"Don't worry, if I go in, I'll kill you right away"

Kyoji said as he let the zombies and creatures fall. Kirito noticed that his acting and speech were rough.

"Kyoji got angry. "I can't seem to figure out what's going on, but Kyoji is definitely going through a very stressful thing and is very angry. It wasn't until he came here that he couldn't hold back, smiled, and could talk to himself normally, but inside his chest, there was a surging anger boiling.

Then, since I was able to reach a place where I could escape, I was able to detonate what I had stored earlier. The anger condensed in Kyoji's body turned into energy, producing that movement.

The pistol-shaped controller is Kyoji's anger itself, turning his pressure into bullets that shoot zombies and creatures and destroy them constantly. With such power, Kyoji's wrath is likely to destroy not only zombies and creatures, but even the surrounding ruins.

If Kyoji continues to play like this, not only zombies and creatures, but everything on the screen will be destroyed. I watched in shock as Kyoji continued shooting.

How many minutes have passed since then? When Kyoji's gun went berserk, a horn sounded in the console's speakers, and Kirito was taken aback. When I turned to face the screen, the words "game cleared" were displayed in large letters, and the time and total score were also displayed below. Before he knew it, Kyoji had eliminated all the zombies and creatures and reached the game's clearance point, but Kirito's eyes widened when he saw the score.

“”

Kyoji scored twice as much as the record, and his playthrough time was more than three minutes faster. Kyoji was able to score several times higher than previous passers.

Kyoji, who had been chatting for a long time on the side, scored a score that he might not be able to achieve even if he played, but Spiegel, who was medium-talented in ALo, was able to blow Kirito's head. I felt numb inside. Look at Kyoji, who made this thing, and he was putting the gun back in the storage room with a very satisfied expression on his face.

"Ah, that's cool! After all, that's what I do when I'm angry! ”

It's not like the beast that just raged, but the teenager who finished the game and was immersed in a sense of accomplishment. Kirito timidly shouted to Kyoji, who had returned to normal.

"Good job..."

\"Ah, Kirito. Sorry to keep you waiting. \"

"No, it doesn't matter, more importantly, you're stronger when you hold the gun"

Sure enough, Kyoji's face when he turned around was not as rough and vicious as before, but returned to the way he was before playing this game. Just looking at that face, it's hard to believe that Kyoji is a player who can play an overwhelming super performance to lay siege zombies and creatures.

"In contrast, I like ranged weapons in general. That's why I use a bow in ALo. ”

\"Is that so? Or, Kyoji, did something unpleasant happen to you? \"

"Ugh"

\"I mean, Kyoji was really angry when we played the game, right? I wonder if there's something that makes you angry. ”

Speaking of this, Kyoji's face became gloomy. Although he didn't seem angry, he seemed to be in a very uncomfortable mood. Kirito felt that what he said seemed to be true.

“… Yes.

"As expected...... I'm so glad I found the game I was looking for. I couldn't do it without it. ”

"yes, I'm glad I had it. If I didn't have it, I wouldn't know how to vent my anger. ”

The role of the games we play casually is to make it easy for us to experience extraordinary things that we will never be able to experience in reality, but it also includes releasing everyday stress. So there's nothing wrong with Kyoji relieving stress by playing games like this. Thinking like this, Kirito gently folded his arms.

"Even so, I didn't expect your gun to be so strong. If that's the case, you'll be the best player when ALo introduces guns, won't you? ”

"No, this game is relatively monotonous, I can do it, but I can't do it in a complex game like ALo. And, I wish ALo was a stress-relieving game, I don't want to. ”

"Is that so?"

"Because ALo is something that everyone can enjoy. When I'm at ALo, I want to prioritize playing with everyone over relieving stress. ”

Hearing Kyoji's story, Kirito was taken aback. Perhaps, Kyoji would only make such an action when he wanted to release the pressure. This kind of thing has been around for a long time, maybe they stuck to it before they met us, but only now they have shown such actions in ALo.

The reason is that they want to prioritize enjoying adventures and battles with them over releasing stress – this is because Kyoji considers them important companions, which proves that you prioritize your comrades.

When Kirito realized this, a huge joy welled up in his chest.

"I see, there's a reason for that, right? \"

"yes, but I'm really happy to vent. With that, the next time I log in, I can prioritize playing with everyone. ”

"yes, I feel like I've seen a side of you that I didn't expect."

As soon as the words fell, Kyoji showed a wry smile that made people feel itchy. Today, I met Kyoji for the first time, but through this, I also learned about Kyoji's interior of Spiegel, and Kyoji has a quality that I didn't see when I was in Spiegel. Most importantly, Kyoji was unwary of himself when he first met him, and he didn't feel like he was holding back.

"I'm sure I'll be able to continue to build a good friend relationship with Kyoji." Rather, why didn't you find out earlier that there was such a person around you who could be a good friend-Kirito recalled in his mind what had happened so far, and his heart was both happy and a little frustrated. At the same time, it was felt.

\"By the way, Kirito, you don't play UFo catcher. \"

"Huh? UFo catcher? ”

\"You see, Airi-sensei made me do this before I came here, didn't she? \"

I forgot because I witnessed Kyoji's super play, but the purpose of coming here was to play UFo catcher. Before coming here, Alice told me that the UFo catcher had a stuffed penguin, so I had to go get it. If Kyoji hadn't told me, I'd have forgotten and returned to Alice.

"Ah, yes, it must be a penguin, he said he wanted a stuffed penguin."

"Maybe you forgot?"

