R.I.P. Billy Kametz, English voice of Josuke Higashikata (1987-2022). You will be missed and remembered.

Taito (Okachimachi), Tokyo, June 12th, 2024

It wasn't exactly easy convincing her father that she had somewhere to be, but she was thankful that he trusted her at least enough to let her go.

Taking a car to Okachimachi, she gazed out the window, drinking in the sights of the city. After being surrounded by medieval towns and fantastical landscapes during her stay in Aincrad, she didn't know how to feel, suddenly back in the real world.

The bitter smell of city smog returns to her memory, the overwhelming noise of urban traffic and chatter fills her ears once again. It's all something wholly familiar, yet feels so oddly foreign after leaving it behind for so long.

Exiting the car and stepping into the streets of Okachimachi, she was greeted by the busy sea of a crowd, stirring and swirling through the streets, moving from store to stall, never a dull moment to spare amidst the afternoon rush of the market district.

Small-time establishments lined the blocks down the street, some selling snacks made fresh at stalls on the side of the road, while patrons chatted and mingled amongst themselves, moving in and out of buildings while keeping the energy high and soaring.

Asuna looked over the photograph one more time, thinking over what she was about to do, what she could expect from this new development. After two months of drifting aimlessly without any tangible goal within reach, Asuna was at her wit's end until she was approached by Jotaro the other day.

Finally seeing a trail laid before her, something she could reach for and latch onto, Asuna had no idea what she thought would happen. She could only guess what Jotaro had in store to explain himself, or if her faith was well-placed. However, she couldn't turn down this opportunity after feeling utterly directionless for so long.

She swore she'd never give up on Kazuto, never abandon him or leave him behind. She remembered the day they both swore they would lean on one another and never let go. She didn't hesitate to question Jotaro's invitation. Not while the light at the end of the tunnel was finally within view.

Stopping in front of a small shop down the street, Asuna took a moment to double-check the address given to her on her phone and cross-referenced it with her map.

Looking up, she scanned the exterior of the building, her eyes locking onto a sign at the door, bearing the emblem of a pair of dice over the establishment's name, The Dicey Café.

With that, Asuna was sure.

"Yep, definitely the place. Here goes nothing…"

Placing a hand on the door handle and pulling, Asuna stepped inside the Café and took a good look around.

Despite its name, Asuna felt it was more fitting to call it a bar, particularly with the counter at the end of the facility, several round tables populating the area between the bar and her position at the front door. Overall, she could call it a humble place, not too big, but definitely had the space to host a generously sized party. Adding to that was a homely atmosphere thanks to the wooden walls and warm yellow lights, creating a comforting and relaxing air that would surely satisfy visitors.

Posters and neon signs lined the walls, adding splashes of colors against the humble brown of the wood, along with the shelves upon shelves of liquor and alcohol lining the wall behind the bar counter.

However, as soon as Asuna walked in, she noticed immediately that she was not the only patron. Aside from her, four people shared the café, all seated at the bar.

The first she could identify was of course, Jotaro. His attire of a white longcoat and cap and massive stature singled him out immediately as he drank from a glass of Scotch on the rocks. The second was an older man she was unfamiliar with. His head was hidden under a wide-brimmed hat that barely obscured silver-gray hair, his body obscured by a beige trench coat. Holding a glass of his own, Asuna watched as the older man turned his head to Jotaro and laughed, tinkling mischief heard in his voice.

Much to her shock, Asuna was surprised as she scanned her eyes over the last two people, recognizing both of them. The first, a young girl who looked absolutely tiny next to the large men, but from her appearance looked to be around her own age. If her short blonde hair with two tiny curls atop wasn't a dead giveaway, the scheming glint of greed that lingered in her eyes couldn't possibly be mistaken for anyone else.

Finally, the man behind the bar cleaning a glass with a rag in hand bore an appearance she'd recognize anywhere. Swapping out his armor for a white dress shirt, the dark-skinned man looked just as he did manning his shop back in Aincrad. Looking up from his work, the man found Asuna's eyes as his hands stopped, before a warm smile emerged on his lips.

"Well, look who decided to swing by!"

This prompted the other three to turn her way, as the girl jumped from her stool, an excited glow in her eyes as a familiar fanged smile showed itself between her lips.

Laughing with a smile of her own, Asuna waved in greeting to the others, glad to finally meet some of her old friends from Purple Rain here in the real world.

"Hey, Agil. It's nice to see you again!"

The blonde girl let out a familiar raucous laugh of her own as she slapped both her hands onto Asuna's, grinning widely.

"Hey, now! That there's my line! It's so great to finally meet ya in the flesh, Aa-chan!"

Asuna laughed as she shared in Argo's joy, or at least the girl behind the Rat's avatar. Taking a closer look, the young girl embracing her was certainly Argo with her fanged smile and blonde hair, but left her cheeks unmarked as opposed to the whisker tattoos she would become known for in Aincrad.

"I gotta say, I knew you were quite the looker in-game, but fer once reality ain't disappointin'! Yer a blessed girl, y'know that?" the girl snickered, as Asuna rolled her eyes, turning her gaze back to the wily weasel.

"Oh, stop it… Still, aren't you a sight for sore eyes? I didn't expect to see you here, Argo." Asuna smiled, leading the girl to raise an eyebrow before sighing and extending a hand out to her.

"Oh right, you don't know my real name yet. Name's Tomo Carina Hosaka. Pleasure doin' business with ya, Aa-chan!" The girl she now knew as Tomo winked as she flashed another grin her way.

Asuna stared at the girl's open hand before shaking it with her smile remaining bright. "Asuna Yuuki. It's nice to meet you in person, Tomo."

"Not really the reunion I had in mind, but I'm so glad to meet you two in person. Hope we can get the rest of the gang back here in time." Agil chuckled from behind the bar as the two other men at the counter looked on, allowing the friends to share their moment.

Asuna looked up as she heard Agil's comment, her smile dimming as she remembered why she was here, walking past Tomo and reaching the bar counter.

"Yeah, we will. I know it. Is that why you called me here?"

Asuna turned to Jotaro, who took another drink from his glass before slamming it down on the counter, leading Agil to pick it up.

"Straight to business. Right. Gramps?"

The large man turned to the older man also seated at the bar as he cleared his throat, removing his hat with a gloved hand to reveal a handsome, yet noticeably aged face. Facing Asuna, she could see a pair of eyes that conveyed that very familiar spirit and kindness, all while his chuckle and mischievous demeanor reminded her so very much of a certain Stand user.

"Alright, alright. Cut your old man some slack, Jotaro…"

"My name is Joseph Joestar. I'm… Josuke's father."

Asuna gasped as her eyes widened. Asuna had known that Josuke's family was by no means unremarkable, she hadn't expected such a significant figure like Joseph Joestar to claim to be his family, much less his father.

"Josuke never revealed this, did he? I'm not surprised. The circumstances of his… conception are sore spots to him, and I can't blame him. I haven't been the best father either, and if he resents me for that, resents me for giving him that game, I won't hold it against him. Still, I love my son all the same, and I will devote all I have to return him to the real world." Joseph declared, leading Asuna to grasp a fist over her heart and ponder his words, looking up to see the man looking into her eyes.

