Volume 16

  “… Kirito-senpai looks a little better this morning.”

  Ronye suddenly murmured, as though she had read Asuna’s thoughts.

  “And he’s eating, too.”

  “Could it be the effect of four pretty girls sleeping beside him?”

  Asuna could not help but smile complicatedly at Alice’s quip.

  Last night had eventually become a situation in which all four of them had lay down beside Kirito and chatted deep into the night. The four of them each shared their memories together with Kirito, but they had far too little time, and eventually surrendered to the demon of sleep.

  What felt like an instant later, the call of the horn awoke them. Then, they dug into breakfast that Ronye brought over like they were now, as Asuna thought about her lover.

  — Kirito-kun doesn’t change wherever he is. He’s that kind to everyone, which causes him too much of a burden, hurting himself in the process.

  — But this has to be one step too far. Actually putting a whole world on his shoulders alone. You needed to rely more on me and other people. Because everyone likes you very much.

  — Of course, I like you the most.

  Asuna felt her heart fill with determination once more. When Kirito awoke, she would tell him with a smile: Don’t worry, everything’s been taken care of. What you wanted to protect, I and everyone else have protected.

  Asuna’s will seemed to infect the other three around her. Alice, Ronye and Sortiliena looked towards her with gazes now fully awake, and nodded forcefully.

  Then, the horn that announced an enemy attack rang throughout the camp with an urgent rhythm.

  With bread dangling from her mouth, Alice raced to her tent, slipped into her armor, grabbed the Fragrant Olive Sword and sprinted back out.

  After meeting up with Asuna, who was also prepared for battle, she said to Ronye and Tiese, “Please take care of Kirito”, and left for the north side of the camp.

  At the boundary of the dark forest, she saw the silhouette of Bercouli with his sword. After receiving the cavalry scouts’ report, the Knight Commander watched as Alice, Asuna, and, after a few seconds, Renri and Sheyta arrived, then grunted with a serious expression:

  “So it seems that the enemy — the Real World guys really have tricks up their sleeve. Seems like Emperor Vector is pretty merciless.”

  What he said next even made Alice bite her lip.

  A forceful cross of a hundred-mel valley merely by thick ropes. If you fall, you die. A task impossible without steely physical and mental fortitude. To be able to use such a strategy, Vector must not care for the details — or rather, he views the lives of his soldiers as mere wastepaper.

  In that case, even if one third of the enemy perished at the bridge, their main forces were still nearly seven thousand strong. One thousand Human Empire troops taking them head-on had no hope of victory.

  Their original strategy of attacking with arts while concealed in the forest was now impossible in the light of day.

  Should they retreat further south and wait for another opportunity to ambush?

  Knight Commander Bercouli’s words interrupted Alice’s confusion.

  “This is war.”

  The ancient hero muttered softly. Bulges of muscle visible on his thick neck, he continued:

  “Putting aside the outsider Asuna-san, this isn’t the time to sympathize with the Dark Territory. If we wanna live we have to take this opportunity.”

  “Opportunity… you said?”

  At Alice’s surprised, parroted question, Bercouli replied with a glint in his eye.

  “Yes. … Knight Renri.”

  His name suddenly being called, the young Integrity Knight immediately straightened his back.

  “Y… Yes.”

  “What’s the furthest range of your Divine Instruments the «Twin Winged Blades»?”

  “Yes. Normally thirty mel, but under Recollection Release, about seventy, no, a hundred mel.”

  “Very good. Then… now we four Knights will storm the main enemy force in the valley. Alice and I will lead, with Sheyta focusing on protecting Renri. Renri will use his Divine Instruments to sever the enemy’s ropes at one end.”

  Alice quietly gasped.

  So — the enemy would definitely protect their crossing ropes with their lives.

  Even if they blocked the opening with a human shield, the throwing knives would curve in their flight, sail above their heads and directly attack the ropes. As Bercouli said, this was a merciless strategy.

  But the young Knight only fifteen years of age slammed his right hand to the left side of his chest, face filled with firm resolve.

  “Yes, sir!”

  Then, The Silent Sheyta said in a low voice:

  “Leave it to me. I will… protect him.”

  Afterwards, Asuna, who had been purposefully left out by Bercouli, stepped forward.

  “I’m coming too. The more defenders, the better.”

  Alice closed her eyes for a moment, then said to herself softly:

  As the situation stands now — I, who burned ten thousand Demihuman troops to death with a gigantic art and murdered two thousand Dark Sorceresses with the Armament Full Control Art, am no longer qualified to seek an honorable fight.

  Now, I can only draw my sword, and kill the enemy.

  “— Let’s hurry.”

  Nodding to all four, Alice looked towards the knoll to the north. The black ridgeline was already tinged with the deep red glow of dawn.

  ***

  Hurry up!

  Hurry, hurry!

  Clenching both his fists, Fist Fighters’ Guild Chief Iskahn shouted silently for the umpteenth time.

  On top of the ten thick ropes stretched across the yawning valley, the Fist Fighters and Dark Knights divided themselves up and began to cross, one by one.