\"Ah, I completely forgot. Kyoji, please come out with me next time. \"

"Got it"

After seeing Kyoji nod, Kirito left the shooting game cabinet and walked towards the UFo catcher.

A few seconds later, Kirito discovers a UFo catcher with a prize of a stuffed penguin, which is Kirito's goal.

Kirito and Kyoji, who completed Alice's request, were surprised. The plush penguin that Alice wants is indeed in the arcade used by Kirita and Kyoji, but the problem is elsewhere.

The penguin plush toy that exists as a prize in UFo Catcher is a cute shape-shifting toy designed with the theme of emperor penguin chicks living in Antarctica.

It's so big that you can not only hug it, though, but also use it as a pillow.

The emperor penguin, the designer of this giant penguin plush toy, is an adorable penguin, but it is the largest type of penguin that has grown to be. That's why it's called the giant emperor penguin of penguins, and this stuffed animal seems to be a reflection of the emperor penguin ecology.

Kirito thinks that the giant penguin stuffed animal in front of him may not be what Alice is looking for, so he tries to find another UFo trap, but he finds that it contains only characters, other stuffed animals, and a limited amount of amusement prizes. , and the important penguin stuffed animal as a prize is nothing.

As a result, Kirito reluctantly returned to the first UFo catcher, inserted two 100 yen coins and activated it. With the familiar movements of training from the beginning of elementary school, he grabbed a giant penguin plush toy with his arm, successfully got his hands on it, and held the giant penguin plush toy that fell into his mouth. At that time, I thought that Kyoji would talk about Kirito's strength as a UFO catcher, but Kyoji was stunned by the stuffed penguin he got and didn't say anything.

Kirito calls out to the clerk to bring a large bag of stuffed animals, and puts the stuffed penguin inside, just then, Shino contacts Kirito's smartphone. The content is a report of Shino and Airi shopping at the end, "I went to the restaurant area because I had completed my mission. ”

Seeing this, Kirita and Kyoji left the noisy arcade and walked towards the restaurant area on the fourth floor of this building.

At this time, Kirito's giant plush toys naturally attracted the attention of shoppers, and the children passing by said, "I want that" and "It's so cute." Kirito and Kyoji's footsteps became faster and faster as they raised their voices, and in just two minutes, they reached their destination, the dining area.

"Have you finally arrived at your destination? Long time no see. ”

"Kirito, most of the customers have seen it"

"With something so big, of course someone will look at it. But I didn't expect Airi-sensei to ask for such a big plush toy. \"

\"It's really big, but Kirito, how many times have you gotten something so big all at once? \"

Kirito, who has played the game for many years, knows that the bigger the UFo catcher bonus, the harder it is to get, and the smaller the bonus, the easier it is to get. So, before playing, I thought it would be an uphill battle to get the giant penguin stuffed animal, but contrary to what I expected, Kiritto managed to get the stuffed animal in one go.

"If you do it for many years, you can do it. Even so, I don't think you'll be able to do such a big thing in one fell swoop. If you stick to it for ten years or so, you'll be able to do it in one sitting—"

"Hey, you guys——! \"

There was a familiar voice behind him, mixed with the voices of the shoppers around him, or the voices of the public who wanted to have lunch after shopping. Kirito Kyoji immediately understood the identity of the voice and immediately turned around.

"Among the countless people, there are two women and a girl standing side by side." Kirito and Kyoji immediately understood that it was Alice and Shino who had sent them the message earlier, but when they saw Shiina's clothes, they were speechless.

Before the breakup, Shino was wearing a white hooded coat with a green dress underneath, which was very good-looking, but Shino in front of her had a black cat's paw pattern in the center of her chest. A white T-shirt with a logo printed on it, a black hoodie without zippers, white "blackcat" embroidered on the right chest, and black hot pants that are thigh-length, are completely different. The clothes are larger than before, and they wear black and white striped socks.

”“””

If Shino simply changed her clothes, neither Kiritto nor Kyoji would be speechless, and would only think that she had changed her clothes. Shino's hoodie leaves Kirita and Kyoji speechless.

Shino wears the hood of a hoodie, but the hood has a pair of triangular decorations that look like cat ears, which are not seen on regular hoodies.

That's right, the hoodie Shino wears is a cat-eared hoodie that was previously only available online, and it is said that it is something that only beautiful girls can wear.

Shino, who already has a cute face and figure, wears a cat-eared hoodie and a hood to claim cat's ears, and has a slightly embarrassed expression on her face, so the destructive power is amazing. Ichiwa and Kyoji, the people who usually look at Shino, suddenly stiffened as if they had been struck by lightning when they saw her appearance.

A neat and neat girl looks a little embarrassed, but she is dressed in a cute outfit. Seeing this beautiful sight that is unique from a man's point of view, Shiina's cheeks flushed shyly, and she opened her mouth slightly while accepting the gaze of the two of them who were motionless like stone statues.

"I—I don't know. When I gave it to Airi-sensei, it turned out like this\"

\"Well, I found a rare thing called a cat-eared hoodie, and I couldn't help but want to give Shino to wear it. Shino is a clean girl, but she's also super cute, so won't she wear it? \"Is that so? And Shino is ketsy in ALo, so there shouldn't be any discomfort in cat ears. \"

Even though I said this in the order of Shino and Alice, Kirito and Kyoji didn't react and just stared at Shino. When Alice saw the two of them like the stone statues displayed in temples or museums, she noticed Kirito and Kyoji's condition, and immediately jumped in front of them and clapped her hands vigorously.

