The 66th floor labyrinth zone was shrouded in thick fog. The ground beneath was a rugged swamp, each step sinking into mud. Three figures trudged through it with difficulty.
All three wore blue uniforms. Leading them was a man with blue hair, followed by a shorter man whose hair resembled a spiked meteor flail, and lastly, a bald man built like a massive black warrior. The trio was one of the search teams looking for Futayo Honda—Diabel, Klein, and Yulier.
"Damn it! With fog this thick, we can't even see each other, let alone find anyone!" Klein complained. Though each of them held a torch, the mist was so dense that the flames seemed no brighter than fireflies. He couldn't even make out Diabel or Yulier right in front of him.
"Hang in there. Honda-sensei's coordinates are right around here. This is the closest we've ever been to her," Diabel encouraged him.
For over a month, the three had taken turns resting while keeping constant watch on Little Honda's name. Whenever it appeared on the next floor, they would immediately teleport to that floor's town.
Though they were always a step behind, they had managed to keep up with her trail. This time, thanks to the natural cover of the swamp's fog, they were closer to her than ever before.
"Diabel, do you really think we can convince Honda-sensei to come back? She's never replied to any of the messages we've sent her," Yulier said. Diabel fell silent. Everyone already knew the answer.
"Probably not. But I have to see her—just once. I need to understand what she's thinking." Diabel smiled softly. Honda-sensei had gone off alone to clear the labyrinths, all to protect Kimi-nee from harm. What had driven her to make such an extreme decision? Diabel needed to know.
A flicker of light appeared in the fog ahead. The three rushed forward hopefully—only to find Kirito's group instead, along with Klein and Hokuto.
A little while later, another faint glow appeared in the mist. This time, it was Asuna's team—Starlight and the ever-serious girl known as Fierce Tiger.
"Honda-senpai! Honda-senpai! Honda-senpai!" Fierce Tiger, despite her stoic expression, called out incessantly as they advanced. The others exchanged awkward looks.
"Asuna, what's with her?" Kirito asked quietly beside her.
"Haha... she's a total Honda-senpai fanatic. I've gotten used to it," Asuna said with a helpless smile.
"Did you know? I'm actually the queen of mixed martial arts—boxing, judo, karate, you name it. I've mastered every form of combat on a world-class level! But Honda-senpai's martial skill... it surpasses human limits. It's divine! A miracle!" Fierce Tiger went on endlessly, her serious face in complete contrast to her relentless chatter about Futayo Honda, practically hypnotizing the others with her devotion.
Meanwhile, deep within the 66th floor labyrinth, inside the boss chamber—Kurumi sat elegantly on the boss's throne, wearing a blue uniform. Beside her stood Kimi Aoi, and perched on her shoulder was the tiny sprite Yui.
At the foot of the throne knelt the original boss—a massive crystal scorpion. To such a mindless creature, Kurumi felt no interest or need for its obedience.
"This floor shall be guarded by me. Begone." With a wave of her hand, Kurumi, through Yui, invoked GM privileges. The crystal scorpion shattered instantly into fragments.
Just then, a flash of light illuminated the hall as Akihiko Kayaba materialized. In a space entirely under Kurumi's control, he alone could enter freely.
"My Divine Lady, may I observe this battle? I wish to further study the nature of these other worlds," Kayaba said, kneeling respectfully.
"Granted." Kurumi nodded coolly and used her GM privileges to transform her avatar—assuming the form of the demon race's Lilith, the Dream Succubus.
"Little Honda... let me witness your heart. This floor, I shall be your opponent." Behind her unfurled black demonic wings, and twin horns rose from her head. Her pupils turned pitch-black.
A truly majestic little demon queen stood ready upon her throne.
Kurumi had designed the demon's appearance not as terrifying or monstrous, but as a coldly expressionless, adorable little girl. After all, she herself was only sixteen—so by demonic standards, she was still a loli.
"Bring Little Honda here." Ten pillars of light appeared throughout the chamber, followed by ten figures materializing inside. An accident had occurred—since the three Crystal Guild teams were all close to Honda, the teleport spell had brought all of them in at once.
Clatter, clatter, clatter! The sound of bones echoed as skeletons emerged, jerking stiffly in a grotesque dance. Their jawbones clicked open and shut—laughing.
"Damn it, what the hell are these things?" A chill crept up Klein's spine. Unable to bear it any longer, he drew his sword and slashed at a skeleton—but the blade passed straight through. These were illusions.
"La-la-la! La-la-la! Dear guests, what do you desire? La-la-la! La-la-la! Dear guests, what do you desire?" The skeletons instantly shifted form, transforming into graceful fairies with shimmering wings, circling joyfully around the ten players as they sang.
"This is... the boss room." Kirito's gaze cut through the fluttering fairies and locked onto the small demon girl sitting upon the throne. His pupils shrank sharply.
A humanoid boss. That alone brought back grim memories. He immediately realized—this was another irregular boss.
"La-la-la! La-la-la! Dear guests, what do you desire?" The fairies continued to twirl and sing. None of the players could make sense of it—they'd been summoned to a boss room, yet the boss wasn't attacking. What was going on?
Step... step... A soft, deliberate sound echoed as a figure in a blue uniform with loose flowing hair stepped forward. Surrounded by the fairies, she spoke calmly: "If I'm not mistaken... this is the Dream Demon's Waltz."
"Honda-sensei!" gasps of recognition erupted. At first, everyone had simply thought the blue-haired woman with her untied ponytail looked vaguely familiar—but the moment she spoke, they realized who she was. Though her hairstyle had changed, the aura she carried was unmistakable.
"The battle of dreams allows only one challenger. I shall take the field," Little Honda said solemnly, addressing not the other players, but the fairies surrounding her.
"Clack, clack! Lady Honda is our most honored guest!" the fairies sang gleefully before vanishing. In their place appeared a jester, balancing atop a leather ball and spinning circles around her.
"Challenge initiated. Challenger: Futayo Honda." At that moment, massive crosses appeared behind the remaining nine guild members, binding them tightly in place. The system instantly notified them that they could no longer move.
"Damn it! Another unfair boss!" Klein growled, clenching his teeth in frustration. An unfair boss meant danger beyond reason.
"The Dream Demon is the master of dreams. This battle isn't one of strength, but of dreams," Little Honda said calmly, sitting cross-legged on the ground. She laid the Tonbokiri horizontally across her knees and closed her eyes.
The jester, still spinning on its ball, began to chant:
"Father's scolding is the proof—Kanrisha, who lost her way, open the door for me."
"Friend's wounds are the proof—Maanta, who turned away, open the door for me."
"Lover's tears are the proof—Lalomo, who closed her eyes, open the door for me."
Then, the jester plunged a dagger into its own chest. Its body dissolved into light, forming a massive, glowing door.
"Come, Little Honda... show me the deepest memory within your heart," Kurumi said, her lips curling into a mysterious smile.
At that moment, Honda's entire body began to glow. A radiant figure identical to her own separated from her physical form—it was her dream self.
The dream projection of Little Honda reached out with both hands and slowly pushed open the great door.