December 27, 2022. 4:33 PM – Coastal Zone, Floor 4

  The waves broke gently along the shore, lifting a salty mist that drifted through the warm air. Silver and Yuiha had been hunting Hovering Sharks for hours, finding nothing but meat and common scales. Fatigue was beginning to show, but neither of them was ready to give up just yet.

  Another shark emerged from the air a few meters above the water, gliding with the same hypnotic grace as the rest. Its metallic blue skin reflected the light like liquid glass.

  —Last try —Silver said, adjusting the Aegis on his arm.

  Yuiha nodded and drew her short sword. The shark dove with a guttural roar that made the sand vibrate.

  Silver met the attack with Shield Bash, deflecting the charge and driving the creature toward the shore. Yuiha followed up with Double Slash, her sword tracing two bright lines across its flank. The monster reeled, twisting with erratic movements.

  Its HP bar dropped into red. But instead of fighting back, the Hovering Shark suddenly veered toward the sea, its body fading to near transparency as it accelerated.

  —Don't let it escape! —Yuiha shouted, rushing forward with her blade raised.

  Silver didn't hesitate. He triggered his skill.

  —SHIELD CHARGE!

  A blue trail surrounded him as he launched forward like an arrow. The shield slammed square into the shark's side, stopping it cold and scattering a spray of glowing fragments.

  —Now! —Silver yelled.

  Yuiha leapt ahead, her sword blazing with white light.

  —TRIANGLE SLASH!

  Three consecutive strikes carved a perfect triangle in the air, followed by a gleaming wave that tore through the monster's body. The Hovering Shark let out one last roar before bursting into a rain of blue shards.

  Silence fell over the beach. Amid the fading light particles, a golden sphere drifted slowly to the sand.

  [Item Obtained: Hardened Finn]

  Silver picked it up between his fingers, marveling at it —a hardened fin fragment, polished and gleaming like rare metal.

  —Finally... —he murmured—. How did you know?

  Yuiha wiped the sweat from her forehead, smiling with that playful spark that always disarmed him.

  —Monsters that act differently usually drop rare items —she said, as if it were obvious.

  Silver raised an eyebrow.

  —And where'd you learn that?

  —Observation —she replied proudly, tucking the item into her inventory.— Some NPC shop books mention it, but no one ever pays attention.

  Silver looked at her with genuine admiration.

  —You've got better instincts than most front-liners.

  —It's not instinct. I just... listen to the world. Aincrad speaks too, if you know how to hear it.

  He watched her in silence. In that moment, he understood that beneath her boundless cheer and gentle heart was a deep sensitivity —perhaps she really did understand this world better than anyone.

  They walked along the shoreline with the calm of a mission completed, Yuiha laughing softly with the Hardened Finn safely stored away. The air was warm, the sea peaceful, and for the first time in a long while, Aincrad felt like a world at peace.

  —I think Liz will be able to forge an amazing weapon with this —Silver said, content.

  —And if not, at least we'll know the sharks weren't just a myth made up by bored blacksmiths —she answered with a grin.

  But the smile vanished abruptly. Yuiha froze, her eyes locking onto something among the dunes.

  —What is it? —Silver asked, frowning.

  She didn't respond. Instead, she raised one hand, signaling for silence. The sound of wind and waves sharpened around them. Then, in a tone that left no room for argument, she whispered:

  —There are players in danger.

  Without another word, she bolted.

  —Yuiha, wait! —Silver shouted, but she was already sprinting across the sand, faster than he'd ever seen her move. He ran after her, muttering curses under his breath, but every step only widened the distance between them.

  The terrain shifted —the beach narrowed into a strip of sandbanks between sea and rock. From there, Silver finally saw what she'd sensed.

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  A few meters away, two players were surrounded by three Hovering Sharks. One had less than thirty percent HP; the other's arm was bleeding digital light, his sword shattered in two.

  Silver felt a chill down his spine. Three sharks were too much, even for a full party. If they stepped in, they'd likely all die before the aggro could stabilize.

  But Yuiha didn't stop.

  He saw her slide down the sandbank and charge straight toward the monsters, her blade glowing as a Sword Skill activated —no hesitation, no fear.

  —No...! —Silver gritted his teeth and triggered his own move.— Damn it!

  He sprinted after her, Aegis raised, heart pounding with brutal force. He knew this was madness, that the right move was to fall back, regroup, find help —but he couldn't. The thought of losing her terrified him more than death itself.

