Chapter Eighty-Six: The Ruin of the Smiling Coffin

Lanser knew that even without Asuna’s help, with Kirito’s own strength and that elusive thing called “will,” he would absolutely notice that something was wrong.

“All right. Time for me to claim my reward as well.”

Picking up a strange dagger, Lanser stepped out of his room.

“Commander, everyone is ready.”

The moment Lanser emerged, the other captains gathered around him and reported that all was in order.

“Let’s go. I imagine all of you have been waiting for today for a very long time.”

Everyone present was a front-line player, yet each of them also had friends among ordinary players. Some had friends or lovers who had died beneath the blades of Laughing Coffin. They had longed for revenge, but had never been able to find any trace of their enemies. This time, however, Lanser had already given his word. No one doubted him. He had absolutely no reason to deceive them. Moreover, among high-level players it was no secret that Lanser had already killed two of Laughing Coffin’s three leaders. Though no one knew why, that alone was enough to show that there could be no coexistence between him and them.

“By the way, are we not contacting the Army this time?” one captain asked as he followed behind Lanser.

Lanser shook his head. “With Laughing Coffin’s intelligence network, a large-scale purge would never succeed.”

Seeing that the others still did not fully understand, he continued, “The last time we joined forces with the Army, we dealt them a heavy blow. They may not be able to infiltrate us, but the Army is nowhere near as strict as we are when it comes to choosing people. They are certain to have enemy spies among them. This time, to ensure absolute secrecy, I did not even summon the outer members or those who joined later. Everyone here, and everyone I personally selected, has known one another since after our very first meeting. There is no room for suspicion.”

His explanation delighted them all. Lanser’s words meant that they were truly regarded as his trusted inner circle.

“All right. Equip the weapons I gave you. Remember, for certain special reasons, their attack power has been reduced as the price. But I trust that won’t be a problem for any of you.”

“We’re not ordinary players,” one of them said, immediately switching out his weapon.

The others smiled at one another and followed suit.

“Let’s move. According to the information we have, their target this time should be the one causing the disturbance. And I imagine that once we find those bastards, none of you will lose to them.”

Before entering the forest, Lanser gave his final rallying speech.

“I won’t give them the chance to remember us.”

One member, his hands trembling, drove the longsword in his grip savagely into the ground.

No one said anything. Everyone knew him. Or rather, aside from a few players of similar standing, he was the only one present who was not one of the old guard.

“Trembling, are you?” Lanser was the only one who spoke. “Are you afraid that your own hands will take another’s life? Or have they already become your nightmare, filling you with such fear that you cannot even hold your weapon steady?”

“Afraid? Terrified? Yes. I’m afraid that if I fail to kill him, I’ll never have the face to stand before her grave again. I’m afraid I’m not strong enough to kill him!”

As he spoke, several other players tightened their grip on their weapons so hard that veins stood out along their knuckles.

“In that case, let’s go.”

All of them drew up their cloaks and slowly vanished into the mist.

They watched in silence as the farce began and as PoH appeared. The instant he did, several within the guild could barely restrain themselves and started to rise.

“If you want revenge, then keep quiet,” Lanser hissed under his breath. “Don’t startle them.”

“But…”

For a moment, they even thought Lanser meant to sacrifice those people. But very soon the situation shifted—Kirito and Asuna arrived together.

When Kirito said that the raid group was on its way, PoH, unlike before, showed no sign of retreat. Instead he threw back his head and laughed wildly.

“Boy, you think you can fool me? The major guilds have made no unusual movements. There are no signs of large forces nearby. We even have lone players under watch. So tell me, Black Swordsman—where exactly are your reinforcements?”

At his words, the people behind him gradually calmed, only to burst into laughter as well.

“This is bad… How could they…”

Kirito had never imagined that after the previous incident they would become so cautious, even going so far as to sacrifice considerable manpower solely to keep watch.

“What do we do, Asuna…”

Kirito shielded the unconscious man and the other three behind him.

“There’s no choice. We hold them here. I’ve already informed the guild master and the others. I’ve also contacted the rest of them separately. But if we’re to hold out until they arrive…”

She glanced at the other three.

“Please trust us.”

With that, all three drew their weapons.

“All right. Hold on. The support force is already on its way here, so…”

Asuna finished with a troubled glance at the unconscious man.

In the end, they could only abandon him helplessly. He himself was a murderer, and at a time like this, there was no room for excess mercy.

Just as the five of them prepared themselves, Lanser led his people in and encircled them all.

“All right, Mister PoH. The game ends here.”

At the sound of Lanser’s voice, more than twenty front-line players and six red-eyed players fixed their gaze upon the fewer than twenty members of Laughing Coffin trapped in the center.

“The Inquisition... So it’s you again,” PoH said through gritted teeth.

“That’s right. Me again. So go to your end in peace.”

Lanser gave a sharp wave of his hand, and everyone immediately chose a target and charged. Naturally, Lanser himself went straight for PoH, the leader.

“Why are you so determined to hound us?” PoH asked as he blocked Lanser’s surprise attack, retreating slowly and warily.

“Why? Does killing require a reason? Do you explain to the people you’re about to murder why you’re killing them?”

Though Lanser answered him aloud, his hands never paused. Even with the reduced attack power, if Lanser’s strike landed in the heart, there was no way his opponent would survive.

In the brief time they spoke, member after member of Laughing Coffin was cut down. No one felt the slightest need to hold back against red-named killers. With their superiority in numbers, they began by assigning one person to pin down a target while the others joined forces to kill another outright. The enemy’s numbers dwindled at a terrifying speed.

Watching his subordinates die, PoH felt a pang of anguish—not because he considered them important, but because once they were gone, making money as easily as before would no longer be possible.

“Break off and withdraw. Regroup at the hideout.”

With that order, he turned to flee. But Lanser had no intention of letting him escape. Even though he had a contingency plan, he had no desire to let the man go so easily.