As usual, Akatsuki went through the not-so-wide entrance and entered the store.
　In the corner of an abandoned building at the back of the production guild town, this zone, which was renovated from the basement floor, is densely laden with crates.
　This was originally the sales floor of the Amenoma production guild, and the evidence of this is displayed here and there in a state where Japanese swords are impossible to find. This is an unusual guild that specializes in Japanese swords, even among the many weaponsmithing guilds.
　The members of such an eccentric guild are not ordinary, and as a result of the overflow of tools and materials from the rather large blacksmithing shop at the back of this shop, the display of products was sloppy and the shop floor, which is now like a warehouse and an indifferent one, was born.
　But it was more convenient for Akatsuki.
　He would feel intimidated if he was welcomed with a round of "irasshaimase" and would be intimidated by the friendly clerk who recommended products to him. Akatsuki is basically a shy person. He is able to talk to his guild mates Naotsugu and Nyanta with ease, and he has become friends with Touya and Isuzu, but he is still not very good with the rest of them.
　In that respect, I was grateful that this "Amenoma" allowed me to assess my wares in a calm manner.

"Well.........
　Akatsuki relies on his memory and goes to one corner of the store.
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on one.
　It is not common in this other world for glass showcases to be used. They are also usually hung on hooks on the wall. The guild manages this zone, and many of the items are not available. As a non-guild member, Akatsuki can touch it, but she cannot lift or move it. If you can see and examine the item, the item performance will be revealed, so there is no inconvenience to the shopper.
　There were about a few dozen swords in the area.
　It also included a few of Akatsuki's desired items.
　In Elder Tail, the conditions for equipping them are set on the item side. For example, the Ao Renko Kotai Koto Kuroya-kanjoujoujoujoujoujou, which is right in front of Akatsuki, can be equipped with a total of 6 positions: Guardian Warrior, Samurai, Assassin, Swashbuckler, Bard, and Kanagi.
　The Samurai can equip almost any type of sword, with the exception of the weapon that cannot be equipped if it is not specified in the weapon's equipping settings. On the other hand, a monk cannot equip almost all of the swords, but if the item specifically permits it, that sword is the only one that can be equipped.

　Akatsuki's main equipment for his profession, the Assassin, is the bow, one-handed sword and dagger, but as a weapon attacker, he can equip many other weapons as well. Akatsuki used the katana in his gaming days because it was somewhat cool, but after the Great Disasters, he uses it for a more aggressive reason. Akatsuki, an experienced kendo player, finds it the most comfortable and easy to use.

　Choosing a weapon is difficult. Akatsuki turns over a list of memories that have become familiar to him over the years. There may be tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of weapon items in the Elder Tail, but when an adventurer tries to find the perfect weapon, he usually doesn't have that many options.
　In the Elder Tail, adventurers are divided into 10 levels. This is because advanced equipment appears approximately every 10 levels. Every Adventurer will be forced to update their equipment and switch to a new one every ten levels. A skilled Adventurer will review his equipment more often. Now that the limit level had apparently reached 100, that alone meant that all of the items had been cut into 10 levels.
　Weapons are also classified as one-handed swords, two-handed swords, spears, axes, stick weapons, bows, staves, clubs, reinforced fists, throwing weapons, whips, and special weapons. There are more or less of each type of weapon, but again, the variety is not inexhaustible.
　The Adventurer is divided into 12 different professions. It is possible for one weapon to be used by more than one profession, but even with the same sword, the choice is different for the assassin, who wants to focus on agility and attack power, and the cannaghi, who wants to increase the power of magic and defense against attributes. The choice of equipment will also be different depending on whether you are the type that focuses on the power of a single strike or the speed of the attack, even if it is for assassins.
　Candidates will be narrowed down to a tenth of a percent for a number of conditions. The resulting choices will have to be limited, no matter how vast the total number of weapons is.

　In Akatsuki's case, it would be about 10 types of weapons.
　And then an even bigger problem arises. In the Elder Tail, powerful weapons appear almost without exception as rewards for large scale combat (raids). Akatsuki has no experience in large-scale combat (raids). He considers himself an adventurer of no low level and skill, but that is the limit of the party adventurer. And 90% of weapons from large-scale combat (raids) are non-transferable (no trade). In other words, they can't be sold, or even given away. Unless you participate in a large scale battle (raid) and obtain them on the spot, there is no way to obtain them.
　The list of weapons that Akatsuki wants has about 10 candidates, but there are only 2 weapons that can be obtained or, in other words, purchased without participating in a large scale battle (raid).

