01



　The smell of greenery was thick in the large space.
　I guess you could call it a botanical garden. Although it was indoors, there was an area where the soil was bare, and tropical trees were planted in the area. There were other potted plants with sweet-smelling flowers in full bloom, which delighted my eyes with their bright colors. The air was hot and humid, and although the space was tropical in nature, it was actually a bath.
　The space, about fifty meters square, was well blocked by greenery, making it appear wider than it really was, but in the center of the space was a heated bath carved out of marble. In the center of the bath, there is a heated marble bath cut out of a marble block, which looks larger than it really is. White steam is rising from the hot water that is filled to the brim. It was the steam rising from the surface of the bath that was heating the hall.

　Sitting on the edge of the marble is a beautiful girl with red hair.
　The girl, who had been splashing hot water with her ankles as if she were taking a footbath, got bored after a while and twisted herself away from the huge bathhouse. It was a strange sight to see a girl in a white dress walking in this space, which had light but was hazy from the steam. Despite her petite body, her gait is arrogant and somehow elegant. Above all, what caught my attention was her boxwood-colored hair and eyes, which had a translucent, translucent sheen.
　She walked through the indoor garden in a familiar manner and took a wide detour to a corner that resembled a white beach. The place where she had just warmed her feet is the opposite shore of the hot tub. The area is planted with large palm-like trees, and elegant resort chairs are placed in the shade of the trees. A large glass of sweaty tropical tea in a large hibiscus-studded glass on a small table beside me. It's the perfect situation for the word vacation.

　The girl lifted her slender bare feet, with her chest averted, and let them fall straight down to the young man lying on the deck chair. It was a careless move, but the toes dug precisely into the space between the young man's ribs, causing him to spring back up and fall awkwardly, screaming incomprehensibly loudly, "Fugugug, oops, ittee.
　The girl twists her toes a couple of times without a smile and shifts the young man's joke of an eye mask off. The young man wears it regularly to keep himself cozy in this greenhouse.

"Ow. That hurts, Gertan!
Stop yelling.
What did I do?　You didn't, did you?
You sleep too much, you know.
He wasn't sleeping. He was working on a soul possession.
I was asleep.
....
Here, you look away.
　The girl stretched out her slender fingertips and gently nudged the young man's t-shirt-wrapped side (where she'd screwed her toes earlier), snapping one of his ribs.
　It made a light sound, and it was a cool opportunity for a change of pace.
　It amuses the girl with its lovely touch.

'Gubba, ah. Ouch!　It's really painful!
"Don't wander off, kid.
　Instead of the young man writhing on all fours in pain, the girl laid herself down on the comfortable canvas couch.
'Gar-tan, you do this every time. Why do you do that?
"Stop whining, you adventurers! Even a baby dragon should know better.
'I'm not whining, I'm protesting against unreasonableness. f*ck.
　With a short hand gesture, the young man summons the "housekeeping fox" (Kikimora) and has him use a recovery spell on his armpits.
　The young man's name is KR.
　He was formerly a member of the Tea Party of the Prodigal and the Debauchery Tea Party, and is now the tenth member of the Ten-Seat Council that governs Plant hwyaden, which is the largest guild in this Yamato. In the Ten-Seat Council, which is centered around Minami, the summoner is a skilled summoner who is also known as the Hengeengekido.

You're as adept as ever.
Summoner, don't you think?
　Summoners are one of the magical attackers in the MMO-RPG Elder Tail, and their primary role is to use magic to damage targets. The sorcerer is the epitome of this role, a pure attacker who uses powerful elemental energy to spread death around. The Summoner is also a magic attacker and can do similar things, but it is more of a hybrid, and while it is of course far inferior to the main job, it is able to dexterously perform physical attacks, defense, recovery and support.
　The housekeeping fox (Kikimora) that KR summoned belongs to a phantom and can cast recovery spells. Summoner is a highly applicable profession that summons one's family members, allowing them to use their own abilities that they do not possess externally.
I do not mean to belittle you or praise you.
Gar-tan, your squire is cold.
The next time you treat a mistress as a squire, you'll be gnawing on her bones.
Uh-huh.
　KR sighed as she regained her strength through magical recovery and put her arms around it.
　The girl took a sip of tropical tea through a straw with a sullen face.
　KR gazed with some kind of heartburn as the shadows of her eyelashes fell over her jewel-like eyes. This girl certainly looks like an amazingly beautiful girl, but that's what she is, a temporary figure. Don't be fooled.

