Kirito and the others continue their exploration in New Ayn Grant, and one day, a scene reminiscent of the role of Ain Grant unfolds.

It has been a long time since landing in this area of ice and snow in the North Trough, and it has been deep into the depths of Oita, but no 'masked NPCs' have been found. Of course, Tia was the initial target of Kirito and his party. I walked through this snowstorm-covered snowstorm, looking for their traces, but I couldn't seem to find their traces and shapes.

On the way, Kirito and the others, who had been scattered to explore, reunite, changing the way everyone gathers in the same place and continuing to explore. The reason is to deal with the anomalies of the monsters.

Since the North Trough is located in a snow and ice area, there are creatures that have evolved to adapt to the extreme cold region, such as hairy pigs, elephants, or blue-bodied scorpions and moths, all of which are monsters.

Kirito expected the field to be full of such people, but the result was very different from what he expected. After about ten minutes of continuing through the blizzard, the monsters began to look a little strange.

Although it looked strange, a part of its body was missing, as if it had collapsed, and there were reddish-purple and black mosaic patterns wriggling in the cross-section, but its posture did not collapse.

Moreover, the names are also garbled, and it is impossible to grasp the exact name. Monsters begin to look like moving corpses or undead zombies, and even after their bodies collapse, they continue to move with instinct and tenacity.

Various unforeseen circumstances have taken place in this world due to the influence of the creation of Ian Grant, but is it possible for such a change to happen? Crane, who accompanied Kirito, and even Lilan, were surprised and confused by the appearance of the monster.

After defeating all the monsters that attacked me, I received messages from friends who were exploring other places, reporting that the monsters were starting to behave strangely. It's dangerous to disperse and explore in this state - Kirito immediately orders everyone to gather, and they decide to gather and explore, which is what they are doing now.

Lizbet and Sirika, who were dressed in cold gear and had probably fought those strange monsters, said with a slightly frightened expression on their faces.

"What do you mean by those monsters? Although I know that they are fake, it's still scary, isn't it? ”

"There are some strange things in the monster's body, it falls everywhere and it is still moving"

The others also looked incredulous at what had happened. Kirito is one of them. I've traveled through the game world with "SAo", "ALo", and "SAo" and I've encountered a lot of strange things. I've encountered many anomalies unique to virtual worlds, but this one seems to be the most serious of them all.

"The name looks garbled, and so does the live event. The explanations are missing or garbled, so I can't read them. ”

"When I kept going, it looked like it was going to be dangerous, so I ignored it and went so far, but what the hell happened?"

As far as I've heard from Ariki and Kaiki and others, the field missions that take place in this neighborhood are also strange, either gibberish or apparently replaced by other scripts, and it is said that there is a problem. If you continue to do this, you may end up in a worse incident. I felt like I made the right decision to ignore it and not move forward and get to this point.

"What the hell is going on? Why is this strange thing happening? ”

Asuna, who was also caught up in it, shouted to Jupiter. Ever since Asuna and Lifa had gone on an expedition and encountered strange things, Jupiter tapped on the holographic keyboard whenever she had free time. Even now that he has stopped walking, he is still tapping on the holographic keyboard, but he is definitely doing it in search of something.

\"I'm investigating with Yui, but I haven't found a specific cause yet, but it's certain that there are problems with objects, including monsters. It's not that serious, but there are some mistakes on the part of the management that are unintentional by the developers. That's why monsters are like this. ”

"Why do you do it again? This game is run by the Cardinal System, which can fix glitches and bugs at any time. ”

It was Lilan who answered Shino's question. Now that she's back in her werewolf form, she opens a window connected to a holographic keyboard and looks inside, just like her brother.

"The cardinality system should be working properly. It seems that there are some external factors that are causing bugs with monsters and quests. We need to investigate further to find out what it is. Not attached. ”

Then Kirito looked around and looked at his friends. Among them, Alice, who temporarily joined the developer of this game, and Xiao Qi, who is still working, are nowhere to be found. Due to work and research, neither of them was able to come today.

If they were there, they might have figured something out. That's why I regret that they were left out.

Meanwhile, Pleimir, dressed in a warm winter coat, walks towards Kirito, who is thinking.

"I think Tia is too dangerous to be alone in this situation. Maybe Tia too"

Her fears were justified. The Prime Minister and the Tier here are both inhabitants of this world and are connected to the core systems of this world.

Since monsters are like this, then, it is very likely that even the Prime Minister and Tier will become like this, and most importantly, the monsters are only ruined in appearance for the time being, but their status will eventually change. It is even possible to collapse and appear with abnormal attack power or combat power.

It would be too dangerous to leave Tia alone in a realm that is not suitable for management, not for development, or even for the cardinal system. Although it is an AI equipped with a heart box, in any world NPC, once you die, you are stuck. That's why we need to find Tia as soon as possible and take her to safety.

"Ah, Tia might become like a monster too. It's too dangerous here, we need to get them back as soon as possible. \"

"But do you have any clues? We thought we had searched everywhere, but we didn't find anything that we thought was Tia. ”

"Now that I think about it, I didn't find masked NPCs either, maybe they weren't around here."

Diabel and Lilan are of the same opinion.

