Argo put his hands behind his head.

"yes, it's only been three weeks."

"Yes. You and Kirito are also related by blood. \"

Argo chuckled softly.

"Isn't that a coincidence? I thought my sister must be a bachelor, but I didn't expect her to be the same person as Keyboy. I can't even guess it myself. ”

\"Unexpectedly, the information was given to Shino by Argo. It turned out that Argo, the poet, was the only archer in Ayn Grant. \"

Argo's expression became more serious.

"Shina, Miss Shi is fine. Miss Shi, have you tried the information I just gave you? \"

"No, I haven't tried yet.

Argo nodded.

"I—Yo. Is this the information you get for free? I'll tell you as many times as I want. You should also listen to Kibble. ”

I stood next to Shino and listened to what she had to say. Since I decided to complete the mission with Shino, I can't even think of a countermeasure if I don't listen carefully to the story of the mission.

"Please, Argo. Where do you go to get the mission flag?

Argo turned away from us, turned to the east, and began to speak.

It was as if there was an old NPC in the eastern part of the town that used to use a bow, and if you listen to the end of that person's story, a flag will appear and the quest will begin.

The purpose of the quest is to go to the ruins of this level and obtain the special event items inside, which is difficult to complete if you can't attack from a distance, and it seems that this is deliberately not done.

When Argo heard about this quest for free, he remembered the story of the only archer publicly announced by the Knights of the Blood Alliance, and began to search for the archer.

However, their efforts were in vain, and just as they lamented that there were no archers, Shiina, with a bow on her back, happened to appear on this level, and Argo was overjoyed and told Shino of the mission.

"I see, I have such a background. So, in order to generate that quest, should Shino and I go and talk to the NPCs in the eastern part of the city? \"

"That's right. I haven't received any news that I've cleared the level, so maybe Shi San will become a pioneer. This will be a good topic for everyone again. \"

"Okay, since it's decided, let's hurry up and go, go to the east of the city to find the old man's NPC, and start the mission."

Argo stopped Shino, who was about to escape.

"You two wait a minute, since you're on the fifty-fifth floor, you should at least stop by a restaurant. Heading east from here, there's a shop that has the best cream. "Pasta, it's better to go there for a meal before going on an adventure, and wait until your body recovers."

"We met together."

Of course, looking at the time, it's just time for lunch, I haven't been out to eat much lately, and it's the first time I've walked around this town. Since the stakes are high, you might be able to go to the restaurant recommended by Argo.

And Argo basically doesn't lie, so his word is credible.

\"I see? \"

"It's already lunch time, isn't it? Let's leave after eating? ”

Shino turned her face to Argo.

"What about Argo? Would you like to come with me? ”

Argo shook his head.

"I'm not going to do anything in the way of the two of you.

Argo smiled, then turned his face to me.

"And Key. Actually, it's a little different from before, but do you know Key? ”

She's still waving. Argo used to wear tattered robes, but now he wears a new hoodie. It's a bold makeover.

"You've got a makeover, Argo. Is there anything wrong with that hoodie? ”

Argo let out an "oh" and laughed again.

"Sure enough, I didn't want to wear a tattered robe forever, so I changed my clothes."

"Is that so?

\"Is that so? So, I'll try to put it back in if you want. Then Kibo, get along with Shisan. Shisan, please take care of Ki-Bo too. ”

Argo waved his hand happily and quickly disappeared into the city. We don't know why Argo was so happy, but we decided to go to the store Argo said first.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I found out that it was my first date with Shino.

After visiting the restaurants recommended by Argo, we returned to the city and started looking for the old NPCs. But even in the middle, I was thinking about the food in the restaurant earlier. The exterior is the same as the rest of the building, with the exception of the signboard and large windows, which are white and blue.

We sat down at a table in a restaurant with a beautiful exterior and interior and ordered the cream pasta recommended by Argo. The creamy pasta that comes out is white, made with mushrooms and chicken, and the main ingredient is milk. The two of us nodded for a moment, and the creamy pasta-like dish was served, and when it was time to start eating, our eyes widened.

