"Hey, Blackie, my sweet. I've come back to you."

How many times have I heard that cursed voice now.

"It's him... It's his intense presence...! How is this possible?"

Asuna's voice shook as she spoke. She was right. This shouldn't be happening. There was no rational way that PoH could be here.

But his voice, his looks, and his lust for blood...everything about him was the PoH we knew. The intense impression this fake-PoH had of the real thing interacted with our memories...and it replicated him perfectly.

"Now then, Blackie... Time to reenact the battle. It seems the prophecy in Underworld was wrong."

"Yeah. Curse my luck."

"Hee hee hee! Oh, this isn't luck, it's fate. I will end your life now, by these hands. Fate has ordained it."

"You're right. Looks like if I want to get rid of you for good, I'll have to defeat you myself."

"Glad we agree, Mr. Hero. "

His beady eyes lurched as he said this.

"There's The Flash, A.L.I.C.E... and many others. Looks like the players are all here. Okay then...let's rumble."

PoH raised his cleaver and screamed like he was making a death oath.

"It's showtime!!!"

Completely unlike the flashy start of a show, neither PoH nor I moved—rather, we couldn't move. If either of us attacked too rashly, we risked a worse counterattack. Tension shot through the air between us and time dragged on as we both remained motionless.

It was Layla who finally broke the tension. Without a sound, she sneaked behind PoH and slashed at his heart repeatedly. It was a deadly attack that most people have a difficult time reacting to. But PoH blocked her attack without even looking at it.

"Stop messin' around!"

"Ahh!!"

With a swing of his cleaver, Layla flew hard, smashing into the wall of the ruins.

"Patience, honey, I'll cook you to perfection later."

The scope of his vision and his reaction speed were terrifyingly inhuman. But his counterattack to Layla made him break his stance ever so slightly. I thrust myself into that small opening, closing the distance between us in a flash. With a sword in each hand as I ran, I unleashed my sword skill.

GRINNNG!

PoH blocked my downward swipe with his cleaver. But I wasn't finished.

"Raaah!"

I used my spare sword in a seven-strike skill, Deadly Sins, raining blows on PoH. His position slightly compromised, PoH fell backwards little by little with each attack. His hood fell back from the impact, exposing his face clearly.

—He's smiling?!

But I could not stop there. After my seven-strike attack ended, just before the post-attack stiffness set in, I unleashed another sword skill with my left arm. It was a connect-skill I had learned in Underworld. I knew it ought to effectively damage PoH.

"I've seen that move before, Blackie."

The moment I heard him say it, PoH vanished. My left-arm attack cut through the empty air. My vision flipped as I was slammed onto the ground.

"Gragh!"

I epically smashed backwards onto the earth, the wind knocked out of me. And as my vision blurred, the blade of his cleaver thrust towards my neck. And pathetically, that last attack had rendered me motionless.

"Urgh!"

But before the cleaver made contact with my neck, it changed angles, making a nick in my skin instead. I regained the ability to move and jumped to my feet.

Eugeo was standing protectively in front of me.

"Huh..."

PoH sounded impressed. A trickle of blood was running down the cleaver in his right hand.

"Kirito, are you okay?"

"Yeah...thanks, Eugeo."

"Never seen you before... New friend of Kirito?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't know him. This is Eugeo, my partner."

"Partner, eh. Hee hee hee... What's wrong, great-and-powerful Black Swordsman? Can't fight without your friends helping?"

There was a sneer in PoH's voice. But those words jogged my memory. I was not in this fight alone. My friends always helped me defeat the most powerful enemies.

"Yeah. Damn straight. Eugeo, Asuna, Alice...all my friends give me the strength to win the fight. I am not alone."

"That's right. You aren't alone, Kirito."

"We are in this fight with you, Kirito."

"Yeah. I'm with you, too."

Asuna and Alice joined me, weapons drawn, and Layla rose to fight, too. Then she charged at PoH.

"I'll force him to tell me what happened to my brother!"

Short sword and cleaver slammed together. Sparks flew. And with that, our combat with PoH began.

PoH ignored my allies and focused all his attacks on me. He was even more powerful than in Underworld, putting me firmly on defense.

"What's wrong, Black Swordsman?!　That all you've got?!"

"Urgh!"

I barely blocked PoH's upward swipe. The unbelievable brawn left me frozen, unable to shake him off. He slowly pushed against my sword, his cleaver inching closer to my throat.

"Kirito!"

But before the blade sank into my neck, Asuna's attack at PoH's dominant hand saved me. Though he blocked her attack, PoH lost his footing and backed away from me.

"Thanks, Asuna."

"No problem."

Eugeo and Alice zoomed in for the attack now that PoH was down. He repelled them both and went for me again, but Layla blocked him.

"You're like flies...stop bothering me!"

Little by little, the scales were tipping in our favor. Fueled by vengeance, PoH's attacks were ruthless and unavoidable. They whittled down my HP quickly. But when each of your attacks was tremendously powerful, that left you open. It was there that everyone else would land an attack and tip the scales slowly in our favor.