We've been on the lookout for the scattered, bizarre-behaving monsters, but Tia and I haven't found any trace of the masked NPCs. If we all go out and explore like this, we're likely to get lost. Is there a way to find Tia and the masked NPC's trails?

Kirito was about to think when he was interrupted by Marie.

"Anyway, let's go find out. In a venue like this, I'm worried about Tia - woo woo woo!? \"

Just as she was about to speak, Mary suddenly lost her position and fell down. Kirito was taken aback and immediately took it, and everyone in the room was taken aback. Immediately, Asuna, Jupiter, Shina, Lilan, and Strea ran towards me.

Kirito looked at the prime minister in surprise, but the prime minister clenched his head with both hands. His face was contorted with excruciating pain. It's like being hit by a strong headache. Well, that may be the case.

"Marie, what's wrong!? Marie!? ”

"Head? Headache? ”

"No, Nika, Nagarekun, Dee."

Something came to my head - that's what Marie was trying to say. Humans will never be like that, so I can't grasp anything. So, instead of Kirito, it's the same AI Lilan and Jupiter who ask Marie.

"Marie, what do you mean by that? What will happen to you!? ”

"Marie, be strong! Do you know what!? ”

"Whew, Whew, Whew"

The next moment, Plemir opened his eyes and stood up, trying to slip away from Kirito. Just before the pain seemed to subside instantly, he shouted:

"Tears !?"

Yell. Marie, who never shouted, suddenly made such a noise, and we were all speechless. Mary stood up suddenly, opening her mouth again in that position.

"Tia, are you there?!? \"

"Marie...?"

Just as Kirito timidly called out to him, Plemir suddenly lost his position as if he had broken a rope and fell. This time it was Shino who caught it. As it rested on Shiina's chest, Primel began to breathe heavily.

"Marie, you"

"Tia is here"

When everyone was surprised again by Plake's answer to Shino, Plake explained. Just when she suddenly had a headache, she seemed to feel a signal coming from a nearby corner. She says it's not Lilan's thing, Jupiter's thing, Streya's thing, and Yui's thing, and it's definitely a signal she can feel from Tia.

"Tia's signal? Did all three of you get it? ”

Hearing Kirito's question, Lilan, Jupiter, and Strea all shook their heads. There was a strange look on everyone's faces, and soon Strea said.

"We didn't feel anything. We don't feel Tia's signal. ”

"First of all, the Anima box signal cannot be used to identify individuals. But what does it mean that it is a signal that can be identified as belonging to Tia? ”

Marie answered Jupiter's question. Plumir, who had risen from Shiina's arms, seemed to be in a better mood. The headache and discomfort seem to be short-lived.

"I don't quite understand it either. But I did feel that Tia's signal was right in front of me. There is no doubt about it. Tia is here, in front of me. ”

Although there is no evidence for this, Kirito can indeed be trusted.

The Prime Minister and tia are the daughters of the Anima Box who are equipped with the same Anima box as mhhp and mhcp, and their greatest trait is that they always tell the truth and never lie - first of all, it is a human privilege to be able to lie. Alice says that it is impossible to reproduce the girls who will be created as AI with human nature. There is basically no lie in this statement. So Marie's testimony is true.

And, perhaps, because Primel and Tia are twins, they have the ability to perceive each other. I wouldn't know unless I asked Alice, but it was about her, so I'm sure she did so much.

Asuna talks to Marie, who is not with Shino.

''Chamari um, do you know the exact location of Tia-chan?'' How much do you feel? ”

Pleimir turned to look at Kirito and the others, but then shook his head.

"But I only felt Tia's signal for a short time. I think I know the approximate location, though. Anyway, if I go from here, Tia will be there. ”

The North Trough Ice and Snow Zone is full of snowstorms. However, by the time the monsters started to behave abnormally, the blizzard had turned into light snow, and the visibility was relatively improved. You might even find Tia in it. After confirming this, Kirito turned to Marie.

"Marie, may I ask for directions?"

Although it was caused by the intervention of the cardinal system, Marie was also responsible for guiding Kiritto and others. The reason why I was able to get to this point was because of Marie's guidance, and Kirito and others also thought so, so they wanted to rely on Marie's guidance. As if sensing this, Pleimir turned to the right and faced Kirito and the others. His eyes shone with a strong will.

"Yes, please come with me, and I will guide you with my will and strength."

What would happen if we created almost nothing for the Anima box-equipped AI and released it to the virtual world in a "zero state"? To conduct this experiment, I created and implemented Prime and Tier.

Alice said.

When we first met, Marie was completely blank and didn't seem to have any emotions, but now Marie is completely different. If the current prime minister is at the stage where "everything has been packed up to level 100", as Alice describes, then he is arguably at his best. Otherwise, I don't think it would be so reliable.

At the premiere, while everyone was smiling, Shino said it in a way that everyone could hear.

"Then let's move on. Marie will show us the way, so I'm sure we'll find Tia soon. ”

"By the way, let's go find Tia. \"

After everyone nodded as Kirito commanded, Marie said "go this way" and began to instruct. Kirito and the others surrounded Plemir as much as they could, leaving them a clear path and starting to move forward.

After passing through a snowfield with relatively little snowfall, you will be greeted by a cliff. The snow was falling, so white that I couldn't see the bottom, and when I looked down, I only felt a tremor in my stomach. Kirito warns everyone that if he falls, he won't have another drop of water.

