C.S.O.

 February 13, 2040, one day before Valentine's Day.

“This is the first time I'm making chocolates.
I hope I can make them delic—whaaaaa!!!!”

Before she could finish her sentence, a pot in front of Flamia emitted thick black smoke and a pungent burnt smell that filled the air.

Flamia panicked and failed to extinguish the fire, causing it to grow even larger.
The black smoke filled the kitchen, making the atmosphere uncomfortable.

“Ha…
what have you done…?”

With a heavy sigh, Chiaki arrived and extinguished the fire that had been growing.
Meanwhile, Ruko immediately poured water into the pot to eliminate the pungent black smoke.

After the smoke disappeared, three beautiful girls with black smudges on their faces could be seen.
They finally burst into laughter upon seeing each other's faces.
And then, they continued what they had started.

At the moment, they were in Kuro's kitchen.
As it appeared, they were making chocolates for the person they loved, or rather, their husband.

For Ruko and Chiaki, making chocolates was something easy since they made them for Kuro every year.
However, it was Flamia's first time, so she found it challenging.

She didn't even know that on Valentine's Day, there was a tradition to give chocolates to someone they cherished.
And even though they had prepared a guidebook for making chocolates, the experience still proved to be important in cooking.

Fortunately, Ruko and Chiaki were quick to respond and told Flamia the correct way to make chocolates so that they wouldn't make any more mistakes.

“Ah…
I see.
So, my way earlier was wrong.”

Flamia watched as Chiaki and Ruko melting the chocolate with hot water.

Compared to her method of directly melting the chocolate, their approach was indeed different.

“A big mistake.”

“Ugggghh…”

Their synchronized words made her feel down.

“Yeah, I know, but you didn't have to be so honest about it.”

Both of them simply smiled and chuckled at Flamia, who was actually a princess in Celestial Soul Online.

“But where's Kuro? I haven't seen him since earlier.”

“Onii-chan is online in his room.
He said he found a clue about those two dragons.”

Flamia narrowed her eyes.

“…So, that's how it is.
He's still thinking about it…”

More than a week had passed since the incident of the attack by two giant dragons in Hindiaz City, and Kuro almost killed his three wives.
However, that incident was not the end.

Similar incidents occurred in various cities in Avantheim, and the damage caused in Hindiaz City could be considered the smallest of them all.

“Even though I wasn't too angry, why did he still do it?”

During that time, Kuro searched for clues about the owners of the two dragons that kept causing destruction.
But so far, there weren't many clues left because their owners were among the Valkyrie Maidens.

“Surely, it's because Onii-chan loves us,” Ruko answered.
“But most importantly, he doesn't want us to get hurt or killed, even though we're inside a game.”

Although they already know that Celestial Soul Online is actually another world, they will consider it just a strange game world.

“I know Kuro loves us, but even if he finds clues, he won't be able to do much because we're dealing with Valkyrie Maidens like me.”

“Why do you think Kuro-chan is so weak? You've seen his power for yourself.
If it comes to strength, maybe he's the only one capable of handling a troublesome Valkyrie Maiden like you.”

“I know we cause trouble, but hearing it so bluntly from you is a bit painful…”

Tears flow from Flamia's eyes, but she quickly brightens up.

“But what do you mean by only Kuro being able to handle us?”

“…”

“I know he's strong, and I don't think there's any other Liber in CSO who can do the same things as Kuro, but I feel like you two know something that I don't…
is that right?”

Ruko and Chiaki fall silent and ponder.
They continue to focus on what they're doing as if avoiding answering Flamia's question.

Chiaki puts the dough in the oven and sets the temperature and time.
Meanwhile, Ruko, for some reason, takes a radish from the refrigerator.

Ruko sighs softly as if she wants to say something difficult.

“Flamia-chan…
You've gotten to know Onii-chan well recently.
Besides, I think you already know both the good and the bad about Onii-chan, but what is your opinion of him?”

“Eh? Um…
if you're asking me all of a sudden…
Well, let me think…”

Flamia puts her hand on her chin.
She seems to be thinking and recalling something.

“I think he's a strange person.
That was my first impression when I met him.”

“…”

“I was a bit surprised to learn that many girls like him.
I think he's a bit of a playboy because he's good at charming girls.”

“…and?”

