Chapter 24: Realization
Saturday, August 1, 2026
2:00 PM, Dicey Cafe
I yawned and stretched out, carefully. The sun was shining outside and it was a really nice day, all things considered, but we were all packed into Agil's cafe. Our main friend group had snagged most of the seats at the bar, but there were still a lot of people in here. There were so many that even without Agil putting the 'Reserved' sign out on his door, nobody else would manage to fit in. Screw standing room only, unless they could sit on the ceiling they wouldn't make it.
Next to me, Kana nursed a glass of water. My own glass was empty for now, but Agil would refill it when he got a chance.
"...and no matter what they say, it's impossible. A fake will always be a fake, no matter how close it is."
"But Doctor, the press briefing we've received in advance claims that they've successfully reproduced the human brain. Are you saying they're wrong?"
"It's impossible, impossible! The human brain is bafflingly complex and even with the great strides we've made we don't understand it all. Do you think that they could successfully reproduce the tens of billions of neurons in our brains with a machine?"
"Tch. Know-it-all," Klein grumbled. He tugged at the loose tie around his neck and then took another sip of his gin and tonic. "He hasn't even seen it yet!"
"To be fair," I said, leaning forward so I could see him directly around Kana, "if we hadn't seen it ourselves, would you have believed that the government managed to create true artificial intelligence?"
"Yeah, I know," he said.
I smiled and rested my elbows on the bar. Shino and Kana flanked me, and the other bar seats were filled by everyone else - Kazuto and Asuna side by side, followed by Sugu, Keiko, and Rika.
The other tables behind us were filled with the important people from ALO and SAO. The nine Lords of ALO's races were at one table; the Sleeping Knights had claimed another. The rest of the tables were filled with other SAO survivors. Kana had been chatting to Thinker and Yulier earlier about something, though she just winked at me when I asked what about.
Everyone had some sort of beer, cocktail, or - for the kids and those who weren't majorly into day drinking - a non-alcoholic beverage, and everyone was paying attention to the big TV on the wall behind the bar.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Heck, we went there and I'm not sure I believe it," Rika said.
Shino sighed and shook her head. "If you used one of the STLs, you wouldn't be saying that. That world was more real than this one, in some ways."
Rika grinned smugly. "Oh yeah? Like the feeling of that princess ca-"
"Not like that," Shino snapped, her ears burning. "I meant the environment, you weirdo."
Rika snickered until Asuna gently punched her shoulder. "Be nice, Liz," she said. "We know what you mean, Shinonon. After all, I don't think anyone here would say that the Underworlders are normal NPCs."
The chatter from the interview on screen suddenly died as the news station switched back to their anchor, who looked at the screen. "We've just been told that the press conference is about to begin. We're now coming to you live from the scene."
When the screen switched to a live video of the conference panel, everyone in the cafe went quiet. Nobody wanted to miss this moment, after all.
The first person to appear in front of the sea of reporters and flashing lights was a woman in a blue pantsuit. She stopped at the podium, in front of a bouquet of microphones. The plaque in front of her read 'Marine Resource Assessment Survey - Doctor Rinko Koujiro'. She blinked a few times when the bright lights flashed, but nodded once and began.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here. Today, the Institute is announcing the birth of the world's first, true artificial intelligence."
Her words were punctuated by the camera shutters going off constantly. Still, Dr. Koujiro didn't hesitate and raised her hand to gesture to the left side of the stage.
"I'd like to introduce you to... Alice."
A beautiful girl walked onto the stage from the direction Dr. Koujiro had indicated. Her long golden hair was tied back in its traditional braid, and she wore a dark blue jacket with a red ribbon around the collar.
Her stride didn't hesitate as she walked up to her position at the podium, even while cameras snapped and lights flashed. I knew that when she moved there was a muffled sound of gears whirring - no matter how skilled the RATH technicians were, they couldn't silence it entirely - but the sounds of the shutters and general noises of excitement drowned them out entirely.
She stopped next to Dr. Koujiro and then finally turned to face the cameras. Her blue eyes were the same as always, but there were slight differences in her face from what I'd grown used to in the Underworld. She looked almost identical, of course; but there was still something off, just a little bit.
I'm sure everyone else could tell that her appearance wasn't perfectly natural. It wasn't like robots with human appearances were new, there were plenty of those in parks and tech expos. But, there was something about these brilliant blue eyes that was different. A spark of intelligence in her eyes.
Or, maybe she really was just that cute. I might be a little biased about my big sister's appearance, but hey, it's my prerogative.
The press gallery finally quieted down and the pictures stopped flashing, and then Alice did something that made me smile when I saw it. She raised her right hand in a fist and pressed it over her heart, and bowed. Her empty left hand rested where her sword hit would be, though she was unarmed here.
The Integrity Knight's salute.
Then Alice straightened up and smiled. "People of the real world, good day to you. My name is Alice. Alice Synthesis Thirty."
"Wow! She's wearing our school's uniform!" Keiko squealed.
"I heard she asked for it specifically," Rika said. "She said she wanted to wear 'the same uniform as the knights who came to help the Human Guardian army." The brown-haired girl pinched the ribbon, identical to the one Alice wore, around her own neck.
Asuna sighed. "That's after they talked her out of trying to wear her Integrity Knight armor."
"I bet RATH saw how much it'd cost to make gold-plated armor and were like, 'Nope!'" Sugu giggled.
Everyone at the table laughed. Shino looked back up at the screen, and said, "They sure didn't skimp on getting her looks just right. It's like a one-to-one copy."
"Including the height," I said. "She was mad when they told her she couldn't be taller than Kazuto."
"She's so competitive with ya, Kazu-boy," Kana snickered.
Kazuto sighed. "I wish she wasn't..."
On the TV, they had already gotten started with the panel after Dr. Koujiro and Alice sat down. Dr. Koujiro said something about starting with the question and answering session first, and someone in the press corps stood up. It was a man, though since the cameras were behind him I couldn't see his face.
"I'd like to start with what we're all wondering. How is Miss Alice here, different from any of the other programmable robots that have been developed so far?"
"Her brain, actually," Dr. Koujiro replied. "I'm referring to the mind, not the organ. Her consciousness, which is stored in the photonic brain in her skull, isn't a program made up of binary code. Essentially, it functions the same as a human brain. That's what makes her different from the robots we have currently."
"Perhaps you could show us what you mean with a demonstration? I'm sure my colleagues here and the viewers at home would appreciate it."
I blinked in surprise at the reporter's follow-up question. Wow, rude. On stage, Dr. Koujiro's eyebrows lowered slightly but she kept her voice level. "If you look in the handouts we provided, you'll find her Turing test results there."
"I was... hoping for something more. A visual example, say, opening her skull and showing us what this 'photonic brain' looks like."
I sucked in a harsh breath, echoed by everyone else at the bar table. "I-"
"Of course."
Dr. Koujiro's immediate reaction was cut off by Alice's sweet and polite response. A shiver ran down my spine.
"I don't mind at all," the blonde knight said. "But, only if you prove that you aren't a robot yourself. That seems fair, doesn't it?"
The reporter rubbed the back of his neck. "W-Well, I, I'm obviously human. How would I go about proving it?"
Alice smiled. I recognized that smile. That poor bastard that stood in front of her was about to be slaughtered in front of the entire world. "That's the easy part. I can open your skull and show everyone your human brain."
A round of murmurs ran through the Dicey Cafe. "Eheheh... Alice isn't messing around," Sugu said with a weak giggle.
"She's mad," Rika said.
"That's the first time I've heard her like that," Kazuto said.
