Ren frowned slightly, his eyes scanning the plaza that was gradually becoming more crowded and chaotic, people calling out to one another, newly formed groups moving around, handshakes to confirm partnerships, and a buzz of excitement and tension before the upcoming battle.
He recognized a few familiar faces, people he had briefly worked with while hunting monsters, or those he had exchanged a few words with at the resting area in Tolbana.
None of them were close enough for him to feel comfortable walking up and starting a conversation. Nor did any of them approach him. There were only a few fleeting glances that met his eyes and quickly looked away, as if unsure whether to hold on or let go.
Kibou's group stood not far off. A few of them had spoken with Ren back in the Starting Town, people who had asked him about hunting spots, who had once thanked him for sharing a few helpful tips.
But now, none of them brought any of that up.
Perhaps it was because Kibou was there.
Perhaps... because he no longer meant anything to them.
Agil was also chatting with a small group, laughing heartily and clapping each person on the shoulder in his usual friendly way.
He always seemed approachable like that, a pillar of stability in the chaos. Ren had a feeling that if he walked up, Agil wouldn't turn him away. But... he still stood still.Something inside him held his feet back.
And then... Ren's gaze froze as it swept across the far side of the plaza.
Mito.
She was standing with three others, holding a map in hand, discussing something very seriously.
Every movement, every gesture was firm and sharp, just like the first time Ren saw her charge at the Alpha Wolf, like a guardian ready to take the hit for someone else.
But what stunned Ren wasn't Mito's presence.
It was Asuna's absence.
From that brief moment of battle they shared, Ren had always felt they were a single entity, shadow and form, sword and shield. A rare synchronicity in this chaotic world.
...But now, only Mito was there.
Not a single trace of Asuna in the crowd.
A light breeze brushed the back of his neck, bringing with it a strange, chilling sensation.
"What happened?"
The question weighed heavily in Ren's chest, pulling along a trail of worst-case scenarios woven from his imagination. An accident? An injury? Or... did they have a falling-out?But it had only been a few short days, could something that serious really have happened?
And then... another question pulled his heart down even further:
"Where's Argo?"
She was the one who had sent him the message, inviting him to this gathering and emphasizing that he "should be there." With her personality, if she had said that, she wouldn't be absent without reason...Unless...
A thought slipped into Ren's mind, not panic, but the sensation of a tightening knot, stretching every possibility he couldn't confirm.
Ren stood still in the plaza, amidst countless footsteps and the lively noise of players quickly forming parties, as if everyone already had names to call and roles to assign.
The atmosphere felt like a current, sweeping everything toward the upcoming battle, boiling, urgent, eager.
But he didn't follow it.
Not out of shyness, nor because he was left out or isolated. In fact, if Ren wanted to, he could've joined Agil's group, or called out to one of the players he'd spoken with before to team up.
Instead, he just... stood still. Like a rock in a rushing river, unmoving.
He didn't want to join a party.
Not because Ren thought he was better than anyone, or that he could carry a whole battle alone.
It was simply... not right. The feeling was too clear, no explanation needed, no analysis required.
Like wandering into a party meant only for old friends, no one would throw you out, but there was no reason to stay.
There had been a time when he thought he could be part of those circles.
When he fought alongside Yuna and Nautilus in the forest.
When they shared a simple meal after a long, tiring day.
When they looked toward the same goal.
But now, all that remained was distance.
He wasn't angry, or sad, or bitter.Just an unnamed, quiet emptiness.
Ren lightly touched the hilt of the sword at his side, the only thing that felt truly real to him now. In a world where everyone was trying to find someone to survive with, he had chosen a different path.
Alone.
In both battle and choice.
Ren quietly stepped to the outskirts again, tucking himself into a moss-covered corner of the wall. At his feet, the golden glow of late afternoon stretched the players' shadows into faded streaks, like old memories.
He didn't try to find anyone, nor did he avoid anyone. He simply had no desire to wedge himself into the chaotic puzzle pieces forming in front of him.
Ren wasn't afraid of talking to others. But he didn't need it.Not right now.
And yet, his eyes swept across the plaza once more...And this time, stopped.
There, near an old stone lamppost and the wall surrounding the square, two silhouettes stood in silence.
Unlike the other players who were laughing, chatting, arguing, or adjusting their gear, those two... were as still as stone. As if they didn't belong in this chaotic world.
The first one, Ren recognized immediately.
Kirito.
