AUTHOR'S NOTE: So yeah, the first chapter was a bit slow, and this one will have a bit of action, but unfortunately it's still mostly explanations and the like. (Sorry, it's gotta be done or else the rest of it doesn't make any sense!) But I promise that the next chapter will have some good action scenes.


Evaluation

Kazuto yawned and stretched as he arose, missing the familiar feeling of Asuna and Yui beside him. They were always warm in the colder mornings, and he missed their companionship as well. Still, it wouldn't be long before he saw them again, he told himself.

He heard the other men waking up and beginning to get ready for the day, which from what he understood would involve weapons practice. "At least that'll be something up my alley," he mumbled as he got dressed in the clothes Robin and Chrom had got him.

He missed the menu that he had access to in the World Seed: it made getting changed so much easier. But there was no point in wishing for something that wasn't going to happen for the foreseeable future.

He joined the others quietly for breakfast, not surprised to see Asuna and Yui already up and about. Both of them had always gotten up earlier than he ever did, which was something he didn't understand. Why waste perfectly good sleep time?

"Good morning, honey," Asuna said brightly as Kazuto sat down next to her and Yui. "How did you sleep?"

"Eh, it was more comfortable than I expected, but I still miss my own bed," the boy replied with a shrug. "How about you two?" He gave Yui a hug as she turned to him.

"Mommy went into her sleep cycle before me, but I didn't take much longer," the little girl answered. "And it was nice and warm since there were two of us- that's something I never really felt in the game world."

Kazuto and Asuna smiled at the girl, glad that even though they had landed in the strangest of circumstances, she was able to enjoy being IRL. With that thought, Kazuto asked his girlfriend, "So what do you think about all of this? Any ideas on how to get back?"

"Not really, no," the girl shook her head. "Honestly, I was gonna leave that one up to you, seeing as you're the trans-matter expert."

Kazuto grunted, but said nothing in rebuttal, mostly because Asuna was right. He was the one that had gotten them into this, but he had no real idea how. So how was he supposed to reverse the process, especially when there wasn't even the slightest piece of electronic tech to be found?

"Kirito!" Chrom said as he walked over to their table, slightly startling the young family. "How does the morning find you? Well-rested, I hope."

"Yeah, thanks," Kozuto replied. "We all slept well enough. And the food is pretty good, too." He took another bight of his eggs and biscuits, savoring the warm flavor.

"Yeah, but Mommy's food is better!" Yui said brightly as Chrom sat down. "You should let her cook sometime!"

"Perhaps," Chrom said, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a smile. "Although right now I'm more interested in your combat skills. I take it you use magic, milady?"

"Yeah," Asuna replied with a smile. "But I really prefer to use a sword- specifically a rapier."

"You're a sword maiden?" Chrom seemed somewhat surprised. "Well then you'd be the second one I've met."

"Really?"

"Yes. Only a couple of the women in the Shepherds are sword-users," Chrom answered. "A few ride pegasi and use lances, but for the most part they use magic and healing staffs."

"Huh," Kazuto shrugged. "Well, you'll be hard-pressed to find a faster sword maiden than Asuna- they used to call her 'Lightning Flash' due to her speed. The first time we fought together, she stabbed so fast that I couldn't see the tip of her sword."

"Interesting," Chrom mused. "Well then, Asuna, Kirito. Would you care to take up some practice blades after breakfast and show us what you can do? Robin and I are interested to see if your claims are as much as you say they are, and if so, we'd like to offer you a place in the Shepherds, if you'd like."

Asuna and Kazuto looked at one another for a moment before nodding their agreement. As long as they were here, they might as well repay the people that had been kind to them. "That sounds good to us," Kazuto said. "The only question I have is what will Yui be doing while we work with you, should we join?"

"Robin and I already thought of that," Chrom answered. "We plan on training her to use healing staves so that she can stay with you guys if we even need to go anywhere, but she'll be kept away from the front lines. Is that all right?"

This time Kazuto didn't need to check with Asuna for an answer. "That's perfect," he said. "Thank you, Chrom-dono."

