C.S.O.

 Ruko and Chiaki attacked the mysterious monster with Kamikiri-Ryu, but the monster managed to block their attack with an invisible shield.

Both of them were surprised, and at the same time, their bodies were thrown back at high speed.

“Ugh…”

“Ruko-chan, are you okay?”

Ruko nodded, and they landed on the ground, being dragged back several meters.

“That monster is stronger than we thought.”

The monster attacked with beams emitted from its forehead.
The beams spread in all directions like fireworks.

Chiaki evaded with minimal movements, while Ruko used one of her shield skills, [Water Wall], to defend.
Although Chiaki was fast, she was hit by one of the attacks, causing her HP bar to decrease significantly.
Ruko's defense skill was not strong enough, so she had to create a new shield.

Before Chiaki's HP bar was depleted, she quickly used a potion and simultaneously used the [Enchant] skill to assist Ruko.

The relentless attacks pushed them further into a corner.

(If this continues…)

“Ruko-chan, let's retreat.”

“Yeah…”

Ruko nodded, but they were occupied with defending against the monster's attacks, making it difficult for them to move.
If they retreated, the first thing they would do is stop the monster's onslaught.

In such a dire situation, an arrow appeared and transformed into hundreds of arrows aimed at the monster.

The monster took a heavy hit, and its HP bar decreased, but only slightly.
Not long after the arrows, a large wave crashed into the monster, pushing it to collide forcefully with a stone wall.
Its HP bar decreased again.

“Don't hurt them, you ugly monster! Divine Slayer, [Hell Blaze]!”

Flamia's giant flaming sword struck the monster, but it only sent the monster flying further and caused it to suffer burns.

Horizon and Angela appeared near Chiaki and Ruko simultaneously, and then they both supported Chiaki and Ruko.

“Let's get out of here…”

They leaped and moved away from that place, heading back to the Castle of Blue Azure.
Flamia followed them from behind with a visibly angry expression on her face.

“Ruko, Chiaki, are you both okay?”

They didn't answer, but their exhausted expressions showed their condition.
Seeing them, Flamia clenched her teeth tightly and gripped Mistelltein even harder.

Angela turned pale as she knew what was happening to Flamia.

“Flamia-neechan, calm down.
I understand how you feel, but we have to retreat now.
That monster is not an opponent we can easily defeat.”

“GRRR…”

Flamia still couldn't suppress her anger, but when she looked at Chiaki and Ruko again, she gradually managed to control it.

“I'm sorry.”

For the first time, Horizon smiled.
She was glad to see the change happening in Flamia.

They arrived at the Castle of Blue Azure.
Angela and Horizon immediately laid Chiaki and Ruko on the ground, while Flamia kept glancing in the direction they came from, on guard in case the monster followed them.

“The monster isn't chasing us.
For now, we're safe,” Flamia glanced at Chiaki and Ruko, checking on their condition.
They didn't suffer serious injuries, only bruises, but that wasn't what surprised Flamia.
“Wait, why are they injured?”

Even though they were currently in another world, for Liber, they still existed within the rules of the game.
Injuries would be replaced by the depleted HP bar depending on the strength of the attack received, but now their bodies were actually getting hurt as well.

“Flamia-oneechan, quickly uses a Potion to replenish their HP bars,” Horizon suggested, and Flamia followed suit.
As their HP bars fully recovered, their injuries also healed on their own.

Both of them started to regain consciousness and looked at the three of them.
At that moment, Flamia smiled happily and immediately embraced them both.

“I'm glad you're both alright.”

“…”

“…”

They didn't respond much, but they realized something that annoyed them.

(Is it a G cup?)

(Can mine become that big?)

While they were worried about it, they were thinking about something completely unrelated and didn't care about what Flamia was thinking.

“Let go, we can't breathe.”

“Hehe, sorry, but I'm just really glad you're both alright.”

After releasing her hug, Flamia helped them stand up.
They seemed confused, but it didn't take long for them to understand what had happened.

“Thank you for saving us.”

“Thank you…” Ruko added.

“You're welcome, but I think it's best if we gather to discuss what happened” aid Horizon “There are a few things I want to ask both of you.”

“Eh?”

Flamia looked puzzled, while Angela seemed indifferent but also appeared curious.

In response, Chiaki and Ruko simply exchanged glances, but after a few moments, they nodded slowly in unison.

“Alright, we also want to inform you about some important matters.”

They returned to the dining table, but this time with a serious look and a heavy atmosphere.

“We already have a good idea of what likely caused this dimension to break, but we still don't know for sure if the monster is the cause.
Can anyone say or provide evidence that the monster is responsible?”

