9 AM.
Today's weather setting was cloudy. The morning mist that shrouded the entire street had not disappeared. The sunlight that shone in from the outside caused random reflections on the fine air particles, dyeing the surroundings a lemon yellow.
According to Ain Grand's calendar, it was the " Ash Tree Month " of late autumn. The temperature was slightly cold. It should be the coolest season of the year, but I was in a rather low mood.
I was waiting for Asuna at the main street area of the 74th floor, the transfer gate square. It was rare for him to have insomnia last night. After returning to his room in Argert and getting into his simple bed, he tossed and turned all night. When he really fell asleep, it was already past three o'clock in the morning. Although there were many convenient functions in SAO to assist players, it was a pity that there was no button that could be pressed to immediately fall asleep.
What was quite puzzling was that there was a completely opposite function in the game. There was a " Forced Wake Up Alarm " in the time-related options of the main menu, which could force the player to wake up with random music at a specified time. Although I could still go back to sleep, I was still awake by the system at 8:50 am and managed to climb out of bed.
The fact that there was no need to take a bath or change clothes in the game was indeed a boon for some players who were more unkempt. Although there were still people who liked to bathe every day, even NERvGear could not bear the simulation of the liquid effect, so it was impossible to fully display the salty feeling of taking a bath. After I got up before the agreed time, I used 20 seconds to tidy up my equipment and staggered through the Argert transfer door. He was suffering from the discomfort of not getting enough sleep while waiting for that woman, but…
[Still not coming…]
It was already ten past nine. The more diligent strategy teams had already appeared in front of the transfer gate and were walking towards the maze area.
I called out the menu aimlessly, killing time by confirming the map I had memorized and the progress of my skills. After realizing that he had the thought of " if only I had brought a portable game console ", he couldn't help but feel quite powerless.
I can't believe I actually want to play games in the game. I'm really hopeless. I should just go back and sleep…Just as I was having such negative thoughts, the teleportation portal emitted a blue teleportation light for the umpteenth time. I didn't have much hope and looked at the door. In the next instant…
[Ahhhh! Quickly, quickly dodge!"
[Waaah!]
Normally, a teleporter would appear on the ground inside the teleportation portal, but now, a human figure started to materialize in the air about a meter above the ground inside the teleportation portal. Then, it flew directly towards me.
[Wha…what…?]
He didn't even have the time to dodge or catch this person. It was convenient for him to bump into me. Both of us fell to the ground, and my head hit the ground hard. If they weren't on the streets, they would have lost a little HP.
In other words, this stupid player jumped into the transfer door of the original floor and was directly transferred here. I didn't expect that at this time, my mind could still leisurely think about the development of the matter. In my dizziness, I reached out my right hand and grabbed hard in order to push away the idiot on top of me.
「……?」
In the end, he felt a comfortable and unbelievable sensation on his hand. In order to find out what this soft and elastic object was, I grabbed it two or three more times.
[Ya, ya-!]
Suddenly, a loud scream rang out in my ears. Then, the back of my head was hit hard on the ground again. At the same time, the weight on my body disappeared. After receiving a new shock, I finally regained my senses and suddenly propped up my upper body.
There was a female player sitting on the ground right in front of me. She was wearing a white knight's suit with red embroidery and a mini skirt. A thin silver sword was tied to the belt. For some reason, other than staring at me with an unexplainable killing intent in her eyes, her face also showed the greatest emotional effect. Even her ears were red, and her two arms were tightly crossed in front of her chest…chest…?
I suddenly understood what my right hand had just grabbed. Only then did he realize the dangerous situation he was in. Although he had been practicing his way of thinking to avoid danger, it was completely useless at this time. I could only keep opening and closing my right hand, which I didn't know where to put it. Then, I revealed a stiff smile and said,
[Yo... Morning, Asuna.]
It felt like the murderous intent in Asuna's eyes had become stronger. That was probably the look in his eyes when he was considering whether to let his prey escape.
Just as I was about to start researching the feasibility of choosing the " Escape " command, the teleportation portal once again emitted a blue light. Asuna turned around in shock, then stood up and hid behind me in a panic.
[What's wrong...?]
I couldn't figure out what was going on and could only stand there. At this moment, the light from the teleportation door became even more dazzling. A new figure appeared in the middle of the door.
This time, the two feet of the person who had transferred it were indeed on the ground.
