"2024 Floor 56:" "Pani" "Lure it to the village." "That's how we get the boss." "W-Wait." "You can't be serious." "the Boss'll go after the villag" "That's the idea. and kill it." "But they're not just objects." "NPCs are different than rocks and trees." "they're..." "Do you think they're alive?" "Really?" "they are just objects." "they can always respawn." "but I'm not cool with that plan." "I'm still second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath." "like it or not." "Hey." "What's with you guys?" "Huh?" "and not in a good way." "Agil." "You can become powerful here on your own. don't turn it down. and be a floor-clearing badass?" "80)}Mitometeta okubyou na kako 1060)}The cowardly past that I'd acknowledged" "80)}Wakaranai mama ni 80)}Kowagatteta ushiro no jibun ga Genjitsu wo ima ni utsusu scared Projecting reality onto today" "80)}Ikutsu mono sora wo egaita 1060)}I've drawn so many skies" "80)}Koko wa kitto hakanai kokoro 1060)}This must be my fleeting heart" "80)}Midashite 1060)}Out of control" "80)}Yume de takaku tonda karada wa this body soars so high" "80)}Donna fuan matotte mo furiharatteku 1060)}And it can brush away any fears that cling to me" "80)}Nemuru chiisana omoi hirogari dashite these budding feelings start to expand" "80)}Kizuku yowai watashi kimi ga ireba weak as I am..." "As long as I had you 80)}Kurai sekai tsuyoku ireta 1060)}I could stay strong in this dark world" "80)}Nagai yume miru kokoro wa sou eien de 1060)}My heart will dream a long dream forever" "I want to always be with you" "I'll give you everything I have... 730)}Murder in the Safe Zone" "2024 Floor 59:" "Danac" "What are you doing?" "hey." "What's up?" "Everyone in the Assault Team's working their butts off to clear to the dungeon." "taking a nap." "you should take this " "Bet you didn't know this is Aincrad's nicest season." "Today's weather is at its optimal setting." "It'd be a waste to have to go to work on a day like this." "Whatever..." "I can't believe you." "Do you even understand what's going on?" "Every day here is another one lost in the real world." "are we?" "We're alive in Aincrad." "See?" "Doesn't that breeze feel good?" "And the sun?" "Oh come on." "Th you'd understand." "would you look at that?" "Taking a nap in the middle of the day?" "Some people sure got it easy." "man." "I can't believe she fell asleep." "W..." "What..." "Good morning." "You slept like a rock." "You get one meal..." "One meal!" "my treat." "Then we'll be even!" "Deal?" "1062)}Floor 57:" "Martin" "That's Asuna from the Knights of the Blood Oath." "they call her the Lightning Flash..." "Who's the shady looking guy dressed in black?" "anyway..." "Thank you... for today." "For keeping an eye on me." "sure... a player can't attack or kill you." "you're vulnerable." "Yeah." "Now we've got player killers who can cheat the duel system." "not fights to the death. your HP is still gonna go down based on the damage you take." "All a sleep PKer has to do is manipulate but the sleep PKer's doing all the attacking." "God knows how many times it's happened." "anyway..." "Thank you." "sure... anytime." "you'd do the same for me." "Hurry!" "Pull it out!" "you catch him." "Got it." "Help's on the way!" "Damn it..." "The only way he could've died in a safe zone... is if he was beaten in a duel." "That means..." "Everyone!" "Look for the player with the "winner" icon!" "the room's empty!" "any idea how this could happen?" "there's always the obvious... then he put a noose around his neck and pushed him out the window." "Wouldn't you say that's about right?" "but..." "I couldn't see the "winner" icon on anyone." "It had to be a duel." "It's a safe zone and a player died." "A duel is the only thing it could've been." "we can't ignore this." "I know." "a player takes huge risks going outside the safe zone." "no one's going to be safe in the towns either." "you're right." "I guess we won't be going back to the front lines anytime soon." "you're going to work with me until we solve this thing." "okay?" "Okay." "But you're the one who was napping." "Ow!" "Listen up!" "Did anyone see what happened before that player died?" "please