A/N:

A number of PoV shifts in this chapter, so prepare yourselves. I've done my best to hint at who we're following at any given time, though.

Now to respond to the reviews from last chapter!

- InfiniteParadigmShifts: Yui is definitely going to have more lasting impacts than she did in canon; she'll still have that childlike innocence but we'll see that she's not just about the fluff and wholesomeness. She's a mental health program underneath it all, and she's going to be working, whether she realizes it or not.

- Hinate: While it's true that she's 17 when they get married, that's the case for in-canon events. Asuna was 15 when she started SAO, and in this iteration they haven't quite hit the 1-year mark yet. Her birthday is in September, so she hasn't hit 16 just yet. This version of Kirisuna is younger than their canon counterparts in how young they are when deciding to get married.

- Jiraphie: If you're getting annoyed with the real-world reactions, that's partly by design. Most of the world views the events going on inside SAO through a tinted lens; many people, especially those in foreign countries, don't have the personal ties to the game that many of the SAO families do. As such, just like any other media, it gets sensationalized and glorified. There's definitely a stark contrast between how the world views the SAO phenomenon and how those directly affected by it view it. To the general public, it's like watching a reality show; obviously they know it's real but it doesn't quite have the same impact that it does for those in the know. To those who are affected by it, it's a complicated mix of pride in how courageous their loved ones are but also constant worry for their well-being. Regarding ALO, as much as I hate to say it, that entire story arc wouldn't even exist were it not for Sugou and his obsession for Asuna. It shouldn't be too much of a spoiler, but that will sadly be the case for the ALO sequel. I will be changing a lot about the ALO arc; namely, I'll be giving Sugou a little more depth so that his obsession over Asuna isn't so superficial, and that it's not his only defining trait. I'm also getting rid of the incest-hinting in its entirety when it comes to the Kirigaya siblings. All in all, there's a lot I'll be changing about ALO.

- RandomDSdevel: I probably didn't make this clear enough when I introduced it (and that's my bad), but only the immediate families of the Unique Skill users have access to private streams. That means Kirito, Leonn, Liz, Silica, Yuna, etc. Asuna was also on Kayaba's radar since he was scoping her out as a prospective vice-commander before she helped form the Renegades.

- tom476ty18: Kirito's view on kendo after SAO is an interesting thought. We'll have to see how that develops, if at all!

- Otaku of Anime: Happy birthday dude(tte)! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so have a chapter for your birthday!

- Ordo-Silver: Glad you're enjoying the ride! I post every week, so at least you'll have a steady diet of Unyielding to keep you sated!

- Zideny: Spoilers!

- Lord Destroyer: I don't disagree about the waste of resources spent keeping those two safe. Unfortunately, it's not as if the government can just pull the plug for their crimes (perceived or real). Due process would need to be maintained, and one can't exactly be tried while comatose. That's going to come into play again when we get to Laughing Coffin. And regarding marriage between statuses, I'll have to do a little research on that, but thanks for bringing that up!

- The Walt: I do! I could have simply written those skills out, but instead I'm going to implement them. I think a lot of you will like what I've got planned for the missing Unique Skills!

- TH3MinniiSavage: I guess we'll find out if he does at some point or not!

- SonicKing42: You'd think so, wouldn't you?

"DARLING! You're getting married?!"

Asuna couldn't help but smile. Ashley was a character, alright. The ever-eccentric tailor of Aincrad was visibly shaking in her shoes at the news. Asuna giggled as she saw the tailor rush over to her workstation and begin drawing up what she assumed to be wedding dress designs. At least, she guessed that's what the eccentric was mumbling about over there.

The reaction had been mostly the same among everyone they'd informed. God, when they told everyone in the guild at breakfast about their engagement, Asuna swore her eardrums were going to burst. There might have been a drinking glass that actually shattered from the unanimous squeal of delight echoed by the girls. The boys were markedly more reserved but no less enthused; each gave Kirito a congratulatory hug or pat on the back.

A week later, and they were still exuberant about the upcoming wedding.

"So…?" Ashley drawled, playful enthusiasm oozing off her voice. "When's the date and where's my invitation?"

Asuna laughed nervously. "We're getting married next Friday and it's going to be a small ceremony…"

Ashley went pale and looked as if she'd been pierced through the heart.

"... Did you think we weren't going to invite you?" Asuna jabbed. "Of course you're invited! Everyone's going to need suits and dresses, after all…"

Asuna could swear that Ashley's eyes turned into dollar signs for a moment. Without another word, she seemed to resume her mutterings and scribbling, now at twice the pace. Already the tailor was running back and forth, carting bundles of fabric and consulting notes. She was a woman on a mission now.

"I think you gave her a heart attack, Aa-chan." Argo quipped from the waiting area nearby. "Such mischief… I didn' think you had it in ya!"

Argo, Sachi, and every female member of the Renegades was in attendance, of course. While they may have sprung the news on Ashley last-minute, they knew the seamstress would be more than capable of an impromptu dress fitting session.