I shrugged. "You never got sword training from her, bud. It's, uh. Yeah, that guy got it pretty easy, all things considered."
On the TV, another reporter stood up - a woman, this time, with long brown hair. "Ah, this question is for Doctor Koujiro. Labor unions have raised the concern before, about the use of advanced AI in industry causing unemployment to rise even further. Are those fears unfounded?"
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear," Dr. Koujiro said. "Our institute has no intention of providing true AI for application in simple labor." The firmness in her voice was evident.
"But the financial sector seems to have hopes you will!" the reporter protested. "In fact, the stocks of industrial robot manufacturers shot up when you announced this presser!"
Ugh. Leeches, the lot of them. I'm glad Yui and Din are having fun destroying the stock market for fun and profit.
"A true AI," Dr. Koujiro said, "or rather, what we like to call an Artificial Fluctlight, is not the sort of thing that can be mass produced in a short amount of time. They're born as infants and raised by their families from children to adults, just like us. They mature and develop their own unique personalities. Just like us. To force an intelligence like that to spend their existence as a robot in some factory is inhumane and should not be allowed."
Everyone around me grinned in approval. Good thing that Dr. Koujiro is on our side, huh.
"Doctor," the reporter said. "I'm sorry, but... are you saying AIs should have the same rights as humans?"
"At this point in time, I don't expect any of you to accept Artificial Fluctlights as human beings with human rights. That's a topic that requires a more thorough discussion. However, I believe in a century or two, our society will advance to the point where we'll be living with them as equals. Interacting freely with them and accepting them as ordinary. We'll even marry, and start families with them."
"I know some people here who are trying to get a head start on that," Rika said.
"Shut up, Rika," I said. Next to me, Kana snickered and nodded with precisely zero shame, the little gremlin. They shouldn't joke about Alice and Kazuto like that, really...
"It's only a matter of time, really. And since a shared future with them is inevitable, it would be immoral to subject them to slavery."
"But they're not like us!" the reporter protested when Dr. Koujiro stopped.
"Fuck you," I snapped at the TV. Agil glanced at me, and I sighed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to swear in front of the kids. Sorry, Sugu, Keiko."
"Hey!" Sugu and Keiko protested simultaneously.
"Their existence is totally different from ours, they're mechanical! Made by humans in a factory. How are we supposed to accept them as equal to us when their bodies aren't even flesh and blood?!"
Without a word, Kana and Shino both reached out and grabbed my fists. I hadn't even realized I'd clenched them in the first place, but their touch calmed me down.
Dr. Koujiro started to reply, but Alice held her hand out to stop her. "I accept you real world humans for what you are," the knight said. "My creators. And, I'm grateful that I was created. When we learned of your existence, a man from my world pointed something out. Suppose the Real World also had a creator. Who created them? And how many more creators are there behind them?"
Alice rose from her seat. "I ask you, if your creator appeared before you and made you their slaves, how would you respond to that?" Ooh, she's switching into the Integrity Knight mode. "Would you grovel, pledge loyalty, beg for mercy?"
Then all at once the stern, intense gaze on Alice's face softened into a smile. "Right now, I've met so many real worlders and enjoyed every second I spent with them. Even though this isn't my world, I've been welcomed and supported. I've learned a lot from them, and they've shown me so many new things. I'm very fond of them. One, I treasure as family though we are clearly not related by blood. And another, I love dearly."
I tried to ignore the way that my cheeks went red there, not that it was helped by Kana cooing and poking at my scarlet cheeks. Near me, Kazuto steadfastly ignored Asuna's firm, intense, and very judgmental stare.
"The thought of not being able to see them pains me. It feels like this metal chest would burst." As Alice paused for breath, and to control herself, the rest of the venue was totally silent. Then, Alice reached her hand out, palm up. "I offer my hand in friendship to the Real World. I hope you will take it. But I will not kneel to you. Nor grind my head in the dirt for your favor. I will not, because I am human too."
...
"Ultimately," Dr. Koujiro said, "our hope is that you'll meet artificial Fluctlights in the virtual world. To experience who they are, and then perhaps you'll change your mind. That's all we ask of anyone watching this broadcast today. Go and see for yourself."
"With that, we'll conclude the question and answer session here," one of the grey-suited aides said. "If you have further questions, please contact the Oceanic Resource Exploration and Research Institute through the official channels."
Alice stood up and pressed her fist to her chest in salute once more. "Thank you, for taking the time to listen to me," she said politely.
As Alice and Dr. Koujiro walked off stage the cameras flashed and reporters shouted questions, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. I'm honestly just glad that there weren't any super awful people there, aside from that one lady that set off Alice's biggest rant. Most of the questions were a little... insensitive, but that was to be expected.
Pretty much the instant Alice disappeared behind the wall hiding her from the main cameras, a notification popped up on my Augma.
'Some of the people of your world are very rude...'
Well, at least Alice has gotten the hang of texting.
Sunday, August 9, 2026
9:30 PM
I yawned and stretched, then arched my back until my spine popped. Hnnnng... Even after a month and a half, my body still felt stiff and slow. Though it could definitely just be that I hadn't fully tricked my mind back into believing I was back in the real world, after having the stats and abilities of a full Integrity Knight.
Come to think of it, though, I did need to find a good place to start training on my parkour skills again. My mind remembered the movements, but all that meant was my muscle memory was lacking. Training at home really only served to get my body back in shape.
The katas were familiar but I forced myself to move slowly as I trained. Half of my practicing came from what Karasuma had taught - I'd purchased a rubber training knife to match the one I'd had in E Class - and the other half was from Alice's teachings. I didn't have the full red armor I'd gotten used to in the Underworld, but my techniques would work just fine.
As I wrapped up a kata, I realized that a notification had popped up on my Augma. A text message... "Hey, it's from Ritsu," I said with a smile. I collapsed into the nearby chair and grabbed the water bottle, and then scanned the message. She'd just replied with a little face to the conversation thread we'd had running all day.
She must have been monitoring the thread, because the second I read the text I got a phone call. I shook my head and tapped the button to accept the call.
"What's up, Ritsu?"
"Ah, Nick! I'm not bothering you right now, right?"
I blinked in surprise. There was something strange in the tone of her voice that I wasn't sure how to define quite perfectly. Whatever it was, I didn't like hearing it. "Not really. Just wrapping up my exercise for the evening and cooling off. So what's up? Fancy party boring you to tears?"
Ritsu giggled. "Sniffle, sniffle. Sob."
"My heart bleeds for you, it truly does. And Alice? How's she holding up?"
Alice was the first true artificial Fluctlight, but Ritsu was a close second; she had been born and created in a slightly different simulation and one that hadn't been intended to create a bottom-up AI at all. If I'm being honest, I think Ritsu and I both recognized that, and we were both underselling her capabilities a little bit. My position as a part-time worker at RATH gave me access to certain information, and my close friendship with Alice gave me a little bit more - as far as RATH was concerned, Ritsu was a very complex top-down AI rather than one that ran off of a Fluctlight.
It did mean that Ritsu couldn't have a body here in the real world, but she claimed she didn't mind. After all, she'd been an AI before.
That said, Dr. Koujiro knew the truth - it would be very difficult to hide it from her, after all - and she'd promised that Ritsu would have a body made as soon as possible. That was a month ago, but I didn't know how long it took. Alice's body was done in a week, but that was because everyone was working on it...
It meant that Alice had to face everything alone, though. The blonde knight was incredibly busy, and while I tried to spend as much time with her as possible when I could, there were too problems with that. One - our schedules didn't line up perfectly, so it was only a couple hours or so on the weekend. And two - I wasn't Kazuto. My big sister had her preferences, after all.
