Sword Art Online II>018.Forest House

(January 6, 2026 --- New Aincrad, 22nd Floor ---)

Leafa:
His fast-acting mind is one reason...

(Asuna, Silica, Leafa, Lisbeth sat on the sofa, studying)

Asuna:
Hmm...huh?

(Silica dozed off, leaned herself on Asuna)

Asuna:
Wake up. If you start napping now, it's gonna be hard to get sleep tonight. There's three days until break left, and your home work won't finish itself. Sinon finished hers before heading back home visit. Just staying.

Silica:
Yawwn...I'm so sleepy.

Asuna:
Poor thing. It's probably because the room's too warm. You want me to turn down on the heat?

Leafa:
Aha ha ha, it's not the heat. It's the masters of the sleep skill over there...

Asuna:
Huh? ...Oh, well, that figures.

(Kirito, Yui, and Pina slept soundly on the rocking char)

Asuna:
He's been working hard on this project ever since he got back from GGO.

Lisbeth:
You mean that gizmo for Yui, he'd done all other day on Agil's?

Leafa:
Oh! "Mechaphonics!?"

Asuna & Lisbeth:
No, it's called "Mechatronics."

Leafa:
Er...yeah, that.

Lisbeth:
Anyway, he's napping like there's no tomorrow.

Leafa:
Look at him! He's making me feel sleepy!

Lisbeth:
Aaf...

(Lisbeth made a big yawn. The girls in the room all laughed)

Asuna:
Hm...



(December 20, 2025, Dicey Café. Kazuto and Asuna sat at the counter. Andrew(Agil) served cups of coffee to them)

Andrew:
Here you go. Yo guys, seriously? Ya all don't have to come here every time you on a date. There's classier places in town you could go to.

Kazuto:
What are you talking about? This place is plenty classy. Compared to your shop in Algade, anyway.

Andrew:
Umm...

(Andrew popped a vein on his temple)

Asuna:
Oh, don't listen to him. I liked it!

Andrew:
Hmm...

(Andrew recovered his calm)

Kazuto:
That place's a rip-off! Haf ta junk with Papier-mâché!

Andrew:
Umm...!

(Andrew popped a vein again)

Asuna:
How can you say that? He was letting you stay there for free!

Kazuto:
That's get nothing to do with it.

Asuna:
Oh? Whatever...

Kazuto:
...Okay, spill it. What's so funny?

Andrew:
Noting. Just, seeing you like this, ya old look anything like the assault team top players!

Kazuto:
Right back at you, buddy...

Asuna:
Heh heh...Well, on that note, I bet you've played MMORPGs for a long time, huh?

Andrew:
True dat. I played so much, I met the missus in game. She used to live in the U.S. And we fell for each other hard. A year later, she was here, running the place with me. Ya will never know what life's got playing for ya.

Asuna:
Oh~?

Kazuto:
If Klein heard that story, he'd popped the blood vessel...

Andrew:
Anyway, we got married. Next big step was get ourselves a pair of nerve-gear rigs. But when the time came, we could only pre-order one. Hmph, I remember we played some game to see who get to try it first. I'm glad it was me who cracked and sealed, and not her. Still feel in that way.

Kazuto:
Hm...

Andrew:
The assault team was the only ticket out. That's why I joined up with them. All I wanted was get it back to this place, and to my lady.

Kazuto:
I know what you mean...I wanted to get back to my family too. It kept me help liven there.

Andrew:
You and the assault team, brother. They were men. Up every player in Aincrad for the same way about going home again. Right, Asuna? Ain't it motivated you?

Asuna:
Hmm...No, not really. I-I mean, it's complicated between me and my family... I guess, that's why there are couple of times in there I almost forgot what I was fighting for. Sometimes I felt like I didn't belong anywhere. Real and virtual were both dead ends.
But then...I met Kirito! He gave me something I could come home too. The place that felt more like a home. That's anything I ever had in the real world... I was happy.
Even though I knew once SAO cleared, our cabin would be gone... But I knew it deep-down that one day, somehow, I'd have a home again with Kirito and Yui. That's what I finally gave me the strength to fight, and keep fighting. It gave me h---

(Kazuto held Asuna's hand. Asuna smiled back to Kazuto. Andrew harrumphed)

Andrew:
A-hem! Speaking of Aincrad case, the mag's just posted some info on the next update. It's mostly typical stuff...They're gonna be add new weapons and sword skills...But, they're also gonna be unlock floors twenty-one to thirty for new Aincrad. Boon!

Kazuto:
Wait...! Do you know what that means!?

Asuna:
If we beat the boss of floor twenty-one, we have a chance to buy that log cabin again!

Kazuto:
Yeah! ...Yeah, but...there's those ton of little changes to new Aincrad lately... It sucks to get our hopes up just find our cabin's not there...

