Chapter Seventy-Four: The Changing Winds

“Alright! Now, in memory of our fallen comrade, let us observe three minutes of silence together!” Standing beneath the towering cross, Lancer raised the scythe in his hand, and the others followed suit, lifting their weapons high.

“Hey! Bastard, I’m not even dead yet!” Kirito protested. He knew death wasn’t possible here, but still, anyone tied to a cross and threatened with burning wouldn’t find it amusing.

“Silence! Our comrade has just departed from us. How dare a mere corpse continue to speak?” Completely immersed in his chuunibyou act, Lancer ignored Kirito’s shouts and personally lit the pyre.

“Keita, are you sure it’s fine not to save Kirito?” Sachiko asked anxiously, watching the flames begin to rise.

“It’ll be fine—probably.” Keita himself had only heard stories about this strange group. Though he had the strength to join the front-line raiders, he chose to stay with his classmates, only sneaking off to train late at night when the others were asleep. Since he often leveled up in the front-line zones, he had teamed up with the raiders and thus had heard tales of these people.

“The Inquisition first appeared when the boss of the sixteenth floor was being defeated by their group. Back then, it’s said a player who happened to be near the boss room was so terrified by their frenzied attack that he was struck dumb. The strongest organization now is the Blood Knights; they have very few formal members, all elite front-line players. Then there’s the Army—by far the largest group. After that comes the Inquisition, the most mysterious of all. Only those on the front lines know their true faces. Their numbers and purpose are unknown. They’ve never attacked ordinary players, but situations like this one often arise.” He nodded toward Kirito, still bound.

He’d only ever heard that the Inquisition followed a single rule—the Blood Pact—set by their chief inquisitor. But aside from their own members, no one knew what that pact entailed.

“Don’t worry,” Keita reassured the nervous Sachiko. “I got the truth about Kirito’s identity from my friends in the raiding group.” At this, the other members of Black Cat all turned their attention to him.

“Ahem. Kirito is none other than the famous front-line warrior—the Black Swordsman. The coat he wears is the spoils from the very first boss. He and the chief inquisitor have been friends since the first floor, so you can relax.” Previously, they’d only known Kirito was strong but had nothing to compare it against, so it never felt real. But now, realizing he was a front-line warrior—one of those who always confronted bosses first in every fight—it became clear how dangerous his role was, and how powerful he must be.

The Black Cats watched the farce unfold for half an hour. After a round of bizarre prayers, Kirito was finally released.

As the Inquisition members departed one by one, Kirito was cut free. His very first reaction was—

“Lancer, what are you up to this time?” Kirito grabbed Lancer by the collar and hoisted him off his feet.

Dangling in the air, Lancer simply shrugged, as if none of it concerned him. “They organized this on their own. It had nothing to do with me. You know, even though I’m the chief inquisitor, our group is very loosely structured. As long as they don’t violate the Blood Pact, I’m just a spiritual leader, really.” Lancer decided it was best to offer an explanation.

“Will you look me in the eye when you talk?” Kirito knew his friend’s odd hobbies never lacked purpose; surely there was a reason for this as well. Still, he couldn’t help but mentally mark a few crosses above Lancer’s head in exasperation.

“Sasa, don’t worry about it,” Lancer whispered so only Kirito could hear, “I’ll tell you the reason later.” In the moment Kirito was distracted, Lancer slipped free from his grasp.

“Hello everyone. I’m Lancer, Kirito’s friend—we go way back. If you want to know anything about Kirito, just ask me. And, in honor of our friendship, I won’t even charge for the intel!” He made a money gesture with his right hand.

Being the focus of Lancer’s gaze, Sachiko’s cheeks flushed a faint red.

“Hey! Bastard, don’t just blurt out my secrets!” Kirito, temporarily forgetting his recent ordeal, lunged at Lancer to keep him from revealing anything more.

While they joked around, none of them realized they were being watched.

On a distant mountaintop—

“So, what do you think of my proposal?” a haughty voice rang out.

“Your suggestion is quite impressive. And if you can invade this place, you must truly be formidable. But what proof do you have for your claims?” Heathcliff—better known as Akihiko Kayaba—lifted his coffee cup and questioned the other.

“Proof? Do you really think I need any?” The other responded with the same arrogance.

“Very well, let me ask you this: why are you doing this?” Kayaba remained wary of the mysterious girl before him. In this world, he was a god, but she had appeared without his noticing. Whether she was what she claimed to be or not, she was clearly beyond his reach.

“Why? Must I have a reason? But this time, I do. One day, I heard a child’s wish. I thought it was just a child’s fantasy, but decades later, I heard that voice again. And among countless worlds, because of him, the seed of a new world sprouted. That world truly came into being because of his wish. I came here simply to see that person for myself.” With that, she closed her eyes and sipped her tea in silence.

Kayaba was stunned by her words. The creation of this game had been driven by his own childhood dreams, a conviction he had always held. He never imagined someone else could know that. And if she wasn’t lying, then…

“Take me there! Even for just a second, I would give anything! My body is already gone. Even as a ghost, I want to see it! I’m willing to pay any price!” Broken and frail, Kayaba’s spirit surged with longing as he heard this news. With what Renge had just said, he was ready to wager what little he had left.

“Fine, but let’s finish what’s before us first. When I think you can’t take it anymore, or when someone completes their task, I’ll come back for you.” With that, Renge vanished, leaving only a cup of empty tea to prove she’d ever been there.

“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Kayaba fell to his knees, weeping with joy. For the dream of his childhood was finally about to come true.