One Punch-Gamer

𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. 𝟳𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿, 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿. 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬…

The midday sun on the current Frontline was a very pretty thing to see from the Floor's edge, at least from a standard point of view.

For the group that people would easily identify as the United Heroes Association (Most of them, at least), it was also an important reminder about something.

"Almost three-quarters of the way…" softly whispered Keita, breaking the silence that had descended over the guild members. "Got to say, when I first heard Kayaba's words about what we had to do to get out, I almost lost all hope. But now…"

"Now, here we are, a bit more than a year and a half later, part of the force that leads the charge for our freedom." Asuna finished for him, the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl resting with her back against a massive rock. "Funny, how unexpected life is sometimes, uh?"

"You can say that again, Aa-chan…" idly commented Argo, her hood down (As she now had it most of the time since the raid against Laughing Coffin) as she looked at her clawed hand, a lazy smile on her face. "Things certainly can go in unexpected ways…"

"Still, I'm happy about that." announced a smiling Sachi while looking at everyone, half standing and half resting on her spear. "It may have been horribly scary at first, and it still is in some ways, but…in a sense, being here in Aincrad has also given us a lot of good things. Meeting each other, for example!" raising her massive lance up high, the girl of bluish-black hair pointed it towards the sun. "Being here together, fighting at your side…it has been great, and…and also…"

"And we have also grown, right?" ventured Ducker while looking at his friend, who gave him a happy nod. "Heh, look at us, the Computer Club, now 'Heroes' fighting monsters every day for the good of people…almost seems like something you would see in an anime…"

"Yeah…and we even got two AIs as part of our group to fill the part of the 'supernatural' members." joked Philia while looking at the sleeping form of Yui, sitting on Strea's legs as the former MHCP gave them her trademark cheerful grin.

"Yay, I love being here with you all too!" her massive smile suddenly turning softer, the lilac-haired girl patted the sleeping head of her 'sister', her eyes drawn towards the endless virtual sky. "Thanks to Yui-nee, I got this opportunity…to have friends, to be human…I'm grateful to her for that and to you all for accepting us…"

"If someone had told me that I would be having a conversation like this with an AI before all of this, I would have thought they were trying to screw with me just for being part of the Computer Club…" commented Sasamaru while looking how Philia patted Strea's shoulder. "But nowadays it seems like the most normal thing…I wonder if that's something to worry about?"

"It probably is." firmly declared Tetsuo before taking a bit out of the apple he was carrying. "But really, who cares about that?"

"You know, some people would accuse you of needing help for taking things like that in stride…" teased Lisbeth with one of her usual grins, making the boy sent a mock-glare to one of the two latest members of their guild. "Then again, I also have started to think that way lately, so I can't really blame you…"

"Life is a massive maze, and we're wanderers going through it, hoping to find an exit that leads us to what we d.e.s.i.r.e." Silica's sage-like voice filled the air while everyone resisted the urge of commenting in how that only made her sound childishly cute, the kunoichi's scarf flapping at the wind as she stood over the rock Asuna was resting against. "And our Ninja Way has led us all to this point, all together and facing to the future."

"Kyuuu." muttered Pina while rolling his eyes, flying just at Tetsuo's side and making the blinking boy squeak at realizing the dragon had just bitten off half his apple.

"HEY!"

"Pi-Pina, what do you mean by that?! A-and stop stealing food from others, you need to ask for it first!"

"Kyuuryu?"

"Li-like hell I will give you more…if that's even what you're saying! Seriously, how the f.u.c.k can you understand it?!"

"Fool! You should know by now that it's only our great link as Tamer and Pet what allows us to connect in such a way that…!"

"Kyuu, kyu."

"EH?! Da-dammit, s-stop being so mean, Pina!"

"Heheh, Pina is making Silica-chan cry again!"

"Strea, don't laugh about that…! And stop moving so much, you're going to wake Yui-chan!"

"Umuu…a bit too late, Asuna-san, I'm already awake…"

"Ah! Good morning, Yui-nee!"

"It's past midday, Strea; you can't just be so nonchalant about it! You're going to turn her into a lazy little girl!"

"Nee, Philia-chan, she's an AI, remember? Stop acting like an overzealous mother, heh."

"Wha-wha…?! Do-don't say stupid things, Lisbeth! I-I'm only trying to ma-make a point!"

"Your all-red face tells me otherwise, though…Gasp! Don't tell me you were thinking about…?"

"SHU-SHUT UP!"

"Liz, Philia, don't fight in front of Yui-chan!"

"Should I use my powers to throw some rocks and stop them, Asuna-san?"

"NO! Geez, see?! This is what I was talking about; you're turning her into a violent girl!"

"…are you SERIOUSLY blaming them about showing too much violence when YOU are the one who is prouder about using the most brutal ways of destroying things?"

"Tha-that doesn't matter in this case, Silica-chan! Because at least I don't go showing that off in front of…!"

"U-uhm, everyone? Ca-can we please stop shouting…?"

"I don't think they hear you at this point, Sachi-san…"

"Kyuu…"

"Ugh…when Pina and Yui are the voices of reason is when I miss Kirito-sama the most…"

Massive sweatdrops starting to roll down their heads, the boys of the UHA shared an uneasy smile.

While it was good and all to have so many friends, sometimes being surrounded by so many overpowered females was a bit too much for them, especially when they could barely count Sachi as not being part of their worries sometimes (She could also become quite 'scary' when she wanted). And even more when their 'great leader' wasn't there with them, seeing as he was (Somehow) the most successful in calming them down.

As the 'conversation' (Shouting match) degenerated so much that now it was only them and Pina watching from the sidelines (Yui having joined by floating above the girls and giving 'advice' about one subject or another while happily laughing), Keita and the rest decided that they were SO going to make the boy pay for leaving them alone for more than one hour with his 'harem'.

…not that any of them ever called them that, of course not. The laughs they would get from seeing the face they could imagine Kirito making at hearing the term wasn't worth their lives.

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

On the opposite side of the Floor, the boy clad in black and white stood over a rocky formation, ignorant of the problems/revenge plans of the rest of his guild as he stared towards the 'ceiling' of the Floor, the fake sky now noticeably smaller for anyone who cared to look into the details.

As both a Beta Tester and someone with common sense, Kirito knew that this was because of Aincrad's form, the Floors of the Floating Castle turning smaller the more they went up. Now that they were above the 70th one, they were barely half as big as the 1st one was, give or take a couple hundred of meters.

