In the end, the clash couldn't really be called a full-blown fight—after trading a few sword skills, both sides pulled back.
Of course, another reason was that the very instant Kuradeel's overly ornate sword collided with Akimi's Nichirin Blade, a sharp cracking sound rang out.
As the fractures spread, Kuradeel's weapon, unsurprisingly, snapped clean in two.
Akimi swore to the heavens he hadn't even used a Water Breathing form—it was simply that Kuradeel's weapon durability was far too low.
When Kuradeel saw his expensive greatsword broken in half, his face instantly twisted in disbelief.
After a moment of stunned silence, his fists clenched tight, and he glared at Akimi with eyes full of murderous intent.
But after weighing the situation, Kuradeel ultimately gave up on continuing the fight.
He turned and left with his squad without another word to Akimi's group.
Akimi and the others weren't bothered in the slightest.
After passing along the intel that the boss room had already been found to Godfree's squad, who was still lingering nearby, they too prepared to leave.
Before leaving, Nautilus solemnly stepped forward to face Godfree.
"Senior Godfree, I've thought it over. Staying in the Knights of the Blood Oath isn't the best choice for me… Tomorrow I'll go to the commander and submit my application to withdraw from the guild."
This time, Yuna didn't try to dissuade him—perhaps the earlier confrontation had made her see the guild's current state more clearly.
Godfree didn't seem surprised either.
After making a token attempt to persuade Nautilus to stay, he didn't press further.
In the end, he only left him with these words:
"The atmosphere in the guild right now… really isn't suited for someone like you—someone who isn't quite at home in VRMMOs. Don't worry, I understand."
—————-
"Then, Eiji, what are you planning to do next?"
Yuna, walking backward in front of Nautilus with her head tilted, asked curiously.
But Nautilus himself was a bit lost—although he had blurted out earlier in the heat of the moment that he would quit the Knights of the Blood Oath, he honestly hadn't thought about what to do afterward.
Seeing his troubled expression, Yuna didn't press the question further.
At that moment, Asuna suddenly offered a suggestion:
"Actually, Nautilus, you and Miss Yuna could join Klein's guild. While Fuurinkazan doesn't have the raw strength of the Knights of the Blood Oath, it's still one of the well-known guilds ranked among the top in SAO."
Hearing Asuna's idea, Klein's eyes lit up instantly, and he eagerly added:
"Oh—! Asuna's absolutely right! After all, unless you've got overwhelming strength like Akimi or Kirito, going solo is way more dangerous than teaming up in a guild."
"Plus, the atmosphere in Fuurinkazan is way more relaxed compared to the Knights," Akemi agreed.
"After all, the guild leader is a warm-hearted scatterbrain."
"Hey, hey! What do you mean, 'warm-hearted scatterbrain'? Can't you give me some respect as a guild master?"
Klein puffed himself up in mock indignation, waving his fist at Akimi, trying to preserve his dignity as the leader of a famous guild.
Unfortunately, his own companions immediately sold him out without mercy:
"Pfft~ Boss, you've got no right to talk! Just the other day, when buying supplies, you nearly paid double the market price for a batch of mediocre potions!"
"Yeah, exactly! If Miss Argo hadn't happened to show up to trade map data, you'd have been ripped off big time!"
"And then there was that time…"
"Oh oh—I remember that one too!"
As his embarrassing blunders were aired one after another, Klein's face turned utterly awkward.
"Uh… cough, cough, cough!"
Finally, Klein faked a few loud coughs and forcibly changed the subject:
"A-anyway! At the very least, Fuurinkazan definitely has the strength to protect you and Miss Yuna, Nautilus…"
But before he could finish, Akimi smiled slyly and said:
"Mm… let's just call it barely enough."
"Hey, hey! What do you mean barely?! It's absolute!"
"…Didn't you guys almost fail to protect them today?"
"…"
Klein's face, which had only just recovered, instantly collapsed again.
He opened his mouth, but for once had no idea how to defend himself.
Watching Akimi and the others interact with Klein, much of the gloom in Nautilus's eyes eased—though mostly because seeing Klein suffer was actually kind of entertaining.
Unknowingly, however, his gaze also carried a hint of envy and longing, along with a trace of hesitation…
Clearly, that hesitation stemmed from the deep-seated inferiority he could never quite let go of.
"So? Eiji, want to give it a try? The atmosphere between Mr. Klein and Mr. Akimi really is pretty nice, don't you think?"
"Yuna, do you…?"
"Don't ask me. Go with whatever you want."
Yuna had also noticed Nautilus 's hesitation and completely threw the decision back to him, leaving him to make the final choice.
"Uh—" Nautilus 's expression, which had relaxed a little, twisted again.
"Well… I—I…"
After struggling for a long while, he couldn't help but glance toward Yuna for help.
But Yuna simply crossed her arms over her chest with a cheerful smile and said, "Nope~ Don't look at me for that."
After a while, even Klein couldn't stand watching anymore.
He walked up behind Nautilus, gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, and raised his eyebrows as he said:
"A man should be decisive! Always hesitating—what's that supposed to be? Don't worry, we're not the type to get upset if you say no or anything. We in Fuurinkazan aren't that petty."
Well, although what Klein said didn't really address the root of Nautilus 's hesitation, it was enough to push him to make up his mind.
Taking a few deep breaths, he bowed to Klein and said:
"Then from now on, I'll be in your care, Mr. Klein!"