"So who all are you inviting?" Silica asked, dangling her legs from the edge of her chair and cradling her wyvern egg in her lap.

Asuna started counting off with her fingers. "Well, obviously the Renegades and the Cats are invited. Ashley and Argo, too, obviously. We want to keep the ceremony small, so we're inviting the frontline guilds; we're not going to make it public."

"Small?" Argo snarked. "The KoB and the DKB are easily 30 people each, Aa-chan. That's more than 60 people. Adding on the Renegades and the Cats brings you to close to 100 people. That's hardly small, y'know."

"Okay, relatively small." Asuna corrected herself as she realized that 100 people was not small at all. She groaned. "Kirito and I were originally only going to invite just the leadership, but that didn't seem right. We've fought alongside these people, trusted our lives to them. Not inviting them to our wedding seemed disrespectful."

"I can respect that." Argo said, giving a thoughtful nod. "You gonna invite Thinker and Yulier?"

"Aren't they the ones in charge of that media guild, MMO Today?" Liz asked.

Argo nodded. "One and the same. Good clients and friends of mine. You and Kii-bou getting married is big news, Aa-chan. They're gonna want to be the first to report on it."

Asuna sighed. "Do we have to? I know Kirito's not going to like the attention as it is."

"He's the leader of the Resolute Renegades!" Argo exclaimed. "He's gonna be in the spotlight no matter what he does! Best he can do is roll with the punches. Anyhoo, did you and Kii-bou decide on yer maid of honor and best man? Who's officiatin'?"

Asuna smiled. "Yep! Sinonon's going to be my maid of honor and Geeou's going to be the best man. We asked Agil to conduct the ceremony and he was more than happy to do it."

The maid of honor in question was sitting to the side and talking with Kizmel. She looked relaxed and pleasant, but Asuna could tell she didn't want to come to this dress fitting. While not necessarily a tomboy, the archer wasn't as overt in her femininity; she preferred functionality over aesthetics any day of the week.

Which was complete madness, to be honest, because that dress Sinon wore to the elven ball on the 9th floor was stunning.

In fact, Sinon had initially wanted to go with the boys for their bachelor party but as the maid of honor felt compelled to stay with Asuna. As reserved as she could be, Sinon was still one of Asuna's best girl friends - Liz being a very close second - and ultimately decided to give Asuna her support. She knew Sinon wanted something a little more action oriented like whatever shenanigans the boys were up to; she'd have to make it up to her somehow.

"Sinonon?" Liten asked, still new to the guild and clearly not used to Asuna's nickname for the archer.

Sinon sighed and tried to hold back a smirk. "That's her nickname for me. Started as a slip of the tongue and it sort of stuck."

"It's cute!" Liten beamed.

"Thank you!" Asuna exclaimed, glad that someone appreciated the name.

"ASUNA DARLING!" Ashley practically screamed out, walking into the waiting room and looking particularly frazzled. Peeking over her shoulder, Asuna could see a mountain of dresses piled on a table in the dressing room. "Come, come! I have so many options for you to choose from, darling. Everyone! It's time to make our girl shine!"

A cacophony of squeals, cheers, and giggles erupted as everyone pushed Asuna into the fitting room. She was looking forward to this, actually. She wanted to look her absolute best for her wedding, after all.

Let it be known that Kirito thought this was a bad idea.

"...Alright, so here's the plan." Klein said as they all crouched in the bushes. Kirito glanced out into the field adjacent and saw the ((Bullbous Bow)), the 2nd Floor field boss, sitting there, idly grazing on the grasses, completely oblivious to the chaos that was about to ensue. "Leonn rushes in, grabs the field boss with his broken ((Clash)) ability…"

"The debuff that skill gives me afterwards halves my strength and speed, dude!"

"...and we use the 10 seconds it gives us to jump on that thing's back." Klein continued, ignoring Leonn's protests. He gestured with his thumb towards the bull in question. "Last man to stay on wins."

"...Why are we doing this again?" Lokuss asked with clear hesitation.

"For Kirito's bachelor party, of course!" Klein beamed, clapping Lokuss on the back. "I heard a guy did something like this a few months ago, so we should be good."

"He rode the field boss?" Lokuss asked dubiously.

Klein waved him off. "Nah, but this is just a bigger version of the mobs he did ride. We'll be fine!"

The loremaster looked nervous, not that Kirito could blame him. Lokuss had mentioned in passing that he'd never really gone partying before, and Kirito was mostly in the same boat. Lokuss was a kindred spirit in that aspect, he realized. Both introverts and both very nerdy, but for different reasons. Kirito was into game development and management while Lokuss was a bit of a lore nerd.

"Question." Agil interjected with a casually raised hand. At Klein's nod, he continued. "We can't all fit on that thing's back, so how are we doing this? Obviously Leonn's gonna have to sit this one out."

"I'm not complaining." Leonn chuckled.

"Hmm, that's a good point." Klein hummed. He silently pointed at everyone and Kirito could hear him softly taking count of everyone assembled. All of the Renegade men - plus the boys in the Cats - were present, bringing their total to eighteen. Functionally seventeen since Leonn was a no-go. "We can probably squeeze eight dudes in the first ride, and nine in the second."

