"Well, we were together when we were playing the game, though, you started ALo after I was stuck in SAo. \"

\"yes. I don't know about Kirito, but when NerveGear and SAo were recycled, they also gave me money. With this money I bought Amusphere and ALo. Even if SAo becomes dangerous, I can't give it to me. Enter the world of VR.

"Of course, you were very happy when SAo was released. \"

Keim continued to speak.

The VR world was once considered completely dangerous. Shortly after going to ALo, who became one of them, a mutant cell that killed hIV was found in Kaim's body, and the news became big news around the world. Kem became an instant hit, and his mutated cells were made available to countless hospitals and medical institutions around the world.

It seems that a lot of money is flowing into Kaim's house, but Kaim doesn't pay much attention to it, and although his parents are surprised, all the money that suddenly comes in seems to have been used up as soon as he can use it. Save.

After all this, he was liked by the elven realm lord Sakuya and became his personal assistant. A girl in purple suddenly appears in front of Kem, who is flying alone over ALo.

"Is that Yuki?"

Kem nodded, looking up slightly. The sky of the Rhine, the capital of the sky, was reflected in his indigo eyes, but there was certainly neither sky nor clouds in Kem's sight. Kem's story begins again.

The girl who suddenly appeared thanked Kem and said, "Thank you for saving me!" Kem had absolutely no idea what was going on, and when he asked, the girl immediately explained the situation.

The girl has AIDS and has only a short time left to live, but the mutated cells that Kem gave her overturned everything and her lifespan increased considerably. Thanks to you, my life was saved - after saying that, the girl said that her name was Yuki.

"Of course, if you hadn't donated the cells, it seems like Yuki would have died that day.

"Maybe so, but no one thanked me. It's not me that's magical, it's the mutant cells in my body. AIDS survivors are greater than me. "I'm grateful to my cells because no one came to see me for evidence".

"Well, if you tell me where you live, in this day and age, it's going to be a big deal. Isn't that something helpless in a sense? ”

"yes, that's how he finally came to see me. In any case, Ariki wants to thank me and wants to see me, but he can't control it. \"

"I think it's a lot like Yuki."

For Yuki, who was on the verge of death at the time, the cells Kem gave him were just a hand that could guide him to rebirth. The existence of Kem, who can continue this state, must make Yuki unhappy.

It's about the innocent Yuki, who naturally wonders what kind of person he is and is eager to thank him in person.

"So that's when your relationship began."

Kem nodded again and continued. When Yuki finds Kem and thanks him, he suddenly begs him to be friends with me. Naturally, Kem is surprised and panicked when it comes too suddenly, but since he refuses for no particular reason, he ends up forming a friendship with Yuki.

Since then, however, Kem's days at ALo have changed a lot. Except when I'm by Sakuya's side, no matter what I do, Yuki is always there for me.

These days have passed, and Kaim feels Yuki's presence more and more intensely, so much so that he can't imagine ALo without him. It didn't take long for it to surpass mine in size.

Then, naturally, Kaim opens up to Ariki and asks himself what his life is like.

Maybe I've told you everything. After that, Yuki accepted Kaim even more, and when he was in ALo, he basically stayed by Kaim's side, and at the same time, he also began to talk about the situation that he rarely talked about with people, and that's it.

Thanks to this, Kem seems to be able to get to know Yuki more deeply.

"While I'm not looking, you're already close to me."

\"That being said, but you also met Shino-san in a place I didn't notice, and you got along very well.

Then Kem continued to speak.

Ariki had become Kaim's best friend, even more than me, and it seemed natural that he was around him, but at some point, Ariki disappeared from ALo. Kem seems to have been worried about this, but when he learns the truth, he doesn't feel comfortable in life.

The story tells the story of Yuki's kidnapping by SAo.

\"Ahh Ariki suddenly appears in Ayn Grant. I don't know why for a while, but when I knew I was in SAo, I was worried about you. I didn't say anything. I didn't come here and wanted to know how I'm doing now, that's how I feel. ”

\"Does Yuki have to worry about me even if he goes to the death game? \"

"Yes. Or rather, you too. ”

Kem made a surprised expression and lowered his head, his expression slightly troubled. Probably, everything I just said is a character star. Keim was basically already thinking about Yuki. Just like me, it's centered on poetry.

\"Since you've said so much, why don't you tell Yuki that you like him? I'll ask you again, but I'm guessing you like Araki. \"

"Yes"

"In that case, you better confide in her as soon as possible and continue to advance the relationship.

"Ugh"

Suddenly, Kem looked surprised. It's almost like saying that what I'm saying is extremely unexpected.

"Yuki, is this what you want? \"

"I think so. Because Yuki is a girl who is always by your side. I'm sure she likes you, so she's doing something like that, and she's probably going to keep doing it, she's waiting for you to say she likes you no, and I'm sure he thinks the same as you, Yuki. ”

"Then why do you say that? I haven't even confirmed. ”

"I asked Asuna to confirm. I always say that Ariki likes Kem. So if you like him, speak up quickly. I'm sure Yuki won't turn you down or anything. ”

"Is that really the case?"

\"yes. Yuki and what you can do. So it doesn't matter. \"

I'm sure, but Kaim must have been trying to convey his feelings to Yuki. However, if I do this, it will confuse Yuki, and the current relationship may be ruined - I think so, so I can't do anything.