"Will you help me, Asuna?"

Asuna didn't stop to think on her decision. Why else had she come so far, come all this way to meet with them? The decision was final long ago as she nodded.

"I will. Where do we begin? What was that photo you sent me?"

Asuna asked the Joestars, as the two men turned to each other, nodded and then turned to the noise of Tomo clearing her throat and snapping her fingers, Agil sighing as he passed her a glass of her own. Sipping from it, Tomo let out a satisfied sigh as she set it down, turning her attention to Asuna.

"Flashback to 'bout two years ago, the SAO crisis well underway. With goodwill for the company all but dry, Argus shuts down for good and the entire future of VR industry is stuck in limbo threatenin' to boil over and die, had a certain rival company not swooped in, claimin' VR assets and ownership of the SAO servers. Sure you're real familiar with 'em, Aa-chan~" Tomo trilled as Asuna caught on.

"RECT Progress. Yes, I know. What about them?"

"Well… with the entire future of VR gamin' on the fritz, RECT saw it fit to pump some life back into it! Enter RECT's own original new IP to overtake the world and leave SAO behind in the dirt!"

With a flamboyant twirl, Tomo retrieved a thin rectangular case from her coat and placed it onto the bar counter for Asuna to see. Picking it up, Asuna looked over the cover, lifting an eyebrow as she saw the game's cover art. Plastered in front of a lush green forest and a moonlit night sky were two characters, one male and the other female. Both were suspended above the ground and hovered amongst the canopy with the aid of a pair of shimmering wings.

Like those of fairies.

To cap it off in stylized lettering, the title displayed itself boldly under the fairies, allowing Asuna to read it out loud.

"ALfheim Online…"

"Yep. ALO for short, this here game's a VRMMO that came out with RECT's own virtual reality rig, the Amusphere. With the SAO incident puttin' the whole industry into question, RECT was able to restore faith in VR gaming by playin' their advertising into the Amusphere's safety. Easier to put on and remove, less power into its system functions, and with many safety measures to ensure ain't no SAO incident'll be repeatin' itself anytime soon." Tomo explained as Asuna listened intently, remembering what she had been hearing from her father and from Sugou about RECT and their interest in virtual reality.

"RECT Progress has been managing projects in VR ever since SAO dropped, and a huge part of that is owed to my friendship with Kayaba."

"Tell me more about the game." Asuna demanded, leading Tomo to flash a grin her way.

"Like I said, it's a VRMMO just like SAO, but with a few key differences. Fer one, Sword Skills got the boot, and so players use their own skill to swing their weapons, so to balance that we got a magic system and ranged weapons like bows. Second, players are split into nine different races of fairy, each with a specialization that makes 'em unique. Lastly, since the lot of 'em players are fairies, we got a flight system, lettin' any player spread their wings and take to the skies!"

Asuna continued to listen with intrigue as she stared at the game box, letting her mind wander. She thought back to the wild and wondrous world of Aincrad, all the different landscapes that decorated all one hundred floors. She could only imagine what could be waiting in this new game, a world where she could not only wander but soar high above the land below.

However, she shook these thoughts out of her head as she remembered why she was here.

"I-I don't follow. What does this have to do with that photo you sent me? Was it-"

"Apparently so. Perhaps we should start by explaining some things. Just like Josuke, Jotaro and I possess Stands of our own. Jotaro?" Joseph interjected.

Asuna's eyes widened in surprise as she heard this, Jotaro sighing as he produced a generously sized polaroid camera from his coat and placed it on the table. "Good grief, Gramps. I've seen you use it on TV screens and computers. You even tried a smartphone. Yet here I am lugging these damn things around."

With that, Joseph chuckled as he winded his hand back in a chopping position. "Hehehe! Jotaro, sometimes you have to understand that familiarity makes things the most consistent! How more reliably can I demonstrate my ability to young Asuna here?"

"Without further ado…"

Joseph took a deep breath, before his eyes flared open, flashing with a familiar spiritual energy.

"HERMIT PURPLE!"

Asuna couldn't see whatever Stand he possessed, but that was at the back of her mind as her jaw dropped, watching Joseph split the camera through in a single powerful chop of his hand, chunks of metal flying about as Tomo and Agil were left speechless much like she was.

After a beat of silence, the camera sputtered to life, coughing out a single sheet of a photograph with Joseph retrieved between his fingers, flipping it to reveal its contents to Asuna. Asuna watched the photo light up and reveal an image. Much to her surprise, she gasped to see the photo was identical to the one she had been sent the other day by Jotaro.

"My Stand, Hermit Purple, has the ability to project divinations and directions onto anything that can form images, showing me what I want to know. I used this power to find out the root of the peril faced by the SAO survivors, and this image was the result." Joseph explained, as Tomo picked up the photograph, her free hand scratching her chin as she nodded.

"Yep, no denyin' it. That's ALfheim Online. More specifically, Yggdrasil, the World Tree. See, turns out every race in the game's competin' to complete the quest at the Tree first, as for details, I'm not entirely certain, but from what I can gather, it's essentially the Grand Quest of the game, and it's so impossibly hard that nobody's pulled it off yet." Tomo hummed, as Asuna interrupted again.

"H-hold on… are you telling me that you believe our answers for this mystery are in there? In the game?"

Jotaro sighed as he drank from his glass again. "It's our best bet. The fact that Stand users have been reported there certainly isn't any coincidence either. From what I've been hearing, ALO has kept their existence in the game without issue, and the playerbase has even gotten more familiar with them. Something's definitely wrong here, no doubt about it."

Asuna took a moment to pause, taking in all this information she was being fed, before she recounted what she had heard the other day.

"So this is the VR project for Stands? It's just like SAO all over again…"

Jotaro and Joseph raised their eyebrows as they heard this from her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Kayaba told us that he created SAO to bring Stands into the public eye, make it so everybody could see them and become aware of their existence. If that's what he meant, then… what do you want me to do?"

The two Joestars looked at each other, then at Asuna. "We need evidence. Data, files, a testimony. Anything that could incriminate RECT for their crime. The way we are, we can't press accusations on RECT directly in public, lest we make this any harder or longer than it potentially is. If RECT really is holding the SAO survivors hostage, and the game is where we'll find our answers, it'll be best if we do this discreetly, without anyone from RECT catching on. If push comes to shove, at the least we're hoping to save the survivors if they're hidden in the game somewhere."

Jotaro's expression then hardened as he stared Asuna directly in the eyes.

"Asuna, I know I'm asking a lot out of you, especially with everything you've had to go through to move on from Sword Art Online, but I don't think anyone else is more qualified to call upon for this, with your experience in the virtual world and fighting other Stand users. So… will you-"

"I'll do it."

Jotaro stopped as his eyes widened in diameter by a centimeter, taken aback at her immediate response, Asuna's face determined and serious.

"I'm tired of waiting. Tired of sitting around and wondering if I even had that strength I harbored in Aincrad if I'm so weak in the real world. I came here knowing what I was getting into, and I'm not backing down when my friends' lives are at stake. I swore I'd never fold back there, so who would I be if I did now? Besides, it's no death game, is it?" Asuna declared, standing with her palms on the table, all present staring at her in awe.

