The Game's Arrangement

As for Chika Fujiwara, she couldn't help but secretly tell her best friend, Kaguya Shinomiya, about her current strength and the existence of the chat group. These otherworldly things piqued Kaguya's interest, giving her newfound resolve to escape the control of the Shinomiya family.

The icy image that Kaguya had maintained was slowly crumbling—not because of Miyuki Shirogane, but due to her growing curiosity about the members of the chat group.

Chika Fujiwara's actions directly caused any potential romantic feelings between Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane to vanish. After all, once one has seen so much, their standards naturally rise.

Meanwhile, just before Eriri turned her attention to the chat group, an unexpected and rare appearance occurred: Sakura Matou, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up in the group. Unfortunately, what she had to say wasn't cheerful.

Sakura had overheard her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, discussing plans to send her to the Matou family. It seemed the day she'd be formally adopted was drawing near. This had filled her with fear for some time, even dampening her usual playfulness with her sister, Rin Tohsaka.

[Sakura Matou: @Eriri, Eriri-neesan, when are you coming? I'm so scared...]

At that moment, Sakura was hiding alone in her room. After learning part of the truth about her future, she had grown upset with her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, wanting to question why he would abandon her.

But since it hadn't happened yet, she had no grounds to confront him.

[Chika Fujiwara: How could any father bear to send his daughter to another family?]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): Who knows what's going on in Tokiomi Tohsaka's head.]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): Don't be afraid, Sakura! Once you're strong enough, you can crush them. And who needs a father like that anyway?]

[Kashiwagi Eri: That's right, Sakura! I'll come to your world tomorrow and help you strengthen yourself.]

[Sakura Matou: Mm, thank you, Eriri-neesan. You have to come tomorrow! Please...]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Don't worry, I could never abandon my cute little Sakura.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: @Asuna, are you there?]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): Aren't you in Asuna's world? Why are you @ her in the group chat? Confused.jpg]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Asuna's still at school.]

[Chika Fujiwara: Eriri, how's that Full Dive game? Fun? If it's fun, maybe I'll come to your house and play. You just bought a new mansion, right? Lots of rooms, you say?]

[Kashiwagi Eri: I feel like you're up to no good! Tell me, are you plotting something? Suspicious.jpg]

[Kashiwagi Eri: What could I possibly want from you? Those two lumps of fat on your chest? Disdain.jpg]

[Chika Fujiwara: See? You just exposed yourself! You're after my body! Confirmed.jpg]

[Fallen Angel Black Cat: You guys are so inappropriate. What are these wolfish words? Shocked.jpg]

[Flower Hashira: Humph!]

As Kanae walked along the dirt road, her lips puckered in frustration as she read the flirtatious banter between Eriri and Chika Fujiwara. She felt a pang of jealousy since she had invited Eriri to her world first, yet Eriri had gone to Gabriel and Asuna's worlds instead. This left her feeling sour for the past two days.

"I was first… how come so many people got ahead of me?"

She had no idea that several others had already gotten ahead of her. If she knew, who knows what kind of interesting expression she would make.

At this moment, Kanae was only a few kilometers away from where the Twelve Kizuki were reported to be. Based on her pace, she'd reach the location within a few hours, just as night fell—when the demons came out.

Suddenly, her eyelids twitched, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. A bad feeling arose in her heart.

Stopping in her tracks, she looked toward her destination with a contemplative expression.

Meanwhile, Asuna, who had just finished class, saw the @ notification and joined the chat.

[Asuna: I'm here, I'm here! Eriri, what's up? When did you arrive?]

[Kashiwagi Eri: I just got here a little while ago. I'm in the game right now. When are you coming back? There's something I need to talk to you about.]

[Asuna: I'm already out of school. I'll be home soon. Is it something private?]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Not really. It's about the game.]

[Asuna: You can tell me here then. I still have some time before I get home.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Sure. Lala has fully cracked the 'Sword Art Online' game. She's gaining control of the entire system. Once she's done, we can resolve this death game issue anytime. What do you think we should do?]

Eriri didn't really want to deal with the trapped players, but knowing Asuna's personality and her efforts regarding the situation, Eriri felt it would be better to let her decide their fate.

[Chika Fujiwara: Huh? You've cracked the game already? As expected of the genius inventor of the universe! @Lala]

Chika Fujiwara's @ pulled Lala out of her coding focus, causing her to glance at the chat group.

[Arifureta (Group Leader): So strong! Unbeatable!]

[Flower Hashira: Unbeatable!]

[Sakura Matou: Unbeatable!]

[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Unbeatable!]

[Lala: Eh-heh, you're exaggerating! It wasn't even that complicated.]

[Chika Fujiwara: That statement leaves me speechless. Definitely something a pro would say.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Of course! Repeat after me: Lala, forever a god!]

[Chika Fujiwara: Lala, forever a god!]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): Lala, forever a god!]

[Flower Hashira: Lala, forever a god!]

[Iron-Blooded Hot-Blooded Cold-Blooded Vampire: Lala, forever a god!]

[Asuna: @Lala, does that mean players can safely log out now?]

[Lala: Yep! Once I control the game, I'll be able to manipulate everything within it. Restoring the logout function is easy, I just need to pull it from the backups.]

[Lala: Anyway, you and Eriri can decide how to handle this. I'll execute whatever you decide. Back to work I go! Bye, everyone!]

