"This can't go on—they're in danger. I'm going back to Little Futayo's side. The rest... I'm leaving to you." Closing her folding fan, Kurumi vanished into the sky.
At that same moment, the Kurumi duplicate carried on Futayo's back shimmered and transformed into the real Kurumi. The word Sleep disappeared from above her head.
Rumble... Lightning split the clouds as thunder roared. Black clouds swelled and churned, and soon, black rain began to fall.
Kurumi's wine-red eyes widened in brief shock before narrowing in exasperation. She mentally labeled a certain four-eyed chicken as "reckless beyond redemption."
That damn Kayaba Akihiko—he had timed it perfectly to start this "Corrosive Rain" just as she returned to Futayo. What now? Was she going to end up as a skeleton in a few minutes?
Just then, everything went dark. A cloak had fallen over her head, covering her completely from head to toe.
Rain poured down, but Kurumi felt no pain. The Corrosive Rain only worked upon direct contact with skin; it couldn't corrode through clothing. Wrapped securely in the cloak, protected on Futayo's back, Kurumi was untouched by the downpour.
Her wine-red eyes peeked briefly toward Futayo's face, then quickly closed again. No—she couldn't look. A skeletal Futayo would not be beautiful anymore, and Futayo surely wouldn't want her to see her in such a state. Besides, the Corrosive Rain must be terribly painful. Kurumi didn't want to see her suffering.
Drip, drip... The black rain streamed down as Kurumi hid her hand behind Futayo's back and rested her face gently against her shoulder. Wrapped securely within the cloak, she felt a strange sense of peace.
"Little Futayo... even your small, delicate back can be my shelter. For the first time, I feel I don't need to do anything—Futayo will protect me regardless." A sweet smile spread across Kurumi's face as she magnanimously forgave Kayaba Akihiko in her heart.
Crack! Crack! The pounding sound of fist-sized hail striking the trees shattered her serenity. Kurumi's expression darkened instantly. "Kayaba Akihiko, you damnable man. As if the Corrosive Rain wasn't bad enough—you're sending down hailstones now? What are you trying to do, kill me?"
Futayo shifted her body, turning so that Kurumi was now cradled in her arms instead of on her back.
Hunched over, Futayo shielded Kurumi completely beneath her own body. The massive hailstones struck her back with dull, heavy thuds.
The words Abnormal Status flickered black above her head, stacking layer upon layer—twenty-two in total. From dark-type afflictions like Corrosion, Weakness, and Diminished Vision, to ice-type effects like Frostbite, Slow, and Rigidity—just the change in weather alone inflicted unimaginable suffering.
That was why, on the 100th floor, no one ever stayed in the labyrinth during a storm. Being caught in the rain was practically a death sentence.
Kurumi could smell Futayo's faint scent, feel the warmth of her chest pressed close, her arms wrapped tightly around her. Kurumi didn't dare move a muscle, nor did she open her eyes. She was afraid to see Futayo's pain, her disheveled form. To me, Futayo... you are the most beautiful of all.
"My lord, what should I do now?" came Futayo's uncertain voice. She wasn't asking Kurumi—she hadn't even realized her master had awakened. She was questioning herself, lost in confusion.
If it came to battle, Futayo could easily take on ten thousand players. But she couldn't fight—not when it meant Kurumi might be harmed. So she fled instead. For someone like her, a warrior and a knight both, running away was an unbearable shame.
"Let's go back," Kurumi finally said softly, though her eyes remained closed. "Back home—to the 33rd floor. That's where I want to go."
She couldn't let Futayo keep running like this. Nearly a year had passed already. She had missed the Holy Knight Selection, and more importantly, Kurumi didn't want her getting drenched any longer.
Of course... the least important reason was that this game didn't have much time left anyway.
Soon, every player who still had Kurumi on their friends list saw her coordinates freeze—on the 33rd floor, unmoving.
And so, in unison, the players rallied and surged toward the 33rd floor. Not a single one remained on the 100th.
Amidst a garden of vivid, blooming flowers, Kurumi sat by the flowerbed, lightly brushing her fingertips against a blossom. A serene smile graced her delicate face.
She thought of her late sister, Sayaka, and how she herself had once been called Miyu.
"'Shadows stretch long over the clear shallow waters, faint fragrance drifts at dusk.'" The setting sun, about to slip beneath the horizon, was just as beautiful as the verse itself.
"Hey, Little Futayo," came a soft, magnetic voice. Futayo looked toward the graceful and serene Kurumi.
"If it truly must end, I wish to end it among the flowers—to be accompanied by ten thousand blooms." Kurumi's refined face wore a gentle, tender smile. In that moment, she radiated a beauty that was both heartbreaking and divine.
Clutching the Tonbokiri tightly, Futayo knelt down and said solemnly, "Please give your command, my lord. I swear to obey unto death."
Kurumi's wine-red eyes dimmed slightly, then curved once more into a calm, faint smile. Her voice was soft. "Is that so? Then... please protect me, Futayo. It's alright even if you can't."
Her heart clenched painfully for the first time. Is my lord disappointed in me... because of my inadequacy? At a time like this, a knight should offer her life without hesitation—but she was lost, helpless. I truly am immature...
Futayo's fingers turned pale as she gripped the Tonbokiri tighter, her forehead lowered deeply toward the ground. No matter what, protecting her lord came before all else.
But to kill others for that... she couldn't do it.
Father... please tell me—what should I do?
The noise of footsteps echoed beyond the garden walls. Kurumi spread her arms wide and slowly fell back into the sea of flowers.
Her wine-red eyes closed, her delicate face still wearing a gentle smile. "Futayo, I think I'll take a nap now... I hope I can have a beautiful dream," she whispered softly.
After that, Kurumi said no more. Her breathing grew long and peaceful.
The clamor of footsteps grew louder, and within moments, the garden was surrounded by a large crowd. Greedy yet fearful, guilty yet filled with killing intent—their gazes all converged on Kurumi.
"What do we do? Futayo Honda's a war goddess—we can't beat her!" someone whispered, staring nervously at Futayo, who stood firmly in front of Kurumi, Tonbokiri in hand. The group faltered, fear taking hold. A woman who could single-handedly slay a dragon—how could they hope to fight her head-on?
"Don't worry. I've already prepared for this situation," came a cold voice. The crowd parted, and a man stepped forward—Kobatz, the leader of the Army, the largest guild in the game.
"Futayo Honda may be strong, but she isn't immune to status effects. As long as we use abnormal-state potions on Kurumi Tokisaki, Futayo Honda won't dodge them." Kobatz spoke with an icy calm, his words dripping with vile intent. Behind him, the Army's members readied their potions.
These potions were simple to use—just lock onto a target and throw. Whoever they struck would immediately suffer the corresponding status ailment.
"Stop!" A blue silhouette flashed forward, her sword pressed against Kobatz's neck. It was Asuna—her face twisted in anger.
"Don't you dare harm Kurumi-chan. Or I'll kill you," she said, her voice trembling with fury. Her reason had already been consumed entirely by rage, and the words escaped her before she could think.