Outlier

by TheCartoonFanatic01

AU. A minor flaw in Kayaba's plan has allowed one out of every 250 players who die in Sword Art Online to return to the real world instead of dying. So when Kirito finally clears the game and logs out, he is surprised to see a familiar girl of blue waiting for him. "Sa...Sa...chi...?" Kirito/Sachi, Kirito/Asuna, multiple other ships! R&R! LONGER SUMMARY INSIDE! RATING MAY CHANGE!

4. Survival Bias

A/N: That's right, another update from yours truly! Man, I really need to get back to updating my other stories. I've got so much enthusiasm for this story right now that it's almost unfair to the other fandoms I write for. XD XD XD

Of course, this chapter continues the four-part mini-arc chronicling Sachi's life in the months after she escaped SAO, and it progresses the trajectory of her life in a direction that I'm sure many of you will find unexpected. Actually, we're going to be introduced to a surprise character in this chapter! While I won't reveal this character's identity just yet for the sake of spoilers, obviously, I will say that we're seeing this person a LOT earlier than usual. ;D ;D ;D I'll explain further in the ending Author's Note.

Anyway, let's get on with the chapter! ENJOY!

P.S.: For updates regarding progress on my writing and just life in general, please check out my profile! I try to update it as often as I possibly can with any status update!

P.P.S.: Due to the slowly improving situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I am going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:

-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
-Stay informed on the COVID-19 vaccines, get shots if you're able to, and try to get a booster shot if you're eligible

And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:

-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)

If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.

---

– January 8, 2024 –
Ayano Residence, Asaka, Saitama Prefecture

"Are you ready, Sachi?"

"...D-De-Define r-'ready'..."

Sachi looked at herself in the mirror with a morose expression, her legs locked together tight. She was no longer wearing the cute light-blue sailor uniform that she long associated with her junior high school uniform. Instead, she was wearing a new charcoal-black and white school uniform, but the very feel of it was completely foreign to her, like she was wearing someone else's skin instead.

Then, Kotone appeared in the mirror, her smile small but full of consolation. She put her hands on Sachi's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze, mimicking Mari's old efforts but with little success.

"I suppose no one's truly ready, Sachi," the mother replied. "Especially not someone like you, who's been through a lot in an extraordinarily short amount of time."

"But you should count your blessings, Sachi!" Tetsuhiko appeared in the mirror next, his wide smile radiating pride. "That high school didn't have to take you in, what with the reputation it seems to have! But they did!"

"And to think you were able to pass their entrance exams over the new year," added an equally proud Kotone. "It sounds to me like you're ready for the next step, Sachi."

"I only studied hard and passed that entrance exam because I wanted Kirito to see a whole new me when he wakes up," Sachi thought glumly. "I just...didn't think that far ahead..."

"Aw, come on!" Having noticed Sachi's glum look, Tetsuhiko nudged her shoulder. "What happened to the girl who stood up to that Kikuoka guy and vowed to visit that Kirito boy every day? A schedule that you've loyally stuck to, by the way?"

"She hadn't gone to high school yet... That's what happened to her..."

Then, Sachi scanned her body from head to toe. Once again, she didn't like the way she looked. In her mind, she looked more suited for a funeral than a high school. Everything should've felt so right, and yet, it all felt so wrong for her. It was like she was looking at an inverted version of herself.

And then, a memory flashed through her head.

"I-Is that really K-Kotaro-nii's high school uniform?"

"Yep! Looks good on me, doesn't it?"

"Mm-hm!"

"Dayum, Keita! You're sure gonna attract all the ladies when we get to high school! I'm already so jealous!"

"Heh, always got the ladies in mind, eh Ducker?"

"Aw, come on, Sasamaru! Don't tell me you don't pine after a cute girl every day-! Hey, the heck's so funny, Tetsuo?!"

"Well, I just can't wait till we all go to high school, you know? It sounds so fun. Like an adventure!"

"Yeah! I mean, can't get any worse than junior high!"

"Hey, guys! Let's make a promise!"

"A...A-A promise, Keita-kun...?"

"Yeah! That when we get to high school, together, we make a real name for ourselves, as the Moonlit Black Cats!"

"A real name for ourselves, eh? Sounds like a promise I can keep!"

"Of course you'd be in for the glory, Ducker."

"Not cool, Tetsuo!"

"But yeah, count me in, Keita."

"Same here!"

"R-Right! I-I'm in too, K-Ke-Keita-kun!"

"Heh! Well, I guess it's settled, then! Now, let's go get our copies of SAO before the store runs out!"

"Well, here I am now, guys. I'm about to have my first day in high school, just like we were always looking forward to..."

Concern finally entered Tetsuhiko's expression. "You, uh... Y-You sure you're gonna be alright, Sachi...?"

Sachi took a deep breath before replying, "I'm fine. I-I'm fine." She finally turned towards Kotone. "Let's do this."

"Except...I'm gonna be all alone now..."

---

CHAPTER 3: SURVIVAL BIAS

---

Tanashi High School, Nishitōkyō

"M-My name is Sachiko Hamaguchi. Pl-Pleased to meet you all."

As she bowed her head, Sachi prayed that her hair wouldn't fall away and expose her O-shaped scars to the classroom's scrutiny. Fortunately, she didn't hear any adverse reactions from the teacher or the other students, so she quickly raised her head and hurried to her assigned seat as politely as she could. Even before she reached her seat, Sachi already felt dozens of eyes on her, casting their judgment on the newcomer.

"That new girl looks weird..."

"She's cute, but I got an odd feeling from her..."

"I wonder what she's like at home..."

"She sure came out of nowhere..."

"Hmmm..."

Sachi sat down beside one of the classroom windows and procured her textbook from her backpack. But as she vaguely heard the teacher begin his droning lecture, she already found herself gazing longingly out of the cleaned windowpane, yearning for the ringing of the school bell.

"This was a bad idea!" she thought with a slight panic. "I wanna go back to the Ayanos. I wanna call Mari. I wanna visit Kirito again." Her grip on her textbook tightened. "I wanna feel him again..."

---

Sachi opened up her locker and took out the brown paper bag, only to notice the old-fashioned green sticky note sticking out from the inside. With a furrowed brow, she took the sticky note and read it. A couple of seconds later, her blue eyes softened, and her lower lip quivered, but she nevertheless smiled in gratitude.

I made your favorite! Enjoy! -Kotone, chef and hitwoman

She put the note back into the paper bag, closed her locker, and proceeded out into the main hallway, which was filled to the brim with her fellow schoolmates. So many of them were talking to and laughing with each other, but Sachi kept her head hung low and her lunch bag close as she strolled down the hall alone, passing group after group of students.

"So, how was your winter break?"

"It sure was fun visiting relatives in America, but-"

"I heard Shiozaki was seen at a love hotel!"

"EEK! Can you just imagine Tachibana getting accepted to that university?!"

"Dude, ALfheim Online is just the greatest-"

"There's nothing better than chillaxing, eating, and taking photos of-"

"Hey, Maria-chan! Over here!"

"I can't believe he broke up with me! ME! WAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Girl, I need your answer to Question #7-"

"Hey, new girl."

Sachi finally reached the school cafeteria, but she had no intention of sitting at any of the tables, regardless of whether they were empty or not. Instead, she headed for the set of glass doors leading outside and towards the swimming pool. She had noticed the pool area while entering the school and decided it would do as a place to eat. She liked being near a body of water anyway.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, new girl!"

She sighed and tightened her grip on the paper bag. "I need to think about what to do now... Where I'm gonna go from here..."

"Hellooooo? You there, new girl?"

"Because, aside from Kirito-" Sachi clutched the door handle and opened it. "I've got nothing-"

The glass door suddenly rebelled against her hand and slammed itself shut. Sachi blinked in surprise, her mind instantly returning to reality. At first, she stood there dumbly, unsure of what just happened.

Then, she noticed the hand planted against the glass. Her eyes followed the length of the arm from which the hand came and saw someone wearing the same school uniform as her, standing behind her. She then noticed the face of the student who had approached her. It was wearing a smile that looked more disarming than genuine, and coupled with her narrow eyes and pointed chin, Sachi felt as if she was looking at more of an insect than a human.

"Yo, you the new girl, right?" the student asked.

Sachi blinked incredulously before keeping herself tight-lipped. There may have been a friendly aura around this girl, but she had seen enough enemies and traps in SAO to know there was something wrong with this whole situation.

Then, a hand latched itself on her shoulder. "Jeez, not much of a talker, are ya?"

With a soft yip, Sachi looked beside her shoulder and saw another girl peering at her. She was taller and lanky compared to the first girl, and her eyes were beady and nasty-looking. Overall, she looked like some sort of punk.

"Y'all shoulda seen her," a third voice piped up.

Sachi looked to her other side and saw a third girl glaring up at her. She had a slightly pudgy face and bloated lips, which had disgustingly obvious lipstick on. The unsettling feeling only intensified for Sachi. At that angle, all the girls had to do was lift her hair away from the back of her ears, and her secret would be made public.

"She was lookin' out the window like some loony," the third girl said with a shake of her head. "Uuup in the clouds, in her own lil' world."

"Being all alone ain't good for you, hon," the first girl commented. "Not in a school like this. You don't know what kind of ideas the boys might hatch if they see you so distant-lookin'..."

To elaborate her point, she raised her right hand, connected her thumb and index finger into a circle, and held the other three fingers straight. An OK gesture. Then, with a slightly lascivious smile, the girl inserted her left index finger into the circle and gently but obscenely pumped it back and forth. Sachi knew what she meant straight away.