There is also a forest of beautiful frost trees near the cliffs, but Marie's instructions do not point us in that direction and continue to point us near the cliffs, where we can't see the bottom. Marie walked as far as she could, but the risk of falling was still there, so everyone walked cautiously. After about two minutes of walking, we came to a bridge that connected the other shore to the other side. This is not a man-made bridge, but a bridge carved out in the shape of a cliff.

I crossed the bridge, which was not man-made and lacked security, and when I was halfway there, I saw a huge black figure standing in the snow. It is a huge structure, partially eroded by snow and ice. The exterior resembles a castle or palace in the West, surrounded by a circular enclosure wall, and the end of the bridge leads to a hole in the wall.

Judging by the size of the castle and palace at the top, I know that this is also the size of a castle town. It is probably a large labyrinth of the North Trough Ice and Snow Domain, which is equivalent to the old Ayn Grant Labyrinth area.

Kirito had already guessed how complicated the terrain was before entering, and he prayed in his heart that Tia's location was not inside, but Primir said, "That's where Tia's signal is." "Yes." He said.

I don't think it's reasonable to look for Tia's whereabouts in this case, but Marie also said, "We can find out where she is." "It's impossible without a hint, but if there's Marie's instructions, it's fine. Kirito breathed a sigh of relief and walked into Syracuse with his friends.

The interior of the castle looks like a typical stone dungeon. It's not a place to defend against intruders, it really looks like a labyrinth of buried treasures, and it's hardly lit.

And, due to the sky conditions in the snow and ice area of the North Trough, even at 3 p.m., no sunlight came in – there were no windows at all. It is a dungeon that is worthy of being the home of the dead and ghosts. Asuna, who was completely powerless about these things, and her son Jupiter were trembling.

However, since Tia seemed to be there, the two must have known that there was no way back, so they mustered up the courage to continue to move forward and go deeper. Sure enough, though, it seemed impossible for a small group of people to explore, so in the end, we all continued to explore under Marie's instructions.

It is impossible for such a strange labyrinth to be unguarded. As soon as the search began, we were greeted by a guard in the area. These are the demonic monsters I've seen on the battlefield so far, with black human bodies with goat-like heads and horns, and they're all coming at me with swords, spears, and two-handed axes. Although this is expected by Kirito, there are also things that go beyond that.

These monsters aren't just demons, they're real dead people. Sure enough, many parts of his body had collapsed and defected, and the section was covered with churning red and black mosaic patterns. Despite his missing arms, he held the sword and spear, which seemed to float in a safe position. And the sword, the gun, and the two-handed axe all attacked Kirito and the others with the correct wielding of the master.

Just like the monsters out there, they encounter events, cause bugs, and become ghosts in the virtual world. The labyrinth inhabited by these people is really like a kingdom of the dead, a place that the righteous should not approach. However, if you cut down the dead, they will take damage, and once their HP is empty, they will disappear normally, becoming experience points and dropping items.

No matter how terrifying it may seem, it turns out to be no different from a normal monster. Kirito and others, who realized this, were not afraid of hardships and dangers, and struggled to move forward.

After about 30 minutes of fighting and fighting, I suddenly heard a voice ahead. At the same time, the screams and screams of monsters that had become weird rang out. Apparently there was a player who arrived here earlier than us. It's an empty field, and there's nothing strange about the presence of other players, but it sounds like a battle right now.

If you listen closely, you can only hear one type of player shout, but you can hear multiple monster calls. The player may be alone against an army of monsters.

Since Kirito and the others act in multiple people, they can intercept even if there are many monsters attacking at the same time, but it is impossible for players who act alone to do so. We are on the same mission, so let's help each other. Everyone took Kirito's suggestion and walked in the direction of the sound.

"Found it! It's over there! ”

It was Lifa who spoke in a voice that everyone could understand. As I turned in the direction she was pointing, I saw the battle going on there.

Kirito sensed that only one player with a two-handed sword was fighting a large group of monsters. The monsters are all demons who effortlessly move their collapsed bodies to attack the player. It's not funny, because there's a room full of people like that. In the long run, players will eventually be beaten.

Before Kirito could give instructions after confirming the situation, the ghost pounced on the player. His drooping hands held a twin axe, the blades glinting. Judging from the movements, it is clear that it is the heavy blow two-handed axe sword technique 'Smash' that Egil often uses. Kirito immediately ran forward, drew his twin swords, and stood between the player and the deceased, assuming a spinning and slashing pose.

The moment the deceased's axe fell, he spun it and slashed violently, and the two blades blasted the deceased out, and a shock wave was generated centered on Kirito, and the surrounding dead were also blown into the void. Wall.

When the large-scale attack dual-wielding sword technique 'Terminating Revolver' broke out, the sword skills of various weapons behind Kirito were unleashed one after another, and the light of various colors went wild. The crowd followed Kirito and rushed towards the deceased, using sword skills. Soon after, Kirita and Shino, whose bodies were no longer stiff after use, turned on the switch, and the tip of the gun was wrapped in light.

After a roaring shout, Shino brandished her spear in a dance-like motion. More times than Kirito spins, slashing the dead at once with a tip wrapped in light.

