Twenty-First Day of the Month of the Ash Tree, 2024.

0730 AST

Heathcliff's bedroom, northwestern tower of the Knights of the Blood HQ.

The heavily dimpled cheeks of the man gently filled with air as he slowly breathed in and out. It was obvious that he was sleeping peacefully. However, sleep was not what his schedule dictated to him at this time. A chirping sound echoed through the room as the grandfather clock resting against the right side of the room (if one was standing at the door) opened up to announce the time was exactly halfway between the hours of seven and eight in the morning. The previous night, he had set the clock to go off at this time so he would be able to do a job that morning which required his full attention.

He groggily pulled himself out from under the covers and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked around his room which was as orderly as he had left it the previous night. The room was a rather large room at eight tsubo (about 26.448 square meters) in size. The northwestern corner where his king-size cot was lies next to the north windows whose curtains were currently drawn tight. On the eastern wall, the grandfather clock stood steadfast next to a mahogany working table with papers stacked cleanly on its top. Several quill pens both dry and inked lay on their sides. It seems that he was in the middle of assorting through paperwork concerning Kirito's integration into the Knights of the Blood but grew tired and went to bed.

However, that paperwork can be done later. The more pressing matter at hand was that he, Heathcliff, is actually the man behind this game, Akihiko Kayaba. Being the game creator, he was able to do deeds that were impossible to normal players, such as logging out. His alarm this morning was to remind him to log out of the death game to do a duty in the real world. Sighing, he stood up and stretched. His simple white and red nightwear followed suit with his stretching and the shortness of the shirt gave way to an unwarranted view of his exposed midriff. Akihiko waved his right hand in the air and called out the menu. He fiddled around with his menu first, sending information from this world to the printer waiting in the real world. Satisfied, he scrolled to the bottom and tapped the log out option and closed his eyes as his digital body dissolved and his consciousness returned to his material body.

0735

A hidden cottage deep in the mountains of Aichi Prefecture.

The early morning light filtered through the translucent curtained windows. That same light softly illuminated the one-room house, enlightening the contents within. Slumped in a comfy stuffed couch, there lay a flower of a woman sleeping beside a bed that was occupied with the unconscious form of another person, a man. Her dozing visage was like that of a yellow camellia, longing for when she can see the eyes of her significant other open yet again. Soon, that wait would end. The sound of blankets rustling aroused her from her snooze. When she opened her eyes to watch the scene in front of her unfold, she, at first, thought that she was still asleep and this was just a dream. The sickly-looking man sat up in his covers and removed the helmet-like NerveGear. A soft, shaking voice issued from his lips, "Rinko…"

Just that one word filled the woman, whose name was Rinko Koujiro, with a kind of happiness that can only be labeled as children's folly. "Akihiko, you're awake!" Leaping off of her chair, she enveloped the man in a bear hug. Suddenly, she switched gears and she scolded, "You've been diving nonstop for sixty days now! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"

"I'm quite sorry, my dear," he stated. "I apologize. However, I am only logging out to take a breather as well as contact my employees."

"For what?"

"I have encountered an interesting group of players… You know I have founded a guild, correct? The 'Knights of the Blood'?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"There are a lot of promising players in my guild that would deeply weigh on my conscience if they were to die. I plan to instruct my employees to investigate the hospitals in which the players in my guild are held in and to tweak the microwave function. At least, this way, if they die, they won't lose their life but instead, they'll be forcefully ejected."

"I… I see…"

"What about on this end? Any other news I should know of before I make my calls?"

The woman proceeded to walk back to her chair and sat down. Putting her hands together, she began twiddling her thumbs while saying, "Well, you do know about ALfheim Online, correct?"

"ALO?" he asked. "Of course I am familiar with it."

"It's been out for a year already and the player base it is gathering is quite massive."

"Oh? Despite the ongoing incident about my game?"

"Yes. It has gained quite the vigorous player following."

"I see. If I remember correctly, it is the result of Argus going bankrupt and selling rights to RECT Progress Inc. They're using my Cardinal System."

"Yes. Are you irritated?"

"Not at all! On the other hand, I'm actually quite glad people are using my Cardinal System. Nothing brings me greater joy than knowing that something I invented is being used for the greater good. Anyways…"

Akihiko stood up but nearly fell over. Rinko grabbed his left arm before he could topple face-first into the oak floor. "This is what you get for remaining in-game for sixty days straight."

He laughed weakly. "Ahaha… I guess. Just support me until I get to the table. My printer should be finished with the job I instructed it to do earlier when I was still in-game."

Now that I think about it… Rinko turned her eyes to the printer whose tray was filled with several sheets of paper. "What's all this for?"

"I used the tracking logs to reverse-search for their NerveGears and as such, the hospitals in which they are confined."

Rinko helped Akihiko to the table and into his chair. "Thank you," he stated. He then began to riffle through the files as he took yet another piece of paper to take notes. "Ah, the Idol is held in JR Tokyo General Hospital, eh?"