"Yer gonna need friends soon if ya don't wanna deal with that kinda problem!" the third girl advised.

"And we don't like leavin' our fellow ladies in the dust," added the first girl. "So, why don't you hang out with us?"

"H-H-Huuuh?!" Sachi vocalized in surprise.

"Awwwww, looks like the new girl's a lil' nervous," the second girl commented in faux-adoration. "How about we give her a little show of good faith, Endou?"

"Sounds like a good idea," the first girl replied. She then took the paper bag in Sachi's hands. "Sooooo, what do we have here?"

Endou promptly snatched it out of Sachi's grasp, causing the blue-eyed girl to gasp.

"H-Hey!" she squeaked. "Th-That's-!"

"What's this?" Without giving her any consideration, Endou took out the clump of aluminum, unwrapped it, and sniffed it like it was a foreign object. "Fish?"

"Sounds quite plain for a girl like ya," remarked the third girl, who nudged Sachi's shoulder with a friendly sneer. "Ne, ne, if ya hang out with us, we'll treat ya out to all the nicest restaurants in town!"

Sachi's eyes grew large from her surprise. "The nicest restaurants? And I'll be treated? I...I don't think I've been treated this nicely since...since..."

"But!" the second girl added, dispelling Sachi's thoughts. "It'll come at a price."

"A-A-A pr-pr-price...?" Sachi stammered. Her head was swimming with confusion and apprehension at this point.

"Yeah!" replied Endou. "See, we're short on yen nowadays, and while we have enough in our pocket to treat you out, we are at a point where we expect a little..." She greedily rubbed her thumb against her index and middle fingers. "What do you call it? Compensation..."

"C-Co-Com-Com-Comp-"

"Jeez," the second girl interrupted with a snort that was clearly more derisive than joking. "Any more of that, and you're gonna fall apart faster than a house of cards, girl!"

"I know what they're doing! And I'm not gonna fall for it! But I gotta get out of this safely and peacefully."

Sachi hung her head low and apologetically. "S-So-Sorry, girls. I-I a-appreciate the offer, b-but I'm afraid I'll have t-to d-decline."

Though she didn't see their faces, she could feel their piercing gazes of seething discernment.

"Decline?" Endou repeated, her bitterness trickling through her incredulity. "Decline? Girl, did you not hear what we were offering you?"

"I-I did, a-and as I said, I-I do appreciate your k-k-kindness. B-But I'm happy w-with the food I have. I-I'll reach out t-to you if I r-reconsider. So..." Sachi prepared to reach for her lunch bag. "I-If I could please have my-"

Endou suddenly moved the paper bag out of Sachi's reach. "I don't think you're getting at what we're trying to say, girl. I think we're giving you the offer of a lifetime, an opportunity to avoid what might come next."

"Wh-Wh-What m-might come...n-n-next...?"

"High school can be a preeeeetty dangerous place," the third girl said, her voice almost snakelike. "Especially to a lonely girl like you."

"But," added the second girl, "with friends like us, who needs enemies?"

"And friends always help one another out," Endou said next with a renewed sneer. "We treat you to some grade-A food in the city..." She slowly pointed at Sachi's nose. "And you treat us with some yen in return."

"And if that doesn't sound like friends helping each other out," the third girl piped up, "then what does?"

It was at this point that Sachi realized Endou and her lackeys had completely encircled her, blocking off all escape routes and ruthlessly invading her personal space. The conundrum was already presenting itself: if she continued to turn them down now, then they would do something absolutely unthinkable to her; and if she accepted their increasingly suspicious offer of friendship, then she would be going down a path that she could not escape from.

"Kirito," Sachi thought in a panic. "Kirito, what would you do?"

Suddenly, Endou gasped, and Sachi noticed the new hand that was on her shoulder. The insect-like girl turned, and then she released an arrogant snort.

Sachi saw her too. The new girl had pale skin; dark eyes; and thin, black hair tied into small ribbons that dangled on the sides of her face. She wore the same school uniform as them, as well as a pair of half-rimmed glasses with ovular lenses, which were gleaming from the sunlight shining in the cafeteria. It almost reminded Sachi of Kikuoka's glasses, but there was a firm expression of hesitant courage on the girl's face, an expression she would never expect to see on him.

"L-Lea..."

The new girl's voice suddenly became stuck in her throat, and she could no longer complete the intended word anymore. With the new presence amongst them, all friendly pretenses quickly vanished from Endou's demeanor, and she grabbed the girl's hand to tear it off her shoulder.

"What was that?" the second girl asked tauntingly. "You were gonna say something, but I don't think I caught it."

"Ooh, ya better be careful!" the third girl replied, although she was anything but afraid. "She's probably plannin' to shoot us."

The three girls quickly disengaged Sachi as if she no longer existed, and they rounded up on the fourth one. The new girl seemed to realize her mistake, but terror had already overwhelmed her, preventing her from seizing the glaringly obvious opportunity to flee while she still could.

"Not if I can help it."

Sachi watched as the sneering Endou pointed at the new girl's face, her hand taking a peculiar position as she did so. An even more ominous feeling started to gather over them, and Sachi could see the new girl's legs buckling, as if they could no longer support her weight. Moreover, her eyes were becoming wide, her pupils dilating. In that moment, Sachi knew.

"She's traumatized, just like I was!"

"Ba- Wha, HEY!"

Sachi grabbed Endou's finger and yanked it away from the girl's face, just before she could do a shooting gesture with it. She no longer felt afraid.

"You leave her alone right now," she hissed.

"Huuuuh?" Initially confused, Endou then smirked at Sachi. "Why? Do you not know what Asada did when she was little?"

"D-Don't!" the new girl blurted out.

But Sachi narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by Endou's claim. "I don't care. I've faced worse than you and lived to tell the tale."

The insect-like girl blinked in befuddlement. "Wh-What?"

Before she knew it, her grip tightened around Endou's finger. The bully's eyes grew large, and she tried to yank her hand away from Sachi's grasp, but the other girl grabbed her wrist with her other hand. And then, before Endou's friends could spring to her defense, Sachi started slowly bending Endou's index finger back until she was met with resistance...but she continued bending it, undeterred.

"H-He-Hey!" Endou cried, realizing what Sachi was doing. "H-Hey! L-Let go of me! Let GO!"

She tried resisting, but Sachi held on with a vice-like grip and continued slowly bending. Endou's friends reacted, each of them grabbing one of her shoulders, but that only triggered something within Sachi.

One moment, she was in the sunlit school cafeteria, being ganged up on by a trio of schoolgirl bullies. Then, she blinked, and she was back in the red-soaked Labyrinth trap room, being attacked by Granite Elementals and Dark Dwarf Miners. A boy in black was separated from her, overwhelmed by his enemies.

"I'm not dying again!" she thought in a frenzy. "I'm not going to be a weakling again! Not this time!"

With that, Sachi elbowed the two Dark Dwarf Miners grabbing her from behind, and then, she punched the giant Granite Elemental in front of her. It collapsed to the ground without so much as a twitch of resistance.

"H-Huh!" Sachi looked at her gloved fist, a grin of elation crawling onto her face. "Granite Elementals are softer than they look! How did I let one of them kill me?!"

She then picked up her fallen spear and glared at the Dark Dwarf Miners advancing upon her. Her grin only widened. She had never felt so alive before.

"Let's dance."

And then, she charged-

---

"Your daughter broke our daughter's nose! Her nose! Not to mention all the bruises she left behind!"

"And how the hell is my daughter gonna carry her textbooks now?! She's got a test coming up!"

"I don't know what's going on with your child, but she's clearly got no right to be in a public school!"

"She's a goddamn menace to our children and-and God knows who else!"

"We're so sorry, ma'am!"

"W-We didn't expect her to act in this way!"

Sachi sat in a cramped, polished wooden chair positioned in the middle of the principal's office. Her head was lowered in shame, her eyes were hollow in horrified disbelief, and her hands were tightly clasped together. She did not want to look up and watch while Kotone and Tetsuhiko were being harangued by the parents of Endou and her friends. After all of the kindness and hospitality they showed her, she knew she couldn't witness what her actions had brought upon them.

"Alright," a stern, commanding voice said, asserting its authority over the cacophony. "That's enough."

The voices finally settled down, but the guilt-ridden Sachi still didn't look up. She remained motionless as the new voice continued speaking.

"I wish to speak with the Ayanos alone now. You all have my deepest condolences over this unfortunate incident, as well as my sincerest promise that this will never happen again."

"Damn right it won't!"

"With a reputation like yours, you should be ashamed!"

"If I hear from my daughter that that girl is still in her class, I'll have your school shut down and your credentials ruined to hell and back!"

Six pairs of booming footsteps stormed out of the office, followed by the loud bang of a door being violently shut. The air in the office was then broken by a heavy sigh.

"Well," the authoritative voice said, "this was...most certainly a messy state of affairs..."

"Pl-Please, sir!" begged Kotone. "Sa-Sachi isn't what those parents say she is! Sh-She's a kind girl, l-looking to r-resume a life o-of normalcy!"

"Sachi will apologize for her actions!" Tetsuhiko added. "And she'll swear that she won't do such a thing ever again!" He sternly nudged the girl's shoulder. "Apologize."

In her mind, Sachi wanted to decline, remembering fully well how Endou and her friends were trying to manipulate her, and how they were picking on that helpless bespectacled girl. But in her heart, Sachi remembered how hard she worked to get in a high school such as Tanashi, and why she needed to prevent this unfortunate first day of high school from also being her last. She had to.