"You want me to clash that thing twice?!" Leonn cried out.

"Isn't this the boss you practiced on when you were learning how to use that skill?" Nautilus asked.

"Well yeah, but how'd you…"

Nautilus shrugged. "Yuna told me. Or did you forget that you dragged her down here every time as your personal pocket healer?"

"That's… fair." Leonn said. "By the way, you two seem pretty close nowadays. Did something…?"

"Alright boys, we're running out of daylight." Klein interrupted, even as Nautilus sighed in relief. "I figure the first round goes to Kirito, Geeou, Nautilus, Agil, Lokuss, Mako, Wolfgang, and… Ducker. I'll take lead on the second group."

"Sounds good to me." Geeou said, giving Kirito a pat on the back. "After you, sir. It is your party, after all."

"Why do I get the feeling that whatever's about to happen is going to find its way into your best man speech?" Kirito deadpanned.

Geeou shrugged. "Probably because it will."

Kirito sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Let's get this over with."

"Alright, Leonn!" Klein shouted. "Go, go, go!"

Despite his earlier objections, Leonn ran out of the bushes with a grin on his face. Kirito and the rest of his group followed close behind. Klein and those who were going second hung back a little, following at a light jog. Kirito had to suppress the urge to draw his swords as they neared the field boss; it was many, many levels lower than they were and not much of a threat, but Kirito was still on edge. This was Aincrad.

Anything could go wrong.

"Get ready!" Leonn shouted, his arms already glowing.

From how Leonn explained it, ((Clash)) worked differently compared to other sword skills. Rather than have the animation take over once the skill charged up, the skill simply "waited" until Leonn grabbed something. It sort of made sense, given that there was no uniform way (and animation) to grab a boss monster. Once Leonn grabbed a boss, the skill would lock him and the monster in place and force them to push against one another for up to 10 seconds. It was a weird blend between a parry and taunt skill, really. From there, Leonn had to actively push until he won or, if the monster was too high level or managed to overpower him, it won.

Kirito did not want to see what would happen if Leonn ever lost a clash.

The ((Bullbous Bow)) almost immediately spotted them and charged headlong, its massive forehead and imposing horns threatening to gore them. While it wouldn't be deadly at their level, no one wanted to be on the receiving end of those horns and get tossed up into the air. Well, everyone except Leonn, that is.

The famed Juggernaut collided with the field boss, sending out a mild shockwave as both came to a complete halt, ((Clash)) coming into effect. Leonn held firm, grappling with the massive bull's horns.

"Alright boys! Go, go, go!" Klein shouted, crouched next to the bull's flank with his hands knit together to give them a boost.

Kirito was first up, stepping into Klein's waiting hands. Before he knew it, he was thrust up onto the shoulders of the field boss. Eager to find some sort of handhold, he grabbed onto some clumps of hair just in front of him, even as he felt the boss struggle against his guild officer down below.

"Hurry!" Leonn grunted out.

In a matter of seconds - literally - the other seven were precariously seated behind Kirito, each scrambling to find some way to secure themselves. Lokuss was about to use his grappling hook before Klein scolded him for cheating. Just as the last person, Mako, was seated, they collectively felt a shove backward as Leonn finished his ((Clash)). He looked exhausted and was quickly shuffled off to the side by Klein while the others still on the ground did their best to stay out of the way of the now-rampaging bull.

Once the other half of their bachelor raid was at a safe distance, the bull decided to switch its priorities from goring those on the ground to bucking those on its back. As it began to lunge and flail itself, Kirito's ride went from mildly unpleasant to white-knuckled very quickly. Wolfgang and Mako were the first to get ejected, the two hilariously grabbing onto one another as they flew in the air and to the side. Looked like something out of a cartoon, and he had to bite back a laugh or risk losing his concentration and grip.

Lokuss and Nautilus were the next to fall, in that order. The bull had rammed itself into a tree, dislodging Lokuss, who in turn decided to grab onto the closest person in a last-ditch effort to stay on the bull.

That closest person happened to be Nautilus.

Suffice it to say that the gamble only served to drag Nautilus down with him. The two collapsed in a chaotic bundle of limbs, Lokuss cackling with delight while Nautilus tried and failed to hold back a laugh of his own; a quick look at his face showed that while he wasn't happy with being pulled off, he could still laugh at the absurdity of it all. The two were quickly pulled away by Dale and Keita to safety.

Another few minutes passed before Agil was thrown off. While the merchant Clearer had a decently high strength score, his larger frame wasn't doing him any favors. He was the next to be ejected into the waiting arms of Wolfgang and Mako.

That left just Kirito, Geeou, and Ducker.

"Why did we let Klein talk us into doing this?!" Geeou cried out from behind Kirito.

"Hey!" Klein shouted in indignation from far behind. The bull had switched from flailing to running around haphazardly, leaving those still on the ground behind.

