"Ahhh!!!"

Just when I walked through the door to look for Kaede, I heard a scream.

"Kaede?" Layla screamed.

We scrambled out of the room, running in the direction of Layla's voice. Kaede screamed...that meant there was yet another enemy where she was. It might be the "higher-up" that Goliath mentioned.

There was an open door at the end of the hall. We followed Layla and burst through the open door, to find a space that clashed with the world of Cross Edge—or you could just say it was an office—where a man in a suit was standing. Kaede was on the floor beside him.

"Kaede!"

Kaede flinched at the sound of Layla's voice. I was relieved to see she was still conscious.

"Nice to meet you. I suppose you're Kirito. Thanks for coming all this way to see me."

The suited man bowed politely.

"That's nice—who the hell are you?"

"So sorry for the late introduction. You can call me Es. I am the representative of the Japanese branch of Epsilon. I look forward to our partnership."

"So you're the mastermind. Can't exactly say it's a pleasure, under these circumstances."

I answered him while I eyed Layla, who was helping Kaede off the floor. Asuna was right beside her, healing Kaede.

"So you hurt Kaede. Why? I thought she was on your side."

"I merely punished an intruder who disobeyed orders. Do you know what Kaede was trying to do here?　She was trying to destroy Cross Edge."

"You're lying!"

Layla howled, hugging Kaede to her chest.

"I'm not lying. Ask her."

"Kaede...he's lying, isn't he?! You would never destroy Cross Edge..."

"It's true..."

Kaede answered, with great strain. When her face twisted with pain, Asuna cast another healing spell on her.

"Why...why are you healing me..."

"Because you're hurt. Besides, you're Layla's friend and she trusts you."

"No!　I'm not who you think I am...I'm not Layla's friend anymore..."

Kaede's expression twisted. But not in pain. In regret and grief.

"Kaede...why are you trying to destroy Cross Edge...?" Layla asked.

"Didn't I tell you? Because Cross Edge destroyed my family. Cross Edge made my father get like that..."

"I was well-aware you wanted to destroy Cross Edge, my dear. But I never dreamed you'd make it all the way into the control room."

Though the suited man spoke politely and smiled, I sensed a distinct anger towards us and Kaede.

"Okay, if you're so smart, why do you want to see me?"

"This world...Cross Edge...it's magnificent. Especially the MRS Reminiscence System. But it isn't perfect. There aren't enough memories... The replicas were incomplete."

"So you wanted to use my memories to make them complete, I guess."

"Correct... I wanted your memories...of Underworld, that is."

"Underworld..."

So it was Underworld-intel he was after. But I still saw no reason for him to be as obsessed with Underworld as he was.

"More specifically, I wanted your memories of Project Alicization. If I used the data from that brilliant plan...I could use that human-surpassing AI to fix imperfect memories and truly complete the MRS. Then, by combining the MRS with the PAAC...through the power of suggestion through pain, I could make anyone my slave."

Es sounded full of himself as he continued to explain his master plan. But there wasn't a single element I could relate to. All I saw was a purely selfish and hideous human being.

"You're insane!　That's not what Cross Edge was created for!"

"Yeah. You've lost your mind..."

Both Asuna and Layla looked just as disgusted as I felt.

"Yes, average people like you with limited imaginations would say a thing like that. But my plan is coming to fruition. All I need to complete it is your memory data."

"You heard Layla and Asuna—I won't let you have my memories for a ridiculous plan like that. We will save Michael, and we will return Cross Edge to a normal game again."

"The narrowness of the average person's mind truly is frustrating."

There was not the slightest hint of disappointment in Es's voice.

"So what you're saying is, if we crush you, this stupid plan of yours will bite the dust?"

"Could be. But I highly doubt you kids are capable of that.
Still, go ahead and give it a try."

"I like the sound of that."

Saying this, I drew my sword, but Es just gave a patronizing snort.

He gave us a quick looking over.

"You children won't be able to defeat me...though you are a minor nuisance."

"Kaede...won't you assist me once more?"