For the Moonlit Black Cats. For Mari. For Kirito.

She felt another nudge on her shoulder, rougher this time. "Apologize, Sachi!"

"Tetsuhiko!" Kotone snapped in concern.

Sachi heard the principal sigh again.

"It's alright," he said. "Apology or not, your child will not face repercussions for her actions."

"H-Huh?!" Sachi looked up at the principal, a stocky, intimidating middle-aged man; the gold nameplate on his desk read 'Miyaoka'. "Wh...What?"

Miyaoka glowered at her disapprovingly. "I don't know how or why, Hamaguchi, but you've apparently got friends in high places."

"I-I don't understand..." Tetsuhiko commented.

"Just before this meeting began, I got a call from a..." The principal took a notepad from his desk and read it. "Kikuoka-san from the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"Ki...Kikuoka...?" Sachi repeated in disbelief.

"Yes. He explained your..." Miyaoka ominously peered at her. "Situation...to me, and he ordered me to keep you enrolled in our fine, fine school. Says you will no longer be a problem anymore, as long as you remain here and see our guidance counselor."

"B-But what about those girls?" asked Kotone.

"A-And their families!" Tetsuhiko added. "Didn't they-?"

"He told me the government will pay for all of their medical bills and reimburse the families for any costs they'd already paid. Not to mention there'll be some...additional compensation for the ordeal those girls went through." Miyaoka nastily pursed his lips while he continued glowering at Sachi, who cowered under his gaze. "If there is one thing that I hate, it's the government covering for an SAO survivor. If it were up to me, you would have been expelled before the school day was over. But...it seems my hands have been tied when it comes to the likes of you. So..." He sat down. "You're free to go, Hamaguchi."

Sachi blinked incredulously at the principal, unsure of what to do next. It was only when Kotone put a hand on her right shoulder and nudged it did the girl finally stand up from her chair and follow Tetsuhiko out of the office. But before Sachi could fully leave the room, she heard Miyaoka call out to her.

"One more thing."

Sachi looked over her shoulder and looked at Miyaoka. He was looking back at her with all of the hatred in the world.

"I lost my nephew to that death game," he snarled in a low voice. "And my niece is still fighting for her life. So...I advise you to count your blessings, outlier. You dodged a bullet, and now, you get to live your life again while other families are so much less fortunate. All while you've got the government looking out for you. Heh. Now talk about a lucky break." The principal's eyes narrowed. "Lucky break, indeed..."

Sachi's skin crawled with terror and guilt, and she rushed out of the office.

---

"Wow. That was a close one, wasn't it?"

That was the first thing Sachi heard when she, Kotone, and Tetsuhiko exited the school grounds. They instantly spotted a bespectacled man coolly leaning against the concrete wall lining the school perimeter. Sachi narrowed her eyes when the man turned his head to face her, the evening sunlight reflecting off the lenses of his glasses.

"It's a good thing I stepped in before things could get worse, Sachi," Kikuoka continued. "You just started to get back to some sort of semblance to a normal life, and I'd hate to see your trauma bring down your potential for good."

Tetsuhiko protectively stepped in front of Sachi. "Listen here, you-"

"It's alright, Tetsuhiko," Sachi interrupted. She calmly sidestepped her guardian and approached Kikuoka, her pale hands clasped together over the front of her skirt. "I'll talk to him. You and Kotone go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"A-Are you...s-sure, Sachi?" Kotone asked.

Sachi didn't answer, but her silence was apparently all of the confirmation the Ayanos needed. She heard the couple turn and walk away, but her stare remained on Kikuoka, as did her scowl. Even so, her wary, spiteful attitude was met with an annoyingly upbeat smile from the investigator.

"I'll be frank with you, Sachi," Kikuoka said, after the tense silence persisted. "I know you won't thank me, so I won't be asking for one."

"You guessed correctly," Sachi replied bitterly. "But don't you DARE think for a second that your string-pulling will get me to back off of Kirito or his family. I'll never owe you anything, Seijirou Kikuoka. Not as long as you keep thinking Kirito is Akihiko Kayaba."

Kikuoka chuckled. "What? Can't a member of the Rescue Force look out for an SAO survivor? You know, with about seven thousand people still trapped in SAO, everyone from the federal government to the healthcare system is prioritizing their needs over the dozen or so who managed to get out." His smile grew wider by a centimeter. "You should capitalize on my interest in you. You never know when you'll need a favor from a friend in a high place."

Sachi turned her back on him. "No. I have to stop relying on others to protect me. I'll manage on my own."

"You say all that, yet you're waiting for your Prince Charming to come back to you once he's finished with his battle. It's cute and all, don't get me wrong, but if that happens, then what? What d'you think your happily ever after is gonna look like when all of this is over?"

She scoffed and started walking away. "I know one thing for sure, Kikuoka: that you're not gonna be in the picture."

As she walked away, she heard Kikuoka's voice follow her down the sidewalk, carried by the soft breeze that blew.

"Well, as the saying goes: reality is often disappointing."

---

– January 9, 2024 –

"Yooooo, it's her!"

"The new girl! The one who beat up Endou!"

"How the hell did she manage that?"

"Yeah! She looks like a lil' violet! So harmless!"

"Don't let her looks fool you, you guys!"

"Yeah! I saw the whole thing go down, and she was cray-cray!"

"Seconded. There was a weird look in her eyes..."

"Guess I ain't flirtin' with her now."

"Yeah, yanderes aren't all worth it, anyway."

"Ooh, she's coming! Get away, get away..."

The group of schoolboys scooted into a corner of the hallway, allowing Sachi to pass by without any trouble. She kept her head low as always, all the while feeling the stares of every loitering student being placed upon her, one heavy brick after another. She continued to hear the occasional whisper about her, sharing uninformed anecdotes about her and calling her all sorts of names and terms.

Fortunately, she didn't hear the word "outlier" among them.

"I guess the principal decided to not say anything about that..." she thought. Then, she pursed her lips, and her grip on the lunch bag tightened. "Or...maybe Kikuoka had something to do with it as well..."

"You should capitalize on my interest in you. You never know when you'll need a favor from a friend in a high place."

"I know what you're trying to do, Kikuoka. And believe me, it's not gonna work. I'm not gonna let you chase that theory of yours. You're wrong about Kirito. You're wrong, and he'll prove it to you. He will, I just know it."

She entered the cafeteria, and the first thing she saw was Endou and her friends. The bruise on Endou's cheek was still darkening, and her index finger was bandaged. One of the other girls had her arm in a cast with stuff written on it, while the other girl's leg was bandaged all the way up to her patella. The trio scowled nastily at her and quickly hobbled away, their movements suddenly more exaggerated than usual. So exaggerated, in fact, that it was almost comical to see.

But Sachi didn't care. She knew they wouldn't be bothering her anymore.

This time, unlike yesterday, she bypassed the glass doors and entered the swimming pool area. She took a brief moment to admire the water's calm, soothing surface before preparing to sit down and eat. But before she could do so, a low but polite voice spoke to her.

"Excuse me..."

A girl apprehensively stood in front of her, getting her attention. Sachi blinked in surprise at her glasses and ribbons.

"Hey, I know you..." the blue-eyed girl said.

The other girl silently nodded, her ribbons bobbing to and fro a little from the movement.

"Uhhh..." Sachi hesitated. "Th-Thank you, f-for stepping in for me."

The bespectacled girl cracked the tiniest of smiles. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who put them in their place."

"No, no, I didn't do anything-"

"Yes, you did..." Awe was glimmering on the girl's bespectacled eyes. "I...I don't think I've ever seen anyone stand up to Endou like that..."

"Yeah..." Sachi sighed sullenly. "Well, it looks like I made myself look crazy in the process, though..."

"Well..." The other girl hesitated too. "If it means anything...I didn't think you were...you know, crazy..."

Sachi looked at her in surprise, and the girl smiled at her. She could've sworn her heart was now leaping in unbridled joy at the acknowledgment, and she returned the smile with one of her own. She hadn't felt this way since her days in junior high school, with Keita and the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats.

"My name is Sachiko Hamaguchi. What's yours?"

"...I'm Asada. Shino Asada." The bespectacled girl held out her right hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Sachi looked at the hand for a moment, realizing this was actually happening only two days into her new high school life. Then, she accepted the handshake. The two girls shook gently, feeling a new, fiery bond forming between them. It filled Sachi's soul and energized it, making her feel as powerful and self-assured as Kirito was.

"Pleased to meet you too, Asada."

The sunlight continued to reflect on the pool's surface, making the water shine brilliantly.

---

Ayano Residence, Asaka, Saitama Prefecture

"Ohhhhh, I'm so, so happy for you, Sachi-chan! You made a friend at school!"

Sachi fondly smiled as she continued holding the cellphone to her ear. "Yeah. She's amazing, Mari. We aren't in the same class, but we ate during lunch, and then we walked each other out of school."

She could hear Mari holding back her excited squeal. "What do you know about her, Sachi-chan?"

"Well...she doesn't have any other friends, I know that."

"Oh. Well then, you're both lucky to have each other."

"Yeah. And..." Sachi recalled the awkward lunch they had together. "That's... That's it, Mari... We didn't talk much. I...I-I think she's just like me."

The image of Shino reacting adversely to Endou's index finger flashed through her mind.

"She's just trying to find the reason why she's still here."

"O-Ohhh... I-Is she an SAO survivor too?"

"No. I could see the back of her ears. No scars like mine."

"Ooh, ya better be careful! She's probably plannin' to shoot us."

"Why? Do you not know what Asada did when she was little?"

