Silica recognized the redhead.
Rosalia... didn't you leave the team?
"Of course, I'm waiting for you to bring out the rare item for me." Rosalia glanced at Kirito and Lin Yuan, her smile fading slightly. "However, you've really found two troublesome guards."
"They are not my guards." Silica gripped her short sword tightly, her other hand protecting the Flower of the Soul. "Besides, this belongs to Pina."
"Once you're dead, you'll be ours."
More than ten orange-named players dispersed to both sides, blocking the exit at the top of the mountain. Kirito took a few steps forward alone and stopped in the center of the encirclement.
" The Titan's Hand," he said, "Attacked the Silver Flags, killed four members, and only let the leader go. Right?"
Rosalia's smile vanished, "How did you know?"
"The one who survived stands in the front-line plaza every day, pleading for justice for his comrades." Kirito drew his sword. "He didn't order me to kill you; he only prepared a crystal for the corridor leading to the Black Iron Palace Prison."
"Just the two of you?" the axe-wielding man scoffed. "We have twelve of us!"
He charged out first, and the other orange-named players simultaneously unleashed their sword skills. Different colored lights rained down on Kirito from all sides, and axes, swords, and spears struck the black coat in succession, the sounds of impact almost blending together.
Kirito did not back down.
His health bar slowly decreased, but quickly rebounded during the intervals between attacks. After a round of attacks by more than ten people ended, his green health bar remained almost at its original position.
"How is this possible..." A swordsman stared at his status bar, "The health we lost isn't even as fast as his regeneration!"
How much of a level difference would it take for this to happen?
Kirito raised his sword. "Just because there are more people doesn't mean we can bridge the gap in numbers."
Over the past few months, Lin Yuan has neither gained experience nor needed system drops. Almost everything the two of them gained from venturing into high-level areas has accumulated on Kirito alone. Standing before the Titan's Hand now is no longer just a lone traveler ahead of mid-level players, but a swordsman whose level surpasses almost all frontline members.
Before the second wave of attacks could be formed, Kirito charged into the crowd.
The sword didn't strike a vital spot; it merely used the spine and guard to deflect the weapon. The three at the front fell one after another, their swordplay preparations abruptly interrupted. Just as the Kirito had already slipped out from the other side of the formation.
"Go around them! Catch that beast tamer first!" Rosalia shouted.
The three orange-named players immediately broke away from the battle and pounced on Silica from the left and right.
Lin Yuan moved to the side, blocking them from Silica.
The first sword was flicked into the air, the second man's knee was struck by the scabbard, and the third man didn't even see how Lin Yuan drew his sword before the weapon grazed his face and was driven into the ground.
The three of them couldn't make Lin Yuan turn back for a second look.
Silica didn't hide behind him. She held up her short sword on the other side, personally blocking a shot Rosalia thrust at her in the chaos.
"I'm not the prey you chose." She gritted her teeth and pushed the gun away.
Rosalia tried to stab again, but Kirito's sword tip was already at the side of her neck. The orange-named players around them lay scattered on the ground; none of them were dead, but none of them could organize an attack.
"So what if they're green-named?" Kirito looked at Rosalia. "You chose their targets and lured them into an ambush. In reality, that's also murder."
Rosalia's face turned pale, and she suddenly reached for the teleportation crystal at her waist.
Lin Yuan didn't draw his sword; instead, he flicked a pebble with his finger. The pebble struck her wrist, and the crystal fell to the ground.
Kirito took out a deep blue corridor crystal.
"The exit is the Black Iron Palace Prison."
The blue passage unfolded at the mountaintop. The members of " Titan's Hand " glanced at Kirito's almost undamaged health bar, then at Lin Yuan, whose health bar remained empty, before finally entering one by one.
Rosalia was finally forced into the passage by Kirito. The portal closed, and the mountaintop fell silent again.
Silica, without a moment to celebrate, immediately took out Pina's Heart and the " Flower of the Soul." The white petals melted into light, enveloping the light blue crystal, and a pair of tiny wings unfolded from the light first.
Pina opened her eyes, let out a familiar chirp, and rushed into Silica's arms.
It rubbed against Silica's cheek for a long time before flapping its wings and flying away again. When it passed Kirito, it chirped happily like an ordinary familiar; when it flew in front of Lin Yuan, it suddenly stopped in mid-air, tilting its head to examine this person who did not have any system markings.
Lin Yuan reached out his hand, Pina hesitated for a moment before gently landing on the back of his hand. It still seemed unable to discern what was in front of it until Silica called softly, at which point it flew back into her arms.
Silica hugged it, and tears finally fell. This time, she didn't let go.
Welcome back, Pina.