Ritsu sighed. "She's being stubborn again. Saying it's her duty and she'll do it because she's a knight."
"Uh huh. Well, remind her again that they can't make her do anything. If she needs to take a break, just tell them that." I sighed. "I'll try to talk to Higa and Dr. Koujiro as soon as I can and tell her to slow down on the parties and meetings. I know they're important, but Alice is more so."
"I'll tell her you said that, Nick. I'm sure it'll make her smile." There was a brief moment of silence on the call, and then Ritsu said, carefully, "...Hey, Nick? Do you think... Actually, never mind."
"Ritsu?"
"Eheheh! It's fine. Trust me, okay?"
"...Something tells me that whatever you're planning, Karma would approve..." I shook my head. "Fine, but try to keep any casualties to a minimum."
"Roger! I'll talk to you later, Nick. Love you!"
I froze up at her cheerful goodbye right before the call disconnected, and stared into space for a few seconds as my head slowly tilted to the right. That... that was just a saying, right? Ritsu didn't... actually... Right? ...Right?
Umm...
"...Kanaaaaa! Heeeeeelp..."
...
11:30 PM
Kana was no help at all. She just laughed at me and told me to 'figure it out, Nick'. That's not helpful at all!
So I decided to just go to bed and sleep it off. This whole mess feels like a problem for future me, who is well-rested. Besides, I'd have to talk to Kana about it if I was right, and it's like, an hour or two away from midnight. That is also a problem for future me.
...
Monday, August 10, 2026
8:00 AM
Speaking of problems for future me. I stared at the nine missed calls from Dr. Koujiro and swore under my breath. I went to bed for one night! One night and suddenly the world is ending.
The last call had been at three in the morning, and that one was the one with a voice mail on it. I listened to it, wondering what could be so very important, and when it was finished I rolled back over and fell back onto my bed.
Can I go back to sleep? I think that would serve me better than dealing with this mess.
But after a few more seconds of feeling sorry for myself, I pulled myself up and grabbed my phone.
"Dr. Koujiro," I said when the call connected. "Sorry, you caught me when I was sleeping."
"Huh? Sleeping... What time is it? Wait, never mind. Did you listen to the voicemail I left?"
She sounded exhausted. Though, considering the issue, that's fair. "I did. Alice disappeared? Like, what are we talking about. Her memory? All the data?"
"No, thankfully," Dr. Koujiro replied. "But it's not much better. Even the mechanical bodies are gone. We checked the camera footage, but there was nothing at all. And none of the guards noticed anything."
I let out a huge sigh. At least nothing bad had happened. But I had my suspicions, especially thanks to what Ritsu had been saying to me, and if I was right then I'm not surprised at all that their security camera footage was useless.
Ritsu, what did you do...
"I think she might have been overwhelmed by all the interviews and things we had scheduled for her. But I always checked with her to see if she was tired and needed a break, but she'd just smile and shake her head and say she's fine."
"Yeah, that sounds like her. Have you gotten in touch with Kazuto?"
"He's not responding yet. But as soon as I can, I will."
"Want me to drive in? I can be there in..." Let's see, ten minutes to get dressed and wash my face, and then the hour drive to get to the Roppongi branch with a stop for something to eat on the way... "Probably an hour and a half, two hours, so around ten?"
Dr. Koujiro sighed. "No, I just wanted to give you a head's up in case she made her way to your house somehow. Just be ready to move at a moment's notice if the public security cameras or the internet says she's near you."
"Will do."
"Thanks, Nick."
The call cut off at that point without any formalities.
I tossed my phone onto the bed and stood up. This really was a problem. Alice was a target for any number of groups that had reason to not want her around. I'd been keeping an eye on the discussions because naturally, it involved my big sister! And then add in the people that were objecting to Fluctlights in general on any other number of reasons, and there were a lot of people that I don't want Alice to get caught by.
RATH had increased security in every way, but they never expected to go up against a determined Alice and the cybersecurity nightmare that was Ritsu on a network. Honestly, I'd be hard-pressed to say which one is worse.
I splashed some water on my face and threw on some clothes. After that, every instinct I had wanted to rush out and search for Alice, but there wasn't any point. So I forced myself to sit down and have breakfast. Mom had work at the library today, so I scrounged for whatever was available - an omelette was quick and easy for me to throw together.
Not that I tasted it. I practically inhaled that thing, and then ran out the door. I know Koujiro had said that I shouldn't go to Roppongi, but that didn't mean I shouldn't look for her anyway. I don't know when she vanished, so she could be around. The internal battery only lasted a few hours, and if she was unconscious and someone else found her...
...
An hour later, I headed back home with absolutely nothing to show for my effort. Not that I was too terribly surprised. It had been a long shot in the first place.
I was surprised to see someone standing in front of the apartment door, though. For a second, I thought it might be someone from RATH - but when I got closer, I realized it was just someone making a delivery.
"Package for you!" he said as I approached the door.
"Uh..." I blinked a few times as I switched mental gears. "S-Sure, let me grab the stamp."
The man replied, "It's cash-on-delivery."
"Ah... Sure. Can I check the invoice...?"
The delivery guy handed it over. I blinked in surprise and checked it over, but everything seemed all in order. Addressed to me, and more importantly, there was a RATH logo on the side of the box. Guess it's legit...?
Well, not necessarily. Having me pay for it is strange. But it's got the RATH logo. It might have something to do with Kikuoka's plan to reconnect the Underworld, and he needed to keep it off the books? Makes as much sense as anything else.
I grabbed my phone and made the electronic payment. "Thanks," the guy said, and waited for me to grab the package before he took his trolley and wheeled it off to the truck waiting outside.
Guh... Heavy...
Seriously, this thing was ridiculously heavy. I grunted as I set it down in the entryway. What's in it, bricks? It was wide enough that it took up most of the entryway, so it had to be at least two and a half feet wide.
"Alright, mysterious RATH package," I said. "What's in you?"
I ripped off the package tape with a single pull and pulled back the tape. Then, I opened up the box and -
Finally, I managed to collect my thoughts enough to take the correct action, which was to close my eyes, sit down on the floor, and sigh heavily. Then, I tried to erase the mental image of the tangle of hands and legs that looked like it came directly out of a horror movie.
When I finally caught my breath and looked in the box again, a pair of eyes snapped open and stared at me from the depths.
A quiet whine came from somewhere in the back of my throat. "Well, I didn't need to sleep tonight," I croaked out.
"Sorry! But... could you help put me back together, Nick?"
That was Ritsu's voice. Ritsu was sitting in the box in front of me. Ritsu had a body, and that body had just been mailed to me. As I stared, the only thing I could think was-
"Oh, right... Dr. Koujiro said 'bodies', plural..."
...
A couple minutes later, I had managed to collect myself enough to appreciate the absurdity of the situation. This was straight out of those 'Order a bride!' tropes, except a robot girl really WAS shipped straight to my doorstep.
Eventually, I felt like I was going to be able to come up with the proper response to this. So, I turned to the robot girl in the hallway. She was wearing a school uniform very familiar to me; it matched the ones that we had worn in E Class, complete with black tie underneath the blazer.
She was currently crouched down with her hand stretched out, making a cute little *pss-pss-pss* noise at my cat. Emmitt was normally shy around strangers and Ritsu was no exception - he refused to come near her no matter how much she held her hand out and made 'come here' noises.
"Ritsu," I said, "why did you mail yourself to me?"
Ritsu giggled and stood up. "Because I wanted to see you, obviously!"
