345 -341- The most ruthless killers

"Swoosh!"

As the attack, swift as a shadow, approached Rozen's back like the hand of death, he immediately understood the nature of this assault.

It was a surprise attack formed by combining the specialized skill "Armor Pierce" for small piercing weapons and the specialized skill "Sneaking".

Players who used this technique weren't unheard of in SAO, but as far as Rozen knew, there was only one player on the entire server who could achieve such a level of stealthiness that their presence wasn't noticed until they were close to their target's back.

Faced with this strike, even Rozen, who could react and perceive it, couldn't act in time.

At least, turning around to block right now would definitely be too late.

In that case...

"No need to turn around!"

Rozen, as if he had eyes on his back, realized the ambush through his "Mind's Eye." He swiftly reversed the single-handed sword he held, using the power of the "Mind's Eye" to parry the attack coming from behind him.

"Clang!"

Amidst the clash, the incoming small weapon landed perfectly on the blade of his single-handed sword, creating sparks.

However, this ambush was not limited to just this.

"Snap!"

With an unmistakable footstep sound, a black figure suddenly darted out from the side, targeting Rozen. In their hand was a sharp, slender weapon, approaching Rozen's side with astonishing speed. Aimed at his head, it struck mercilessly.

At this point, Rozen's weapon was already used to parry the attack from behind, rendering him unable to effectively block this blow.

Yet, Rozen's "Mind's Eye" had detected the incoming strike long ago. He swiftly turned his head, avoiding the sharp weapon.

But even so, the ambush was far from over.

A third assailant quickly appeared.

Right in front of Rozen.

"It's showtime."

The attacker murmured these words, ghost-like and silent as they lunged forward. With astonishing speed, they arrived in front of Rozen.

In their hand, it wasn't the small piercing weapon from behind, nor was it the sharp, slender weapon from the side. Instead, they held a large, heavy, four-cornered short knife resembling a cleaver.

"Swoosh!"

The air emitted a mournful sound as it was sliced by the heavy cleaver.

The attacker swung the heavy cleaver towards Rozen's body, as if they were trying to cleave him in half at the waist. The howling gusts of wind stung the skin and swept away the dry leaves on the ground, displaying an unparalleled terror.

In this situation, being attacked from the back, the side, and the front, Rozen couldn't avoid or block the attacks. It seemed he was truly out of options.

However, in that very moment...

"Clang!"

The effect light of a sword technique ignited.

Just beneath Rozen's feet.

"Gengetsu(Crescent Moon)!"

This was a high-level upper kick technique in martial arts, distinct from the straight-line attack of "Senda(Flash Blow)."

The strike was released beneath Rozen's feet, like the string of a crescent moon, landing heavily on the thick cleaver aimed at him.

"Clang!"

The powerful kick struck the thick side of the cleaver, sending it flying.

Finally, Rozen resolved all the attacks.

Complex as it may seem, from Rozen facing the surprise attack from behind to the consecutive strikes from the side and front, the entire process took merely a matter of seconds.

In these few seconds, the assailants attempted to ambush Rozen in a manner that would bring him to his demise, yet he flawlessly deflected their attacks.

It wasn't until this moment that a group of individuals stepped back, putting some distance between them and Rozen.

Rozen finally got a clear view of the assailants.

They were three killers, akin to grim reapers.

Standing on the left was the one who had ambushed Rozen from behind. They wore black leather armor and tight black pants, while their feet were clad in sharp-toothed black leather boots. In their right hand was a faintly green slender dagger, and their head was covered by a black mask resembling a monk's hood, with circular holes exposing their eyes, emitting an eerie, viscous gaze that carried a sense of madness.

On the right stood the one who had ambushed Rozen from the side. They, too, were dressed in black, but their attire was made of tattered cloth that hung down like rags. Their head was adorned with a skull-shaped mask, and deep within the dark eye sockets, small red eyes emitted an ominous glow. In their right hand, they held a rapier, emitting a blood-red light that demonstrated its exceptional performance.

And in the center stood the one who attacked Rozen directly from the front, wielding a cleaver.

They were dressed in a knee-length raincoat, and their head was covered by a raincoat hood, revealing only the lower half of their face. Their expression held a smirking, yet murderous, smile.

These were the three individuals who had launched the ambush on Rozen.

Moreover, each of them possessed skills so advanced that even the members of the clearing group would pale in comparison.

Rozen, of course, recognized these three.

Because these three individuals were part of the infamous "Laughing Coffin," a red-named guild that delighted in murder.

And they weren't just any members; they were the three highest-ranking members.

The dual-wielding dagger specialist skilled in poison weapons—Johnny Black.

The rapier user skilled in sharp, slender weapons—Red-Eyed XaXa.

And the guild leader of the most notorious red-named guild, known for advocating the viewpoint that "since this is a death game, murder is only natural, and we should enjoy this game to the fullest, as it's the right granted to all players by the game itself"—the mastermind behind many players' descent into madness and excessive PK—the leader of the Laughing Coffin, PoH.

"Whoo..."

Rozen couldn't help but let out a whistle and smiled merrily.

"What a truly valuable catch we have here."

Rozen's first impression in this situation was captured by these words.

It wasn't until this moment that the rest of the people present reacted.

"What... What's going on...?"

Silica seemed quite flustered.

"Who... Who are these people...!?"

Rosalia was trembling with fear.

The players from "Titan's Hand" who were lying on the ground and couldn't even get up were filled with terror.

Clearly, the situation had surpassed the handling capacity of those present.

Only Rozen remained quite cheerful in the face of this scenario.

However, as Rozen's opponents, the three murderers facing him weren't thinking the same.

"Tch! We weren't able to take him down...?"

Johnny Black exclaimed childishly in disbelief.

"... Such a... nuisance..."

XaXa's voice was raspy and filled with murderous intent.

Even the leader of "Laughing Coffin," PoH, didn't know whether he should be pleased or displeased.

"It seems like you've become even more troublesome than before, 'Magus.'"

At least, if it were the past, facing this ambush from these three individuals—members of "Laughing Coffin," the largest, strongest, and most ruthless red-named guild—Rozen wouldn't have handled it so effortlessly.

After all, this wasn't just any ordinary ambush; it was a coordinated attack by the three top players of "Laughing Coffin," a guild known for its exceptional brutality. It even included their leader, PoH.

Facing this trio's ambush, aside from the expert defender Heathcliff, even Kirito might have met his end.

Yet, Rozen managed to effortlessly overcome this dire situation.

This was the growth brought about by Rozen's complete mastery of the "Mind's Eye."