Asuna:
Yeah, it would...But I know it's still...It'll be waiting for us. Just like how we left it...

(Kazuto and Asuna were stared each other in their eyes. Asuna offered her hand, and Kazuto held her hand gently)

Andrew:
(Sigh)...Well, ya all better get move on then. Update goes rough Xmas Eve.



(December 24, 2025 --- Alfheim, Gnome Airspace ---)

Asuna:
Þeír sér lind ásynja, burt eimi og sverð!

(A golem, the 21st floor boss, trembled the ground, made players near him stumbled. Asuna cast "Butterfly Shield" magic. Agil with green light emitting two-handed ax, and Kirito rushed to the golem. Other players followed them. Chrysheight cast cold spell that made boss monster's legs frozen. Klein slashed it with fire enchanted weapon. Silica activated water sword skill on her dagger. Lisbeth with lightning, Leafa perhaps with wind enchanted weapon, attacked. From the rear-most of the raid party, the team of Salamander mages gave a fusillade of fire bolts, burned the golem, incinerated it for several seconds. Asuna watched the progress of the battle closely, whether the party's last all-once-attack ended the boss. But she noticed the golem still alive, and it swang his arm to wipe out several front fighters. She drew her rapier and leaped to the front of the boss)

Asuna:
I'm going in!

(Asuna lunged out her sword skills one after the other. But, still she couldn't finish the boss. Monster's single red eye glowed, activating some powerful blow. Asuna knew she couldn't dodge it. But at that moment, Sinon released her fire arrow. That cancelled boss's attack)

Sinon:
Asuna! Keep going! I've got your back!

Kirito:
Asuna! Here on me!

Yui:
Watch out daddy! It's about to punch!

(Kirito parried golem's attack)

Kirito:
Switch off!

Asuna:
Yaah!

(Asuna activated enchanting weapon skill, perhaps with divine element, and thrust her rapier to the center of the golem's chest)

Asuna:
Ug...! Wrraaah!

(Her rapier and herself pierced through boss monster's body)



(They were running up stairway. When Silica reached out of it, the outside world was all in the dusk)

Silica:
I reach on!

Klein:
Whoa...! Alright! We made it to the floor twenty-two!

Lisbeth:
Nn...mm! ...Haa! ...Hm?

(Lisbeth stretched herself, after that, she noticed Asuna's anxiety)

Lisbeth:
Hm, Hey Asuna! If you hanging around because teleport gate, don't bother. We can activate it.

Leafa:
Mm-hm.

Agil:
Hmph.

Asuna:
Aha...! Thanks a lot you guys!

(Asuna, Yui, and Kirito opened up their wings, flew away to the forest. They flew over the marsh, the shadow of the huge fish turned around. The wooden plank road was once they had walked on together. At down the hill, among cider trees, they saw familiar lake side cottage)

Asuna:
Ah...There! Do you see this!?

Kirito:
Mm-hm.

(Asuna descended to the cottage. A bill board stood at the front of the house showed it's name "FOREST HOUSE K4." And "FOR SALE" on the other small sign. Kirito and Asuna nodded each other. Asuna opened small window to buy the house. The house's price was 500,000 yrd. Kirito and Asuna layered their hands, also Yui sat on their hands)

Asuna:
Here we go...You ready?

(They touched the confirmation window, now the house belonged to them. The light barrier around the house disappeared. Instead, there's a key of the house fell into Asuna's hands)

Asuna:
Ah...

Yui:
Heh-hee...!

(Yui transformed her shape into a small child's, the same when she was in Aincrad, folded her both arms to Kirito and Asuna's. Asuna used the door key, after the clicking sound, the door opened. Asuna was filled)

Asuna:
I'm home...!



Leafa:
Oh my god, seriously!?

(Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth, everyone other than Leafa fell asleep in the forest house)

Leafa:
Hey, Asuna, Wake up!

Asuna:
Hmm...?

Leafa:
...That goes for you two!

Lisbeth:
Hum?

(Kirito, Yui, and Pina continued being asleep)

Lisbeth:
Ew, god, would you look at that! It keeps staring us to stay awake.

Asuna:
Ha ha...I'll make some more tea, and it'll wake us right up.



(Silica, Leafa, Asuna, Lisbeth were out of the house)
Silica:
Hey...Look! I guess it's stock snowing while we were sleeping!

Leafa:
Yeah, I like it came down...

Lisbeth:
Haa...Oh! Have you heard the news?

Asuna:
What?

Lisbeth:
You know, about "Zekken." Don't tell me you haven't heard!

Asuna:
Ze---kken? ...Zekken, is that some kind of rare item or something?

Lisbeth:
Uup, wrong. It's the name of a player! Actually, it's not a handle, it's more like a nickname. Anyway, this player's so bad-ass. Someone called them Zekken. The name cut on, and there you go. It means Absolute Sword. Ultimate Sword's better, though...Either way, this player's tough.