  They had attempted to curl their hands and feet around the ropes and inch across while hanging upside down, but the soldiers, having never experienced any kind of training in that area, moved extremely clumsily. If they had been allocated time to make and distribute safety harnesses for everyone, that would have been beneficial, but the Emperor had given no such quarter.

  Furthermore, Iskahn’s request to be the first to cross had been instantly rejected. It appeared to be an explanation for last night’s expansion of orders, punishment for taking only a small number of his subordinates to engage the enemy. You all must follow my orders alone. The Emperor’s ice-cold voice resounded in his ears.

  Before Iskahn, who was gritting his teeth and staring straight ahead, the frontmost subordinate finally reached the middle of the rope bridge.

  He could see from this distance the copper red skin radiating heat in the cold morning air, droplets of sweat reflecting light. What an arduous task.

  Just then.

  A strong gust of wind blew through the valley.

  Pyoooo! The ropes creaked in protest and began to shake left and right.

  “AH…!”

  Iskahn yelled, in spite of himself. A handful of tribal soldiers, their palms dripping with sweat, slipped off the rope and plunged downwards.

  Beastlike roars shook the valley. The young Chief clenched his teeth. Those were not screams of terror. Those were bellows of remorseful deaths, unable to be afforded an honorable end on the battlefield, forced to play acrobatics.

  After the wind passed by, a two-figure number of Fist Fighters and Dark Knights had fallen into the unending darkness of the valley.

  But the soldiers behind bravely continued crossing. Every three mel a new soldier would grasp the rope.

  More gusts of wind occasionally, unforgivingly taking lives with them every time. Without him noticing, Iskahn’s clenched fists began flaring red.

  — Deaths in vain.

  No, not even that. They didn’t even leave bodies to bury.

  And the goal this time was not the wish of the five races of the Land of Darkness; it was merely the Emperor’s desire for a woman called the «Radiant Med
ium». He didn’t know how to apologize to the tribesmen like this.

  — Faster, faster. Everyone get across, before someone gets in the way again.

  Whether the young Chief’s wishes had reached him, or whether they had merely grown accustomed to his actions, the one in front increased his speed and finally arrived at the other side. After about five seconds, a second one stepped onto firm ground.

  At this rate, it would optimistically take more than an hour for ten thousand soldiers to cross the valley on ten rope bridges. In this long period of time, the enemy had no way of not discovering them here.

  But now he could only pray for their lucky one-in-ten-thousand chance.

  The sun rose in the eastern sky at a frightening speed, throwing reddish light onto the black ground.

  In contrast, the number of soldiers who had gotten across only increased at an infuriatingly slow pace. More and more fell into the valley, increasing from fifty to a hundred, two hundred, and just as that number hit three hundred.

  At the black horizon line in the red sky, five silhouettes on horseback appeared.

  At this distance, even Iskahn with his superhuman vision was unable to discern the features of the horseback enemies.

  — Only five of them… Scouts? Then there’s still time before the enemy adjusts their movements.

  That judgment, or rather, hope, was instantly shattered.

  The five Knights suddenly charged straight towards the valley with alarming speed. Billowing white cloaks, multi-colored shining armor, and what stood out the most to Iskahn, who was unable to deny what he saw radiating from all five of them, thick, powerful fighting intent rising from them like steam.

  — Integrity Knights! And five of them!!

  “Enemy attack!! Defend!! Protect the ropes at all costs!!”

  Iskahn yelled, not knowing whether his voice could even reach the other side at this distance.

  Seemingly hearing the order, half of the three hundred or so soldiers who had successfully crossed the valley surrounded the wooden stakes bound with rope, forming a circular arrangement. The rest prepared to repel the attack.

  The enemy Knights that flew across nearly a thousand mel of wilderness from the hills to the valley leapt off their horses simultaneously, grouped together, and lunged towards the ropes on the right side.

  Leading them was a hulking man in loose white clothing. To his right was a female Knight with shining golden hair and armor. To his left was a female Knight with whom Iskahn had fought against last night, named Sheyta.

  Surrounded by the three of them was a shortish Knight, and behind him seemed to be another, but he could not see exactly.

  Sweat flying from their naked bodies, tens of Fist Fighters sprinted towards them.

  “URAAAA — !!”

  With powerful screams, fists and feet flew towards the Knights.

  Flash, flash flash. Numerous, instantaneous flashes of light.

  Showers of blood plunged into the sky like a reverse waterfall. The hands, feet and heads of the warriors were easily sliced from their bodies.

  Then.

  Silver light that shined in its path flew high into the air from behind the three Knights.

  It drew a curved path above the Fist Fighters’ heads in the red sunrise — flying straight towards the rightmost thick rope with a great number of soldiers still fallen on top of it —

  “NOOOOO — !!”

  Iskahn’s keen ears, undisturbed by his own scream of despair, detected the bzzp of a soft cutting sound.

  The rope snapped back, dancing in the air like a great snake.

  Tens of warriors were instantly thrown off and plunged below.

  As this scene burned into his wide eyes, Iskahn felt words tumble from his numb mouth:

  “Is this… war? Can you call this war?”

  Behind him, his aide Dampe was at a complete loss for words.

