"So, Xiao Qi, about the live broadcast just now"

"Oh? Looks like Kirito-kun also came to listen to my live. What do you think? What is the name of my live song? \"

"That's good, I think you're the same as the people around you, your singing voice is still good."

"That's right! Well, I'm singing live, so of course! ”

Number Seven rejoices like a child who has been praised for his achievements. I don't know what he thinks, and I don't want to ask him, but no matter how many people call him a genius scientist or an idol, Xiao Qi is still only 12 years old, and he is really happy when he is there. Praise him for his achievements. From these places, it can be seen that the child is at an age where he has little experience. However, Xiao Qi, who was happy, immediately lost his smile.

"But I wasn't able to come here alone today. Or rather, I was finally tracked. ”

\"Emperor? \"

Looking at Xiao Qi with a disappointed face, it was the emperor who could almost be called Xiao Qi's attendant. Xiao Qi had said before that he came here without telling anyone, but if he came here with the emperor, it meant that the emperor either knew his location or forced him to admit it.

The Emperor seems to have been keeping an eye on Seven, so I thought it would be revealed one day, and now it's finally a reality. However, Kirito didn't want to talk about it, so he quickly turned the conversation to Seven.

"Speaking of which, Xiao Qi, do you know Clover's recent movements?"

"Shamrock's movements? That being the case, I think I'm pretty clear about that. I mean, I'm always on top of the guilds I'm leading, and rightfully so. ”

\"So, what does it mean that the people of Shamrock attacked us without your instructions or orders? Haven't you heard about this from the members? \"

“”

Xiao Qi's eyes widened instantly. Obviously, even Seven, who was supposed to be the guild leader, didn't realize that the members of Clover were attacking them. Kirito tells Seven that the Shamrock Man's actions have become more divisive and that they have a fight with Shamrock during the day.

During the course of the story, both Seven and the Emperor have shown surprised reactions several times, and at the end of the story, Seven looks apologetic. As soon as Kirito's words fell, Seven opened his mouth with the same expression.

That's it. I started doing things like this without anyone asking me, I'm sorry, Kirito-san, and everyone. As the guildmaster, I apologize for the Shamrock Man's actions. \"

"No, I'm not saying this to make you apologize, but"

\"But but, Kirito-san. Neither you nor I meant to do anything bad. I hope that the fact that everyone is living in harmony has not changed. \"

Seven raised his head, recognized the surprised expressions on his face in the room, and said to Kirito as if he was going to take his place.

"In some ways I've compared to Dr. Kayaba, but I can honestly say that I'm not doing the same thing with Dr. Kayaba. That's all I can say. ”

"Unlike those guys, Xiao Qi didn't break the ban and didn't deceive anyone. You should know that Xiao Qi is different from those guys. However, there are still people who worship her, and there are indeed people who do excessive acts like those people. "I'm responsible for that. I'm sorry. ”

Indeed, the Shamrock guys at that time attacked Xiao Qi by ignoring their movements and instructions, and Xiao Qi himself did not deceive anyone and did not violate any prohibitions. However, it seemed strange that the emperor knew all this, so Kirito asked the emperor.

"Is the emperor an acquaintance of Dr. Shichiro in real life?"

"Yes, isn't it strange that he is my research colleague, a Japanese, who came all the way to the United States and is now my assistant?"

"No, I understand. That's why the emperor has been close to seven. \"

"That's it."

After the emperor answered, Xiao Qi's face tensed. The previous childishness is all gone, and the people around Kirito straighten their backs and look like a scientist.

\"Kirito-kun. And all of Kirito-kun's friends I'm sure Shamrock Man will attack from now on, but there's a way to stop this. Please cooperate with what I am about to do. I want to \"You just do it." If you do, I think everyone will stop attacking Kirito. \"

"What are you going to do now? Come to think of it, is this what you said about the 'cloud brain' that day? ”

"That's it. I hope you'll cooperate. ”

"But what does that mean exactly?"

Seven, who was asked by Kirito, looked away from Kirito for the time being, as if he was hesitating about something, and only withdrew his gaze after a few seconds. It's as if he doesn't want to talk about what he's going to do if possible.

"I'm calling on players to build a clover and a community called a cluster. It is the heart-to-soul connection, the result of many people working together for a single goal. It is the work of the noble will that human beings originally possessed, and they try to do their best.

The will of the top level generated by social interaction and cooperation can create new power through the Internet. This is called Cloud Brain. ”

Kirito has heard the word cloud many times. The word crowd means "crowd" in English, and one of the words is "crowdfunding", where an unspecified number of people call for funding and cooperation through the network. There are also meanings that ask someone to go.

The "crowd brain" system that Xiao Qi mentioned looks very similar to crowdfunding, but I also know that it is something completely different.

"What does it mean to go through that network?"

"The computing power of the human brain is integrated through the network and shared and shared in the cloud. This allows us to build a high-spec, emotionally charged computing system that a computer cpU cannot create. I'm guessing it's similar to connecting multiple home consoles from a long time ago to create a single supercomputer. ”

It was there that Kirito was caught. With Amusphere, you can connect the computing power of multiple people. And in this ALo, in the clover, a large number of people have gathered, and as Seven said, it has become an environment that can almost create a 'cloud brain'.