“Horizon, why bother finding out? It's undoubtedly the monster that caused the dimension to break.
Moreover, isn't the fact that such an abnormal monster exists already evidence enough?”

The anger still there in Flamia's tone of voice.

“I hate to admit it, but Flamia-oneechan is right.”

“We still don't know for sure if the presence of the monster caused it or if the dimension broke, and that's why the monster appeared.
Can you be sure that if we defeat the monster, the dimension will return to normal?”

Both of them fell silent and couldn't refute Horizon's words.

Horizon turned to Chiaki and Ruko.
“What about you? Can you tell us what you think?”

“We both agree with you.
Even if we can defeat the monster, it doesn't necessarily mean the dimension will recover.”

Ruko simply nodded in agreement with Chiaki.

“I'll rephrase the question.
How did you come to know about the existence of the monster?”

“…”

“Maybe you don't know, but we both went to the place where the monster was before, but we found nothing.
Yet, you were able to find it immediately.”

The detection skills possessed by Chiaki and Ruko were similar to the skills commonly possessed by Liber.
If Valkyrie Maiden couldn't find it, then it should have been impossible for both of them as well.

“We just searched differently from you.
You used your skills to the fullest to become stronger, while we used different skills to search for something.
Well…
to put it simply, we used attacking skills, but we didn't use them to attack.
That's all.”

After hearing Chiaki's explanation, the three Valkyrie Maidens fell silent but didn't dispute that what Chiaki and Ruko did was impossible.
In fact, by using such skills, Liber would become even stronger despite having common skills.

“I used [Wind Spear] combined with [Imagine] to create a thousand small [Wind Spears].
Then, with [Puppeteer], I controlled all of them as I pleased.
More precisely, I made them fly within a 50-meter radius.
And since they were made of wind, I could recreate them as I like”

“The skill mentioned by Chiaki is a skill that can be obtained through a Quest.
Anyone can do it, but…”

(Is her play style similar to Kuro's play style?)

Is this just a coincidence? Or did Chiaki intentionally match her play style with Kuro's?

(No.
If I recall, Chiaki has had a fighting style similar to Kuro's from the beginning, but Chiaki is a backline, Liber.
That's why her true abilities were never shown…
or maybe she intentionally didn't show them?)

Flamia reconsidered what Chiaki had done with her skills.

“That's what happened.
Although the monster couldn't be detected, it doesn't mean it disappeared like dew.” Chiaki glanced at Ruko.
“While Ruko-chan only uses her original magic, she was able to find the monster faster than me.”

Meanwhile, Ruko simply smiled happily.

“Original magic?”

“Maybe you don't know, but Ruko and Kuro actually have special powers.
Simply put, they can use magic other than CSO skills.”

Upon hearing Flamia's explanation, Horizon and Angela fell silent.
But after a while, they both looked at Chiaki.

“I'm just an ordinary human.”

As if anticipating what they were thinking, Chiaki immediately provided an explanation.

“May we know what kind of magic?”

“I can freely control water, but unlike CSO skills, I can do it in a much more varied way.”

Ruko immediately created a small bird made of water.
As Ruko explained, the magic she showed was indeed different from the skills in CSO.

If CSO skills are mainly focused on attacking and defending, Ruko's magic is more like magic for creation.

CSO skills of the creation type can only be used with the help of items.
And even if successful, the skill only creates creatures or objects similar to robots.

“Wow…
amazing.”

Angela's eyes sparkled as she saw the small bird.
She wanted to touch it directly, but the bird flew onto her shoulder.
It made Angela happy.

“And what about your husband, I mean Kuro?”

The three of them didn't immediately answer.
Meanwhile, Flamia looked at Chiaki and Ruko with a big question mark on her face.
She still didn't know exactly what Kuro's abilities were, but she knew that Kuro had extraordinary powers.

“…the power of On-“

“That's not relevant to the problem we're facing now,” Chiaki interrupted.
“We need to focus on the monster and-“

Before she could finish, the ground suddenly shook like an earthquake.
This was certainly unusual because there had never been an earthquake in CSO before.

They all struggled to maintain their balance due to the strong tremors that lasted only a few seconds.

After the earthquake ended, they saw that the Castle Of Blue Azure had been damaged in various places.

“What happened?”

Horizon conjured a small ball-shaped object.
The ball emitted a projection of the CSO world map, with several parts highlighted in red.

“As I suspected, the damage is increasing.
And worse, the speed of the damage is getting faster.”

