Embarking next to the Kuroba household in Shirokane, Haruyuki could not help but feel a little nervous. This was the first time he had ever entered a house of this scale. Compared to the time he visited Suginami Noh – a school for developing talent in the art of Noh, which was also Utai's house – this was on a much different level.

"Please come in. Okaa-sama's a little busy now, but she will visit shortly."

As he stepped foot on the place, Haruyuki marveled at the vast decorum of the place, which he felt similar to Kuroyukihime's own house in Asagaya.

"Don't be so tense. My mother's… well, she's not so much as scary as you think, but-"

"So, this boy… is Asuna-san's 'hope', hmm?"

"Uup!", Haruyuki got a little tensed hearing that smooth, somewhat cold voice coming from behind.

He turned his head and saw a woman who possessed a rather mystifying beauty, wearing a black dress just like Kuroyukihime. After seating herself in a rather elegant manner, she looked at Haruyuki with eyes that could seemingly draw in one's soul to her. Haruyuki thought he saw the silhouette of a demon with four arms behind her – most likely the woman's true form, a sharp contrast from Asuna's angelic presence that he just witnessed a while back.

"You've probably heard of me at this point, but anyways, I'm Kamura Shikimi. Nice to meet you."

"Ni-Nice to meet you. I'm Arita Haruyuki."

Of course, Haruyuki tensed up a little while speaking to her. After all, this was the mother of his now girlfriend whom she had said she didn't really have a good relationship with. If he ever got off on the wrong foot, he feared that they would take Kuroyukihime away from him too.

As if sensing Haruyuki's turmoil, Shikimi spoke calmly, trying to ease the atmosphere around them:

"Don't look so shocked. I do understand you are after my Sayuki-chan's heart."

"Urk! Mother, could you please not make such grotesque implications about us!?", Kuroyukihime sharply sounded, to which Shikimi coolly responded:

"Don't worry, I do know how you two got to meet, beyond just going to the same school. Cosmos Corrupt, was it?"

Trial #3: Cosmos Corrupt 2040. The third among three games that was supposed to be top-secret among the masses because of the powers it bestowed, kept mostly a secret by the children who play it. So far, Yuuji's parents – the developers of the accelerated world themselves – were the only adults who had any sort of knowledge about it.

"But… how did you…", Haruyuki looked over to Kuroyukihime and Enju, both of whom had faces that suggest they didn't tell her anything.

"In a sense, I was the one who oversaw the creation of the accelerated world alongside Kirito-san and Asuna-san, and gave Enju-chan the privileges to enter it, who in turn passed it on to Sayuki-chan."

"Oversaw… its development?"

"I assume Asuna-san told you one half of the story, did she not?"

"Y-Yes… she did…"

"What she did not tell you was that neither Enju-chan nor Sayuki-chan were among the hundred Originators for Trial #1 and #2 respectively. Simply put, those two did not want my children in their world, even though I gave birth to them specifically for that purpose. As a result, they had to be granted copies from an external source."

"But why? Why would you do such a thing?"

"Hmm… If I had to say, maybe it's because I loved the virtual world, perhaps more deeply than anyone. Think about it, a world of endless possibilities. It's just a shame that it had to be plagued with such hatred and resentment.", Shikimi pondered with a brief hint of sadness on her face. She then quickly returned to her smiling face and continued: "And yet there are those who believe in such things like hope and love, who remain defiant even in the toughest of times."

Pausing for a bit, Shikimi turned over to face Kuroyukihime.

"I was interested in how they acquired such power, enough to conquer the deepest darkness and disrupt even the balance of the virtual world itself. Then when I heard they gave birth to a child inside that world, I was really happy. I thought, at the very least, I would have the answer on how to overcome the system that is the virtual world. Though it seems like her real power came from within you."

"That so…", Haruyuki responded with a peculiar indifference on his face. In truth, he was bottling the rage inside him: "Creating your daughter artificially… and then subjecting her to acts of cruelty in the accelerated world… how can you call yourself her mother?", but after exchanging a brief glance with Kuroyukihime, he knew it was best not to say anything.

"And with that, I believe I've answered your question. Unless you have more things to ask? Though I'm sure Enju-chan must've told you the rest already, which is why you came here."

"No, no, that's all.", Haruyuki stammered a bit, which made Shikimi chuckle.

"You really are a curious fellow. No wonder Asuna-san was so interested in you. Well, in any case, I look forward to seeing what kind of future you will bring."

"So does that mean…", Haruyuki asked with great anticipation.

"Yes, I'm giving you permission to date her. But on one condition."

As she said that, Shikimi lifted one finger.

"From now on, you are responsible for her happiness. If you are unable to satisfy her in some way, we will call her back."

"Yes!", Haruyuki exclaimed, unable to contain his happiness at that. But Kuroyukihime nudged him from the side and responded:

"Come on, don't get too excited now. We still got a long road ahead of us."

"Yes…", he said again, a bit lower voice this time.

And thus, they were sent off at around 7:00 pm just before dinner, after which they went to their respective homes. However, the day was not over yet.