Kurumi froze. She'd been rejected—completely rejected.
Then she narrowed her eyes and covered her mouth with a soft laugh. "Oh my, my foolish little sister isn't crying anymore."
"Eh? Kimi-nee said that just to stop me from crying!" Asuna suddenly exclaimed.
"Hmph!" Kurumi lifted her chin proudly, though inside she was panicking.
"And about that girlfriend thing?" Asuna asked curiously.
"Just kidding!" Kurumi smiled, eyes narrowing into crescents. Inside, however, Asuna's words had left her utterly confused.
"Kimi-nee, you idiot! Don't joke about things like that! Someone might take it seriously!" Asuna's eyes filled with embarrassed tears as she shouted angrily.
Kurumi was stunned. Why was Asuna mad? Didn't she reject me? Then why get angry afterward?
I really can't figure out what you're thinking!
"Excuse me for interrupting, but there's something I absolutely must ask both Kimi-nee and Asuna-senpai." A third person entered the hall—it was the petite dragon tamer, Silica, Madoka's closest friend.
"Kimi-nee! What's going on with Madoka? I've asked everyone in the guild, but no one seems to know anything about her!" Silica's question came straight from the heart. She hadn't seen Madoka in some time and was clearly anxious, worried something terrible might have happened.
"Ah!" Asuna's body stiffened instantly. She rose to her feet, eyes darting about as she tried to sneak away from this growing storm.
"Well, since you asked, I suppose I'll have to tell you the truth," Kurumi said with a melancholy sigh. "In fact, only Asuna and I know of Madoka's existence."
Asuna's eyes welled with tears. Kimi-nee, why are you dragging me into this again?!
"Only the two of you know about her? But I remember Madoka saying she didn't even know you!" Silica pressed further.
"Indeed, Madoka wasn't lying. She truly doesn't know of my existence—but I know of hers." Kurumi nodded slowly, her tone mysterious.
"Uuuu... Kimi-nee, please stop messing around. Just tell her the truth already," Asuna whispered, looking on the verge of tears.
So scary... Kimi-nee is terrifying when she gets like this.
"Wait, let's not make this too complicated. Kimi-nee, could you just tell me why Madoka has been missing for over a month now?" Silica rubbed her temples, clearly overwhelmed by Kurumi's theatrics.
"In truth, during this past month, Madoka has been sleeping in a place you cannot see," Kurumi said with an expression of sorrow. But her wine-red eyes shot a chilling glare toward Asuna.
"Uuuu... Kimi-nee, please spare me! How are we supposed to keep this lie going?" Asuna whimpered, trembling visibly.
"What do you mean sleeping? And why couldn't we find her?" Silica asked, growing more and more confused.
"You must have tried searching through your friend list, haven't you? What did the system say?" Kurumi asked, narrowing her eyes.
"The list still shows her name, but she's marked as unreachable. Her coordinates can't be found," Silica replied sadly, her face filled with sorrow and disappointment.
"How pitiful..." Asuna whispered, glancing sympathetically at Silica—but the moment Kurumi's wine-red gaze swept over, Asuna instantly buried her sympathy deep within her heart. Survival first.
"I don't really know how to explain it," Kurumi continued gravely. "All I can say is... Madoka suffers from a strange illness. She spends most of her life in a deep sleep, waking only once a year—sometimes not even that. Honestly, it's possible you won't see her again until the game is cleared." Kurumi spoke with an expression of deep sorrow.
Silica's eyes went blank. Asuna's mind was in total chaos.
"Kimi-nee... that lie is breaking through the heavens," Asuna muttered, wiping her tears. Poor Silica was too innocent for this.
"Silica, let's make a promise," Kurumi said suddenly, extending her pinky finger. "If Madoka wakes up, I'll have Asuna notify you immediately—so you'll be the first to see her."
"Ah—ah—ah! Kimi-nee! Why drag me into this again?!" Asuna cried, gripping her head in despair.
So scary... Kimi-nee is a demon!
"Eh? Why does Asuna-senpai have to be the one to notify me? Can't Kimi-nee do it herself?" Silica asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Hehe, that won't do," Kurumi said softly, her tone wistful. "Because of Madoka's condition, I absolutely cannot meet her. Even if I'm the one who loves her the most."
"Alright," Silica nodded, sealing the promise. For an instant, that familiar playful smile returned to Kurumi's lips.
Meanwhile, Little Futayo's name continued to climb the ranks—almost every three days, she cleared another floor. The Crystal Guild's players were completely stunned. At this pace, her progress was practically soaring through the sky. With dozens of members already struggling to map the labyrinths and write guides, none could keep up.