Ducker roared with laughter as they all held on through another buck of the bull. "Oh come on, this isn't so bad!"

Of course he'd feel that way. The Cats' resident treasure hunter had been taking lessons from Silica and, to a lesser extent, Yuna ever since they met. Of course he was going to be much better at keeping his grip while mounted atop large monsters. This game was rigged from the start, but now Kirito felt that competitive streak begin to show itself. He was going to have to outlast Ducker.

"Hey guys…" Geeou said, worry clear in his voice. "Is that what I think it is?"

"What?" Ducker asked as all three looked ahead.

Kirito felt his face pale. "H-how? We should've been far enough away from that. The boss should have leashed back to its spot!"

"Well, it didn't!" Ducker exclaimed. "It must not be leashing because we're on it!"

"Turn! Turn!" Geeou cried out.

"How?!" Kirito shouted back. "Ducker, you're the expert at riding monsters! How do we turn this thing?!"

"You don't!"

"Well, at least I'll have material for my best man speech!" Geeou shouted, followed by an awkward laugh.

The mounted trio yelled, partly in excitement but mostly out of fear. This was fun, Kirito could admit. Bonding with the boys, as Klein would put it. He'd probably be enjoying this a lot more if they weren't on a collision course with the 2nd Floor town of Urbus.

Yeah, this was a bad idea.

"You're all idiots."

Sinon pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Part of her wished she had gone with the boys if only just to stop them from doing something as asinine as riding a field boss into town. At least within the bounds of the safe zone, no one got hurt, but there was plenty of property damage. As it turns out, field bosses are capable of knocking over stalls and denting walls. Structures' [Immortal Object] status prevents them from taking any real damage, but everything within town had been scattered during the chaos. Enough "damage" had been caused to warrant the NPC town guard to mobilize, which led the trio of Kirito, Geeou, and Ducker to their current predicament.

Sitting in a jail cell in the 1st Floor Black Iron Palace.

Fortunately, she could bail them out since their crimes were more akin to misdemeanors than anything truly problematic like theft, assault, or murder. They were still idiots, but at least they were objectively good idiots. Not like some of those residing in the neighboring cells. Those were scum.

These were just idiots.

"Come on, Sinon." Ducker said meekly. "It wasn't that bad."

She shot him a look.

"Okay, maybe it was bad, but no one got hurt!" The treasure hunter retorted.

"Just…" Kirito started but ultimately gave up and sighed. "You're going to tell Asuna, aren't you?"

"You bet your ass she is." Leonn quipped off to the side. He, along with the rest of the bachelor party, were safe from persecution because they hadn't been on the bull when it came rampaging into the Urbus town square.

Sinon narrowed her eyes at Leonn before placing her hands on her hips. After a moment, she looked back at the imprisoned trio. "You mean, am I going to tell your fiancée and one of my best friends about her idiot husband-to-be's antics that landed him in jail? Yes. Yes, I am."

Leonn raised an eyebrow as he leaned against a nearby wall.

"Oh relax, would you?" Sinon smirked. "I said one of. And do you mind? I'm trying to scold these idiots and you're ruining the moment."

"Don't let me stop you."

"And don't think you're off the hook, either. Klein told me about your role in all this."

"It was his idea!"

"You could have said no."

"I… could have. Fair point."

"In fact, if you'd said no, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Okay, okay! I get it! My bad!"

Seemingly content with winning the argument, Sinon looked back at the trio behind bars, who were watching the back-and-forth like a tennis match. She cleared her throat, and their attention snapped back to her.

"I'm going to pay your bail, but I expect to be compensated." Sinon stated, scanning over the faces of the boys behind bars. "Got it?"

"Got it." Kirito and Geeou said in unison. After a moment, they looked over at Ducker.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it!" The treasure hunter exclaimed. "I still think it's being blown way out of proportion, but whatever."

Sinon walked over to the nearby NPC guardsman and paid the bail. Almost immediately, the cell door clicked and swung open, letting the three idiots out to freedom. She walked back over and looked each of them over as they shrank under her gaze.

"10,000 Cor." She said plainly.

Ducker blanched. "You're kidding! There's no way it was that much!"

"3,000 per person." Sinon informed them.

Geeou frowned. "Where's the additional 1,000 coming from then?"

Sinon shrugged and spotted Leonn off to the side snickering. "Call it interest, processing fee, whatever. I had to leave Asuna's dress fitting for this."

"Like you're complaining." Kirito said.

"No, but your fiancée is." Sinon retorted.

Kirito rubbed his face exasperatedly. "Fine. Here's your money. I'm going to go hurt Klein, if you'll excuse me."

Sinon gave a sassy smile as she received the 10,000 Cor. As the recently liberated trio walked out of the prison, she was joined by Leonn as they, too, began walking out. She did her best to ignore the leering looks or jeers coming from the cells they passed. Fortunately, Leonn was nearby to provide a nice distraction.

"It wasn't 10,000 Cor, was it?" Leonn asked in a hushed voice.

"Nope."

"How much?"

"7,500."