The bullies' words echoed in Sachi's mind as she concluded, "But she definitely survived something."

"I see..." Mari replied softly. "Well, my advice for you right now, Sachi-chan, is to tread lightly. Whatever that girl went through, I don't think she wants to revisit all of that anytime soon. Just be her friend, and keep her in the present. Oh, a-and don't pry too much into her personal life until you know she's ready. Given how the two of you met, I think Asada wants nothing to do with her past right now."

"I understand." Sachi smiled lovingly. "Thank you, Mari. I'm glad we had this talk."

"...Me too, honey. Me too. And I...I'm so proud of you, Sachi-chan. Don't forget that."

She nodded. "I won't."

---

– February 15, 2024 –
Tanashi High School, Nishitōkyō

"Hamaguchi...?"

"Hm?"

Sachi looked at Shino while she continued to chew on the sandwich Kotone made for her. The two schoolgirls were sitting at their usual spot, by the stairs leading into the cafeteria. Other students passed by on occasion, shooting the duo weird and unsettled looks like they always did.

"What is it, Asada?" Sachi asked.

Shino fidgeted nervously, and it was clear she was trying to find the right words to say. After a minute of contemplation, she finally managed out her carefully selected words to Sachi.

"Do you want to...you know...sleep with me sometime...?"

...

...

...

Sachi felt like she was about to faint on Shino.

"WHAAAAAT?!"

---

– February 18, 2024 –
Asada Apartment, Nishitōkyō

Sachi followed Shino inside the dim apartment unit and looked around, driven by her curiosity. It was a little small, and it did not have anything that stood out in particular. Even the walls were colored in muted shades, which contributed to the feeling of subtlety and modesty that quickly enveloped her. The unit was just like Shino every time Sachi met up with her for lunch: quiet and maintaining a low profile, a far cry from scheduling any secretive rendezvous. Not that Sachi held it against her for that, since it was the exact tone she always tried to go for over at school.

Which made Shino's poorly-worded invitation to a weekend sleepover all the more surprising.

"So," Sachi slowly said, picking her words carefully, "this is where you live, huh...?"

"Yeah," replied a sheepish Shino. "I know it's not the most presentable living quarters, but-"

Sachi waved her hands in surprise. "No, no, no! I-I didn't mean it l-like that, Asada! I-I mean, i-it's exactly th-the kind of place I'd live in. I-It's just..." She apprehensively clutched her skirt. "I-I've never met your...your family before, s-so..."

Shino's voice became slightly lower. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that part, Hamaguchi. I live alone."

The dark-haired girl continued further into the apartment, leaving behind a stunned Sachi.

"You...You live alone...?" the blue-eyed girl asked.

Shino stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Yeah. My family lives elsewhere, but they're paying for the apartment." She then looked over her shoulder with a tiny smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sachiko. I know I didn't tell you that. I..."

Her voice trailed off, and she sheepishly gazed at the floor.

"Just be her friend, and keep her in the present."

Driven by Mari's words, Sachi approached Shino and took her hands. The other girl blushed in surprise.

"T-To be fair," Sachi said, "I never talked to you that much either, even if we ate together. B-But..." Her gaze turned firm and filled with resolve. "I wanna change that. I want us to talk, Asada. And for you to invite me here, I know you wanna talk too. We can go at each other's pace, but we should just talk."

Shino blinked in awe. "But...what should we talk about...?"

"Anything! Anything we want! We're friends, aren't we...Shino?"

The other girl's eyes widened. "Fr...Friends...?"

"Yeah! You invited me here for a sleepover after all, right?"

Shino blinked again, and this time, she didn't say anything in her awe. The two girls just stood in the hallway, illuminated only by the dimmed gold sunlight shining through Shino's front door.

"So...let's talk!" Sachi continued. "It's just me and you, Shino."

At first, Shino stood in deathly silence, absorbing Sachi's words. Then, she cracked the widest smile Sachi had seen from her (which may not be saying much), and the two girls continued further inside.

---

– February 19, 2024 –
Ayano Residence, Asaka, Saitama Prefecture

The first thing that Sachi saw when she returned home was Kotone. She had just set down a framed family photo when she noticed her ward's return.

"Hi, Sachi!" she greeted. A small wrinkle formed in her brow, but she maintained her smile. "How was the sleepover?"

"It was great," Sachi replied with a small but fond smile. "We talked a lot. It was... It truly was fun."

"That's so great, Sachi! Tetsuhiko and I are happy that you finally made a friend here."

The girl softly nodded. "Yeah, I'm happy too..." Then, she felt a vibration in her skirt pocket. "Hold on a second..."

She reached into the pocket and pulled out her cellphone. Upon opening her text messages, she felt the corner of her lips tug into a wider smile.

Thank you, Sachi.

Sachi chuckled softly as she texted her response.

You're welcome, Shino. We should do this again sometime.

Shino's response was almost instantaneous.

I'd like that.

This was soon followed by another text.

Next Friday after school?

Sachi's smile suddenly faded, and she texted Shino back.

Sorry, can't. I've got somewhere to be by then.

Then, as an afterthought, she added another text.

How about the Monday after?

It took a few more seconds than usual for Shino to send her follow-up text.

Sounds good.

---

Sekimoto General Hospital

Sachi entered Kirito's hospital room just as Suguha and her mother were making their leave. The woman nodded at her with a small smile of acknowledgment, but Suguha's glower was a lot more memorable. Sachi shuddered at the younger girl's fiery, scathing glare when she passed.

Then, once she was alone with Kirito, she pulled a chair and sat down beside his bed.

"Hi, Kirito. It's me again. I went to Shi- er, Asada's place and stayed the night there. It...It actually went well, Kirito. We talked about random stuff. A-About school, about bullies, about our aspirations... K-Kirito, I think I made a genuine friend here. I think I found someone I could talk to. Someone who could talk back to me. N-No offense." Sachi could only widen her smile further as she squirmed in excitement. "We may not have talked a lot about personal stuff...bu-but at least I'm getting her to open up with me, just like Mari and I discussed! And at least we're both keeping Endou and her pals away from one another. I've...I've never felt more proud of myself in my life!"

Then, all of a sudden, her smile faltered as she put a hand over her heart. "But...I wonder what'll happen when we finally get to the personal stuff. What will her reaction be if she finds out I'm an SAO survivor?"

Her lip started to tremble in apprehension while her other hand clutched Kirito's bony one, seeking out his comfort.

"An...An outlier? What then...?"

---

– March 13, 2024 –
Tanashi High School, Nishitōkyō

"So, that's you got for Question #13, Shino?"

"Yeah, that one was a toughie, for sure."

Sachi and Shino sat on the steps of the cafeteria, comparing their test sheets. On one sheet, a circled '76' was written on it in red ink, while the other sheet boasted a similarly written '93'.

"Hrrrrmmmmphhhhh..." Sachi puffed her cheeks like a little child as she looked from her test sheet to Shino's. "You're so much smarter than me, Shino."

"What are you talking about, Sachi?" Shino cast a small, gentle smile down at her friend. "A 76 isn't all that bad either."

"But I know I can be better than that..."

Taking a deep breath, Sachi gazed absentmindedly beyond the fence bordering the swimming pool area and towards the school gate, watching the pedestrians passed by. When a young couple with a young, bubbly child appeared, she started monitoring their movements, a longing look glimmering in her eyes. But just before they disappeared behind the school's perimeter wall, Shino's soft voice broke her reverie.

"Uh, Sachi? If you don't mind, I wanna ask you something."

Reluctantly tearing her gaze away from the family, Sachi looked at her. "Yes, Shino?"

"Yesterday, you said you had to put off our study session because you needed to go somewhere else."

"That's right..." Sachi replied hesitantly.

"And you've been putting off our get-togethers two, three times a week, saying the same thing..."

Sachi swallowed with guilt and dread. "Y...Yes...?"

"I just wanted to ask..." Shino seemed to be holding her breath in apprehension. "Do...Do you not...like me...?"

The other girl gasped in realization. "Wh-What?! N-No!" She started frantically waving her hands. "No, no, no, I-I wasn't trying to avoid you all those times, Shino! I-I promise!"

Shino looked deeply into Sachi's eyes, and the other girl could already feel the invisible barrier slowly forming around her new friend. Realizing she was close to losing her, her only connection to any meaningful interactions she built at this new school of hers, Sachi scooted closer to Shino and clasped her hand over hers. She was quick to notice the black, soot-like mark on it, but she ignored it just as quickly.

"I'm sorry, Shino," she said softly and earnestly. "I...I think I should tell you why I keep running out on you every other day. I owe you that much."

"Okay..." Shino's posture relaxed somewhat. "Explain it to me, then."

Sachi took a deep breath, pondered her next choice of words, and then replied, "There's someone that I know. Someone that I hold dear. He's...He's in the hospital."

Shino's eyes widened behind her glimmering lenses, and she barely restrained her gasp.

"What?" She then pursed her lips and withdrew her hand in awkward discomfort. "I...I'm sorry, Sachi... I shouldn't have pried-"

"No, no, it's alright, Shino. It's totally alright. I should've told you sooner. I just... I didn't know how exactly to explain it to you..."

An awkward silence settled above both girls, and they simply stared at the pool ahead of them. The sounds of the many students socializing in the school behind them were phased out by their eardrums. At first, it seemed like the discussion had inadvertently driven a small wedge between them, and neither girl knew what to do to break through it.

Then, Shino spoke up again.

"Anyway, I hear ALfheim Online is pretty popular in our school."

