Ren held his breath.
He had seen many battles. He had witnessed fights between players, hunts in the forests.
He had seen duels where victory and defeat were separated by a mere thread.
But this time…
It was a nightmare.
The commander's body was flung like a ragdoll, soaring through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
The impact was strong enough to tear up the earth, sending wooden debris and dust flying in all directions.
Ren heard nothing but the pounding of his own heart.
When the dust settled…
He saw the commander's steel armor cracked open, a gruesome cut running from shoulder to abdomen.
The shattered armor crumbled, and strips of red pixelated fragments drifted into the air from the wound.
The entire battlefield fell into silence.
He couldn't hear the panicked screams of the soldiers. He couldn't hear the growls of the wolves lurking around them.
He could only see that man, the strongest warrior among them...lying motionless.
A cold shiver ran down Ren's spine.
This… couldn't be happening.
That man was their last defense against the beast. He had slain countless Elite Dire Wolves in mere moments.
He was the strongest warrior here. If he fell, then…
Ren's fingers instinctively tightened around his sword's hilt, the cold steel pressing against his sweat-drenched palm. But no matter how much he willed it, his fingers trembled.
Not from the cold.
Not from exhaustion.
But from…
Fear.
His foot slid backward by instinct.
A single step.
But then it stopped.
Something held him in place, like invisible chains binding his legs.
"Make sure you survive to pay me back, kid…"
A familiar voice echoed in his mind, hoarse, deep, gruff, but filled with unwavering resolve.
The old blacksmith.
Aside from Klein and the others, that man had helped Ren the most since he entered this world.
He recalled the towering old man, his weathered face lined with years of hardship. His arms were always glistening with sweat, the forge's flames casting a glow over his hardened muscles, the body of a man who had spent his entire life wielding hammer and anvil.
He was an NPC. A character in this game.
But…
Would he feel sorrow?
If he knew that his son, the steadfast commander of this city… had been torn apart by a monster right before everyone's eyes?
Would he bow his head over the forge, gripping his hammer tightly, and continue forging steel as if nothing had happened?
Or…
Would he feel the same helplessness Ren did now?
Ren's fingers clenched tighter around his sword's hilt.
The cold bite of metal spread through his palm, dragging him back to reality.
The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf was still there. Its six glowing eyes, like cursed gemstones, bore down on them with absolute disdain.
No one dared to step forward.
No one dared to face it.
But if Ren did nothing…
He would watch another person fall.
His gaze flickered toward the spot where the commander had fallen… The man still lay motionless.
Ren's chest tightened.
The commander was still alive.
A surge of energy jolted through him, clearing the fog clouding his mind.
The clearest sign of death in Sword Art Online… was when someone shattered into thousands of pixelated fragments, vanishing completely from this world.
But the commander was still there.
He hadn't disappeared.
He wasn't dead.
Ren swallowed hard, his eyes darting across the battlefield. The soldiers still held their weapons, but none dared to charge in. They had seen their strongest warrior fall in a single strike… How could they not tremble in fear?
But Ren had no time to be afraid.
If he did nothing…
If he didn't act now…
The commander would truly die.
And this time…
There would be no second chances.
Ren sprinted forward.
No hesitation. No second thoughts.
He only knew that he had to do something.
The health potion in his hand glowed faintly, casting a soft crimson light in the darkness. If he could just make it in time, if he could just pour it onto the wound, if he could just...
The Alpha had noticed him.
Six burning eyes locked onto Ren. A suffocating killing intent crashed over him like a storm, squeezing the air from his lungs.
A massive claw swung down.
But before it could strike.
A steel shield slammed into place.
A deafening clash of metal rang through the battlefield. A wall of shields had risen—a final barricade between Ren and the Alpha.
The soldiers who had fallen now stood again, gripping their weapons with knuckles white.
They didn't run.
They had seen their comrades fall. They had witnessed the sheer, merciless wrath of the Alpha. They knew they could die, but in their eyes, fear no longer remained.
Only determination.
The determination to protect their commander.
The determination to help Ren do what he had to do.
The determination to defend this town, to protect their families.
A soldier tightened his grip on his shield, veins bulging on his trembling arm. He gritted his teeth and shouted:
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO!!"
Ren didn't look back. He couldn't stop.
With all his strength, Ren dashed forward like a hunting predator.
He kept running, his feet pounding against the ground stained with red pixelated fragments.
Almost there.
So close!
The commander was still lying there, his breath heavy, his clouded eyes barely open.
Just a little more...
Just one step closer!
Ren gritted his teeth, pushing his trembling legs forward. Just one more step...!
But.
The wind howled past his ears.
A dark shadow swept across his vision.