'.........Welcome.
　Akatsuki turned at the voice that was called.
　There was a lone girl there, as small as Akatsuki was. The dwarves are a race of short stature, but because of their race's inherent abilities that are beneficial for some production jobs, they are a common race in production-based guilds. She is Tatara. She is the guild master of Amenoma, a craftsman who masters a high level of blacksmithing skills, and from Akatsuki's point of view, she is an acquaintance.
　Akatsuki nodded at his voice.
　Although we know each other, we are not close enough to be able to talk lightly.

''Yes.''
　Nevertheless, this Tatara was a grateful partner for Akatsuki. She has a reputation for pouring all of her love into her swords, and her sub-occupation is one of the few high-ranking "swordsmiths" on the server as proof of that. It's not as if she's indifferent to human relations, but she doesn't talk to them even when customers come to the store like this. That's why Akatsuki is grateful.
　It's not because of that, but Akatsuki asked something that was on his mind.
You will be able to find out more about this. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.
　His voice became a bit stiff. In response to the question, which I asked while thinking that anyone other than my guild mates would be nervous after all, Tatara replied with a sloppy posture of throwing her upper body over the counter, "I'm sold.
　Akatsuki was taken aback by those words.
　Akatsuki has been coming to the AMENOMA for two months now.
　The high-level equipment that Akatsuki seeks can be incredibly expensive. Especially if they are rare and transferable weapons from large scale combat (raids). At Amanome, there was a display due to reforging, but as far as Akatsuki knows, there aren't many small tachi swords on display. That's why, since they hadn't sold for two months, he knew that if he didn't buy them, they wouldn't sell for the time being.

''Really?''
'Yeah, true. Paying cash on the economy.... Was it?
Uh.....
　I'm at a loss for words. It's completely unexpected.
　However, I checked the swords on the wall again and found that the real sword, Meito-haganemushi, was still there. Of the two small swords on display here, the Meito Hakumamamushi and the Sento Hakumamamaru, the latter seems to have been sold out. Hailstones and Hakumamaru have a procedural activation ability that causes cold air damage to the area. Attribute damage is effective against opponents with high physical defense, but ranged damage is also difficult to use.

Uh-uh.
　I get bogged down when I'm asked that.
　Of course I want it. I want it so badly that I can't even get my hands on it.
　To begin with, as a weapon attacker, assassins (assassins) have a higher rate of dependence on weapons in their combat abilities than other professions. On top of that, Akatsuki has some personal circumstances now.
　I want high performance weapons.
　But high quality weapons are expensive.
　The remaining "ringing knives and burrito worms" are the real life weapons, and I want them because I don't know when they will be sold if they become like this. But the price tag on it is twice as much as Akatsuki's entire fortune.
　It's not very much, but I can't say I'm going to buy it.

　Of course, Akatsuki also continues to fight monsters on the field day after day. Ever since the Zantorie sweeping of Zantorie, when Shiroe was holed up in the guildhouse, that's exactly what happened. However, in a world that has changed in its own way since the Catastrophe, there is a limit to how much money you can spend on a single person.
　It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to get a lot of money out of it.
　Forcibly tearing his gaze away from the beautiful little sword wrapped in its black scabbard, Akatsuki shook his head several times to convey his intentions.
　Tara didn't seem to be too interested in increasing sales either. When she saw that Akatsuki wasn't going to buy, she slumped down on the counter again, fidgeting. That's where she sleeps, apparently.
　As if to shake off the disappointment, Akatsuki squeezed the hilt of his current favorite sword, a lacquered scabbard, and left Ame-Noma.
　It's a good thing that she still has a place to go if she wants to improve her fighting ability as soon as possible.



　◆



　The city of Akiba is now in winter.
　It's been snowing a few times in December. Although the snow didn't pile up as much as it did, the wind got colder and colder each time.
　But Akiba is a city of adventurers.
　The number of the earthlings has increased, but two-thirds of the people on the streets are still adventurers. The body of the adventurer is so strong that it doesn't mind the slightest bit of cold, and when push comes to shove, a small aquamarine ring can easily repel the natural cold with a single ring.
　Akatsuki hurried through the city in the morning.
　Our destination was the outskirts of the city. After blowing the "summoning whistle" at the southern end of Akiba, Akatsuki jumped on the black fast horse and rode off.

