"Kimi-nee! Honda-san is soloing the boss!" Kirito shouted anxiously. His intent was clear—he wanted Kimi-nee to take over command from the fallen Diavel and lead everyone in a coordinated attack against the boss.
"Don't worry. Futayo is incredibly strong. Since the age of four, she's trained tirelessly, practicing ten thousand spear thrusts every single day without fail—for over ten years now. She's the strongest. No one can surpass her. Not even the boss," Kurumi said proudly, lifting her chin high, her tone filled with confidence—as if to say, My Futayo is unbeatable; this boss doesn't even compare.
Whoosh! The massive half-dragon leapt high once again, bounding swiftly between the stone pillars. At the same instant, Futayo also jumped without hesitation. Her small frame soared upward, meeting the boss midair.
The spectators gasped in shock. Everyone knew that once airborne, it was nearly impossible to maintain balance—meaning one's strength couldn't be controlled properly. Attacking in midair was practically suicide.
Clang! The Tonbokiri spear collided once more with the nodachi, and again, the great blade was knocked aside. Futayo looked completely at ease, effortlessly deflecting the boss's attacks.
It was pure, overwhelming skill. Her physical stats were identical to those of any other player, yet her mastery of the spear was on an entirely different level. Her technique had reached a point of perfect harmony—her strikes piercing through the boss's power like a needle through silk. Such skill came as naturally to her as breathing.
Thud, thud... Their figures alternated between the pillars, clashing again and again in midair. The flawless spear tip struck repeatedly, leaving glowing wounds across the boss's scales. Once, twice, again and again—the half-dragon howled in pain, unable to fight back. Even in the skies, where it was supposed to dominate, it was being utterly crushed.
"The combo hasn't stopped... how is that even possible?" Kirito muttered in disbelief. Futayo's Tonbokiri had been glowing continuously—its light never fading.
That meant the energy she gathered wasn't depleting, or rather, that she had achieved a perfect balance between expenditure and regeneration. Her attacks flowed endlessly, wave after wave, each stronger than the last. The boss's wounds deepened with every strike—it was a technique beyond imagination, a true stacked-wave assault. Kirito could hardly believe what he was witnessing.
Crash! The giant and the girl landed once more on separate pillars—but this time, Futayo didn't reappear in front of the boss. The half-dragon blinked in confusion. Where had the tiny warrior gone?
"She's behind it!" someone shouted.
In the next instant, the spear's tip flashed cold light—Tonbokiri pierced cleanly through the boss's back. A brilliant blue glow erupted from the wound, piercing straight through its chest.
Futayo landed lightly on the ground as the massive boss's body shattered into fragments of light and vanished. She stood in the center of the chamber, perfectly unscathed.
The atmosphere turned eerily silent. Every player stared at Futayo with wide eyes—half in awe, half in fear. She was far too strong, beyond what anyone could comprehend.
Stare! Her clear, unwavering gaze met theirs head-on, utterly calm.
Ten seconds passed. Thirty seconds. Three whole minutes.
Finally, the players' eyes began to water.
"Um... you just killed the boss. Aren't you going to say something?" someone finally blurted out. The mix of reverence and terror gave way to exasperation—if this awkward staring continued, someone was going to flip a table.
"Damn it! Are you even human? You've been staring for three minutes straight without blinking once! What are you, a statue?!"
"The enemy... is defeated!" Futayo said solemnly at last.
"The enemy is defeated..." xN... The phrase echoed wordlessly in everyone's mind before they collectively broke down in disbelief.
"Seriously?! 'The enemy is defeated'? What are you, a samurai from the Warring States era? And that stiff expression of yours—come on, you're just a kid! Why the act?!"
Futayo Honda—the Second Honda! Because of the cyclical nature of history, the Far East needed its strongest warriors to inherit the names of their predecessors. This system was known as Shuumei, or "Name Succession." Before Kurumi appeared, everyone in the Horizon world had to inherit a historical name to ensure history repeated correctly. It was the only way to preserve their world.
As the Second Honda, Futayo was destined to inherit her father's title—the Unrivaled of the East, the strongest warrior of the Warring States period, Tadakatsu Honda. Even while her father Tadakatsu still lived, she had already been called Honda Futayo the Second. Once her father passed away, she would inherit his name and title completely, becoming the next Tadakatsu Honda.
Thus, from childhood, Futayo had been trained as a samurai—a warrior shaped by discipline, duty, and purpose. Being the strongest was never a glory for her. It was a mission.
"..." The teasing soon shifted from her demeanor to her appearance.
"She's just an adorable little soft girl! Would it kill her to smile once in a while? Why does she keep that serious face on all the time?"
"Girls should know how to blush! When someone stares at you, don't just stare back like that! You kept staring for three minutes straight—what, would you have gone for an hour? A whole day?!"
Ten minutes later, several players were kneeling on the floor, panting heavily, looking more exhausted than if they'd just cleared ten bosses in a row.
"All... defeated?" Futayo tilted her head slightly, her tone uncertain but her expression still stiff as ever.
"We're not defeated by you! " everyone shouted in unison—before collapsing again in exhaustion.
At that moment, everyone shared a single thought—being "defeated" by such a seemingly serious yet clueless natural airhead was the ultimate humiliation.