Because the Wide-Area Attack Sword Skill "Spiral Twice" is released immediately after the "Terminating Revolver", those who are about to attack the player and nearby dead immediately clear their health, and the effect is also removed, rolling up and disappearing.

Next, the sword skills of the other companions are mixed with the switch and unleashed, destroying the dead. The fierce warriors who had conquered the extreme world of SAo, and in the blink of an eye, the dead disappeared from the room.

When Kirito sees that he can no longer confirm the figure or signs of the deceased, he retracts his twin swords from his scabbards and turns his head to face the player, but then he is surprised. The player who Kirito and the others help has a strange appearance, wearing a white mask that covers his face from the nose to the top, a robe with reddish-purple lines, and a hood on his head, which is Noda.

"Hey, wait a minute. Are you real?! ”

"Isn't that a masked NPC?"

Argo and Spiegel were the first to react to this appearance. Originally, I followed the "masked NPC" in the intelligence of the informant and his apprentices to enter Ayn Grant. However, considering that Tia was also in Ayn Grant, I decided to prioritize looking for Tia, so I came to this point.

Although I came with such a priority, it was not Tia who was waiting for me, but a 'masked NPC'. The second goal appears first, not the first.

\"This、Is it!? Is this a "masked NPC"!? \"

As soon as Agil's words came out, everyone was shocked. If you think about it, according to the intelligence of Argo and others, the 'masked NPC' wears a mask and wears a robe. The human in front of you has the same physical characteristics as the 'masked NPC'. This is definitely a 'masked NPC'.

"It's a 'masked NPC' that feels really rare."

Everyone seemed to agree with Kirito's whisper. Some of the NPCs in towns and fields certainly have unique appearances, but I still feel that they have a sense of versatility. However, the 'masked NPCs' here are distinctly unique and different from the NPCs we have seen so far. That's something that gives to the so-called rare.

Just as I was excited about encountering such a rare item, the 'Masked NPC' suddenly threw his arm away.

\"Npc？ No! I'm not like that! I'm not like the mob. I'm not like that!! \"

Everyone was surprised again to find that the 'masked NPC' suddenly shouted and became angry. Moreover, what surprised me even more at the time was that the voice of the masked NPC was female, and there was obvious emotion in the voice.

\"WWhat are you talking about, Npc!? \"

"What do you mean it's not an NPC?"

As Crane and Kem spoke side by side, the Masked NPC glared at them. Crane and Kaim were both shocked, for although they were covered by masks, they must have seen the light in his eyes.

However, a person immediately appeared between the 'Masked NPC', Crane and Keim.

"Well, you"

It's the premiere and she's trying to peek behind the mask of the "masked NPC". On the other side, the questioned 'masked NPC' looked at Mary and remained silent. A palpable look of confusion could be seen at the corner of his mouth. The appearance of Prime Minister E is not a surprise.

"You're Marie"

All reacted to the words that came out of the mouths of masked NPCs. Now, the 'Masked NPC' calls out Marie's name. "Masked NPC" says names that you wouldn't know when you first held an NPC meeting. Marie's eyes widened in surprise as she was called.

"Oh, do you know my name?"

Just as the 'Masked NPC' was about to say his next word.

"Are you—uh!?"

"-Ahh

The prime minister and the masked NPC suddenly screamed and hugged their heads. The headache just now seems to be back. This alone is already surprising, and even more surprising is that even the 'Masked NPC' is in the same state.

"Marie!? And also! ”

"W-What's wrong?" What's wrong with you two!? \"

When Shino and Lizzebetter said this in confusion, the people around them also began to be confused. Among them, the 'masked NPC' was the first to speak.

"Come in don't come in I、I don't agree!!"

The voice sounded like he was trying to shake something off. Kirito didn't understand what he was referring to or what he was talking about. However, the headache doesn't seem to be something that's going on inside her, it's being given to her from the outside.

The 'Masked NPC' suddenly let out a scream, and its body was enveloped in a noisy white light. Before Kirito and the others could be surprised, the light spread like an explosion, illuminating the dark labyrinth as if it were daytime.

The glow was similar to that of Lilan's transformation into the wolfdragon's form. As soon as the voice subsided, Kirito withdrew his attention and was speechless.

Where the "Masked NPC" is, the "Masked NPC" disappears and is replaced by a girl. Although her face, hairstyle, and clothing are the same as at the premiere, her hair and eyes are dyed silvery-white. That number was exactly what I was looking for......

"Tia !? "Wow, Tia's appearance is not what we know anymore. ”

"Yes. That's Tia, but that's a form we don't recognize. \"

Kirito and the others returned from the North Trough Ice and Snow Region to the Kirito family, which is located at the northernmost point of the Jewel Peak Lake Group. After encountering something in the maze of the North Trough Ice Zone, Marie immediately complained of a headache and passed out.

Although he was indeed alive, it was impossible for him to faint with a headache. As a result, Kirito and his friends interrupt the search and return home. When Kirito, Shino, Lilan, Yui, and Strea return to the wooden house at Lake Jewel Peak, which is their home and a meeting place for everyone, Yui, who is far away at home, greets them and joins them. Someone.

It was Alice, the one who created Yui and Streya, Lilan and Jupiter, Prime Minister and Tia. Yui explained to me that she came because she was able to find enough time to log in to everything.

