We also saw the surprising side of the emperor. It turns out that although he is Xiao Qi's servant, he cares about Xiao Qi very much. Everyone was stunned by the sight in front of them again, but Alice, who was beside Kirito, finally sighed deeply, and Shino also showed a relieved expression.

I see. The Emperor will be able to do that kind of thing. And, I think he's able to think directly about something. \"

"Now that the matter has been settled, onlookers don't seem to understand why."

"yes, anyway, with this"

Just as Kirito was about to speak, this sentence appeared in his mind. This is what Xiao Qi said when he cried just now. Seven may have come out because he was upset, but Seven said, "I see." "In fact, someone came up with a concept that touched someone as capable as Seven, and Seven executed it.

Kirito immediately guessed what the content was and who presented it, and then turned to Seven. I'm sure that if I miss this opportunity, I won't be able to confirm its contents.

If you want to hear it, listen now, or it will never be. He muttered in his heart, and then walked towards Seven, and at this time, Seven, who was crying on the emperor's chest, also regained his composure and left the emperor's body.

Then, after a few sobs, he turned his whole body towards Lilan, and Kirito stopped.

"Lilan, thank you for helping me"

"Well, I'm sorry. I started yelling without thinking about my safety"

"That's not true. If you're not angry, I think I'm angry. But why do you say these things to me, and do these things to me? ”

“！”

The moment has finally arrived. The truth about Seven/Naneiro Arsapin, Seven doesn't know, but Lillane does. To talk about it, Lilan follows them all the way and fights Seven.

Something had been warm in Lilan's chest for a long time, and she had to tell Seven. Seeing the signs that the mission to convey this message was about to be accomplished, Kirito stopped completely. However, as if accustomed to the atmosphere, Lilan was silent, her mouth closed, and she did not move.

The footage of the place is all played to Shamrock and the members of the cluster, making it a kind of live streaming site. And what Lilan is going to say next is important information that will change Seven's entire outlook on life, so that Shamrock and the rest of the cluster can sit back and make up the news. I don't know if it's because of being in such a place that Lilan is so nervous that she can't speak.

However, if I don't tell you now, I don't know when I'll be able to see Xiao Qi again. If he misses this moment - the moment when Kirito is going to go to Lilan before he can draw conclusions. Lilan placed her hands on her chest and made a gesture that seemed to be trying to control her breathing, and then, as if determined, she made up her mind to make eye contact with Seven's gaze.

"You know, seven. Well, seven colors. You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you this, but me and Seven. No, the seven colors are mine."

"You know, seven. Well, seven colors. You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you this, but me and Seven. No, the seven colors are mine."

Just as the next words were about to be spoken.

Suddenly, the place sank into the water. No, it doesn't have the effect of water at all, but it feels like pitch-black water, thicker than dirt, and envelops everyone present in it.

"W-What!? \"

"What the hell is this!?"

It came so suddenly that everyone present let out screams of surprise and confusion, but the sound was distorted, as if coming from the depths of the water. I could still breathe, but I always felt like the air was getting heavy. If I try to move my body a little, the heavy air clings to me, as if not letting me move, so I can't move.

Kirito was even more unable to move than he was when he was paralyzed, and fell face down in place. Even as I tried to struggle, the heavy air enveloped me as if I had a will, and I couldn't move.

I could barely turn my head, but by this time everyone in the room was lying on the floor, and the space that had been shrouded in darkness became even darker. It's like being swallowed up by a black hole, swallowing everything up and shattering it without a trace.

"What's that..."

When Kirito feels the weight of his body, he realizes its true identity. We were not thrown into the mud and were not suddenly transferred. It's magic. Gravitational manipulation magic, presumably a dark element, with more power than they could use, was attacking them. Only imps who specialize in dark magic attacks can use this kind of magic.

However, even the imps like Yuki and Alice should not be able to use such things, and even these two people were knocked to the ground by this magic. Who could have unleashed so much magic if it weren't for these two people? Just as I was trying to find out the root cause, I heard a voice.

\"Dr. Seven Colors\"Do you think I didn't look at you? \"

The sound is not in my ears, but directly in my head. There is a unique tenacity in his voice, reminiscent of a man in his forties, who seems old but not old. Kirito was taken aback when Kirito turned his head to try to find the source of that voice, which he had never heard before, nor Akihiko Kayaba, nor Heathcliff, nor Nobuyuki Sugo.

Of those who were crushed to the ground by the powerful gravity that fell from the sky, or were crushed to the ground by the air entwined by the great force, only one stood silently.

She covers her face with a mask and wears a costume similar to a shrine maiden's costume, a characteristic long-sleeved kimono based on white and green, and boots in the shape of a bird's foot on her feet. It is a mixture of gold, silver, and jade.

Hapia, the "demon of Seven", is a monster that looks very similar to humans and goblins, and suddenly appears next to Seven when he is facing down due to gravity.

\"Ha, Hapia!? \"

Seven was knocked to the ground by the gravitational wave that the shockwave knocked down, and he looked at his "acquaintance" as if he couldn't believe what was happening in front of him. Xiao Qi's "acquaintance" let out a "voice" sigh and opened his arms.