Creamy pasta, while simple in appearance, has a richer flavor than any other creamy pasta I've ever tasted, and it's also delicately seasoned. Sure enough, Shino was surprised by the taste of the first-class food that did not match the simple appearance, and observed the food many times, saying, "How can I make this taste!?" ”

However, in my opinion, since I have always eaten the food made by Shino, I think the food made by Shino must be better than the food made by the Npc. Of course, the same goes for creamy pasta. If Shino made something similar, I believe it would be delicious. However, I felt that saying this would only embarrass Shino, so I didn't say anything and continued to eat.

After eating the top-notch creamy pasta and checking out, I left the store and headed to the east of Argo's designated city, where I met an old Npc. No, there are indeed a lot of NPCs, and their faces and appearances are similar, but only the old man's aura is different, and he carries a bow like Shiina, and I am also present.

"This must be this one." As we talked, we began to listen to the stories of the old men, which were the stories of the old man's bravery. What's more, when the old man sees Shino armed with a bow and arrow, he says, "Are you a kid from the bakery Mario?" Shino went on to say: "It's not the baker's job, it's the plumber's fault, isn't it?" \"

Then when he began to say, "This is the story of thirty years ago, when I was still famous as a hero of the village-\", Shino finally said: \"It seems to be the story of Argo. "I'm ready to listen. It seemed that the matter was quite long, and I decided to ponder for a while and listen to what the old man had to say.

"25 minutes, then."

"Well, the arrow I shot hit that dragon in the right eye, well, how far did I say? Because it's not

In the process of the old man's gushing story, the old man seemed to finally realize something and said something, so from the very beginning, I felt angry in my heart and said, "You just say it." "I'll give you a brief request!" But I swallowed it anyway. Shino's eyebrows were also slightly raised, presumably she felt the same way.

"So, old man, I want to know, what skills do you have, what should I do?"

"Oh yes, you'll need to hone yourself in the Trials, and if you want to get my skills, you'll be sealed in this level of the Ruin Dungeon, and I'll have to go get the "Talisman of Trials". ”

As he spoke, the old man put his hand in his pocket, took out something, and handed it to us. In the old man's hand, he held a golden key, which glittered in the light.

"This key will open the door to trials, and once you have successfully obtained the amulet, come back here."

Shiina, who was the closest, took the key from the old man. Shino, however, stared at the key with a confused expression. I was worried and shouted.

"What's the matter, Shino. It looks like it's going well. \"

"Is it going well?"

\"yes. The story is different from what Argo says, and it seems that having shooting skills is a condition for activation. \"

Shino looked a little confused.

"So, it's a mission to make low-powered shots stronger, right?"

\"Ahh That's true, but it's certainly a task that solves Shino's worst concerns. \"

As soon as the words fell, Shina's face suddenly lit up.

\"You did it, you did it! This weirdly long story is worth listening to! Hey Kirito! \"

"I was surprised." Because Shino put her face as close to joy as possible. It's enough to make your face breathe.

Seeing this reaction, Shino immediately tilted her head.

"What's the matter, Kirito. Your face is so gloomy. \"

"It's not that you're unmoved, I'm just surprised that your face suddenly approached"

Shino's face turned into an expression as if she realized something, and her cheeks were stained cherry colored. - I feel like I've done it again.

Speaking of which, I used to wonder why Shino fainted in agony in Lizzebet's shop, but thinking of the conversation with Shino before, I unexpectedly thought of the answer with ease. Shiina, who seemed embarrassed to approach me or touch me in public, would do so even in public if her emotions were too high.

I had been missing for a whole day, and Shino must have acted out of fear, but then she came back to her senses and found herself acting like a lover with me in front of people, which was embarrassing. She passed out in agony. It's kind of like I say "I've done it". Even now, she was very happy to approach me in public, albeit in the city center.

"Well, for the time being, the ruins that the old man is talking about are probably the ruins in front of the labyrinth. If you go there, you can strengthen your skills, so let's hurry up. ”

"Uh, yes. That's right. Let's hurry up, shall we? ”

Saying goodbye to the old man, we went to the field on the 55th floor while loving Shino, whose cheeks were completely red with cherry blossoms. At that time, because there was no big scene and footsteps of Lilan, who was usually there, I felt very incongruous, and looking around, Shino smiled slightly. It's been a long time since I've been in Lilan's field.

"The fact that Lilan isn't here feels a little new after all."

