Beside her, Kirito whispered in an awed tone. Even from their spot, just a distance ahead of their exit from the mountains, the World Tree had an overwhelming presence despite being almost twenty kilometers away. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to stand at its base. The two of them remained silent as they stared at the World Tree, but before long, Kirito recovered and said:
"Ah, it can't go on like this. Lyfa, where is the Conference of the Lords?"
"Ah, right. The World Tree is situated at the center of the world, in a large bowl created by the surrounding mountains. There are three large passes that lead to the World Tree: from Salamander territory is «Dragon Valley»; from Undine territory, «Rainbow Valley»; and from Cait Sith territory is «Butterfly Valley». The conference will be taking place at «Butterfly Valley», and near the inland exit."
Lyfa looked around and pointed northwest.
"I think we should fly in that direction for some time."
"Okay, how much time is remaining!?"
"...Twenty minutes."
"If they want to attack the conference, the Salamanders will be coming from that direction."
Kirito's finger moved from the Southeast to the Northwest.
"If they arrive earlier than us, we'll be in trouble. Let's just hurry. Yui, do a search, and tell me if a large number of players come into range."
"Yes!"
Yui nodded, and Lyfa and Kirito began accelerating.
"Anyway, are there no monsters in this area?"
Kirito asked while cutting through a cloud cluster.
"The Aarun Plateau is a field with no monsters. So the conference is being deliberately held close to this place."
"In other words, if monsters attacked midway through the talk, it might be a bit of a problem. However, in this case, it would've been very fortunate."
"What do you mean?"
Kirito just laughed with a mischievous smile.
"Like what happened earlier, I was going to lead a bunch of monsters directly through the Salamander force."
"...You have time to think like that? The Salamander group is supposed to be bigger than the one that attacked us in the cave. If we can warn them in time, we will all run to the Cait Sith territory; if we gather a big group of monsters, who do you think will die?"
"..."
Kirito stroked his chin with a thoughtful look on his face. At that moment...
"There it is, player response!"
Yui suddenly cried out.
"The group in front has 68 players, these probably are the Salamander assault force. In addition, there are fourteen more people on the ground, I expect those are the Sylph and Cait Sith delegations. The two sides will meet in fifty seconds."
Yui finished talking just as they cut through a large cloud. Lyfa looked down on a very broad, green plateau from extremely high in the air.
Somewhere at a lower altitude were innumerable, creeping shadows. Flying in five-man units, they were like a flock of sinister figures sneaking up on their target without a sound.
Her glance was then drawn toward their destination. She could see a small circular platform. There was a long white table with seven chairs on each side, an impromptu conference hall.
The people sitting in the chairs, still deep in conversation, were unaware of the looming threat.
"...We're too late."
Lyfa said from Kirito's side.
There was no time to warn the Lords before the Salamanders arrived— not enough time to escape. Thus, the others must be prepared to become a shield, even at the cost of their lives, to at least allow the Lords to escape.
Lyfa took her hand and held Kirito's.
"Thank you, Kirito-kun, for bringing me here. You go to the World Tree, and though the time we traveled together was short, I was very happy."
Lyfa said with a smile, but as she folded her wings to an acute angle for diving, Kirito caught her right hand. Lyfa turned to him, and on Kirito's face floated his usual fearless smile.
"It is not in my nature to run away!"
Kirito let go of her hand, moved Yui off his shoulder into his breast pocket, and, beating his wings violently, suddenly accelerated. BANG! Lyfa closed her eyes from the force of the sonic boom, and, when she re-opened them, Kirito was diving toward the platform.
"What!! What are you doing!!?"
The moment of farewell and her sad words of parting made worthless, Lyfa argued back, but Kirito had already left her far behind. Stunned, she hurriedly chased him.
At their destination, the Cait Sith and Sylphids finally noticed the large group. One by one, they jumped off their chairs and drew their shining silver swords, but, compared to the Salamanders and their equipment, they seemed very fragile.
Flying over the grassland, the Salamander vanguard held their lances up like birds-of-prey ready to dive on defenseless rabbits. The troops behind fanned out to the left and right, half surrounding the platform. Moments before the killing, the world was shrouded in silence.
One Salamander raised his hand, and just as he was about to let it drop...
A huge cloud of dust rose from center of the platform between the two groups. Then an instant later KA-BOOM! A loud explosion seemed to cause even the atmosphere to tremble, and Kirito landed like a black meteor without slowing down.
All the players on the ground stood frozen in place. As the dust gradually thinned out, Kirito slowly stood up, in general contempt of the Salamander Army. He leaned back, took a deep breath, and yelled:
"Both sides, put your weapons away!!"
"Woo ah!"
Lyfa, still diving, instinctively dropped her head. What an incredibly loud sound, although it's not as loud as that earlier explosion. It caused even Lyfa, who was still about ten meters in the air, to shake. For the Salamanders, whether it was from physical pressure or just shock, they were trembling a bit as they moved back little by little.
It was not the voice that surprised everyone; it was the fearless courage within it. What exactly is that guy doing? No one could guess.
Lyfa looked at the scene as a cold sweat went down her back. Behind Kirito, Lyfa landed near the green clothed group who should be Sylph. Looking around, Lyfa immediately saw a familiar figure.
"Sakuya!"
Hearing someone call her name, that Sylph looked around with a dazed expression and opened her eyes wide when she saw Lyfa.
"Lyfa!? Why are you here!? No, what is going on here...?"
Lyfa opened her mouth while thinking, this was the first time she has ever seen Sakuya so confused, and said:
"It's hard to explain, but right now, our fate is in that person's hands!"
"What is going on?"
The Sylph lord looked at the small back of the figure dressed in black. While sympathetic to her thoughts, Lyfa studied the current Sylph Lord, Sakuya.
The woman had a beautiful slender straight posture, with waist-length green hair so dark it was nearly black. She had pale white skin, slightly slit eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. if you were to describe her beauty, it would be the beauty of a finely honed blade.
Wearing long Japanese style clothes that hugged her body, from her obi hung a katana nearly two inches longer than Lyfa's. Delicate white feet in high crimson clogs peeked out from beneath the hem of her clothes. Looking at that unforgettable figure, it was no wonder she won the election for Lord with an impressive 80% of the votes.
Of course, the votes didn't just come from her beauty alone. Because of the pressures of being the lord, she could rarely participate in hunting, so her numerical stats can not be called terribly high. However, her sword skills were such that she was usually in the final round during tournament duels, and her just personality also maintained her overwhelming popularity.
Moving her eyes, Lyfa's gaze came to rest on a petite female player beside Sakuya.
The wavy, blond hair surrounding the big triangular ears on both sides of her head marked her as a Cait Sith. She wore armor that resembled a one-piece swimsuit, boldly exposing delicately-tanned skin. From both sides of her waist hung claw-type weapons with three huge protruding nails. A colorful stripe near her hips emphasized her tail, which was twitching and trembling in tension.
Looking at her profile, you could see long eyelashes that covered big eyes and a slightly round small nose. Her avatar in ALO was unusual, but it could be described as a charming little girl. Although it is the first time Lyfa had seen her, it was probably safe to say she was the Cait Sith Lord, Alicia Rue. Like Sakuya, she maintained her position as Lord through overwhelming popularity.
Behind the two lords who stood together, six Cait Siths and six Sylphids stood by the long white table, all showing bewildered expressions. She didn't know any of the Cait Siths, but all the Sylphs were members of the council group of strong players. Taking a closer look at this group of people, Lyfa confirmed that Sigurd was not present.
As Lyfa turned to look at the Salamander forces on the southern part of the plateau, Kirito again shouted:
"I have something to say to the commander!"
