Of course, complaints aside, the two glanced at the still-posing Tsutsukakushi Sanae, their mouths twitching.
Ling Feng's eyes darted around, a spark of inspiration striking him. He called out in a direction Tsutsukakushi couldn't see.
"Sagiri, you're here."
Tsutsukakushi Sanae, who had been brandishing her golden twin-tails like a meteor hammer and boasting loudly, immediately deflated upon hearing Sagiri's name. Her expression shifted like a Sichuan opera mask, changing in an instant.
"Ah! Master, save me!"
Tsutsukakushi Sanae panicked, hiding behind a girl in a black Lolita dress, trembling. All her earlier bravado was gone.
It was as if Sagiri were a lion, and she a little rabbit, about to be preyed upon. Her fear and terror were vividly displayed in her actions and demeanor.
"Pfft, hahahaha..."
Ling Feng couldn't help but burst into laughter, and Kirito also chuckled softly.
"As expected, this trick still works."
Ling Feng laughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
Hearing Ling Feng's laughter, Tsutsukakushi Sanae looked around. Not only was Sagiri nowhere to be seen, but there wasn't a single person other than them.
Tsutsukakushi Sanae instantly understood that she had been tricked!
A blush crept up her cheeks, her body trembling. She clenched her fists, looking enraged and ready to lash out.
"Alright."
Rikka, standing beside her, quickly restrained the about-to-explode Tsutsukakushi Sanae.
Ling Feng coughed a few times, knowing it was enough. He smiled and said,
"Why would the president, vice-president, and elders of the Far East Magic Guild come to such a small place as the 22nd floor?"
"And you even attacked us sneakily, without any martial ethics."
The Far East Magic Guild, despite its peculiar name, was recognized as the second strongest guild in SAO, only surpassed by the Knights of the Blood.
Among the five founding members, although four of the main players were chuunibyou – two severe and two mild – they were all undeniably top-tier players.
Dark Flame Master Yuuta
Evil Eye Rikka
Magician Danchou
Thunder God Hammer User Tsutsukakushi
Especially Yuuta, who possessed a greatsword of legendary quality.
It was truly absurd, and then some.
When Ling Feng first heard these familiar names, he thought of the anime "Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions." He initially dismissed it as a coincidence.
But when he encountered Yuuta and the others in the boss raid group, Ling Feng realized it wasn't a coincidence.
At that time, when he met the five of them, four of them were in the absolute top tier of strength.
This must be the power of chuunibyou delusions.
As for why they all entered this game together, Yuuta and Danchou had explained the reason.
They had all come because the pampered young lady Tsutsukakushi had used her family's money to buy five game helmets.
They happened to be in the same club, and thus they all came together.
When they first heard it was a death game, all five were terrified. But they later discovered it wasn't that difficult.
Except for Kumin, who was a normal person, the other four, due to their chuunibyou, possessed extraordinary combat power.
As they played, they became top players in SAO.
Of course, they were still a bit behind Kirito.
Yuuta shrugged and smiled.
"The materials for crafting weapons are on the 22nd floor, so we came here to look. We didn't expect to run into you."
"By the way, it's a bit strange that you two big shots aren't leveling up on the front lines."
Ling Feng waved his hand.
"We're tired and taking a break. As for Kirito, he's here to see me about something."
"Hahaha, just rest well until we clear the 74th floor. It's time for the world to witness the glorious radiance of us Evil Eye and Dark Flame Master!"
Tsutsukakushi jumped out, hands on her hips, and laughed heartily.
Yuuta and Danchou beside her rubbed their foreheads, feeling ashamed.
This time, however, Rikka stepped forward to support Tsutsukakushi.
"That's right, according to my Evil Eye's readings, this evil boss will surely fall before our might."
"And you, Blue White Sword Saint, just rest. Witness the combined power of our Evil Eye and Dark Flame Master!"
"Burst forth, reality! Break, my sinews! Expel this world!"
Seeing their vice-president and the others acting so unreliably, Yuuta and Danchou sighed helplessly, feeling utterly exhausted.
Kumin stood beside them, smiling.
As Rikka and Tsutsukakushi were striking poses, a petite figure came running down the path.
Upon seeing Rikka, Tsutsukakushi, Danchou, and Kumin, her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace.
Tsutsukakushi and the others were unaware that the demon in their hearts was about to descend.
"The time to unleash the Dark Dragon is finally upon us, death!"
Tsutsukakushi put away her custom-made golden hammer and brandished her twin-tails war hammer, shouting.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the wooden house.
"Tsutsukakushi, long time no see... Are you here to find us? Come, come, come... to my room, I'll show you something nice."
"Hehehe... This time we'll continue our unfinished painting from last time."
Tsutsukakushi was dragged away by Sagiri, utterly bewildered. By the time she reacted, they were already several meters away.
"It's you! Evil Demon King! Master, save me quickly."
Tsutsukakushi struggled a few times in vain, her face creased with tears as she cried out to Rikka for help.