Alice was taken aback by seeing the unconscious Marie, but she immediately took a pose and listened to Kirito's and the others. While leaving Asuna and Jupiter to take care of Marie, Kirito sends Marie to a bed on the second floor, and immediately tells Alice about many things that happened in the North Groove Ice Domain.

Alice continues to listen to Kirito's story without any signs of surprise, perhaps because he is one of her friends who has faced and overcome many strange situations and difficulties.

"It's strange, under normal circumstances, the prime minister and Tia don't change their appearance, and I set the appearance of those girls myself."

"If the situation changes, does it mean that something unusual has happened to Tia-chan?"

Alice nodded to a worried Celica. Alice doesn't seem to be affected by the worries of Celica and the rest of her friends.

"I'll tell you more about that later, but there's one section that stands out more to me." My end may be sad and lonely and I can't find the answer. "Of course Tia said so."

The true identity of the 'Masked NPC' I found in the North Trough Ice Labyrinth is Tia.

After Kirito and the others come into contact with Tia, who has become a "masked NPC", both Tia and Pleimir suddenly have headaches, and Tia also recovers from the "masked NPC". When Kirito and the others learn that the 'masked NPC' is Tia, Tia transforms into the 'masked NPC' form.

At this time, Marie seemed to sense something and immediately asked Tia. "Is this feeling of sadness and loneliness characteristic of Tia?" Tia nodded. "I might end up in a sad and lonely place where I can't find answers."

With that, Tia left the scene, and Plemir fainted. Kirito and his friends thought about pursuing Tia, but they decided to return because they were concerned about Plemir's condition and had more information.

"I wonder what the possibilities are that Tia is talking about."

Lizbet asked with a questioning expression, but Kirito couldn't answer. Mary seemed to feel something, but she hadn't come back to her senses. Since I was in a state where I couldn't even seek answers, my problems only got worse.

It was Alice who answered Lizbet's question.

"At least it has something to do with Tia's change in appearance. Well, though, I'm surprised. I didn't expect Tia to make her own changes as well. I didn't do anything to that girl, did I? ”

Alice looked very happy when she said this. Tia is one of the artificial intelligence created by Alice and is equipped with an Anima box, which is a testament to her creation. Alice must have been glad that Tia left her mother's hands, went through her own changes, and grew in a sense.

"I think so. However, looking at his appearance, it seems that he did not change voluntarily. I'm afraid this is different from the situation between me and Jupiter. ”

Lilan, who spoke to Alice, did not have her current appearance and abilities. In order to prevent itself from being harmed, it imports all kinds of data into the mental energy box, and its current form is formed by that influence.

In addition, by importing Asuna's avatar data, Jupiter now shares some of her hair colors, eye colors, and personality. Alice, who seemed to be unaware of all this from the beginning, seemed happy to say, "Lilan and Jupiter showed me the potential of the Anima Box. ”

The Anima box also belongs to this tier, which offers a range of possibilities. And now, it has undergone completely different mutations from Lilan and Jupiter, Yui and Streya, and has also undergone changes that cannot be called healthy like Lilan and Jupiter. Kirito thought so.

\"Why did something like this happen to Tia-chan? Do you know anything about Teacher Alice? \"

Alice shook her head at Lifa's inquiry. This is the reaction of Kirito's imagination.

"If you don't investigate, you won't know the details of the story. But there is no doubt that something unusual is happening. Isn't it, Yui? \"

Yui, who had been operating the holographic keyboard and investigating from Alice's point of view until Kirito returned, responded to her mother's words.

"Yes. Miss Tia and Daddy saw the strange monsters with garbled names that were the result of some kind of anomaly in this world. I can't say anything right now, because I'm still analyzing, but there are, of course, some big things that are happening that are affecting the way we exist. ”

Yui and Jupiter's analytical abilities are proven to be able to complete tasks at breakneck speed when they are commissioned to investigate and analyze data. Even these girls haven't finished analyzing it, which probably means that this incident has gone deep into the deepest part of this world and this game. In any case, it seems that it will take some time.

Just as Kirito was thinking this, he remembered something he was curious about and asked Alice.

"Now that I think about it, Alice Sand, it seems that Plemir was able to grasp the signals sent by Tia, while Lilan, Jupiter, and Strea were not. Thanks to this, we found Tyr, but Plemir has something similar. Is it? Is that so? \"

Alice's whole body twitched, and her hands were crossed in front of her lower abdomen. This is a strange habit of Alice that I've noticed since SAo.

"Uh, does this feature work? Prime and Tier do have such a feature. Unlike the Anima box signal, it is a function that communicates with a signal that can only be felt by two people. This world is new to me and new to me. "Anything, with those girls. We'll be able to feel each other. ”

It's a world where anything can happen - so strange things like the birth of Ayn Grant, Tia's appearance changing, and the monster's shape becoming strange keep happening. In "SAo" and "ALo", things have been resolved to some extent, but in "SAo", a lot of unusual things are starting to happen. Perhaps whatever happens, it shouldn't come as a surprise.

"It's strange though, this signal can be sensed by Marie and Tia at any time if they are conscious, but Marie probably didn't understand Tia's signal until then."

"It seems that Marie only grasped Tia's position for a moment, and then said that he couldn't understand and couldn't feel it"

Listening to Shino's explanation, Alice let out a "hmm" and leaned against the wall.