“He's too strong as a beginner player…
maybe…”

The fact that Kuro does things that are impossible for a beginner Liber is the most striking thing he does.
Sword Skill, Magic Skill, Divine Skill.
All of these can be obtained by other Libers in CSO under certain conditions and depending on luck, but Kuro's power is different.
Kuro's true strength lies in using all of his skills to their fullest and being able to combine them into incredibly powerful attacks.
And that's why Kuro's attacks are so devastating, even though his level is much lower than his opponents'.

[Black Magic Blade Enchant] is the easiest example.
At a glance, it seems like a high-level skill that takes time to use, but that's not true.
Black Magic Blade Enchant is a combination of 32 skills at once, and using such a high-level skill is impossible for an ordinary human.

“And I don't think he's an ordinary human like you two.”

“Sorry, but I'm the only ordinary human here.”

Flamia looks at Chiaki, who is casually leaning on the table.

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“It's nothing special, but like I said before, maybe you don't know, but Ruko-chan is not an ordinary human either.”

“I still don't understand what you mean,” Flamia says while looking at Ruko standing next to her.
“Could it be that Ruko is like me, a creature from another mythology?”

Chiaki sighs.
Her head also hurts dealing with Flamia, who can be considered insensitive.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she's clueless.

“I haven't met creatures from other mythologies yet, but I think I'll meet them eventually…
but what I mean is simpler than what you think.
Ruko-chan, why don't you just show her so she can understand easily!”

“Chiaki-chan, why are you saying it as if my powers are just a toy? I know we discussed telling Flamia, but…
fine.”

Ruko cuts the radish she took into several pieces.
Flamia doesn't understand the connection between the radish and the mentioned power, so she can only look at them with a confused expression.

“First, look at this…”

A white aura suddenly radiates from Ruko's body.
After a few moments, drops of water move around the pieces of radish Ruko cut earlier.

Then the water stops moving and flows to the floor.
But that's not what surprises Flamia.

“The radish pieces are back together?”

Flamia can hardly believe what she's seeing.
Although she is already familiar with Ruko's abilities, which can be considered one of the Magic Skills, such a thing can only happen if Ruko is in CSO.

“H-How is this possible?”

“It's very simple,” Chiaki replies.
“Kuro-chan and Ruko-chan aren't ordinary humans.
Didn't I already say that I'm the only ordinary human here?”

“…….”

Flamia glanced at Ruko with a curious look in her eyes.

“It's different from when I was in CSO, where I could use various ice-elemental skills.
Here, I can only use healing magic.
…Of course, I still have other magic, but I need certain conditions to use them.”

“Certain conditions?”

Ruko nodded slowly.

“..but I still don't understand.
If that's the case, isn't it an extraordinary ability? Why should it be kept a secret?”

Chiaki sighed again, this time more heavily.

“Well, because in our world, powers like magic shouldn't exist.”

“But isn't that strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“I once said that magic can only be used in a world filled with mana.
That's why I can still use magic in this world, but I don't understand why people in this world can't use magic.
Besides, if magic shouldn't exist, doesn't that mean Ruko-chan doesn't have magic either?”

“……”

“…..”

Both of them were taken aback by the unexpected question.

“Haa…
I guess we'll explain it another time, but for now, you understand why Kuro-chan is so strong.
The answer to why he's so powerful is that he not only uses the power gained from skills but also his own innate power.”

“….”

“Usually, this would be impossible because VR games only manipulate nerves, but you once explained that we're not controlling characters, but rather controlling our souls in CSO.
That's why Kuro-chan can use his own power.”

That's the same reason why the game is called Celestial Soul Online.
And also why the game feels so real.

All of this is possible because the VR gear for CSO was designed not to cut off nerves like regular games but to transfer Liber's soul so that it can enter the world known as the Celestial World.

“Alright, I understand.
I now know I didn't make a mistake in choosing a husband.”

“……”

“..but what is Kuro's power exactly? Until now, I still don't quite understand.”

Ruko didn't answer and instead bowed her head, looking sad.
She seemed to remember something she didn't want to recall.

Meanwhile, Chiaki just sighed again, as if she could already predict what would happen.

The atmosphere became uncomfortable and heavy.
Just then, the sound of the oven signaled that the chocolate they were baking was ready.

“…I guess you've seen Kuro-chan's power…
now, why don't we decorate the cake.”