This fearless attitude seemed to overwhelm the Salamander soldiers, their Lance group opened up a path. From that path in the air came a large soldier.
Bristling flame-like hair framed a face reminiscent of a dark-skinned bird of prey. His strong body was covered in the ultra-rare Blood Armor, and he carried a huge sword far stronger than Kirito's.
Seeing his eyes flash crimson for a moment, Lyfa felt a cold sweat run down her back. Though she wasn't facing him directly, this was the first time Lyfa had felt such an intimidating aura from an opponent.
With a Gasha sound he landed in front of Kirito, without any expression he looked down at Kirito with contempt. Eventually, the Salamander opened his mouth and, with a deep, penetrating voice, asked:
"...What is a Spriggan doing in such a place? Not that it will stop us from killing you, but I will listen to your story in deference to the courage you are displaying."
Kirito, without any hesitation, said loudly:
"My name is Kirito, and I am the representative of the Spriggan-Undine Union. Am I to understand that by attacking this place, you wish to start a full-scale war with all four of our races?"
Uwaa...
Lyfa was speechless. The idea was just too illogical. This time real cold sweat streamed down her back from the outrageous story he was telling. At this point, Sakuya and Alicia Rue turned to Lyfa in surprise, only to see her desperate wink.
But the Salamander commander also seemed to be truly surprised.
"Spriggan-Undine Union...?"
His expression soon returned to normal.
"You say that you are the ambassador, but where is your escort?"
"Ah, yes. I came here to conduct trade negotiations with Sylph and Cait Sith. However, if you attack us at the conference, it will be a different matter. In essence you would be forcing all four races into an alliance against the Salamanders."
Suddenly, the world again fell into silence, only to be broken by the Salamander leader's remarks.
"Hmm, even if you are who you say you are, how can I believe someone who came alone and with such bad equipment!?"
The Salamander put his hand to his back and loudly unsheathed a huge, double-edged sword. It had a dark-red gloss and two intertwined dragons were etched on its surface.
"If you can withstand my attacks for thirty seconds, I'll trust you as an ambassador!"
"You're so generous, aren't you?"
Kirito drew his own double-edged sword as he spoke. Unlike the Salamander, his sword is a dull reddish-black with no decoration.
Kirito's wings started vibrating and he floated into the air, hovering at the same height as the Salamander. Lyfa thought it felt as though the fighting spirit was being compressed between the two, and it would start bursting out in white sparks.
...Thirty seconds...
Lyfa gulped with a deep sound.
Given Kirito's abilities and strength, this should be quite generous. But from the murderous intent that practically oozed from the Salamander commander, Lyfa could tell he wasn't an ordinary case either.
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In the tense atmosphere, Sakuya, who was standing next to Lyfa, whispered:
"This is bad..."
"What...?"
"That Salamander, the two-handed sword he's holding, I've seen it before on a website reviewing legendary weapons. It's the «Demonic Sword Gram», which would make that man «General Eugene». Did you know that?"
"...Only the name..."
Lyfa held her breath and nodded her head, and Sakuya continued:
"He is the brother of Salamander Lord «Mortimer», possibly in the real world as well. He has the pure strength to match his brother's wisdom. He is said to be the Salamander`s strongest warrior.. which means he's..."
"...The strongest player!?"
"That's right... This has turned out to be quite terrible."
"...Kirito-kun..."
Lyfa clasped her hands tightly to her chest.
The two people hovering in the air faced each other across the intervening distance, seeming to measure their opponent. Low-altitude clouds covered the sun, and pillars of light shone through the gaps. One of those beams reflected brilliantly off of the Salamander's sword, and, at that moment.
Eugene launched his attack without any predictable movements.
Phew! With a ring, Eugene moved at super-high-speed, causing the air to vibrate. His sword drew a crimson arc in the air as it was swung toward the diminutive Spriggan.
Kirito's reaction speed was unbelievably fast. He acted without any excess movements, expanding his wings and blocking Eugene's overhead strike. After parrying his opponent's attack, Kirito would immediately counter— Predictable enough, Lyfa thought, but...
"—?"
At the moment the black sword and the crimson sword crossed, the crimson sword seemed to change to vapor. It passed through Kirito's sword, and returned to normal.
Dagaaan!! With a burst of sound that could shake the world, Kirito was hit in the chest by an explosion of tremendous strength. He looked like a black leaf blown through a storm as he plummeted earthward. There was another roar, and the dust rose as he struck the ground.
"What just...!?"
Lyfa's speechless question was answered by Alicia Rue.
"«Demonic Sword Gram» has a special ability called «Ethereal Shift». When it comes in contact with defensive shields, swords, or other objects, it phases. In other words, it has a 'pass through' extra effect."
"How, how could..."
Lyfa hurriedly checked Kirito's HP value. But suddenly, a shadow leaped from the dust cloud, rushing straight at the still-hovering Eugene.
"Oh, he's still alive!"
As if nothing had happened, Kirito stopped and asked:
"What was that earlier attack!?"
Kirito remarked while swinging his sword.
KLANG KLANG! Metallic sound continued. Kirito didn't seem to be one to give up due to having inferior weapon. Even though Lyfa's eyes could not discern Kirito's countless strikes, Eugene was repelling the attacks with his two-handed sword.
For just a brief moment, Kirito's assault seemed to pause, but that was enough.
Gram once again shined a fierce light. As Kirito was about block an attack aimed at his side, the sword dissolved, only to reappear beyond his guard and bite deeply into his abdomen.
"Guhaaa!!"
Kirito cried as he coughed up air from his lungs, this time he was spun in the air. With his wings fully extended, he managed to stop and regain his balance.
"That is definitely effective.. Hey, hasn't thirty seconds passed yet?"
Hearing Kirito's remarks, Eugene just laughed arrogantly.
"Sorry, now I really want to cut you down. I'm changing the plan, this time I'll remove your head!"
"This guy.. I'll make you regret it!"
Kirito again prepared to attack, though unfortunately, there seemed to be no doubt as to who the winner would be.
To prevent the special attacks from «Demonic Sword Gram», Kirito could do nothing to defend. Instead, he had to avoid all attacks. But that was almost impossible in this high-speed, close-quarters-combat.
Coming to the same conclusion, Sakuya whispered:
"The situation is grim. Although the players might be seen as equal, the performance of their weapons is far too different. For the one and only «Demonic Sword Gram», only the legendary weapon, «Holy Sword Excaliber», can compete against it, but no one knows where or how to obtain it..."
"..."
Even so, if it is Kirito... Although he appeared to be just a novice, he had demonstrated great strength... This Spriggan was certainly an enigma. While thinking this, Lyfa clasped her hands to her chest as if praying.
Eugene's red wings blurred into a band of light as he thrust his sword forward. Kirito avoided the attack with dangerous random flying.
While fighting, the two of them flew in a complex pattern, time and time again there were attack effect flashes before they separated. Kirito's health had already been reduced to about half by the two attacks he had taken. Eugene was not a normal opponent though, easily able to cut through Kirito's defenses that had withstood multiple magic attacks earlier.
Kirito suddenly turned around and thrust out his right hand. He chanted an incantation, and black dust sparkled from his outstretched hand...
Bang, bang, bang, bang! Jet-black streams of smoke erupted around the two opponents. A long-range fascination magic quickly expanded to cover the entire airspace.
The darkness descended to above Lyfa's head and the surroundings became dark. Lyfa`s vision was obscured by the darkness, and she desperately searched for Kirito.
"Lyfa, lend me this for a little bit."
"Huh!?"
