【Youtongyou】IF WORLD

Shadow Chapter

6.

Eugeo often complained to me about my overly optimistic personality when I was at the Swordsman Academy, and it turned out that his complaints were completely correct.For example, right now, there are more headaches than troubles, but just because I succeeded in persuading Eugeo to leave with me, I couldn't be more happy.

But I still don't know how to leave this endless ice field. I looked at the cliff beside me. Although it represented the break of the "Blue Rose Sword", I probably couldn't get out of that dark abyss if I jumped into it. , I don't think anyone with a sane mind would make such an attempt.

In desperation, I had no choice but to put my hands together and ask Eugeo sincerely: "Eugeo, do you have any idea about how to get out?"

Eugeo sighed helplessly: "Kirito, if you can get rid of your disorderly behavior, it's not you... Don't show that expression like an abandoned puppy, even if it's me Will preach at this time."

I smiled without remorse.

Immediately afterwards, I saw Eugeo raised his head: "Although I can't be sure, I guess... the exit should be on the top."

"Above?" This time I could only put away my hippie smile and become serious.

Except for the Administrator, no one in this world can fly magic, and I believe that even if the Administrator enters here, he will be deprived of the power of a god. Here, everyone is just an equal fluctlight.

After thinking for a moment, I nodded affirmatively to Eugeo: "Although it is a bit difficult...but I can be sure that we will be able to leave here." The reason is very simple. I just left the interior of the Night Sky Sword, so the same The Blue Rose Sword, which is a sacred tool, will definitely not seal the exit of the soul, but it is obvious that Eugeo must not know about this matter.

Eugeo didn't ask me why, which made me a little relieved. He continued to explain: "I am not the only thoughtful existence inside the "Blue Rose Sword". In its hundreds of years of memory, there are still A most important partner. "

"You mean..." The answer was ready to come out.

"That's right, it's the "White Dragon of the North". He has been circling and patrolling over the ice field. It is precisely because it has been repairing the damage of "Blue Rose" that "Blue Rose" can restore its damaged destiny on its own. "Eugeo replied softly, looking at the endless distance.

"In other words, we just need to wait for Mr. Bailong here, right?"

Eugeo nodded: "It will come to the cliff at dawn every day. Although I sleep most of the time, it will come to see me every day." 1

I finally breathed a sigh of relief, so I lay down next to Eugeo in a very unpretentious manner: "Phew... I can finally take a rest, wake me up when the white dragon arrives, Eugeo .”

"Kiri...Kirito?!" Eugeo was taken aback, "Are you going to sleep? In a place like this..."

Seeing his panic-stricken look, I got even worse, turned over, and lay my pillow directly on his lap, and said, "Because you're here, Eugeo, as long as I'm by your side, no matter where you are Under such circumstances, I can sleep peacefully."

I felt Eugeo's body stretch from tense to stretched, and then, a hand began to gently stroke my hair. Surrounded by this warm breath, I planned to just take a short rest, but actually I felt a strong drowsiness.

I wasn't just being coquettish, after seeing Eugeo, my tense nerves finally relaxed, and the tiredness I had accumulated when I was an electronic ghost exploded in an instant.If I want to save Eugeo's soul, I must ensure that I can function normally. It is meaningless if the two of us go back together. I can't put the same despair on Eugeo again.

"Hey... Eugeo." Before I fell into a deep sleep, I forced myself to ask one last question.

"Um?"

"After leaving here... what are your plans?"

"Planning...?" Eugeo thought for a while, and replied, "I originally thought that after I rescued Alice, I would return to Rulid Village to live a stable and stable life, but... Kirito, I am now I want to see a wider world.”

"Eugeo." I lightly held his other hand: "I will take you to a very vast world, even wider than the entire Underworld, so no matter what time comes, we must not give up , we have an appointment."

"Well, it's a deal." Eugeo smiled lightly.

7.

I seem to have had a long dream.