The time of their release was less of a faraway dream with each passing day. It was now something that not only he, but everyone in Aincrad could feel and look forward to with hope.

If they continued at this rate and no tragedies happened, they may be able to arrive to the 100th Floor by the end of the year, maybe the beginnings of the next.

Maybe he would be finally able to share that ice-cream with Sugu by the time New Year came by…

His eyes firmly closed as these thoughts ran through his head, the boy let out a soft sigh before speaking, not even bothering to turn around.

"What do you want, Heathcliff?"

"My, I would swear that you become scarier by the day." commented the so-called 'Paladin' while looking at the boy from the base of the rocky formation. "You say you don't have access to any Skill, yet you noticed me as if you were using Tracking without effort."

"You wear full body armor and go around carrying that big-ass shield most of the time." spoke the gamer while turning to look at the crimson-clad man, both their capes flapping in odd synchrony as they stared at each other. "It's not really difficult to hear you coming."

"I see…" answered Heathcliff with a soft voice, his gaze wandering towards the virtual sky. "…quite a beautiful sight, wouldn't you say?"

"…it is." accepted the black-haired boy while looking at the virtual clouds. "But…it's not the same."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"It may be difficult to explain it, maybe even more because of…how I was before all of this, but…the sky…" not paying much attention to the curiosity in the man's voice, Kirito raised a gloved hand towards the heavens, as if wanting to grasp them on his fist. "When I look at this sky, I can only think that…it's more like the ceiling of a prison than the symbol of freedom that's supposed to be." closing his eyes again, the gamer suddenly seemed much older on Heathcliff's eyes. "This world, which was meant to be a beautiful place where you could enjoy adventures you couldn't in the real world,…is nothing more than a massive cage now. And no amount of beauty can change that." turning around, the black-clad boy slowly walked past the silent man in crimson armor, both their capes seemed to flap once again when he passed by him. "That's why we need to do our best to return home."

"…that's indeed a very interesting way of seeing things, Kirito-kun." whispered the leader of the KoB before looking over his back at him. "And you seem quite sure of it…I wonder, though; would you be able to FIGHT for it, if given the chance?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" questioned the boy while stopping, giving the man an incredulous look. "Because I don't find it funny, Heathcliff."

"Oh, but I was being quite serious." Kirito didn't know why, but he suddenly felt something…'off' in the man's voice and gaze, something that he couldn't quite name. "You may have never considered it, with your 'curious' nature, but…if you could fight, TRULY FIGHT, someone at your level, putting your life in real risk like the rest of us common players, just to reach that freedom…would you truly do it?"

Silence was his answer as both stared at each other for several seconds.

Then, without warning, Kirito turned around, his face extremely serious as he crouched to jump, softly whispering his next words.

"I would."

He never got to see the strangely satisfied smile appearing on Heathcliff's face at his words, for he was already high in the air, jumping in the general direction of the rest of his guild, his friends.

Neither did he hear the ominous answer.

"Just as I thought, Kirito-kun."

Almost at the other side of the Floor, the black-haired boy landed, idly worrying about how normal it was now for him to jump hundreds of meters through the air, before slowly walking forward, looking around in search of the others.

"Hmm, I'm sure they should be close to…"

"Hey! Sensei!" blinking, the boy turned his head to the side with a soft smile to see Asuna and the rest of the guild walking out of the trees…minus Keita and the boys?

"Uh? Hey, girls, where are the o…?"

"They said they had to do some urgent research to finish solving something about the cost for our next equipment upgrade or something like that." waved it off Lisbeth with a smile, which sent alarms bell ringing inside Kirito's mind, seeing as SHE was the one who was usually supposed to do that. "But they were kind enough to give us a GREAT idea before going away!"

"Yeah, you bet they did!" grinned Argo while putting her hands behind her head, her wide smile managing what countless monsters hadn't and making the caped boy shudder. "You see, Kii-bou, did you know there was a big outdoor bath on Floor 70?"

"Wha…? There is a Hot Springs THERE?" muttered the boy with disbelief, remembering the annoying landscape of the Floor divided in jungle, mountains and small open fields.

"Isn't that right?! We were all really surprised, but Argo-san checked with her sources and it seems it's true!" excited, Sachi played with her spear without realizing how close she came each time to impale the rest of the group, who either didn't notice or didn't care. "I haven't been in one of those since I was 12!"

"I have only gone once with my parents…" softly muttered Silica while looking towards the horizon. "Hmm…relaxing in hot springs with friends is indeed something worthy of a kunoichi…"

"Kyuu?"

"Tha-that has nothing to do with this, Pina!"´

"Heh, I have never been in one before, but from what everyone has been saying it sounds like a lot of fun!" chirped Strea while jumping up and down. "Since I and Yui-nee got these Avatars it has been great to experiment with all kinds of human things, so I want to try them out the best I can!"

"Yeah, please, don't remind me about the first time I got you two to eat a cake…" shivering, Philia seemed to do her best to suppress said traumatic memory. "God…WHY wouldn't you stop…?"

"He-hey, that's mean!" complained Yui while pouting cutely, crossing her arms and looking away with a small blush. "W-we were new to the feeling of eating things, it's not our fault that desserts are so sweet!"

"Getting back to the point…" sighed Asuna while trying to ignore the antics of her friends. "Turns out these hot springs exist because they're the starting point for a Quest, but the place STILL exists even if you don't try out the Quest! So, we were all thinking of going and relaxing a bit tonight, since we have been fighting endlessly this last week."

"Oh, that sounds like a…cool idea…" slowly muttered the boy, suddenly very uneasy at the wide smile his self-proclaimed disciple was giving him…and that was mirrored in most of the other girl's faces. "But…what exactly did you say you needed me for again?"

"Well, Kii-bou, that's the thing." cheekily spoke Argo while walking to the side of her long-time 'friend' and putting an arm over his shoulder, ignoring the pointed glares that most of the girls (Sans Yui and Strea, though for different reasons) sent her way. "This 'bath' is out of a Safe Zone, in the middle of a field, in fact."

"What?! Bu-but that's dangerous!" Kirito's voice was full of excessive concern, which normally would have been a bit annoying for the girls (Seeing as they WERE the strongest group of female players in SAO), but coming from him they didn't seem to mind much. "You will be weaponless and without your equipment while you bath! How are you going to defend yourse…?...oh."

