Although they have nothing to do with Lilan, Lilan and they also said that it is not good for them to eat alone, and they excluded the prime minister, so they try to eat together. As a result, the food that Zhilan and his friends ate was almost the same as that of the Prime Minister.

And today, after Shino logged in, the prime minister asked her to treat him to something to eat. Shino didn't have any special reason to refuse, so she let the two go shopping.

Shino greets the two who have just finished shopping and confirms what they have bought. Most of the content is fish, meat, vegetables, and beverages, which can be purchased in the City of Origin, but if you look closely, you will see that there are some things that cannot be purchased in the City of Origin - mainly monsters from the Great Forest of Odrobe. Materials from the drop are also mixed in. This is probably something that Strea got while in the wild. Or, Premier may have acquired it but don't know how to use it.

Anyway, with so many portions, it should be enough to feed everyone except me and Kirito.

"Thank you both. I'm going to do this today. ”

"Shino, what's going to eat tonight? \"

"Even if you say that, we can make a lot of things. Prepare now and wait. ”

Shiina, after a light-hearted comment on the premiere, turned her gaze to the second floor. It's not just the girls who need to be fed. Among them was Asuna's son, Jupiter, who was actually locked up in the house.

According to Lilan, Jupiter has been eating alone a lot lately, and he's also spent most of his time studying in the online world. It is said that he devoted all his time to combat training in the realm of this world. As a result, Shino has barely met or spoken to Jupiter lately.

She's definitely an honor student who is obsessed with studying, but I guess it's not a good thing for her to be like this for a long time, and most importantly, it's better to eat together. Now that she has family and friends, Shina's feelings are strong, and she can't help but worry about Jupiter, who is alone.

It looks like Jupiter is still learning in the online world, but there's one thing that should be done here. Shino looked back at Lilan.

"Before that, Lilan, about Jupiter, that kid was still on the Internet, right? I don't know if there's a way to bring him back or something, we're going to have to feed him well. ”

"It would be nice to bring him back. He hasn't eaten anything good lately, so I think he will be very satisfied with Shino's cooking. \"

"Really? So please bring Jupiter back as soon as possible. Learning is important, but so is time spent with everyone. ”

Lilan said, "I see," unfolded the window and holographic keyboard, and began. Shiina, who was in charge of contacting Jupiter, went to the kitchen and reconfirmed the ingredients that Streya and Primer had purchased. Open the window, confirm the dish you want to make, and start cooking.

As I started heating the ingredients, I turned around and went to the living room to see that my daughters had already prepared the dishes and were waiting for the food to be served. Premiere is also mixed in, but strangely doesn't feel out of place.

First of all, the premiere has a strange sense of déjà vu. Although I don't know what it is, I've seen the characteristics of Premier somewhere. Maybe it will help, even if you add Premier to Yui, Strea, and Relan, it won't feel out of place. It's as if Premier is also a member of Lilan and the other "MHHP" and "MHCP" families.

From now on, Jupiter will be added to the group. Now that all the AI is stepping on it, it's sure to be a lively dinner. She would like to participate if she can, too, but in the real world, Shino and Kirito have already finished eating. Somehow, I regret not being able to have dinner with these girls.

As I continued to cook while thinking about this, Leland stopped me again. The window he used had been closed, proving that Jupiter's recall had been completed.

"I've been in touch with Jupiter now, and he should be back on the second floor of this house soon."

\"So, Kirito, can you go to Jupiter? I don't think he would have made it this far if you hadn't asked. \"

\"I see. Jupiter must have been tempted to eat Shino's food, and he was probably hungry too. I'll pick him up. \"

After saying that, Kirito got up and left the living room. Almost at the same time as Kirito closes the door, the food he is making begins to cook, and the living room begins to fill the room with an enticing aroma.

As Shino said, Kirito was heading to the second floor of the house.

It was already about eight o'clock, and the darkness through the windows was faintly mixed with the lights of the city, and the lights on the ceiling seemed to match them, illuminating the corridors.

“”

Every time Kirito goes upstairs step by step, he thinks of the house on the 22nd floor of SAo. The basic structure of Asuna's house is not much different from the surrounding houses, but the atmosphere inside is a bit like the interior of the wooden house they live in.

However, if you look at the walls and feet, you will see that their texture and shape are different from those found in a wooden house, so you can confirm again that the house is different.

This is Asuna's home, not theirs, after all. The whereabouts of the house they live in are now unknown, but there is no doubt that it is in this world. Just as I was thinking back to the conversation I had with Shiina, there was a heavy thumping sound in my ears, and at the same time, I received a strong impact on my forehead, and there was an uncomfortable feeling similar to pain.

Before I knew it, I had climbed the stairs to the bedroom door. Maybe I'm too lost in thought. I had a distinct sense of presence in the room. Jupiter seems to be coming back, just as Lilan told him.

"Jupiter, come in."

After knocking on the door twice, Kirito opened the bedroom door. Immediately after, I jumped into a room that was almost identical to the rooms and hallways on the first floor. It is a modest room with white stone walls and hardwood floors, a bed and a simple table and chairs against the back wall, and it looks like moving to a new home.

Inside sat a teenager with almost identical silver-white hair to Asuna, dressed in a distinctive white outfit. This is Jupiter, the owner of this room and the one who kept it with the house.