Leonn paused in his stride for a moment, but recovered and caught up. "Argo's a bad influence on you."

"She's a bad influence on everybody." Sinon chuckled.

"Kirito's thinking of recruiting her, you know." Leonn said.

Sinon's brows shot up. "Really? I thought Argo wanted to run solo."

"I think she likes her independence." Leonn replied. "Back then, she didn't want to take sides in that stupid ALS vs. DKB vs. Renegade debate, so she stayed unaffiliated."

"And now?"

Leonn shrugged. "With the ALS out of the picture and the DKB mellowing out, not to mention the KoB now in the picture, the politics are a little better now. Less competitive. I think if Kirito asked her, she might join."

"Kirito would let her run free." Sinon admitted, her eyes glancing upward thoughtfully. "Not to mention the guild resources and funds she would have access to."

"Psh, you kidding?" Leonn scoffed. "She'd join just so she could heckle us at every turn and you know it."

"True." Sinon smirked. She motioned towards the entrance to the Black Iron Palace and the view of the Town of Beginnings central plaza just beyond. "Now come on. I've got a dress fitting to get back to and you've got a bunch of idiots to watch over."

Leonn laughed. "Alright, alright. Guess I'll be the designated adult. Have fun at your dress fitting."

Sinon shivered. Ashley could be strict and scary sometimes.

"I make no guarantees."

Humans and elves were more alike than she first thought.

Marriages, for one thing, were a commonality that Kizmel noted. The union between two people was held equally as significant and sacred between both human culture and elven culture. To unite two peoples for life, through - as her friends would say it - "thick and thin," through hardship and joy, war and peace. It was a promise which only death could break.

She was saddened to hear that not all humans found marriage to be so sacred a sacrament, that many would agree to literally divorce one another due to disagreements. Kizmel was in no position to criticize them on their culture, however; surely some elven customs must have been strange or questionable to her human friends, but they always took everything in stride, so who was she to question their ways?

That said, the existence of divorces made successful marriages all the more precious, in her opinion. To stand the test of time despite there being an easy way out was something admirable and to be lauded. As she watched the wedding preparations underway in Nelluon Arael, Kizmel smiled.

She hoped… no, she knew that Asuna and Kirito's union would last.

The two were regrettably far too young to be considering something as serious as marriage, but Kizmel knew that their situation was unique. In a place as treacherous as Aincrad and in occupations so hazardous as members of the Assault Team, the impromptu marriage was understandable. The tragedy of the 25th was reminder enough that life was fragile, sacred, and easy to take for granted. When Kirito and Asuna announced their engagement and marriage ceremony, then, Kizmel could only be happy for them.

Ironically enough, it meant they had their priorities straight.

"Silica, did you get the flowers yet?!" Yuna shouted from nearby, breaking Kizmel out of her inner musings.

"Yes! Wait, no! They're in the supply depot!" Silica exclaimed, confidence turning to panic.

"Why are they in the supply depot?!" Yuna shouted before sighing.

"I'll get them!" The dragon tamer shouted, running off and rounding the corner, disappearing behind the guild hall.

"Agil, how are we on food and drink?" Yuna turned and shouted.

Agil's voice boomed out from inside the guild hall. "Working on it! Just waiting on that shipment from the 21st floor and then we'll be ready! Well, ready with the goods that don't need to be cooked or prepared!"

"Ooh, the good stuff!" Klein exclaimed, even as he and Nautilus hauled over what looked like a section of the altar. "Is that the Moonshadow Wine? Or the King's Mead?"

"No sampling the merchandise before the big day!" Yuna scolded while holding back a smirk. "Asuna would have my hide if you got into that stash before the big day!"

"Fine, geez!" Klein grumbled before he smiled again, the preparations enough to brighten his mood again. "Once we hit the reception, it's fair game though!"

"I'm back!" Silica shouted, rushing over with a large box full of flowers, which was so full she couldn't actually see where she was going. She ended up colliding with Dale and Dynamm, who were busy moving the seating arrangement into place. "OOF!"

Kizmel softly laughed at the young tamer's antics. Most of the guild - sans Kirito, Asuna, and a few others - were currently setting up the area that was to be the ceremony area. It was located right behind the guild hall near one of the rear entrances, which according to Yuna would allow for Asuna to dramatically exit the building in her wedding dress and walk down the aisle.

Apparently there were two styles of wedding ceremony from where her friends came from, "Western" and "Japanese." The former was more prevalent in today's day and age, while the latter was more traditional and strict in its rules and ceremony. Asuna, for some reason, didn't want to go with the traditional route. She didn't expound on why, but Kizmel guessed there was a more personal reason as to why the fencer didn't want a traditional wedding.

Instead, Asuna did a little bit of brainstorming with the other girls and came up with her own Aincrad version of a ceremony, based loosely off of Western style. Kizmel was rather impressed with it, if she was being honest. It was simple, elegant, and in her opinion reflected the little bit of Aincrad culture she'd seen in their cities and amongst their friends.

