Shirou's clones number 30 million

I never expected my cousin to value me so much. I absolutely cannot let him down, nor can I waste the opportunity he fought for.

"Cousin, I think there seem to be quite a few reporters at the scene?"

"Yes, that was my suggestion too. We will broadcast today's team leader selection competition and the progress of conquering Aincrad on TV every day."

Shirou smiled slightly, looked around at everyone present, and said again:

"After all, how can we let heroes who shed blood and tears remain unknown, right?"

"hero?"

“That’s right, everyone who volunteers to fight in Aincrad is a hero. By the way, today your opponents include not only gaming experts but also elite soldiers.”

There's no way they can win!

Moreover, it's going to be broadcast on television. Is it too late for me to back out now?

Although he was inwardly grumbling, he had already spoken his mind, so Kiritani Kazuto naturally wouldn't go back on his word.

"In this situation, it shouldn't matter much even without me, right?"

"Don't underestimate yourself. You are no worse than anyone else."

"cousin……"

Why is he so confident? I really can't do it.

"What are the competition rules? If it's a fight, even the best gamer can't beat a special forces soldier, right?"

"Do you remember those wild boars that fell from the sky three days ago? Although they disappeared quickly after wreaking havoc, quite a few wild boars are still gathering in the suburbs."

Thinking of the black dots he saw on his way here this morning, Kiritani Kazuto's face showed a little panic, and he unconsciously looked around.

It was too far away to see clearly. I thought they were passersby, but it turns out they were all remnants of wild boars.

"So, the opponent is a wild boar? I can't possibly win!"

"In reality, I definitely wouldn't be able to win, but this is a virtual world called Earth Online. If I make good use of the game system, it's hard to lose."

That's it!

Kirito immediately realized that the key to this selection tournament was to make good use of the game system.

Whoever becomes familiar with the game system first will have the upper hand.

In that case, I do have a good chance of winning.

Seeing that he seemed to be deep in thought, Shirou smiled and said again:

"You should understand by now, right? The key to the first battle is the game system. Whoever can adapt to the game world first will gain the upper hand."

"First war? Does that mean there was a second war?"

"Well... all three selection matches will be completed today, you'll find out soon enough. Actually, I really wanted to tell you the answer in advance, but aren't there a lot of people watching?"

"That's enough, thank you."

"You're welcome. I have some things to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. I hope you'll be the one shaking my hand as the team leader this afternoon."

……

"Mr. Narusaka, do you really think the strategy team can defeat Aincrad before the military does?"

"of course."

"Even if they can't use modern weapons, seasoned soldiers are far superior to a bunch of students who play games all day, right?"

"Indeed, that's true in reality. But everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, and this is the students' home turf in the game world."

Inside the stadium on the outskirts of town, two people sitting in the stands were chatting about the contestants.

“I still stand by my opinion. The information in Kayaba Akihiko’s hands is crucial. We must take control of him before other countries do.”

"I have no interest in this kind of thing. All I know is that in the end, I will have to work with someone to get the data back from Kayaba Akihiko."

"That high school boy? Is there anything special about him?"

"He is my cousin."

"Ah? Oh, um, so you're Mr. Narusaka's cousin."

Seeing that he didn't take it seriously, Shirou smiled and didn't say anything more.

In a way, it's thanks to the setting of being the grandson of Narusaka Chisuke that he became a key official partner and a person he was groomed to be a semi-official.

If he were still Narusaka Chisuke, even with illusion magic, it would be difficult to clear his name.

Chapter 206 Fame Arises Overnight

Chapter 206, Section 207: Fame Spreads Throughout the Land

swoosh...

The wildly swung sword was merely slicing through the air, failing to hit the wild boar at all.

Despite its enormous size, it moves with extraordinary agility, making one wonder if it is really a wild boar.

Hearing the sounds of swords being swung all around him, Kirito unconsciously glanced to the side.

Just a few meters away, a young man in camouflage was poking a wild boar with a long alloy spear.

However, the weapon was clearly not sharp enough; it only left a thin scratch on the wild boar's skin, far from killing it.

Under the young man's actions, the wild boar was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, but its movements did not slow down at all; it remained as agile as ever.

"Even at that level, they couldn't kill him? In reality..."

In that instant, Kirito suddenly remembered what his cousin had said earlier.

The key to victory lies in mastering the game system.

"I see."

Kiritani Kazuto quickly stepped back a few paces to avoid the wild boar's charge, then brought up the system interface and began experimenting on the spot.

"Triple Thrust!"

"Huh...? It's not working? As expected, just shouting it out doesn't do any good."

"How about adding some movements in that case?"

Kiritani Kazuto tried to assume the sword technique stance, and after everything was ready, he silently recited "Triple Thrust" once more.

However, nothing happened.

"Your movements don't seem quite right. Let's try again."

As they continued to practice the initial movements of sword techniques, a subtle feeling soon arose in Kirito's heart.

"coming!"

The next moment, the tip of the sword emitted a faint red light.

Immediately afterwards, a flash of sword light appeared, and the sword pierced the wild boar's head repeatedly at extremely fast speed.

After three times, the wild boar collapsed to the ground and transformed into a golden light that flowed into Kiritani Kazuto's body.

"Did it work? It really is just a game."

Without using skills, although one can hit a wild boar with skill alone, like the guy in camouflage not far away, the damage is obviously insufficient without skill bonuses.

Although the skills are a bit troublesome to use, since it's a game, we'll definitely encounter more high-level monsters later on.

Therefore, mastering the skills is the key to victory.

"Keep practicing."

As he continued to slay wild boars with his sword, Kirito experienced a strong sense of exhilaration.

He repeatedly used the same sword techniques, gradually clearing out the wild boars in the area, which quickly attracted the attention of a large audience.

Because of his activity, reporters on the sidelines began to focus more of their cameras on him.

……

Asuna, where are you going?

"Mom, I'm going out to buy some things."

"Do you need to wear sportswear when you go out shopping? And you even brought a suitcase."

"I'm sorry, Mom, I...I want to try."

Ever since watching the strategy team leader selection competition broadcast on TV an hour ago, Asuna Yuuki has felt an urge to join in.

Among them, the magnificent posture of a black-haired boy wielding a long sword and skillfully using his abilities in battle was what she admired the most.

"You're not allowed to go! I don't understand games or reality at all, but I know it's a very dangerous thing."

"...I know, but I'm not willing to just sit at home and wait. Suddenly, Kayaba Akihiko dragged me into the game world on his own, and even claimed that there was no way to return to the real world."

Asuna Yuuki paused for a moment, then said with a serious expression:

"I really can't accept this. I finally managed to convince myself, but then I suddenly saw on TV those people who were preparing to form a team to teach Kayaba Akihiko a lesson."

"How could I possibly sit at home and wait at a time like this?"

Asuna's mother, Kyoko Yuuki, remained silent for a few seconds, looked directly at her daughter, and said very calmly:

“If you step out of this door, you will no longer be my daughter.”

Such harsh words frightened Asuna Yuuki for a moment. After hesitating for a while, she bowed slightly and then said:

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'll come back and apologize to you when I get back to reality."

After saying that, she picked up her suitcase and left the Yuuki family home without looking back.

……

In the afternoon, at the Kiritani family home.

"I am back!"

"Huh...? Kirito and Suguha aren't home?"

Kiritani Midori, the mother of the Kiritani siblings, turned on the television in the living room, intending to rest for a while before preparing dinner.