"Are you going to conduct that experiment while conquering the Swat region of ALo?"

\"Yes, Kirito-kun, you saw that too. In my live performances, everyone is focused on one thing and is on the same page. That's not a bunch of data, it's a cluster. The clusters are coming together. "Bloom into a big flower, and when that flower opens, the cloud brain is complete, and I will make it happen." ”

Xiao Qi's tone was quite fast, and his voice was full of excitement. Is it because of his instinct as a scientist, or is it joy and excitement that what he's creating is nearing completion?

Alice, who was standing beside Kirito, was overwhelmed by the current seven, like a strange mixture of a scientist and a child, and she asked in an extremely calm tone.

"Specifically, what exactly do you want to do? Given the security of Amusphere and ALo, we shouldn't do anything like this. ”

"This time, we're just measuring the data. We are studying the data on how many people's hearts can be condensed by connecting with the spirit of Idol No. 7 and by completing the goal of a difficult mission. ”

"Measurement data?"

"The biggest difference between traditional web content and VRmmo is that it can express emotions in real time. That said, both the old Nerve Gear and the next-generation Amusphere have excellent scanning systems that can detect emotional expressions instantly. "Yo. Kirito-kun should be aware of this. ”

Indeed, in a VRmmo like ALo, as Seven said, it becomes easier than ever to express emotions, and you can instantly communicate your feelings to the other person. That's why I'm able to interact with you all in the same way as reality.

That's because the Nerve Gear, who is currently sleeping in a corner of the room - has been revived - and the Amusphere, who has infiltrated the world, have the ability to sense emotional expressions in an instant. I can say no. Besides. With this feature, we can play and communicate with our friends in the virtual world.

Seeing that Kirito had been convinced, Seven continued.

"Human emotions are connected through various graphics. They are so complex and mysterious that to the average person, they look like a work of art with geometric patterns. Measure the statistics. To what extent are people's hearts connected? So, to what extent is it connected? "Do they stay the same?

We still can't make sci-fi-like stories like sharing brains or manipulating people's minds. The "cloud brain" is a huge collective brain. If this experiment is successful, we may be able to have decision-making emotions as individuals! ”

Then, Kirito recalled his time at SAo in his mind. Seven may say this because he doesn't know anything, but he's pretty much built the technology to manipulate people's minds, and they're fighting against people who are trying to make it what it is. That technology is on the verge of maturity, that person is already dead in SAo, and that person is the one known as the "man who broke and run" and the "executor". Seven didn't know this. Everything is real.

"I see. That's the experiment you want to do. ”

"I'm not trying to do it, I'm doing it. I've taken all the data into account. After that, Seven gathered Shamrock and Cluster in the final battle, and continued to serve as a banner for everyone even if they had no strength. By defeating the final boss, we will establish a spiritual connection in a higher dimension. ”

"I'm going to make that happen and show you."

The emperor and Xiao Qi said in turn, and their long speeches and explanations were temporarily interrupted. While everyone was shocked and overwhelmed by what Seven was going to do, Kirito thought carefully.

It looks like the experiment that Seven wants to carry out is in its final stages, but neither the Clover guys nor the cluster guys say that they are participating in such an experiment. I don't think he even knew that. Obviously, I can't help but feel that Seven and the Emperor are secretly carrying out this experiment and plan.

"Who knows about that experiment? At least Shamrock Man doesn't seem to know. ”

"Among the players who have logged into this ALo, there are only me and the Emperor. Join us now. \"

So Seven kept moving his body and turned his whole body towards Kirito. When I look into Xiao Qi's eyes, I can see my own shadow in Xiao Qi's reddish-purple eyes.

\"Hey, Kirito-san, can you help me? Although you are few in number, you are fighting on an equal footing with us Shamrock. Well, sometimes you can even beat Shamrock, and your strength is also very strong. "If Kirito-kun and others participate in this experiment, I think we can further explore the possibilities of the network. Please, can you lend me a hand? ”

It didn't take long for me to notice that the face reflected in Xiao Qi's immature purple eyes suddenly became cold.

Perhaps, if we participate in Seven's experiment, we may be able to discover more possibilities in this online world and VRmmo world through Seven's hands, and we can also see the future of VRmmo. Working with Seven in line with my dream of becoming a researcher in the VR world in the future, so I can say that it was a natural thing to do.

However, even so, there is only one answer in Kirito's heart, and there will be no other answers. Kirito said this as he caught everyone's attention.

"The answer is no."

"Uh, why? I didn't do anything wrong. ”

"There are three reasons for this, the first is that I'm just a player, and to be honest, I can understand that you're driven by a sheer desire to explore the web, not that I'm not interested in the future of the cloud." The study of the brain.

But I still don't want to cooperate. ”

Seven's expression began to become a little confused, presumably because he didn't understand or anticipate Kirito's answer.

"I've said before that it's a lot easier to get things done with Clover and Cluster. Moreover, when it comes to cooperating with everyone, Shamrock and Cluster will disappear if they don't attack Kiritto and the others. \"

"No, it's not enough to be able to get the job done. You work with the friends you know to challenge difficult dungeons. The excitement and excitement of that moment is the real fun of VRmmo. ”

Until recently, we weren't able to really enjoy the game. When I tried to play a normal game, it turned out to be a game of death, and I had to risk my life to continue the fight with maximum energy.