"Damn it..." PoH grunted. "I won't be defeated by insects like you..."

"I'm going to get Michael back!　Hahhh!!!"

"Oof!"

Cut all over, PoH's mobility was hampered. This gave Layla a clear shot at him. He still stood to his feet, but Eugeo and I stabbed his chest in unison immediately after.

"Agh...!"

Bleeding profusely from his chest, PoH fell to his knees. He sank his cleaver into the ground, barely able to hold himself up with it.

"You lose, PoH."

"Hm...hahahaha... Yes...The Black Swordsman, at his finest... But it ain't over yet. As long as I live in your memories, I'll be reborn again and again...I'm not gonna let anyone else kill you, Kirito! It has to be meee!!! —Kirito!!!"

Leaving those final words, PoH collapsed onto the ground. As he hit the dirt, the ominous aura enshrouding him vanished. All that remained was a man, completely motionless on the ground.

"...It's finally over."

The relief of defeating a powerful enemy made my muscles give out.

"It appears so," Alice agreed. "I no longer sense the ominous aura from him."

"That was a tough battle," Eugeo agreed. "Was that the enemy you had to face all this time, Kirito?"

"I hope I never have to fight him again. Without your support, I couldn't have beat him."

Then PoH...rather, the hooded man...flinched.

"Kirito! He's still conscious!"

Asuna hastily drew her sword. But the aura emanating from him had changed...

"Unh... Urgh..."

The hooded man slowly rose to his feet, touching his tattered clothes. The wounds he had suffered as PoH were mysteriously gone.

"I'm scared to ask...but did he lose?" the man asked.

"Yeah. He did," I answered.

The hooded man's shoulders slumped in anguish.

"Okay, this time for sure, you're going to tell us everything!"

Layla marched up to him and shook his shoulders. Overwhelmed by her, the man listlessly nodded.

"I lost everything. I don't care anymore."

"Then tell me!　Where is Michael?!"

"Michael...oh, you mean the guy who made this game?"

"Yeah!　He's my little brother... Where is he!"

"He's at Central..."

But before he could finish, a shockwave surged through the ground. I braced myself so I wouldn't fall. Then a black smoke rose, plunging us into darkness. What is this... A smokescreen?!

"We're under attack!"

Even without Alice's warning, I knew it was an attack. But why would whoever it was show themselves now, and not during our fight with PoH...?　

"I think you talked too much, Hoodie-boy. Don't you understand the word compliance?"

A man's coarse voice cut through the rising smoke.

"You kids are really slick. That battle was pretty awesome, y'know?"

"Who's there?!"

Ignoring my question, he hoisted something off the ground with a grunt. I hoped it wasn't what I thought it was...

"Well, if he kept yapping, we'd be in big trouble. No hard feelings, okay?"

So he was going to take the hooded man back with him. With him gone, we couldn't find out where Michael was.

"Wait! Don't you dare go!　He hasn't told us where Michael is yet!"

I thrust my sword in the direction of his voice. But my attack was pointless. He didn't even need to block it. If only we could do something about this smoke...

"Alice, a wind element!"

"Copy that!"

"System Call! "

Eugeo and Alice shouted in unison. Then a violent gust of wind blew the smoke away.

"What...?! Is that even possible?!"

From the darkness, the big man was revealed. The hooded man was slung over his shoulder. But all traces of poise were gone from his voice.

"Damn it. I got too cocky. Now I'm gonna get a lecture, too!"

And with that, he ran deeper into the ruins. Layla and Asuna stood to stop him.

"You're not getting away!"

"Yeah, tell us about Michael!"

They each unleashed a deadly attack. But with an elegance that clashed with his huge frame, the man sidestepped it. He had a nimbleness unbelievable for someone carrying another man.

"You're all good fighters. As much as I'd love to stay and fight you...I'd be disobeying orders if I did. If we meet again, we'll fight it out long and hard."

The man took out something with his free hand, and threw it on the ground. Another smokescreen rose from the earth. Knowing how good a fighter he was, I knew he might hurt us if we tried to chase him with zero visibility.

"Sorry, Layla. We were so close to getting information out of him..."

"No, I failed just as much as you did. Alice and Eugeo cleared the smokescreen for me, too..."

"We know what our opponent looks like now," Alice said. "He will not escape next time."

She stared off in the direction he'd ran, a look of determination on her face.

"But didn't that guy you defeated almost reveal some information to us at the end?" Eugeo asked me.

That's right. Eugeo's question jogged my memory. Before the big man appeared, the hooded man was about to reveal something.

"He said Central...something. It's a word in Sacred Tongue I know, so I remembered it," Eugeo said.

"Yes, Central as in Central Cathedral," Alice echoed.

Central. Going off pure definitions, it meant he was in the "middle"...

"Layla, does 'Central' ring a bell to you?"

"Not really... Nothing's coming to mind."

Layla apologetically shook her head. Of course we weren't going to get an answer that easily...