"Much like when the Cardinal interfered with the Prime Minister, this time, there was some kind of force acting on Tia's body, acting as a jammer, making it impossible for them to detect each other. Something like this is happening. Here's why. "Yes-"

Just as Alice was about to speak. Hearing multiple footsteps on the second floor, everyone turned around. Plemir, who had passed out in bed, and Asuna and Jupiter, who were caring for her, also came down. As soon as she reached the first floor, Asuna shouted to everyone.

"Guys, Marie is feeling better."

Mary, who was moaning with a headache at the time, looked much better. As a result, both Asuna and Jupiter showed relieved expressions, and the others followed suit. However, the person concerned was apologetic.

"I'm sorry because of me, I had to look for Tia again. If I had been stronger, this wouldn't have happened."

"No, no, there's nothing to apologize for, I'm relieved that you didn't have an accident."

As soon as Kirito said this, everyone at the premiere showed the same expression and shook their heads. When Marie's face calmed down a little, Shino approached him and shouted to him.

"Marie, how did you feel at the time? Did you find out about Tia? ”

Marie folded her hands over her chest. His expression was as if he had just witnessed something painful, and his mouth opened silently.

"I felt very lonely at the time. I felt sad and lonely, alone all the time, with no one looking at me, and this feeling flooded into my heart. He said it was a possibility. ”

I'm sure he said something similar before he broke up with Tia. I've been concerned about this question, but I've never been able to give a clear answer. Lifa presumably expressed doubts about Marie's words and asked him to raise her hand.

"Possibility has a more positive image, but I guess that's not the case with Tia-chan."

Away from the wall, Alice walked up to Marie and spoke to the group.

"Tia has been persecuted by humans to the point of wanting to destroy everything in the world, and she naturally does not trust humans easily, but because of this, she has caused herself a lot of trouble. Probably. And, even though Tia fainted due to a headache that caused Marie, she still tries to do things on her own and doesn't depend on anyone"

"I can't just leave her alone, let's hurry up and chase Tia-chan and bring her to us!"

Everyone nodded to the energetic Yuki, and then started shouting things like "Let's hurry up and chase him". Whatever the reason, no matter how much she refused, she couldn't and shouldn't leave Tia alone.

It was we humans who had pushed Tia into such a situation. My duty is to make Tia's painful emotions disappear and purify her. What we need to do hasn't changed.

When Kirito checked again, Plemir approached. Unlike before, his complexion gives the impression of being brave and strong.

"Kirito, let's go after Tia again. If Tia's exploration of her potential ends in sadness, then I want to look for new possibilities. I'm not going to make Tia miserable anymore. I want to guide you to the possibilities. \"

"We feel the same way. I'm sure Tia is still in pain. I'm sure he will continue to do so. I've got to get him out of that place quickly. Let's set off again to explore the North Trough Ice Zone. ”

When I said this to everyone, not just the premiere, all my friends responded in unison: "Oh! "Everyone seems to want to save Tia. No, everyone understands that it's all their own responsibility.

With such a friend by my side, I believe that after finding Tia, I will be able to purify her mind. With a stronger will and hope than he imagined, Kirito went to the portal with his reassuring companions and flew to the North Trough Ice and Snow Domain again.

They teleported from the portal of Kirito and the town around his house to the North Groove Ice Zone. The midpoint of the maze where you meet Tia is recorded as a teleportation point. I was thinking that I might have to start from scratch, so I thought it would help me. But I couldn't feel safe. The labyrinth is littered with corpses, and once an intruder is spotted, it will attack mercilessly.

Obviously, if this situation is a headache, even Tia will be at a loss. Kirito and his party split into groups and set off to find Tia. No one complained, they started distributed search, probably because they understood that now was not the time for them to talk about it.

Among them, Kirito formed a team of four people, including himself. Kirito, Shino, Lilan, Pleimir. This is an approach I often use when exploring the field. This configuration allows Pleimir to search for things with peace of mind, as he is protected by Kirito, Shiina, and Lilan.

Marie has been guiding me, and I often find that there is something important ahead. Although this may not be the case now, Kirito can't help but hold on to a glimmer of hope and decides to continue this four-person gathering.

I cut down the injured dead who had fallen into madness as I continued to the exit of the labyrinth. When I walked outside, I found that it was already night. The sky, once covered by thick snow clouds, is now free, with gold-grained stars shining and the full moon taking center stage.

I opened the window and looked at the time, and it was already around 6:30 p.m. It was time for dinner, but I didn't have time to quit. Once you've found Tia, you'll be able to quit and go to dinner. Every moment counts. Kirito hurriedly tried to cross the bridge that led to the outside of the labyrinth.

The bridge is a natural object similar to what existed before entering the labyrinth. There are no handrails or decorations. If I slip because of strong winds, I'll go straight to the bottom. That's when I tried to cross, as careful as I came.

I saw a black shadow appear in front of me. Kirito and the others immediately prepared to draw their weapons. Because the black shadow was only about the same size as the dead people he had dealt with before. It's coming our way.

