April 9, 2023. 10:38 AM — Town of Beginnings, Floor 1

  After splitting from the party, they didn’t overthink it.

  Yuiha and Silver returned to the first floor to visit Sasha and the kids.

  What they found caught them off guard.

  The Town of Beginnings was much quieter than before. Too quiet. Only a handful of people walked across the plaza, and the player-run shops were almost gone. Most of the active stalls belonged to NPCs now. Even the blacksmith where Lizbeth had worked for weeks was staffed only by system artisans.

  The explanation was simple.

  Most merchant and crafting players had moved to Stonecross—the capital of Floor 20. The largest city in Aincrad so far. Liz had told them rent was surprisingly affordable for such a high floor, and that the constant flow of players meant better income.

  But that wasn’t the only reason.

  Sasha explained that the Aincrad Liberation Army had started tightening its grip on the town—forced “taxes” on merchants, “voluntary contributions,” and constant pressure on anyone who refused to cooperate.

  According to what she’d heard around the plaza, two factions had begun forming within the Army after the disaster on Floor 25.

  One commander—Kibaou—had publicly blamed Thinker for the death of so many players. He’d started stirring people up with the idea that if they were fighting to clear the game, then everyone else had a moral obligation to support them.

  Silver’s fists clenched the moment he heard that name.

  Thinker, cornered and terrified of the guild splitting for good, had no choice but to give in—already knowing the outcome: every player who could leave the Town of Beginnings would.

  That was when a memory struck Yuiha like a blade.

  —How are Rockguy and Sho? —she asked.

  Sasha’s silence was immediate. Heavy.

  Yuiha’s eyes widened, and she took off running without a word. Silver reacted a second later and chased after her.

  They stopped in front of the Black Monolith—the Trace of Life.

  The monument that had been created to immortalize the feats of players who defeated each floor boss had become something else entirely.

  A memorial.

  The names of all ten thousand trapped players were carved into the black stone. And every time someone died, their name was crossed out. Beside it, the system recorded the date and cause of death:

  Slash (swords), Pierce (spears and rapiers), Blunt (maces and heavy impacts), or Other (system effects or other causes).

  Yuiha tore through the list at full speed, following the alphabetical order.

  —No… —the word slipped out as a sob.

  Rockguy — 03/31/2023 — Slash.

  Her hands started trembling uncontrollably. She kept going, the list already past two thousand five hundred crossed-out names.

  Then she saw it.

  Sho — 03/31/2023 — Blunt.

  Her strength vanished all at once. Her knees buckled and she collapsed, folding in on herself.

  —NO! NO, NO, NO! —she screamed, her voice breaking apart.

  Silver dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t try to calm her. He didn’t search for words. He was just there.

  —They were kids… KIDS! —Yuiha sobbed into him—. Why did they have to brainwash them with those stupid “duties”?

  Kibaou’s face—his smug grin—flashed through Silver’s mind. He’d never liked him. But after learning Yuiha had been a beta tester, and remembering the spectacle that man had made after Illfang… dislike had turned into hate.

  —Kibaou is going to pay for this… I promise you —Silver whispered, voice thick with fury.

  Yuiha shook her head, still clinging to him.

  —No, Silver. Revenge and punishment aren’t the same as justice.

  Silver pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, confused.

  —But he sent them out front.

  —He’s responsible —she nodded—. But one death doesn’t make up for another. Never.

  Silver went quiet, trying to grasp the real weight of what she was saying.

  —Never forget it —Yuiha continued, her voice steady through tears—. Don’t take a life unless it’s to save your own. And even then… only if there’s no other choice.

  Silver lowered his gaze.

  —I promise.

  Yuiha buried her face against his neck, and this time she cried without holding anything back—for the two children they’d lost.

  Silver held her with his whole body.

  April 9, 2023. 11:53 AM — Town of Beginnings, Floor 1

  The cathedral room was messy—like someone had slept there the night before.

  Sasha had kept the rooms exactly as Rockguy and Sho had left them when they joined the Aincrad Liberation Army. She’d said that if they ever came back, they could clean up after themselves.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  And now they never would.

  Yuiha traced every corner with her fingertips, as if she could salvage any trace of them. Sho’s room was neater than the other.

  She opened a drawer beside the bed and found a stack of papers. She lifted them carefully, not bothering to stop the tears running down her cheeks.

  Silver stepped in silently and slipped an arm around her back. Yuiha leaned her head against his chest.

  —Aincrad has skills for almost everything.

  —I know —Silver replied—. The first time I tried to light a campfire, I nearly lost my mind.

  Yuiha let out a soft laugh.

  —I can picture it. Getting “Skill failed” notifications, staring at the sky, screaming at CARDINAL, Kayaba-san, and the whole universe.

  —That’s not how it happened —he tried to defend himself.

  —Really? —she asked, looking him in the eyes.

  Silver glanced away for a moment before answering.

  —Okay… maybe a little.

  Yuiha smiled and turned fully toward him.

  —There are some actions that don’t have system skills. They rely on pure personal talent. Drawing is one of those exceptions.

  She handed him the papers. Silver looked through them one by one, stunned.

