March 29, 2023. 10:23 AM — Haunted Meadows, Floor 24

  The Haunted Meadows stretched out like a motionless sea of tall grass, barely rippling beneath a steady breeze that never seemed to change direction. It wasn't strong, but it also never stopped. It was always there, brushing against the dry stalks and producing a low, constant murmur—like the place was breathing.

  The light behaved strangely. Even in the middle of the afternoon, the sky took on a muted tone, covered by a grayish haze that filtered the sun until it looked pale and far away. There were no sharp shadows. Everything seemed flat, as if the world had lost its depth at this point on the map.

  At irregular intervals, small lights floated between the blades of grass. They didn't shine brightly—faint, almost shy—and they faded if you tried to get too close. Some players said they were just a floor effect. Others swore they moved when no one was looking at them directly.

  There were no animals. No birds, no insects. Only footsteps and the constant rustle of grass. That absence was more unsettling than any distant roar. It was a living silence—watchful.

  Every so often, remnants of what might once have been roads appeared: aligned stones, rotted wooden posts, broken signs with no text. Nothing suggested where they led. Nothing suggested anyone still used them.

  The Haunted Meadows didn't attack.

  It didn't scream.

  It didn't chase.

  It only waited.

  —STAR PIERCE!

  HappyGoose's spear cut the air in five heavy strikes that staggered the Silent Bear—a nearly ten-foot gray bear covered in an exoskeleton as hard as mithril. They were slow, but lethal, and nearly invisible in the tall grass until they attacked or showed aggro. It was the third one Yuiha had spotted that morning, and she'd tagged it too with a precise thrown blade.

  —HEAVY SLASH!

  Ryuho brought down his strongest hit and cracked the exoskeleton, exposing part of the monster's chest. Miwa didn't waste a second—she surged in with her daggers.

  —BLADE CYCLONE!

  Spinning with agile footwork, Miwa landed ten cuts on the exposed area. The monster roared as its HP dropped into the red. It braced for a desperate attack, but Veget and Silver reacted at the same time, smashing its front legs with brutal timing—while Yuiha stepped in, her blade already gleaming with the skill she'd primed.

  —RAINBOW BURST!

  Seven strikes from the Coral Edge finally finished it. The team's coordination was flawless.

  But what came next was a reminder that not everything was okay.

  Yuiha congratulated Miwa with her usual smile, but the redhead ignored her like she hadn't heard a thing and instead slapped hands with Goose. Yuiha let out a quiet sigh, then glanced at Silver and saw his hands curling tight with tension. She gave him a calm smile—pulling him back from the edge, at least for the moment.

  Veget watched the scene in silence. It wasn't comfortable, but as long as teamwork didn't suffer, everything else was noise. Noise that would get resolved—sooner or later.

  March 29, 2023. 10:40 PM — Brugles, Floor 24

  The party kept moving without returning to the capital. Because the front line was progressing so fast, the floors weren't being cleared one hundred percent—leaving behind undiscovered treasure routes.

  Plenty of player groups swept through recently cleared floors, hoping to find something valuable.

  This time, the lucky one was HappyGoose.

  He'd triggered a trap in a maze near Brugles, but it turned out to be a vertical passage down into a hidden chamber. Inside, he found a chest that contained a spear far stronger than the one he'd been using.

  It would've been a serious problem if he'd been alone. The access required crossing an underground maze where terrifying sounds echoed from somewhere deeper within.

  Thankfully, Yuiha was always prepared.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  She pulled three sturdy ropes from her inventory and used the menu to fasten them together securely—no knot-tying skills required. One of Aincrad's perks.

  They dropped the rope down the hole, and HappyGoose secured it to his body. Veget, Silver, and Ryuho hauled him up with very little gentleness, slamming him against the walls hard enough to shave off some HP. When he emerged, Miwa was waiting with a potion in hand—and a tiny smile, barely noticeable, but enough to show that something between them was starting to settle back into place.

