Anime: Passive Inheritance System

Sitting alone at the party table, Kai had his arms crossed, gazing at the feast in front of him while also watching the heated argument between the two people outside the restaurant window.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Kai."

A moment later, Yuna walked into the restaurant, clasping her hands together apologetically. Behind her was Nautilus, who looked like a kid whose candy had just been stolen, his face full of discontent.

"It's fine. If it's something important, feel free to continue talking. I don't mind."

"In that case, Mr. Kai, you wouldn't mind spending Christmas Eve alone, right?"

Nautilus' unexpected jab made Kai's smile freeze for a second, but he responded honestly, "Actually, I planned to spend the night grinding levels on the 47th or 48th floor anyway... If my presence is a burden, I can leave now."

"No, no, not at all. Mr. Kai, we're glad you're here. It's great you could join us for the party… Aray, how can you say something like that to Mr. Chen?"

Yuna rarely got angry at her childhood friend, but now she looked truly upset. Nautilus felt a strange sourness in his chest. Without thinking, he pointed at Kai and shouted.

"Am I wrong?! He's only known us for two months. Why should he be allowed to join this party? Yuna, you and I have known each other in real life for over ten years. From kindergarten, we were classmates and neighbors. I've always seen you as… someone really important. But you don't get it. You invite someone you barely know from a game to a party meant for just us!"

Yuna's face darkened briefly, but then she smiled.

"So I'm that important to you, huh? Still, Mr. Kai isn't just anyone. He's important to me—important to us. If it weren't for him, we'd have died in that dungeon. That's a debt we can never repay, so we should always be grateful."

"But…"

Just as Nautilus bit his lip and was about to protest further, Yuna gently placed her finger on his lips.

"You're a KOB member now, right? Then act like it. Be cooler. Show some class!"

Feeling her cool fingertip against his lips, Nautilus went silent. Looking at her familiar face, he finally felt a bit of relief.

Even if he couldn't match Kai's strength, he wasn't just some player named Nautilus. In the real world, the bond between Eiji and Yuna—built over more than a decade since childhood—was far deeper than anything two months could forge in a game.

Yuna only saw him as a savior and was showing her gratitude. That was all.

Realizing that, his jealousy felt childish and silly. He really hadn't been cool at all.

Seated at the table, Kai watched the interaction with a soft smile. He lightly tapped his fork against his wine glass, creating a crisp ring.

"May I start eating now?"

"Ah… yes, of course, Mr. Kai. Help yourself."

Yuna, catching Kai's amused gaze, seemed slightly embarrassed by how close she'd acted with her childhood friend just now. Blushing, she pulled her hand back and sat beside Kai.

Now that he'd worked through his feelings, Nautilus also gave up his hostility. With a broad smile, he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Be cooler.

Act like the childhood friend I am. No way some random guy's going to steal the spotlight.

"Well then, I'll dig in."

Seeing that the other two had taken their seats, Kai didn't hesitate. He grabbed an entire roast turkey with his fork, tore off a leg, and began eating.

This was a game, after all, so no matter how much one ate, there was no risk of gaining weight. While overeating might create a feeling of fullness, there were no side effects—no penalty like losing HP for eating too much.

Watching Kai devour his food, Yuna and Nautilus also started eating their share of the lavish meal.

While chewing, Yuna turned to Kai and asked, "If I remember correctly, Mr. Kai, you're level 68 now, right?"

"Yeah… but my experience bar is nearly full. I'll hit level 69 soon."

In response to Kai's straightforwardness, Yuna, who had already seen his level through the team interface, simply looked unsurprised. But Nautilus couldn't stay calm. He stood up from the table, face full of shock as he shouted.

"Si-sixty-nine?! But the average level of the current raid group is only sixty!"

"Eiji, you're too loud…"

Watching the boy cry out across the table, Yuna shook her head helplessly. "Even I, who teamed up with Mr. Kai, have reached level sixty-two already."

"Eh…?"

Hearing this, Nautilus froze.

In SAO, experience points are not distributed evenly based on the number of party members. Instead, they're given according to each player's contribution in battle. If someone does nothing, they get no experience at all.

As a support player in the rear line, Yuna probably only received about a quarter of the total experience, yet that alone pushed her to level sixty-two in just two months?

When did leveling up become so easy?!

No… wait. It's not that leveling got easier. SAO treats all players equally. If Yuna could level up so quickly, it must mean she earned that much experience. And the one responsible for that is…

Nautilus swallowed unconsciously, staring at the black-clad swordsman wrestling with a whole roast turkey.

Such fair and soft thighs…

If he could cling to that thigh, wouldn't he be able to effortlessly leech experience and level up happily, just like Yuna?

So… should he?

Nautilus wrestled with himself, thoughts swirling.

