Chapter 13: A Taste of Home

The sun cast a warm glow over the bustling streets of Algade as Deku navigated his way through the lively marketplace. The air was filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and the sounds of merchants advertising their wares. Clutched securely in his inventory was a rare S-class ingredient he'd acquired during a recent excursion in the Forest of Wandering.

Pushing open the door to Agil's shop, a familiar bell chimed above his head. The interior was cozy, lined with weapons, armor, and various items displayed meticulously on shelves. Agil stood behind the counter, polishing a shield with a focused expression.

"Hey there, Deku!" Agil greeted, looking up with a warm smile. "What brings you in today?"

Deku approached the counter, a bit sheepish. "Hey Agil. I was wondering if you'd be interested in buying this." He accessed his inventory and placed the shimmering S-class ingredient on the counter.

Agil's eyes widened as he examined it. "An S-class ingredient? That's quite a find! Must've been an adventure getting your hands on this."

Deku scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "Yeah, it was definitely a challenge. Thought maybe I could sell it for a good price." Agil looked thoughtful. "Well, I could buy it from you, but it'd be a shame not to taste it yourself. S-class ingredients are rare delicacies."

Deku sighed lightly. "I know, but I haven't upgraded my cooking skill at all." He gave a sheepish grin. "I'd probably just ruin it." Agil laughed heartily. "Fair point. Cooking in here isn't the same as back in the real world, huh?"

"Exactly," Deku agreed.

Just then, the bell above the door chimed again. Deku and Agil turned, and to both their surprise, Asuna stepped inside, followed closely by her bodyguard from the Knights of the Blood Oath.

"Deku?" Asuna blinked in surprise, her chestnut hair flowing over her white and red uniform. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Asuna?" Deku was equally startled. "What are you doing here?"

Her bodyguard stepped forward, casting a suspicious look at Deku, but Asuna quickly waved him off. "I was just grabbing some supplies." Deku glanced at Agil, then back to Asuna. "I was trying to sell this S-class ingredient I found."

Asuna's eyes widened when she saw the shimmering item on the counter. "An S-class ingredient? You're not planning to sell it, are you?"

Deku shrugged. "I don't have the cooking skill to use it." Asuna raised a brow, clearly amused. "You do realize how rare these are, right? It would be a crime to sell it." Before Deku could respond, Agil leaned in. "You know, if you need help eating that, I'd be more than happy to join."

Asuna turned to him, giving him a teasing but firm smile. "Sorry, Agil. I think this one's between us."

Agil laughed, throwing up his hands in defeat. "Worth a shot." Deku, curious, asked, "Wait… What's your cooking skill at, Asuna?"

"Just maxed it out today, actually," she said with a proud grin.

Without thinking, Deku grabbed her hands, pulling her a step closer with stars in his eyes. "I have my chef!" Asuna blushed at his enthusiasm, while Agil chuckled at the scene. "Well, looks like your problem is solved, Deku."

Quickly realizing how bold he had been, Deku let go, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, I mean… if you don't mind, of course." Asuna smiled, her flustered expression softening. "I don't mind at all. How about we go back to my place? I'll cook it for us."

Deku nodded. "That sounds great."

As they turned to leave, Asuna glanced at her bodyguard, who had been silently observing. "You're dismissed for the rest of the day. I'll be fine," she said with a wave of her hand.

The bodyguard opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it when Asuna shot him a glare. "Understood, Lady Asuna," he muttered, turning to leave.

They walked through the streets of Algade in comfortable silence for a while. Asuna occasionally glanced at Deku from the corner of her eye, still processing how much he had changed since the first time they had met. There was a warmth to him now—he wasn't as distant or cold as before. She couldn't help but smile, appreciating this new side of him.

When they arrived at Asuna's house, Deku hesitated at the door, taking in the sight of it. It was a cozy little home, tucked away in a quieter part of the city.

"Something wrong?" Asuna asked, turning to face him.

"N-No, nothing," Deku replied, scratching the back of his neck. "It's just… your place is really nice. I've never actually been inside someone else's home here before."

Asuna smiled softly. "Well, there's a first time for everything. Come on in."

Deku followed her inside, and the warmth of the house immediately put him at ease. The interior was simple but comfortable. A fully equipped kitchen occupied one corner of the room, while a table by the window offered a perfect view of the sunset outside.

"Make yourself at home," Asuna said as she started pulling ingredients from her inventory. "I'll get to work."

Deku took a seat at the table, watching as Asuna moved around the kitchen with practiced ease. Her confidence and skill were evident, and it wasn't long before the rich aroma of the S-class ingredient began to fill the air.

As they waited for the food to finish, Asuna broke the silence with a thoughtful question. "Do you ever feel like… this world is starting to feel normal?"

Deku blinked, her question catching him off guard. "Normal? How do you mean?"

"I mean, everything. The routine, the battles, the danger… It's been so long that I think some people are starting to forget that this isn't where we belong. I've seen players who've given up on clearing the game entirely—they're content to just live here."

Deku's expression darkened slightly as he thought about her words. She was right. As they climbed the floors, there were fewer players fighting on the frontlines. Many had decided to settle down, opening shops, forming communities, and accepting their lives in Aincrad.

"It makes it even more important for us to keep going," Asuna continued, her tone serious. "If we don't push forward, who will? We have to keep fighting so that everyone can go home."

Deku nodded in agreement, his resolve hardening. "You're right. No matter how difficult it gets, we have to keep moving forward. We can't let ourselves forget why we're here."

The meal they shared was unlike anything Deku had ever tasted. Asuna's cooking skills had elevated the S-class ingredient to a whole new level. Every bite was bursting with flavor, and for a moment, it felt like they weren't trapped in a deadly game. It felt like home.