In my dream, I wandered alone in the Underworld for a long time. I won the final victory, and the human world and the land of darkness achieved long-term peace.Whether it is someone I value or a complete stranger, everyone has a happy smile on their face, as if it is the most perfect ending written by the Creator.

But I still have no way to celebrate the rebirth of the world with them. I can only hide my pain, close up my true self, and act like a perfect hero.

In the endless rotation of time, the old life is gradually replaced by the new life, which is the natural law of the endless life of all things in the world.Gradually, I am the only one who still has the memory of him. If one day I leave this world, these hundreds of years of sorrow and nostalgia will be deleted as useless data, and I will become the same as before Kazuto Kiritani.

Why am I living like that?

……

"Kirito, wake up."

"...five more minutes of sleep, no... just three minutes."

"..." Eugeo sighed deeply, "Kirito, I've lived with you for two years, and I can tell from your breathing that you've already woken up."

I didn't have the slightest embarrassment of being exposed for a lie, so I sat up unhurriedly.Actually, I was woken up by the sound of the amazing presence of a dragon flapping its wings long before he called me, but the opportunity to let Eugeo pamper me like this is really rare, and... I really miss being woken up by him a feeling of.

I looked around, and there was no change from before I fell asleep. I couldn't tell what Eugeo was referring to by "break dawn" 2, but in short, we finally got the clue to get out.

Soon, the "White Dragon of the North" stopped in front of the platform. When it fell, I could feel the ground around it tremble slightly. This overwhelming volume and momentum were completely different from Alice's Amayori.Immediately afterwards, its huge head stretched out in front of Eugeo, and made a voice that shook my eardrums: "My friend, why did you wake up today?"

Eugeo stood up and stared at Hakuryu's huge orange pupils: "Hakuryu, I want to leave here and go back to the outside world."

If it were me, I would probably have to go round and round for a long time before throwing out a real idea, but Eugeo was as firm and thorough as ever, and he collided head-on with the will of the white dragon without hesitation.

One person and one dragon looked at each other for a long time before Bailong continued, "Why?"

Eugeo was stunned for a moment, and then slowly said: "White Dragon, why am I here?"

"what?"

"I don't know what death means, but I think it must be more absolute... silence and loneliness. Since my soul and memory are still here, it proves that this world still needs me to complete things. My My friend even chased me to this kind of place in order to find me. If I said "my mission is over" and continued to sleep, I would be deceiving myself. "

"There are only deceit and betrayal in the human world. A so-called friend can wield a butcher's knife at you in a blink of an eye." Bai Long's voice contained a touch of remorse and hatred: "Isn't coming to this place just to prove that you are outside Is there no room left?"

Hearing this, I finally couldn't help interjecting: "Mr. Bailong, if the "friend" you mentioned refers to Mr. Bercouli, there is something hidden about that matter..."

"Of course I know." Bailong roared, and Eugeo and I took a step back: "When I met that man for the last time, he couldn't hear my voice, and he couldn't see me in his eyes. I understand that he is no longer Bercouli, but a "fake" whose soul has been implanted with other things. "

"In this case……"

The white dragon's claws scratched a deep white claw mark on the ice bed: "But so what? That only proves that the so-called friendship and agreement between you humans is such a fragile thing, and a slight change can easily break it .My friend, instead of believing in promises that are as fragile as thin ice, it is better to gain eternity in this ice field.”

Eugeo shook his head, "White Dragon, eternity doesn't exist, and I'm not longing for that."

"Then what are you longing for?" Bailong's voice returned to calm: "You have been fighting for others all your life, do you want to burn your soul for others after death?"

"Mr. Hakuryu, that kind of thing won't happen." Before Eugeo could answer, I immediately walked between them and the dragon, stood in front of Eugeo and said to Hakuryu, "I use my fluctlight I swear, no matter what dangers I encounter in the future, I will definitely do my best to stand in front of him.”

"Kirito...!"