Now that I've managed to end that game of death, I'm in a game world where I don't have to risk my life, so I want to play carefree. Kirito told Seven about it - but not about Death Game.

"I think it would be interesting if I joined Clover as Xiao Qi said. However, it wasn't the kind of fun I wanted. What I want is always to aim for height within the limit, and it's a feeling of accomplishment when you realize you've reached this point with your own strength.

I think it was because I was always on the edge that I was able to gain a strong "sense of familiarity" and was also invited to participate in the "Male Strike". ”

The seriousness on Kirito's face vanished, and a shallow smile appeared.

"So I can't accept your invitation after all. Together with my friends, I want to conquer the mission with my own strength. All I want to do is clear it with my own power, which must be the real desire of the players and the gamers. ”

“”

"We'll continue to explore on our own. Even if it means stopping your experiments, I intend to continue. ”

I see. This is the first reason, and there are second and third reasons. \"

When No. 7 asked about Kirito, the scene of No. 7's live concert immediately came to his mind, with enthusiastic musicians.

"Seven, you are a very popular heroine in ALo, and I understood this again during the live broadcast just now. But I guess it's just to make cloud brains a reality. ”

"Uh, yes. Any questions? \"

Kirito remembers the last time he met Shiina.

In a corner of Akihabara, a girl who works as a maid for Leia Luna Hart and may aspire to become an idol is performing on the streets. The girl's singing voice is quite good, and her singing voice is also very good, but there are not many people in the audience, and there is obviously a big gap compared to Xiao Qi's live performance.

But even so, what is certain is that the girl is trying to bring her singing voice to a small audience, desperately trying to convey to them that she is serious about singing. While there's still a long way to go compared to Seven, I definitely want to support them. Kirito thinks that he wants to see the girl who becomes an idol more than the successful Seven.

After Kirito tells Seven that this is the second reason, he tells Seven the third reason.

\"Third no, I think I'm wrong. I don't go to your guild for two reasons. \"

I see. Kirito, that's a good reason to be a gamer. If you say that, I don't think I can invite you anymore. \"

"But Kirito, you have to understand, too. What you just said is already a complete declaration of war on us. The next time we meet on the battlefield, Seven and I will fight alongside you, it's up to me. \"

Xiao Qi smiled bitterly, and the emperor had a gloomy face. In this way, I did not join forces with Shamrock, but moved forward with the strategy of conquering the hostile relationship mother, so I thought that one day I would have a conflict with the Emperor, and I also predicted that I might have a conflict with the Imperial Palace. In the end, he also fought Seven.

Until now, Lilan's strength has been declining, so she has some concerns about the Emperor, but now that Lilan and I have become stronger, I think even if we fight with the Emperor, we can win, maybe it's possible. Kirito is filled with a strange sense of confidence and responds to the emperor's words with a smile.

"It's time. Emperor, I will attack you with all my might. And I'm going to win. \"

"He's still a fearless man. It looks like he has a lot of determination. ”

"Ah, yes, there are a lot of things to pay attention to, and the next time we fight, I'll solve it."

"Okay. But if you want to, you should catch up with us, let's see. ”

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Xiao Qi said the usual greeting "dasvidanya" and led the emperor out of the café. The already tense atmosphere in the café suddenly changed.

The atmosphere became relaxed. Then, Diabel, who was sweating slightly, sighed and whispered after the two left.

\"W-How? I thought the café was going to have a duel. \"

"I really feel so nervous. That emperor may be someone Kirito shouldn't have met. \"

Spiegel, who was also relieved, but looked like he was being followed, said this, and Shino, who had been sitting next to Kirito, shouted to Kirito.

"Kirito, that's number seven"

"Ah, it looks like that girl is planning something wonderful. \"

"Is that really a 12-year-old girl? When I was your age, I would never have thought of such a thing, and today's children are really well-trained. ”

Even Alice, who is also a scientist, can't hide her surprise because Seven's plans, experiments, and research are unexpected. Indeed, "Cloud Brain" is a plan that even adults can't think of, let alone a 12-year-old like Xiao Qi. I think it's understandable that the world acknowledges that Seven is a genius scientist and celebrates him.

"And it looks like we've been prioritized by Clover, and it looks like we're going to get busy next."

"However, our strategy has made considerable progress, and now only the final maze remains. I think that the battle with Xiao Qi is inevitable after all. \"

Hearing Asuna's whisper, Kirito nodded.

Based on everyone's reports, we find that we have entered the final dungeon. After that, if you defeat the final boss that is believed to be located in the deepest part of the dungeon, the big quest in the Swat area will be completed.

However, judging by the news from Xiao Qihe Huang, it seems that Shamrock is also heading towards the final labyrinth, and if I continue to conquer them, I am sure that I will have to fight them.

It's true that there are quite a few players in Shamrock who have abilities that outperform them, so I'm sure the final dungeon will be harder than ever to conquer.

Kirito said as he imagined what would happen if this happened, and pondered what he would do if he had to fight the emperor, and what he should do before then.

"At the moment, it seems that we can't conquer Clover anymore today, so it's time for us to get into trouble. Now, let's break up here for the time being, take a break, and prepare for tomorrow's strategy. "We're going to fight the final boss tomorrow, so it's supposed to be this day for everyone to take care of it."