"Jupiter, you're back?"

Jupiter did not answer. You can see multiple windows unfolded at hand. Although I can't confirm the content, I know that he is operating a holographic keyboard.

We can hear almost the same input sound as when we use it, but the speed and frequency are extraordinary. It seems that he is really keen on this. Since he is so focused on studying, maybe he shouldn't be bothered, right? Kirito hesitated to call him, but quickly regained his composure.

No matter how focused you are on your studies, you can't ignore the diet, and Shino cooks for Jupiter. Most of all, she wants all her sisters, including her eldest son, to eat together.

Kirito quietly approached Jupiter and called out to him again.

"Jupiter, dinner is ready, let's go to the first floor."

Again, Jupiter did not answer. If you look closely, you'll see a thin white string in her hair. It seems to have launched an app for listening to music in games and using it as an object in the shape of headphones. Knowing why Jupiter didn't react, Kirito walked over to Jupiter and tried not to make a sound.

Suddenly, he reached between Jupiter's face and the window.

\"Wow, ah, ah!? \"

The next moment, Jupiter was surprised to hear a loud voice. Perhaps because the reaction was so strong, the chair rattled with Jupiter. Jupiter reacted as expected, and I almost burst out laughing, as Jupiter pulled out the earphone-shaped object stuffed in his ear and turned his face to Kirito.

\"Little、Brother Kirito, what are you doing? \"

"If I don't, you won't notice. You've been calling me for a while. ”

"yes, I didn't hear it."

"If you cover your ears with music, you can't hear it."

He said with a wry smile, but Jupiter showed no sign of laughing. Jupiter was the kind of kid who could laugh normally when something happened, but he didn't. At this moment, Kirito sensed that something was wrong, but before he could speak, Jupiter spoke.

"Brother Kirito, what do you need? \"

"Oh, I want you to come down, everyone is waiting for you."

"Everyone? Why me? ”

"Because it's time to eat, I've been waiting for everyone to eat together, Lilan called me back, right?"

Jupiter made a gesture as if he remembered something, and it looked as if he had grasped something. He must have understood the meaning of the email at the time, as Liland said that he had recalled Jupiter. It's about Relan, who sometimes tries to keep things as simple as possible, and he may have just added a word to his email to Jupiter: "Please come back." ”

"I see? I see. \"

"Is this a reason? What are you talking about, Jupiter? We're all going to dinner. You may be hungry too. ”

Jupiter lowered her head to cover her face. After not speaking for a long time, he shook his head.

"In that case, I don't need to, I'll go back."

\"Hey, that's not true. The poem was made tirelessly, and everyone was waiting for it. \"

"I don't need it, I don't need it, just say you don't need to give it to me."

Kirito couldn't help but be surprised by the displeased voices and words coming out of Jupiter's mouth. Jupiter almost never invited me to dinner with his family, and he never said anything like that. Did I learn something strange every time I studied? Kirito tries to put his hand on Jupiter's shoulder, not wanting to be noticed.

"Jupiter, you-"

"Don't bother me!!"

Jupiter suddenly shouted and shook off Kirito's hand. A dry cracking sound sounded, and Kirito's outstretched hand was pulled in the direction of the day after tomorrow.

Did Jupiter wave to you? For a moment, Kirito completely forgot what was going on and was stunned. Jupiter shook his head a few times, then opened his mouth wide.

"I want to be strong! I want to be smart! I have to be so!! So don't get in my way!! Don't get in my way!! ”

The shouting was so loud that it was as if I had been flown all the way to the first floor. I can do that much on my own, but Jupiter, much smaller than me, is launching it. And what was in it was unimaginable for Jupiter, who refused everything he usually wanted. I don't know if the Jupiter here now is the Jupiter I know.

“！”

Kirito couldn't believe everything Jupiter said and did, and could only stare blankly at him. Eventually, Jupiter turned his back on Kirito and opened the window and proceeded. Soon, something resembling a hole appeared in the space in front of me. Jupiter looked at the hole with his eyes and said lightly.

\"Please don't get in my way. \"

"Jupiter!"

With that, Jupiter jumped into a hole that emitted a different light than when passing through the portal. He called out to her just before Kirito could reach out, but before his fingers could touch it, the hole closed.

Silence returned to the room. The whole house is soundproofed, so you won't hear any street noise. Kirito could only stand there.

\"Yubi Hui? \"

Jupiter wasn't the kind of kid who would say that. He never refuses to do what makes him happy, and he never yells at the other person.

A kind-hearted boy who cares about his mother. It was the statue of Jupiter inside Kiri's body, but now it rattled and fell apart. One problem after another arose in my head.

Jupiter seems to be learning, becoming stronger and smarter, but it also seems that he is trying to go to sinister places. I felt like I was being compelled to act by some strong and great impulse.

Has Jupiter become different from the Jupiter I know?

What's happening to Jupiter now?

Kirito stood dumbfounded in the room where Jupiter had left.

It was the second night after Asuna went to the United States for the event.

Shino is on the field with Kirito, Streya, and Lilan. The current location is located in a cave near the deepest part of the Great Forest of Odrobe. It is a dark land, made up of rock walls and floors, like a limestone cave, without any outside light shining in.

It was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything when you looked inside. However, it is not completely dark, as the cave is full of mysterious glowing slime fungi, so it is not completely devoid of light, so conquering the cave is no problem.

