C.S.O.

The day slowly entered the month of February.
The cold wind and snow still make people hesitant and lazy to carry out their activities.

On the school field, two teams are playing soccer.
One team is the Kuro class, and the other team is the Chiaki class team.
Yes, it's an interclass match.
Despite the chilly wind that makes their bones shiver, there is no reason to stop playing considering that interclass matches are rarely held.
Moreover, this is an opportunity for the boys to make a good impression in front of the girls watching them and hoping for a reward in the coming days.

“Seiji, pass it here!!”

One member of the Chiaki class team receives the pass perfectly and dribbles forward toward the Kuro class team's defense.

With speed and agile movements like a professional player, the young man easily passes through two players at once.
This is expected since he is a member of the soccer club and one of the best players in the club.
That's why he became the ace player in the Chiaki class team.

In addition to being handsome, the young man is also known as one of the most popular guys in school.
This makes him the center of attention for the girls cheering on the sidelines of the field in cheerleader costumes.

But it's not only the girls from the Chiaki class team; many girls from the Kuro class team also cheer for him.
And this heats up the match even more despite the cold weather.

“……..”

With a sharp gaze, he observes and immediately passes the ball to one of his teammates who is free and in a safe position to attack.
After that, he quickly passes through two players blocking his way.

Now he has passed the enemy's defense area.
The ball is back at his feet, and he dribbles it into the penalty area, but before that, he has to pass through two players guarding the defense area.

One of the players is Kuro.

Unlike the other players who are focused on playing soccer, Kuro is the only one who appears relaxed and doesn't move much even though the match is almost over.
He is known for not joining any clubs and not appearing athletic, so no one considers Kuro's actions as strange.

But even so, all the players know that there is something peculiar emanating from Kuro.
It can be said that it's an intimidating aura or some kind of charisma that makes the Chiaki team players slightly hesitate to face Kuro directly and choose to pass the ball before confronting him.

Yes, they are afraid of Kuro.

The Kuro class team realizes this and uses this fear to create a strategy.
Despite not having their star player, they can play on an equal footing with a 3-3 score.

If the Chiaki team has an ace player, then the Kuro team has a strategist.
That's the big difference between the two teams.

“……..”

The young man senses the intimidating aura from Kuro even though they are still at a considerable distance.
This is not the first time he has felt this, and he realizes that there is something strange about the young man named Kuro.

Whatever that peculiarity is, he has no choice but to keep moving forward and pass Kuro.
There is no time left, and if they want to win, they have to score a goal as soon as possible.

Up until now, his team has always passed the ball when facing Kuro, which allows the Kuro team to read their actions and set offside traps.

But as an experienced soccer player, he knows the weakness of this tactic and knows how to overcome it.
And the way to do that is by bypassing Kuro.

He can do it.
It's easy.
Very easy.
The young man keeps telling himself that before deciding to face Kuro.

And finally, they face each other.

The young man prepares with his best technique and the best way he has prepared to surpass Kuro.

On the other hand, Kuro only appears to be casually running toward the young man with a bored look.

The young man skillfully dribbles the ball and uses deceptive techniques to prevent Kuro from taking the ball and bypassing him.
All the spectators and players are amazed as if watching a ballroom dance.
Everyone can predict the outcome when they confront each other, and the young man successfully passes Kuro, but–

“?! “

…although he successfully passed Kuro, the young man doesn't have the ball with him.

Everyone is surprised to see this highly unexpected scene.
It's as if they're witnessing an illusion because suddenly the ball is in Kuro's possession.
The young man didn't even feel anything as the ball left his foot.

The young man's eyes widen, then he turns around and finds Kuro casually dribbling the ball alone as if playing around.

No one is blocking Kuro.
They are still shocked by what happened, but the Chiaki class team starts to realize it and moves forward to take the ball from Kuro.

Two players run towards Kuro to take the ball.
The other members of the Kuro class team are ready in case Kuro passes, but with gentle technique, Kuro effortlessly bypasses both of them.

No one expected Kuro to be able to do that.
Even the ace player from the Chiaki team didn't anticipate it.
The ball seems to stick to Kuro's feet and refuses to leave.

“……”

The ace player from the Chiaki class team starts to take action.
He runs at full speed toward Kuro and immediately tries to take the ball from him.

He uses all his techniques and experience as a soccer player.
With great effort, he finally manages to steal the ball, but before he realizes it, the ball is back at Kuro's feet.

The eyes of the ace player widen once again, but he is not too surprised because he has experienced this before.
He doesn't know how Kuro does it, but for some reason, he becomes more enthusiastic and refuses to give up.

It has been a long time since he faced such a strong player.
That's what makes him excited.

Unconsciously, the player smiles to himself.

“…what's…
your name?” the player asks.

