Chapter 27: Gilded Hero: Part One
I Don't Own Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンラインor Any of Characters, All Rights Go To Reki Kawahara and ASCII Media Works
Author's Note:
* Hello and welcome to Chapter Twenty Seven. So, you may see that this chapter has been split into two parts. You may be confused by that.
* I've decided that I'm going to split this episode into two parts. This part will consist of the battle to get to the top of The World Tree. And next chapter will consist of Kirito finally confronting Oberon the Fairy King. Maybe you think that's a weird way to do it. But that's the way it'll go.
* So, I've said all that I can say. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. With that said, let's get right into it.
* Oh, one more thing. Um, it would mean a lot to me if any readers who care enough stay after the Review Responses and the Next Chapter entry. I have something that I want to be read. That's all. On with the chapter.
Kazuto/Kirito
ALfheim, Neutral Territory – Central Capital, Arun, The World Tree – December 13th, 2025
Three Days Remaining
I still couldn't believe it. Here I was within The World Tree, on the verge of giving up again and out of the blue, my spirits are uplifted. Thanks to my sister and my friends. Leafa/Sugu, Klein, Lisbeth, Sachi, Agil and fellow SAO survivor, Diavel. They were all here, uplifting my spirits and willing to fight with me.
Hell, Diavel may not have even known who Asuna was or how important she was to me and even still, he was here. After Leafa/Sugu had let go of me, I felt unsteady and wobbly on my feet. I began to hear her chant, until a faint green glow enveloped my entire body. I then felt a surge of energy as my HP was refilled. I let out a sigh of relief as I stood up straight once more.
"Oh, man! That feels so much better!" I exclaimed as I turned to look at Leafa/Sugu with a smile. "Thanks, Sugu!"
She looked back at me with an uneasy look, before returning my smile.
"Let's stick to avatar names for now." She said as she stepped forward and lightly punched my arm. "Okay, Kirito?"
I nodded, understanding the awkward tension between us.
"Okay, Leafa."
I turned to Klein, knowing that there wasn't a lot of time before our group of seven would face an assault of Guardians.
"Alright, Klein." I asked. "What have we got?"
Klein pulled his katana, which made me ready my sword once again.
"Easily over a hundred of your pals rushing in our direction, all of them most likely pissed the hell off."
I snorted.
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Um, were definitely screwed?"
"I was one person before, Klein. Now, we're seven."
He didn't say anything as the Guardians continued to get closer. I narrowed my eyes.
"Get ready." I said as I turned away from him.
"You got it."
I looked at the five remaining players in front of me. I didn't have long to come up with a plan, so I shouted out what came to mind the quickest.
"Leafa, you're our best fighter when it comes to aerial combat! Try to keep some of the Guardians at bay and watch out for anyone who needs healing!"
She nodded without a word and took off into the air after her wings appeared on her back. I turned to Lisbeth next.
"Liz, I hope you're still good with a mace!" I replied.
She smirked at me as she equipped a mace similar to the one I had seen her with in SAO.
"Well, I guess we're about to find out!"
She flew off without another word to me. Next, I looked at Sachi, who had a spear in her hand. I didn't bother to ask where she had gotten it. She could have easily bought it after the events of yesterday.
"Sachi, there's an archer variant of the Guardians. I want you to use that spear to delay their ranged attacks!"
She nodded with a smile and took off. I turned to Agil next, who was wielding an axe.
"Agil, put that axe to good use and crush anything that tries to get close to us!"
He smiled as he hefted his axe.
"You got it, brother!"
As everyone else had before him, Agil then took off. I turned lastly to Diavel. As I looked at him, one of my early memories from SAO flashed before my eyes. A meeting about the Floor One Boss, one month into SAO.
My name is Diavel, he had said that day. And in this game, the job I rule is knight!
Diavel smiled at me as my blast to the past ended. I grinned back at him.
"Diavel, I hope that you still see yourself as a knight!"
He continued to smile as he pulled a sword out. It looked like a pretty standard sword, but I knew better. Diavel was skilled in SAO, so there was no doubt in my mind that he would be able to do great things with that sword.
"What about you, Kirito?"
I turned back to look at the hatch on the ceiling overhead. I lifted my sword as my smile disappeared.
"I'm going straight in."
He and Klein both let out a whistle.
"That's a lot of Guardians to fight through, Kiri-Dude."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Nothing will stop me from seeing Asuna again. I can see that now."
Neither of them said anything.
"Let's get to work." I replied as I kicked off of the ground.