A loud and dry voice sounded, almost reaching the shop behind the restaurant, and Kyoji Kirito finally came back to his senses when he heard the voice. Then, the next moment, he was surprised to see Alice appear in front of him.

\"Ah, Teacher Alice!? \"

Alice smiled mischievously, looked at the two who were talking almost at the same time, and then returned to Shino's side again. Just as Shino reappeared in Kirito's and Kyoji's field of vision, Alice smiled and said, "Goo-goo." ”

"Shino, it seems that my outfit is very successful. Looks like we've both fallen in love with your looks. \"

"Uh, is that so? Or rather, are you both like that!? \"

Hearing Shino's inquiry, the two obviously came back to their senses and nodded again and again. Shino, who usually exudes a clean and neat atmosphere, wears a cat-eared hoodie that you have never seen before.

We often see her wearing cat ears in "ALo", but if you see her cuter and more likable than that, any boy can't help but stiffen under its destructive power. Deaf.

Looking at the current Shino, Kirito couldn't help but think so.

\"Amazing, fantastic Shino. You're so cute. \"

\"yes. That's what I thought, too. Asada-san, you're so cute. \"

As soon as Kirita and Kyoji said this, Shino blushed and lowered her head. It's the first time I've dressed like this, so I guess I can't help but feel embarrassed. When Kirito realizes this, he almost stiffens again because of its destructive power, but Alice immediately puts her hand on Shino's head - between her cat ears to be precise - and laughs out loud.

"It would be nice to call it a black cat. Black cats are said to bring bad luck and misfortune, but it's all superstition and disinformation. The black cat is generous and spoiled and a lot of kids are friendly. "Such a black cat hoodie is very suitable for Shino Kirito-kun. \"

As Airi says, it is said that black cats bring bad luck and misfortune, but this is a complete lie and nothing more than a superstition born a long time ago. And, judging from what I know about Shino, the character of the black cat mentioned by Airi seems to match Shiina's personality very well.

Alice probably understands Shina's true character and nature that she dresses Shino in the clothes of a black cat.

"yes, I think it's a good fit for you, anyway, black cat hoodie"

It was at that time. A bright light suddenly flashed in his head, and Kirito suddenly stopped talking. The light took all the color from Kirito's head and turned it into pure white.

That white eventually turned into a variety of colors, and eventually formed some kind of scene.

A woman with short dark blue hair and a tear mole near her right eye wears a battle uniform with a blue accent. Around him, there was a brown-haired man in red light armor, a brown-haired man who also wore a hat and a green combat uniform, and a blonde man wearing a hat and a cloak over his combat uniform. A man in a cloak, a man with dark green hair and a purple combat uniform, all gathered in a corner of a large room.

- For Kirito, the encounter with Shino and Lilan, and the time spent with them, is just as important as the scene in SAo.

This thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and Kirito instinctively stopped all his words and actions. The voices and signs of the surrounding guests disappeared, and Shino, Kyoji, and Airi nearby were also invisible, and his consciousness merged into the scene in his mind. Consciousness flees from the real world and is pulled back to Ayn Grant, who is supposed to have disappeared.

If it was a seizure, I would have the will to suppress it by watching the amulet, but obviously not the scene of a seizure, so I can't. Kirito was involuntarily surprised when his consciousness was about to be taken away by the scene at that time, which spread in his mind and was suddenly recalled.

- There was a stranger in the group. Wearing a black cat-eared hat, wearing a short-sleeved combat uniform, mixed with white armor, and black embellishments everywhere, the dark blue hair like the short-haired girl is a girl who is shorter than any of them.

The figure of the girl who should not have appeared in the first place blended into the scene of the friendly conversation of the group of people, and had a normal conversation.

Then, Kirito's ears rang with a voice that resembled a fragment of conversation.

"Okay! We're a small group, so we'd love someone to join us! \"

"Our" Moonlit Night Black Cat Regiment is this guy ○ x ◎ Σ△ □. You may have heard that □ ○x is the youngest of us, but he is the guy who is ≒¥□÷x among us. Her name is ◎○△ and she is the younger sister of x※. Isn't it very different from x*? \"

A girl's voice I've never heard before, a man's voice I've heard before. A familiar voice seemed to be reading the girl's name, but there was a commotion all around.

Yes Moreover, even when the girl's name is spoken, I hear a murmur, which is incomprehensible.

No matter how many times I try to recall, the noise always gets in my way and I still can't remember the name. And the strange girl in the scene in her mind was talking happily with the people around her, and there was another girl among them, and the girls seemed to be talking happily to each other. The other girl—the one with the same hair color as the strange girl—was fortunate that she had lost someone important.

When she said the name "Yuki", the male voice that had echoed in her head just now weakened a little, and her words became clearer.

"This guy gave us the name of the guild, 'Moonlit Night Black Cat Gang'." As you may have heard, he is the youngest of us, but the one we can rely on the most.

Her name is Yuki's younger sister, ◎○△. Isn't she very different from her sister? \"

（！！？ ）

Kirito almost screamed when he heard a clear voice in his head.

A familiar voice just said that it was Yuki's sister.

I did say that I was lucky to have a younger sister.

I thought I might have misremembered, but when I tried to recall again, the words "Yuki's sister" still kept coming.

What does it mean to have Sachi's sister?

I didn't know I had a sister.

Who is this girl?

"Who are you?"

Who is Sachi's sister?

Who's who's who's Sachi's sister.

"Kirito !!"