''So, how is it?''
What do you mean?
You were scouting for a phantom possession, weren't you?
Oh. Oh, well. Steel car, coming back.
Oh. The irony.
　Plant hwyaden, the Ten-Seat Conference, and Mizfa-Trude, the "East Bopper General".
　It was a special forces unit led by her and a military vehicle assigned to the mission. The girl wondered if that vehicle would return. The girl had never been interested in the affairs of human society, but lately that trend was changing. After forming a friendship with the young man in front of her, she could observe human society through his hands, which would bring her a great deal of joy and sorrow in her own way.
　Above all, there are individuals who have a heat level that cannot be trivialized. The same is true for her partner, KR, a young man whose head is nothing short of regrettable.
　The Holy Empire of West Runde, which is a small land in comparison to her hometown of Hokuryo Roussy, is also an inadequate organization, as it only controls half of the Yamato Islands in the Far East. However, the Ten Seats Conference, which controls it, is a collection of interesting personalities that are not to be taken for granted.

　The adventurers, a foreign species, are powerful even in the eyes of a young girl, but the Ten-Seat Conference is not only composed of adventurers. The two most powerful adventurers, Mizfa, the East Baster General, and Jared Gunn, the Grand Mage, looked very selfish. The Daichijin are not to be ashamed of themselves.
"They're trying to pick a fight with the Eastar, aren't they?
You were an autonomous organization in the east.
'Yeah, yeah. We have a working relationship with Akiva.
It wouldn't be a good idea to get into a war with the Adventurers, now would it?　The forces are too different.
I think the West Runde thinks that if they get into a war with Akiva, Plant hwyaden will help them. I think they're just trying to get in on the action.
You're a force to be reckoned with. It's what the little guy thinks.
It's just a little thing, but it's hard to see why. Dirty little things are sometimes harder to get rid of than heroes, aren't they?
　The girl crossed her arms, hmm, she thought.
　Her partner was an idiot, but sometimes he would spout the words of a wise man.

'Deep words, I know. I'll take my reward.'
　When I gouged his side with my white toes, KR shriveled up and said, "Ouch. I can't believe it, Gar-Tan Onichiku," he ranted.
　But those words made me nod my head in agreement with a few things.
"Is that why you told that samurai you were going out, about what happened on the continent?
What's that?
The one who calls himself Kazuhiko.
Yeah.
　KR responded curtly, averting her gaze.
　The response was tepid, but she didn't think it was because she wasn't interested. This young man was shyer than he looked, and he had a habit of hiding his emotions at times like this.
''That's not all. Kazuhiko has always been a very serious person. It's not just that. If he keeps going like that, he'll burn out.
That's just the way it was, huh?
Maybe he wanted to talk to someone else. It's too big a story for one person to keep to himself. If you're too excited to get your heart ripped out, you're in big trouble. You won't be gutted if your heart stops beating.
"Not so fast.
　The girl's smile was an indication of her agreement.
　The adventure on the continent had been quite an exciting one.
　There was a battle for the skies that was hard to come by even in her long life.
　The blessings of dragons, the blood of fairies, the logic of pilgrimage, the skills of giants. The four great powers that govern this world were all there. Kanami, the woman who received this support, was indeed a heroic figure. Great powers swirled around her, but they didn't seem to affect her at all. She wasn't even aware that she was being supported.

'I wonder where those men are now,'
　The girl asked, narrowing her eyes.
　The last time she saw him was far away, in the land of Aorsoy. It was beyond the wilderness, a place that could not be easily reached even with her powers. Although they had never spoken a word to each other, she knew the group of travelers well through KR's dragon eyes. It was quite fun to remember them.
''Well. I know you're on your way here, though.
　KR gave up the deck chair and sat down on the white tiles and leaned his back against her lap without permission. She tried to blame him for his rudeness, but she decided to lend her noble leg to her partner for a moment, sparing him the wise words KR released again.

'Wherever she is, Kanami will be under the blue sky, I'm sure.
　The corners of KR's mouth hung up fearlessly as he murmured this, remembering their reunion and adventures in the distant Aorsoy. Elias, Coppelia, Leonardo, and Kanami. The journey of their former friends to Yamato and the little help KR was able to give them.
　Their eyes sparkled with amusement at the prospect of the storm that would soon come.


◆02



　It was high in the sky.
　It was endlessly high.
　The sunshine was strong, white and dazzling.
　But because of this, the blue of the sky expressed the darker blue of a group of blues, rather than the darker blue of the azure, even though it was still daytime.
　To use an analogy, the color seemed to be a faint hue of the universe at the end of the air layers.
　Out of the edges of his vision, he could see a mountain range that was nondescript, a dull shade of gray. However, it was nothing special. Those peaks could be seen from anywhere within two hundred kilometers of this perimeter.
　The sun was strong, but there was a blade-cold air mixed in with the wind. Given the altitude of this place, it was no surprise.
　In terms of placement, this place is under Chinese server jurisdiction.
　In the real Earth, it is the south-central part of a vast region equivalent to Kazakhstan.
　It is an ancient city called Tekeli.

