Deep in the pitch-black maze, a slim figure in a black coat swung a glowing blue sword, cutting through a swarm of monsters. Behind him, the explosions of dying enemies lit up nearly half the labyrinth.
This was a classic trap known as a "Monster Parade"—one of the most dangerous traps in any dungeon. Triggering it would summon a large number of high-level monsters in a short period, making survival nearly impossible for most players.
But in this moment, the man in black moved through the chaos as if he were alone. His steps were steady, and every swing of his blade left behind shimmering blue arcs in the air. Any monster touched by the sword's glow had its health instantly erased, vanishing in a burst of light.
After finishing off the last wave, Kai finally stopped walking. Behind him, the long corridor was now completely devoid of monsters.
Just as the final enemy died, a familiar fanfare rang in his ears. A system window popped up, informing him he had leveled up to 92.
He glanced at the golden-bordered window and gave a satisfied nod before raising his sword again and heading toward the dungeon's exit.
The goal of this run was simple: raise his level from 91 to 92 in one go. Now that he had achieved that, there was no reason to stay any longer.
A few moments later, he stepped out of the sealed labyrinth. The night sky had begun to shift from pitch-black to deep blue—dawn was approaching.
A cool autumn breeze brushed past. Feeling the chill in the air, Kai tightened his coat and picked up his pace.
This was the 73rd floor, one of the levels currently being pushed by the clearing group.
It had been seven months since he annihilated the Titan's Hand guild. After settling down on the 47th floor, he stayed close to Yuna during the day for safety and only ventured out at night to level up. His life had become quite routine.
Compared to the 47th floor, the 73rd floor was smaller—only about two-thirds the size. It didn't take long for him to return from the outer leveling area to the main town.
As he approached the teleport gate in the central plaza, planning to leave, the portal suddenly lit up with dozens of white beams of light.
"Hm?"
Seeing so many players teleporting to the 73rd floor this early in the day caught Kai off guard. He instinctively rested his hand on his sword hilt.
The light faded, revealing several dozen players in various types of gear. The most striking were those in red-and-white cross-patterned knight uniforms.
There was only one guild in Aincrad whose members wore those colors—the Knights of the Blood.
Which meant these were all front-line raiders.
Kai narrowed his eyes, gaze landing briefly on a chestnut-haired girl at the front. He smiled and gave a slight bow, politely stepping aside to let them pass.
To him, anyone willing to risk their lives in a death game like SAO deserved respect. They could have stayed in the middle floors, enjoying their power and resources, but they chose to fight on the front lines.
The girl in front noticed his respectful gesture and smiled back, nodding before leading the team toward the dungeon zone.
As the group passed, Kai's eyes scanned their formation. When he spotted a certain black-clad figure among them, a smile appeared on his face.
At the same time, that figure—Kirito—also saw Kai standing by the gate. But unlike Kai's smile, Kirito's expression was awkward.
Ever since Kirito had mistaken Kai for the game's GM, he had come down from the front lines every few days to challenge him to a duel. Naturally, Kai won every time.
Kirito used to think he was possibly the strongest player in the game, but he kept losing to someone he'd never heard of in the entire past year. Even though Kai's strength felt almost unfair, the repeated defeats left him frustrated.
Driven by stubbornness, what started as dueling every few days turned into a daily ritual. No matter how busy he was, Kirito would always find time to come down to the 47th floor to challenge Kai.
Kai didn't mind. He had time to spare, and watching Kirito grow stronger with each fight gave him the same satisfaction as leveling up a character in a training game.
Kirito lowered his head in embarrassment under Kai's gaze and quickly walked away with the group.
After watching the clearing team leave, Kai turned and stepped into the glowing teleport gate.
"Teleport, Floria!"
As the command was spoken, the portal flared with radiant light, swallowing his entire field of vision.
When the light faded and the dizziness passed, he found himself surrounded by blooming flowers.
Breathing in the sweet floral scent, Kai's expression softened. The killing intent from an entire night of combat gradually faded into a calm laziness.
He raised a finger and swiped through the air, bringing up the system menu. The time read 7:43. The sky was already fully lit, signaling the start of a new day.
Though early, Floria was already beginning to stir. A few scattered figures were visible walking through the streets.
Kai made his way from the teleport plaza toward the main district, greeting people along the way.
Dressed in black, with no armor and only a single sword at his hip, his distinctive appearance was well-known throughout the 47th floor. Thanks to Kirito's constant duels and his own rare style, his strength was no secret. On top of that, he was the only player in Floria's Flower Garden who could afford real estate, earning him the nickname of a super-rich player.
Everyone he passed smiled warmly and greeted him enthusiastically.