That wasn't to say Kizmel didn't have some suggestions of her own at the time…

"Are you sure about that, Kizmel?" Asuna asked, worry evident on her face. "I already feel guilty about us building our base on sacred elven land. I couldn't possibly ask for…"

Kizmel held a hand up to stop her. "Nonsense, Asuna. First, let me dispel that guilt of yours. The Renegades are valued allies of the elven peoples. I will admit that there was a vocal minority that was less than pleased to hear that Nelluon Arael was being built on, but I think I made a well-reasoned argument at the time. The Queen and King certainly seemed to think so."

"What did you tell them?"

Kizmel laughed. "I told them that the humans who have chosen to use Nelluon Arael were not only the ones to discover and vanquish the threat posed by the poison wyvern of old, but that the Renegades were the foremost champions of the humans of Aincrad. You would find no group more qualified and capable of liberating everyone from this floating prison. This is an investment, and I assured them that the settlement of this valley would be done so with respect to its cultural significance. Thus far, you have fulfilled that promise without even meaning to."

Asuna gave her a disbelieving look. "I would hardly call us champions, Kizmel."

Kizmel returned the look. "Surely you jest. Shall I list off the reasoning I gave them?"

"I don't think thats - "

"Kirito, the Black Swordsman and our guild leader, is not only the most skilled swordsman in all of Aincrad, but he is also the only man capable of wielding two longswords with such finesse and strength as to give elven bladedancers pause." Kizmel said, cutting her off. "You, Asuna, the Lightning Flash, are not only his equal in strength but his superior in raw speed. Your blade strikes so quickly that it is imperceptible to the naked eye."

Asuna opened her mouth to talk, but quickly shut it once Kizmel continued.

"We also have a songstress whose ballads heal the body and soul, an assassin whose throwing stars pierce armor as if they were wet parchment, an expert marksman who - to my knowledge - has never missed, a man whose strength topples titans, a samurai who can end a fight in the blink of an eye, an master blacksmith whose creations rival that of our best elven weaponsmiths, and to top it all off a young girl who has not only tamed one dragon, but has another one on the way." Kizmel summarized, counting on her fingers as she listed off select members of the Renegades. She looked Asuna in the eyes. "That is not to discredit the rest of our guild, who are formidable warriors in their own right. Whether you choose to believe it or not, my dear friend, you are all exceptional individuals whose feats are the stuff of legends. Take some pride in your accomplishments."

Asuna gaped like a fish for a moment, unable to form a coherent retort. Eventually her stupefaction gave way to a warm smile as she nodded. Kizmel returned the smile, glad that she was able to make Asuna realize just how significant they and their friends were.

"Now." Kizmel continued after clearing her throat. "I will have to make a formal request, of course, but here is what I am thinking…"

With her request with her people completed, Kizmel had one last thing to do.

"Yuna, have you seen Liz anywhere?" Kizmel asked.

The songstress paused what she was doing, made eye contact with Kizmel, and nodded. "She's at her workshop. I take it you have…"

"I do."

Yuna smiled. "Good! She's probably ready for you, then."

Kizmel nodded. Nothing more needed to be said; discretion was needed for this next part. Only a select few people knew of what Liz was making for the almost married couple, and they planned to keep it that way. The Dark Elf quickly made her way over to Liz's smithy.

Even before she entered the workshop properly, she could feel the waves of heat billowing out from within. The rhythmic clanging of metal on metal and the sound of hissing steam was evidence enough that Liz was hard at work. Walking into the swelteringly hot workshop, Kizmel finally found her way to the blacksmithing section. Poking her head in the door, she knocked on the doorframe.

"Liz?" Kizmel called out, eventually spotting the blacksmith slaving away at the anvil.

"Kizmel!" Liz looked up and smiled. She placed her hammer down on a nearby workbench and raised a hand to her mouth as if to whisper. "So, did you bring them?"

"That I did."

"Oooh!" Liz practically squealed. "Don't just stand there, bring them over!"

Kizmel carefully navigated her way through Liz's smithy, being extra mindful not to accidentally bump into anything and risking disrupting Liz's workspace. Kizmel scrolled through her inventory until she finally found what she was looking for.

Player inventories were so convenient.

"Are you not concerned with these not belonging to Kirito and Asuna?" Kizmel asked as she placed two rings on the workbench in front of Liz. "I do not claim to know how your blacksmithing works, but I would think they would need to belong to them, no?"

Liz shook her head as she picked up the rings and closely examined them. "Nope! You'd think so, but all I needed was a pair of matching rings for this to work."

Kizmel watched with rapt fascination as Liz began working on the presents for the couple. "I'm surprised you knew how to craft such weaponry. Even I had no knowledge of this."

"Eh, you can thank Lokuss, actually. He's the one who stumbled on it." Liz shrugged before working on the first of the two blades. She began to hammer away at it, shaping it into its desired shape and occasionally adding more material or sticking it back in the forge to reheat. Based on the shape, it looked to be Kirito's. "He showed me what he found and I just had to try it. They'll be the perfect wedding gifts!"

