Part 16 (2/2)

But the trap was twofold. The room was an Anti-Crystal Area-our crystals didn't work.

There were simply too many monsters to hold back. The other members fell into complete confusion and ran around aimlessly. I tried to cut a path open by using the high cla.s.s sword skills that I had been hiding up until now, but the panicked members didn't make it out in time. One by one, their HP fell to zero, and they screamed before bursting into tiny fragments. I thought that I could at least save Sachi and swung my sword endlessly.

But it was too late. I saw Sachi reaching out towards me with her hand while a monster cut her down mercilessly. Her eyes were still trusting even as she shattered like a gla.s.s statue and disappeared. She had trusted and relied on me until the very end; but because my words were weak and shallow, they had become nothing more than an empty promise, a lie.

Keita had been waiting for us in the inn that had served as our temporary base with the new HQ keys in his hands. After returning to the inn by myself, I explained to Keita what had happened. He had listened wordlessly until I finished, then asked me: ”How did you survive?”

Then I revealed my real level and that I had been a beta tester.

Keita had glared at me as if I was something disgusting, then said one thing.

-A beater like you didn't have any right to join us.

Those words had stabbed through me as if they were a steel sword.

”...what happened...to that person...?”

”He committed suicide.”

Asuna's body shuddered on the chair.

”He jumped off the edge of the floor. Most probably cursing me...to the very end...”

I felt my throat contract. As I recounted these memories that I had sealed deep inside my heart, the painful emotions of back then returned with perfect clarity. I gritted my teeth. Although I wanted to reach out to Asuna for comfort, a voice in my mind whispered, ”you have no right to do so,” which left me with only the option of tightly clenching my fists.

”I had killed them. If I didn't hide the fact that I was a beta tester, I would have been able to persuade them to leave the chest alone. It was me... I'm the one who had killed Keita... and Sachi...”

With my eyes wide open, I forced these words out of my gritted teeth.

Asuna suddenly stood up, took two steps towards me, and caressed my face with both her hands. She pulled her beautiful face closer to mine with a warm smile.

”I won't die.”

She said it in a whisper, yet the voice was very clear. I felt the strength leave my tensed body.

”Because, I'm... I'm somebody who'll protect you.”

After saying this, Asuna brought my head to her chest and embraced it. I felt a soft and warm darkness cover me.

As I closed my eyes, my mind reached over the dark veil of my memories and saw the faces of the Black Cat members; they were all sitting at the Inn's counter, bathed in an orange glow.

I cannot be forgiven. I can never pay the price for my wrongdoings.

Yet despite this, the faces that remained in my memories seemed to be smiling.

On the next day, I put on my blindingly white coat and left with Asuna for Grandum on the fifty-fifth floor.

Starting today, I would begin my work as a Knights of the Blood guild member. However, in contrast to the usual five-person party, Asuna took advantage of her power and allowed us to form a two-person party; so in reality, it was no different from yesterday.

But the orders that awaited us at the guild HQ were totally unexpected.

”Training...?”

”Yes. We will make a party of four and go through the Labyrinth Area in the fifty-fifth floor until we reach the living area of the fifty-sixth floor.”

The man who said this was one of the four other men who were present at the table when I had talked with Heathcliff. He was a huge man with thick blond curls and looked like an axe wielder.

”Wait, G.o.dfree! Kirito-kun is going to...”

As Asuna started arguing, G.o.dfree raised one eyebrow and responded in a confident, if not presumptuous, voice.

”Even the sub-leader must adhere to the rules. I don't mind the party he joins for exploration. But as the commander of the vanguard, I must test his capabilities. Even if he is a unique skill user, we don't actually know if he'll be of any use to us.”

”W-With Kirito-kun's strength, there's no way he'll be an inconvenience...”

I calmed the agitated Asuna down before speaking: ”If you want to see, then I'll show you. But I don't want to waste time in such a low-level labyrinth. Would rus.h.i.+ng through it in one run be alright with you?”

G.o.dfree closed his mouth with an expression of displeasure. Then he left after saying: ”a.s.semble at the west city gate in thirty minutes.”

”What kind of att.i.tude is that!?”

Asuna kicked the steel pillar with her boots in indignation.

”I'm sorry, Kirito-kun. Maybe it would have been better if we had run away...”

”If we did that, all the members of the guild would collectively curse me to death.”

I smiled and hit Asuna's head playfully.

”Uuuu, I thought that we would be together today...should I go along with you...?”

”I'll be back soon. Just wait here.”

”Yeah...be careful...”

Asuna nodded reluctantly. After waving my hand towards her, I walked out of the HQ.

But when I arrived at the appointed location-the west gate of Grandum-I saw something even more shocking.

Next to G.o.dfree stood the person who I least wanted to see in this world-Kuradeel.

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