Both of them display impressive soccer techniques.
They compete and steal the ball from each other.
No other players approach them and can only watch their battle from a distance.

“Kanata, Kuro Kanata.
You can call me whatever you like, but you should know that before introducing yourself to someone, you should mention your own name first.”

“Oh…
sorry.”

The young man steals the ball from Kuro once again and immediately tries to bypass Kuro or at least pass it to his teammate, but Kuro immediately takes it back before he can do so.

(?! That's unbelievable.
He's even better than the captain, but what surprises me more is that he doesn't show that he's serious and is just playing around.)

The young man even starts to break into a cold sweat knowing that he is facing a monster.
Although one could say that he is tired from playing for a long time, he has trained and has stronger stamina than an ordinary person.

When compared to Kuro, who hasn't been playing seriously from the start, their stamina is undoubtedly vastly different.
Moreover, with Kuro's extraordinary technique, everyone knows who is superior in this game.

“My name is Anamaru Akashi.
You can call me Akashi.”

“…is that so…
too bad, I probably won't remember your name.”

The ace player named Akashi just smiles and shows no sign of anger or objection.

“Ah…
now I remember that I've heard your name before.
You're quite famous for having a beautiful and lucky girlfriend.”

Kuro immediately bypasses Akashi and continues to dribble the ball without intending to pass it to his teammates.
This is a reckless and arrogant act, but no one tries to steal or ask for a pass from Kuro.

The reason is that the battle is not over yet.
Akashi immediately catches up with Kuro and blocks him.

“Why are you in such a hurry? We're not done yet,” Akashi said, showing enthusiasm and determination, while Kuro displayed a bored expression, seemingly uninterested in Akashi's words.

Kuro's gaze was even akin to looking at a filthy and insignificant insect, unworthy of being in his presence.
And so, the fight between the two continued.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the field, Chiaki watched the battle between Kuro and Akashi from afar, sighing quietly.
She already knew that what Kuro was doing was nothing impressive, just his usual behavior.
It wasn't something remarkable.

Their childhood friendship had made her aware that Kuro's talent and strength exceeded the limits of a normal human.
Chiaki found it difficult to even consider Kuro as a human being.

However, this perception didn't apply to the girls who were close to her.
They talked among themselves, impressed by Kuro's actions.
Even those who were unaware of Kuro's existence in the school started to inquire and wanted to get to know him better.

“……”

This was normal.
Kuro had never shown his talent before.
He always pretended to be boring and foolish.
That's why everyone was immediately impressed by what Kuro did.

“Chiaki-san, you and him were childhood friends, right?” one of the friends sitting beside her asked, attracting the curiosity of the other girls as they approached.

“Do you know that he's actually really cool? Can you introduce him to us?”

“I also want to get to know him.”

“Does he already have a girlfriend?”

“Can you tell us more about him?”

And many more questions followed.
Chiaki now knew what it felt like to be the center of attention.
She felt uncomfortable, but she managed to endure and let out a small sigh.

“Alright, I understand, but I ask you not to regret it.”

“Regret? What do you mean? You're really going to introduce us, right?”

Chiaki didn't answer immediately and instead looked at Kuro, who was currently fighting, or rather playing, with Akashi on the field.

“…..Of course.
I don't mind, but do you know that Kuro-chan is just engaging in his bad habits?”

Chiaki's friends exchanged puzzled looks.
They must have seen Kuro doing something amazing and cool, but in Chiaki's eyes, Kuro's actions were the beginning of something bad.

“You'll soon see it, and after that, you can decide whether to get acquainted or not.”

For some reason, Chiaki's smile felt suspicious.

On the field, the intense battle was still undecided.
No one could interfere as they felt the pressure from both sides.

…but everyone also sensed the chilling and dangerous aura emanating from Kuro, growing more menacing.
No one knew what Kuro would do next.

“Hey, are you interested in the soccer club? We would greatly benefit from having you join our team.”

“Unfortunately, I'm not interested in your little game.”

Although hearing an insult, Akashi didn't immediately get provoked.

“With skills like yours, you probably consider our club just child's play.
But it's precisely because of that that we need someone like you.
You'll undoubtedly gain exciting experiences.
I guarantee you won't regret it.”

Akashi is a man who never gives up and always thinks positively.
That's how Kuro sees him.

Suddenly, Kuro smiled.

“Exciting experiences, huh? Are you playing soccer just to gain exciting experiences?”

“There are certainly many things I want to gain from playing soccer.
One of them is being able to face someone like you.
I have no regrets about participating in this match.”

Both of them showed a serious gaze, and neither of them was willing to give up

.
At the same time, they were aware that time was running out.

(If it continues like this, the match will end in a draw.)

As a soccer player, Akashi had his pride and would not give up until the final whistle was blown.