"You're welcome. But seriously, drop the whole suffix thing. I told you I hate formalities, and I'll pull rank on this if I really have to."

"Um... Okay, Chrom," Kazuto replied. It wouldn't really be that big of an adjustment, seeing as in SAO, honorifics were rarely used, if ever.


When the time came, Kazuto found himself squaring off against the one called Stahl. "I'd let you fight Lon'qu or Vaike, but since Stahl is our most moderate fighter, I figured he was a good place to start," Chrom had said.

"Fair enough." Kazuto had selected two standard practice blades, while Stahl had a single blade and a shield. The setup reminded the young swordsman of his fight against Akihiko Kayuba, or as he had known him at the time, Heathcliff.

The other Shepherds and his family were gathered on the training grounds to watch the practice duel. Now, the two fighters took up their positions. "When you're ready!" Robin called.

Kazuto wasted no time in charging at Stahl, his blades moving into position faster than the eye could follow. The paladin was taken aback by the slim figure's speed, and he barely got his shield up in time to block the first blow.

To Stahl, it felt as though twin hammers had struck his shield, sending him reeling backwards. However, the man was no pushover, and he quickly found his footing to right himself in time for the next attack. He countered the next powerful blows, and struck back with his own sword.

Kazuto blocked with his left blade and swung again at Stahl with his right. The swordsman had spent all of his physical fitness time practicing against either Asuna or his sister, Suguhua, both IRL and in-game. This was his zone. His patterns, breathing, and footwork were all even, result of thousands of hours of practice, and having it being a way of life for two years.

His next attack lowered Stahl's shield arm, and Kazuto seized the opening by whirling around and bringing his right blade down on Stahl's shoulder, leading the rider to yelp and stumble backwards.

Seeing that Kazuto was about to press the attack, he called out, "Enough! I yield!" The practice swords stopped a few inches away from Stahl's other shoulder. The older man sighed heavily and said, "I concede. Man, those are quite the moves. You should've been set up against Lon'qu- he's a real master with the sword."

Kazuto smiled and set his sword aside so he could shake Stahl's hand. "Thanks for the match, Stahl. I appreciate you trying anyhow."

"Heh, no problem." And the two men walked over to the spectators, all of whom were impressed by the skill displayed by the strange young swordsman. Asuna and Yui congratulated the victor while Chrom and Robin consulted each other quietly.

Then Robin walked up to Kazuto and said, "Kirito? Would you mind fighting one more match?"

The young man shrugged, indifferent. "Sure, why not? Who do you want me to fight?"

"Lon'qu, will you take him on?" Robin turned to the surly Feroxi sword master. The man nodded gruffly and walked onto the grounds without a word.

Kazuto followed suit, wordlessly preparing his swords again. He noticed that Lon'qu held a practice katana, much like the blade favored by his old friend Klein, just before Robin called for the match to start.

This time, Kazuto waited for his opponent to charge at him, except that he didn't. Lon'qu approached in a deliberate fashion, his sword not even positioned to strike. Kazuto was wondering what his angle was when the man suddenly flung himself at the boy with a speed that matched his own.

Kazuto barely dodged in time, but this didn't stop him from retaliating. The two of them exchanged a series of fierce blows that resounded across the training grounds. The spectators winced at the power they were using, Asuna in particular. She knew Kirito's skill better than anyone, but if one of them slipped or got lucky, bones were likely to be broken.

After some minutes, one of Kazuto's blades broke into several pieces, forcing him to fight with a single blade. Here, it seemed that Lon'qu would claim victory, for his two-handed sword gave him greater leverage in the fight. He pressed Kazuto back, step by step, causing both Yui and Asuna to tense up with worry.

Then Kazuto managed to pull off one last, desperate attack. He raised his sword up extra high, inviting Lon'qu to strike at his ribs. The Feroxi took the opening, which was what Kozuto had hoped for. He swung downward as fast as he could, as hard as he could. The result was the practice blade being struck from Lon'qu's hand, just as it touched the front of Kazuto's jacket.

The man was so stunned at what had happened that he didn't see his opponent's blade until it was hovering across his throat. "Nice… one," Kazuto gasped. "You're tough." Then he let the man go.