Joseph let out a sigh as he removed his hat from his head and placed it on the bar.

"Words can't convey my gratitude, young Asuna. We'll lend you an Amusphere to play the game on, and we'll await results from your investigation. Find a way to reach the World Tree and uncover any clues as to the wherabouts of the survivors." Joseph smiled as Asuna nodded, taking the game box in her hand and sorting her things, preparing to leave.

"You can count on me, sir. Still, Agil? Argo? I could use your help. Are you-" Asuna asked the two fellow survivors before the two shook their heads in protest.

"Sorry, Asuna. I've done a lot of thinkin' 'bout this, but I don't think I'm ready just yet to dive back in. Don't think a lot of us survivors are, with all the demons that lingered from the death game. Still, on the bright side, that means ya won't have to worry 'bout people recognizin' you in there." Tomo sighed as Agil spoke up.

"Same goes here. I'd love to join you, but I got a wife and a café to take care of, plus she'd kill me if she saw me diving in again. Tell you what, bring them back, then we'll celebrate properly!"

Asuna nodded as she grabbed her bag, stuffing the game inside as she turned around towards the door.

"Asuna?"

She turned around at the sound of Joseph's voice, watching as he shot her a look she'd seen Josuke wear several times in the game, a look he would give when his words held all the weight he could muster.

"Bring my son home. Please…"

Asuna was close with her father, that much was enough for her to see Joseph's stance and exactly what he was feeling. She thought back on how she felt about her own family and how close she was with them. She certainly loved her parents and her brother, but she could only imagine how they felt as she was stuck in the death game. Her mother was not one to openly display affection, as she was not a very outwardly emotional woman, but Asuna could very clearly see she had her daughter's best interests in mind with her decisions. Her father, on the other hand was busy most of the time, but she did treasure the time he spared for her alone.

Asuna was grateful for her parents, and for a brief moment, she could only imagine how Josuke would feel to see his own father appearing so vulnerable and in distress over his plight.

She made a mental note then, to make sure that he would know as soon as she rescued him.

"You have my word, Mr. Joestar." With a smile, she opened the door and exited the bar.

Player Profile:

The Rat, Argo – A girl with intuition only matched by her sheer greed, the Rat is a sly weasel with eyes and ears everywhere. Anything and everything one might need to know in any game, she has the answers, so long as one has the means to pay handsomely for it.

Real Name: Tomo Carina Hosaka

Born: April 22nd, 2007

Stand Name: N/A

Favored Armament: Claws

Loves: Money

Yuuki Residence, Setagaya, Tokyo, June 13th, 2024

Holding the device in her hands, Asuna couldn't help but feel hesitant.

She was sitting in her room, atop her soft bed in her pajamas as she stared at the Amusphere she held over her lap.

From a glance, the device held some clear differences from the original design of the NerveGear. As opposed to the rather bulky helmet design of the Nervegear, the Amusphere was more of a visor, a ring of metal with a glass sheet over the eyes. In her hands, the device was considerably lighter than the older gear, which did offer some comfort in easing her anxiety.

She remembered receiving the device at her doorstep, dropped off as a package meant for her. While her father had questions, telling her that he would have given her one had she asked, she understood that he respected her apprehension for owning an Amusphere after working through her trauma from SAO. So when the package arrived, she elected to explain that she had simply asked a friend for one, as they were hoping to ease through her trauma one step at a time by playing on the Amusphere a bit to test the waters.

While not a perfectly airtight explanation, Shouzou nonetheless folded and raised no objections, leading to her staring the device down directly, wondering what to do now.

She turned to the nightstand beside her bed, where she had placed the ALO box. She remembered that fateful day, everything in place as it was then.

It was a cloudy day out, but she remembered sitting in her room just like this, in her hands a larger rig, her heart filled with curiosity about the possibilities of the virtual world. A time before she gained the courage to lead armies, before she knew the meaning of true love, before she learned what it truly meant to live.

She reflected on all she had experienced in SAO, all she had learned from her time within the death game and how it changed her for better and for worse. A cruel and grueling world, but one that had hoisted her up as much as it made her suffer. Most importantly of all, she remembered the friends she had made there, the guild that they had formed together, rising as a team to conquer the game when Heathcliff had left them to die.

Now, she stood in the same position, faced with the fear of returning to a world that stripped her bare and forced her to mature, venturing into an unknown realm to solve a mystery she hadn't the first thought as to how to approach.

Despite that, she knew exactly what had to be done, why she was doing this, and why she couldn't afford to run any longer.

With that, she retrieved the game cartridge and slotted it into the console, leaving her to place the Amusphere over her head and lie down on her back, staring up at her ceiling.

As the Amusphere's system beeped in her ears, she felt nostalgia, remembering that day she first tasted virtual reality and entered Aincrad. Back then, she had no idea what to expect. No idea what she sought in a place like Sword Art Online.

Now, everything felt clear, her mind firmly set on a single goal.

"Hold on, Kirito. I'm coming to bring you home."

Without any more doubts, she closed her eyes and stepped beyond the point of no return.

"LINK START!"

With those words, she was thrust back into the digital world.

A bright stream of colors entered her vision as a familiar scene played in before her. Flashing signals for each of her five senses lighting up green as Asuna watched the white loading screen give way to a small circular room, welcoming her to the game.

"Welcome to ALfheim Online! Please enter your gender and the name you wish to be identified as."

Looking around her, she looked ahead as a keypad appeared in front of her, asking her to enter her name.

Asuna began to type in her own name, remembering how she used to do the same for SAO, using her real name while many others used a personal username of their own. A barrier that placed a firm distinction between their real lives and the selves they forged in the virtual world. She had no such thing, she was broken down by this world, her self, her spirit, and her soul. She rebuilt herself, becoming a leader and a hero she could only dream of, so she wondered.

"What am I doing? Was Asuna in the game really that strong when I couldn't find the strength to make a difference the moment I left?"

She thought of reclaiming her tag, the name she always held, the one she brought with her to both worlds to forge her own. However, as soon as she typed in the "A", she hesitated.

She remembered her predicament and her objective, about how Sugou knew of her exploits in Sword Art Online. Especially with her father's leadership of RECT, she couldn't risk having anyone recognizing her.

"I don't know if I can trust him or if he's in on this, but I can't have him or any of the devs knowing who I am."

With that, she put a finger to her chin as she wondered what name she should give her character. A decision she hadn't really done with SAO, with her limited understanding of video games at the time. To be honest, it sent some excitement rushing through her to be doing something new in that regard.

"What would I name my own character? A fairy in an alternate world… Alfheim…"

With much deliberation, she elected to pick the first Norse-sounding name that she could pull from her brain. Entering the letters, she looked down and saw the name she'd decided on.

"Erika… Sounds good."

With a tap of the "Enter" button, she then moved on as the display changed to that of nine different character models, each a different color and design. At the sight, she recalled Tomo summarizing the game back at Dicey.