speak up!" "By the time I got here..." "I can imagine how frightened you are." "Could you tell us your name?" "Sure..." "My name's Yolko." "were you the one who screamed?" "Uh-huh. and the two of us used to belong to the same guild." "we came here together today." "We were going to have dinner somewhere in town." "But we got separated in the plaza. then I saw him hanging from that balcony and..." "Was there...anyone else up there?" "For a second..." "I'm not sure..." "But I think I did see someone standing behind Kains." "had you seen him before?" "Uh-uh..." "I know this is hard for you but... think back and try to remember." "with the reason to kill him?" "Thank you for walking me back." "Sorry if it's out of your way." "No worries." "if you're feeling up to it." "Okay... what do we do?" "Simple." "We follow the only solid clue we have. it might lead us straight to the killer." "We'll need find someone with an appraisal skill." "I mean... it's pretty obvious you don't have one." "No I don't." "And neither do you." "and by the way... try not to be so rude when you're speaking to me." "okay." "Should I call you "Ms." "next time?" "Second-in-command"?" "Lightning Flash"?" "never mind." "Call me Asuna." "sure." "Back to the appraisal skill though." "Do you know anyone who has it?" "I've got a friend who does." "She's a weapon's merchant. so I don't think she'll have time to help us." "No worries." "I happen to know an item merchant who might be able to help us out." "1065)}Floor 50:" "Algade" "my man!" "Come back anytime!" "Looks like you're still running all the suckers down with those hard deals of yours." "No way." "Kirito?" "you know that." "That "selling cheap" part's a lie though." "brother." "What the hell's gotten into you?" "!" "man!" "What are you doing hanging around with Asuna?" "!" "straight up!" "What's the deal?" "!" "His HP dropped to zero in a safe zone?" "You sure it wasn't a duel?" "no one saw a winner icon." "We can also rule out the murder being a sleep PK." "He was walking with Yolko before it happened." "his death was too elaborate to be some random duel." "The PKer who did this had it planned out." "We're pretty sure of that." "there's this." "A player made this." "Really?" "Who was it?" "Can you tell?" "Grimlock." "Never heard of that name before..." "It's not worth the top blacksmith." "That's for damn sure." "there's nothing special about this." "right?" "Is there like an item name listed?" "You'll love it." "don't you think?" "Seriously?" "Guilty Thorn?" "Here goes... stop!" "What's the matter?" "What do you mean "what's the matter?" "Are you out of your mind?" "That thing's already killed one person." "don't we?" "Would you stop being so reckless?" "would you please hold on to this for us?" "yeah... 1070)}The Next Day" "So uh..." "Yolko... we uh... we were wondering if you've ever heard the name "Grimlock"?" "Yes." "he was in a guild with me and Kains." "we took this spear that impaled Kains to an appraiser." "and we found out Grimlock made it." "Can you... think of any reason why he did?" "I can..." "I should have told you everything yesterday." "It's just..." "I couldn't." "It's something I've been trying very hard to forget." "I have no choice." "I should tell you about how my guild... was destroyed." "Golden Apple" was the name we chose. we killed a rare monster." "It dropped a powerful ring that raised a player's agility by twenty. others wanted to sell it and split the earnings." "we put it to a vote." "It was five-to-three in favor of selling it." "took it to a large town on the front lines." "She was going to sell it to a broker and was staying overnight." "but she never came back." "we learned our worst fears have come true" " Griselda was dead." "I still don't know how she died." "No one's gonna leave a safe zone with a rare item like that." "Too risky." "You think someone could've pulled a sleep PK on her?" "that method's still sort of new." "either." "the killer was after the ring." "It has to be someone who knew she had it." "Which means..." "The killer's one of the seven others in our guild." "Yes." "We have our suspects." "Now we just have to