“?! Akashi widened his eyes as he saw Kuro's sinister, thin smile.
Not only that, but his aura also became sharper, like a lion pouncing on its prey.
'If it's an interesting experience you want, then I guess I'll give it to you,' Kuro said.
'What?' Akashi responded, confused.

Without anyone noticing, the ball suddenly disappeared from Kuro's feet.
Akashi immediately looked around, thinking that Kuro had passed it to one of his teammates.
Especially in such a crucial moment, it would have been the right decision, but he was wrong.
Kuro didn't pass it to anyone.

'Akashi, look up,' one of Akashi's teammates shouted.
Akashi turned his gaze upwards and found the ball right above him, about 100 meters high, slowly descending due to gravity.

'What are you going to do?' Akashi asked, taken aback.
He was not only surprised by the ball being kicked up but also by Kuro assuming a position to jump.

'Didn't I say I would give you an interesting experience? Well, I think it's more appropriate to show you something interesting.'

'?!' Akashi exclaimed, watching as Kuro jumped.
Without any preparation or hesitation, Kuro leaped more than 5 meters into the air above the field.
At the same time, the ball descended directly toward his jumping position.

Everyone who witnessed it could only stay silent, their eyes widened, as they saw a scene that could only be described as an anime moment.

In mid-air, Kuro spun his body and prepared to kick the ball with a spinning kick.
But that wasn't all Kuro did.
Flames suddenly appeared on both of his shoes before his feet even touched the ball.

'Kamikiri-ryuu [Meteor Kick]!'

The ball kicked by Kuro shot forward as a bullet engulfed in flames, directly towards the goal of Chiaki's class team.
It passed the goalkeeper and entered the goal, but the net was not strong enough to stop the ball, causing it to pierce through the net, the safety fence, and the park, and finally come to a stop after crashing into the wall with a loud impact like a bomb.

Everyone could only stay silent and stunned.
Even the teacher who was the referee forgot to blow the whistle to signal a goal and ended the interclass match at the same time.

Meanwhile, Kuro landed perfectly, along with his slightly charred shoes.
He then glanced at the smoke that lingered from his earlier action.
Not only that, the school suddenly became noisy with the sound of an alarm.

Shortly after, the school was in chaos, thinking that a bomb had exploded.

“…………………………………..”

Kuro immediately turned pale as he realized that he had done something he shouldn't have.

But he placed his hand on his chin, deep in thought.
He was pondering over something that bothered him.

On the sidelines of the field…

“Now, do you still want to get to know Kuro-chan?”

The only one who remained calm was Chiaki.
Although she had never seen Kuro use that technique before, she wasn't surprised that Kuro was capable of doing it.

“…I think I need some time to reconsider, right, everyone?”

“Uh? Oh yeah, I think you're right,” the girl who was initially eager to get to know Kuro now looked hesitant and afraid.

Chiaki let out a sigh and shook her head.
She was overwhelmed by all the problems caused by Kuro that day.

She knew Kuro's bad habits, or rather, Shiro's.
They were essentially the same, but Shiro couldn't control himself as well as Kuro.
Moreover, when Shiro took control of Kuro's body, Kuro's strength would increase significantly compared to his usual self.
That's what caused this situation.

At the same time, Chiaki remembered the moment when she became aware that Shiro had taken over Kuro's body.

It had been several days since that day.
Although Shiro was now the one controlling Kuro's body, no one knew or realized that Kuro was someone else.

Shiro behaved just like Kuro usually did, so no one suspected anything.
This included Flamia and Ruko.

There hadn't been any significant changes in their relationships.
They still showed affection or even expressed love as usual.
However, Chiaki didn't want to get too close to the current Kuro.
This, of course, made Ruko and Flamia worried, thinking that something had happened between Kuro and Chiaki.

Kuro continued to play CSO as usual, but he was more focused on passing through various cities, just like when he first started playing.
Somehow, Kuro managed to pass through dozens of cities in a short time, but now he was suspected of being a cheater.

“Ha….”

Chiaki sighed again as she realized the situation was getting chaotic with all the students leaving the classroom as they would in an emergency.

Meanwhile, Kuro, for some reason, remained silent with his hand on his chin.

Akashi, who still looked shocked, slowly approached.
Fear was also evident in his eyes.

“T-That was indeed interesting, but it seems too excessive for a human.
Are you really human?”

“……”

“B-But now I understand why you didn't join any clubs.”

“…Ah, you understand.
But this is something strange.”

“Strange?”

The most peculiar thing, of course, was Kuro's ability to effortlessly perform anime-like scenes.
Everyone on the field was also pondering the same thing.

“Yes.
Even though I tried to restrain my power as much as possible, I still think it's too excessive, right?”

Kuro said it with an innocent and casual tone as if what he did was not extraordinary.

“………………………..eh?”

No one knew the right answer to Kuro's question.