Realization dawning on his face as the girls' smiles widened, the gamer mentally swore.

He was SO going to make sure Keita and the others paid for this.

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

𝟕𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫, 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝟏𝟗:𝟎𝟓…

"Ah…this is the best." happily declared Asuna while letting her towel aside and sinking in the hot water all the way to her chin. Taking baths like this was, without a doubt, one of the things she enjoyed the most from SAO.

A calm look around let her see how most of the others were doing the same, leaving their towels to one side to fully sink in the relaxing liquid, only Philia and Silica still wearing then as they sat on the edge of the water with their legs inside it…and Strea, who didn't seem to have bothered with a towel to begin with, and was half-floating/half-swimming through the spring.

The nice and relaxing open bath was located in one of the several open areas near the forests of the Floor, partially surrounded by a typical Japanese 'wood wall' with only one, currently closed, door.

So, in essence, not a very safe place, but a great one to relax in.

"Ahh…this is life, eh, Aa-chan?" smiled Argo, her face set into the most carefree expression Asuna had ever seen her with. "Beautiful stars, lots of friends, perfectly warm water…isn't this great, Kii-bou?"

"…hah, hah, how funny Argo, I wish you could see HOW AMUSED I'm right now." dryly came Kirito's voice from beyond the wooden door, making Silica look on that direction with a worried/blushing face even as Sachi let out an uneasy chuckle. "But seriously, enjoy it while you can, I'm SO entering there and relaxing after you are all done."

"Why would you even want to enter, anyway?" questioned Philia while pointedly not looking towards the door…for no special reason, of course. "I mean, don't you feel like, VERY uncomfortable just sitting on the water wearing a wet jumpsuit?"

"Uhm…" for an instant, the uncomfortable and blushing gamer (Who was trying very hard of not imagining the scene beyond the 'wall' he was protecting) considered answering that he had ACTUALLY found a way of taking off his damn 'costume'…which included deactivating his 'Ethics Code' and unequipping ALL OF IT at once, leaving him virtually n.a.k.e.d (HAH) and still unable to equip anything but the damn jumpsuit again…but that screaming part of his brain somehow looking out for his self-preservation made him decide against doing so, for some reason. "…I kind of got used to it after so much time."

"Heh, I can get why you would, Papa! Being here is great!" laughed Yui while relaxing into the water, going so far so as to sink her head for a moment before happily emerging and smiling at the group, triggering many of the 'Awww'-senses of the teenage girls. "I wouldn't mind about wearing clothes if I could be in this place the whole day!"

"Ah, there is a human thing for doing that!" chirped Strea while suddenly standing without any shame, splashing water everywhere and making more than one of the girls feel self-conscious. "Those are called swimsuits, right?! People use them to go to the beach, or pools, or other places with lots of water!"

"Hmm, now that you say it, I think there is an Item like that here in SAO…"

"Wait, re-really?!" Sachi's shocked words mirrored the thoughts of most of the human girls in there as they looked at Yui in shock. "Why would Kayaba Akihiko bother to include THAT if he was planning to turn this game into a death trap?!"

"That's the same thing I ask myself when I see places like Floria or remember that he bothered with detailing the cold enough for you to feel like freezing on a mountain and the warm enough for you to enjoy hot springs…" sighed the black-haired boy while shaking his head. Kayaba certainly s.u.c.k.e.d as an 'evil mastermind'.

"I guess some 'mysteries' will remain unknown forever…" idly commented Lisbeth, trying to break the awkward silence that had filled the area after the boy's declaration.

"Hmm…if one thinks it very hard, then maybe…?" stopping her unusually and OOC deep-thinking moment, Strea turned to look at a certain someone with curious eyes. "What's wrong, Silica? Why are you staring at me so hard?"

"It's…nothing." emotionlessly commented the kunoichi, her eyes never leaving a certain part of the lilac-haired girl's anatomy while her hands crossed over her own. "Absolutely…nothing."

"Aww, is someone jealous?" teased Liz while hovering over the silent loli, making her squeak when she pressed her own c.h.e.s.t against the back of her head. "Don't worry, Silica-chan~! It's not your fault that you're still growing!"

"Li-Liz-san, where are you touching?! A-and stop treating me like a child, da-dammit!"

"Liz, stop molesting Silica, we're supposed to be relaxing!"

"Nee, I think they're relaxing a lot, Aa-chan…"

"Ohh, that looks funny! Yui-nee, can I also touch your c.h.e.s.t?!"

"Eh? Why would you even want…?"

"STREA-SAN! Get away from Yui-chan, NOW! And Liz, seriously, stop that already!"

"Bu-but I only want to get closer to Yui-nee, like Liz is doing with Silica!"

"Thi-this is NOT bo-bonding of a-any kind! Kyaaa!"

"Kyuuryu…"

"You could at least stop floating there and help me, you know?!"

"Heheh, all this noise and fun is great! I love being human!"

"Yui-chan, you're not really helping here…"

"Ahh…I could get used to sitting here and calmly watching all hell breaking loose…"

"Not helping either, Argo-chan!"

"E-eh, u-uhm…everyone?" Sachi's shaky voice someone managed to get through the chaos and make the blinking group of girls look her way, just noticing her red face. "Ha-have you forgotten that…Kirito-sama is still out there?"

Silence descended over the group (Sans for Strea and Yui, who still seemed to be having fun on the water) even as several heads turned towards the door of the hot springs, at the other side of which a certain black-white-clad boy stood while looking forward with dead eyes and his face burning crimson. A random dog-sized frog mob tried to jump towards the wooden wall and he absentmindedly punched it to oblivion.

Being honest, Kirito didn't know if he should consider himself lucky or unlucky. I mean, yeah, they were his friends and he respected and appreciated them very much, but GODDAMMIT, HE WAS STILL A HORMONAL TEENAGER!

Deciding to remain silent while trying to force his brain to banish the images that the 'chatter' of the girls had conjured, the mostly silent group was still staring as if waiting for a reaction, until someone decided to, once again, break the awkward silence.

"Kirito-san…? A-are you still out there…?" asked Silica while trying to calm her heartbeat.

"Hmm…who knows, maybe he is but won't answer to someone so 'little'…"

"EH?! Liz-san, retire that, or so I swear you shall taste the fury of my shurikeeeens!"