“Yes, of course, but I've never decorated a cake before, so it might be a little messy, hehehe.”

After taking the chocolate cake out of the oven, Chiaki placed the finished cake on the table to be decorated.

They intentionally made a large cake to represent the feelings of all three of them.

The atmosphere became slightly better, and happiness could be seen on Ruko's face.
But it didn't mean the problem was solved.

There were secrets that Ruko and Chiaki were hiding.
Flamia wasn't foolish enough not to realize this, but the question haunting Flamia right now was whether they didn't trust her.

“Oh, by the way, can you find Kuro-chan's whereabouts now?”

“Isn't he in bed?”

Chiaki sighed softly.

“I mean Kuro's whereabouts in CSO.”

“Ah…
I understand.”

Flamia could use all the skills she had in CSO, which meant she was the only one who could find Kuro's current location, even though technically she was in bed.

A panel appeared in front of Flamia.
The panel showed a map and a red dot indicating Kuro's location.

“Eh?”

Flamia was surprised when she saw the position of the red dot.

“Is something happening with Onii-chan?”

Ruko and Chiaki stopped decorating the cake and looked at Flamia.

“No, but there's something strange, look at this…”

Flamia expanded the panel and turned it into 3D.
The panel showed a long mountain range and several plains that were bodies of water.

But what was strange was that the red dot was moving quickly.

“Isn't this strange? Kuro is moving at high speed.
I heard he got a clue, could he be rushing to that place?”

Chiaki looked like she was thinking about something and carefully observed the panel and the red dot.

“I don't think so.”

“What do you mean, Chiaki-chan?” Ruko asked.

“Right now, Kuro is in the Aflien Mountains.
We know that place isn't inhabited by many monsters, and there isn't a single city either.
It's safe to say there's nothing special about those mountains.”

The Aflien Mountains were located on one of the largest islands in Avantheim.
The mountains had many steep and dangerous slopes.
There weren't too many monsters inhabiting the area, so it wasn't suitable for normal Liber to gain exp.
points.

“Besides, isn't Kuro-chan's movement a bit odd.”

The red dot wasn't just moving quickly but also occasionally moving in a zigzag pattern.

“You're right.
If he's in a hurry, wouldn't that be an unnecessary movement?”

“Yes.
That means he's not moving because he wants to go somewhere.”

Chiaki looked back at Flamia.

“Flamia, can you use your detection skills around Kuro's location?”

“Sorry, but I can't.”

“……”

“If I were in CSO, I could detect anything within a 20 km radius, but we're in your world now.
There's nothing I can do.”

Upon hearing that answer, Chiaki wasn't particularly surprised or sad, but she immediately thought again.

“If that's the case, can we contact Kuro-chan? Let's ask him directly about what's happening.”

“Ah…
we can contact Kuro.
As long as he's wearing the ring, you can also contact him anytime.”

Although technically the ring couldn't be removed from their fingers, they heard another piece of news that was quite pleasant.

“I didn't expect the ring to have similarities to a cell phone.
Could it be the latest model?” Ruko said with a slightly joking tone.

Ruko's smile changed the atmosphere to feel warm and pleasant.

Flamia contacted Kuro using video call communication.
It took a few tries before Kuro answered their call.

[Darlings, you better have a good reason because I'm very busy.]

A panel showed a picture of Kuro flying at high speed with dark black wings.
From the panel, they could also see Kuro dodging explosions.

“Onii-chan, what's happening?”

[I'm just being chased by them.]

Kuro glanced back, and that made all three of them realize what was chasing Kuro.

Two dragon-shaped monsters, but long like snakes and with 6 wings that allow them to fly quickly and agilely.

“Dragonfly? How did they start chasing you?” Flamia asked.

Dragonfly is a monster with a level above 430.
They have various types depending on the elemental magic of the monster.

The Dragonflies chasing Kuro were blue and white, indicating that they were water-element Dragonflies.

The two Dragonflies attacked Kuro alternately, but Kuro managed to dodge their attacks with agile movements.

However, an ice-element Dragonfly's attack hit Kuro's leg, freezing it.

“Kuh…” Kuro decisively cut off his frozen leg with his sword.
Kuro's HP bar was reduced to 20 percent, but he used a Potion to restore his HP and heal his leg.

