A few days later

"You're taking me to a coffee shop in Shibuya?" Momiji wraps an arm around mine as we walk down the streets of Shibuya, just a few blocks from the 109. We spent part of the morning and afternoon there for Momiji to go shopping for the beach trip the gang had planned. Apparently my folks bought some property and want me to give it a go, and I see no reason not to bring the others. And when I say "others", that does not include a twenty-something Ryoutarou. Huh, that's the first time I remember calling Klein by his real name, I must be unhappy… Yet I am actually happy for him. Just not right now. I made too many mistakes with him around.

Yes, I'm taking Momiji to a coffee shop, a Starbucks more specifically (We're both American by birth, and I'm not giving Starbucks up) but not for the coffee this time. I have a surprise for Momiji, something I never thought I would do, but after seeing Koharu again, I believe it is time to put the past in its place. "Yes, we're going to the lady with the crown. I remember someone adores Starbucks."

"You know me too well. But the prince of Japanese technology, eating at a venue of the common folk? Preposterous!"

"I haven't eaten 'rich' in months," I let Momiji inside the venue first, then look around. Almost if my eyes were drawn automatically to them, I spot the group of people I'm looking for and lead Momiji over.

"Aren't we going to order first?"

"No, I already did so. Just hush and come on, I want you to meet some people." Momiji follows, curious as to what I'm up to. As we come to the vicinity of the table, the single male there, a tall, lanky guy with red hair stands and smiles as he thrusts his hands out.

"And thus, the hero cloaked 'i red, a sword 'i one hand and a buckler 'i another, hath arrived."

One of the girls, one with blue eyes and white hair topped with a little black hat, rolls her eyes, "Privyet, Jaymes. Took you long enough, though. But then again, you were always the last to arrive, never the first."

I smile and take the little hat off her head. "Say something, Sanya?" As she struggles to retrieve the item, I face Momiji. "Everyone, this is Momiji, the girl I was telling you about. Momiji, these are...the other friends from SAO. The girl right here is Sanya, a friend of Nijika's as well."

Sanya grabs her hat and grumbles to herself before smiling at Momiji. "Ah yes, you're the girl keeping this pridurok in check since childhood, huh? I feel sorry for you."

Momiji chuckles as she sits down beside me. "It has been hard, sure."

"And you wonder why you were the Red Witch… The guy right there, you know him from the SAO books for he's the author."

Momiji's eyes light up. "Wait a minute… Wait a minute, you're friends with Lueur? The Lueur? Oh my god, is it really you?"

Lueur takes a bow. "In the flesh."

Momiji hits me on my shoulder, "You knew I was reading the stories, and you said nothing? I wondered why you were looked upon a little too positively, now I know. But how were you able to remember everything with such detail? You must have been writing everything since you logged out the game."

Lueur smiles. "No, since the day we were trapped. I figured, once I got my head around everything, that if we were to survive, the world would want to know our story. So I took it upon myself to jot everything important down. The heroes of the frontlines, the guilds that rose and fell, even the in-game events that took place from time to time. Thanks to Jaymes, who had friends in high places, I was able to recover that data from the SAO server. I just put a few touches here and there. It's nice to know I have a fan, I didn't get such appreciation in the game."

The girl sitting beside him scoffs. "No one cared about you, brother. We were busy surviving."

"That bundle of joy there is Mater, Lueur's sister. She's around Silica's age, but...she took care of herself alone. They called her--"

"The Silent Child." Wow, someone has done their homework. Momiji then turns from the brunette to the ginger, the last girl at the table. "You have to be Liten, the Shield of LIberation."

The girl giggles. "Lueur does love his extravagant titles… Yes, that is me."

"Wow… Wait a minute, you've never spoken of them before. It's always what you did with Kirito and Asuna, with Philia, Rain, and Strea, or with Koharu."

Sanya smirks. "Yeah, you've probably heard much of the first three months of the advance or the last few months of the game, plus any tidbits in between. But there's a good reason."

Lueur nods. "There's a reason the parts detailing the time between the 25th and 70th-ish Floors are much darker. The massacre of ALS on the 25th, the front becoming more and more dangerous outside dungeons, Laughing Coffin the following year… Whatever peace we found in that mess, especially between the 25th and the second Christmas, you took it. Whether it was on the front lines with valuable allies or elsewhere doing events and quests, you did all you could to remember you were alive. I had my tales, Sanya had the orphanage in the Town of Beginnings, my sister had...herself, heh, Liten, Koharu, and Jaymes had their trials on the front. But there were times we were all together and in those times we forgot that our lives were on the line. During those times, Sword Art Online was a game, not a life. I did my best to illustrate that point in the book, that yes we were surrounded by death. but there were good times. We made friends, bore rivals, found love...we were surrounded by life. Look no further than the warrior and the assassin."