　This region is called Aorsoy in the Elder Tail world. It is not the name of a country, but of a region.
　This vast inland region is surrounded by deserts, such as the Skull Desert and the Red Sand Desert. Even if you make it a non-desert area, it's just a dry and desolate wilderness. There is not much vegetation to hide behind, and greenery that sticks to the ground covers the gray-brown earth in many places. It's hard to tell just from looking at it, because it's a region that connects the steppes to the plateau, and the scenery is similar as you can see, but there is a lot of altitude.
　Even in summer, the maximum temperature is only slightly above 20 degrees Celsius.
　Now, four months after the disaster, it has already fallen below 10 degrees Celsius at night.
　There is a reason why Aorsoy is the name of a region and not a country. There are not many humans in this vast region.
　While China's economic development has been remarkable, it is only because of the growth of the wealthy, especially in some of the Gulf regions, the reality is still grim. In the first place, the real-life regions of western China and Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan, are not densely populated.
　In Elder Tail, which was designed to be played on servers of origin, the population of a region is directly related to the number of adventurers in that region. In other words, Kazakhstan's low population of Elder Tail players is the reason for the depopulation of the city of Aorsoy.
　As a free market MMO, the number of users is a resource that can be used for development.

　South China Internet Corporation, which operates a server in China, naturally concentrated its development resources in the coastal areas of the eastern end of the continent, where there are many users. The Great Wall of China and the surrounding areas of Beijing have also been elaborately designed as the setting for fantastic adventures.
　On the other hand, this Aorsoy, which had few native (and obsessive) users, was still an undeveloped region with only sparsely placed dungeons and quests.

　But even in this region, the basic terrain is faithful to the real world of Earth. The basic topography of each region in the Elder Tail is based on real-world terrain gathered from satellite images and laser measurements taken by ultra-small unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
　While this was an idea to reduce labor costs, the realistic terrain data and the ease with which users could relate to it were among the features that enhanced Elder Tail's reputation.
　Using the Half-Gaia Project and a weather emulator, Aorsoy recreates scenes of ancient Central Asia - dry land, cold winds, and a sky that is too blue. The beautiful scene is an expression of the harsh natural environment.

　The beautiful scene was an expression of the harsh natural environment, and the adventurer was confronted with a world after the Catastrophe, whose fangs stood before him as something more real than reality.
　Leonardo murmured "Jesus" as he lay slumped in the center of the ruined city of Tekeli.
　This city was Leonardo's prison.

　When Leonardo visited the city for some reason, he found out that the city had a Temple. The Temple is a game-like building that has been given the ability to serve as a revival point for messengers, and is located in every player town.
　Adventurers who died in the Elder Tail would be resurrected at the Temple, their last stop. This has not changed in the post-Disaster world of this madhouse.
　The Temple consists of temples and shrines that serve as resurrection points, as well as a larger sensing area. In most cases, the sensing area is the same size as the city in which the temple is located. When an adventurer enters a city, they are considered to have entered the temple and registered there. If the adventurer dies afterwards, they will return to the temple where they registered.
　Raid zones and high-difficulty dungeons also have this system. In other words, the entire zone is the Sensing Area, and if you die inside the zone, you will be resurrected at the dungeon's entrance, the resurrection point.
　The Temple in the abandoned city of Tekeli is no exception, and the entire ruined area is the sensing area.
　Leonardo was initially pleased with the existence of this temple.
　Because he was traveling in this Central Asia for some reason, the Temple was a welcome save point for him. Traveling in this region is hard and demanding. If you die, you will have to repeat the journey again, this time from a faraway place.
　To him, the Temple was like the grace of God, standing alone in the middle of the wilderness.
　But the reality was different.
"d*mn. I can't do anything with this thing...
　Leonardo looked at the outskirts of the city with a sluggish gesture.
　There, he saw a shimmering, wavering, shimmering thing.
　A shimmering demon (Daylight Shade).
　It was a level fifty-two spirit-type monster.
　It was probably triggered by the water mirror that Leonardo had inadvertently touched when he entered this city and climbed up the bell tower in the center. The event occurred.
　Now I can only imagine it, but it must be a large scale battle event for fifty levels. This ruin was besieged by countless ''Shimmering Demons''.

　Leonardo's level was ninety.
　Although he is not proud of it, his skill as an assassin is top-notch. He is proud to be at the top of the national rankings in melee combat using his twin swords. As a native New Yorker on Avenue ABC, a Higher Geek who enjoys a weekly burger from Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, he devotes all of his enthusiasm to the Elder Tail.
　 ...He was, for lack of a better word, a twisted American geek, but his enthusiasm was real. Battle after battle. And junk food after junk food. Of course, he also had a few really important connections to the trivial gossip, controversy and cheesy melodrama associated with internet games, bragging and gossiping and endless competition for rare items.
　Because he was such a person, a mere level fifty-two monster was not something to be afraid of. That is if there were five or six of them. -- or even if there were thirty of them, the worst that could be done was to break through.
　However, that's not the situation surrounding the abandoned city of Tekeli now. At the very least, thousands of 'shimmering demons' surround this city. It would be impossible for even any ninety levels to escape in this situation.

