"Chuu~~"
Nova let out a faint cry. The luminous patterns across his body dimmed, and he collapsed into Asuna's arms. The starlight filling the room faded away, and Ryuto's summoned avatar dissolved into motes of light before vanishing.
At that moment, Ryuto had only managed to destroy half the monsters in the chamber. The mirror images supporting him also dissipated, leaving him surrounded. Seven or eight polearms swung down at him all at once.
"Damn… bad luck."
Hua Jianyi blocked the weapons with his greatsword, though the force drove Ryuto down to one knee.
"Get lost!"
With a roar, Ryuto unleashed his full strength, shoving the weapons back. Hua Jianyi spun his blade in a wide arc, scattering the front line of monsters. They crashed into those behind them like falling dominos.
The moment his spear withdrew, twin daggers flashed into Ryuto's hands. He dove into the enemy ranks, striking with furious precision. Then, without warning, one of his daggers shattered into fragments of light just as he was about to parry a Lizardman's halberd.
His pupils contracted. Abandoning the block, Ryuto spun aside, narrowly dodging the strike. In the same motion, he hurled his remaining dagger like a hidden blade.
The black streak pierced through two monsters at once. Their forms dissolved into crystalline shards of data that scattered into nothingness.
Scarlet flames gathered in his hands, shaping into the familiar long sword—Blood Yang. Ryuto charged back into the fray, his strikes flowing seamlessly from one to the next.
Slashing, spinning, rolling—his blade sometimes danced like a deadly waltz, other times swept through enemies like a storm. He wasn't just fighting. He was performing.
From the rear, Asuna called out proudly:
"Silver Wing… Ryuto is known as the 'Silver Dancer' in the raiding group. His combat style is like art—it's beautiful."
The members of the Black Cats watched in awe, equal parts grateful for being saved and stunned by Ryuto's overwhelming skill.
As the fight drew to a close, fewer and fewer monsters remained. Finally, silence fell over the chamber. Dismissing his weapons, Ryuto walked back to the Black Cats.
"Do you know what your mistake was?"
"…Sorry."
"I'm not asking for an apology," Ryuto said coldly. "I want you to tell me what you did wrong."
"…We shouldn't have entered this room unprepared."
Ryuto shook his head, disappointed.
"No. It wasn't carelessness. You started learning new techniques, your strength grew quickly, and with the thrill of real combat feedback, you let pride take over. Before coming in here, not once did you consider that you might be unable to handle the situation. That's arrogance, not carelessness."
He continued sternly:
"If such a small improvement makes you overconfident, then when you face a Floor Boss in the clearing group, you'll die even faster. I'm not your babysitter—I can't always be here to save you."
The Black Cats flushed red with shame. They realized they had become arrogant just from gaining a little strength thanks to Ryuto. By contrast, despite his overwhelming power, Ryuto remained humble and composed. The difference made them lower their heads.
Keita finally spoke up, his voice earnest.
"This is my responsibility as guild leader. I'll take the blame and correct our mistakes. Thank you, Ryuto—not just for teaching us combat skills, but for teaching us how to think."
Ryuto waved dismissively.
"You all have your own ideals. That's as much as I can give. Tomorrow, Asuna and I will be returning to the clearing group. I hope we meet again—on the frontlines."
That night, during their farewell dinner, Keita and the others thanked Ryuto and Asuna once more. They swore the Black Cats would never let arrogance blind them again, and looked forward to reuniting in the clearing group. After the meal, Ryuto and Asuna returned to their inn to rest.
Two hours later, as Ryuto was chatting with Asuna, a message from Keita appeared.
"Ryuto, sorry to disturb you. But… Sachi went out earlier and hasn't come back. We've searched everywhere and can't find her. Could you help us? Please."
Ryuto sighed softly.
"…So it's happening after all. Asuna, wait for me here. I'll go find Sachi."
"Shouldn't I come with you?"
"It's fine. My tracking skill is high—I'll find her quickly. Stay here and wait for me."
He kissed her gently on the forehead and stepped into the night.
The town streets were quiet under the moonlight. Torches flickered, their warm glow mixing with the pale silver light of the moon, casting a hazy halo across the cobblestones.
Opening his skill menu, Ryuto activated Tracking. His vision drained of color, the world shifting into shades of black and white. A solemn atmosphere settled over the streets as he studied the ground. Finally, faint footprints appeared—Sachi's trail.
He followed them to the shadow of a bridge, where he found her huddled beneath the arch, arms wrapped around her knees, face buried.