Did it catch the attention of a dead animal in the distance? If this is the case, then the corpse can sense its prey even at a great distance, which is equivalent to a mid-boss creature. Although it is dangerous to fight in such a small space, there is nothing we can do but do it. Kirito stopped and assumed a posture of interception, but

The ghostly figure came closer to me than I expected and began waving special gifts. Even at the mid-boss level, there are not many people who can reach such speed. Could it be that he has become extraordinarily powerful because of his involvement in the incident? Kirito thought instantly, and the blade struck him.

\"Kirito!! \"

However, instead of hitting Kirito, the blade stopped with a metal-like sound, as if colliding with something as hard as iron. And, just before that, Kirito heard a voice, and then something jumped in front of him, which made Kirito take aback. My eyes widened when I finally confirmed what had happened.

"Prime Minister, and Tia!? \"

The real identity of the approaching figure is a woman in a black robe and a white mask. This is exactly the rank Kirito they are looking for. The giant sword it wielded was intercepted by the prime minister with a sword several times thinner than his own.

"Tia, what's wrong!?" \"

"Tia, stop!"

Shino and Lilan raised their voices in surprise, but Tia didn't answer. The eyes under the mask were fixed on Marie, who was fighting. Marie opened her mouth when she noticed that his gaze fell on her.

"Tia, I found it! \"

Tia gritted her teeth and replied. It was as if a powerful force was exerted on his voice and body.

"I said it all, don't have anything to do with me, don't look for me, but why are you chasing me?"

"It doesn't make sense for you not to get involved, I'm here to take you home just so that you can know the truth about what happened to me."

"What would you do if you knew?"

"I will help you. I will cover your grief potential with something else. That's why I'm here. ”

Perhaps because Marie's words were unexpected, Tia was pushed back slightly by Marie. However, Tia quickly regained her position and retreated to the middle.

"It's a problem caused by my potential, in other words, it's my own problem."

"Then I can't leave you alone, if that's your problem, that's my problem."

The next moment, Tia gritted her teeth and tried to push Marie into her position. Plymir stepped back slightly, readjusting his rapier and keeping his distance from Tia.

"Don't act like you know! You have reached your potential for happiness, and you are fully satisfied. What do you understand! You have been accepted by humanity and you have never been persecuted or anything!! ”

Hearing this, Kirito's voice choked. Completely the opposite of Tia, Plemir has never been persecuted by humans. Because we protected them and gave them love.

Then, Tia loses anyone to help her, she loses Genesis, the person she can trust, and her friend Anubis. In Tia's mind, anything Marie said would make her angry. After all, it was we humans who made Tia like this.

Tia's current appearance is the result of the sins committed by humanity in the "SAo". Kirito couldn't help but think about it, and at the same time felt a sharp pain in his chest. Standing like a shield, Pleimir bowed his head vertically.

"Yes. So I can't leave you alone. I want to prevent you from reaching the possibility of this grief. If you try to reject it, I will force you to accept it. I'll let you do it. \"And I'll tell you, there's no need to hate humans! ”

"If you dare to stand in my way, I'll cut you down, even you!!"

With that, Tia readjusted her broadsword, and I could clearly feel her anger and fighting spirit. It seems that Tia is seriously planning to fight us. Even if his family Marie is his opponent, he will not show mercy. Kirito felt that it would be too clumsy to continue like this, and was about to draw his sword, but was stopped by Marie's outstretched arm.

"If Tia wants to, I'll take it. I will also wield my sword to stop you from cutting us down. I want to help you believe that this feeling is real and I can say it with confidence! ””

"Prime Minister, are you going to fight Tia?!"

Marie nodded, answering her distant sister Lilan's question. With that, he turned his face gently to me.

\"I learned a lot from Kirito, Shino, and Lilan and became stronger. I have great power now. I want to use this power to save my sisters who are suffering. Please let me do that. \"

Mary's voice was full of strong will. It's the strongest thing I've ever heard. Marie was strong enough to make such a sound. Kirito didn't think he would do anything that would get in the way of the premiere.

As if sensing this, Marie continued.

"And, if Kirito they cut down Tia, Tia will turn into a blue cursor. However, if I fight, there is no such danger. So, this time it's my turn! \"

I'm sure whoever stops Marie, he won't stop. He thinks that all he has to do now is stop Tia, and Tia has no intention of stopping it. Kirito took a deep breath, retracted his sword from its scabbard, and took a step back.

"Okay. Marie, I asked about Tia. ”

\"Wait, Kirito!? \"

"Are you going to let them fight?!"

Shino and Lilan's surprise was also expected. Kirito continued.

"However, if you are in danger, we will come to your rescue. Leave the backup to us. ”

The Prime Minister smiled slightly, and Shino and Lilan seemed to understand the situation. When Marie turned to face forward, Tia slashed into the sky with her sword.

"My potential is up to me, and I can't resist letting you, who are as full of potential as everyone else, step into it!!"

Tia roared, kicked the ground, and ran towards Marie. As soon as the match began, Tia shouted and flashed her greatsword in front of her. Enemies that need to be slashed with the knife can be dodged by retreating.

That enemy was Tia's twin sister, whose name was Marie. Believing in human beings who are the opposite of themselves can they not accept any teachings?? Spend your own time, which can be called an abomination. Facing it, Tia wielded her broadsword.

I thought, maybe he's not a good opponent to wield a big sword, but I can't hold back anymore. Tia wielded her greatsword with some reluctance.

