"So… the item they crave so much that they are willing to exchange this unity for… what is it exactly?" Ren asked, unable to hide a hint of curiosity mixed with deep caution.
Kirito let out a heavy sigh, the sound blending with the clanging hammer at the forge corner.
"It's the Flag of Valor… a legendary item capable of amplifying stats and providing a massive buff to all members within the same guild, provided they are within a fixed range." He explained, emphasizing its exceptional power.
"According to the information I gathered from the beta version, it is a unique reward that only drops from the Floor Five Boss. Its form is highly symbolic: a spear mounted with a majestic battle flag, which automatically changes to display the insignia of the owning guild."
"But… why is that a problem?" Ren wondered, a faint flicker of optimism still in his voice. "Wouldn't such a community-empowering item increase the assurance for all players when facing difficult challenges ahead? Isn't that the purpose of support items?"
Kirito shook his head, the gesture definitive and negating all beautiful beliefs.
"Yes, if it fell into the right hands, at a time when those people hadn't yet acted. But it's too late now, Ren. Power always comes with bottomless ambition." His voice dropped, laced with bitterness.
"Morte and his allies have sown the seeds of suspicion, greed, and the thirst for absolute power into both major guilds, turning the Flag of Valor into the fuse for conflict."
Kirito looked straight into Ren's eyes, forcing him to confront the cruelest truth.
"Are you truly certain that when one of the guilds holds the Flag of Valor, the symbol of supreme military authority, they will restrain themselves? Or will they use it to annex, impose rules, and ruthlessly suppress the other guild, in the name of unifying the battlefront?"
He leaned forward, ending the question with a cold warning:
"When life and death are no longer the sole concerns, and power is what's put on the scale, Ren… no one is trustworthy."
"So…" Ren tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. A moment of silence, thin as silk, yet so tense that one could almost hear thoughts colliding. "Plan B. The thing you kept so well hidden that you didn't reveal even a fragment of it."
He didn't ask further. No need to.
Ren breathed lightly, then spoke directly:
"You plan to strike first. Attack the boss immediately, cutting off any chance for the two guilds to execute their reckless schemes."
Ren's gaze sharpened, but not to accuse, but to dissect. Precise. Not missing a beat.
"You will hide the Flag of Valor… temporarily seal it, preventing the dispute from erupting?"
A pause.
"Or monopolize it, using the buff to re-establish order through power?"
Another pause, slower.
"Or… you give it to both, but position yourself as the supervising intermediary. A reluctant guardian, holding the single key to balance."
Ren looked up at Kirito, his gaze seemingly drilling straight into his core. No harshness. No anger. Just… too clear. To the point of being chilling.
Kirito froze. His entire body shuddered for a beat. Not out of fear, but because he was seen through to an annoyingly naked extent.
"You…" Kirito blurted out, almost recoiling from the log. "What exactly are you hiding? Mind reading?"
Ren merely smirked. A fleeting smile, light as a knife slicing across skin; he wished he had that ability too.
"…Yes."
Kirito clenched his fist, his voice lowering, decisive as a final stamp.
"We have assembled a temporary group. Mostly our acquaintances, all trustworthy, and with influence. Half from the two guilds, half are soloers and independent Clearers."
Ren leaned back slightly, his eyes half-closed as if listening to every breath of the truth.
"They will lock each other in," he said, his aquamarine eyes flashing with a slightly dark light. As if flipping over the chess pieces Kirito hadn't yet touched. "No leader would dare hide the Flag of Valor. Because if anyone steps out of line… the entire Clearer community will turn their backs on them. And this time," Ren opened his eyes, looking directly at the shadows swaying with the fire on the ground, "there will be no chance to correct the mistake."
Ren fell silent. All tactical analysis, all cold dissection stopped.
"So you plan to rely on others to watch out," Ren blinked his aquamarine eyes softly, his tone frighteningly calm, "when one of the saboteurs infiltrates the team and steals the Flag of Valor?" He paused, looking straight at Kirito, giving him a chance to object.
Kirito shook his head. His black hair swayed slightly. "No." His voice was firm, but there was still something suppressed. "That's my job…"
Kirito's fingers suddenly loosened, lightly touching the wooden surface. An unconscious action, as if he was trying to press the shadows of the threat beneath the fire. His gaze wavered for a beat, finally settling, direct and heavy.