After the light disappeared, a familiar face stood there. He was wearing an exaggerated white cloak with a red badge on it. The man who was wearing the uniform of the Blood Oath Knights, equipped with an overly decorated metal armor and a two-handed sword, was the long-haired guard who had followed Asuna yesterday. If he remembered correctly, her name should be Krattier.
When Kratyll came out of the portal and saw Asuna hiding behind me, the wrinkles on his brows and nose deepened. Although he was not very old, probably in his early twenties, those wrinkles made him look particularly old. He gritted his teeth and said with a resentful look,
"Lady…Lady Asuna, you're going to cause me trouble by making such a decision…!」
Hearing his hysterical and sharp voice, I thought in fear that things were not good. With three sunken eyes, Krattier continued,"
"Come on, Lady Asuna, let's go back to the headquarters.」
[No, it's not an event today!……Why are you standing guard at my door so early in the morning?」
Asuna, who was behind me, also asked angrily,"
"Hmph, I've long expected this to happen, so I've been on a morning surveillance mission in Selmbrook since a month ago.」
Kradil's arrogant answer made everyone speechless. Asuna was also frozen on the spot. After a while, he asked in a stiff voice,
[That…that shouldn't be the leader's instructions, right…?]」
[My mission is to be Lady Asuna's bodyguard! So, of course, it also includes the surveillance outside your house..."
"How could it include such a thing, idiot!」
At this moment, Kratyll's anger and anxiety became more obvious. He walked over and pushed me away roughly, then grabbed Asuna's wrist.
"Please don't ignore my advice... Come, let's go back to the headquarters.」
Even Asuna felt scared when she heard his voice that was about to explode. She looked at me, who was standing beside her, for help.
To be honest, before she looked at me, my bad habit of being afraid of trouble started to flare up again. I even wanted to leave just like that. However, when he saw Asuna's gaze, his right hand moved on its own. I grabbed Kratyll's right wrist that was holding Asuna and carefully controlled my strength to prevent the crime prevention order in the city street from being activated.
"I'm sorry, but your deputy commander belongs to me today.」
Although it was a line that even he found disgusting, there was no other way. Up until now, Kradler had been deliberately ignoring my existence. His face instantly distorted and he shook my hand away.
[You…!]
He shouted in a hoarse voice. Even if the expression on his face had not been exaggerated by the system, one could tell that he had already deviated from the norm.
" I'll be responsible for Asuna's safety. Moreover, there was no boss battle today. Go back to the headquarters yourself."
[Don't…don't joke around! How can a trash player like you be qualified to be Lady Asuna's guard! I…I am a member of the glorious Blood Alliance Knights…"
[I'm much more suitable than you.]
To be honest, he had said too much.
" Stinky brat... If you're so confident, then prove it to me..."
Krattier's face was pale. He used his trembling right hand to call out the window and quickly manipulated it. A translucent system message immediately appeared in my vision. The content was obvious.
[Kratyll requests a 1v1 duel. Are you willing to accept it?"
Below the glowing text were Yes/No and a few other options. I glanced at Asuna, who was next door. Although she couldn't see the message, she should have understood what was going on. I thought that she would stop me, but to my surprise, Asuna actually nodded slightly with a stiff expression.
"... Can I? Won't it cause problems in your guild?」
I asked in a low voice, and she replied in the same subtle but firm tone,
[It's alright. I will report to the Guild Leader."
I nodded and pressed the Yes button, choosing [First Strike Victory Mode] from the options.
The rule of this mode was to hit the opponent with a powerful attack first, or to reduce the opponent's HP to less than half first. After the message changed to " You have accepted the challenge of a 1v1 duel with Kratyll ", a 60-second countdown began. The moment the number reaches zero, the HP protection of the two of us in the city block will disappear. We will fight with our swords until the winner is determined.
I don't know what Krattier thinks about Asuna agreeing to let us duel, but he tried his best to suppress his excitement and shouted,
[Please take a closer look, Lady Asuna! I will prove that no one else can be your guard!」
Then, as if he was acting, he pulled out his huge two-handed sword from his waist, made a clanging sound, and assumed a fighting posture.
After confirming that Asuna had already taken a few steps back, I drew my single-handed sword from my back. As expected of a member of a famous guild. That guy's weapon is much more gorgeous than mine. Other than the difference in size between a double-handed sword and a single-handed sword, my beloved sword was a simple and practical sword, but my opponent's sword had gorgeous decorations that looked like they were carved by first-rate craftsmen.