  They were graphite pencil drawings. Even without knowing anything about art, he could tell they were good—landscapes, sketches of monsters…

  But the one that hit him hardest was a drawing of Yuiha. Probably outside the walls, watching a sunset. Her gaze was lost on the horizon; her right hand tangled in hair messed up by a strong wind that seemed to wrap around her. One leg bent forward, like she was about to take a step.

  Silver could see her there, like he’d been present when it was drawn. Beautiful, as always. And he could say with absolute certainty: the drawing did her justice.

  —It’s incredible —he managed at last.

  Yuiha only smiled.

  —Sho had an amazing talent for drawing. He was a lovely kid… with a really special kind of sensitivity.

  She took a breath before continuing.

  —On the other hand —she added, looking at him— Rockguy was more like you.

  Silver stared, unsure whether that was a compliment or a critique. She didn’t clarify.

  —He was always the first to react when someone messed with the other kids. Always ready to protect. He never hesitated—not even when he confronted two older boys who’d made Neru cry out on the street.

  Yuiha touched his face gently.

  —He was a great kid, then —Silver said quietly.

  —He was —she replied, her smile threaded with pride and grief—. That’s why I say he was like you.

  Her hand slid away from his cheek.

  —And that same sense of duty is what made him join the Army.

  Silver took her hand.

  —But I’m not as good as him —he said, meeting her eyes—. I don’t want to save the world. I don’t want to be a hero.

  She listened without interrupting.

  —All I want… is to be the shield that keeps you safe.

  Yuiha’s smile held a sharp little ache as she hugged him tight.

  —I don’t want you to die for me.

  —And I don’t want you to die for anything… or anyone.

  April 9, 2023. 2:58 PM — Western Meadows, Floor 1

  Yuiha and Silver walked through the open grasslands of the floor. With Yuiha’s detection, they could spot monsters from a distance, and neither wolves nor boars were any real threat anymore.

  —What do we do now? —Yuiha asked.

  Silver took a moment before answering.

  —Hunting on the front line as just the two of us… would be dangerous —he said at last.

  —Should we look for another group? —Yuiha watched him closely, waiting.

  —I don’t know —he continued—. Getting lucky and meeting Veget and the others helped… but I’ve also had bad experiences in parties. And if we join a dangerous one…

  He didn’t finish. She didn’t need him to.

  —There are other ways to help clear the game —Yuiha said calmly—. We can do what some other groups do: explore lower floors for treasure and rare gear that got left behind.

  Silver nodded slowly.

  —There are merchants who buy and sell equipment. The front-line groups usually stock up through them.

  —And we can supply materials so blacksmiths can forge better weapons —Yuiha added.

  —Sounds like a solid plan —he said.

  She smiled, satisfied.

  —Then that’s what we’ll do.

  Silver didn’t answer right away. Yuiha glanced at him and stopped.

  —Something wrong? —she asked.

  He stayed quiet for another second before speaking.

  —I need to do one thing first. Could you wait for me with Sasha and the kids at the cathedral?

  Yuiha studied him, trying to read him.

  —Is it a quest? —she asked.

  —Yeah. I think it’s the last one in the Warden’s Covenant —Silver admitted, not trying to hide it.

  She froze.

  —When did you find it?

  —During the fight with the Drowned Sentinels, in the Flooded Catacombs.

  Yuiha’s brow tightened slightly, thoughtful.

  —Was it when you took that brutal hit because you wouldn’t leave me exposed? —she asked.

  Silver hesitated.

  —Yeah… it was then.

  —That explains why you froze —she murmured.

  She held his gaze for a moment, searching for the right words.

  —Silver… every Covenant quest is tied to a moment where you put yourself in danger to protect me. And every one of them has been insanely risky. You could’ve died —her voice cracked just slightly.

  She drew a steady breath and continued.

  —You’re already strong. You’re skilled. The Aegis and the Tempered Plate give you amazing defense. You don’t need to complete the set —she took his hand and laced their fingers together—. I don’t want you taking a fatal risk over a piece of gear, no matter how rare it is.

  Silver looked at her, moved.

  —It’s not just about the set’s power —he said with a faint smile—. I feel like the Warden’s Covenant was made for me. I know it sounds stupid… but I really do. And— he added— I promised old man Masao I’d find the last piece and bring it to him.

  Yuiha watched him carefully.

  For any other player, a promise to an NPC would’ve sounded ridiculous.

  To her, it didn’t.

  —Alright —she said—. Let’s go.

  —What? —Silver stared at her, thrown.

  —I’m going with you to finish it.

  —It could be dangerous.

  —All the more reason I’m going with you.

  Silver looked almost desperate.

  —Those quests are solo— he tried.

  Yuiha smiled, mischievous.

  —What was it you told Veget? —she asked, imitating him in a deep voice— “I’ll go as a separate group.”

  Silver’s face darkened at the memory.

  Yuiha, on the other hand, smiled even wider.

  —Even if I can’t participate, I can stay close in case you need a potion… or a teleport crystal —she tilted her head at the exact angle Miwa had taught her—. I promise I won’t get in the way, okay?

  Silver let out a tired laugh.

  —That was a low blow.

  —That was strategy.

  —Fine —he gave in—. Come with me. But if it gets dangerous, you teleport out immediately.

  —We teleport together —Yuiha replied, smiling.

  Silver stared for a beat, then laughed again.

  —We teleport together.

  Yuiha smiled, satisfied, and they set off again—leaving the town behind, heading toward the ruins.