Asuna:
Really...So, er, when did you first hear about this Zekken person?

Lisbeth:
I don't know. I guess, maybe the first time was around new year's or something...maybe a week or so ago? Oh, duh, that explains why you're so out of the loop about it. You've been in your family's companion in Kyoto this whole time.

Asuna:
Mn-nn...That, I was having a good time, but you had to bring that up.

Lisbeth:
Listen to the rich girl rebelling against her cushy life! Sound like a drag...

Asuna:
A drag is exactly what it was! I had to sit on my knees in a kimono all day, greeting people... I brought my Amusphere along, thinking I could dive at night while everyone was asleep. But, you know what? The guest house I was in didn't have WiFi. Fun, right? ...It wasn't.

(Asuna reminisced about herself in Kyoto. In a big hall, some party or a company event her family held, she and her family was greeting people. Several young men approached Asuna, soft-soaped her or tried to get her hooks into them. All of them were wearing expensive looking suits, stylish haircuts. Their emitting elite-ish atmosphere was not remembered as favorite impression to Asuna. After the party, she and some man was talking in the luxurious Japanese-style room. The man was enthusiastically speaking something to Asuna. She replied to him with smile, but it looked perfunctory)

Lisbeth:
...Asuna? Asuna~? You even listening? Hello?

(Lisbeth pulled back spaced-out Asuna)

Asuna:
Huh? S-Sorry...! I, just, remember something lame...

Lisbeth:
I wonder what that could be? Were your folks trying to hook you up with someone...?

Asuna:
N-No! Not at all! I'm forgetting everything...

Lisbeth:
Ha ha. Okay, okay, just kidding.

Asuna:
So, anyway. I-Is this tough new player PKer or something?

Lisbeth:
Nh-nn, just a duelist. That's all.

Asuna:
Where there any tournaments?

Lisbeth:
Nope, as far as I know, this player's a totally newb. I have a feeling they might have converted over from another game, though. You should see their skill stats, they're through the roof!
You know, on floor twenty-four, there's that tiny little island, just north of the main town. The one with the huge tree. Well, every day at three o'clock, you-know-who shows up under that tree, waiting to take on any challenger one-on-one.
Zekken started by posting this "Opponents Wanted!" notice on the MMO Tomorrow bulletin board. Folks wanted to teach this cocky ALO newb a lesson. So, on the first day, about thirty players showed up. It didn't go so well for them, though...

Asuna:
What, they lost?

Lisbeth:
All of them. One after the other. And get this, none of them managed to chip off more than thirty percent of Zekken's HP. ...That's a bad-ass.

Silica:
I can't believe how good Zekken is! Eh...Who thought a newbie to the game could fly as good as that!? It took me at least six months to learn how to fly and fight at the same time. And, I'm still learning stuff!

(Silica recalled when she could fly in the game first time)

Silica:
I-I did it!

(She fell at once just then)

Silica:
Waaaah!

Asuna:
Did you fight Zekken, too?

Silica:
Not even! I'm no dummy. I watched one duel, and I knew it wouldn't stand a chance. If you want to know what it was like, why don't you ask Liz and Leafa? They took Zekken on yesterday. They fought and lost like a couple of champs.

Lisbeth:
Please don't remind me...

Leafa:
Good learning experience, though.

Asuna:
(Chuckle) Ah, it's snowing!

Silica:
Yeah...pretty, isn't it?



(They all returned into a house. Cake, or mix-berry tart on the dish, along with a teacup)

Asuna:
So, anyway, back to Zekken, if this player's as strong as you say, it's only a matter of time before there are no more challenges to face?

Silica:
I don't know about that. There's a pretty cool prize on the line, don't you know?

Asuna:
Really? What is it? Some kind of rare item or something?

Silica:
Nope, it's nothing like that. Whoever beats Zekken will get an original sword skill. It's a special move that's supposed to be super strong!

Asuna:
An original sword skill? Huh... Er, what type? How many hits?

Silica:
Hmm...Well, it's a general skill for a one-handed sword. Oh, but there's a thing. It's an eleven hit combo!

Asuna:
No way! Eleven!?

Lisbeth:
The strongest original sword skill being used right now, how many hits does it have?

Leafa:
That'd be the one General Eugene developed. The Volcanic Blazer. It's supposed to be an eight hit combo. He hasn't passed it on to anyone else yet, and...I doubt he ever will.

Asuna:
I guess that explains why so many players keep lining up to challenge Zekken. Have any of you seen this sword skill in action?

Lisbeth:
Nh-nn. I heard Zekken demoed on the first day of the duels, though. Apparently, it blew minds left and right. Well, since then, it hasn't been used in any other fights. Maybe the reason for that's because there hasn't been anyone tough enough to get Zekken to use it. Whoever does, has my respect.