The three of us flew toward the horde of enemies in front of us. As we approached, three of them began to move forward with a sudden burst of speed. I moved to the left as the Guardian headed towards me was about to pass and I cut him down. As Klein and Diavel disposed of their respective pursuers, I looked up at the rest of my friends. All of them were doing pretty well for themselves.
Lisbeth swung her mace in an underhand technique and decapitated one of the Guardians. Sachi threw her spear at one of the archers and impaled the Guardian before it had a chance to take its shot. Agil used his axe to disarm one Guardian and then proceeded to demolish him. And meanwhile, Leafa was weaving in and out of the grasps of several Guardians, confusing them and dealing damage as she passed.
I focused my attention back to the enemies ahead of us. There was a small group of them just headed for me alone. I let out a yell of anger as I flew with a burst of speed towards them. I put my sword to work as I got close to them and cut all of them down. Suddenly, Leafa flew down to me.
"You have six players helping you now, you know." She replied. "So, don't get cocky!"
I chuckled as I waited for the next attack to come.
"I'm not." I replied.
Once the next Guardian came for me, I severed him at the waist.
"Where's that friend of yours?" I asked. "Recon? Wouldn't he be willing to help?"
She looked embarrassed and struck down a Guardian before answering.
"I did something stupid. I said something stupid to him. I did something that I regret."
I looked at her with a sort of blank face.
"I'm sure that it'll work out for you." I said at last.
"Brace yourself, guys!" Klein exclaimed. "There's still more coming!"
I could see it. Another wave of Guardians was approaching. It didn't make sense to me why we were facing waves of them at a time. Why didn't they all just face us at once? It would be a whole lot easier than having one wave at a time fight us. But I wasn't complaining about that. Facing all of them head on would prove to be more than difficult.
I watched as even more of the Guardians began to spawn in. They began to close in on us. I rushed forward to attack before they could be able to. I didn't let the group of enemies intimidate me for long. I took off one Guardian's head and another one's arm. I let out a scream of surprise as one flew right at me. Before I could strike, it was suddenly killed by something else.
Once the Guardian's form disappeared, I saw Sachi hovering several lengths ahead of me, empty handed. It dawned on me that she must have thrown her spear at the Guardian. I nodded my thanks to her and she nodded back. I realized then just how many of the Guardians there were. They just kept coming!
A group of them rushed toward me and I tried to parry all of their strikes. However, one of them managed to strike me shoulder and I saw my HP dip. Klein took notice of this.
"Kiri-Dude! Are you okay?"
"I'm hit!" I exclaimed. "But I'm okay for now!"
Just as I said that, I got hit by two other Guardians. My HP went down further.
"Leafa!" I exclaimed. "Now would be a great time to heal me!"
A few seconds later, I saw my body become enveloped by a faint green glow. After that, my HP shot back up.
"Thank you!"
I looked back at the Guardians still appearing.
There's too many of them, I realized.
I flew over to Klein and Diavel.
"Hey, guys. We may have to rethink this."
Klein parried a Guardian's strike and stabbed through its chest with his katana.
"What do you mean?"
I myself parried a Guardian's strike as it rushed in for a hit on me. I sent a cut across its waist, severing it in half.
"There's too many of them." I said. "We may have to stop and try again later."
"That's quitter talk, Kirito." Diavel said. "And it's very unlike you."
I sighed at his response.
"Look, I know how I sound! But look at us! We're seven against hundreds! How long can we possibly last?"
"I'm not letting you just give up, Kiri-Dude!" Klein exclaimed.
"I'm telling you, there's too many of them!"
"I can't let you do it, man."
Neither of them were having my thoughts. I held my sword out in front of me in an attempt to block the incoming attack. The Guardian rushed in and I blocked his strike. I then did my best to kick him away from me, although I didn't do so well, as I was in midair. As I was barely able to kick the Guardian away, Diavel came in for the killing blow.
"Thanks." I said with a sigh.
"Don't mention it."
I backed up a little bit to be with my thoughts. There's no way that we can do this. We're going to exhaust ourselves and we've barely even started yet! We might as well just give up.
Now, now, now, an unfamiliar voice entered my head. That's not the Kirito that I knew.
I stopped dead in my tracks. That wasn't a voice I knew. Actually, scratch that. I vaguely recognized the voice, yet I couldn't even begin to fathom where I had heard it before. Before I could question it, the voice spoke some more.
You want to give up? You didn't give up when you knew that you couldn't defeat me with strength alone. Instead, you came up with a new strategy. You improvised in the face of near defeat. You are a true warrior if I've ever seen one. So, tell me Kirito. Who are you?