A voice suddenly whispered in her ears, and she felt her katana being drawn from its sheath at her waist.
"Ki..Kirito-kun!?"
Lyfa hurriedly turned around. There was no one there, but her sheath was inexplicably empty.
"Are you trying to stall!!?"
Eugene cried from the center of the thick smoke. Immediately came the sound of a spell incantation.
WHACK! A red light burst out in an expanding sphere, dispelling the smoke. The smoke faded quickly, once again restoring light to the world.
Lyfa hurriedly looked to the blue sky. There was...
No sign of Kirito.
The only one hovering in air was the Salamander general. The little Spriggan is nowhere in sight.
"No way.. he fled..."
Behind, a Cait Sith cried in astonishment. But before he finished, Lyfa cried out:
"Of course he didn't!"
There is absolutely no way. Even if any other player would flee, he would not run.
This young man, Kirito, did not «play» VRMMO games; he «lived» them. He believed that this world was another reality, and that all the trust cultivated, all the bonds formed, and all the love created here was the truth.
Therefore, hey.. I can hear it...
It was coming from above, the sound of a flight so powerfully beautiful it resembled the sound from a flute. Approaching closer and closer, louder and louder.
"...!!"
The moment she finally found his figure, it was cast in rainbows by the tears appearing in Lyfa's eyes.
From the middle of the sun, the object that created the strongest light effects in ALfheim, falling from the sky through the white light of heaven, a small shadow rapidly descends.
Eugene noticed a few seconds later than Lyfa and looked up. Frowning at the strong effect, he raised his left hand to shield his eyes from the sun's strong light. An average player would have moved horizontally to avoid the sun's rays and to follow the space where the shadow was falling.
However, the general Eugene, worthy of his reputation, closed his mouth, then opened it greatly. "Waaahhhhh!!"
With a yell that seemed to make earth and heavens tremble, he turned toward the sun like a true Salamander. With a streak of red light, he shot up like a rocket.
Kirito incoming from above held his black greatsword, which he normally used with both hands, in his right hand only. His left hand was hidden behind his back so it could not be seen.
In the strong light, what he held in his left hand flashed, and it was raised up high.
What caused that silver flash? That was the katana that Kirito had just taken from the sheath at her waist, if Lyfa was not mistaken. That was, Kirito now held a sword in each hand.
Two-sword style— This concept was not entirely new. Despite the many people that attempted to use it, Lyfa didn't know of any who had succeeded. It was incredibly difficult to manipulate swords with both hands and to have them work in sync.
During kendo competitions in the real world, it was not against the rules to use two bamboo swords, one large and one smaller. However, it was prohibited in middle or high school competitions, and the number of university students who could use two swords is very small. Anyway, she had never used two swords. It might have its advantages, but it was too difficult to be practical. It was said that the same was true in the virtual world.
Still, Kirito was armed with two swords. Eugene apparently thought it was an act of desperation and had a contemptuous smile on his face.
Lyfa opened her eyes wet with tears and wholeheartedly believed in Kirito.
The Salamander raised his demonic sword and, with a solemn twist, swung it at Kirito. The Spriggan's left-hand sword rose in an intersecting orbit to meet it.
Bang! The dark red sword began to vibrate. «Ethereal Shift» activated, penetrating Kirito's guard and plunging toward his neck.
KLANG! With a sharp metallic sound, Gram was deflected. What stopped it was Kirito's exactly timed thrust using the greatsword in his right hand. Like threading the eye of a needle, perfect timing.
Kirito faced the astonished Eugene, and issued a thunderous roar.
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"O...ooooaaaa——!!"
With swords in both hands, he attacked with speed so overwhelming that the swords appeared to turn into mist.
The katana in his left hand swept out, followed by a thrust with the great sword in a perfectly linked motion. As the greatsword pulled back, the katana slashed once again, from the lower left, and, after returning along the same path, the greatsword chopped down heavily from above.
Silver and black melded together as the onslaught of attacks fell like meteors through the night sky. How much training it would take to achieve that kind of speed with a two-sword style, Lyfa could not imagine. Eugene retreated and tried to use Ethereal Shift to fight back, but his sword could not pass through twice, it was blocked by Kirito's double barrier.
"Nuooh!!"
As General Eugene was rapidly forced toward the ground, he roared deeply. The special effects of his armor formed a thin wall of flame like a hemisphere, pushing Kirito back a little. In that moment, the demonic sword came up—
KONG! With loud noise, Eugene went on the offensive.
Kirito did not hesitate in rushing in either, and the katana in his left hand gleamed as it swung down at a speed matched only by lightning.
JANG! The shrill scream of metal flowed out. Blinding sparks cascaded down in an arc through the air.
Before the Ethereal Shift could even activate, Kirito's sword hit Gram's side and deflected it. Eugene's attack grazed Kirito's left shoulder and moved to his back. Right after...
"Ra...aaaaaa!!"
With amazing ease, the sword in Kirito's right hand thrust straight forward.
Thunk! Low notes sounded, the black blade went through the Salamander`s body.
"Guahhh!!"
Kirito's nearly god-like speed coupled with their incoming speed resulted in terrific damage. Eugene's HP bar plunged into the yellow zone in an instant.
Kirito's attacks did not stop there. As Eugene tried to recover, Kirito quickly pulled his great sword back, resuming his attack form and using his left hand katana to start a combo that Lyfa was unable to follow. In one breath, four cuts of his sword drew a beautiful track in the air, forming a square that wrapped around the Salamander`s huge body.
"...!!"
General Eugene expressed astonishment as his upper body, from right shoulder to his left waist, slid away without a sound. The light forming the square dispersed in every direction.
Right after, General Eugene`s body began burning, and he collapsed into a huge End Frame.
No one moved.
From the Sylphids and the Cait Siths to the over fifty members of the Salamander assault force, everyone froze.
It was a battle at such high level that no one had ever seen anything like it.
In general, fighting in ALO was a graceless brandishing of weapons at close-range or a mindless reliance on magic without even a hint of skill in long-range combat. Defense and evasion were techniques performed only by very experienced long time players, things like face-to-face high skill combat could only be seen at the final rounds at fighting tournaments.
But this time, the fight between Kirito and Eugene was much more than that.
Ornate sword-dancing tearing the air, high-speed flight, Eugene and his earth-shattering sword, and Kirito's ultra-high speed two sword style that defeated it...
Sakuya was the first to break the silence.
"Wonderful, wonderful!!"
She said in a forceful voice as she clapped her hands.
"Amazing! Nice fight!"
Alicia Rue said immediately, followed by the twelve people behind her. Grand applause, mixed with whistles and a loud "BRAVO!" resounded in an immense tumult.
Lyfa watched the Salamander forces with bated breath. Surely, in the case of their commander being defeated, they won't be able to take it lying down—
Surprisingly, the wave of applause also transmitted from the Salamander troops there. Continuous cheers rang out, they raised their lances and waved them like a banner.
"Ooh...!"
Lyfa smiled unintentionally.
Up till now, she had only thought of the Salamanders as enemies – a lawless group of robbers, but they were still players of ALO before any of that. The amazing duel between Eugene and Kirito was enough to sway their hearts.
Caught in the exaltation, Lyfa also clapped her hands with all her heart.
In the center of the ring of applause, Kirito's face emerged with a smile, he resheathed his sword and raised his right hand.
"Ah, thank you, thank you!"
Kirito bowed in every direction, turned in Lyfa's direction, and shouted:
"Will someone please use revival magic?!"
"Understood."
Nodding, Sakuya floated through the air and stopped beside Eugene's Remain Light. With the hem of her kimono fluttering, she began the incantation for revival magic.