"Need I to remind you that I'm the ONLY ONE who can still actually activate her Unique Skill here?" cheekily answered the blacksmith with a wide smile.

"Yo-you two, stop arguing about si-silly things!" half-shouted Sachi with a burning face.

"Eh? Kirito's taste in b.r.e.a.s.t-size is a silly thing?" 'innocently' asked Strea, causing several more burning faces and fierce coughs in the background.

"N-no! I mean yes! I-I mean….!"

"That discussion is a waste of time, anyway." dismissed Asuna while looking away, absolutely not trying to hide the annoyed glint in her eyes. "Because Sensei is a Siscon."

The ensuing silence that filled the bath was so absolute that one could have let a pin drop and it would have echoed louder than a gunshot.

Then, all hell broke loose (Again).

"WHAT?!"

"Papa is a what?"

"Te-tell me tha-that's not true!"

"Li-lies! It's a lie, right?!"

"Aa-chan, what the hell are you sa…?!"

"COULD YOU PLEASE STOP TALKING AS IF I'M NOT HERE?!" screamed Kirito the heavens while resisting the urge to pull off his hair, freezing everyone even as Asuna chuckled softly. "And for the thousandth time, Asuna, I AM NOT! Just because I dedicate 40 minutes each day to think about how much I miss my little sister doesn't mean I have a complex!" even the rapier-user's smile had been wiped out from her face after that, adding to the new 'silence'. "…I just shouted that aloud, didn't I?"

"Yep, you did!" cheerfully declared Strea, who didn't seem to have a problem with anything…like always. "Now, I don't think much more monsters are going to come around, so…why don't you come here and join us, Kirito?" the girl's happy invitation made every girl (Sans a smiling Yui) freeze and gap at her in shock, even as their faces burned at the sudden image. "You can come here and 'enjoy' with us, eheheh!"

"…OH, LOOK! MORE MONSTERS!" shouted the boy unnecessarily loud, his face now a similar shade to Heathcliff's armor. "I should better go around the area and wipe them all out! Be back in a sec!"

Then, he was gone, in a blur of speed that made several trees sway.

Nothing cowardly about running from situations you knew were hopeless for you, after all.

"S-Strea-san, wha-what the hell?!" shouted Asuna with a burning face, trying very hard to not think about the image of Kirito sitting at her side on the hot spring…and utterly failing. "Why would you say something like that?!"

"Uhm, because I wanted him to come in?" confusedly answered the lilac-haired girl while tilting her head, wondering why the other girls were looking at her with several degrees of shock and blushes. "I thought it wouldn't be a problem?"

"Wha…?! How could you think it WOULDN'T be a problem?!" Argo's voice was several pitches higher than normal, her previous relaxed demeanor utterly gone.

"Because I like Kirito!" cheerfully admitted the girl, barely registering the strangled and gasping sounds coming from around her. "And I know you all like him too, so I was sure it wouldn't be a problem!"

The newest silence of the night took place even as the suddenly fried brains of the incredulous 'heroines' tried to process what they had been told, their eyes never leaving the voluptuous form of the smiling Strea.

"Wait…wait, wait a minute…yo-you like him…?" muttered Liz with a whisper. "D-do you even KNOW what that means?"

The small skepticism on the blacksmith's voice was understandable, to be fair. After all, despite their initial shock at being revealed the 'secret' about Yui and Strea's nature when they joined the girl, Lisbeth and Silica had ended up accepting the AIs' origins without problems, not to mention that it also helped understand why they acted so 'special' most of the time.

So really, no one could have blamed the user of God Hand for hoping it was just a misunders…

"Yep, I do! I want to be with him all the time, his smiles make me feel all happy and fuzzy inside, I want to do all I can to be close to him, I want to kiss him and…!"

"O-OKAY, WE GET IT, S-STOP!" pleaded Sachi while trying to calm herself down, Silica, who sat near her, seeming to be suffering a meltdown on her face at each of the situation-describing words from the cheerful girl, most likely imagining herself in them.

"I-I can't believe…wait, did you say we all…?" blinking, Philia slowly looked around, each and every girl doing the same and letting their gazes cross before they all looked away, ashamed/cursing/shocked. "…unbelievable…"

"Thi-this has to be a joke…" muttered Asuna while massaging her forehead, looking despairingly towards the whiskered girl closest to her. "E-even you, Argo-chan…?"

"Wha-what's with that look?!" heatedly replied the Rat while looking away with an annoyed blush. "A-and besides, weren't YOU the one always saying that you weren't more than teacher and disciple?!"

"We ARE…for now! Uh, I mean…" looking at the pointed stares of the others, the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl just screamed in defeat and let her face sink on the water before looking up. "Okay, I admit it, I LIKE Sensei! Are you happy now?! Ugh!"

"…being fair, I can't exactly blame you for it." softly muttered Silica while fiddling her fingers. "You have been with him almost since the beginning; it's only natural that those kinds of feelings blossom between two close companions that have gone through endless battles together…In fact, there are many people that believe that you two had a secret relationship since Floor 3."

"E-eh?! Whe-where did you even heard that?!" demanded the red-faced Asuna.

"Uhm, private info from Kirito-san's fan club…"

"Then how come you know if it's supposed to be 'private'?" questioned Argo with a raised eyebrow. "Are you a member of that club or something?"

"Ehm…"

"She's the former president of the club." flatly revealed Liz while the kunoichi squeaked at her in betrayal, everyone else just blinking. "She had to abandon her 'position' when we joined the Association, though."

"Oh." came Asuna's own flat answer to that, before her eyes silently wandered to the most silent girl. "I can understand Sachi-san, Silica-chan, Argo-chan, heck, even Strea, and I had noticed that Liz almost always got TOO CLOSE to Sensei for comfort…but how comes YOU like him too, Philia-san?!"

"…I just…well, I admired his strength since the first time I saw him…then, I joined those two to sta…I mean, 'watch over' him! And after that, when we joined the guild, he would always be so…caring and gentle with me…" with a blush as she looked down, Philia idly splashed water with one hand. "I-I'm not the most social girl, and since I got trapped here I kind of got into a very 'lone wolf' mood, s-so…"

"Yes, I think we can see why." sighed Argo while facepalming, her eyes wandering around one last time. "So, if I get this straight…EVERY single one of us likes the idiot of Kii-bou, for similar or different reasons." the meek silence just prompted the girl to sigh again. "Well, talk about awkward problems between friends…now my relaxation is ruined."

