But Asuna felt that one of the reasons for Nobuyuki Sugou’s increasingly aggressive behavior since her middle school years was the incredible pressure that was placed upon him. And part of that pressure was undoubtedly the attitude that Kyouko exhibited.
Asuna swallowed a bitter lump in her throat and kept her voice hard. “At any rate, I have zero intention of getting along with him. I’ll choose my own partner.”
“Fine, as long as it’s a good man who suits you. And let me be clear: That does not include any of the students at that facility.”
“…”
Something about the way Kyouko said that made it seem oddly specific, and Asuna felt another chill run through her.
“Did you…look into him…?” she rasped in shock. Kyouko did not confirm or deny the accusation; instead, she changed the subject.
“You have to understand, your father and I just want you to be happy. From the moment we picked out your kindergarten, that’s been our only concern. I know that deep down, you regret getting involved on a whim with that game Kouichirou bought. So you tripped and lost your footing a little bit, but you can still recover. Only if you truly work for it, though. You can still have the most brilliant career, if you just put in the effort.”
The best career for you, not me, Asuna thought bitterly.
Asuna and Kouichirou were only elements of Kyouko’s personal “brilliant career.” Kouichirou went to a first-rate college and was working his way up the ladder at RCT, to Kyouko’s satisfaction. Asuna was meant to follow in his footsteps, but between the freakish SAO Incident and the damage to RCT’s image caused by Sugou’s malfeasance, Kyouko was clearly feeling that her own career was damaged.
Asuna didn’t have the spirit to continue arguing. She put her fork and knife down next to her half-eaten meal and stood up. “Let me think about the transfer,” she said.
But Kyouko’s response was dry and clinical. “You have until next week to decide. Fill out the necessary fields by then, print out three copies, and leave them on my desk.”
Asuna hung her head and turned for the door. She considered just going back to her room, but there was something in her chest she needed to expel. A step out into the hallway, she turned back and coldly called out, “Mother.”
“…What?”
“You’re ashamed of Grandma and Grandpa, aren’t you? You’re unhappy that you were born from a simple farming family, rather than some famous house with proper heritage.”
Kyouko looked stunned for a moment, but the harsh furrows returned to her brows and lips immediately. “Asuna! Come over here!” she snapped.
Asuna was already closing the heavy teak door. She darted across the hall and raced up the stairs, yanking open her bedroom door.
The sensors immediately caught sight of her and automatically turned on the lights and heat. She walked over to the control panel on the wall, unbearably irritated, and shut down the environment control system. She then threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in her pillow, not caring if her expensive blouse got wrinkled.
She didn’t mean to cry. As a swordsman, she swore never to cry tears of sadness or frustration again. But that oath only amplified the agony that strangled her lungs.
Somewhere inside her head, a voice mocked, You think you’re a swordsman? Just because you weren’t half bad at swinging around a little digital sword in a stupid game? What good is that going to do you in the real world? Asuna clenched her jaw.
She should have changed after meeting him in that other world. She should have quit blindly following someone else’s values and learned to fight for what she ought to do.
But from the outside, what was actually different about her now, compared to before she’d been trapped there? She put on a false smile like a little doll for the sake of her relatives, and she couldn’t firmly refuse the life her parents had set up for her. If she could be what she believed was her true self only in the virtual world, then what was the point of coming back to reality at all?
“Kirito…Kirito.” The name whispered through her trembling lips.
Kirito—Kazuto Kirigaya—still seemed to possess the hardy will he’d gained from SAO even now, more than a year after their return to the real world. He had to be dealing with his own pressures, but he never let it show on his face.
When she had asked him what his future goals were, he smiled shyly and said that he wanted to be on the side of the developer, rather than the player. And not for software like VRMMOs, but a new man–machine interface, a much closer and more intimate connection than the current full-dive technology, with its many limitations and regulations. Even now, he was active in tech forums both domestic and foreign, studying and exchanging opinions with others eager to advance the interface.
Asuna believed that he would continue to head straight for his goal without hesitation. If possible, she wanted to be with him all the way, following that same dream. She was hoping to go to school with him for the next year so that she could determine what she needed to study to make that happen.
But that possibility was now on the rocks, and Asuna was filled with the helpless feeling that she could not resist the forces compelling her.
“Kirito…”
She wanted to see him. It didn’t have to be in the real world; she just wanted to go back to their little cabin so she could cry into his chest and reveal all of her troubles.
But she couldn’t. The one whom Kirito loved wasn’t this powerless Asuna Yuuki, but Asuna the Flash, mightiest fencer in all the land. That knowledge was like a heavy chain around her neck.
“You’re strong, Asuna. Much stronger than me…”
Kirito’s long-past words echoed in her ears. Maybe he would distance himself from her, as soon as she revealed her weakness to him.
The thought terrified her.
Asuna stayed facedown on the bed until she eventually fell into a light sleep.
She saw herself walking arm-in-arm with Kirito through the shade of the trees, silver scabbard at her waist. But her other self was locked in a dark place, forced to watch silently as the pair laughed and chatted away.
