The boss fell, and a brief silence gave way to an eruption of joy. Players clasped hands, praising each other's efforts. As the celebration faded, with no leader to organize, groups of acquaintances scattered to rest.
Exhausted, Hachiman sat at the edge, sipping his signature drink. Asuna joined him, and he handed her one. Kirito, equally drained, sat beside them and noticed the drinks.
"What's that?" Kirito asked.
"Pseudo-Max Coffee," Hachiman replied.
Kirito grimaced. "Can't stand that stuff." He pulled out his own drink.
"First step," Kirito said.
"Just one floor," Hachiman noted.
"But a big one," Asuna added.
"It begins now," Hachiman said.
"Think it'll go smoothly?" Kirito asked.
"No chance. Too much lost. I just want to sleep," Hachiman sighed.
As expected, Kibaou rallied some players, targeting Kirito. "Why'd Diavel have to die?" He accused Kirito of hiding the katana info and being a beta tester. The post-Diavel loss fueled anti-beta tester sentiment.
"What do we do, Hachiman-kun?" Asuna asked.
"Logic could shut them down, but it might backfire," Hachiman said.
Kibaou's rhetoric echoed the meeting, branding beta testers as cheats. As he turned on Hachiman and Asuna, Kirito stood, unleashing a tirade.
"Why glorify beta testers? You think they're ahead, unfair. That's praising them! Beta was a thousand-player gate. Top MMO players were there, but not all were elite. I was different—I outpaced everyone, climbed higher, knew more. Don't lump me with regular beta testers!"
The crowd erupted. "Cheater!" "Beta tester cheat—Beater!" "Beater! Beater!"
Kirito donned a black coat. "Boss drop. Fitting for a Beater, right? I used those two—decent for newbies—but they're too naive to notice. I'll activate the gate. Go home and stay put." He climbed to the second floor.
"Apologize to Diavel, Beater!" a player shouted, others joining in. Kibaou, oddly, looked conflicted—anger mixed with doubt.
Hachiman and Asuna whispered. "Was that… what I think?" Asuna asked.
"Yeah. Like old me," Hachiman said.
"What now?"
"Can turn this big negative into a smaller one. Issue is getting them to listen."
"Need something big?" Asuna asked.
"Yeah, something to shift their anger."
Hachiman sipped his drink. Asuna blindsided him. "What'd you think when you first saw my face?"
Hachiman spat his drink. "What? Why now?"
"No weird meaning!" Asuna flustered. "I was… shocked, in many ways."
"I'll grill you on 'many ways' later. Shocked is good enough."
Hachiman blushed, then paled. "Wait, you're not—"
"People won't listen to strangers. If you talk, it might help. We need them to hear you."
"But burdening you—"
"You're my dearest friend. We share burdens. We'll bow and face them together. Let's go!"
"You win. Head-on it is."
They stood center-stage, shouting, "Please, hear us out!"
"What, Beater's pals?" "What's left to say?"
Asuna drew more attention. Hachiman removed his hood—little reaction. Asuna followed, and her stunning beauty silenced the crowd. They bowed deeply.
"We know you're upset. You might not want to listen, but please, hear us," Hachiman said.
Kibaou spoke. "Let's hear 'em. They're bowing sincerely."
The mood eased, and they got their chance.
"I'm Hachiman. This is Asuna. We were skirmishers with him. Some think we're in cahoots. I'll stick to objective facts. I'm bad at public speaking, so sorry for any rudeness."
Hachiman aimed for sincerity. "Why speak? Unanswered questions. First, beta testers. There aren't many here, right? The vibe proves it. Why so few?"
Players looked puzzled, then nodded as he continued.
"Beta testers raced ahead. Shouldn't most here be them? I thought they were amazing, but reality's different. They're not that special—just knowledge, not always an edge. Knowing too much might've led to reckless deaths due to changes."
Some agreed. "Criticizing beta testers is fine, but like good and bad people exist, so do players. Judge them by actions. What'd you think of him in battle?"
Voices emerged. "His strength was real." "Saved me multiple times." "But he's a Beater!" "Going solo upstairs? Impossible."
They sensed something off. Why did Kirito act that way?
"I have guesses about his motives, but think for yourselves. More importantly, he shouted for Diavel to escape the stun. Would a schemer expose himself like that? He risked himself, giving orders."
The crowd fell silent, his actions contradicting his words.
"One hard truth: Why did Diavel die?"
The crowd exploded. "Beater's fault!" "Couldn't protect him!"
Hachiman waited, then said, "Who ordered Diavel to attack?"
Silence. They recalled Diavel acting alone.
"Diavel, low on HP, rushed in. No one could shield him in time."
No one could argue.
"Guesswork: Diavel was a beta tester. He moved to land the killing blow for a rare drop—the black coat. He said it himself."
"Diavel? A beta tester?" Kibaou gasped.
"Maybe intentional, maybe reflex. It's just the only explanation that fits. If he'd stayed back, we'd have won anyway."
Hachiman scanned the crowd. "If Diavel was a beta tester, do you hate him?"
"No way!" "He fought hard!" Kibaou and others shouted.
"Exactly. I respected Diavel. Beta tester or not, it's about actions and effort. Don't forgive his last move, but judge his future fairly." They bowed again.
Kibaou spoke. "I get you, but I ain't convinced."
"Thanks for listening," Hachiman said.
"You chasing him?" Kibaou asked.
"He's our friend," Hachiman replied.
"Saw you three laughing. Didn't look used. Tell him we'll work him hard on floor two."
"Will do."
The tension eased. Some weren't convinced, but their message landed. Asuna smiled. "Thanks for listening."
They chased Kirito. Passing Egir, he said, "Tell him hi."
Hachiman felt jealous glares but shrugged them off. "Was that okay?" Asuna asked.
"Said what I wanted. Up to them now."
"Talking that long, despite hating it?"
"Exhausted. Tense. Did I say anything wrong?"
"No, your feelings came through. It was good."
"Worth the effort, then."
"What's next with Kirito?"
"Punish him first."
Players dispersed, some swayed, others not, but all reflecting deeply.
Thus, the first floor boss battle truly ended.