"But there must be some connection to Michael. And I swear I'll find it!"

After the smokescreen cleared, the players who had been controlled by fake-PoH were gone without a trace. Maybe they were logged out, just like what happened to Layla in the battle royal. But just one female player remained, splayed on the ground. She was unconscious, but not at zero HP. Maybe that was why she was still here in the field.

"Central...Central...Wait, she can't be?!"

The color drained from Layla's face when she saw the girl. She ran over to her and shook her awake.

"K-Kaede?!"

"Wait, do you know her, Layla?!"

"Yeah, kinda. But I can't believe that hooded guy got to her. I didn't know they hurt her just like they hurt Michael..."

From the look of her, the two were very close. Maybe we could get some information on fake-PoH out of her.

We carried the unconscious girl with us back to the log cabin we were using as our base of operations. It was a place Asuna and I had found together while we were scouting Cross Edge. It was deep in the thick of the forest. Since it was quite far from town, nobody owned it. It looked quite different from the log cabin we shared in Aincrad on the twenty-second floor, but it smelled so similar on the inside that Asuna and I exchanged looks the minute we stepped inside.

We lay Kaede down in bed and we all rested up a little. Between the succession of battles and lack of any intel to show for it, we were all exhausted.

When we were finally starting to feel energized again, we heard a happy cry from Layla, who was at Kaede's bedside.

"Kaede!　Are you okay?!"

"Mm..."

Kaede opened her eyes and slowly sat up. We were all on guard in case she was still brainwashed, but it looked like we would be fine.

"Oh...Kana?　Where...am I?"

She looked around with worry. Of course she was worried. She was surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar gamers.

"Don't worry. This is a friend's house."

"That's right... I was...fighting someone a little while ago...oh!"

The moment she closed her eyes to remember, Kaede's face twisted in pain.

"Don't force yourself to remember. Does anything hurt?" I asked.

"Uh, no... I'm okay. Um..."

"This is Kirito. Don't worry, you can trust him."

Layla slowly introduced us all to Kaede and explained everything that had happened thus far. Kaede listened quietly, but when Layla said Michael was missing, she yelped in shock. Then, once she was filled in all the way up to the battle we'd just had, she bowed humbly to us all.

"I was delirious and I attacked you all...I'm so sorry."

"You needn't apologize, Kaede," Alice said. The cowards who would use the dirty tactic of brainwashing are at fault."

"She's right," Eugeo chimed in. And we all made it out unharmed anyway."

Kaede was still quite shaken, but Layla and Asuna's reassuring words coaxed her into calming down.

According to Layla, Kaede was like a sister, and she was the heiress to Mashiba, the company who managed Cross Edge before Epsilon took over. She was involved in managing Cross Edge earlier, and that was what had deepened their friendship.

"I thought you quit after Epsilon took over," Layla told Kaede. "Especially with everything your father was going through."

"Well, I was sad Mashiba lost Cross Edge, but I still loved it as a game."

"Oh, Kaede..."

"We'll save Michael, I promise!" Kaede said with a smile.　"I don't know if there's anything I can do...but whatever it is, I'll do it."

Though her father's company was no longer in charge, since Kaede worked on the admin-side of Cross Edge, there was surely a lot we could learn from her. We hadn't gotten much intel from fake-PoH, but it felt like we finally regained our link to finding the truth (albeit barely.)

"Okay, I hate to get right into it...but do you know what Central means?"

I brought up the word that fake-PoH had muttered. It was our one clue to finding Michael.

"Central?　Hmmm..."

Kaede closed her eyes and pressed a finger between her eyebrows. Maybe she always made that pose when she was deep in thought. She stayed like this for a while until her eyes shot open.

"Aha—could you mean Central Block?"

"Central Block?"

"Yes. It's a virtual office inside of Cross Edge. It's a legit office. You can develop games and run experiments and everything, so some staff members say they prefer being there to the real world. People with top clearance even get their own private office space."

"Wow, Cross Edge has private offices? I can see how it would be easier to focus if you have your own room."

I remembered how we would log in to ALO to do our homework for school. We could arrange our computer monitors as we liked and it was just more comfortable than a physical desk.

"So you think Michael might be in there?!"

Layla eagerly latched onto Kaede. Kaede gave her head some consoling pats and said,

"Yup. That's one possible explanation. When I was on the staff, there were many restricted areas you needed credentials for. Besides, I've been to all sorts of sketchy places in Cross Edge, but I didn't see Michael."

"Wow...so we finally have a lead to Michael..."

"Epsilon's mastermind might be in there, too. But you know..."

I trailed off. Something in what Kaede said earlier gave me pause.

"These sketchy places you went to...what do you mean exactly?"

"Oh, well, um..."

Kaede giggled vaguely.

"Even after Epsilon took over Cross Edge admin duties, I still played the game, remember? You know all the strange rumors going around. About the ghosts or the intense pain..."