The Renegade loremaster was unmatched in his ability to stumble on hidden information, truly. While this discovery was not nearly as impressive or impactful as unearthing Nelluon Arael, this was no less noteworthy. When it was brought to Kizmel's attention, she first thought the recipe and designs were magic. Only later did she realize that was not entirely the case. There were some ancient charms involved, but it wasn't blatantly magic like she suspected.

Didn't make it any less impressive, though.

Liz looked to be almost done with the first blade as she brought out its molten red shape out of the forge. She carefully used a pair of smithing tongs to grab one of the rings and lower it into the guard, which then seamlessly melted and joined with the weapon on a deeper level. Then she placed the finishing touches before placing it back on the anvil.

"It's beautiful, Liz." Kizmel said, staring at the blade as it cooled. "Truly a work of art."

"Thanks!" The blacksmith grinned. "It's only one half of the piece, though. I can't wait to see them whip these beauties out for real!"

Kizmel laughed even as Liz began her work on the second blade. Watching Liz work was like watching an artist paint a picture; certainly a craft that took time, but one that was easy to idly watch for hours. The blacksmith had a rhythm to her work, Kizmel realized. Not just the rhythm of her hammer strikes on the anvil. Liz had a rhythm with which she moved from place to place, from one piece of equipment to the next, even a rhythm to how she pulled out more materials from her inventory to use. All the while the pinkette had a content smile resting on her face.

"Hey Kizmel…" Liz began, not looking up from her work but clearly able and willing to hold a conversation at the same time. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Liz." Kizmel said as she took a seat on one of the few chairs in the workshop. "By all means."

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but have you ever been married?" Liz hesitantly asked, clearly wanting to broach the subject but unsure how to do so politely.

Her human friends - bless their hearts - were considerate like that. Elven society was far more blunt and honest with their conversations, but humans seemed to place more value on the potential accidental harm they could cause by asking rude questions or discussing taboo subjects. She appreciated the care they put into their conversations, truly.

"I have not." Kizmel easily admitted. "I have had a few suitors over the years, but nothing ever came of it. I would not be opposed to marriage were I to find the right partner, though."

Liz shifted uncomfortably even as she continued working.

"I take it you are asking for a specific reason?" Kizmel asked, leaning back and arching an eyebrow.

"I guess I'm just curious how you'd know if you found the right person, I guess." Liz shrugged. Then she seemed to pause and flush. "I-I'm asking for a friend."

"Oh?" Kizmel asked, easily reading the pinkette's intentions but deciding to play along anyway. "Who might this friend be?"

"Uhh…" Liz stammered as she almost dropped her hammer. "Yuna! I noticed she and Naut have gotten pretty close lately so I wanted to know what you thought!"

"Hmm…" Kizmel hummed, noting the sudden surge of confidence as Liz recovered from her flustered state and doubled down on her excuse. It was a clever excuse, to be sure, since something had clearly changed recently between the duo. "I will admit that those two do make quite the item, and they have become noticeably closer as of late. Ever since he heroically saved her during the 25th."

"Yeah…" Liz trailed, touches of pink adorning her cheeks as she paused in her work and almost seemed to daydream. "He was pretty awesome, how he saved her like that. I… err, she was about to die and he just swooped in."

Kizmel bit back a smirk. While she agreed that Yuna and Nautilus were likely going to become a couple soon if they weren't already, she suspected Nautilus was not the person Liz was really referring to.

"Do you think Naut really likes her?" Liz asked, shaking her head and resuming her work.

"Oh, absolutely." Kizmel said emphatically, making sure to choose her next words carefully. "I only hope they make it official before someone begins to court Nautilus before Yuna has a chance."

"W-what?!" Liz shrieked, almost dropping her tools. "How can you be sure he likes her, though?"

Kizmel stood up and began to walk out the door. "Take the time to see how he behaves around her, Liz. You'll have your answer. Trust me."

After a moment passed, during which she assumed the blacksmith was deep in thought, she continued. "...I suspect Leonn wouldn't have saved you like that if he didn't feel something for you, Liz."

Now walking out the door, Kizmel let her smirk loose. The sound of Liz spluttering behind her was enjoyable in a teasing way, she realized. She could see Argo pulling off a maneuver like this. Maybe she was taking after the Rat in some ways. How did her human friends put it?

Ah, right.

Kizmel dropped the mic on her way out.

Suguha stared at the circlet resting in her hands. The design was eerily similar to a piece of technology the young kendoka had grown to hate with a burning passion. After all, a similar piece of technology had stolen her brother away from her. She turned the circlet over in her hands and read out the letters on the back.

"Amusphere."

She frowned. It wasn't the same device, obviously, this one having been made by RECT rather than Kayaba's company Argus. With Mr. Yuuki's personal connection to the SAO incident, the idea that he would approve the creation of another imprisonment device was so far removed as to be impossible.

"You're… certain this won't have the same effect as the NerveGear?" Her mother asked.

