WARNING: This story includes mature and sexual elements. Readers, proceed at your own discretion.

Chapter 1: A Goddess's First Day in Her Realm

If there was one silver lining to take from this entire morning, it was the fact that his girlfriend had come to him at a really early timing, which gave them a lot of time to mess around—and hoo boy, mess around they did. He almost couldn't believe just how rowdy things had gotten. At least Asuna could use a spell to dispel all evidence of their lovemaking, because of course she can. Somehow feels like her super account was simply tailored for her to get away with everything.

The bad thing? They'd accidentally lost track of time, and that meant they'd had to rush to get prepared with just a minute left before breakfast.

Oh, he definitely wasn't complaining though. As much as he tried to act reasonable and chide her for showing up in his room on the off-chance that someone walks in on them, logic would just take a nosedive the moment they begin, and it's always amazing… Ack! No time to think about that right now though!

They rushed downstairs to the canteen area immediately after they were done, Kirito fixing his hair and Asuna doing her best not to make her limping noticeable. Arriving, they could see all the children were already present, chattering animatedly with one another. It was both of their presence that drew everyone's gazes towards them, voices booming with cheer.

"Kirito-nii, good morning!"

"Hello, Asuna onee-san! You two took some time."

"H-Hey guys. Yeah, sorry that we're late," he chuckled sheepishly. "It's just, uhh…"

"Sorry, that was actually my fault," Asuna was quick to take over, putting her hands together in a gesture of apology, expression bashful. "I'm a pretty deep sleeper, and Kirito-kun had so much trouble trying to wake me up. He almost had to drag me out of bed at the end there."

"Aww, that's so cute!"

The children, especially the girls, cooed at the notion while the boys whooped at him, making him groan. Didn't stop him from feeling embarrassed though, but he powered on through and took his seat with the boys while Asuna sat opposite of him.

"Did Kirito-nii always come to wake you up back then, too?"

"Oh, yes, quite a bit. It had been so troublesome for him, every single time, and I'm honestly surprised that he still does so despite having lost his memories."

"Guess you don't just forget the little things like that, huh?"

"I still think it's so cool that Asuna-nee travelled so far just to find Kirito-nii!" One of the kids remarked, grinning with one single tooth missing. "You said you came here from Wesdarath, right? That's a whole 'nother kingdom!"

"That's so true! What's it like there?"

Oh, shoot. How was she supposed to answer that? When Asuna dived into the Underworld, she'd emerged in the cave right as Ugachi was going to finish him off. There's no way she would—

"Compared to Norlangarth, Wesdarath doesn't have as much open plains, as most of it is just rocky mountains and forests. To the north are the Snild Snow Fields, which is slightly mountainous and home to a variety of herbs that grow only in the most frigid climates. Then to the westernmost region is the Villind Plateaus, which is sort of like a valley between hills. Now the southern area is a little less affected by the snow, the most notable being the Raubal Greenbelt which runs down until it forms a lake close to the bottom edge. Where I come from, I lived close to that very river, where you can find a place called Minelda Rocks. It's an especially popular site for mining. All the silver and iron Wesdarath exports comes from there."

With the children's lives mostly being detained to this very village, having an opportunity to know more of the bigger world beyond their walls was an opportunity most sought. And that was no less true now, for they listened to her with rapt attention, going 'Ooh!' and 'Aah!' at her story. And when they asked her questions to know even more, she was all too happy to oblige, showcasing a motherly attitude that made him love her even more…

Although he was more confused as hell as to how she knows that much about Wesdarath. Had she actually went there before showing up in the cave? What?

Maybe Kikuoka had simply downloaded all the information into their heads right as they travelled into Underworld. But like… that's a whole world's worth of geographical and socioeconomical knowledge being imprinted in them in just the matter of seconds! How had she not gone brain dead?

When Selka arrived at the table with food, everyone had shifted focus to that, some even bouncing in their seats in excitement. "Patience, patience," the young girl tutted. "Kirito, could you give me a hand? There are some bowls in the kitchen."

"Ah. Sure thing," he shot a quick glance at Asuna, shaking his head at her insistence of coming along. She pouted but conceded, still too sore to just move around a lot.

