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

Chapter 3: Celebrations with a Goddess

When Kirito accepted to teach Eugeo to use a sword, along with his supposed 'Aincrad Style' (goddesses, he felt dumb for calling it that at first, but admittedly it has a certain ring to it now), he had thought that he was biting off more than he could chew.

It reminded him of his first day back in 'SAO', when he first met Klein and had taught him the basics of the game. Stuff like how to move in-game, how to fight mobs, and how to use «Sword Skills». Back then, there was no anxiety behind the moment since he could hide behind his avatar's appearance, brief as it may have been.

Now, though? Well, he was a lot more nervous than he would have thought. It was a very big responsibility, after all, and any failure on his part would ultimately hurt Eugeo more than anything else.

Thankfully, however, Eugeo had an innate talent for the sword that neither of them had expected. He'd taken to his training exceptionally well and with a level of diligence that truly made him stand out. Always asking questions, always willing to try again if he failed, always trusting his instructions. He was learning at an exceptionally quick pace.

And surprisingly enough, he liked to think that he wasn't half-bad as a teacher either! He attributed that to the fact that he'd got to teach Klein and Asuna back then, so those moments of must have been enough for him to feel comfortable enough to help Eugeo through the motions.

So now, after a week under both rain and shine, his quote unquote protégé was really getting to a level he could describe as being equal to him. Or, well, certainly getting up to his level, but if he kept it up, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to surpass him.

…That was kind of sad, but ah well. Just goes to show how fitting Eugeo was to become a swordsman.

"You two have been going at this for hours, haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah… We need a break…"

Chuckling, Asuna unfurled a blanket on the ground, putting a basket down on it slowly. From it, he could make out the scent of freshly baked bread, making his mouth water. And, judging from the expectant look on his friend's face, he wasn't the only one interested.

"I went back to the village to go make some food. Go ahead and eat."

"T-Thanks, Asuna!"

The two boys sat down on the blanket and procured garlic bread. Tearing into them, he almost felt like crying. It was so unfair how realistic every sensation in this world was, because now he doubted he could ever enjoy food the same way in 'ALO' or 'GGO'; every burst of flavour on his tongue in this moment made him grateful to be here.

Even if his body out there in the real world was technically poisoned and something horribly wrong might have happened to him. But still! Got to look on the bright side of things regardless.

Grabbing his canteen of water and taking a sip, he passed it over to Eugeo, who took it with a mumbled 'thank you'. Kirito reached for another bread and chewed it, enjoying the subtle differences in flavouring.

"This is great…" Eugeo said, sounding in bliss. "You really made all this?"

"With Selka-chan's help," she admitted. "I just thought that maybe like having something simple for lunch. Nothing too filling."

"We appreciate that. Thank you so much, Asuna."

"Of course, Eugeo-kun."

Mm. His girlfriend really is the best. She was spoiling them so hard with all of this wonderful food, and he doubted there was anything he could do to remotely make up to her.

…Besides all the sex, that is.

He coughed into his fist to rid any images from his mind. He'd been glad that she managed to show some self-restraint, so it wasn't like she'd come to his room every night just to have sex. At least three out of five times was just her wanting to cuddle with him at night until morning, but the others… ahaha. Yeah, that's best left to the imagination.

And though he'd initially been afraid of accidentally knocking her up during all the other times they had mind-boggling sex, of course she would be able to prevent herself from conceiving with use of her goddess powers. Because what was there that she couldn't do at this point?

Oh, and wasn't there a rule in the «Taboo Index» forbidding two unmarried people from kissing? Yeah. Apparently even her powers overruled something as fundamental as that. Talk about plot armour.

"Kirito, how much longer do you think it'll take me before my training is done?"

He welcomed the switch of topic, though he wasn't exactly certain. He said as such, then looked to Asuna. "What about you, Asuna? What do you think?"

"Hmm. Well, it seems like Eugeo-kun has a very good grasp of the basics and the appropriate stances, plus he's mastered almost all the one-handed sword «Secret Techniques». The way I see it, he's done."

"Only up until those with three hits," sighed Eugeo, seemingly disappointed. "I've tried to execute «Horizontal Square» and «Vertical Square» despite how many times I've seen Kirito do it, but I haven't even come close. I just end up tripping on my feet!"

"Nah, don't worry about it. With enough practise, I'm sure you'll be able to do it."

"I sure hope so… I still can't believe you actually created multi-hitting techniques. Those have been so unique so far. Most techniques that noblemen use are typically a single strike."

"Which is dumb," Kirito said with a roll of his eyes. "I mean, what are they supposed to do if the person they're fighting decides to, oh, I don't know… step aside or back away? You're literally leaving yourself open."

'Beauty of a single strike'. What an asinine concept—and fitting for them. After all, since this world relied heavily on «Incarnation» to fuel the strength of one's weapon or spell, their firm belief in that one single strike could be the winning factor. It practically made that single attack much more powerful than possible.

Still dumb, though. He'll never stop thinking they're all idiots.

Regardless, underestimating them in a fight would make him the bigger idiot if it ever came down to it. Those who took their opponents lightly will always end up regretting it at the very end when they get taken by surprise, so it'll only serve them well to be fully prepared and take their opponent seriously.

"Still, I don't exactly know if I've reached the end. I still feel like I've got so much to learn."

"Dude, you're already great. Trust me on that one."

"Are you sure? I sure don't feel like it."

"Then how about this?" Both boys turned to look at Asuna. "As far as I can tell, you've picked up almost everything that Kirito-kun has to offer. There's been nothing else to really improve on except for daily practises and the like. If you'd like to reach an end point before we consider your training complete, then why don't you try duelling someone?"

