── Mitsuki has been removed from your Friends List ──
The moment Alice saw the notification, she bolted from her bed and rushed toward the 59th Floor.
"No, this can't be happening. It's a lie... Please...!"
She muttered frantic prayers as she sprinted toward his house. Upon arrival, she began pounding on the door with desperate force.
"Mitsuki! Open the door if you're in there! Mitsuki!!"
Predictably, no answer came. Feeling the futility of it all, she reached for the handle. To her surprise, the door opened without resistance.
In SAO, a player's home typically only opens for the owner. While an "Instant Key" exists to grant others temporary access, she didn't recall him ever giving her one.
She stepped inside cautiously. Unlike Asuna, Mitsuki clearly had no interest in interior design. The cramped room contained only basic, default furniture, devoid of any signs of daily life. The only outlier was a massive storage chest added later.
Mitsuki, the master of the room, was nowhere to be found.
A sudden removal from the friends list and a house left wide open—only two possibilities remained. Fueled by rising dread, Alice ran back toward the teleport gate.
"Teleport: Town of Beginnings!"
She headed straight for the Black Iron Palace on the 1st Floor.
The following day:
"Sorry I'm late... wait, what's going on? Are you guys here too?"
"That's our line, Klein."
"Alice wouldn't summon Klein here alone—is everyone here now?"
The three of them—Klein, Agil, and Argo—gathered in a room inside an inn in Granzam. Alice began to explain the situation.
"First, let me check something. Is Mitsuki's name still on your friends lists?"
"Huh? Of course it—wait...?"
Klein muttered incoherently as he scrolled through his list, checking every single name.
"No way... why is it gone? I don't remember ever deleting him!"
As Klein trembled in shock, Agil and Argo checked their own lists. They confirmed the name had indeed vanished.
"Unbelievable... no, I don't think that kid would die that easily. Does this mean he deleted us himself?"
"It seems there is a secret behind this. Tell us, Alice."
"Two days ago, Kirito—who recently joined the Knights of the Blood—was attacked by remnants of the Laughing Coffin guild. More specifically, a member of the Knights of the Blood who held a grudge against Kirito learned their killing methods and helped them set a trap for Mitsuki."
"An orange player within the Knights of the Blood... collaborating with the scum of Laughing Coffin."
"They always acted arrogant just because they were in the KoB... but some lines should never be crossed."
"No use telling Alice that now—please, continue."
"When Asuna and I realized what was happening, we split up to help them. Asuna successfully saved Kirito. But as for Mitsuki... I didn't arrive in time."
Immediately after Mitsuki vanished, Alice had gone to the Black Iron Palace to check the names engraved on the Monument of Life. There was no line through "Mitsuki," confirming he was still alive. But...
"But... the Mitsuki I saw at the very last moment had those eyes...!"
"Those eyes...?"
Agil and Argo tilted their heads in confusion. Klein was the only one who seemed to understand.
"Those eyes... you mean like during the crusade?"
Alice nodded. Klein covered his face with his hand, whispering, "Good grief..."
"During the crusade against Laughing Coffin, Mitsuki had a terrifying look—a pure, radiating bloodlust. A look that said he was ready to take lives. I was terrified of him then; I couldn't even speak to him."
"On the day of the crusade, Mitsuki carried a sharp, dangerous aura. Yet, he stayed focused on the goal of capturing and imprisoning the killers. But the moment we took casualties, his repressed impulses exploded. He started swinging that spear..."
Alice remembered that she hadn't had the luxury to worry about Mitsuki's state back then. However, she felt a bitter sting remembering his face after the battle, knowing he had taken the lives of several "red" players with his own hands.
"Since he had that same look, there's no doubt the attack two days ago was linked to Laughing Coffin."
"But why delete us? If he plans to hunt them down, wouldn't it be better to have our support?"
"If he were capable of that kind of rational thinking, he and Kirito wouldn't have become pariahs as 'Beaters'."
Argo's cold logic silenced the room. Everyone there owed their lives to the suicidal bravery of Mitsuki and Kirito. They all knew the burning frustration of being unable to help in a time of need.
"Then... then! We can't let him carry all these burdens alone anymore!"
"That goes without saying... but what do we actually do? We have very few leads on his location."
"Actually... there is one strong possibility. You've probably all felt it in your hearts."
The moment they heard about the Laughing Coffin remnants, the same suspicion crossed everyone's mind, though they had tried to ignore it.