"Why...would I help a monster like you?"

"What's done is done. It's not wise to obsess over it. Of course I'll repay you. If you help me, I'll cure your father. I can give him more effective treatment."

"But you can't possibly do that. You aren't even a doctor. Besides, my father is too far gone..."

"You seem to be mistaken, so let me clarify, your father is not possessed by the MRS. He has a mental disorder—shock from the PAAC."

"What...?"

"My father jumped the gun, you see. Used the PAAC without calibrating it properly. And from that, your father's psyche was damaged."

"Oh god...you were deceiving me?!　So you're the reason my father...!"

"No. It wasn't me. It was my father. The former Japanese Epsilon rep. Well, sorry I wasn't entirely forthright."

Without a hint of remorse, Es continued.

"But now I've divulged my dark family secret. That should be enough. How about you reconsider? Won't you assist me once more?" "

"Shut up!　How dare you hurt my father!"

"Oh well. Too bad. And here I thought I was making a perfectly reasonable offer."

Just when his right arm lowered towards Kaede—a sort of lightning enshrouded her entire body.

"Ahhh!!! "

"If you aren't going to help me...then go to sleep."

"Dad... I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry......"

Without even so much as a glance at Kaede, Es punched something into the console.

"Three against one...isn't that a little too unfair?　Then I'll just have to even the playing field in my own way."

Saying this, Es punched something into the console. Fear pulsed through my veins. It felt as though my senses had been drastically sharpened...

"How dare you hurt Kaede!"

Layla cried out in anger, charging at Es. Es barely dodged her, lightly striking her. Layla's body shook violently, an intense scream flying from her mouth.

"AHHHH!!!"

"Layla?!"

Between the way Layla reacted and the sensation assaulting my entire body...it made me fear that he had tweaked the Pain Absorber's settings.

"Hehehe...I can give you pain worse than real life. So watch your step."

"Urgh!"

With pain this intense, our real bodies might be damaged. Just like Kaede's father. However...

"...We'll be okay," I said.

"I was thinking the same thing."

Asuna had the same realization.

"Huh? But this pain..."

I stood Layla to her feet amid her worried protests, and gave her back a consoling rub.

"Es's swordsmanship is nowhere near Goliath's. So we just defeat him without getting hit and we'll be fine."

"What the heck...?"

The confidence in Es's face waned.

"...Fine. If you both say so, then I believe you!"

"Hmph. Interesting. Let's test that theory and see how long you hold out!"

Es's level was higher than ours, and so was his HP. His attack and defense skills were also comparable to ours. But from the way he moved, it was clear he was not a warrior who trained daily. No matter how good his skill level, without the actual experience to back it up, there was a sluggishness about him. He might be able to beat ordinary players, but he didn't hold a candle to seasoned fighters like me, Asuna, or Layla.

We would just inflict damage on him without letting him inflict damage on us. As long as we stayed sharp, we would win.

"...I guess I should say I'm not surprised. Goliath recognized you as good fighters, so you had to be good."

"What's wrong? Thinking of surrendering?"

"Hehehe... Oh, don't think you've won yet.　Because I have a secret weapon—"

Es raised his sword high. We took defensive stances...but Es's next move defied expectations.

"My sheer toughness!"

　

And with that, he stabbed his thigh.

"Wh-What the hell?!"

As we floundered, Es slashed himself again and again. Screaming, "I'm so, so tough!" as he went.

"Layla...does Cross Edge have a skill where harming yourself makes you more powerful?!"

"I've never heard of such a skill..."

But asking the question out loud made me realize the truth. "If I hurt myself, I will become stronger." If he told himself the mantra while he hurt himself... Then he could hypnotize himself with the pain—

"Layla! Asuna!　Get away from him!"

"Huh?!"

"Mwahahaha! Too late!"

Es stopped hurting himself and held up his sword. I sensed a drastic change in him.

"Wh-What's happening to him, Kirito..."

"Es hypnotized himself. Now he believes he's strong."

"But is that even possible...?"

