Part 23 (1/2)
”I knew that even if you didn't tell me!”
Asuna pouted, then she turned back towards Nis.h.i.+da with a smiling face before continuing: ”From that day on...I went to sleep thinking of him, and as a result the nightmares went away. I found out where his hometown was and would set aside some time to go see him every once in a while...then I began to look forward to the coming of each day...when I realized that I was in love, I was so happy and swore to treasure this emotion. That was the first time when I thought that coming to this world was a great thing...”
Asuna lowered her head, rubbing her eyes with her gloved hands, and then took a deep breath.
”Kirito-kun is the meaning behind the two years of my life spent here. He is also the proof that I'm alive and the reason for looking forward to tomorrow. I had put on the Nerve Gear and come to this world in order to meet him. Nis.h.i.+da oji-san...it might not be my place to say this, but I think you've definitely achieved something within this world. There is no doubt that this is a virtual world, that everything we see and touch is an imitation created from data. But to us, our hearts do exist within this reality. If that's true, then everything we're experiencing here should also be true.”
Nis.h.i.+da blinked continuously and nodded several times. His eyes were moist behind his gla.s.ses. I was also trying my best to hold back my tears.
”It was me”, I thought. I was the one who was saved when I couldn't find the reason for being alive, whether when I was in the real world or after I came to this one.
”...yes. Yes, you're right...”
Nis.h.i.+da looked up at the sky again and spoke.
”What I have heard here is also a priceless experience. Having caught a five meter fish is also one... It seems that my life here hasn't been meaningless. It was not meaningless at all.”
Nis.h.i.+da nodded once and then stood up.
”Ah, it seems that I've taken up too much of your time. I firmly believe that if people like you are fighting to free us, then we should all be able to return to the real world soon... Although there's nothing that I can do to help, I could at least encourage you and cheer you on.”
Nis.h.i.+da held our hands and shook them.
”We'll come back. Please keep us company when we do.”
As I promised with my index finger, Nis.h.i.+da nodded with a huge smile as tears streamed down his face.
We firmly shook hands with Nis.h.i.+da and then walked over to the teleport gate. As we entered the s.p.a.ce that s.h.i.+mmered like an illusion, Asuna and I looked at each other and then opened our mouths at the same time: ”Teleport-Grandum!”
The blue light that started to cover our vision erased the image of Nis.h.i.+da as he kept waving at us.
Chapter 20.
”The scouting party was wiped out-!?”
We were greeted with this shocking news when we returned to the KoB headquarters in Grandum for the first time in two weeks.
We were currently on one of the higher floors of the iron tower which served as the headquarters and inside the conference room with the huge window where we had talked with Heathcliff last time. Heathcliff sat at the center of the huge semi-circular table, dressed in his usual long robes. The other leaders of the guild sat on either side of him, except this time G.o.dfree wasn't present.
Heathcliff clasped the bony fingers of his hands together in front of his face and nodded slowly with a deep frown.
”It happened yesterday. Mapping the seventy-fifth floor labyrinth took quite a long time, but we were able to finish it without any casualties. Although I had expected that we would have a hard time defeating the boss...”
I did have a feeling that something like this might happen. The reason was that, of all the labyrinth bosses, only the ones from the twenty-fifth and fiftieth floors were extraordinarily large and powerful, which resulted in heavy losses from both of those fights.
The fight against the two-headed giant on the twenty-fifth floor virtually annihilated the elite troops of ”The Army”, which was the main cause of their decline as an organization. When the six-armed monster, which looked like a metallic statue of Buddha, launched a fierce a.s.sault during the fiftieth floor battle, numerous players had been frightened into teleporting away without permission and nearly caused the front line to collapse. If the reinforcements had been even a little late, we would have faced another total wipeout. As a matter of fact, the person who had held the line by himself during that battle until support arrived was right in front of me.
If an exceptionally strong boss awaited at every twenty-fifth level, then it was very likely that this boss would be the same.
”...So, I sent a scouting party of twenty men consisting of members from five different guilds.”
Heathcliff continued in a monotone. Since his eyes were currently half-open, it was impossible to discern his emotions behind those copper-colored eyes.
”They had scouted with utmost care. Ten of them had stayed outside the boss room as reserves...but when the first ten entered and reached the center of the room, the gates closed just as the boss appeared. According to the reports of the ten who waited outside, the doors stayed closed for over five minutes, and nothing they did, including lockpicking or bas.h.i.+ng the door, had any effect. By the time the door had finally opened-”
The edge of Heathcliff's mouth became tense. He closed his eyes for a moment and then continued.
”There was n.o.body in the room. The boss and the ten men had all disappeared. There was no sign of teleportation. They didn't return... and I sent somebody to check the death list on the metallic monument inside Black Iron Castle for confirmation...”
He didn't say the next part aloud and simply shook his head. Next to me, Asuna held her breath and then managed to force out in a small voice: ”Ten...people... How did this happen...”
”An anti-crystal field...?”
Heathcliff nodded briefly to my question.
”That's the only explanation. According to Asuna-kun's report, the seventy-fourth floor was the same, so it's highly probable that every boss room from now on would all have anti-crystal fields.”
”d.a.m.n it...”
I cursed. If emergency escape was impossible, the chances of people dying due to unexpected circ.u.mstances were drastically increased. We won't produce any casualties-that was the most important guideline to follow while clearing the game. But it was impossible to clear it unless we defeated the bosses...
”It's become more and more like a true game of death...”
”However, we can't give up on clearing this game just because of this...”
Heathcliff closed his eyes and then spoke in a quiet but determined voice: ”In addition to the anti-crystal field, the room also blocked the exit as soon as the boss appeared. Since this is the case, we can only attack it with the largest team of players that we can command and coordinate. I originally didn't want to call you two back since you had just gotten married, but I hope you can understand our dilemma.”
I answered with a shrug.
”We'll help. But I will be putting Asuna's safety as my top priority. If a dangerous situation arises, I will be putting her before the rest of the party.”
Heathcliff smiled in an almost unnoticeable manner.
”One who wishes to protect another is capable of unleas.h.i.+ng the greatest strength. I look forward to your achievements on the battlefield. The a.s.sault will begin in three hours. Thirty-two people, including you two, are expected to partic.i.p.ate. We will meet in front of the teleport gate in Collinia on the seventy-fifth floor at one o'clock. You are dismissed.”
As he finished, the red paladin and his men stood up and left the room.
”Three hours- What should we do?”
Asuna asked as she absentmindedly sat down on the steel bench. I simply watched her in silence. Her body which was covered by a white combat uniform with red decorations, her long and silky hair, her sparkling brown eyes-she was as beautiful as a priceless gem.
When she noticed that I kept looking at her without s.h.i.+fting my gaze, Asuna blushed and asked with an embarra.s.sed smile: ”Wha...what?”