Sachi inwardly sighed, relieved that Shino chose to change the topic.

"Y-Yeah," the blue-eyed girl replied out loud. "I keep hearing its name being thrown around too. I've been reading news articles on it too. A new VRMMORPG..." Her eyes suddenly darkened somewhat. "It's...It's interesting..."

"Yeah, I've been reading up on it too. Hmmm..." A wrinkle appeared in Shino's forehead before she blurted out her next words, almost as if they were an afterthought. "You wanna go try it out, see what the fuss is all about?"

---

– April 4, 2024 –
Ayano Residence, Asaka, Saitama Prefecture

Sachi methodically counted her newest batch of banknotes, one bill after another, before collapsing onto her bed. With a deep breath, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her forearm.

"Just a few more yen to go..." she said to herself. "Hopefully Sasaki-sama needs some more help tomorrow..."

Then, she glanced at the bedside table. On top of it sat the NerveGear helmet that attempted to kill her all those months ago. She had placed it there on her third day at the Ayano residence. Even if she kept waking up to its ominous, taunting presence, Sachi never felt compelled to throw it out, for she knew it was now a part of her. It had been the gateway she took to move from her old life to the new one she was living right now.

But she also never felt compelled to open that gate again.

"Shino's already made her order for the AmuSphere," she thought. "As long as I finish off this spring vacation getting the yen I need, I don't have to worry about lagging behind..."

She continued to stare at the NerveGear. At first, it only took her a few seconds before she had to pry her eyes away. But now, she was able to look at it for longer, more sustained periods of time. But it still didn't change the prickly feeling she would always get in the back of her ears, every time she laid eyes on it.

Sachi gently placed a hand over one of her O-shaped scars.

"There's no reason to worry. You read tons of articles about the AmuSphere. It was designed with safety in mind! It has been out for six months now and no one has had a single issue with theirs. Playing ALfheim Online is going to be a piece of cake for you. It's nothing like SAO. It'll be pretty good therapy for you, Sachi.

"It'll be good for you."

"Nyaaaaa..."

Sachi looked at her open doorway and saw Pina standing there, giving her a suspicious stare like she always did. The girl was used to the cat's aloofness with her by this point.

"What?" she asked blankly.

Pina didn't say anything. Instead, she slunk off, the tinkling of her bell continuing to signify her presence.

---

– April 21, 2024 –
Asada Apartment, Nishitōkyō

"You ready, Sachi?"

"Only if you are, Shino."

Sachi and Shino stood in the middle of the latter's bedroom, each of them holding their respective AmuSpheres. Directly above them, pinned to the ceiling, was a promotional poster of a feline fairy suspended in the nighttime sky, illuminated by the giant, unobstructed full Moon, her cool, calculated expression unwavering while she aimed a bow with a glowing blue arrow. Something that the creators of ALO had sent to Shino alongside her copy of the game and an additional free AmuSphere, apparently for being their twenty thousandth buyer.

"Well," Shino said after lowering her gaze from the ceiling's poster; she gave Sachi a soft nod and an unsure smile. "Let's do this."

"Mm-hm!" Sachi replied with a gentle nod.

With that, the two girls plugged in their AmuSpheres, put the small helmets on, and set themselves up. Sachi laid down on her bed, straight on her back, while Sachi did the same in the sleeping bag she always brought. They faced the ceiling and at Shino's poster, admiring the two fairies and how happy they looked while waiting for their consoles to fully boot up and calibrate themselves.

While they waited, Sachi suddenly felt something persistently tugging at her heart. There was a brief spike of dread that shot through her body, causing all of her nerves to go into overdrive. The entire world suddenly became larger and more distant to her.

"I'm gonna do it..." she thought while beads of sweat started to form on her cooling skin. "I'm gonna dive into the virtual world again...while Kirito's still trapped in SAO... This...This is such a bad idea..."

"Sachi...?" a voice timidly asked.

Sachi didn't need to move. "Y-Yeah, Shino...?"

There was a brief silence. And then...

"I'm...I'm scared..."

Sachi softly gasped. Then, after a couple of seconds of reflection, she cracked a tiny smile.

"Me too, Shino. Me too. But..." Her grip relaxed on the side of her sleeping bag. "I have you with me."

She knew Shino was smiling too. "And I have you with me."

"You just stick close to me, alright...?"

"As long as you stick close to me."

Shino chuckled. "Right." Then, she asked, "On the count of three?"

Sachi nodded breathlessly and closed her eyes. "Okay."

Beep.

"One," the two girls chorused.

Beep.

"Two."

Beep.

"Three!"

Beep.

"Link start!"

---

– X-Y-X –

---

A gateway of three-dimensional colors and sounds...

touch – OK
sight – OK
hearing – OK
taste – OK
smell – OK

Language – Japanese

[Welcome to ALfheim Online!]

"Welcome to ALfheim Online!"

Sachi gulped audibly at the echoing feminine voice. Her position in the dead-center of the circular room of orange, teal, and black making her feel so small and meaningless. She looked around, almost expecting to see an audience of judges, juries, and executioners looking down on her. But there was nothing there but walls of teal squares.

Then, a transparent teal keyboard materialized in front of her.

"Please enter your gender and the name you wish to be identified as."

"The name I wish to be identified as..."

Sachi took a deep breath and then began typing on the keyboard until she finally completed her selection.

[Sachi – F]

"It's just a fresh start," she thought. "A fresh new start."

Once she clicked on the button to confirm her entry, a scrolling menu suddenly sprouted before her eyes, displaying the images of nine beautiful female fairies in a circular pattern. Each of them were of a different color and a slightly different design; the one her menu was preset on was predominantly yellow and light-brown, with feline ears and tails. It looked a lot like the fairy depicted in Shino's poster.

"There are nine races of Fairies to choose from," the echoing voice said. "Please select which race you wish to play as."

Sachi blinked at the feline Fairy in amusement. "A Fairy with...cat ears and tails... An odd creative choice, but cute."

She started scrolling through the menu to sift through all of her options. After the feline Fairy was one colored primarily in brown, with larger, bulkier features.

"This one looks like a troll..." she thought with a cold shudder. "After what nearly happened to Tetsuo on Floor 14, not a chance."

The next Fairy was colored in various shades of purple, with a face exuding an aura of malice and mischief.

"Looks alright...but if my experience with games has taught me anything, a race with that kind of face is probably one of the more evil ones."

Her next race was a Fairy colored predominantly in metallic-gray. Sachi's brow shot up at the sight of the Fairy's blatantly mechanical wings.

"This must be a blacksmith-oriented race. Heh, I don't think I can craft a simple spear even if my life depended on it!"

The next race wore a uniform of multiple colors, but the shade that stood out the most was gold. Then, Sachi noticed the small but pronounced harp hanging from the Fairy's hip.

"A music-oriented race... It reminds me of that sweet bard we'd see every now and then in Aincrad. I wonder how she's doing..."

Sachi decided to scroll to the next Fairy, which was mostly colored in red.

"Yep, fire specialist. Not down for that. Next."

Her heart jumped at the sight of the next Fairy, which was clad in black with a hooded uniform.

"Now that's a race Kirito would like." Sachi prepared to click on it, but something held her back. "No... I've got two more races to look at. And...black may look good on Kirito, but I don't think it'd look good on me."

She scrolled to the next race, which was colored mostly in shades of green.

"Now what does that race specialize in? Nothing stands out about this one..."

After some rumination, Sachi decided to scroll to the final race on the menu, a Fairy colored in shades of blue.

"Hmmm, I like the blue one. Blue is my color, after all. And they look like water specialists. I've always liked the ocean."

The memory of her sitting in the canal with Kirito flashed through her mind, and she couldn't restrain a fond smile. Then, she noticed the blue Fairy's face. It was gentle and maternal, which already made Sachi feel warm and safe in her heart.

In fact, the Fairy's face reminded her of...

"You have selected Undine," the voice echoed, while the blue Fairy smiled down at Sachi with joy. "Your character's appearance will be decided at random. Do you wish to continue?"

Sachi didn't even remember pressing the confirmation button.

"You will now be teleported to your hometown in Undine territory."

All of a sudden, the room started to shine brighter and brighter, until the white consumed the orange, teal, and black. At first, Sachi wanted to panic and back out of everything. But then, she quickly remembered Shino and their friendship and all of her hard work she put in to buy her own AmuSphere.

So, she took a deep breath, remained brave and firm, and closed her eyes, allowing the light to consume her.

"Good luck, player."

"Thank you, automated voice, 'cause I think I'm going to need it..."

---

– X-Y-X –

---

The first thing that she felt was the rush of wind.

At first, Sachi didn't react to her new stimuli. Everything about her current state seemed so peaceful. She wanted to stay like this forever. But soon, she remembered that she had something else to do. So, she opened her eyes.

When she did, she realized she was falling through the sky.

"H-H-Hu-Hu-Huuuuuuuuuuh?!" With her heart hammering against her sternum, the girl instantly began flailing her limbs in frantic desperation. "AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"

Unsure of what was going to happen next, all Sachi could do was look down at what was beneath her. And that was when she saw it.

A sprawling seaside city, stationed on an island in the middle of a lake draining into the ocean. The island was connected to the mainland by a large, cobblestone bridge; and the lake resembled more of a crescent moon than an actual lake. As for the city itself, it looked like a gargantuan castle, with multiple towers and other buildings clumped so closely together that it looked as if they were one singular building instead. One tower, stationed at the center of the city, stood taller and mightier than all the others.

"Wooooow..." she thought. "It's so beautiful..."