“They're really stubborn.”

After memorizing the path ahead, Kuro turned around to see the Dragonflies chasing him.

Kuro then used the skill [Dark Bind] in front of him and used it as a foothold to leap backward and bypass the two Dragonflies.

His body was almost torn apart as the Dragonflies' hands nearly sliced him, but with a stroke of luck, he only received scratches.
Even with just scratches, he could have died instantly, but he used a Resurrection Scroll item that could revive him.

The incident happened in just a second, but Kuro did it as naturally as breathing.

Afterward, Kuro used the skill [Dark Thunder] to attack the Dragonflies that had now turned toward him.
Black lightning surged from Kuro's hands and aimed at the two Dragonflies, but they managed to dodge it.

However, what Kuro targeted was not the two Dragonflies but the ice pillars in the abyss.

The ice pillars collapsed, triggering a chain reaction that caused other pillars to fall.
The Dragonflies now focused on avoiding the falling ice pillars, and once they successfully dodged them, they resumed chasing Kuro.
But Kuro was already in his new position, disappearing from sight.

Not far from there, precisely in a small crevice in the ice wall, Kuro walked laboriously with a vigilant stance.

“Kuro, are you okay?”

“Onii-chan, are you alright?”

“I'm fine, but I think it will take some time for me to shake them off.”

Kuro then sat down and rested to replenish his depleted MP.

“Kuro, can you explain why the Dragonflies are chasing you? As far as I know, they are not monsters that would attack Liber in that manner.”

Dragonfly is one of the dragon-type monsters, and all dragon-type monsters share one common trait: they don't get along with other dragons.
In other words, Dragonfly will never cooperate in carrying out attacks together.

“Ha…
let me rest for a while.
I'm really tired,” they all frowned simultaneously.
There was no worry or anxiety from the three of them, even though their husband was in a dangerous situation.
The biggest reason might be because Kuro was currently in a game, but their greatest reason was that they believed Kuro would be able to overcome his problems.

“You really don't seem concerned about me, and that makes me a little sad…” Kuro complained, but there was no significant reaction from them.

“Anyway, I've found clues about their location and I'm trying to meet them to find out the reason behind all this,” Kuro explained.
The three of them knew exactly whom Kuro was referring to.
They were aware of the identities of the Valkyrie Maiden who owned the two dragons causing havoc in Avantheim—Horizon and Angela.
They were twin Valkyrie Maidens with water and ice elemental skills, as well as the skill [Taming].

Although they already knew the identities of the people they were looking for, it didn't mean their problems were solved.
In fact, their problems were just beginning.
Horizon and Angela were known for their frequent quarrels, and no one knew when and where they would fight.
This resulted in any place they visited being destroyed within a matter of hours.

Flamia, being one of the Valkyrie Maidens herself, was somewhat similar to them, but compared to the others, the damage caused by Flamia was relatively minor.
Despite being fellow Valkyrie Maidens, it didn't mean they had a good relationship.
This was also the reason why they were having difficulty resolving the issue.

Their initial plan was to locate Angela and Horizon, but they were only two out of two billion Liber CSO, making it not an easy task to find them.
“I even tried approaching them, but as you can see, they attacked me with their monsters.
Now I'm far away from them, and I think I have to search for them again,” Kuro explained his dilemma.
It took a long time to find them, and now he had lost their trail once more.
The three of them understood this.

“But it's not a big problem.
I can find them anytime,” Kuro assured them. 

“Onii-chan, what do you mean?” Chiaki asked.

“You know, it's not just them who have monsters,” Kuro smiled, and they immediately understood what he meant.

Among the many monsters Kuro possessed, there was one with a unique ability.
This particular monster had the ability to track someone and evade detection skills, making it difficult to find.
Although Kuro couldn't see what the monster saw like a video camera, as the owner of the monster, he could know its location.

“Onii-chan is truly amazing,” Ruko said, smiling happily and proud of Kuro's actions.

“But doesn't that mean…” Chiaki started, and Kuro nodded, confirming her suspicion.

“Yes, I have to stay online so that Tsukaimaku can keep an eye on them…
but now I have a problem that needs to be resolved first.”

Tsukaima used by Kuro to monitor them was a Chameleon Bat.
These small monsters had a reptilian body and bat-like wings.
They were difficult to track but weak.