The things inside were some weird tentacles, mouth-like tips around the eyes, and ominous-looking humanoid monsters with weapons.

By confirming that they will launch a large number of attacks in the face of the enemy, they let us know that this is close to the deepest part of the field known as the Great Forest of Aldrobe.

If I had a pass to the Dark Lands, I might have avoided the fight, but there's nothing like that in this game. Eventually, a battle is inevitable, and everyone wields their weapons to repel the oncoming demonic monsters.

Exploration intertwined with combat, movement, and gathering. As I strategized as usual, Kirito, the de facto leader of the team, spoke.

"Tonight, right? Asuna is coming back. \"

Shino nodded to Kirito who called for her.

The robot competition that Asuna is participating in seems to have ended yesterday, and Asuna will soon be returning to Japan.

I heard the number seven, who lives in the United States, say that both the United States and Japan are ahead in time, and the time difference is 16 hours.

If it's evening in Japan, it's the morning of the previous day in the U.S. After an incredible jet lag, Asuna returned home.

People who have moved overseas or traveled abroad a lot are probably aware of this, but Shino has never been on an overseas plane, so the jet lag makes sense, and I don't quite understand that feeling. What does it feel like to cross the jet lag? Ask Asuna when I get back.

Thinking so, Shino said to Kirito.

"I haven't heard about the specifics, but it seems like they bought a lot of souvenirs. I don't know what kind of souvenirs they brought from the United States. ”

"I'd rather talk about souvenirs than this. I wonder what kind of bots appeared at the event. The story of the United States is rarely reported in Japan. ”

Kirito hadn't talked about Asuna's robot event for two days. The event is over, and they are still talking like this, and when Asuna returns, they will probably continue to explore the story with their eyes shining.

Shino smiled wryly, she could easily imagine what was happening, but at this moment, Lilan spoke.

"Then again, is there such a thing as a high-performance humanoid robot? I'd like to hear if there's anything that can compare to our bodies? ”

"If we have robots, we can go to the real world, and I'm looking forward to it."

Strea looks exactly like Lilan.

Asuna participated in this event to see if there were high-performance humanoid robots. If there is a company that can create a high-performance humanoid robot, then in the near future, it will become the body of Jupiter and the body of Yui.

Realize the day when Yui and her friends can live in the real world. It can be seen that the three of them are looking forward to it, and Shino is actually looking forward to Asuna's souvenir story.

However, on the other hand, Shino also has concerns about Asuna. It's about Jupiter.

Jupiter suddenly begins to study and train in combat, with the goal of becoming stronger and smarter. There is no need to worry about this, as it is like the instinct of "MHHP", but Jupiter is surprisingly firm about it.

It was as if it was his mission to become stronger and wiser.

The same goes for eating. Not only did Jupiter like the food that Asuna cooked, but she also liked the food that Shino cooked, but in the past two days, even though she cooked for herself, Jupiter didn't try to eat.

I even tried to divide the food I cooked into small portions and keep them in my bedroom just in case, but they were never touched and they all disappeared after the eating time.

Jupiter, who ate so much food and said it was delicious, didn't eat anything at all. Even if I asked them, they just replied that they didn't need to, but they wouldn't tell me anything specific.

Two days passed, and Shino hadn't been able to get any information from Jupiter about why he had done such a thing, and they hadn't been able to talk to him much at first.

I wonder if Asuna understands this point about Jupiter?

I'll ask Asuna when she gets back. Shino couldn't stop talking about it and shouted to Lilan.

"Hey, Lilan, did anything happen to Jupiter when we were at school?"

"Huh? Nothing special, I dived into the network as usual, and when I came back, I went through repeated combat training. ”

"That's really all there is to it."

"What do you mean?"

In the face of Lilan's inquiry, Shino said the question she had in mind beforehand.

"I feel like Jupiter is going to fall into it somehow. Something happened to that kid. No, something must have happened. ”

"What do you mean?"

"I can't really explain it...... In short, I feel that there is some truth to Jupiter's behavior. Jupiter is dealing with something, so he behaves like that. I wonder what that is. I'm not sure if that's the case, but..."

Kirito seemed to think so too, and followed Shino as he spoke. Shino squints at Kirito.

"Shiina's feelings and I are the same. Jupiter had a strange feeling. I mean, he doesn't look like him or rather, he doesn't feel like a normal guy. \"

I also heard from Kirito about the strange changes of Jupiter.

Just yesterday, I made a meal for Jupiter. Kirito says he's going to pick up Jupiter, but Jupiter gets angry with him, and he ends up going back online.

Shino was surprised by this, and Lilan and the others were also surprised. Shino asked Lilan to contact Jupiter again, and he did, but eventually Jupiter never returned.

What really happened to Jupiter? Shino was so worried about this that she didn't even go to class during the day.

"Jupiter has something to offer after all. I don't quite understand, but"

"I can't say for sure."

The two of us turned to look at Lilan who said that. Lilan's face was unusually solemn.

"I told you before that Jupiter has lost his memory. He's working on fixing it. Jupiter is trying to remember what he wants to remember. ”

"I understand, but is that really all there is? I feel like there's more to ......"

"I'm telling you, it's not easy to repair yourself."