– April 21, 2024 –
Alfheim, Parcellus, Undine Territory

Then, Sachi remembered she was still falling. So she continued flailing and screaming, unsure if this was a scripted event or if she was required to do something to stop her fall.

Finally, just as she was a couple dozen feet away from hitting the ground, she felt something materialize on her back. As soon as it did, her body slowed down until it became suspended in the air, feeling lightweight and airy. She felt that thing give a lovely flutter as her body slowly lowered itself towards one of the walkways, where she found a myriad of players talking to one another or shopping for various items.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Sachi felt the thing on her back dissipate just as quickly as it came. The suddenness of it all caused her to stumble a little, catching the attention of some of the nearby players.

"Hey, will you look at that?"

"A new player's arrived."

"Wooow, she's a cutie too!"

"E-Excuse me..." Sachi said apologetically.

Then, Sachi was about to take her first step in ALO when she realized her legs were trembling. She looked down at them, but she didn't notice anything wrong them. And in that exact moment, she realized she was now wearing a dress colored in different shades of blue.

With a gasp, Sachi turned towards the nearest player, another Fairy wearing a predominantly blue uniform and with blue hair and pointed ears.

"Excuse me!" she cried. "I-Is there a mirror nearby?!"

She was met with an amused smile. "New player, huh?" He pointed over her shoulder. "They're over there. Every spawn point in this city has at least one next to it."

Sachi followed the player's finger and saw a small restaurant just a couple of feet away. Stationed around it were a half-dozen or so foot-high mirrors, and she saw a couple of players using some of them to admire their own reflections.

"Thank you, sir!"

Sachi gave the player a polite bow of gratitude before rushing off to the nearest mirror. Once she reached it, she gasped at the sight of her reflection.

She barely looked like herself now. Her black hair was now colored in an astonishing shade of light-blue, with a highlight of darker blue on each side of her head, and it was flowing down her shoulders like a waterfall. As she observed, she was wearing a dress colored in different shades of blue, which reached down to her knees and ended in a frilly skirt. She also wore dark-blue stockings that went up to her thighs, a small dark-blue breastplate, dark-blue boots, and light-blue gloves with white accents. And, of course, she could not forget her pointed ears.

The only reason Sachi knew that she was staring at herself and not someone else was her face, which remained virtually unchanged. But with her new hair and style of clothing, she might as well be someone else at first glance.

Sachi clenched her fists experimentally. "I'm back in another game." She then cracked a tiny smile of amusement. "Even after everything I've been through..."

Then, a sudden realization occurred to her, and she felt her heart stop beating.

"Oh, no."

In a bid of frantic desperation, Sachi opened up her menu and began scrolling through her friends and private messages. To her dismay, both fields were empty.

"Oh, no!" Panic immediately enveloped her. "Oh no, oh no, oh NO!"

Sachi began running around at high speeds, blubbering and whimpering so dramatically that it was comical. With every player she encountered, she grabbed their hands and begged, only to move on to the next person a second later before the one before could give her a straight answer.

"Have you seen my friend?!"

"What do you do to find someone here?!"

"How do you friend a player?!"

"How do you use PMs here?!"

"Does anyone know anything here?!"

In the span of just a few minutes, Sachi had gone from a corner of the city to the city's center, where she finally gave up and collapsed on a bench.

"Aggghhhh, it's hopeless..." she moaned while burying her face in her hands. "I can't believe Shino and I didn't come up with a plan beforehand. For all I know, she picked a different Fairy race and is somewhere else in the game now..."

"Hey, you need help looking for somebody?" a voice asked.

Sachi released a soft gasp and looked upward. Standing in front of her, casting her in her dark, cool shadow, was another player. She was a mature, stunningly beautiful woman with sparkling, bright-green eyes and long yellow hair tied up in a flower-like hairband. She was wearing a white-and-green uniform that barely did anything to restrain her...assets. Sachi had to control herself and refrain from looking where she wasn't allowed to look.

Then, she remembered that predominantly green color scheme. It was nothing like the Undines that surrounded her.

"If you want," the player said kindly, "I can take you to the Undine Lord, and he'll help you sort your issue out." She held her hand out towards Sachi. "What do you say?"

Sachi blinked incredulously, but before she could respond, someone else did.

"What in blazes are you doing, Leafa?!"

Four other Fairies with a similar color scheme of green approached them, with the leader, a tall man with dark-green hair, heavy silver armor, and a huge broadsword on his waist, grabbing the woman's left shoulder like some sort of possessive boyfriend. It made Sachi's brow wrinkle with concern.

"Don't you go around talking to random Undines like that!" the man snapped. "You're gonna cause trouble, and on our lil' diplomacy trip, no less!"

"Di...Diplomacy trip...?" Sachi repeated with a tilt of her head.

The woman scowled and effortlessly shrugged off her peer's grip. "Relax, Sigurd. She lost track of her friend, that's all."

"M-More than that!" Sachi squeaked. "I...I don't know if my friend picked another race for her avatar!"

"Picked another race?"

Another member of the group, a teenage boy with yellowish-green, bob-styled hair and green eyes, stepped forward. His body looked frail and delicate, and his perpetually worried expression didn't look too far off from Sachi's usual face, even if it was now shining with curiosity.

"You..." He seemed to adjust invisible eyeglasses. "Are you a newbie or something? AGH! Ooooow! Leaaaaafaaaaa..."

The boy clutched his throbbing head, while the woman lowered her reddening palm with a scowl.

"Don't talk like you're looking down on her or something, Recon," Leafa snipped. Then, she looked at Sachi with another smile. "It's alright! If you and your friend are new to the game, then we could go talk to the Undine Lord all the same! I think he'll have all the answers you need."

"This girl can talk to Fjord on her own time, Leafa," the tall man snarled. "Or better yet, she can go to one of the neutral villages and find her friend there. Either way, our time is more precious than hers. The Salamanders continue to build up strength as we speak, and the Sylphs can't afford to rely on those Cait Siths forever!"

"Salamanders...?" Sachi repeated quietly. "Sylphs and Cait Siths...?"

The man gritted his teeth at her confusion. "You don't know jack-shit, do ya-?"

He was cut off by a pronounced stomp from Leafa's direction. Everyone turned towards her and saw that she was already glowering at her teammate. There was a scathing, burning look in her normally lovely eyes that vaguely reminded Sachi of someone else.

"Sigurd," Leafa said, her voice calm but deadly, "you are the one who said we need to show some goodwill to the Undine Council. What better way to do that than to funnel a lost new player down their way?"

"Tch!" Sigurd's brow twitched visibly and nastily. "I-It's bad optics! It'll just send a message that the Undines cannot look out for their own kind, a-and that they have to be told what to do!"

"Or!" Leafa raised a finger, silencing Sigurd. "It'll be good optics! The Undines will know to trust us when one of their own is in trouble!" She looked back at Sachi with a confident, friendly smile that made the latter feel safe. "Her situation may not be a matter of life and death, but at least the Council will know we could be dependable when such a matter arises. And proving our dependability is supposed to be a part of our diplomacy campaign. Right?"

"Well, she's got a good point," one of the other green Fairies said with an approving nod.

"Yeah!" the other green Fairy replied jubilantly. "That's Leafa for you! Been playing this game for nearly four months and she's already handling the politics like a pro!"

"No wonder Sakuya assigned her to this diplomatic mission. She's catching on to her reliability real quickly!"

"Leafa..." Recon whispered in awe; his eyes were shining like an utterly astounded child. "Amazing..."

As for Sigurd, he looked absolutely outraged. His teeth remained gnashed together, and his body was quivering in rage. Sachi quietly gulped and scooted away from his position, eyeing his broadsword all the while.

But after a few seconds, Sigurd suddenly recomposed himself. He relaxed his posture and cleared his throat.

"I-I suppose you're correct on this, eh, strategy too, Leafa," he said. "V-Very well..." He then glared at Sachi, causing her to shudder. "You're lucky, newb- n-new player. Your bird and ours shall be killed with the same stone."

"Tha...Thank you..." Sachi replied. She stood from the bench and gave the group a polite bow of her head. "I-I am in all your debt."

"Ahhh, don't mention it!" Leafa responded with a casual shrug. "But, before we take you to Parcellus Castle, I wanna ask you, what's your name, Undine?"

"Hm? M-My name?" Sachi gave her a tiny but gentle smile. "I-I'm Sachi. It's so nice to meet you, Leafa."

"S-Sachi?"

To Sachi's surprise, all of the kindness and friendliness swiftly vanished from Leafa's face and was replaced with stunned confusion. Recon also noticed his teammate's change in behavior and tugged her sleeve.

"Uhhh, Leafa?" he asked worriedly. "Is-Is something wrong?"

Almost immediately, Leafa started vigorously shaking her reddening head. Now, she looked like a young child instead of a mature woman.

"N-Nothing, it's nothing!" she replied with an innocuous wave of her hand.

Recon blinked at her. "Oooookaaaaayyyyy..."

Sachi was just as confused as him, but the moment was interrupted by Sigurd's stern bark.

"Enough dawdling, you three! Lord Fjord has demanded an audience with us, and if this is going to work, then we must be timely. After all, timeliness is supposed to be another part of our diplomacy campaign."

---

Undine Council Hall, Parcellus Castle

"My lord, this alliance is a terrible idea!"

"What're you talking about, Theo?! The Sylphs are our best shot at countering the Salamanders!"

"Lord Fjord, you know what our intel indicates."

"The Salamanders have recruited the Imps to their cause, and now they're both setting their sights on Undine Territory!"