"Oh, that's actually a good idea," Kirito hummed. "Practical experience would be way better. Sure, the two of us have sparred plenty of times, and you even tried fighting against Asuna, but it'd be good to test yourself against someone else."

"Though I think it's better if you do so after you've completed your initial task of cutting down the Gigas Cedar. Maybe, if you want, you can cut it down tomorrow and we'll move on to finding someone to have you fight."

"An actual fight with someone else…" Whatever uncertainty was there quickly dissipated, resolution in his gaze. "Yeah. Both of you are right. All of this is preparing me for combat with other people. I'll make sure to do my best when the time comes."

Kirito snickered, reaching over to pat him in the back. "Take it easy. I've said it before and I'll say it again; you've done so well throughout these weeks. You went from knowing nothing to making leaps and bounds. I know that you're ready."

Seeing those eyes of his reflect relief—as if finally reaching an answer after years of struggle and uncertainty—gave him a sense of pride that was so unlike anything else. It felt like looking at a little boy who was finally stepping out into the real world, ready to reach out for the things he wanted and begin his transition into becoming a true man.

He stood up before he was overwhelmed by his feelings, grinning down at his friend. "Say, how about you finish up your task and have a match with me? Take it as a… not a test, for sure, but as a final assessment before tomorrow."

His initial surprise was then replaced with determination, smile bright and ready. "Right," he too stood up, nodding. "I appreciate the challenge!"

"Hah, now that's the spirit! Let's do this!"

Kirito wondered what would happen if he told the entire people of Rulid Village that Asuna was actually the Goddess Stacia. He'd expect a whole lot of mayhem, and the slim chance of them turning into devout followers like manga typically depicted. As such, he decided that would be better off kept secret.

A whole week of her living with them, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Life on Rulid was utterly calm, the only excitement being some gossip about the neighbour's kid getting married or Old Man Garitta throwing out his back. Everything was fine otherwise.

Having returned to the church after things were well and done, Kirito was now busy taking a bath. There wasn't anything as advanced as a shower, so all they could do was prepare a tub with water—Selka helped whenever she could, but today, he'd had to draw water from the well outside and boil it himself. Tiring process, sure, but the soak was well worth it.

And he was enjoying it even now, groaning in delight as he felt it untie all the knots in his body. He always looked forward to this after a hard day at work. Except…

"Hmm. So they do have bath salts. No scented oils or soap or the like… Maybe Centoria sells them. We should buy some and bring them back home if we ever travel there in the future."

"Um. Asuna, what are you doing here?"

"Taking a bath."

"I can see that. Question is, why are you in the bathroom with me?"

Naked as the day she was born, she sat on his lap in the tub, which made things rather cramped. Not like she minded. If anything, this opportunity for skinship was something she rather liked.

"Because it's always more fun to bathe together," she answered matter-of-factly, making him sweat-drop.

"Uh-huh. But we'd better not step out at the same time, got it? And no funny business. The moment we get started, we take sooo long, and there are gonna' be others who want to use the bathroom."

The fact that she pouted at that meant that she'd truly intended to do just that. Kirito sighed, opting to make it up to her by helping to wash her hair.

"Oh, please be careful not to pull too hard, okay? Then again, I wouldn't mind if you did…"

"I'll be careful, I promise."

Her long hair in his hands felt like silk, making him ponder how it was possible for the Soul Translator to somehow recreate her entire body perfectly. Sure, the NerveGear had done the same, but this was far more realistic, her hair actually feeling as smooth as when he brushes it in the real world. Slowly rinsing it with the bath water, he runs his fingers across it. It'd be better if they had actual shampoo to use, or even a brush, but they'll just have to make do with what they could do.

"Say, Kirito-kun. Are you worried about tomorrow?"

"…A little," he answered with a little nod. "Don't get me wrong, I believe in Eugeo wholeheartedly. But I guess I'm more worried about how greatly things will change when he's completed his calling. Like, what happens next?"

"True. Maybe they'll let him choose a new calling."

"That would be nice if that was the case," he let go of her hair, opting instead to wrap his arms around her, her supple skin soft to the touch. Asuna yelped, but didn't shy away from his touch. If anything, she leaned into him, allowing him to rest his chin on her shoulder. "It's always the unknowns that worry us more than anything. I guess this is just one of those times."

And it felt so odd to him to be so worried about Eugeo, a guy he'd met in the woods and had known for just well over a week. Sure, he'd helped him out and gotten him a place to stay, but was that really reason enough to be so concerned about him?

Again, it all came down to the fact that it feels like he's known him his entire life… How could that be? He'd never met Eugeo before that fateful meeting.

"Well, guess all we can do is just… be there for him. Cheer him on."

"Mm. Yeah, you're right. More than anything, I'm looking forward to tomorrow," he grinned. "I can't wait to see him succeed."

"Heh… You're acting like a dad, all of a sudden."

"Wha—Am not!"

"You totally are!" She giggled, leaning back to kiss him on the cheek. "You worry so much for him, it's almost like he's your son or something. I think it's cute."

"I-It's definitely not that!" He argued, growling when she refused to let up in her laughing fit. "He's… like my brother, I guess is the most accurate way to say it."

Brother. Saying that felt right in the world, and he wondered why. But he couldn't think more on that before Asuna began teasing him about being such a doting parent. Kirito, unwilling to find the energy to rebuke her, simply accepted it with a groan.

The day couldn't have come sooner, and if anyone thought he wasn't nervous, that was only because he was trying not to let it show. In truth, he was really nervous as hell.

Eugeo didn't seem to have that same level of hesitation. If he had seemed nervous the day before, today he looked like a man ready to march through hell, face set in a determined expression as he brandished the Blue Rose Sword before the Gigas Cedar. He looked good.

"You got this, Eugeo-kun!"

"Yes!"