Kirito was about to be swallowed up by a mudstream of memories and emotions completely different from the time of the attack, when he was startled by the echoing voice. The next moment, the voices and sights echoing in my head disappeared, and I began to hear the hustle and bustle of countless shoppers, and the smell of food wafting from the restaurant.

Ayn Grant, who had turned into a phantrum, suddenly disappeared, and when his consciousness returned to the real world, Kirito found himself holding his head in one hand, staring at the amulet. Kyoji and Alice looked at Kiritto with worried eyes, and Shino had a worried expression on her face.

Immediately afterward, a timid voice came from next door.

\"Are you alright, Kato? \"

When I took my hand away from my head and turned around, I saw a boy in a white hoodie with a worried look on his face. They had been friends for a long time, but Kirito whispered the name of the boy who had just become friends.

"Kyoji"

\"It's okay, Kirito. You look pale."

"Ahh

After giving Kyoji an awkward answer, Kirito turned his head again. The girl stared at me with a more worried look on her face than anyone in the room. Shiina, the girl who has been protecting and loving Yuichi since she lost her important someone, thinks she might repeat the mistakes of the past.

"Shino"

\"Kirito, are you alright? Is this the case again? \"

Since she was pale, it was natural for people to think so. However, when a seizure occurs, the pain and nausea rise, either I want to vomit or I want to vomit, but there is no such pain or nausea. It's just that my mind is in turmoil.

"It's okay, it didn't happen, I just felt like I remembered something important"

"Is there anything important?"

"yes but it's okay, maybe it's not that serious, and it doesn't hurt, so"

\"Kirito-kun, are you really okay? \"

Kirito turned his head to look at the woman in the white coat beside Shino, who was worried about her. Shino and Kyoji's exclusive doctor, former psychiatrist Alice, looks at Kiritto with a worried and stern expression. Kirito nodded, her reddish-brown eyes meeting her own black eyes.

"It's fine. I just had a moment of confusion in my head. So, I'm really fine. ”

"Of course, he doesn't seem to feel nauseous, just a little pale, and it's mild."

"If Teacher Alice thinks so, then it's fine. \"

"yes, no problem, but if there's anything just tell me. Even though I'm no longer a doctor, I still have a doctor's license so I can come and see you whenever I want. ”

"I'll rely on you."

There, Kirito said to Kyoji and Shino again, "It's okay. Then smiled, albeit awkwardly. At that time, Kyoji and Shino were still a little skeptical that the paleness of their faces had disappeared, and the situation was very close to the situation before the incident.

At this moment, Kirito remembered the existence of the thing in his hand and called Alice again.

"Ah, yes, Teacher Alice. I brought you the agreed items. \"

"Oh? Oh! You brought it to me? ”

"Yes.

"Ahh I'm glad it's so big. So, how much does it cost? ”

"It's only 200 yen. I mean, I don't need it. ”

At this time, Alice shook her head, put her hand in her pocket, and walked up to Kirito, and when he came to him, he withdrew his hand and spread his palm. Alice's palm is a feminine white color, and there are two 100 yen coins in the center, the same number that Kirito used on the UFo trap before.

"No, it's an exchange. That stuffed animal of yours and this 200 yen exchange. I'll let you take what I'm supposed to take. I'm a UFo catcher. It's the same as playing. ”

Despite not having to pay anything, Kirito gave Alice a bag with a stuffed animal and received 200 yen. As for Alice, as soon as she received the stuffed animal, she checked the contents, smiled, and turned to Shino.

"Hey, Shino. This is a gift from Kirito-san. You can hang it in your room. \"

''''''yes!? ''''

We all couldn't help but exclaim, and then a tree ghost appeared in the corner of the restaurant area, and the eyes of the surrounding customers gathered at once. Alice first says that she wants a penguin stuffed animal and asks Kirito to retrieve it with a UFo catcher. So when Alice gives Shino the plush toy she received, Shino and Shino can't help but be surprised. Shino, who suddenly appeared in front of the puppet, looked at the puppet and Alice alternately in a panic.

"Hey, wait a minute. Don't you want Alice-sensei!? \"

\"Sorry for lying to you. Actually, I wanted to give Shinai a gift. I'm not a good UFo catcher, though, so it's hard to get your hands on this stuffed animal. \"

"Is that so?! Then why didn't you tell me in the first place!? ”

When she turned to face Kirito who raised her voice in surprise, Alice smiled mischievously. I've seen Alice several times since SAo when she teased people.

"I want to be surprised to see you. As I expected, you surprised me. ”

\"That, what is that? \"

Kirito suddenly wanted to turn over, and Kyoji smiled bitterly. By observing her behavior, Kyoji gets a clear picture of Alice's personality and realizes that Alice sometimes even makes fun of people close to her. Immediately after, Alice turned to Shino again and said to Kirito.

"Moreover, Shino's room is empty, and you know it well. A girl's room should have something more cute. Kirito-kun, isn't it? \"

It is true that since Alice, Asuna, Rika, and Kotone made their proposals, the number of things in the girl's room, such as plush toys in Shiina's room, has indeed increased, but the number is still small. The kind of situation that can be described as a bleak scene. Airi is not wrong when she says that it is best to add a soft animal.

"Of course, Shino's room might be a little more lively\"

\"I see, I see. So I want to give this plush toy to Shino Shino, what do you think, are you there? If you don't want it, I'll take it. \"

Shino was startled by the sudden conversation, and then turned her attention to the stuffed animal in Alice's hand. Shino was silent for a few seconds as if she was thinking about something, then raised her head and said in a clear voice.

"May I ask for it?"

"Okay. I say this because it's good? ”

"Okay, I'll go get it."