　This kind of information was not known from the beginning.
　This information was obtained after Leonardo made a desperate attempt to escape from the city, and was defeated, killed and resurrected. This city was completely sealed off on all sides.
　The situation was bad.
　Normally, no matter what kind of trouble you are in, if you are resurrected, you would be transferred to the Temple for safety. Also, it is possible to return to the Temple without dying, using the Return Spell.
　However, the current Leonardo seems to have this ruin registered as a resurrection or return point.
　This means that even if you die or use the 'return spell', you cannot leave this place.
I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it. I want to eat sushi.
　Leonardo had a craving for his favorite food, sushi.
　He missed YASUDA in Midtown and USHIWAKA in Soho. Wasabi-scented tuna was Leonardo's favorite. No, I'm not going to go that far. I'll settle for a stinky East Village California roll on this occasion. That's how much I missed it.
　In this post-disaster world, hunger is an actual physical pain. But Leonardo was a relative unaware of whether or not there was such a thing as "starvation" in this alternate world. He had never seen or heard of any real-life examples of whether or not hunger, for example, would lead to a drop in hit points, leading to death.
　There was still some food in Leonardo's magic bag, but he was going to have to experiment on the truth of 'starvation' on his own in the not too distant future.
'At least if this is a North American server...'
　If you're on a North American server, Leonardo has friends and acquaintances. His friends who weren't caught up in the catastrophe (luckily) may have stayed behind in the real world, but as a severe internet game freak, Leonardo still has many equally crazy acquaintances.
　However, the telephonic function does not allow him to cross server boundaries.
　His friends list, which should have been functioning well after the disaster, is now a dark gray slab with not a single lit name on it. No wonder. Most of his friends are on a North American server, and this is a Chinese server.

''Holy Shit..... This ain't happening.
　Is this why he had jumped into the Circle of Fairies to create a place to hide for a while, to escape the chaos and panic of the North American servers, which seemed like the lid of the cauldron of hell had been opened? Leonardo thought to himself.
　In terms of experience with the Elder Tail, he had more than five years of experience, but he had noticed, or at least realized. It is impossible for him alone to escape the siege of the Shimmering Demon (Daylight Shade) with his own fighting strength. However, there is no way to call for help, and there is no hope of defusing the situation by leveling up or acquiring items.
　I had long ago abandoned any hope of someone passing by.
　The fact that Leonardo was able to find this ruin in the first place is also a coincidence. The ruins that existed in the open wilderness with no landmarks, just a single prank.
　If you think about it, at that point you may have doubted the existence of quests and events.

　This is a so-called 'dead-end' situation.
　Leonardo's fate ended here.
　In the heart of Aorsoy - the blue-blue wilderness of Kazakhstan, Leonardo was stuck in a situation where there was no way to save him except for GM Cole.
　Of course, there's no such thing as a GM (God) in this world.



　◆03



Hey. You know. You shouldn't sleep here, you'll get a cold one.
　So when I heard that line, I thought it was some kind of joke.
　There's also the fact that it was an explosive glamour that was so delusional.
　There was a dark-haired woman there.
　In a rather unconscious habit, Leonardo checked his status.
　Her name is KANAMI........Kanami, I guess.
　Her occupation is "martial artist" (monk). His level is ninety.
　She has an Asian face, and her hair is tied up in a thick braid. His curious eyes and somewhat amused mouth make him look young, but it is difficult to determine his age. It is said that Asians are said to look younger than their Western counterparts, even at the same age. As is the case in the game world, they are equipped with light clothing. It was a risqué fashion that expressed a woman's attractiveness as if it were a game world.
　If it were in DC, you might be guided, but in Cisco's coast, it is within the acceptable range. Thinking that far, Leonardo shook his head. It's common sense on Earth.
　Anyway, she's a pretty and stylish beauty. Every woman in this world is a beautiful woman, but the woman in front of him, with just a few words exchanged, combined with her taut, musical voice, was attractive in more than just her beauty.
'Oi!'
　Leonardo was about to introduce himself when he involuntarily shouted.
　He was going to say something about the Temple, but he realized it was too late.
　The Temple's sensing range is this entire ruin.
　It could be said that this woman was already in its clutches.
''What?''
Oh, no. I'm sorry, for crying out loud. My name is Leonardo. I'm Leonardo, from the North American server.
Hmm. I'm Kanami.
　The woman said and shook Leonardo's hand as he stood up.
　When we met at eye level, I realized that Kanami was about one hundred and seventy tall. She was only five inches shorter than Leonardo. This was a blessing for Leonardo, who wasn't so sure about his height.