"That doesn't... Well, no, I guess it does actually answer my question," I said. "Kinda."
"Do you mind if I recharge?" Ritsu held up a charging cable. "I was on low-power mode, but my battery is still low."
I threw my hands up in the air. "Sure! Why not. Let's just have the cute robot girl charge herself from the outlet, too. As if my life wasn't already strange enough."
Ritsu laughed at my whining, and followed me into the living room. She found an outlet that was relatively close to the couch, and plugged the cable in - one end in the outlet, and one end in her body, somewhere in the left hip area. I tilted my head, but I couldn't see the port since it was covered by her clothes.
"There's a lot of books here," she said. Our living room was mostly a place to store the books my mom owned. I had my own personal collection upstairs filling a few smaller bookshelves.
I smiled and sat down next to her. "Mom's a big reader. So, mind explaining how exactly you mailed yourself to me? Actually, wait. First, is Alice safe?"
Ritsu nodded. "Of course. She should have been delivered to Kazuto's house by now!"
Of... course. Of course she did the same thing.
"Riiiiight," I said slowly. It was... nine? Kazuto was hopefully awake. Though I couldn't help but wonder why they didn't just tell Dr. Koujiro and come visit. "Let me just let Doctor Koujiro know you two are safe, and then you can tell me how exactly you two put yourselves in packages."
Dr. Koujiro wasn't exactly thrilled that the girls had slipped out of the Roppongi branch, but the fact that they were safe was definitely good news. I handed the phone over to Ritsu and they talked for a bit.
"Yes... I know... Sorry... Just this one time, I promise. ...And I'm sorry for hacking your systems. It won't happen again. ...Yes, I'll work with the security team to patch the holes, I even kept an itemized list of the vulnerabilities I exploited and their severity. N-No, it's... Please, don't apologize, Doctor. It's not your fault. We should have been more honest. ...Okay, I'll hand it back."
It was a little strange, only hearing half of the conversation from Ritsu's side, but I knew Dr. Koujiro would be more relieved than anything. She's a nice person, and a good boss. So she wouldn't care.
When Ritsu gave the phone back, I sighed. "Thanks for being understanding, Doctor," I said.
"It's partially my fault as well," Dr. Koujiro sighed. "Thank you for letting me know. And Nick - will it be okay for Ritsu to stay the night with you? I don't want Alice to feel forced back to the lab if she doesn't want to come, and it wouldn't be fair to do the same to Ritsu."
"I'll... check with Mom and get back to you, but I don't see a major problem with it." Aside from the fact that Ritsu was a girl. Then again, Kana had slept over a ton of times, and Mom never cared about that. "You, uh, should probably call Kazuto back. Pretty sure Alice is at his house, too."
After I hung up from that call, I stared at my phone. Do I talk to her about that...? Or should I just pretend that she didn't say she loves me, on the phone last night?
"Uh, Ritsu -"
"Oh, right! I should tell you how we pulled it off!"
While Ritsu happily told me about how Alice had come up with a brilliant idea to request a package delivery from inside RATH, I gave up and texted Kana for help. By the time Ritsu explained the rest of their plan - set everything up on the delivery platform, disable the joint locks, apply the package tape to one flap and then get inside the box and seal it so that when the shipping company arrived the two boxes were sitting there and waiting - my girlfriend had replied that she wanted to come over for dinner.
...
Dinner was... a little bit awkward. Even though I never brought it up, I could feel the question hanging in the air between the three of us. I didn't really taste dinner as I scarfed it down in between questions with Ritsu. This wasn't the first time that we had eaten food around Ritsu - she always happily watched us during lunch - but this time, a question buzzed in the back of my head without letting me relax.
I think Kana knew that, the little minx, but she never pushed me.
"I'll get things ready for the couch," Mom said as she stood up. "Ritsu, sorry we don't have a separate guest room. Are you sure you don't want to..."
Ritsu shook her head. "That's alright, Mrs. Weyr. I really don't mind at all. This body doesn't need rest, really."
Mom nodded. "If you're sure. And you don't need to be so formal. You took good care of Nick for me."
"Alright! Then, thank you, Mama," Ritsu said.
I nearly choked on a piece of chicken. Kana reached out and patted my back as I coughed.
Mom gave me a Look, but she didn't say anything about what Ritsu had just said. Instead, she just shook her head and walked off. Thankfully she already knew about the, uh, unique relationship I'd found myself in...
"Your mother is very nice," Ritsu said to me as we sat in my room.
"Yup, sure is," Kana agreed with a happy smile. Ritsu had a hairbrush in her hand and was gently brushing Kana's hair to smooth out some of the tangles; Kana had already spent a few minutes brushing Ritsu's hair until it gleamed. "Dunno 'bout his dad, though."
"I... Let's ignore that for now," I said. "Ritsu... About, um, what you said last night... and this evening..."
Ritsu and Kana both giggled. "You're right, he is bad at this," Ritsu told Kana.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, have your fun," I grumbled. "Bunch of teases."
The conversation after that was... enlightening, to say the least. I hadn't realized for so long about Ritsu's feelings - no, to be fair, I didn't try to realize. I had been in a committed relationship, up until a month ago.
It was also a bit of a surprise when Ritsu happily chirped about meeting Kana's parents next, so she could greet her girlfriend's family too. Who knew the little AI in a box felt that way about Kana as well? I know I didn't.
"That one might take a little longer," I said. "But let's talk to Dr. Koujiro tomorrow and see if she's okay with you spending a day out on a date or something like that.
"That sounds fun," Ritsu said with a smile.
Kana grinned and leaned against me, her head gentle against my chest. "Yer takin' this pretty well," she said.
"I've had a few hours to process things," I said. "If she'd just... I dunno, kissed me? That probably would have floored me for a couple minutes."
"Hmmm? Yer sayin' Ricchan's a better kisser than me?"
I stared at Kana. "Wha-"
"'Cause ya know I'm gonna have ta prove otherwise," she purred, and tilted her head up towards me. "Oh darn, yer master plan worked. Hold 'im down, Ricchan!"
"Right!"
I can't say I hated it, entirely... Even though it was a little embarrassing when my mom walked in on us to let us know that Ritsu's bed was made when we got tired.
...
"Nick! Nick, wake up!"
"Ghhhh..." I rolled over and stared at the clock. Not even four in the morning. "Why the fuck am I awake right now."
I sat up and rubbed my eyes to look at the harsh whisper that had shaken me out of my sleep. Ritsu stood by my bed, a distracted look on her face. I blinked a few times, but no - she really was just wearing a long T-shirt. Ritsu, do you understand pajamas...?
I sighed. "This is... maybe a little inappropriate...?"
Ritsu blushed and tugged on the shirt self-consciously. "Don't stare..." I coughed and got out of bed to turn the lights on. The bright light was enough to disturb my cat, who had been sleeping on the bed; he looked up and I scritched him absently as I sat down.
"Sorry to wake you up, but this is important," Ritsu said quietly. "I just received an email from Alice. Apparently, she received communication last night, consisting of an IP address."
"Sounds like a scam," I said.
Ritsu shook her head. "It's not. The IP address was encoded - by using the names of the floors of the Central Cathedral."
That woke me right up. "The Central... Underworld...? Who sent it?"
"Unknown," Ritsu said. "But there's a very good chance that the connection to the Underworld was successful. Kazuto has already called Asuna, and they will be going to Roppongi as soon as possible. They wanted you to come as well."
I stood up and nodded. "Gotcha. I'll write a note to Mom before I leave, but we should make it there in under an hour." Then something occurred to me suddenly, and I groaned.