However, looking at Yuki these days, he doesn't seem to want Kem to say that he likes him, and most importantly, he seems to want to get along better. I don't think Yuki would ruin their current relationship just because Kaim says he likes her.

"I'm sure these two will do well." Don't feel like that.

"I don't know if it's going to go well"

"Let's go. The capture of Virgood was over, the capture of Svartjärfheim was over. Hurry up. \"

Kem lowered his head and fell silent. He had a worried look on his face, but it gradually became serious, and when it changed completely, Kem looked up.

"Okay. I'm worried, but I'll give it a try. Soon. ”

"It seems that you have decided, then all you have to do is put it into action, I repeat, but you will be fine."

"Yes. It's encouraging to hear you say that.

"Thank you very much, Kirito. "I didn't expect you to come up with something like that, but I feel a little refreshed talking to you. ”

"What, I just don't want you to play the game in a state of being overwhelmed. Plus, I'm glad you, my best friend, have finally graduated from non-real life. ”

Then Kem smiled wryly. It's also the expression you often show me when you talk to me in the real world.

"Well, that's what I said.

"No, that's not enough, Kaim. You don't have a daughter. I have a daughter named Yui. I'm still a little ahead of you. ”

\"Well, my daughter can't do it. Or rather, I haven't proposed to Yuki yet. \"

"Oh, I see.

"Yes"

So far, Kem had always looked like he was holding something, but now his expression was as if all his worries had been cleared and he was refreshed. Seeing this, I found that those dull, cloud-like doubts in my heart gradually dissipated.

"Then Kirito, let's go back when we're done." \"

"yes, your important person may be impatient."

Just as I remembered what had happened before I talked about it, I went back to the coffee shop with my best friend in the real world and this world, a boy with brown hair that was as close to black as possible.

"Kirito-kun, is it so strange that you're going to fly with me? \"

\"Well, okay. Because Alice San will not be involved in the capture. \"

"Huh.

After chatting with his friend Kem, Kirito and the others gathered at the portal again and headed to the floating island continent of Virugander in the desert. The moment we walked out of the portal and descended from the Tiandu Line to the desert area, the sun shone relentlessly as always, and the feeling of heat overwhelmed us all at once, but we all bought heat-resistant items and arrived at once, and after using it, I couldn't feel the hot wind and sunlight at all, and I was able to fly into the sky calmly.

Preparations for the attack are complete - everyone tries to make their way to the dusty desert sky, but Kirito and they stop and decide to hold a strategic meeting.

Wilgander is a vast desert area, even bigger than Volgland, and we don't know what's where. In order to continue the big quest you're currently working on, you'll need to move around the map, collect key items, and travel to places related to the big quest, just like in Volglynd.

So the goal is to search, but if you fly over a large area together, it's just a waste of time, and the capture won't go smoothly. Kirito, who understands this, proposes to divide the gathered people into groups of two and fly around the map.

Flying in a dispersed manner will reveal more than flying with a group of people, you may discover unexpected secret locations, and you may be able to advance your strategy faster than usual – plus that's why. Everyone swallowed their saliva and agreed to continue the arrest according to Kirito's suggestion.

So, Kirito and the others began to divide into teams, but the first team to decide was Yuki and Keim, who had just spoken. Next came Klein and Achill, then Lizbet and Celica, then Lifa and Shina, then Spiegel and Diabel, then Asuna and Lilan, and Strea and Filia.

As for who Kirito's last partner was, it was Alice, who rarely participated in the capture operation. Alice, who usually doesn't show up at all and rarely participates in arrests when she does, says she wants to team up with me, so all the usual members, including me, are surprised.

Most people were surprised and protested, because Alice usually doesn't fight at all, so even if she participated in the capture, she wouldn't fight much, but when Alice heard this, she said: \"Don't worry. Even so, my strength is quite strong. Kirito showed a calm look, and he himself understood that there was nothing to worry about.

Of course, Alice also has a fair share of status in SAo, where she has demonstrated the ability to sink the Ayngrunte Liberation Army thug in a matter of seconds. So, even if we went out to catch it, it would be no problem at all - after I told her about it, everyone agreed, and Kirito and Alice flew separately into the skies of Virugander. Spread its wings and flew into the turbulent sky.

\"Then again, Miss Alice. \"

"What's wrong, Kirito-san? \"

"Alice-Sand, haven't you been logging in more and more often lately? You haven't logged in before, have you? ”

Alice was originally a psychiatrist, but she was one of Agus' former staff members who developed SAo and released it into the world, so I was assigned and I decided to devote myself to development.

At first, Alice said she would log in to ALo often, but there was no sign of doing so. Hearing this, Kirito understood that Alice was so busy that she didn't even have time to log in to ALo.

"Ah, development has calmed down lately. Now I can enjoy ALo with everyone on my days off.

"I'm not that kind of person, but Shinay and Spiegel may be that kind of people. \"

"I did some bad things to them. I said I'd make time to hang out with them, but I never found the time. It makes me feel lonely. ”

"But Alice is the one who chooses, isn't she? Isn't that why you're coming to a game company now because you want to do AI research? ”

Alice snorted, her hair ruffled by the hot wind. Alice quit her job as a psychiatrist and went to work for a game company because she had a strong desire to get back to AI research. And knowing how strong this desire is, Shino and Spiegel accepted Alice's words without objection and sent Alice to work at a game company.