When I gave the order, I felt as if I was leading the Blood Pact Knights in SAo, and everyone reacted the same way they did then. SAo, this death game is over, this world is not a world where you will die at the end of the game, it is just a game world, but what you cultivate in that world will never disappear, it will always be such a habit, and it will continue to remain.

Looking at everyone, and then at his own instructions, Kirito realized this again.

At the sound of an order, everyone was about to disperse, and when they left the café, Kirito suddenly remembered something and shouted to Shino and Lilan, who were about to leave this place and this world.

"Ah, wait, Shino and Lilan. I have something to do for you both. \"

"What? What's the matter? ”

"You're about to quit, what's your purpose?"

"I want you to practice/study with me. I don't mind anywhere on the pitch, but would you like to go with me from now on? I don't force you, so if you don't, just like it. ”

Shino and Lilan returned to Kirito's side together as if they were about to refute this sentence. Shino said to Kirito with an expression of eagerness to accept the request.

"In that case, it's nothing special, I'll go out with you."

"yes, it looks like if we don't look at it, you're going to keep going like this. So, what are you going to cultivate? Are you cultivating the Human Dragon with me? ”

Hearing such an inquiry, Kirito shook his head, pulled out two swords from the scabbards on his back, and assumed his usual dual-wielding form. The two tilted their heads, wondering if the hilt of the sword in their right hand was longer than usual, and it looked like the hilt was separated.

While attracting the attention of the two, Kirito turned the two swords upside down and placed them on his chest, connecting the tips of the hilts.

The hilt of the sword in his right hand is a little long, and when the two swords take the shape of a naginata, Kirito makes a motion that seems to bend the hilt. Immediately afterwards, with a "click", the two swords, which were originally in the shape of straight naginatas, bent slightly backwards around the long handle part of the sword handle. , day, day, day, day, month, month, day Month, day, month, day, month, day, month, day, month, day, month, month

Kirito smiled proudly as he showed off this combination sword with blades bent backwards at both ends, not suitable as a naginata.

"Practice your swordsmanship well."

On the second day of the Seven Live concert, Kirito and his party finally traveled to the last labyrinth of the "Dark World" in the final area of Svartjärfheim, "Rocky Plains Nibelheim", and began to conquer it.

The eponymous "Yggdrasil of Darkness", the World Tree, is a realm that can be said to be a symbol of ALo - or more precisely an object - and is like walking in the roots of a large tree, a mechanism that spreads underground.

Kirito and his friends finally managed to get inside, but soon after entering, it was difficult for them to fight the monsters that found them and started attacking them.

First of all, the monsters that appear in the "rocky plains of Nibelheim" are all very powerful and cannot be defeated with a little effort, but most of the monsters that appear in the "dark world" have higher attributes, and despite this, Kirito they face tens of thousands of monsters and have no choice but to struggle.

However, even if the opponents are like this, Kirito and they will continue to move forward without fear, and if it were a normal player, they would not be able to fight, forced to return, and try again many times. I was able to reach the middle of the dark world.

"Alright, let's take a break here."

After hearing Kirito's instructions, everyone sighed collectively as if they were waiting, and each found a comfortable position to rest. As I looked around, Asuna walked up with Lizbet and Lifa.

"After all, it's the last copy, and the enemy isn't that strong."

"There are so many enemies that I don't know how comfortable it is to turn them into demons. It's not easy, after all. ”

Hearing Asuna and Lizzet's words, Kirito nodded. It is true that the monsters in this 'dark world' are all terrible enemies, and even a powerful 'demon' named Lilan by my side is probably very sad. Looking at the crowd that continues to fight such monsters, everyone looks exhausted.

Although everyone has cleared the 100th floor of Ain Grant, the various difficult dungeons of the ALo continent, and the difficult challenges of Swarthalfheim, it is still tiring to fight, advance, and disarm the device often, and it must be tiring to conquer the 'dark world' with a similar structure.

Kaiki was also one of those exhausted people, and he came to Kirito's side with Yuki next to him.

"It doesn't seem strange, Kirito, though. \"

"Surprised? What is Surprise? ”

"Look, it's Clover, I thought Shamrock was diving and attacking us, but we haven't seen Shamrock yet."

Yesterday, Seven and the Emperor had almost declared war on Shamrock, so the people of Shamrock had come to the dark world, and they would not come to stop them. Kirito thought so too.

However, as they advance through the "dark world", they don't see the Shamrock people who are supposed to move forward like them, and they are not suddenly attacked as they were yesterday. The implementation of the strategy has been extremely smooth.

"It was true, I thought I might meet the Shamrock guy, but it wasn't."

"Maybe the people of Clover have gone deeper than we are. They are fighting against extremely powerful bosses. ”

Kirito turns his head to Spiegel, who Alice is often by his side, but this time he doesn't.

I've almost forgotten lately that Shamrock is like an elite army of players advancing the occupation of Swat, the strongest legion of celebrities and geniuses. Thanks to the elite players forming gangs to attack, the speed of the attack was so fast that even we could barely catch up.

And Seven, who leads Shamrock, also seems to want to complete the capture of the "Dark World" as soon as possible, so he must push forward with great determination to seize the "Dark World", and for this purpose, he has put all his efforts into it, and it is likely that he will be used.