The two of us turned our heads to look at Lilan, who looked a little solemn.

The self-healing function of Lilan et al. has been heard many times. At first glance, this may seem easy and done secretly, but the difficulty of self-healing increases or decreases depending on the size and severity of the area to be repaired.

And the degree of collapse and destruction of Jupiter is extremely severe. Lilan said, continuing.

"It's not easy to fix something that has collapsed and damaged to this extent. Jupiter understands this and is taking such actions. If he doesn't, he'll never be the same again. I can't go back

"That's it."

"Yes, even when I was corrupted, I was desperately collecting data. If you're like me trying to fully recover, I can understand why Jupiter would go to great lengths to do so. ”

Jupiter and Lilan are in the same situation and are damaged in the same way. Although I didn't see the scene with my own eyes, I can imagine how much Lilan was suffering at the time and what kind of action he took to cope. Like Lilan at the time, Jupiter was desperate to get better.

"Of course, if you really want to fix it, something like that might be necessary......"

"Asuna is coming back tonight, and you should ask her then." Asuna might know more about Jupiter. \"

"I was going to do it, but"

Jupiter instinctively tries to regain its former self. Everything is driven by MHHP's intuition. Thinking about it, I think I can understand why Jupiter is so desperate, but there is still something I don't understand. It made me feel a haze in my heart, and I felt very uncomfortable.

Is Jupiter's behavior really the result of MHHP instinct?

I wonder if the instinct of "MHHP" gave that kid such a boost.

Is there anything else?

Even if I tried to think in my heart, I couldn't come up with an answer.

According to Kirito, our current location is near the deepest part of the Great Forest of Odorob, and if we continue like this, there is a good chance that we will reach the regional boss. If this happens, we may have to gather everyone for a raid boss fight, but we won't be able to concentrate on fighting without solving this problem. It seems that the questioning of Asuna is inevitable after all.

Squinting at Shino, who was thinking about this question, Strea spoke.

"Besides, if something had happened to Jupiter, I think it would have happened long ago."

"Any questions?"

Relan and his friends (mhhp) and Yui and his friends (mhcp) generally do not cause any anomalies, but there are exceptions.

There is a contradiction in this.

When "MHHP" and "MHCP" receive orders or instructions against their will or mission, or are forced to carry them out, they end up with internal errors that lead to malfunctions and anomalies.

Nowhere is this more evident than at the beginning of the "SAo Game of Death". "MHHP" and "MHCP" are designed to be used to immediately go to the player as soon as they see a player with a high mental load.

Even though many players were like this at the beginning of the Game of Death, Lilan and Yui were forbidden to go there. As a result of that incident, mistakes accumulated inside the girls, causing damage and breakdowns.

Lilan replaced Strea and continued.

"If something is wrong with Jupiter, it's probably because it's wrong. However, he didn't do anything wrong, and that's normal. ”

Lilan's greatest characteristic is that he doesn't lie, except for being with Jupiter a lot.

If Rilan said so, I could only believe it. Jupiter is normal and there are no problems. Shino folded her arms and sighed softly. "If you say that, you're right. Well, there are indeed some oddities, but Jupiter seems normal, maybe I'm wrong. ”

"I think so. In short, the poem wants to take a good look at Jupiter. \"

In the past, it was Asuna who took care of Yui and Leland, only making time for herself and Kirito, but now it was her turn to do so. Ever since Asuna took custody of Jupiter, Shino has done all sorts of things with this in mind.

Perhaps because of this, Shino began to feel that she could see Jupiter clearly and be aware of it, so Lilan made sense to say so.

"Indeed. Now I'm actually in charge of Jupiter, taking care of you with you. Just like Asuna took care of Yui and you at the beginning. I can say that I am repaying you for that time. I don't know if that's the case. ”

I see. But that's the end of tonight. When Asuna returns, both the house and Jupiter will return to Asuna's side. \"

At Lilan's request, Shino suddenly opened the window. The clock shows 9:30 p.m. According to Asuna, she will be home around nine o'clock today, so Asuna must have returned from the United States.

However, after a dozen hours of plane travel, I may be very tired when I get home and fall asleep quickly. It seems unclear whether Asuna will come to SA:o today.

Kirito probably thought so too, and whispered.

"Still, it looks like we'll be able to hear the details tomorrow and hand over the house and Jupiter. It may not be possible from today. ”

"yes, sure enough, tonight"

"Ah, I found it! Daddy, Mom!! ”

Just as she was about to say the next sentence, a voice suddenly came from behind her, making Shino raise her voice in some surprise. The surprise in his voice grew palpable. Because the sound that came to his ears was a sound that he couldn't usually hear on the field.

I stared at the darkness behind me for a few seconds, as if searching for the source, when I saw a figure running towards me. For a moment, I thought it was a humanoid monster spotting us, but since it was noticeably smaller and didn't have any weapons, I knew it wasn't a monster.

The figure was getting closer and closer, and when they finally saw it, everyone exclaimed in surprise. The person who ran towards us during the attack was a petite girl with long black hair and wearing what looked like a white dress.

That's Yui, Kirito's daughter, Lelan's sister, and Streya's sister.

\"Yui!? \"

Everyone was amazed. Yui participates in this game as a completely non-combat player, so she can't fight like other players and basically can't leave the safe areas of the city. Otherwise, they fall prey to monsters.