"I didn't give up when I knew that strength alone couldn't defeat you?" I whispered to myself as I blocked yet another strike.
That's when it dawned on me.
"Wait, Akihiko Kayaba?"
There was silence in my head now. I shook my head.
"No, that's impossible. You can't... You're not... You're dead."
Who are you, Kirito? Are you the quitter? Or the true warrior?
I let out a sigh.
Why was I so determined to give up again? Did I really believe that victory was that farfetched? Was it really so hard for me to believe that when I had my friends with me, we were capable of anything?
I flashed back to the very first day of SAO.
You'd be much more likely not to die if you run with others. If you travel by yourself, you could easily find yourself in a pinch and you may not be able to get yourself out of it.
Klein himself had told me on the first day of SAO that having other people with you was a good thing. My thoughts turned to Sachi. She didn't even have to be here! She got over her fears of VRMMOs to come here and help us! My thoughts finally circled around to Lisbeth.
Kirito, you can't just give up on Asuna! After everything that girl has done for you, you owe it to her to at least give this another shot!
She was absolutely right. I couldn't give up. Not again. Never again.
Well, then? Who are you, Kirito? Quitter or true warrior?
I let out a small breath.
"I am a true warrior." I whispered to myself.
The feeling of the sword in my hand then evaporated. And on top of that, the weight on my back increased. It couldn't have been much, but it was significant. I couldn't believe my eyes, the sword that had been in my hand was gone. I wasn't the only one who noticed this.
"Kirito..." Diavel spoke, only to be interrupted by Klein.
"What's with your back?!"
Curious, I put my hands over my shoulders and felt around. And I felt not one, but two hilts! I pulled two swords from the scabbards on my back. And not just any two swords. They were the swords that I had used in SAO!
How was this possible?!
"Um, are we all seeing the same thing?!" Klein asked.
I couldn't say anything and Diavel didn't say anything either.
Now, use this gift to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies!
I began to think.
Could Akihiko Kayaba be responsible for this? If he could give me these swords, it didn't make sense! How could he? He was dead!
I didn't have time to voice my questions.
"Uh, Kirito?" Klein asked. "Are you going to stand there or are you going continue fighting?"
"Oh, right." I replied. "Here goes nothing!"
I dashed forward and cut down the group of Guardians in front of me with overwhelming ease. It was the same as SAO. I was moving much faster that I realistically should have been able to. My damage output was off the charts. I was cutting down Guardian after Guardian like it was nobody's business. I sent myself flying forward, sinking one of my swords into a Guardian's chest, as I used my other one to sever another in half across the waist. I pulled away as I felt a familiar feeling rush through me. Adrenaline.
Come on, you bastards! Give me a real fight!
"Oh, come on! You're duel wielding again?!" Lisbeth exclaimed. "How is that possible?!"
"Oh, man!" Agil chimed in. "That just isn't right!"
I didn't know how I was duel wielding right now. I didn't have an explanation for what was happening. The only thing that I could think is that Akihiko Kayaba had something to do with this. But even if that was the case, it didn't make any sense. However, I wasn't thinking of the fact that I was duel wielding again. I had realized something. As long as I had these swords, whoever was holding Asuna, they didn't stand a chance. I was getting her back, today. Not tomorrow, not a week from now. Today.
Oberon The Fairy King
I was sitting on my throne at the top of The World Tree, watching a feed of footage from the inside of the tree. I sat there, leaning my chin in the palm of my hand, as I smiled at the foolish attempts to clear the tree. A female fairy came to my side and poured an alcoholic drink into my chalice. She looked at me afterward as if she were expecting something. I waved her away.
"Now get the hell out of here." I replied with impatience.
She hurried to turn around and begin walking down the stairs away from my throne. I began to take a drink, but after I looked back at the video feed, I dropped the chalice, spilling it all over the floor. I had just seen something impossible.
"Wait!" I exclaimed. "Get back here!"
She relunctantly turned around to face me. I curled my index finger in a "come here" motion. She slowly made her way back up the stairs.
"Hurry up!" I exclaimed.
She finally made it back to me and I pointed to the video feed. She looked at in and then back to me.
"That's got to be Kirito." She said. "He fits the description given from SAO."
"I know who it is!" I exclaimed with annoyance. "Why in the hell is he duel wielding?! There isn't such a skill in ALfheim!"
She just shrugged.
"Well, aren't you a lot of help?"
"S... Sorry, Sir. I..."
"I don't care if you're sorry! Sorry doesn't get me anything!"
I turned back to the video feed. I shook my head.
