No one's around here, huh?
Dark Wind
There are six left, including Sinon and Death Gun, who doesn't show up.
They took each other out?
Four left.
At the start, there were thirty people.
Two survivors...
Twenty-four killed.
Adding Sinon and Death Gun comes to twenty-eight.
Pale Rider makes twenty-nine.
We're missing one.
Did Death Gun take someone else out afterward?
No, whoever's working with him is standing by near Sinon's house...
I may be missing something big.
Phantom Bullet
Well?
There should be five left.
Me, you, Dark Wind,
Death Gun, who doesn't appear on the screen,
and maybe one more...
They might be hiding in a cave like we are.
Just five left...
But it's been an hour and forty-five minutes.
Considering the last match ended in just over two hours,
we're basically matching the pace.
It's strange that no one came to chuck a grenade in here.
Yeah.
It's possible that
Death Gun might have been looking for us,
and taking out anyone he saw with his rifle.
Then he's sure to get the "max kills" award.
Anyway, the problem is Dark Wind.
You're the only survivor who showed up on his terminal.
He'll definitely come for you.
Is he strong?
Last time, he came in second place.
He's a typical agility build
called the Run-Gun Demon.
Ru... Run-Gun?
Run and Gun...
A style where you run, shoot, and run again.
He uses an ultra-lightweight machine gun, the Calico M900A.
Last time, he lost to Zexceed's rare gun and armor and came in second,
but some people say he's the better player.
D-Does that mean
he might be the best player on the Japanese GGO server?
Listen...
If your guess is right,
right now, I'm the only person Death Gun can kill.
Because his partner needs to be near my home.
In other words, that means Dark Wind can't be killed by Death Gun.
So I kind of hate to say this,
but couldn't we use him as a decoy?
Dark Wind
If Death Gun shoots him, we'll know where he is.
And you could say I'm doing something similar.
You're strong, Sinon...
No, I'm just trying not to think about it.
I've always been good at closing my eyes to something scary.
Anyway, what about that plan?
Yeah, I'm basically in favor.
But there's something that bothers me.
I counted all the surviving and defeated players
and it only added up to twenty-eight.
Even if one is Pale Rider, that doesn't explain the other.
Are you saying Death Gun killed someone else after that?
That's impossible.
His partner should be after me, shouldn't he?
Yeah, that's true, but...
When you think about it, it doesn't make much sense.
There were only thirty minutes
between Death Gun shooting Pale Rider and his trying to shoot you.
In other words, Pale Rider's house must be in the same prefecture,
and under thirty minutes away.
Isn't that a little too convenient?
But it's the only possibility.
We don't know for sure that Death Gun only has one partner.
If there's more than one,
one might be waiting for you,
while another player is killed.
In other words,
it's possible that Dark Wind is also a Death Gun target.
N-No...
You're telling me that three or more are involved in something so terrifying?
At least ten Laughing Coffin players survived.
I can't believe that every single one of them is involved,
but we have no evidence that there's only one other person.
Why...
Why is it so important for them to be player killers?
They were finally released from that death game, so why?
It's probably the same reason
that I try to be a swordsman
and you try to be a sniper.
I called them player killers, but I take that back.
In this game, there are many who PK.
I was in a squadron like that.
But PKs have their own pride and resolve.
Killing someone with poison while they're full-diving isn't PKing.
It's just a cowardly crime.
It's murder.
Which means we can't lose to people like that!
Yeah, that's right.
We can't let them get away with this anymore.
I'll defeat Death Gun on this battlefield,
and make him and his real world partners pay.
Yeah, that's the first duty I must fulfill.
I need to start over from there,
and atone for killing two amidst that chaos,
and then the other one later on.
I need to protect Sinon, defeat Dark Wind, and beat Death Gun.
It won't be easy,
but I need to do it, no matter what.
I'll handle Dark Wind.
I won't let Death Gun kill him.
He's strong.
Even you won't be able to take him out in one hit.
While you're fighting him, Death Gun will go after you.
Th-That might be true, but...
You said it, too, right?
I'm a sniper.
If you act as my spotter and tell me the enemy's location,
I'll handle Dark Wind and Death Gun.
I see.
Then I'll leave the sniping to you.
The two of them must be getting close.
I'll jump out in the buggy first.
You leave afterward and get to a position where you can attack.
Good luck out there, partner.