'You came to take a nap from a North American server?　Kimi, you're good.
Oh, no. It's not... but. Speaking of which, how did you get into these ruins?
　Leonardo asked what he was wondering about.
'Hmm?　I walked in as normal.
　Leonardo reflexively directs his gaze far beyond the main street.
　Leonardo, whose eyesight has been improved by the high level correction, can see the landscape of the border area on the outskirts of the city slightly wavering and distorted. Apparently, my prediction has been betrayed for the worse.
　In other words, the Daylight Shade does not attack beings that come in from the outside. They trap the adventurers inside and annihilate them.
　That's what the event is all about.
"I hope you won't get too downhearted, don't panic, and don't blame me for not being able to hear this.
Hmm?
　Kanami twirled her braids and stared at Leonardo with her large, black eyes. Leonardo, who was throbbing under the direct gaze of her mysterious Oriental eyes, continued to choose his words carefully, not wanting to shock his peers in front of him, whom he had finally met.
'Erm, these ruins are, apparently, now involved in events.
"Event?
Yeah. It's for major combat.
Oh!
　Kanami's eyes sparkle and she shows her joy.
　Leonardo, not feeling at all pleased, lowers his voice and continues.
The situation is desperate. There is a Temple in this city. In other words, as soon as you come in, um, Miz Kanami is also........
"'Registered'?
Yeah. And, of course,
You can't do a resurrection spell and escape a return spell?
'Yes. It's nice to know you understand so quickly.
'Mmmm!　All right!　It's burning!
　Leonardo is confused by Kanami's innocent reaction.
　Does this Kanami woman really understand?
　They seem to be simply happy with the part about large scale combat alone.
　Could it be that he is a beginner?
　Leveling up is not a difficult task in Elder Tail. Just follow the abundant quests in each level, such as the Man-Gan-Zen-Zen, and you will naturally improve your level.
　In the long history of Elder Tail, the gap between old players and new players is a serious problem. Levels in particular are the most noticeable, and this prevents players from playing together. The Master System and other systems were implemented with this in mind, but the quickest way to solve this problem is to close the gap in levels between players.
　The management of Elder Tail had proposed a plan to "support newcomers in improving their levels".
　In other words, it wasn't too difficult for newcomers to raise their level to a perfect level - ninety levels - even if they were new to the game. The average player could reach the ninety level in less than one hundred hours.
　However, on the other hand, it was difficult to equip oneself with equipment suitable for the ninety level. It would take an enormous amount of time to grow all of his specialties to the profoundly advanced class or to have a collection of secret treasure-level items.
　Kanami's equipment is not embarrassing as a 90th level, but it's not crippled like Leonardo's. From the point of view of equipment, Kanami's experience of playing is probably not that long.

''Do you really understand?　This city is under siege right now and we can't possibly escape, can we?
'What?　Why?
　Kanami, who nodded her head with an expression that suited the word "don't do anything", asked me with a heartfelt wonder.
''Because a large scale battle........Ah!　I see. You're Chinese.
　Leonardo was relieved to find out.
　Leonardo is from a North American server and is unable to contact his friend, but if Kanami is from a Chinese server, there is a good chance he can contact his friend. The world after the Catastrophe was full of chaos and malice, so whether or not he had friends who would come to his rescue in such a remote place was unknown, but it was still much better than not being able to reach them.
　If there were twenty-four (full raid) content for fifty levels, it would be possible to break through with ten ninety level adventurers with normal equipment. Even Leonardo would think it was possible for him to just escape if he had five or six people.
''What are you saying? I'm Japanese, I live in Rome. I'm Japanese and I live in Rome. Western European server!
　But with this line from Kanami, Leonardo's hopes were shattered. He hadn't noticed it at all because a poorly advanced automatic translation system performed the complete conversion.

''Then.........''
No matter. Why are you dressed like that?
　To Kanami's question, Leonardo shakes his head a few times and answers.
'It doesn't matter, does it?　It's a hobby.
　In fact, I was used to that question.
'What's that?'
Frog.
　So Leonardo was able to answer the reluctant question in the smartest manner imaginable. What is that outfit?　It is a frog. What does it represent?　It represents a frog. Why is he wearing a red mask that only hides his eyes?　Because he's a ninja.
　Why a frog?　Why a ninja?
　That's ridiculous.
　It's so much cooler that way, of course.
"Hey, you. Hey, babe!　That's great!
　But Kanami reacted differently from the average person who was usually taken aback by his reception.
'This is a series of headgear for disguise, isn't it? It's more like a kawelu than a frog!
　Kanami, who laughed brightly after reviewing his appearance, humorous like a comic character, or even comical depending on how you look at it, seemed to be pleased with himself. If she laughed at you like this, you should feel insulted, but Leonardo was taken aback, but he didn't have any anger.
　It's probably because Kanami's comment, which breaks down into a smile, conveys straightforwardly a feeling of simple interest and enjoyment that has nothing to do with mockery or contempt. That's why Leonardo's two swords, which had fought off PKs and rude people he didn't like in the past, were silent for once.
''My appearance wouldn't be a problem, would it?
Hey!　Because. I'm the best!
Let it go.
'Hey, hey!　Ready your sword!　Let me see it.
Let's bring it down to three.
It's so cool. You look so cute!　I want to pet you.
　Kanami laughed in a bright voice and squeezed Leonardo into a tight hug. A soft, young grass-scented body clung to her over Leonardo's green-coordinated leather armor and assassin-only tunic.
''A little more moderation, please!
'Wow, that's pretty good!　Kimi.
I don't know what's good for you.
You should come with me.
--What?
We're trying to get to Japan, but... It's a long way from here, isn't it?　It's pretty boring, you know. So, why don't you come with me?　I'll get cold if I take a nap here.
　Why are you in Japan?
　No, I wasn't taking a nap.
　Don't you understand that you're not going to get out of here before that?
　Not so.
　Leonardo gathered his thoughts, which seemed to be saturated.
　'We.' This beautiful woman, who was probably about Leonardo's age, now said 'we'.