Liten nods. "Because of Jaymes and Koharu, ALS and DKB managed to advance time and time again. I think Jaymes kept the guild flag they both wanted until you gave it to Heathcliff, right? And that's the tip of the iceberg of heroics. But outside of that, you could tell there was a bond between them not solely forged on the battlefield. Sure, we all had our bonds, but those two… You and her were truly something."

Sanya interrupts. "So imagine my surprise when GGO was a hot topic of controversy, there's a tale of a squad leading the charge against a NPC who almost destroyed the safety systems of the main hub. Doing a little backtracking, the leader of said squad gains a rare NPC the day he joins the game and he had an interview with MMO Stream. Name and likeness checked out, but what interested me more is the girl with him, and not the Arfa-Sys."

Momiji blushes. "I wasn't that attached to him, but we just reconnected and all by that time."

"Not what Sanya means," Mater says. "She just has a good feeling, that's all."

"When I first met Koharu and Jaymes, I was a solo player with a life-stealing sword. I felt better being alone than being with others, yet they, or Koharu more or less, didn't care about that. So as I joined them, I observed their mannerisms. They weren't lovers that January, but you could mistake them for a couple. Yet they weren't friends either. There was...life and death in that bond. Not love, not fellowship, life and death. No truer bond than the one that will make you live and die for someone else. Right now, I see it with you, Momiji. Sure, Jaymes have bonds with other girls, us here included, but with them, I don't think those, except for Lightning Flash and us, were forged by death's door and life's denial to enter. The blacksmith may have come close to it, or saved Jaymes from it, but something else connecting them was previously there. But I sense the bond he once shared with Koharu in your eyes. You two faced death together, and did everything to keep the other alive. You put your friendship, past and present, in your resolve to keep the other alive."

"In other words," Lueur continues, "you have big shoes to fill, Momiji. Like Koharu, you have become an integral factor of Jaymes' life. You have joined Lightning Flash and the Black Swordsman in that regard. We trust you'll keep his head on his neck."

I sigh, and with no more coffee to drink, renounce my silence. "Okay, enough of the talk of bonds and stuff. I wanted you to tell stories of me to her. I get it, Koharu and I were a packaged deal, but try to include yourselves."

Sanya points a finger up. "Oh, I can tell that story?"

"...No, no, no, not that one."

LIten giggles. "Come on, that one's a classic!"

"Do you know how much I had to convince Lueur to omit that?"

Momiji drops her jaw. "It's not in the accounts? Hmph, tell it, Sanya, and best believe the squad will know this tale too."

I sigh and lean back in my chair. "I hate this idea already."

The next day

"SWEEEET!" Klein throws his hands in the air after taking his first taste of lemonade. Kazuto and I sigh and face the beach. The girls are scattered around, either playing in the water, sunbathing, building sand castles, or eating. "Listen here, guys, I said this once before, but there's nothing like the beach! Blue skies!"

"White sand…"

"The oncoming waves!"

"The dazzling sunlight…"

"And hot babes! No Agil in a speedo too." Klein shudders at the memory and takes another sip of his drink before turning to me. "Heyo, Battle of Bullets is this weekend, right? You ready?"

"You bet against me, Ryo. I oughta not say a word to you...but yeah, I am. I've been training my ass off, so I hope to produce favorable results."

"I am sticking to my decision of Shino, but I am also rooting for you as well. Show them who the Crimson Warrior is! Or Lucky Red...whatever you go by."

Kazuto sets his cup down and lays back in his chair. "Haven't you been busy recently, though? Another project with your dad?"

I nod. "Yes. But I actually don't start anything until next week, so I'm told. I wish I could talk about it, but I want to see it for myself first. Premiere and Tia were the first steps to his dream realized."

Klein waves his arms between us. "No, no talking about work, school, whatever! Look at this, we're at the beach. Talk about that instead."

I narrow my eyes and face the beach, more specifically towards a green-haired woman in glasses chatting with Momiji. "For good reasons I'm regretting introducing you two in real-life. If you weren't at the bar at the time, I wouldn't feel the need to throw up."

"What do you mean? Midoriko asked me out, bro."

"That's the reviling part. I can't look at my third-in-command without thinking how you touched her."

"You're making me sound indecent!"

"You are indecent!"

"Hey, boys, we're about to get a match started! You coming?" We turn to each other as Asuna calls for us, and I'm sure Klein and I are on the same wheel of thought. There's eight women out there, which means there's equal teams for a game of four on four. There's no need for us to get involved, after all. From here, we can watch...