"If they have the Imps on their side, then we've lost already! Their Dark Magic coupled with the Salamanders' Fire Magic will be a force to be reckoned with!"

"Which is why we've gotta seek out allies of our own now!"

"But, our isolationist policy-"

"Our isolationist policy has already been rendered null, Hohenheim! An opportunity has presented itself in the form of the Sylphs!"

"My Lord, we stand to gain no benefit. Only one race can reach the top of the World Tree."

"The Sylphs have already promised the Cait Siths a free shot at the next Grand Quest! And who knows what that Quest might entail!"

The cacophony hammered away at Sachi's eardrums as she followed Leafa's party and the burly Undine into the Undine Council Hall. It was a gigantic circular room, not unlike a small coliseum, with an open roof looking to the star-splashed night sky, and rows and rows of Undine spectators towering above the center in their seats of sandy-brown. At the center itself stood a circular table of gold, where five Undines were seated.

"Lord Fjord," the muscular Undine escort announced.

One of those seated at the golden table raised his head in an almost imperceptible motion. He was a handsome but tired-looking man, apparently in his twenties, with neatly-combed blue hair and blue eyes, and clad in a white suit with white border-stripes, along with a mantle as blue as sapphires. Sachi hitched her breath and had to resist the urge to bow.

"Sergeant-at-Arms?" Fjord queried.

The large Undine gestured toward Leafa's party. "I bring to you the Sylphs' diplomatic mission."

Sigurd stepped forward with a small but haughty smirk. He approached the golden table, knelt before its occupants, and bowed his head before them.

"Lord Fjord, generous members of the Undine Council," he greeted, "we have responded to your most gracious summons and at the pleasure of our Lord, Sakuya. We understand there are a lot of differences that need to be sorted out, policy-wise, but please, we the Sylphs are eager and willing to hear your word and empathize. We-"

"Alright, enough of this, Sylph. I will not hear another word from your groveling mouth."

Sigurd almost choked on his spit, while Sachi and Leafa gasped in terror as the Undine Lord stood from his chair. Within the corners of her widening eyes, Sachi didn't notice any adverse reactions from the spectators, causing her blood to run cold.

"This isn't good!" she thought. "If these people are not surprised by his words, then he must have a reputation as a stern and fierce ruler!"

Fjord didn't say anything as he walked past the gagging Sigurd and approached Sachi, Leafa, and Recon. Leafa stood at attention, and Recon did the same even as he looked like he would burst into tears at any moment. But Sachi gulped and instinctively retreated behind Leafa like a scared child. Fjord immediately noticed this and narrowed his eyes at her with a low, ominous exhale.

Then, the Lord focused on Leafa. "You, Sylph."

"Yes, Lord Fjord!" Leafa replied loyally.

"You have thirty seconds to convince me why an alliance with the Sylphs and Cait Siths is in the Undines' favor. Starting now."

"Th-Th-Thirty seconds?!" Sigurd and Recon blubbered at the same time.

But Leafa was undeterred. "I cannot fully attest to the Cait Siths' perspective, since we do not have representatives with us on our diplomatic mission. But the Sylphs have had no quarrel with the Undines, and we have no reason to do so now. With the combined might of our Wind and Water Magics, we can fend off the Salamander-Imp alliance together! After all, the Undines are the only race with a tactical advantage over the Salamanders' Fire Magic, while the Sylphs are the ones best positioned to counter the Imps' Dark Magic. And after we repel their assault, we can all work together to-"

"Your time is up," Fjord suddenly interrupted.

"Wh-What?!" Leafa squeaked, her eyes now wide in disbelief. "B-But...th-th-that wasn't even thir-"

"You. New girl." Fjord glared at Sachi, who felt like she would faint from his judgmental stare. "You have thirty seconds, just like the Sylph did. Go."

"Th...Thirty seconds...?" Sachi whimpered fearfully.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock-"

"Okay, okay! Okay..." The Undine wandered out of her shelter behind Leafa and nervously twiddled her fingers. "I...I-I-I, uhhhhh... I..."

She looked across the room, focusing on Leafa's party in particular; they all stared back with expectation and, in Sigurd's case, increasing exasperation. The Undine Council and the other spectators in the Hall were watching her as well, some of them looking impatient and others brimming with anticipation. She had never felt this much pressure being heaped on her before. ALO may not have been like SAO at all, but the apparently significant geopolitical matters felt just as much of a life-or-death situation as the literal dangers of Aincrad.

At first, Sachi lowered her head, feeling a sense of powerlessness overwhelming her. Then, in a sudden, impulsive effort of self-preservation, her mind recalled the image of a certain boy with black hair, and she felt a surge of newfound power swelling in her heart.

"What would Kirito do here? What would he do...?"

With a firm face, Sachi raised her head, faced the scowling Fjord, and issued her proclamation.

"Be-Because!" Her voice echoed throughout the Hall for everyone to hear. "We need the Sylphs, and the Sylphs need us! It's as simple as that! A-And there can be no strength, no true strength, found in loneliness!"

Her voice continued to echo in the chamber, trying to leave a lasting impression upon its inhabitants. Other than, silence reigned upon them all.

...

...

...

...

...

"Alright, then!" Fjord exclaimed with a sudden smile of jubilation. "I'm sold!" He held out an arm towards the Sylphs. "We the Undines accept the Sylphs' offer to join their alliance, forthwith!"

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

The voices of Sachi and Leafa's party were instantaneous and simultaneous.

"Wha...?"

---

"There can be no strength...found in loneliness? There can be no strength...found in loneliness?! The hell does that even MEAN?!"

Sigurd paced impatiently outside the gigantic closed door of the Undine Council Hall, while Sachi and the rest of his party were seated in nearby benches. Sachi was looking at the floor in stunned disbelief, while Leafa was glowering at Sigurd.

"Hey, it convinced Lord Fjord, did it not?" Leafa asked with a furrowed brow while she was seated next to Sachi. "Sigurd, the Undines are our allies as of today. There's still the matter of signing the treaty, but right now I see this as a win-win."

"I had a grand speech prepared and everything!" Sigurd yelled. "I spent the last week practicing it in front of my mirror! I devoted hours upon hours upon hours to this diplomatic mission! And how am I repaid for all my hard work?! By having this...this...newbie ruin everything with some halfhearted pitch!"

He pointed a quivering finger at Sachi, but she didn't notice.

"M-Ma-Maybe Lord Fjord's just not a-a fan of big talk..." Recon piped up. "M-Maybe a-a-all we needed w-was a couple of sentences, n-not a whole speech..."

"Yeah," one of the other Sylphs replied with a sly smirk. "It definitely looked like Sigurd lost him at the tidbit about Lord Sakuya's pleasure-"

"Enough!" snapped Sigurd. "I will not tolerate such mockery! I simply will NOT!" Then, he cleared his throat and calmed himself down. "Bu-But...re-regardless of how the results were achieved, we did what we came here to do, a-and now we must make our leave. Lord Sakuya will be...most pleased to hear our report."

"Right," Leafa replied before looking at Sachi. "Hey."

The Undine shyly looked at her, still looking confused and intimidated.

"Uhhhhh...th-thanks, Sachi. F-For helping us out." Leafa shrugged. "I-In your own way, I suppose. Anyway, you're gonna alright now." She stood up from the bench. "Lord Fjord's using a Moonlight Mirror to talk with the Cait Sith Lord Alicia per your recommendation. They'll find your friend for you in no time."

"Wait!" Sachi cried, shooting up in surprise. "You're...You're leaving?"

"Yeeeees!" snapped an increasingly agitated Sigurd. "Weren't you listening to what I was saying?!"

"Heh, apparently Lord Fjord's not the only one who gets so easily bored with Sigurd's speeches," one of the other Sylphs commented with a playful snort.

"What was that?!"

Leafa ignored the exchange and simply smiled at Sachi. "Hey, for a new player, you did very well, Sachi! I mean, helping the Undines and Sylphs form an alliance, and on your first day in ALO? I sense a lot of great things ahead of you as long as you keep up the good work!"

The beautiful Sylph accentuated her point with a thumbs-up. Sachi looked at the thumb for a moment, then at Leafa. Her expression was one of bashfulness and a little guilt.

"I-I don't know," she replied. "I-I'm only playing ALO because..."

Her voice trailed off, prompting Leafa to ask, "Because of what?"

Sachi didn't respond. Instead, she stared off into the distance, sinking into her deepest thoughts.

"Why am I playing ALO?" she thought. "Why am I really playing ALO? Is it because I really do think it will be a good form of therapy for me? Or is it because I didn't want Shino to feel alone when she wanted to try it out? Or...is it because..." A comforting image of Kirito's smile flashed before her eyes. "Is it because of Kirito...?"

She then pulled herself back into reality, just in time to see a strange look quickly receding from Leafa's normally upbeat features.

"W-Well," Leafa continued, "r-regardless of the reasons, I think you've got potential here, Sachi. Don't lose sight of what you truly want and make a leap for it, no matter what!" She flashed a smile at her. "Okay?"

"O-Okay..." Sachi replied with a sheepish nod.

Just then, the door to the Council Hall opened with a great creak, and Fjord stepped into the hallway. Unlike the meeting, where he was exuding an aura of authority, he no longer wore his mantle, giving him a more informal and approachable appearance.

"Sachi?" he asked.

The blue-haired girl stood at attention. "Y-Yes, Lord Fjord?!"

"It appears that your hunch was correct." The Lord gave her a small but friendly smile. "Your friend has indeed spawned as a Cait Sith." Then, he tilted his head. "So, how'd you know?"