With preparations complete, everyone gave a short prayer to the goddess—he almost wanted to laugh, considering that the very goddess they were giving their thanks was right there in the room with them—before digging in. And dang, he could never go back to meals in 'ALO'. This right here was just fantastic.

"Mm… This is so good..!" Asuna hummed in delight. "I'd love to learn how to make this. Would you mind if I asked you every now and then, Selka-chan?"

"Oh, ask away. I'm more than happy to tell you whatever you'd like to know," giggled the younger girl. "Take it as my thanks for yesterday, if you know what I mean," ah, right, they hadn't exactly shared that story about the goblin with everyone else. All four of them had agreed to keep it a secret, on account of not knowing the possible outrage it would cause the people of Rulid if they ever found out. "This is the least I can do, anyways."

"Besides telling us more stories!" A child piped up. Then, with excitement, she stared at Asuna. "What was Kirito-nii like?"

He was fortunate he had his lips in his cup, his drink safely spat back inside. That didn't stop him from coughing into his arm, leaning back just to make sure he didn't accidentally spread it around.

"Hmm… What Kirito-kun was like?"

"Yeah! He's pretty goofy and smart, but what about before he lost his memories?"

Darn it, he couldn't even blame them for being curious, but did they have to ask her when he was sitting right here in the same room? Talk about unashamed.

"…Well, if there's one thing that I can say, there's very little difference from him now compared to back then," she said, smiling gently. "He's always been kind and brave. Still a glutton—" Bruh. "—And very skilled with the sword. Mm. There's nothing that's changed."

"Was he always good at fighting?"

"Oh, verily much so. Even amongst our peers, he was just one of the better swordsmen."

"A-Ahaha, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration," chuckled the boy. He could take mockery and insult any day, but genuine praise? That's a little embarrassing.

"Nuh-uh! I know how good of a swordsman you are, Kirito-kun. No point trying to deny it."

Everyone snickered at his exasperation, and Kirito was forced to leave it there, knowing that there was no bone in her body that would refuse to lavish him with compliments. Just another part of his girlfriend he had to accept.

Once all of them were done, Kirito offered to help with washing the bowls. Selka just waved him off, however, saying that they'd best get a move-on and meet up with Eugeo. He insisted at first, but eventually had to give in. Girls sure know how to be stubborn.

Stepping outside of the church, Kirito had to momentarily squint his eyes to get used to the brightness outside. Once he adjusted, he was presented with the view of a comfy little village with a multitude of stone buildings and even taller stone walls that covered the perimeter, countless people already moving about.

Someone jogged over to them, and the smile came easily upon his face. "Eugeo, hey. G'morning to you."

"Good morning to you too. And you as well, Asuna."

"Morning, Eugeo-kun," greeted the girl. "Have you been waiting for us long?"

"Ah, no. I actually got here," he rubbed the back of his head. "Believe it or not… my sister actually dragged me to a family breakfast after I woke up. Said that she wouldn't let me go until I actually got food inside of me."

"Hah! Really?" His grin widened. "Guess that's going to be a common occurrence from now on, eh? I met Sulinea only once, but I could tell that she could be pushy when she wants to be. No escaping that anymore, it seems."

Eugeo groaned. "No kidding. I think I've eaten more in just this single breakfast than I've ever had my entire life…"

"Oh, Eugeo-kun… It's just a sign that she cares for you. Don't turn down her kindness, alright?"

"I won't, I won't. I know she was just looking out for me. And… I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it," his lips quirked into a gentle smile. "It's been a long time since I've ever gotten with them for a meal. It was… It was really nice."

That was good to hear. Having known his circumstances, Eugeo was always distancing himself from the people around him, his own family included. That part had worried him, for that was a mistake he had made with his own family that he didn't want another person, much less so his own best friend, from repeating.

Thankfully, Sulinea had decided to take matters into her own hands and get Eugeo to join them. That'll start the process of reconnecting soon, and he couldn't help but feel relieved. He'll be in good hands.

"Alright then! Let's get moving, shall we? Lead the way, Eugeo!"

"Haha, alright."

As someone who'd grown up with the faith since he was young, learning of the goddesses and making time to pray to them for health and happiness, he liked to think that he was rather pious. Not necessarily as much as Sister Azalia or Selka, but good enough.