I couldn't help but be amazed that Yui had come to this site, and that she had come to the deepest part of the site. Yui ran in as if she was in a hurry and came to Shino's side.

"Dad, Mom I finally caught up"

Yui stopped, bent her upper body, braced her arms on her knees, and breathed on her shoulders. So far, you seem to have run as hard as you can. However, they were not worried about this, and shouted at Yui almost in unison.

\"Yui, why are you here!? \"

"You told me not to leave town, did you? Why!? ”

"I mean, how did you get here!?"

When Kirito, Shino, and Lilan were spoken in order, Yui straightened her back and looked up. Although he must have been tired after walking so far, his face was pale.

"I teleported from the teleportation stone at the entrance here, tracking my father's whereabouts. I used my father's hidden potion to dodge the monster. ”

Near this cave entrance, there is a teleportation stone, which can be teleported directly from the portal of the Ancestral City. As a result, you can easily access the cave itself.

And, since Yui shares storage space with them, she can also use Kirito's belongings in case of an emergency. Yui shouted loudly when the four recognized the specifications they all clearly understood.

"Mom and Dad, it's harder! My brother had a chill. Kirito immediately said with a surprised expression.

"Jupiter?! What happened to Jupiter!? ”

"Anyway, please return to the City of Beginning! Mr. Prime Minister is doing something now, but Mr. Prime Minister alone is not enough! \"

Normally, she only needs to send a message, but Yui has come all the way here and looks very flustered.

Shino immediately understood that something big had happened that Yuki would panic about, and shouted to Kirito.

\"Kirito, you have a teleportation crystal, right? \"

"Yes! I'll hold off the attack, let's go back!" ”

I could go back the way I came, back to the City of Beginnings with a teleportation stone, but I can't do it all with a knot. Kirito understood this, too, took out a square blue crystal from the storeroom, held it up, and chanted, "Teleportation, the City of Initiation!" ”

The next moment, the blue light obscured Shino and the others, and they fell into a brief coma.

When the blue light fades, the scene changes from a dark cave to a city illuminated by orange street lights.

Recognizing the circular buildings around me, the black-roofed palace behind me, and the massive stone pillar in the center, I realized that my current location had become a portal to the City of the Ancestors.

Immediately after, the crowd led by Kirito ran in unison and left the portal. Walk through the many shops, players and NPCs coming and going, and walk through the business district to the residential area.

It seems that more and more players are getting houses, and quite a few players are also seen in residential areas. I ran and didn't hit the players who seemed satisfied, aiming for my destination – the house.

Come to think of it, I also ran to such a residential complex when I was at SAo. At the time, we were on the verge of a real crisis, but now it has happened. This made Shino and the others go faster, and in the blink of an eye they were in front of Asuna's house.

After kicking open the door and running through the hallway, Kirito quickly ran up the stairs. Then, I ran up the stairs with loud steps, and soon arrived at my bedroom.

As Yui said, the prime minister was in the bedroom, but she must have been surprised when the five of them rushed in at the same time, and she looked at them with extremely surprised eyes.

\"Kirito, Shino! \"

"Prime Minister, what's going on!? Jupiter!? ”

\"Kirito Jupiter! \"

Shino looked to the right of the prime minister, who was making a confused voice, and was taken aback. There is a simple table and chair next to the bed. Shino spotted a little boy sitting on a chair with his head down and his face down on the table, so she ran up to him with Kirito.

"Jupiter!!"

At the moment when the two of them cried out almost at the same time, Shino immediately realized that something was wrong with Jupiter.

Jupiter had long, snow-white hair that looked similar to Asuna's, but was now black from the top of her head to the area around her eyes and the tips of her hair. Noda.

What's more, the black is not just black, it also has some kind of wriggling blue mottled lines. It's as if black itself is alive.

"Jupiter, what's wrong with you!?"

Even when I asked Jupiter, he didn't try to answer. I tried to see his face clearly, but I couldn't see it clearly because he was lying too deep. When Kirito noticed that she was still breathing on his shoulder, he reached out and picked her up and put her on the bed.

\"！？ \"

Shino instinctively covered her mouth when she saw Jupiter's bare face.

The twisted black color that appears on Jupiter's hair is also clearly visible on Jupiter's skin. From the eyes upwards, it is completely covered in blue-black, and the eyes, mouth, ears, and nose are all dripping with a thick black liquid. There were blue spots wriggling in the liquid, and it even looked like Jupiter was bleeding from a hole in its face.

Seeing this, my words choked in my throat, and I stopped thinking, and the back of my head went numb. However, when Jupiter's sobs reached her ears, Shino's mind began to move again. Jupiter looked like he was in pain, and I could tell he was having trouble breathing.

However, his breathing did not seem to be normal, and every time he exhaled, a thick black liquid would come out of his mouth.

"What is this?"

When I made a squeezing sound, Jupiter opened his eyelids as if in response. Normally, her eyes are beautiful blue, like a shallow sea, but now they are black, like a deep sea without light, just mixed with a hint of blue. The whites of his eyes seemed to turn gray.

"That"

Jupiter made a faint sound as hard as he could, moving his mouth that was leaking black liquid. It sounded like his tongue could barely move, presumably because of the black liquid spilling out. Heavy fluids are interfering with everything on Jupiter.