Asuna was right to be suspicious. However...

"The PAAC and the MRS— Both are capable of brainwashing by the power of suggestion. By delivering a shock to your subconscious, you could absolutely gain superhuman strength."

"Wow...you really see through everything. I'm impressed, Kirito."

Es's eyes were filled with a wild rage.

"I am all-powerful...by brainwashing myself with that mantra, I've become truly all-powerful. Let me show you!"

Layla just barely blocked Es's attack.

She gritted her teeth. "He's...completely different now..."

"Layla!"

Layla barely pushed Es away.

"Layla, it'll all be okay. Sure, he's stronger and faster than before. But you can read them, Layla!"

"What are you muttering about?!　Just die already!"

Es charged once again.

This time, he was aiming for Asuna. But Asuna dodged it by a hair and slabbed Es's chest with her rapier.

"Oof!"

The sudden impact too powerful, Es was unable to block. He barely managed to avoid getting stabbed in the heart, but he still took a chunk of damage he could not ignore.

"The audacity...you hit me?"

"That's right. I know a swordsman much faster and stronger than you."

Asuna's rapier stopped just short of striking Es again.

"So I will never let your attacks hit me, and I won't let you dodge mine either."

"Why you... Die!!"

Es moved even swifter, aiming for Asuna again and again. But Asuna dodged everything, and when his movements waned, she went in for another thrust. Es blocked it and scooted backwards.

"Wow, Asuna..."

Layla cried out in admiration.

"Now it's our turn, Layla!　Let's take him down!"

Es had indeed gotten more powerful. His attacks dealt more damage, his moves were faster. If he hit us, the damage would be fatal. But at his core, he had not changed at all. The way you wound up for an attack, the way your form faltered after the attack, your grasp of the battlefield—there were many things that made you a good fighter besides your raw skills. These were qualities you could only gain from living in a VRMMO and practicing every day.

"Damn you...damn you, damn you, damn youuu!"

Es obsessively attacked over and over. But none of them landed. Even Layla, who was in a maddened rage at first, was calm.

Es huffed wildly. "Why...why can't I hit you?!"

"It's over, Es. Release Michael at once!"

Es violently shook his head at Layla.

"I haven't lost yet...you haven't won yet!　Only the last man standing wins!"

And with that, Es threw his weapon at Layla. For an instant, we were frozen in surprise. And during that opening, Es dashed out the door.

"C-Come back!"

Layla scrambled after him. Where did Es think he was going?　I hoped he wasn't going to log out...

"He's going to Michael!　If Es attacks Michael right now, he'll..."

"O-Oh no!　We have to hurry!"

It would take us five minutes to reach Michael's room, if we ran. But five minutes felt like an eternity to us then.

"Oh, Michael...please be okay..."

Layla prayed while she ran. Asuna and I were in the same state.

We finally arrived at the room and barged inside. And just as Layla feared, Es was in there. Michael was hiding and had not been attacked by Es.

"We found you, Es. Give up now!" Layla demanded.

Goliath laughed from his position on the floor.

"Whoa now, Es, don't tell me you ran away. So those kids really are the great fighters I thought they were."

"Oh, shut up, slave!"

"Slave? What a horrible thing to call me."

But Goliath sounded satisfied, somehow. "Still, I can still get some use out of you."

As Es spoke, he stabbed Goliath's shoulder.

"Oww! Hey...wh-what was that for..."

"Hehehe, do you feel the power flowing?　A power so great you can't contain it..."

He withdrew his sword, then stabbed Goliath's leg. Goliath's face twisted in pain...until he started to move.

"Kirito...is he doing what I think..."

"Yeah. He is. He's using pain...to hypnotize Goliath..."

He was stabbing Goliath all over so he could brainwash him into fighting us. I never would have dreamed a person could be capable of that.

"But you weren't a good enough fighter last time. I know what I have to do—!"

"GRAAHHHHH!!!"

Es murmured something, and Goliath's body convulsed with shock. Then he slowly stood to his feet and drew his sword.

"G-Goliath...?!"

