Zongman, Rebirth of the Heaven-Defying Kirito

As her consciousness sank into darkness, Xiaoxing clearly realized that this was another dream.

Just like yesterday, the scene before me was both familiar and strange, as if a long-sealed memory was forcibly breaking free of its shackles.

When the scene appeared, all that could be seen was still a vast, empty white space, just like the atmosphere in the laboratory yesterday.

Unlike last time, there were no busy researchers in the open space, only a humanoid figure covered in silver-white armor standing not far away.

What is that...?

Xiaoxing wanted to figure out what was going on, but suddenly froze.

Because she herself was somehow enveloped in a set of jet-black armor, and even her hands and feet had turned into sharp blades.

This is...me?

Xiaoxing wanted to shout and break free, but she was completely out of control in her dream, as if she were being manipulated by an invisible force. She could only watch helplessly as her 'self' made actions against her will.

At this moment, the white-armored humanoid on the other side finally spoke, with an air of effortless control: "Attack, from any angle."

As soon as he finished speaking, 'his' body moved.

The speed was astonishing; the black figure left a trail of afterimages on the white open ground, the blade in its hand aimed straight at the face of the white armored humanoid, seemingly without holding back at all.

Just as the blade was about to touch the white armor, an invisible force suddenly erupted, like a solid wall, slamming into him.

With a muffled thud, 'one's' body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the white ground.

The white-armored humanoid slowly stepped forward, looking down at its fallen 'self,' its tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of disappointment: "In the end, your 'intentions' are only this much..."

What does that mean...?

"—!"

Xiaoxing suddenly opened her eyes, her chest heaving violently.

But having learned from yesterday's experience, she didn't make too much noise. Instead, she gripped the blanket tightly and took several deep breaths before she could finally calm herself down.

Looking around, the sky outside the window was already beginning to lighten, with a few rays of light filtering through the gaps in the curtains.

Beside her, Yui's little head rested gently on the pillow, a faint smile on her lips, still sleeping soundly.

Countless questions were swirling in her mind, leaving her feeling confused and lost.

But the moment she saw Yui, she instinctively breathed a sigh of relief.

At least I am safe for now.

With these mixed feelings, Xiaoxing gently lifted the covers, carefully rolled out of bed, and tried not to make a sound to wake Yui.

She slowly walked down the stairs to the first floor, where a warm and welcoming scene, just like yesterday, came into view.

Kirito was sitting on the sofa in the living room, looking at the virtual screen in front of him;

Asuna was busy in the open kitchen, where the aroma of porridge filled the air.

Hearing footsteps, Kirito looked up and immediately smiled gently at the person who came: "Sachi got up very early. I thought you had trained all day yesterday and would sleep in a little longer today."

Asuna peeked out through the kitchen window: "Are you hungry? Breakfast will be ready soon."

The scene before my eyes...

My father's gentle smile, my mother's busy figure, and the aroma of food in the air all formed a stark contrast to what I saw in my dream.

This warmth is so real.

It's as if what happens in a dream is an illusion.

Her tense body gradually relaxed, and she softly responded to the two of them, "Yes, Father, Mother."

After breakfast, the four of them followed the familiar path to the meadow near the lake.

The sunlight shimmered on the water, making it a perfect day for fishing.

Kirito had originally planned to take out his fishing rod and go fishing with the two little ones.

Before he could make a further move, Xiaoxing beside him had already gripped her longsword tightly, looking at Kirito with a determined gaze: "Master, please continue to teach me swordsmanship!"

He was truly numb.

At home, Xiaoxing sweetly calls her father, but as soon as they go outdoors, she immediately switches to "Master Mode".

Are you really that interested in swordsmanship?

Kirito instinctively turned to look at Asuna and, sure enough, saw her covering her mouth and chuckling, her eyes full of schadenfreude.

"Xiaoxing, listen to me." Kirito cleared his throat, trying to reason with him: "There's a saying, 'Haste makes waste.' If you train at a high intensity every day, not only will you not be able to master swordsmanship, but you might also injure yourself due to overwork. You don't want to end up losing more than you gain, do you?"

Xiaoxing frowned slightly, a troubled look on her face.

She knew, of course, that her master was right, but whenever she closed her eyes, the figure in the silver-white armor in her dream would appear.

If the images in her dream are truly her own memories, then it means she has enemies she must defeat and things she must accomplish.

She is too weak now. Only by seizing every minute and second to become stronger can she avoid being as vulnerable as she was in her dream when facing that enemy in the future.

This anxiety hidden deep inside prevented her from relaxing.

Seeing that Sachi was hanging her head and seemed to be thinking about something, Kirito finally softened his heart.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "I'm really scared of you. I was originally planning to take you and Yui fishing to relax, but since you insist, let's continue training today!"

After saying that, he added, "Don't cry when you're overworked."

As soon as she finished speaking, the difficulty in Xiaoxing's eyes was instantly replaced by joy, and the corners of her previously tense lips turned up slightly: "Thank you, Master!"

"Someone just said 'haste makes waste,' why have they changed their mind now?" Asuna leaned closer and teased, "Is it because they were too embarrassed to refuse, so they changed their plans?"

Kirito quickly turned his back to everyone and mumbled an explanation: "...How could that be?"

He thought he had concealed it well, but he didn't realize that Xiaoxing behind him had seen through his little actions.

Master is acting differently than usual; in fact, he's kind of adorable.

Asuna quietly tugged at Xiaoxing's sleeve and whispered in her ear, "Don't be fooled by your father's stubbornness now. As long as Xiaoxing earnestly asks him for a favor, no matter how troublesome it is, he will probably change his mind and agree in the end."

Xiaoxing was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

I realized that I had always been treated with such kindness.

"It's good that you know about this." Asuna gently tapped Xiaoxing's lips with her finger, her eyes filled with laughter. "You can't tell anyone, or Father's 'majesty' will be completely gone."

Xiaoxing couldn't help but smile.

In her eyes, her father was always a gentle and patient person who would teach her swordsmanship seriously and would show a gratified smile when she did the movements correctly.

As for authority?

She thought about it carefully, but it seemed she had never seen it before.