Dark Wind is coming from the west,
so if Death Gun is going to open fire, it'll probably be from the east.
If he takes a hit in his heart or his head, it's almost certain death.
And he'll shoot while he's invisible with his cape.
But you...
You were able to cut even my bullet.
You can dodge it, right, Kirito?
My job is to take out Dark Wind immediately.
If I miss, Kirito will be killed.
And after that, Death Gun will kill me.
My real life depends on this one shot.
Just like back then.
Hecate II, please...
I'm weak. Lend me your power.
Give me the power to stand and start walking again!
The southwest...
This is Dark Wind.
Sinon will handle Dark Wind.
He's fast.
What do I do?
Try to predict his movement and lead him,
or fire at his feet, deliberately missing my first shot,
and then finish him when he panics?
No...
When he has Kirito in his sights, Dark Wind will stop.
I'll wait until then.
I'll endure this.
So you need to, as well.
Kirito, believe in me!
Concentrate...
Feel his killer instinct.
Just like before.
That's right.
Last time, I noticed them because I felt their killer instinct.
What was the name of that first man who attacked me?
Kirito...
I'll kill you later.
Dark Wind...
Kirito!
There he is.
It's up to you now, Kirito.
You did it, Sinon.
I'll take it from here!
Kirito!
It's okay, Mommy!
Yui
No matter how strong his opponent, Daddy won't lose.
Because he's Daddy.
Yeah, you're right.
Turn left at the corner, and go eight meters.
Kirigaya-kun?
Kirito-kun!
You're Yuuki-san, right?
I've heard.
Has something happened to Ki... Kazuto-kun?
Don't worry.
He's in no physical danger.
But his heart rate started suddenly climbing.
His heart rate?
What's going on?
Mommy, look at the PC panel on the wall.
I'll tune it to MMO Stream's live footage.
Bullet of Bullets Final Round
That's Kirito-kun.
That's Kirigaya-kun's avatar?
Yeah, he's in combat.
That's why his heart rate's elevated.
An estoc?
That's him!
One of the Laughing Coffin leaders was really good with an estoc.
His name... His name was...
Ste... Steven?
Did he misspell "Steven"?
No.
No, Mommy.
That's German.
It's also specialized medical vocabulary.
It's read "Sterben."
Sterben?
It means "death."
It's used when a patient passes away at a hospital.
Kirito-kun...
That's a rare weapon...
Actually, I never heard anything about metal blades being in GGO.
Looks like you should have studied more, black swordsman.
You can make it with the gun-blade skill.
Though the length and weight can't be much more than this.
Then I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to make a blade I'd like.
You still like blades with high strength requirements?
Then that toy must disappoint you.
It isn't that bad.
I've always wanted to use something like this.
And...
A sword's a sword.
If I slice through you and deplete your HP gauge, I win.
Bold.
Can you do that?
You've breathed too much of the real world's rotten air.
If the old you had seen that weak vorpal strike, he'd be disappointed.
Maybe...
But that goes for you, too.
Or do you think you're still a member of Laughing Coffin?
You were able to remember that much?
Then you understand the difference between you and me.
I'm a real red player,
but you aren't.
You simply killed out of fear, to survive.
You're a coward, who never thought about
what that meant, and tried to forget everything.
Maybe.
But you aren't a murderer anymore, either!
I already know how you killed Zexceed and the others.
It isn't that black gun's power, let alone your own power.
Then what is it?
Tell me.
You used that optical camouflage cape to watch the players
inputting their addresses in the terminals at the governor general's office.
You have your partners sneak inside their rooms
to inject them with a drug at the right time,
making it look like death by heart failure.
That's the truth.
Internal Affairs has all the SAO players' real names and character names.
Once they know your old name,
they'll know your real name, your address, and how you committed all your crimes!
End this...
Log out and turn yourself in!
I see.
You have a fascinating imagination.
But you aren't quite there.
You can't stop me.
Because you can't remember my old name.
What?
How can you be so sure?
You've even forgotten the reason why you forgot.
Listen.
After that battle ended,
I was about to give you my name.
But you...
I don't want to know your name,
and there's no reason for me to.
I'm never going to see you again.
You don't know my name.
That's why you can't remember it.
I'll defeat you here,
and you'll lie on the ground as I kill the girl,
and all you'll be able to do is watch!
This is made of the best metal you can get in this game.
It's supposed to be made of a space battleship's armor.
Next Time Phantom Bullet