Good to know that Asuna was willing to cheer him on when he was just too nervous to do it himself. Why that was, he didn't know, but he supposed it was because he didn't know if this would really work. Realistically, it should; Eugeo had used the Gigas Cedar as a training dummy with the Blue Rose Sword quite the number of times, so its «Life» was pretty low.

And isn't it funny that some sword in a cave was managing to do more damage to the tree in just weeks compared to an axe made from dragon bones for years?

That had filled him with the suspicion that the Axiom Church had purposely gifted these people a severely weak tool that was only good enough to inflict the lightest amount of damage, just to keep them from expanding their wheat fields.

'Or I'm just wearing my tin foil hat and thinking too deeply about this.'

Either way, none of that mattered any more. Right here, in this moment, Eugeo was going to put an end to a task that generations of other tree-cutters had worked hard to finish. He would ensure no future generations of axemen would ever be needed.

It took some time, but eventually Eugeo took his appropriate place before the tree, lowering his stance with the sword extended backwards. It recognized the intended «Secret Technique» and emitted a strong blue glow, dyeing the grounds and himself in the same colour.

Focusing on that singular feeling in his blade, Eugeo took a deep breath—

"Hrraaaah!"

And roared as he shifted his weight to his left foot and cleaved through the Gigas Cedar's bark, a perfect «Horizontal» executed right before their very eyes, the song of metal fading off into a clear ring.

Eventually, as the seconds ticked by, the tree shifted.

"Okay, it's falling! Get back!"

"R-Right!"

Hastily, the three teenagers rushed to put distance between themselves and the collapsing tree, watching with disbelief as the massive tree that had tormented the lives of Rulid Village's tree-cutters finally met its end. It was by a single sword swing that it had finally met its match, slowly shifting as the world around them tremored.

Its impact was a great one, shaking the foundations of the world in a drastic way that they found themselves screaming in panic. But just as quickly as it had come, so too it had ended, the moment over as soon as it had began.

Kirito, Eugeo and Asuna stood in place. And before them, the Gigas Cedar; fallen, its massive stump being the only thing that remained, the trunk and all above crashed down upon the forest.

"By the goddesses, that was such a fall," Kirito muttered, combing his fingers through his hair. "And what a good thing that it didn't fall in Rulid's way! That would have been a disaster."

"N-No kidding," Eugeo whispered. "I can't believe it. It's actually been felled…"

"It is. You made it happen, Eugeo-kun," the two boys stared to their side, meeting Asuna's proud expression. "All that training really came through, huh?"

"I-It did," he nodded. A soft sniffle sounded, and he hid his face in one hand. "S-Sorry. I can't believe I'm getting emotional over something like this… I'm so dumb…"

"Not at all, Eugeo-kun. This was something that no one had ever accomplished before, and you made it happen," she patted him on the shoulder. "Take in this moment, and never forget it."

"Y-Yeah… Thank you. Both of you…"

Ahh, he was getting all sappy now. Even Kirito felt weak in the chest at the moment. "It's all good, man. Now that it's over, there's only one thing left to do—and that's to celebrate it!"

Because no doubt the people of Rulid would remember this moment for years to come, cherishing his name as the one who felled the Gigas Cedar. Eugeo would find it embarrassing, perhaps, but his best friend had worked hard to reach this point. He deserved the credit!

But none of that would happen if they didn't get back and inform Selka's father. And if they're lucky, they might just have a festival in his name! Goddesses, he can't wait for it!

A hand swept out, accidentally knocking over a mug of berry wine and spilling it all over the ground. "I refuse to accept this!"

Silence permeated throughout the area, right before Kirito—being the idiot that he always is—said: "You do realize that you're cleaning that, right?"

"Shut it, Kirito! This is a much more important matter!"

Okay, so in hindsight, he really shouldn't have expected everything to be smooth sailing, but come on now. Everything had been going great so far. Was it so wrong to hope things to stay that way?

To date, the trio had returned to the village to notify the chieftain of the task's accomplishment. Chief Gasupht had clearly been surprised, and he'd requested they take him there to confirm with his very eyes. They did so, and there was no faking the fallen titan of a tree.

From there, the village had been in an uproar, no one person failing to congratulate Eugeo for his good work, which he took with a whole heap of embarrassment. He deserved all of it, Kirito felt, and it good to him receive his due credit.

Chief Gasupht had also decided that a celebration was in order, hence their hasty preparations for a little festival. Everyone chipped in, both the young and old, to get a feast together. Kirito had never worked harder than he did that afternoon.

The feast had gone well into the evening, with a massive bonfire set up and plenty of dancing—and the food. Holy moly, he kept getting taken by surprise by how good everything in this world tasted. Sister Azalia, Asuna, Sulinea and a whole lot of the village's ladies collaborated to prepare the food, which was definitely the right choice.

Talking about Sulinea, she'd been in tears when she got the news. She proceeded to hug her little brother so much, yelling how proud she was of him, all while he struggled to escape her and pleading for her to stop. He'd laughed so much at his best friend's dismay.

Regardless, when they neared the end of their celebrations, Chief Gasupht had called Eugeo to the stage—totally not a nerve-racking thing for the poor guy. Everyone cheered his name as if they were in an idol performance. Even Asuna clapped for him.

"And so, I want to ask you," he recalled the chieftain asked him. "Eugeo, son of Orick. Now that you've accomplished your «Sacred Task», what do you seek to pursue now?"

Oh, right. There were cases where those who complete their first calling could then have it changed to something else, though that was really rare. Most callings stick with a person until the very end of their lives, so to see this was really fascinating.

In another life, perhaps Eugeo would have sought a simpler life by picking a mundane job, or maybe he'd want to get out on the road as a merchant or traveller. They were all reasonable choices.