"There are nine races of fairies to choose from. Please select your race."

"Second, players are split into nine different races of fairy, each with a specialization that makes 'em unique."

Asuna realized that this decision would impact her playstyle and her character's strengths and weaknesses. Scrolling through the menu, she read through each one, their descriptions and their stats, pondering her choice thoroughly.

From damage-heavy Salamanders, summoners and archers like the Cait Siths, tanks like the Gnomes, among others, she couldn't help but imagine the downsides to picking a certain class. The Undines appealed to her, being water-based healers with a blue color scheme. However, she hesitated.

"I'd need a party to make use of healing magic, plus my damage won't be as good. Maybe not this time."

She scrolled through the blacksmith fairies, the Leprechauns, imagining with a smile Lisbeth instantly picking it. She raised an eyebrow at the Pooka race, wondering what a song-based race would be like to face off against. She looked over the Imp and Spriggan races, cocking her head as she imagined Josuke and Kirito picking these races purely for their color scheme.

Kirito did always favor dark or black clothing, even off the battlefield, his sword even being a jet black color. Meanwhile Josuke was always very conscious of his appearance, so she could easily see him going for the purple-colored race to keep his beloved aesthetic. These thoughts of her friends allowed a small giggle to escape her lips. Old times were always going to remain as treasures in her memory, even from Aincrad.

With all these other races done with, she came across the final race, reading its stats as her eyes scanned the text.

ALO Races:

Sylphs: The Emerald Wings. Rulers of the sky and wielders of the wind, the Sylphs command mastery over Aesir Magic and possess the best flight maneuverability and stamina among the races. For players seeking the thrills of prolonged high-speed flight and aerial combat.

Magic Affinity: Aesir

Perks:

- Extended flight time

- Increased air maneuverability

- Balanced Stats

Weaknesses:

- No advantages when grounded

Attack: C

Magic: B

Mana: C

Speed: B

Vitality: C

Stealth: B

Luck: C

Flight: S

"Balanced stats… Extended flight? This looks good."

Clicking on the green fairy on the selection screen, Asuna watched as the fairy entered a pose, confirming her choice.

"You have selected Sylph. Your character appearance will be randomly selected. Is that alright?"

Staring at the fairy above her and the display on the keypad below, she let out a sigh as she pressed the button to continue.

"You will now be entering Sylph territory. Good luck, player."

In a flash of light, Asuna watched the room disappear.

Sylvain, ALfheim Online (Domain: Sylphs) June 13th, 2024

The wind blowing against her face.

Her hair whipping in the powerful draft.

The sheer weightlessness of her body in freefall.

As Asuna opened her eyes, she felt all this at once as she faced the sky, her body rapidly hurtling through the night sky as her extremities lost their glow, finally materializing before her eyes.

Shifting her body weight around, Asuna looked down, facing a sight that took her breath away.

The land below was absolutely vast, a massive stretch of land stretching beyond the horizon, dotted with endless patches of lush, green forest and sparkling blue seas. While Aincrad was absolutely massive in size, the iron castle was still limited in As clouds whizzed past her, she looked down to see her destination.

A sparkling city, with a verdant light glowing from each of the massive spires that scraped the sky to the scattered buildings below from the various districts, tiny dots of people lining the streets as far as they snaked between the towers. A beautiful sight, straight out of a fantasy.

Asuna felt a smile reach her face as she gazed at the sheer beauty that surrounded her, mysterious and fantastical lands just waiting to be explored. She remembered this feeling, the anticipation, the drive to see just what awaited her in a world unlike any reality could offer. Just like that first day when she joined 10,000 people in the Town of Beginnings, eager to make the iron castle of Aincrad their own.

However, this train of nostalgic thought was abruptly cut short as she suddenly stopped mid-air.

Shifting her eyes cautiously as an overwhelming wave of dread filled her nerves, sparks flying around her as the game appeared to distort and glitch out in her surrounding area.

This was wrong.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

What was going on?

Was she going to be okay?

Asuna started to hyperventilate and sweat as she felt her heart pound in her chest.

She couldn't be stuck here in a broken game again. Not after escaping a death game once already.

WARNING: INCREASING HEARTBEAT

DISCONNECT? IF NOT CONFIRMED, WILL AUTOMATICALLY LOG OUT IN 59 SECONDS

As soon as she began to lose her nerve her vision was met with an alert, the warning sign indicating that her heartbeat was climbing rapidly, and if this were to continue, her game would automatically disconnect within the time provided and she would be forcibly logged out of the AmuSphere. The notice encouraged her to take deep breaths and calm down.

Just as she was about to begin gasping for air like she was drowning, she let out a yell as the space beneath her opened in a black void, her stasis suddenly gone as she resumed falling freely into the open maw, screaming for her life into the abyss.

ALO Magic:

AESIR: Might of the Sky Gods. The magic of the winds is the power that shapes the clouds and lifts the winged to soar the heavens above. The craft of Asgard, Aesir magic is the hallmark of those who rule the turbulent sky and all who traverse the jetstreams.

Element: Wind

Specialization: Speed, Aerial Combat

Affinity: Sylphs

Ancient Forest, ALfheim Online (Domain: Sylphs) June 13th, 2024

Asuna cringed as her back hit the ground with jarring force. She silently thanked this being a digital world, saving her the pain she would otherwise be feeling.

Taking a moment to catch her breath and calm down, she kept her eyes closed, feeling the soft grass against her back, allowing the cool night air to flow through her windpipe.

Breathe.

In, out.

In, out.

Once she felt her nerves settle, Asuna slowly opened her eyes, facing up to the sea of stars above, rimmed by the lush forest canopy. A night sky, the faint singing of crickets in the bushes. The sheer awe of it all, returning her mind to a beautifully familiar feeling.

Asuna blinked once, twice, then sighed. As a final effort, she raised her hand to her neck and between her forefinger and her thumb, pinched the thin skin lightly.

She felt her hands touch her neck, but no pain was felt. Nothing but a ticklish sensation at the point of tension.

Asuna let out a deep breath, remembering that well. For the past two months, she'd been doing this almost every night, to confirm that she wasn't stuck here again, in a prison of a world. Without that pain, she was thrown back in yet again, back in a world she had unfinished business with.

Despite all that, she managed a small smile to emerge onto her lips. For all the demons she harbored from this world, there was a certain relief in it, in this place that felt so freeing.

"I'm finally back…"

Raising her hand to the sky, Asuna smiled as she soaked in the world around her, her memories of the digital world flooding back into her like a river blessed by the rain. To be back so soon, to face this part of her yet again for the sake of her friends, it filled her with a feeling like no other, of anxiety, fear, but determination.

However, there was one final task to assure herself.

Swiping down in a motion with her hand, Asuna raised an eyebrow as nothing happened.

She tried again, but to no avail.

Before she could panic again, she did the same motion with her left hand, and much to her relief, the game menu interface appeared before her. Memories returned as muscle memory, her fingers sifting through it easily like it was a daily reflex, a trait from two entire years spent in a world such as this.

Checking the main menu, she found a button that clearly read, "Log Out."