Lon'qu just stared, wide-eyed at the youth that had defeated. "Only one person ever beat me, and even they could not do it that quickly," he gasped. "How did you do that?"

Kazuto shrugged and tossed his practice blade aside. "I just gave it my all, like I always do," he replied simply. Then he walked off the field, utterly exhausted. Asuna was waiting for him with a hug and some water.

"Good job, honey," she said before she kissed his cheek. Yui also hugged his waist, bringing a smile to his sweaty face.

He said, "Thanks, Asuna. Thanks, Yui."

"That was amazing!" a blond girl declared. "I've never seen anyone beat my husband like that before!" Lon'qu frowned slightly at the compliment the young woman paid his opponent, but he said nothing on the matter.

"Your…" Kazuto hesitated, not sure if he was getting the whole picture. "But aren't you a bit young to be married?"

"Hey! I'm sixteen, so I'm quite old enough, thank you!" the girl protested. "As a matter of fact, how come you aren't married yet? My brother told me the story."

Asuna and Kazuto flushed, but Yui replied, "Mommy and Daddy aren't old enough to get married where we come from. But they did get to pretend to be married for a little while. That's when I met them!" She gave the blond girl her most winning smile, hoping to disarm her and take her annoyance away from her parents.

It worked like a charm. Lissa moved closer to the child, beaming and saying, "You must be Yui! Big Brother told me you were a cutie!" The little girl giggled happily as the girl intro-duced herself as Chrom's younger sister, Lissa.

While this was happening, Robin came up to Kazuto and said, "Kirito, we'd be delighted to offer you a place in the Shepherds. I take it you accept?"

"I do. Thank you for the offer." The two men shook hands and the bargain was sealed.

Next to be evaluated was Asuna, who was handed a rapier replica. She swung it a few times to test the weight and balance before giving a nod of approval. It wasn't like her old sword, but it would do for practice.

She found herself facing off against the woman Cordelia, whom Kozuto said she bore a passing resemblance to. Taking in the seemly build and flaming hair color, she had to agree with her boyfriend. The biggest difference between the two of them was that other woman held a practice lance as her weapon of choice.

"When you're ready!" Robin called out again.

Asuna's sword became a blur even faster than Kazuto's had. Cordelia was ready, though. She had studied Kazuto carefully during his match with Lon'qu, and she knew that from that battle that whatever he had said about his beloved was likely true.

She used her weapon's superior range to keep Asuna at a distance, careful not to give her any openings that would allow her to get inside the spear's range. Both of them managed to remain on even footing for several moments, like Kazuto and Lon'qu had been able to. This was signal enough to Robin and Chrom that Asuna was also capable enough to join the Shepherds, but both of them wanted to see who would win.

Again, in the end, the skills learned Sword Art Online allowed the younger opponent to claim victory. Playing her sword in a slant, Asuna deflected the lance off to the side just enough to get inside the range of the lance and followed it by whipping the blade within centimeters of Cordelia's face. So close was the wooden blade that the pegasus knight felt the breeze from the blow and knew that if it had hit, she would have a very broken nose at this point.

Robin saw this and called the match. "To Asuna goes the victory!" he declared. "Well fought by both of you!"

The two girls shook hands and thanked each other for the match before going to take a breather. As she had done with him, Kazuto made sure that Asuna had water and a compliment waiting for her. She smiled at his efforts and accepted a hug from Yui as well.

As before, Robin came up and offered her a position in the Shepherds, which she accept-ed smoothly. "Thank you for your endorsement, Sir Robin," she said with a smile.

"You are most welcome," he said, returning the smile. "Now, we just have to-"

"Sir Robin! Sire!" A messenger ran onto the training grounds, calling for Chrom and his tactician. "A messenger from Regna Ferox awaits you in the throne room!"

"Ferox?" Chrom and Robin said simultaneously.


A few hours later, Robin and Chrom returned, their faces grim. "Pack up, everyone," Chrom ordered. "We're marching to Ferox tomorrow at first light. Cordelia, you and Sumia are going to gather up those that are not in the capital and meet us at the border in two weeks' time."