But knowing him, that was simply not the kind of person Eugeo was. He was a boy with a conviction in his chest, and his decision simply cemented that.

"I wish to become a swordsman."

"I refuse to accept this!"

Which lead to now. Case in point, Jink was throwing a fuss because if Eugeo got his wish, then he'd be permitted to leave the village, whereas Jink would be forced to remain here as a guard. It certainly must come off as unfair if Eugeo got to leave before him, a matter of pride above all else.

Oh, and there was the fact that swordsmen would be permitted to join a tournament in Zakkaria, the next town over, to be officially acknowledged and have the chance of attending the Swords Mastery Academy; a stepping stone to joining the Integrity Knights.

That was important. It was an opportunity to infiltrate the Axiom Church and learn more about this world. Perhaps, they'd even be able to establish a connection with the real world and communicate with Kikuoka. That'd been his goal since he'd stepped foot in here, so it was really important that Eugeo got to leave the village.

Without any of those reasons, though, Kirito would be rooting for Eugeo regardless. Because screw Jink.

"Then why not have a duel?" Asuna's suggestion had everyone stop their previous muttering, all attention on her. He would have been uncomfortable being under the spotlight, but for the ex-vice commander of the Knights of Blood, she wasn't perturbed in the slightest. "Decide who can leave through a duel of swords. Considering that the both of you are pursuing swordsmanship as a calling, isn't that fitting?"

"A duel, you say…" Jink eyed the flaxen-haired boy, then nodded. "You're right. This will be the best way to solve this problem. Very well!" He faced the boy properly, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Eugeo! I challenge you for the right to leave Rulid Village! Will you accept it?"

"I…" After a pause, he nodded, face hardening. "I do."

Wait wait wait. Was this about the thing where he should test his abilities by fighting someone? He asked as such to Asuna, who grinned back with a clueless look. Sheesh. Well, he supposed it was fine…

Without an appropriate training grounds or venue for the fight, they decided to hold the duel there and then. Everyone formed a wide circular perimeter, giving them ample room to fight. Selka's father watched them with eagle eyes, curious and stern all the same.

Jink stood opposite of Eugeo, wielding a basic guardsman's iron sword that had a level of polish to it, indicating its high level of maintenance. His best friend, in turn, held his Blue Rose Sword before him.

"Hah. Where'd you find such a lame-looking sword? Bought it from some shady merchant?" Kirito wanted to shout about how it wasn't lame in the slightest, but Jink already continued. "Whatever. I'll defeat you no matter what. You may have succeeded in cutting down the Gigas Cedar, but as someone with years of experience over you, this'll be my victory!"

The duel proceeded from there, and admittedly, Kirito was nervous. He did his best not to let it show on his face, but if they'd looked at the way he clenched his fists or gritted his teeth, they would have known.

After all, this was Eugeo's first fight against another person. The time with the goblins hadn't exactly been all that fruitful, and though they'd trained together plenty of times, this battle had all the stakes on the line. He had to win this.

One week of training against years showed in their battle, for Eugeo still made a few mistakes in his footwork and swings, whereas Jink was more aggressive and took great control over the flow of the battle, easily pressuring his opponent.

But that didn't mean Eugeo was a complete slouch. He had an almost perfect read on the village's captain of the guards, matching his movements well enough and repelling any attempt to strike his blind spots. Essentially, he was being an unbreakable shield to Jink's endless assault.

'It's almost scary just how good he is at this. This is his first real fight, and he's doing really well.'

That helped ease his nervousness somewhat, watching with rapt attention as Eugeo directed a downwards slash off to the side, stabbing forwards to try and gain a hit. Jink leaned off to the side to let it miss him, and the two broke away from each other, only to then charge right at one another with their swords meeting in a great clash.

"What do you think, Kirito-kun? Can Eugeo-kun win this?"

He hummed at Asuna's question. "Judging by his performance, he's doing really well, though it doesn't seem like he'll be able to win any time soon. If this turns into a battle of attrition, I've a feeling he might be able to outlast Jink, though that's up for debate since Jink's daily training would have helped him build just as much stamina. If he wants to win this, he'll need an ace in the bag."

"Is that so? Then it looks like the battle's about to be decided."

Eh? What did she mean? His eyes shot back to the duelling swordsmen, and widened upon the sight he was presented with.

Jink had his feet spread apart, one extended forwards and the other towards the back. His sword was angled to sit on his right shoulder, and the stance allowed him to activate the technique «Vertical»–or, as it was called in this world, «Lightning Slash».

Crud. That was a pretty powerful technique. With appropriate muscle strength, he'd be able to break through Eugeo's defense and land the hit, earning him the win. That made him anxious all over again.

'Come on, Eugeo. Show us what you've got…'

"Take this! Hrha!"

Gasps resounded as they watched him slash downwards, aiming his weapon straight for Eugeo's clavicle. Everyone watched it happen, and Kirito couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight.

Because despite how much of a bad situation it looked like, there was not a single trace of fear in his eyes. If anything, they looked so much sharper, fire blazing in them that spoke of his readiness to end the fight.

The Blue Rose Sword rested close to the left of his waist, angled in such a way that the next swing would be diagonal in direction. It glowed to life, his «Secret Technique» faster than even Jink's as it came to slash right at the midpiece of the blade, brighter blue that was indicative of its true nature.

«Slant».

When comparing both techniques, «Slant» came short in terms of power, but more than made up for it with the speed of its slash. Eugeo seemed to capitalize on that, moving faster than Jink could have predicted and attacking his weapon. And that was precisely what he wanted, for the weapon in the guard's hands suffered the direct damage.

Two seconds pass. And the blade completely shattered apart before their very eyes.