“We understand, but we ask that you don't push yourself too hard.
Flamia-chan, keep an eye on Kuro as a precaution.
For some reason, I have a bad feeling this time,” Chiaki said.

“Alright” Flamia agreed.

The connection was then cut.
Kuro's face returned to a red dot, and the panel size was reduced.

Meanwhile, Flamia helped decorate a chocolate cake together.

Kuro came out of his hiding place and headed towards a wide area.
Staying in one place for too long was not a good idea because Dragonfly would eventually find him.
And when that happened, he would have a hard time fighting them.

Using detection skills, Kuro waited for the right time, after the two Dragonflies flew in the opposite direction of their intended destination.
He needed to resolve the issue as soon as possible because he knew his Tsukaima's location was gradually getting further away.
That was not a good sign, as it meant the two Valkyrie Maidens were also moving away.

Kuro activated the [Dark Wings] skill and flew at high speed while remaining vigilant of the two Dragonflies.
He chose to fly low to avoid being easily detected and to make it easier for him to defend himself if attacked.

Slowly but surely, he distanced himself from the two Dragonflies.
At the same time, he searched for the location of his Tsukaima through a small floating panel in front of him.

At that speed, he would reach his destination in about an hour, but considering the MP he was consuming, he might need more time.

After flying for quite some time, Kuro had left the island and was heading towards the next location.
He was flying over an ocean covered in ice.

According to the map, Kuro's Tsukaima was currently on a remote island, which was nearly three times the size of a football field.

“……..”

And at that moment, Kuro realized something strange because his Tsukaima's position had stopped moving.

“Could it be that they have stopped moving?”

Although it was a plausible possibility, Kuro considered other possibilities.

“Or have they already realized that they're being followed?”

Considering his current target, this possibility seemed most reasonable, but…

“(Combat (Chameleon Bat) is still alive; if they found out, they would surely kill it.)”

Kuro thought of various other possibilities, but there was little he could do about this issue.

“I guess I have to go there first…”

Kuro increased his speed, even though it would cost him a lot of mana.
Fortunately, he still had some mana potions.
Now he needed to figure out a way to conserve his mana and reach his destination.

During the journey, Kuro could see several ships ridden by Liber.
There was also Liber engaged in a battle against a giant fish-shaped monster that spewed water cannons.

No matter how many times Kuro witnessed the scenery of the Celestial World, he never felt bored and was always amazed.
The fantasy world he often saw in storybooks was now right in front of his eyes.
No, he was even inside that world.

Kuro flew past them at a high speed like a bullet.
Some monsters targeted him from beneath the sea's surface, lunging at him like sharks, but Kuro managed to dodge and even deliver a few strikes.

After returning the sword to both of his hands, Kuro continued his journey.

At an altitude of 2000 meters above the sea, two people spotted Kuro flying from a distance.
They used the skills [Water Wings] and [Ice Wings] to remain airborne in the sky.

They were two girls with long, straight white and blue hair that looked beautiful whenever the wind unraveled it.

They wore exquisite armor, rare items that were hard to obtain for ordinary Liber.
And the armor they wore had the same colors as their hair.

“He's strong, but I can't believe there's something wrong with my detection skill.”

“I think it's because your detection skill is really lousy, Onee-chan.”

“Tch!”

“But I saw the same thing too.”

Both of them were surprised by Kuro's level, which was significantly different from theirs.

“We decided to have a temporary truce because we knew we were being followed lately, but I feel like we've been deceived.”

They had the same face, but they had different personalities.
One appeared calm, while the other seemed reckless and hyperactive.

“Ugh…
I've heard about Liber like him, but I never expected to see one in person.
Hori-chan, isn't he intriguing?”

Her younger sister, Horizon, sighed softly.

“I know Onee-chan has strange thoughts, but can we continue with our original goal?”

“I know, but it's so boring.
How about we start playing something new?”

The younger sister fell silent for a moment as if pondering something.

“Alright.
This time, I agree with you, Onee-chan.
How about we make this our 74th?”

“I'm glad you have the same idea as me, Hori-chan.”

Both of them summoned their weapons.
The silver-haired younger sister summoned a bow, while the elder sister summoned a staff.

In the CSO, bows were categorized as nonexistent weapons, but Liber was given the freedom to create their own weapons, including bows.