In the midst of her bittersweet dream, Asuna pined to return to that world.
3
The twenty-fourth floor of Aincrad was a majority-water level, covered in lakes and swamps. The visual motif was very similar to the sixty-first floor, home of Asuna’s past residence in Selmburg, though that wouldn’t be open to the players of ALO for quite a while yet.
The name of the main town was Panareze, which was a man-made island placed in the center of a massive lake, with floating bridges in all directions connected to countless little islands.
Asuna observed the festival air of Panareze from across the water, her head resting against Kirito’s shoulder. They were sitting side by side on the southern shore of a little island just north of the city. Behind them were green, leafy trees, while little waves lapped at their feet. The winds crossing the lake, warm for winter, rustled the fine grass around them.
“Hey, do you remember the first time you came to my place in Selmburg?” Asuna asked, looking up at Kirito.
He smiled and replied, “I don’t mean to brag, but I’m really good at not remembering things…”
“Aww!”
“…But I do remember that one vividly.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. Remember, I had just gotten that ultrarare food item, and you cooked it into a stew for me. Oh, man…that meat was delicious…I still think about it sometimes.”
“Great! So all you remember is the food!” Asuna pouted, but her tone was jovial as she jabbed him in the chest. “Fine…I’ll admit, I remember that part, too.”
“Sheesh, don’t take it out on me, then…Hey, do you think it’s possible to recreate that stew in real life?”
“Hmm…It was similar to poultry, so I bet you could tweak the sauce just right…But actually, I’d prefer to keep that a memory. Isn’t the thought of a dish you can never taste
again kind of romantic?”
“Um, well, I suppose.” Kirito nodded regretfully. Asuna couldn’t help but laugh again. He smiled for her, then seemed to remember something. “Oh, right. Hey…”
“What?”
“We seem to be building up a good stockpile of yrd again, so…when they update and unlock the sixties, d’you want to get a place in Selmburg again? Like your old apartment?”
“Hmm.” Asuna considered Kirito’s proposal, but eventually she shook her head. “No, I’m fine. It wasn’t as if everything was sunshine and rainbows when I was living there. We should use that money to help Agil open his store in Algade instead.”
“Great, the return of the business that can squeeze blood from a stone. If I invest in him, I’m charging an arm and a leg in interest…”
“Wow, you’re terrible.”
They could have talked about the old Aincrad all day. As they chatted and laughed, Asuna noticed that the number of players flying from Panareze over toward their island was growing considerably. They all flew overhead, toward the large tree at the center of the isle.
“Well, I think it’s about time. I gotta go,” Asuna said, already regretting the loss of his body warmth. Kirito put on a serious expression.
“Asuna. If you’re going to fight the Absolute Sword…”
“…Yeah?”
“Well…um, I guess, just…It’ll be tough. Seriously.”
She found his lack of conviction curious. “I’ve already heard all the stories from Liz and Leafa. And most important, even you couldn’t win. I’m not assuming I’ll stand a chance. I just want to see it for myself…In fact, I still can’t envision you losing in a fight.”
“There are plenty of folks out there tougher than me by now. It’s just…this Absolute Sword is on a different level.”
“Speaking of which, Leafa mentioned that you had a little conversation in the middle of your duel. What did you talk about?”
“Oh, ummm, just something I was wondering about…”
“Such as?”
“Er, well…”
She was acutely aware that there was something anxious in Kirito’s gaze, and she blinked repeatedly, even more confused.
No matter how strong this Absolute Sword was, this wasn’t the world of SAO any longer. Even if you failed to resign in time in a duel and ran out of HP, someone could just cast a resurrection spell to bring you back on the spot. You’d lose a bit of experience to the death penalty, but nothing a few hours of grinding couldn’t restore.
But his answer was not what she expected.
“Basically, I said, ‘You’re a complete and total resident of this world, aren’t you?’ And the answer I got was a smile and an unbelievably quick thrust. It was…faster than should be possible…”
“A total resident of this world…? Meaning, like, someone without a real life?” Asuna asked curiously, but Kirito shook his head.
“No. I wasn’t speaking about a single VRMMO world, but the Seed Nexus as a whole…Actually, not that, either. I guess I was implying more like…a child of the full-dive environment itself.”
“What does…that mean…?”
“I don’t want to give you any preconceptions. You should go and experience it for yourself.”
He bopped her on the head. She blinked and heard the sound of several fairies descending on the other side of the tree behind them, followed by a familiar bellow.
“I swear, take my eyes off of you for a minute, and this is what happens!”
Asuna hastily got up and turned toward the sound of footsteps striding through the grass. Lisbeth appeared around the side of the tree trunk, her hands planted on her waist, framing her heavy apron. She glared down at Asuna.
“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s time.”
“I-I know that,” stammered Asuna. She used her wings to get to her feet, and then checked that her equipment was right. She had a tunic of woven mithril and a matching skirt, boots, and gloves made of water-dragon hide, and a rapier with a hilt of crystal in the scabbard at her waist. Each piece had the best possible stats for items of its type. If she lost the duel, it wouldn’t be because of her gear.