"A Player Killer Killer (PKK). Mitsuki likely intends to take revenge on them alone. That's why he removed everyone from his list—to prevent us from tracking him on the map. He did it carefully in the middle of the night so no one would notice. It's the only logical explanation."
"That's insane! Does he really plan to go alone against Laughing Coffin remnants when we don't know their numbers or hideouts?!"
"Or perhaps... he's targeting someone specific. Since he was attacked, he must have seen at least one of their faces."
"Someone specific... wait, I remember. After the crusade ended, he was checking the captured players one by one..."
"Oh, I remember that too. He was violently ripping off their masks and scarves. He looked absolutely furious..."
"Hmm, the picture is becoming clear."
Based on the available information, Argo proposed a hypothesis:
Mitsuki held an old grudge against a specific member of Laughing Coffin even before the crusade.
He intended to settle the score during that raid, but that player was neither among the dead nor the captured.
During the recent training ambush, he met his nemesis again. His squad was killed, he alone survived, and he vanished to seek revenge on his own.
"That's how it looks. I heard the crusade was pure chaos. Mitsuki probably assumed back then that the person had been killed by someone else, and he forced himself to accept that to stay calm."
"But that opponent is still alive and still killing players... Mitsuki must feel an indescribable bitterness."
"And he certainly blames himself—even though the orange killers are the only ones at fault. Why does he always have to stain his hands!"
"Alice... Mitsuki's house is accessible now, right?"
"Yes..."
"I want to check something. Everyone, follow me."
They left the inn and followed Argo to the 59th Floor.
"Ah, Danac is so quiet and beautiful. Mitsuki picked a good spot."
"Is this the time to relax? Our goal is Mitsuki's house. Hurry up."
"I know."
They reached Mitsuki's house on the outskirts of town, where foot traffic was sparse. Argo entered the seemingly abandoned house and looked around sharply.
"Alright... all of Mitsuki's personal belongings are in this chest. Alice, do you mind if I open it?"
"Oh... yes, go ahead."
Ignoring why Argo asked her specifically, the informant opened the chest and inspected its contents.
"I see... so that's it."
"Did you find something?"
"No, there's nothing of much value here. Alice, did Mitsuki buy anything expensive lately? Or was he saving money for something?"
"As far as I know, nothing like that..."
"In that case... we need to move fast."
"What do you mean?"
"I said there are no valuables, and I mean that literally. These items are useless and won't fetch any money if sold. It's strange for a front-liner like Mitsuki to have an empty wallet. Since there are unnatural gaps in the storage space, he likely took all his money and precious tools with him. Mitsuki doesn't plan on coming back. He knows that hunting one person among six thousand players is a suicide mission. He may never appear on the front lines again."
If his target had a unique weapon or clothing mark, info brokers could find him. But given his behavior during the crusade, that didn't seem to be the case. This meant he would have to face every orange player one by one... but what would he do to them?
Would he capture them for prison, or...? Alice remembered the moment he lost his temper and swung his spear at an ordinary player in the city.
"We have to... we have to bring him back. Before it's too late. Please, help me!"
"Of course. Mitsuki is a VIP client, and I can't say no to a request from a girl as sweet as Alice."
"The debt from the 1st Floor is too big to repay easily... but I'll start paying it back now, even if it's just a little."
"If I do nothing while my friend is in trouble, I'll bring shame to the name of the Samurai!"
"Thank you... thank you all."
Alice didn't know if they shared her exact feelings, but she knew their desire to save him was the same. The four of them exchanged firm, resolute nods.
"Listen, Alice. In this situation, shouldn't we ask Kirito and the others for help? They would surely—"
Alice understood Klein's point. Her first instinct had been to turn to Kirito and Asuna. However, their absence wasn't due to a lack of care.
"We can't rely on them. Kirito and Asuna need some rest right now."
"I agree. Even if it involves Mitsuki, I don't want to ruin the newlyweds' peace with this dark news."
Alice had heard that the two, who had bonded during the recent incident, had temporarily withdrawn from the guild to get married. Although it was an official marriage within the game system, their bond and love were real. She couldn't drag them into this and fracture their peaceful life.
"They'll realize sooner or later that Mitsuki deleted them. We don't have much time. Moving early is our best bet."
"Agreed. Our goal is to find Mitsuki and bring him back—by force if necessary—before he kills more players and before Kirito and Asuna notice. Personally, I want to finish this within the next three days."
