C.S.O.

Fruit of Eden.
A vast garden is located at the top of the Tree of the World.
Plants grow lushly, and beautiful flowers bloom.

Chiaki landed on a small path that divided the garden.
She looked around, filled with a sea of flowers.
A gentle breeze carried falling flower petals along with the fragrant aroma of thousands of blooming flowers.

“…how beautiful…”

Chiaki began to explore the arena, like a paradise.
Among the beautiful flowers, she found some with healing abilities when turned into potions.

A beautiful and peaceful flower garden.
Chiaki could almost forget all her problems in this place.

“…”

But if she wanted to relax, she chose to relax with everyone.

With determination in her clenched fists, she made up her mind once again.

[Is that really what you want?]

She turned towards the voice.
She found a girl with white hair radiating golden light.
She wasn't very tall and emitted a calming aura.

But, as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover.

Holy Guardian, level 555.

Wearing golden armor, which was one of the rarest and strongest items in CSO.
From her appearance, she could be considered an NPC.

But that's if they were inside the game.

For Chiaki, who knew the truth about that world, she knew her enemy was the final obstacle to obtaining the Longinus Light shard.

“So, it's true, Longinus Light can only be obtained at the right time and by the right person.”

[And what makes you think you are the right person?]

The girl asked with a robotic tone.

“If I'm not the right person, why did you appear? Isn't that proof enough?”

Chiaki chose the Fruit of Eden not because she knew she would find the Longinus Light shard there.
Longinus Light was a unique and sacred weapon.
And the most famous thing about Longinus Light was that it was a weapon that could think and choose its master.

(But what makes Longinus Light called a sacred weapon is that it is separated from the CSO system.
To obtain Longinus Light, a different method must be used.)

Defeating enemies and obtaining item drops.
That was the common way to get items in CSO, but because it was unique, they didn't know the right way to obtain it.

The enemy in front of them might be called a test, but it didn't mean that defeating it would automatically grant them the Longinus shard.

(No.
I don't necessarily have to fight it.)

Chiaki slowly approached the Guardian, but she immediately jumped back and kept her distance.

“!”

There was a trace of a slash from where she was standing.
But the slash was so smooth.
The plants in the path of the slash were completely unaffected, only right at the edge of the ground surface.

No matter how high a player's stats were, using a technique to slash the ground surface like that should be impossible.

But, in CSO, all techniques were possible.
Whether with the help of the system or not.
In other words, the Guardian had similarities to Kuro.

(This is bad.)

Not only the technique, but seven swords appeared around the Guardian, moving like living weapons.

Chiaki switched her weapon from a staff to a sword.
Although the character she built was not meant for frontline combat and only as a support, at this moment, she had no choice.

For the first time, the Guardian looked into her eyes.

[Do you really want to stop the Demon God? Isn't it deep down in your heart that you prefer this world to be destroyed?]

“…”

Chiaki didn't answer.
It was because the Guardian was right.

“This world is a world you hate.
A world that separates the two of you because of differences.
In this world, maybe you have power, but it's all just false power.”

One of the swords around the Guardian moved and attacked.
Chiaki defended against the attack with , and the enemy's sword was deflected.

(That attack…)

With just one attack, Chiaki realized that the attack was different from the usual attacks she received.

The sword was like a holy sword in heroic tales but had no power at all.
It was strange, but Chiaki's instincts still warned her loudly as if the girl in front of her was very dangerous.

The Guardian moved her hand as if manipulating a puppet, and at the same time, the seven swords around her began to move together.

“Why don't you just give up? Wouldn't that fulfill your desire?”

“My desire? Don't speak as if you know everything about me!”

Chiaki ran forward to attack.
She slashed using the Kamikiri-ryu [Kazuki] technique.
The Guardian blocked it with one of her swords.
Although she had the opportunity to counterattack, she didn't do it.

Chiaki suppressed her attack, and their faces finally came close.
From afar, the Guardian looked like an angel, but up close, even an angel would be ashamed to face her.

“Even if Kuro-chan destroys the world, he must have chosen me to be with him.
Isn't that what's in your heart after hearing that this world will be destroyed?”

“!?”

[Why are you surprised? An NPC shouldn't be able to see the inner thoughts of a Liberator.
Is that what you were thinking?]

“Silence!!”

[Ruko-chan is just a nuisance between my love and Kuro-chan's love.
Why does she have to exist? Why doesn't she disappear from this world?]

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!! Shuuuut uuuup!!!!!”

Chiaki's face was filled with anger and hatred.
She then attacked blindly and bloodthirstily.
She wanted to shut the Guardian's mouth immediately.

The Guardian simply defended using her sword and made no wasted movements.
Although she was pushed back, she didn't receive any damage from the attack.
She remained calm as if devoid of emotions.