I want to be strong...
　Akatsuki murmured in his chest again.
　It seemed like every day these days ... or maybe dozens of times a day, he thought.

　Akatsuki reached for his waist again and traced his fingers through the scabbard.
　The small sword there was a . It was a high-level weapon of the production grade that Akatsuki had obtained before the Catastrophe. It is not a weak little sword. It's not a weak little sword, it's a middle-grade quality weapon in the same level range. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　I'm sure Akatsuki is very similar to this weapon.
　In a group of six (party), his skill is high. He can handle his assigned role without a hitch. However, there is a hierarchy above that in Elder Tail. It's a large-scale battle (raid). Akatsuki has never participated in a large-scale battle (raid) before. He has never participated in a large-scale battle (raid) because he has avoided the long waits and complicated human relationships that accompany such battles. In other words, it can be said that he was not called by Shiroe.
　But in any case, he was an Akatsuki who had no experience participating in large-scale combat. That also meant that he hadn't obtained the high-level treasure-grade and fantasy-grade equipment available in large-scale combat. In Akiba, there are major combat guilds such as the Black Sword Knights and D.D.D. There are probably top-notch assassins who are even more skilled than Akatsuki and equipped with equipment that Akatsuki couldn't get even if he wanted to.

　The same is true for Shiroe, Naotsugu and Nyanta.
　Akatsuki doesn't know much about them, but they are top-notch adventurers who competed with the major fighting guilds for the legendary Devocherie Tea Party, which was once the dominant event of the world.
　Compared to such comrades, my own abilities are far too modest.

　I'm a skilled assassin, but I'm not the only one. His skills are also reasonably top-notch, or at least the top of the second tier. But I'm not a top-notch assassin.
　That's the reality of Akatsuki.

　The highest rank among the second-rate.
　You and the weapons you use are very similar.
　That's why I decided to at least go to the Amenoma for top-notch weapons, even though they are of the lowest rank, but top-notch weapons are still too expensive to be able to afford. It's ridiculous that I'm so disappointed in myself that I end up coming to bed in the sun.
　As we approached the Duverture's Birdland, Akatsuki dismounted from his horse. It's not that he's doing anything wrong, but he needs to keep his mind off what's ahead.
　He slipped into the thick trees and continued on, and soon his view was blocked by a series of greenery.
　There are, of course, trampled paths, but those beastly paths are meandering in keeping with the design intent of the game era. It's one of the techniques used to make a small area seem larger than it is.

　The Duverture's Birdlands are a type of field dungeon, outdoors, where the meandering paths form a labyrinth that allows you to fight a multitude of monsters.
　However, in the aftermath of the Catastrophe, it is now possible to break through the bushes in a straight line if you don't slow down a bit or have to deal with the hassle. It takes some effort to climb down small cliffs and other obstacles, but it is relatively easy for the small-bodied red-billed woodpecker to get through the bushes.
　Duverture's Birdland is a zone about a 40-minute horse ride from the city of Akiba, a party zone with monsters in the 80s, and a 91st level Akatsuki can move around in relative safety instead of gaining experience. On the other hand, the monsters that appeared there could be defeated safely, but not to the extent that they could be defeated in a single blow, making it a good place to test out and practice weapons. Akatsuki also visited this place many times for combat training and other purposes.

　However, the purpose of this time was somewhat different.
　After wading through the bushes for a while, the sounds of battle could be heard. The sound of steel being struck, the deafening sound of the air freezing, the sharp sound of electric shocks running through the air - today the Black Sword Knights seem to be repeating their coordination and equipment checks.
　Akatsuki looked for a hollow in the bushes and gently sat down. You can look down on the hollowed out square from the trees.
　The two parties of the Black Sword Order are engaged in a mock battle. Akatsuki used his "Tracker" skill and then disappeared and began to watch the Black Sword Knights' battle training.