As she spoke, Shino took the bag with the stuffed animal that Alice had given her. "If you had told me from the beginning that you were going to give it to Shino, you could have worked harder." Kirito muttered to himself as he looked at the transaction in front of him, but at the same time, he couldn't help it. Sometimes I can't help myself.

I wonder why Alice chose penguins as a stuffed animal to give to Shino. Any stuffed animal will do, but why would they choose a penguin to give to Shino? Just as I was about to think, Alice put her hands on her hips and said:

"Well, it's lunch time, so it's probably going to be a long queue, but what do you want to eat? I'll pay all the money, so say whatever you want. ”

I put my mind in the corner, took out my smartphone from my pocket, looked at the monitor, it was already past 12:30, all the restaurants and cafeterias in the neighborhood, I found that there was already a long queue in front of me. Target. While doing various things, it seems that I finished eating when customers who want to eat lunch gather.

\"I don't mind anything, but what about Shino and Kyoji? \"

"I still want to eat"

"Me too. Honestly, anything is good. ”

After hearing the answers of the three of them, Airi looked around with her arms crossed and nodded repeatedly.

"I see, then, let's go for a walk and go into a relatively sparsely populated area."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Alice's suggestion, and the four of them walked into the river of shoppers looking for lunch, but decided to look around for the least crowded store and started walking, but just then, Kirito noticed something when he looked at Shino's hand.

Now, Shino has some paper bags because she bought some clothes, as well as a bag with stuffed animals that Alice gave her out of the blue. He may have forgotten, but if he had luggage, he promised to bring it at the beginning of this appointment, so he should have brought it. Kirito made up his mind, walked over to Shino's side, and shouted loudly.

"Shiina, lend me your luggage, I'll move it." \"

"Huh? That's enough. Besides, you look sick."

"Didn't you say you're okay? Didn't you promise me in the first place? When the luggage is ready, I'll move. ”

"yes, but it really doesn't matter."

"It's okay, just store your luggage first."

Shino, who was stretched out by Kirito, let out a \um\" gaze in a low voice and looked at his hand. As before, after a few seconds of silence, he raised his head and said to Kirito.

"Well, I beg you. But if you have anything, please let me know. ”

"Ah, leave it to me."

Kirito smiled and took Shino's package and held it tightly.

It felt a bit heavy due to the addition of a stuffed animal, but the fact that I decided to do it at all costs to protect and love someone asked me to do so made me feel more relaxed.

Kirito went to a family restaurant on the fourth floor of the mall with some luggage. Before that, the four of us discussed what we wanted to eat many times, and those who could say anything asked them what they wanted to eat, and it turned out that everything was standardized to Western food, and the four of us decided to choose a family restaurant where we could eat Western food.

However, in addition to the fact that this restaurant is the largest family restaurant chain, perhaps because it is lunch time during the holidays, when the four of them went to the restaurant, a huge snake appeared in front of them. There was a long queue outside the restaurant.

A long line can be seen in central Tokyo at noon, especially when introducing the restaurant on TV or online, and it is said that the line ends at about ten meters. Due to the long wait, Kirito wanted to suggest that they go somewhere else, but on second thought, he remembered that he had decided to choose this restaurant after hesitation.

I spent a lot of time before I got here, but if I decided to stop here, I would end up wandering around this restaurant area in vain, looking for another restaurant. Having concluded that it was just a waste of time, Kirito turned off his thoughts and continued to talk to Kyoji and Shino, occasionally looking at his smartphone screen and staying in the long line. I chose.

After about ten minutes, Kirito and the others were finally able to enter the store. Inside, you can see countless shoppers and families, each ordering different dishes, eating, and drinking, creating a scene of a festive restaurant and recreating a peaceful daily life.

Kirito and the others were led by the staff to their seats, and walked around the store as they watched, and finally came to the box seats, which were quite far away from the surrounding seats. When Airi tells the staff that she decided to eat there, Kirito and Shino sit side by side on the couch, and Kyoji and Airi sit side by side on the chairs across the table.

Immediately afterwards, everyone opened the menu, quickly selected the dishes they wanted, and ordered. I told the waiter who came over when I heard the bell and we waited for the food to come up.

In the distance, the noise of surrounding guests can be heard. Alice muttered as she drank the water from her glass, looking around.

"Anyway, it's a shopping mall in Odaiba, and it's very crowded."

"It's like being in the military. If we were in an ALo dungeon and everyone around us was a monster, it would be a hellish sight. ”

When Kirito heard Kyoji mention the word "army" in his reply to Alice, he remembered something. Just after I met Alice and Kyoji in Akihabara, I heard strange insults coming from the other side of Akihabara Station. When I left Akihabara, I saw the source of the shouting through the car window and realized that it was a group of people who looked like an army was surrounding something.

However, it is unclear why the group gathered together and what the purpose of the taunt was. When the insults echoed, Alice told him to leave Akihabara immediately, so Alice seemed to know something, but Alice didn't tell her about it until this moment, and she didn't even talk much about it.

It should be heard by now - Kirito shouted to Alice, who was shaking the cup and making ice inside.

\"Well, Teacher Alice. \"

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

"What is that thing you saw in Akihabara?"

"Huh? What's going on? There's so much I don't understand. ”

"Look, that's that kind of swear word. That's what I heard from across the station. ”

As soon as Alice heard Kirito's words, she put the cup on the table, put her fingers on her chin, and said, "Hmm." "This is the behavior of Alice that I have seen a lot since SAo.