However, Horizon's bow was not a creation; it was an item categorized as a God Slayer.

“Hey, that's cheating! Why are you using that?”

“What do you mean? I don't understand, Onee-chan.”

Horizon ignored Angela, who was protesting, and without hesitation, she pulled the bowstring back with full force.
Then, a white-colored arrow appeared.

Feeling ignored, Angela acted using her own skill.
Dozens, hundreds, and thousands of water droplets appeared around the two of them, resembling a rain shower.

Their target, of course, was Kuro.

Meanwhile, Kuro continued flying at full speed, unaware that someone was targeting him from a distance.
His low level put him at a significant disadvantage in situations like this.
The main reason was his low level, which meant that his skills were also low-level and not very helpful in battles.

Kuro realized this more than anyone else, which is why he used a method to overcome this weakness: using his original power, not the power derived from the game system.

From the beginning, he knew that his original power could be used in the CSO, but to use it to its full extent, [Shiro] had to control his body.
Kuro and Shiro were two entities, which is why they had the same goals and thoughts….and Shiro controlling Kuro's body was also their decision.

But it didn't mean they were using their original power.
Currently, Kuro was still using the power he obtained from the CSO and only resorted to his original power when in desperate situations.

“?!”

Suddenly, his detection skill warned him of an attack, like a radar.
It wasn't just one or two attacks, but thousands of them.

Kuro looked up and was even more surprised by what he saw: white and blue lights, which were arrows and a rain of dots, speeding like bullets.
But that wasn't the only thing that surprised Kuro.

At the moment, he was flying at high speed, making it difficult to be targeted except by attacks similar to a sniper's weapon that could shoot bullets at high speed.

(They're launching multiple attacks because they know they won't easily hit me.)

With his current speed, Kuro would be hit directly in the middle of the barrage, and due to the high density of the attacks, he wouldn't be able to dodge no matter how fast he was.

Kuro had only a few options to avoid these attacks.

Knowing that he didn't have many choices, Kuro immediately devised a plan.

What he did was continue flying without attempting to dodge, then after calculating the distance, Kuro used the skill [Dark Bind] right in his path.

Unlike the usual [Dark Bind] he created, this one was quite large.

With the wall in front of him, Kuro was like crashing into a truck if he kept flying, but without hesitation, he continued flying and even increased his speed.

“What is he thinking?”

Horizon observed Kuro's actions.
Normally, when faced with an attack like that, Liber would use defensive skills to protect themselves.
Although this method would cost some MP, it was the most common approach.
However, Kuro crashed into the wall at full speed, but something strange happened.
Kuro didn't lose any HP and seemed to be absorbed by the wall.

Then Kuro completely disappeared and became invisible, but the wall changed shape as if melting and bending.

(?! Don't tell me he…) Horizon's guess was correct.
Kuro was then thrown back like a high-speed bullet.
Yes, from the beginning, Kuro intended to fly backward to avoid the attack zone.
(It's an unusual and clever plan, but…) With Kuro's current speed, he wouldn't be able to dodge all the attacks due to the wide attack zone.
Feeling like he was going to win, Horizon was surprised by Kuro's unexpected actions.

Kuro turned upwards, and his black wings started to glow.

“Move forward and destroy everything [Black Bullet Sword].” Kuro's black wings scattered hundreds of black feathers in the air, but the wings moved toward the hundreds of arrows and raindrops heading his way.
The black feathers hit every arrow and raindrop, allowing Kuro to fly out of the attack zone without losing any MP.

“Damn, I've used too much mana.”

Kuro managed to survive, but at the same time, the sea hit by the ice arrows instantly froze with an area of almost 1 kilometer.
Liber, who witnessed the sudden freezing of the ice, could only gape and feel amazed.

“Kh..”

Kuro looked upwards at the source of the attack directed at him.
He saw two small figures in the sky.
Sharpening his vision, he clearly saw two beautiful and graceful girls.
Kuro immediately realized they weren't ordinary Liber, especially with the bow weapon that he had never seen before.

“[Analyze]”

Kuro used the analysis skill to determine the enemy and their strength.
The skill didn't provide much information when used on Liber and monsters with higher levels than him.
Even so, the analysis results were enough for Kuro to know who he was facing.