"Yeah. When we started playing Cross Edge, we heard rumors about the ghosts, too. Are you saying that nothing out of the ordinary happened to you?" I asked her.

"Well, um...I can't say nothing happened..."

"Wait, Kaede! Did something horrible happen to you, too?"

Layla took her hand with concern.

"No, it's not a big deal...I was just in the battle royal a little while ago, and my memory cut out...it happened many times. But I was tired back then. I probably just spaced out."

"Your memory..." Layla murmured.

I agreed. It sounded like she had lost her memory.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked Kaede.

"Yeah, things have been peaceful here for a while. I'm fine."

"Okay, then..."

Layla still sounded worried, but Kaede kept talking.

"Anyway, I did some digging after that. Of course I lost my credentials to access the internal data, so I fiddled around and managed to break in."

"You 'fiddled around'...?"

She sounded so casual, but that was really an epic feat.

"So...did you learn anything?"

"The PAAC...I think that's what it was? Anyway, I found data on that system. They were going to test it out in a PvP battle royal. That's why I entered the tournament..."

"I think I get it."

"So you were looking into Cross Edge, too, Kaede. And you gave us some crucial intel about Michael...I really can't thank you enough."

Layla's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Well, I don't know if Michael is still there. But if Central Block hasn't changed, you'll at least get to see what it's like inside. I'll do everything I can do help, Layla!"

"Thanks!"

We had taken one big step forward. Our next move was to infiltrate Central Block and corner the mastermind. The big guy and fake-PoH would probably be there, so we would need to think up a strategy to fight them.

We decided to conduct the Central Block investigation in a few days so Layla and Kaede could recover first. While they were both all right for now, the intense pain they experienced from the PAAC might still be hurting their health. Even I was quite depleted, since I wasn't anticipating a showdown with PoH.

Since Kaede and Layla were already friends, she fit in quickly with Asuna and Alice, too. Even Eugeo acted like himself around her. Watching him, he seemed no different from the Eugeo I was with in Underworld. The bloodlust and strength of Cross Edge's version of PoH was also practically identical. It hammered home how powerful the MRS was. If Cross Edge evolved as Michael and Layla envisioned, it would surely grow into quite a revolutionary game. But...this also increased the risk of it being used for evil. And it was crucial that we stopped that from happening.

Three days after our fight with PoH, we assembled for our investigation of Central Block. To be on the safe side, we assembled at 10pm, well after business hours. There were four of us on the team: myself, Asuna, Layla, and Kaede.

"Okay, everybody's here. Take us inside, Kaede."

"Um, where are the others?　Aren't they coming?"

"Yui's doing a task for me. And Alice and Eugeo have something to take care of."

"Oh, okay. But it might be easier to move with fewer people anyway."

Kaede nodded in understanding. She did have a point. It was harder to stealthily infiltrate the admin stronghold with a large crowd.

"Okay, let's go in!　Central Block is tucked away in the mountains, but it's not that far."

"I thought it would be farther away, but it's surprisingly close," Asuna remarked.

"Well, it would be inconvenient to access if it were far from town," Kaede explained.

This was enough to convince Asuna. Even in a virtual world, traveling a long distance took time. I could also understand why they might want to build it near town, where it would be more convenient.

"If it were near here, that would be ideal!　Let's just get in and find Michael!" Kaede said.

We were in the mountains, which were indeed not too far from town. There were no dungeons around, so not many gamers came here. It was nicely inconspicuous.

"This is the entrance," Kaede explained. "You put your hand here..."

Kaede pressed her hand to what looked like an ordinary wall of rocks. After a while, electricity cracked the rocks and split them without a sound. A hole crumbled open in the wall, revealing a man-made hallway that looked very similar to the ones in office lobbies.

"Wow! It wasn't even marked!"

Layla cried out in joy. Kaede pressed a finger to her lips and shushed her. Layla quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. Then she nodded solemnly. After a while, Kaede stuck her head through the entrance and waved back to us.

"Nobody's near the entrance. Come on, before anyone shows up. Hurry!"

Kaede hissed at us as she went inside. Layla, Asuna, and I followed behind in that order. As soon as I was inside, the entrance closed without a sound.

Once inside Central Block, we walked the long hallway that led inside. There were many doors along the way, but we couldn't hear anyone inside. We had sneaked in almost too easily.

"Good thing nobody's here. It was the right call, coming at night," Asuna said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

I meant to sound casual, but Asuna must have caught the uncertainty in my voice. "...What's wrong. Something on your mind?"

"Guess I can't hide it from you... I was just thinking, wasn't this too easy?"

"Too easy... Yeah, I guess it was."

"This sort of development area is where people are most scared of a data leak. That's why access to these areas are usually heavily restricted."

"Maybe Epsilon just happened to poorly manage this area?"

"That could be it...but Epsilon is a really big corporation. And here they are, letting Kaede—someone off the project—easily break in..."

"What's up, Kirito? Asuna?　Don't get left behind," Layla called out to us.