A blue light emerged from Sakuya's hands and wrapped around the red flame. The complicated magic circle solidified and the flame expanded, eventually forming a human shape.
Then with a final strong flash, the magic circle disappeared. Kirito, Sakuya and the revived Eugene landed in silence on the platform edge. Silence once again descended upon them.
"...That was impressive skill. You bastard, you are the strongest player I have ever seen."
Eugene said with a calm tone.
"Thank you."
Was Kirito's short response.
"That a Spriggan like you exists, the world is a very big place."
"My story, do you believe it now?"
"..."
Eugene narrowed his eyes, suddenly silent.
At this time, from the Salamander vanguard, a player ran over to Eugene. The player in armor stood at attention, then used his left hand to lift his visor.
He had a rugged face, Lyfa could tell as he bowed to Eugene before speaking.
"Gene-san, do you have a moment?"
"Ah, Kagemune, what is it?"
Where have I heard this name before? —Lyfa thought for a moment, before remembering. That was the name the surviving Salamander from the lake had mentioned. Kagemune was the captain of the troop of Salamanders that Kirito had wiped out at the Ancient Forest yesterday.
"I think you already know, but yesterday my party was annihilated."
Hearing him talking about that, Lyfa swallowed her saliva and strained her ears to listen.
"Yes."
"It was this Spriggan, I'm sure, but he also had an Undine companion."
"...!?"
Surprised, Lyfa looked at Kagemune's profile. Kirito's eyebrows twitched momentarily before his poker face settled back into place. Kagemune continued:
"In addition, from the information of the 'S', a team was sent to hunt this man. They seem to have been repulsed."
'S' was probably a code for a spy. But the 'S' might also stand for Sigurd...
Eugene looked down at Kagemune's face. Most people around them began whispering to each other, and Lyfa's palms began sweating, waiting for the other's response.
Finally, Eugene nodded and said:
"Is that so?"
He smiled slightly.
"I'll leave it at that..."
Then he turned to Kirito.
"Neither our Lord nor I have any desire to provoke the Spriggans and Undines under the current conditions. We will leave this place, but, one day, I would like to fight you once again."
"I await that day."
Kirito thrust his fist in front of him. Eugene knocked his fist against Kirito's and turned around. Spreading his wings, he kicked off the ground and flew away.
As he flew away, Kagemune looked back at Lyfa, and, with a laugh in his eyes, awkwardly winked his right eye. I repaid what I owed you— that's probably what he meant, Lyfa thought with a slight smile on her face.
Seeing the two Salamanders fly away, Lyfa released the breath she had been holding.
As the people on the ground watched, the Salamander troops formed up neatly and with very little confusion. As they left, their wings issued a dull tremble with Eugene's wings leading. Their presence soon faded, and, as they entered the clouds, they were swallowed up and completely disappeared.
The silence descended once again, this time to be broken by Kirito's laughter.
"...So there are Salamanders who can understand talks."
Lyfa was lost for a few seconds, then the words building in the depths of her stomach finally flowed out.
"...You, are too much."
"I've often heard that."
"...Ha ha ha."
Their laughter was finally stopped with a cough from Sakuya, before she said:
"Sorry... but it would be helpful if you could explain the situation."
As the calm was restored on the platform, Lyfa told the whole story, although some of the content was speculative. Sakuya, Alicia Rue, and the elders of the two communities listened quietly until Lyfa finished, then they all made a deep sigh.
"...So that's what happened."
Sakuya, arms crossed over her chest, gorgeous eyebrows arched down, nodded her head.
"For the past few months, Sigurd's attitude became very restless. I felt he was up to something, but I couldn't remove him from the council for fear of being seen as a dictator."
"Sakuya-chan, it seems your popularity put you in a difficult position."
Alicia Rue, who had been in power even longer than Sakuya, nodded deeply.
"Restless... from what?"
Lyfa asked since she still couldn't understand Sigurd's mindset, Sakuya answered:
"It was probably that his heart could not forgive the situation. He could not tolerate being second place to the Salamanders."
"..."
"Sigurd is a man driven by power, both in his character's numerical stats and in his political power as a player... hence the thought of the Salamanders conquering the world tree and ruling over the skies of ALFheim, the idea of looking up at them from the ground... that is something he would not forgive."
"...But even so, why would he spy for the Salamanders?"
"Did you hear about «UPDATE 5.0», soon to be introduced? Rumors say that it will include a «Rebirth System»."
"Ah... then..."
"He may have struck a deal with Mortimer because as long as the race's Lord agreed, he would be able to become a Salamander. But Rebirth is supposed to cost a huge amount of Yurudo. I doubt that cold-blooded Mortimer would have held up his end of the bargain anyway."
"..."
Lyfa had complicated feelings, so she tried to empty her mind by staring at the gold-colored sky and the distant cloud covered world tree.
Reincarnation as an ALF and being freed of the shackles on flight... this has been Lyfa's dream since she first experienced flight. It was the reason she joined Sigurd's team, it was why she was eager to hunt, turning almost all of the money over to the Sylphid council.
If I had not met Kirito and quit the team, Sigurd may have tried to sway me into his Salamander reincarnation plan. If that had happened, what would I have done?
"ALO really is a sinister game that tests the desires of the players."
Kirito said suddenly, his voice mixed with a wry smile.
"The designer must have a bad character."
"Fufu, that's right."
Sakuya responded with a smile. Beside her, Kirito whispered in an awed tone. Even from their spot, just a distance ahead of their exit from the mountains, the World Tree had an overwhelming presence despite being almost twenty kilometers away. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to stand at its base. The two of them remained silent as they stared at the World Tree, but before long, Kirito recovered and said:
"Ah, it can't go on like this. Lyfa, where is the Conference of the Lords?"
"Ah, right. The World Tree is situated at the center of the world, in a large bowl created by the surrounding mountains. There are three large passes that lead to the World Tree: from Salamander territory is «Dragon Valley»; from Undine territory, «Rainbow Valley»; and from Cait Sith territory is «Butterfly Valley». The conference will be taking place at «Butterfly Valley», and near the inland exit."
Lyfa looked around and pointed northwest.
"I think we should fly in that direction for some time."
"Okay, how much time is remaining!?"
"...Twenty minutes."
"If they want to attack the conference, the Salamanders will be coming from that direction."
Kirito's finger moved from the Southeast to the Northwest.
"If they arrive earlier than us, we'll be in trouble. Let's just hurry. Yui, do a search, and tell me if a large number of players come into range."
"Yes!"
Yui nodded, and Lyfa and Kirito began accelerating.
"Anyway, are there no monsters in this area?"
Kirito asked while cutting through a cloud cluster.
"The Aarun Plateau is a field with no monsters. So the conference is being deliberately held close to this place."
"In other words, if monsters attacked midway through the talk, it might be a bit of a problem. However, in this case, it would've been very fortunate."
"What do you mean?"
Kirito just laughed with a mischievous smile.
"Like what happened earlier, I was going to lead a bunch of monsters directly through the Salamander force."
"...You have time to think like that? The Salamander group is supposed to be bigger than the one that attacked us in the cave. If we can warn them in time, we will all run to the Cait Sith territory; if we gather a big group of monsters, who do you think will die?"
"..."
Kirito stroked his chin with a thoughtful look on his face. At that moment...
"There it is, player response!"
Yui suddenly cried out.
"The group in front has 68 players, these probably are the Salamander assault force. In addition, there are fourteen more people on the ground, I expect those are the Sylph and Cait Sith delegations. The two sides will meet in fifty seconds."
Yui finished talking just as they cut through a large cloud. Lyfa looked down on a very broad, green plateau from extremely high in the air.
