-1670- [ Guardian Knights ]

"Boom..."

With a heavy rumble, the door that had just opened closed again, plunging the surroundings into pitch darkness.

Rozen felt his field of vision disappear in an instant, but it returned just as quickly.

A blinding light suddenly appeared from above, illuminating the entire space and banishing all the darkness.

Rozen finally took in his surroundings.

It was a vast, dome-shaped circular chamber.

The interior of the dome looked as if it were inside the World Tree. The floor was woven from thick, vine-like structures tightly entwined. The vines rose vertically at the edges, forming walls that continued up to the ceiling.

Above the ceiling was a decoration resembling stained glass.

The light poured down from there, illuminating the entire domed space.

Rozen looked toward it.

At the highest point of the domed chamber, at the very center of the ceiling, there was an ornate circular door divided into four cross-shaped stone panels, closed tightly.

Seeing this door, Rozen remembered the words of the statue.

"Then, you must show wings capable of reaching the top....?

Apparently, the only way to reach the top of the World Tree was through that door.

He would need to spread his wings, fly up there, and open the door. Doing so would mean passing the World Tree's trial, completing the final task, and earning the right to reach its summit.

However...

"The developers wouldn't make it that easy for players to simply fly up there, right?"

Rozen turned his gaze to the walls around him.

There, neatly lined up like windows, were countless glowing glass portals, giving off an ominous feeling despite their aesthetic appeal. It was as if they were holding back some beasts, evoking a chill.

Rozen had a thought.

"Are they waiting for me to fly up?"

He curled his lips into a smile.

In that case...

"Let's give it a try."

With those words, wings appeared on Rozen's back, spreading out and emitting specks of phosphorescent light.

Then...

"Boom!"

The air exploded beneath Rozen's feet.

His wings gave a mighty flap, launching him like a rocket toward the ceiling, cutting through the air and leaving a trail of light as he flew toward the door above.

At that instant, something unusual occurred.

"Zing!"

One of the glass portals around the chamber suddenly lit up, radiating a bright light.

The light took the form of a figure, appearing within the space.

Upon closer look, it was a knight clad in silver armor, with four wings on its back and a mirror-like mask for a face, holding a sword resembling a clock hand.

"Is that the Guardian Knight?"

Rozen saw it and squinted his eyes.

The knight looked down at the soaring Rozen, and in the reflective mask, a pair of eyes glowed.

The Guardian Knight raised its sword, let out a roar, tensed its body, and charged straight toward Rozen.

The two met in mid-air.

They immediately began a fierce battle.

"Swish!"

The Guardian Knight swung its sword, wielding it like a heavy club, slicing through the air.

"Clang!"

Rozen unsheathed his Fairy Sword and struck without hesitation, aiming a swift slash at the enemy before him.

"Clash!"

With a crisp sound, the Fairy Sword collided violently with the Guardian Knight's sword, sparking fiercely.

But neither side lingered in the clash.

With a burst of incredible power, the Fairy Sword shattered the opponent's sword.

"Clang!"

With a cracking sound, the Fairy Sword broke through the Guardian Knight's weapon, continuing its path towards the knight.

"Splurt!"

With a sound like tearing cloth, the Fairy Sword slashed through the Guardian Knight's neck, severing its head, which fell like debris. The weakened body fragmented into polygonal shards.

Rozen's momentum didn't slow, slicing through the fragments as he continued his ascent.

"That was...weak?"

Rozen was momentarily taken aback to see the Guardian Knight fall in one strike.

This final task, which had held back the nine races for an entire year without being cleared, was supposed to be extremely challenging.

Rozen had been prepared for a tough battle, expecting the Guardian Knights to be stronger than the floor bosses of Aincrad's upper levels.

But to his surprise, the opponent was this fragile.

"Strange, this level of strength wouldn't even stop a single top-tier player."

Unless...

"There isn't just one opponent."

Rozen was certain of this.

And in the next second, it was confirmed.

"Zing!" "Zing!" "Zing!" "Zing!" "Zing!"

As Rozen neared the center of the dome, numerous glass portals around him began lighting up in succession.

From each portal emerged a Guardian Knight, swarming out like bees from a hive, their numbers quickly reaching a staggering count.

Some wielded swords, others longbows, and others lances, forming an intimidating army.

"This many?"

Rozen was slightly surprised.

The sheer number of Guardian Knights was astonishing, easily in the thousands, assembling in perfect formation before the ceiling door, facing Rozen to block his approach.

Seeing this massive army of Guardian Knights, Rozen smiled.

A cold smile.

"Now this is interesting."

Rozen muttered and began chanting a spell.

"——キ·チ·ゾ·デ·モ——"

This spell boosted his attributes.

"——さ·ば·ぷ·て·と——"

This spell reduced both magical and physical damage.

"——ξ·γ·χ·δ·μ——"

This spell enhanced his agility and attack speed.

"——ㄉ·ㄆ·ㄨ·ㄐ·ㄌ——"

This spell imbued his attacks with the wind attribute.

Though these were all basic spells, they had a tangible effect on Rozen.

The last spell, especially, was absorbed by Rozen's Fairy Sword, causing it to be enveloped in a vortex of wind.

This seemed to provoke the Guardian Knights, who trembled in unison before diving down toward Rozen.

"Get out of my way!"

Rozen shouted coldly.

In his hand, the Storm Sword burst forth.

"Boom!"

Within the dome, a tempest suddenly swept through, filling the entire chamber.