"The 'Idol'? Would you happen to be talking about that young sensation, Ayanami Shiratsuyu?"

"Indeed. She along with another promising and powerful member of my guild, Nijika Karatachi, is also in the same hospital."

"I see. Do you want some coffee?"

"I'm more in the mood for tea."

"At least you still have the decency to want to drink the refreshment that has an excellent healing effect."

"Haha, thanks, Rinko."

The woman of twenty-six walked to the left side of the room where the makeshift kitchen was. Over the stove, she lit a fire and put a tea kettle to boil. Whistling, she also began to prepare a small breakfast of scrambled eggs using butter as the "oil". She sought for the healthiest breakfast for her significant other. While she left the eggs to simmer, she opened the refrigerator to fetch the gallon of orange juice before topping off a glass. During that time, the kettle whistled as it strained to let the woman know that it had finished its job. She shut off the flame burning underneath and poured it into a china cup. Taking the plate of food in one hand and the cup of tea in the other, she walked back to Akihiko's workspace where he was busy talking on the phone.

"… Yes, you are able to do this, are you?" Rinko said nothing as she placed the platter on the table which Akihiko acknowledged with a nod and a smile before returning to his conversation. "Yes, just simply change the settings. … I know, I know, stay calm, friend. You are saving a life in doing this as well as putting that life at immediate risk. … I see. Alright, both Kazuto Kirigaya and Asuna Yuuki have been retrofit? … Good. On to the next ones."

Rinko asked. "Is this your way for atoning for all those lives you took even if it was indirect?"

Taking his face away from the phone, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Perhaps… If anything, I would like to ensure the safety of the lives of those who are serving under me."

"Very selective of you."

"Of course. I have a very high expectations bar for players. I only recruit promising players into the Knights of the Blood."

Rinko posed another question, in relation to the game. "How about those ten Unique Skills you added?"

"Ah, those?" he said. "I am actually quite surprised. Aside from the unlimited number of other skills, I honestly didn't expect three people aside from myself to manifest Unique Skills."

"What of the Soaring Slash Unique Skill? I was the one that suggested those conditions."

"Yes, that Unique Skill is owned by a young adult named Klein. I didn't expect that your suggestion to add a slight wait before the activation of a post-motion delay would spawn players who center their attack style on chaining together sword skills!"

"Let me guess what their exploitation is called." Rinko proceeded to put her chin in her hand as she stood in a thinking position. "Um… Sword Composition!"

"False."

"Uh… Blade Dance!"

"Off."

"Argh! Um… I'm close… Uh…" Akihiko couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Rinko was always like this. He recalled the time when the girl invited him to the swimming club back in college. Those were the good old days. However, Akihiko couldn't reminisce too much now. His attention was needed in the present. Suddenly, Rinko yelled triumphantly, "I got it! Skill Connect!"

"Correct," Akihiko replied. "Anyways, you know of the Unique Skills."

"Of course," she stated. "The first one is Dual Blades which we both set to be given to the player whose reflexes were the fastest. The second one is yours, Holy Sword, which means you made yourself the strongest player. The third is Assassin's Blade which is obtained after completing the one-handed dagger weapon skill. Fourth is Battoujutsu, obtained after completing the katana weapon skill. Fifth is Infinite Spear, obtained after completing the two-handed assault spear weapon skill. Sixth is Niten Ichi-ryu, obtained after completing battoujutsu. Seventh is Shurikenjutsu, obtained after completing the throwing blade weapon skill. Eighth is Soaring Slash which I set to be obtained after successfully performing Skill Connect three thousand two hundred times. Lastly, Songstress which we both agreed should be obtained via completing the Chant Extra Skill which is unlocked by training the musical instrument hobby skill."

"You left one out."

"Don't make a woman mention that outrageous skill!"

"Okay, fine, sorry…" he replied, hanging his head. "Well, just in case you don't remember, Darkness Blade is unlocked by the person who performs the most player killings."

Rinko shut her ears, eager to not hear about it. "No, no, I can't hear you," she monotoned.

"Haha, I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"As if I'm not uncomfortable for having to stay here to care for you."

He tilted his head in confusion. "Why don't you leave?" Rinko clammed up and her face went red in embarrassment. Completely oblivious, he turned his attention back to his work when his phone rang as another person was calling him while he was on a call with his employee. "Actually, tell me later. This is quite an interesting person to be calling me…" He spoke into the mouthpiece, "Please call me when you are finished with your job. Right now, I have a call that I cannot afford to miss." Pressing the end-and-accept button, he said, "Why, it is a pleasure to talk with you, Professor Arshavin."

"Dobroye utro." The soft, commanding voice on the other side of the line greeted Akihiko in her native tongue. "Privyet, Professor Kayaba. I see you are finally awake?" The person calling was a girl, not yet in her teenage years but an important face in the scientific industry. Her name was Nanairo Arshavin and her extreme genius warranted her graduation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at just the age of twelve with a Ph. D in the study of virtual and augmented reality.