Once she had inspected all of her equipment and magical accessories, Asuna glanced at the clock in the lower right corner of her view. It was just past 2:50 in real time.
With a glance at Kirito next to her, followed by Lisbeth, Silica, Leafa, and Yui overhead, Asuna was ready.
“Okay, let’s go!”
They flew in a low, flat line, heading for the center of the nameless island. Once the rows of leaves and branches cleared up, a large hill came into view. Overhead loomed the tremendous foliage of what looked like a miniature version of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. At the base of the tree was a gathering of numerous players, arranged in a large circle. A wave of cheers reached her ears; the duels had already begun.
The group found an empty spot within the circle, and no sooner had they landed than a single player fell screaming out of the sky. He landed at the foot of the tree roots headfirst with a great crash, sending a cloud of dust flying.
The salamander swordsman lay splayed out on the ground for a time before he finally sat up. He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs of the impact, and raised his hands high.
“I give! I surrender! I resign!”
The end-of-duel fanfare played overhead, followed by a louder round of applause. Around the crowd, people marveled at the sixty-seventh consecutive victory of the champion and the unlikelihood that anyone would end that streak. Asuna leaned back and gazed upward, trying to catch a glimpse of the winner.
Amid the dapple of the great branches, she spotted a silhouette descending in a curling spiral. It was smaller than she expected. From the reports, she expected a huge, brawny man, but if anything, the torso looked delicate, fragile. As the figure approached, the details became more and more apparent.
Creamy skin with touches of purple in the shade, the signature look of the imps. Long, straight hair a lustrous purplish-black. An obsidian breastplate that was softly rounded and a bluish-purple tunic with a long skirt flapping in the wind. A scabbard at the waist, long and black.
As Asuna watched in stunned surprise, the unbeaten Absolute Sword did a lithe spin before touching down delicately on tiptoe, transitioning to a theatrical bow with skirt held in fingertips and right hand pressed to the chest. An extra-loud round of cheers and whistles erupted from all around—particularly from the men in the audience.
The Absolute Sword popped back to a standing position with a dazzling smile and a cheeky little V-for-victory sign. The duelist was clearly shorter than Asuna, with a compact face; dimpled cheeks; a slightly upturned nose; and big, shining eyes as purple as amethyst.
Shock still coursing through Asuna’s veins, she leaned over and elbowed Lisbeth in the side.
“…Excuse me, Liz.”
“What?”
“The Absolute Sword is…a girl!”
“What, didn’t I say that?”
“No, you didn’t! Oh…in fact…”
Now she turned to glance sidelong at Kirito.
“The reason you lost isn’t because…”
“N-no!” he protested, straight-faced, shaking his head adamantly. “I didn’t go easy on her just because she’s a girl. I was superserious about it. Really. At least…from partway on.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” she huffed, turning away.
Meanwhile, the salamander was at last up on his feet, shaking hands with the Absolute Sword with a smile, despite his defeat. He returned to the crowd, scratching his head in embarrassment. The black-haired girl with the crimson headband cast a low-level heal spell on herself and surveyed the crowd.
“So, um, who’s up next?”
Her voice was just as high-pitched and bubbly as her avatar. There was an innocent playfulness to it that you wouldn’t expect from a veteran fighter.
ALO was a game that did not allow for players to switch gender, so the player herself had to be female, b
ut it did not take age and figure into account; the player’s avatar was generated randomly. Still, there was a naturalness to her mannerisms and voice that made you want to believe they reflected her true age.
In the crowd around Asuna, she could hear people teasing one another and sounding reluctant to step forward—there was no rush to be the next opponent. It was Lisbeth’s turn to elbow Asuna in the ribs.
“Well, go on.”
“W-wait…I need to get my mind back in gear…”
“Oh, you’ll get that in no time once you fight her. Now get going!”
“Ack!”
Asuna stumbled forward several steps with the force of Lisbeth’s push. She avoided falling by spreading her wings, and when she looked up, she was staring right into the face of the girl nicknamed the Absolute Sword.
“Oh, do you want to fight, Miss?” she asked, grinning.
Asuna had no choice but to answer, “Er…sure, I guess,” in a tiny squeak. Normally she would have engaged in some verbal sparring with her opponent before the match, but she was thrown off guard by not finding the large, imposing man she expected.
A bracing cheer rose from the crowd. Many of the people present recognized Asuna from her frequent appearances on the medal stand after the monthly dueling tournaments, and she heard her name repeated several times.
“Okay!” the girl chirped, snapping her fingers and motioning Asuna over.
With a deep breath, she summoned up her courage and stepped into the middle of the crowd. Once the crowd noise had died down, she asked, “So, are there any rules to the duel?”
“Of course. You can use all the magic and items you want. I’ll only be using this,” she announced, tomboyish, patting the hilt of her sword. With that innocent show of confidence, Asuna finally felt her sense of competition prickling.
…After a comment like that, I’d be a coward to use long-distance interference magic. You want a proper swordfight? I’ll give you one. Asuna stroked the handle of her rapier.
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