"Indeed, you've been with Lilan all the time. Or rather, when did Lilan stay with you? ”

"Last Christmas. It's April and it was December, so four months ago. In other words, it's been four months since "Lilan" didn't appear. ”

"If you haven't left for so long, you'll at least feel a sense of incongruity."

"It's true that I've been working at Lilan since December last year." But at the same time, December was also a month of great change for me. That's when I met Shino. Since then, what I want to protect has been fixed, and I have bought a wooden house to live in.

"But Shino. Have you forgotten something important? \"

"Oh, did I forget something?"

"yes, I forgot, I forgot something very important."

Shiina, with a distressed look on her face, put her hand on her chin.

"Uh, I don't know what I forgot. Sorry, I don't remember. ”

I gently placed my hand on Shiina's head. Shino's face became dazed.

"Didn't you and I meet this month and start living together?"

Shino let out a "ah" sound, and her cheeks flushed again. However, his face did not have the shyness just now, but showed a very gentle smile.

\"yes, I knew you last December, didn't I? When I entered SAo, a lot changed in the first month when I met you, and that's yes. I completely forgot. ”

"I didn't expect you to suddenly fall from the sky. But "

"And yet?"

"There's one thing I've been wondering ever since." That's why the poem came at that time. Originally, Shiina's said that he was using medicuboid to enter VR, but at that moment, the floor suddenly fell and he was sucked in, and before he knew it, he was in this Ayn Grandrie.

"First of all, nothing like this can happen." medicuboid and NerveGear are of course the same, they are the same thing that invites humans into VR, but the standards are completely different, and this game should basically only work with NerveGear. By standard, it should be impossible to enter the world with a medicuboid.

(Wait?) ）

No, medicuboid and NerveGear have one more thing in common.

"That means we're dealing with VR on the same network." Although this SAo is a death game, it was originally an mmoRpG, that is, the so-called Netoge that is played by connecting to a well-developed Internet.

This Nerve Gear is also connected to a wired network line, so we are in the internet world. This should be the same as Medicuboid's consulting app. You plug in a cable, you connect to the internet, you go into the internet world that is beyond this world, and the counselor also connects to the internet and goes to the patient

The VR built by medicuboid and the Ayn Grant of SAo are both different worlds that exist in the same world. They are like islands in the same sea.

(Never...) ）

This SAo may have reached out to some island in the same ocean of cyber and kidnapped the creatures there. It's just a theory, but it makes sense to some extent if you think about it that way.

I don't know what happened to this SAo's basic program, but when Kayaba turned it into a game of death, some sort of feature was activated, or it caused a loss of control, gained a function that didn't exist at all, and then went to another world. Oddly enough, it is surmised that he reached out, grabbed the residents, and brought them home, which is really convincing.

The difference is that the web sci-fi movies and robot anime I've seen before are accompanied by stories like this. I don't think science fiction movies exist, but with the world created by Akihiko Kayaba, and the system group that built it, no matter what you do, there's nothing strange anymore.

- Shino may have been a victim of being kidnapped by SAo. But Shino must have been lucky. What would have happened now if you hadn't come to me and Lilan?

And if Shino is really the one who was kidnapped by SAo, then we have to bring her back to reality, and the real Shino will be severely traumatized and will be using medicuboid all the time. Even if I return to reality, I will protect Shino. That's what I decided.

\"Kirito Kirito. Kirito. \"

I was startled by the sudden sound I heard. Looking in the direction of the voice, Shino's face showed a worried expression.

"What's wrong, Kirito? You look a little scary. "Uh, do I look that scary? ”

When I instinctively put my hands on my face, I felt my muscles stiffen a little. It can seem really scary.

"Yes, maybe I remembered what the old man had thought again, and fell into deep thought again."

Shino sighed softly, revealing a troubled expression.

"What are you doing? It's okay to be immersed in your thoughts, but don't get caught up in the world of thoughts when you're fighting, okay? ”

"I'm sorry, I'll be careful. So, let's head to the relics area as soon as possible. ”

"Yes. But Kirito, do you know where that is? I remember that the ruins were quite large."

Looking at the ruins in the distance, I was reminded of my adventures when I conquered the 55th floor. If I'm not mistaken, Lilan found a door with a keyhole that wouldn't open, and I remember thinking about it at the time. That door is probably the trial room where Shino strengthens her shooting skills. The location is deep in the ruins, just before entering the labyrinth.