"What's wrong?"
I looked over at Ritsu, who stared back at me with concern. "...I promised Shino the next world-ending event wouldn't take place in the middle of the night..."
Ritsu just sighed, her concern swiftly melting into fond exasperation. "Please just get dressed already."
...
I didn't even ask Ritsu to leave the room as I got dressed. First off, we were dating. And second, it was nothing she hadn't seen before. While she got dressed in her school uniform, I scribbled a short note to the parent - 'Work emergency, Ritsu and I are going to Roppongi. Will eat breakfast there' - and then we were out of the door about ten minutes after she woke me up.
When the two of us arrived at the RATH branch, we saw Kazuto, Alice, and Asuna had arrived first. Asuna and Alice were glaring at each other in an intense staring contest - I could practically feel electricity sparking between the two of them.
"It's too early to be angry," I said, and tugged on Alice's arm to get her to break gazes.
"This is an important duel!" Alice protested.
I sighed. "And you can have your important duel later, after we take care of the mystery IP address," I told her. "Let's go inside." We scanned ourselves into the building - fingerprint, ID card, AND retina scanner, and yet Ritsu and Alice just mailed themselves out - and while we walked down the hallways I looked at Alice. "Did you enjoy staying at the Kirigaya's house?"
Alice smiled - no, she smirked. And glanced back over her shoulder at Asuna. "Yes, I enjoyed it quite a bit," she said smugly. Great... Her competitive side again. I think I understand what they were arguing over, now...
"Please don't cause relationship problems for Kazuto," I sighed. "I thought you were getting along with Asuna."
Alice folded her arms and her cheeks puffed out a little bit. Cute. "When we fought together, that was just setting aside our argument. The ceasefire is over, now."
"Sure, sure."
"By the way... I noticed that Ritsu was clinging to you tightly," Alice said. "While you were riding the mechanical horse... a 'motorcycle', Kazuto called it. Has she finally...?"
I blushed. "Haah... Of course you knew. And you don't really have an issue with it?"
"Why would I? There is nothing wrong with multiple partners, provided you have the appropriate Authority level." Then Alice tilted her head. "Oh, but that must be different in this world. If that's the case, then how are you and Ritsu -"
"Okay we're here!" I said loudly. Not exactly something I wanted to discuss with my big sister at what, four in the morning? I needed at least four more hours of sleep to address that. Dr. Koujiro looked at me in confusion as Kazuto dug in his pockets to produce a scrap of paper.
When he found it, he handed it over to Dr. Koujiro. "Here it is," he said.
Dr. Koujiro stared at the paper for a long second. "...Funny. I get the feeling he might be behind this."
"Probably. Seems like something he'd do," I said.
Even if I hadn't been there to witness that little speech... This sort of thing really was right up Kayaba's alley. There's no way he would leave some sort of final confrontation against Kazuto like that.
He must have been in contact with Cardinal once they got the server set up. That's the only way I can think that he managed to learn the names of the Central Cathedral's floors.
Dr. Koujiro's eyes softened at Kazuto's statement and she went to the terminal to prepare the STLs we'd be using. Meanwhile, Kazuto pulled out his phone. "Yui, did you find anything else about that address?"
"I could only get as far as the server's relay point in Iceland. The firewall it has is super tough so I couldn't go any further." The little girl on his phone sighed and hung her head.
"That's okay, you tried," Kazuto said, and smiled at her. "Well, it's time we Dove in. We shouldn't be in any danger... I think."
Yui clenched her fists. "If you get in trouble, I'll wake Din up and we'll come to save you right away!"
"Thanks, Yui," I said. "Knowing you have our back, we can Dive in with no worries at all."
"Okay, see ya," Kazuto said.
The screen went black, and Kazuto put his phone away. "A month and a half... I wonder... Selka must be lonely," Alice said. "I hope she's doing well."
"I hope that things are going well with the Dark Territory," Asuna said. "When we left, it was all crazy."
"No use worrying about it now," I said, and stretched my arms out. "We almost ready, Doctor?"
Dr. Koujiro glanced over her shoulder and nodded. "Whenever you're ready. The STLs are prepared for you three, and we have comfortable seats for Alice and Ritsu."
We headed over to the machines that were already humming away, and laid down. I hissed quietly under my breath at the feel of the cold gel-like material they made the beds out of, though it warmed up from my body heat soon enough.
"All right, guys, are you ready to Dive in?" Dr. Koujiro asked.
"Ready!" we chorused.
The machines slowly lowered until they covered my upper face, and I closed my eyes rather than worry about feeling claustrophobic. The machines sprang to life with a dull roar, and my body faded away. Streaks of light passed by my consciousness as the electronic signals bounced to Iceland and then to points unknown.
When the bright light cleared itself from my eyes, we stood in the highest point of the Central Cathedral. My shattered Integrity Knight armor clung to my body, with the weight of my Starry Night Dagger comfortable on the small of my back.
Kirito and Asuna, on my left and right respectively, were wearing the same equipment that they'd left with. Kirito had his Primary Trainee uniform on, and Asuna was still using the Stacia account and had her beautiful dress. Alice, nearby, wore her full suit of gold armor, and Ritsu had the simple and comfortable tunic dress she'd been wearing.
I couldn't help but smile.
Hello, world... I'm back.
December 14th, 380 HE
Killing intent flared from the person in front of me, and I -
- casually stood there, head tilted back and inviting the killing thrust.
The tip of the rapier halted a centimeter from my neck. "...Why would you do that?" Sheyta asked. Her eyes had widened in surprise and maybe a little concern, too. "I almost killed you."
"That's okay," I said. "I knew you wouldn't."
"How could you know that!?" She sheathed the Black Lily Sword and strode up to me, then grabbed my hand in hers. Her palms were cold, and her fingers shook slightly. "I see weak points, and I am urged to strike."
I smiled at her. "Because you're kind, Sheyta. I can tell you hate killing. That's why we're doing this training, to help you master your urge. Besides, you were able to stop, right?"
"I..."
"You don't want to kill, so tell me what it is you do want. Maybe I can help."
Sheyta closed her eyes. "At some point... I think... I started wishing for something I didn't want to kill. But... I am someone who cuts all I see. Why would you trust your life to a woman like that?"
"You would have cut me already if you were going to do that," I said. "So of course I trust you."
Besides, I could sense her bloodlust. I'd made sure that if she didn't stop, I was at the very edge of her thrust's range. I just needed to lean back and I'd be out of danger. Trust, but verify.
"Rythin..." Sheyta smiled faintly. Normally her emotions are all bottled up, so I never get to see the small smile. It looked nice. Then she leaned forward towards me and I blinked in surprise. "Ah... Did I get too close?"
"N-No, you just startled me," I said. "What's up?"
"Being with you is... very calming," she said.
"I... guess?" She looked down at our hands, then, and a slight tint of red came to her cheeks. I blinked. "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Sheyta said instantly. "Merely that joining hands like this is ordinarily only... done with someone you're engaged to marry."
"O-Oh!" Now my cheeks felt hot. "Shouldn't you... let go, then?"
"No." Well that was a quick response. "Like this... I can feel your emotions, slightly. And the killing intent you wield like the dagger on your hip."
"Eheheh..."
"Heeeey! Big Bro!"
Sheyta instantly pulled her hands away from mine and took a step back. Like that, she was back to the normal Sheyta that I'd spent a few days sparring against so far. The quiet vulnerability had vanished entirely.
I turned to look at the source of the voice, and saw Fizel and Linel running towards me. "Hey, you two," I said with a smile. "How were your lectures?"