"I didn't expect the system to be hijacked so easily." Even though they were using a replication server from the past, the management system was extremely sloppy. I appreciate that they are trying to perform such powerful magic, but one thing is for sure, the managers of this world do not deserve to be managers.

"What is this [voice]!?"

Seven's "demons" seem to be acting on their own. Xiao Qi, who was supposed to be a beast tamer, just looked around with a confused expression. The emperor and Lilan said with puzzled expressions.

\"Seven, what is this!? \"

"What the hell is this, Hapia, what the hell are you doing!? \"

The two asked, but Xiao Qi did not answer. Since then, unexpected things have happened many times, but now even Xiao Qi himself can't speak. - Kirito subconsciously realizes that what is happening now is something that even Seven did not expect. At the same time, the 'voice' that had been echoing in his head for a while came from Hapia.

Looking down at everyone, including Kirito, with a look of surprise, confusion, and distress on their faces, Hapia walked up to Beast Tamer Seven and crouched down beside him.

"Doctor Seven Colors, I should have told you. You can use the presented concepts however you like, and you can add any changes you like. However, I declare that this is my original work and I will definitely not fail\"

“！？”

"How do you know?" As soon as Hapuya told them, Xiao Qi and the emperor looked like they were saying this. I couldn't see his expression because of the mask, but Hapia's mocking voice came to my head, presumably grinning with the look of anticipation on his face.

"Don't you know? Every time you log in and continue your Cloud Brain project, I receive a copy of that data.

"What..."

And I found this "Cloud Brain" project. You are not fit to proceed with the Cloud Brain project. It is admirable to take advantage of the ignorant masses who can only be moved by emotion, but nothing more.

Seven did not respond to Hapia's voice. I was completely taken aback, didn't know what to answer, didn't know what to ask. Everyone around them said the same thing, but among them, Lilan raised her voice.

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

Hapia looked at his sister who was lying next to Seven, and quickly stood up. He then raised his palms to chest height, spread them out in dismay, and then made a "sound".

"Wow, you know me so well in that world, and you still pursue me, but when you come to me like this, don't you understand? Well, since I didn't show you my appearance or my voice, I guess that's rightfully right.

\"！？ \"

Everyone, including Kirito, was speechless by the 'voice' that sounded in their heads. I came to that world, and since then, there has been only one existence that I have been after. Hapia said it was right in front of her eyes.

"I didn't expect you, I didn't expect you"

"Well, isn't this the time to worry about these things?" Time is money."

Hapia interrupted Kirito and turned to Seven again. Then, as before, I crouched down and put my hand on the number "seven".

"Dr. Seven Colors" Your brain is unique. It would be a shame to leave it in the hands of the ignorant masses. From now on, I'll take care of your brain.

“”

The next moment, Xiao Qi's body shook violently like an electric shock. Xiao Qi let out a sound from the depths of his throat and fell to the ground, unable to move. Lilan and the Emperor, who had witnessed this, screamed.

"What, seven colors!!"

"Seven!!"

The two immediately tried to move, but at this point the incoming gravity became stronger, and their movement was further restricted. As Lilan and Huang were pushed to the ground, Hapuya lifted Seven's motionless body and clamped it under her armpit. Hapia didn't stop there, he continued to walk with Xiao Qi under his armpit, and finally stopped in front of a person.

A girl with silver-white hair, big ears, and a tail like a wild cat was pinned to the ground like everyone else, unable to move. That's Shino, Kirito's friend, Kirito's lover, and Alice's ex-patient.

Kirito, who witnessed Hapia's unexpected move, immediately shouted loudly.

\"Shino!! \"

Shino looked up and looked at Hapia in confusion, probably surprised that she had come to her, and Alice, who was lying nearby, turned pale.

\"！？ \"

\"What Shino!? \"

''A lot of time has passed since then. I'm curious how much you've changed in this time. And, just like Dr. Naneiro, I'm going to regret being close to the people here, I'm going to put you under my control.

Hapia was about to reach out to touch Shino's entrance, but his hand stopped halfway. Hapia's hand, white as porcelain, was held by a tough-skinned hand.

If you look at the bottom of it, you will see a dark-haired woman in a white coat. Alice becomes Shina's personal physician to treat her PTSD.

"Stop. What do you want to do to my patients"

Her tone is feminine, different from the usual Alice. This proves that Alice's humanity in Serizawa is manifesting within Alice, but Hapia doesn't care, shakes off Alice's hand, and stomps on her back with a bird's foot.

Kirito, Shiina, and Spiegel, who saw their mentor being attacked by the enemy for the first time, all screamed.

"Alice!!"

"'Mr. Alice!!' ”

Stomping her feet, she looked down at Alice in agony, making a sound like her lungs being compressed, and after a few seconds, as if she realized something, Hapia's head moved and she made a "sound". '。

\"Well, you and I get it. I didn't expect to meet you again here.

"Ah, you"

"In general, the avatar you use looks like you at first glance, both in the past and in the present." Although you are one of the more picky people in the company when it comes to security.

“”

"You. No, I don't understand why you're so obsessed with this girl. Well, here's the answer you can find out by asking the girl's head directly.