"He has to be hacking. There's no other explanation!"
"Sir?"
I turned back to her.
"Get me my security advisor!"
She just stared back at me, with a confused look.
"Why are you still standing here?! Are you deaf?!"
She finally turned and ran back down the stairs. I turned back to the feed and continued to watch the Spriggan slashing through Guardian after Guardian. I put my hands on either sides of my head.
"Where the hell is my security advisor?!"
Kazuto/Kirito
I continued effortlessly killing Guardian after Guardian. Leafa healed me again, although I didn't really need it. I soared up toward the ceiling, cutting down every Guardian that got in my way. Just as the hatch came into sight again, however, a bunch of Guardians converged on my position, slamming into me and sending me down.
Somehow, the slam lowered my HP into the yellow zone. After that, I was skewered by several sword blades. But I didn't let that stop me. I got my swords ready again and prayed that Leafa was paying attention. The space above me closed as more Guardians got in the way, but I wasn't intimidated.
Again!
I burst forward again, disregarding the damage I had taken. Klein and Diavel appeared at my side. Then Agil, Sachi and Lisbeth.
"One more push guys," I replied as my HP shot back up. "We can do this!"
"You bet we can!" Agil chimed in.
A horde of Guardians, easily hundreds, maybe a thousand, came our way.
"Uh, is it too late to panic?" Klein asked.
"Get ready, guys!" I exclaimed.
However, before either of our sides could attack, there was a chorus of yells coming from behind us. We turned around and I saw dozens of Sylph players flying toward us.
"What are the Sylphs doing here?" I asked.
"No way!" Leafa exclaimed. "I didn't think they'd actually make it!"
And the Sylphs weren't the only ones joining the party. Blue, armored dragons were flying into The World Tree.
"Dragons?" Leafa asked.
"No way, the Cait Siths!" Klein chimed in.
"They brought the whole army!"
Just then, a dragon flew past us, with Alicia Rue on its back. As she flew over to us, Sakuya, the Sylph leader joined us at her side.
"Hello there!" she replied with a smile on her face. "I hope we're not late!"
"Yeah, sorry!" Rue chimed in. "We had to hurry to get everything ready after Leafa sent her message, but here we are!"
I turned to look at Leafa, who wasn't looking at me. That was okay. She didn't have to look at me. I think I knew what was going on. They then flew past us and got into a formation ahead of us.
"Okay, Dragoons!" Rue exclaimed. "Get ready to toast these suckas!"
"Sylph warriors!" Sakuya called out. "Prepare to engage the enemy!"
The Guardians began to focus more on the players that had just arrived opposed to us. Some of them were still focused on us, but we weren't being bombarded like earlier.
"Dragon breath, attack!"
Dozens of Guardians around us died in the fire that the dragons unleashed.
"Fenrir Storm, fire at will!"
More Guardians were killed in the blue flashes of light that fired from the swords of the Sylph warriors. There was a huge opening now, however, it wouldn't last for long. Leafa and I looked at each other, as if we both thought the same thing. Leafa nodded at me as I looked at her.
"Go now, Kirito. Go before your window closes!"
I wanted to. I wanted so badly to fly to that hatch, now that it was unguarded. But I couldn't bring myself to leave my friends behind. I turned to look at all of them.
"But how can I turn my back and leave you guys behind? After what you did for me? None of you even have to be here!"
Leafa just smiled at me.
"If we die here, then that's okay! We'll just respawn! You have to focus on freeing Asuna!"
She was right. I couldn't allow myself to get hung up on this. My window wouldn't be open forever. I had to move now. And so, I began to fly up towards the hatch. I eventually stopped and turned around with a smile on my face.
"Thanks, you guys." I replied. "You have no idea how much this means to me!"
They all smiled back at me and Klein eventually spoke.
"Save Asuna now, thank us later!"
I nodded without a word and I turned again. I flew towards the hatch, not once looking back. I eventually reached the hatch, above a layer of fog. I could no longer hear anything from below me. However, it wouldn't open.
"Damn it!"
Now, what do I do?
I slammed both of my swords down into the creases of the hatch, but that did nothing. I pulled out and sighed.
"Yui, are you there?"
The pixie appeared in her usual spot, hovering above my shoulder.
"Yep! What is it, Daddy?"
"I can't get the hatch to open, do you know how to do it?"
She flew down and sat herself down on the hatch and went silent for a few seconds.
"Daddy, something strange is going on." She spoke again. "This door isn't locked by a quest flag!"
I just blinked.
"What?"
"It's locked by the system administrator!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Restricted access! This door was never intended to be opened by a player!"