\"Jupiter, what's wrong with you!? Yui, Prime Minister, what's wrong with Jupiter!? What happened to Jupiter!? \"

Hearing Kirito shout, Plemir explained what had happened.

After the four go out to attack, Pleimir and Yui are staying in the house on the first floor, but just then, they sense that Jupiter is back in the bedroom. Pria went to the bedroom and wanted to have a snack, but when she noticed that Jupiter was in this state, she informed Yui.

Yui was taken aback, and first informed Kirito and the others of the situation, and then scanned it, and then she went to the portal and flew towards Kirito and the others.

"Did this happen suddenly?"

As soon as Shino made a confused sound, Lilan opened the window and began to operate the holographic keyboard. Yui and Strea join in and begin to operate the windows in the same way, and the room is filled with the sound of Jupiter's sobs and the sound of the trio operating the keyboard.

Soon, this eerie silence was broken by Yui. Yui looked out the window and Jupiter in disbelief.

"Is that so!?"

\"Yui, what did you find!? \"

"Dad, it's a virus! My brother's Anima box is infected with the virus! Brother! All your anomalies are caused by viruses! ”

"It's a virus!?"

Shino and Kirito are surprised when they hear Yui's screams after discovering Jupiter's true identity.

I heard that Jupiter was studying in the online world. We discussed what would happen to us if a computer virus got infected, but I never thought it would actually happen.

But it's weird. The "Anima Box" has the function of a vaccine protector, isn't it safe even if you are infected with the virus? Wouldn't they be threatened by the virus?

"Wait a minute! Aren't you guys threatened by viruses or something!? ”

\"That's right, that's how it should be! \"

Strea operated the keyboard, a rare impatience on her face. Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He reacted as if he had discovered something he didn't want to discover.

"That's it, Jupiter's vaccine protector doesn't work! The vaccine protector doesn't work anymore! ”

"W-Why!? \"

"What is the reason for this is a mistake?"

Yui made the same expression as Streya. Shino instinctively approached him, as if she had witnessed something incredible.

"What, what did you find?"

"You've built up a lot of mistakes in your body, and the vaccine protectors have been unable to deal with them, making them unable to respond effectively to the virus and take advantage of this gap. The virus is spreading, and the virus has been cleared from Big Brother's body, and you can see black water flowing out of Big Brother's body. However, the virus is multiplying faster and faster, and it is catching up with the virus, no! ”

During the time of Ayn Grant, both MHHP and MHCP had bugs and crashed. Jupiter wasn't repaired like Yui did, but could the error still be inside Jupiter? Shino asked Yui in confusion.

\"Wasn't Jupiter's mistake solved long ago? Yui made a mistake once and once during the Axis Grant period, right? \"

"Your heart is the mistake that happened these days! You've been doing something that is causing the error these days!? ”

This sentence almost took Shino by surprise.

Often, we should follow our instincts and avoid behaviors that lead to mistakes, but mistakes are happening. I don't know what's going on, I can't get out of the mess in my head. Shiina, holding her head that was about to become a mess, looked at Jupiter.

A strange creaking sound of heavy liquid flowing out of Jupiter's body can be heard all around Jupiter. It's as if Jupiter's body is being devoured by a virus every moment. Well, that may be the case.

Just as I was thinking this, Jupiter said again in a weak voice.

\"Kiri is not a sister to his brother Shina"

"Jupiter!!"

Even though Kirito called him, Jupiter didn't look at him. His gaze was moving, but his gaze kept passing over everyone here.

"Where are you?"

"Where is it right in front of me!?"

\"Where's Brother Kirito?" \"

Jupiter's face was horrified, and his eyes, the color of the depths of the ocean, rolled, as if searching for something. It's as if he lost his eyesight. What the hell is this? Just as Shino thought, Straya said in surprise.

"The Jupiter virus is a data-destroying type! Moreover, it is still multiplying, and it has penetrated quite deep into the 'Heart Energy Box', which has already caused damage to the field of vision!

In the case of infecting humans?? Some infectious diseases can infect the eyes, damage nerves, and rob people of their eyesight. Shino couldn't believe that something like that existed in this virtual world, and that it was infected.

Following behind Streya, Lilan whispered. His expression was grim, but his face was pale.

"If you've gotten this far, you're not good enough, and if the virus continues to invade like this, Jupiter's configuration data itself will be destroyed!!"

"Is the configuration data corrupted? What if this happens? ”

"Jupiter will no longer be able to sustain himself. That is, Jupiter will die"

Shino was stunned when she heard this. I had the illusion that even the blood flowing all over my body froze and my fingertips were suddenly cold.

What does it mean if Jupiter dies? Is this possible?

It is true that the constitutive data of Jupiter et al. is an "Anima box", meaning a box of life, but does this really mean life? If so, then when the interior of the 'Anima Box' is destroyed, life is destroyed.

And now, Jupiter's Anima box is about to be destroyed by the virus.

Death is about to befall a being who shouldn't die.

The current situation was confirmed again, and just as Shino was about to lose consciousness, a loud voice came into her ears and brought her back here.