He'd made it an effort to always give his thanks for all the good things in life, even if he didn't have much to be thankful for these past few years. Six years ago had been the lowest point in his life, and he'd been stuck in that trench for all too long. Even now, he doubted he could find joy as he had when Alice was still here with them.

But now, he knew he'd have to give his gratitude to the goddess for their safety. After all, it was nothing short of divine intervention that saw to their survival yesterday, when he'd been bleeding out in the cave and Kirito heavily injured in their fight against the goblins. None of them should have made it out.

'And Asuna too,' he thought to himself, smiling. 'It was her who came to our rescue, after all. Talk about timing.'

Honestly, he was amazed that Kirito knew someone like her. He'd mentioned being an amnesiac, so she was probably someone involved with him prior to his memory wipe. That made it even more tragic; that he had completely forgotten about everything and everyone in his own life, including her.

Thankfully, it seemed like Kirito recognized her well enough, even if he said it wasn't much. That hadn't exactly deterred her from trying to befriend him, though, and he would be blind not to notice just how close they were.

The flaxen-haired boy chuckled at that. She'd even asked to move into the church because she wanted to live with him. And Sister Azalia had been happy to oblige, granting them the opportunity to reconnect after who-knows-how-long.

"So Asuna," the girl perked up at his voice. "How're you liking Rulid so far? I know you've only arrived yesterday, but I'm curious to know what you think of it."

"Oh, I'm absolutely in love with it," the girl's smile was bright, and felt like basking in sunlight. "Compared to my hometown, this place is so much calmer. The air is so fresh, there's an abundance of nature, and the climate isn't frigid… It truly is a wonderful place."

"That's good to hear. I was worried that you might've experienced some form of culture shock, especially since you came from an entirely different kingdom. Wesdarath, was it?"

Asuna nodded her head. That was really amazing; that she travelled so far just to reunite with Kirito. That they were finally together was just… He was really happy for them. They deserved each other.

Though that certainly makes it curious as to whether or not Kirito originated from Wesdarath, and not from Eastabarieth as he'd initially theorized (most residents there have black hair, hence his assumption). And how did she even find out that he was here in Rulid, which was literally out in nowhere? Maybe Kirito had written a letter before he disappeared, or someone knew.

"It's still too soon to ask, but will you be going back home now that you've found Kirito?"

"Not at all," her answer was quick, and he found himself relieved at that. "I came here precisely because I wanted to find Kirito-kun. That's all that matters."

"Ack..! A-Asuna, phrasing, please."

Eugeo had to hold in some laughter at that reaction. The girl just knew how to embarrass him, which was honestly a refreshing sight. If he didn't know better, he'd say she had a crush on him or something.

There'd been nothing, though. So far, all their interactions had been purely platonic, borderline romantic. They were certainly close, there was no denying that, but nothing more than that.

Maybe they'd been dating in the past? Even engaged? Now that Kirito's memory was wiped, however, Asuna probably wants to take the time to properly befriend him before they could proceed onto something more. That's just so sweet.

"Hmm? Oh, morning kids! Morning, Asuna!"

"Hello, Miss Grey! Morning to you too!"

Well, if she was really planning to stay here with them, then that was probably good. She'd made a really great first impression with the folks around here; the adults loved her, as did the kids in the orphanage, according to Kirito's words. She was just so polite and friendly with everyone, and she'd apparently found time to help out a little after they returned from the cave.

There was also something about her that made it seem like she wasn't just a commoner. Was that just him? As in, she carried herself with some kind of grace that made her stand out, so of course she drew a lot of curiosity from the village people here. She's basically popular at this point.

"Asuna-saaan!" The party of three stopped as someone threw himself to the ground, kneeling before her at such a speed that dust spread out around them. He stared up at her with such wide eyes, and had his hand outstretched to her while the other clasped his heart. "Asuna-san, please forgive me for obstructing your path, but the truth is that I have been smitten by your beauty since the first day you arrived! I tried to hold my back my feelings, but I can no longer do so. Please! Would you go out with me—"

"No thank you."

And certainly popular enough to get asked out by some of the guys, as witnessed here. Yesterday, four boys had tried their chances. Derek whined in displeasure, standing back up and trying to convince her to give him a chance, but she'd turned him down kindly with the excuse that she wasn't looking forward to having a relationship.