The announcement caught everyone by surprise. "What's happening up in Ferox, Blue?" Gaius asked while sucking on a lollipop.

"They're being invaded apparently," Robin answered. "The continent Valm is planning on taking them out first, then moving on to Plegia, and finally the Halidom." There were several mutterings of surprise around the room.

Asuna and Kazuto were lost, but they assumed that they would be able to catch up on details during the trip to this Ferox place. They understood the main point, though. Ylisse was in trouble, and now it was time to take up arms for those that couldn't fight for themselves. In a way, it reminded the couple of their time in Aincrad.

For now, though, they needed equipment. "Chrom?" Asuna asked as the man passed them by. When he gave her a questioning look, she said, "Kirito and I need some equipment if we're going with you, right?"

"Ah, yes," he agreed. "Robin! See what you can do for them in the way of weapons before tomorrow." The tactician nodded his agreement, leaving Chrom to go attend to the paper-work that was required for mobilizing the troops.

The blond man showed them the way to the armory with Yui in tow, chattering happily with Asuna while Robin and Kazuto talked to one another.

"What kind of weapon and armor would you prefer?" Robin asked.

"Well, I don't like wearing armor since it tends to slow me down," Kazuto answered. "And as for swords, I prefer heavier blades. But I know Asuna would prefer a rapier, and maybe some light armor. Yui can have whatever you usually issue healers."

"All right," Robin nodded. "I think I can do that. And I completely understand what you meant by armor slowing you down- I have the same problem."

"Wait, so you fight in that robe?" Kazuto asked, surprised. The attire looked too fancy to be used in battle, more like something a priest might wear, if the colors were lighter.

"Yes," Robin answered, seemingly unperturbed by the question. "Anyways, here we are." And he led them into a room lined with armor, weapons, and staffs of all kinds.

He watched as Asuna immediately went for some light half-armor and selected an elegant rapier. As she was doing that, Kazuto began rifling through the rack of swords, picking up a few and testing their weight before putting them back where they belonged.

Suddenly, Robin realized that Yui was standing by idly, unsure of what to do. Robin reminded himself that Yui had yet to be evaluated in her abilities. So he came up to the little girl and said, "Would you like help picking something out?"

"Oh, yes!" she chirped happily. "What do I get use?"

"Well, your mom and dad don't want you fighting where you could get hurt, so they want you to be trained as a healer," he answered. "So why don't we start there?" He pointed at the staff rack as he made the suggestion.

"Okay!" That seemed to be one of Yui's favorite words, Robin thought. He led her over, and handed her a standard Heal staff. It would be easy enough for anyone with the right skills to figure out how to use.

As soon as Yui touched it, the rod's crystal glowed faintly, signifying that it was prepared to be used, bringing a smile to Robin's face. "Looks like we have ourselves a natural here," he said thoughtfully.

"What's that?" Kazuto's voice came from behind Robin, so the tactician turned around to see Kirito holding two blades, both of them standard steel blades. "Oh, wait, is there some paint or something that I can use to mark these as mine?"

"Yes, but I'd rather wait for that until everyone has their equipment selected," Robin replied as he straightened.

"Already done," said Asuna. The other three fighters turned to see Asuna with her sheathed rapier in hand. She looked so similar to how she did in S.A.O. that Kazuto's mind flashed back involuntarily to the adventures that they'd had together. The only thing lacking was the Knights of the Blood-Oath color theme.

Yui slipped between Robin and her father to get a good look at Asuna, and squealed with delight when she did. "Mommy! You look just like you did in Aincrad!"

"Thanks, Yui," Asuna chuckled. "What's this you've got?"

"Oh, Mr. Robin gave it to me!" she said as she showed Asuna the healing staff. "It's supposed to have some healing magic in it. He said he'd show me how to use it, too."

"Actually, the nice lady that was talking to you earlier is going to handle that," Robin corrected her. "I can't use healing magic, although I am a competent mage."

"Wait, you guys can use battle magic?" Asuna asked. "I might know how to do that."

"Really?" Robin said with a raised eyebrow. "How do you cast spells where you come from?"