"Well, it's true that what I want to do is AI research, and I'm willing to give up everything for that. So I gave up on those girls too."

"Why are you so obsessed with AI research?

"That's when I was most able to keep myself to myself, and I guess that's why."

"Character?"

Kirito turned his head in surprise. Alice's black hair shone in the relentless sun, and her hair fluttered from the raging hot wind, floating on Alice's face.

"I don't know what to say. For me, AI research makes me feel like I'm doing what I really want to do. When I was asked if I wanted to try AI research again, I was naturally drawn to it. ”

“”

I don't know if she realizes it, but Alice's way of speaking has changed. This is what I heard from Shino, but Alice has two ways of speaking, one is to speak like a normal woman, and the other is to talk like a man like Akihiko Kayaba.

Among them, the feminine way of speaking is the way of speaking when it is completely back to the original, and Kirito often hears her when they are working or playing games.

The current Alice has returned to the original Alice - the original Serizawa Alice. But Kirito didn't pay much attention to it, just continued to listen to Alice's words.

"But, sure enough, I did bad things to them. As for Shino, there is still more than a year to go, but it was canceled halfway. That's why I'm coming to ALo. \"She. ”

"Then why are you teaming up with me? If you want to check Shino, you should team up with him. \"

Hearing Kirito's question, Alice suddenly slowed down and finally stopped in the air. Kirito, who was observing the situation, also slowed down, stopped in the air, and then circled, slowly approaching Alice.

\"I teamed up with you because I had something I wanted to say to Kirito-kun. No, it's because there's something I want to ask you. \"

"What do you want to ask...?"

\"yes. Did you tell Shino about this? \"

Kirito had a chill down his spine. The heat in the desert disappeared all at once, and a chill spread throughout the body, as if you were in an extremely cold place.

Kirito / and people have Shino's memories in their heads. Kazuto fell into an extremely strange state, and there were memories of others in his head, but because of this, Kazuto knew Shino better than Shina's parents.

But at the same time, this strange state of affairs has a fatal flaw. If the Kazuto is conscious, these memories of Shino can be pulled out, but sometimes they will suddenly appear without the Waren being aware of them, and try to mix with the memories of the Kazuto. At that time, my brain was as chaotic as a seizure, and the line between my memory and Shino's memory became very blurred.

And that's not all. Ever since Shino's memories began to exist, Kazuto has begun to dislike the people who used to be unconcerned, and as soon as he sees the crowd, he will feel restless, feel extremely nauseous, and even vomit in severe cases.

Shino's various memories, such as the things and traumas that Shino is not good at, are gradually eroding and people. When I asked Alice about this, she taught me how to somehow suppress the erosion of Shino's memory, but the effect was only a small one, and the current situation was that there was no fundamental solution.

And Kazuto still can't tell Shino about it.

"I can't say that, can I? \"

"Probably. However, Kirito-kun, one day I'm going to tell Shino about this, and I think Shino herself will eventually notice your change. Your changes have been exposed. I started with\"

"It does, but"

"I'm afraid you'll be noticed."

Alice was right. Ever since realizing that Shino's memories are eroding him, Kirito feels fear every time he sees Shino's eyes. If Shino knew about it, if it was known, then Shiina, and I, as well as Shina, would be terrified and irresistible.

"However, as I've said many times, she's smarter than I thought.

"I see. It's been this before. ”

"I can't keep this a secret forever.

“”

"If you look like that, you don't seem ready to tell her.

Kirito looked up, his black eyes matching Alice's reddish-brown eyes. I could see the angry look on my face reflected in Alice's mirror-like eyes.

\"It's decided! You know Shino's mood when she says something like that! \"

"I know. However, she will eventually notice what you are doing, and the later you tell Shino, the deeper Shiina's hurt will be. I think Shino has decided not to hide anything from you anymore. \"

"It was a pleasant surprise." We have decided not to hide anything from each other anymore, and even recently we talked about it again and made a commitment. However, Kirito simply can't tell the truth of this story. She asks Shino not to hide anything, but she can't do it herself.

"He broke his promise to Shino from the beginning. \"

"Yes, but yes, but!"

"Then tell me quickly, the more you delay telling the truth, the more it will hurt her. If you really care about her, take off the demon skin on your body, it's for her. ”

Indeed, if she continues to hide it, the clever Shino will soon find out that something is wrong, and I think she will also be hurt a lot by keeping it hidden. And when Shino finds out for herself, those wounds will surely get deeper.

No, even if Kiritto took the initiative to speak, Shino himself would be aware of it, and the depth of Shino's wound would not necessarily change. What happens when Shino, who seems to be strong but has a fragile heart, finds that the person she cares about the most is suffering from the constant damage she has been suffering since she helped her—it is easier to imagine the outcome than seeing fire.

