Looking at this familiar alley, Kaede's deepest memories were awakened once again.
A boy, whose face was unclear and covered in dirt, was rummaging through a trash can, seemingly looking for something.
"Who's there!" Kaede was startled, her body involuntarily retreating back into the corner.
That fierce gaze made Kaede feel that if she dared to move, she would suffer the most violent attack from that youth.
The youth finally found some mushy food and treated it like a treasure.
The scene before her shifted again. Kaede still saw the boy, but this time, there was a dog's corpse beside him. The youth sat there, eating the unrecognizable food by himself, wolfing it down.
Finally, the boy, who didn't seem satisfied, fixed his eyes on the dog's corpse and then ate it raw in front of Kaede. Blood covered the ground, and on that pitch-black face, the tearing mouth looked like a demon.
At this moment, that chilling sensation was suffocating, as if going out would mean being eaten alive.
The scene shifted again. Kaede saw the youth lying on the ground, a satisfied smile on his lips, with no regrets in his eyes.
Then, she saw several people dragging the boy's body, completely disregarding his shredded skin, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.
During this, no one even glanced at Kaede in the corner.
It was chilling. Even though she had seen it before, watching it now, a deep coldness couldn't help but rise in Kaede's heart. They didn't treat the youth as a human at all, just dragging him like cleaning up trash. No, even when cleaning trash, people would worry about dirtying the floor!
However, what did this have to do with her? She already had a sister. Kaede watched coldly, without a ripple in her heart.
The scene changed again.
This time, Kaede was still sitting in an alley, surrounded by darkness, with the cold moon above mocking everything.
Ah, a familiar scene again.
How could Kaede forget this scene? This was the scene of her despair after the first-floor boss.
However, Kaede knew the outcome; she knew that her sister would come soon and pull her out of this sea of suffering.
Thinking about this, a smile appeared on Kaede's lips.
But Kaede waited for a long time, and Asuna still did not arrive.
"Sister..." Fear appeared in Kaede's eyes. Why? Why didn't she come? She remembered it was exactly this time?
No, sister would definitely come. Just wait a little longer, just a little while!
However, as time passed, that cold moon kept mocking her ignorance.
Why didn't she come?
At this moment, Kaede's eyes were filled with darkness. Did she remember wrong?
Impossible. How could she misremember that beautiful memory?
Then why didn't her sister come? Kaede didn't know why; in her memory, Asuna should have arrived long ago.
"Because, sister has already left." A voice suddenly came to Kaede's ear.
"Left?" Kaede was confused.
"Ah, left, left this world forever."
"Left this world?" The darkness in Kaede's eyes grew thicker.
"Just like that youth from just now."
"Like?" The scene from just now flashed in Kaede's mind. That youth, with a hint of a smile on his bloodied face, seemed to be mocking, mocking her ignorance.
"Your sister, has already been killed!" Suddenly the youth opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Impossible!"
"Then why hasn't your sister come yet?" The youth mocked, laughing as if insane, watching Kaede's face grow darker and darker.
"Impossible."
"So, come with me~"
"Impossible, I won't go with anyone except sister. Sister won't be in trouble. How could sister be in trouble? Sister..." Darkness, like a devil's claw, grabbed Kaede's body, making it suffocating.
"Akihiko... Kayaba!"
The scene shattered suddenly. The alley, the youth, none of it existed at this moment.
Kaede, lying on the ground, suddenly opened her eyes, in which no color could be seen.
Kaede turned her head, seemingly searching for something, and finally locked onto Akihiko Kayaba.
"It's him, he's the one who wants to take your sister away."
"Sister?" Unknowingly, Kaede stood up.
"What!?" Akihiko Kayaba on the other side seemed stunned, looking at the standing Kaede, his face showing disbelief.
"Kaede?" Asuna also looked at Kaede, but received no response. She couldn't help but call out anxiously, but got no reply, and her heart sank.
"Thud!" Kaede took a step, her body swaying violently, like the movement of a zombie.
Then, Kaede's pace became faster and faster, and finally she charged, aiming for Akihiko Kayaba.
"Akihiko Kayaba..."
"Kill! Kill you! Kill!" At this moment, Kaede was shouting incoherently.
"Kaede..." Kirito also saw Kaede. Seeing her most clearly, he clearly sensed that something was wrong with her state. He could no longer see any color in her eyes, and her movements were not as fluid as before.
"Clang!"
Finally, the blade in Kaede's hand collided with Akihiko Kayaba's shield.
That frantic, wild slashing had absolutely no technique.
Akihiko Kayaba frowned. The face that had been slightly happy just a moment ago sank again. This state was not the breakthrough of system limitations he had imagined.
Kirito also reacted at this moment, swinging his sword up again.
However, Kirito's sword didn't swing more than a few times before his expression changed, and he rolled away in one direction to dodge.
Because, one of Kaede's slashes was actually directed straight at Kirito.
"Kaede!"
Asuna was also stunned, shouting there, seemingly trying to call Kaede's sanity back.
However, unfortunately, everything was in vain; Kaede was still there, wildly swinging the blade in her hand.
"Sigh!" Akihiko Kayaba sighed. This state was not what he wanted to see. Since it had failed, then... Akihiko Kayaba's eyes showed no fluctuation. Even though Kaede had been with him for a long time, so what? The next moment, Akihiko Kayaba wanted to counterattack.
Such chaotic slashes could never break through his shield. In other words, Kaede was no longer qualified to be his research subject.
The next moment, light flashed on Akihiko Kayaba's shield. After deflecting Kaede's blade, he prepared to thrust his sword at Kaede.
Kirito was too late to rescue her, and the others were still on the ground. Even if he broke through the system's limitations now, it would be too late. Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
"Clang!"
At this moment, Kirito was stunned, and Akihiko Kayaba was also stunned, because Akihiko Kayaba's sword was actually blocked. The sword that shouldn't have been blockable was actually blocked, blocked by Kaede's completely illogical blade. The blade that should have been deflected to the side had been pulled back and intercepted Akihiko Kayaba's sword.
"This..." Akihiko Kayaba widened his eyes, not understanding why this happened, and before he could react, he was slashed by Kaede.
At this time, Akihiko Kayaba seemed to see a trace of a smile on Kaede's face and heard the words Kaede was muttering.
"Kill... you, kill, kill you, Akihiko Kayaba, kill you!"
"Do you hate me that much?" Akihiko Kayaba smiled bitterly. He understood now; he still wanted to restrict Kaede using the system's rules?
How could that be? Didn't he see that Kaede's status bar was still showing a paralyzed state? It was ridiculous that Akihiko Kayaba was still thinking about SAO's rules.
At this moment, the rules were no longer applicable.
"You win..." Akihiko Kayaba said slowly.
However, Kaede didn't seem to hear him; she pulled out her blade and slashed again.
But this slash didn't hit Akihiko Kayaba. Akihiko Kayaba frowned and then simply vanished.
And Akihiko Kayaba's disappearance caused Kaede's slash to hit nothing, almost making her fall over directly.
They had won.
However, at this moment, no one cheered; there was only fear.
The source of the fear was only one... Kaede.
Because, Kaede, having lost her target, turned around and looked at the players on the ground, walking slowly. That expression was definitely not one of wanting to rescue them.
It was more like someone who hadn't killed enough and wanted more criminals.
And a criminal without reason.
At this moment, fear permeated everyone's hearts, lingering for a long time.
"Akihiko Kayaba, kill you, not allowed, not allowed, absolutely not allowed anyone to take sister away... not allowed, ahhhh!" Roaring, Kaede, whose body seemed to be emitting black aura, charged toward the players lying on the ground.
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