“They are Valkyrie Maidens.
I suppose they're angry because I've been tailing them.”

Kuro broke out in a cold sweat.
He could easily defeat monsters, but his experience in fighting against other Liber was very limited.
If he fought against the two of them, he would be at a significant disadvantage.
But if he ran, it would contradict his goals.
Meanwhile, in the sky, Angela looked surprised as Kuro managed to evade their combined attack without getting hurt.
Their intention was to kill Kuro with a single strike, but the outcome was far from what they had expected.

“Fuuu…
I can't believe he dodged it without getting injured.”

“…”

“He's tougher than we thought.
Now we can't determine the winner.
Do you still want to continue?”

 Hundreds of water droplets reappeared around the two of them.
However, Horizon showed no intention of attacking again.
Horizon remained silent and continued to observe what Kuro was doing.
She knew that Kuro was aware of their current position and certainly knew their true identities as well.
Usually, Liber who knew their identities would immediately flee, but for some reason, Kuro seemed to be trying to meet them.

The familiar he used to follow them must have been used to encounter them rather than just tailing them.
The problem was, what was Kuro's intention in meeting them

 “……Onee-chan, instead of killing him, I think it would be better if we capture that Liber.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

“….”

“I think by exhausting him, it would deter him immediately.
Besides, it's also a lesson for anyone who dares to tail us.
I know we're beautiful and sexy, but I don't want to be followed by a pervert.”

“..Onee-chan, just do it!!”

“Tch, give me one reason why we should capture him!”

“Isn't my order reason enough?”

“Okay, I suppose that's enough.
You know, Hori-chan, sometimes you can be quite scary, but whatever [Chain of Dragon].”

Hundreds of water droplets transformed into numerous small water dragons.
Meanwhile, Horizon pulled her bowstring again, and seven brightly shining silver arrows appeared.
This surprised Angela a bit because she knew what skill Horizon was using at the moment.

“Hori-chan, why are you using that? You know it's one of our trump cards, and if we use it, the enemy will know our weaknesses.
Besides, why are you using it just to face a small bug like him?”

Angela looked both surprised and confused, but Horizon remained calm and seemed to analyze Kuro's actions more.

“..that bug is bigger than it seems.
Onee-chan should have realized the attack from Liber when it hit us, right?”

Angela fell silent and didn't argue with Horizon's words because she understood what was really happening, or what Kuro was capable of.
Black Magic Bullet Sword was a wide-area skill similar to their first attack, and since the two attacks had significantly different base levels, Kuro's attack should have no effect on their second attack.

But the reality was different.
At first glance, Kuro's attack clashed with their attack, but it was a mistake.
Kuro's attack hit and deflected their attack, causing Horizon and Angela's attacks to collide and eventually neutralize each other.

They witnessed this happening right before their eyes.

“I guess Onee-chan understands my intention.
So, I don't think we can capture him the usual way.”

Horizon focused on Kuro once again.
Now, Kuro was flying towards them with two swords in his hands, ready to face the two of them.

“…farewell, Black Liber!”

Seven magical circles appeared in the path of Horizon's arrows, and then the circles merged like a cannon ready to be fired.
Meanwhile, Angela initiated the attack with the Magic Skill Chain of Dragon that she had prepared beforehand.

Dozens of small water dragons flew and targeted Kuro.
Their speed wasn't too high, so Kuro managed to slash through the water dragons, but they quickly reformed and attacked Kuro again and again.
And because Kuro had weaker stats, he didn't have many options other than trying to avoid the attacks.

Even if he got hit, he could still use recovery items, but unfortunately, he only had two recovery items left.
Horizon continued to concentrate on targeting her arrows at Kuro, like a lock-on system on a fighter jet.

Beep! A locked-on target sign appeared in front of Horizon's eyes, and her dull gaze immediately sharpened like that of a wild beast.

“[Ice Breaker!!!!!]”

Bright white aura radiated from the tips of her seven arrows, and at the same time, Horizon released the arrows toward Kuro.
Each arrow scattered in seven different directions, moving like snakes.
The arrows also froze the air along their path, creating a thread on the arrows.

“!?”

Kuro realized the next attack was coming.
And this attack was different from before.
The small water dragons that were attacking him suddenly stopped because they froze, but this unexpected event occurred considering the arrows were still quite far away.