Even Kurumi was stunned. Little Futayo, you're clearing levels this fast? My romantic buildup isn't even ready yet!
So she immediately grabbed Yui's help, assumed her GM form, and appeared directly before Kayaba Akihiko.
"You gave Little Futayo cheats, didn't you?" Kurumi glared fiercely at him. "Three days to clear a floor? Impossible."
"No, I didn't! It's entirely Miss Honda's achievement," Kayaba said, adjusting his glasses. "Ever since her divine trial, her efficiency has increased exponentially." He spoke with the calm precision of a scientist mid-experiment.
"Three days to find a boss? It took me a week to locate the first one." Kurumi narrowed her crimson eyes dangerously. If you dare imply she's stronger than me, I'll skin you alive.
"Alright, fine, I confess," Kayaba admitted, lowering his hand from his glasses as they gleamed ominously. "I only placed the boss room directly on her path. Nothing too excessive."
"I see." Kurumi smiled, pulling a brick from nowhere and tossing it at him. Kayaba caught it—and immediately froze at the weight in his hands. It felt real.
"Surprised? Why does the brick feel identical to one from the real world? Don't be. Once I gained higher permissions, I began using the Book of the World to consume this game. That brick isn't virtual anymore."
Kurumi's smile turned darkly seductive. "Now, hit yourself with it. I want to see if your HP bar drops. After the blood splatters and brain matter flies, can you still use a one-click restore?"
Kayaba's hand trembled violently. He threw the brick back at her. "Put that thing away! Petty cruelty doesn't suit a goddess. Fine, I admit it—I slightly weakened the boss."
"Why?" Kurumi asked immediately, ignoring his excuses.
"Because staying here any longer is a waste. If I'm to create the new continent, I need more detailed racial data. I want to reach the Divine One's Kingdom as soon as possible." Kayaba's tone turned serious. The brick's power had made him very honest.
"Fine. I won't stop you from accelerating the game," Kurumi said. "But in return, you'll do something for me." With GM authority, she instantly teleported them both to the 100th floor.
The 100th floor was Dragon's Valley. Every monster here was a dragon. Aside from Little Futayo and Kurumi herself, no one could possibly solo it—not even Kirito with his Dual Blades.
"I need this floor to drop a large quantity of negative potions," Kurumi said, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Preferably, every monster should drop them—and the more variety, the better."
"What kind of negative potions?" Kayaba asked cautiously.
"Anything harmful—paralysis, poison, slowness, weakness, blindness, fatigue, soft bone, muscle decay—anything that hurts the body. The more, the better." Kurumi's eyes gleamed darkly.
"Give me three days," Kayaba said confidently, pushing up his glasses. "I'll make sure this floor meets your expectations." This was, after all, the first divine task assigned to him—his chance to prove himself.
Kurumi nodded, then transformed into Kayaba's likeness and disappeared into the depths of Dragon's Valley.
"Looks like I'll be the one taking the blame for this," Kayaba muttered, sighing. After all, people only hide their faces when they're up to no good—and it seemed the Divine One planned to use his identity for just that.
In truth, the labyrinth didn't end at the 100th floor. There was also a hidden 101st floor—a prison designed to hold red-named players.
Wearing a white lab coat and glasses, Kurumi—disguised as Kayaba Akihiko—walked silently through the dark prison corridor.
There was only one prisoner: a red-named player she knew well—Rosalia, guild leader of Titan's Hand, the very woman Madoka had once tricked into imprisonment.
"Haha! I'm the queen! You filthy dog, come lick my feet!" Rosalia shrieked, completely deranged. When she saw Kurumi, her crazed laughter only intensified.
"Still sane despite the light here? Then prepare yourself. What comes next will be your true punishment," Kurumi said coldly, pushing up her glasses.
Suddenly, glowing teleport circles appeared throughout the prison. One after another, red players materialized inside.
"What's happening?!"
"Where are we?!"
"Why were we suddenly teleported here?!"
Their shouts echoed through the hall—until they saw Kurumi. Silence fell instantly.
"Kill Kayaba Akihiko! Then we can escape!" someone roared. Instantly, all drew their blades and charged.
Clang, clang, clang! Iron bars erupted from the floor, sealing each player in a separate cell. Within moments, the entire prison was filled with cages.
Kurumi looked around, her expression calm, her crimson eyes glinting.
"Welcome, red players," she said softly. "Welcome to your prison."