Hapia removed her foot from Alice's back and kicked her side. Because Alice was in the gravitational field, she was not blown away at all, and immediately fell to the ground and stopped, without rolling. When Hapia saw the bottom, he turned and squatted down against the girl on the ground.

\"Stop, Shino, Shino!!" \"

\"Shino!! \"

"Mom!!"

Kirito, Lilan, and Yui shouted in turn, and Shino extended a helping hand to Kirito with fear on her face. Just as Kirito felt like he was about to be crushed by gravity, his mind flashed back to his attack on the "Fugitive" base when he was in SAo.

Even then, we couldn't move, but I could only watch Shino being attacked by the 'fugitives'. No matter how Shino asked for help, she couldn't go, she could only watch.

SAo's outrageous thing is right in front of my eyes, Lilan. An unbearable anger welled up in my heart, my chest burned, my eyes almost turned bright red, but I couldn't move, I couldn't even struggle as I had been.

Hapia squinted at Kirito and placed her hand on Shino's head.

"Ahhh

\"Poetry is poetry!! \"

Like Seven, Shino's body twitched and fell to the ground. As soon as Hapia noticed that Shino's movements had become silent, she lifted Shiina's body with her free hand and stood up with her armpit between them.

"Hapia no, you!! \"

\"—Do you want this girl back? Then you should come to me. You should continue to rebel, just as you once rebelled in that world. I'll give you the way to do it.

With Hapia's whisper, a small white ball of light landed in Kirito's hand. Eventually, the ball of light bursts, and a card emerges from inside. Before they could realize its presence, the bodies of Hapia and the two girls began to be enveloped in a jade-colored light.

\"Whether you come to me or not is your business. However, if you have even the slightest desire to know more about me, I suggest you come. Farewell"

Before anything around her could react to the 'sound', Hapia shrouded the two girls and her whole body in light, turning into a giant ball of light that surfaced. It vanished into the sky, and space plunged into deeper darkness.

"Seven Colors, Seven Colors, ------------!!!"

"Poetry is ————————!!!"

As the space is freed from the mud of gravity, the screams of the little girl's sister who was taken away and the boy who loves another girl fill the space. "Damn it!"

As I returned to the Nine-Headed Line from the deepest depths of the "Dark World", which had been repeatedly affected by strange events, I fell to my knees, screaming and banging my hands on the floor. As always, there was a lot of players talking about it - and there seemed to be some kind of commotion going on right now - and my voice echoed in the square, but the players around me seemed to be busy with their own business and didn't care about anything.

After the final battle with Seven, just as I thought I was going to stop Seven's plan and learn the truth from Lilan, Hapia suddenly appeared and said a few words to me, and Seven disappeared with Shino.

This isn't the first time Shino has been taken away by something. We had already met once during SAo, and from that moment on, I decided that I would not allow such a thing to happen, that Shino would never be taken away, and that I would try to protect her. I'm protecting it.

As much as I should, I couldn't protect her at a critical moment, I couldn't grab her outstretched hand and pull her towards me. She was taken to a place where she didn't know where to go.

"Kirito, Kirito, calm down! \"

\"Shina, Shina, Shina, Shina!! \"

Regret, anger, frustration, mixed emotions welled up in my heart, and the red sparks in front of me never dissipated. Usually it calms down quickly, but the torrent of emotions in my heart never stops. I felt as if I could hear the voices of my friends, but they couldn't drown out the torrent inside me, and I kept pounding heavily on the ground under the impetus of these emotions.

\"Kirito!! \"

However, after a few seconds, I felt a painless electric current and flashes of light flow from head to toe, and the emotions and impulses that filled my heart suddenly stopped. The surging emotions receded like a tidal wave, and eventually my heart returned to the state it was in before the emotions were generated. It was then that I finally noticed that something warm was falling on my head.

"Kirito"

“！”

As if invited by the voice, I turned my head and saw the appearance of a girl with long blond hair and red eyes, her ears wrapped in white gold fur growing from the top of her head, and her right hand gently caressing the back of my neck. I called the name of the girl who was my partner and family, she was in werewolf form just now, but when she returned to the city, she was in werewolf form.

"Lilan"

"The shape was forced again, but I was able to use the force. Have you calmed down? \"

When I regained my composure, composure, and composure, I whispered, "Ahh ”

Relan has the ability to send signals directly to the devices people use to dive into the VR world, treating mental illnesses such as delirium and panic symptoms. From Lilan's words, my feelings, and the sudden cessation of my uncontrollable emotions, I realized that Lilan had used his powers.

As if she had been waiting for this moment, my sister Lifa slowly walked up to me and bent down to call me. His face looked extremely worried. No, it wasn't just Lifa, all the friends present looked at me with the same expressions.

"Brother"

"I'm sorry, Sue. I made you see things you shouldn't see. \"

After standing up with Lifa, I turned to everyone. Now is not the time to be frustrated, but to figure out what really happened. However, I'm the one who lost his cool in Yuichi. I was sorry for this and bowed my head.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I'm really sorry this happened to me alone. ”

"You don't have to apologize like that. I totally understand how you feel. Don't be discouraged by this. ”

It was Alice who said this and walked towards me. Even though Alice must have felt the same way I felt when her precious patient was taken away in front of her, she was still calm.