  The kid was so happy he briefly considered jumping back down just to repeat the experience... and earn that smile again.

  Yuiha, as if she'd read his mind, warned him to be careful. The rope had already lost half its durability, and she couldn't guarantee it would survive a second rescue.

  When they finally reached the city, they asked for one room each and went to rest.

  Miwa sat alone in her room, staring toward the window—focused on something from the last few days, even if she wasn't really seeing the glass in front of her.

  Then a sound pulled her back.

  Three knocks.

  Silence.

  One knock.

  Silence.

  One knock.

  Miwa sat up and opened the door. It was the code she'd set with Ryuho. The first three knocks never changed; the rest varied. That way, no one could easily mimic it.

  She stepped aside to let him in. She didn't ask what he wanted.

  She already knew.

  She went back to the window and turned her back to him.

  Ryuho sat on the bed and waited patiently.

  After several minutes, Miwa turned around.

  —Are you going to keep doing this? —he asked.

  —Doing what?

  —Acting like being mad at Yuiha doesn't affect you.

  —It doesn't.

  Miwa looked him straight in the eyes, trying to convince him. Her eyes could fool anyone... except the boy who'd been protecting her since she was born.

  —Akane...

  Miwa's gaze hardened, ready to remind him they weren't supposed to use their real names. But she stopped. She walked over and sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  —I'm tired, Takeshi.

  Ryuho froze. Hearing his real name—for the first time in this virtual world—caught him completely off guard. Then he smiled and kissed her hair.

  —You don't have to carry everything. That's why I'm here.

  Miwa looked up with wet eyes, finally letting the "strong girl" mask slip.

  —I don't know what to do. I know it's stupid to stay angry. I know I'm wrong. And still... I can't apologize. I don't know how.

  "A princess doesn't apologize."

  Ryuho remembered the words their father had drilled into Miwa when she was small.

  She lifted her face and gave him a smile with no warmth in it.

  —For years, I thought it made sense. I'm "Miss Onodera."

  She laughed, bitter.

  Ryuho wrapped his arms around her.

  —I'm twenty now. Twenty. I know what Dad said is nonsense... and still, when I try to apologize, it feels like his shadow grabs me by the throat and won't let me speak.

  Ryuho gently stroked her hair.

  —It's not easy to shake off his words.

  —I know Yuiha didn't do anything wrong —Miwa continued—. She just kept it from us, knowing I'd react like this.

  —That's partly on her too —Ryuho admitted—. If she knew what you thought about beta players, she should've been honest sooner. Dropping it inside a dungeon as dangerous as the Flooded Catacombs was reckless.

  Miwa studied him carefully.

  —Do you really think that... or are you just trying to give me an excuse?

  —Whatever makes you feel better.

  Miwa let out a choked laugh—the first in days.

  —I don't understand you, nii-chan.

  —What don't you understand?

  —Why you don't hate me.

  Ryuho blinked, hurt.

  —How can you even ask that?

  —You're trapped in here because of me. And your life was always harder because of me.

  —Hey... —his voice dropped, intimate—. I'm glad I'm here. If you'd been alone, I would've gone crazy out there.

  Miwa gripped his shirt tighter.

  —It's true Dad told me I had to protect you forever —he continued—. But I don't do it for him. I do it because I love you, Akane. You're the most important person in my life.

  She broke into sobs.

  —I love you too, Takeshi... and I know it's selfish, but I'm happy you're here with me.

  Ryuho kissed her forehead.

  —There's nowhere else I'd rather be. We're going to clear this game, and we're going to get out.

  Miwa, exhausted, started to drift off. Ryuho settled her carefully. Before he could leave, she caught his hand. He smiled and lay down facing her, still holding it—like they used to when they were kids.

  He watched her closely.

  She was still his little Akane.

  And he would protect her from anything in this world—monsters... or players.

  If the moment came where he had to kill to protect her, he'd become a red player without hesitating for even a second.