“Could it be related to us attacking the monster earlier?” Flamia asked.

“I suspected it.
Our biggest weakness is the lack of information we have.
If this continues, it will be difficult for us to take action.”

Chiaki's words made them realize the current situation.

“So what should we do? Should we try to gather more information?”

“Your suggestion makes sense, Ruko-chan, but we don't have many options in this matter.
If we want to find out, where should we ask, and to whom should we ask the question? Well…
we already asked, and we already know the answer.”

The three Valkyrie Maidens were taken aback, understanding what Chiaki meant.

“Kuro's Ring of Rinne?”

“You're wrong.
After thinking it over, Anastasia did mention the Ring of Rinne, but if you think about it, doesn't it feel strange?”

“Strange?” Flamia asked again.

“I think you're right,” Horizon interjected.
“If the Ring of Rinne is the solution, then all of this shouldn't be happening.
In other words, you didn't say that…”

“That's right, our problem would be solved if you free Kuro-chan.”

The atmosphere became quiet for a moment.

“…but…”

“You need Kuro-chan to use the Ring of Rinne, but so far, all I've seen is a failure.
It would be easier if we could ask Kuro-chan directly.”

“…..Is there any guarantee that our problem will be resolved?”

Chiaki smiled faintly.
Ruko did the same.

“Maybe you don't know, but we both know Kuro-chan well.
..and of course, the power he possesses.”

They still didn't know what Chiaki meant exactly, but it was likely related to Kuro's original power.

“In fact, our family has a strong connection to problems like this.
Simply put, dealing with dimensional issues is our main expertise.”

Angela and Flamia widened their eyes in surprise, but Horizon narrowed her eyes.

“I didn't know about that?”

Both of them chuckled softly.

“Do you wonder why we don't question your existence and this world? Sometimes, use your brain once in a while.”

“Guh…
that's a piercing remark.
You're making it seem like I'm incredibly dumb.”

Unfortunately, no one tried to defend Flamia.
And the worst part was that Flamia didn't realize it.

They all headed towards the place where Kuro was confined.
They could still see Kuro sleeping soundly and peacefully.

“If what you say is true, we, the entire CSO, will be indebted to you.”

Horizon drew her God Slayer.
Without hesitation, she pulled the bowstring to its maximum and aimed it at Kuro.

Ruko tried to stop Horizon, but Chiaki intervened.

A light appeared, forming an arrow that now aimed at Kuro.

“[ReBreak]”

The arrow shattered before it could be released from the bowstring.
At the same time, the ice crystal imprisoning Kuro shattered, and Kuro's figure slowly descended and landed on the floor on both feet.

Kuro slowly opened his eyes but widened them in surprise.
Surprised because Flamia and Ruko immediately hugged him.

Kuro didn't have time to resist and ended up falling backward with a thud.
His head even hit the floor.

His HP bar decreased by a few percent, but at the same time, Kuro suppressed the pain in his head.

“Can't you control yourselves?”

Both of them just chuckled softly and ignored Kuro.
They couldn't contain their overwhelming longing for Kuro after not seeing him for the past few days.

Kuro sighed and tried to understand what was happening.
Although he didn't fully grasp it since he was imprisoned in ice.

“You both should learn from Chiaki.
Look, she's willing to give in for the two of you.”

“Don't say things like that.
Who wants to hug you?”

“Chiaki-chan is indeed a tsundere type of girl.”

“She can't be honest with herself, indeed.”

Kuro just laughed softly, while Chiaki's face turned red from holding back embarrassment, and couldn't argue.

Kuro's laughter stopped when he glanced at the two Liber figures not far from them.

“Alright, can someone tell me what happened?”

The discussion finally resumed.
Everyone recounted what had happened, including the fact that he had been imprisoned in the ice cell for over a week.

Of course, they didn't forget to mention the mysterious monster and the dimensional damage that would destroy CSO.

“Wow…”

That was Kuro's first comment.
He didn't appear anxious or worried.

“We're indeed in quite a serious problem, but it doesn't mean we can't do something about it.”

“You already figured out our problem this quickly?”

“Hori-chan, I still can't believe what my ears heard.”

Although skeptical, Kuro just smiled softly.

“Yes, maybe you doubt it.
That's understandable, but from what I've heard, we just need to take a few steps to end this.”

“…..”

“First, let's encounter that monster again.”

“Hm? What do you want to do?”

“Of course, we will annihilate it.”

Kuro said it with a cold tone.
Kuro's smile and gaze also indicated that he was serious about killing it.

At a glance, Kuro looked like the devil himself.