Asuna:
Leafa, what happened when you fought Zekken?

Leafa:
Besides losing, it was going good 'til our HP's dropped below sixty percent. But...in the end, Zekken beat me, using nothing but default skills...

Asuna:
Really...
Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot to ask. What Zekken's race, and weapon of choice?

Leafa:
An Imp. The main weapon's a one-handed sword. It's about skinny as your rapier, Asuna. But only just. And, Zekken is super fast, too. I couldn't even see the attacks coming at me. That's never happened to me before...I'm still kind of shocked.

Asuna:
A speed type, huh? If you had a hard time tracking Zekken, I doubt I'd be able to either... Ah! I know someone who might, though. Mr. sleepyhead's the fastest player I've seen. What do you guys think? Would Kirito go for that kind of challenge?

Lisbeth and Silica:
Hm-m-m...

Asuna:
What? What'd I say?

Leafa:
Mm-fu-fu...Nothing, it's just Kazuto already tried it. And, boy, did he lose particularly.

(All girls except Asuna chuckled)

Asuna:
I don't believe it. Was he holding back?

Lisbeth:
Umm... Kind a hard for me to say, for more I was standing and look like it, yeah, but I don't think I'm really the best person to judge whether he was or wasn't...He didn't use that duel wielding trick. That's for sure. So, I guess, in a way, he wasn't going all out.
But, you know what? That kind of makes sense. I mean, it's a duel in a normal game. There's no reason for Kirito to fight like as life depended on it anymore. He only time will take it fight as seriously now as if the game stops being a game, when the virtual world becomes the real world.
In a way, I hope he never goes full-tilt in a battle ever again. He's kind of had enough of that. I mean, heck, he gets into enough trouble on his own as it is...

Asuna:
Hm...Yeah, I guess you're right.

Leafa:
Well, from where I was standing, I got a different impression...I think Kazuto was definitely giving his all. He seems serious, focused, and determined. He put up a good fight. At one point though...Something weird happened. Right before the duel was over, they were locking swords. And then, they both just stopped. It look like Kazuto was saying something to Zekken. I couldn't hear what 'cause of all the cheering...
And then, all of a sudden, they backed off from each other...Zekken charged him, but Kazuto couldn't dodge it, and...that's how the duel ended.

Asuna:
Really... What were they talking about?

Leafa:
I wish I knew. I asked him, but Kazuto wouldn't tell me. Whatever it was, it must be pretty important to keep to himself.

Asuna:
Interesting... Alright then, I guess the only way to find out what he said, is to ask Zekken myself.

Lisbeth:
Huh, you think you're up to the challenge?

Asuna:
I'm not doing it because I think I can win. Something about this Zekken person intrigues me is all. I don't know why, but, I think this Zekken person's here for reason other than dueling.

Lisbeth:
Yup, that's what I think too. But if you wanna find out what it is, get ready. 'Cause you're gonna have to put up as good fight as your boy Kirito, and then some.

Asuna:
Yeah, I know. Will you guys come cheer me on?

Leafa, Lisbeth and Silica:
Mm-hm.

Silica:
You know we will. It'll be awesome! We wouldn't miss it for anything.

Lisbeth:
Which character you're gonna duel with? You still have that Sylph account, don't ya?

Asuna:
Hmm...I guess I'll use this one. If Zekken's a speed type, it'll probably come down to who can hold at the longest rather than DPS. And that's that. So, three o'clock on the island in floor twenty-four, right?

Leafa:
Mm-hm.

Asuna:
Then if we meet here tomorrow at 2:30, we can...Oh no! it's already six o'clock? I'll be late for dinner!

Leafa:
I guess we might as well call it a day, and log out, too.

Lisbeth:
Rich girls have their problems, am I right?

(Asuna took away dishes on the table. She looked contemplating something)

Silica:
Heh heh...I can't believe he's still asleep!

Leafa:
I know! He didn't even feel of things...? My brother's a...

(While Silica and Leafa did mischief to Kirito, Asuna and Lisbeth talked themselves alone)

Asuna:
Hey, Liz.

Lisbeth:
What's up?

Asuna:
A little while ago, you said you thought Zekken converted over to ALO. The way you described the duels got me thinking... Could, Zekken be someone from SAO?

(Asuna's notice reminded about Death Gun. In her mind, Kirito and Death Gun was taking fierce sword fight)

Lisbeth:
Mm-hm. That's the impression I got after my duel. I wanted a second opinion, so after Kirito lost his, I asked him what he thought.

Asuna:
So, what did Kirito after say?

Lisbeth:
He said that even though the skills were through the roof, Zekken's definitely not a player from SAO. That's not all. Kirito also said that if Zekken really was from SAO, the Dual Wielding skill wouldn't have gone to him. It would've gone...to Zekken.

Asuna:
...

[End of the episode]