His eyes were blood-red, and unfocused.

"Groarrr!!!"

Goliath no longer had control of his mind. He was merely a puppet under Es's control.

"You monster...Goliath was your friend!"

"My friend...?　Ah yes, so he was!　And a good friend is always useful."

"You garbage person..."

"Now, it's time for me to go all-out."

Saying this, Es stabbed himself. The suited man we saw beforehand transformed into a monster.

"Now, onto Round Two. Now there's two of us...much more fair, wouldn't you say?"

Out of his mind, Goliath relied on brute strength as he swung his sword. We blocked his attacks, but they were so harsh I felt my blade bending. And even his punches cut my skin like knives.

Hiding in Goliath's shadow, Es unleashed some nasty attacks of his own. Perhaps learning from last time, he kept a safe distance from us and only attacked when we were staggered from Goliath's attacks. Ordinarily, we could ignore attacks as ineffective as his, but with the pain distracting us, even a scrape could be life-threatening. Moreover, both Goliath and Es would be strengthened further every time we dealt damage to them. By necessity, we needed to inflict major damage at once to hurt them, but with Goliath defying the laws of physics, that was no easy task. We needed to somehow put some distance between us and wait for the right moment to strike...but they weren't going to give us any space.

"At this rate, we're doomed," I said. "It's too hard to deal a lot of damage without ourselves getting hurt."

"But then what else are we supposed to do?!"

Layla screamed. Layla was also heavily depleted from Goliath's and Es's attacks. She would not last much longer.

"If I had the Pain Killer, I could nullify the PAAC's effects," Michal said. "That would also stop their berserk-mode..."

"Oh...! So that means..."

Somebody would need to go to the control room and get the Pain Killer back from Kaede. That way, we could win. So there was only one option left—

"Asuna. Layla. I'll hold them off. Go retrieve the Pain Killer from Kaede."

"But that's insane!"

Asuna screamed at me.

"I'm staying and fighting!"

"No, Layla shouldn't go alone. You need to go with her to get the Pain Killer."

"But Kirito..."

I knew what she was going to say. She and I both knew I couldn't last the rest of the fight without getting hit. But this was our only hope.

"Aw, are we bargaining for our lives?　If your begging moves me emotionally, how about I promise not to kill you?"

"Like we would ever beg to you."

"If that's your game...then die!"

With Es's angry cry, Goliath charged at me. With each step he made, an anguished cry rang. His body was pushed to its limit. Surely pain was surging through him. But that pain was only making Goliath stronger by the power of suggestion.

"Groarrr!!!"

With an animalistic roar, Goliath's sword slashed at Asuna. She tried to block with her rapier, but Goliath's sheer strength pushed her back off her balance.

"Asuna!"

"Should you really waste your time worrying about her?!"

Es's sword stopped me when I dove in to save Asuna. It slashed my cheek and a flesh-ripping pain seared through me. It hurt so bad I stopped breathing and almost fell.

"Urgh!"

"Kirito!"

I was right. I had to hold them off while they got the Pain Killer. I needed to give Asuna an opening...

"Daddy! Mommy! Can you hear me?!　Daddy!"

At first, I couldn't tell where her voice was coming from. There was no way Yui could be here. But when I heard it again, I finally realized it was real. Yui was running through the hallway looking for us!

"Yui! In here!"

"Yui!"

Asuna and I cried out at once. Then the door swung open.

"In here, Kirito?!"

And in flew a samurai with a red bandanna on his forehead and a katana in his hand.

"K-Klein...?!"

My mind went blank. But before my brain could stop whirring again, more of my friends barged through the door.

"Asuna! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?"

It was Yuuki, the Absolute Sword, running straight for Asuna.

"There was a delay, but it appears we have finally arrived."

There was the Integrity Knight, clad in radiant gold—Alice.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Kirito."

Blue sword in hand—Eugeo.

"Yuuki, Alice, Eugeo...but you were supposed to investigate the town..."

"Yui contacted us. She said you were all fighting for your lives."