Somewhere at a lower altitude were innumerable, creeping shadows. Flying in five-man units, they were like a flock of sinister figures sneaking up on their target without a sound.
Her glance was then drawn toward their destination. She could see a small circular platform. There was a long white table with seven chairs on each side, an impromptu conference hall.
The people sitting in the chairs, still deep in conversation, were unaware of the looming threat.
"...We're too late."
Lyfa said from Kirito's side.
There was no time to warn the Lords before the Salamanders arrived— not enough time to escape. Thus, the others must be prepared to become a shield, even at the cost of their lives, to at least allow the Lords to escape.
Lyfa took her hand and held Kirito's.
"Thank you, Kirito-kun, for bringing me here. You go to the World Tree, and though the time we traveled together was short, I was very happy."
Lyfa said with a smile, but as she folded her wings to an acute angle for diving, Kirito caught her right hand. Lyfa turned to him, and on Kirito's face floated his usual fearless smile.
"It is not in my nature to run away!"
Kirito let go of her hand, moved Yui off his shoulder into his breast pocket, and, beating his wings violently, suddenly accelerated. BANG! Lyfa closed her eyes from the force of the sonic boom, and, when she re-opened them, Kirito was diving toward the platform.
"What!! What are you doing!!?"
The moment of farewell and her sad words of parting made worthless, Lyfa argued back, but Kirito had already left her far behind. Stunned, she hurriedly chased him.
At their destination, the Cait Sith and Sylphids finally noticed the large group. One by one, they jumped off their chairs and drew their shining silver swords, but, compared to the Salamanders and their equipment, they seemed very fragile.
Flying over the grassland, the Salamander vanguard held their lances up like birds-of-prey ready to dive on defenseless rabbits. The troops behind fanned out to the left and right, half surrounding the platform. Moments before the killing, the world was shrouded in silence.
One Salamander raised his hand, and just as he was about to let it drop...
A huge cloud of dust rose from center of the platform between the two groups. Then an instant later KA-BOOM! A loud explosion seemed to cause even the atmosphere to tremble, and Kirito landed like a black meteor without slowing down.
All the players on the ground stood frozen in place. As the dust gradually thinned out, Kirito slowly stood up, in general contempt of the Salamander Army. He leaned back, took a deep breath, and yelled:
"Both sides, put your weapons away!!"
"Woo ah!"
Lyfa, still diving, instinctively dropped her head. What an incredibly loud sound, although it's not as loud as that earlier explosion. It caused even Lyfa, who was still about ten meters in the air, to shake. For the Salamanders, whether it was from physical pressure or just shock, they were trembling a bit as they moved back little by little.
It was not the voice that surprised everyone; it was the fearless courage within it. What exactly is that guy doing? No one could guess.
Lyfa looked at the scene as a cold sweat went down her back. Behind Kirito, Lyfa landed near the green clothed group who should be Sylph. Looking around, Lyfa immediately saw a familiar figure.
"Sakuya!"
Hearing someone call her name, that Sylph looked around with a dazed expression and opened her eyes wide when she saw Lyfa.
"Lyfa!? Why are you here!? No, what is going on here...?"
Lyfa opened her mouth while thinking, this was the first time she has ever seen Sakuya so confused, and said:
"It's hard to explain, but right now, our fate is in that person's hands!"
"What is going on?"
The Sylph lord looked at the small back of the figure dressed in black. While sympathetic to her thoughts, Lyfa studied the current Sylph Lord, Sakuya.
The woman had a beautiful slender straight posture, with waist-length green hair so dark it was nearly black. She had pale white skin, slightly slit eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. if you were to describe her beauty, it would be the beauty of a finely honed blade.
Wearing long Japanese style clothes that hugged her body, from her obi hung a katana nearly two inches longer than Lyfa's. Delicate white feet in high crimson clogs peeked out from beneath the hem of her clothes. Looking at that unforgettable figure, it was no wonder she won the election for Lord with an impressive 80% of the votes.
Of course, the votes didn't just come from her beauty alone. Because of the pressures of being the lord, she could rarely participate in hunting, so her numerical stats can not be called terribly high. However, her sword skills were such that she was usually in the final round during tournament duels, and her just personality also maintained her overwhelming popularity.
Moving her eyes, Lyfa's gaze came to rest on a petite female player beside Sakuya.
The wavy, blond hair surrounding the big triangular ears on both sides of her head marked her as a Cait Sith. She wore armor that resembled a one-piece swimsuit, boldly exposing delicately-tanned skin. From both sides of her waist hung claw-type weapons with three huge protruding nails. A colorful stripe near her hips emphasized her tail, which was twitching and trembling in tension.
Looking at her profile, you could see long eyelashes that covered big eyes and a slightly round small nose. Her avatar in ALO was unusual, but it could be described as a charming little girl. Although it is the first time Lyfa had seen her, it was probably safe to say she was the Cait Sith Lord, Alicia Rue. Like Sakuya, she maintained her position as Lord through overwhelming popularity.
Behind the two lords who stood together, six Cait Siths and six Sylphids stood by the long white table, all showing bewildered expressions. She didn't know any of the Cait Siths, but all the Sylphs were members of the council group of strong players. Taking a closer look at this group of people, Lyfa confirmed that Sigurd was not present.
As Lyfa turned to look at the Salamander forces on the southern part of the plateau, Kirito again shouted:
"I have something to say to the commander!"
This fearless attitude seemed to overwhelm the Salamander soldiers, their Lance group opened up a path. From that path in the air came a large soldier.
Bristling flame-like hair framed a face reminiscent of a dark-skinned bird of prey. His strong body was covered in the ultra-rare Blood Armor, and he carried a huge sword far stronger than Kirito's.
Seeing his eyes flash crimson for a moment, Lyfa felt a cold sweat run down her back. Though she wasn't facing him directly, this was the first time Lyfa had felt such an intimidating aura from an opponent.
With a Gasha sound he landed in front of Kirito, without any expression he looked down at Kirito with contempt. Eventually, the Salamander opened his mouth and, with a deep, penetrating voice, asked:
"...What is a Spriggan doing in such a place? Not that it will stop us from killing you, but I will listen to your story in deference to the courage you are displaying."
Kirito, without any hesitation, said loudly:
"My name is Kirito, and I am the representative of the Spriggan-Undine Union. Am I to understand that by attacking this place, you wish to start a full-scale war with all four of our races?"
Uwaa...
Lyfa was speechless. The idea was just too illogical. This time real cold sweat streamed down her back from the outrageous story he was telling. At this point, Sakuya and Alicia Rue turned to Lyfa in surprise, only to see her desperate wink.
But the Salamander commander also seemed to be truly surprised.
"Spriggan-Undine Union...?"
His expression soon returned to normal.
"You say that you are the ambassador, but where is your escort?"
"Ah, yes. I came here to conduct trade negotiations with Sylph and Cait Sith. However, if you attack us at the conference, it will be a different matter. In essence you would be forcing all four races into an alliance against the Salamanders."
Suddenly, the world again fell into silence, only to be broken by the Salamander leader's remarks.
"Hmm, even if you are who you say you are, how can I believe someone who came alone and with such bad equipment!?"
The Salamander put his hand to his back and loudly unsheathed a huge, double-edged sword. It had a dark-red gloss and two intertwined dragons were etched on its surface.
"If you can withstand my attacks for thirty seconds, I'll trust you as an ambassador!"
"You're so generous, aren't you?"
Kirito drew his own double-edged sword as he spoke. Unlike the Salamander, his sword is a dull reddish-black with no decoration.