'You have a companion?
'Yeah, yeah. I'm going with you, so I'll introduce you.
　No, wait, you haven't agreed to go with us yet, Leonardo's point was eventually lost without even being muttered.
　He wouldn't have heard Kanami's words, but the man and woman who emerged from the rubble of the ruins, at least the male one, were celebrities that even Leonardo knew.
'Mistress Kanami. There was a survivor, wasn't there? Hmm......... You look like a skilled adventurer, despite your unusual appearance. It's a pleasure to meet you.
　The beautiful young man who pulled up the edges of his lips to reveal a charming smile, a smile that made me want to tsk-tsk, was Elias-Hackblade.
''Elias-Hackblade........''
Oh. Thank you for knowing me. Thank you, Lord Adventurer.
　Elias smiled cheerfully and asked for a handshake, as if he had no doubts about Leonardo's equipment (cosplay).

　Elias-Hackblade.
　It was one of the few global celebrities in this world.
　He is a hero in the Order of the Red Branch, one of the thirteen knights who are said to maintain order in the world. He is a master swordsman and a member of the ancient breed of the Blue Bloods.
　This is one of the game settings that existed in the past when this world was an MMO called Elder Tail. Most of the characters and supporting characters are called 'Earthlings'.
　The inhabitants of the city, the nobility, the clients and victims of adventures, are all in most cases the Daichijin.
　In this world, the Earthmen are inferior to the Adventurers in many respects.
　As the adventurer engages in battle, he or she grows and advances in level. Eventually, the Adventurer will be able to achieve great combat abilities, even fighting dragons and giants.
　Even if they are fatally wounded, they do not disappear completely, but return to the Temple to resurrect, so one might think of them as immortal.

　But this is not the case with the Earthmen.
　The overwhelming majority of the Dirtbags are in the single digits, and even if they die, they don't resurrect. From the perspective of the game's function of running a bank or an inn in the city, there is no need for level or combat ability.
　And since this is a game, the player should be the main player in the adventure. Anyone would be horrified by the idea of adventuring in a different world where villagers are more powerful than you.
　The Daichijin's weakness is the result of a number of factors intertwined in their design. However, if all of the NPCs had no fighting ability, it would be inconvenient for the game's narrative, drama and quests.
　Of course, it would be a setback if NPCs took away the adventurer's role, but sometimes you want NPCs and adventurers to fight side by side.
　Perhaps this is why they are an "ancient species".

　In other words, they are exceptional NPCs.
　Their fighting ability is high, rivaling, and in some cases even surpassing, those of the Adventurers. They have appeared in many quests, sometimes assisting the Adventurer, and sometimes asking the Adventurer for help.
　Like all RPGs, the Elder Tail expands from low-level, insignificant quests into high-level national and regional intrigue.
　At lower levels, you'll have to defend a village or settlement from a pack of wolves or goblins at best. In these adventures, no adventurer has the opportunity to interact with the Old Ones.
　But as their level rises, and in the face of a nation-stealing evil invasion, they appear as an introduction or backdrop to their adventures.
　Many of the 〈Old Seed〉... or rather, almost all of them should have belonged to the Thirteenth Order of the Whole World. The Thirteenth Order of the Whole World is a group of knights of the Old Ones, one for each server. Their role is to protect the world of the Elder Tail from evil, regardless of national or regional power struggles.
　For example, on the North American servers where Leonardo has spent many years adventuring, there is a group of knights called the Wen Keepers, who assist in quests that lead to large scale battles and serve as the backbone of the story.
　A high level adventurer learns from the Guardian of Wen that one of the knights has gone missing on a quest to find him, and as he searches for the missing knight, he begins to uncover the ancient and terrifying secrets of the ruins of Sedona.