It seemed so strange that I couldn't help but stare at it, but then I noticed that his usually relaxed hands were now clenched into fists.

“！”

No, it's not. Alice may feel the same way I do, and want to express it, but she understands that now is not the time to do so, so she keeps it a secret. So I'm trying not to cause unnecessary confusion to everyone.

However, I was the only one who made a fuss and caused unnecessary confusion for everyone. I felt even more sorry for realizing this, but it was Diabel who came to me with Alice and put a hand on my shoulder that I calmed the feeling. Let him put his hand on me.

"I understand that you are confused that it happened so suddenly, but we need to calm down now, we need to fix this now."

"However, it was too sudden for me to understand. What really happened to Hapia? So, where were Seven and Shino taken? \"

When Dilberu received the call, Achill asked. At the same time, I also sorted out what happened before in my mind. After stopping Seven, Hapuya suddenly acted independently, using gravity magic that we couldn't use, restricting our movements. Seven and Shino, who couldn't move, were taken away and disappeared somewhere.

This is an extremely unusual situation, and it doesn't happen if you play ALo normally. Thinking of this, everyone was also confused, but perhaps because Lilan used her own ability, my heart was quiet. I can't help but feel like I even know what's going on.

However, as much as I would love for something like this to happen, it is the last thing I want to happen. I don't want it to happen, but it's something I want to happen, and everyone seems to have the same idea.

Should I tell everyone here? Just as I was hesitating, Asuna walked up to me with a confused look on her face.

\"Kirito-kun Hapia said we're after that world, right? \"

To this day, although a little bit has passed, I still remember every word Hapia said. At the time, Hapia said she had met the being we were looking for, and what that world was like. He said something that ordinary people don't understand, but we can understand it, and I can understand what he is all about.

"Oh, that's what he said."

"If you were to say what we were after, then you would say that world."

"It can't be, Hapia is——! \"

I nodded at the voices of Araki and Streya. That world is a world created by Akihiko Kayaba, and it is said to be a demon game in "Sword Art Online". We find that among them there is only one being that we seek.

"Han, Nebal."

As soon as the name came out, everyone present exclaimed.

The cyber terrorists who appear in SAo, the man who manipulates Alberridge/Sugo Nobuyuki, the "Fugitives", and his producers. He was the one who put the country's vital institutions — mainly business, police and politics — under the threat of "hit-and-runs." Not only that, but he also took in Vashak Casals, the leader of the murderous guild Ruffin coffin in SAo, and even manipulated him.

Hannibal is indeed the culprit of all the events that happen at SAo and the enemy who must be stopped.

However, that's all that's known; First of all, the name was heard by chance by Alberrich on the brink of death, and everything else is unknown. Hannibal was indeed a nameless man.

Hapia left the hands of her so-called master, Seven, and began to act alone, speaking in a voice that no one had ever heard, talking about Hannibal at length as if it were her own business.

Only one answer can be drawn from this. I was about to speak when Lizzebet spoke.

"You say he's Hannibal!? Hannibal, the one who created the 'Fugitive' and wreaked havoc on us players!? ”

"That's all I can say."

My voice was so low that even I was surprised, and everyone let out another cry of surprise. Although I myself do not want to believe it, I can only believe that the people who were inside Hapia at that time were the culprits of the events we had been hunting down, Hannibal. We finally managed to meet Hannibal, who began to attack us. Kem said, as if it was hard to understand.

"So Kirito's enemies they met in SAo have come to us. \"

"Did Hannibal's bastards finally attack us!? Have we finally reached Hannibal!? ”

I see. And he's the one who takes care of Shino and Seven\"

I was about to speak when a man walked up to us. A tall man with short light blue hair wears a combat uniform with white and blue as the main colors. The Emperor is the subordinate and guardian of Seven/Seven, and has always protected Seven.

"How do you know that name? It should only be me and Xiao Qi who know. ”

"What? Emperor, do you know Hannibal!? ”

The next moment when he exclaimed, a young girl came to the emperor. Dressed in black and white and with long red hair with a slight purple end, she is none other than Lilan, a SAo survivor and Seven's sister like us.

\"Emperor, what does this mean!? Let's talk about it in detail! \"

\"R, Lilan!? \"

We couldn't help but be stunned by the palace's retreating appearance, exuding the aura of a martial arts master, and we could see at a glance that he was not moving at all.

And Lilan always exudes a fluffy aura that mixes ease and ease, but now Lilan doesn't have any such traces, and a fierce sword-like look appears on her face. This proves that her sister's side has come out as she is angry that her precious sister has been taken away.

When Lilan is forced to do so, the Emperor moves all of us, including Lilan, to the shadows where the player is and tells us everything there.

This story happened about half a year ago, when Seven had not officially started idol activities, and the "Cloud Brain" project had not yet begun.

Seven / Naneiro has since been working on a plan to develop a new technology that will contribute to the future of humanity, but he has not been able to come up with a concept for the plan and cannot move forward. Supposedly, there is no such thing.

