I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

But ever since she became entangled with this notebook, she seems to have become more sensitive and cautious, avoiding trouble whenever possible and always making sure she is well-prepared before taking any action.

Feeling a little more relaxed, Kasumigaoka Utaha tiptoed and, not seeing Tenkuji Yu in the clubroom, habitually pulled out her notebook to see what he had been up to lately.

As she turned the pages, a line of words slowly emerged, reflecting her thoughts.

At 1:28 PM, Yuuki Tenkuji and Yukino Yukinoshita entered the Virtual Game Research Club's classroom...

"At 1:31 PM, Yuu Tenkuji agreed to the president of the Virtual Game Research Club's request to knock Asuna Yuuki off her title as the reigning champion..."

"What? You just came here to play games...?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha curled her lip, closed her notebook with a disdainful look, and lamented that she had wasted another amount of time.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave to find a better place to continue the surveillance, she suddenly realized something, and her expression froze instantly.

"Yuuki Asuna, Yugi, knock out of the champion's position..."

She remembered that Asuna Yuuki was Yuu Tenkuji's second girlfriend, and the two met in an online game...

As the color faded from her face, Kasumigaoka Utaha slowly raised her head and stared wide-eyed at the screen in the arena area.

Two male figures stood facing each other, one holding a rapier and the other with a single-handed sword at his waist, seemingly talking, but no sound came out.

She knew that behind one of the male imaginary figures was a girl named Yuuki Asuna—a chestnut-haired rapier wielder who had teamed up with Tenkuji Yu in an online game and overcome many difficulties together.

"Speaking of which, 'she will pierce the heart of Tenkuji Yu'... it didn't say whether it was in reality or in a virtual game."

Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but smile with relief.

She knew that there was no way that kind of yandere would kill someone at the drop of a hat in real life.

It's so great that we don't have to risk preventing a murder—

"My goodness! Doesn't this make it even harder to stop them?!"

Feeling extremely angry, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but throw the laptop to the ground again and stomp on it with a contorted expression.

Chapter 160 Asuna? Just a warlike tyrannosaur.

Since the end of the second mission, Yuu Tenkuji has not logged into the game "Sword World".

It had nothing to do with the fact that he lost interest in his wife; he simply wanted to completely sever ties with Asuna Yuuki's life and live their own lives peacefully from now on. He also didn't have any expectations regarding her promise to actively recall the past.

However, things have changed over time. The original reasons have changed, and the meeting in Kyoto brought them together again. Tenkuji Yu's mindset is no longer what it used to be.

At least for now, his reason for not playing this game is simply because he doesn't have the time or the motivation.

A seemingly more exquisite electronic light flowed past my eyes, blurring the boundary between virtual and reality for a moment. However, before I officially logged in, a system window popped up in front of me.

"This device can only be logged into a test account. Please select your gender: Male/Female."

Yuu Tenkuji raised an eyebrow: "Oh, you can even choose your gender? That's great."

If no one is watching outside, he might choose a female character to try it out and see if she's really realistic.

However, to avoid rumors circulating at school tomorrow that "someone in the Sky Temple is so horny that he plays games just to... you know, his female self," he obediently chose a male account and selected a one-handed sword in the weapon selection menu.

The system frame disappeared, the electronic light accelerated its flow, and then an unusual sense of solidity descended.

Suddenly, the light dimmed and then brightened, and a vast, sunny grassland appeared before me.

It seems to be a map specially made for the arena. This is supposed to be the beginner grassland on the outskirts of Aincrad, but not only are the distant city walls gone, but even the cute little wild boars that used to roam around are nowhere to be found.

It was a familiar scene, yet it felt strangely lonely.

After wallowing in melancholy for a while, Tenkuji Yu quickly regained her composure and began to examine her equipment.

The equipment is standard for beginners, and the weapon is also materialized at the waist. There is nothing else in the inventory. Obviously, this is a scene and account specifically designed for arena battles.

In that case...

Tenkuji Yu quickly opened the character and skill menus, and sure enough, all the stats were infinite, and the skill menu was fully unlocked, as if he had a cheat code.

As for the character's current appearance, he is just an ordinary male imaginary figure, with nothing particularly noteworthy.

"Unrestricted combat? It's comfortable for veterans, but it's not very beginner-friendly, is it?"

He stroked his chin and pondered—sure enough, the virtual reality test had run into veteran beta testers. Once their strongest champion was knocked down, those random players who didn't even know how to use their skills naturally couldn't possibly defeat this challenger.

Those scoundrels who have skills but no morals are everywhere.

With a disdainful sneer in his heart, Tenkuji Yu turned his gaze to the male rapier user not far away on the opposite side, who hadn't uttered a single word since he logged on.

"You're the reigning champion, right? No, I should say, the troublemaker who hasn't stepped down from the champion's position?"

"..."

He remained silent for a long while, expressionless, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were pondering how to answer the question.

However, he nodded in the end, still without saying a word, but stared intently at me with those fierce, wolf-like eyes, as if a bloodthirsty glint flashed within them.

The large hand gripping the sword was trembling slightly from the force, but it was not from nervousness, but from the excitement and desire to fight a strong opponent.

"Hmm? So that's how it is..."

Gradually, she put away her contemptuous gaze, looked him up and down a few times, and quickly figured something out.

This guy probably didn't come here intentionally to challenge us, but rather to find a worthy opponent in this school.

Simply put, he's a martial arts fanatic who suddenly has an itch to fight—which makes sense when you think about it that way.

"Well, whatever your reason for coming to the Virtual Research Lab to cause trouble, you've already won a round. Wouldn't it be better to just collect your prize and leave quietly?"

"..."

The other party still showed no intention of speaking to him, his eyes wide open like copper bells, seemingly trying to instill fear in him through a sense of oppression.