　It was right around the time of the "Balance Festival" that the word "oral tradition" began to be whispered in Akiba's streets. It appeared from the beginning as a rumor, like an urban legend.
　In the Elder Tail, the adventurer's various actions are described as specialties. Specialties are granted to the Adventurer for a variety of reasons, most often through the Adventurer's profession. For example, Akatsuki's high-powered attack skill, Assassinate, is a skill that the assassin learns when he or she reaches a certain level. As the adventurer's level increases, these specialties will be exchanged for higher level specialties. For example, Assassinationate IV, which is learned at 57th level, is more powerful than Assassinationate III, which is learned at 47th level.
　However, the power of Assassination IV differs depending on the user. The reason for this is the rank of the skill. Specialties that have just been learned by advancing in level are in a class called "Acquire". You can use it, but it is not very powerful. Afterwards, by paying proficiency or using certain items, the same skill can be upgraded to "Haiden", "Chuden", "Okuden", or "Conquer". You can increase the power of the "Secret" and special skills. A scroll made by the same profession is needed to learn "Chuden", and a scroll made of rare materials is needed to learn "Okuden". Both are expensive, but you can get them by purchasing them.
　However, to acquire the "secret weapon", you must go through a special quest to acquire it. And this exclusive quest requires participation in large scale combat (raids). One of the reasons for the disparity in combat ability between the top-notch adventurers in the large-scale combat guild and second-rate adventurers like Akatsuki was the difficulty of learning this special skill.

　Rumor has it that the "oral tradition" is a step beyond the "secret".
　This was a skill class that existed back in the days when Elder Tail was a game, or at least before the Catastrophe.
　The increase in the power of a speciality as you move up in rank can be seen in many ways. It depends on the skill, but since Assassination is an offensive skill, it simply increases the damage it deals. According to Akatsuki's memory, raising the Assassinationate's rank from "Acquire" to "Secret" increased its power by 22%. "I don't know how much of an increase in power you can expect from an oral tradition.
　However, the reason it is only a rumor is because there are very few adventurers who claim to have confirmed the existence of the oral tradition. Half the people in Akiba don't believe in the existence of the Oral Tradition. Half believed in it, and half believed in it - and even for those who did, most of the adventurers didn't think it was that powerful. Akatsuki believes in the existence of the "oral tradition" because Shiroe has assured him that it exists.

(If I could get my hands on the "oral tradition", I would be more...)
　Akatsuki hugs himself tightly and thinks to himself.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. They are of course more than adequate for party level adventurers, but they are no match for the members of a major fighting guild. Again, Akatsuki has a wall in front of her.
　But there is an "oral tradition".
　Because Shiroe said it, it exists.
　And the most likely place it exists is inside the Black Sword Guild, one of the strongest fighting guilds. Of course, there were also guilds such as Honesti and D.D.D. that had mastered the "oral tradition", but the elitist Black Sword Knights would more than likely be present.
　"I don't know how to learn the Oral Tradition, but considering that the Secret Tradition is given in special quests that involve large-scale battles, I'd expect it to be accompanied by some sort of quest in Akiba's town. It was rumored. That's how little is known about how to learn the "oral tradition". In today's Elder Tail, where strategy sites no longer exist, knowledge is slow to spread and its value is unbelievably high.
　Therefore, Akatsuki is sitting small in the depths of the bushes in the blistering cold of December, observing the training of the Black Sword Knights. If the assassins are using the same "oral tradition", I would like to see their techniques to confirm their power. If we are heading on a quest, I would like to know how it works.

(Strong ... a blow.)
　The Black Sword Knights are strong. I'm not just in love with the assassins who fight there, but also with the adventurers of other professions.
--You can't get away with it.
--d*mn, you don't do enough damage!
--You didn't step in enough!
　Their language may sound rough, but the members of the Black Sword Knights are all elite enough to rank in the top 1% of this Yamato server.
　Their movements, their coordination, the beauty of their equipment and their strength.
　Just looking at them makes Akatsuki feel like crying.

　Even though I'm the one who can only do battle.
　I'm weak in battle.

　On the night of the festival, Akatsuki's lord and his juniors in profile, lit by the bonfire, come to mind. They are a pair of birds flying high above that Akatsuki cannot understand.
　I did want to be near Shiroe. I wished very much.
　But I didn't even try to think about what Shiroe was looking at. And now the bill comes due.

(I need to be strong...)
　Akatsuki murmured again in his chest.
　However, Akatsuki himself knows that such murmurs will not make him strong enough. Even the folly of observing the Black Sword Knights like this, Akatsuki knew that. He didn't have the power to do anything.
　Akatsuki, who must protect Shiroe's secrets.
　I was lonelier than anyone else in Akiba in winter.