At least, to his face…
"Wow, I must be super unlucky today, running into the Tyrant first thing in the morning…"
"Tell me about it. What bad luck…"
Kai kept smiling and walked on, pretending not to hear the whispers behind him.
It seemed all famous players ended up with nicknames. Silica was called the Dragon Tamer, Asuna was the Flash, Kirito was the Black Swordsman… and Kai, as a well-known figure on the 47th floor, had a nickname too—though it wasn't flattering.
The Tyrant of the Garden of Flowers.
That's what people called him behind his back.
It all started when Kirito began dueling him in Floria and accidentally exposed Kai's true strength. Word spread quickly that a top-tier player lived here.
At first, Kai didn't care. He was already used to fame from his past in the DanMachi world, where the name "Dark Sword Saint" had become known everywhere.
But before long, crowds of lower-level players from other floors started gathering outside his home, saying things like, "Strong players have a responsibility," and "You should join the frontlines and help us escape this death game," and "You're a disgrace, staying here and enjoying life while others suffer."
Kai didn't bother arguing. Even though you couldn't kill people in town, you could still beat them up. So he walked outside and punched all the troublemakers unconscious.
That only made things worse. Self-righteous players who fancied themselves heroes started calling him out for bullying weaker players.
Surrounded by scorn, Kai simply closed his door and messaged Yuna not to go outside. Then, with dozens of eyes on him, he walked into the field area where death was fair game.
And drew his sword.
"Anyone who steps beyond this point dies."
After killing a few clueless idiots, all the accusations vanished overnight—but he gained a new nickname.
The Tyrant of the Garden of Flowers.
Some respected his strength, some admired his decisiveness, others feared his cruelty, and still others hated him for being a killer. But whatever people thought, they all accepted the title.
"Tch… I'm really a peaceful guy, though…"
He smiled kindly while listening to the chatter behind him, but he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed inside.
Walking along a path filled with dense floral fragrance, Kai stopped in front of a villa with pink walls, blue tiles, and a pointed roof at the end of the street. He reached out to the door, and a system popup verifying identity flashed briefly before the door automatically opened.
He entered, closed the door, took off his black coat and hung it on the wooden rack by the entrance. Pulling open the system menu, Kai changed into black loungewear, then walked from the hallway into the living room.
In SAO, once a player purchased a property, the owner could adjust every detail of the house to their liking—furniture, floors, fireplace, even wall colors were fully customizable.
The living room wasn't large. The walls were a soft creamy white, contrasting with the dark wood flooring. The ceiling was sky-blue, from which hung numerous tiny crystal decorations. These weren't just ornaments; at night, they would softly glow, creating a dreamy atmosphere when the lights were off. The arrangement of the furniture was tasteful, evoking a warm and refreshing homey vibe.
All of this was arranged not by Kai himself, but by his housemate—Yuna.
One had to admit, girls really had a gift for these things. When Kai bought the place earlier in the year, he found setting up the layout too troublesome, so he gave Yuna full permissions. She had everything designed perfectly in just half a day, which honestly surprised him.
Placing [Azure Rose +7] on the sword stand, Kai passed through the living room into the kitchen, where he saw a slender figure in a white apron busily moving about.
Hearing footsteps, Yuna turned to see Kai walk in. Her face immediately lit up with a bright, pure smile like the sky clearing after a snowfall.
"Welcome home, Kai!"
"Yeah, I'm back." With a gentle smile, Kai walked up and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Eh? Ehh?!" Startled, Yuna froze in place, her cheeks turning a soft pink as she stammered, "K-Kai… What are you doing…?"
"I came back and saw you cooking, and well, I felt like doing something too."
He smoothly unfastened her apron and put it on himself. Smiling, Kai said, "Let me cook this morning. It's a bit different from real life, but I'm pretty good at cooking!"
"Okay…"
Seeing that he only took off her apron, Yuna looked a little disappointed. But she quickly smiled again and said, "Then I'll help you prep?"
"Sure, but I'll warn you—it might get a bit busy." Kai stretched his fingers and cracked his knuckles.
Yuna puffed her cheeks and wrinkled her nose. "Come on! How hard could helping out be? You're seriously underestimating me, Kai!"
"Not underestimating. Just giving you a heads-up." Kai picked up a kitchen knife as he scanned the available ingredients.
He wasn't joking. The complexity of preparing Chinese cuisine ranked among the most demanding worldwide. Even with system support making many steps easier, it wasn't something just anyone could handle.
Surprisingly, though, Yuna did fairly well. While she didn't exactly shine, she didn't mess up either.
"Do you cook often at home? Uh—I mean outside the game?" Kai asked, seeing how naturally she worked.