I let out a gasp of surprise now. My surprise was short lived, as more Guardians began to spawn in. I watched as the Guardians continued to spawn in. I wouldn't survive for long if I didn't think of something quick. That's when I remembered the card that was in my possession.
"No, wait. That's it!"
I equipped the card and held it out to her.
"Yui, see if this will do anything!"
She touched it without a word, and it lit up light a circuit board. Eventually, the lights faded, and she spoke.
"I'm transferring the code!"
Seconds later, the hatch began to open. I watched as a light glowed from within.
"Daddy, we're going to be teleported! Give me your hand!"
I gave her my hand and we eventually disappeared into a flash of light.
Sometime Later – The Floating City
"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!"
I eventually opened my eyes, to see Yui sitting in front of me, in her normal form.
"Yui? Where are we?"
"I don't know. There's no mapping data available."
I looked around us. We were in a long tunnel, lit by white light. It was a somewhat overwhelming sight.
"Do you know where Asuna is?"
"Yes. She's close. Very close, in fact."
She let out a gasp and then stood up.
"Come on!"
She started to run, and I was forced to stand as well. As I stood up, the swords in my hands evaporated into bits of light. I stared at my now empty hands.
I've done my part. Now you must do yours.
The sword that I had been using for most of my time in ALO was now back in my scabbard. I could feel it. Kayaba was behind the whole duel wielding thing, I knew now. But I still couldn't wrap my head around it.
"Come on, Daddy!" Yui called from ahead of me.
I snapped myself out of my thoughts and began to follow her. Yui eventually came to stop and put her hands on a wall. Part of the wall then disappeared, revealing a doorway. We ran into another tunnel lit by blinding white light. Only seconds later, we came to another door. Be both pushed on it until it dissipated. We finally found ourselves outside in the branches of The Tree. However, there was no Floating City like Leafa had said there would be.
"Is this it?" I asked with skepticism. "Is this the top of The World Tree?"
I turned around and still saw nothing that indicated a city.
"There's supposed to be a city up here. Was this whole thing a lie? Was there never any "Grand Quest"?"
I felt Yui tug at my sleeve. I looked down at her, to see that she had a worried expression on her face. I allowed a gentle smile to come to my face.
"Sorry, Yui. I just lost my train of thought. Come on. Let's go find Asuna."
"Mmm-Hmm." She nodded.
I looked up and around, and eventually spotted something shimmering in the distance. The birdcage. I tugged on Yui's hand.
"Let's go."
We then took off down the path again, looking for a way up to the cage. As we ran, I looked at the birdcage to our right. I could barely see a female player with long brown hair, sitting with her head down in the cage. It had to be Asuna. It had to! There was no way that it wasn't her.
Just hold on for a little longer, Asuna, I thought. We'll be there soon!
Just as we arrived at the door of the cage, it seemed as though the sun was beginning to set. She was inside the cage, hunched over a bed and resting her head on it.
"Mommy!" Yui exclaimed.
The girl looked up at us and I confirmed it. Her hairstyle was a little different and she was wearing a wedding dress, with a veil on her head, but I knew. It was Asuna.
"Mommy!" Yui said again, this time in a happy tone.
Asuna put her hands to her mouth and tears began to roll down her cheeks, as if she couldn't believe what was happening right now. She took one step forward, but stopped. Yui put her hand on the cage and the door just disappeared.
"Mommy!" she exclaimed again, as she ran into the cage.
"Yui!" Asuna called out to the girl, the fact that she remembered her being obvious.
Yui reached Asuna and hugged her.
"Mommy..." Yui mumbled as Asuna embraced her. "Mommy, mommy!"
She kept repeating that word over and over, as if she couldn't believe that we had been reunited. I finally decided to walk into the cage myself. Asuna finally looked up at me, with a smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile back as I stopped in my place. She began to wipe the tears from her eyes, before she looked at me once more.
"Kirito." She said my name at last.
I began to walk forward again.
"Asuna." I said her name as well.
She put her hand on my cheek and I circled my arm around her, resting my hand on her back. And we hugged, with Yui in between us. We rested our foreheads against one another.
"I am so sorry that it took me a while." I whispered. "And that I didn't come looking for you right away. I had no idea that you were even..."
I felt her shake her head.
"No, it's okay. Really. I knew that you'd eventually come for me."
After a second or two more, I pulled my head away from hers and looked at her with a smile on my face.
"Well, are you ready to go home now?" I asked.
She nodded. I looked down at Yui.
"Hey, Yui, can you log Asuna out from here?"