The Blue Rose Sword continued its trajectory, cutting through the air and nothing more. A draft of wind was left in its wake, both swordsmen staring at each other—one in finality, and the other in utter disbelief. It was decided.

"The match is concluded!" Chief Gasupht yelled, raising one arm into the air. "As Jink's weapon has been destroyed, he can no longer continue! As such, the victory goes to Eugeo!"

Cheers erupted from the audience, and Kirito found himself screaming in joy as well.

"On three, alright? One, two, three… Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Four mugs slammed into one another, followed by glugging. Kirito gasped, the somewhat-diluted alcohol burning with a hum in the back of his throat and leaving him in a state of relish. He'd never tasted alcohol in the real world, so this was an experience that truly left him awed at both the taste and the feel. None of the other game worlds compared.

"Goodness. You should control yourself, Kirito. Drinking so much is not good for you."

"Psssh… It's fiiine," he chuckled, mind not too fogged for him to slowly set the mug down on the desk. It almost tipped over, however, but a quick save from Selka (who was the only one drinking pure fruit juice, since she was too young for the stuff) prevented such a fate. "This'll be the only celebration, after all, so we've got to go all-out and enjoy it! Right, Eugeo?"

Eugeo answered with a hiccup, swaying just a little in his seat. "S-Sure…"

"Someone's a lightweight, huh?"

"S-Shut up," he scoffed back, massaging his temple. "I told you I wanted to stay off the drinks, but you dragged me into this and so many more…"

Heh, yeah. They certainly drank a lot. He counted at least eight mugs for himself and half that number for Eugeo, including the ones they just had. "Brother, you need to learn to let loose every now and then. It won't kill you."

"The alcohol will definitely kill my liver, I'll tell you that…"

Huh. Is that a thing here too? Fatty liver or something. Guess that means they can't get too reckless with things, even in another world. Still, so long as they keep off the alcohol for a very long time, they should be okay.

As he was about drink again, delicate hands took his mug away from him, Asuna offering him a soft, if a little nervous smile. "Maybe you should ease off of it as well, Kirito-kun. Wouldn't want you doing anything on accident."

"I… suppose I could…" He shook his head, only to regret it when it made the buzzing a little stronger. "Gah, damn it… Hey, how come you're alright?"

"Good tolerance," and then, she mouthed the words that he could barely translate as 'Stacia'. Oh, of course it is.

"And what a good thing that is. I wouldn't know what to do if I had to deal with two drunk boys all on my own," sighed Selka. Asuna merely giggled back.

"Don't worry, Selka-chan. I won't leave you to handle these two all on your own. It'd be plenty difficult having to drag them to bed, wouldn't it?"

"Exactly."

Kirito raised both hands in objection. "No one needs to drag anyone anywhere. We'll be fine, right Eugeo?"

His best friend's head immediately hit the table afterwards. A soft snoring followed afterwards, indicating that he'd been well and truly knocked out by the drink. Kirito poked him in the cheek just to confirm it.

"Yep. Definitely a—hic! A lightweight."

"That's his cue to get to bed," Selka chuckled. "He's celebrated enough, I think. I'll go find Sulinea. Asuna, can you help our other drunk friend here to his bedroom?"

"I am not drunk!" He yelled, standing up, only to feel his legs shaking and quickly sitting back down. "See? Totally fine."

"Oh yeah? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Kirito squinted his eyes, making very sure to count very carefully, then answered: "Five fingers and two thumb toes."

"Yup, you're drunk," Asuna slung one arm underneath his and helped him up to his feet. "Time for bed. Have a good night, Selka-chan."

"Mmhm. You too, Asuna."

They took their leave afterwards, both of them giving their farewells to the other villagers. Many were sober, some of them were drunk, and at least two people were already out cold. The celebrating really had gone a little over the edge, but he supposed that was fine, so long as everyone enjoyed themselves. He'd even spotted Gasupht off in the distance, being chastised by his wife for drinking so much. Heh.

A sudden wave struck him, and he staved off any need to throw up by taking a slow breath. His knees buckled for just a moment before he was able to recollect himself, trusting in Asuna's assistance to keep him steady.

The walk back to the church thankfully helped ease some of the drunkenness out of his system, though he doubted he would have been able to make it there on his own. Asuna no longer needed to drag him, though she kept his hand in hers just to keep him stable. He appreciated it quite a lot.

Entering the church, there was nary a soul in sight. The kids were still out playing with their friends and Sister Azalia wanted to keep an eye on them, which left them all on their lonesome. Dark, quiet, and with the possibility of someone hiding in the shadows, ready to stab them in their backs…

Kidding. No one would commit a crime in this world. Break the «Taboo Index», and it's off to execution they go.

Climbing the stairs and reaching his bedroom door, Kirito let out a little sigh. "Thanks, Asuna… And s-shorry," he slurred. "I'm sure you would've preferred staying outside a little longer to celebrate."

"Oh, it's fine. I've had enough celebrating for a lifetime," she tittered. "Let's get you to bed."

"Nah, it's okay. I can get to bed on my own—Asuna?" She pushed the door open and dragged him inside by the hand, much to his initial confusion. It grew even more so when she gently eased him down to sit on the bedside. "Er, what are you doing?"

"Sssh… You wouldn't want to make noise."

"There is literally no one else here. And you are literally putting up a noise-cancellation barrier, as you always do," she didn't even bother hiding it, muttering the chants necessary to prevent any sound from escaping this room. "Okay… What is it?"

"Well, we've already celebrated with everyone else outside. And I was thinking… what say we have our own personal celebration?"

Before he could even ask her what she meant, her body emitted a bright flash of light that forced him to look away. Warmth and the scent of lavender brushed against him, leaving him in a state of ease that was helped further by his brain stewing in mead-induced inebriety. Once the light died down, he looked back at his goddess… and was left gobsmacked.