  Forced to play acrobatics, his fellow tribesmen who were unable to even stand in front of the enemy, devoured by a crack in the ground, had definitely not endured their grueling training to meet such an end.

  How were they to explain this to their aged parents and sons and daughters back in their homeland?

  They had not died honorably in battle — but disappeared into the ground without a wound on their bodies. How was he to say such a thing?

  Frozen to the spot, Iskahn’s ears rang with the regretful shrieks of his fighters.

  I will avenge you all. So please forgive me. Forgive me.

  Even as he murmured in his heart, Iskahn was unable to immediately point the finger at who he should accuse.

  Facing an enemy several times more than them, the enemy Integrity Knights were already giving it their all. Pleading with them to stop until the last person crossed the valley was impossible. On the contrary, their boldness to seize the opportunity and send only five people to attack was impressive.

  Then who?

  Who should pay for the senseless deaths of the warriors?

  Their commander, who can only clench his fists and stand still like a fool?

  Or —

  Suddenly, excruciating pain that shot across his right eye made Iskahn grit his teeth. Blood-red light wobbled his vision. Yet before him, two more ropes split apart, dancing in the air.

  ***

  In an instant, three of the ten rope bridges were severed. Gabriel Miller watched from behind his own troops, his cheek propped on his hand.

  As expected, in terms of AI, the Human Empire Units excelled a bit more. No, just from situation control, he could see a great disparity between them. Including last night’s first battle, the Dark Territory army had the tables turned on them in an instant, and suffered painful counterattacks.

  No matter how he thought about it, it did not seem like a simulation game in which he fought against the CPU.

  The results of this game involved Gabriel losing more than 70 percent of his own Units. But he did not feel a sliver of impatience.

  Even as he watched hundreds of main force Units get eliminated, he was merely waiting. Waiting for «that moment».

  At this time, Critter, in control of the Ocean Turtle main control room, had successfully decreased the FLA rate to 1:1, an action that synchronized their time with that of the real world. They had spent that much time doing so in order to minimize the impact of decreasing the rate and to prevent the RATH worker who had logged into the Underworld from noticing.

  At the same time, via satellite network, he had released a URL onto a large-scale video game social media website in the United States. The link pointed to a certain publicity website that Critter had quickly set up.

  On the website, a sensational font accompanied with blood splatter special effects declared the following:

  An all new VRMMO is now open for a limited-time closed beta.

  The world’s first killing-only PvP game is born.

  Fully human avatars. No levels, no ethical limits.

  Users who saw these fiery words marveled at the sheer audacity of the development company, yet rejoiced beyond belief.

  As of now — July 2026, as part of a counterterrorism initiative, American VRMMOs had suffered legal limitations. Even for independent games developed through use of The Seed software package, if it had not been reviewed by industry rating boards and had a Code of Ethics applied to it, running its servers would be prohibitively difficult.

  Therefore, activities of cruelty were strictly limited; if one insisted on adding «dismemberment» content, the characters must be set to insectoid figures, like «Insect Site»3. These restrictions, worse than that of Japan, the birthplace of VRMMOs, frustrated players all over the US. Yet now, a mysterious closed beta announcement has suddenly appeared.

  The URL was distributed all over through SNS, and people downloaded, copied, and reuploaded the connection client with frightening speed. In a mere four hours, the number of AmuSpheres connected to the client that Critter had created broke thirty thousand connections.

&nb
sp; Gabriel’s greatest plan that he was unwilling to sacrifice valuable real world time for.

  That is, handing over the Dark Knight accounts in the Dark Territory to the entire American VRMMO player base, letting them connect to the Underworld to display their own fighting strength.

  Not even Kikuoka Seijirou, leader of RATH, or the designer of Underworld Higa Takeru could even dream of such an absurd situation.

  But the underlying architecture of Underworld merely utilized The Seed’s standard VRMMO software package. If it were a game world merely expressed through polygons, anyone could log in as long as they possessed an AmuSphere, and could touch Objects — or kill other characters.

  And it made no difference whatsoever whether the killed characters were real world people or Underworld people.

  7

  Gabriel and Critter’s secret plan was completely out of the RATH technicians’ imaginations.

  On the other hand, even if they discovered it, they had no way of cutting off the satellite connection when the main control room was occupied like this.

  But at the moment Critter sent out the suspicious URL, someone discovered that packet.

  From within the portable terminal that Yuuki Asuna had brought with her, the Top-Down artificial intelligence that had been observing the Ocean Turtle’s internal status — Yui, accessed the announcement website and correctly extrapolated Gabriel’s goal.

  She searched for a way to transmit a warning to the physically locked sub control room, but Asuna’s terminal had been left in her cabin, and no matter how much she sounded her ringtone, no one could hear it.

  As a last resort, Yui could only pull her consciousness back to Japan on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, and called several portable terminals at the same time.

  ***

  Asada Shino, a high school girl in the real world and an elite sniper in the virtual world, was jerked awake, and jumped off her bed in her own apartment.

  Her bedside clock read 3:00 AM. Although she had been awoken at a time like this, she was not the least bit drowsy. The reason for that was the melody she heard was Kirigaya Kazuto’s ringtone.