"She has a poster of one that she seems to like," Sachi replied before hanging her head in relief. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"Thank goodness, indeed. Had your friend selected any of the other races – sans the Sylphs, of course – then finding her would've been a lot more difficult, given how the Undines are reclusive in nature. Or so the tradition goes."

"Well then, consider two birds killed with one stone!" Sigurd exclaimed hurriedly. He turned his back on the others with a swish of his cloak. "I thank you for your hospitality, Lord Fjord, but my party and I must make our-"

"Halt, Sigurd," interrupted Fjord. "I wish to grant your party an assignment. Consider it the Sylphs' show of good faith to the Undines while we get the matters of the treaty sorted out. The assignment will be a small one, so don't worry about any time that's been...unnecessarily expended."

Swallowing his pride and impatience, Sigurd slowly turned with a twitching eyebrow. "Very well, my Lord. What is it that you seek from our services?"

"Take Sachi to Olso."

Out of nowhere, Fjord began to slowly pat the top of Sachi's head like she was a cat. Every time his palm made contact with her head, she would emit an adorable squeak of embarrassment.

"Alicia told me that she sent Sachi's friend there," the Undine Lord continued. "Apparently, she caused a bit of a scene at Nessmoth, and they had to bring her to the castle first so Alicia could decide on what to do with her later. Given that she is a new player and all, I'd appreciate it if you showed my subject some of the basic mechanics of ALO while she's on her way there."

"Eh?!" Sigurd uttered.

But before the Sylph could protest, Leafa took Sachi's hand, guided her away from Fjord, and led her to her party.

"We'll do it!" she exclaimed in agreement.

"W-We will...?" Recon sputtered.

"We will?!" exclaimed Sigurd.

Fjord clapped his hands together. "Great! Now, I do apologize for the impromptu nature of your task. I'd assign Sachi her own personal escort of Undines, but all of my best warriors are elsewhere at the moment."

"It's alright, Lord Fjord!" Leafa cried while beating her fist into her heart. "We'll keep an eye on Sachi! You can count on the Sylphs to look out for the Undines' best interests!"

"Th-Thank you, L-Lord Fjord!" Sachi added while bowing her head. "Thank you so much for your understanding a-and all your help!"

Fjord responded with a chuckle. "Oh-ho-hooo, please! All of you, just call me Fjord. Frankly, the title of 'Lord Fjord' is just so ridiculous. I mean, who the hell wants to be ruled by someone with a rhyming name?"

"You...ran in the last two lordship elections, didn't you...?" Sigurd asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't think I'd win the first time! Then again, my predecessor was a bit of an ass." The Lord shrugged. "So, I guess that was part of the voters' message. A guy with a ridiculous name would be way more preferable than the guy who got nothing done. Anyway, I'm saving the Lord title for the other Lords. Everyone else is free to call me Fjord."

"O-Okay..." Sachi's smile widened at Fjord. "Thank you so much, Fjord, for helping me find my friend Shino. I...I hope I can be of great use to you as an Undine!"

"I hope so too, Sachi." The Lord smiled back at her. "I hope so too..."

---

Olso, Neutral Territory

"There we go, there we go, theeeeere we go!"

Even with the comfort of Leafa's voice advising her, Sachi yelped the moment her feet touched the cobblestone pathway, finishing her choppy descent from the sky. As she stumbled and nearly keeled over from the rough landing, she felt her wings give one last flutter before vanishing. At the same time, Leafa, Sigurd, Recon, and the other Sylphs landed beside or behind her.

"See!" Leafa exclaimed. "Told ya you'd stick the landing!"

"Heh, yeah," Sigurd added derisively. "I knew you'd do it, after those hundred or so previous attempts."

Leafa glowered at her teammate and hissed through clenched teeth, "You're not helping, Sigurd."

Meanwhile, Sachi had already taken in Olso's imagery. It was a modestly-sized, humble town, filled with players hailing from all nine races, all of them mingling and conversing together in peace. It was a far cry from the diplomatic matters she observed at Parcellus Castle.

"It...It actually reminds me of one of the towns in SAO," she thought. Then, her lips twitched into a minuscule, wry grin. "Who would've thunk it...?"

"Sachi...?" a familiar voice suddenly asked, piercing the humble air.

Sachi looked further down the pathway and saw a player standing a few feet away and gawking at her with disbelief. She had turquoise eyes and thin, cyan, chin-length hair; and she wore a green coat with a white breastplate, a black choker, and a belted quiver across her shoulders. But most of all, she had cyan feline ears and an equally cyan tail, the hallmarks of the Cait Sith race. That was when Sachi knew.

"Shino?" Sachi replied.

The Cait Sith approached her, her face blank and unreadable. Once she got close enough to Sachi, she suddenly collided with her and nearly tackled her to the ground in a hug, surprising Leafa and the rest of her party.

"Took you long enough," Shino commented.

Even with her normally calm, cool voice intact, Sachi knew exactly how terrified Shino had felt not too long ago, judging by how she was trembling to the very touch. With a gentle sigh, the Undine returned the hug.

"I'm sorry, Shino," she said softly. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know this was how we were going to spawn in the game. But now we know."

Sachi broke the hug and looked into Shino's eyes with a warm, gentle smile. It brought a small but visible ray of relief to the other girl's face, which suddenly made Sachi very proud of herself.

"So," Sachi continued, "the next time we dive into a game, we should read the manuals first, instead of relying on what we read on the Internet. Sound like a good plan, Shino?"

Shino cracked a heartfelt, joyous smile, and she giggled.

"Yeah... That does sound like a good plan, Sachi."

---

Next Time: Confounding

---

A/N: That's right, ladies and gentlemen! You're not mistaken! I present to you a reinvented Shino Asada, a.k.a. "Sinon", our favorite sniper/archer/bookworm/aspiring police officer/adorable cat-girl! And yes, she is going to be a major player going forward in this story. As for where she is right now in this AU timeline, for those of you who didn't catch on, this is before her first meeting with Kyouji Shinkawa, so she doesn't know a thing about Gun Gale Online. In fact, if my present understanding of the canon timeline is correct, Gun Gale Online hasn't even been launched by this point either. So, you could say Sachi's become the good counterpart to Kyouji! But that doesn't mean there'll be no drama when it comes to Sinon, her past, and her fear of guns... ;)

Anyway, speaking of timelines, I realized I made an error long after I finished writing this chapter: Sinon's the same age as Suguha. For quite a while, I thought of her as being more around Kirito's age, and this was the impression that I had of her while I was writing all her scenes. Basically, Sinon should still be in her final year of junior high school by the time the Fairy Dance Arc rolls around, not in her first year of high school. I only learned the truth a few days ago, but by that point, I've already written a few more chapters with several important scenes that she's featured in.

After some thinking, I've decided not to fix this continuity error, at least not in a way that would be meaningful. Including Sinon in this reinterpreted Fairy Dance Arc, akin to how she was included in the Aincrad Arc in the video game continuity, was one of the first ideas that sprouted in my mind while plotting this story out. I can't think of a more perfect friend for Sachi's new life, and I most certainly don't have any other characters who could fill Sinon's place. Plus, I really like Sinon as a character, and I wanted to tackle writing her as soon as possible. There are a couple of scenes in particular that I've had in mind for her and Sachi since day one, and I've got no way of sidestepping the continuity error in order to segue to them.

So yeah, I am going to have to ask you to please suspend your disbelief for this part. You can say Tanashi High School is more like a four-year American high school than the traditional three-year Japanese high school. Probably because it's a private institution and there are more lax rules about the years, especially since Sinon's high school is said to have some prestige in canon.

Anyway, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

-Vercingetorix Rex:

1) Well, like what I said earlier, just because there's no harem, it doesn't mean I won't focus on other shippings involving Kirito. It's just that Kirito/Asuna and Kirito/Sachi are the shippings you should really be rooting for. As for everyone else, you can expect nothing but disappointment when it comes to romantic resolutions. But hey! Maybe when I am done with this fic, I can invest in writing an actual Kirito/harem fic... ;D

2) Anyway, just keep track of the race between Kirito/Asuna and Kirito/Sachi. That's all I've got to say at this point.

-AliCynthesis:

1) Yeah, I suppose staying back for a moment and seeing how the first couple of chapters pan out is a good strategy to evaluating this fic.

2) Thank you! I'm so glad I've got the grammar and character development down so far! And yes, Suguha will be getting her own character development. At the very least, I'm aiming to make sure she's not as polarizing of a character as she turned out to be from the anime.

3) Thanks for talking about the stuttering! I'll try my best to tone it down in future chapters.

4) Thanks for recommending the SAO Wiki Discord server to me! I don't know if you've noticed, but I've joined up as a member. I go under "Advanced".

5) Ahhhhh, so I see you've been spoiled a little on certain future appearances. ;D Yes, I am aware of "Hopeful Chant". I don't know if you're inferring that it can be read online, but I'll be sure to check it out if it is!

-Batman1998:

1) Well, I hope this fic gives you a little crash-course on everything that's happened since you dropped the anime! Don't worry, I've made sure to implement only the best parts.

2) Yes, Sachi's death was so tragic. Poor her. She had such potential to be a great main character. :'(

3) Well, just like I told Vercingetorix Rex, all I have to say right now is keep track of the race between Kirito/Asuna and Kirito/Sachi. ;)

-pofehof: Yeah, I'm not sure why Kawahara keeps introducing all these potential love interests and yet also expecting us to accept Kirito/Asuna as the endgame since day one. XP

Well, hope you enjoyed this surprise of a chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!