"Not really. I just learned a bit in home ec classes before." Tilting her head, Yuna answered thoughtfully.
"I see…"
…
After a simple breakfast, at 9 a.m., Kai and Yuna arrived at the main street of the 48th floor—Lindas.
Unlike the flower-filled 47th floor, the 48th was crisscrossed with waterways. Waterwheels were set up along the streets, and the sound of hammering from smithies echoed everywhere.
After walking a bit, Kai stopped in front of a smithy.
[Lisbeth's Smith Shop]
Pushing the door open, he bumped into a short-haired pink girl cleaning the shop.
"Good morning, Liz."
He gave her a polite smile and stepped aside so Yuna could enter too.
"Good morning, Mr. Kai."
Seeing them enter, Lisbeth stopped cleaning, went behind the counter, and pulled out a long brown wooden box tied with a purple and gold ribbon.
"This is the rapier you commissioned. It's finished. I followed your request: prioritizing aesthetics while maintaining sharpness and durability. I used a rare lightweight alloy, [Steel Ring Mithril]. This might be my best work so far. See for yourself."
"Thanks."
Kai untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing a sleek short rapier with a dark gold base and a subtle pink gleam in the light. The blade was engraved with intricate patterns, and the hilt bore the signature emblem of Lisbeth's Weapon Shop, marking it as a custom masterpiece.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host. Acquired One-Handed Rapier (Dark Gold). ]
[ Rating: 22 ]
[ Talent "Swordbone" under "Black Swordsman" not triggered. ]
A rating of 22—while not as good as the twin swords Kai had brought from the DanMachi world, it was still quite impressive. Even the +7 [Azure Rose] only rated 31.
Examining the rapier closely, Kai swung it a few times. The blade hummed with a crisp metallic ring, trailing pink-tinted gold slashes through the air.
He stopped and turned to Yuna. "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful."
Yuna nodded. "Liz's work just keeps getting better."
"Haha… Probably because I keep reforging weapons for a certain insatiable someone. Gotta improve to keep up with his demands!"
"You mean Kirito, right?"
Kai asked suddenly, eyeing the grinning smith.
"Gah—!!"
Lisbeth's face turned scarlet, and she waved her hands frantically. "N-no! Of course not! W-why would I be talking about him?! Haha… just imagine—Kirito and Asuna are perfect together. I'd never get in between them… never…"
I never said anything about you and Kirito.
Seeing how flustered she was, Kai didn't press further. After all, she'd been his go-to blacksmith these past months.
"I'm very satisfied with this sword. Name your price. I don't mind if it's a bit expensive."
"Oh please, that's rich coming from you." Lisbeth regained her composure, though her face was still a little flushed. She crossed her arms. "But I'm not the greedy type. You get what you pay for. This sword is my pride and joy. Material cost: 8000 Cor. Forging fee at 120% standard: 12,000 Cor. Total: 20,000 Cor."
"Alright."
Kai transferred 20,000 Cor via the trade window without hesitation, repacked the rapier into the wooden box, and stowed it in his system backpack. Then he and Yuna left the shop.
As the two walked off, the pink-haired girl leaned on the counter, resting her cheek in her palm, staring blankly at the shop door, lost in thought.
Moments later, she sighed softly and went back to wiping down the weapon shelves.
…
Back on the 47th floor, Kai and Yuna didn't return home. Instead, they sat on a bench near the teleport plaza, chatting as they waited.
As soon as Kai showed up, other players quickly scattered.
At 11 a.m., the teleport gate lit up. A girl in a red off-shoulder robe, with a sky-blue feathered dragon perched on her shoulder, appeared on the plaza.
Seeing her, Kai stood up with a smile and waved.
"Silica, over here."
She spotted them and jogged over.
"You're just on time, but we've been waiting a while already," Kai said, ruffling the small girl's head.
"Ugh…"
Silica lowered her head, cheeks flushed red as she felt the warmth of his palm. Her heart tickled like a kitten softly pawing at it.
"Kiiya! Kiiya!"
Perched on her shoulder, the blue dragon familiar—Pina—flapped its wings and chirped excitedly, seemingly sharing her feelings.
"Your face is red, Silica-chan."
Yuna leaned down with a mischievous grin.
Silica blushed even deeper. After a moment, when Kai finally withdrew his hand, she looked up with slightly teary eyes.
"Mr. Kai… did you call me here for something?"
"Yes, there's a reason."
With a serious nod, Kai paused before asking, "Silica, do you know what day it is today?"
"Today…?"
Seeing his solemn face, she hesitated, then guessed, "Umm… I heard today the clearing group is challenging the 73rd-floor boss…"
"That's true, but not what I meant." Kai shook his head.