"Why is that a problem?" Strea's utterly innocent and sincere tone drew everyone's attention once again, almost as if they could feel that she was about to say something outrageous. "We can all just share Kirito! Friends share things they like, right?"

The umpteenth silence of the night would have made people wonder if there wasn't some sort of silent curse upon the spring, but what it mostly did was for several brains to go into a 'meltdown' state, then reboot in 'WTF?!'-mode.

And then came the reactions.

"EH?!"

"Wha-what?!"

"Di-did you just say…?!"

"A-are you crazy?!"

"Sha-sharing….?! Hauu…?!"

"Shi-shit, girls, Silica passed out…! Something that's impossible to do in this game!"

"I-I did N-NOT!"

"S-Strea-san…I-I think you're confused and don't know what you're talking about…" started to say an eyebrow-twitching Asuna…before being interrupted by the most unexpected person.

"Why wouldn't she? Polygamy is still allowed in some cultures of the world, right?" EVERY single pair of eyes shot towards Yui's thoughtful and innocent face. "Also, Japanese people seem to love that kind of stuff in their media since decades ago, so Strea-nee is making a perfectly reasonable point…"

"Yui-chan?! Whe-where did you learn those things?!"

"…need I to remind everyone that, despite my looks, I'm an AI that was created to be a pseudo-psychologist and not a little girl?" answered Yui…while cutely pouting at everyone.

"See? Even Yui-nee gives me the reason! Let's all be friends and share!"

"Tha-that's…!"

"Hmm…now that she says that, I wonder if Kirito's 'superpowers' extend to more than just his strength in fighting…?" idly wondered a slightly blushing Liz, making several people gap at her.

"Li-Liz?! Ple-please, tell me you're NOT actually co-considering this!" shrieked Asuna while Silica once again tried unsuccessfully to go against SAO's limits and faint inside a virtual world.

"Hey, I didn't say anything; I was just making a perfectly valid question!"

"If Kirito-sama's stamina…was so high…then maybe being all together would be…necessary…"

"Sa-Sachi?! Why do your eyes seem like swirls?! Liz, look what you did, you broke her!"

"Everyone…Kirito…stamina…"

"I think she's not the only one…uaah, Philia-chan, I didn't know you could produce steam from your ears!"

"Strea-san, don't poke her!"

"…pfft…ahahah…ehehehehAHAHAHAH…!" the sudden bout of laughter managed to get the group of teenagers more or less back to reality, drawing their attention towards the Information Broker of the group. "…hah! Oh God…just look at us, getting all worked up about a boy, saying crazy and silly things; ah…I never had anything like THIS back in school. Friends I could trust and be comfortable with to this level…" her voice turning softer, Argo looked around smiling at the once again silent girls. "Hey, everyone…let's meet again on reality like this, okay? On a hot spring, all together, relaxing…I think I would like that."

Everyone's awkward or confused expression quickly melted into understanding smiles, a glance being shared between the group that had seen and gone through so many things.

"Yes…I think I would also like it." smiled Sachi while looking at the sky.

"It would sure be a great and relaxing experience after we get back home." mused Lisbeth while touching the surface of the water with her right hand, as if trying to look at something beyond it. "Besides, I bet it would do us a lot of good after two years lying on beds."

"Heheh…that would be great, uh?" muttered Silica while petting Pina's head, the dragon having floated near her in silence. "I would…love to do that."

"We will. You can bet on that." blinking, everyone, looked towards the determined flames inside the eyes of the grinning Asuna, the girls recognizing the spirit of the one the Front Liners called 'Mighty Flash', the disciple of the 'One Punch-Gamer'. "We have a great hot spring at my family's house in Kyoto! Never really had any reason to want to go before, but now…you can bet I will make sure we all go there as soon as we get back to the real world"

"With Kirito also watching over us from the other side of the wall?" joked Philia, causing a round of general laughter to go through the group. "Heh…yes…it will be great, to share a moment like that with my friends…"

"That sounds awesome…" the slightly bitter tone on Strea's ever-cheerful voice drew the group's attention like moths to the light, seeing the AI giving them a sorrowful smile. "I wish…I could be there with you when that happens…"

"Yeah, me too." softly added Yui while looking at her tiny hands, her 'powers' activating and letting her levitate a couple of perfect water spheres over them, in which her gaze seemed lost. "It's going to be sad…when Papa and you all are gone…"

"What are you saying?!" Asuna's sudden shout surprised both AIs, who looked to see how the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl had moved near them, fiercely looking their way. "Yui-chan, Strea-san…of course you will be there too!"

"E-eh!?" squeaked Strea with surprise. "But, that's…"

"Don't you dare to say 'impossible' to me!" cut her the rapier-user, the fire in her eyes never wavering. "You're both AIs that gained enough self-awareness to escape from your virtual jail on your own! Thanks to the inspiration you got from Sensei….from Kirito-kun, someone who does the impossible and somehow is super-amazing in here, in a way that not even the creator of this world can stop directly! If THAT is possible, then don't you dare to think that this isn't!"

"Bu-but…Asuna-san, even if we manage to escape from SAO by saving our core data on an external drive, we still wouldn't be able to…"

"Like hell you won't, Yui-chi!" growled Argo while smacking one of her fists on her open hand. "Even if we have to get you two some sort of robotic-thingie to let you be there with us, you two WILL come with us to the hot springs!" her expression turning into a softer one, looking at both older and younger-looking girls. "After all, you're an important part of this group…of this 'family', too."

"Asuna …everyone…" tears were filling Strea's eyes as she looked at the determined and comprehensive smiles around them. "Snif…thanks…a lot…"

"Ah…I see. So this is…how it feels to cry from happiness?" wondered Yui while tears also rolled down her eyes, Sachi getting closer and hugging the little girl-like AI. "It's…weird, eheh…"

"No, it's not weird…" whispered Asuna while moving closer to Strea, putting a hand on the shoulder of the sobbing girl. "It's human." then, after a second of hesitation, the rapier-user put her hands behinds her back and shocked everyone with her next words. "My name is Yuuki Asuna. Pleased to meet you, Strea-san, Yui-chan."

There was an instant of shock while the two Mental Health Care Programs looked at the owner of Dual Blades open-mouthed…before the surprises continued.

"Shinozaki Rika." grinned Lisbeth while relaxing on the water. "It's a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e."