"Boring," Linel said. "But Zel wouldn't stop complaining about the material." She stared at the short-haired girl meaningfully.
"Huh?! Like you're any better, Nel! The only thing you wanted was to play with Big Bro Rythin!" Fizel planted her hands on her hips and stared right back at the other girl with braided twintails.
The two young Integrity Knight Trainees glared at each other, and I sighed. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you two really should focus on your studies. Otherwise Bercouli and Fanatio might say you can't become Integrity Knights when you're old enough, you know?"
"We'll study," the girls chorused.
Then Fizel grinned and poked her tongue out a little bit. "But now that we're done, you'll play with us, right?"
I could only shake my head. They're such a handful... "Sure, sure. The usual rules?"
They say 'play', but...
"Right!"
Instantly the girls launched themselves towards me, their poisoned knives at the ready. I spun and kicked upwards to counter the first lunge from Zel, and then swung my blade up in a lazy arc to shove Nel's thrust to the side. "Sloppy," I scolded them. "I could feel your killing intent a mile away!"
Yeah. They say 'play' but that translates to 'try to murder Rythin'.
"Uncle Deusolbert hasn't complained," Zel said as she shook her hand from the impact of my boot.
"Rrgh! Stay still and let us hunt our prey!" Nel complained. I didn't listen, though. That sort of request was definitely not going to fly!
...
After tiring Fizel and Linel out, I sheathed my dagger and crouched down in front of the two of them. "Good work, you two," I said, and patted their heads. "And I haven't gotten a chance to say this, but Ritsu told me you did a great job at the War. I'm proud of you."
The girls both beamed up at me, and Fizel practically melted under the headpats. "Zel really wanted you to rub her head," Linel said.
"N-Nelll! No I didn't!"
I stood up as they started bickering again and headed out of the training ring. Tired...
"Big Bro, when are you gonna be back? We want a rematch!"
I winced at Fizel's question. That was... "Well, it'll be a while, probably," I said.
"Aww..."
I glanced back at them over my shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll miss you two. But in the meantime, I'll remember the good times we shared."
Linel looked off in the distance. "Good memories...? Hmm. We don't really have those."
I blinked and looked at them in confusion. "Huh? But aren't you two always together? What about the fun you have?"
"We're usually training," Fizel said. "And other than that all we have is awful memories, of having to kill each other over and over again. It's not like we treasure them or anything like that."
Ooooookay. This is entirely too heavy for me to deal with when I'm this tired. Honestly I'd need to sit down with them for a few hours, and also be a trained therapist. But I can do what little I can, I guess.
"How about this, then?" I walked back up to them and patted their heads gently again. "Right here, right now. This will be your first fun memory, right? Playing around with me, getting stronger, and having fun. And we'll make a few more next time I see you, until they outweigh the bad memories a hundred to one."
Fizel and Linel looked at each other and then giggled. "That was dumb," Fizel said.
"Lame," was Linel's contribution.
"Well fine, see if I do anything nice for you brats again," I said and rolled my eyes before I pulled them into a tight hug. "But seriously, you two. I hope you'll treasure the time we spent together, because I know I will."
"A-Ah... you're warm..." Fizel muttered.
After a few seconds, I let go of them and stood up. "Now, I really do have to get going. Next time I come back, let's fight again, okay? I want to see how strong you two can get."
The two girls called out an agreement, and I smiled as I walked away. At least they seem to have cheered up a little bit.
"Heading for the baths, boya?" Fanatio was waiting by the exit of the sparring grounds.
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna be heading out soon, so I wanted to feel refreshed."
"Hmm~. Do you want me to join you and wash your back?"
Fanatio's teasing smile was a familiar sight these days, but I still blushed a little bit. "No thanks," I said. "Why not take a bath with Dakira if you're desperate for skinship?"
"I would, but for some reason my lovely fiancee has refused every time I offered," Fanatio said with a sigh and rested a cheek on her palm. "I'm almost feeling a little lonely."
I smiled and kept heading for the baths, while Fanatio walked beside me. "Kinda surprising you're feeling lonely. Didn't you go on a mission with your Blades recently?"
"Yes, but it's not quite the same as playing with you, boya," Fanatio said, and ruffled my hair. I grumbled under the attention, but didn't pull away. "So. I've heard from the commander that you're leaving your hometown soon, yes? In the real world."
I sighed. It had been something I'd mentioned to Bercouli, since I wouldn't be able to access the Underworld in this body without using the STL. "Yeah. Moving to a whole different country for four years." I grinned at her. "Gonna be okay without me? I know we're a little short-staffed."
"In a few years, those two will have become Integrity Knights for real," Fanatio said. "And from what I've heard, there's a few very promising trainees from the North Centoria Imperial Sword Mastery Academy. Friends of Kirito's and Eugeo's, I think." She must mean Ronie and Tiese. I'm not sure 'friend' quite captures everything going on there, though.
"That's good, then. I can head off to America with no worries... Well, some worries. Apparently it snows a lot there in the winter."
"Snows, eh? Like the mountains, then. Make sure you bundle up."
I laughed. "Yes, Mama. I will."
"Your mother, hmm?" Fanatio smiled. "I'd offer to let you snuggle close if you got cold, but that won't help in the real world."
"I get the feeling that if I tried that in the real world, your body would be colder than mine." It was a little jarring to touch Ritsu's skin sometimes, since she was always at room temperature...
Fanatio giggled. "Hee hee! I'd wrap you up in a blanket and use a Thermal Element to start a fire, and we'd sit together in front of it. We wouldn't want you catching a cold, would we?"
There was something about the earnest and gentle kindness coming from the older woman that I definitely appreciated. I guess... Maybe teasing her by calling her 'Mama' wasn't too far off. She'd make a good mother one day, I think.
Still, I wasn't just going to let her get away with teasing me for free. "You're just saying that to get a reaction out of me."
"Well, not totally. I do wish to thank you, for returning my emotions to me," Fanatio said, and I blinked in surprise. "I had thrown them away to be even stronger in battle... but after sparring with you over and over again, I realized that you were treating me as a human, regardless of my gender. That melted my heart again. I can live honestly now. And that's why I want to thank you, to do any small thing to show my gratitude. And if that means holding you close to warm you in turn... that wouldn't be close to repaying you."
"I... Fanatio..."
Her intense stare suddenly softened and she giggled again. "And it's also because you're fun to tease, boya. You think you're so controlled, and then I tease you and you get all red in the cheeks."
"Tch." I clicked my tongue and looked away. "So much for being a good Mama. You're just bullying me! Harassment! Mean!"
Fanatio ruffled my hair again. "You keep calling me Mama, you know. I wonder if I really should come into the baths and make sure you wash properly."
"Ugh... What would you do if I said yes, though? If I said 'Fanatio, please come wash my back! I'll wash yours too!'"
Fanatio's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Well, if I'm your mama, then I might take you over my knee and give you a spanking for teasing me like that."
I shook my head and laughed. "Go embarrass Dakira instead before people overhear and come to a misunderstanding, you tease."
"Don't you mean Mama, boya~?"
I just sighed as Fanatio walked off giggling to herself. I'm glad she's feeling better, at least. Even if it meant being embarrassed...
Anyway, I'd better get to the baths and wash up quickly. Otherwise, I'll be late to log into ALO!
...
Friday, August 14th, 2026
Log Cabin, 22nd Floor, New Aincrad
"We made it," I called out as we opened the wooden door.
Alice was sitting on the couch in the log cabin when I walked in, Argo and Sinon following behind me. The blonde knight had been working hard at leveling up her skills the last few days, though she'd been a bit hesitant for a while. Something about how 'hunting' monsters wasn't giving proper thanks to Terraria for her blessings.
