The word "CONGRATULATIONS" blazed across the sky, marking the second floor's clearance in just ten days. By any measure, Nezha was the battle's MVP. Lind approached to commend him but hesitated, realizing Nezha had fought solo, unlisted in the raid roster.
"Sorry," Lind said. "With all the chaos, we didn't add you to the raid, and you fought alone. My apologies. By the way, who are you…?"
"That's the blacksmith from the rumors," a man nearby interrupted.
Hachiman recognized him as Shivata, the player who'd requested a weapon enhancement from Nezha when Hachiman first saw him.
I figured it might get swept under the rug, but looks like that's not happening, Hachiman thought.
Shivata confronted Nezha directly. "You're the blacksmith I gave my weapon to, right? Why're you suddenly a combat player? Where'd you get that rare drop weapon? And how's a blacksmith making that kind of money?"
Hachiman noted the suspicion in Shivata's tone. He's already onto him. This is gonna lead to some kind of reckoning. Gotta avoid the worst-case scenario, though.
The worst case, in Hachiman's mind, was a mob execution of Nezha right there. That had to be prevented at all costs. But defending a crime of this magnitude wasn't simple either. What am I trying to protect here? Hachiman wondered, subtly positioning himself near the Legends of Braves members. Asuna and Kirito followed, and the trio watched the situation unfold.
"What do you think, Asuna, Kirito?" Hachiman asked quietly.
"I want everyone involved to find some kind of peace, even if it's hard," Asuna said.
"I know how hard Nezha's been trying," Kirito said. "I hope he can atone and start fresh with a new team."
"The victims need some kind of help," Hachiman added. "Healing hearts is tough."
As all eyes turned to Nezha, he dropped to his knees before Shivata, confessing his crimes in full—while shielding his Legends of Braves teammates entirely.
"Don't screw with me!" Shivata roared. "Your scam kept people out of this fight!"
"Traitor!" another voice shouted.
The crowd erupted in chaos, but Shivata raised a hand, silencing them. A heavy tension settled, everyone awaiting his next words.
"Is my sword still out there?" Shivata asked.
"I… I sold it all for col," Nezha admitted, voice trembling.
"Can you compensate me with col, then?"
Hachiman was stunned. This guy's got guts. Most people would be screaming, but he's holding it together.
"I'm sorry," Nezha said. "I spent it all on food, drinks, and fancy inns…"
"I see," Shivata said quietly.
"Enough!" someone yelled. "You blew it all on luxuries?"
"Who do you think you are?!" another voice added.
He's taking it all on himself, Hachiman realized, glancing at the Legends of Braves. Their faces were pale, but they didn't move.
Tch, can't count on them, Hachiman thought.
He pulled Asuna and Kirito aside, keeping his voice low. "What's the best resolution here?"
"Joint responsibility," Kirito said flatly.
"I agree, it's the only way," Asuna added.
"But Nezha's trying to protect his team," Hachiman pointed out.
"That's the thing," Kirito said. "He's taking the fall for them, but if we interfere, we might betray his intentions."
"Is Nezha gonna be okay?" Asuna asked, worry creasing her brow.
"If it stays civil, we might just watch," Hachiman said. "I don't like it, but if it escalates…"
"You got a plan?" Kirito asked.
"Not exactly, but we could push those guys to turn themselves in."
"Can you pull it off?" Asuna asked.
"Yeah. Just back me up. If I ask you something, answer loud enough for them to hear."
They nodded. Hachiman raised his voice slightly, ensuring the Legends of Braves could overhear.
"Hey, Asuna, Kirito, how much would you sell your weapons for?"
"Maybe… two hundred thousand col," Kirito said.
Damn, he's aiming high, Hachiman thought.
"I'd never sell—oh!" Asuna caught Hachiman's glance and corrected herself. "Uh, yeah, maybe that much."
"Right? That's the going rate," Hachiman said. "But could someone really burn through that much on just food and inns?"
"If they say they spent it, maybe they did," Kirito said, playing along.