"When I heard Asuna was in trouble, I couldn't stand not helping!"

"Yui hacked the security system for us."

"Yuuki, guys...thanks."

"C'mon, Asuna. Let's hang this loser up to dry."

Es, who had been stunned in shock at the sudden intrusion, was jolted back to the present by Yuuki's taunt. His eyes were filled again with a maddened rage.

"Don't think that adding four to your swarm will give you a chance of winning!"

But Yuuki did not seem even slightly intimidated by him.

"Sorryyy, but it's more than four. Should be any minute now..."

"Sorry we're late. This young lady here is okay, too."

And in walked a giant man carrying a big battle ax.

It was Agil. He brought Kaede with him, wobbling, propped up on his shoulder.

"Kaede!"

"I'm so sorry, Layla... I'm sorry, Michael..."

"It's okay. We're all okay!" Layla insisted.

Kaede weakly waved her hand in reply. Agil carried her to where Michael was, at a safe distance from us.

"Grrr...nnngh..."

Es's face twisted with malice. His lips twisted into a sneer as he screamed at Goliath.

"Goliath! Kill them all!"

Goliath howled in reply, shaking the very air around us.

"That big guy's lost his mind... So, the suit is our mastermind, I take it?" Klein asked.

"Yeah. He did," I answered.

"So leave the berserker to us. You take the main boss."

"Thanks, Klein...I owe you one."

"Okayyy, let's do this thing!"

At Klein's signal, everyone else snapped into action.

"Okay, big guy. Sorry, but I can't let you pass beyond this point!"

Thanks to Klein and the others distracting Goliath, I could put all my focus into beating Es. Es's enraged attacks would cause maximum damage, even if they just grazed me. I learned that the hard way, from the cut to my cheek.

But now that my friends were here, I had my confidence back. And I could read Es's attacks before he made them.

"You little shits!　You filthy insects!"

His body covered in self-inflicted wounds, Es swung his weapon wildly. But none of his attacks landed.

"No matter how angry you are, you lose, Es. Just give up."

"Me? Lose?　I'll never allow it!"

His eyes were red with blood, darting around the room. Then they stopped on Michael.

"That's right...Michael...if you become mine..."

"Wha—Michael?!"

Michael was with Kaede, separated from the action. Es and Goliath had kept away from them all this time—so I got complacent. I ran to Michael, but Es was already there.

"Now...be mine!"

"Michael?!"

Layla clawed for him, but could not reach Es. Asuna and I were both too far away to stop him.

"Ha-haaah!　A flawless victory, if I do say so myself! I always have the last laugh!"

Es raised his sword and swung it down at Michael's head. And just when I was about to lose hope, somebody ducked between Michael and Es.

"A flawless victory?　I wouldn't be too sure."

She stabbed her greatsword right into Es's chest.

"K-Kaede!" Layla cried.

"This sword is called Pain Killer. IA PAAC-unlocking patch is embedded in it. Isn't that right, Michael?"

"That's right, Kaede."

"So if I use this, you're powerless!"

"Ngh—mmf!"

The sword fell from Es's raised hand. He grabbed Kaede's sword, desperately trying to get it out, but to no avail. Kaede pushed harder, sending the blade deeper into him.

"M-My power...it's leaving me...!"

"How dare you...how dare you hurt my father!"

"Nn—nnngaaah!"

"This one's for my father!"

Pain Killer pierced straight through Es. The PAAC hypnosis severed, Es folded over, losing all strength. Kaede pulled out her sword, then fell backwards, motionless.

Grrraaa!!!

At the same time, Goliath let out a cry and fell motionless.

"H...How did I..."

Es squeezed out the words as he crawled on the ground. His body wasn't listening to him, now that the PAAC hypnosis was cut off.

"G-Goliath...!　Kill him...that's an order!"

"Don't be crazy... It's your fault...that I'm falling apart..."

Goliath's voice nearly disappeared into the air. Between the damage he took and the PAAC's effects, it was a wonder he was still conscious.