"Eugeo, listen to me." I turned around, put my hands on Eugeo's shoulders, and said to him seriously: "Eugeo, I believe you have realized that I do not belong to this world. To die in this world is to wake up in another world to me. That’s why I can fight desperately, I should have told you about this long ago.”

"..."

"To me, your life, Alice's, and everyone else's life is the most precious." I quickly confessed the whole thing desperately, although I knew that Eugeo would never blame me for this kind of thing, but I have never exposed my despicableness to the sun like this. This kind of guilt urged me to confess quickly as if I was worried that I would repent: "I have been hiding all this and letting you bear undue guilt. My fault, I'm so sorry!"

"Kirito!" Eugeo shook his head vigorously: "That's not the case! Kirito, even if you will not die, those injuries and pains are real. No matter where you come from, you have protected me countless times , gave me the meaning of existence, these are real!"

"Thank you, Eugeo." I slipped my hand from his shoulder and took his hand again: "So, Mr. Hakuryu. Even though the human world is full of deceit and betrayal, it is not insurmountable." Things, the so-called human beings, want to reach reconciliation in countless conflicts. I can understand your anger, but Eugeo and I will never be hindered by such things. If there is deception, we will apologize seriously, and if there is betrayal, we will use The sword comes to wake the opponent up, we have always come here like this."

Eugeo took my hand back, stepped forward and gently stroked the scales on the white dragon's forehead: "That's right, White Dragon. I am also a shameful betrayer, and I have also lost to my own weakness, yes My friend raised his sword. But Kirito forgave me like this, recalled my memory, and gave me a chance to redeem my sins. So as long as it is his wish, no matter how many times I will do my best to fulfill it, I believe Bercouli-san is also the same as me."

"Really..." Bai Long closed his eyes: "That man... When we met for the first time, he was not afraid of me, nor was he greedy for my treasures. He is not as insignificant and boring as the weak, nor is he bullied like the strong. Corrupted by the desire to conquer, that's why I want to be his friend."

Eugeo and I didn't interrupt, and listened to it continue to state: "After being betrayed by him, I think that as long as it is alive, it will keep changing, and one day, it will become something I can no longer recognize. .Only you, Eugeo, only you who died can be my friend, and we will usher in eternal silence in this ice field with me.”

"But maybe I'm too greedy. I shouldn't be selfish enough to want to keep you here at such a young age. I admire the firm and noble will that you conveyed through the hilt of the sword when you waved the "Blue Rose" in your lifetime. , Sure enough...there is where you should stay. "

I suppressed the ecstasy in my heart and asked calmly, "Mr. Bailong, are you willing to send us away?"

Bai Long nodded lightly: "Come on my back."

Eugeo and I looked at each other for a moment, nodded and smiled at each other in unison, and then jumped onto the back of the white dragon together.

The white dragon flapped its wings and created a gust of wind on the silent ice field. I suddenly realized that before Eugeo arrived, it must have wandered alone in this ice field, right?Because of the research of "Lars", it endured hundreds of years of loneliness and the betrayal of its only friend. Did "Lars" consider such a thing when developing Underworld?

They adjusted the time rate of the Underworld and observed the evolution of the Underworld like a high god. If I hadn't done this strange part-time job, if I hadn't been attacked by the smiling coffin... then would Eugeo also be in my life? How about being born quietly and dying quietly in just a few dozen days and nights that you don't know, not being known or remembered by anyone?

"Kirito?" Eugeo asked suddenly.

"What's the matter, Eugeo?"

"What are you thinking? You look worried."

"No." I shook my head. "I was just thinking, it's so good to meet you."

Eugeo was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a smile, "Me too, Kirito."

"Eugeo, the residents of the "Kingdom of Darkness" are about to break through the "Gate of the East", and there may be more difficult battles waiting for us after we go out, so you have to promise me that no matter what happens, you will never stand in the way again." I'm ahead. "I said very seriously.

Eugeo sighed again: "You should promise me, even if you won't really die, you should never use that kind of reckless fighting style again, you should trust me and Alice more. .”