"I think it's very likely. If we continue to conquer this place, it will not be surprising to encounter Shamrock's running ability. \"

"Are we going to fight against Clover's full force? In that case, we won't even have a chance."

"Yes, that's right."

Then Kirito turned to face the owner of the voice. Lilan is a fairy girl with long purple hair and golden eyes, and wears a black, white, and red battle uniform.

Until a certain point, Kirito was in Shamrock, but was later forced to leave, and when he saw a girl who was trying to conquer the Swart region as one of them, he remembered something, and it seemed that he had changed his mind. I turned.

Perhaps startled by the sudden gaze, Lilan looked back at Kirito with slightly confused eyes.

"Kirito-san, what's wrong? Is there anything on my face? \"

"Lilan. Isn't it time for you to tell us the truth? ”

"Ahh

\"I want you to tell me that you have a sisterhood with Little Seven and Dr. Nanero, and that you are Dr. Naneiro's sister. Also, I want you to tell me your real name. \"

As soon as Kirito's words came out, everyone around them let out an exclamation, and Lilan's eyes widened and she didn't say anything.

Immediately after, Asuna and Shino ran up to Kirito and looked at Kirito and Lilan in turn, as if they were upset by Kirito's nonsense.

\"Uh, Kirito-kun, what do you mean!? Xiaoyu is Xiaoqi's sister!? \"

\"Hey, Kirito, are you kidding!? Are Lilan and Seven really sisters!? \"

Asuna and Shiina's exclamations spread all around, and soon the entire area was engulfed in confusion, confusion, and exclamation. After looking around at the commotion, Lilan smiled bitterly and said to Kirito.

\"Ahh Kirito-kun, you're such a joker. This can't be true, right? Seven and I are sisters, so we don't look like each other at all, and she's a very popular pretty girl. I. If you compare it to something"

Looking at Lilan, who was waving her hand to deny it, Kirito remembered the phone call she had made this morning.

After having breakfast with Naoba, Rilan, Yui, Streya, Jupiter, and Quinella, Kirito \/Kirito was about to log in to ALo when a call came up on his smartphone.

When I walked out, I thought it was someone, but it turned out to be Chris Haight/Kikuoka, a government officer. When Kikuoka listens to the story and wonders why this guy is calling, he hears about Seven's "Cloud Brain" plan from Alice/Airi and replies that he wants to talk about it. Yes, there is.

Since then, Kikuoka has been talking about the fact that the "Cloud Brain" is not dangerous and illegal, including his own impression, but he has heard the story from Seven, and Kikuoka himself has not said anything about it. It didn't matter, so I listened like it was from left to right, but when I started talking about Dr. Naneiro's sister, I stopped listening.

Kikuoka, who always exudes a dark atmosphere but sometimes says things that get to the core, says that Dr. Seven Colors has an estranged older sister, and there is a person in ALo who corresponds to that older sister. It is said that his own institution specifically provided him with information about Dr. Naneiro.

Dr. Nanero's sister's name – although she didn't tell me her real name – told me she was Lilan and lived with them.

He was really surprised at the time, but at the same time he remembered that there was something in it that made him understand, he could firmly feel that the lines were connected, and he thanked Kikuoka correctly almost for the first time. Say.

Kirito told Lilan all of these things, including the people around him.

"The management has provided you with your personal data on the condition that you are the sister of Dr. Naneiro. I guess that's why you're able to know a certain amount of clover's movements. ”

“”

Lilan didn't try to answer, as if the words were stuck in her throat. After Kirito shut up, Shino stood beside Kirito and asked Lilan.

"Lilan, I can't believe you're Xiao Qi's sister, but we don't really know you. Like, you know who we are."

"It's simple. Lilan, you are one of the players who have been swept up in SAo, and you are also a survivor of SAo. \"

This story was not something I heard from Kikuoka, but Kirito himself thought of it, but Kirito always believed that it was possible.

First of all, Lilan is new to VRmmo, and although he says that ALo is his first game, his combat skills, gestures, and way of passing the time are as if he has been familiar with VRmmo for more than three years. It has already happened at this point.

And for some reason, Lilan knew them from the beginning, and sometimes followed them even when they talked about things that were not only understandable to SAo.

The reason is that Lilan is one of the players trapped inside SAo, and is a survivor of SAo just like us. At this point, there was another voice of surprise among the crowd. The SAo survivors, in particular, were all gathered together. Immediately walked towards Lilan and Kirito.

"What do you mean, Lilan-chan is a SAo survivor just like us!? \"

"Lilan, is this story true!?"

"SAo survivors like us, I、I'm sure Lilan has adapted to the world and is fighting like us! \"

When asked about Klein, Akyll, and Diaviru in turn, Lilan looked confused, but immediately lowered her head and said nothing. Just as everyone had quieted down, Lilan looked up and spoke.

"Since it has been forced to such a point, it is impossible not to speak. I think it's already time. \"

"I'm not saying you have to tell me everything. But please make us believe in you. ”

Hearing Kirito's words, Lilan nodded, looked around at everyone around who had stopped chatting, then turned to Kirito, took a deep breath, and began to speak again.

\"My real name is Futeka from Kikukuni. I'm a high school girl in Tokyo, but as Kirito-kun said, I'm the older sister of Dr. Shichishi. It's been a long time, Captain. ”

"Huh? Captain? ”

Hearing Lilan's words, Kirito's eyes widened. As if to say that she had seized the opportunity, Lilan continued.