But that wasn't all, Kuro's body also gradually froze into ice.
His clothes, his swords, everything slowly froze.

Kuro's instincts told him that his enemy's attack was extremely dangerous.
Even compared to the monsters he had faced before, the difference was too significant.

Kuro's mind urged him to run.
Although he used his original power, he knew it was too late.
That was because his power had similarities to Ruko's power.

The first similarity was that their powers couldn't be used without certain conditions.
Second, the greater the power unleashed, the longer the required time.

Kuro had been doing the same thing for a while.
He used his original power to fight, but he made preparations to be able to use his power.
As a result, Kuro could swiftly and easily pass through the city like a cheater.

However, it didn't mean that Kuro had to rely on his original power to escape this situation.

“The only way for me to survive is by using it.”

“Khh…”

Kuro immediately prepared a skill he had never used except in dire situations.

“I have to use Dark Counter, but…”

Dark Counter was a skill that could reverse any attack, whether it was a magic skill or a sword skill.
However, Kuro had to fulfill certain conditions to be able to use it.

But the main reason Kuro rarely used it was that after using the skill, there were risks he had to accept.
However, Kuro hesitated to use it because he was currently facing Valkryie Maidens like Flamia.
And as Kuro remembered, they were beings full of mystery.

Although he was married to one of them, the fact that little was known about them remained unchanged.

“This is truly…”

The arrows were now approaching him.
Although none of the arrows had hit him yet, his body was almost freezing.

He was in trouble, but Kuro smiled and looked resigned.
It wasn't because he knew he was hesitating, but because he was aware of an undeniable fact.

Horizon's attack not only froze him but also froze his skills.
Kuro realized this when he tried to use [Auto Use].

When he realized this, it was already too late.
The seven arrows that had scattered in all directions suddenly vanished without a trace.

“A skill capable of freezing anything, even gods…
interesting!”

Kuro smiled after knowing the arrows had disappeared.
He also knew his fate.

The seven arrows appeared right in front of Kuro and immediately merged into one brightly shining arrow.
And that arrow easily pierced through Kuro's body like a sheet of paper and finally entered the ocean below.

And then, in an instant, everything froze.
The sea froze over an area of more than 10 kilometers.
Indiscriminately, both monsters and Liber within the range of the attack were frozen.

But what made it even more astonishing was Kuro's body, now encased in a large cubic block of ice.
Motionless and unable to do anything, as if imprisoned.

“…[Break!]”

After the final chant, the block of ice shattered and melted into dust, ultimately blown away by the wind.

That extraordinary event was like an illusion that occurred in the world of CSO.
The same applied to Kuro.
His figure could not be seen anywhere.

“……”

Horizon didn't show any pleasure in doing all that to Liber, whom she didn't know, but everything was already done.
There was no use regretting it.
The same applied to Angela, who just remained silent and watched what happened.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Kuro's three wives had finished baking their cakes.
They were still making cakes, but small ones to be enjoyed together.

“?!”

Suddenly, Flamia was startled by Kuro's disappearing red dot.
It wasn't a big issue because Kuro could have logged out or died, but-

“Wait a minute…”

Flamia panicked and repeatedly checked the map.

“What's wrong? Did something happen to Onii-chan?”

Ruko and Chiaki noticed Flamia's odd behavior and became worried as well.

“I can't find Kuro anywhere.”

Flamia kept searching, while the two of them immediately resumed their tasks without any worried expressions.

“Why are you so calm?” Flamia asked.
“Kuro is somewhere unknown right now, and you both seem so relaxed.”

“You're overthinking it,” Chiaki replied.
“If you can't find Kuro-chan in CSO, it means Kuro-chan has finished his business.”

“I think Onii-chan will come here soon.
We need to get ready quickly.”

Flamia didn't want to ruin their happiness, but she had to tell them the truth.

“Listen, I can use all my powers in this world.
If Kuro is already offline, the red dot should have just moved, but now…”

“?!”

Ruko widened her eyes, understanding what Flamia meant.

Meanwhile, Chiaki ran to Kuro's room to see his condition directly.
Flamia and Ruko followed from behind.

After opening the door, they found Kuro's room empty, with only the VR gear lying on the pillow.

Not only that, but the air in Kuro's room felt inexplicably cold.

The next day, they spent Valentine's Day without the person they loved.