-230
"—!!"
A sharp pain exploded inside him, as if his organs had been turned inside out. Before he could even process what had happened, his body was sent flying like a severed puppet.
The Alpha had broken free.
Its massive tail whipped through the air like an iron lash, knocking back even the soldiers struggling to hold it down. They couldn't restrain it any longer!
Everything spun in Ren's vision.
But the nightmare wasn't over yet.
Something enormous blocked out the night sky.
Ren looked up, and his heart stopped.
The Alpha had leapt after him.
Its jaws opened wide, razor-sharp fangs glinting with deadly light.
A colossal meat grinder.
And Ren…
Was about to be shredded apart.
A crimson slash tore through the darkness.
In the blink of an eye, a giant scythe came crashing down, slicing straight toward the beast's gaping maw.
Clang!
A burst of sparks erupted in the night as the scythe clashed with the Alpha's fangs. The sharp screech of metal against bone rang out, fierce and unyielding.
Ren was still airborne, his mind spinning from the impact. But before he could hit the ground, a firm hand grabbed his collar and yanked him back.
Thud!
They tumbled onto the cold earth, but the other person swiftly braced a knee against the ground, keeping Ren upright with a steady grip.
He looked up, and amidst the chaos, the moonlight illuminated a high ponytail of violet hair, strands whipping in the wind.
The girl before him wore a silver cloak that shimmered under the faint blue glow. Her fitted battle attire outlined a toned physique, exuding the presence of a seasoned warrior.
She gripped the handle of her scythe tightly, a massive weapon with a curved, razor-sharp blade gleaming with an eerie red light from the pixelated blood still clinging to it.
Her eyes shone with focus, intense and cold as tempered steel.
Ren opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the girl's voice cut through the chaos, calm, crisp, and unwavering:
"You okay?"
Ren swallowed hard. His pulse was still racing, his body still reeling from the hit. But the girl before him… she was unshaken.
If anything, she was ready.
Her grip on the scythe remained firm, her sharp gaze locked onto the Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf snarling in the distance.
A scythe was far from a conventional weapon. Compared to swords or spears, it was unwieldy, difficult to control.
But from the way she stood, the way she subtly adjusted her wrist… Ren could tell.
She had mastered it completely.
"What are you waiting for?" Her voice rang out, not hurried, but firm and insistent. "If you're still breathing, then get up and fight."
Ren bit his lip. The numb ache still lingered in his limbs, but he quickly pushed himself to his feet, gripping his sword tightly as his gaze snapped toward the Alpha.
Boom!
The beast landed heavily after its missed attack, scanning the battlefield with fierce, razor-like eyes. But this time, its gaze locked onto the scythe-wielding girl.
As if it had recognized a true threat.
Ren heard her lips curl into a faint smirk.
"Good."
She kicked off the ground, lunging straight at the Alpha.
Her scythe gleamed, carving a blazing red arc through the night like a crescent moon.
"Can you hold it off for me? There's someone I need to help…!" Ren rolled to the side, barely dodging the Alpha's deadly claws.
The violet-haired girl glanced at him briefly before giving a small nod.
Ren dipped his head in thanks before sprinting toward the fallen commander.
"Hey, kid. What are you waiting for?"
A voice cut into Ren's thoughts, quick, urgent, yet carrying a hint of mischief.
He turned his head and caught sight of tousled blonde hair and a loose cloak.
Argo.
He had no idea when she had arrived, but now she was crouched beside the commander, one hand turning him onto his side, the other pulling out a crimson vial.
"Lift him up! I'll handle this part!"
Ren blinked, barely having time to react before Argo uncorked the potion and poured it directly onto the commander's wounds. The red pixelated damage glowed faintly as his health ticked up, bit by bit.
Ren took a deep breath, pushing aside the last remnants of hesitation.
Under the soldiers' cover, he stepped forward, slipping his arms under the commander's shoulders and heaving him up.
Even though the man was much larger and heavier than him, Ren clenched his teeth and tightened his grip.
He just had to get him out of here.
He just had to get him to safety.
"Holding it off and stalling for backup… that's all on you, Mito," Argo called out.
The violet-haired girl gave a slight nod, effortlessly weaving between the Alpha's relentless attacks as if every move had already been calculated.
Boom!
A deafening crash shook the air, drawing Ren's eyes toward the battlefield.
Mito had engaged.
The girl with the high ponytail, her eyes sharp as a blade.
Her colossal scythe carved a blazing arc into the Alpha's body, forcing it back with an enraged snarl.
At that moment, Ren understood.
Compared to her… his combat skills were nothing.
He didn't need to fight right now.
He had only one job.
Get the commander out of here!