Kuro turned to Ruko.

“Ruko, perform the purification ritual for the restless spirits in this place.
Can you do that?”

Ruko nodded immediately.

“I can, but I need time to prepare.”

“Chiaki.”

“I'll help Ruko-chan with the preparations.”

After that, Kuro glanced at the three Valkyrie Maidens.

“The three of you, come with me.
We will defeat that monster, or rather, drive it away from this place.”

“Drive it away?”

“The dimensional door must also be open where the monster is.
The monster must not have left there without reason.”

“Do you mean the monster might have a desire to return to its original place?” Horizon asked.

“That's just my assumption, but assumptions are meant to be proven, so-“

They already knew what Kuro was going to say next.

“I understand.
I guess it makes sense.
Besides, we don't have many choices, but you must be aware of the risks, right?”

“Of course.”

“In other words, you're not afraid of dying?”

Kuro didn't answer and just smiled.
The Ring of Rinne allowed him to go to CSO with his original body.
That's what made him able to feel pain.
And if he could feel pain, it meant he could also die.

“Die?”

“Flamia, don't worry.
I won't die.
We've already taken everything into account.”

“you-?!”

Kuro nodded, confirming Flamia's suspicion.
Ruko and Chiaki already knew the risks and consequences of continuing to play CSO, or rather, the risks of using the Ring of Rinne.

Tears flowed from Flamia's eyes.
She also looked at the ring which was proof that they were a family.

Kuro hugged Flamia.

“You don't need to blame yourself.
It's not your fault.
Besides, do you think we regret all of this?”

“…..”

“Look at the two of them.
Did they ever say they were angry or regretful? Did they ever complain and blame you?”

Flamia glanced at Ruko and Chiaki, who were busy checking the items and equipment they had.

“Are you saying you knew all this from the beginning?”

“No, but I knew this possibility would happen sooner or later.”

Tears became uncontrollable as Flamia remembered the times the four of them had gone through together.

Horizon and Angela could only watch and couldn't do much.
This issue was beyond their capabilities as outsiders.

“Enough.” Kuro released his embrace and wiped Flamia's tears with his finger.
“I just have to come back safely, right?”

“…..”

“If you regret this, it means you doubted my strength.
To be honest, I would be a little disappointed if that were true.”

Kuro approached Horizon and Angela.
They nodded, indicating that they were ready to start their plan.

“Are you sure?” Horizon asked.

“I have to thank you.
Thanks to you, I can now fight using my original body.”

“….” “….”

“Now, shall we start our hunt?”

The three of them then stepped toward the location of the monster.
Meanwhile, Chiaki and Ruko also left the Castle of Blue Azure but headed outside.

Only Flamia remained, still crying.
She regretted and felt guilty for involving the three of them.

If she hadn't asked to marry Kuro, then she wouldn't have involved Kuro in this problem.
If she hadn't married Kuro, then she wouldn't have disrupted their relationship.
If she didn't love Kuro, then Kuro wouldn't have changed and experienced all of this.

“…….”

Regret and guilt continued to accumulate.
At the same time, she realized all the mistakes she had made.
If only she had considered the feelings of those around her, she wouldn't have hurt anyone's feelings.

She recalled the moment when she asked Kuro to marry her.
She vividly remembered the saddened and angered expressions on Chiaki and Ruko's faces.

Although they were now living happily, she realized that deep down, Chiaki and Ruko might still not have forgiven her.

While pondering over that, the ground suddenly shook violently.
It wasn't an earthquake like before, but rather, it felt like something had crashed.

Flamia used her skill to find out what was happening.
At that moment, she widened her eyes in surprise.
The skill detected the presence of Kuro and her two younger siblings, but it also detected two large entities around them.

Flamia gritted her teeth.

“Now is not the time to dwell on this.”

Misteltein appeared in her hand.

“They are fighting, risking their lives.
If I regret all of this, then I truly disrespect them.”

Flamia headed straight to where Kuro and her siblings were.
She saw the monster they had faced earlier, but she also saw the monster that had once killed her.

“Demon King Akaku.
Why is he here?”

The Demon King of the third world, Akaku, whom Kuro and she had defeated before, was now fighting against a mysterious monster.
Unlike before, Akaku fought empty-handed, without a weapon.

Despite that, Akaku fought fiercely against the six-armed, three-faced monster.

The intense battle between the two caused the ground and the surrounding land to be devastated without leaving a trace.

(He's on our side, why?)

As she asked that, she looked towards Kuro, who was flying with white wings like an angel not far from the fight.
Horizon assisted Akaku by shooting arrows at the mysterious monster whenever there was an opportunity.
Meanwhile, Angela helped using her high-level magic skills.