"We can't even imagine that kind of spending," Asuna added, her tone exaggerated.
Nice work, you two, Hachiman thought.
"Might ask Argo to look into it. I'm kinda curious," Hachiman said.
He sensed the Legends of Braves members tense, swallowing hard.
Seed's planted, Hachiman thought.
Up front, Lind seemed to be steering toward a peaceful resolution. "Alright, you'll pay it back over time and contribute to the raid—"
A voice from Kibao's group cut in. "Hold on, Lind! I heard a rumor—players lost their weapons because of him and died with weaker gear!"
Damn, I saw this coming, Hachiman thought.
The crowd turned hostile, shouts of "Murderer!" and "PK scum!" rising. "Die!" someone screamed. The atmosphere demanded Nezha's sacrifice.
"Hachiman…" Asuna's eyes were teary, pleading.
"It's okay, Asuna," Kirito said calmly. "Hachiman's got this."
"Leave this to me," Hachiman said, patting Asuna's head. "In battle, you're my go-to, partner."
He approached Lind. "Got a sec?"
"Hachiman, sorry I didn't thank you sooner," Lind said. "You really saved us."
"Nah, I'm sorry our intel came so late. We put everyone in danger."
Hachiman glanced around, bowing slightly. The crowd's eyes seemed favorable, giving him hope. This might work.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said loudly. "As you know, we brought him here. Fighting alongside him, he saved our asses a few times. Don't get me wrong—after hearing this, I'm not exactly eager to defend him. But I owe him. So, I've got a proposal."
As a key contributor, Hachiman's words carried weight, and the crowd leaned in.
"I get wanting to punish him. But I don't want to see someone die in front of me. So, here's the deal—hey, Argo! Come here!"
Hachiman called Argo over, speaking for all to hear. "Hand me the list of players whose weapons were destroyed."
"There's a list?" someone muttered.
"She's in on it?" another whispered.
"I saw a weapon break during an enhancement once," Hachiman explained. "So I asked Argo to look into it, since I was planning to enhance mine. I only asked for a count, though."
"The investigation's done," Argo said. "Got sidetracked with the boss stuff, but I've got it."
Since Hachiman had indeed commissioned Argo, the conversation flowed smoothly.
"Now I need more," Hachiman said. "Everyone knows Argo's a pro. Some of you bought her intel—it's always been spot-on, right? Never vague. So, Argo, got anything on what happened to those players afterward?"
"Yup. And since you helped with the boss intel, this one's free," Argo said.
Hachiman addressed the crowd. "This should tell us if anyone died. Let's judge after we see it. If needed, we can dig deeper—"
He glanced at the Legends of Braves. At the mention of "dig deeper," Orlando, their leader, steeled himself and stepped forward.
He's made his choice. But this could still turn deadly for Nezha. Gotta stay close, Hachiman thought, stepping back and signaling Lind with a nod toward the group. Lind caught on.
"You guys now? What's up?" Lind asked.
The five Legends of Braves members knelt beside Nezha, confessing their involvement and asking to be judged alongside him.
"Good work, Hachiman," Kirito said.
"Thanks, Hachiman," Asuna added.
"Ugh, I just wanna crash," Hachiman groaned.
"Classic Hachiman," Kirito chuckled.
"So you," Asuna said, smiling.
"Hard to say if my bluff pushed them or they came clean on their own," Hachiman mused.
"I want to believe they stepped up," Asuna said.
"Yeah, maybe that's enough, Hachiman," Kirito agreed.
"Feels pretty good, I guess," Hachiman admitted.
Ultimately, no deaths were confirmed—the rumor was just hearsay. The Legends of Braves surrendered all their gear to the victims, along with compensation exceeding the losses' value. What they'd do next—start over or not—was unclear. The scandal would spread, making their path forward grueling.
Since no one else could use the chakram, and its rarity held little monetary value, it stayed with Nezha. Whether he'd remain with the Legends of Braves was uncertain, but he'd likely keep contributing to the raid, showing his resilience.
Thus, the second floor's tumultuous conquest, echoing the first, came to a close.