"Uh-uh." She shook her head. "Her status is locked by complicated codes that I don't have access to! We'll need to find a system console to bypass them!"
Asuna perked up just now.
"I found a system console down in the lab..."
Before she could finish, the sky darkened outside of the cage, accompanied by a weird noise. Any hint of the Tree was gone and with it, the birdcage, too. We were now standing in a vast expanse of darkness.
"Mommy, I'm scared!" Yui exclaimed as her audio began cutting out. "Mommy!"
Her form then shattered into hundreds of pixels and disappeared.
"Yui!" I called out with concern.
I looked at Asuna.
"What is going on?!"
She shook her head.
"I don't know! Yui, where are you?!"
Before either of us could say anything else, it happened. That's when we heard the cackle.
Review Responses
Louis XII (Chapter 3): what is the point of saving Diabel if it is to change nothing? It seemed forced in my opinion, like trying to stay true to the cannon at all costs? it seems like a half-assed idea, far too forced to be credible. and why wouldn't Kirito know that Diavel was also a beta tester? on the contrary Kirito knew that Diavel was a beta tester lol! the beater event was ridiculous, not very credible!
why does Kibaou carry the blame on beta testers? when they too are trapped and many of them despite their knowledge are dead? Kirito therefore has no reason to isolate himself lol! one wonders if the author has ever touched a video game in his life? even for Sachi? it's respectful to Sachi to save her if it's for nothing to do with her! one of the reasons I love Sachi is because I always thought Kirito should have stayed with her and probably fallen in love if Sachi had survived.
exactly why the author kills her in the anime / novel! he didn't want a three way relationship between Kirito / Sachi / Asuna! I find it disrespectful to choose to save her but to leave Sachi like an old sock, and to deliberately choose Asuna that's my feeling. it's like two-three authors they introduce Suguha in Aincrad ... but choose Kirisuna ?! totally disregarding the feelings that Suguha has for Kazuto!
same impression here, reinforced by the fact that you have switched the tag from Sachi to ... Suguha? which seems even more disrespectful towards this poor Suguha! sigh
Um, thanks, Louis. Oh, my lord. Where do I begin? Um, the point of saving Diavel... When I was writing Chapter Two, I was thinking if Diavel really had to die. And my thought was no, he didn't have to die. I thought that I could write off his death and give him character development at a later date. And that's also what the whole thing with Sachi was, but we'll get to that later.
And I don't know why Kirito didn't know that Diavel was a beta tester, in this version. I forgot my reasoning ages ago. I know as the writer, that that's not a good thing, but I honestly don't care. Kirito does too have reason for leaving. Why would he want to be in Diavel's group if someone like Kibaou was around?
If there was a person in someone's group that despised you, would you even want to be part of that group? Are you following me or am I just spouting meaningless words? And actually, I to have touched a video game in real life! I've been playing video games since I was in preschool! I mean, my Gamerscore on Xbox is 39,668!
I'm sure that says a lot about what I like doing with my free time, but whatever. Gaming is one of my favorite past times, so don't tell me that I've never touched a video game! I honestly don't care if I'm not coming off as a nice guy here. I've been torn to bits by negative reviews, so I think I've earned this.
Anyway, onto the deal with Sachi. Sorry that you didn't get the pairing that you would have preferred. That's all I will say on that front. In my opinion, Sachi being alive and getting character development that she wouldn't have gotten beforehand is better than her being dead and getting nothing at all. That's just my opinion.
And the reason that I changed the character tag from Sachi to Suguha/Leafa, is because of the plot of Fairy Dance. Starting off in Fairy Dance, Sachi hardly makes an appearance and she doesn't show up to help until later, because of her getting over her fear of VRMMOs. So, because of her limited appearance in this arc and Suguha/Leafa appearing more than Sachi, I had to change the character tag.
In my opinion, Sachi became a side character in this arc, while Suguha became a main character. I don't expect you to understand that, but that's my answer. So, thanks for the review, I guess.
Louis XII (Chapter 26): 1) why Kirito decides to give up? unlike the canon, he has allies to help him? 2) I really hated that you slashed / slaughtered Suguha's feelings in an even worse way than in the novel / anime! because unlike your story, it was better done. Suguha's feelings are part of her core character and it was really insulting to her because it was poorly done.
I find that trying too hard to stick to the canon makes your story cringeworthy! at times it becomes even ridiculous I have the impression of re-reading Progressive which is a rewrite of the Aincrad Arc by the author himself. heavy focus on Kirisuna same impression here, Sachi is saved but still discarded for the good of Asuna? same for Suguha?
