At the end of 2008, when I was having a meeting with my editor about publishing SAO, I remember us saying, “Let’s make it a goal to publish all the way to the Alicization storyline.” It was so far ahead that it didn’t seem real at the time, but now I look up and we’re at the end of the human realm part of the arc. It’s true that time (and the number of volumes) flies…
Warning: The next section covers major spoilers for this book!
Kirito’s partner and best friend from Volume 9 to Volume 14, and the other protagonist of this story, Eugeo, has finally left the stage. For a main character of the series, he was surprisingly passive and deferential—during the long journey of leaving the village, joining the academy in the big city, getting arrested, escaping, and climbing the tower, it feels like all he’s been doing is chasing after Kirito’s lead.
As a matter of fact, when it came to prepping the original web novels for this proper book release, I seriously considered changing Eugeo’s fate. In the web novels, Eugeo left the story without ever fully expressing himself and his own wants. So it occurred to me that, given my opportunity to rewrite, he might find himself a new path in the story.
In the end, that didn’t happen. When I got to “The Scene” in the revision process, I simply couldn’t rewrite the story that was already there. It was almost like Eugeo himself refused to allow me to rewrite his fate. Perhaps that was the last and greatest act of self-advocacy from the man who’d always suppressed himself.
I mentioned the “human realm part of the arc” a moment ago; the Alicization arc will expand further and continue for a bit longer. Many of the characters you know and love from the real-world side will get back into the action, so I hope you stick around to see your favorites!
I’m guessing that by the time this book hits the shelves, the news will already be out that the TV animation series Sword Art Online II will begin airing in July. You should really check it out! And once again, I must apologize for being very late to submit this to my illustrator abec and my editor Miki. I’ll do better…next volume…!
Reki Kawahara—March 2014
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Alicization Uniting Page 21