Somewhere on Floor 5, hidden from any player's eyes, Kayaba stared at a holographic screen displaying Charlie's battle against Fatal Scythe in real time.
Unlike other players whose avatars mirrored their real-world appearances, Kayaba's avatar bore no resemblance to his actual lanky frame. Instead, it was idealized: muscular, tall, and physically imposing, with sharp, scholarly features and steel-gray hair with a single strand falling over his forehead.
"This is a problem. This anomaly's power exceeds my expectations. Even Fatal Scythe, with strength equivalent to bosses above Floor 90, was dispatched effortlessly. That means this anomaly can defeat every Floor Boss in Aincrad."
Realizing this, Kayaba frowned deeply. His meticulously crafted plans were disrupted by this unknown anomaly.
It was a variable he hadn't accounted for.
"What should I do? If left unchecked, this anomaly will leave no chance for other players to face Floor Bosses. Sword Art Online would lose its purpose."
Kayaba's goal wasn't just to trap ten thousand players but to create a world they had to conquer with their own hands—a fair yet brutal game. Charlie's existence threatened that foundation.
In this virtual world, Kayaba was an omnipotent god. If he wished, he could kill players in safe zones with a single click. He could manipulate every game aspect and algorithm.
Unfortunately, Charlie hadn't logged into SAO via NerveGear; his soul had somehow entered the game directly.
Thus, Kayaba couldn't directly affect Charlie, like deleting his account or interfering with his avatar. He could only take indirect actions, like sending the strongest available monster to eliminate the anomaly.
"The anomaly seems close to the female player named Asuna, even protective of her."
His gaze shifted to Asuna's data on the screen. Kayaba began drawing conclusions.
"Could it be a guardian AI sent by Yuuki Shouzou to protect his daughter?"
Since the anomaly protected Asuna, Kayaba dug deeper into her identity.
He was slightly surprised to learn Asuna's father was Yuuki Shouzou. He knew the name well—Shouzou was the CEO of RECT Inc., the conglomerate that took over Sword Art Online's servers after Argus went bankrupt due to the SAO incident.
"If RECT has an AI that advanced, why not extract Asuna from SAO instead of sending an AI to guard her?" Kayaba mused, his frown deepening.
Without concrete evidence, he could only speculate about the motives behind Charlie's presence. His plans were slightly derailed by this unexpected existence.
"Should I use Asuna to test the anomaly… Hm? What's that?"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Moments before Fatal Scythe's defeat.
In the distance, Asuna stared unblinkingly at the battle, trying to follow Charlie's lightning-fast movements.
To her, Charlie wasn't just one figure but multiple shadows simultaneously attacking from all directions.
Fatal Scythe, despite its size, could only swing its scythe blindly, each strike missing as its HP bar dwindled rapidly.
"This isn't a player's level anymore."
"So Charlie's this strong?"
A deep admiration mixed with undeniable envy stirred within Asuna. She wanted to be that strong, capable of protecting herself and clearing this death game.
"What's Charlie planning?"
The towering green light pillar erupting from Charlie's sword forced Asuna to shield her eyes from its blinding glare. It was so intense, illuminating the entire ruins as if a miniature sun had risen.
*SWOOSH!*
Then, Asuna witnessed the light cannon surge forward, fully engulfing Fatal Scythe, draining its HP bar to zero.
In seconds, Fatal Scythe vanished, leaving only emptiness and debris. Asuna lowered her hand, her eyes fixed on where the monster last stood.
"Incredible… If I had that power, I could return to the real world…" The thought crossed her mind.
*PU-CHI!*
"Eh?"
Asuna gasped, her confusion briefly erased by a sharp, piercing sensation. A sword blade stabbed through her chest from behind.
In SAO, there were no gruesome blood effects, but the pain was real, though less intense than in reality.
(Am I going to die? No! I don't want to! I won't die without fighting!)
Seeing her HP bar in the corner of her vision plummet from green to yellow, Asuna snapped out of her daze.
"Guh…"
Ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest, she leaped away, drawing the slender rapier at her waist and launching a counterattack.
*SWOOSH!*
Her opponent was a beautiful young woman standing with her sword still drawn. She had long, flowing black hair, with a small portion of her bangs covering her forehead. Her features were refined and symmetrical, with dark eyes radiating sharp intelligence and unsettling calm. Her thin lips were tightly closed, showing no clear emotion.
She wore a form-fitting dark uniform with silver accents on her shoulders and waist, exuding a mysterious yet efficient aura, like a cold, shadowy warrior.
"I need to hurry before that Savior returns."
The woman's voice was a soft whisper, barely audible amid the dusty ruins.
Clearly, her identity was the Abyssal Devourer.
She had waited for Charlie to leave Asuna's side, seizing the perfect opportunity. She wouldn't miss this golden chance.
*SWOOSH!*
Abyssal Devourer moved first, her sword slashing in a deadly arc aimed at Asuna's neck. Its speed was dazzling, a near-invisible black flash.
*CLANG!*
Despite just being stabbed, Asuna reacted with sharp instincts. Her rapier flashed, parrying the lethal strike with a loud clank. The force behind it made her arm tremble.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
The battle began. Abyssal Devourer was a relentless storm of attacks. Each sword swing aimed to kill, targeting Asuna's vital points: throat, heart, head.
She gave Asuna no room to breathe, pressing with rapid, brutal strikes.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
Asuna countered with her exceptional rapier skills. Her weapon danced, parrying, thrusting, and dodging. She retreated, evading slash after slash, occasionally launching quick counterattacks at her opponent's arms or legs.
But there was a fundamental difference in this fight's intensity. Abyssal Devourer fought to kill, without hesitation. Her sword moved with singular intent: to eliminate Asuna.
In contrast, Asuna fought with a dilemma. Though she knew death in the game meant death in reality, the idea of killing another player—even her attacker—was too heavy.
Each time she found an opening for a fatal counterattack, her hand hesitated. She could stab Abyssal Devourer's chest or head, but the thought made her falter.
As an ordinary person, Asuna couldn't easily accept taking another human's life, even in this virtual world. That slight hesitation was a weakness Abyssal Devourer exploited.
"Die!"
Seeing that hesitation in Asuna's eyes, Abyssal Devourer intensified her assault.
*SWOOSH!*
A swift slash aimed at Asuna's ribs, which she dodged by leaping aside.
*BANG!*
But as Asuna landed, a brutal kick slammed into her leg, throwing her off balance and making her stagger.
*SWOOSH!*
Abyssal Devourer seized the moment. Her sword flashed, a direct thrust aimed at Asuna's heart.