On one hand, he was truly envious of Yuna clinging to such a golden opportunity… no, it seemed that thigh had approached her first? Damn it, even more enviable!

On the other hand, as a proud member of the raid group, it was hard for him to shamelessly beg to tag along.

[Eiji is a KOB member now, right? Since you joined the raid group, act like someone from the raid group. Be more confident and cool!]

Yuna's recent words echoed in his mind.

No… I can't. I just can't do it!

...

Late at night, the noisy players in the restaurant had all left. Kai settled the bill at the counter, then supported the paralyzed Nautilus, slowly leaving.

Ahead of them, Yuna led the way to the inn she had booked that afternoon. As she walked, she turned back, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Eiji had never drunk before, but he insisted on showing off. Now he's drunk and it's causing you trouble, Mr. Kai…"

"It's fine. Let's just call it post-meal exercise. I could use the movement too."

This wasn't just small talk. With SAO's real-time weather system, the cold winter night actually felt quite chilly.

After walking for about ten minutes, Yuna brought him to a warm-looking little inn.

On the second floor, Kai gently laid Nautilus onto the bed and carefully tucked him in. Yuna then stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, bowing her head slightly.

"Thank you for everything recently, Mr. Kai."

"It's nothing. Just doing what I can."

Waving it off, Kai said goodbye. "It's getting late. You should rest, Yuna. I'll be going."

Just as he turned to leave, a cool hand gently grabbed him.

"Hm?"

Turning back, Kai looked at the girl who had stopped him. "Is something wrong?"

Yuna nodded and removed the white hood she always wore. Her short, dry, light tea-colored hair swayed in the air.

"Just for a bit… can you spare a moment to listen to me say something meaningless?"

Meeting her gaze, which held a hint of pleading, Kai relaxed his grip on the sword's hilt, nodded, and turned back. "If you want to talk, go ahead. I'm a great listener."

"You always say things that make people feel reassured, Mr. Kai. But that'll make you too easy to rely on, you know…"

Smiling slightly, Yuna twirled a key in her hand. "Let's talk inside."

The inn room wasn't large. A white single bed sat in the center, with a short table by the window.

Yuna sat on the bed, having taken off her white robe, revealing a pink waist-tight dress. Kai leaned against the table, arms crossed, waiting for her to speak.

"…Mr. Kai, are you afraid of dying?"

Her voice was low.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but I wouldn't say I'm terribly afraid either. Why do you ask?"

"Why…"

Clenching the sheets slightly, Yuna looked up at his calm face. "Because I'm really scared… scared of dying. Especially after you saved me from the dungeon, I've been haunted every night. Whenever I close my eyes, I start imagining what it would be like to die, and I can't sleep. I wanted to ask, how can you stay so calm when fighting?"

Kai looked at the anxiety overflowing in her eyes and fell silent.

Why was he able to stay calm?

Slaughtering monsters in the dungeon with no expression, taking lives on a modern battlefield without mercy…

Had he become numb from too much killing?

Or had the system's inherited profession changed his mindset?

Kai couldn't give a definite answer. By the time he realized it, he had already stepped through seas of blood with his sword.

In the silence, Yuna began to murmur.

"Unlike you, ever since I got trapped in this death game, I've been terrified. If I die in the game, my brain will be microwaved. I'll never wake up to see my bedroom ceiling again. I won't be able to go to school with friends. So many things I wanted to do will never happen. Dad will be so sad…"

Her voice grew softer, but then her eyes lit up and a smile appeared.

"But then, Eiji told me he would protect me, beat the game, and bring me home safely… I was really happy when he said that. He later joined KOB, became part of the raid group, and worked so hard. I saw it all and was proud of him. But… even so, I'm still scared."

Even as she smiled, tears filled her eyes.

"Being afraid of death isn't shameful," Kai said seriously. "And you won't die."

"How can you say that so surely?"

"Because I'll protect you. Until the game is cleared."

Looking into the depths of her eyes filled with anxiety and dependence, Kai made that promise.

It wasn't just because the mission required him to protect her.

He also saw his past self in her.

Back then, alone, he had stepped into the dungeon, clinging to the only thing he could rely on—his sword. He didn't know where the path would lead, or if a path even existed. All he could do was dance on the edge of death, slaying monsters while cutting through all hesitation and fear in his heart.

As Kai made that promise, the scent of sunflowers surrounded him. Then he felt a weight on his shoulder.

Yuna had buried her face into his shoulder, sobbing quietly.

"...Really? I can really rely on you? You'll really protect me?"

"Yeah."

Without saying much more, Kai hesitated, then gently wrapped an arm around her waist and sat on the bed with her, using his other hand to softly stroke her hair.

"You'll be okay… You'll definitely survive."

At his words, Yuna's sobs grew louder.