"Lilan, how can I stop it!? How do you fix Jupiter!? Is it a virus buster!? ”

"There is no such thing! Vaccine shields clear the virus, as long as the vaccine shield is functional. But why is there such an error, which suppresses the vaccine shield in the first place!? Where did this error come from? "Where did it come from? Here it comes!? ”

Even Lilan, who has always been calm, was operating the holographic keyboard with a blank face at this time. What is happening now is beyond Lilan's expectations, and beyond the expectations of the game's management. We can't do something like this alone.

There's nothing I can do about it now - just as I thought so, Kirito gritted his teeth and shouted at Lilan again.

"Lilan, first contact Asuna's smartphone and get her to log in! Yui, keep scanning, Streya, contact Miss Alice! Use the emergency number you told us before! First of all, tell you two about this!! ”

Kirito spoke quickly and gave instructions. Although he seemed a little out of shape because he was speaking too quickly, he was still able to give instructions accurately. The experience he gained as the head of the Blood Pact Knights and the leadership of the attack group is now being put to good use.

After receiving Kirito's instructions, Lilan and Strea stopped the operation of the holographic keyboard and opened a window to contact the outside world, Lilan began to try to contact Asuna, and Stella began to try to contact Alice.

That's it. Asuna is now the one who needs to know this the most. Since Asuna is Jupiter's mother, she must run out when she hears that her son is in danger. If Asuna returned, even Jupiter would feel at ease.

And Alice, who is my mentor, is the developer of Jupiter, and she should know how to handle such things. If these two join forces, they can break this situation and help Jupiter. Just as I was about to lose my temper and try to breathe a sigh of relief, a small voice came from my ear.

Stop

The source of the sound is Jupiter. It stretched out its hand, blackened by the virus, and made a faint sound, as if praying for something. Shino quickly turned around and asked her to answer.

"Jupiter is here! Your mom will be back soon! ”

"Stop, don't call Kassan"

“”

Hearing Jupiter's voice was clearly visible, everyone stiffened and shifted their attention. Attention-grabbing, Jupiter began to weave words, his face full of holes and a thick black liquid dripping from it.

"Mom, she doesn't want me to be the way I am because "

\"Jupiter, what are you talking about!? \"

Jupiter coughed violently. A thick black liquid splashed all over the bed.

"Mom she doesn't want me to be weak"

I don't understand what you mean. Doesn't Asuna want weak Jupiter? Aren't people like me wanted? Kirito grabbed Jupiter's shoulder, his mind full of question marks, and he became even more confused.

\"Jupiter, what!? What are you hiding!? What have you been doing for so long!? I listen to you, tell me quickly!! \"

Kirito said sternly as if he was interrogating. This was not what Jupiter was supposed to do in such a weak situation, but Shino had no intention of stopping it.

"Jupiter, !! to speak"

Kirito's angry voice echoed through the room, causing the furniture to shake a little. After about five seconds, when everyone was overwhelmed by the loud voice, Jupiter took a deep breath, as if to muster the last of his strength, and spoke.

"I want to make my mom happy"

About a week ago... I heard Mom and Alice say... I'm an AI that's not as good as everyone else, and I can't survive without my mother's protection... That's a failed AI. ... Mother is such a stupid woman to raise such a thing

Mom's dad and brother are the guys from the company where such uncles and grandpa work, and even Alice said mom, she looked really scared when we talked about it"

Jupiter slowly turned his head and turned his face to Lilan and the others. The eyes that were already invisible, all kinds of sensors were activated with all their might, and it seemed that Lilan and the others had found their location.

\"However, it's true that I can't be a 'messenger' like my sister, and I can't do a good job of hacking or cracking Although I'm Yui's older brother, I can 'not analyze the situation like Yui.' I can't process information, I can't fight like Strea...... I'm weaker than anybody, I'm no more useful than anybody, I'm a loser. Even though I'm Yui and Streya's older brother, my sister's younger brother I can't do anything. No, you can't."

Yui, who continued to scan, moved her hand from the holographic keyboard to her mouth and covered her mouth. Strea and Lilan froze, their windows open, and they couldn't do anything but stare at Jupiter.

"If I'm weak, if I'm weak mom all the time, everybody will curse me. I'm going to get hurt and I'm going to make that horrible face again, I'm going to be in pain. I'm going to make that horrible face... I don't want my mom to get hurt because of me... I don't want her to look like that... I absolutely hate it...

That's why I strive to be stronger and smarter. So I was left with what I really needed to do, in fact, I didn't need to think about getting stronger, and I didn't need to think about being smart

But... That's not going to work... So I cut out all the time I had to play with everybody... The time I spent with my mom... The time I sleep... I try to learn and get smarter, I try to get stronger. Yes"

Then Jupiter's face turned to Kirito, who had been teaching Jupiter swordsmanship and techniques. I stared at his face stained with heavy black liquid and heard Kirito's gasp.

"Then I really got stronger. I'm able to do things that I couldn't do before, and I've found myself stronger and smarter......

Then my mom praised me. He was delighted. So he told me. "You can be stronger, you can be smarter, you can be a more powerful AI." "I want to see you stronger and smarter than you are now."

That's why I want to get stronger, no matter how hard I try. I will graduate from failure. If you do that, your mom will be happy, because your mom will be happy, and you can do whatever you can."

Jupiter turns to Lilan. Lilan froze at the point where she was about to touch the window, turning into a stone statue.

"So, my sister don't tell my mom about it tell her I'm fine, I'm learning, I'm getting stronger, and when I hear that, she's disappointed. I'm going to do it, so please, please, please."