Fortunately, having a goal seemed to cheer her up and point her in the right direction, and Alice had chosen to become a dragoon. I think mentioning that transferring Amayori across the network might eventually be possible had spurred her to choose that approach.
That's why she was playing as a Cait Sith in the first place. Not for the cute widdle ears or the fluffy tail, but because it would make her goal a little more attainable. Very practical. Very Alice.
But oh well. The golden-furred avatar was still adorable, even if my big sister hated it when I told her that.
"Rythin, welcome - what are you wearing?"
I giggled and swished around in my gorgeous skirt. "Do you like it? I think I look pretty, don't you?"
There really was only one reason Argo and Sinon would want me to be logged in a few hours early to ALO, and that was to sit me down and transform my appearance into a pretty girl. Both of them had spent most of the time fussing over my makeup, not to mention the casual, cute clothing they'd decided to make me wear.
This was my 'punishment' for worrying them, so I didn't mind the silk frills too much. But the bell ribbon on my tail and the high heels felt a little bit too attention-seeking for my tastes. Maybe some nicer boots instead of the heels...
"I, uh... I guess?" Alice fidgeted on the couch, clearly not sure what was going on.
I grinned and happily plopped myself down next to her, then flopped over onto her lap. "Mmm, you're comfy, Big Sis," I said. Alice looked down at me with wide eyes, and her fingers twitched.
"He likes it if you scratch right behind the ears," Argo said, and settled down on the couch on the other side of the table. Alice hesitantly lowered her hand and started rubbing right where Argo suggested.
"Mmmmm, that's good," I said, stretching out.
"Why are you like this...?" Alice mumbled. I grinned up at her, and she shook her head. "I'm surprised you're so calm about wearing women's clothing."
I shrugged, which was interesting to do lying on her lap. "Eh, not the first time. Plus, Argo and Shinonon worked hard to make me beautiful, so why worry?"
Sinon smirked. "You should braid his hair, Alice. Then you'd match, just like sisters."
"What?" the golden knight asked.
"Oh yeah, speaking of sisters, didn't you say Selka was starting to braid her hair more?" I asked. "I vaguely remember Ritsu telling me about that."
"You have a point... Very well." Huh? A point? "Sit up straight with your back to me, Rythin."
I blinked up at her. "Uh -"
"Sit up," she commanded again, and I sighed with defeat. Here we go, Alice in her Integrity Knight mode... I did like she told me, and Alice produced a comb and hairbrush from her inventory somewhere - Asuna or Liz must have given it to her as a welcoming present - and started running it through my hair.
Honestly, it felt pretty nice. Maybe I should grow my hair out in real life a bit too, if getting it brushed felt like this.
"...This is your going-away celebration, isn't it?" Alice asked as she worked. She didn't tug my hair at all, which was impressive.
"Yeah," I sighed. "Argo and I are leaving in a few days, so it's not immediate, but tomorrow is for packing and making sure I have everything I need before I leave. After that..." I shrugged. "We're on the flight first thing in the morning."
"Don't move, and keep your hands still," Alice scolded me, and I sat with my hands in my lap. "I will... miss you, Rythin."
I laughed. "Not like I'm going to be gone forever. I should be able to log into ALO from time to time, and if we're lucky the times will line up."
"We're gonna try to go out and explore though," Argo said. "What's th' point 'a bein' in a new country if ya don't enjoy it, right?"
Alice laughed quietly. "That is true. I know I'm doing my best to enjoy the time I spend in Japan." Once the brush and comb slid through my hair without pulling, she set them aside and gathered my hair in her hands. She started braiding it with confident movements born from years of practice.
"I'll also try to go to the Underworld if I can," I added. "That one might be a bit trickier, though. Don't know if the throughput will be enough without the STL, or if I can even use the right account."
"I see," Alice said. "Ribbon, please." Sinon handed her one from her inventory, and Alice tied off the braid with a bow to match her own. "Well? What do you think?"
I glanced at Argo and Sinon, and both girls gave a thumbs up. "The judges give it a perfect ten out of ten, I look very beautiful," I said with a smile. "Thanks, Alice."
"Sorry I'm late!" The new arrival to the log cabin folded her metallic, gear-like wings back into her back. Her purple twintails settled down as she stepped inside. "I still don't know to use the free flight very well," Ritsu said. "I think I almost have it - oh! Rythin, you look very pretty. Did Alice braid your hair?"
Ritsu's equipment was light and almost looked like a school uniform - I guess it's just a thing with Leprechauns in our friend group to not wear real armor. Her hair had started off as a pretty silver, like all Leprechauns, but she'd spent some of RATH's funds to customize the appearance to match her real-life design. When I asked her why she'd chosen a Leprechaun, she giggled and told me she liked making weapons, which made sense.
"She did," I said. "It was Sinon's idea."
"It looks lovely," Ritsu assured me. I guess if my girlfriends liked it, I didn't mind that much. "I hope I'm not late for the party."
"Yer right on time, Ricchan. C'mon, take a seat," Argo told her. "A-chan's workin' hard makin' tasty meals fer everyone, an' th' other gals are out finishin' up a quest, somethin' ta do with th' Angel's Ring."
Ritsu sat down next to Argo and casually gripped her hand, locking fingers together quite adorably. "I could smell it before I landed. It smells wonderful."
"Nya hah hah! A-chan'll love ta hear that."
"Where's Kirito?" I asked.
Sinon smiled and shook her head. "I asked Yui when I logged in, and she said he was busy doing homework."
I sighed. "Sounds about right..." Sometimes I wonder about his priorities. Even though we'd lost a few weeks here and there, Asuna should have managed to scold him into finishing his assignments.
Alice's hand found my head again and started scratching idly, and I leaned into the touch happily. For a few minutes, I drifted off while Alice petted me and the girls talked about Argo's progress in packing. When I heard some talk outside, though, my eyes opened and I sat up.
The little noise Alice made probably wasn't disappointment or anything like that, but her hand hovered in the air for a second.
"We made it back!" Liz called out as they entered the house. Leafa and Silica were right behind her. Din and Yui flew in behind them; the 'Girls Operation Squad' as Liz, Leafa, and Silica had started calling themselves had borrowed the two young AIs for help with the quest. Din landed on Ritsu's lap and cuddle up happily, while Yui sped straight for the kitchen.
(When things had... resolved themselves, I'd been a little worried about how Din would take the news. But he got along with Ritsu just fine, even if he blushed the first time he called her 'Mama' and refused to come out after Argo and I teased him.)
"Welcome back," Asuna called out from the kitchen. "Tea is already on the table."
Oh, so it was. Asuna already had a pot of tea and teacups on the table. I'd totally missed them entirely, focused on Alice like that.
The girls settled down comfortably with their teacups and sipped. "Oh, it's a nice one today," Silica said. "I love the sweetness of the fruit flavor."
It did smell nice.
Asuna started bringing the dishes out and setting them up on the table - a stew that smelled fantastic, and very familiar. "No way, Asuna!" I said. "This isn't..."
"Fu fu fu. Of course it is," Asuna said with a proud smile. "Kirito worked hard on finding the ingredients."
Ragout Rabbit Stew... Hah. Wow, it had been a long time since I'd tasted it. And to think that I got to eat it fresh from the stewpot...! How amazing.
"Don't start the party without us!" Klein called out as he stepped into the log cabin. "We're here too!"
"Pardon us," Agil rumbled. I waved hello to them and to their credit, neither man missed a beat seeing me all dressed up.