Kirito x Sachi and Suguha would have made a much better couple in my opinion please don't change the tags if it is to disrespect their characters! I find it insulting! and or did you see that Klein and Shinon was one thing? OxO you must have a lot of imagination
Thanks, again, Louis. Kirito gives up because I thought it was okay for him to have a moment of weakness. During SAO, he believed that he could do anything and now after SAO, he realizes that he can't do anything. But maybe I'm full of shit. Where do I even begin with the whole Kazuto/Suguha thing?
Before I say anything, let me just say that I hate her romantic feelings for Kazuto. It may be different if they were actually raised as cousins, but they weren't! They were raised as siblings! That makes it weird for me and I just can't see them as a valid pairing! Honestly, the whole thing that happened with that reveal in my version is completely and entirely one hundred percent my fault.
If I ever do a reboot for this story, I'll most likely just retcon Sugu's feelings. That's what I should have done. It was pretty much nonexistent until that chapter. I know what Progressive is, I'm not stupid. Again, sorry that you didn't get the pairing that you preferred. Kirisuna is always going to be the only pairing for me, sorry. Well, most likely anyway.
Oh, you're upset that I changed a character tag? You're upset that I changed one little thing? Grow up. Honestly.
Guest (Chapter 2): what's the point of saving Diavel? difference? How can you speak of difference if Diavel rescue doesn't change anything? it's stupid to copy the canon if it isn't to change anything! and why did you change the Sachi tag to Suguha? Sachi a 'main' character? is a joke?
if she really had been a 'main' character, you should have paired her with Kirito! what's the point of saving Sachi if it's for paired Kirito with Asuna? I find it insulting and disrespectful to Sachi and Suguha that you still put Kirito and Asuna together! why didn't you paired Kirito and Sachi together?
there are few Kirito x Sachi fics, it was an opportunity to paired them together but not it's yet Asuna! -_- always Asuna! again and again Asuna! Asuna! Asuna! Asuna! she's a real black hole! you should have let Sachi die if it was to leave her still aside, the story would be the same! sorry but if it is to follow the original canon without REAL changes your story sucks!
Diavel's rescue doesn't change the canon when he was apparently a beta tester? why does it not interfere? the author has probably never played a video game, and neither do you! otherwise you would have known that a beta version is different from the final version! Kibaou's accusation against betatesters is stupid and meaningless.
just like the fact that Kirito isolates himself for a trifle! the betatesters helped the noobs but why is it the betatesters' fault if Kayaba changed the game? this event is stupid and should never have existed! lol
your story sucks because you're NOT really trying to change things! Diavel survives but Kirito is STILL forced to play the beaters for ...no reason? Sachi survives but is discarded for the benefit of whom? Asuna? (as in the novel/anime) Suguha has feelings but Kirito but she too is always excluded in favor of Asuna? no real changes, just a simple retelling without real differences, boring and uninteresting.
Oh, so you're upset that you didn't get the pairing that you wanted? Grow up! It's 2019, almost 2020. There are more justifiable things to be upset about and yet, you decide to be upset about two fictional characters not getting together in a fanfiction?! Smh. No disrespect to anyone who ships Sachi and Kirito, but you sir, you take it to the extreme!
Don't tell me that I don't know the difference between a final version and a beta version. Everyone and their mother would know the difference! And also, don't tell me that I'm not trying to change things! There are changes and in fact, more than I can think of! If you think that my story sucks, then what do you want from me?
Honestly! I don't know what to do or what to tell you. The only thing that I can think of is to tell you not to read my story if you think it sucks. That's it. That's all I can say. So, thanks for the review, I guess.
Guest (Chapter 25): what is this carnage with suguha? OxO first Sachi now Suguha goes to the pan? and in addition you massacre Suguha's feelings horribly! the quality of this story drops from chapter to chapter, much too fast, it was much better done in the novel it was so badly done that it was cringeworthy! I'm done with this shit! the author respects neither Sachi nor Suguha and treats them like trash! as the author did in the novel!
Okay, if the quality is dropping with each passing chapter, then why are you still here? If you think the novel did it better, then by all means, go read the novel! You're done with this shit? Fine! Then, leave. Stop reading my story. Sorry that I couldn't give you a pitch perfect story. Good day, sir!