"Three days—until the 28th? Is there a specific reason?"
"Oh, that information will cost you."
"Mr. Argo..."
Alice seemed to be the only one who realized the true reason behind the three-day deadline.
"I'll track the leads and gather info on sightings of Mitsuki and orange players."
"I'll ask my contacts among merchants and customers. He'll have to go to a town or a shop eventually to restock."
"I'm not much of a thinker, so I'll leave the planning to you. Tell me the moment you find anything; I'll go anywhere!"
"I'll monitor the incident reports coming to the guild from the middle floors. As Klein said, please share any information with me immediately. And most importantly, stay safe. Mitsuki went alone so we wouldn't get involved. If he returns and we aren't all safe, his return will mean nothing."
"You have my word. I have a lot to say to that kid; I'm not dying before I do."
"We'll bring him back... we'll definitely bring Mitsuki back!"
The three responded with a single, powerful cry: "Yeah!"
The second day of the actual search for Mitsuki began. Yesterday had yielded no direct leads.
Alice scrolled through incident reports, but they were all closed cases where the perpetrators had already been sent to the Black Iron Palace.
She wanted to ask the criminals about who caught them, but the "Liberation Army" in charge of the prison doesn't keep precise records of the arresting parties. Since the reports reaching the Knights of the Blood were only a fraction of reality, this source was proving useless.
"I have no choice but to rely on Argo and Agil for information..."
One was the best information broker in Aincrad; the other was a merchant with a massive network since the start of the game. Alice believed they would find a thread. She just had to be ready to move at a moment's notice.
Still, she couldn't stand waiting idle, so she re-read the report of the only incident that caught her interest.
It was an event from three months ago—a series of simultaneous player murders between the front lines and the middle floors. Because members of the Knights of the Blood were harmed, the reports were extremely detailed.
She felt a surge of anger learning about "Incite Killing," which exploited the presence of "Beaters." Mitsuki had been involved in the last of those incidents.
She remembered that the instigating players back then were all killed by Laughing Coffin members to silence them. Only Mitsuki had survived—just like this time.
The instigator from that time and the Laughing Coffin remnants who attacked Mitsuki must be the same people. This explained his behavior during the later crusade. Even if it wasn't in the reports, the grudge likely went back much further.
Back then, she had warned Mitsuki to be careful, and he had accepted her advice sincerely. Should she have done more than just warn him? Should she have asked how he was doing more deeply?
All those questions and endless regrets haunted her now.
Could she have stopped Mitsuki from taking this path if she had done something? She felt angry at her inability to give a confident "yes."
"Am I still someone he can't rely on? Was my joy at him depending on me once on the 74th Floor just an illusion?"
He saved me countless times. I looked up to him countless times.
I loved fighting by his side. I loved the time we spent together.
I love the childish side he sometimes shows. I love his look of pure determination during battle.
She was terrified for him... but she loved how he always put others before himself.
She felt a bit frustrated because he tried to carry everything alone and didn't rely on her much... but she knew this came from his kindness. That was why she loved him. She wanted to be by his side; she wanted to support him.
She wanted to stay with him longer, to touch him and shake his hand more. She wanted him to hold her hand. If it were up to her, she would never leave his side for a moment. she wanted to spend more time with him—she never wanted to see that pained face again.
Her feelings overflowed like a bursting dam. Why couldn't she save him despite all this love?
"I want to see Mitsuki."
As if her prayer had been answered, a system message appeared. It was from Argo.
"Sorry for the delay; verifying the info took some time. It seems the number of orange players being tossed into the Black Iron Palace has suddenly spiked recently. Simultaneously, rumors are spreading in the lower and middle floors about a 'Criminal Hunter' targeting only orange players—"
"!"
"Criminal Hunter"—if this was Mitsuki, and based on the increase in prisoners, he likely hadn't killed anyone yet. There was still time.
"We haven't confirmed if it's Mitsuki yet, but it seems there are many players he has saved. They've nicknamed him 'The Vigilante.' In the lower floors, they treat him like a hero. Anyway, I'm gathering more info on the 35th Floor. Everyone, come over."
The 35th Floor was where mid-to-low level players gathered, and it swarmed with orange players who preyed on them. This made it fertile ground for a "Criminal Hunter."
She had finally found the thread. Alice clung to it with all her strength, terrified to let go, and bolted toward the teleport gate.
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