"Yes, but but"

"I'm afraid of hurting her, so I can't do that. You're kind, so you try not to hurt Shino, but sometimes you have to talk about things that hurt, and Ren-kun. \"

"yes, but"

Kirito no, and Ren-kun. Either way, I'm going to have to tell Shino about it. It's one thing, so you can't see what's important. \"

Hearing this, Kirito suddenly raised his head, as if he had heard something serious from Alice during SAo. Standing in the scorching heat of the desert mist, bathed in the strong sunlight, Alice's expression was clearly visible.

"Who is treating Shiina's wounds? It's you, Heren-kun. You've been doing it all the time, haven't you? \"

\"I'm healing a wound for Shiina\"

\"Yes, I think you can understand it too, because I have memories of Shino, but before we met, Shino's heart was cold. Moreover, the surface of the contents is covered with scratches, and the depth is deep to the core. It is

But now she is not like that at all, and her emotional wounds have healed a lot. It was you, and Renjun, who brought her to this stage. Ah no, it's not just you, I, Asuna, and Lilan have contributed, but you're the best. \"

Indeed, Shino's heart was extremely rough and full of scars, which can be understood by looking at Shino's memories, and it is well known that the years Shiina's experience before meeting them were too terrible to recognize. That's why Kazuto wants to protect Shino, and he can consider healing her mind.

"But want me to make a new wound there"

"Wait, the story isn't that hard, if your hand hurts, you can heal yourself."

Then Kirito looked up again in surprise. The hot wind had stopped, and Alice's hair, which had been swaying, no longer fluttered, and shone black in the sunlight. Probably, but my hair shines the same black.

"I'll heal the wounds I've caused?"

"Yes. If you hurt Shino's heart, you can heal it. You can do it. \"

The scars in Shino's heart that have been healed by Kirito so far are basically caused by someone other than Kirito. That's why he was able to heal Shino, but he didn't expect that Kirito himself might have hurt Shino's heart, and he didn't even think about it.

Alice says that she should be able to heal easily, but Shina's emotional wounds can't heal so easily. - If that were the case, Kirito could easily imagine what it would be like, and Kirito held his head in one hand and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Can I do that?"

"It's not a question of whether you can do it, it's that you have to be able to do it." This is what it means to stay by Shino's side all the time and protect her all the time. The time has come for you to overcome your trials. If you can do it. \"If you don't overcome this, you won't be able to stay with Shino for the rest of your life and you won't be able to protect her. ”

"Test"

Indeed, when I was at SAo, I heard about Shino's past, and I vowed to protect Shino for the rest of my life, and I entered into a marriage. And that idea and vow to protect a woman, Shino Asada for the rest of her life, has not changed since then, and she even thinks that this is her mission and destiny.

However, when he hurts Shino's heart that is supposed to be guarding, can he heal it with his own hands? I wonder if I can really cure it with my own hands.

Because he was faced with all kinds of things, he turned his head and couldn't find the answer.

"And Renjun, don't worry. It's not something I can solve. This is the problem between you and Shina. That's all I can say. \"

You're the one who makes him able to rely on himself when he's in trouble - usually he'd say that to Alice, but Kirito kept his mouth up completely and didn't say anything. No, perhaps it would be more correct to say that I can't find the words I always reply.

"In peacetime, with the help of my comrades-in-arms, I was able to overcome any difficulties, but this is a problem that only the two of us can rely on." He caused a wound in Shiina's heart, and if he couldn't heal it himself, he wouldn't be qualified to protect Shiina.

"How can I transcend it?" No, first of all, when will that moment come, and when should that moment be? The more I thought about it, the more black fog filled my head. No matter how hard you try to wipe it off, the thick black fog shows no signs of disappearing.

Just as the black fog was about to fill my head, I suddenly heard a loud noise in my ears.

"Hey, who's sneaking in the shadows over there?"

The voice is Alice's. Hearing that loud voice, I snapped back to my senses, and a figure appeared in the shadow of a towering boulder nearby. A girl with long red hair and golden-orange eyes, dressed in black and white, red hot pants, and translucent gray wings with a pattern of gears on her back.

The girl slowly levitated closer, with a wry smile on her face.

\"Aha. I didn't expect anyone other than Kirito to know. \"

"Well, maybe you're the girl Kirito said she was, Rain. \"

"Ah, yes. My name is Rain. Or rather, do you know me? ”

"Ah, Kirito told me that there is a player named Rein who has the ability to track divine powers. \"

Alice smiled at Lilan and placed her hand gently on her waist. Then, as if there was nothing to worry about, he easily began to introduce himself.

\"I'm Alice, Kirito-kun's friend. Although the frequency of logging in is not high, the relationship with Kirito-kun has always been close, so please take care of it. \"

"Oh yes, nice to meet you, Alice Sand. \"

The red-haired girl Rain lowered her head slightly, then turned to face Kirito, but was speechless by the unusually serious expression on his face. Rain softly calls to Kirito, who just keeps blinking his eyes, seemingly not caring about Rain's appearance at all.

\"That, Kirito-san. \"

"Yes"

"Why do you look so scared?"

"Nothing special, will you join this strategy?"

"Ah, yes. If you don't mind, come with me. ”

"Got it"

With that, Kirito spread his wings and flew towards the hot mist that flickered in the desert. Hearing this emotionless answer, Rain was even more surprised, as if his heart was not here, and chased after Alice.

\"Kirito-kun, you're in the sky, what's wrong? \"

"Well, the heat in the desert might make your head red.