She and Kaede were already several steps ahead of us. If it really was just a matter of sloppy security, we might as well use that to our advantage. But I still kept my guard up as we walked.

The hallway lasted even longer than I thought. I got the sense the space was very big. There were so many bends and crossroads, it was practically a dungeon. But Kaede swished through it effortlessly, seeming to know the way. It was nice that she was so confident, but I did wish she'd exercise a little more caution...

In time, we arrived at the end of the hallway. There was an elevator ahead. Nothing more.

"Kaede, I think this elevator is broken...it won't budge when I press the button."

"The area below here is restricted to people with the highest clearance. Even I haven't been down there," Kaede explained.

"So... What exactly do we do?"

Kaede answered Layla's skepticism with a sweet smile and pressed some device. It looked like she was opening her own status window. Then a longsword appeared in her right hand.

"We use a weapon."

With that, Kaede swung her sword. Layla gasped in surprise. Was she going to break the door with a sword? That just seemed too crazy...so what was she doing?

Kaede used her sword to press the elevator button. The moment the tip of her sword touched it, the lower light lit.

"What?! Why did that weapon work?"

"Actually, I took this from my father's office. Before Epsilon took over, my father was Cross Edge's main admin. The access key was stored in this sword."

"Ah, that makes sense..."

"When we still worked there, we put our card-keys into weapons and items we liked. Epsilon changed the codes, apparently, but I had a hunch that the credentials stored in the items still worked."

Kaede stuck out her tongue and added, "If they were changed, we'd be SOL." That did make sense. Epsilon wouldn't have considered the former admins had stored card keys in game-items.

When the elevator arrived, Kaede entered, followed by Layla. Asuna and I followed after them. Kaede pushed the button with her sword and the elevator took us to the lower level.

"Michael...I wonder if you're down here."

"I'm sure he is. After all, the one who knew Michael was in cahoots with the admins, right?" Kaede replied.

"Yeah. Has to be."

While Kaede gave Layla a pep talk, I readied my weapon. With most MMO-games, there were always admins on sight, even late into the night. Naturally, it was more likely they would be in a real office than in VR, but I couldn't be too careful. Besides, if this is where they were keeping Michael, there would certainly be guards.

Yet, when we arrived at the bottom, the admin-floor was just like the others—dead quiet. It was so quiet, Michael couldn't be there. Unless it was a trap...just like with PoH.

Kaede marched through the floor, just as confidently as the rest of the building. Sometimes she used her sword to get us through security checkpoints in the hall or through doors. According to Kaede, security here was very tight since the management system that controlled the whole game was stored here. Also, to reduce test data upload errors, each room used a different server.

"Kaede, it astounds me how much you still know about all of this," Layla said. Once we save Michael and kick Epsilon out, I'd love you guys to run this game again, Kaede!"

"Yeah, cool...when that happens, I'd love to."

For some reason, there was a vague strain in Kaede's smile.

Asuna and I kept our guards up, so we would be ready to respond to an enemy attack at any moment. But since normie employees might be involved this time, we had to be careful not to attack them.

"I've never been to this area before, but from what I can tell, security is tightest here."

Kaede announced this to us as she pointed to one of the doors. There were red and blue lines coming from it. They probably indicated the security level. Even if I honed my senses, I couldn't sense or hear anybody. Just like in secret rooms in the game, they might have been rigged so that outsiders couldn't detect anyone inside.

"If Michael is in here...then so is our enemy. But..."

Layla's face was tense with nerves.

"Don't worry...we'll be okay. If Michael is in there, we'll save him!" Kaede declared.

"You're right. The longer we stay still, the greater the risk they'll discover us. We've come all this way already. Let's just burst in."

Asuna nodded at me. Kaede looked at us both and nodded in turn.

"Okay, I'm opening it."

Kaede's longsword softly touched the door. And with a soft electrical sound, the door shot open.

The room was dimly-lit, the faint glow emitting from the central console the only source of light. From its light, we could tell a person was seated in front of the console. I didn't know what expression they were making, but they seemed startled by the intruders.

"Michael!"

At Layla's shout, the person in the room stood up.

"L-Layla?"

It was a young boy's voice. At the sound of it, big tears spilled from Layla's eyes. Without wiping them, she flew into Michael's chest.

"Michael...Michael!!!"

Michael caught her in his arms. Layla buried her face in his chest, moaning and screaming.

"Wow, Michael really was in here... We found him much easier than I expected," I remarked.

"But isn't this how wins are usually scored?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Asuna was also happy to find Michael. Now we could ask Michael about Epsilon and find out what they were really up to. But I wasn't going to be that insensitive guy who threw a wet blanket on the tearful sibling reunion. I needed to give them space.

"It's really you, Michael...thank god you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry, Layla. You must have been so worried."

"No, no, it's okay...I'm sorry I took so long to find you..."

"Oh, don't say that. Come on, don't cry. I'm okay."

"Okay..."

"Are you sure you don't hurt anywhere...?"

"Again, I'm fine. See how healthy I am?"

"Oh, good...ah!"