Klein and I shake hands, but before we can answer, Kazuto pulls Klein over. "If you sit here, you can't impress Midoriko, can you? I mean, this is your chance to look good in front of the ladies."

Kazuto, the clever bastard. Klein considers this as he scratches his chin, then nods in agreement. "You're right. But then the teams will be uneven. One of you will have to come."

I sigh and stand up. "Oh, we're both coming. Kazuto to round out the numbers, me to embarass you."

Klein groans as he follows me towards the volleyball game getting started. "You're a horrible friend, you know."

Kazuto chuckles as he races after us. "I don't think he cares, heh."

The day passes quickly, and after a hearty dinner, we all separate once more. Some return to the beach, others rouse about in the house. I find myself alone on the deck, leaning over the railing and watching the sunset. I don't know why I'm here other than it fills me with a sense of peace.

"After a day filled with adventure and excitement, the hero watches over the land, saying goodbye to the sun and welcoming the moon that follows." I turn and see Momiji leaning against the sliding door. She's still dressed in her pink and white bikini, just the addition of a towel around her waist. I smile and face forward back to the sunset as she steps up beside me. "Why are you here all alone?"

"I really don't know, to tell you truthfully. I think there's just something about watching the sunset. We did it many times at school. In SAO, I would stand or sit on hills and bridges to watch it. It carried over to ALO and GGO for no good reason...guess its a habit of camping outside of towns so many times."

"Hmm. Remember when we went on that camping trip as kids. You hated being outside that long."

"Heh, then just imagined my unhappiness when we got to Floor 3, no town in sight, so the four of us had to camp with the elves. So fun." I turn my back to the sun, instead looking at the girl beside me. "I'm sorry if what they said yesterday was a bit much."

"But it is true?"

"I… I don't know about the present, but in the past… Yeah, it was. What I had with Koharu, you can see it now with Kazuto and Asuna. They aren't just in love, their bond extends to life and death, and I've seen it. Asuna threw herself in front of Heathcliff to save Kazuto, Kazuto went to Arun to save Asuna from that creep and fought to regain her memories not too long ago. Yes, I had that with Koharu, but it died with her. Rika, for as good she was, it just wasn't...there. Never thought I'd find it again, not a ton of chances to die out there in VR anymore."

"Then maybe you should stop looking for it," Momiji says.

I chuckle as I turn my body again. "Oddly enough, I made that decision after I said goodbye to Koharu. I don't really feel it anymore, the regret and the longing. My war is over, I guess. Not sure what to do next."

Momiji turns to the sun. "Maybe you should patch things up with Lis. It is clear as the sky that she still loves you, and I bet you haven't fully let go yet either. She may not have been the girl you wanted in some regards, but she has been there for you more than anyone else."

I lower my head, looking at the grains of sand beneath the deck. "And what about you?"

"Oh, the bet is still on, but… Yesterday made me realize that, no matter what, you and I will always be at each other's side. That is what I was afraid of back in December after everything, that in my unrighteous anger you'll rightfully leave me this time. But you didn't. We rebuilt our friendship, heck I saved your skin a few times. My feelings are present, sure, but… I'll be fine."

I face her, watching her ponytail flutter in the breeze. It reminds me of a time long ago back in GGO with our other selves watching a similar sunset, in a similar position, and another heart-to-heart. "Another sunset creates a beautiful scenery… But the time still isn't right."

"You remember that moment in the wasteland, I shouldn't be surprised. But yeah, the moment still isn't right. Maybe it will be one day, maybe it won't… But you got more important things to worry about, right? Like that project with Rath."

I nod enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see what is being developed. I get to dive in for a full week, get the gears rolling maybe fool around myself. They're calling it the Underworld, most likely to keep with the stupid references to Alice in Wonderland."

Momiji nods, then slowly brings her body closer to mine. After what she just said, I find it confusing, but I find myself holding her anyway. I meant what I said to Itsuki. Koharu, and by extension, Rika, Asuna, and all the other girls I know have changed my life. But Kureha was the first one, and she means two world to me.

Battle of Bullets

Only three players remain, and I am one of them. Hiding in the ruins of a city, I check my scanner, even though the last scan was five minutes ago. Sinon is somewhere north of me, and Subtilizer was slightly east. I have two filled pistols, a hundred rounds or so left in reserve, and my trusty photon sword. Visibility is good underneath the full moon, so I should be able to see Subtilizer if he comes for me, but Sinon is a much different case. But I believe she'll honor our agreement to not attack each other until the end.