"Release my minion, you wicked demon king!"
Rikka quickly ran a few steps, leaped, and landed steadily in front of Sagiri, spreading her arms to block her. Her gaze was stern and her expression tense.
"Evil... Demon... King?"
Sagiri looked confused, her mind racing to understand what Rikka was talking about.
"Good opportunity!"
Seeing Sagiri distracted, Rikka narrowed her eyes, quickly took a step forward, grabbed Tsutsukakushi, and fled for their lives.
"You evil demon king, just you wait! When Master's power recovers, we will return for revenge! Evil will never triumph over justice."
As they left, Tsutsukakushi couldn't resist shouting a parting threat.
The few remaining figures watched the two disappear into the forest, a drop of sweat trickling down their foreheads.
"Sister Danchou... Sister Kumin."
Seeing Tsutsukakushi and Rikka run off, Sagiri's gaze shifted to Danchou and Kumin.
Danchou felt a shiver run down her spine as Sagiri stared at her body with that tone. She recalled Sagiri's previous request to "change" clothes and strike embarrassing poses.
Before Sagiri could finish speaking, she grabbed the naive Kumin and quickly fled.
"Hey, why are you running so fast? Wait for me!"
Yuuta, seeing Rikka and the others vanish in a flash, wore an expression of utter confusion and quickly chased after them.
After watching Rikka's group leave, Sagiri crossed her arms, pouted, and looked a little unhappy.
The modeling material she had finally caught had slipped away.
It couldn't be blamed on Rikka and the others for being scared; Sagiri's intimidating presence towards girls was simply too terrifying.
Essentially, anyone who was friends with Sagiri had never escaped her clutches and had all been used as painting models.
Especially those with flat chests – the flatter, the more excited Sagiri became.
In secret, Sagiri had another nickname: Perverted Girl.
"Alright."
"Ah! How many times have I told you... Don't pat my head, President isn't that tall."
"Okay, okay."
Ling Feng smiled sheepishly and retracted his hand. He couldn't help it; Sagiri's silver-white hair was too soft.
He always couldn't resist stroking it, only to be lectured by Sagiri.
However, these playful scuffles were something they had both grown accustomed to. Though neither of them said it, they both enjoyed it.
"Let's go, home for dinner... Today I made Kung Pao chicken, shredded potatoes, and eggplant stir-fried with meat..."
Hearing the dishes Sagiri listed, Kirito couldn't help but swallow and wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth. Frankly, he was salivating.
As for the drool, it was an involuntary reflex he couldn't control.
Kirito looked at Ling Feng with a hint of envy. He was still eating meager meals, and if he was lucky, he might get a sandwich made by Asuna.
Yet Ling Feng was already eating so well.
They were both solo players, so why was the gap so large? It even made him consider finding a partner who could cook.
But it was just a thought; he no longer wanted to watch his teammates die before his eyes.
Seeing Kirito secretly wiping his drool, Ling Feng chuckled, slung an arm around Kirito, and tempted him,
"Kirito, want to join? With so many dishes, we can't eat it all ourselves. Why not share?"
Hearing Ling Feng's smug and teasing tone, Kirito shivered and quickly broke free from Ling Feng's grasp, shaking his head.
"No, I'll just wait for you here."
Seeing Kirito like this, Ling Feng couldn't help but burst into laughter. He grabbed Kirito's arm and pulled him towards the small wooden house.
"Alright, let's go."
Kirito wanted to resist, but in the end, he was dragged into the wooden house by Ling Feng.
By the time he could smell the aroma of food wafting through the air, Kirito had given up resisting.
He couldn't help it; the smell was too tempting.
During the meal, Kirito ate like a starving ghost, not holding back as he devoured the delicious dishes on the table.
Ling Feng was the same; his mind was only on one thing: eating. He didn't even notice Sagiri's slightly displeased and wistful glances.
After lunch, Kirito slumped in his chair, letting out a satisfied burp, still somewhat unsatisfied.
Ling Feng and Sagiri also finished quickly. After tidying up a bit, Sagiri went back to her room to paint.
Ling Feng went out for a walk with Kirito to digest their food.
A walk after meals, live to ninety-nine!
Although Ling Feng's lifespan had already reached two hundred years.
"Tell me, Kirito, what did you want to talk about?"
After eating their fill, it was time to discuss business.
Kirito straightened his expression and said,
"A few months ago, I obtained an exclusive skill, 'Dual Blades,' which allows me to attack with two longswords and has a series of dual-blade sword techniques."
"Because I lacked confidence, I didn't dare to use it in actual combat."
"Last time, during the raid on Laughing Coffin, I remember you were wielding two swords. You must have practiced it secretly, right?"
"So, I wanted to ask Ling Feng for advice on how to use two swords."
Ling Feng smiled wryly. He thought it was something important; turns out it was this. He didn't refuse and nodded.
"Okay, let's find a secluded spot first."