——————————

———

After that, Kuro was called to the teacher's office.
Of course, it was because of him that many problems occurred at school, but more importantly, they needed to figure out how to hide and cover up Kuro's actions.

With the advancements in communication technology in this era, Kuro's actions could be known to the entire world within minutes.
And, of course, they needed to ensure that the students who witnessed it with their own eyes would keep quiet.

The problems caused by Kuro were bigger than anticipated.

“Ha….”

Kuro sighed deeply after closing the teacher's office door.
He then returned to his classroom with a complex expression but slowly started to return to his usual self.

“I guess it's not a big deal, right?”

(I don't know what to comment.)

Shiro's (Kuro's) other personality couldn't do much in this situation either.

[Why are you like this? Don't try to run away from your problems.]

(I don't want to hear that from you, but you surely remember what the principal said, right?)

Kuro placed both hands behind his head.

[He just told us…
I'll repeat it again.
It's not a big deal.
…maybe]

(Hey…
do you forget our purpose for doing this?)

[Never mind, I know, but you also know that She still hasn't done anything.
I think we need to do something more interesting.]

(Don't think about trying to cheat again.
Our relationship with Mea-senpai is already complicated enough.)

[That's your fault for forcing yourself on her.]

(Stop saying “forcing.” She told us to-)

[Don't associate me with that.
I may be stronger, but when it comes to women, you're better than me.]

(For some reason, I can't deny that.)

Kuro smiled a little upon hearing that from his other self.

“……?''

Suddenly, he saw two familiar figures appear from around the corner.
One of them immediately ran towards him and approached Kuro.

“Mea-senpai, what are you doing here?”

The two figures were Mea and Kirie.

“We have to go to the teacher's office to discuss how to resolve the problems caused by the troublemaking student, right, Kirie?”

Kirie, who arrived beside Mea, simply nodded.
Meanwhile, Kuro, not being foolish, knew exactly who the troublemaking student they were referring to was and could only laugh bitterly.

Kuro's relationship with Mea continued, but there was still no clear status between them.
However, Mea never demanded anything, so Kuro didn't know what Mea truly wanted.

For now, Kuro would only consider Mea as a close friend, but more than just a friend.

“Oh, by the way, Kuro-kun, are you going back to class?”

“I'm going to skip the lesson.”

“Huh…
again.
For some reason, you've been skipping class a lot lately, hm?”

Suddenly, Mea's gaze changed as if she realized something.
She then pressed against Kuro's chest and whispered.

“Could you be willing to receive punishment just to be with me again? Fu fu…
unfortunately, I'm not in-“

“I'm sorry, but you're mistaken, Mea-senpai.”

Mea immediately froze and was shocked.

“The lessons in this school are so boring.
I could die of boredom.
It's better for me to do something more interesting and enjoyable.”

Kuro stroked Mea's head, as he often did to Ruko.
At that moment, Mea appeared to enjoy it, and her face turned red.

“If there's something enjoyable, don't forget to let me know, Mea-senpai.”

Kuro then took a step forward and left the two of them.

“…………”

“…………”

Both of them could only remain silent and gaze at each other with puzzled expressions.

Although they had only known Kuro for a few days, they both understood Kuro's nature and habits.
The indifferent yet caring nature was something they knew very well, but they were more familiar with Kuro's habit of never admitting to being bored with a lesson.

But as far as they knew, Kuro had recently been causing trouble like a delinquent, but they never expected Kuro to intentionally skip lessons just because he claimed to be bored.

“Kuro-kun?”

For Mea, she almost didn't recognize the person Kuro had become.
She had already noticed the changes since that morning when Kuro stayed overnight at her house, but for the first time, Mea realized that a significant change had occurred with Kuro.

————————————

The school was over.
Kuro went home as usual, but he wasn't with Chiaki and headed alone to the middle of the city, carrying a katana sword wrapped in cloth.

His destination was a narrow, dark, and eerie alley, even though it was still daytime.

He walked and kept walking through the alley.
Although he encountered some intimidating individuals, he ignored them and paid no attention.

“………”

Kuro looked around with a sharp gaze.
His instincts sensed danger, but it wasn't a danger that came from the people in the alley.

Without saying a word, he immediately unwrapped his sword and drew it from its scabbard.

Everyone in the alley widened their eyes in surprise.
But they weren't scared; rather, they were confused.

A sword could be considered an ancient weapon in this day and age.
In fact, hardly anyone used it anymore.
But Kuro unhesitatingly displayed the sword to others.

He certainly knew the consequences of his actions, but now he had no other choice.

He walked and kept walking among groups of beggars and a few people who looked like criminals.
He also passed by some prostitutes who glanced at him with seductive gazes, but Kuro didn't show any interest.

Three muscular men approached Kuro.
From their appearance, they weren't good people.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing? Do you know that what you're carrying isn't a toy?”