Hearing the black-haired woman's words, Rain nodded and caught up with the 'Black Dragon Swordsman' flying in front of him.

I didn't expect that I would end up hurting Shino.

\"What if I break Shino's heart? \"

"What happens if you break Shino's heart? \"

\"What will happen to her if I hurt Shiina? \"

"What's going on?"

"What's going on and what's going on?"

"What's going on, what's going on, what's going to happen."

"What's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong————

---

----

----

\"Come back, Kirito!! \"

The words I heard and the feeling of something hitting the back of my neck brought me back to my senses. What unfolds before our eyes is an eerie interior of ruins, with walls painted with drawings and piles of sand everywhere, which is common in RpG. When I looked back, I saw the usual members of the captive team, and everyone looked at me with a worried expression.

Then, right behind me, was Rain, who wasn't usually by my side, and next to him was Lilan with a slightly angry expression on her face.

"Oh! What happened? ”

"My lines are like this. Kirito-kun, why are you so confused? We're going to fight the boss soon. \"

"Uh, boss fights? \"

Hearing Rain's words, I jerked my head away, remembering what had happened before I had just been here. Of course, we used to split up and fly through the skies of Wilgander in search of the key to the big mission.

It was during this time that I talked to Alice and worried about all sorts of things, and then I met Lilan again—and from then on, my memory was cut off. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall anything.

"Uh, why is it before the boss fight? Has this trick been canceled? ”

Just then, Asuna came over and explained to me. \"

According to Asuna, Asuna and Lilan's party found a ruin without an airflow generator, and when they entered, they were given a valuables in the shape of a key. At the same time, Lifa, Shiina, and the others found something similar to an altar with a keyhole in the middle of the floating island continent.

After receiving the message, Asuna and Rerune went there and used the key they had obtained to stop all the airflow generators and enter all the ruins. As I continued to look there, I found the boss's room, which seemed to lead to the present.

"I see."

\"So, Kirito-kun, we've been together, why don't you understand!? \"

Everyone was surprised, including Rain, but only Lilan wasn't. Lilan opened her mouth when I saw the jewel-like red eyes I'd seen since SAo.

"You're probably stuck in the depths of your own mind and can't get out. That's why I'm forcing you to come back. Really, don't think too much about it, Kirito. \"

“”

I seem to have entered the world of thoughts, leaving consciousness there. This has happened before, and Lilan calmed me down, but I seem to be being taken care of again. And they all looked at me in unison, with expressions of surprise and worry on their faces, and even though I was here, I was unconscious. Of course.

"Uh, uh, I'm sorry, I thought about a lot of things, that's all"

Under the gaze of everyone, Sirika was just like me as a "beast tamer", and came to my side with Pina, the "demon", on her shoulder. After all, the look on his face seemed to be worried about me.

"Kirito, you must be tired.

"Oh, that's not true. I'm tired."

Immediately after, Alice, who had been on my team just now, walked over and suddenly put her hand on my forehead. Too suddenly, I froze and stared at Alice, but Alice continued to touch my forehead as if she thought it was an opportunity not to move. After a while, Alice let go of her hand.

Kirito-kun's condition is due to an overheating of the brain, which causes the ability to think to stop temporarily, and what Sirika said is indeed true.

"Oh, overheating?"

If machines and computers continue to be used, heat can accumulate inside them, which will eventually lead to malfunctions and, depending on the situation, smoke or fire. This is often referred to as overheating, but is it possible for the brain to overheat? Worried about this, when I put it into words, Alice answered correctly.

For some reason, my brain is currently in a state of being burned by various loads of thoughts and strategies, and my ability to think is also in a state of diminishing, and it seems that this is the end of it. It's like a computer that is overused, has no rest, has nowhere to escape, and the heat builds up, causing it to stop functioning.

However, thanks to the power of Rairun coming in, my brain was temporarily healed through Amusphere, and my consciousness returned to this place.

"Is that so..."

"Because you don't stop using your brain, you don't rest. Especially in your case, if you log in frequently, your brain usage in ALo is very high relative to others. Moreover, you can think deeply, think hard, and the burden on your brain is greater than that of an ordinary person. ”

Lilan said in surprise. I really think about a lot of things, and I basically log in to ALo after I get home from school and finish my homework, and I reduce my sleep time even on my days off. I slept late. It's clear that they continue to use their brains more than normal people, putting a burden on them.

In order to prevent this from happening during SAo, there is a no-capture day and the like, so that the brain is not overused, but ALo is not a death game, so there is no need to think about these things, there is no occupation day, and there is no need for a strategy week. As a result, I unknowingly overused my brain.

Then, when I saw the person next to Lilan, I was taken aback. That person was my lover Shino, and if something happened to me, she would immediately worry about me. It should be said that, of course, he had a very worried look on his face. That's right, a face that doesn't look at anyone else at all, just at me.

\"Kirito, are you alright? \"

"Ahh

"Really? If you're not feeling well, quit and go to rest. ”

"I can't do it, this is a long-awaited regional boss battle, as long as you defeat the regional boss, you can face the next floating island continent, if you miss this opportunity, you will regret it." Rest. So, I can't back down. ”

"Really, are you alright?"