"A-Ayano Keiko. " shyly commented Silica before getting confidence and smiling brightly at them. "It's an honor!"

"Hayami Saori." whispered Sachi while patting Yui's head. "It's great to have friends like you two."

"…maybe I should have said it before, but I'm Kotone." calmly smiled Philia while looking at her two 'weird' friends, previously traveling companions. "Takemiya Kotone."

"Heh, Izawa Shiori, to serve you all." her usual grin back on her face, Argo gave a thumbs-up to the pair. "We will beat this game and get back home, and we will take you with us…okay?"

"…YAY!" Strea jumped happily, all cheerful again while the last traces of tears vanished from her virtual face. "You're all the best friends…no, the best FAMILY anyone could wish for!"

"Yea…Strea-nee is right!" brightly added Yui while everyone else released embarrassed chuckles. "So…should I call you all 'Mamas' from now on?!"

And with that merry declaration, the younger-looking AI managed to once again fry everyone's brains.

"…ma-maybe it would be better if we let THAT subject for later, o-okay…?" nervously commented Argo while looking around. "Be-besides, we're all great friends here, so-something as silly as a boy wouldn't get in the way of that…right?"

"O-of course not!"

"What a silly notion, Argo-chan!"

"Yeah, friends before boys!"

"A kunoichi's comrades come before anything else, ahahah!"

"Yes, how could you thi-think otherwise?"

"Yay! Let's be all happy together!"

Of course, everyone was being TOTALLY sincere with their declarations. And if anyone thought that the gleams on their eyes or their 'funny' tones where strange….well, at least one could be sure that at least Strea was being sincere.

"…by the way, Aa-chan…you were joking about him being a siscon, right?"

"I…was. But, after hearing what he said…hmm…"

"Yeah, it would be kind of depressing to think that Silica is the one with most possibilities, right?"

"…I'm not sure if that was supposed to be praise or an insult, but my Ninja sense is screaming at me to rain shurikens on you…"

"Well, I mean, it's obvious, right? Kirito's little sister has to be kind of like Silica!"

"…okay, now I'm SURE that wasn't praise! Liz-san you meanieeeee!"

"Heheh, it would be funny, right? I mean, it's not as if Sensei's little sister has a super s.e.xy body or something…"

On the real world, Kirigaya Suguha sneezed for the third time in the middle of taking a bath, which made her scrunch her face in worry. Deciding to stop 'patrolling' for a couple of days so as to not catch a cold, the middle-schooler continued rinsing her very well developed body.

Back on Aincrad, much calmer and joking laughter was now filling the hot spring as the usual shenanigans of the guild ensued…when a ninja-frog mob jumped over the fence and wielded its katana against the group.

It seemed about to release a war cry when a sudden blur of black and white descended from the sky and CRUSHED it with a thundering sound.

On the next instant, Kirito sighed as he stood up, dusting off his gloved hands and with closed eyes.

"Damn, I can't believe I almost let that one slip past me…I need to stop running around blindly in the middle of the ni…"

"Kirito!" Strea's happy shout cut through the suddenly frozen silent atmosphere of the spring, making the super-powered gamer freeze and pale, realizing WHERE he had landed, and also making his eyes shot open against his will, leaving him with a full view of the 'glorious' scene. "You decided to join us, yay! Want me to help you bath?"

"E-ehm…ah…no, I-I was just…ehm…I'm going t-to go now…" robotically said the black-haired boy, slowly turning around…

"Kirito-kun." sweetly muttered Asuna, the boy not knowing if the lack of 'Sensei' was a greater indicator of her mood than her tone of voice. "Wait there just a moment, please…"

The 'Superhero', logically, did the most sensible thing and jumped like a meteor out of there, ignoring the angry/embarrassed screams behind him, starting to run towards the Floor's main town as soon as he hit the ground.

Maybe it would be a good idea for him to stay on the lowers Floor, uhm, 'investigating' for a couple of days…

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. 𝟳𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿, 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮. 𝟭𝟮:𝟯𝟬…

Standing on the edge of the most notorious construct in the main city of the Front Line, a massive coliseum like the one in Rome, Kirito sighed before jumping from where he was observing the Dungeon Tower on the distance, landing on the middle of the street.

It was a testament at how used people had gotten to him that his action barely got a reaction from most of the nearby players sans a few waves or whispers in his direction.

Feeling restless, the boy decided to walk at normal speed down the streets, the worry of knowing that the rest of his friends were up there searching for the Boss Room, together with a group of the KoB, fighting against the knowledge that all of them were strong enough to manage on their own, and that they would return to inform the rest of the Front Liners and prepare.

He couldn't help but get nervous, though, knowing there was a 'Super Boss' incoming, the strongest they would have to face before the final one. Though by this point he had no doubt he would be able to effortlessly beat it too, it was that 'small' timeframe it took him to actually arrive at the Boss Room after the 'barrier' was deactivated that worried him. He didn't want anyone dying because he wasn't fast enough…

Shaking his head to try and not to think about such things, and also dispel the extremely bad feeling he had been having since they arrived at that Floor, the gamer tried to fill his mind with positive thoughts.

After all, they had already completed 75 Floors. Just a quarter of the floating castle was left. They could…no, they WOULD do this, and soon they would all be back home.

That line of thought brought a smile to his face again. The girls apparently had agreed to have some sort of party on a hot spring after they got out of there, and had invited him to go (He was sure they had also invited Keita and the others...even if he hadn't actually seen them do it…). Even though THAT had at first brought certain, ehem, 'embarrassing' memories (He wouldn't deny that he had enjoyed what he saw that night on the springs, but the fear and cold stares all the girls except Strea and Yui had given him for two weeks after diminished his impulse to fantasize about it), it was still a good thing to know they were all already planning what they would do when they got out of there, things to look forward to, like sharing that ice cream with Sugu.

Maybe he would even invite her to go when they all went to…

"Hey! Kiritoooo!"

Blinking in surprise at being called, the black-haired boy turned around to see the smiling figure of Klein running towards him, his guild just behind him.

"Oh…hi Klein. It's good to see you're still alive!"

"…I'm going to forgive you for that awful joke just because we're friends." sighed the samurai-wannabe before raising an eyebrow and looking around the group. "Sooo, where are your bodyguards and your harem? Busy at this moment?"

"Klein, please, STOP making those jokes." muttered Kirito with an annoyed tic on his eyebrow, though his expression was a bit ruined by the small red tinge on his cheeks. "Don't you remember what happened last time you said something like that and they HEARD it?"

