Journey to Planar World

Whether players, NPCs, or monsters, they all should have a cursor above their heads, differing only in color. Typically, players have green cursors, criminal players have orange, NPCs have yellow, and monsters have red, without exception.

But Charlie had no cursor. He wasn’t a player, NPC, or even a monster. He was some kind of unknown entity, an anomaly.

Upon discovering this during his investigation, how could Kayaba Akihiko sit idly by?

He suspected Charlie was an AI program infiltrating SAO, an unregistered entity within the game’s system.

Though Kayaba was a genius who could win a Nobel Prize, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think no one matched his intellect.

Cut off from the real world, Kayaba couldn’t create new monsters in SAO. In other words, his resources were limited; he could only use what already existed in the game.

So, Kayaba decided to send Fatal Scythe, the Hidden Boss of Aincrad’s 1st Floor, to capture Charlie.

Fatal Scythe, with power equivalent to bosses on Floor 90 and above, was the ideal choice to confront a mysterious entity like Charlie.

Kayaba thought everything would go smoothly. He was confident that sending Fatal Scythe would unravel the mystery behind Charlie’s existence. But he still underestimated Charlie’s strength.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Fatal Scythe, five meters tall, cloaked in tattered black robes and wielding a giant scythe, swung its weapon.

*SWISH!*

The scythe sliced through the air at incredible speed, sending pressure waves that made nearby stones tremble.

But to Charlie, every swing, every hiss of the blade, was an open pattern before him.

With his Six Eyes, Charlie saw everything clearly. He moved like the wind, weaving and shifting through the narrow gaps between the scythe’s arcs.

*SWISH!*

No contact—just the cold rush of air as the scythe passed. His movements were minimal, efficient, each step precisely avoiding death.

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

Fatal Scythe gave no respite, its scythe spinning in wide arcs, creating a zone of death.

*WHOOSH!*

Charlie darted forward between the spins, too fast to track. His Steel Sword gleamed with silver light.

*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*

Two slashes struck Fatal Scythe’s arm, targeting weak points clearly visible to his Six Eyes.

”GAAAAAH—!!!”

*BAM!*

Fatal Scythe roared and slammed its scythe down, shattering stone tiles. Charlie had already moved before it hit, sidestepping with incredible speed.

*SWISH!*

The next attack was a vertical thrust aimed at his heart. Charlie parried with his Steel Sword, sparks flying.

*CLANG!*

Even in that brief clash, Charlie felt the enemy’s immense strength, but he didn’t retreat.

*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*

He countered with a flurry of rapid strikes. His sword blurred, a series of horizontal and vertical slashes hammering Fatal Scythe relentlessly.

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

Fatal Scythe tried to retaliate, but every swing missed, anticipated by Charlie’s Six Eyes a fraction of a second earlier.

*BUZZ!*

Fatal Scythe unleashed an area attack, radiating a dark aura of death from its body. Charlie dashed back, evading the spreading wave of negative energy.

*WHOOSH!*

Before the aura dissipated, Charlie attacked again, exploiting the smallest window.

*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*

The battle raged at high speed. Fatal Scythe, despite its size, moved shockingly fast, but Charlie was faster. His Six Eyes let him see and react to attacks with precision.

”Lightning Divine Protection.”

A blue light briefly enveloped Charlie’s body. Using Spirit Arts to boost his speed, he moved even faster.

*WHOOSH!*

Fatal Scythe couldn’t react as Charlie became a blur, vanishing and reappearing around the monster.

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

Slashes came from the left, then behind, then above. It was as if multiple Charlies attacked simultaneously.

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

He darted, slashed, and spun to strike from another angle, leaving trails of silver light. Each sword strike hit Fatal Scythe’s vital points, triggering critical hits.

Fatal Scythe’s HP bar dropped rapidly.

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

Fatal Scythe swung its scythe blindly, but each swing hit only air, unable to touch Charlie’s constantly shifting form.

”GAAAAAH—!!!”

With a deafening roar of frustration, Fatal Scythe suddenly froze.

*BUZZ!*

Dark energy surged from it, spreading rapidly, forming a deadly aura dome that engulfed the area.

It was an Area of Effect (AOE) attack, spreading too fast for Charlie to fully evade.

*BAM!*

His high-speed form was blasted back with brutal force.

”Charlie!”

Asuna shouted in worry, gripping her rapier tightly but unable to draw it.

Facing Fatal Scythe, whose level far exceeded hers, her courage faltered, choked by its overwhelming aura.

Its ghostly appearance—glowing red eyes and tattered cloak—was terrifying to Asuna, who feared horror.

*CRACK!*

Rising slowly, Charlie realigned his dislocated left shoulder with a single jerk, his expression unchanged.

”Relax, I’m only slightly hurt, okay?”

Thanks to the Armor of Fafnir, which negated physical and magical attacks up to Rank B, he sustained only minor injuries.

The AOE attack’s shockwave was strong, but the damage to his body was nearly negligible.

”By the way, Asuna, how much HP does that monster have left?”

”One bar, now red. It’s on its last legs!”

”Got it.”

Nodding at Asuna’s response, Charlie decided to end the fight.

”Asuna, get back!”

”Understood.”

Though unsure of Charlie’s plan, Asuna obeyed, retreating quickly to a safe distance among the ruins.

”GAAAAAH—!!!”

Ignoring Asuna’s retreat, Fatal Scythe, in its dying state, floated toward Charlie.

Charlie raised his sword, gripping it with both hands. A faint smile curved his lips.

”Let me show you a light cannon from the Nasuverse!”

He mobilized the boundless magical essence flowing within him.

*BUZZ!*

His Steel Sword glowed with intense pale green light, shooting vertically into the sky, illuminating the Decaying Ruins. Energy surged around Charlie, forming a visible vortex of power.

”Balmung!”

After charging to its peak, he swung his sword forward.

*SHUA!*

A massive light cannon blasted toward Fatal Scythe.

Fatal Scythe tried to block with its giant scythe, but its defense held only briefly.

*CRACK!*

*CRUSH-BANG!*

The scythe’s blade trembled, cracks forming, before shattering into pieces. Fatal Scythe’s massive form was engulfed in the blinding green light.

Seconds later, the light cannon vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving nothing where Fatal Scythe once stood. Dust and debris fell from the trembling ruins’ ceiling.

*CRACK!*

*CRUSH-BANG!*

The Steel Sword in Charlie’s hand cracked, then shattered, unable to withstand such raw power.

”A replica is still a replica, no match for the real thing.”

Discarding the now-useless hilt, Charlie gave a wry smile, not fully satisfied with the outcome.

”Not good!”

Instantly, he moved faster than sound.