"Anybody—is anybody else around?!　Kill the intruders!　I'll reward you handsomely!"

"So this is a man stripped of pride...what a sad sight."

Alice looked at the incapacitated man with pity.

"So this is the jerk who hurt Michael..."

As Layla murmured bitterly under her breath, Kaede handed her Pain Killer.

"Here, Layla. You should have this. I know it's too late to apologize...but can you put an end to all of this?"

"...Yes. I will."

Layla took the sword and looked down at Es. He yelped, anticipating being stabbed.

"...On your feet."

"Huh?!"

"I say, on your feet!"

With Layla's barked command, Es winced and struggled to his feet.

"Es, fight me."

"Fight you...?"

"That's right. Have a duel with me right now. By simple Cross Edge rules. I'll even give you an advantage. We'll use the PAAC you love so much, to bring your pain to the max."

"T-To the max...?"

Es shrank backward in fear. If he got hit with intense pain in his current condition, he would certainly lose his mind.

"I'm putting the same settings on myself," Layla told him. "So if you land one attack, you'll win."

At a glance, Layla's proposal made her vulnerable. But I understood what she was doing. Layla wanted to torment Es psychologically. So he would never commit such atrocities again.

"Now... Come at me."

"Urgh!"

Es hesitated for a while, until he finally swung his sword with a determined gleam in his eye. But his sword barely reached her. Layla could beat him with her eyes closed.

"...That all you've got?"

Layla blocked his second attack with her sword flat and sent Es's sword flying. Es's hands flew defensively to his face while Layla's sword tip thrust at his throat.

"If I move my sword just a bit further, I'll stab your throat. Then your beloved PAAC will dish out the worst pain imaginable."

"F-Fine...you win! I accept defeat!　So please, put your sword down!"

"......"

Layla's sword remained out.

"F-Fine...I'll back away from Cross Edge. There. Does that satisfy you? Oh...not enough?　Then how about money?　How much do you want..."

"I don't care about money!"

"Eep!"

Layla's sword thrust. Es scooted backwards. The momentum carried his butt all the way to the ground.

"Apologize. Apologize. Apologize to Michael and Kaede."

"Apologize...?"

"And apologize to Kaede's family, too."

"Okay! I'll apologize!　I'm sorry... I regret what I did!　I swear I'll never lay a finger on Cross Edge or any of you again!"

Es got on all fours and pressed his forehead to the floor. Nobody said a word besides him. Layla stared intently at the top of Es's head...until she finally shifted her gaze to Kaede and Michael.

"Thanks, Layla," Kaede said. "That's enough. He's not worth it."

"I'm okay now," Michael added. "Thanks, Layla."

The three teared up and hugged each other.

Meanwhile, Es moaned in agony from his groveling position on the floor.

"I see. Now he will surely not attempt any nefarious schemes again."

"The bigger a guy's ego, the more likely he'll give up when he's humiliated."

"Well...I'm glad you guys made it out safe."

Alice, Klein, and Eugeo were each sharing their remarks. Yuuki was checking on Asuna's condition with Yui.

"So it's finally over."

Agil stood beside me and sighed.

"Guess that ghost story turned out to be way bigger than we thought."

We exchanged sheepish grins.

"You're telling me."

"You finally did it, Layla."

"I did, thanks to you, Kirito. Thank you all. I couldn't have saved Michael without you."

"Allow me to extend my gratitude as well. Thank you, everyone," Michael said.

"Oh, don't thank us. We had our own goals here. Anyway, let's restore the PAAC setting to normal."

"You're right. Let's go, Michael. Come on, Kaede."

Layla, Michael, and Kaede took Pain Killer to the control room. With that, Cross Edge would return to normal.

"Now then...what do we do with Goliath?"

Goliath, who was unconscious all this time, finally woke up and stood to his feet.

"Yeah, I know. Am I gonna be punished?"

"No, Es is responsible for this. You don't need to worry about anything."

"Well, I appreciate that. Then I guess I'll be on my way."