Kirito's wings started vibrating and he floated into the air, hovering at the same height as the Salamander. Lyfa thought it felt as though the fighting spirit was being compressed between the two, and it would start bursting out in white sparks.
...Thirty seconds...
Lyfa gulped with a deep sound.
Given Kirito's abilities and strength, this should be quite generous. But from the murderous intent that practically oozed from the Salamander commander, Lyfa could tell he wasn't an ordinary case either.
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In the tense atmosphere, Sakuya, who was standing next to Lyfa, whispered:
"This is bad..."
"What...?"
"That Salamander, the two-handed sword he's holding, I've seen it before on a website reviewing legendary weapons. It's the «Demonic Sword Gram», which would make that man «General Eugene». Did you know that?"
"...Only the name..."
Lyfa held her breath and nodded her head, and Sakuya continued:
"He is the brother of Salamander Lord «Mortimer», possibly in the real world as well. He has the pure strength to match his brother's wisdom. He is said to be the Salamander`s strongest warrior.. which means he's..."
"...The strongest player!?"
"That's right... This has turned out to be quite terrible."
"...Kirito-kun..."
Lyfa clasped her hands tightly to her chest.
The two people hovering in the air faced each other across the intervening distance, seeming to measure their opponent. Low-altitude clouds covered the sun, and pillars of light shone through the gaps. One of those beams reflected brilliantly off of the Salamander's sword, and, at that moment.
Eugene launched his attack without any predictable movements.
Phew! With a ring, Eugene moved at super-high-speed, causing the air to vibrate. His sword drew a crimson arc in the air as it was swung toward the diminutive Spriggan.
Kirito's reaction speed was unbelievably fast. He acted without any excess movements, expanding his wings and blocking Eugene's overhead strike. After parrying his opponent's attack, Kirito would immediately counter— Predictable enough, Lyfa thought, but...
"—?"
At the moment the black sword and the crimson sword crossed, the crimson sword seemed to change to vapor. It passed through Kirito's sword, and returned to normal.
Dagaaan!! With a burst of sound that could shake the world, Kirito was hit in the chest by an explosion of tremendous strength. He looked like a black leaf blown through a storm as he plummeted earthward. There was another roar, and the dust rose as he struck the ground.
"What just...!?"
Lyfa's speechless question was answered by Alicia Rue.
"«Demonic Sword Gram» has a special ability called «Ethereal Shift». When it comes in contact with defensive shields, swords, or other objects, it phases. In other words, it has a 'pass through' extra effect."
"How, how could..."
Lyfa hurriedly checked Kirito's HP value. But suddenly, a shadow leaped from the dust cloud, rushing straight at the still-hovering Eugene.
"Oh, he's still alive!"
As if nothing had happened, Kirito stopped and asked:
"What was that earlier attack!?"
Kirito remarked while swinging his sword.
KLANG KLANG! Metallic sound continued. Kirito didn't seem to be one to give up due to having inferior weapon. Even though Lyfa's eyes could not discern Kirito's countless strikes, Eugene was repelling the attacks with his two-handed sword.
For just a brief moment, Kirito's assault seemed to pause, but that was enough.
Gram once again shined a fierce light. As Kirito was about block an attack aimed at his side, the sword dissolved, only to reappear beyond his guard and bite deeply into his abdomen.
"Guhaaa!!"
Kirito cried as he coughed up air from his lungs, this time he was spun in the air. With his wings fully extended, he managed to stop and regain his balance.
"That is definitely effective.. Hey, hasn't thirty seconds passed yet?"
Hearing Kirito's remarks, Eugene just laughed arrogantly.
"Sorry, now I really want to cut you down. I'm changing the plan, this time I'll remove your head!"
"This guy.. I'll make you regret it!"
Kirito again prepared to attack, though unfortunately, there seemed to be no doubt as to who the winner would be.
To prevent the special attacks from «Demonic Sword Gram», Kirito could do nothing to defend. Instead, he had to avoid all attacks. But that was almost impossible in this high-speed, close-quarters-combat.
Coming to the same conclusion, Sakuya whispered:
"The situation is grim. Although the players might be seen as equal, the performance of their weapons is far too different. For the one and only «Demonic Sword Gram», only the legendary weapon, «Holy Sword Excaliber», can compete against it, but no one knows where or how to obtain it..."
"..."
Even so, if it is Kirito... Although he appeared to be just a novice, he had demonstrated great strength... This Spriggan was certainly an enigma. While thinking this, Lyfa clasped her hands to her chest as if praying.
Eugene's red wings blurred into a band of light as he thrust his sword forward. Kirito avoided the attack with dangerous random flying.
While fighting, the two of them flew in a complex pattern, time and time again there were attack effect flashes before they separated. Kirito's health had already been reduced to about half by the two attacks he had taken. Eugene was not a normal opponent though, easily able to cut through Kirito's defenses that had withstood multiple magic attacks earlier.
Kirito suddenly turned around and thrust out his right hand. He chanted an incantation, and black dust sparkled from his outstretched hand...
Bang, bang, bang, bang! Jet-black streams of smoke erupted around the two opponents. A long-range fascination magic quickly expanded to cover the entire airspace.
The darkness descended to above Lyfa's head and the surroundings became dark. Lyfa`s vision was obscured by the darkness, and she desperately searched for Kirito.
"Lyfa, lend me this for a little bit."
"Huh!?"
A voice suddenly whispered in her ears, and she felt her katana being drawn from its sheath at her waist.
"Ki..Kirito-kun!?"
Lyfa hurriedly turned around. There was no one there, but her sheath was inexplicably empty.
"Are you trying to stall!!?"
Eugene cried from the center of the thick smoke. Immediately came the sound of a spell incantation.
WHACK! A red light burst out in an expanding sphere, dispelling the smoke. The smoke faded quickly, once again restoring light to the world.
Lyfa hurriedly looked to the blue sky. There was...
No sign of Kirito.
The only one hovering in air was the Salamander general. The little Spriggan is nowhere in sight.
"No way.. he fled..."
Behind, a Cait Sith cried in astonishment. But before he finished, Lyfa cried out:
"Of course he didn't!"
There is absolutely no way. Even if any other player would flee, he would not run.
This young man, Kirito, did not «play» VRMMO games; he «lived» them. He believed that this world was another reality, and that all the trust cultivated, all the bonds formed, and all the love created here was the truth.
Therefore, hey.. I can hear it...
It was coming from above, the sound of a flight so powerfully beautiful it resembled the sound from a flute. Approaching closer and closer, louder and louder.
"...!!"
The moment she finally found his figure, it was cast in rainbows by the tears appearing in Lyfa's eyes.
From the middle of the sun, the object that created the strongest light effects in ALfheim, falling from the sky through the white light of heaven, a small shadow rapidly descends.
Eugene noticed a few seconds later than Lyfa and looked up. Frowning at the strong effect, he raised his left hand to shield his eyes from the sun's strong light. An average player would have moved horizontally to avoid the sun's rays and to follow the space where the shadow was falling.
However, the general Eugene, worthy of his reputation, closed his mouth, then opened it greatly. Lyfa decided to follow her heart a little. She had held Kirito's left hand in her right and put weight on it. Moving close to Kirito, who seemed unfazed no matter the situation, Lyfa's heart gradually settled down.
"So... what will you do, Sakuya?"
Upon hearing this, the beautiful smile faded into that calculating look of those in power, and her eyes closed. They immediately opened, this time the dark green eyes emit exceptionally bright, clear light.
"Rue, you've been training your dark magic skills, right?"
Upon hearing Sakuya's words, Alicia's large ears twitched back and forth expressing her affirmation.