“Aniki, maybe he's an anime fan or something, so I guess he's cosplaying or something.”

Kuro smiled cheerfully, knowing that they weren't bad people.
Maybe.

“You're right, gentlemen.
I'm a fan of samurai anime, so I made this sword.”

The three individuals immediately looked at Kuro's katana sword, reflecting the light.
They were contemplating whether the sword was real or just a homemade one.

“Oh…
so you're an otaku.
Don't make us scared.
We thought you were a killer, ha ha.”

“But what are you doing here? As you can see, this place is not suitable for a kid like you.”

“Uncle, actually I'm looking for research for my school assignment.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me.”

Kuro showed his innocent smile.

The three individuals glanced at each other, giving each other signals.

“Of course, I'm not asking for help for free, but I only have 20,000 yen.
Uncle, you know I'm just a student, so I don't have much money.”

Kuro took two bills out of his pocket and showed them to the three of them.

They still looked hesitant, and Kuro knew the reason behind their hesitation.

“If uncles don't want to, then I won't force you.
Besides, that lady over there will probably help me,” Kuro said while glancing at the prostitute leaning against the building wall.

Kuro took a step forward, but the three individuals immediately blocked his way.

Kuro smiled faintly.

“Wait, we never said we wouldn't help you, right, Aniki?”

The man called Aniki nodded.

“We're just confused about what kind of help you're asking for.
You know this kind of place isn't suitable for a student like you.
But can you tell us what you want first?”

The man snatched the money from Kuro and put it in his pocket.
His two friends immediately looked greedy like animals.

“I'm very grateful that you're willing to help me, Uncle.
I just have a few questions, so I'd be happy if you could answer them.”

“……..”

“Don't worry, I just want to know about the recent cases that have happened in this area.”

————————————————————————–

After obtaining the information he needed, Kuro left the alley with his bag and the sword wrapped up again.
His face looked tired and complicated.

He then decided to go home as his business for the day was finished.

On his way, he remembered the reason why he went through all this trouble.

“I know our family has to monitor things like this, but bu-“

He didn't continue his complaint as he was bumped into by someone intentionally.
From their appearance, they seemed like the person who was in the alley earlier.

“Hey, are you blind!”

In his mind, Kuro immediately complained about getting involved in another unnecessary problem.

“Ha….”

Kuro let out a small sigh and flicked the person's forehead.
The person's body flew against the wall with a loud impact and lost consciousness.

Kuro then continued his journey, leaving the person lying on the street.
He didn't kill him.
He just made the person faint.

“Goodness, I didn't expect to deal with trash like them.”

Kuro sighed again.

Suddenly, he stopped when he accidentally saw an item being sold in a shop.

“Hm? I'm sure the three of them will be happy, but…
I'm not too sure if it will suit Hime's taste.”

Kuro immediately covered his mouth with his finger.
Then he smiled slightly.

“I forgot, I shouldn't call Ruko by that name.
I'm sure she'll scold me if I call her by her real name.”

Kuro entered the shop and bought the item he had seen earlier.

After a few minutes, Kuro came out carrying three small gift boxes wrapped in plastic.
And finally, Kuro went home.

Upon arriving home, Kuro was greeted by Ruko who was already waiting for him at the front door.
Kuro hadn't even had a chance to say hello, but Ruko grabbed his hand with a hurried expression as if something serious had happened.

“Ruko, wait a moment…
let me take off my shoes.”

“Onii-chan, hurry.
If you're not fast, something serious will happen.”

Question marks appeared in Kuro's head as he didn't know what Ruko meant.
But judging from Ruko's panicked expression, something serious must have occurred.

After taking off his shoes, Ruko pulled Kuro into the room and pushed him, causing him to fall.
Kuro's bag and belongings were scattered on the floor without being tidied up first.

“Ruko?”

“It's okay, Onii-chan.
Quickly log in to the city of Hindiaz.
Flamia-chan and Chiaki-chan are already there.
I'll log in to my room soon.”

Ruko placed and activated the VR Gear on Kuro's head, but not forgetting to give him an affectionate kiss for a few seconds.

“Sorry, Onii-chan.
I actually wanted to be more intimate with you for a longer time, but something serious has happened in CSO.
We'll continue after dealing with that.”

Ruko then left Kuro's room, leaving him alone without further explanation.

“Ha…”

Kuro sighed.

He actually wanted to be welcomed with affection as usual and have some intimate time with Ruko before logging in, but he didn't expect this to happen.

“Oh well, at least let me take a shower first…
forget it.
Transfer Start.”

The light distorted, and Kuro arrived at the place where he last logged in, the largest city in Vanaheim, Atlantica.