"This is amazing," Deku said between bites, his eyes wide with awe. "I didn't know food in Aincrad could taste this good.". Asuna smiled, clearly pleased with the compliment. "I told you it was worth it."

Deku nodded, savoring each bite. "It's… it's like a taste of home." He said quietly, but warmly while looking off somewhere, clearly reminiscing about the real world.

For a brief moment, they both sat in silence, letting the warmth of the meal and the comfort of the moment wash over them.

But as they finished eating, Asuna's expression grew more serious again. "Deku… you're one of the strongest players I've ever met. But even you can't predict everything that's coming. The higher we go, the more dangerous it becomes."

Deku looked up from his plate, sensing where this conversation was headed.

"I'm worried about you," Asuna admitted. "Being a solo player is dangerous, especially now that the bosses, and traps, are becoming more unpredictable... And that's not even mentioning the growing number of PKers... Even the strongest players can't face everything alone."

Deku tensed at her words, his mind flashing back to the times when things had gone wrong. When he had been too close to the edge, or when someone he cared about had been hurt. His fists clenched under the table, but he kept his voice calm.

"I've always been a solo player," he said quietly. "It's how I've survived, plus others just slow me down."

"I know," Asuna said softly, "but you don't have to do it alone. Not anymore."

Deku looked at her, his heart heavy. Of course, he trusted Asuna more than anyone else in this game, but the thought of relying on someone else again—of fighting alongside someone and watching them fall—felt like a ticking bomb. He couldn't lose her, not after everything that had happened.

But still…

Asuna's concern was real, and he knew she was right. He just wasn't ready to admit it. Asuna leaned in, her voice becoming more insistent. "What about me, Deku? Do you think I'd slow you down?"

Deku's heart skipped a beat, his mind racing as he tried to find an answer. "No… of course not… you're—" He started muttering, his words tumbling over themselves in a flurry of panic. "Well… I mean, you're amazing, but… I just… fighting with someone else… it's… it's complicated…"

Asuna, growing more impatient, grabbed the butter knife from the table, narrowing her eyes at him. "If you don't stop trying to weasel your way out of this, I swear—"Deku gulped, his mind racing. If this game doesn't kill me, I'm sure Asuna will. With his voice cracking and filled with nerves, he muttered in defeat, "Yes ma'am."

Asuna's glare softened into a smile as she sent him a party invite. Deku stared at the notification in front of him and tried to stall one last time. "But… what about your guild?" Asuna shrugged. "Mito can cover for me. I've been wanting to take a break from them for a while anyway."

Deku hesitated again. "And… your bodyguard?"

"I'll ditch him."

Deku swallowed nervously. The glare in Asuna's eyes was all the confirmation he needed. Finally, he sighed in defeat.

Asuna's smile brightened as Deku was clearly accepting his defeat. After, he looked up and clicked 'accept

Deku leaned back in his chair, the weight of the meal, the conversation, and the decision to party with Asuna settling over him. There was a strange comfort in it, though—a kind of relief he hadn't felt in a long time. The idea of not facing the floors alone, at least for a while, started to feel a little less terrifying.

Asuna smiled softly at him from across the table, her usual confident and determined demeanor tempered by something more gentle. "I'm glad," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know you're strong, Deku. But... sometimes even the strongest players need someone by their side."

Deku looked away, not sure how to respond to that. His heart was still heavy with the fear of loss, but Asuna's sincerity cut through the walls he'd built around himself. He hadn't let anyone get this close since Melissa. The thought made him pause, memories swirling in his mind. But something about Asuna's presence felt... different. Maybe she was right—maybe.

He stood up, brushing his hands down the sides of his cloak, trying to shake off the last remnants of his nerves. "Thanks for dinner," Deku said, his voice quieter than usual. "It was amazing... almost felt like I was back home for a second."

Asuna stood as well, her cheeks flushing slightly at the compliment. "I'm glad you liked it."

For a moment, they stood there, a comfortable silence hanging in the air between them. Deku felt like he should say something more, but he couldn't find the words. The weight of the day, the conversation, and the decision to finally let someone in again... it all felt so much heavier than anything he'd fought on the battlefield.

Asuna, who had been watching him quietly, smiled brightly, a slight blush on her cheeks. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Her voice was soft, but there was a warmth there that Deku couldn't help but notice. It was different from her usual tone—softer, more personal.

As he moved toward the door, he turned back to her, his mind still racing with the uncertainty of tomorrow. The battles, the bosses—they didn't scare him as much as the thought of losing someone else. But he forced himself to take a breath, pushing down the fear, and sighed while nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, I suppose," he muttered, his tone lighter, a hint of playfulness creeping in.

They shared one last look, a quiet understanding passing between them, and Deku couldn't help but feel that this partnership might not be such a bad thing after all. Plus as long as she's alive she'll eventually go back to her guild.

As he stepped out of her home, the cool night air brushed against his face. He paused for a second, glancing back at the closed door, the faint warmth from inside still lingering. For the first time in what felt like forever, Deku didn't feel quite so alone.

With a small, almost invisible smile tugging at the corner of his lips, Deku turned and walked into the night.

AUTHOR NOTES: Just a quick update. I currently already have the key concepts for the next 4 chapters but haven't written anything yet. I may have gotten a little sidetracked writing down notes for how I want to connect everything better, then I ended up getting hooked writing the first part of the final battle. Probably going to be a LONG time before we get to see that, but man! I'm excited about it. I'll try to get back to work on the SAO arc now. Have a good one! :)