Asuna looked around and smiled. "Any more people and we might need to go outside," she said.
"I don't think the Sleeping Knights are coming, so we should be fine," I said. They were our friends, but this gathering was really just for our group, the core friends. After all, it was a farewell party for me and Argo. "Leafa, how long until your brother shows up?"
Leafa sighed. "I checked before I logged in, and he said forty-five minutes, but that was an hour ago..."
Light flashed and Kirito appeared, standing in the center of the room. "About time, slowpoke!" Liz called out. "Food's getting cold!"
"Oh man, I almost missed out on Asuna's cooking," Kirito groaned as he sank into his usual chair. "But I made it."
"Okay, everyone! Let's dig in!" Asuna said.
...
"Mmm, this is delicious!" Silica said as she smiled around a bite of fluffy cake.
Alice smiled. "This was marvelous, Asuna. Thank you." I guess I'm glad they're getting along. Though, no matter how hard she tried to be the presentable knight, I saw those cake crumbs on her cheek.
"I'm glad everyone liked it," Asuna said. "It's nice to get to eat sweets like this without worrying about the calories."
Liz sighed. "Ugh, don't remind me. My Augma was complaining earlier."
"Eh? I don't have a problem with it, though," Leafa said. Some of the other girls grumbled about her carefree life, and I smiled.
"...So, this is it, huh?" Klein said. "You're heading out in a few days, right?"
Argo and I nodded. "Yeah," I said. Yui floated down over to my lap and transformed into her cute young girl appearance. She wrapped her arms around me and nuzzled into my chest, making a quiet 'wuuuu' noise, and I patted her back. "I should still be able to log into ALO and stuff, but it might be rough, trying to meet up with everyone."
Kirito sipped at his tea. "And what about the Underworld?"
"That one's probably going to be out of my reach for a while," I said. "I'm pretty sure my account details are locked to the STLs." I grinned. "You'll just have to step up and handle things for me, right, Kirito?"
"Eheheh... That might be rough, with focusing on exams..."
"Don't worry," Alice told me. "I will make sure that the Underworld is safe in your absence. It is my duty as an Integrity Knight, after all."
Yui pulled away from me and squirmed so that she was sitting happily on my lap. "And we can always talk to Uncle Rythin, Aunt Argo, and Din through the Seed Nexus," she said. "So it's not like you're unreachable!"
"Yeah, you're right, Lil' Yui," Klein said with a grin. "You're not getting away from us that easily, you two!"
I laughed happily. Like I'd ever want to get away from these people. They're all so precious to me...
"We'll do our best to keep in touch," I promised.
Sinon turned to Argo. "And you have to send pictures if you get him to wear cute clothes and makeup," she said.
Argo nodded seriously. "It's a promise," she said.
At least they're having fun.
Sunday, August 16th, 2026
Kana and I sat next to each other at the airport, our backpacks in front of us. I was a little bit sad about leaving my precious desktop computer at home - it was a really nice setup! - but the laptop in my backpack would have to do. The rest of our luggage had been checked in already; the dorms would take care of most of what we needed, so all we really needed was our clothes, VR devices, bedding, and other necessities like soap, shampoo, and makeup.
"Finally here," Kana said. "We're really doin' this?"
"Yeah, we are," I said. "From what I heard, we're gonna be in dorm rooms near each other, so you can come visit whenever you want."
Kana giggled. "Don't want ta make yer roomie jealous. Ya know who they are, yet?"
"Not yet. I guess we'll meet when we get there."
"Now boarding. Gate C3. Now boarding."
I exchanged a quick glance with my lovely girlfriend and we both stood up. That was our flight, so it was time to get going. We'd already said goodbye to everyone in ALO, and even had a more intimate goodbye with Ritsu had been the night before. Well, 'intimate'... Ritsu had just insisted on cuddling with me and Argo all night in ALO before we logged out.
"I'm gonna miss 'em," Kana said quietly.
"I... yeah. Same, catling. At least we'll get to see them during winter break and over the summers, right?"
We got onto the plane and settled into our seats; me in the aisle and Kana with the window seat. The stewardess ran through the usual pre-flight safety speech, and I kinda zoned out. My phone was on airplane mode so I couldn't access the internet, but that didn't stop me from flicking through my apps.
"...Huh? Nick! Look!"
Kana patted my arm and I looked over at her. She was staring out the window and I peered through next to her.
"...Hahaha... Of course they'd do this," I said.
Everyone was standing by the viewing windows, waving goodbye. Kazuto, Asuna, and Sugu... Rika and Keiko, Klein and Agil, and Shino. And even, to my huge surprise, Alice and Ritsu. I definitely hadn't seen this coming...
I shook my head and wiped at my eyes. "Idiots," I muttered. "They don't even know where we're sitting."
Kana laughed. "Nya hah hah! Look at ya, gettin' all teary."
"Shut up, catling. Like you're not crying too." Despite my best attempts, a few tears trickled down my cheeks, and I blinked them away. "But we should say bye with a smile, right?"
Kana giggled. "Nyeheheh. Ya got a point, Nick."
The two of us waved goodbye out the window, even though there was no way they'd see us, and then settled back in our seats as the plane taxied down the runway.
As it soared into the sky, Kana gripped my hand and I smiled.
Guess it's time we find our new adventure, huh?
Whew… The end of the story, and the end of Nightblade as a whole!
It's been probably eight years by the time this chapter is posted – eight years of working on this series. I poured a lot of energy and time into it, and thank you all so very much for coming on this journey with me.
As for the end of the series, it's just wrapping up the last two episodes of the anime since they kinda merge the two bits here. The main differences on this one are, since the Underworld never accelerated, none of those changes happened – and because everyone logged out there's no such thing as the Star King.
Rythin being an Integrity Knight gives him certain excuses to dive into the Underworld, so that's why he got to spend some time saying goodbye. The characterization of them came straight from SAO Lycoris, and it's probably the best characterization of the Knights I've ever seen so of COURSE we're using it. (Except Fanatio dating Dakira, that's not from Lycoris but I ship it and she survived so yay~. My one regret is that I don't get to play around with her character in this story because it never fit anywhere...)
And then naturally this story needed a Rythin crossdressing section, so that's happened in the farewell party. He's gotten pretty used to dressing up as a girl by now, huh? Alice also got dragged into making him pretty, though she didn't mind all that much once she realized what she was looking at.
The very end of the story, then, was the final time we'll see this Kana and Nick. Say goodbye, everyone!
Future plan section:
Unital Ring… Those of you who are paying attention to that might be wondering what will happen, but I have no plans to adapt it at this point. Obviously, Kana and Nick leaving for America will kinda screw up their presence in the story; if the plot of that story arc happens at all considering the Star King doesn't exist and Higa never made a copy of Kirito's Fluctlight.
Progressive, though? That's a maybe. Don't expect to see anything, but there's something appealing about early-timeline Rythin showing back up… I might go for it, I might not. We'll see how things shake out. Though, looking at the Progressive movie, I wouldn't hold my breath. (Maybe I'll write Nightblade Progressive out of spite for how bad that movie is.)
Seriously, thank all of you so much for reading this silly story. I'm beyond floored that not only did I get some readers, some of you stuck around through this entire eight years.
Thank you for reading first and foremost! But also, to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed – seeing that people actually cared kept me writing it.
See you all in my next story, whatever it may be!
If you really enjoyed the story and want to show appreciation, consider heading over to my Ko-Fi page! I do not and will not hold stories hostage behind paywalls (hence this is only posted at the end of the story!) but any donations would be very appreciated.