"There's nothing bad about it, it's all good"

Shiina, in a low voice, "Okay then", but she still couldn't dispel her worries about me, and she couldn't change her expression. Seeing such a poem, I felt a pang of pain in my heart.

"I do think, but it seems like I've stopped thinking." If you had to ask me what I was thinking, it would be Shino. I thought too deeply about Shino for him to think. Shino asked me not to hide anything a long time ago, but I didn't dare say it.

"If I were to say such a thing here, it would be impossible to capture it, and it would cause great trouble for everyone, and I don't know how the first poem would have been shaken. \"

"yes, I didn't realize how much Shino would be hurt. \"That's why I can't say anything. As I watched Shino muttering to herself, Lilan took a step towards me.

"You're a hardcore gamer, so you won't miss a boss fight.

"Lilan, what are you talking about? It's not like I can't fight. ”

"Fighting is the most brain-hungry thing. What happens if your brain is already overheated, and you're fighting with a sword? I can't even be

"Of course, what the hell was I doing? How are you guys playing? \"

"We played normally.

Hearing Rain's words, I turned to face Lilan. It's true that I wasn't conscious not so long ago, but now that I'm with everyone and I'm in the deepest part of the labyrinth, it means that I can walk normally just now. , but it is impossible I wonder if he is still fighting.

"You're saying I'm fighting unconsciously"

"It seems so, but you are a little hesitant to move, and your sword is different from usual, I thought something was wrong, so I approached you and tried to exert my strength, and it was."

"Is that so?"

Then, Klein, who had chosen the same race as Lilan, came to me. Like everyone else, the look on his face made him worry about me.

"Hey, Kirito, don't go too far. If you become like this, you're really tired. It's even worse if you're fighting a boss in this state. \"

"Maybe everyone is thinking the same thing." However, what is in front of me now is the door to the boss room, and after that, the area boss is waiting. If I hadn't witnessed the moment when I defeated the boss with my own hands, I'm sure it would have stayed in my mind. I have more things to think about than that.

"I'm glad you're worried about me. But as I said, I'm not going to get past this boss fight. This is the boss battle that everyone has come to this far, and we are finally ushering in. We all got over it at that moment. I don't like not to see.

Even after the announcement, everyone's worried expressions did not change. However, I can't leave here, and I don't want to leave. No matter how hard I tried to reconsider, my feelings didn't change.

"But Lilan, I'll follow your advice. I'll be behind you for the next battle. I'll be there to give you instructions, so go ahead. ”

"It's always the same when I take you on the plane, and it's always the same when I move according to your instructions. I'm fine. ”

\"Kirito, are you really going? \"

Shino still had a worried look on her face. "Normally I would put my hand on his head, but since everyone's eyes were on me, I didn't do it, just nodded.

"It's okay, now everyone is okay, let's go to the boss fight."

The anxiety on everyone's faces did not subside, but they nodded for the time being. No doubt he was worried about me, but I still couldn't stop.

As if to show this, when I touched the door in front of me, it let out a roar and slid to one side, revealing a pitch-black space. Just as everyone was about to look at it together, suddenly a stream of air flowed through the door from where we were, and we were sucked into the black space that spread inside the door. - Just like in the previous battle with Herasvirg, it was a forced transfer.

"Everyone, teleportation begins! Get ready for battle! ”

After saying that, the moment I drew my sword, my eyes were surrounded by blue light, and my vision was completely obscured. And when the light dissipated, the scene spread out was in the middle of a desert, with a hot wind howling and the sun being merciless. As with the previous boss fight, it was as if he had been thrown onto the field.

However, unlike then, we have not yet spread our wings, but are standing on the ground. Asuna seemed surprised and ran up to me and shouted.

\"Kirito-san! \"

"Ah, be careful, everybody! You don't know where the boss came from! ”

Herasvirg, one of the three divine beasts he had fought against, suddenly appeared from the sky and began to fight. Maybe this time it will feel something similar—just as I was thinking this, the sand in front of me suddenly began to rise with the rumble of the earth.

As soon as I noticed the effect, it was as if something was pushing up from below, and the raised sand suddenly exploded. At that time, a huge sand cloud formed, and I almost covered my eyes, but it was then that I confirmed that there was a black shadow mixed in the sand cloud.

Could it be that just as I was thinking this, the dust cloud grew bigger and bigger, and I finally covered my eyes with my arms. And when the dust cleared and we regained our sight, we saw the true identity of the dark shadow.

It has a muscular upper body like a gorilla, a large, rounded tail, pointed ears like horns, and curved reddish-brown horns, and its entire body is covered in short, sand-colored hair. It looks like a complex combination of dogs, squirrels, and gorillas. This is the identity of the dark shadow I saw in the sand smoke.

Just when most women are surprised, "What's that!?" At that time, four "hp bars" appeared above the sand-haired beast's head, and English words appeared on them.

"[Ratatosk] Ratatosk!"

Lizbet and Lifa made a faint voice as they said the name. Looking back, I was holding a one-handed sword and a one-handed staff, standing dumbfounded and staring at the sand-haired beasts that appeared. It's as if you can't believe that the name of the sand beast is Ratatosk.

"Uh, is that Ratatosk?"

"Is that the sand gorilla Ratatosk?"