Flamia used her skill, [Fire Wing], and flew closer to Kuro.

“Ah, you're late.
We've already started the party without you, Honey.”

Kuro's way of speaking had changed.
Kuro seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the battle between the two monsters.
Kuro appeared to be a different person.

“What is happening here?”

“Why are you asking that? You should already know the skills I possess.”

“…..”

Flamia fell silent.
Kuro's main skill was necromancy and one of the Divine skills, [Vital Curse], combined with extraordinary swordsmanship.

Flamia recalled her own fight with the Demon King Akaku.

“You already knew, didn't you?”

“Don't tell me this is the reason why you rejected Misteltein and gave it to me?”

Kuro smiled broadly instead.
A pleased expression could be seen on his lips.

Suddenly, Horizon and Angela approached.

“Flamia-oneechan, what I just heard is true.”

“Yes.
Maybe you don't know, but it was Kuro who defeated Demon King Akaku, not me.”

Horizon and Angela were surprised to hear that.

“I know what you're thinking.
Defeating the Demon King should have been my duty, our duty.
But…”

“…..”

“….Kuro possesses more power than you think.
That's one of the reasons why I married him.”

“You made me think your love was fake, Honey.”

“My love is-“

“Ahaha…
I'm kidding.
I've known it from the beginning.
But there's one thing you should know about me.
I don't need the weapon you call the God Slayer because, no matter how many I have, it's not a big deal for me.”

“…..what do you mean? Are you saying the God Slayer isn't strong enough for you?”

While they were talking, Akaku was overwhelmed and flung in their direction.
Akaku's HP bar also drastically decreased quickly.

“Akaku [Return].”

Akaku disappeared into particles before reaching them.
At the same time, they could see the monster's face turning even more sinister and filled with anger.
Its HP bar was also only half full.

“That monster bears resemblance to most monsters in CSO.
Be it gods from other mythologies or not, they will surely get angry if treated like this.”

They refocused on the monster they were facing.
The monster that easily defeated Akaku was no ordinary monster.

Light gathered on the monster's forehead.
The air around the monster is distorted due to the immense energy.

“Troublesome attack…”

They immediately prepared themselves to face the powerful attack from the monster.
Dodging was not an option as the attack was aimed at the Castle of Blue Azure, where Ruko and Chiaki were.

The three Valkyrie Maidens readied their strongest defensive skills, but Kuro only took an ordinary sword.

The light shot at them at a speed surpassing the speed of sound.
But just as the light was about to touch them, it rebounded and headed straight back toward the monster.

The attack returned to its owner, causing a massive explosion like a nuclear bomb.

The three Valkyrie Maidens widened their eyes in confusion, not knowing what had just happened, but they understood when they saw Kuro and the shattered sword.

Kuro's HP bar was almost depleted but recovered after using a Potion.

“Take that, you damn bastard.
Don't dare touch someone precious to me with your filthy hands.”

Everyone was stunned and didn't know what had happened, but Flamia had seen that skill before.
It was the same skill used to defeat Akaku, [Dark Counter].

It was another Divine Skill belonging to Kuro.
A skill that returned any attack, whether it was a magic skill or a sword skill.
It didn't matter if the opponent was weak or strong.

The skill carried the risk of being unusable twice in a battle.
Additionally, Kuro had to sacrifice 99% of his HP and MP.

“…did it work?”

Although they were still shocked by what Kuro had done, they had to refocus on their opponent.
After the smoke cleared, the figure of the monster reappeared, battered and smoking.
Its HP bar still had a considerable amount left.

“Impossible, such a powerful attack was still not enough?”

At that moment, Kuro descended slowly, and his wings disappeared.
His MP had been depleted, so he couldn't use his skills, but he looked calm and approached the monster.

A new katana appeared in Kuro's hand.

“[Let's hunt the Gods.]”

The other personality of Kuro and the current Kuro had the same goal and thought in the same way.

They would hunt, but not animals or the like.
They would hunt something destined to be hunted and killed by them.

The reason Kuro didn't need the God Slayer weapon was that he is the God Slayer.
That was the true power Kuro possessed, as well as his sword style.

Kamikiri-ryu.
It was a sword style used to slay gods.
Not monsters or humans.

Regardless of the real world or the game world.
Even in other worlds.
As a God Slayer, Kuro would always face his destiny.
The destiny of being a killer.

On that day, the legend of Kuro began anew, but no one knew this, and eventually, the legend became a myth.