"Haha!"

Marie was quick and dodged the swords that came at her in quick succession. This is the second time he has played the prime minister, but it seems that the prime minister is also the prime minister and has been training for combat. Of course, she wasn't alone like Tia, but most likely it was done in a warm place with her friends behind her.

Just thinking about this made Tia's back teeth and arms tense, and passion swelled in her chest. Tia roared, wielding her greatsword, trying to unleash it.

Chop it down, chop it down, chop it into pieces. He tried to slash with his sword in all directions, but he had a hard time hitting Marie. He was supposed to swing it while watching the Prime Minister's movements, but the giant sword tore through the sky.

"This!!"

No matter how angry she was, Tia had something solid in her head. This is a restriction on the use of sword skills.

Sword skills are certainly a kind of cooperation, but because of this, after using them, the sword skills become stiff, exposing the gap. Even with sword skills, once you dodge, you'll start freezing and waiting to attack. So I can only do my best to inject strength into my body and keep repeating the attack.

But for some reason, the attack did not reach the Prime Minister. What's even stranger is that Marie just keeps hiding and doesn't fight back. It's not because he's driven by the intensity of the attack.

Although Tia understood that she was clearly capable of love, Plemir just waited and dodged, and did not attack with the rapier in his hand. It was strange and eerie to Tia, and she couldn't help but feel it.

"Why didn't you attack me?"

He tried his best to cut it down, but by the time he swung it down, Marie was out of range. The great sword slashed through the sky again, smashing into the ground, and the snowflakes and dirt flew like smoke. However, since it was on a bridge-like cliff, the smoke quickly cleared.

At this point, Primir kept his distance from Tia, holding only a rappier. It was an opportunity to attack, but they just let it go and didn't take any action.

"Why"

Despite my muttering, Mary didn't say anything, just stood there staring at me. They don't seem to be just waiting to see what happens. There must be something. The premiere must have an idea and put it into action. But what is that?

That's when Tia came up with an idea. Perhaps the Premier League's goal is to open a decisive gap. My movements had completely stopped, and I was looking for the right moment to launch a fierce attack.

For example, sword skills. A secret technique that causes stiffness after use. Maybe Marie's goal was that moment. I waited for him to unleash his sword skills, leaving me with a big gap. The reason why he doesn't attack is because when there is a gap, he will use his full strength.

When I realized this, I was very irritated. Prime and play are the same. Continue to dodge attacks until there is a decisive gap. And just like that, they've been waiting for us to show our flaws.

The purpose here is to destroy my anomaly and my future possibilities. We can't sit still, but Marie is doing it on her own initiative. The more I thought about it, the more I got the answer, the more angry I became. Even if you swing your greatsword with that frustration, it won't hit you, so it really annoys you.

First of all, the Prime is in contrast to the Tier. She was not persecuted like Tia, on the contrary, she was loved by humans. I was able to snuggle up with people who loved me, and I was able to become stronger without pain. On the other hand, I continued to be oppressed by human beings. Her face shape is exactly the same as Marie's, and her character should be the same.

That's why Tia didn't want to see Marie as much as possible. Not only did I hate that she looked the same as me, but I couldn't help but feel annoyed and hated that I was living a very different life.

That hateful and irresistible thing now stands before me as an enemy. This is a very unpleasant situation. Moreover, even though they were enemies, they did not attack me, and I couldn't help but be even more annoyed.

"Why? Why don't you attack me? Why not fight back! ”

"Because that's not what I want to do!"

"What?"

Tia couldn't help but stop. Although Marie was holding a weapon, she was not in a fighting stance.

"I feel severe headaches from time to time. At that time, I felt very lonely, sad, and miserable. No matter how much I pray for help, it won't come, it's a terrible feeling. "It's going to flow into your body. It's going to be something you'll embrace in the future. You will be the one who is attacked by it. Tia. ”

Tia kept blinking under the mask. Ever since I had this form, I've had headaches from time to time, and the feeling Marie just mentioned keeps coming back. In addition to that, it has sound. "I will be alone forever, no one will love me." Something incomprehensible is constantly whispering. He's trying to destroy it, but it's Marie who stands in the way.

"That's why I can't leave you alone. I can't let you suffer, you're about to be sent to a future where you're going to feel so bad. That's why I'm here. "Not to hurt you, but to help you".

"I'll help you."

\"yes, so, Tia, you don't swing your sword anymore. It's hard for you to swing your sword right now, and you're going to fall at any moment. Please don't push yourself anymore. \"！ ”

Tia's eyes widened. Marie wasn't joking, he was trying to stop our attack.

That's right. The greatsword I hold in my hand feels heavier than usual, and if I let my guard down a little, I feel like it's going to take away my body. Even his body became heavy and lazy, and sometimes it was difficult to even walk. But there was no time to stand still. In order to overcome the possibilities of the future, Tia must keep going and fight without stopping - Tia has convinced herself many times to get to this point.

I shouldn't have told anyone about it, but Marie found out, and I was surprised, and at the same time, a strong sense of irritation and anger rose in my heart.

"Don't be stupid"

Tia couldn't help but whisper. What do you know? For a person like you, who has never been persecuted by anyone and has been treated specially, what can a person like you, who is full of bright futures, know?

"What else do you know?!"