It is true that Lilan/Nijika is Dr. Nanairo's older sister, but Nanairo himself doesn't know anything about it, not even knowing that he has an older sister.

Originally, their mother was Japanese and their father was Russian, and Nijka and Nanero were born with half Japanese and half Russian ancestry, and the family of four lived in Russia.

However, as Naneiro grew, his talent began to emerge, and his father sent Naneiro to the United States to enroll him in college, where he greatly developed his talents in hopes of becoming a good researcher in the future. Should.

However, due to Naneiro's mother's firm refusal, insisting that Naneiro should live like a normal girl, a rift arose between the two, which eventually led to a divorce.

As a result, Futaka and her mother stayed in Japan, and Shichiro and his father went to the United States.

As soon as the story began, the people who had been noisy stopped talking and listened, but as soon as the story of Nijka/Lilan ended, Lilan muttered something.

"It seems that the family situation is very complicated."

"yes. But after that, life became difficult, so I started working part-time when I was a student. Well, although I say part-time job, it's also a hobby. Akihabara. Then I became a maid, serving customers and singing, and that's my part-time job. ”

“！”

Kirito reacted unconsciously, and Shino next to him reacted in the same way. When I went to Akihabara the other day, I saw a small concert where Leia Lunaheart, a staff member at the maid café, performed a song.

Maybe the clerk at the time was this Lilan. At this moment, Lilan seemed to read the idea and gently hummed the song she heard in Akihabara, and so did Kirito. Both Shiina and Spiegel let out a sound of surprise.

\"Kiri, Kirito, sing this song! \"

"Ah, that's what I heard in Akihabara, I didn't know you were a maid at the time"

\"yes. Actually, I know that. Kirito-kun, Shino-kun, Spiegel-kun, and Miss Alice are all watching me. The warmth I felt from them was the same, but you didn't notice me. ”

"I didn't notice it at all, I didn't expect the maid at that time to be Lilan"

Just like Spiegel, Kirito couldn't have predicted that Lilan would become a "new star" at that time. There are many strange coincidences. Just as I was thinking this, Felia asked Lilan.

"But why did Lilan hide and get close to Xiao Qi? If she was her sister, she should have told Xiao Qi directly. ”

"I think there might be some kind of ambiguity."

"Prejudice?"

"I also like games, idols, cosplay, and other subcultures, but most of all I want to sing. I can sing, be famous, make a lot of money, and make my mom happy. I want you to do it. ”

Then a shadow fell on Lilan's face. Kirito continued to listen to Lilan's story while noticing the expression he saw for the first time.

"However, when I heard that this girl of the same blood as me sang very successfully and even became a doctor, I thought about what she would be like when she became an idol. I wanted to see if they were doing it.

If all goes well, I want to find out the failures and mistakes of that girl and turn them into scandals. After all, his parents divorced because of his talent"

It's true that Nanero's talent blossomed before she can remember, but her parents were at odds with each other for some reason, and they divorced, leaving Lilan/Nijika to live a not-so-wealthy life with her mother. On the other hand, her younger sister Nanero made a lot of money by singing, becoming an idol, and even becoming a doctor, and her talent was fully developed.

Nijka has a sister who becomes a landslide victor, and he becomes a loser because of her.

Kirito couldn't help but feel that he could understand why Fuyaka had such lonely feelings for Shichise.

"A lot of things happened after that, but I ended up going back to the world of VRmmo. However, in order to get close to seven, I had to add a clover. So as you know, even though I'm not strong, I have to join Shamrock. Trying to get into the lock ......"

"So I ended up being despised and seen as a liar."

"That's it."

Then, Asuna gently walked up to Lilan and called out to her. This situation is no different from Lilan herself, who was previously questioned about the truth.

"Hey, little Lilan, that's why you contacted us. But now you're calling Kirito-kun the captain\"

"Yes, Miss Asuna. I don't know if Miss Asuna and Kirito-kun remember, but when I was in SAo, and Kirito-kun, who was also a member of the strategy team, became the second captain, "I became a Blood Pact Knight." I belong to a group. I think my strength rating is 7-7. ”

Hearing this, everyone let out an exclamation. Kirito could tell that Lilan was a SAo survivor, but even Kirito couldn't figure out that he was actually a member of the Blood Pact Knights in the attack group.

I became the second Master of the Knights of the Bloodline, but in the end all I did was advance the strategy and defeat the boss, and I didn't seem to pay much attention to the members.

Lilan looked at Kirito, who was keenly aware of this, and continued.

\"Well, the reason why I relied on Kirito-kun and them this time ALo was because Kirito-kun and them Well, Kirito-kun's strength was enough to go head-to-head with Shamrock. Kirito-kun led the attack on the group without causing any casualties, and managed to escape from Ayn Grant.

Not only. Kirito-kun also fought the 'Fugitives' and emerged victorious. I thought that the person I could rely on was the heroic Kirito-kun. I want to borrow your help to find that child."

The story of the battle against SAo, told by Lilan, and the story of the battle with the "Saboteur and the Man Who Run". This proves that Lilan is one of those who has been fighting alongside him ever since.