Atlantica was one of the artificial islands located in the middle of the sea.
Like most cities in Avantheim, this city could only be reached by swimming or using a ship.
It was a strategically important city, so most of the Liber in Avantheim resided in this city.

As he first appeared, many Liber stared at him.
This was normal because Kuro was becoming more famous day by day, being the only Level 70 Liber who could reach a city that should only be accessible to players with a level of 400 or above.

And because he had been passing through cities quickly recently, he was now suspected of being a cheater.

Unfortunately, the GM (Game Master) had already announced that cheating was impossible in CSO, so the existence of a cheater among the 2 billion players was impossible.

“If I'm not mistaken, Ruko said I should go to the city of Hindiaz.”

Kuro opened the map to locate the city Ruko mentioned.
From the displayed map markings, he had visited that city before.

“Is that the city…”

Kuro immediately recalled the city.
He had only passed through it, so he didn't remember it well, but if he had been to that city before, he could use a teleportation item to get there quickly without wasting time.

Using the skill [Auto Use], a purple crystal appeared in his hand.
The item was one of the teleportation crystals easily obtainable throughout CSO.

And then, with a trace of purple light in the empty air, Kuro disappeared.

It took less than a second to reach the destination using the teleportation item.
Teleportation items in CSO were easy to obtain but expensive.

Moreover, teleportation items were divided into two types: those that could be used within one world and those that could be used across all worlds.

Teleportation items that could be used to travel across all worlds were ten times more expensive than those that could be used within one world.
However, it didn't mean that teleportation items were necessary to travel to other worlds.
With teleportation gates almost present in every city, Liber could travel to other worlds by paying a certain amount of money.
Unfortunately, teleportation gates were not as convenient as teleportation items.

Another advantage of teleportation items was the ability to teleport to more specific locations.

In the clear blue sky, a human figure suddenly appeared in the empty air.
That figure was Kuro.

“Summon [Skeleton Dragon].”

Kuro immediately summoned his beloved bone dragon and landed on its back.
He could actually fly using the skill [Dark Wings], but considering the unclear situation, it was too early to use that skill as it required a lot of mana.

Kuro found himself right above the target city in the sky.
He intentionally teleported to the sky since it would be easier to see if what Ruko said really happened.

“?! What…
What is this?”

Kuro's eyes widened as he saw the shocking sight.

Hindiaz City was a small town located on the edge of an island.
Rather than being a city dedicated to preparing for battles, it resembled more of a tourist town.
The presence of white sandy beaches on the outskirts of the island made it a suitable place for a vacation and relaxation.

But now was not the time to think about that.

The entire city was now covered in ice and shattered into pieces.
Many NPCs were trapped in large chunks of ice, and the beach that was once filled with waves was now frozen like a dead sea.

The perpetrators behind all of this are two enormous monsters measuring 26 meters each, engaged in a battle in the middle of the city.
The monsters are the [Ice Crystal Dragon] and the [Water Queen Dragon].
Both of them are water-type dragons classified as rare and dangerous monsters due to their higher level compared to ordinary monsters.

“…………………..”

Kuro, who was initially very excited to go to the city, now finds himself spinning in the air with a big question mark over his head.
The sight of battling monsters is an unprecedented occurrence, especially with the two monsters fighting in an urban area.
It's becoming increasingly difficult to believe this event.

(Could it be…)

While deep in thought, he suddenly receives a telepathic message.
The person contacting him is Ruko.

“(Onii-chan, have you arrived?)”

“Yes.
I'm currently above the city.
I think you can see me if you're down below…
ahaha…”

“(Onii-chan!! This is not the time for jokes.
I am indeed down below, fighting one of the dragons together with Chika-chan and Flamia-chan.)”

Kuro doesn't respond and instead looks at the two battling dragons.
Perhaps due to their size, he doesn't notice the dozens of Libers engaged in combat against the dragons.
After observing carefully, or rather using his detection skill, he spots Ruko, Chiaki, Flamia, and members of the Ouroboros guild confronting the dragons.

Suddenly, a giant fireball attacks one of the dragons and pushes it back, but the impact isn't significant.
The dragon roars loudly and unleashes an [Ice Breath] into the city, freezing the entire area.
Afterward, the two dragons resume their battle as if there were no disturbances at all.

“Hmmm…
They're stronger than they appear.
Anna, are you still alive?”

“(Onii-chan, do something quickly.
I can barely hold on.
We're almo- Cough…
Onii-chan, do something fast!!)”

The connection is then severed, but Kuro already knows what he needs to do.

“Alright, I suppose I'll use it…
I hope I'm not mistaken about them.”

Kuro stands up and summons a katana sword in his right hand, which is his usual weapon.

“Alright, first…”

A light appears on his index finger.
Slowly, Kuro begins inscribing an incantation on his sword.
This is one of the skills Kuro uses to attack high-level monsters.