"By asking me this question, you mean that you haven't used the internet since. If you've ever used the internet, you'll probably get an answer right away, but "

If I pick up my smartphone and search the internet, I'll know what's going on. However, Kirito prioritizes spending and enjoying time with Shino (currently with Airi and Kyoji) and he only turns on his smartphone to check the time and doesn't use it all the time. I didn't launch any online search engines or games. While I was waiting just now, I was just chatting and chatting with Shino, Alice, and Kyoji to kill time.

"My mom told me that I should try to use as little internet as possible when dating."

\"Huhu, Kirito-kun, your mother seems to be very understanding, it's a good thing to be so considerate, but if she doesn't know, she can't help it. Kirito-kun, if you don't want to tell me. "What the hell happened to her at the time? ”

After saying that, Alice began to explain.

Kirito they are watching the open-air concert of that fledgling diva girl uh, more precisely, from the time when Kirito and Shino used the media store, they are now at the opposite exit of Akihabara Station It is said that the prime minister gave a street speech.

One day, a cyber terrorist named "Fugitive" suddenly appeared in Japanese society. Many members of Congress were forced to step down as a result of the "fugitives" using the media and television to disseminate scandals involving members of Congress such as corruption, ties to anti-social organizations, collusion and corruption. Bribe. In some cases, they were arrested.

Among them, there were quite a few members of the Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister, and as a result of the attacks of the "fugitives", several Cabinet members were forced to resign and be arrested all at once. As a result, the cabinet at that time collapsed. Successors were forced to resign and arrested, and eventually the remaining members decided to form a new cabinet.

Kirito learned this story from Naoba/Rifa, a 'fugitive' who was kidnapped by SAo during Sugo's plan.

\"If I'm not mistaken, the current prime minister is Nagumo. \"

"That's right, she's the first female prime minister in history. She became Prime Minister when we were stuck in SAo, do you know how she became Prime Minister? \"

Kirito nodded at Alice's question. After Kirito returns from SAo, he meets Prime Minister Nagumo again, and he takes it for granted that he has been chosen.

Nagumo, who became prime minister, was originally the governor of Tokyo, but at that time he carried out radical reforms for the citizens of Tokyo, including increasing the number of nurseries and kindergartens for children on the waiting list. He has the highest approval rating in history among the governor of Tokyo, and has made a significant contribution to the situation in Tokyo by formulating and implementing a series of policies that are for the sake of the people. And it has greatly contributed to the development of the situation in a positive direction.

After resigning as governor of Tokyo at the end of his term, he became a member of the Diet and was quickly elected due to his popularity. At first, he was a member of parliament with a humble status, but he made tough statements in the Diet, expressed concern for the people, maintained an unyielding attitude even when questioned, formulated and proposed policies for the sake of the people, and implemented them highly for his work, perhaps because of his ability, he had risen to the position of deputy prime minister at the time of the SAo incident.

Moreover, almost at the same time as the SAo incident, the "fugitive man" incident broke out. Members of Congress who were exposed by the "fugitives" for corruption, collusion, and bribery were ousted one after another, but Nagumo was the only one in the collapsed cabinet because there was no scandal and corruption. Survive. As a result, Nagumo became a survivor of Yuichi and became Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Nagumo, who became Japan's political leader, was highly praised for constantly formulating and implementing policies aimed at improving the lives of the people as much as possible and doing his best to resolve the SAo incident. Price. Praised, on the Internet she was called "the best female prime minister in history".

\"I see. Mr. Nagumo was able to become prime minister probably because he was not attacked by "fugitives". \"

"Yes, she is the one who did nothing wrong with Yuichi, so she was able to become the prime minister without being bombarded by the 'fugitive man'. That's why she just gave a speech in Akihabara today. Just as we listened to the maid's singing. ”

After Alice's explanation, Kirito understood what was happening in Akihabara at that time, but Kirito tilted his head. I understood that the group of people I saw across the station at the time were the ones who had gathered to listen to Prime Minister Nagumo's street speech, but I could also hear the cursing at the time.

Prime Minister Nagumo did not commit any scandals or anything, so he was not attacked by "fugitives", and since he became prime minister, he has been promulgating a series of policies that are sympathetic to the Japanese people. Since he already has a high profile, he should not be insulted.

Is this an insult to Prime Minister Nagumo? Shino must have been thinking the same thing and asked Alice to raise her hand.

\"So, that abusive voice is directed at Prime Minister Nagumo? But everyone knows that Prime Minister Nagumo is not the kind of person who would say such things."

"It's not directed at Prime Minister Nagumo. It is aimed at those who should be directed against it. ”

It was Kyoji who answered, but Kirito and Shino turned their attention to him and were surprised. Kyoji's face, who was still happily browsing the menu just now, now looks very solemn, and his teeth are clenched. It was as if he was recalling someone he hated so much. Airi opened her mouth as she looked at Kyoji.

\"That's right, it's not for Prime Minister Nagumo. Rather, it was aimed at the media that gathered to film Prime Minister Nagumo's speech. \"

If a big man like Prime Minister Nagumo gives a speech on the street, it is not surprising that TV station crews and weekly journalists gather to take pictures, which is in fact commonplace. However, one was also surprised, because he never expected that such invective would be directed against the mass media community, commonly known as mass media, such as television station staff and journalists.

"Is it for the media?"

\"Ah, yes. Shino doesn't know, because she doesn't watch TV, but Kirito-san, do you watch news programs every day? \"

"I'm watching, the news program is already a mess."