　Naturally, the number of Old Ones is much smaller than the number of Earthlings. However, they are more likely to meet each other in high level adventures, and some of the Old Ones are more likely to be famous among the Adventurers.
　And this Elias Huckblade is, without a doubt, the Elder Tail's greatest hero and celebrity.
　The official website says that he was raised by the fairy tribe and is an invincible hero who teaches the fairy tribe's sword skills. The package art for the Elder Tail, which is available in stores now, features a picture of Elias Huckblade.
　He has chestnut-colored hair and eyes, and is dressed in a pure white armored coat with indigo accent lines. It's also a huge two-handed sword, the Crystal Stream, and the ability to manipulate the absolutely invincible sword technique of the Fairy Arts - so good-looking and typical of a brave man that it's hard to believe that any junior high school student would have thought of it.



　✦04



Bye, Eliezer.
I wish you wouldn't call me Erieli, Mistress.
Because Erierieri is prettier, right?
　Kanami and Elias begin to talk to Leonardo before he is taken aback. Elias is an ancient species. He is not an adventurer. On the contrary, he is an NPC. In other words, he's not even human.
　Why are they talking to this Elias so intimately?
　No, and before that, why is Elias here?
　He belongs to the Order of the Red Branch, which is a Nordic server.
　Of course, Elias is one of the most famous of the many Old Ones. His fame rivals that of the White Winged Princess, Ling Xiangfeng.
　That's why the North American server, a non-European server resident, Leonardo was also familiar with Elias. However, that didn't mean that the "ancient species" rarely left the server they were in charge of. Unless it was a specially organized world event, such a thing was not possible, and more importantly, there was no one in the Elder Tail right now to organize such an event.
　A low, calm chime sounds in the mind of the astonished Leonardo. When I checked its system voice, I saw that the window inviting me to the party was open. Probably from the group in front of him, Leonardo approves it without a good check.
　Once the party was formed, a list of names of the participants unfolded in his mind. It was on that screen that Leonardo learned the name of the little girl who had invited him for the first time.
　The girl's name was Coppelia.
　She appeared earlier with Elias, but she was an unassuming-looking girl who had almost forgotten about her due to Elias' shock.
　The girl with a petite body of about one hundred and forty centimeters, dressed in the costume of a Victorian maid, was apparently a treatment priest (cleric). Her level was naturally ninety.
　As she approached, she looked up at Leonardo and performed a graceful bow, picking up her skirt.
'My name is Coppelia, and my name is Coppelia. It's nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, Coppelia. Would you like to be cured, Death?
Oh, I'm Leonardo. Nice to meet you. No, no, not the heels.

　Looking down at the girl who seemed somewhat doll-like and strange, Leonardo figured that this girl seemed to be the most sane, although her reaction was somewhat strange.
　Now that the party was registered, he could tell, but apparently there were only four people in Kanami's group. The breakdown is myself, who has just now joined the party without a second thought, the dark-haired beauty Kanami, and the girl in front of me, Coppelia. And on top of that, Elias.
　Kanami is a 90th level "martial artist" (monk).
　Coppelia is a 90th level Healing Priest (Cleric).
　I know what you're talking about. That much is understandable. There are only three of them, but there are three evasive wall fighters who support the enemy on the front lines, and a healing priest. And then there's Leonardo, the assassin, who uses his high offensive power to reduce the number of enemies incessantly. It's not a bad balance at all. It's a simple party with the minimum number of participants.
　But what is the name of the Elias joining the party?
　A 100-level swordsmith (Blade Mancer).
　The earth in front of him rippled languidly, and Leonardo almost felt as if he didn't understand what was going on.
　I don't know why you can form a party with an NPC in the first place.
　It's a bit of a mystery to me, especially since I'm a sword surgeon. The Elder Tail offers 12 different professions to choose from. You'll find three warrior types, three attack types, three recovery types and three magic types. There is no such bizarre profession as a swordsman. The same is true for the 100th level. The adventurer's level is capped at ninety. That hasn't changed since the expansion pack two years ago.
　It should only be in the anime that you are the only one with a high level beyond the limit of the surroundings, or that you are the only profession (unique class) that other players can't get.
　Everything seemed to make a mockery of the common sense that Leonardo knew.

'Your heart rate is abnormal. Would you like a cure, Death?
'No, that's fine. Am I crazy?
We could not find any aberrant icons.
'I'm not saying that, but.... Um, is the journey pretty long?
　Leonardo asked.
'Coppelia was picked up by the master at Via de Fleur.
　Recognizing the automatic translation with a slight time lag to the movement of his mouth, Leonardo let his thoughts wander a bit. Nantokafleur was Paris, I believe. That would mean that Kanami and Elias had come from the Northern European servers across Europe to Central Asia. Maybe they are serious about going to Japan.
　But the thought was forced to end there.

