Chapter 9: Laughing Coffin
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Kamikawa Hikaru had now spent a full year trapped inside Sword Art Online. During that time, the clearing group had reached the 57th floor of Aincrad.
The first thirty floors had been conquered by Hikaru alone. After that, the boss room coordinates he revealed—through the Moonlit Black Cats—allowed other players to advance floor by floor.
As the months dragged on, even Hikaru had begun to feel the weight of exhaustion—physically and mentally. After single-handedly defeating thirty floor bosses, he chose to slow down, seeking a more balanced approach to his survival.
The frontliners—SAO's top players—hadn't disappointed. Thanks to their strength and coordination, the clearing effort had pushed ahead rapidly. Half of Aincrad's hundred floors were now under control.
All the while, Heathcliff had been watching him from behind the scenes through his admin account. The man's eyes had narrowed in disbelief at Hikaru's flawless reflexes and terrifying damage output.
Thankfully, Hikaru toned down his solo dominance after Floor 30. Still, the power he had already shown had left an unforgettable mark in Heathcliff's mind.
Over that same year, Hikaru's bond with the Moonlit Black Cats had deepened. Every time he acquired gear, materials, or rare drops from monsters or bosses, he handed them over to the guild. Sometimes for crafting, other times for the members to use directly.
Because they avoided the fate from the original timeline, Keita's guild had blossomed into a proper mid-to-upper-tier force. Their numbers had grown, and their future was bright.
At the moment, Hikaru was lying on a soft patch of grass, basking in the warm glow of virtual sunlight. Just as he closed his eyes to relax—
Ping.
A system notification rang in his ears.
Opening his menu, he blinked when he saw the sender: Keita.
"...Laughing Coffin," Hikaru muttered under his breath, his relaxed expression turning serious.
He racked his brain, recalling everything he knew about that name.
Laughing Coffin.
A murder guild founded by red-named players—those who had already killed other users. Its leader, known only by the initials PoH, once declared that since this was a death game, murder was simply part of the rules. That ideology had attracted dozens of orange players, forming a cold-blooded organization dedicated to killing.
Without hesitation, Hikaru opened his friends list and shot back a message:
"Where's the meeting location?"
Keita replied almost instantly, sharing the coordinates.
Hikaru stood up and teleported.
— — —
Floor 56 — Panie Town.
The meeting spot was a large hall on the edge of town. According to Keita's email, the gathering had been called to address how to deal with Laughing Coffin.
From afar, Hikaru spotted Keita waving.
He approached with calm, confident steps.
Sachi was standing nearby. As Hikaru drew close, he gently ruffled her hair.
"You doing okay lately?" he asked softly.
Sachi's cheeks flushed pink as she nodded. "I'm fine…"
Turning to Keita and Tetsuo, Hikaru's voice dropped an octave—firm and unyielding.
"Keita. Tetsuo. Take your guild and leave."
"Eh? What's going on?" Keita looked puzzled.
"You've grown into a decent mid-tier guild, sure. But compared to the Knights of the Blood Oath, Fuurinkazan, or the Divine Dragons Alliance… you're still outmatched. Let me handle this meeting. Just take everyone back."
Keita fell silent for a moment.
He understood. Their growth had only been possible because Hikaru had been by their side. They owed him more than they could say.
After some hesitation, Keita nodded.
Once they were gone, Hikaru found a seat and waited. Before long, a wave of players dressed in red arrived—members of the Knights of the Blood Oath.
And among them… a familiar face.
She wasn't wearing a cloak this time. Her presence stood out immediately.
Her chestnut hair cascaded down her back. Her white stockings rose to mid-thigh, paired with a short red skirt and trailing white cloth. Light armor adorned her chest, highlighting her graceful form. At her waist hung a western-style rapier, and her piercing gaze locked onto him.
"…You… Hikaru?!"
Asuna's eyes widened.
It had been so long. Since the boss fight on Floor 1, in fact. She hadn't seen him since. But she'd heard the stories—how many floors he cleared, how many boss coordinates he revealed.
No one in SAO had contributed more than he had.
Hikaru scratched his cheek, looking awkward.
"Uh… That stare of yours is kinda scary…"
"You… don't remember me?" Asuna's voice trembled, just a little. She remembered him clearly—his words before walking away from that first boss room.
"I remember," Hikaru said with a faint smile. "You're Asuna. And now that you've taken off that cloak… you're even prettier than I imagined. That chestnut hair… I never forgot it."
"Y-You don't have to say it like that…" she mumbled, her cheeks flushing bright red.
Her companions from the Knights nearly dropped their jaws. Their vice-commander—The Flash—was acting shy?
Others in the room were equally shocked. They had no idea Asuna knew the Kamikawa Hikaru.
"You're here for the meeting too?" she asked, finally sitting beside him.
"Yeah. I'm representing Moonlit Black Cats."
"You joined them?"
She blinked in surprise. So that's how the guild always had rare gear and intel. It made sense now.
"Not quite," Hikaru shook his head. "I haven't joined any guild. I just have a good relationship with their leader."
"I always thought you were the lone wolf type. Didn't expect you to have friends…"
"…Seriously? That's the image you had of me?" he frowned slightly.
"Well, at least to me, you seemed like that," Asuna said playfully, lifting her index finger like she was scolding a child.
Their banter was interrupted as another figure entered the room—black coat, black sword.
Kirito.
"Yo. Long time no see, teammates," he said casually, strolling over.
Unlike in the original story, this Kirito wasn't weighed down by trauma. He was more open, more approachable.
As players around the room saw the three of them interacting, a sense of awe spread.
Asuna. Hikaru. Kirito.
The legendary trio.
Even Klein, the leader of Fuurinkazan, finally found his moment to cut in. He rushed up with a huge grin, slapping Kirito on the back.
"Hey! Fancy seeing you here!"
Kirito raised a brow. "I got invited, so I showed up. But what about you, Klein? You came alone? That's rare."
"Forget that!" Klein gestured wildly. "Why didn't you ever tell me you knew The Flash Asuna and the Crimson-Black Sword Legend?! You traitor!!"
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