Jink included. Just thinking that last part had him annoyed, because he wholeheartedly believed that Kirito would make for a better man for her. Good thing that Asuna always rejected everyone's invitations.

…Did that make him a 'douchebag', as Kirito put it? Probably, but he was invested in Kirito and Asuna being a thing, and he'll die on that hill no matter what.

"B-But…"

"I'm really sorry, but I'm just not interested in finding anyone to settle down with at the moment," she smiled calmly. "But I know that you'll find another girl who'll love you. I promise."

"I… I understand," he stood back up, nodding firmly. Even if he looked a little sad, he had the decency to not push, which Eugeo respected. "Then I will pray for your happiness, and that you find a suitable man to take you as his wife."

"Thank you, Derek. I appreciate that."

They continued walking afterwards, though hearing Derek scream 'She knows my name!' in the background certainly made that a little humorous. Oh well.

With that particular episode behind them, they moved southwards out of the village. Their destination? The 'big ass tree' (as Kirito put it, which never failed to make him laugh) in the distance, aptly called the Demon Tree, or the Gigas Cedar.

As the tree-cutter assigned to the Gigas Cedar, Eugeo was one of the rare few whose job took him further beyond the area covered by the wheat fields. He was practically on his own out here, working every day to fulfil a quota of two thousand swings.

Sure, that sounded a lot, but when you have to deal with a tree that's almost seventy mer in height and as thick as four mer, it really put into perspective just how tough the job is. It's like trying to cut down a tower.

And being the seventh generation tree-cutter, it truly said something about just how impossible it is to cut it down. Any attempt done would just end up with the tree replenishing its own «Life» anyways, so it seemed unlikely that he'd be able to finish the job in his lifetime.

Aaanyways, as bothersome and unfulfilling of a job as it is, Eugeo never really complained about it. It was better back then when Alice was still around to accompany him, but when she left… well, he'd been alone.

That was until Kirito and Asuna came along, and now, every moment here is spent in conversation and laughter that never fails to lift his spirits. It was no longer just him left to toil away on his lonesome, their company making things so, so much better. He… He missed this.

"And you came upon Eugeo-kun by moving towards this tree? That's certainly a fortunate turn of events."

"No kidding. I'm so glad I actually found him that day. If it weren't for him, I think I'd have been stuck wandering the forest for days—and maybe accidentally get eaten by a bear."

"Please don't joke like that. That sounds awful," despite the words, Eugeo found himself chuckling along… But no, that really does sound terrifying. "And look, consider everything repaid. You did save my life and Selka's."

"Correction: Asuna did. I was pretty close to dying myself," frustration bled into his voice after. "Can't believe I let that happen. I'm not trying to brag, but I've always thought myself a fairly capable swordsman. I guess that just means I'll have to work even harder to get stronger. Otherwise, I couldn't call myself a swordsman—or a man, on that note."

"Kirito-kun, don't worry about it. It was an unfavourable situation on your end, surrounded as you were."

"Exactly. In fact, you were able to hold out against so many of them all on your own. And I just stood in the back, doing nothing…"

And that was the thing he hated the most, bitterness rising like a tidal wave. That helplessness as he stood back, watching as his friend risked his life against the goblins. Oh, sure, he didn't know how to fight, but did that excuse his inaction?

And because of his lack of action, Kirito almost died. Had he tried to do something, then perhaps…

A hand clasps his shoulder, firm. "Don't blame yourself for that, Eugeo," his friend said, shaking his head. "For what it's worth, you tried in the end, didn't you? That speaks of your courage, so don't ever forget that."

"Kirito…"

"Mmhm. Kirito-kun told me about that. If you hadn't tried to protect him, I might not have made it in time," Asuna smiled gratefully towards him. "I'll always be grateful to you for that."

"I… Yeah, of course," he nodded back, feeling a little lighter, smile tugging at his lips.

"Now then, what say we get to work? Asuna, you just sit back and let the both of us do this."

"Of course, of course."

Arriving at the shed where he stored the Dragon Bone Axe, he went inside and retrieved the axe. Nothing about it had changed; still the old and worn-out axe that was handed to their village decades ago, it being the only tool powerful enough to actually damage the Gigas Cedar.