"That's right. Instead of reporting accurately, news programs now focus more on revenge against the 'saboteurs' who attacked them. The situation is already the worst, but that's not all. ”

"Not only?"

Alice put the cup on the table, and with a look of regret and regret on her face, she began to speak. Outraged by the attacks of the "fugitives", the media has stopped reporting accurate information and is now pointing the finger at Prime Minister Nagumo in retaliation.

Although Kirito has not seen it, the media has been relentlessly following the fact that Prime Minister Nagumo is Yuichi who did not become a victim of the "fugitives", and has been saying that Prime Minister Nagumo is a "fugitive", and Prime Minister Nagumo even called himself the source of the "fugitives" on the news program, and may even be behind everything.

"That's it! Prime Minister Nagumo and the 'fugitives' should have nothing to do with each other. ”

"Yes, but the media is trying to make us think that even Prime Minister Nagumo is a master. No, I can't help but hate Prime Minister Nagumo, who is Yuichi who hasn't been hurt in any way. That's why they keep repeating false reports, they try to criticize Prime Minister Nagumo. The reason why the media came to see Prime Minister Nagumo's street speech this time is probably to learn about Prime Minister Nagumo's scandal.

I remember Prime Minister Nagumo suddenly getting angry at the media and saying, "Are you still a news organization? "It wasn't reported on TV, but you know it's popular on the internet."

Kirito certainly remembers seeing a report on the Internet a few days ago that Prime Minister Nagumo made a tough statement to the media and received support from netizens, and remembers that they kept publishing puzzling reports, as if they were forcibly turning the situation around. It wasn't supposed to be a scandal, but it was turned into a scandal by the prime minister.

They no longer care about anything, they just want to defeat the "fugitives" who attack them, or socially kill those involved. Just as I was about to whisper this, Kyoji crossed his hands on the table and spoke.

"There's no more harmful person than those guys. They use their position as a weak cover for how great and powerful they are. They say they are absolutely righteous. Even the gods are talking, speaking arrogantly, and they think that people like us will nod their heads.

If it were just to make us nod, they would not hesitate to kill an innocent person. You can't help but think that you are an absolutely righteous God. ”

Seeing the angry expression on Kyoji's face, who had maintained a calm expression all day today, Kirito, realized how much Kyoji hated the current media methods, and I could do it, but why did I come to this point? Could it be that Kyoji has caused some inconvenience to his people? Just as I was thinking this, Alice spoke again.

\"I forgot to mention that yesterday, an article on a blog run by Gong Erjun was quoted by the media without permission. And there is no contact with the administrator Gong Erjun. \"

Hearing this, Kirito couldn't help but raise his voice in surprise. Yesterday when I was watching a news program, I saw an SNS post where Yui said that an article she wrote was quoted by the media without her permission, and when I heard about it, I was sorry for the administrator, but I never expected that the cleaner in front of me would be Kyoji.

"Really!? Is it the admin of that blog!? ”

"That's right, I make money by advertising on my blog, and then, the articles on my blog are quoted without permission and I have nothing."

If you want to use information on the Internet, and that information belongs to an appropriate individual, you need to get permission from that person, and in some cases, you may even have to pay a usage fee. But now looking at Kyoji, it's clear that the mass media didn't do that.

Kyoji gritted her teeth, her face mixed with frustration and anger, and after patting him on the shoulder to calm him down, Alice said with a sigh.

``... The viciousness of the media has been pointed out for more than a decade. I've seen this happen, and I thought the media would eventually repent and start reporting properly. However, it still follows a trend of deterioration.

The media is an institution that can spread information and do anything, and it is far away from ordinary people, so no one attacks it. Where the media are, it's heaven. It makes them complacent. They continue to do whatever they want, believing themselves to be the supreme gods. ”

“”

"But they were driven out of heaven by the appearance of the 'fugitives'. I think it's time for them to realize that their place is not in heaven, but outside of heaven, outside of heaven. But they want to believe that they are in heaven. They were willing to believe that heaven was the place where they could go.

That is why they tried to defeat the "broken people" who attacked them and return to heaven. ... If they correct their ways, they can go to heaven, but today's media are abandoning that and trying to get back to the paradise they once were. This proves that the public will not allow such a news organization to exist. ”

Both Kirito and Shino can only listen to Alice's story in silence. It wasn't uncommon for Alice to talk for long periods of time in the past, and it has happened from time to time since SAo to ALo, but she listened too much to give up halfway. I was immersed in it for the first time. Alice took a sip of the water from the glass, exhaled softly, and turned her gaze to Kirito.

"However, the situation is fine for now, and the gathered crowd can only laugh and insult the media. In hacked and posted videos, if the media says: 'If you find us, attack us and eliminate us,' the media is finished. After all, you'll be attacked by monsters called the people you left from. ”

"Huh!? If you do, you'll be arrested. ”

Alice looked at Shino in surprise and turned her gaze to Kirito next to her.

\"Kirito-kun, what was the stuffed animal I asked you to take? \"

"Huh? Oh, it's penguins. ”

"Do you know the ecology of that penguin?"

"What is the ecology of penguins?"

With that, Kirito heads to the library in his mind, weaving through countless bookshelves to eventually find a book, open it, and explore the penguin's ecology. Penguins are a class of birds whose wings have degraded and cannot fly, but can now swim as if they were flying in the sea. They mainly live in cold regions, and there are many penguins around the world. There is nothing written about in the book on the different species of birds.

Kirito summed up the information in an instant and told Alice, who nodded.

"Well, that's all I know. Very good. ”

"Anything else?"

Hearing Kirito's question, Alice nodded again and spoke.