Of course, Naneiro didn't realize this, and although he revised the concept over and over again, he remained at a loss. Obviously, something went wrong within him and couldn't solve it, so it was at an impasse.

Concerned by this, Huang and other researchers came up with various ideas to help Dr. Naneiro's research and technology development plans, but none of them worked. No.

The concept of this program is superior to any technology that has been developed or invented so far and will open up the future of humanity. I desperately tried to develop it on my own, but nothing seemed to work. When the Seven Colors and Emperor continued to move forward, unable to move forward or retreat, someone sent a message.

The man was just sending audio and didn't make a video call like Nanero. I'm just telling them that my name is Hannibal, and I'm in the same industry as Dr. Nanairo and Sumeragi, and I want to work with you.

The call came from a very suspicious person, who did not reveal his real name, nationality and face, while the name he gave was like a handle. It was clearly a prank call, but Naneiro didn't hang up suddenly.

The telephone line used by Naneiro is not something that can be used by the general public, it is a secret line that only a scientist like Naneiro can know, it is not something that ordinary people can prank, and it is not a hoax or a hoax. Alone. Criminals looking for information are unable to communicate or eavesdrop.

Naneiro became interested in the man who was playing pranks on the phone line and thought that he might be able to learn something from him, so he decided to take on the man. The emperor tries to stop Shichiro, but he promises not to tell him anything about their lab's proprietary information, and will only listen to what he says.

Perhaps because of this, the emperor decided to listen to a secret phone call from Hannibal.

However, what Hannibal told me was surprising.

By creating an idol and displaying it, it is possible to arouse the interest of the masses and eventually lead them to believe in it, record and transform the actions of the masses towards the idol, and collect them in one place, and the idea of creating a large object plan is to create.

Hannibal is said to have spoken about the concept of the program, which came to be known as the "Cloud Brain". This is the end of the Emperor's story, but I can only be surprised that after only a dozen seconds I can ask the Emperor any questions.

"Cloud Brain is Hannibal's plan!?"

"That's right, the concept of our ongoing 'Cloud Brain' project was first proposed to us by an unknown person named Hannibal."

Moreover, Hannibal asked them to decide whether or not to use the concept of this plan, but if he intended to implement the concept, he would never say where the concept came from, he would always say that it was his original work. He was asked something. I told him never to fail.

Both the Seven Colors and the Emperor are confused by this, but it seems that the plan is still worth seeing. If you think about it calmly, the plan conception proposed by Hannibal seems extremely reasonable, if not illegal.

And the method of reproducing the process, if they want to, can do it themselves, and it seems that they can use it to develop new technologies.

Naneiro receives a concept from an unexpected source, and although Hannibal is skeptical, he thanks Hannibal and replies that he will try the concept. As soon as he finished his long phone call with Hannibal, he deciphered the concepts that Hannibal had presented to him and began to make plans and conduct research.

The emperor ended his speech, and in this way the "cloud brain" was born.

"I can't believe it's happening"

The contact between scientists and Hannibal, the person who proposed the basic concept of "cloud brain" is Hannibal. Although I have encountered all kinds of situations and heard all kinds of stories, this story surprised me. I couldn't do anything to show that it didn't exist, and everyone was either speechless in shock or extremely confused.

One of them, Crane Seven, said to the Emperor without hiding his doubts.

"What's going on? So what exactly are clovers and star clusters based on the concepts proposed by Hannibal? ”

"It's not like that. However, Hannibal's concept does not contain such content, so it can be said that this aspect is original to Seven. \"

"What seven, did Naneiro always come according to Hannibal's ideas? Are you saying that the reason why that girl was so unscrupulous, and even ruined herself, was because of Hannibal!? ”

Xiao Qi has been acting recklessly for a long time, and even almost collapsed because of this ALo. Despite this, he continued his research non-stop in response to the needs of adults who had high hopes for him. The man who created this opportunity was none other than Hannibal, the culprit of the "fugitives" and the one we are hunting.

A strong look of anger appeared on Lilan's face, presumably because she couldn't forgive him. However, the emperor replied without hesitation, as before.

"No, I lost contact with Hannibal after that. I thought it would be over as soon as I came up with the concept, but I was naïve. He kept watching us. I'm watching the progress of her plans, and the girl has been using Naneiro for a long time. ”

I didn't expect to get so much attention and was hooked. Not only that, but everything is going according to the plan of a man named Hannibal - the emperor gritted his teeth in the face of the cruel truth, as if regretting his naivety.

However, since I heard about Naneiro/Seven's plans, I've come to realize that there are some similarities between what Seven is doing and what Hannibal is doing. ta。 In it, without telling anyone, he speculated that perhaps Seven had a connection with Hannibal and even hoped that this was not true.

However, in reality, I chose the worst-case scenario I imagined, not my will. Seven is indeed associated with Hannibal, and the "cloud brain" was created based on the concept proposed by Hannibal.

This incident, Xiao Qi's recklessness, and the crowded situation of Dr. Naneiro in the real world were all planned by Hannibal. Asuna couldn't believe it and opened her mouth.