In fact, it is one of Kuro's secret skills called [Dark Sword Enchant].
This skill is unique to Kuro, and no one else possesses it as he does.
Even if someone else has it, the skill would have different power and usage.

This skill has one weakness: it takes a long time to maximize its attack impact.

“Skeleton Dragon, return.”

The Skeleton Dragon disappears from the air.
In its place, Kuro uses Dark Bind as a foothold in the air.

Kuro then contacts Anna, Flamia, and Chika.

“The three of you, quickly leave if you don't want to be affected by my attack.”

“(Understood, Onii-chan.)”

“(…….)”

“(Okay, Honey.)”

Chika is the only one who doesn't respond, but Kuro is confident that she has followed his orders.

At the same time, Kuro's sword is enveloped in a black aura, similar to what happens with the [Acid Blade] skill, but this time it's different.
The black aura gradually intensifies and the sword itself grows larger.
Before the sword becomes too large, Kuro jumps back onto one of the dragons to attack both dragons simultaneously.

Kuro's position is quite dangerous, but he has no other choice.
Fortunately, not many attacks are directed toward the air.

Kuro lifts his sword high above and holds it with both hands.
Little by little, the sword grows bigger and bigger, reaching a length of 60 meters or more, resembling a sword that cuts through the sunlight in the sky.

Meanwhile, the two dragons become more chaotic, and their battle causes increasing destruction.
They need to be stopped immediately.

“It's time.
[HELL DARK BLADE] !!!!”

With full strength, Kuro swings his sword downward, aiming directly at the two dragons still engaged in battle.
The dragons appear to disregard Kuro's attack, but from their expressions, they actually realize the danger of his strike.

One of the dragons attacks Kuro's sword with a burst of light, but the light is immediately engulfed by Kuro's sword.

(Futile!)

“Hyaaaa!!!!!”

Kuro continues his relentless attack, destroying everything in his path, but before his sword makes contact with the two dragons, they vanish like ghosts.

“..eh?”

Kuro was immediately shocked.
At the same time, he couldn't cancel his attack.

The next thing is predictable.
Kuro's sword now hit the city of Hindiaz with a devastating destructive force, destroying anything it touched.
The island split and the sea also split for 5 kilometers.

After the smoke cleared, what remained was a city that was now divided and destroyed.
Compared to the impact of the two dragons, the damage caused by his attack was much more severe.

“……………………..ah, I guess I have to escape as quickly as possible.”

Kuro immediately used a teleportation item and fled to his home in Midgard.

He went to the bathroom and soaked in warm water to forget about what had happened recently.

In addition, he didn't expect to receive a task from his father to investigate a mysterious death case in the city.
Until now, the police had not found any clues.
That was understandable because their deaths were not caused by normal means.

And that's when Kuro had to fulfill his duty as one of the Kanata family members.
But-

“Isn't this kind of task supposed to be two years later when I graduate?”

Kuro leaned his body and enjoyed his bath.

He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again with an unhappy expression.

Why did this happen to him? The reason was simple because everything was fate and predetermined by God.

Blup blup blup blup….

Kuro finally submerged himself in the bathtub, causing water bubbles.

But before he could enjoy his rest time…

“Ice Bullet.”

A white light shot towards the bathtub and froze the warm water along with Kuro inside it.

“?”

Kuro didn't quite understand what was happening, but he could guess who was capable of doing this, although he didn't know why he was being treated like this.

From within the ice, he could see three human figures approaching him.

“So it's you…”

Kuro then used his physical strength to break out of the ice.
The ice cracked and shattered into pieces, revealing Kuro's naked figure.

“Hi- Anna, I won't make a big deal out of this, but can you explain what's going on?”

But he didn't get an answer.
Instead, he received an unpleasant and sharp gaze from his three wives.

“Hm…
why are you all in such a mess? Could it be because of the dragons?”

Kuro realized that upon closer inspection, the armor and equipment of the three of them were almost completely destroyed and severely damaged.
This was quite surprising because all the items they used were high-class items with almost perfect durability.

If the items they were wearing ended up like that, then the dragon's attack must have been incredibly powerful.
However, the three of them shook their heads and remained silent.
But it was clear that they still wore displeased expressions.

(For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this…)

And that feeling proved to be true when his two wives exchanged a meaningful glance with Flamia.

Flamia nodded and immediately used the skill [Fire Chain] to bind Kuro's body…
who was still naked.
Again, for some reason, this always seemed to happen to him.

“……………Alright, what's going on here?”

Without a word, Kuro was dragged out of the bathroom by his three wives.

In the living room, the three of them sat at the dining table with serious expressions.
They had changed into regular clothing items since they were now inside the safe confines of their home.

Their expressions indicated that they were troubled by something.