"Sachi…" he called softly.
She raised her head slowly, eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him. Ryuto walked over and sat down beside her, leaving some space between them.
"Surprised I found you? My tracking skill is maxed out."
Sachi gave a bitter little smile.
"Ryuto… I just want to run away. Run from this town, from the monsters, from the Black Cats… from SAO."
"Why? Do you want to throw your life away?"
"…Maybe. But if I really had the courage to die, I wouldn't be sitting here in a safe zone."
"Then why can't you keep going? Even if it's a game… if dying here means dying for real, then what's the point?"
Hearing her despair, Ryuto sighed. Kayaba's twisted death game had crushed this poor girl's spirit. He cleared his throat softly before answering.
"Because we're alive, we have to live—not drift through this game like the walking dead. If you fear death, then all the more reason to face danger, to fight, to grow stronger. That's the only way to clear the game. Isn't that strange? Isn't that ironic?"
Sachi didn't reply, so Ryuto pressed on gently.
"If you let fear rule you, you'll spend your life running, always looking over your shoulder. But if you decide to face it—if you decide to be your own hero—then you can smash through danger instead of being crushed by it.
You can either cower forever… or live bravely, even in this death game.
Sachi, I think you already know the answer."
Unconsciously, Ryuto had already stood up and walked toward Sachi. He slowly stretched out his hand to her.
"Everyone runs away at some point. But the coin always has two sides—on the other side of fear lies bravery. You are your own hero, Sachi. When you no longer fear death, even death will fear you. Come on, the Black Cats are waiting for you."
Sachi hesitated, then placed her trembling hand into his. The warmth of his palm felt so real, and his words echoed in her heart. She remembered why she had left the Town of Beginnings five months ago.
It was because she feared death. She refused to entrust her life to others and wait for someone else to clear the game and save her. If the frontliners failed, she would die anyway. She had been afraid, so she picked up a weapon with the Black Cats—for the simple reason of surviving.
And yet… even before Ryuto appeared, she had already endured for five months. That alone was proof she had been her own hero all along.
Feeling the pull of his hand, Sachi rose to her feet and looked up at the silver-haired boy. Her cheeks flushed crimson, and before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him.
Ryuto stiffened, caught off guard.
"W-Wait—"
"Don't move. Just… let me stay like this a little longer."
The timid girl, once consumed by fear, now clung to him with a fragile but genuine emotion. It was hazy, unfamiliar, yet undeniably warm. But the thought of Asuna pierced her heart sharply, the pain sudden and overwhelming.
Reluctantly, Sachi released him, quickly wiping away her tears.
"The clearing group is waiting for me. I'll catch up soon."
Without giving him a chance to respond, she turned and ran off.
"…!?"
Ryuto froze, speechless. His heart sank.
Seriously!? I wasn't flirting! I said she was her own hero—not that I was hers!
Grumbling in frustration at the "unfair" turn of events, Ryuto dragged himself back to the inn.
Keita and the others were already waiting outside. When they spotted him, they hurried over.
"Thank you so much, Ryuto," Keita said earnestly. "We've relied on you too much already—teaching us combat skills, pointing out our flaws, even helping us find Sachi tonight. We owe you more than we can repay. So, all of us in the Black Cats have decided—once our levels catch up to the clearing group, we'll join your Silverlight Pavilion to repay your kindness."
Still preoccupied with Sachi's sudden attachment, Ryuto waved his hand politely.
"…Do as you like. I'll be waiting for you on the frontlines."
"It's a promise, then."
Without waiting for Keita to say more, Ryuto slipped past them and returned to his room.
Left outside, Keita rubbed his chin thoughtfully and glanced at Tetsuo.
"Why did Sachi look so flustered when she came back? What happened between her and Ryuto?"
Tetsuo scratched the back of his head honestly, shaking it. "Beats me."
At that moment, Ducker leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"C'mon, isn't it obvious? The two of them are probably—"
Before he could finish, Keita smacked him on the head.
"Don't make baseless guesses. You're single, so don't project your fantasies on others."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?" Ducker protested, jumping up and clinging to Keita's shoulders. "You and Tetsuo and Sasamaru all have it figured out, so why pick on me!?"
"Oi, don't drag me into this!" Sasamaru blurted.
"There's no PvP in love," Tetsuo added flatly.
Everyone burst into laughter, their voices echoing down the quiet street, breaking the silence of the night.
...
Support me with Reviews, Comments and Power Stones~😊