　With a huge crushing sound, Leonardo realizes that Kanami and Elias have disappeared before he knows it.
'The battle has begun. Coppellia moves in to allow for the distance to be treated. Please forgive us for the fact that your opponent will only be able to do so much.
No, no, no. I'm coming with you. I'll see you there.
　Leonardo ran with Coppellia through the dry streets.
　There was no need to look for them.
　To begin with, this city of Tekeli was abandoned, with a lack of buildings to block the line of sight. The cold platonic wind and the strong sunlight easily weathered the bricks and other buildings. There are only a few pillars and walls in this current ruin, as tall as Leonardo's height.
　So it was easy to identify the site of the battle.
　Around the area where one of the main streets that criss-crossed the city passes to the east, a violent thunderclap could be heard. Thunderstorm-type magic. The group of shimmering flames that distorted the landscape would be the Shimmering Demon (Daylight Shade).
　With that level of distortion, dozens of them must have gathered in an area.
　And Elias, who is still a few hundred meters away, holds up his crystal-clear two-handed sword and fearlessly cuts into the center of the demons.
(What are you doing?!)
　A thud of cold sweat runs down Leonardo's back.
　Elias is good. Leonardo doesn't know exactly what kind of job he has as a Blade Mancer or what level of power he has at the 100 level. So it's possible for him to eliminate countless "shimmering demons" on his own, although it's only a glimmer of hope.
　However, this is impossible for Kanami, who jumped into the fray after Elias. That would be a complete suicide act.
　It was obvious from the fact that the same ninety-level Leonardo was bled out in less than five minutes.
''Tactical distance secured. We will now provide combat support--Chanting: "Sanctuary," "Shieldpact.
　It's inevitable.
　One more time to die.
　Leonardo was determined. The Coppelia running next to him must have come within range of the spell. He began to cast support spells on his friends. Even though he didn't directly attack them, the support spell was a fine act of support - in other words, participation in the battle.
　The 〈Shimmering Demon〉 will definitely notice and take aim.
　It's good that Elias and Kanami are fighting on the front lines right now, but if those two fall, the demons will go after this little girl as their next prey. If they do, it's clear that the girl will scatter her life, even more so than the fire.
　In other words, this girl was equivalent to signing a timed death certificate. That is the case for all three members of the group except Leonardo.
　If that is the case, then Leonardo should also jump into the dead zone here.
　I think it is foolish, of course, but that foolish imitation is called a geek. Even Leonardo, a native New Yorker, has his own dignity. No one will understand him anyway, but he is on the side of justice when he is a frog ninja.
　You can't just stare at a woman's ass, can you?

''Whoa!''
　With a roar that squeezes the air out of his lungs, Leonardo rushes at the swarm of shimmering monsters like a shimmering flame. Using his enhanced physical abilities, he slices through the pontoons and rises above their heads. Mobility Attack. This position is a "blind spot" for many of the monsters.
I don't miss!
　For his first attack, Leonardo chooses the greatest special move he has.
　The characteristics of the warrior's position are to attract the enemy and erase the presence of his companions from their consciousness. The purpose of the healers is to prevent the deaths of their comrades. The meaning of the wizard is to control the situation and prevent unforeseen events until the end of the battle.
　What is the function of the assassin, or weapon attacker?
　The role of the Weapon Attacker is centered around the destruction of the enemy. Among the weapon attackers, the Assassins are designed to specialize in eliminating the enemy.
　Its greatest move, the Assassinate, instantly produced nearly 10,000 damage, just as Leonardo had expected. In addition, as a side effect against an opponent whose level is lower than ten, instant death is activated.
　A dry, high-pitched sound like a blank gun resounded in the surroundings.
　With that sound, which was comical depending on how one listened to it, a single 'Shimmering Demon' ended its existence as if it were going to burst.
''Oh!　Finally, it's here. Kellonald!
I wish you wouldn't call me that.
Well, let's get to the show. --Let's go to the Crystal Stream!　It's the blood of my secret fairy tribe!　Help me to defeat the enemy in front of me!
　Leonardo inwardly prodded, "What on earth is this Japanese anime?" but he didn't have the time to actually mutter that. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. The number of enemies is large. There are dozens of them within sight alone, and if you take your time, they'll gather from other places surrounding the city, as we experienced last time.

　We must reduce the number of enemies without hurrying and with maximum efficiency. Elias's body is enveloped in a rush of shining purple and light blue light. The power of that blessing seems to have been given to Kanami, Leonardo, and Coppelia, if you look closely.
　Thanks to that effect that seems to have a defensive strengthening effect, we've managed to support the front line for now, but even though they are about fifty level enemies, that pressure can never be licked if they gather this much.
　As long as we continue to reduce the enemy's numbers, we should be able to do so.
　However, if the rate at which the enemy calls for reinforcements and increases is greater than the rate at which Leonardo reduces the number of enemies, this equilibrium will easily collapse. At that point, Coppelia would not be able to recover in time, and the front line, which had become impoverished, would be overwhelmed and the result would be total destruction.
　This battle is a battle to reduce the enemy's numbers.
　Leonardo bit his lips.
　If that's the case, then the key to the battle is held by me, the assassin.