figure out who didn't wanna sell the ring." "I doubt the killer waited till after Griselda sold the ring." "She was killed before she sold it." "That's my guess." "Probably." "Tell us what you know about Grimlock." "he was Griselda's husband." "just in the game." "Griselda was a powerful swordswoman." "She was beautiful... and smart." "Grimlock was kind and I can't remember a day when he wasn't smiling." "They made a great couple and got along as husband and wife." "then... he's probably going after the three guild members who voted against selling the ring." "Kains was one of the three who wanted to keep the ring for the guild." "I was the other one." "Then who's the third person?" "The other's a tank named Schmitt." "is on the front lines now with the Holy Dragon Alliance." "huh?" "I've heard that name before..." "He's the leader of the defense unit of the Holy Dragon Alliance." "He's an exceptional lancer." "Oh yeah." "Him." "Wait." "Do you really know Schmitt?" "so..." "I need to see him right away." "Could you please take me to him?" "he probably hasn't heard about the murder." "He needs to know." "Before what happened to Kains happens to him..." "We'll help you get in touch with Schmitt." "I know someone at the Holy Dragon Alliance." "He'll help us out." "We'll visit their HQ." "we should make sure she gets back to the inn." "don't go anywhere until we get back." "All right." "so... how do you think a murder like this happened in a safe zone?" "I see three ways it could... it's possible was a fair duel." "someone took advantage of a bug that combines a bunch of different kill methods." "I can see that happening." "And the third?" "Use something to bypass the protection of a safe zone." "Some kind of skill or maybe an item." "that third idea is impossible." "What do you mean?" "Because it's unfair." "but it's true." "The rules of SAO are essentially fair for every player in the game." "there is no way the game would allow murders in safe zones." "I see." "that's what killed Kains." "And you're sure about the spear." "Was it really Grimlock's?" "There's no doubt." "why would he wait six months to kill him?" "!" "Unless... could he have stolen the ring?" "!" "Do think it's possible he killed Griselda after all?" "!" "Does Grimlock want to kill the three of us because we didn't want to sell the damn ring?" "Is that why he's after you and me now?" "!" "1028)}Maybe Grimlock made the spear for someone else from our guild." "Maybe they're the ones who killed Kains." "Or maybe..." "Griselda's come back from the dead to get her revenge." "A player can't kill another player inside a safe zone." "But something else like a ghost could." "so I stayed up thinking..." "It was everyone's fault." "Everyone in the guild is guilty!" "Her blood is on all our hands!" "Her fate was sealed when that ring dropped!" "We shouldn't have voted!" "We should've done whatever Griselda told us to do!" "who said we should leave the decision to Griselda." "he's the only one of us who can avenge Griselda." "He's the only member of our guild who has the right to avenge her." "You've gotta be kidding." "You've gotta be kidding!" "Why now... after all this time?" "!" "Why kill us now?" "!" "Yolko?" "!" "How can you accept being killed over some stupid vendetta?" "!" "Yolko!" "80)}Tookuni kikoeta kane no ne ga sukoshi samishikute 1060)}The tolling of the faraway bells sounded a little lonely to me" "80)}Mou ichido tsuyoku kondo wa takaku kake nuketa all the way up" "80)}Tada kurikaesu genjitsu mo 1060)}Neither this reality that just keeps repeating itself" "80)}Hoshi no kazu no negai goto mo as numerous as the stars" "80)}Mezasu beki asu wo mitsuketa 1060)}Now that I've found the tomorrow I should strive for" "80)}Kono omoi ni wa katenai 1060)}None of them can overcome these feelings of mine" "80)}Me no mae ni hirakareta hate nai sekai opening up before my eyes" "80)}Tatoe yume demo ii 1060)}Even if it's no more than a dream" "80)}Mayoi tsuzukete mo mune no oku de tsuyoku it is strong" "80)}Zutto zutto hibiiteku 1060)}Echoing forever and ever" "80)}Sotto sotto hikatteru ever so softly" "842)}Next Time:" "Illusionary Avenger"