After a while, Layla looked up in embarrassment.

"Um, uh...this is my brother Sora. I mean, Michael."

After introducing us, Layla explained to her brother who we were and what we were doing.

"Michael, these guys worked super, super hard to help me rescue you."

"Did they? Wow, thank you. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I caused."

Michael bowed humbly to us. Since he was younger than Layla, he couldn't have been older than fourteen, but he was very polite and mature.

"Hey, this wasn't your fault. I'm Kirito. Nice to meet you, Michael."

"Kirito? Nice to meet you."

"I'm Asuna. We really are glad to see you're okay, Michael."

"Asuna... Thank you so much."

After we were all introduced and caught up, Michael noticed Kaede, standing a few feet away from us.

"Oh! Kaede?"

"Long time no see, Michael."

"You helped, too?　Thank you so much."

"Yeah... I didn't do much, really."

Kaede laughed and lightly shook her head. But Layla yelled back at her, "Oh, shut up!" And her dry eyes filled once more with tears.

"We wouldn't have made it this far without you, Kaede!"

"Oh, Layla...it was all your perseverance that saved Michael."

"Sure, but..."

Layla shook her head like a small child, wiping her tears. Michael's rescue had opened the floodgates. For a while, it was Michael's turn to console Layla.

Once everyone had finally settled down, we had to focus on getting Michael out safely. But, as we should have known...that was easier said than done.

"I...I can't leave this place. Epsilon put a bind on me."

"A bind...?　And you can't leave this room until you unlock the bind?"

Layla implored, on the verge of tears again. Michael nodded sadly.

According to Michael, there was a device inside his body—a sort of lock made by exploiting the PAAC. If he tried to leave this room or log out, an unbearable pain would shoot through his body. And if Michael tried to fight back, that pain would extend to every user of Cross Edge. That's why Michael had stayed shut in this room all this time, never logging out.

"Oh god...but that means we can't save you after all!"

Layla started to lose her cool, but Michael calmed her.

"Don't lose it, Layla. I have been thinking up a plan. They made me stay in here and control all the game data, but I constructed a PAAC-unlocking patch while they weren't looking. If we use this, they won't be able to hurt anyone more than necessary. They won't be able to use the PAAC in Cross Edge anymore."

"R-Really?!　Oh, good..."

Layla went limp and leaned against Michael. The rollercoaster of emotions had surely depleted her.

"Okay. So that's how you've stayed so calm. But wow, you really made such an advanced patch while they weren't looking... Layla told us all how smart you are, Michael, and it's really true."

"That's right. My brother is a super genius."

Layla proudly puffed out her chest.

"Oh, it's not that impressive," Michael insisted.

"So if we use that patch, we can get you out of here then."

"Yes...but we have a little problem, Asuna."

"What problem?"

"This room is isolated from the other game servers currently in operation. So we can't implement the patch from this room."

"Right. Kaede mentioned that. She said the access points are different for every room."

"Yes. That's why we can't implement the patch from this room. Not even if I had an account with admin credentials. You have to go to the control room in the core system to use this patch."

"Admin credentials... Oh, Kaede, do you have that?"

"Sorry, but accessing the control room is too tricky for me."

Kaede shook her head.

"Don't worry. My admin credentials are fixed at the highest priority. Nobody can strip them from me. But I can delegate them."

"Delegate..."

"I disguised the unlock-patch so they wouldn't find it. Here it is."

Saying this, Michael's right hand was equipped with a longsword. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary sword.

"Heehee, I knew you'd remember, Michael. How we used to make a game out of hiding unlock-data inside weapons."

"Yes. I figured Epsilon wouldn't notice. This weapon is called Pain Killer. If you equip the Pain Killer, it'll automatically delegate my admin credentials to you."

"I see..."

If you equip yourself with this, you can go inside the control room. Then, if you transmit this unlock-patch into Cross Edge's main server, the PAAC's misuse will be stopped. Once everyone understood how it worked, Michael nodded.

"Okay...I'll do it. I promise I'll get you out of here right away, Michael!　Everyone, stay here and protect Michael for me."

Saying this, Layla reached out to Michael. But Kaede stopped her.

"Not so fast, Layla. Could I go instead?"

"Kaede?"

"The control room has the tightest security in the system. It's a risky job, and there might be others there. But I know the way. If I go, I can get there safely. You stay with Michael, okay, Layla?"

"...Well, if you say so."

Kaede's impassioned plea convinced Layla to stay. There was a sort of pressure in her words, that wouldn't take no for an answer. So Layla nodded and obediently pulled back.

Kaede's argument was logical, and I could understand why Layla would want to stay by Michael's side. But something was off. It sounded like there was some reason why Kaede thought it had to be her...

"Well, be careful out there, Kaede."

Michael handed Kaede the sword. After she took the sword, she thanked the siblings.

"Thanks, you guys... Thanks for trusting me."

Kaede smiled sweetly at them. And in the next moment——her expression flipped. Her peaceful smile vanished, replaced with a sly grin.