Except, this time, it felt so much lighter in his hands. He barely had any trouble lifting it when before, he would complain of how tiresome it was to swing it on a daily basis. His brow quirked upwards.

"That's… weird. Did someone come by and do something to it?"

Someone stepped beside him. Black eyes stared at the axe. "What's wrong, Eugeo?"

"Ah, Kirito…" Gaze switching between the boy and the axe for a moment, he eventually offered the tool to his friend. "Can you try and hold this? It feels lighter, for some reason, and I might be crazy for thinking it."

Kirito took it, trying to weigh it in one hand. His brow raised. "Huh. You're right. It feels significantly lighter."

"Right? I thought it was just me."

"Hmm. Well, let's go and test it out on the tree. See if there's any difference."

As it turned out, it didn't really do much. Cutting the axe into the tree didn't provide any increment in damage inflicted, which was a huge bummer. But that didn't change the fact that swinging the axe was less exhausting as it had been literally prior to their excursion to the cave. Maybe it had felt better afterwards? He never really noticed.

Eugeo considered the idea that, perhaps, his body was experiencing some kind of growth… which would be nice, but no, there was nothing remotely significant. Even his arms looked like twigs still, so that was out. And he hadn't felt any different waking up.

"It's still nice to know that it feels lighter. Guess we can be done with this even quicker."

"Maybe," Kirito said all of a sudden, sounding really focused. "It has something do with our authority…"

"Authority?"

The boy nodded back. Raising his left hand, he drew an 'S' at the back of his palm, causing a Stacia Window to pop up. Eugeo and Asuna leaned in to read his statistics; there were several parameters such as «Unit ID», «Life», as well as the «Object Control Authority» and «System Control Authority», which dictated a person's ability to use a high-levelled weapon or «Sacred Art» respectively.

And looking at Kirito's «Object Control Authority», he was surprised to find it much higher than before.

"I-It actually went up—and a whole lot!" He exclaimed. "How'd that happen?"

"I don't know. But… perhaps it has to do with us killing those goblins yesterday?" The notion gave him pause. Kirito pressed on regardless. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm just making baseless assumptions and this happened because of something completely different. But last night, I checked my stats just because I was curious, and I noticed this went up. Nothing I had done before had ever made it rise this quickly before."

Was that really the cause of his sudden growth in authority? Killing the goblins? For some reason, that made him sick.

His friend sighed. "It's not a very happy thought, I'll admit, but that's just what it is. Sorry, Eugeo."

"No, it's… It's not your fault. You're just making a guess based on what evidence you have. I can't fault you for that," after some time, he allowed himself a deep sigh. "And I suppose all we can do is look on the bright side; now that your authority is higher, you don't have much trouble swinging the axe."

"Mmhm. Although… I'm betting yours increased too," his words made him perk up. "Try drawing out your Stacia Window."

"Really? I don't think so, but okay," repeating the same gesture as before, his Stacia Window was displayed for all to see. Green eyes scanned across it, only to widen when he checked his authority. "N-No way!"

"You may not have actually killed any goblins back there, I know, but you definitely got some hits in," Kirito hummed. "I suppose combat does indeed raise your authority, hence why it's grown a little."

"I-I see."

"And that means…" Kirito stood up, the other two teenagers staring up at him. A grin of excitement slipped onto his face. "A new opportunity might have opened to us!"

Confusion was etched onto his expression, but before he could even ask what he meant, Kirito had already run off. "Wait, Kirito! Where are you going?" No answer. The guy had literally disappeared from the woods. He just huffed. "Seriously?"

"Don't worry, Eugeo-kun," sighed Asuna. "You'll get used to it."

"Hah… Guess you've had to deal with that sort of thing from him too, huh?"

"Somewhat, though it seems like he's much more open with you. More carefree," the girl smiled, sounding pleased by that. "He's found such a wonderful friend in you. That makes me really happy."

"Yeah? Well… Mm. I consider him a good friend, too."

Others might point out that they've known each other for only a week or so. But the sense that he'd known him for a very long time was… it was there, wiggling in the back of his mind, and he didn't know why. But Eugeo knew that being near him made him feel comfortable, and he'd certainly talked more with him than with anyone across these six years.