“Another girl came and interfered.
Since she is a creature from another world, why not eliminate her silently? Isn't that what you were thinking when you saw the red-haired girl?”

“I told you to shut your mouth, you bitch!!”

“You are the one who deserves to be called a bitch and a hypocrite, no, you are even worse than that.
You are blinded by love and will do anything to get what you want.
You are even willing to sell your soul to the demon just for your desires.”

“Kuh!!”

Chiaki used the skills and to attack.
Both skills didn't require any special activation, so they were the right skills to use for attacking.

A loud explosion occurred, and they both took a distance of about 10 meters.

(Is it all in vain?)

The attack had an impact but quickly recovered.

“Are you angry because I hit the mark? You truly are the worst.
I don't even want to fight someone with a dirty soul.”

“…”

Chiaki fell silent without responding to the Guardian's words.

“This world may deserve to be destroyed, but its destruction is only ironic because of girls like you.
Do you really think she would destroy this world for you? How arrogant, thinking that because she loves you, she would do anything for you.
What do you think of yourself? You're just an insignificant bug in this world.
No one considers you special.
You will be forgotten even if you're a queen.
Truly a soul tainted with blemishes.
Get out of my sight.”

The Guardian's swords began to emit light.
Then all the swords attacked Chiaki from various directions.

Chiaki once again used , but this time her skill was cut like tofu.
She quickly jumped up while avoiding the other sword attacks.
Unlike before, the Guardian's swords had greater strength and power.

(This is strange if they only have attacks like this)

And Chiaki was right.
Laser lights shot out from each sword towards her.
Being in the air, Chiaki found it difficult to dodge, but she used the skill to jump in the air.

However, the enemy's attacks were too fast and hit her body.
Another loud explosion occurred in the air like fireworks.
Chiaki plummeted into the beautiful flower garden, dragged down for dozens of meters.

Her HP bar drastically decreased to 30%.
Although the enemy had a lower level, their attack power was superior.

“Kuh…”

(She's strong)

Chiaki had expected her opponent not to be weak, but she didn't expect the power difference to be this significant.

“You're still alive? In that case…”

The seven swords danced above Chiaki as if in a dance.
The seven swords then formed a formation, gathering light to form an energy ball.

Chiaki's instinct screamed at her to get away from her current position.
She moved, but the ball was shot at different speeds.
Another loud explosion resounded.

The Guardian looked at the smoke with a bored expression.
Although she didn't show much emotion, it was evident that she was saddened at the moment.

She was not sad because Chiaki died, but because the once beautiful garden was now destroyed due to the battle.

“Someone who has never been honest with herself will never be able to defeat me…
You should know, we Guardians are here to test those humans who desire the Longinus Light.”

From the remnants of the explosion, Liber's figure appeared.

Although the Guardian's final attack could have killed Chiaki instantly, Chiaki survived according to the Guardian's calculations.

“The Longinus Light is created from all the light in the world.
Love, hope, trust, bonds, unwavering desires, the will to live, and of course, affection.
You don't possess any of those.
All that resides in your heart is hatred and envy.
And yet, you still try to obtain the Longinus? You should know your place, Trash!!”

Once again, light gathered to form a ball of light and was shot toward Chiaki.

The attack could have killed Chiaki even though her HP bar was full, but there was no sign of Chiaki evading.
Did she give up?

(There's no way I'll give up after hearing all that, you bitch!)

Chiaki's eyes showed determination and immense ambition.
However, determination alone wouldn't make her win.

Another loud explosion resounded.
This time, it was even bigger than before.

But once again, Chiaki survived.
Her HP bar even recovered.

“I may be trash.
I do hate this world and envy Ruko-chan.
But what's wrong with that? I'm just an ordinary human, not a Valkyrie Maiden, an angel, or even a God Slayer.
I may be weak and easily swayed by darkness, but that doesn't mean I will give up for the sake of the person I love.
If she becomes the Dark King, I will gladly be with her, even in hell.”

Anyone who hears Chiaki's words would consider her insane.
Maybe that's true.
Chiaki herself no longer considered herself sane.

How could a sane person think of loving a demon and fighting against a god?

She couldn't be called sane.

But that's why she didn't hesitate to fight against someone she couldn't possibly defeat.

“Conditions fulfilled.
The first seal was released.
Initiating body adjustment to enable the use of Divine Skill.
Do you want to execute it now? YES or NO?”

A notification appeared in her mind.

Chiaki didn't have a Divine Skill, but she didn't expect to obtain one at a time like this.
Of course, she would choose—

YES.

Then, all the information for using the Divine Skill appeared in Chiaki's mind.
That's also how she understood how the power worked.

She smiled.

Although obtaining the Divine Skill didn't increase her stats, it wouldn't have a significant impact on her battle.
The Divine Skill she possessed could turn the tide, but it depended on how Chiaki used it.

“So, you're willing to go that far for that person? In that case, I'll gladly send you to hell.”