With that, Lala withdrew her attention from the chat and fully focused on seizing control of the game world. At her current pace, she'd likely gain full control before Asuna even got home, meaning they'd soon be able to manipulate the world however they wanted.

[Kashiwagi Eri: Here's one issue: after what happened yesterday, players who safely log out might never log back into the game again. Which means, as soon as they log out, the game's basically over.]

[Archangel Gabriel: Ah… No! I'm not done playing yet!]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Aren't you in the middle of a dungeon? How do you have time to check the chat?]

Eriri was curious. Gabriel was supposed to be grinding in a dungeon, but she was still keeping up with the group chat. This didn't match the image of Gabriel, who normally would immerse herself fully in the game, even skipping meals.

[Archangel Gabriel: Multitasking is perfectly normal, right?]

[Iron-Blooded Hot-Blooded Cold-Blooded Vampire: That's true. Though I don't often get the chance to use it.]

[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Yeah, it's pretty normal. Sometimes I even check the chat during battles.]

[Red Devil: I mastered multitasking within the first hour of joining the chat group.]

[Chika Fujiwara: I can't do that!!!]

[Asuna: I can't either!]

[Chika Fujiwara: Because of all the time I spend chatting, I've fallen behind in my studies. If only my sisters in the chat could each donate me a few points to soothe my wounded soul.]

[Fallen Angel Black Cat: I totally get it! I'm always afraid I'll trip and fall while reading the chat on the move. Poor me! PityMe.jpg]

[Fallen Angel Black Cat: This makes it clear. I have to level up my powers! Points—I need lots of points! All the points scattered across the group, come to me!! Dramatic.jpg]

[Archangel Gabriel: Calm down, everyone. EyeRoll.jpg]

[Archangel Gabriel: Asuna, let's think of a different approach. We can't lose the game now—it's too fun!]

[Asuna: Umm…]

Asuna hesitated. The old her would have immediately chosen to save all the players. But now, after seeing the darkness of the Hoelscher Empire, she wasn't as naïve as before. Having seen the memories of Sword Art Online, she knew there were plenty of scum among the players, people whose deaths would be a blessing. On the other hand, there were still innocent people who didn't deserve to lose their lives.

[Arifureta (Group Leader): How about adding a revival function? This way, there's no death, and everyone can just focus on clearing the game.]

[Chika Fujiwara: I like that! With unlimited revives, players won't have to worry about dying during boss fights!]

[Kashiwagi Eri: But then there'd be no sense of urgency. It would just be like any other game without the threat of death.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: How about this—we keep the death mechanic, but instead of erasing players' consciousness, we store their consciousness in a special place. They'll fall into a deep sleep, and once the game is cleared, they'll wake up and return to their bodies.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Plus, with our help, and with no interference from Kayaba Akihiko, the floor bosses will be a lot easier to beat. I'm sure the game will be cleared in no time.]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): That sounds good, but I just remembered that assassination guild, 'Laughing Coffin.' It'd be a shame to let them go free.]

[Chika Fujiwara: Agreed. I suggest we kill those players off for good.]

[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Are they the ones that assassinate other players? If so, they really don't need to live. But hasn't the game just started? That guild hasn't been formed yet, right?]

[Kashiwagi Eri: That's right. The players who enjoy killing others haven't revealed themselves yet.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: So we can monitor the red players who kill others on purpose, as well as their accomplices. If they die, we won't preserve their consciousness. Let them die in real life. In fact, if some red players die every now and then, it'll keep the outside world on edge. We don't want people thinking the game is safe, and they shouldn't try removing the NerveGears from the players' heads.]

[Archangel Gabriel: I'm fine with whatever, as long as I can keep playing. Eriri, I've finished my dungeon. I'll be back soon.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Got it! Right now, I'm probably the lowest level player, while you're the highest. Total opposites!]

[Archangel Gabriel: No worries. I'll protect you and carry you through the game!]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): I think Eriri's plan sounds great. It keeps the sense of danger, prevents the deaths of innocent players, and eliminates the scum. Three birds with one stone.]

[Asuna: Alright… let's go with that.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Ugh, this sounds like such a hassle. Wouldn't it be easier to just let the game run as it is? So what if a few people die...]

[Asuna: Absolutely not! Exasperated.jpg]

[Chika Fujiwara: Why do I get the feeling Eriri's a dangerous person?]

[Red Devil: ...]

[Kashiwagi Eri: What are you talking about? I'm super chill.]

Eriri mostly just found it troublesome. Honestly, she didn't really care about the lives of strangers. She acted based on her own whims—she was more than happy to see 'Laughing Coffin' wiped out because she couldn't stand them. If not for Asuna's sake, she wouldn't have asked Lala to seize control of the game at all.

[Flower Hashira: Why am I feeling so uneasy? I sense danger ahead. Logically, unless I run into Muzan Kibutsuji, I should be able to handle anything.]

[Arifureta (Group Leader): Could it be that there's an unexpected change?]

[Asuna: Maybe Muzan Kibutsuji is actually there.]

[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Kanae, be careful.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: How much longer until you reach your destination?]

[Flower Hashira: About an hour or two.]

[Kashiwagi Eri: Alright. If you're in danger, don't try to tough it out. Just call for me in the chat group anytime.]

[Chika Fujiwara: Exactly. Safety first.]

[Flower Hashira: Mm, I will. I still haven't met Eriri in person. I don't want to die yet.]