"Let's aim for the maze first, there should be a door in front of us. \"

"It's right in front of the labyrinth. So, let's go. You never know what's going to happen, so be careful. We don't have Lilan to lean on right now. \"

I nodded. Although I am now a "beast tamer", I am no different from ordinary players, and the only thing that can protect Shino is my sword. Without Lilan's great power, Shino would not have been able to be protected, unless she put in more effort than usual and remained vigilant.

"Ah, there's no Lilan anymore, so be careful. Just in case, you still have to be prepared to transfer crystals. \"

Shiina, nodding, summoned the teleportation crystal from the prop window, and put it away. At the same time, I also made sure that Shino could activate a certain skill at any time in case something happened to Shino. I don't know how many there are, but it's definitely a powerful skill. Now that Lilan is gone, I'm the only one who can protect Shina

\"Alright, Shinai, let's go. \"

Shino and I walked towards the ruins together.

After a while of walking through the plains, he entered the ruins and destroyed all the skeletal monsters he encountered, and as he walked to the labyrinth, he found the door that Lilan was often curious about, and it worked, he remembered. As he and Shino approached the door, the key given to him by the old man in Shiina's pocket began to glow faintly, as if it resonated with the door.

"The keys are glowing."

"Sure enough, this door seems to be the one the old man said."

Shino's face was a little ugly. \"

"The room in front is the test. I think I'm ready, but what about Kirito? \"

"This is ready, let's go, let's go in."

Shino nodded, inserted the key into the keyhole of the Door of Trials and turned it. A clanging sound sounded, and the wooden and stone door slowly opened with a heavy sound and vibration. Shino put her hand on the bow, and I put my hand on the sword on my back, and walked through the door into the trial room that no one had ever entered.

That's when we realized that the trial room was the largest room in the ruins. As proof, when I entered the entrance, I couldn't see the wall on the other side of the room, and the ceiling was far away, so it was pitch black.

Then, when they reached the center of the room, they stopped, clutched their backs and observed their surroundings. Despite being a courtroom, there was no sign of the enemy and it was empty. Looking ahead, I could see a tall, tower-like altar, as if it was thirty meters high, and about fifty meters from it there was a ladder, and I found the tower.

"Is this a trial?"

I nodded to Shino's voice as I walked to the angle where I could see the top of the altar without a ladder, and confirmed the top of the altar with my telephoto skill. In the dark room illuminated by a few torches, I was taken aback when I saw a golden amulet faintly glittering. That's the talisman that the old man told you to get.

"Is that a trial? Well, it seems hard to climb that tower and get the trials. ”

"No way, even if it's you, I find it hard to climb up and run. Or rather, it's a task, so you can't do it. ”

"By the way, how did you get that amulet?"

Shino looked up at the amulet far above.

"In the old man's story, there is a story about shooting down an object in the distance with an arrow, maybe it was filmed like this."

"Looks like this kind of story suits you well." Although I was completely lost in thought, I didn't realize it, but it did seem possible to shoot that amulet with Shino's bow.

"So, do you want to try to aim from here? \"

"No, it's so bad from below, even if it hits, I don't think it's possible to fall. Unless the angles are almost parallel, it may be difficult to drop. ”

"From the altar, I set my sights on another tower." There's a ladder over there, and if you climb to it, it's almost parallel to the amulet.

"How about shooting from the top of the tower?"

Or rather, that's how it was obtained. The distance from that tower to the amulet on the altar is no more than fifty meters, so you can hit it as long as you aim it with your sword skills. And, I think I could. "Get the amulet."

Shiina, who walked up to me and looked at the tower.

"I'll come over here, it doesn't look big enough for two people to climb on."

"yes, please take care of yourself."

Shino nodded, quickly climbed the tower ladder away from the altar, and soon reached the top of the tower.

\"How's that, Shino. Did you see that? \"

Shino's voice came from the top of the tower.

"I saw it very clearly. It's a perfect shooting spot. The amulet is in a very easy position to aim. ”

"Okay, aim and throw, it looks sturdy, and even if you throw it, it won't break."