The two of us were about five meters apart, facing each other. As we waited for the countdown, more and more onlookers gathered around us. Apart from the fact that we were in the center of the city, this guy and I were also quite famous players, so it was only natural that there were so many people watching.
[The solo Kirito and the members of the KO B are fighting one-on-one!」
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, and it caused a very loud cheer. Generally speaking, it was a duel between friends to compete in sword skills, and these bystanders did not know the ins and outs of our bad relationship, so they just whistled and shouted at the side.
However, as time passed, I gradually stopped hearing these noises. Just like when he was fighting a monster, he felt as if there was a sharp and cold line running through his body. I looked at Kratyll, who was looking around anxiously because he was concerned about the clamor. I focused all my attention and prepared to predict his " intention " from his sword and stance.
Human players were more likely to reveal their sword skills in advance than monsters. If his opponent knew that he was going to use Assault System, Defense System, Upper Stage or Lower Stage attacks, it would be a fatal defeat in a battle.
Kratyll seemed to be carrying a sword. He placed the sword in the middle, leaned forward, and lowered his center of gravity. It was obvious that he was preparing to attack. Of course, this might just be his cover. In fact, I was just standing there with my sword at the bottom, making it look like I was ready to launch the next attack. As for how to read each other's movements, it would depend on their feelings and experience.
When there were only single digits left, I closed the window. At this time, the surrounding noise could no longer be heard.
In the end, Kratyll, who was still looking back and forth between me and the window, stopped moving. His entire body tensed up because of nervousness. Then,[Duel!] The words followed a purple flash and popped out between the two of us. At the same time, I kicked the ground and rushed forward. Flames flew out from under my boots, and the air that I tore apart roared loudly.
Kratyll's body was only a little slower than mine as he also started to move. However, there was still a shocked expression on his face. I think it was because I was in a defensive position and unexpectedly advanced forward.
Just as I expected, Krattier's first move was to use his greatsword with both hands to use the upper section of the Sprint skill," Avalanche." When facing this move, if he only used normal defense, even if he blocked it, he would not be able to counterattack because the impact was too great. If the user chose to dodge, the user would have enough time to reorganize their attacks due to the distance gained by the sprint. It could be said that it was a rather excellent advanced sword technique. However, this was only limited to when the opponent was a monster.
Having already guessed the opponent's sword technique, I chose to use the same one-handed sword technique, Sonic Impact. The trajectories of the two sword skills would cross in the air.
In terms of sword skill power, the other party was stronger. Usually, in a situation where the weapons of both parties clashed, the party who used a heavy blow would obtain a favorable judgment. In this situation, my sword would normally be repelled, and although the power of the opponent's sword technique would be reduced, it would still be enough to cause me to lose this battle. However, my target wasn't Kradler himself.
The distance between the two of them quickly shortened due to their astonishing speed. However, my senses also sped up at the same time, and I gradually felt that time had slowed down. I don't know if this is the result of the SAO system or if it's an innate ability of humans. However, I could clearly see through his movements.
Da Da raised his greatsword and swung it at me. As expected of the members of the strongest guild. Overall, their quality is not bad, and the speed at which they produce sword skills is faster than I expected. The powerful and dazzling blade immediately approached me. Even though it was a one-hit duel, if I were to receive this sure-kill attack head-on, I should have received some damage that couldn't be ignored. Kradil, who was sure that he would win, couldn't hide the joy on his face. But…
I took the initiative and swung the tip of my sword in an inclined trajectory before my opponent. With a yellowish-green light, I directly hit the side of Kradil's greatsword, which was still in the middle of swinging and had yet to be detected. A burst of intense sparks instantly erupted.
When weapons clashed with each other, there was another result, which was " Weapon Damage ".
Of course, this was not something that happened often. Only when there was no attack judgment at the beginning or end of the technique, and when the weapon was weak in structure and direction, could it happen.
But I'm sure it'll break. This was because the durability of a beautifully decorated weapon was usually not very good.
Just as I expected, the ear-piercing sound of metal scattered in all directions, and Kratyll's two-handed sword broke in half. An exaggerated light effect burst out like an explosion.
The two of us passed each other in the air. After we landed, we swapped positions and stood at the place where we were waiting for the battle. The man's broken sword spun as it flew high into the air. After reflecting the dazzling sunlight in the sky, it fell and stabbed into the stone floor between the two of them. Then, the half of the sword tip and the handle in Krattier's hand turned into countless pieces and scattered.