"I didn't expect even Xiaoqi to be asked to dance on Hannibal's palm"

"How old is Hannibal to put his hand in such a place? This is already the level of a cult or secret society that rules the world behind the scenes. ”

Hearing Filia's words, Lilan reacted involuntarily, looking like she had crushed a bitter worm. Lilan has previously said that even if he made Hannibal public, it would only be seen as such a crazy conspiracy theory, and that he probably only thought that its scale had only reached Japan.

However, Hannibal's sphere of influence has become equated with the presence that appears in conspiracy theories, and it is revealed that even Seven and Shamrock have fallen into Hannibal's hands. I'm sure Lilan, like me, feels like the worst he thought was already a reality.

"So Hannibal attacked us directly, including Xiao Qi?"

"I think so. I'm sure Hannibal didn't expect people like us to approach him. That's why Hannibal is targeting us"

As Sirika and Lifa muttered, a blue-haired young man who had come into contact with Hannibal in a different way than ours walked up to me.

"Kirito, what do you know about Hannibal? Who is Hannibal? ”

"I see. Seven, you don't know what Hannibal is. We only know the bare minimum"

Having said that, I told the Emperor everything I knew about Hannibal, including my speculation about Hapia's true identity. Although the story is made up of extremely fragmentary information, it still seems to be able to show us what kind of person Hannibal was, and when the story ends, the emperor has a surprised look on his face.

"The creator of 'saboteurs' and 'executors'!? It turns out that he also launched an attack on that SAo!? ”

"Yes, but that's all we know. We learned that the name was purely coincidental. ”

"You mean we've been exposed to something like that?" So, Hapia was Hannibal at the time, so we finally met the man who came up with the concept and the source of the recklessness of Number Seven? \"

The Emperor's expression had always been as calm as the water emanating from the unique magic of the Wendy clan, but at this time, it revealed the opposite fiery power. Lilan is in a similar situation, not only because her sister was taken away, but also because she has been used for a long time, and the emperor may feel the same way.

Moreover, his anger was even stronger, because even his allegiance to Seven was taken advantage of.

"Damn, where is he now? Where did he take Xiao Qi!? Don't you all know!? ”

The emperor and I feel the same way. Hannibal not only finally appeared, but also took Shinon with him. When I was in SAo, I just wanted to rush to Shino's side immediately, just like Shino was taken away by the "fugitive man", but this is in a wide world called ALo.

Although he had flown to various parts of the world so far, the world was so vast, and it became even more expansive with the introduction of places like Swatjärfheim, that he did not know where Hannibal was going.

I want to hurry up, but I don't know where to go. Just as I was about to speak in a bitter, frustrated, angry mood, a window suddenly opened in front of me, and I was so surprised that I almost screamed. And it's not just for me, it's happening right in front of everyone's eyes.

"The [God of Darkness] Suppressor/Emergency Rescue Mission Distribution has begun. Players who defeat the "Dark God" are trapped in the deepest part of the new dungeon! Work together to enter the dungeon and rescue them!! ”

That's what is written on the elusive window. When everyone was surprised to see the contents of the window that suddenly appeared, we moved away from the shadow of the building and returned to the square.

At that time, many players were talking about what was written in the window we saw, such as the final boss being defeated, or what the mission was to rescue the final boss. Know they're talking.

Obviously, this window is the same window that management uses when performing urgent tasks, and this task also seems to be sent directly to all of us players by management, while other players suddenly seem confused about performing urgent tasks.

However, this mission only appeared after Seven and Shino were taken away by Hannibal, so it felt too suspicious, or rather, too strange. The execution of this task may not be a coincidence. Isn't this also part of Hannibal's strategy?

"Keyboard!!"

As I was alone in the midst of the crowd pondering the question, I heard voices from behind the square. As soon as I turned around, I saw three figures walking towards me across the square, attracting the attention of players of all races.

A woman as tall as Alice, with large breasts and long dark green hair, wrapped in a bright green Japanese dress, and a woman with curly hair that is yellower than blonde and tanned skin, dressed in what looks like a jumpsuit. Swimsuit. Beautiful girl with unique cat ears and tail in swimsuit.

Then, on his head full of pale yellow hair, animal ears that cats and dogs did not have, a slightly revealing combat suit with a cloak over it, and a pattern on his cheeks that resembled a beard. A mouse, which all three girls wear.

They are Sakiya, the lord of the elven realm who is called a sister by Kem, Elisa Lu, who is said to be his tea friend, and Argo, who continues to be active as an informant even after moving to ALo.

Since the support rate of the two lords is very popular, it can't help but cause a commotion, and people everywhere say, "Isn't it Sakuya-san?" "Alyssa-san" or something like that." "That's amazing." The voices began to rise, but the three of them ignored anything and walked towards us, stopping.

"Keyboy, did you win the final boss? Sudden execution of urgent tasks. ”

"Ah, just in case. That's not the point, though. Actually, now"

\"Oh, Shino-chan didn't come, she hasn't logged in today. \"

Lifa approaches Alyssa, who notices that we are a little strange as soon as she arrives and tries to explain to her, but before she can start, Kem interrupts her and suggests that they go to a coffee shop.

Indeed, my next words will cause a lot of confusion among the other players, and it is not entirely possible that no one will listen to the two lords, because some unnecessary things may happen to the players who play the game. Game.