"Also, you're really dumb. This is where we part ways."

"Huh?!"

Layla had a baffled expression on her face. Asuna and I were in the same state. But as Kaede's words sank into our minds...we finally realized that she had betrayed us.

"Free Michael? Not on my watch. The admin credentials are mine."

"Wh-Why are you doing this..."

We pushed past Layla, who was still stunned, and attacked Kaede to retrieve the longsword. I used a disarm attack. But Kaede blocked.

"You're not getting it. The admin credentials have already been delegated to me."

Kaede held her sword out at us as she slowly scooted backwards. Her pose was impenetrable. We couldn't risk attacking her. And to make matters worse, a familiar-looking giant walked through the door.

"Well done. You really pulled through for me, Kaede."

"You..."

It was the giant man who had carried PoH away. He stared at Kaede's longsword, then at Michael.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! We can't leave you alone fora second, can we? Look at that crazy thing you made."

"B-But why...? Kaede, why did you team up with them...?

Layla beseeched Kaede with wet eyes. But Kaede's lips stayed firmly pursed shut.

"You lured our target here and stole the patch Michael made. I think you can definitely count on a sweet bonus for that!"

"But you would never betray us...never! There's got to be some mistake...right?!" Michael stammered.

"Oh, there's no mistake."

When Kaede finally found her voice again, it was icy-cold. Like it belonged to someone else.

"My job was to lure the target here. By order of Epsilon."

"And I'm the target... I should have known," I mumbled.

"Why does everybody want Kirito?!"

Asuna screamed, about to storm at Kaede. I stopped her. There was no telling what the giant would do to her if she got near Kaede.

"I don't want you, Kirito," Kaede scoffed. "Why don't you ask Goliath?"

The giant called Goliath smirked daringly at me.

"W-Why... Why did you do this, Kaede?!"

Layla screamed through her tears.

"Why...?"

Kaede's mouth shut again. But with Layla's persistence, her mouth opened into a hateful sneer.

"Because you freaks ruined my family, of course!　You just...Michael just had to go and make Cross Edge!"

"It was Cross Edge?　But...why...?"

Michael raised a bewildered voice, breaking his silence. Kaede thrust the longsword in Michael's direction. Tears flowed from his eyes.

"When Dad became a Cross Edge admin, he started losing his mind!　At first, he'd space out a lot, then he slowly lost the ability to talk...until eventually, Cross Edge possessed him. He'd just sit there hitting the console!　We'd call out to him and he wouldn't even look at us!　He stopped eating. And then..."

A glass-breaking shriek rang through the room.

"It's all Cross Edge's fault. That MRS...that dangerous system is bad news!　Thanks to that system...my father won't come back to reality!　You toyed with people's minds, showing them only the memories that served them... You guys are psychological murderers!!!"

Kaede's revelation was so brutal, neither Layla nor Michael could speak. Kaede stiffly wiped her eyes and her icy voice from earlier returned.

"My job ends here. The rest is all you, Goliath."

"Thanks for your hard work. Sit back and enjoy the show, Kaede."

Kaede hugged Pain Killer to her chest and backed behind Goliath. Goliath's evil smirk lingered on his face.

"You sure beat around the bush," I told him. If you wanted to see me, you should've said so."

"But nobody's watching us here, and you can't escape. Just to make things clear, would you be willing to come quietly?　I ain't gonna kill ya."

"No. I have no intention to cooperate."

My blunt reply only made Goliath smile harder.

"That's what I'm talking about!　I've been so looking forward to fight you."

"We won't let Kirito fight alone," Asuna said. No matter how hard you attack Kirito, I will keep him safe!"

Asuna drew her sword and stood beside me. Her shoulders were shaking with anger. It was moments like this that I realized just how deeply Asuna cared for me. Layla drew her short sword beside Asuna.

"Let me fight with you. I was the one who brought Kirito here. Besides..."

Layla glared sharply at Goliath.

"I'm still not convinced Kaede would betray us. Goliath might have done something to her. So if we defeat this jerk, I know we can save Kaede..."

Goliath gave us a looking over and whistled.

"You kids have got spunk. I love it. This is my first real fight in a while...so I'll play with you all at once. So don't die on me in the first round, okay?"

Goliath's voice was teeming with unbridled joy. This guy was a fighter at heart... He just really loved a battle of the strongest.

Asuna made the first move. Before Goliath finished speaking, her rapier's thrust-attack hurled at Goliath. Goliath blocked her attack head-on. The harsh sound of metal on metal clanged through the room. But even after such a forceful rush-attack, he didn't even slightly break his form.

"HAH!"

Layla stepped in there, attacking with both short swords. Goliath pushed Asuna away and turned to ram Layla. Layla's short sword lightly grazed his cheek, but he kept charging at her, undaunted. Layla blocked his attack and flew backwards. But Goliath was leaning forward from the inertia.

"Mmf!"

That's when I gave everything I had. He tried to dodge it, but he was unable to. My sword dealt a powerful blow to Goliath's side.