There is a phenomenon in the penguin ecology known as the "first penguin", which is the basis of the stuffed animals that were given to Shino. It was the first penguin to dive into the water to hunt for food.

When penguins go hunting, they don't jump into the sea at all, but stay motionless on the ice or cliffs. And always do. However, at some point, a penguin made up his mind and jumped in, and when he saw that the carcass had not yet floated away, everyone knew that the sea was safe and jumped into the sea to look for it. Food.

Similar to this unique phenomenon of penguin colonies, those who take on new challenges without fear of risk are called "first penguins". Alice had just finished explaining when Kirito asked.

"What does it matter?"

"For example, let's say 'Breakthrough Man' broadcasts 'Attack Media' on TV. And if there is one person to do it, and there is only one person. Attacking the mass media is, of course, a crime, so the perpetrators are arrested by the police. Those around may end up only fighting back against the perpetrators. ”

At this moment, Alice's eyes changed. Looking at Alice's eyes as she spoke extremely seriously, the three of them involuntarily straightened their backs.

"But what if there are five perpetrators? What if there are ten? What if there are twenty? If there were thirty, what do you think would happen? ”

\"！？ \"

"It's unbelievable that when there is only one perpetrator, the people around are stunned, but when there are more than one perpetrator, they mix together and start attacking the media. If there are a lot of perpetrators, then you think it's good and go ahead.

"I'm with the penguins." It's fine if it's one penguin, but it's fine if several penguins jump in together, so all the penguins jump into the sea at the same time. With so many people doing this, I thought I could be a part of it too. ”

Listening to Alice's words, Kirito remembered the scene he saw at the time. As I was about to leave Akihabara, I saw more than a hundred people gathered to listen to Prime Minister Nagumo's speech and shout insults at the media who arrived. At that time, it was just a matter of swearing, but if the "fugitives" had ordered them to attack, if according to Airi's assumptions, many people would have attacked the media at once.

It's easy for me to imagine what would happen if that happened. Perhaps, sensing this, Alice continued.

"To create a situation in which the whole city is attacking the media at the same time, that's probably what Hannibal was aiming for. Hannibal definitely wanted to take away the weapons of the people from the media, to destroy the media and the parliament. And the media they are not concerned with Hannibal, but with his doomsday apparatus 'fugitives', who have no contact with Hannibal and do not know him. The invisible tide of war is tilting on Hannibal's side. '

Indeed, even if you watch the news reports every day, all the news programs are not aware of the existence of this original source named Hannibal, but are only eager to take revenge on this "broken fugitive" who can be used as a terminal organ. It can be mass-produced, only although he has been completely deceived by Hannibal and forced to dance, he is completely unaware of it and continues to babble. This process must have been what Hannibal was intending to - Alice sighed when Kirito thought of this.

"However, what people are trying to do and what the media is doing is wrong. In fact, they shouldn't, and if you think about it, you'll find it weird. "But no one does it because they have stopped thinking.

You stop thinking, do stupid things because other people around you are doing the same, don't question things, and keep making mistakes by the time you realize it, it's already too late. What you see is a play staged by these ignorant and intelligent adults that will eventually lead to a tragic end. ”

After Alice said this, the three of them could not hear the noise of the surrounding guests, and the three of them felt that their surroundings had become quiet, as if they were in a forest without animals. After creating such an atmosphere, Alice took a deep breath, looked around the three of them, and opened her lips.

"Maybe it's not my responsibility, maybe I'm just an egoist when I say that. But, let me say it. Shino, Kirito-kun, Gong Erjun. Become an ignorant mass. No, Don don't be a stupid adult.

"Don't give up thinking and doubting." Don't listen to the public, but question whether the public thinks it's the right thing to do. Never allow yourself to be swept away by your surroundings. There is absolutely no such thing as a majority being right."

Restore the natural way of speaking Alice's words leaf. When Alice speaks like that, it's when she asks for help from the bottom of her heart, or when she says something she really wants to say. Alice's words echoed in Kirito's mind, and Kirito thought.

Indeed, many people tell us over and over again that they have made the wrong choices because of what others around them have done and ended up in a miserable situation. Kazuto learned about this through articles on the blogs of information and sociologists on the Internet.

Now, even though he deserves to be punished, the public at large that Airi says supports him, even calling his criminal behavior shocking. When you think about it calmly, it's something that shouldn't be done and should be punished, but we applaud it because the "fugitives" are attacking places where the public is not satisfied. The first reason is that it's a good card, and the second reason is that everyone says Smashman is great.

Because everybody says that, because everybody does, \"fugitives\" are right — people think so blindly.

This shouldn't happen. Eventually, however, she was forced to dance at Hannibal's hands and continued to be used. Even if you defeat Hannibal, if someone like Hannibal appears later, as an ignorant adult, you will definitely be the target of public criticism.

No, ignorance means it happens anyway. Before you are taken advantage of by the evil you cannot see and end up having a miserable day, develop the habit of thinking, doubting, and trying to act differently from the masses – that's what Airi wants to tell you.

However, even knowing this, Kirito couldn't speak. After a few seconds, Alice smiled and looked up again.

\"Well,Kirito-kun is the boss of a big guild in SAo.,And Shino-ma.,It's become something that ordinary people can't understand.,Kyoji-kun is not like the people around him\" "I don't think this kind of thing happens because of what you do, but remember, you don't become an ignorant adult.。 ”

Alice finished laughing, and the staff brought out the food they had ordered and placed it on the table, and the restaurant was filled with the sound of a crowd.