A button that in Sword Art Online, was completely blank and served no purpose whatsoever.

Letting out a sharp sigh of relief with a smile on her face, she tapped the button as an alert popped up, asking for confirmation.

"Thank god, it's here! Oh my goodness…"

It was then that her mind was assured, this was no death game. She wouldn't be trapped here, forced to survive like she had before. Right now, she was just playing a video game, just as it was meant to be.

With that major mental roadblock out of the way, Asuna stood up as she browsed her menu further, checking her character status for her stats and appearance. Sure enough, her race was listed, along with a full character model of her avatar.

While her original avatar in SAO was a perfect recreation of her likeness in real life, the same couldn't be said for Erika. Her hair was short, just reaching above her collar, colored a bright yellow-green to match the rest of her appearance. With glowing emerald eyes and stroking her long, pointed ears, Asuna marveled as she gazed down at her clothes, a vibrant green shirt over a white skirt and boots.

Nothing remarkable or outstanding, but it did its part to make her race clear at a glance.

"This must be the default outfit." Asuna mused as she moved her eyes down to the stats sheet, where her parameters would be listed.

However, she blinked twice as she studied the list further.

"These numbers…"

It wasn't just that they were considerably higher than she'd expected them to be for a beginner stage. Not that she had any way of determining how this game differed from the last one in terms of stats. It was that she'd seen these numbers before. It couldn't possibly be a coincidence, not with everything she'd seen with how similar the UI and the menu looked and how the world felt.

Her damage reached the high hundreds, but her speed and dexterity stats were absurdly high, capping off at a thousand. There was no doubt.

"These are my SAO skills!... H-how…" Asuna gasped, taken aback.

She knew this game looked and felt eeriely similar to SAO, but she wasn't at all expecting her old data to remain here, even after that game was long dead. If she was able to hold on to this, then what else? Her gear?

As soon as her mind crossed that thought, Asuna sifted through her inventory, searching for anything she could use or recover. If she could use her trusty Lambent Light again, she'd have no problem navigating this world.

However, she opened the inventory menu, finding a stream of question marks. Tapping one of these items, she was met with a pop-up alert.

ERROR 10022-D. INVALID DATA

Asuna silently cursed under her breath as she tapped the item again, to no avail. Sighing, she searched through the menu, hoping to find at least something.

"Damn… This game should have at least a default weapon. Anything…"

Surely enough at the bottom of her screen, she spotted a beginner's weapon for her to use. A standard double-edged sword, dull and unremarkable in appearance. Scanning its stats, she retrieved the weapon and studied it as she turned it in her hand.

"A magic stat… interesting… Maybe that's why my weapons and armor won't load. SAO didn't have stuff like that anywhere."

Suddenly, she remembered something.

Gasping with wide eyes, her thoughts immediately shifted to a different matter, one that demanded her immediate and absolute attention.

"Wait… Could it-"

She prayed to any god she could bring to mind, summoned every ounce of hope within her, begging for an inkling of a chance that it was possible as she scrolled through her inventory, scouring for a single item that she had been holding onto until the end of SAO, hoping that she and Kirito would one day bring her back. Today, she was more hopeful than ever before, hoping that she had survived the collapse of the death game.

"Come on… Please, god, please…"

Surely enough, she saw it.

A single item, hidden amongst the others, with a name like no other, but one she remembered.

MHCP001.

"There!"

Wasting no time, Asuna tapped on the item, causing it to materialize in her hands. The pixels appeared over her palms, before taking the form of a familiar accessory.

A small necklace, adorned with a small sigil in the shape of a crescent moon. Not only a sacred memento of the man who gave it to her, not only a symbol of his love and hope, but the vessel that contained the greatest treasure Sword Art Online had ever given her.

Tapping on the item in the hope of a reaction, Asuna's eyes widened as the object levitated in her hands and glowed brightly, causing the girl to recoil from the sudden flash of light. Through squinted eyes, she watched with gradual awe as she saw a new form take shape within the light, that of a small girl with long, black hair and a white dress.

The sight of her instantly brought a wave of warmth through her heart and tears to Asuna's eyes as she clasped her hands over her mouth, completely speechless.

As the light began to fade and the girl's body now fully revealed, she opened a pair of large, onyx eyes to lock with Asuna's. A brief moment of silence ensued, as the world around the two seemed to stop entirely. Her eyes scanned her up and down, before widening.

"M-Mommy?"

Asuna's eyes then shed her first tears like a dam broken down, her arms opening as she smiled with pure joy.

"Yes! Yes, Yui, it's me! Welcome back!"

Yui's eyes sparkled as her own smile flashed onto her face, running to meet Asuna as they embraced, laughing and sharing in their pure, unbridled joy having finally reunited after so long. A mother and her daughter, together again against all odds.

"Mommy! I missed you so much!"

"You're okay! I'm so happy!"

At that moment, nothing else mattered. The world around them faded away as the only thing in the moment was each other. Their voices the only sounds in their ears, their shared joy harmonizing and connecting their hearts as one. As the two girls held each other close and comforted one another, for a moment, Asuna let go of her demons, let go of her desperation and trauma as she held Yui with tears spilling from her smiling face, laughing amidst her joyful cries.

After all, how could she not?

Her daughter had finally returned to her.

Weapon Showcase:

Lv. 1 One-Handed Sword: Rusted Blade – Not much of a conventional blade than a flimsy metal rod to smash attackers over the head with, but a single blade may do enough to carry one through their first steps before flying high.

Special: N/A

Enchantment: +0

Attack: 100 (E)

Magic: 100 (E)

Mana: 125 (D)

Speed: 175 (D)

Durability: 150 (D)

Range: 2m (B)

Precision: 25% (D)

Rank: Beginner (E)

Selling Price: 10 Yrd

Owner: Erika

Ancient Forest, ALfheim Online (Domain: Sylphs) June 13th, 2024

Shortly after their reunion, Asuna and Yui sat down together, resting by the bank of a river.

Asuna turned to her in-game daughter, happy to finally catch up with the little AI after so long.

"So you were with us all along?"

Yui nodded, smiling all the while.

"My perception of the outside world while I was hidden within the necklace was… blurry, for lack of a better word. However, I could still perceive what was happening around me. Sensing it, in a way." Yui explained, her hand reaching for her heart.

"I could hear you as you fought, as you celebrated. I was touched by the emotions you all expressed, all the way to the end of the game, when everything went dark." The small girl recounted, as Asuna hummed, her thoughts turning in her head.

"That sounds… I'm sorry, Yui. I wished you could have been with us at the very end. You, me… Kirito…"

Asuna then felt Yui's hand on hers as the AI gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't be sad, Mommy. I was giving you all my support by your side! And now that I'm free, I'll be right here with you, wherever you go in this new world!" Yui smiled, as Asuna did the same, warmly hugging her daughter yet again, more than happy to coddle the little AI girl and reciprocate her love tenfold. However, a thought nagged at her words.

"A new world…"

Asuna put her fingers to her chin as she pondered this, wondering what that implied, before turning to Yui for answers.