The seven swords flew closer.
The Guardian then grabbed the handle of one of the swords, and the seven swords united to form a larger, menacing sword.

“Go berserk, holy sword Durandal.”

And like that, the second round of the battle between Chiaki and the Holy Guardian began.

————————————————————————————————————————

“!”

Dozens of wind arrows shot toward the Guardian.
This time, Chiaki didn't use a sword but a bow, one of her strongest weapons at the moment.

“Stop using low-level skills.
Stop running and accept your fate, Trash.”

With a single slash, the Guardian erased Chiaki's attack.
No, it was more accurate to say she destroyed it.
This was normal.
The holy sword Durandal had tremendous destructive power.
Chiaki knew she couldn't scratch the Guardian with simple attacks, but at the moment, she had no other choice.

While attacking, Chiaki jumped from one place to another to maintain distance and continue her assault.

On the other hand, although the Guardian continued to speak harshly to insult Chiaki, she still acted like a puppet.

Once again, Chiaki attacked.
This time, she used the skill to restrain the Guardian's movements.
Then she attacked with , but the Guardian shattered the chains that bound her.
After that, the Guardian evaded by leaping upward.

“?”

Chiaki fell silent for a moment, but the Guardian didn't give her time to hesitate, even for a second.

The Guardian's speed suddenly increased.
She appeared near Chiaki and prepared to strike.

“?!”

Chiaki knew she couldn't take a direct hit.
But defending with a shield was also not an option.
So she used the only skill that could withstand the Guardian's attack.

Chiaki's body was struck, but it suddenly disappeared as if it were a ninja technique.

[…]

The Guardian knew she didn't kill Chiaki.
She landed and looked around.

“Are you just going to hide?”

Chiaki suddenly appeared in the thin air.
She canceled the skill and faced the Guardian once again.

But this time, she was in an unfavorable situation.

( consumes too much MP, but I have no choice.)

If she got hit, she would surely die.
So she didn't regret using it.

(Now, what should I do? I only have ten MP Potions left, and I have only one Elixir remaining.
I have to end this soon.)

The prolonged battle had been disadvantageous for Chiaki, but she had no choice because she couldn't inflict any damage on her opponent, not even a scratch.

She could choose to fight using a sword like at the beginning of the battle, but Chiaki's sword skills weren't particularly high.
That would increase the risk of being hit by Durandal.

She could choose to fight as a mage, using a staff.
But that was also an ill-advised decision because magical attacks wouldn't affect Durandal.

The only chance to win was to use her bow and, of course, the newly acquired Divine Skill.
But like all Divine Skills, that skill had certain conditions to be activated.

(I knew I didn't have any other choice but to use it.)

In the end, Chiaki could only bet on it.

She prepared everything.
The first thing she did was replenish her MP using an MP Potion.
Then she once again used the skill to restrain the Guardian's movements.

Of course, the Guardian wouldn't stay still.

“I already know your attack pattern.”

Before Chiaki could restrain her body, the Guardian shattered the chains coming toward her.
But…

“Activate the special skill .”

[!]

The chains multiplied, binding the entire body of the Guardian.
Chiaki leaped up about 50 meters using and fired the skill.

The Guardian struggled, and one by one, the chains began to break.
She prepared to withstand the attack with the wide blade of Durandal.
But the expected attack didn't come.

The target of was the surrounding area, causing the garden to crumble and dust to obscure the Guardian's vision.

And after that, a massive arrow-like spear shot toward the Guardian.
It was the skill that Chiaki had used before.

“It's pointless.”

The Guardian withstood the attack and sank into the ground.

Seeing that, Chiaki's suspicion was correct.
The reason why the Guardian didn't defend and chose to evade wasn't that she couldn't destroy Chiaki's skill but because Chiaki's attack was too powerful.

Apart from the level difference, the special ability of Durandal is to destroy any skill in a single attack, regardless of whether it's a Divine Skill or a regular attack, but it can only destroy one attack at a time.

is a combined skill, a Unison Skill.
Chiaki combines and with the aim of testing the extent of Durandal's power, but she didn't expect to discover Durandal's weakness.

However, even though she knows Durandal's weakness, it doesn't mean she will win.

Gradually, Chiaki's attacks start to disappear.
But for the first time, the Guardian's HP bar decreases even though it didn't receive a direct attack.

[Good, but attacks like that won't wo-]

“Once again, .”

The chains bind the Guardian once more, but at the same time, Chiaki's MP bar completely depletes.

Seeing that, for the first time, the Guardian shows a disappointed expression.

“Is this your final attack? Disappointing!”

Durandal splits into two.
Now, the Guardian is using the skill .

“Sorry, but I'll end it now.
There's no time to play around with trash like you.”

The Guardian shatters the chains and leaps like a bullet.
Compared to before, her speed is significantly different.
In an instant, she reaches Chiaki.

