Mito was left alone, utterly bewildered by the situation.
However, equally bewildered by the situation, were the bounty hunter players hiding in the shadows.
Under the Knights of the Blood's exorbitant bounty, many players had set their sights on Tenya.
"...Tenya...!"
"Damn you, bastard!!"
"He's actually two-timing!!!"
"As expected of a red-name player, so inhumane!!!!"
The lurking players one by one pulled out their weapons.
"Tenya! Asuna!"
Mito keenly sensed that something was amiss and quietly took out her weapon from her item bar.
"Calm down, they're just a few small bugs."
Tenya's enemy detection skill had long since noticed this group of players lurking in the shadows.
"They actually want to ruin my honeymoon, they're asking for death!" Asuna was very angry now.
"Exactly! Anyone who ruins our beautiful life is a bad person!" Silica summoned her dragon, Pina.
Seeing that Tenya and his party seemed to be on alert, the bounty hunter players decisively made their move early.
Whoosh...
First came a wave of poisoned darts with paralyzing effects.
"Reaping Scythe!"
Mito swung her scythe, and the whirlwind she created blocked this wave of poisoned dart attacks.
Whoosh...
Several masked one-handed swordsmen rapidly approached.
"Stardust Splash!"
Asuna's first move was the ultimate skill of her one-handed rapier, an incredibly fast eight-hit thrust.
She easily beat the masked one-handed swordsmen until they were scrambling on the ground.
"Boring."
Tenya grabbed the weapon of one of the war hammer users with his bare hands, used the 'Disarm' skill, and forcibly took away the opponent's weapon.
Then, with a reverse swing of the hammer, he bashed the head of a spear user who was trying to ambush him from behind.
...
Bang!
The last bounty hunter was knocked to the ground.
"Waaah!"
"Don't come any closer!"
"Please, spare me!"
"I'll never..."
Facing the player's pleas for mercy on their knees, Tenya showed no emotion. He simply raised his blade and brought it down, mercilessly reducing the opponent's HP to zero.
"Tenya..."
Silica turned her head away, unable to bear the sight.
"Don't be afraid, Silica-chan. This is self-defense." Mito spoke righteously.
The other party made the first move, they were just passively retaliating.
"These people wanted to kill us for the bounty money. Having this outcome now, they deserved to die."
Asuna hardened her heart and pierced a player's heart with her sword.
She knew deeply that kindness and excessive mercy would not allow one to survive in this death game.
So far, Tenya and his party had already experienced 27 bounty hunter attacks.
At the very beginning, Asuna and the others would show mercy, only knocking down their opponents without taking their lives.
However, the consequence of doing so was that the enemies reported their intelligence, attracting even more attacks.
Mito was ambushed while out, and her HP once dropped below 5%, practically on the verge of death. Fortunately, Tenya arrived in time and saved Mito.
The death threat faced by her friend deeply stimulated Asuna, and from then on, she ruthlessly killed any players who attacked them.
"The deterrence is enough. I believe it should quiet down for a while."
Tenya's ruthless actions were intended to warn those malicious attackers.
There was only one consequence for daring to provoke them—death!
Tenya's brutal retaliation successfully deterred the remaining bounty hunter players.
For a long time afterward, no one dared to cause trouble for Tenya again.
Peaceful days passed like this for a month.
During this period, Tenya naturally took Mito as his own.
Living together day and night, coupled with his life-saving grace, Mito willingly offered herself to him, which was perfectly reasonable.
[Detection that Tozawa Misumi's favorability towards the Host has reached 91%.]
[Points +400]
At the same time.
The strategy group led by the Knights of the Blood, further improved its efficiency in clearing floors.
In just one month, they reached the seventy-fifth floor.
However, during the battle against the seventy-fourth floor boss, due to underestimating the enemy, the members of the major guilds suffered heavy casualties.
The Strategy Group was severely weakened.
It was expected that for a long time to come, they would be unable to challenge the boss of the next floor.
Just as the Strategy Group was in a predicament, Tenya and his party arrived uninvited, offering to participate in the boss raid.
"I am Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood. I warmly welcome your participation."
Red armor, white robe, a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, the man known as the strongest player in SAO.
"Tenya..."
The vice-leader, Kirito, stared intently at Tenya with an unfriendly expression.
This man had caused him great losses, both in reality and in the game.
Tenya didn't even glance at Kirito, his gaze fixed directly on Heathcliff.
"The game ends with the final floor's boss." Tenya said meaningfully.
"Huh?"
"Final floor?"
"What are you dreaming about?"
"There are still a full 25 floors of bosses above." Kirito sneered.
Ignored.
Still ignored.
Tenya looked directly into Heathcliff's eyes with a playful gaze.
"..."
Heathcliff's pupils slightly contracted, as if he vaguely sensed something.
"Alright, this is the final boss."
The five major guilds gathered, a total of 30 elite-level strongest players.
"I won't say any unnecessary words."
"Everyone, give it your all and defeat the boss."
Heathcliff led the charge, rushing into the boss room with the other players.
"Where is the enemy?"
In the dimly lit, floating hall, there was nothing to be seen.
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack!
A chilling, eerie sound.
"Up there, everyone be careful!" Kirito shouted a warning.
"Heh."
Tenya let out a cold laugh.
Act.
Continue your act.
"Waaah!"
"What kind of monster is that?!"
Everyone looked up and immediately turned pale with fright.
On the ceiling, a giant skeletal crawling creature stood, descending from above like a collapsing mountain, crashing down upon them.
"Asuna, Mito, Silica, disperse!"
"Don't gather together."
At Tenya's reminder, the three girls retreated and spread out.
Boom!
The moment the Boss landed, it swung its long skeletal arm blades, instantly cutting five players in the front row in half at the waist.
HP reduced to zero!