When I figured it out, I shouted to the three of them like Kem, and we went to Egil's coffee shop together, and after making sure there were no players inside, we went in, and there I was. Wake up the three of us with Lifa. We talked about a few things.

After hearing their best friend Lifa's explanation, the three of them screamed in surprise, and as soon as the conversation ended, Sakiya spoke.

\"Shino and that Seven were taken away!? What does that mean? \"

"You mean, the player was taken away by the player? But for what? ”

"We don't know the specifics, it seems that this mission was only issued after that incident."

\"It seems to make sense, it's pre-set, so there will be an event where the person who defeated Swat Yalfheim's final boss will be taken away, and there will be a mission for other players to rescue him. \"”。

Hearing the murmur of Sakiya, I turned to Argo. Argo, who regularly collects information on the conditions for the occurrence of quests that can obtain rare items, how to conquer quests, how to obtain items, etc., may understand this situation. Argo, however, looked back at me with a confused expression.

"Maybe you think you'll know something by asking me, but that's not the case."

"Don't you even know?"

"I don't know. First of all, we don't even know to what extent Swartyarfheim's big mission is ready. Didn't Sakiya's sister say that? \"

Indeed, as Sakiya says, if the final boss of the Grand Quest, "God of Darkness", is defeated in Swat Yalfheim, an event quest is triggered, and someone is taken away and then rescued by another player. If this is indeed the case, it would not be surprising.

However, I don't think so that the character that was taken away was originally played by an NPC, and forcing players to play this role, let alone fully diving, and the management also achieved a situation where only one person encountered the mission.

Since such an unusual mission has begun, it can be confirmed that what happened to Shino and Seven was not the work of ALo management. Presumably, Kaiwu, who understands this as well as me, said to Sakuya.

"No, ma'am. Seven and Miss Shino are captured by terrorists. \"

"Terrorists!? What are you talking about, Kem? Are you saying that there are terrorists who are unleashing cyber terrorism on ALo? ”

Kem nodded, and the two lords and Argo looked at each other in disbelief, but Yui immediately began to speak to everyone.

According to Yui's investigation, the quest that is currently being distributed is the form that Sakuya and I are looking forward to, and it will appear when you defeat the final boss of the big quest, the God of Darkness, and rescue the NPCs that were taken away. It is said that the player will travel to a new dungeon and defeat a raid boss, which can also be called a secret boss.

Yui ends the conversation by saying that Hapuya takes Shino and Seven to the deepest part of the newly implemented dungeon.

\"So, are Shino and Seven in the deepest part of the new labyrinth? \"

"There's no doubt about it, Hapuya has now captured Mom and Mr. Seven and is waiting for us in the deepest part of the new dungeon."

I thought it was all over.

I don't know what the new dungeons that have already been implemented will look like, but any player who hears that this quest is being implemented will jump in, and those who have completed the big quest and their guild members have permission to do it even if the rules are led by Seven All Shamrocks should be able to get there.

And - everyone at Shamrock must have seen the footage through the feather headdress, so they should be able to figure out what happened to Seven. They must have been confused when something like this happened, but if they knew that Xiao Qi had been taken away, they would definitely rush to the scene as soon as possible.

If we work together with Shamrock, we can go to the new dungeon, rescue Shino and Shichi, and defeat Hannibal with a large army.

After summing up the thoughts in my head, I shouted to Clover's most elite young man.

"How is the Emperor and Shamrock now? I'm sure both Shamrock and Clarus saw the footage. ”

The emperor shook his head, a bitter expression on his face.

"No, communications were cut off as soon as Hapia appeared. Neither Shamrock nor the cluster knew what was going on on Seven. \"

"What? So much has happened and they don't know anything!? ”

Hearing Diabel's question, the emperor looked even more distressed. Come to think of it, at that time, Clover and Xiao Qi and his party were suddenly confronted with the shocking truth about Xiao Qi, and Huang and Crane talked about it one-sidedly, leaving them in a state where they didn't know what was going on.

Now, the actions of Clover and Xiao Qiyi have probably been paralyzed by this series of events, and they are no longer in a state where they can carry out emergency missions. Lilan said this in addition to that.

"Moreover, it is impossible to go to Seven and Shino normally on a mission. Even if a normal player goes to the new maze, the only person who can be saved is the person set in the mission. An NPC that looks like an NPC. "The princess of the kingdom. Isn't it, Yui? ”

"Yes. It could be Hapia that I think Hannibal has created a route that will allow him to travel to the new dungeon to get to his place without accepting any quests. However, there is no urgent quest to go to the new dungeon. Let's say it's impossible for the average player to go to Hannibal because they have to get the same thing. ”

"Can't we get there the normal way? But that doesn't mean we can't get there too! ”

I put my hand on my chin as if in response to Asuna's surprised voice.

These urgently implemented dungeons are often set up in such a way that even if you try to enter normally, they will be blocked by system barriers, and there is no way to enter them except to accept the mission. If this is the case this time, Yuichi's solution is to accept the quest and break through the barrier, but this will only allow us to proceed according to the quest and will not help Shino and Seven.

