blackmailed by others.

As a token of gratitude and in return, the members of the Black Cat Troupe on a moonlit night invited Kirito to their dinner. So, after half pushing and half down, Kirito and the others came to this tavern.

"Thank you, thank you very much." As everyone expressed their gratitude to Kirito, Yukiya, who was very weak both on the outside and on the inside, said to Kirito, "I'm so scared...... I'm so happy when you came to save us. ”

In this regard, Kirito can only deal with it with a smile. At this time, Keita, the chairman on the side, lowered his head and approached Kirito, and asked embarrassedly and softly, "That, Mr. Kirito, although it is rude, can you tell me your rank?" ”

"Around 20......" Kirito said, turning his head to the side and pretending to be nonchalant.

"Hey, it's almost the same as us, but it's so good to be able to brush it alone!" Keita said in surprise. However, this is also of course, because on Kirito's vision, the words "LV:40" are clearly written.

It's obvious that Kirito lied, and as for the reason why Kirito lied, it's a matter of the benevolent and the wise, so please use your imagination and speak freely...... Ahem, this sentence doesn't count!

Although Kirito disguised the fact that he was alone through some excuses, Keita, as the president, still invited Kirito to join the club, after all, when Kirito saved them, the skills he showed couldn't be faked.

So after the dinner, Kirito's blood bar already had an extra symbol on it, which was the symbol of the guild he belonged to.

On the way to the hotel, Kirito suddenly ran into an alley with a passing figure on the grounds that he had something to leave.

"Looks like you already have some power. It's really gratifying, it's gratifying. Someone who had almost completely hidden his figure in the darkness chuckled.

Although he couldn't see each other's faces clearly, Kirito recognized the other party by his height and voice: he made a high-profile appearance at the first strategy meeting, but then disappeared directly, and there was only a rumor like an urban legend, and a certain self-proclaimed owner of the house of everything, named Yukikaze, was circulated among all SAO players.

"As a lone ranger, have you finally joined the guild? Is it because of the warmth of their friends in the real world that attracts you? ”

Without giving Kirito a chance to speak, Yukikaze continued, "I don't need to say why, I don't have much interest in knowing about this kind of thing. ”

"I just wanted to ask you, are you ready to take responsibility now?"

"I'll help them!" Kirito replied firmly.

"Hehe, since that's the case, then I won't say anything more. But remember, Kirito! There are only two kinds of sin in the world, and the lack of power is indeed the original sin. And without faith, it is extremely evil! ”

Xue Feng's figure began to mysteriously disappear in the darkness, except for the last sentence, which echoed in the silent alley like an aftersound.

"Do you really have your own beliefs now?"

In the days that followed, Kirito began to teach these players the proper posture to fight monsters, and the strength of the Black Cat Regiment on the Moonlit Night grew steadily.

Although there are some accidents in this, for example, there are girls who need comfort or something, for example, there are girls who throw hugs or something, for example, there are girls who spontaneously warm the bed or something......

Hey? Why is there suddenly an extra torch and a barrel of oil in your hand?! Why do you suddenly want to burn something?!! Why did the song of jihad suddenly ring in my ears?!!!

Let's get back to business.

So while the strength has increased greatly, the pockets have also swelled, and the Moonlit Night Black Cat Guild intends to have a guild hut that has established its own guild.

After the head of the group went out to buy a house, a group of bear children went to the maze area and triggered the trap under the principle that if they don't die, they won't die......

And after the regimental commander slapped him angrily because of this, he jumped off Ayn Grant. When Kirito had a nervous breakdown because of this, he suddenly remembered someone who only happened by chance.

If it's the Overwatch Dragon Man's House, which claims to be able to complete the commission as long as it can afford to pay the price, maybe it might really be able to save Yuki......

Like grasping at the last straw, Kirito finally found Yukikaze in the alleys of a certain town after a period of frantic.

After seeing that Kirito's logo representing the guild he belonged to had disappeared, Yukikaze chuckled and said to Kirito, who was devastated in his expression.

"I said it before, Kirito. Lack of strength is original sin, and lack of faith is extremely evil. Now that you have tasted the bitter fruits of hypocrisy, how do you feel? ”

"Did you already know what was going to happen?"

"Well, that's a matter of experience. Basically, this is a mistake that every young person makes, some people make smaller mistakes, while others make bigger mistakes. Only this time, you're paying a bit more tuition. ”

Is it much? Not much at all! He has paid the lives of at least a thousand clansmen as tuition fees for this reason, and Xuefeng said that the casualties of less than ten people in this area are really not many at all!

"You always know, so why ......"

"Why should we save them? Remember, Kirito, we will save you because your sister issued the corresponding commission and paid the price for it! ”

Looking at Kirito in front of him, who no longer concealed that he was beginning to collapse, Yukikaze walked directly to the front and kicked Kirito out with one kick.

"Unacceptable? Do you think that as fellow sufferers, we should help others as much as we can? Think that as human beings, we should at least have a human view of good and evil? It seems that there are still some things to be clarified. ”

"First of all, we're not players. Also, we're not human! ”

"We are indeed the guardians of the world, but we are also the spectators of the world. Unless one of us is interested, even if World War III breaks out in the real world, as long as there is no commission, we will not take any action, even if the world will be nuclearized in the end! ”

Perhaps frightened by Yukikaze's speech, Kirito, who was kicked into the corner, was silent for a long time, until Yukito was a little bored and about to leave, Kirito spoke.

“…… Please, I'll pay whatever it takes, hopefully ......"

"I know you want to entrust us with something, but unfortunately, we won't accept this commission."

Yukikaze didn't turn around, but he didn't leave directly, but said with his back to Kirito.

"For, why ......"

"The reason is simple, you can't afford to resurrect someone."

“！！”

"Life is the least valuable and most valuable thing in the world, and it is basically impossible to measure it in ordinary units of equivalent. Thus, life itself becomes a unit of equivalent. Because whether you are the strongest hero who saved the world or a beggar who begs on the street, no matter who you are, there is only one life. ”

"In order to resurrect a person, there must be a person who voluntarily gives his life."

"A life is worth a life, an equivalent exchange."

"As for the price of your life? We won't do anything about smashing the signboard, but since we have accepted the commission, we will do our best to complete the commission. ”

"So, we're not going to take this commission."