　◆



　It was a cold night.
　The wind stinging his cheeks was accompanied by a metallic chill. Kyouko sneezed heavily and looked around. Now that was a lot flashier. It wasn't maidenly. If Soujiro-sama found out, he might be disillusioned. While thinking about this, I rubbed my nose, which was starting to itch again.
　The cold winter air is not a threat to adventurers who have reached a reasonable level. The cold air damage can be blocked with equipment. But if you're not cold, that's a lie. In particular, the information that "it's going to be cold" appeals to the mind before the physical damage is done through sight and hearing.
　That's why Kyouko hurried to the guild house as quickly as she could.
　At the Guild House, more than half the members were probably asleep by now, and Kyouko remembered the companions of the West Wind Brigade. The business meeting with the 〈8th Shopping Street〉 - or rather, the useless talk that had completely slowed them down. However, it's all worth it, as Kyouko's "magic bag" is full of loot. I got three salted salmon. If you feed them, I'm sure some of your friends will be happy to see you cry. After all, it's a taste of home.
(If all goes well, Mister Shojiro.)
　Kyouko broke down laughing, with sweet fantasies such as
　Lunch for the two of us. The menu is of course onigiri. Plenty of salmon. "Soujiro-sama, you've got a bento on your cheek, 'What?　Where?" "Where?" "Right." "What?　Where? I can't help it--Yes, I got it. Just kidding.
　It's not just a matter of time before you're ready to go.
　It's a 12-cylinder maiden engine at full throttle, bouncing off the midwinter night wind.
　To begin with, Kyouko is a gymnast, and her body temperature rises easily. She has a good basal metabolism. If this were Fregrant Olive, she'd fall down with a bloody nose. The delusional power of an anemic elf cannot be compared to Kyouko's.

''Kechonko!
　But I guess I was caught off guard by the luncheon fantasy in my brain. I sneezed, which is hard to call a maiden. Utterly disgusting.
　In junior high school and high school, I was teased for sneezing like this. "What the hell, Kyouko old man! I can still remember. I can still remember what he said to me. It was said to me by a classmate of mine in the brass band. I liked him a lot, but I didn't like him. It was horrible that a girl called me an old man. I was hurt pretty badly.
　It's true that I was a member of the athletic club, so I belonged to the group of people who opened their mouths and laughed rather than being feminine in class, but if that's the case, I wanted them to choose their words. Like, "That's a sneeze that gives you a glimpse of a large vessel. No, that's even more disgusting.
　Kyouko walked on, thinking about that.
　Nevertheless, she realizes now that the way of sneezing is the same in this world, too. I've always felt it was obvious, but when I think about it, it's a strange story.
(Even though it's strange enough to have come to another world)
　I try to tweak myself.
　Maybe it's the sneezing, but I'm not feeling well tonight.

　The cold air rustled the greenery, which seemed somehow hard.
　It was the nighttime breeze that made the trees shake as it came through the abandoned buildings. And the next thing he knew, there was a man standing alone in the darkness where Kyouko was headed.

　He was about 175 in height. He was a man with long hair. A tight-fitting black tank top and leather pants. He had an odd silhouette, as he wore a solid black armor on his hands and feet, but that level of "strangeness" is not unusual in the adventurer's city of Akiba.
　It was the indescribable intimidation that came from the man that made Kyouko falter.
　The chilling sensation sent a chill down her spine and she faltered, even taking an unconscious step back.
　As if he hated the distance between them, the man advanced.
　The man emerged in the pale light of the Hotarubito, which the Roundtable had proceeded to lay, wearing a black mask like a blindfold and holding a sword that seemed to suck in the pale light, as if it had been pulled out at some point.

　Kyouko's body reacted more than her mind to the blade, which rose quickly as if pulled by a thread.
　Kyoko is a level 90 Guardian of the past. People call the West Wind Brigade a harem or a girl's club, but its achievements alone make it one of the top five fighting guilds in Akiba's city. The fact that Kyouko is skilled enough to serve as the captain of the third unit in the West Wind Brigade.
　But all of this was the result of the adventurer's body, which is Kyoko's body.
　The silver light passing over the surface of the eyeballs made a greasy sweat run down Kyouko's spine. The first thing that was dealt with in the midst of the shattered thoughts was the realization that he was going to be killed. The man in front of her is trying to kill Kyouko. The word PK (...) that comes to mind next is broken into the word citywide (..).
　No, just because it's in the city doesn't mean you can't kill.
　It's just that the guards will shift and prevent you from doing so.
　So, if you endure until the guards come.