Shadow (Guest)(Chapter 3): Sachi (and even Suguha) deserves more love than Kirisuna who is overdone but the auror chooses the most convenient, easiest and least tiring route? why did you spare Sachi's life? Sachi was apparently Kirito's first love! if she dies because of that, i don't find it very respectful to save her and dismiss her again?
this obsession with Asuna is really regrettable. Asuna is yandere, she is not in love but obsessed with Kirito! I love Sachi and I am bitterly disappointed to see that she is dismissed as a ghost and that Asuna is always the eternal chosen! sigh and why save Diavel if Kirito is still forced to become a beater? is it really you calling it 'your take' on Sao?
there is no real divergence in your story, the rescues of Diavel and Sachi have limited impact on the cannon! Could Kirito become more sociable? or Diavel convince him to stay? admitting that he is also a betatesteur cutting the crap of Kibaou? or could you have made Kirito a guild leader? Sachi and Diavel could just as well be dead as history wouldn't change!
a lot of lost opportunities because for a reason that escapes me you stay close to the barrel. by easy solution I think? this story is bad because you don't change the events of the anime, on the contrary you stay stuck! and it's bad, no matter what people say! I have only to imagine that Sachi survived because the author decides to make her live to see again Sao, the author choosing Sachi integrating the harem.
yes your story is just a simple variation of what Sao might have been if Sachi had survived. not reals differences or divergence! if that's really not a good story. next story, actually try to diverge please.
No, I'm not taking the easiest route! By letting Sachi live, I have to plan out how scenes are going to go with her being a main character now! And that isn't always easy! I actually have a headache as I write this. Do you even know what yandere means? And as I already said, there are changes in this version! I don't care if you think my story is bad, I really don't. I don't give two shits. Thanks for the review, I guess.
Naruto Sakura Uzumaki (Chapter 26): Definitely a better chapter than the canon version! I really can't wait for the rest of the chapters for this arc! And great surprise with Lisbeth and Diavel!
Wow, um, thanks, Naruto. It actually surprises me that someone enjoyed these chapters. I really needed this kind of review, after having to read through that hate-fest (again). Thanks for the review, as always.
Next Chapter: Kirito finally meets Sugou, otherwise known as Oberon The Fairy King and he quickly gets the upper hand over Kirito. However, Oberon eventually lets his guard down and Kirito then humiliates the so-called "Fairy King". Asuna is returned to the real world.
Author's Note:
* So, that was the chapter. I know that I don't usually leave the ending author's note here, but I had to this time. I wanted this to be the last thing that the readers see from this chapter. So, here goes nothing.
* It's clear to me that I owe my readers an apology. I understand that I slaughtered Suguha's feelings for Kazuto. That is my fault and I apologize. I shouldn't have even included it. However, the negative reviews have taken their toll. And my self esteem has been lowered quite a bit. I doubt any of my readers actually care. After reading this story, I wouldn't care what's going on with the author, either.
* I can't believe that I was actually proud of this story for a while. I used to see this story as my greatest achievement (at least in writing) and now it's hard for me to look at. It's become my biggest failure. All of the negative reviews are right. This ISN'T a good version of SAO. I should have seen it sooner. Hopefully next time, I'll get it right. That is, if there was going to be a next time.
* This is painful for me to say, so I'll just say it. There isn't going to be an adaptation for SAO Season Two. It won't be happening anymore. And I don't think there's a single reader here who cares. Well, there may be one, and you may know who you are. I've just been torn to bits by negative reviews and I've had it.
* I'm tired of coming up with ideas (I know, it's shocking that I actually call them ideas, right?) and then getting ripped the fuck apart. Sorry, pardon my French. I tend to curse when I'm going on a rant. And that's not what I want this to be. I want this to be a calm explanation of what's happening.
* In all honesty, there is a chance that Season Two could still happen, but I doubt that enough readers care to make it happen. If anyone does care, I'll get into that at a later date. So, I'll get to my final bit. Seeing as there won't be a Season Two, there won't be a reboot, either. For the longest time, I thought that this was a better version of SAO.
* I ACTUALLY thought that I was doing a good job. I mean, I omitted a certain scene that offended me (and most likely, other people). That scene where Asuna is nearly raped by those slugs, I removed that because people debate that that's one of the things that ruined Fairy Dance. I removed it and no one batted an eye, it seems like.
* However, I'll actually be finishing my version of Fairy Dance, I wouldn't leave this on a cliffhanger. But like I said, I thought that I was making a better version of SAO. However, all of these hate reviews have told me that not only is this not a better version, but this is a terrible story.
* This is just a terrible story. I can't believe that I was proud of it at one point. I now feel like that I'm ruining SAO for my readers. And that's the main reason why I'm not adapting Season Two. It's not because of the reviews. It's because why should I ruin SAO more than I already have? I'm done. I'm just done with this.