"Huh? It's not that? Let me think again…"
After a long pause, Silica gave up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kai… I can't figure it out. What day is it?"
"Forget something this important? Silica, that's not good."
Chiding her with a hint of playfulness, Kai glanced at Yuna, who was struggling to suppress laughter, then slowly said, "You better remember it next time. Today is your birthday."
"Eh…?"
Silica blinked and looked up at Kai's smiling face. Yuna was already laughing uncontrollably on the bench.
"My… birthday?"
"Yep. Your profile clearly says October 4. And yet you forgot? Well, I figured you would—it's very 'you.'"
He gently tapped her nose with a smile. "So… Happy birthday, Silica."
"Happy birthday, Silica!" Yuna followed, this time sincerely.
"I… um… th-thank you… sniff…"
Seeing their smiles, Silica's mind went blank. Since the day this death game began, she had lived in constant fear. Would the game ever end? Would she die? What future awaited her? These were not questions a girl her age should be facing.
Birthdays… She hadn't just stopped caring. She'd forgotten altogether.
But now, someone remembered. Someone wished her a happy birthday.
Tears streamed down her cheeks before she even realized.
Watching her cry, Kai softly said, "Silica."
Hearing her name spoken in that calm, deep voice, she trembled slightly.
"Happy 14th birthday."
Tears sparkled, dissolved into light, and drifted away. Silica smiled through them.
"Thank you… Thank you, Mr. Kai… really, truly… thank you…"
"What about me?" Yuna suddenly chimed in from the side. "Don't I get thanks too?"
Seeing her teasing face, Silica couldn't help but laugh through her tears.
"Thank you too, Yuna-nee!"
She wiped her eyes and gave the brightest smile she'd worn since entering the game.
The 47th-floor plaza was one of the areas where flowers bloomed most abundantly. When the wind blew, petals filled the air.
Under that gentle petal rain, Kai clapped his hands.
"Well then, since it's your birthday, there's one important thing left."
"Huh?"
"Obviously—what's a birthday without a gift?"
With Silica watching curiously, Kai opened his system menu. A ribbon-wrapped box appeared in his hand.
"Here. This is for you."
"C-can I…?"
Looking at the beautifully wrapped gift box, Silica hesitated.
"If I'm giving it to you, of course you can."
He stuffed the box into her arms and urged, "Come on, open it."
"Okay…"
Feeling the weight of the box, Silica slowly untied the ribbon.
Inside was a gorgeous rapier that made her eyes widen.
"Waaah…!!"
She couldn't stop herself from crying out in joy.
"How is it? Do you like it?"
Kai looked satisfied as he watched Silica's surprised expression, asking proudly.
"Yes! I love it!"
Carefully taking the short sword out of the wooden box, Silica's face lit up with joy the moment her hand gripped the hilt. The top-notch feel brought tears of happiness to her eyes.
"Mr. Kai… thank you… I, I..."
"Alright, stop thanking me. You're making us sound like strangers."
Kai raised his hand and patted her head before turning toward the main street.
"Let's get lunch first. You're the star today. Just enjoy yourself."
…
At 4 PM, a large group of players gathered at the open space next to the Floria Teleport Gate Plaza.
"Well? Still not here…?"
"No, but he should be soon, right? The Tyrant has never been late to this kind of event."
"Shhh! Keep it down. What if he hears you…?"
"What's there to be afraid of? He's not even here yet..."
Among the encircling crowd of players stood a young swordsman in a black coat with dual swords strapped to his back. Arms crossed, he waited with eyes closed.
Suddenly, the noise died down.
"He's here..."
Opening his eyes, Kirito looked toward the figure approaching slowly from the crowd. Another black-clad swordsman, but unlike him, this one carried only a single sword at his waist.
"You're early as always, Kirito-kun."
Seeing the familiar figure waiting in the clearing, Kai shook his head and chuckled. As he continued to walk forward, the dense crowd parted to form a natural path.
Reaching Kirito, Kai smiled. "How's the raid today? With you and the Flash, I assume it's already cleared?"
"Yeah, Floor 73 is done."
Nodding, Kirito opened his system menu, tapped a few times, and sent over a duel request.
Kai tapped "Accept" without hesitation.
The countdown ticked in the midair system window. As the word [DUEL] appeared, Kai remained still. Across from him, Kirito had already drawn both swords and launched forward, body low, almost sliding across the ground.
Just halfway through his charge, a crimson glow burst from both of Kirito's blades with barely a split-second delay. Twin trails of radiant light slashed toward Kai's side and back.
Dual Blades, a rushing technique.
[Double Circular].