“Alright, does anyone know what happened earlier?” Chika asked.
“We know those two dragons weren't ordinary dragon monsters, but most importantly, it's the first time I've seen monsters fighting in the middle of the city.”

Chika turned directly to Flamia.

They were discussing a case that could be considered impossible in CSO.
Of course, if there was a logical reason, then everything was possible in CSO.

“As a Valkyrie Maiden, you must know what happened or at least have some clues about it, right?” she continued.

Flamia immediately nodded and displayed a panel showing data about the two dragon monsters that rampaged in the city of Hindiaz earlier.

Chiaki and Anna's eyes widened in surprise at the data presented by Flamia.

Ice Crystal Dragon and Water Queen Dragon.
Both were unique and rare monsters with a level of 444.
They possessed high defense and power stats, making them difficult to defeat.
It could even be said that they had stats comparable to the Demon King in the third world, Alfheim.

“Why would two powerful monsters like that appear in an area inhabited by monsters with levels around 410-420?” Anna asked.
“Could there be some kind of bug in CSO? But…”

“That's impossible.
There has never been a bug in CSO.”

The three of them immediately wore complicated expressions.

CSO may be a game world at a glance, but they knew that CSO was a different world, so the likelihood of a problem occurring within the system was impossible or very unlikely.

“Oh, by the way, where did these dragons come from?” Anna asked.

Flamia immediately displayed the opened map of Avantheim (Liber-explored) and the remaining unexplored areas.
The data showed that the majority of Avantheim's territory remained unexplored.

Then Flamia pointed to a small unexplored section on the map.

“Sabria Island?”

Flamia nodded.

“That's where they come from.
As far as I know, the island is covered in snow and can be considered an ice island.”

“Hmm…
are there many monsters like them?”

“No.
As far as I know, there are only six of them.”

After hearing that, Chika fell silent, resting her chin on her hand as if deep in thought.

“But most importantly, how could those monsters be present in a distant territory from their origin? Wait a moment, if I recall correctly, didn't those monsters suddenly appear in Hindiaz City without us realizing it?”

“Anna-chan is right.”

Flamia immediately realized something.

“I even forgot about that fact.
If that's the case, I think we can easily find the cause.”

Chika, who was silent, nodded, understanding what Flamia was about to say.

“The two monsters could suddenly appear because there is a Liber who used a skill similar to the one Onii-chan uses, right?”

Flamia nodded and smiled happily.

“Yes, and since those two monsters are special, we know that only a few Libers are capable of doing it.”

“Are you both saying that one of the Valkyrie Maidens, like Flamia-chan, could be the ones who destroyed the city?”

Chika and Flamia did not deny that possibility.
Instead, they nodded to confirm it.

“But who? Does Flamia-chan know who one of the Valkyrie Maidens is?” Anna asked again.

Flamia didn't immediately answer and fell into contemplation.

“What's wrong? Is there a problem?”

“No, but we will have difficulty finding the culprits among the other six Valkyrie Maidens, Anna.
You know that we are special beings and more troublesome than ordinary Libers.”

“………”

“………”

For some reason, both of them couldn't argue against that statement.

“But first, we have to find them.
And that's our biggest problem.”

“Don't you have some kind of tracking skill to find all six of them?”

Kuro, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
His words made sense, but he received an unpleasant reaction from the three of them.

“Eh? I still don't understand why you're angry, but can you release this chain?”

Kuro protested because he was still tied up and forced to stand not far from them, completely naked.
Flamia's [Fire Chain] skill was a special binding skill with unique effects.
Now Kuro could hardly use his skills, or there might be a skill that could suppress Kuro's abilities.

And that was the problem.
Kuro didn't mind not being able to use his skills, but if he was bound naked in the middle of the room, he would immediately start shivering from the cold.

“Sorry, Onii-chan, but that's your punishment for almost killing the three of us.”

Anna stood up from her chair and approached Kuro.
Anna smiled faintly and looked at him with an irritated gaze.

At that moment, she realized what had made the three of them angry.

“Onii-chan, don't forget that we still don't know what happens if Flamia-chan dies.
That's why we fight together.
But we didn't die at the hands of monsters, but at the hands of someone we love.
Isn't that ironic, Onii-chan?”

The cold gaze and sharp words were a side of Anna (Ruko) that she rarely showed to others.
But Kuro and Shiro, who knew Anna well, knew very well that there was only one thing that made her like this.
She was angry.

And in moments like this, Kuro knew it was futile to defend himself.

“Fine, Onii-chan apologizes to all three of you.”

“……”

He received sharp gazes.

“Especially you, Flamia.
I regret it and won't repeat it.”

Flamia smiled happily after hearing that.
Kuro's apology was also a sign that he cared for them.

“….but how could i almost kill you all with my attack? Didn't I tell you to dodge?”

Unbeknownst to Kuro,that question was the one that trapped him in a bigger problem.