"I noticed something as I logged in here. Despite this being a new VR world, I still kept my SAO stats and items. Is this really a new world, Yui?" Asuna asked, as Yui paused to think, before offering a reply.

"Hm… Curious, I was quite sure as soon as I awoke… Allow me to check."

Yui muttered before closing her eyes, concentrating. After several seconds, Asuna awaited Yui's answer as she opened her eyes.

"I see. It appears this game isn't as different as I thought. Most of the assets in this world are copies from the original Sword Art Online server. Much of it is slightly outdated, including its version of the Cardinal System, which would explain why it doesn't recognize me as a glitch anymore. On the bright side, I won't have to fear being deleted by the system. However, that would also explain why all your original gear and weapons are corrupted, leading to your sudden glitch upon arrival. It appears that the Cardinal System's trying to take your existing data and port over what it can, but can't do anything to salvage what's different. Think of a square peg in a circular hole." Yui explained in detail as Asuna nodded with a hum.

"So it's like that… I could make it work, but only if I trim off the edges to fit the slot. With RECT claiming Argus's assets and VR tech, I suppose it makes sense that they reincorporated SAO's engine and systems in a new world…" Asiuna muttered, as Yui nodded in agreement.

"Correct. To my estimations, it would be highly unlikely that another company would be able to create a virtual world on this level, not without Akihiko Kayaba's ability and knowledge. However, if another party somehow acquired ownership of the assets and original server, I suppose it wouldn't have been as hard to take what was already created and tweak a few minor elements to sell as a relatively original product." Yui surmised, as she then turned her attention to Asuna's menu.

"Unfortunately, it seems none of your original gear can be used as it is, so if we wish to prevent more glitches, I'm afraid that you might have to delete them. That way, there won't be any more interference from the error detection program." Yui suggested, as Asuna raised an eyebrow at her words.

"Delete them?... Are you sure this is necessary?" Asuna mumbled, as her finger lingered over the button, clearly hesitant.

While she had associated Sword Art Online with plenty of the most harrowing moments of her life, she did not resent her memories of the experience. With all the joy and excitement she managed to find in the death game, forging new bonds and meeting people she'd fight tooth and nail to see again, she looked at all the things she'd collected from her time there.

Somewhere in that pile of question marks, she was certain her uniform from the KoB and her trusted rapier were somewhere among them. She blazed a trail through the death game with those items, not just for herself but for everyone imprisoned there. Naturally, Asuna wasn't too enthusiastic to destroy them so quickly.

However, she summoned a breath as she turned to Yui, who nodded affirmatively. With that, she made her decision.

She was here to save her friends, and she couldn't let baggage like this obstruct her objective.

With a deep inhale and gathered resolve, she put her finger down and in a flash, her inventory was almost completely empty.

Save for the few default gear provided to her from this game, all her original SAO gear was now gone.

Releasing a sigh, Asuna closed the window as she felt a huge weight lift off her back. While saddened to part with the tools she used to survive SAO and save many lives, she couldn't help but feel relieved to move on from those memories and look ahead. On top of that, she had a mission to see through to the end.

With that out of the way, Asuna turned back to her daughter. "So that takes care of it… Yui, how were able to avoid being corrupted? How's the system reading you?"

Putting a finger to her chin, Yui offered her thoughts. "As soon as you logged in to this world, I tried to alter the necklace's code ever so slightly to register it as an in-game item, which was how you were able to awaken me. As for myself, it appears that the system already has AIs in place for player support and is reading me as such. An AI-only support race called a Navigation Pixie… I see."

With those words, Yui began to close her eyes as a radiant light flashed out from her body, causing Asuna to cover her eyes from the blinding light. As it parted, Asuna gasped to see Yui transformed, now at least eight times less her original size, small enough to sit within the palm of her hand. Secondly, she now sported a pair of dainty and transparent fairy wings.

Twirling and rolling in mid-air and giggling at her newfound appearance, Yui raised her arms, showing off her fairy form to her foster mother, who cooed in adoration as she nudged a finger against the now tiny AI's face, much to her embarrassment.

"Aww! You're so much cuter now!"

"Mommy stop, it's embarrassing!"

As Asuna laughed, she scanned Yui's new form as a new question appeared on the tip of her tongue. "These… Navigation Pixies, what can they do?"

Yui paused and then flew to sit on her mother's shoulder, kicking her feet in the air like she was on the edge of a cliff. "From what I can gather, we exist to assist our owners by referencing the game's database and maps to provide advice in boss fights and reach destinations. For example, this would be the Ancient Forest in Sylph territory. The capital city of Sylvaine would be roughly a couple kilometers to the southwest past the clearing. To my estimations based on your race and stats, it would only require a roughly three minute flight to reach. You should have spawned right above the city, but I guess your corrupted data caused that glitch that sent you here instead."

This was when Asuna perked up, remembering her predicament.

"Yui, do you know a place called "The World Tree?"

Yui stopped and turned to Asuna, placing a finger on her chin before pointing at the enormous spire in the far distance. "You mean Yggdrasil, the World Tree? Yes. It's the massive structure at the center of Alfheim, right over there. Why do you ask?"

Asuna sighed and faced Yui, her expression growing more somber. "Yui… I think Kirito and Josuke might be there. I got a tip from the outside world that I might find answers there."

Yui's eyes bulged out in shock at the mention of their names. She hadn't forgotten a thing they'd done for her, what they had gone through to free everyone in SAO.

"Daddy and Uncle are here?! At the World Tree? Are you sure?!"

"Yeah. I'm sure of it. It's about time I paid them back for all they'd done for us. You up to lend me a hand, Yui?" Asuna smiled as she nudged her daughter's cheek with her finger, causing her to giggle again.

"Mm! Count me in, Mommy! We'll save them together!" Yui cheered, raising her hand to her forehead in a salute, the cute gesture leading Asuna to laugh and rub her head affectionately.

"That's my girl! Now, how long do you think it'll take to reach the Tree?" Asuna asked Yui, who hummed and concentrated again.

"Hmm… It appears there isn't a clear flight path to the Tree from here. The Tree rests on the Alne Plateau in the center of Alfheim, bordered by mountains that reach above the maximum flight altitude on all sides, separating the Territories of the Races from the neutral regions. The only way past the mountains would be through underground passageways or open valleys, the closest one being in Cait Sith Territory. I would recommend stopping by in Sylvaine to stock up on gear before embarking, also it would be ideal to figure out the mechanics of the game before tackling the challenges along the way." Yui noted as Asuna clicked her fingers in epiphany.

"Why don't we start now? Can you show me how flying works?" Asuna asked as she stood up, Yui fluttering into the air.

"So to begin, it appears that you're provided an assist controller. Start by reaching out your hand, then make a grabbing motion with your fingers." Yui demonstrated by doing the same thing with her own hand.

Following the AI pixie's example, Asuna gasped as a small device appeared in her hand as she did the motion, resembling a Wii nunchuck in appearance with a joystick and a trigger button. As the controller appeared, Asuna heard a shimmering noise and turned behind her to spot a set of four glittering fairy wings, translucent and bright green in color to match the rest of her appearance.

"My wings…" Asuna mumbled, in awe as they shimmered in the night.