"Leader of Crimson Squad! Come on out!" I tense and draw my left pistol, the hilt of my photon sword in my righ hand. Right on the money, the winner of the first Battle of Bullets approaches me first. I peek out a shattered window, seeing the blond-haired man in simple combat gear stand in the moonlight. "I know you're here… You know, I've heard lots about you, Jaymes. Everyone knows of the lucky rookie who got his Arfa-Sys on his first day, then there's the hero who led and rallied the defense of the Glocken. Even had an encounter with Death Gun, I heard. Your team won Squad Jam II, and we all witnessed that amazing brutality in the dome that day. But I believe your heroism goes beyond that, doesn't it, Crimson Warrior?"

I gasp and tighten my hold on my weapons. So is he an SAO Survivor? By name, I don't recall him, nor do his looks do him justice. Sighing, I step out the shadows, my pistol pointed at the man's head, no Bullet Line used. "How do you know me?"

"My brother is a survivor, he's the one that recognized you. He's...quite the fan."

"Well, if he wants an autograph, maybe I can oblige. Should I know of him?"

Subtilizer smirks. "Maybe. He says you two met once, though it'll be no fun to divulge where. But enough of the past, let's speak of the present. Three of us are left, and I believe you and the sniper are in cahoots to finish this tournament with one of you winning. I desire to win myself, so I can't allow that. She's easy pickings, but I decided to meet you first. I eliminated your pink-haired both and the boy sniper, both members of your squadron." Subtilizer draws a combat knife, holding it in front of him. "Allow me to finish the job."

Kureha and Itsuki were eliminated by this guy? Scowling, I put away my pistol and activate my sword. Three minutes left to the next scan. If I can hold him until then, maybe I can use Sinon as "backup" and eliminate this guy. "Challenge accepted!" I hold my position and stance, figuring if he knows of me, then there's no point to going on the offense. However, he's just as cautious as we circle each other but stepping into range. Once he's close enough, I swing first, testing his combat knife. As I suspected, my blade doesn't slice through his like a lightsaber might've. Oh, this is going to be fun.

I heard Subtilizer was good in close quarters combat, I watched his qualifiers too, but I did not expect him to challenge me to a fight with blades. As the fight goes on, I see how he made it this far with no guns in a world of guns. If I had to guess, I would say he's a professional in the real world. But I can tell he isn't holding back, and neither am I.

Taking a step back, I quickly draw a pistol and deflect Subtilizer's attack, catching him off guard long enough to sever his right arm. He grunts at the pain, but continues to fight as he tries to punch me. I dodge and fire at his right leg, causing him to drop down to his knees. Not in the mood for senseless brutality, I let my blue blade linger by his right ear. "You lost. Resign."

"Heh, you are as good as the stories said. Seems I underestimated you quite a bit… You know, you have been quite the thorn in my side for a while. I should have toyed with your pink-haired pal a while longer, but I'll just have to use the sniper before I crush her. Oh, there was something I wanted me to tell you if we met here."

"What--GAH!" In a surprising twist of fate, Subtilizer impales his own shoulder to rise up and stabs me with the dropped knife in the chest. Grunting, I drop to my knees as my life falls. Dammit… Well, Sinon you win the bet.

As I slowly begin to die, I can hear Subtilizer's voice. "The girl from back in SAO… If I was there, I wonder how delicious her soul would have been…"

And that wraps up Ordinal Dissonance. Thanks to all of you for supporting the story, and I hope some of you continue as we come to the last two parts of this tale. As you can expect, Jaymes will join Asuna and Alice in the fight in the Underworld, but before he does that...

98 Human Empire Calendar, Centoria

"Ugh!" The poor noble falls on his ass as the ensemble of men and women around us crackle at his defeat. I do partake in it a bit, but only while I help the guy to his feet and let him dust himself off. "Damn, thought I had you this time."

I nod and pat the man on his shoulder. "What kind of swordplay was that, it did take me by surprise."

The man chuckles. "It is a slight modification to the Norkian Style, more or less. Who knows, maybe one day we Serluts will have our own exclusive style of combat. But so far, your Aincrad style is impenetrable."

"No, I wouldn't say that. But keep it up." As I watch the man walk away, I broaden the smile on my face as I turn to my next challenger. I sigh and twirl my trusted blade, Falchion, as the man with red hair and blue eyes graces me with a smirk on his own. "Of course you come back. This is your third try today."

"That might be so, but when given an opportunity to challenge Jaymes, the Lord of Knights, I cannot still my blade. Like the lycoris flower my family symbolizes, my resolve to defeat you in combat, or better yet, be your equal is unwavering! So until then, I will challenge you, my dear friend."

I smile and nod understandingly as I get into my stance. "Very well then. Then show me this unwavering resolve of yours, my dear friend, Matthew, First Head of House Orthinanos!"

Alicization: Steel and Lycoris is up next. Stay tuned!