Suddenly, the red-headed man had seemingly teleported to a corner on a building's side, rocketing back and forth in a fetal position and surrounded by a dark aura, muttering 'All…that horrible…not pain…' time and time again, making the rest of the gathered players sweatdrop.

"Oh great…thanks for that, Kirito, now he will be like that for half an hour." lamented one of Fuurinkazan's members while the others shook their heads.

"Ah, yeah, so-sorry, I had kind of forgotten that…"

"HEY! Everyone!" several heads turned around, seeing Agil's notorious form running down the street and stopping near them, panting softly. "The-they found it…the Knights of Blood found the Boss Room."

The caped boy's face was suddenly a mask of full seriousness as he stared at the axe-user.

"They're returning already?"

"Yeah, I heard that Heathcliff was going to inform everyone and share the map data for the Raid tomo…" and that was as far as Agil go before Kirito wasn't there anymore, the boy having shot away to fins his friends and the leader of the KoB's side. "…sometimes, I hate when he does that."

The faces of the people present and the continuous whispering of Klein told him that he probably wasn't the only one.

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

The moon was full that night as Kirito silently stared at it from the balcony of a certain woodhouse on Floor 22. He knew he should be sleeping already like the others were, but he was just too nervous to do so.

No matter how hard he tried, the boy couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was going to happen, something that could change everything and put everyone at risk, but there just wasn't any real way for him to…

"Sensei? You're still up?"

"Asuna…" silently muttered the gamer while looking back, seeing the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl standing there in her pajamas, seeming a bit tired. "Yes, I'm sorry about that…why aren't YOU sleeping anyway? Tomorrow you will need all the strength you can get…"

"Heh, we're only going to hold whatever that thing is back until you get there, Sensei. It's not as if we're going to do much…" walking at her side, the rapier-user frowned at seeing the restless look on his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"No…not really, it's just, you know, me and one of those bad feelings of mine." the boy calmly waved it off before looking back to the forests that surrounded the house where the United Heroes Association usually came to relax. "Ah…I still can't believe you all managed to convince Argo to buy this place."

"I still don't understand WHY you two were so against it. I mean, it's a beautiful and relaxing place, in a very pacific Floor and with very calming views…"

"Yeah…let's just say we have some unpleasant memories here." chuckled the caped boy while his eyes nervously scanned the treeline, as if expecting to see a tall and slender figure on a suit watching them. "But yes, you're right, it IS indeed a place where you can more or less feel relaxed…"

"…Kirito-kun." both the girl's words and the sudden contact against his back, letting him know she was hugging him, shocked the boy clad in black and white to the core. "Don't worry, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen…and even if it does, you have trained me to take care of things better than anyone until you arrive, remember? I won't let you down as your disciple…and as your friend."

"Asuna…yes, you're right." the gamer smiled softly as he put a gloved hand over the girl's warm one, unable to notice how she blushed due to their position. "I know I can rely on you and everyone…let's do this and keep going until we get back home, okay?"

"…I think I'm already home…" thought the girl with a soft smile, before nodding silently behind him. "Yes…let's do that, Sensei."

Letting go of him and turning around, Asuna seemed to hesitate for an instant, looking at Kirito's caped back as if wanting to say something…

But in the end, she just smiled and shook her head, walking away while the boy stared at the fake sky with a smile.

There would be plenty of time for being honest after the 75th Boss was defeated.

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝘁𝗵, 𝟳𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿. 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮, 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬…

Near the Teleport Gate on the center of the town, a sizeable force of the Front Liners was gathered, members of the Knights of Blood and the Divine Dragon Alliance standing near their leaders even as some sneaked glances towards the United Heroes Association, their own 'legendary' leader's presence just remembering them of how important and dangerous this battle could get.

Finally, once it was obvious that everyone was already there, Heathcliff walked forward and demanded attention, letting silence fall over the group before nodding.

"Thanks again for coming, everyone. As I explained yesterday, my Guild has set up a Corridor Crystal directly in front of the Boss Room; so as to we're able to face this one without wasting strength on the way there, given how important and difficult this battle will surely be. As with the 50th Floor, our main objective will be to try and resist against it long enough for Kirito here to come to our aid and end it." motioning towards the nodding gamer, several of the gathered Front Liners murmured either phrases of awe or thankful words towards him. "With that said, remember that our priority is that no one dies today. Stay together with your groups and keep your potions and Crystals in hand, understood?"

As the chorus of agreements and the sounds of people giving their Inventories a last-minute check covered the plaza, the Paladin silently walked towards the discussing group of Heroes, Keita being the first one in noticing his approach.

"Oh, Heathcliff-san…" the surprised tone on the staff-user's voice drew the rest of the guild's attention towards the crimson-armored man, confusing them. "Do you need anything?"

"Yes, Keita-san, I do. Kirito-kun?" with a raised eyebrow, the caped boy walked closer to the other guild leader, who handed a bluish-crystal to him before the shocked looks of everyone. "Use this some 30 seconds or so after we are gone, okay? I think it will be faster than you waiting in front of the labyrinth and then running through it."

"Another Corridor Crystal?!" the shock was evident in the gamer's face as the others also stared at the super-rare item with disbelief. "How the hell did you manage to get a second one so fast?! You must have needed to…!"

"The problems of getting it are nothing when compared with the urgency of this battle, Kirito." simply answered the man with an even tone. "As you yourself know, this will be a very dangerous fight, so the faster you get there the less the chances of anyone dying will be."

There was something….Something 'wrong' in there. For an instant, every single one of the United Heroes Association's members felt as if something in Heathcliff's words sounded…'twisted'.

Then, the moment was over and another member of the KoB was there, reporting to their leader that they were ready. Obtaining a nod of confirmation for his part, the man turned around and let his cape flap at the wind in a similar way to Kirito's as he walked towards the front of the group.

"…well, guess this is it." muttered the black-haired boy with an uncertain smile, looking at the others and trying to ignore his bad feeling. "Good luck…and try to not kill that Boss before I arrive, okay?"

"Hah, you wish." replied Ducker while letting a grin appear on his face, the attempt of a joke motivating him to try and raise the general mood too. "You will be lucky if it still has any HP left for you to punch!"