By the way Goliath moved, it was hard to believe he was unconscious a minute ago. He really was a tough cookie.

Goliath hurried to the door, then turned to face us before he walked out.

"Sorry about everything I did. If we see each other again, let's spar."

"You're on."

And without breaking his cool, Goliath left.

"Now the case is finally closed."

"Yeah... We went through a lot, but I'm glad you made it out okay," Asuna said.

"You too, Asuna. And everyone else."

Afterwards, the conspiracy in Cross Edge went public and the Japanese branch of Epsilon was dissolved. As CEO, Erikawa was arrested and is under investigation for many crimes, including kidnapping. After some of the information leaked, Cross Edge's popularity took a hit, and not as many people logged in to play. But meanwhile, a rehab clinic using the MRS in a VR space started making the news and little by little, Cross Edge's image was restored.

Layla, Michael, and Kaede were also very busy dealing with the aftermath. Yesterday, they contacted me saying that things had finally settled down, so we all logged in to Cross Edge to meet up.

"So, you're still not back at full health yet, Michael?"

"No. All that time imprisoned and the pain I experienced in VR affected my real body. So my legs aren't quite at 100%. But the doctors say I'll get better with rehab."

"So he really needs to rest... But he does walk around the hospital sometimes," Layla explained.

"The doctors said I'll heal faster if I move my body."

"Yes, but still..." It was surreal watching the siblings argue like that. It might be the first time I saw Layla act her age.

We met up with Asuna after that. Then we invited the others to have a little post-victory celebration. Though Kaede was suspected of having a hand in Michael's kidnapping, Erikawa confessed that he had acted alone, and with Michael's additional testimony, she was not convicted of any major crimes. The staff had claimed they were "Just following orders."

Our final remaining concern was what had become of the fake-PoH...but that remained a mystery.

"That hooded-man...I wonder if we still need to worry about him," Layla mused.

"...Yeah, I can't say for sure."

I wanted to ease Layla's worries, but the tenacity of a sycophant who would replicate the real PoH was not to be underestimated.

"But if we run into him in Cross Edge, we'll just beat him again," I promised.

"Yeah, you're right," Layla said. "And with the MRS no longer in evil hands, he'll be easy to take care of!"

"......"

In the ruins of Cross Edge...

The hooded man known as fake-PoH was in an abandoned room, curled up in a ball.

He was just an ordinary player who fought in the great war in Underworld. He had joined the fight out of an idle curiosity for PoH...but once he was in the realistic battleground, PoH's devilish charisma bewitched him. He fell for PoH, like a fanatic falls for a cult leader. When Kirito's and PoH's fight to the death resulted in PoH's loss, unable to deal with the man he'd put all his faith in leaving, he vowed to resurrect PoH someday. Es set his sights on him, and brought him to Cross Edge to lure Kirito—this was how it all began.

But once again, PoH's second-coming was defeated in Cross Edge. Moreover, since he had used his avatar to replicate PoH, his memory and personality were already being overwritten.

"He will never lose...I will never lose. I will be reborn, over and over, and face the Black Swordsman in battle."

The man murmured quietly, in a voice nobody could hear, as he stumbled to his feet.

"Every show needs its encore."

"That's right. Check this out!　There's going to be another battle royal!"

Days later, we all logged onto Cross Edge. Yuuki promptly pulled out a flier and showed it to everybody.

"Ooh, the next one's full-scale, it says. A battle royal of dozens of people? Sounds like fun. My blood is pumping," Klein said.

"Battle Royal...what sort of Sacred Tongue is that?　I understand the battle part..." Eugeo puzzled.

Everyone was excited about the upcoming tournament.

"I'm entering, of course. What about you guys?" I asked.

"Of course I'm entering!" Alice declared.

"Me too. It's been a while since I've fought in a tournament," Eugeo said. "And it's been a while since I've played around in Cross Edge, too."

"Okay, then!" I cheered. "Let's all play our hearts out in Cross Edge!"

Game Scenario Draft: Ken Suebashi
Scenario composition/rewriting: Ryotaro Onda