The system management room is not behind the white corridor.
The group continued down the metal stairs and found Thinker trapped by a mechanical monster at the end of the fork in the road. Lin Yuan cut down the guards, Yulier immediately rushed over to support him.
Thinker was not seriously injured, but his supplies were almost exhausted. After confirming that he could still move on his own, the group did not return the way they came.
Yui continued to gaze deeper into the passage.
"It's just ahead."
Lin Yuan took her hand and continued downwards.
At the end was a large, undecorated white hall. In the center stood a metal door leading to the management area, but a dark shadow hung in front of the door.
The shadow slowly unfolded.
It wore a tattered cloak, its face hidden beneath the hood, and its two withered arms gripped a gigantic scythe longer than its body. A name appeared above the monster's head.
The Fatal Scythe.
Kirito's expression immediately changed.
"A monster from at least level 90 or higher."
This is a guard used in the system administration area to eliminate intruders; its strength even surpasses that of the Gleam Eyes.
The Fatal Scythe gave everyone no time to retreat.
The giant scythe swept across, its black arc of light covering most of the hall. Kirito and Asuna charged forward simultaneously, the " Elucidator " sword striking the upper edge of the scythe blade, followed by a rapier aimed at the scythe's handle. The two sword techniques, one heavy and one fast, struck almost at the same moment.
The Fatal Scythe did not even pause in its movement.
The scythe shattered the two sword techniques, Kirito and Asuna were simultaneously lifted off the ground, crashing into the wall behind them. Their HP dropped significantly, while the Boss only lost an almost invisible amount of HP.
The scythe then changed direction and slashed towards Yui.
Lin Yuan stepped to the side, blocking her way.
" Nameless " pressed against the side of the scythe, deflecting its sharpness upwards. A black arc of light swept across his head, cutting into the metal wall behind him, leaving a bottomless wound.
If a player is hit head-on, their health bar will likely be emptied instantly.
"Take Yui and step back," Lin Yuan said.
Yui clung to his clothes, refusing to let go.
"My brother will come back."
These are words Lin Yuan once said to her.
Yui looked at him for a few seconds before finally letting go of his hand, and Kirito led her to the edge of the hall.
The Fatal Scythe swung its weapon once more. Its attacks were unpredictable; the danger lay solely in its immense range and damage far exceeding the player's tolerance. As long as distance was maintained, the giant scythe could block all dodge routes once it reached full speed.
Lin Yuan did not create distance.
He lunged inward along the scythe handle, his first strike slicing into the Boss's wrist.
" Nameless " is only cut open with a shallow crack.
The Fatal Scythe raised its other hand, attempting to slap him away. Lin Yuan dodged to the side, and the second sword struck his elbow, but the blade still couldn't penetrate the thick defenses.
A single attack is not enough.
" Mountain Severance " can cut through it, but the crystallization patterns on the sword's spine have only recently stabilized. More importantly, the Fatal Scythe won't stand still and exchange blows with him like the Gleam Eyes. The moment it charges up is enough for it to create distance again.
Lin Yuan thought of Kirito's Dual Blades.
The real danger of Dual Blades is that the next strike begins before the previous one has even finished. The system has eliminated the pauses between actions.
Lin Yuan had no second sword, nor did he have any system assistance.
But he can borrow the strength of the enemy.
The Fatal Scythe swept across the handle and struck Lin Yuan's chest.
The Nameless Sword fell for the third time, colliding with the scythe handle. Lin Yuan did not resist the recoil, but instead let the sword tip bounce outward with the force. He flipped his wrist, and the longsword that bounced off drew a semicircle in the air before slashing back from the other side.
The fourth sword strike hit the same laceration on the wrist.
Just as the Boss was about to raise his hand, Lin Yuan used the fourth collision to rotate his shoulder.
The fifth sword strike.
The sixth sword strike.
" Nameless " never returns to the ready position. The reaction force generated by each impact becomes the starting point for the next sword. After the upward slash, there is a counter-slash, and before the horizontal cut is over, it turns into a downward press. Individually, no sword has the power of " Mountain Severance ", but there is no gap between all the slashes.
The Fatal Scythe retreated for the first time.
It tried to pull the sickle back to a suitable swinging distance, but Lin Yuan remained close to the inside of the sickle handle.
The seventh sword severed his right wrist.
The giant scythe flew out of his hand.
The Boss waved his left hand outwards, and the weapon that had fallen from his grasp was now spinning back under system control. The scythe attacked from behind Lin Yuan, blocking his path of pursuit.
Lin Yuan did not turn around.
The eighth strike of " Nameless " hit the Boss in the chest, and using the impact to turn around, the ninth strike hit the returning scythe handle. The spinning giant scythe was changed direction, and the blade cut into the shoulder of the Fatal Scythe itself.
The black cloak ripped open along with the left arm.
The chest protection was finally exposed.
The tenth sword cut through the outer shell, and the eleventh sword widened the opening along the crack.
The Scythe of Fatal Scythe unfurled its cloak, and black energy began to gather within.
Lin Yuan's sword did not stop.
The twelfth sword followed the trajectory of the previous eleven swords, piercing straight through the core of the chest.
All the actions only truly ended at this moment.
The Fatal Scythe froze in place; before the black energy could erupt, its health bar had already rapidly dwindled to zero. The cloak, the scythe, and the skeletal body simultaneously shattered into fragments.
Lin Yuan drew out the " Nameless ".
The sword did not withstand the instantaneous pressure of " Mountain Severance," and the blue patterns remained stable. The cost of the new move was not weapon damage, but rather the need to get close to the enemy and not allow the continuous collisions to be interrupted.
After watching the whole process, Kirito recognized some familiar elements.
"You Dual Blades into a single sword."
"Just remove the pauses."
Does it have a name?
Lin Yuan looked at the twelve slash marks behind him that left him no chance to catch his breath.
"Let's call it 'No Interval '."
The gate to the management area slowly opened after the Boss disappeared.
Yui past the crowd and looked at the control panel that had lit up behind the door. Countless unfamiliar characters were reflected in her eyes, and her fragmented memories finally began to reconnect.