"Pull back on the joystick to ascend, and push to descend. Then move it left and right to turn. Give it a try!" Yui advised, Asuna nodding as she did as she was told.

"W-whoa!"

Asuna wobbled trying to find her balance as she slowly ascended into the air, her wings glowing as spreading as she left the ground, rising above the treeline. Asuna gasped as she realigned her body to remain upright mid-air, her hand on the controller as her eyes found Yui racing to her side with her own wings.

"Yui, this is…"

Yui giggled as Asuna waved her arms about, trying to keep her balance. "You'll get used to it! Now try accelerating! Press the button, and release to deccelerate."

"Okay- WHOA!"

As soon as Asuna pressed the trigger, he body immediately shot forward, racing like a fighter jet as she zipped through the air. Shifting about with the joystick, Asuna made several turns and dives before releasing her hold on the trigger slightly, slowing herself down enough to retread the air.

"Well… wasn't expecting to go that fast! So, this is flying! Incredible!" Asuna muttered out loud as Yui moved to her side.

"It must be your stats carried over from SAO, including your incredible speed. Even so, I think you've gotten it down!" Yui cheered, as Asuna nodded with a smile.

"Right, point me to Sylvaine and let's get started!" Asuna laughed, but not before Yui perked up and turned in a different direction.

"What is it?"

Asuna raised an eyebrow as Yui turned her way with a finger pointed beyond the trees in the direction of the floating islands above the area.

"I'm detecting some players in that direction! There appears to be a battle going on!"

ALO Races:

Salamanders: The Flaming Dragons. Warriors of the desert and masters of fire, the Salamanders possess an affinity for Muspel Magic and boast the highest attack and strength in the game. A combat-oriented race for aggressive players.

Magic Affinity: Muspel

Perks:

- High attack

Weaknesses:

- Low Mana

Attack: S

Magic: C

Mana: D

Speed: B

Vitality: C

Stealth: D

Luck: C

Flight: B

Ancient Forest (Floating Islands), ALfheim Online (Domain: Sylphs) June 13th, 2024

"C'mon, Recon! Just a little further ahead!"

Between the floating islands that hovered high above the canopy of the Ancient Forest, the air was turbulent and the currents of the wind tossed and turned, allowing for a great route for fairies to move and pick up speed. Waterfalls poured off the sides of the islands, tumbling into lakes far below and coating the trees in an ethereal and breathtaking mist.

However, the air took on a more violent turbulence as a pair of fairies zoomed past the islands, chased by a group of hostile attackers.

"Right behind you, Leafa! Still, think we can lose them in the forest?"

"Too risky! If we make it to the city, those griefers would have to give it up! You'll be fine, I'll cover for you! Trust me!"

The two fairies bickering were of different races, but were chased by a common enemy, a squad of five players all dressed head to toe in crimson red armor, armed with shields and iron lances.

"Dunno, think your party'll be cool with me hanging around- HEY!"

The boy, roughly a head shorter than his companion wore a green garment, lined with gold highlights to match the color of his wings and hair, spiked up and styled. He yelped out as he narrowly dodged a fire spell thrown in their direction, turning to spot the pursuers casting spells to shoot them down.

"Tsk- They just won't quit, huh?"

The girl, dressed in green with a ponytail trailing long, golden hair clicked her tongue in frustration as she reached for her hip, drawing a katana from her scabbard, stopping in mid-air to face her attackers, threateningly pointing the blade at them.

"Guess we don't have a choice. Let's waste 'em!" The girl, Leafa, proclaimed as the boy cringed.

"Seriously?! If I die, I'll respawn all the way back in Pooka territory!" Recon yelled back, frustrated, only for Leafa to flash a cocky grin in response.

"That's only if you die, you goof! You really gonna let these clowns do you dirty? Huh?!" Leafa barked, leading Recon to growl, drawing his own blade in response to her challenge.

"Argh, fine! Don't blame me if the Valks get involved." Recon retrieved the sword sheathed at his side, Leafa then facing the aggressors with a battle-hungry grin on her face.

"That's the spirit! Let's get it!"

Bursting down to meet the attacking Salamanders, Leafa drew back her sword as she watched one lancer race to the front of the group with his weapon out. Sensing the obvious tell, Leafa swerved to the side to dodge the strike, leaving the lancer in shock as she used her momentum to swing her katana down, cleaving the Salamander in two.

Seeing two more Salamanders break from the squad to attack her, she swung her body to ride into her momentum, spinning with her sword to keep them at bay, leading the advance to part as she now faced the moon.

With their positions flipped, Leafa bore a confident grin as she let out a burst from her wings, propelling her towards the nearest lancer, spearing him in the gut with her sword and pushing his body upward to slam into his ally.

"Hyaah!"

With another swing, Leafa then sliced through the two Salamanders, leading them to glow a bright red and reform into flickering embers of the same color, floating in mid-air where they died.

"Ghkk! Shit!"

Satisfied, Leafa turned her gaze upward where Recon fended off another Salamander, keeping his lance at bay with his sword and landing several good hits before lopping off the lancer's head, killing him.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Leafa returned his grin with a nod as he gave her a thumbs-up. "Yeah, we got this in the bag!"

"LOOK OUT!"

Leafa's eyes widened for a split-second as his face shifted and screamed out the warning, leading her to quickly jerk her body to the side, just as a Muspel spell rocketed past her face, singing the edges of her hair as she could only breathe heavily, feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline flowing through her.

The spell then traveled further, blasting past Recon as he faced Leafa. As they both recovered, Leafa's eyes widened once again, and Recon didn't take long to catch on, barely able to turn around before the second Salamander was in his face, a lance inches from his stomach.

However, it never reached his body.

"W-what the- A STAND!"

The Salamander's face contorted in shock as he found a pair of inhuman arms obstructing the weapon from its target. The figure in question had the build of a child, with a small body and stubby limbs in proportion to its large head, decorated with green orbs and a white exterior.

"S-H-I-T! Caught ya slippin'!"

"Didn't want to risk the bounty… but you just had to push it! Get them! ECHOES!" Recon roared, the small Stand responding by attacking the lancer.

Echoes slammed its fist down onto the lance, causing the Salamander to flinch, before realizing that he was struggling to keep it lined up with Recon's body as it dipped towards the ground, dragging the fairy's arm with its rising weight.

However, just as he decided to let go of the weapon, Echoes was right in his face.

"3 FREEZE!"

*THUMMM

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaa-"

With a swift blow to the Salamander's chest, Recon watched with a smirk as he dropped like a rock straight down to the canopy below, screaming the whole way down. With that, the Stand ceased its offensive stance, nodding affirmatively.

"Threat eliminated. Order fulfilled."

Humming in satisfaction, Recon flew over to Leafa, dodging another spell on the way as he recalled the Stand, the spirit disappearing from view.

"Looks like the jig's up. We're sitting ducks up here." Recon frowned, as Leafa nodded.

"Your loss for losing your cool, dude. A ride down, please?" The Sylph giggled, holding out her hand, which Recon took as he summoned Echoes once more.

"Going down! Hold on!"