Even though it had been a long time since they last met, that figure, those alert but not hostile eyes, the slightly forward-leaning stance as if always ready to draw his sword, unmistakable.
Kirito was the first person to guide Ren and Klein, on the very first day they were lost like children in the death trap called Aincrad.
He wasn't friendly, but neither was he cold. Didn't act superior, but was clearly one of the players who understood the game the most.
While everyone else panicked, Kirito already knew where to go, what to do, and most importantly: how to survive.
A strange person.
Not as famous as Diavel, not praised like Kibou, and without a group surrounding him like so many others.
Kirito was someone who hid among the crowd, like part of the air no one noticed, until his sword cut through the enemy in a life-or-death moment.
The other person, Ren didn't recognize right away. A girl, at least he assumed so, based on her slender figure and step as light as wind. She wore a long, reddish-brown cloak with a hood that covered her head.
Only a few strands of light chestnut brown hair peeked from beneath the fabric, gently swaying in the evening breeze. She didn't say anything, just stood there next to Kirito, far enough to not seem close, yet not distant enough to be strangers.
A strange sight.
Ren couldn't tell what their relationship was, but something felt... off.
Not a real team. Not a comfortable partnership.
More like two solitary souls, standing side by side, because they had no other choice.
Ren saw himself in that image. The way Kirito stayed silent, and the girl kept her distance. That desire to fight, but not to rely on anyone.
The cautious look when someone approached, not from distrust, but from fear of loss.
He tightened his grip slightly, then sighed. Not quite regret, just... empathy.
In that noisy crowd, they were the ones with no place to belong.
Ren wondered, if he walked over now, would Kirito nod? Would the girl step back? Or would both remain silent, as if they had already accepted loneliness as part of the survival strategy?
Another thought passed through his mind like a thin blade's edge:
'If I don't step forward, they won't do anything either.' And maybe... the three of them would just stand like that until the battle began.
Ren glanced around again, but Argo was nowhere to be seen. Even though she was the one who called him here.
He didn't see Asuna either, only Mito, laughing and chatting with a group of strangers.
Knots still tangled. Puzzle pieces still waiting to be found.
...Then why not try creating something new?
Something that could start... with three solitary souls?
Ren stepped forward, quietly, like a lost breeze.
He didn't know exactly why he was doing this. Maybe it was the struggle in the eyes of those two.
Maybe it was the tight feeling in his chest as he watched others form groups, find their place, while he remained the one left standing at the edge.
Or maybe... simply because Kirito had once not turned away on the very first day.
Kirito was the first to notice him approaching.
He turned, eyes sharp as a drawn blade scanning over Ren, instinctively defensive, warily familiar...but the moment he recognized who was walking toward him, that look changed.
Still.
Slight surprise.
And then... a hint of hesitation.
Ren stopped.
Standing before the two of them, there was no pride or confidence...just an ordinary teenager, a solitary soul seeking a place to belong.
"I'm Ren." His voice was low, steady, but couldn't hide its sincerity.
Kirito blinked, as if trying to assess something within the words.
Ren didn't flinch, continued:
"I saw you two didn't have a party."
"And well... neither do I."
Kirito furrowed his brows slightly, not in irritation, but as someone unfamiliar with others taking the initiative to approach him.
He looked at Ren, his eyes gradually softening, then tilted his head slightly toward the cloaked girl beside him, as if to ask: What do you think?
The girl didn't reply, but her gestures were strangely delicate. She didn't step back.Didn't pull her hands into her cloak.
Just tilted her head slightly toward Ren, a little... as if silently agreeing.
Kirito turned back to Ren. Exhaled softly. And then... nodded.
"You're still alive, and that's enough." A strange response..half joking, half serious, half acceptance, half a challenge.
Ren was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled softly. "Yeah. Being alive... is a luxury now, isn't it?"
Kirito didn't laugh, but the corner of his mouth curved ever so slightly. "It's been a while. Seems like you've changed quite a bit."
"Welcome to the party, Ren."
Ren stepped closer, standing beside them, just enough to no longer be seen as a stranger, yet still preserving the safe distance of three people who had lived too long in doubt.
He glanced at Kirito. "I thought you'd go solo," he said softly.
Kirito shrugged. "So did I."
And for a moment, the three of them...Ren, Kirito, and the girl in the brown cloak, stood there like three misshapen pieces of a puzzle yet to be completed.
No one said it aloud, but something had just changed.