"Oww... You're good."

Goliath corrected his posture as he talked. Despite the pain in his voice, he hadn't taken that much damage.

"So're you. You're holding your own against all three of us."

"Yeah. The higher-ups have been riding my ass lately. So it's great to just let loose and have fun today."

Goliath fought with heart. He was having the time of his life. No matter how sharp a hit he took, he was back on his feet, fighting back with even more power than the last. His volley of gauntlet attacks were heavy. Even if we blocked them, our bones creaked. And there was a weapon in his gauntlet. If enough distance was put between us and it, we were shot with bullets. At a glance, he looked like he'd gone for a power-build, but his fighting style was annoyingly adaptive. He was so powerful that he had the upper hand for a moment against the three of us.

But that did not last long.

Asuna, Layla, and I could not outmatch Goaliath on strength alone. His gauntlet attacks were heavy, but because of that, they could not be repeated quickly. And as for the gun, he couldn't shoot all of us if we scattered. We all closed in on him to attack, and when we fell back, we broke up our positions. This way, we kept our damages down to a minimum.

"Damn it... You kids fight dirty."

"Well, I don't think we can beat you solo. Ready to throw in the towel?" I asked.

"Oh, please. That has to be a joke. I can do this all day...!"

He was hurt all over, yet Goliath still stood. However, he had hardly any HP left.

"Just give up! You'll never have Kirito!"

Asuna's rapier thrust at Goliath. Last time, Goliath blocked it head-on, but this time, he dodged.

"Kirito!"

"On it"

I switched positions with Asuna and slashed my sword at Goliath's right shoulder as he fell to his knee. I used my spare sword in a linked-sword skill.

"Ngh...Graaah!"

Without any remaining strength to dodge, Goliath received a clean hit. But he still tried to stand up. He was frighteningly tough. But Layla's attack ended the fight.

"How dare you hurt Michael!"

One of Layla's short swords hit his right shoulder, the other hit his left side. Goliath dropped his weapon...and fell to the ground for good.

"......Whewww. I'll take the L. I figured you guys had moves, but you're even more powerful than I imagined. When's the last time I had my ass handed to me like this?"

"Dude...you seem awfully happy for a guy who just lost."

"Huhh?　Of course I'm not happy I lost. I'm pissed. I'm mad I let myself down."

Then, Goliath closed his eyes.

"This guy's giving me emotional whiplash..."

Asuna smiled sheepishly. He was actually a pretty chill guy, even though he was our enemy. Maybe he would help us save Michael and Kaede.

"You're going to tell me everything. Now. starting with..."

But the moment of calm in the air was awakened back into a tense terror with Layla's scream.

"Kaede...she's gone!"

Kaede was gone?　But she was standing behind Goliath only a minute ago...

"Maybe she ran off somewhere while we were fighting."

"Kaede left the room. She took the Pain Killer with her,"

Michael told us from his safe space in the corner of the room.

"I tried to stop her, but she didn't hear me...or she ignored me. I'm sorry I couldn't stop her."

"It wasn't your fault. We were all busy fighting in the middle of the room."

"Heh! Never could tell what was on that brat's mind. The higher-ups told me I needed to keep an eye on her, too. Maybe she's scheming something big."

Goliath snickered from where he was on the floor. Between him and fake-PoH's behavior, it was clear our enemy was not a monolith.

"Well, we have to go find Kaede!　I've just got a bad feeling about this," Layla said.

"You're right. "But we can't leave Michael here with Goliath..."

Either Asuna or myself should stay behind. Just as I was thinking this, Goliath spoke up grumpily.

"Don't patronize me. I fought and I lost, so I won't hurt the kid. Once I can move again, I'll leave."

There were no lies detected in Goliath's promise.

"Don't worry, Kirito," Michael said. "I'm sure he isn't lying. When I was captured, he never hurt me or anything. In fact, he seemed concerned about my well-being."

"...Fine. If you say so, Michael, then I trust him."

Layla nodded soberly. If Layla and Michael approved, that was good enough for me. We needed to prioritize finding Kaede...

While Kirito's party and Goliath were in a fight for their lives, Kaede sneaked out of the room alone. Kaede did not take what Michael had said into account. Because as far as she was concerned, he was never leaving that room.

She walked through the unoccupied administration area with an experienced air. She was headed for the control room in the center of the facility. Now that she had Michael's admin credentials, she could finally go inside.

"Finally...finally I can end this game."

She murmured to herself as she stood in front of the door of the control room. Layla's voice was intense hatred personified.

The control room was at the center of the virtual offices that controlled and managed all of Cross Edge. It held several monitors, each displaying one of the many areas of the game. However, it was only filled with workers when there was a large-scale event or update to manage. It was currently empty. Kaede slowly approached the console and sat in the chair. If she input several commands, Kaede's task would be complete.

Her hands shook slightly as she reached out to touch the console—

"What do you think you're doing, Kaede?"

An icy voice echoed from behind her.