Standing before him now was not Asuna Yuuki, the girl he had fought alongside in 'SAO' and countless other worlds. No, this was Stacia, the goddess who governed all life in Underworld, standing in his room in all her divinity.

Kirito had seen her divine form only once, but then she'd been forced to adopt simpler clothes since she began living here in Rulid. But here and now, he was allowed to appreciate every little detail about her; the veil tied into her hair, her pure white dress accentuated with pink lines, her long skirt composed of a variety of fine cloth running down to the ground, her hair much longer and falling just as low. Two large halo-like rings hung from her left wrist, her hands gloved in white. Stockings ran down her thighs and seemed to merge into her shoes.

He realized that he had been staring at her for a little longer than necessary, but he didn't care. What else was he to do? Was he really going to avert his eyes from the beautiful goddess standing here in his room, the moonlight serving to illuminate her back and give her an ethereal glow?

No. No, he wasn't going to look away from her. Not a chance in hell.

"The people of this realm worship Stacia, don't they? And what would they think," she whispered, slowly approaching him until she was standing right in front of him. She climbed his lap and sat above him, eyes taking on an alluring note. "When they realize that the goddess isn't as divine as they thought she was..?"

The sauciness in her voice was doing all kinds of things to him. Namely, the heat sweltering in his core, and the fact that little him was currently waking up.

"Asuna, wait…"

"It's alright, Kirito-kun," her hands fell upon his shoulders. From this up close, her scent was so strong, and he felt so light-headed. "I think you deserve this just as much as Eugeo-kun deserved having tonight's celebration be in his honour. Don't you?"

Her hands reached behind her, undoing the clasps keeping her breastplate in place. It dropped to the ground, and she then reached for his hand, gripping him by the wrist and raising it towards her breast. Even through her dress, he could feel how soft it was, and giving it a gentle squeeze made her mewl appreciatively.

Just that single contact made his entire body flare up, his entire focus now narrowed solely on the feel of her breast in his hand. He could not look away, too mesmerized. Too shocked.

"So, how about it..?" She whispered, leaning in close to his ear. "Want to try defiling a goddess for once? She's all ready to be dyed in your colours…"

Without waiting for an answer, she started bucking her crotch against his thigh, panting lightly. Every sensation—from her breast still in his grasp, to the warm air blown directly into his ear, and the very sounds coming out of her lips—was turned up to an eleven, and he could feel the beginnings of a tent pitching in his shorts.

Kirito tried. He really did. Against his lover who gets like this at times, his patience would be tested greatly, and he would try his damnedest best to refrain.

Tonight—"Hyah..!"—was not that night.

The tables were suddenly turned, her back colliding against the bed as he flipped them. Kirito hovered above her, head feeling light. His chest heaved with every deep breath he expelled, vision swimming in the periphery but her being clear to be seen.

By all that was right with this world… how could she have done this to him? She had donned her divine attire and now bore the strength to give rise to life or even destroy the world—yet she'd done so in this moment just to be claimed by him. To let him have a taste of something holy. In this moment, with her rosy cheeks and her biting her bottom lip, she was ready for him.

Kirito growled, face dropping until he was close to her collarbone. "You really love pushing me, don't you..? You're a goddess, but you're behaving more like a succubus. Do you really have no shame?"

"I-I don't," her answer was breathy, and he bit down on her neck as a response. "Iyah..!"

"You're tempting me really hard, Asuna, and right now… I don't know if I can hold back… Knowing all of that," he leaned back, staring into those beautiful brown eyes that seemed glazed over. "Are you fine with that?"

"Oh, Kirito-kun… Don't you know that I'll always be yours to use?" She giggled. Her hands slid down into his tunic, stroking against his chest. "Whenever you just want to push me down and use me, I'll willingly give myself up for you. I may be the goddess of life and creation—but in this bedroom, I'm all yours to break. So go ahead. Blacken my wings. Let me fall."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back for him. Too aroused and intoxicated to think straight, he dove straight for her lips, kissing her as if she was the only oasis in the desert. Her hands continued roaming across his body, feeling him up and down and sending little thrills that made him grow impatient.

Discarding every single article of clothing he wore, Kirito slotted his stiffening member between her clenched tights and rutted into them. His lips latched onto her neck, biting and kissing into her skin and marking every inch of her body, all as she moaned and whispered little things into his ear.

"Just like that… Keep going, love…"

His lips moved all across her body; from her neck to her jaw, to her lips to kiss them, then back down to her neck. It trailed even lower, eventually reaching her breasts, of which he dragged down the cloth to give himself access. Asuna shook in his hold, and just seeing the supposed goddess of the world begging him for more of his touch delighted the beast in him.

He kissed the top of her breasts, humming into her skin and making her yelp in delight. Eventually, he'd gotten bored and ripped the fabric apart, watching as her boobs shook free, her pink nipples erect and proud.

"G-Go ahead… You know you want them…"

She knew him too well. Without hesitation, he planted his face into her chest and took a deep whiff, then caught one nipple between his lips. Asuna moaned, growing louder when he sucked lightly on it while he massaged her other breast, only to switch to the other, rolling it around with his tongue and making her pant faster.

His hands travelled down her sides, feeling the soft cloth against his palms and reminding him that she was dressed for complete decency. Yet all he could think of was how much better this made it, for even if she was clothed, defiling her in this state just felt so much better.

Reaching down to her miniskirt, Kirito slowly pushed it upwards, focused on the pure white garment covering her pussy. Already wet, he could tell, for his fingers brushed against it and came back slightly damp. He hooked his fingers around it and slowly pulled it down, giving just a little room for access.

And he didn't let up, hooking his thumb right into her vagina. "Nhhaa!" She cried out, back arching as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Aaaunh..!"