And so, Futayo earned herself a new title in everyone's hearts: the adorably serious airhead who looks stronger than she realizes.
"Kimi-nee," Kirito said, stepping up to Kurumi, his expression hesitant as if struggling with something he wanted to say.
Diavel's heart tensed instantly. Kirito must be about to expose his secret—that he was a beta tester. What should he do?
"Shh..." Kurumi raised her finger to her lips, silencing Kirito before he could speak. Then she called Futayo over and had her hand the Midnight Coat, dropped by the boss, to Diavel.
"Kimi-nee... why..." Diavel's heart sank. What did this mean? Was this some kind of humiliation?
"This isn't a reward—it's punishment. I want you to remember this moment," Kurumi said, flicking Diavel's forehead lightly. "As a leader, every decision you make is tied to everyone's lives. They follow you because they trust you. You have to live up to that trust—speak carefully, act carefully, and never take their faith for granted."
"Kimi-nee..." Diavel's eyes welled up with tears. He had been forgiven—despite his selfish thoughts, despite his greed. He had been forgiven so gently that it made him want to cry.
"Everyone! The boss is down! How about we all go celebrate?" Kurumi said brightly, her cheerful tone lifting the mood. Kimi Aoi loved excitement—she would never miss a chance to turn a victory into a lively party.
"Celebrate? Don't make me laugh! You could've beaten the boss without us—you didn't even need our help!" a harsh voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the joy like a knife. The words stuck like a bone in everyone's throat.
Diavel turned angrily toward the source, but it was impossible to tell who had spoken.
Kurumi just smiled. "Hmm~ If my little brothers think Futayo and I could clear the labyrinth alone, I'll take that as a compliment. But if any of you restless souls want to join me, I'll gladly welcome you." She raised her hand gracefully. "So, taking this chance—I'll form a Raid Group. Who wants to join me in conquering the labyrinth and clearing this game?"
"I'm in!" Asuna said, the first to place her hand on Kurumi's. Kirito followed, then Diavel, Kiels, Kibaou, and more than a dozen other players—all clearly showing their resolve to join Kurumi's raid group, to conquer the labyrinth together and clear the game as one.
"My dear brothers and sisters, don't you want to fight alongside your big sister? Without you, I'll be so lonely..." Kurumi looked at the hesitant players with eyes filled with three parts pleading, three parts hope, and three parts melancholy—all mixed with a teasing sweetness.
"Well... since Kimi-nee said it like that, I guess we can't say no." A few players who had been unsure finally stepped toward Kimi Aoi's side. One by one, more joined, until only a handful still stood apart from her.
"You're really not coming? Are you sure? Come on~ won't you join us?" Kurumi blinked playfully, tilting her head, her voice full of gentle coaxing.
"Ah, I'm used to going solo. I don't need to join any raid group," one man said, puffing out his chest as if to prove his independence. Somehow, Kurumi's charm had backfired—stirring up their pride instead.
Kurumi immediately darted behind the first player trying to leave, tugging lightly on his sleeve. She instantly softened her tone, eyes glistening with tears as she looked up pitifully.
"Little brother... don't leave your big sister, okay? You promised you'd watch my back! Why abandon me now? Without you, how can I go on?" she said, her voice trembling, her watery eyes blinking rapidly. The man froze—his heart aching like he'd just committed a crime.
"Okay, okay! I get it! Just... please don't cry, Kimi-nee!" he surrendered quickly. The remaining players threw up their hands as well, completely defeated. Indeed, tears were a woman's most terrifying weapon—ancient wisdom never lied.
"Yes~!" Kurumi cheered inwardly, her expression instantly brightening into a radiant smile. The first batch of boss raiders were the most courageous and selfless of all—she wasn't letting a single one escape.
"Then, as your big sister, I hereby announce—our Raid Group is officially founded! From now on, our guild shall be called... the Crystal Guild!" Kurumi declared, standing tall with her hands on her hips, her tone full of pride.
"Why the Crystal Guild? That sounds way too girly!" one of the players immediately complained.
"What's wrong with that? It's shiny and beautiful!" Kurumi retorted with confidence.
"That's exactly why it's bad! We need something cooler!" The protests grew louder—the more they heard her reasoning, the worse it sounded.
"Hmph! As guild leader, I have veto power. Objection denied!" Kurumi declared decisively when logic failed her.
"Damn it! Total dictatorship!" voices groaned in unison.
Kurumi ignored their protests, folding her arms and continuing with a bright smile. "All right, everyone! We've conquered the first-floor labyrinth! I don't know if any beta testers reached the second floor, but let's assume they didn't."
She straightened up, her tone resolute. "From here on, starting with the second floor, everything is new. There's no longer any difference between beta testers and normal players. Everyone in the Crystal Guild is family—my little brothers and sisters. Let's work together to clear every labyrinth ahead and prove that this game can be beaten!"
"Yeah! Ohhh!!" The players raised their fists high, shouting together in excitement and unity.
And thus, the famous guild of SAO was born—the Crystal Guild, the strongest raid group, the most loyal and selfless of all. Though its members would never exceed one hundred, every one of them carried the same spirit of sacrifice and courage.