"Well, then please use «Moonlight Mirror» on Sigurd."
"That's fine, but it is not night yet, so it won't last long."
"Never mind, it will soon be over."
Moving her ears again, Alicia Rue raised her hands, took a step back, and started to chant.
Alicia's tempting voice rose in the rhythm of the rarely heard dark magic incantation. The surroundings darkened suddenly, and moonlight poured quickly out of nowhere.
The moonlight immediately began collecting in front of Alicia, and, like liquid-gold, it formed a round mirror. Everyone watched in silence, and the mirror had a slightly wavy surface, reflecting a view from some other blurred place.
"Ah..."
Lyfa let out the small sound. Projected in the mirror, was a place she had visited a countless number of times: the lord's mansion council room.
Lyfa could see a huge emerald green desk. Behind the desk, in the chair reserved for the Lord, sat a man. He had his legs crossed and propped up on the desk while he leaned back into the chair. His eyes were closed and his head was cradled in his hands; this person was Sigurd.
Sakuya stepped in front of the mirror and called out in a voice like a tightly-strung harp:
"Sigurd!"
In the mirror, Sigurd suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up like a spring. He probably saw in the mirror, coming eye-to-eye with Sakuya, his mouth open and his body shook constantly.
"Sa- Sakuya!?"
"Yes, unfortunately, I'm still alive."
Sakuya replied indifferently.
"Why... no... the conference...?"
"It's likely to end successfully. But the signing of the treaty has just begun. Oh yes, we had an unexpected visitor."
"G... guest...?"
"General Eugene told us to say hello to you!"
"Wha?"
This time, Sigurd seemed to have undergone great surprise. His fine face turned pale, and his eyes shifted restlessly as he searched for words. His eyes locked on Lyfa and Kirito behind Sakuya.
"Ly...!?"
Suddenly, his eyes opened wide, and he finally seemed to grasp the situation. Sigurd bared his teeth in a predatory smile.
"...Those incompetent lizards. So... Sakuya, what do you want? Reprimand money? Kick me out of the Ministry of Power? But if you lose me as army commander, what happens to your political power..."
"No, if you can no longer stand being a Sylph, I'll grant your wish."
"Wh, what...?"
Sakuya elegantly waved her left hand, and a huge system menu exclusively for the Lord appeared. The numerous windows were not stacked, but formed hexagonal columns of light. Sakuya found one particular window and slid it out with a finger.
In the mirror, Sigurd stared as a blue message window appeared in front of him. Looking at the message, his face flushed instantly, and he stood up.
"Why, you..! Are you insane? You... to me... You are going to banish me!?"
"Yes, you will become a renegade and wander the neutral zone. I pray that you can find new fun in this game soon."
"Well... I'll sue you! I will go to a GM with a complaint of an unjust use of power!!"
"As you wish. ...Goodbye, Sigurd."
Sigurd raised his fist and began to continue his tirade. Sakuya touched a button on her menu, and Sigurd disappeared from the mirror. Since he was banished from Sylph territory, he would be randomly transferred to a neutral city other than Aarun.
The gold mirror now reflected an empty council room, but, before long, the surface began to distort. With a loud metallic clang, it shattered, and the shroud that had been covering the setting sun disappeared.
"...Sakuya..."
The silence once again returned, Sakuya's eyebrows furrowed, and Lyfa sensing her feelings called out gently.
The beautiful lord waved her left hand once again, dismissing the menu window, and sighed with a smile.
"Whether my judgement was right or not will be decided at the next lord election. Anyway, thank you Lyfa. I'm very glad you, who stubbornly refused to join the council of elders, came here to the rescue. Alicia as well, I'm sorry you got mixed up in the Sylphid civil unrest and came under danger."
"We survived, so it doesn't matter!"
Following the casual voice of the Cait Sith lord, Lyfa shook her head.
"I did not do anything. If you want to thank someone, you should thank Kirito."
"Yes, now that you mention it... what are you..."
Standing side by side, Sakuya and Alicia Rue looked at Kirito with a question written on their faces.
"Are you actually the ambassador of the Spriggan-Undine Union?"
Out of curiosity, Alicia asked, her tail flicking. With his hand on his right hip, Kirito answered confidently:
"It was all a big lie, of course. A random bluff, but it was necessary for negotiations."
"Wha...!!"
Their mouths dropped open, at an utter loss for words.
"... What an unreasonable man. And boasting such a thing in that situation..."
"When you've been dealt a bad hand, you have to raise the stakes."
Kirito bragged unapologetically. Suddenly, Alicia was smiling, and, with the mischievous smile of a cat, advanced a few steps nearer Kirito, and she looked at his face from close-up.
"You big liar, you're really strong though! Do you know? General Eugene is probably the strongest player in ALO. You actually beat him face-to-face, so you're the Spriggans' secret weapon, right?"
"How could that be? I'm just a humble wandering warrior."
"Pfft, yahahaha!"
This arrogant answer made Alicia laugh, and she took Kirito's right hand and hugged it to her chest. Tilting her head, she gave him a sexy look.
"Free means you can come to Cait Sith territory as a mercenary. I can offer you three meals a day and an afternoon nap."
"Wha..."
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Lyfa felt her lips draw tight. But, before she got a chance to speak up, another voice abruptly interrupted.
"Hey Rue, no cutting in line."
In came Sakuya, with a more amorous voice than normal. She was now dressed in a sleeveless dress and grasped Kirito's left arm.
"He came to rescue the Sylphs originally, so that should give us preferential negotiation rights. Kirito-kun, we will go for a drink in Sylvain, which will double as a courtesy, and then we can take care of some personal matters..."
Pili Pili. Lyfa's face turned red with rage and started to twitch uncontrollably.
"Ah, too cunning, Sakuya-chan. I oppose seduction."
"You have a right to say that? You are too close to him!" Two very beautiful lords were double-teaming Kirito, and his uncomfortable look changed to a red-faced look of embarrassment...
While thinking that, Lyfa grabbed Kirito's collar from behind and cried:
"No! Kirito-kun is my..."
All three turned to look at Lyfa. At the same time, she realized what she was saying and returned to reality.
"That is, m... my..."
Unable to find the words, Lyfa was left in an awkward silence, and watching it all, Kirito smiled and said:
"I appreciate your kindness— But sorry, I promised to go with her to the central region."
"Oh.. is that right? That is unfortunate."
The usually reserved Sakuya voiced her regret truthfully, and turned her gaze to Lyfa.
"You're going to Aarun, Lyfa? Is it a pleasure trip, or...?"
"I was leaving the territory— or so I thought. But, though I don't know when, I will definitely go back to Sylvain."
"I see, that's a relief. You have to return, with him of course."
"Make sure to stop by my house when you do, and I'll roll out the red carpet."
The two Lords left Kirito, and their expressions became solemn. Sakuya put her right hand to her chest and tilted her body gracefully, Alicia bowed her head and her ears drooped a little, both of them thanked Kirito and Lyfa. Sakuya raised her head and said:
"I would like to thank you, Lyfa and Kirito. If we had been defeated, the difference between us and the Salamanders would have grown out of control. I wish to express my gratitude..."
"No, such a thing..."
Seeing Kirito scratch his head with a troubled look on his face, Lyfa suddenly thought of something. She stepped forward and said:
"Well, Sakuya, Alicia. The reason for this alliance, is it for attacking the World Tree?"
"Well, ultimately, that is our goal. We will challenge the World Tree together; if both races are reborn as ALF then that's great, but if not, the race that succeeds is responsible for assisting the other during the next Grand Quest. That is the bone of the alliance."
"Please let us take part in the attack as well, as soon as possible."