"By speaking words of power in a magical language," Asuna replied. "Isn't that how it works here?"

"No," Robin replied immediately. He pulled out a yellow book from within his robe and said, "We cast spells from our tomes in Ylisse. You have to picture the spell in your mind before you speak its name and cast it. Actually, speaking the name is not a necessity, but it does make concentration easier."

"Can I see?" Asuna pressed. "Maybe I could figure out how to do it from watching you."

Robin considered the proposal for a moment before nodding his agreement. "Sure," he said. "Why not?"

The four of them were on a target range after getting a hold of scabbards for Asuna and Kazuto. Downrange, archers were firing arrows into targets at various distances. Closer to them, a tall woman with glasses was casting a number of different fire spells and writing notes in a separate book after she did so.

Robin held a yellow tome in his arm, close to his body as he prepared to cast the magic. "Stand back," he told them. "I'm going to be casting a more complicated spell than what we usually start people off with, but this is just so you can get an idea of what to do." When the family had moved to a reasonable distance, Robin switched his attention to three targets down on the field.

He flipped the book open and stretched out his hand. A series of glowing runes began swirling around his body as he reached for the magic. A matching set appeared around the targets he had selected, whereupon he shouted, "Arcthunder!" The targets were instantly struck by bolts of chain lightning and smashed to pieces.

"Whoa…" Kazuto said. "In Alfheim, a spell like that would take at least a dozen words to cast, not to mention your manna would be halfway gone." Yui and Asuna seemed similarly astonished, but neither one of them commented on the matter.

Robin walked up to Asuna and said, "Well? Does that seem like something you want to try out? Or would you rather stick to fighting with your sword?"

"What do you think, Kirito?" Asuna asked her boyfriend.

"I think it's a good idea," he said after a bit of thought. "You'd be pretty effective with your sword in a vanguard position, but if you learned magic, you could be in the rearguard, closer to Yui."

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed. "Okay, Robin. Will you please teach me how to use combat magic?"

"When we get on the road, I would be happy to," he replied. "But for now, I have some other matters to attend to- strategy drafts and the like."

"Would you like some help with that?" Kazuto's offer surprised Robin.

"What do you mean?"

"Asuna and I used to plan battle schematics all the time," Kazuto explained. "Under our command, the worst number of casualties we ever suffered was two out of fifty-odd fighters."

"That's… rather impressive, actually," Robin said thoughtfully. "Tell you what- come with me to my quarters tonight, Kirito, and we can discuss strategy over some maps. Asuna, please take Yui to Lissa so she can be outfitted and taught the basics of healing. Sound fair?"

"Sure," Asuna agreed. "Good luck, you two." And she kissed Kazuto on the cheek before heading down the hall to the medical chamber with Yui in tow.

"You've got yourself quite the happy little family there," Robin said with a smile as they came into his room in the castle. The place was littered with maps and numerous pieces of wood that resembled various battle units. "How did you meet Asuna?"

"Heh," Kazuto chuckled at the memory. "We first met at a strategy gathering that was held to take out a bo- er, a monster called Illfang, the Kobold Lord. She and I didn't know anyone else at the meeting, so we decided to pair up for the battle.

"After the battle, we went our separate ways. I was a solo fighter, and she went on to become the second-in-command of the top guild in Aincrad. She and I actually used to argue about certain strategies for nearly a year after our separation- no one would have called us friends.

"But then we ended up working on a private case together, and we sort of got that old chemistry back from when we first worked together. And the rest is history." He smiled at the memory of the meal that he and Asuna had shared after he'd got a hold of the Ragout Rabbit.

"That's quite the story," Robin said. "But you didn't tell me the part about how you met Yui, which is something I was looking forward to hearing."

"You didn't ask about Yui," Kazuto replied lightly.

"True," Robin agreed. "But we'll have time to discuss that later, I suppose. Right now, I could use another perspective on this draft I've written up in the case that we have to fight on a harbor, and potentially on docked ships. Care to take a look?"

"Sure! Let's see…"


A/N: Okay, after some serious review, all spelling errors are now gone! You're welcome!