Akihiko couldn't help but break into a smile. He had wanted to talk with this kid genius at least once in his life. "What warrants you to give me a call? Surely it is not from the kindness of your heart."

"What if I told you that that is exactly the case?"

"Surely you jest!" he exclaimed softly due to him still being low on energy.

"No, it is the truth." Seated in a bench in Hikarigaoka Park, a relaxing location within Nerima Ward in Tokyo, the girl of twelve kicked her feet through the air as she sat on the bench. To any onlookers who knew nothing about her prestigiousness, she was nothing more than a child who was on the phone with a friend as much as they knew. She leaned back against the bench and stared directly up into the sky as she added, "I must say that I am sad that I missed my chance to play Sword Art Online."

"Implying that you wished to have started SAO at age ten? Are you sure you will be able to keep up with the death game I set up?"

"Oh no. Of course, I cannot condone that," she scolded. "What I mean is that the technology you have invented has me extremely intrigued."

"To be told that by a child genius such as yourself is an honor beyond my wildest imaginations."

"Perhaps… But it is the honest truth, Professor. Your NerveGear is by far, the most intriguing invention yet. Of course, the second-generation FullDive machine of the AmuSphere invented by RECT Progress is an invention that can rival yours."

"However, as the original person who invented the breakthrough, I will be more renowned? Am I understanding your implication correctly?"

"Indeed. You took the words right off of my tongue."

"Ahaha. I guess an aging man such as myself still retains some sense of humor, huh?"

"Stop it. Has diving for too long befuddled your mind to the point that you forget you are only twenty-eight?"

"No, no, it's just a stupid gag, Professor. I look quite horrid after diving for three months straight. Anyways, I am sure you haven't called me to just make small talk. What is your true purpose, Professor?"

On the other end, Nanairo stopped overly relaxing. She sat back up straight on the bench and put on her business voice. "Indeed. Idyllic greetings can wait for another time. The reason why I am calling you, Professor, is to invite you on an endeavor that we of the Japanese Self-Defense Force have come up with."

Before she could continue, however, Akihiko interrupted. "I apologize for interrupting your request but must I say that you are Russian?"

"Is that your way of discouraging me against labeling myself as Japanese?" the girl laughed. "Unfortunately for you, I am full Japanese, having two Japanese parents. However, my father is Russian and had raised me in America. I don't remember the arguments my parents had when they discovered my genius but I know for sure that my mother was against my new life in America. My father did win the argument in the end though and I ended up where I am today."

"Interesting… Well, you can continue."

"As I was saying, we of the Japanese Self-Defense Force have been chafing at the outdated items that America has been sending us. Through this line of thought, I have been hired by the government to help create something that we never thought of: a bottom-up AI."

"Hoh?" Akihiko let out a breath in anticipation as he began rapping the table with his fingers. "Very interesting. You have my full attention."

"Oh, I do? Well, I'd like you to listen up. Have you heard of Project Alicization?"

"'Project Alicization'?"

"Yes."

"No, I believe this is the first time I have heard of this."

"The Artificial Labile Intelligent Cybernated Existence. That is what we call our Bottom-up Artificial Intelligence."

"The acronym… 'A. L. I. C. E.'?"

"Indeed. That is where the project gets its name."

"Interesting. How exactly will we build a truly sentient AI?"

"I will need to know if you are on board with the project or not."

Akihiko chose that time to look at his clock. Realizing that it had ticked past eleven, he was shocked. "Apologies, Professor, but the time has just occurred to me. If I do not log back in soon, players may suspect something is wrong."

"Ah, I see. Are you diving back into Aincrad?"

"Of course. The next time I log out, I want to hear the full details on this project."

"Indeed. I wish you well, Professor Akihiko Kayaba."

"To you as well, Professor Nanairo Arshavin." Akihiko pressed the 'end call' button before dialing a new number. He then spoke to his subordinates to complete the job that they had started. Once he was satisfied, he hung up and turned to Rinko. "I'm sorry… I'll be going back into my dream."

"Just… Promise me you won't die, okay?"

"I won't. I'll make sure to come back because this 'Project Alicization' has me deeply intrigued." Smiling one last time, Akihiko laid back in his bed and donned the NerveGear once again. Taking one last deep breath, he said, "Link start."

Rinko watched as her significant other yet again dove back into Sword Art Online. Sighing, she sat down in the desk at which he had previously worked on and eyed the papers he had been scrutinizing so intensely. From the desk, the faces of a rather handsome boy with jet black hair and a girl with flowing chestnut hair stared back at her. "Kazuto Kirigaya… Asuna Yuuki… Interesting. Now… How shall this play out?"

Yet again, the bell tolled.

Time moved forward.

Closer to the end.

Or so it seems…