Alicia Rue and Sakuya exchanged glances.
"I don't mind you accompanying us. It's more like we want you to join us. But we don't know yet about timing, but why?"
"..."
She took a peek at Kirito. The enigmatic Spriggan boy cast his eyes down for a moment and said:
"The reason why I came to this world is to reach the top of the World Tree. There is a certain person that I must meet, and there is a possibility that person may be there..."
"Person? Are you talking about Fairy King Oberon?"
"No, I think it is someone different. It is someone who I can't contact in the real world, but who I must meet by any means possible."
"Oh, at the top of the world tree means a person on the management side? A really mysterious story, don't you think?"
The topic seemed to have attracted Alicia Rue's interest, as she said with shining eyes, but her ears and tail drooped immediately.
"But... to prepare and fully equip the party members' equipment will take a while... it's not possible in a day or two..."
"I see, that's true... No, my goal is just getting to the base of the tree for now... After that I will think of something."
Kirito laughed slightly and, 'Oh yes', as if reminded of something, Kirito waved his left hand. He quickly manipulated the window, and materialized a huge leather bag.
"This should help in the way of funds."
Saying so, Kirito handed out the bag. Judging from the sound, it seemed to be heavy and full of Yurudo. Alicia who accepted the bag staggered for a moment then hurriedly hugged it with both hands, she looked inside and her eyes instantly became rounded with astonishment.
"Sa... Sakuya-chan, this..."
"Hmm..?"
Sakuya bowed her head as her right hand entered the bag. From the inside she drew out a large coin with a white green shine.
"Waahhhh!"
Seeing this, Lyfa also cried out in an incredulous voice. The two lords continued to stare at the contents of the bags, seemingly frozen in place. The twelve people watching from behind cheered.
"...One hundred thousand Yurudo Mithril coin... all of this!?"
Even for Sakuya, she said in a blurred voice while staring at the coin in doubt. Still amazed and shaking her head, she returned the coin to the bag.
"This kind of money, it is almost impossible to earn this without fighting the Evil God-class monsters in Jötunheimr... Are you sure? With this much money you could build a castle in a prime location."
"I don't mind. It is no longer necessary for me."
Kirito didn't seem to have any deep attachment and nodded. Sakuya and Alicia once again looked in the bag, released a deep sigh, and lifted their heads.
"...With this much, I think we are fairly close to the target amount."
"We will prepare the equipment immediately and will contact you when we are ready."
"I will leave it to you."
Sakuya opened a menu window, and Alicia put the bag into it.
"Just the thought of wandering around in the field with this much money makes me shiver... Let's get back to Cait Sith territory as quickly as possible before the Salamanders change their mind."
"That's true. We'll continue the conference when we return."
The Lords nodded to each other and signaled to their followers. The long table and chairs were cleaned up quickly.
"We owe you a lot. We promise to do our best to make your wish come true, Kirito and Lyfa."
"I'm glad I was able to help."
"We will wait for your contact."
Sakuya and Alicia shook hands respectively with Kirito and Lyfa.
"Thank you! We'll meet again!"
Alicia once again exposed a mischievous smile, wagged her tail near Kirito and kissed him on the cheek. She left the flustered Kirito and turned toward the frowning Lyfa —What did she mean?— and gave her a quick wink. She then spread her pale yellow wings wide.
The two lords waved their hands and flew straight up, with a streak of light they moved toward the red sky west. The six people from each race lined up in beautiful V, a formation like that of wild geese, and followed. Lyfa and Kirito watched them until their figures disappeared in the sunset sky.
The sound of wind whistling and the leaves playing on it were the only reminders that a fierce fight had just occurred. A fight with the fate of three races on the line now seemed like nothing more than an illusion. Lyfa felt a bit cold, and nestled up to Kirito.
"...Everyone is gone now."
"Yeah, it is finally over..."
The break with Sigurd and the series of events that followed it, Lyfa felt as though it had been a long time. Not just the seven or eight hours that had truly passed.
"Somehow..."
Together with Kirito, this was the true real world, she felt that this winged her was her true self— Lyfa / Suguha thought, but could not express it in words. Instead, she pressed her body against Kirito's chest, and tried to feel his heartbeat, then...
"Why you, I said no cheating, papa!"
"Waa."
Yui jumped out from Kirito's breast pocket and spoke in an indignant voice. Lyfa hurriedly put some distance between her and Kirito.
"Why so sudden..."
Yui flew around the flustered Kirito's head a few times after he said that, then she sat on his shoulder and her cute face pouted.
"The Lords sticking to you seem to make your heart beat faster for some reason!"
"I-... I am a man, so it can't be helped!!"
Lyfa was relieved when she found out Yui wasn't talking about her, but she had a new doubt so she asked Yui.
"Hey, Yui-chan, am I okay?"
"Lyfa-san seems to be alright."
"Wh, why...?"
"Well, Lyfa doesn't seem to give off the feeling of a woman..."
This blunt reply, came from Kirito.
"Wai... wha... What do you mean by that!?"
She could not ignore those words, Lyfa's hand unintentionally drifted to the handle of her katana.
"N... no, I mean... Like easy to get close to... It's good meaning, yes."
A smile rose on Kirito's face while a chuckle emerged.
"Instead of worrying about that, let's hurry and fly to Aarun! The sun is going down!"
"Ah, hey, wait!!" Lyfa spread her wings and kicked off the ground.
Kirito aimed for The World Tree accelerating, she chased after him while beating her wings at full force and took a quick look behind. Past those huge mountains, is the vast expanse of Ancient Forest and familiar Sylph territory. However, she didn't linger on it as the stars started to emerge in the navy blue evening sky.
* * *
The sun which seemed to be absolutely still while it hung at the zenith of the sky, slowly tilted, dyeing the horizon with the bright red of sunset.
Now, since the last time Oberon had come to visit Asuna, it has been at least five hours, so she sat up. It is probably past midnight on the other side. She prayed that she was not being monitored and stood on the tile.
Ten steps forward and she came to the golden gate. She could not help being surprised that she had been confined in this small place for more than two months.
But— that ends today.
While thinking that, Asuna stretched out her right hand to the password input board beside the door. Five hours ago, she had used the mirror to see the sequence of numbers needed to open the door when Oberon left, and memorized it. Now, one by one she said them and reproduced the sequence. Whenever she pushed one of the small buttons, the touch received a click in response, and a wave of nervousness passed through her constantly trembling body.
"...3...2...9"
While praying, she entered the final numbers, with a loud metallic sound, the door cracked open. Asuna involuntarily bent her right arm and tightly clenched her fist. When she realized that she was making one of Kirito's favorite gestures, a bubble of laughter floated from her mouth.
"Kirito-kun! I'll do my best!"
Asuna whispered this as she pushed the door open. Beyond that, another branch, much more twisted then those of the cage, formed a small road connecting to the trunk of the huge tree. She left the cage, one step, two steps, the door automatically shut behind her, making a quiet click. Asuna swung her hair, lifted her chest resolutely, and walked toward a different world she was sure to find ahead.
A few minutes later, she glanced back to see the golden cage has been covered by overlapping dark green leaves, and was out of sight.
Asuna stopped in the middle of the long tree branch of the world tree, and sighed. She felt like she had walked several hundred meters. It really is extraordinarily large.
For the impatient Oberon, the log out system terminal should not be that far away from the cage; but it seems she'd thought wrong. If he is using the SAO type window or voice activated controls, it will be quite difficult to access the system.
Nonetheless, I cannot return to that place. I must go as far as I can.
I will certainly survive and return to the real world. To meet him once again.
Asuna engraved this wish on her heart and continued forward.