A moment after Shino said "I understand", she heard the sound of arrows flying, and at the same time, an arrow wrapped in light shot out from the tower where Shiina's was located, and flew towards the altar at full speed. Amulet, metal. It made a sound-like sound and hit the amulet directly. A moment later, a golden amulet spilled from the altar.

I immediately ran to the amulet, jumped lightly, grabbed it. The amulet is shaped like a necklace and the golden body is inlaid with a beautiful green emerald gemstone.

I stared at the amulet, which was even more beautiful than I could have imagined, waiting for the moment it hit the ground, but it never landed on the floor.

I don't remember flying that high, but when I looked down, there was no floor there. Before you know it, the floor is gone!

"Lou, ah, ah, ah!?"

I fell into pitch black space as I was preparing to land.

"Let's go"

"I fell quite a distance." I jumped into the darkness and continued to fall as if I had been sucked in. A few seconds after I started falling, the darkness was gone and I could see the floor. It must have fallen dozens of meters.

I didn't expect to be able to open the floor with the amulet. Looks like I've fallen into a trap.

"Damn, did you pay too much attention to the amulet and notice the anomaly on the floor too late?"

As I stood up and gently held my head, I heard a familiar scream from above, which startled me and made me realize. I see, since Shino is at the top of the tower, she can stay in that room without worrying about the floor falling.

"No, I've been left behind." And considering that scream, it's not hard to imagine what happened to Shino!

\"What's the matter, Shino!? \"

As I raised my voice to say this, a voice came from the dark ceiling.

"Well, there's a monster coming out of the altar! There are two [Health Bars]! Looks like a boss monster! ”

"What did you say!?"

"In that room, when you take the amulet, not only does the floor fall, but the boss monster also attacks?" It was a very elaborate trap that impressed me and at the same time angered me. But now is not the time to get angry, and before that, I have to let Shino escape. Even for Shino, it was too dangerous to face the boss monster alone.

"Shino, use the teleportation crystal to escape!

"No, no, this is the Crystal Void Zone!"

Moreover, when I came to the crystal failure zone, I noticed that my face suddenly turned pale. - The situation is exactly the same now as it was then. The trapped moonlit black cat, without crystals, surrounded by many monsters, was brutally beaten, and died a miserable death.

That moment, the moment when Yuki was killed and disappeared, replayed in my mind over and over again, and each time, cold sweat began to flow from my forehead to my cheeks and to the floor. It didn't take long for the images that flashed in my mind to repeat over and over again, from the moment when they were lucky to die, to the moment Shino was attacked and killed by the boss monster.

Shino is attacked by a boss monster and is in a desperate situation, and the image of being killed cannot be erased from her mind.

And this scene is about to become a reality.

"Ever since they died, I've avoided contact with people." However, during this time, I met Shino, and I began to think that I didn't want Shino to die, and I wanted to protect her forever. Shiina, the one who believed in me when I suddenly met her, the one who accompanied me to this point, the one who didn't think it was a joke and listened to me.

Among them, Shino Asada is the only girl in this world who is considered the cutest girl. That life was about to disappear before my eyes, just as fortunate as they had been.

"Am I losing such an important person again?" Will promises to be kept are just lip service that will eventually fail to be kept? Nothing will change in the end, right?

Just as I was thinking this, the image of Yuki and them came to my mind, and I was taken aback to see the moment when Yuki thanked me on the verge of death.

"At that time, I let them die because I wanted to protect them." Until now, I have always been convinced that such a thing will never happen again.

"I was helpless at the time." But not now. I don't have the power to rerun right now, but I've gained tremendous power in return.

I don't know if this power comes from my desire to protect Shino and others. But if you don't use it now, when will you use it?

Yuki and the other people who died definitely didn't want to repeat that experience. No matter how desperate the situation becomes, I will never let this happen again.

"I can't give up here!!"

\"Kirito!? \"

I turned to the ceiling and yelled at Shino.

\"I'm going back at full speed now! Hold on until I arrive, Utano——!!! \"

\"I see. I'll keep it up! \"

"I will never abandon you." We will definitely stay together.

"This hopeless situation will be reversed."

Screaming in my heart, I immediately waved my left hand to bring up the menu, flipped through the weapon items I had, and chose a weapon with almost the same performance as the one I had now, turning it into an object. Blank part of the equipment map - After setting the item to the place where the shield should be equipped, this time bring up the skill window and change the weapon skill.