Although I didn't know anything, Lilan was also one of my friends who was there, and we fought together as a team, and I always fought side by side with Lilan.

Just as Kirito realized this again, he felt something stuck in his head. Lilan is a friend of mine who has always fought side by side, and belongs to the same Order of Blood Pact as me.

But until now, Lilan didn't say anything about it, just walked around with them on her face a little apologetic.

If they belong to the same Blood Knights, it's also a good idea to talk to them as you did back then. Kirito was curious and asked Lilan a question.

"I see, you're fighting alongside us. But then, why wouldn't you open your heart to us? Why do you always look apologetic and go out of your way to help us? Come with me. ”

"Because I'm really sorry. After all, I once took advantage of Captain Kirito-kun. I'm really sorry so\"

When Lilan lowered her head, looking like she was about to cry, Shino walked over slowly and gently put her hand on her shoulder. Shiina, who looked up in surprise and turned around, smiled at her expression.

"I see, I understand your situation well, thank you for telling me a story that convinces me, I'm glad to know that we are members of the same Blood Knight."

\"Shino-chan\"

As if following Shino, Lifa walked up to Lilan and called out to her. At the same time, his gaze turned to Kirito and Lilan behind him.

"Lilan-san, I also have a brother and a sister, so I understand your feelings. In my case, it's my older brother, but my brother's kendo is many times better than mine. He's been on the rise. "Didn't even try. I'm going

Before you know it, your brother has become a dragonbringer, and you really will hate him. ”

\"Ahh

Kirito was confused by Lifa's disgusted and disgusted eyes, and Lifa said "What", and laughed. Kirito's disgust seemed so real that he couldn't help but think that this was how Rifa/Naoba really felt, and his shoulders drooped.

Immediately after, Jupiter, who had turned into a leprechaun, stopped on Asuna's shoulder and lined up beside Lifa.

"I think I understand that feeling as well. Relan is my sister, but she is better than me, stronger than me, and knows more than me in many things...... I felt jealous of her. A lot has happened. I can understand why you would hate it. ”

\"Jupiter!? \"

\"Jupiter, do you think so too!? \"

Lilan and Asuna were as surprised as if they had heard something outrageous. Although these two men have always been by Jupiter's side, don't they understand Jupiter's true intentions? Or did he just want to treat Lilan and offer some comforting words based on MHHP's instincts?

Usually Kirito would care about this kind of thing, but now he didn't care and walked in front of Lilan.

"Lilan, thank you for speaking to me, thank you for fighting together until now. From now on, you are one of our true friends. So, if you have any difficulties, please let us know. Stay with us if you're okay, and if you're happy with me, I'll be your strength. ”

\"Kirito-san\"

"Is there anything you want to do now? Looks like you're on your mind. ”

Hearing Kirito's inquiry, Lilan lowered her head and kept her mouth shut for the time being. After a few seconds, when Lilan looked up, his expression changed to a smile and she opened her mouth.

"I want to win the championship in the Svart region with everyone. So I would like to introduce myself to Nanairo again. I'm your sister! ”

A warm and clear smile that I have never seen before, and a look full of determination. Kirito, who sensed that there was no lie in Lilan's words, nodded and replied.

"Well, in that case, it's cheaper. Let's go, Lilan. Let's accomplish your goal together! ”

"Yes!"

Lilan nodded, and everyone started saying "Lilan, nice to meet you", "Let's go quickly", and "Let's all catch up with Shamrock." Hearing this, Kirito felt his soul rise from his chest and shouted out the command.

"Alright, let's move on then! We will surpass Shamrock and become number one!! ”

Everyone, including Lilan, screamed at Kirito as if he had returned to the SAo era, "Ah! After hearing the sound echoing around them, everyone walked in unison in the direction of "darkness". The depths of Yggdrasil.

After restarting the strategy of the "Dark World", many monsters appeared as before.

I got in the way. Although the monsters swarmed in, Kirito and others, who gathered SAo's most elite strategy team and high morale, continued to move forward without stopping, and the monsters that blocked their way cut down the monster group one after another. Have.

After about twenty minutes of this strategy, Kirito and his party came to a large room. Seeing the large room of the dungeon many times in SAo and ALo, it was almost certainly the place where the boss appeared, and everyone immediately prepared and entered the room, and I was stunned by the sight in front of me.

In the large room where the monster that was supposed to be waiting for a powerful force, there was only one figure. As they got closer, the figure seemed to sense Kirito's intrusion and turned around, making his appearance clearer.

A tall man with short light blue hair, purple eyes, and a white and blue combat uniform with a sword at his waist. The emperor is the most elite member of Clover, equivalent to Seven's follower, and yesterday he went to the café with Seven.

Kirito saw this young man, whom he had already met many times, immediately called out his name.

"Emperor?"

"Kirito, you're late. I single-handedly defeated the boss of this route. \"

The emperor's eyes were like a calm fox, but there was a fierceness hidden in his chest. If you are a normal person, you will definitely feel cringe at the moment when you are watched, but Kirito is not afraid.

"Why are you the only one here? What about the others? ”

"Everyone else is estimated to have rushed to the final boss area and are fighting. I'm the only one left. Kirito, I want to stop you. \"

"I see, I guess your purpose is to stop me and slow down our momentum, you must have thought of something very interesting."