'She came, just from that?' The scent of her climax reached his nose, and he felt hungrier.

Inserting two fingers, he dug around and grazed them across her walls. Asuna moaned his name with every passing second, spreading her legs open to grant him easier access, and he pushed in deeper into her warm, wet tunnel to further pleasure her. And if the sounds she was making was any indication, he was doing a pretty good job.

Eventually, he pulled his fingers out and readied his member against her cunt. He sucked air through gritted teeth as he felt the wetness against the tip of his head, and steadying it with his hand, he slowly pushed forwards.

"Aoouh… K-Kirito…" She breathed out. "You're so thick in me…"

"And you're so fucking wet…" He grunted in turn. "And so tight..! Aargh..!"

The cockhead finally secured entry, and the feeling of her pussy walls clenching down on him was just too good. He pushed on regardless—"K-Kiri…aah, just like that, just like that..!" All as he listened to his girlfriend's words, urging him to continue.

Further and further he travelled within her. He eventually grasped both her thighs and spread her open, pushing all the while as they groaned over becoming united.

Eventually, just as always, he's finally hilted within her, enjoying the feel of her warm insides massaging his dick. Every shaky breath she takes seems to make her clench him involuntarily, and Kirito just can't get over how wonderful it feels.

"Hu-ah… Asuna…"

"A-Am I… good enough..?"

"What kind… of question is that..?" He breathed, kissing her softly before pulling back. "You're always—argh… You're always great…"

"G-Good… T-Then go ahead, Kirito-kun. I'm all yours."

"Hrgh…"

If only he had been of a clearer mind, he would have at least tried to start slow. But the hunger in him demanded he throw himself into the throes, pulling back before ramming forwards as strongly as he could—"Ahhn!"—and then falling into this depraved repetition with reckless abandon. "K-Kirito-kun! Haaahn… Y-You're so…so rough!"

"I'm sorry. But you'll just have to take it."

"I will! I-I wiiillll!"

Her scream into his shoulder came as she climaxed on his cock, body tensing once more as her vaginal walls clenched down on him once more. Kirito strained through it, unwilling to end his assault as he punished her over and over with forceful thrusts.

Lifting one leg over his shoulder, it simply opened her up even more for him to keep punching into, panting as his core tightened and his balls seemed to squeeze tight.

No… Not like this. His release can't come now. Not yet.

Growling through it all, Kirito sped himself up, striking against her sweet spots and making her cry out his name over and over. His hips moved so fast that he almost lost feeling in them, more focused on the vice grip around his cock that had him wanting to keep pushing himself to truly break her in two.

"Mgh—Aaaugh!" Her body convulsed once more as another climax tore through her. Another tightening of her walls around his sheathed cock, igniting his soul as he watched the goddess underneath him drown in pleasure. "Haah! Oh, moaaar, Kirito-kun..! Cum in me! I'll bear every single one of your children! Breed me!"

"A-Asuna..!" He didn't ease up, and now his release was getting closer. He could tell from the way his vision started to waver, and his balls seemed to clench.

"Cum, Kirito-kun! Cum in me!"

He gasped, vision exploding into stars as he spasmed in place, his hot seed jetting into the deepest part of her uterus. Moaning and thrashing in response, Asuna screamed in joy, heat and semen filling her to the brim.

That was… so powerful. That single orgasm had been enough to rob him of his consciousness, leaving him weak in the knees and just about ready to let it end there.

…As if.

"I want your ass up," he growled. "Get to it already."

Even as drunk as she was after he'd filled her up, she was quick to obey his orders, turning around and supporting herself on the bed on her elbow and knees. She stuck her ass out for him, cum trailing down her lower lips and trickling onto the bed.

He hiked the skirt over her back, gripping her waist and planting the tip of his cock right against her entrance. But his eyes found something else, and the hunger urged him to take a detour.

With concentrated deftness, he spat right onto her puckered asshole—"Iieh!"—eliciting a cry of surprise. He rubbed his thumb across it, spreading it over and around the entrance before lightly pressing into her asshole, making her squirm; but not out of fear, but excitement. That hungry smile on her face was so indicative of what she wanted.

And he was nothing if not a man who would give his girl precisely what she wanted.

With the tip of his cock sitting right on the star of her ass, he slowly rolled his waist forward, trying to find purchase. First attempt; slipped. Second; failure.

And on the third, Kirito pushed through, and felt her resistance give way.

"A-Aoouuugh..!"

'F-Fuck… This is what her asshole feels like..?' This was completely new territory, and he recognized that he would typically never think to try this. The buzz in his head had completely negated any thoughts of what was right or wrong, however, and all he could focus on now was how tight she was. "Urrrh… Haaah…"

But knowing that this was new to her, he opted to hold himself back for a moment, allowing Asuna—panting, crying out his name, wiggling her ass into him—a chance to adjust to this new position. He could feel her occasionally clench on him, making him grit his teeth.

Eventually, with his patience running thin and his arousal begging him to dig in, Kirito slowly eased himself back—"A-Ah, Kirito-kun..!"—his dick dragging along her anal tunnel, scraping, before he plunged back inside. "Ooaah… Y-You're filling me up… You c-can go faster," she whispered. "I know you want to… so don't hold back, love. I can take it."

"Asuna…" The girl's loving gaze has him almost melting into them, but he doesn't let himself break from his trance. She wants this just as much as he did. He grasps her by the hips—digging his fingers into her skin, a high-pitched moan escaping her—and felt a growl from deep his throat. "Don't tell me what to do. I'll fuck you however I want, whenever I want. You're nothing but my bitch right now. Got that?"

Horrible things he would have never said to his lover in his lifetime had the anticipated effect of making her beam at him. "Y-Yes, Kirito-kun!"