　Worst-case scenario, you'll die. But then you'll be resurrected at the Great Temple. That's the privilege of being an adventurer. There's no need to be afraid. There are few who can bury their 90-level selves so easily. The Guardian has the greatest defense of all 12 positions. He doesn't wear armor now that he's in town, but even so, his physical defenses are effective. It's okay, I can handle this. There is no need to be unnecessarily frightened.
　That's what I tried to calm myself down with.
　But it was impossible.

　The calm Kyouko stirred up was shattered to a fine powder when the man who had stepped into the distance as if he were kissing her, looked into her red, wet mouth and smiled at her.
　Too fast; too fast for even a 90-level kinetic vision to keep up with. No, it's not speed, it's technology. If you stare at it, the slimy movement of a mollusk is in between before you know it, as if it is a gap in your thoughts.
　It was only the first few swings that allowed him to follow the silver light.
　Kyouko looked at the man grabbing the hilt of the sword that grew out of his stomach.
　Wrong.
　The sword in the man's hand stabbed through him.
　Kyouko jumped, letting a lump of damp air, rather than a scream, escape from her lungs.
　But on the landing, a smirking man was fiddling with the sword that grew from Kyouko's thigh.

　The wound did not stop bleeding, probably due to the bad status of continuous damage. Kyouko no longer spent the alleyway like a wounded wild rabbit. His throat was twitching and he couldn't give a satisfying cry, and his limbs faded as if he had a fever.
　Kyouko was able to cope with several attacks without losing her agility because she had the body of an adventurer.
　As Kyouko continued to scream inaudibly, she desperately tried to gather her consciousness and think of ways to escape from here.

　Subjectively, a long time had passed. It had been too long.
　It had been too long, even though she was being rocked by the fear of a man who was thrusting his sword at her in any way he wanted, and she was on the verge of losing her sense of time.
'Ah. Ah.'
　The man's red, cavernous mouth twisted into a smile as he pierced Kyouko's chest, unable to form words.
'The guards won't be coming,'
　As the meaning of the word is understood, it fills Kyouko's head with questions like a ranting noise. It's against the rules. I've never heard of such a thing. I haven't heard of it. The pronouncement was so unreasonable that Kyouko thrust her raised fist into the man.
　But a sword sprouts from that fist.
　The scene was even more comical. The man had jumped off before he knew it and caught Kyouko's fist with his sword extended into a thrusting stance, an overwhelming speed and skill that surpassed the 90-level Kyouko. If it was Soujiro, he might be able to follow it with his oral tradition and Tenkan-dori, but it was an attack he couldn't see through.
　Again and again Kyouko slammed his fists and threw kicks.
　Kyouko didn't have much experience in martial arts, but the Adventurer's physical performance was so fast and destructive that it could take even a bear by surprise. The attack was like being sucked into the man's blade. The man's single sword, lowered in his right hand, protects the man as if it were increased to a thousand blades, cutting Kyouko to pieces.
　I didn't understand the reason.
　I didn't know what the hell was going on.
　Kyouko had no idea why the guards couldn't do anything, why PKs were left out in the streets, why these monsters were invading Akiba.
　Unable to even think logically anymore, Kyouko continued to fight as if sweltered by heat. But if Kyouko's condition was like a fever, the man's condition was madness itself. The man with a mucilaginous grin thrusts his sword into all sorts of places on Kyouko's body, as if to tease, as if to play with him.

　The midnight battle came to an objective conclusion in silence.
　The midnight breeze that blew through the buildings carried away the sounds generated by their battle.
　Kyouko collapsed in doubt, and as if promised before, the man's brilliant sword was thrust around his neck. In her fading monochrome vision, Kyouko saw her blood, stuck to the blade, scatter in frozen crystals.
　Even in the dead of winter, the frozen blood looked like pale pink petals.
　Was the lingering languor in my extremities frostbite? Kyouko's eyes were filled with tears, not sadness, at the residue of her motionless limbs.

　Kyouko almost reached something, but according to the providence of this world, she was transported to the Great Hall of God. It would be tomorrow morning when she would wake up and arrive at the Guild Hall where her friends were waiting for her.
　And rumors of a murderer threatening the city of Akiba in the winter.