The emperor never smiled and did not show any movement. He looks like a master of martial arts and swordsmanship, unfazed by simple things.

The strategy formulated by the emperor can also be said to be truly effective in slowing down their momentum, which is largely affected by the strength of himself and Lilan.

Kirito, who was full of pride in his chest, pulled out two swords from the scabbard on his back, holding a long-handled one-handed sword in his right hand. At the same time, Lilan also jumped to Kirito's side, ready to go.

"Well, I'll fight you, I've been looking forward to this day. I'm sure you're only targeting me, though. In that case, I thought I'd let the others move on. ”

"Indeed. You guys who rely on Kirito and his dependents the most, I don't know how far you can go without Kirito and his dependents."

When the emperor provoked him with a sharp gaze, Shino stood to Kirito's left, and Crane stood to his left, with a look of optimism.

"We're spoiled too. You're saying we wouldn't be able to fight without Kirito and Lilan? \"

"I tell you, each of us is a warrior. We're not weak enough to temporarily lose Kirito and Lilan! \"

Starting with Shino and Klein, friends gather around them one after another, and eventually form a wall. Despite being exposed to the light of strong will emanating from those who survived SAo's deadly game, and even defeating enemies capable of creating hopeless differences, the palace remained motionless.

However, out of all of them, only Lilan walked up to Kirito with a worried face.

\"Kirito-kun, are you really going to do this? That man was Clover's most elite man, and even defeated that General Eugene. Moreover, that person is still the strongest "Beast Tamer" in ALo at the moment, Kirito, you and Rilan-chan are fighting alone, it's too unreasonable! ”

As Lilan said, the Emperor defeated the younger brother of the Salamander Lord Mortimer, who is said to be the absolute strongest General Eugene in ALo, and was challenged by numerous animal tamers, but he did not accept the challenge. He is said to be very powerful and can unilaterally defeat everything that comes his way.

If it was SAo, he would have thought about how to hunt down the assault group instead of trying to fight the emperor.

However, ALo is not a defeated and death-bound world in which we live now, so you can face such things without fear.

Besides, fighting Shamrock is like fighting the Imperial Palace, so the development of this thing is also predictable, and I have always wanted to fight the Imperial Palace.

Thinking of this, Kirito shook his head at Lilan.

"It's okay, Lilan. It's a game. In this VRmmo game, I want to defeat Emperor and Shamrock. And this spirit must also exist in that emperor. If not, here it is. I won't wait for myself. ”

\"I see. Kirito-kun has always said this, and he did win. I believe in Kirito-kun, and we move on. \"

Lilan walked away after speaking, and Shino quietly approached her and called her softly.

\"Kirito, you\"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not going to lose. I'll beat him and I'll be able to catch up with everyone soon. I can promise you this, so please move on with peace of mind, Shino. \"

\"I see. I believe in you, Kirito. \"

"Leave it to me."

After seeing Shino nodding with a reassuring face, Kirito held the sword in both hands, and on the left hand stood the "acquaintance" Lilan, walking towards the emperor. When the distance between the emperor and his friends was getting bigger and bigger, and the distance between him and the emperor was getting smaller and smaller, a white ball of light appeared on the emperor's shoulder.

When it burst, a rope-eyed fox large enough to sloop over its shoulders appeared, with white fur and blue flame-like patterns all over its body, as well as nine tails of various shapes. Small voices.

Although he looks small and weak, Kirito's vision changes with the appearance of his "Envoy", tearing apart and throwing the "Beast Tamer" and "Envoy" who challenge the emperor. The emperor turned to Zhilan and said. Who stood next to him.

"Hey, are you two trying to challenge me?"

"I'll tell you the answer before the duel begins."

"I see, in that case, let's change the location of the duel. \"

As soon as the emperor said this, he took out a purple crystal-like item from his pocket and used it. As the crystal broke from their hands, blue light enveloped Kirito and Lilan's bodies, sealing off the area in front of them.

Before the two could figure out what was going on, the light vanished, and when they regained their sight, they were surprised again. Although it was still in the "Dark World" just now, it suddenly became a corner of the "Rocky Plains Nibelheim" outside the "Dark World".

And right in front of them, the emperor was seen, and he seemed to have used some kind of object to fly them so far.

"This is the Corridor Crystal, so you set the teleportation destination here and used it?"

"That's right, here, we can fight you, and no one will get in the way of the seven of us to make the experiment a success. The victory of our Shamrock is at hand. \"

There, the emperor folded his arms and looked at Kirito again. If you look at him the same way, you'll see Relan there.

"By the way, I saw on M Strike a few days ago that your 'dependent' is a wolf dragon species, what's going on with your 'dependent'?"

"Oh, I see. You don't know anything. Then I'll teach you. Show me, Lilan. ”

Kirito said triumphantly, and Lilan simply said "I see" before gently stepping away from Kirito's side. Immediately after, Lilan's whole body emitted a white-gold light, spreading with explosive power, dyeing the surroundings white.

After making sure that the light stopped, I looked back and saw that the place where the girl with her long blond hair, white gold wolf ears, and tail was now made up of white gold and gold. It is covered in hair, has an upper body that bears a striking human, forearms shaped like spear tips, huge arms on its shoulders, and a wolf dragon with red eyes and tail. It's like a trident at the tip.