  The sharks' roars filled the air. Sand exploded upward as the first one lunged for Yuiha. She unleashed her charged skill and deflected the strike, though the impact sent her staggering back, exposed. The second shark lunged—only for Silver to intercept, his shield slamming into its jaw with a thunderous crash.

  —YUIHA! —he shouted, never taking his eyes off the enemy.

  She glanced back, not with fear—but with pure determination.

  —We can take them! —she yelled, diving at the next shark.

  The Hovering Sharks' roars buzzed through the air like an engine swarm. Silver could barely think straight. Three against two was suicide; two against one was hardly better.

  The first lunged from the front, the second flanked and curved for a rear strike. The Aegis shuddered under the blow, and Silver stumbled a step back, teeth clenched.

  —Damn it, I can't tank two! —he growled as the shield rang under another hit.

  Yuiha dodged with agile rolls, but a single mistake would mean being torn apart.

  One of the wounded players screamed as a shark bit into him—his HP bar dropped to red, then shattered into blue fragments. The system notification sliced the air like a knife.

  [Player Eliminated]

  Yuiha froze for just a second—one fatal second. Another shark lunged at her. Silver reacted instinctively: he threw down the Aegis and his sword, opening his inventory in desperation.

  —I've got no choice... —he muttered.

  His fingers selected a weapon he rarely used. A two-handed sword materialized in a flash —taller than his torso, its polished blade gleaming like living steel.

  —If I can't hold them, I'll destroy them first.

  The air around him rippled as he activated a sword skill.

  —VERTICAL ARC!

  The blade cut a blazing arc that slammed into the shark about to devour Yuiha. The hit sent it flying, its body dissolving into particles. The second charged from the right—Yuiha met it with a precise, furious Slash Chain. Three strikes in perfect rhythm sliced through the air. Silver finished it with AVALANCHE.

  The last shark hesitated, roaring in rage, before charging. Silver and Yuiha met eyes for a single heartbeat. No words. Just a shared impulse. They moved at once; Silver blocked the initial rush with his blade; Yuiha's sword pierced its flank in a golden flare. They didn't need to call the switch—their timing was flawless.

  The monster dissolved in a burst of light, leaving behind a silence heavier than any sound.

  The fallen player's body was already scattering into blue fragments, his name fading from the air. Yuiha fell to her knees on the sand, fists clenched, shoulders trembling.

  —Again... —she whispered, her voice breaking—. Again, I couldn't save them...

  She struck the sand with the edges of her hands over and over, until system messages began to flicker before her eyes—cold, indifferent.

  Silver took a step forward. His chest still burned with adrenaline, and for a moment he wanted to shout—to tell her that what she'd done was reckless, that she could've died, that she should never take that kind of risk again. But the words died in his throat. The anger melted when he saw her like that—fragile, defeated. He had never seen her cry before. Never seen her look so human.

  He looked around. The sand was scarred with cuts and craters, littered with fading data fragments. The dead player was gone entirely. But the other—the one they'd tried to save—was nowhere to be found.

  Silver turned in every direction, searching for a trace, a blue flash from a recently used crystal. Nothing. Then he understood. The man had used a teleport crystal mid-fight, leaving them to die alone.

  Rage surged in his chest like liquid fire.

  —Coward... —he muttered, fists tightening.— If I see him again, I'll give him two good punches.

  But the anger faded as quickly as it came—because right in front of him, Yuiha was still kneeling in the sand, her shoulders trembling.

  Silver stored the sword and knelt beside her. He hesitated, unsure what to say. Then she leaned forward, burying her face in his chest, her words muffled by quiet sobs.

  —I... I try my best, —she whispered.— I really do everything I can to help... but sometimes I just can't...

  Silver's throat tightened. He couldn't remember ever feeling this before. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as if the world could still collapse around them. He rested his chin on her head, gently brushing his fingers through her hair, afraid she might break if he pressed too hard.

  —Hey... —he whispered.— What you did was incredible.

  She didn't answer, just clung tighter to him.

  —You saved one life, —he said softly, voice trembling.— That player's alive because of you.

  Yuiha let out a small sob—barely audible, but free of despair. Silver closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth of her breath and the fragile calm settling between them.

  He looked at her once more, speaking with a gentleness that contrasted with the pounding in his chest.

  —That's enough for today, —he said quietly but firmly.— Let's go back to the first floor.

  She lifted her gaze, eyes still wet, hesitated, then nodded. Silver gathered their gear, opened his inventory, and activated a teleport crystal.

  A blue light enveloped them—and in an instant, the sound of the sea was gone.