With a single slash, Chiaki's body is split in two.

But before dying, Chiaki smiles.

“…..”

A wall appears and instantly confines the Guardian's body like a corpse.
The Guardian appears calm and not panicked.
She doesn't even attempt to break free from the wall that confines her with Durandal.

No, it's more accurate to say she can't break free.

Just like , is a Unison Skill.
But this time, it's more than just a combination of two skills.
Durandal can't split a Unison Skill, so she doesn't do it.

“I know you're trying to do something by trying to restrain my movements, but it's futile.
This skill can only restrain me for about a minute.”

Although it can't be destroyed, has a limited duration.
Specifically, 56 seconds.

Now, the problem is what Chiaki will do with a skill like this.

The Guardian looks around to find Chiaki, but she can't locate her.

And a shadow appears above the Guardian.
The Guardian looks up, and for the first time, her eyes widen.

“Why do you possess that skill?”

Chiaki simply smiles.

“Of course, because I am trash.
No, everything in this world is trash.
Everything will end up as ashes.
The only difference is who turns to ashes first.
And we both know who will turn to ashes first.
.”

And thus, Chiaki shoots a giant thunder spear toward the Guardian.

The skill Chiaki obtained is a skill equivalent to a holy spear.
The skill can penetrate any defense, even the defense of a Demon God.
The stronger the opponent's defense skill, the stronger Chiaki's skill becomes.

But even though it's a powerful skill, it doesn't mean it doesn't have weaknesses.
Chiaki's Divine Skill can only fly straight, unable to change direction or track the enemy.
That's why Chiaki keeps trying to restrain the Guardian's movements.

No, it's more accurate to say that she's preventing the Guardian from using Durandal.

Durandal has the ability to erase any skill, which means it's the main enemy of Chiaki's skills.
Regardless of whether her skills can penetrate any defense or not, Durandal will make Chiaki's Divine Skill disappear.

However, that doesn't happen.

The Guardian is hit hard and pushed to the surface with a loud explosion like an earthquake.
The once beautiful garden is now in ruins.

(…
tch…
Don't tell me she's still…)

At the same time, Chiaki's body slowly descends.
She used all her remaining MP for her final attack, but it wasn't enough.

She can see the AR display showing that the Guardian is still alive with an HP bar of less than one percent.
Not only that, one of the Durandals is destroyed, and now only one remains.

While in the air, the Guardian leaps up directly in front of the defenseless Chiaki.
She prepares to slash Chiaki once again.
Although there is a possibility that it's a , it's not.

It is Chiaki's real body.
At the moment, she can't use skills with her remaining MP.
She can't even use defensive skills or fight back.

This is the end.

“Even though you're trash, I admit you're not too bad.
Allow me to end you n- huh?”

Just when everything is about to end, a sword pierces the Guardian.
The sword comes from Chiaki's right hand.

Indeed, Chiaki can't use her defensive skills, but there is a skill she can use even with only one percent MP remaining.
It is the skill .

The Guardian's biggest mistake is not being careless, but not using long-range attacks.

“Sorry, I'm not finished yet.
At least until I slap my husband.
You're just fulfilling your duty without understanding what 'love' is.
It's not your fault, but let me tell you one thing: 'The greatest happiness in this world is when you can love someone and be loved by someone.' I hope you can feel what I feel…
goodbye.”

[……]

Without a word, the Guardian only smiles as her HP bar reaches zero.
Her body disappears into particles and vanishes from Chiaki's sight.

And then, Chiaki's body crashes onto the ground.
She loses some HP, but she's not concerned about it.

She takes a deep breath and laughs.

“Haha…”

She stretches her hand towards the blue sky and clenches it.

“I did it…”

Not because of Divine Skill, but because she now accepts herself.

Indeed, what all the Guardians said is true.
She is trash.
She felt jealous and wanted to eliminate anyone who stood in the way of her love.

But that's not the problem.

All this time, she remained silent and did nothing.
She didn't even try to confront Kuro strongly when he cheated.
Was it because she loved Kuro too much that she let him do anything as long as they could still be together?

That was wrong, but also right.

(From now on, I'll be more honest about what I feel)

After that, golden particles appear.
The source of those particles is a short golden staff called one of the fragments of Longinus Light.

“I got it.
Hm?”

But it's not just that she obtained.

Along with the fragment of Longinus Light, a sword appears with the name 'Durandal'.

It is an item drop from the Guardian.

“Haha…”

Chiaki can only laugh bitterly.

“I dishonestly defeated you, yet you still give me this?”

Yes.
Chiaki's last attack can be called dishonest.
Although it's also referred to as a tactic, it doesn't change the outcome of her victory.

After rising and picking up the fragment of Longinus Light and Durandal, Chiaki slowly heads towards the place where everyone will gather.