"Well, of course." I nodded, "We even broke through the 100-story chalk tower. As long as the three of us are together, no matter what kind of predicament it is."

Mentioning Alice, Eugeo's eyes showed a trace of guilt: "After returning home, I have to apologize to that child, Kirito, you can gain her trust in such a short time, then I can definitely be with her again. We met, and this time we will not be separated again."

"Of course!" I said firmly.

I don't know how long it took, but the rising speed of the white dragon slowed down. I looked down and saw that the ice field had been covered by the thick fog floating in the air, so I couldn't see clearly at all.Soon, I saw a phantom window appearing in front of me. The integrity knight Eugeo could be seen faintly through the window. There is no doubt that the outside world is outside this door.

Bailong stopped in front of the window, "Go, jump out from there and you will be outside."

"Thank you!" I immediately pulled Eugeo to stand up and walked towards the window.

Eugeo tentatively stretched out his hand and gently touched it forward, but at that moment...

An accident occurred.

A piece of blood red was rendered from the place Eugeo touched to the entire window. Countless distorted English letters were stacked on the window, and the word "ERROR" could be vaguely recognized.

"How come?!" I immediately reached out, but my hand passed through the window unimpeded.

The white dragon also stretched out its front paws, and could pass through the window, but Eugeo was the only one blocked by it.

"The order I got at the beginning was to send my friend's soul away under the "special state". I thought it was enough to be called a "special state" right now, but why..."

It doesn't make sense, if "Blue Rose" is preventing her memory from leaving, then the white dragon must also be blocked, it can't just stop Eugeo, a soul that doesn't belong here.

"Why...why did this happen?" I punched the distorted "ERROR", but it was meaningless, my hand passed through without any hindrance, but it didn't allow Eugeo to go too far.

I tried it when I first came here, and I couldn’t exhale the "Window of Stacia" here, and the sacred art, that is, the system command, couldn't take effect. This place is not so much a program space, but a dreamland formed by the condensed thoughts .And those crooked "ERROR" are completely different from the programming characters seen in SAO.

We tried almost everything we could, but the blood red was like an insurmountable moat, ruthlessly separating Eugeo and me in two different worlds.All the agreements and promises we just made were crushed by this unreasonable reality in an instant.

"hateful!"

"Kirito." Eugeo patted my shoulder lightly: "...Staycool."

That word seemed to be a taboo curse, tearing the wounds that I had hidden to blood in an instant, and the throat that had been swollen and sore since just now could only make a hoarse voice: "Don't say that kind of thing now Ah, Eugeo."

"I haven't given up yet, Kirito." Eugeo said, "I will always be here waiting for you, waiting for the day you find a way."

"I didn't give up either." I lay my head on the white dragon's back, covering my eyes with my arms: "I just don't understand, Eugeo...why is this world so cruel to you alone? Give me hope, and then take it away right away."

"sorry……"

"Why are you apologizing!"

"I'm sorry!" Eugeo suddenly rushed forward and hugged me: "It's all my fault, I felt that I could only atone for my sin with death, I went to confront Administrator alone, I died alone... all the regrets and Despair is left for you to bear."

"Eugeo, it's not your fault, it's because I'm too weak, it's because I failed to protect you!"

"There is no such thing!" Eugeo shook his head vigorously: "Since we met, you have been helping me without reservation, but I left you without being able to do anything... Kirito, You are really amazing, even so, you still haven't given up on me, so I will definitely not give up either!"

I also hugged him back, using all my strength, as if I wanted to engrave this warmth on my soul.

"Ah... I see, Eugeo." I buried my head deeply in his neck: "Wait for me, the next time we meet, it must be in the Underworld."

"Well, I'll keep believing and waiting."

TBC

Notes:

1: The reason why Bailong goes to see Eugeo every day is to confirm whether his soul is still there. Please refer to the original work for the reason why he does this.

2: Eugeo can perceive everything outside, so he also knows the time change outside. Because of this, he can appear in every key battle in the original work.