Outside in the wilds.
A dozen or so players fought monsters together. Two others stood at opposite edges, keeping watch—acting as sentinels.
Since Lillian's escape that day, the large guild players—at least those involved in the chase—had switched to level-grinding mode. Instead of a few people in one small squad, they now moved in fully staffed teams of at least two squads, totaling twelve or more.
Their goal was clear: prevent Lillian from PKing in the wild. Even though Kirito and Asuna had relayed Lillian's intentions, the guild leaders didn't believe them. A frontline guild had few players; losing one was serious. They couldn't just take the word of two players and drop all precautions.
From their perspective, Lillian was permanently red-named. Killing casually didn't matter. In this game, there was no system where "exceeding a murder threshold summons powerful NPC enforcers." In the wild, it was a purely player-run society. Killing one or a hundred was the same; if caught, you were either permanently jailed in Black Iron Palace or deleted entirely.
What Kirito and Asuna didn't say was: even two full squads couldn't guarantee safety. Lillian was too strong, likely at least ten levels above them—beyond ordinary players entirely.
They also wondered: if Lillian really did it, with two companions, how did Kibaou and the other escape? Could anyone survive at that terrifying speed? How did they make it back alive to report?
Their curiosity drove them to visit the only survivor to ask for specifics. Kibaou had already been killed by Lillian—he admitted it, no room for deception.
Meanwhile, in a spider cave, three players successfully brought down the Spider Queen.
Bang!
Shards flew everywhere. The team leader checked his backpack and pulled out a badge.
"We got it—the guild emblem."
"Oh!" the two boys cheered. "Haha, boss, we can start our own guild now!"
"Mm." The team leader nodded, turning the silver emblem in his hands, his gaze steady.
"The guild's name will be 'Laughing Coffin.'"
"L…what?"
"Idiot!" Another boy sneered at his companion, then smiled at the leader. "Boss, it means 'Smiling Coffin,' right?"
"Right."
The team leader—or rather, the future guild master—addressed the two of them: "Once the guild is founded, we'll make the weaklings feel our presence immediately."
That way, that guy would feel it too.
He thought: by now, that guy has no allies left. With nowhere to go, aside from me, where could he possibly turn?
With that thought, he couldn't help but smile. Everything was unfolding according to plan. As for those two… he glanced at the excited boys, thinking they were far below that guy's level—merely tools for now.
---
Labyrinth
"Hey, don't run off!"
Lillian grabbed Yui's arm, pulling her back after she ran a few steps. Yes, under her insistence, he had brought her into the Labyrinth. Fortunately, his level was high enough that the monsters posed little threat. Plus, Kizmel, the dark elf, was with them—minor monsters couldn't even get close.
They had previously been to the BOSS room, so Lillian followed the shortest route this time, relying on Kizmel's acute senses to avoid other players. She could easily detect movements dozens of meters away—a huge advantage. They needed to avoid encounters because Yui was too conspicuous, and Lillian didn't want conflicts in front of her.
Arriving at the BOSS room door, the massive relief carving made Kizmel's expression serious. Lillian crouched down to Yui.
"When we open the door, you stay here at the entrance. Don't go in, understand?"
"Uh… why?" Yui looked confused.
Kizmel smiled, showing a touch of humanity.
"Because we're going to fight a big monster. If you behave well, we'll take you to eat something delicious after!"
"Really?" Yui nodded eagerly. "Okay, I'll stay right here! But… Lillian-nii and Kizmel-nee, you have to be careful too!"
"Don't worry…" Lillian said, glancing at Kizmel with a subtle sense of unease.
"Ready?" she asked, her eyes on him. Lillian shook off the fleeting thoughts and nodded.
"Mm." Now wasn't the time for distractions.
He placed his hands on the door and pushed. The reliefs glowed and the doors slowly opened.
Creak… creak…
They stepped into the "forest." Lillian looked back to see Yui obediently standing at the entrance, giving him a big thumbs-up. She returned it with a huge smile.
Wooooh—
The Nerius the Evil Treant twisted its massive body, letting out a low, rumbling sound. Lillian checked its health bar—still five segments.
Some games boosted a BOSS's stats when players summoned NPC allies. But SAO didn't seem to have that mechanism, which worked in Lillian's favor.
"I'll distract it, you attack!" Kizmel said, charging forward. Compared to when he first saw her, Lillian thought her strength had clearly improved. Did NPC strength increase over time? Rare, but here it seemed possible.
Thinking that, he attacked. Fighting alongside someone was far more comfortable than solo. Kizmel drew the BOSS's attention, and Lillian dashed behind it, aiming at the "trunk center" she had pointed out for a backstab.
A huge red text popped up—just as Kizmel said, it was the BOSS's weak point, dealing double damage. Simultaneously, Kizmel's curved blade flashed with light. Her swordsmanship was dazzling, often projecting "sword energy" at mid-range, far stronger than melee-only players.
The two fought the tree spirit intensely. Yui watched from the entrance, her large eyes sparkling with excitement, clearly intrigued by the battle.
Lillian didn't realize that his Yui was different from Kirito and Asuna's version. A child's personality is heavily influenced by their environment. In the original story, Yui became soft and cute because she was found while Kirito and Asuna were on their honeymoon, living peacefully for days, fishing and picking flowers.
Lillian's Yui, however, hadn't been spoiled like that—her first experience was watching a BOSS battle. Truly, this "parent" was somewhat irresponsible—didn't consider if a child should witness such blood and violence.
Ignoring that, Lillian and Kizmel fought in perfect coordination. The tree spirit's immobilizing vine couldn't touch Kizmel's purple curved blade. In less than five minutes, the Evil Tree Spirit's HP was depleted. With a scream, it collapsed.
"Success." Kizmel raised her hand to Lillian. Surprised by her gesture, he froze.
"You…"
"High five," she said. "Isn't that what humans do when celebrating?"
"…Yeah." Lillian clasped her hand against hers. Yui ran in, jumping with her arms raised.
"I want to high five too!"
"Okay~" They tapped her little hands, laughing together. Lillian's smile held a subtle shadow. Yui noticed and asked,
"Lillian-nii, what's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing," he said, thinking: Yui was designed to monitor player emotions. Even with amnesia, she still sensed feelings this keenly.
Yui blinked, then quickly shifted focus, admiring Kizmel. "Kizmel-nee, you're amazing… I want to be as strong as you!"
"Really?"
"Mm! I want to be like that!" She swung her tiny arms, mimicking Kizmel's attack, "And defeat monsters like that—it's awesome!"
"Good~" Kizmel crouched, ruffling Yui's hair with a smile. "When you grow up, I'll teach you how to use a dagger."
"Ah… I have to grow up first…"
Her disappointed words snapped Lillian out of his thoughts. He realized and asked belatedly, "Yui, what did you just say?"
"I want to use a dagger too!"
"…."
Lillian looked at her tiny determined face, unsure what to say—this kid's growth direction seemed… a bit off.
"Wow! A door appeared!" Yui's eyes fell on the glowing portal after the BOSS's defeat. She ran over excitedly, curiosity shining. Lillian and Kizmel hurried after her.
"By the way, I've never used the labyrinth to move between floors before," Kizmel said. "Seems like magical teleportation is still more convenient—no monsters to fight."
"Indeed, teleporting is super convenient," Lillian nodded. "Well… let's try it for the first time."
"Mm."