Kirito hesitated slightly, the words coming out slowly, like pulling heavy stones from his chest. He knew what this request was, a declaration of weakness.
"Help me protect Asuna…"
Ren slightly tilted his head, showing no surprise, just a calculating frown.
"Being constantly by my side puts her in danger," Kirito explained, emphasizing Morte's name as a warning. "Last time, Morte and his allies attacked us…"
He clenched his hand, though grasping nothing. "They are paying attention to me because I messed up their plan once, and because Asuna is with me, she will also become their target."
This request wasn't strategy; it was Kirito's red line. The self-proclaimed "solo swordsman" was entrusting his most precious possession.
Ren silently looked straight into Kirito's pitch-black eyes; his aquamarine eyes seemed to be weighing… the price of this compromise.
Before that heavy plea, Ren finally let out a soft sigh. The breath was not one of relief, but of accepting an unnecessary burden.
He raised his hand, lightly rubbing his long, wolf-like mane of tangled black hair.
"Then that's too bad, I'm probably in the crosshairs of those people too…"
Ren's aquamarine gaze swept over Kirito, implying: I am a target now too, yet I accept.
He didn't wait for Kirito to feel gratitude.
"More importantly," Ren suddenly widened his eyes, his demeanor so serious that Kirito had to halt. "Aren't you going to ask Asuna's opinion?"
Kirito stammered. He had focused too much on protection that he forgot the main character.
"She's not as weak as you think," Ren shrugged lightly, a provocative motion.
Kirito shuddered. That couldn't be denied. He knew this better than anyone. Asuna was not only powerful with her Flashing Rapier Skill but also possessed frightening adaptability and firm resolve. Kirito always shuddered when he thought of a truly angry Asuna.
"She is not a flower that needs your protection."
Like a decisive Judge, Ren read the hesitation and heavy thoughts in Kirito's mind and decided to help him remove those slabs of pressure.
"Furthermore…" Ren leaned in a bit closer, the coldness dissolving, replaced by a playful light. His round eyes twinkled meaningfully, as if he had just discovered a new continent in Kirito's soul. "…caring for each other like this… do you like her?"
The whole space suddenly went silent; Sylen's hammer strikes seemed to pause for a split second. That simple question, in the most tense moment, was the fatal blow.
Kirito froze. His face, usually hidden behind the coldness of the Black Swordsman Kirito, suddenly flushed hot.
"What are you saying!?" Kirito burst out, his voice higher than usual, his eyes wider than necessary. He quickly turned his face away, staring intently at the rough stone wall as if some Secret Solution was carved upon it.
Ren propped his chin on his hand, his aquamarine eyes sparkling with amusement. The serious expression when discussing tactics completely vanished, replaced by a mocking half-smile.
"Oh? What did I say? Just a simple question." Ren shrugged, taking a sip of tea as if savoring the best drama of the day. "Usually, there are only two reasons why people rush to take a powerful teammate off the battlefield: either she's the element that destroys the entire plan, or… personal feelings override logic."
He tilted his head, smiling meaningfully. "And Asuna is clearly not the former, is she, Black Swordsman?"
Ren raised his hand, making a motion of zipping his lips. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I'm not the type to ruin the romantic atmosphere." He said, but his attitude and gestures clearly suggested the opposite.
Kirito clenched his fist, trying to regain his usual icy expression, but failed completely. "It's not romantic! It's… responsibility! A teammate!"
"Sure," Ren nodded, his eyes completely disbelieving. "And you want me, the person you just startled with my mind-reading abilities, to accompany and protect your responsible teammate? That's an interesting choice."
Ren pushed the tea cup away, reverting to a semi-serious attitude, yet still with a hint of mockery.
"Alright, listen up." He pointed at Kirito. "I will help. But not because I believe in your sense of team responsibility. But because if she's captured, your Plan B will vanish into thin air."
"And it's best not to let Argo know about this…" Ren added, as if an afterthought, "Otherwise, those romantic stories about you two that Argo makes up will become reality…"
"Wait… it's not reality?"