"I-I bet we will have wiped out its first HP bar before you even walk through your portal, Kirito-san!" boasted Silica while Pina chirped over her head, the rest of the guild starting to smile softly too.

That was when Heathcliff's shout of 'Corridor, Open!' filled the plaza and their eyes shot forward, seeing the portal materialize, a 'wall of light' covering its front when the game detected where it led, as Kirito already knew would happen since they had tried something similar on the 29th Floor to see if he could bypass the Dungeon's blockade.

As the entire group started entering, Asuna stopped for a moment before looking at him and nodding, the boy answering back with a thumbs-up.

"See you in a bit, Sensei!"

"Same here, Asuna."

Then, she also walked through the portal and it closed, the Front Liner's gone and he now standing there all alone.

He let more or less 30 seconds go by, as the crimson-armored leader of the KoB had said, and once he was sure they would already be fighting the Boss, he raised the Crystal that had been given to him.

"Corridor, Open!"

When a wall-less portal opened, the boy nodded to himself and shot through it, ready to end the fight.

The portal closed.

Down on Floor 22, on a certain woodhouse, Yui froze in the middle of worriedly waiting for the group to return, her eyes widening in a mix of shock and horror as they shot to the ceiling.

"…Papa?"

Kirito's presence had just vanished from Aincrad.

In that same moment, on the Boss Room of the 75th Floor, the group of Front Liners was walking inside the MA.S.SIVE chamber, uneasiness filling them. The room was bigger than any other they had seen in SAO, easily 5 times bigger than the usual Boss Room, and several smaller platforms surrounded the big one where they were now standing.

The strangest and most sinister thing, though, was that there wasn't any trace of the Boss around, despite the lights having lit up as soon as they entered.

"I don't get it…where is it?" whispered a confused Lisbeth.

"I don't know…" frowning, Argo looked around, her fists clenched as she suddenly felt an unnatural tension filling her body. "…something is wrong, but…"

Heathcliff, the one going on the group's front, reached the center of the room.

The doors to the Boss Room suddenly closed with a thundering sound, shocking everyone as they stared at them. THAT had never happened before.

The silence filling the room suddenly seemed much darker and sinister, its eerie red illumination extremely ominous…

Then, Pina squeaked.

"KYUUU! KYUKU!"

"What?! Above?!" Silica's gaze shot to the ceiling, following her agitated pet's line of sight…

More than one player screamed or shouted in shock, she herself feeling her heart skip a beat.

There, hanging from the ceiling of the immense room, an imposing and terrifying beast stared down at the Players, like an Apex Predator about to kill his pathetic preys.

It was massive, as tall as a cargo truck and twice as long, fitting for a creature that 'lived' in that gigantic room. Its appearance could only be called centipede-like, made of pure-white bones and each of his 'legs' seeming like giant needles. His front was vaguely 'human-like', at least in the part of the vertebrae and the fact that it had legs and arms, but it didn't look even remotely human in any way, with its long skull and red eyes, his jaws seeming like those of a snake, his skeletal arms ending in two massive and deadly-looking scythe-like blades.

Five HP bars had already formed upon his body, announcing the abomination's name to the Front Liners.

'The Skull Reaper'.

Releasing an unholy scream, the Boss SHOT down towards the players, at speeds that seemed impossible for a creature of that size to reach.

Heathcliff was already shouting the order when everyone started moving.

"SCATTER!"

The Skull Reaper descended, too fast, the Players moving to slow to evade his first deadly char…

"HEAVENLY PIERCEEEER!"

Sachi's spear shot forward, the drill-like tip of the Skill's aura crashing headfirst on the abomination's face and killing part of its momentum while starting to reduce his HP.

Then, the rest of the momentum hit the bluish-haired girl and she was sent flying backward like a ragdoll, her spear flying out of her hands as the Boss crashed on its side, roaring like a demon from hell before quickly using his many legs to right itself up.

"SACHI!"

"HERE IT COMES!"

"Prepare your shields!"

"Oh God, why is it so fa…?! GAAH!"

The sound of polygons exploding filled the area, Asuna's eyes widening in shock and horror as the member of the DDA that had screamed died on contact with the left scythe of the beast while Heathcliff parried the other one with his shield.

Not even 15 seconds had passed since the 'battle' started.

Releasing a scream on her own, the c.h.e.s.tnut-haired girl let her rapier ignite on a bright light as she shot towards the Boss, vaguely aware of Keita handing Sachi back her lance.

In the middle of the utter chaos, no one seemed to notice how the leader of the Knights of Blood smirked.

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

"Wha…what the hell is this…?" muttered Kirito with disbelief while staring ahead.

He was on a cliff, near a zone filled with rocky passages and some kind of 'temple' close by, forests all around. On the distance, some kind of 'floating' area could be seen, some sort of tower high on its edge. Faintly, he thought he could see an OCEAN on other of the edges of the unknown zone, and eerie lights that came from the other cardinal point seemed to, impossibly, belong to some sort of alien jungle.

On the center of it all, like some sort of macabre and unnatural monument, a gigantic black sphere floated in the air, some kind of yellowish 'energy' raining down from it and into the void below.

Fear and despair gripping at him, the gamer's hands shot to open his menu, which confirmed what he already knew.

He wasn't in Aincrad anymore.

He didn't even know what the 'Hollow Area' was, so he ignored the name in favor of looking over anything that may seem like the Floating Castle on the sky.

Nothing.

An instant later, one of his Teleport Crystals vanished uselessly when he unsuccessfully tried to return to Collinia.

A cold wind blew over him as he stared silently at his hands.

Through the despair and terror on his mind, everything seemed to suddenly 'click', a dawning realization making that hot rage filled his very being.

"HEATHCLIIIIIIFFFFFFF!"

Roaring in rage to the heavens, and at the same time praying that his friends were okay, the boy RAN like a comet towards the massive black sphere, ignoring any and all abnormally strong mobs that appeared on the way.

He needed to find a way back…or everything would be lost.

𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟬

𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪!

"…it's time. No more games. No more tears. You hurt the people I cherish…you forced me away from my family…you doomed countless people to their deaths. All this suffering…it has been YOUR fault from the start, and I will end it now, with this fist of mine, Heathcliff…no, KAYABA AKIHIKO! Next time on 'One Punch-Gamer': 'SERIOUS POWER!' Do you think you're superior to us because you know each and every single one of this World's Skills, Kayaba?! Then let me show you one of MY Skills! SUPER-!"

𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪!