"How could this be... Don't tell me the reason you want to eliminate Kurumi-chan is to make her provide you with some absurd spatial coordinates? That's too cruel." Asuna's pupils were filled with confusion and disbelief. To think that such a reason would justify erasing Kurumi-chan—it was unbearable. Why did things have to turn out like this?
"Cruel? No. This is a transaction. If I find the coordinates of another world, I'll devote myself to crossing into it. Then, I'll have no further need for you. Releasing you from this game will make no difference to me."
"But if I fail to find them... I'm sorry, but I can only keep you trapped in this game for the rest of your lives—for the sake of my dream." Kayaba Akihiko removed his glasses, conjuring a cloth to wipe the lenses. No one noticed the thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead.
Determine spatial coordinates and perform dimensional transfer—how could such a thing even be possible? That was the realm of gods. Kayaba was speaking nonsense. Even the claim that the consciousness of dead players briefly returned to their bodies was something he had fabricated entirely.
"So, I'll leave the choice to all of you. Either slay Kurumi Tokisaki and clear the game—earning your freedom—or spend the rest of your lives here as part of my dream." Putting his polished glasses back on, Kayaba smiled. The dark edge in his grin resembled Kurumi's own cunning.
"How could anyone make that choice? To sacrifice Kurumi-chan just to save ourselves? That's unacceptable!" Asuna cried out in anguish.
"But it seems... not everyone agrees with you." Kayaba's smirk deepened.
Asuna turned her head. At some point, the surrounding players had encircled the Crystal Guild. Many had drawn their swords, their eyes fixed coldly on Kurumi.
"Let me help you with that," Kayaba said, tapping the system interface. Above Kurumi's head appeared the word Sleep, and in the next instant, she collapsed backward.
"Master!" Futayo Honda rushed forward, catching Kurumi in her arms. But she didn't realize—the one she held wasn't the real Kurumi. It was merely a duplicate.
The true Kurumi stood right beside Kayaba, rendered invisible by the system. Only Kayaba could see her.
"Every human heart harbors a demon. I fear humanity the most... yet I also love it the most," Kurumi said softly, her voice echoing from above. Dressed in her crimson pleated skirt and small round hat, folding fan in hand, she stood in the sky, gazing down at the crumbling morality below.
"What are you doing?!" The members of the Crystal Guild shouted angrily, forming a protective circle around the sleeping Kurumi. The others, however, remained silent.
"Interfering with my dream is not a wise act," Kayaba said coldly. He tapped the system again, and the words Paralysis appeared above the Crystal Guild members' heads. One by one, they fell to the ground, unable to move.
"I'm sorry... We just want to escape this prison," said one of the surrounding players, his face twisted with guilt. Stepping over the paralyzed guild members, he approached the unconscious Kurumi with his sword drawn.
"Ungrateful... You ungrateful bastards!" Asuna screamed through her tears. "It was Kurumi-chan who led you through every battle—who fought boss after boss, saving your lives time and again! And now, you raise your swords against her!"
In the sky above, Kurumi rested her folding fan against her chin and spoke softly. "The human heart is such a difficult thing to understand. The same act of kindness—Asuna, you remember it with gratitude. But most others take it for granted, as if it were their due."
Tapping her fan lightly against her chin, she continued, "When others face hardships, you lend them your aid. But when you are the one in need, they may not help you. That is the demon within the human heart—terrifying indeed. They'll find every excuse to shift the blame, to absolve themselves of guilt."
"I know this is ungrateful of us," one player said, trembling. "But I have a family. I'm the only man left at home. I have to provide for them... I must return..."
"I have a little girl... I can't let her grow up without a father..." another player cried.
"When I started this game, my wife was newly pregnant. Now my child's been born... No matter what, I have to see my baby once—just once..."
One by one, the players voiced their reasons as they approached Kurumi's sleeping body. Asuna's sobs grew even more violent.
"How can you all be like this? Each of you keeps justifying your selfish actions with your own reasons... But Kurumi-chan has only ever thought about saving every one of you..."
"We're sorry..." the players murmured, faces filled with guilt as they raised their swords and thrust them downward toward Kurumi.
In the sky above, Kurumi watched Asuna crying and spoke softly, "It's useless. They're no longer human—they've become demons. Demons can destroy anything, even themselves. That's why I fear humanity."
"But lately, I've tried to believe in humans again... because I've seen glimpses of their potential." Kurumi's gaze drifted from Asuna to Futayo Honda.
Little Futayo, who had devoted her entire life to serving and protecting her people—what choice would she make when faced with this clash of loyalty and justice?
Clang! The sound of steel rang out as the Tonbokiri swept aside all the raised swords. Despite the paralyzing effect still flickering above her head, Futayo trembled as she forced herself to stand.
"My lord has been driven to the edge," she said firmly. Though the words were short, they carried the weight of overwhelming emotion. The deeper her feelings ran, the fewer words she could speak. Sometimes, silence spoke most clearly—born of confusion and pain beyond comprehension.
Crack! A burst of blue light flared. The word Paralysis shattered above Futayo's head.
Then, gathering Kurumi into her arms, Futayo activated the Divine Acceleration Art. In an instant, she became a streak of blue light, dashing out of the encirclement and soaring across the valley plain.
"They escaped! What do we do now—?"
"They can't get away! We can track them using friend location data!"
"As long as they're still inside the game, they can't escape!"
Thousands of players erupted into chaos, rushing out of the valley in pursuit. Amid the confusion, Kirito staggered to his feet.
"In the end, a game is still just a game. No matter how many rules it imposes on us... the one who decides our actions is still our own will."
Crack! The sound of shattering glass echoed as the word Paralysis broke apart above his head.
High above, Kayaba Akihiko, still invisible beside Kurumi, glanced sideways at her.
"What? Your game has a flaw—how is that my fault?" Kurumi said defensively, turning her head slightly in embarrassment.
"Or perhaps it's because your so-called Divine One has devoured too many of the game's laws. I'm curious... just how much of this supposedly stable world's framework still remains?" Kayaba's lenses gleamed sharply.
Kurumi tilted her head back, gazing up at the sky. She estimated silently—perhaps sixty percent of the game's framework still remained unconsumed. "See? The sky hasn't collapsed yet. That means everything's fine, right? So stop looking at me like that with those sharp eyes."