The entire square fell into a brief silence. Everyone who was watching the show opened their mouths wide and stood straight. As for me, I stood up from the ground and swung my sword left and right according to my habit. Then, the crowd cheered.
Listening to the crowd say,"That's amazing!" Did you aim at the sword just now? I had no choice but to swallow my sigh when I heard this comment about the attack and defense in that split second. Although it was only a sword technique, displaying my strength under everyone's gaze still made me feel very uncomfortable.
I lowered the sword in my right hand and slowly walked towards Kratyll, who was squatting on the ground with his back facing me. One could see that his body, which was wrapped in a white cloak, was trembling. I deliberately made a noise as I sheathed my sword. Then, I whispered to him,
[If you want to change your weapon and fight again, I'll play with you…but I don't think it's necessary.]」
Krattier didn't look at me. He grabbed the stone floor with both hands and trembled as if he had malaria. Soon, he said in a hoarse voice,「I·Resign.」。In Japanese, saying "surrender" or "I admit defeat" could also end the duel.
As soon as he finished speaking, in the same position as the beginning, purple words flashed to announce the end of the battle and the winner's name. Then, cheers sounded again. Krattier stood up shakily and shouted at the crowd,"
[This is not a performance! Get lost! Get lost!"
Then he turned to me and shouted,
[You…I'll kill you…I'll definitely kill you…]
I have to admit that his gaze at this moment did make me feel a little cold.
The emotional performance in SAO was indeed a little exaggerated, but even without the system's enhancement effect, the hatred that appeared in Kradil's three eyes could be said to be more terrifying than a monster. At this moment, a figure walked out from the side of me who was hiding quietly.
" Kradil, as the deputy commander of the Blood Alliance Knights, I order you to remove your guard duty from today onwards. Before there were any other orders, he would wait in the headquarters. Finished."
Asuna's voice was colder than her expression. However, I could hear the distress hidden in her voice. Unconsciously, I placed my hand on Asuna's shoulder. Asuna's nervous and stiff body swayed slightly, and she leaned against me.
"…What did you say…What did you say…You…"
Up to this point, Krattier's voice could still be heard. However, what he chanted next was probably hundreds of curses. At the same time, he glared at us fiercely. I think he must be preparing to reequip his weapons. Then, even if he knew that he would be stopped by the crime prevention order, he would still slash at us.
However, the guy managed to restrain himself in the end and grabbed the transfer crystal from the inside of the cloak. Then, with a force that seemed to crush the crystal, he held it tightly and lifted it up, muttering," Transfer…Grantham." Surrounded by the blue light, Kratyll cast an extremely hateful gaze at me at the last moment before I was about to disappear.
After the transfer light disappeared, the square was shrouded in an uncomfortable silence. The crowd who were watching the fun was so frightened by Krattier's rude words and deeds that they were speechless. However, they soon dispersed in twos and threes. In the end, only Asuna and I were left at the scene.
Even though I desperately wanted to say something, I had been focused on strengthening myself these past two years, so I couldn't think of anything to comfort anyone. Speaking of which, I wasn't even sure if I was right to listen to her and accept the duel and win.
Not long after, Asuna took a step back and whispered to me in a tone that didn't sound like her usual high and mighty attitude,"
"... I'm sorry to drag you into such a troublesome matter.」
"No…I'm fine, but are you really okay?」
Slowly shaking his head, the vice leader of the strongest guild revealed a strong yet weak smile.
[Yes.] Now the guild has become like this, always giving priority to the strategy of the game, and I am also responsible for imposing the rules on the members…"
" There's nothing we can do about it…On the other hand, if there weren't people like you, the progress of the strategy would be much slower than it is now. Although this isn't something a lone wolf like me can say…Hmm, how should I put it…"
Even I didn't know what I wanted to say. I could only continue in a panic,
"... So, even if you want to team up with a random guy like me occasionally and take a break, there's nothing to complain about... I think so..."
However, Asuna blinked a few times with a blank expression. Then, a bitter smile appeared on her face, but her tense expression finally relaxed.
[…But I still have to thank you.] Then I'll accept it respectfully and enjoy it. I'll leave it to you to be the vanguard today.」
After she finished speaking, she quickly turned around and walked toward the street that led out of the town.
"No way, wait a minute, the vanguard usually takes turns!」
After complaining, I could only sigh and chase after the chestnut-colored hair that was swaying.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]