And managing to survive life-threatening situations together tends to work really well at forming strong bonds. Sure, the moment sucks a lot and typically sapped any idea of friendship in favour of surviving at the time, but the people come out closer than ever afterwards.

It didn't take long for Kirito return a moment later—and with the Blue Rose Sword in his hand. The sight of the unique weapon had him gawking.

"Y-You're carrying it in your hand?" He gasped. "How?"

"It's our authority, Eugeo. It's only those whose authorities have reached a certain point that they can then wield even high-ranking weapons. In fact, this sword here has an authority of forty-five, but both of ours are now even higher than that. Ergo…"

"We can use the Blue Rose Sword…" He muttered, shocked. Kirito nodded.

"Exactly. And because of that…" The boy walked over to the tree, slowly unsheathing the pale ice blade. Eugeo and Asuna watched him all the while, both confused and fascinated as he took his place before it. "We might be able to do this."

Without saying another word, his stance shifted, feet spread apart and his sword extended to the right. Kirito entered a trance of a kind, breathing halted and eyes growing sharp as the entire world was simply white-washed away from his mind.

And then, the sword bloomed to life in aqua light.

The flaxen-haired boy gasped, watching as the boy stomped his left foot forwards, screaming as he swung the sword to his left. The blade struck true, cutting into the gash with a booming sound, splinter and wood sent flying everywhere as a burst of wind erupted from the impact.

Just as quickly as it had come, so too did the light fade away, leaving the sword in its original state. Kirito released a sigh, relaxing his posture and staring down at his hand with a satisfied look. As if he'd just conducted an experiment and achieved his hypothesis.

Eugeo, on the other hand, was less calm about the whole situation. "N-No way! Not only were you able to use it, you even used a «Secret Technique»?"

"Uh?" The boy blinked, staring back at him. "Um. Yeah, sure, let's go with that."

Asuna rolled her eyes in turn. "They're basically attack techniques that a person can initiate when they adopt the appropriate stance. They're much stronger than a simple swing, allowing a person to easily defeat their opponent with either one strike or multiple blows."

"Pssh, I-I knew that! I was just testing you."

The sheer disbelief in him allowed him to ignore the jest made, instead focusing on what he'd seen. "And that technique… I've never seen it. I mean, I know there are several one-handed sword techniques, but that one was new. What style was that?"

"It's… the Aincrad Style."

The Aincrad Style… He's never heard of it. The most popular ones used here in Norlangarth are the Norkia Style and the High-Norkia Style, both of which are mostly taught to the nobles. Just that single technique he witnessed felt much more different.

"I see… Maybe it was the name of your old master, or the place where the style originated. Then again, Aincrad is a rather strange name," muttered the boy. Then, his gaze moved towards the girl. "Do you know anything about this style, Asuna? Seeing that you've known Kirito for a much longer time, that is."

"Oh, I use the same style as Kirito-kun does, but I use rapiers instead," she patted her waist, but seeing that there was no weapon there, she deflected by coughing into her fist. "The Aincrad Style is a little unique in my opinion because it actually covers a multitude of weapons. Swords, rapiers, knives, maces… In fact, it does include several hand-to-hand techniques."

"Ehh? Really? That's so versatile."

"Mmhm! And you know what's even better? Kirito-kun invented it!"

"Yeah, I did—Wait, what?"

"Wait, what?" He went slack-jawed. "Kirito, you invented the Aincrad Style?"

"Wha—No, I didn't!" His friend recoiled. "Did I? I don't think I did…"

"Granted, the styles he invented were tailored towards one-handed swords and martial arts. The others were invented by everyone else, and we compiled all of them into what we call the Aincrad style. Myself, on the other hand, contributed for the rapiers."

No way… So all this time, the boy he had met in the middle of the woods was actually the inventor of an entire «Secret Technique» style? Sure, it was an assimilation of knowledge and techniques from a multitude of individuals, but that he'd invented three entire styles was incredible. To have lost his memory was a shame, especially considering that he would have forgotten all about his old friends and his style, but there was no denying his skill when he'd initiated that technique. As if it had been ingrained deep into his body, coming forth as easily as breathing air…

That's so incredible. Kirito must be such a strong person, then. Well, he'd already known since he'd watched him literally trash an entire group of goblins all by himself, but this just took things even further. He was no normal swordsman.