When Kouichirou and Mr. Yuuki approached them the other day and promised a way to view their childrens' wedding, the Kirigayas would admit they were curious. After all, both they and the Yuuki's already had access to the private streams of both Kazuto and Asuna, respectively, so what could they possibly mean?

Now, in a chamber that more closely resembled a hospital room than a laboratory, they'd been told what the Yuuki's had in mind. They had created a new virtual reality apparatus, this one without the dangers present in its predecessor. Apparently RECT was in the process of creating its own VRMMORPG called ALfheim Online, using much of the information and data RECT had been able to copy off of SAO. While the game itself was nearing the final parts of its development, the new virtual reality apparatus, the Amusphere, was coming out of its testing phase.

"Positive." Mr. Yuuki said, giving a firm nod. "We've already tested it and we're pleased to say that all of the fail-safes and safeguards are functioning."

"What sort of safeguards, Mr. Yuuki?" Her father asked. "I've only heard bits and pieces about this project, so I am regrettably not as informed."

"Understandable, Minetaka." Mr. Yuuki said. "While the Amusphere does use a microwave transmitter similar to the NerveGear, we've found a way to minimize its importance. It now operates on a lower frequency than what is found in the NerveGear. Furthermore, there are a series of sensors built into the Amusphere that monitor your vitals, such as blood pressure and brain waves. If, for any reason, a player's physical condition becomes abnormal - such as what might arise from say, a spike in stress or blood pressure - the Amusphere forces a logout. In addition to that, if any health issues arise from this, emergency services are automatically requested."

"That's quite extensive." Her mother admitted, looking back over the Amusphere in her hands. Suguha looked down at the one she herself was clutching with a cautious optimism.

"Indeed." Mr. Yuuki said. "The absolute last thing I… no, we want is a repeat of the SAO incident. This is what the VRMMO experience should have been, not what it is today."

Suguha could empathize. What could have been a significant leap forward in gaming and technology was marred by Kayaba's selfish desire to play god. She'd heard Kazuto admit as much while watching his stream and after a bit of research into the matter herself, she was hard pressed to disagree. Mr. Yuuki and RECT were trying their best to save what little reputation the VRMMORPG genre had and turn it into something productive.

"Perhaps you'd like a demonstration." Kouchirou said, grabbing his own Amusphere and laying down on a nearby bed. "If you'll pay attention to the monitor there, you'll soon see the fruits of our labor."

Kouchirou took a deep breath, placed the Amusphere on his head, and said the words she imagined Kazuto said those many, many months ago.

"Link Start!"

Almost immediately, Kouchirou's breathing evened out and the monitor nearby blipped to life. She immediately recognized the place depicted on the screen. Nelluon Arael, the guild base of the Resolute Renegades. Based on the flurry of activity around, the Renegades were preparing for the wedding ceremony.

"Amazing." Kouchirou's voice came through the monitor. The view shifted to and fro; Suguha quickly realized they were looking through Kouichirou's point of view. "You all should be able to hear me now, I imagine."

Mr. Yuuki turned from the monitor and looked at the Kirigayas. "While it appears that my son is actually in the Renegade guild base, he is not. Not really. He is a mere spectator, albeit one with a unique point of view. He cannot interact with the players or move objects, but he can experience everything as if he was truly there."

"Incredible." Her father muttered. "And it's truly safe…?"

Mr. Yuuki nodded. "Indeed. Let me send a message to Kouchirou and he will demonstrate."

After the Yuuki patriarch typed something into a nearby computer, a message blipped in front of Kouchirou's vision. The younger Yuuki seemed to nod before pulling up a menu and hitting a button that Suguha had never seen before.

A logout button.

Seconds later, the monitor faded to black and Kouchirou sat up, carefully taking the Amusphere off his head. "See? Perfectly safe."

Suguha looked down at the Amusphere again. Now she understood what the Yuuki's had in mind. With these prototypes, she and her family would be able to watch the wedding as if they were truly there. She felt her eyes begin to mist up, and a quick glance up at her mother told her that Midori had come to the same conclusion. It was an incredibly magnanimous gift on the part of the Yuuki's, but it just showed how much they thought of Asuna's relationship to Kazuto. Hell, Kouchirou had expressed his approval of Kazuto to Suguha away from the prying ears of his parents. He'd also promised to still pull the protective big brother card if they ever met, but that was neither here nor there. It seemed Mrs. Yuuki was the one of the three still very hesitant, but that came as no surprise. Mrs. Yuuki wasn't even here for this.

Suguha would be, though.

She looked up at the Yuuki men and smiled, an expression that was mirrored on her mother and father. Maybe they'd be able to take some Amuspheres home for their own use in monitoring Kazuto's stream. That would be something else.

"When can we start, Mr. Yuuki?" Suguha asked.

Mr. Yuuki smiled. "As soon as you'd like."

Suguha almost jumped for joy, but instead opted to wander over to a nearby, unoccupied bed. She carefully placed the Amusphere on her head and inwardly remarked on how light the apparatus was. As she reclined and said the magic words, she smiled.

"Link start!"

She had a wedding to attend.