There may be a way to report this incident to management. However, nothing unusual has happened to ALo itself, and there have been no reports of it being cracked or hacked. And, the situation is so serious, and there are only about ten of us, I'm sure management will think it's just a prank and won't do anything.

Did Hannibal assume this and then do something similar? - No, I'm talking about Hannibal, who is meticulous in calculating, preparing, making plans, and I am sure that he can easily do such a thing.

We must be fully aware of the existence that hinders our plans and their position, think about how to respond, go beyond our thoughts and actions He as a player, no matter how hard he tries, is able to follow us as we try it. He took them to a place they couldn't reach.

“！！”

Is all you have to do is keep your fingers in your mouth like this? Can I just watch this scene and gnash my teeth? Isn't Hannibal just laughing at his inability to do anything?

No, there must be something. What means can be used against him? But what is it? What could have led to this breakout? Just as I was gritting my teeth and feeling dizzy, a voice suddenly came from my ear.

"Hey, Kirito. \"

When I turned around, I saw a gray-silver haired, orange-eyed, and dark green combat uniform with a Sprigg boy. Spiegel, one of our friends and a patient of Alice, who was taken away like Shina, was calling me.

"What's the matter, Spiegel?"

"Didn't Hapia just give you something? I looked at it and felt like I was about to be crushed. I'm about to send something to Kirito. \"

I was taken aback by the question from the users of the Grey Silver Bow. That's right, Hapia was handing me something. I wasn't conscious because I was about to be crushed by gravity, but I was sure that something had been stuffed into my belongings storage room, the equivalent of being handed over.

From memory, I opened a window and browsed through the storage space, which was filled with countless items. After a few seconds, I found a name in the item, "Unknown Card", which gave a sense of dissonance and turned my worldview upside down, and I clicked on it immediately.

The effect that would normally be used when using an item appeared right before my eyes, and when I reached for it, a silver card that didn't fit into the world of Norse mythology appeared. At the same time, everyone looked at me curiously, and among them, Lifa spoke.

"Ernie sauce, what's that?" \"

"Hapia gave it to me at the time. Yui, do you know what this is? \"

When I handed the card to Yui, the little fairy floating nearby, Yui's eyes widened, and then she touched the card with her little hand. A ray of light swept across the card and reached Yui's hand.

"It's a passcard that evokes a system that transports a certain number of people to a certain location. The destination is fixed in the coordinates of the deepest part of the new labyrinth "Eryusnir"! ”

"So, as long as you use this, you can go to Shino and Seven. \"

As soon as Alice said this, everyone's voices rose up. What's more, Yui looked around and said in a clear voice.

"The number of people who can be transferred at the same time is twenty people, and everyone present can go now."

Hearing this, everyone held their breath. The road to Hannibal was not closed; In fact, he himself was ready. And, out of politeness, he also made it possible for us all to go there.

It's so obvious that I think it might be a trap, and it actually could be. However, this is a way they can help Shino and Yui Seven, and they can't stop going for fear of becoming a trap.

Even if it's a trap, I'll have to go. Thinking of this, I looked at all the people gathered here and was surprised. Everyone's faces were already filled with heroic expressions, and they were going to the place where this silver card teleported, and they were going to defeat the Demon King.

I'm sure to have some worries, but everyone understands that now is not the time to worry about these things. I was inspired to shout out to everyone.

"Assemble, everybody, and let's go to the deepest part of Eliusnir." He waited there for Shino and Seven to be captured there as well. Maybe the card itself is a trap, but we can't go anyway. I've arrived. ”

"Of course. If Shino and Xiaoqi are arrested, only we can go, we can only go. Moreover, we have finally met the mastermind behind the "fugitive" incident, and there is no way. "It's time to let go. No! ”

"That's right, we've finally found the person behind this incident. Let's all work together to recapture the captured Miss Shino and Xiao Qi, and defeat the mastermind behind this incident! \"

Although Ariki and Tiabel said so strongly, the others still had expressions that wanted to say the same thing, and even Sakiya, Alyssa, Spiegel, Alice, Argo, and Huang, who had never experienced that battle, all looked ready. Fight the final battle.

There were only twenty people here, less than half of the forty-nine in ALo's largest team. With so many people, you will face a real demon lord named Hannibal, whose strength is said to be unknown and who is behind the events of the "Fugitive". However, no one is afraid, in fact, they are boldly trying to take on the challenge. It would be stupid to ask any question to such a person.

When I was the head of the Knights of the Blood Pact at SAo, I felt as relieved as I saw that my trusty members were about to go out for a boss fight, and I let them announce it.

"Alright, everyone, get ready now! Where we are going, we do not know what awaits us or what kind of enemies we will encounter. We'll be ready for anything. "It happened, and then we came back here. Let's do it! ”

With the "Oh! The shouts echoed in the café, and everyone made up their minds to go into the city?? Go find what you need. I went to the city with Lilan, and while talking to Lilan, I went to the item shop to conquer the Dark World Tree and buy the recovery items that were consumed in the battle with the White God Dragon. After getting the items, I went to Lizbet's workshop, which was adjacent to the coffee shop, and asked Lizbet, who had just returned, to keep her weapons.