And he… he envied that.

The boy in question laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head and averting his gaze to the ground. "A-Ahaha… Weird, I can't remember any of this at all…"

"Memory loss, Kirito-kun. It's okay that you don't remember any of it."

"Y-Yeah. I suppose you're right there…"

"Kirito," his brain hadn't even caught up to him, but he was already talking. "I… I have a request to you," green eyes met obsidian black, something strange pulsating in his chest. It was warm in a firm way, any hesitation or fear evaporating within seconds. "Can you please train me to use a sword?"

"Huh?" He blinked.

"I… I know it's stupid of me, and I'd probably gain nothing from this, but… I just can't stay useless forever."

"Hey, hey, what are you talking about? You're not useless—"

"Six years ago, I stood and watched as my best friend got arrested and taken away to Centoria," his words came out sharp, cutting his friend short. "And I didn't even try to do anything. I… I just stood there, and watched, Kirito. And I almost did the same thing that day, when you stood up to the goblins and I was just frozen, Kirito! I-I was scared."

But not Kirito. Maybe he was afraid, but he never let it show, and he'd fought so hard to protect the both of them. And he'd had to pay for that. Were it not for Asuna showing up at such an opportune time, then all three of them really would have died.

Ever since then, however, all he could think of was how long could he possibly choose to stay like this. To wait for someone else to come and help him when the going got rough.

Asuna was there to save them. Kirito was there to protect him.

But what about next time? What if he was all alone? Was he meant to keel over? Even worse, if there was another person nearby and danger came right at them, was he going to do nothing again? Would he leave them to die again?

"I want to get stronger. I want to be able to fight—not just to protect myself, but to protect the people I care about; Selka, you, Asuna, everyone in the village, and maybe all the other people we might cross paths with," and then, he bowed sharply. "Please! This is all I'll ask of you!"

"…You're serious, huh?"

"Yes!"

"Didn't you say something about not being allowed to have more than one tasks?"

Ack… T-That was true. It was a violation of the «Taboo Index» to have more than one task, as that ran the risk of failing to meet the quota of one. And then, the person would be punished and executed, just as Alice did. He knew that, but still..!

The Blue Rose Sword was suddenly floating within his vision. The boy blinked, further surprised when he looked up to Kirito's grinning expression.

"But as you saw, this sword here can cut down the stupid tree. So what I'm thinking is, I'll teach you how to use the sword, and you use what you've learn to cut this dumb thing down. And then, you'll finally put an end to this task that six generations of tree-cutters have worked so hard to complete," the confidence brimming in his tone made him lose control of himself, water beginning to fill his vision and his throat growing tighter. "It'll be hard as hell, trust me, but I know you can succeed. So… ready to be a swordsman?"

His hand grasped the Blue Rose Sword's hilt. Where before it weighed him down like fifty rocks, now it felt light in his grasp. It had accepted him.

Kirito's gaze was still focused on him, shining with a kind of belief in him that was more than what he felt he deserved. Asuna, off to the side, smiled kindly at him, giving a slight nod to show her stance on the matter.

He rubbed furiously at his eyes with his sleeve, and with renewed vigour, he yelled: "Yes, Kirito!"

Six years had come and gone, and perhaps this was why; all this time, he'd been waiting for an opportunity. And that opportunity had finally showed itself with Kirito's arrival.

He'll work hard. He'll train with the sword, learn Kirito's style, cut down the tree, and perhaps… perhaps, he'll finally be able to travel to Centoria, and find Alice once more.

It was a fool's dream, he recognized that. But it was often the fool that achieved the greatest thing in life, and he would be damned if he didn't grasp this opportunity. He'll make things right, no matter what.

Author's Notes:

And that's the final update for this story for the time being. I'll likely come back to this in December, so keep a look out for it.

Also, I'll try and make sure this story keeps up with the plotline, though expect some changes here and there, considering the additions of characters and whatnot.

And yes, the character tagging is definitely not a mistake. More characters will be introduced over time, but don't expect them to show up right away. It's just more natural than having Kirito surrounded by girls right off the bat and confusing the hell out of everyone. Plus, it'll let you guess who will show up next and whatnot.