Chapter Seventy-Six: Annihilation

At this moment, Lancer had shed his nearly iconic purple coat adorned with golden patterns, donning instead a plain suit of armor and a simple headpiece. He looked just like any ordinary player, standing before a certain house. When he saw someone else, likewise in changed attire, leading another person to the doorstep, Lancer eagerly handed them a crystal containing a frontal photograph, then did nothing further to draw attention.

"Although Kirito is now undoubtedly enjoying the fruits of victory, according to the so-called will of the universe, following him is the easiest way to encounter the boss," Lancer mused.

He pulled his hat brim lower and followed behind, as the pair wandered the streets briefly before heading toward the forest.

"Is it true, then?" Lancer sighed, marveling at the so-called will of the universe. Just as some people, upon announcing their name, would be met with a censoring sound, and everyone ended up calling them 'Axu,' so too did Kirito, guided by fate, step into the forest that Lancer found so familiar.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves. The boss's appearance is imminent. Be ready to prevent any ambushes." Though Lancer did not speak directly, he hinted during the meeting that there were targets besides the boss this time; now he was confirming their suspicions.

"Understood." The squad leaders, all top-tier players, abandoned their casual attitudes and placed their hands firmly on their weapon hilts upon receiving the order.

Lancer glanced at his ring.

"Wanted Notice—In a world without the constraints of law, countless evils silently take root. The seeds of sin poison the fruit's ripening. Destroy them!—Reward: ???"

After a long absence, a quest had appeared again, though its reward remained unknown. Lancer had realized by now that the so-called rewards were always whimsically bestowed by Lotus. Perhaps she had not anticipated that their actions would influence the 'fruit' this time, hence no clear reward was offered. Yet whenever good loot was involved, Lancer never hesitated to claim it, for he found those individuals thoroughly irritating and had never had the chance to deal with them before. This time, for the sake of the reward, he finally seized the opportunity.

The Smiling Coffin members had only appeared a handful of times in the novel, making them difficult for Lancer to track down. Still, he reasoned that on a day with so many people about, they would not gather together for feasts or celebrations. Therefore, he coordinated with Fang King from the army to set up this operation.

------------------ Interlude of Combat ------------------

Lancer quietly followed behind Kirito and his companion, but suddenly sensed something strange. His intuition, honed through countless battles, had never failed him. Without hesitation, he drew the short sword from his waist and scanned the surroundings, while Kirito and his companion slowly faded from his view.

"Smiling Coffin?" Lancer called out.

"Hee~hee~" With a manic laugh, three cloaked figures gradually emerged from the trees before him.

Seeing the man wielding an odd weapon, Lancer grew even more wary. The weapon was not just a butcher's knife; by level, it surpassed even Lancer's S-class scythe—a special weapon, a 'magic blade' of the same rank as Kirito's black sword, if he remembered correctly.

"Well, well, who’d have thought the esteemed President of the Inquisition would know our names?" The man did not seem overly concerned; as soon as they spotted Lancer, the other two had already checked the area. Aside from Lancer, there were no other players around, and Kirito and his companion, who had passed earlier, were of no consequence. In such a vast forest, once they left, it was nearly impossible to cross paths again.

"Speak. I recall Smiling Coffin isn’t the type to seek out tough opponents without cause." Though Smiling Coffin was the most infamous red guild, its members, for all their madness, weren’t fools. The elite players of the raiding party had tangled relations with other top players, and any slip could lead to a siege. To this day, there were no reports of the raiding party being attacked by the red guild. Clearly, they must have some objective here.

"Heh, you seem quite composed," POH teased Lancer. In his view, even a judge as renowned among elite players could not escape when beset by three top-tier adversaries.

"Let me ask you something—do you know what people see before they die?" Lancer calmly removed the coat he had worn since founding the Inquisition.

"What is it? Are you planning to share your thoughts with us?" Though Kayaba Akihiko had claimed this world was real, and death meant eternal departure, those who hid their ugliness in the outside world exposed all their depravity here, where strength alone mattered. To Lancer, POH in the center seemed comparatively sane, while the other two had likely lost their minds entirely.

"Nothing in particular. I simply want to see whether those who die by my hand in this virtual world will show the same disgrace as they did outside." When Lancer first gained his powers, the seeds of the demon god had been planted within him. Though Lotus's purification removed the demon god's will, leaving only its strength, as a deity of darkness, negativity was intrinsic. This explained the physical metamorphosis and emotional volatility he experienced in the era of King Arthur. Later, during the Holy Grail incident, his body was no longer truly his own, but more akin to an elemental spirit, and under the influence of the black mud, it mutated again. Lotus's protection kept his mind from falling to darkness, though he was not entirely immune. The people he met afterward were those he liked, so he had kept himself restrained. This time, he had no intention of holding back, just as in that era, he often hunted monsters to vent his emotions. Now, his targets were simply human.

------------------ Transition ------------------

"Still immature. Facing such people, he thinks only of escape, sealing himself completely." Seated upon a chair of mist, Lotus sighed, then lapsed into silent contemplation.

"Repent in eternal sleep!" This was a phrase often uttered by church agents in that era, and Lancer borrowed it now.

When Lancer finished changing his coat and lifted his face, the three from Smiling Coffin were confronted by an expression they would never forget: eyes utterly devoid of life, gazing at them with complete indifference to all existence.

Without a word, Lancer reversed his grip on the dagger and rushed forward, slashing upward. Under the incredulous stares of the other two, their companion shattered into fragments.

But it was not the death of their comrade that terrified them most—it was Lancer's dead, unflinching gaze after the kill. Even POH, after slaying someone, felt a thrill; if not fear, at least some emotional stir. Lancer, however, was like a machine.

------------------ End of Scene ------------------

"Still not mature enough. Faced with such people, he still thinks of avoiding them, sealing himself away completely." Sitting upon her chair of clouds, Lotus sighed once and then fell into absent-minded contemplation.