Lizbet whispered, and Lifa followed.

Previously, after listening to Ratatosk's explanation, the two said that since they were squirrels, they must be cute monsters and were ready to meet. But what emerges is a beast that is far from the size of a squirrel - not so much a squirrel as a gorilla with a well-developed upper body. This appearance is too different from what they imagined, and I am afraid that they can only stiffen.

Looking at Lizbet and Lifa, who had completely stopped moving, Sirika showed a troubled expression.

"That's why I'm telling you, Mr. Liz and Ms. Lifa. Ratatosk is not a cute monster. Also, it's an area boss, so it's natural to look like that. ”

\"My demons, that's \"

"No, no, I can't tame myself at all"

Lizbet and Lifa stiffened for this stupid reason, and Lizbet and Lifa must have been stunned. He knew that Lilan wouldn't fight with a sword because he didn't draw his sword even though he was in front of the area boss.

"Kirito, just do what I say. \"

"Ah, please re-run."

As I pleaded, my partner, the wolf-eared girl, jumped in front of me and immediately enveloped her body in a golden glow. As if against the relentless rays of the sun, the light suddenly intensified, and immediately spread like an explosion, dyeing the surroundings golden.

And when the light dissipated, there stood a girl with wolf ears and a tail, wrapped in a white, red and white steel shell, with golden fur, and a tail like a giant sword, with horns, like a holy relic. With a sword on his forehead, the wings of four birds of prey on his back, and a golden mane on his head, reminiscent of the silhouette of a wolf, a dragon of about 15m is ready.

When I confirmed the wolf's appearance and made me feel its ferocity and beauty, I immediately ran over, jumped on its back, and straddled it. Visibility suddenly increased, and the height of the eyes became almost the same as that of the sandfur.

"Man and dragon are one", a form that only me and this wolf dragon can create to fight together between humans and dragons.

"This time, I'll rely on you entirely, Lilan."

"Got it. Don't let yourself be dumped on the road! \"

I firmly accepted the "voice" of the old woman in my head and clutched the hair on her back. At the same time, the depressed Lizbet and Lifa also regained their will to fight, and the people around them were ready to fight. Completely switched to boss battle mode.

"Alright, let's go!!"

Immediately after my shout rang out on the battlefield, Lilan beneath him let out a powerful roar, and in response, the sandfur beast in front of him let out a powerful roar.

"How's this?"

"This one is still edible!"

When the two wind elves, Kem and Lifa, cast spells at the same time, a violent gust of wind was generated around the rampaging Sandfur Ratatorsk, which immediately turned into a tornado, smashing the Sandfuron's body into pieces. The beast, whose entire body is given a red damage effect, covers it

We roughly took the Villegood Takeover, and finally moved on to the regional boss fight. Ratatosk, one of the three divine beasts, is waiting for us after completing various stunts and activities on a floating desert island.

It is said to be shaped like a mythical cute squirrel, and in this ALo it is a horned beast with a muscular body and a face that looks like a mixture of a gorilla, a dog, and a squirrel. And Liz Beth and Lifa mistake Ratatosk for a cute monster and want to tame him.

When the two of them saw a figure completely different from the cute type, they were stunned and couldn't move, but now they were casting magic, melee attacks, sword skills, and so on on at the sand-haired beast. Thanks to this, I was able to reduce the Sandfur's physical strength in a short period of time, and the first 'health' was over.

Although it is such a sand-haired behemoth, its attacks are only melee attacks such as punches and kicks, and it basically does not shoot magic. However, as if to compensate for the inability to use magic, Sandfurmon's punches and kicks seem to be set to a very high power, and with just one hit, its health is completely reduced and its color turns pale. Turns yellow. Soon

So, we're now dodging Sandfur's attacks while taking advantage of the gap between its massive attacks to alternate melee attacks and magic attacks.

"Ratatosk is weak against magic and ranged attacks! Keep attacking, mainly ranged attacks! ”

Diabel's exact instructions resounded on the dusty battlefield as in SAo, and among us, the people who were divided into the rearguard began to chant support magic and attack magic, and took over the avant-garde. Charge.

Sandfurmon is directly hit by the wind attack magic "Tyrant Hurricane" cast by Kem and Lifa, giving it a chance to attack. This is your chance to attack.

"Okay, when the time comes, let's go together!"

"Got it! Hold on! \"

Hearing the command, Lilan kicked up the sand and rushed towards the sandfur. When he approached the crumbling sandfur in the cloud of dust from the tornado that Kem and Lifa had set off, Lilan raised her hand and slashed at the sandfur with her claws. The area attacked by Sandfur has a mixed red and white damage effect, confirming that the content of the second "HP bar" has been greatly reduced.

However, the sand beast finally regained its balance, stood up on its hind legs, and swung its right hand into a fist as if in a rage. The blow was large and the gap was large, but as soon as the sandfur beast could take a lot of damage with a single blow, Lilan immediately retreated to avoid it.

My body was pulled backwards, and I felt like I was about to be blown away, but I grabbed Liran's hair with both hands and grabbed it tightly. And the sand-haired beast, which missed the attack, smashed its fist on the ground, causing the dust to fly.