"I said," he growled, jerking his hip back before thrusting roughly into her, a squeal escaping her lips. "You're a bitch! What are you supposed to do?!"

"A-Aaahn… A-Arf! Arf! Hyaaanh..! Arf!"

With teary eyes and a face diluted in crimson, tongue lolling out of her mouth, the goddess had allowed herself to be reduced to a mere beast for his use, accepting his rough ministrations happily. She continued barking in the silenced room, humping her ass against his groin each time he thrust forward and making him growl in delight.

Seeing her reduced to the state she was in was just too arousing. Her beautiful chestnut hair was in complete disarray, braids undone and splayed all across her back and shoulders. His hands grasping her hips had forced them to grow red. And he watched in fascination as each thrust caused her ass to ripple, her breasts swaying like a pendulum with every motion.

This? This was Underworld's deity? Moaning and yipping like a dog in heat?

"Louder," he commanded, grabbing her hair with one hand and pulling back, jerking her head back and revealing her sweat-matted face. Drool ran down her lips, a silly smile on her flushed expression. "I want the entire village to hear their goddess's screams."

"A-Arf! Hyhaa! ARF, ARF!"

"Louder!"

Asuna howled at the top of her lungs when her climax came, her ass clenching keeping a tight hold on him and attempted to wring him dry. He gritted through it, quickening his pace and pounding away into her behind with reckless abandon.

Her body grew slack, but still he pulled on her hair, keeping her taut as he railed into her. His release was coming soon, and he wanted to fall off the edge. He wanted to paint every part of her—both her uterus and her ass—in his colours, and just the image alone sent a shiver down to his very core that further ignited his madness.

Panting much stronger now to match her dizzying moans, Kirito pushed his full weight into her, using up all the energy he had to continue fucking the lust-struck whore. His balls clenched, and he knew he was about to breach the dam.

And so, pinning his lover down into the bed, Kirito's balls eventually throbbed with great satisfaction as he unloaded everything within him—and straight into her ass. Vision blurred and wordless scream dragged out of him, his release was powerful and unending as he continued to dye her insides in his colour, more than even their first time. Too much that his cum eventually spilled out of her as and dropped onto the mattress as heavy globs, staining the fabric and leaving behind a rich scent in the room.

"A-Aaaah…"

"Ouuuh…"

The two stayed in that position for a little longer before Kirito eventually drew himself out, having to use a little more force because she refused to let go of him. When he pulled out, even more semen spilled out, her ass shaking in the air.

'G-Goddesses. That was phenomenal…' He let out a breath, looking down to his soiled lover. 'Talk about going overboard…'

Had all of that gone straight into her womb, there would have been no denying the consequence. Young as he was, there was no denying that he was positively fertile, and that would have definitely put a child in her. At least her divinity prevented such a thing, thus rendering their activities safe.

"K-Kirito-kuuun…" Asuna's giggly voice was heavy, wanting. "We're not done yet… Night's still young, ya' knooow~?"

"Ohh..?" His brow quirked, a smile coming to him. "You're still rearing to go? Heh… Talk about needy…"

"It's all to celebrate you, so I'll be more than happy to go as long as you'd want to."

Somehow, that helped his mind clear a little, understanding that her words—horny as she may be right now—weren't spoken solely for the moment. If anything, she'd always meant them, be it in the bedroom or outside.

That was just how much she loved him, and this was simply the girl he'd somehow fallen for.

His hand reached down to her chin, lightly brushing her skin. He could feel her shiver under his touch, revitalizing his dick and sending blood down there. But more than that, he's reminded once more that, crazy as this chick was, he was even crazier for loving her—and he was all for it.

"You're so fucking perfect," he whispered, dispelling her earlier haze and causing her eyes to widen. "To think that, of all the billions of people out there that you could have chosen, you settled for me…"

"K-Kirito-kun?"

"And I'm so greedy, Asuna. You gave me a taste and I'll always want more of you… so much more… Will you be willing for that?"

His hand slowly brushed down to her cheek, and she leaned into her touch, humming lightly. "Of course… My answer has never changed, and never will. You're the one for me, Kirito-kun. No one else can ever replace you."

Her hand held his. The same hand that's saved him, be it for holding his in his darkest times or wielding her rapier to fight off his enemies.

"My body, my heart, my soul, my love… everything will never belong to another man but the one I've submitted myself to."

"A-Asuna…" His vision wavered, making him chuckle. "The moment's become a little more melodramatic, hasn't it? Aah… I'm not drunk enough…"

"I think that's a good thing. You would have hit your head all over the place."

"Sure got your quippy remarks there, don't you..?" He growled. The mood was slowly returning to him, and judging by her excitement, she knew it too. "If you've got a lot to say, you can definitely put your mouth to better use," he jerked his head to the side. "Get off the bed, and on your knees."

This was probably the craziest relationship he's found himself in, and likely concerning. Wasn't there a phrase that went along the lines of 'don't stick your dick in crazy'? Asuna was, like, the single biggest crazy so far.

But watching her saddle off the bed and offer her parted lips for him, only for him to bury his dick down her throat and delight in her sucking him off… well, if they were both happy, then who was he to change things?

The couple celebrated well into the night, desecrating one another for a very long time and leaving no parts untouched. He'll have to figure out how to cover all the love bites and make an excuse for her eventual limp, though…

Author's Notes:

I recognize the fact that the plot is progressing relatively quickly, but I've already got Of Crowns and Swords which is a far slower burn, so I hope all of you can be patient with me with this one.

The plan is definitely to cover all the Alicization arcs, starting from their departure from Rulid and travelling all the way to Centoria, to (hopefully) completing the war portion as well. I got no idea as to how long this story will run, but I'm expecting a fair amount of chapters. We'll see how it goes.