With those words, the Stand lightly smacked the pair's linked hands, causing the tremendous weight to suddenly pull on their bodies from their hands, pulling the two fairies straight down to the Ancient Forest below. The Salamanders gaped as the pair plummeted down at incredible speed, prompting them to follow.

After a brief but futile attempt to escape the Salamanders, the two fairies found themselves backed into a corner, faced by multiple Salamanders, each armed to the teeth and surrounding them on all sides. With no way out, the pair stood their ground, Leafa assuming a stance with her sword while Recon did the same, his Stand's fists raised beside him.

"Well, not so tough now, are you? So, Stand user? Guess low-tier trash like you Pookas kinda need that crutch, huh?" One of the red-clad fairies taunted as Recon clenched his grip on his sword.

"Low tier, high tier, care to share that with my buddy here? Sure his fists would be open for a nice, long, discussion."

"BEEETCH!"

Recon countered amidst gritted teeth as Echoes joined in with a jab of its own, causing Leafa to snicker.

"Be sensible, you two. We all saw you bring out that thing. Valkyries'll come any minute now and tear you to bits. Don't wanna make this harder for any of us? Drop your gear and loot or we'll start killing you for that bounty you've racked up." The lead Salamander then negotiated as Leafa put a foot forward, unwilling to back down.

"Leave us alone! If the Valkyries are coming, then we'll cut you down before they get here!" She narrowed her eyes, her stance firm as she made her statement clear as day for everyone. The lead Salamander closed his eyes with a sigh through his horned helmet as he glared at the two of them.

"So cocky. Fine, don't say I didn't warn you."

With that, the Salamanders rose into the air in unison, preparing to attack. Leafa and Recon steeled themselves, ready to stand their ground as the tension climbed higher and higher with each passing second.

"Think you can keep up?"

"Easy for you to say. I'm the one with the bounty-"

"HEADS UP!"

"Ghkk!"

The sudden appearance of a blur speeding through the air cut through the tension like a hot knife through tofu, as the pair watched a figure plummet from the sky and crash into one of the Salamanders before tumbling across the ground in a heap.

"Aghhh… Note to self, work on more graceful landings…"

The pair raised an eyebrow to see a Sylph girl rise to her feet as she rubbed her shoulder, trying to shrug off the rough landing, only able to watch with slacked jaws after the sudden intervention on her part as she strode up to the soon-to-be-clashing groups of fairies, assessing the situation as she scanned them up and down with her eyes.

"So, I'm guessing you're a Sylph like me." The newcomer pointed to Leafa, who nodded silently, as she then turned to the Salamanders.

"A whole awful lot of muscle to take down a couple of players, huh? Not really my idea of a fair fight, gentlemen." Asuna remarked, ticking off one of the Salamanders who pointed an annoyed finger at her.

"Oi! Shut up, noob! Don't you start talking shit when you barely got any gear on you! Wanna join your Sylph buddy over here?! You guys don't have a chance in hell against us!" He roared angrily, as Asuna simply cocked her head in reply, a perplexed expression on her face.

"Rude. Alright, gents. I'll give you one chance. Turn around and fly home or you die. Right here and now." Asuna smiled, a familiar smile that was sweet on the outside, but bore a hidden fire beneath that visage, betraying untold amounts of venom directed at whoever she aimed that smile.

"Acting smug? You asked for this! Taste it!" The angry lancer then dove for Asuna, who made no changes in her posture whatsoever, completely unfazed by the Salamander's aggression.

"Hm."

With a small chuckle under her lips, Asuna made her move.

The lancer then hit the ground, drilling his weapon into the dirt, gasping to find his target was already gone.

"Wha-"

"Eyes up, sir."

A second. A single second.

Not even that frame of time amounted to the duration in which the Salamander had registered this newly spawned Sylph was already behind him, swinging a sword for his back.

Before he could blink, before he could let out a single reply in protest, Asuna danced with her blade.

A slash across his back, a light jab at the base of his neck, a downward slash down his spine, before capping off with a stab through the back of his mouth, finally killing him on the fourth hit.

Everyone present could only watch in terror as the entire combo hadn't even taken a second to execute, appearing as a rapid, violent flash of silver, ending with the Salamander fading into a crimson ember.

Leafa and Recon stood and gaped in awe, watching this new player demolish one of the Salamanders as she turned to face the rest of the squad, a confident and fiery look in her eyes as she raised her sword to them with a smile adorning her face.

"Ah, it feels good to be back!"

Stand Showcase

Lv. ? Stand: Gravity Rhyme, Echoes: Act 3 - Sound cannot be seen, sound cannot be touched. Yet, what can be heard is more than enough to leave a mark, to move mountains and change the world.

Special: 3 Freeze: Ability to dramatically increase the weight of any object struck by its fists

Enchantment: N/A

Damage: 350 (B)

Speed: 400 (B)

Durability: 350 (B)

Range: 5m (C)

Precision: 50% (C)

Rank: Unique (S)

Selling Price: N/A

Owner: Recon

Up Next: Taking Flight!

Hey, hey! It's nice being back and writing. Summer's here and I can't wait! Anyways, I hope you liked my introduction to ALO and I'm eager to write more about this world. To clear things up, no, Asuna's brother is not the same as the Recon who uses Echoes. Echoes belongs to one person, and that is Koichi Hirose. I just found it a funny coincidence that they shared a name. Also, I'll be real, Recon in the anime just makes me cringe. Let's see if I can make him work in this arc. Also, I know Asuna uses an Undine avatar in ALO, but Erika isn't a name I pulled from nowhere. In Mother's Rosario, Asuna makes an alt Sylph account with that name, so I'm using it here, rules for names apply the same way as Josuke. Real name used in all cases except in dialogue by other players. If you have any input on how I should approach ALO, I'd love to hear it. Also yes, I do have a showcase sheet for each race because like I said, I had a lot of time to think this story through and I saw Aurum79 do it in his own story. Thought it was fun so why not? If you want me to show them all then tell me.

So that'll be it, keep posted for the next one. Also again, please review. It's my biggest payoff from doing this, and I'm always open to hear your thoughts. Positive or negative. Deuces.

KingJGamer: I'm glad you enjoyed my last chapter!

ScruffinMcguffin: Glad to be back! Also, Rohan is coming. Just not yet. Give it some time.

KamenRiderWizardx: Glad to see another like-minded fan through this fic! Hope you'll stick around for more!

Cy Man: Yeah, I know. That's why I split them up for short while, and here I'm casting Asuna in center stage to shake things up. I'm not making this a one-to-one retelling of canon, it would be pretty boring. Honestly, I don't think it's particularly important about when Argo meets the gang, only that she kicks things off. Also, yeah, I'll try to update the first three chapters, especially the third one since that one felt a little rushed and OOC for some people. As for Kirito's personality, yeah maybe I went a little overboard, but I do make sure he doesn't have that at that level as he grows. Thanks for checking out my story, hope it got better if you stuck around.

Aurum79: Thanks! I'm always glad to hear your thoughts on my story, and I'm overjoyed to know you're keeping tabs! Hope you'll keep sticking around to see how this all unfolds!