And the next moment, even though he didn't give any orders, his companions suddenly closed the distance between him and the sandfur beast, as if they were about to switch. Among them, the first to come into contact with the sand beast were the same "beast tamer" Sirika like me, and Yuki, who was very important to Kem.

"Hey!"

"Hah!!"

Sirika raised her voice and wrapped the dagger in her hand in the light, severing the sand beast's hind legs. At the same time, Yuki swings a lightweight, one-handed sword into the other hind leg, allowing the blade to bite into it. The two sharp blades easily pierced the hind legs of the sand beast, which was neither carapace nor strong muscle, severing the internal tissues.

The severed leg of the sandfurmon made a scream-like sound, but it immediately swung its arms like a lasso and attacked Sirika and Yuki, but Celica, who was also known for its agility, was Kate Sith and immediately jumped backwards, avoiding the sandbeast's attack. Around the same time, Ariki also flipped backwards and escaped the sand beast's fist.

Then, as if for that moment, Crane, Diabel, and Spiegel took turns rushing towards the Sandfurmon, aiming at the Furfur Beast's right arm, and Diabel slashed out with the Sword of Light: Diabel's hind leg of the attack on Sirika swung a spinning slash in a square pattern.

When Crane and Diabel erupted almost at the same time, Spiegel unleashed several consecutive vertical and horizontal slashes "Big Moon Night", as well as a one-handed sword technique "Horizontal Square" with four consecutive spins and slashes, and he took the bow, jumped onto the back of the sand-haired beast, aimed downward, and shot arrows in succession.

It's not sword skills, it's bursts of powerful attacks peculiar to bows and arrows, melee attacks—sometimes referred to as zero-zero shots—and the back of the sandfur beast turns into a mountain of light swords. , the sand-haired beast made a painful sound, and its health was suddenly reduced.

It seems that the defense of the sandfur beast is even inferior to that of Herasvirg, who has just fought him. This is probably why he is able to reduce his HP with fewer attacks than Hrasvirg. However, the speed and attack power of Ratatosk are probably higher than those of Hrasvirg. To be sure, he's not an opponent you can fight with ease.

\"This time it's us!!" Get ready, sand gorillas——!! \"

"I'm going with the big guy!"

After the attacking trio retreated, Lizbet and Strea stepped forward. Among them, Lizbet held the staff with one hand, and with each run, the footsteps became louder. I guess he's emphasizing that Ratatosk is completely different from his image.

When Lizbet came to Sandfur, Sandfur raised his hands and immediately swung them down, but at that moment, Strea stood between Sandfur and Lizbet. Quickly swung his two-handed sword at the approaching Sandfur Beast with both hands, ricocheting its attack back. The block-type two-handed sword technique "Empty Shadow" that is released instantly after receiving an attack deals damage and explodes while repelling the opponent's attacks.

Perhaps not expecting the attack to be repulsed, the Sandfur leaned back, losing its balance, and then Lizbet leaped with all her might, approaching the Sandfur's face, a flash of red light aimed at its eyebrows. Light. I slammed a stick with one hand.

A simple but powerful attack \"Hard Strike\", the one-handed stick hit the sand bladder beast's face with all its might, and the sand fur beast couldn't stop screaming and retreating, and lost a lot of health. Now Lizbet's own strength is quite strong, so the strength may have increased accordingly.

"Let's do it!"

"It's a switch!"

Lizbeth and Strea are then replaced by Filia and Egil, a strange combination of a dagger user and a two-handed axe user. First, Filia ducked into the arms of the rampaging Sandfurmon, dodging the approaching attack, and then sliced through the Sandfurmon's body with a dagger covered in light. Dagger's six-in-a-row fencing skill "Phantom Fang".

Almost at the same time, Egil, like Spiegel just now, dodged the Sandfur Beast's attack as he ran, kicked it in the back, and made a big jump. There, wrapped in light with an axe in both hands, he swooped down, slashing twice in quick succession at the sand beast's slit-filled back. The two-handed axe double attack sword skill "Raging Spike" jumps at enemies and unleashes two slashes when launched on the ground.

As soon as the two of them were hit by sword skills with different powers and attacks, Sandfurmon began to reduce its health and raise its voice at the same time, and finally emptied the second "health bar" and began to reduce the third health bar. We've rushed to a turning point in the fight against the Sandbeasts.

"Alright, we're halfway there! Everyone, hold on a little longer! ”

When I shouted the order, the half-health Sandfurmon suddenly roared, kicked off the ground, and began to run. Everyone was surprised by the sudden movement, and in a blink of an eye, the sand beast had come to a nearby rock block.

Just as I was thinking about what it was going to do, the sand beast suddenly grabbed the rock with its muscular arms and lifted it up. We didn't expect the sand-haired beast to pull the boulder out, and to our surprise, I threw a lump.

A terrible force threw the rock mass in a brilliant arc towards us, eventually obscuring out the sunlight that could be seen from our position. It's like a mountain is going to fall. If something like this hits me directly, it won't be attacked at all, and I must tell everyone to avoid it.

"Don't think that's enough to stop us!"! \"

Just as he was about to give instructions, a "voice" similar to that of an old woman sounded in his head, and immediately after, Lilan was ready. When I turned my head in surprise, Lilan's mouth began to burn, and then a fiery fireball in the shape of a huge fireball was released from its open mouth.