And so Jupiter's long story came to an end. There was silence in the room, but not entirely silence. The sound of erosion coming from Jupiter's body kept ringing out.

Shino couldn't say anything. I can't believe it.

Asuna says that Jupiter wanted to become stronger through his own will, but that wasn't Jupiter's true intention. In fact, Jupiter doesn't want to get stronger. I don't want to be smart either.

However, for the sake of Asuna, Jupiter endured desperately and continued to endure. He continues to get stronger and smarter. Jupiter continued to impose himself on her without telling her how he really felt.

As a mother, Asuna did not know this, and did not even try to understand the child's heart, and continued to force Jupiter to become stronger and smarter.

The result is the current dire situation.

\"Is that you for Asuna? \"

Shino felt her head go numb and whispered. Jupiter turned his head to look at Shino, as if he could hear her voice. Then, Shino saw an even more incredible sight.

A smile appeared on Jupiter's face, which was distorted by pain and stained with a thick black liquid. The voice was faint, "Hey, hey, hey." ”

\"Sister Shino, I'm getting stronger, I'm stronger, I'm very happy to my mother, right\"

“！！”

Shino gritted her teeth. Something touched my cheek. Before I knew it, my tears were falling. Shino wants to stop the tears that will flow from the virtual world due to the slightest fluctuation of emotions.

It was Jupiter who really wanted to cry. Jupiter is the one who suffers here and is dying. It was Jupiter, not me, who should be crying. However, Jupiter was smiling while dripping a thick liquid, like black tears.

"Why are you laughing, you've experienced so many painful feelings, you've suppressed your pain to death, so why are you laughing..."

"Uh-huh"

Jupiter couldn't stop laughing. How could this kid do such a thing?

Just as she was wondering again, Shino felt a flash of light flash in her head. This is what Rilan said back then.

"In the end, Jupiter is a failure, with fatal flaws."

After Shino heard this, she was worried about Jupiter's fatal flaw. I'll find it as soon as I can, and I'm thinking I'll tell Asuna too. However, since I heard this story until today, I have not found anything similar. Until this time.

But now that I've heard everything from Jupiter, I can't help but feel like I can understand that. Jupiter's fatal flaw. Just as I was about to say this, my gaze met Kirito's. He looked like he realized something.

"Kiri T Jupiter"

"That's it, that's Jupiter's fatal flaw"

Jupiter will carry out any order for the benefit of those he cares about. Even if it goes against your will and feelings, you continue to do it with force. No matter how difficult, no matter how painful, no matter how contradictory, he will continue to carry out this command. As a result, the vaccine protector becomes inoperable due to a large number of errors, which can lead to a viral infection that needs to be repaired, or in the worst case, a crash.

If it is for someone else's order, even if it is the original order, he will ignore his own will, thoughts, and desires, and act recklessly. He was a servant who was selfless to the extreme, even hiding his absurdity and carrying out his orders.

This is Jupiter's fatal flaw.

Asuna is the one who has to know this, and the one who has to be aware of it. As a mother, Asuna must recognize Jupiter's fatal flaw as soon as possible.

However, Asuna did not notice this and did not try to inquire about any situation with Jupiter, but continued to impose her unilateral wishes on Jupiter.

Jupiter must have made such a reckless move in front of Asuna somewhere. No matter how hard he tried to pretend he hadn't done anything unreasonable, he probably showed something.

However, Asuna did not notice this at all, did not pay any attention to Jupiter, and continued to impose her stupid ideas and one-sided wishes on him.

Shino looked at Jupiter lying on the bed again. His silver-white hair was mostly dyed black, with a hint of blue, the top of his eyes was also dyed black, and a thick black liquid was flowing from the holes in his face.

The darkness that is about to cover Jupiter's whole body is an abominable virus that threatens Jupiter's life, and the hand of death that transcends the boundaries of the world.

The person who caused Jupiter to contract this virus was none other than himself. It's Asuna.

Shino accepted this, gritted her teeth, and could hear it. Tears did not flow, on the contrary, a fiery anger rose from my chest.

Asuna should have known about Jupiter, but she didn't notice anything.

I can't believe that a child who should be cute has been treated like this.

I couldn't believe I was blind to my child's pain.

Shino lowered her head and shouted to Lilan.

"Lilan, let's get out of the room for a while."

"Why? That's how Jupiter is!? ”

\"Okay, I'm leaving!!" Streya, please contact Teacher Alice! \"

Shino shouted as if to vent the anger in her chest, and then left the room and walked down the stairs.

When I reached the first floor, I heard the same footsteps, and when I turned around, I saw Lilan coming down the stairs.

After Lilan walked down the stairs, Shino spoke again.

"Lilan, call Asuna. Keep calling until she answers. \""Whew"

In her room at home, Asuna sighed deeply. I sighed louder as I put down the bag I was carrying and sat down in my chair.

Although she had been away from home for two days, Asuna had a feeling that she had returned home after a long time. This may be due to the time difference of more than 10 hours between Japan and the United States.

Although it was morning in the United States, by the time I returned to Japan, the sun had already set and night was approaching. Also, I thought it was a little strange that the date had been brought forward to the next day. The day ends in the blink of an eye and the night begins. It's as if he's crossed the whole world.