Unfortunately, the only people in the world who can frighten Yuu Tenkuji are his sister and girlfriend—and this male player is obviously not among them.

After all, who would fear a destined loser?

"If you're not going to say anything, then I'll take that as you're determined to fight me?"

Twirling the one-handed sword in his hand, Tenkuji Yu smiled casually, lowered his eyelids and said slowly, "Let me introduce myself, Tenkuji Yu, a helper invited by the Virtual Research Society. I'm basically one of the earliest players to join this game, right?"

Seemingly very surprised by the news, the burly man's eyes widened, and his sausage-like mouth, surrounded by a thick beard, opened slightly, but he stopped abruptly before he could speak.

Tenkuji Yu tilted his head, looking at him with some confusion.

Is there any reason why you don't want to reveal your true voice? Like, maybe you actually have a loli voice or something... Oh well, it's none of my business anyway.

Yuu Tenkuji continued, "If you're here to cause trouble at the Virtual Research booth, I'll teach you a lesson and then ask you to leave. If you're just too strong to find anyone to fight, then after I make you leave, I'll tell you where the strongest guild in this game is. You can go back online and challenge them one by one, just remember not to mention my name."

"..."

"Don't be dismissive. There's a girl inside who uses a rapier just like you, and she's probably only a little weaker than me."

"!?"

The male imaginary figure was clearly taken aback, looking somewhat unprepared.

Ignoring his reaction, and recalling the days of playing video games, Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but look up, a slightly nostalgic smile appearing on her face, and even her tone unconsciously became lighter:

"That guy is a typical violent maniac and a two-faced person. Not only is he extremely violent and warlike, but he also doesn't have any girlish style when he fights. He's even more ferocious than a female tyrannosaurus... If she hadn't never beaten me since she entered the game, I probably would have chosen to avoid her. That rapier user with the ID Asuna is such a terrifying and troublesome person. I suggest you don't challenge her."

"..."

Oh? So you've really gotten your fighting spirit ignited.

Seeing the burly man whose eyes suddenly blazed with fire and whose murderous intent surged after he finished speaking, Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but chuckle with a wicked sense of amusement. He was looking forward to seeing this guy excitedly go to find Asuna, only to be beaten up and left questioning his existence.

Well, if it were Asuna who got beaten up by him... although it's unlikely, it's better to be safe than sorry.

"Hey, wanna make a bet?"

Suddenly, Yuu Tenkuji raised the tip of his sword, pointing it directly at the bearded man in front of him, who was full of fighting spirit and looked like he couldn't wait to log into the game and start a match. He raised his eyebrows lightly and said, "If you beat me, I'll tell you how to obtain all kinds of high-level quests and rare items in 'Sword World,' and I guarantee that only I will know them."

"If I beat you, you're not allowed to tell anyone about our conversation today. When you go back online, you can't mention my existence to anyone else. You also have to let me know before you go to challenge that rapier wielder named Asuna... Well, that's about it."

Meeting his surprised and puzzled gaze, Tenkuji Yu shrugged: "Don't worry about me going back on my word, because I basically don't play that game anymore, so even the best missions and items are worthless to me. Also, you don't need to think about agreeing to the bet first and then going back on your word if you lose."

He smiled kindly and casually sent out the challenge of a life-or-death duel.

“I don’t like being lied to, and I especially dislike people making promises to me that they can’t keep—so I wouldn’t feel guilty if someone couldn’t even keep such a small bet, even if I made them unable to stay in the game or even caused them trouble in real life.”

"So, are you going to agree to this bet?"

As her voice gradually lowered, Yuu Tenkuji said sarcastically, "A newbie who only knows how to play games and doesn't understand human relationships, you think it's okay to just attack like this? Don't worry, I can understand you."

Based on his observations, regardless of whether the other party was a battle maniac or not, they were the kind of people who couldn't stand being provoked, and could be easily outmaneuvered even without using "verbal attacks".

"..."

As expected, after a moment of silence, the opponent suddenly pressed the accept duel button, and the murderous aura and anger that had been rising on his body instantly subsided.

Instead, a rapier, seemingly sharper and colder than usual, was slowly drawn out.

The man slowly nodded, then raised his slender sword horizontally and leaned forward.

Thus, all the intangible things like killing intent, momentum, and anger condensed on that tiny tip of the sword, as if even the air itself had been absorbed. A terrifying aura, like a cone, was formed and firmly locked onto their side.

Tenkuji Yu was surprised for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, and as he smiled with interest, he became completely serious.

"You've got some skill. It seems I underestimated you before..."

Judging by sheer presence, Asuna is no match for this guy—in fact, even Hao Ge's guild, which claims to be the strongest in the entire game, doesn't have anyone who can compete with him.

If your aura is weak, you'll subconsciously feel fear just by standing opposite someone, so how can you fight?

As for the most important aspect, strength, judging from the way this guy holds his sword and his overall body coordination, he can't be that bad, he's definitely stronger than Brother Hao.

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but feel grateful for her foresight.

Fortunately, he agreed to the bet. Otherwise, if he had let this guy abuse Hao Ge and Asuna in the game, he might have felt guilty. After all, these two are not strangers, and he shouldn't have gone too far in ruining them.

Like everyone else, even though his feelings for Asuna had been taken away by the system, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't simply treat her as a stranger and always wanted to take care of her in some way.

——"0:05".

With only five seconds left on the countdown above his head, Yuu Tenkuji could see that his opponent's muscles were completely tense, just waiting for the moment he would strike and have that rapier pierce his heart.

He raised his one-handed sword, swung it from behind to the front, and pointed it diagonally at the neck of the bearded man opposite him.

"Attack with all your might. I'll show you what it means to be outmatched."

As soon as the words were spoken, the countdown simultaneously reached zero.