The few minutes since then—or perhaps the few tens of minutes since then, I had no proper recollections of any details from then, even after the passing of much time.
I lost most of my logical thinking. All I was aware of, was the enemies before me, that plain sword, and the flesh guiding it—or to be accurate, it was only the motion commands issued by my brain.
Predicting the types and trajectories of the attacks coming from the monstrosities by their motions, avoiding those with minimum movement, countering by sinking a sword skill in. What I have done in the battles up till now, but with the inefficiencies in the motions ironed out, the precision raised.
In SAO, «unmissable magic attacks» do not exist. As a result, theoretically, if a player’s senses of judgment and reaction were ridiculously high, it would be possible to dodge any and every attack without pause. That said, I don’t have that much skill as a player, and there’s way too many enemies, so some sort of flawless execution would not happen. Vines stretched out from all four directions, grazing me, and drops of the corrosive fluids hurled at me made holes in my leather coat one after another. My HP gauge was whittled as time passed, my virtual, actual «death» took another step closer.
However, I narrowly avoided any direct hits, and continued to swing my sword.
If I were to suffer from even a half second delay due to a direct hit, it would lead to a stream of consecutive blows that will not cease until my death. Just which will happen first: damage shaving my HP down to zero, or getting my movement sealed and dying in an instant?
During the β test period, no, before even that, within the numerous MMO games I played, I have fallen into such desperate situations countless times. At times like those, after making a slight attempt at escaping my doom, I would think about how annoying it was to recover from the death penalty, or maybe how it would be nice if my weapon didn’t drop at least, as I sat back and waited for my HP to fall to zero.
If I wished for a «sense of reality» in this world, I would just have to do that now. At the very least, I would be able to find whether Kayaba’s declaration was the truth, or a malicious prank.
It felt like a small voice whispered that within my mind. But I ignored it, and continued decapitating the heads of the endlessly appearing Nepents with naught but «Slants» and «Horizontals».
Because I didn’t want to die? Well, that’s for sure.
But, there was one another thing, some other motive spurring me on to fight. At this current moment, forcibly warping the shape of my mouth—something was changing its form into one that could even be considered to resemble a smile.
This is it, was what I thought.
This is SAO. Despite having dived in for over two hundred hours in the β test, I was completely unable to perceive the true essence of this game named SAO. I haven’t been fighting for an actual cause.
The sword was not simply an item classified as a weapon, and the body was not simply an object capable of motion. When synchronized with one’s consciousness to the upmost limits, in that moment it all came together, there was a new phase that I could reach. I was only able to catch a glimpse of the entrance to that world still. I want to know what lies ahead. I want to keep moving ahead.
“U… ooooaaaa!!”
I howled, and kicked off the ground.
A «Horizontal», leaving behind even its own light effect, swung out and caused the prey-trapping mechanism of two Nepents, lined up in a file, to soar ever higher.
Immediately after, from a location slightly away at my back, a remarkably sharp sound rang out fleetingly with a *Kashaaan!*.
It was distinctively different from the sound of a monster blowing up into scattered fragments. A effect that heralded a player’s death.
Coper, who was surrounded by over ten of them, had finally expended all of his energy.
“……h!!”
I started to turn around by reflex, but resisting that, I slaughtered the last two around me, one after another.
Then I finally turned behind.
The Nepents who killed off their first target directed their bloodlust towards me. Their numbers accounted to seven. That would make it over five of them that Coper managed to drive off in that situation. The reason why he did not scream aloud in his final moments was most likely not due to lacking the composure to do so, but for the pride he held as an original β tester.
“……Good work.”
Mouthing the standard line in response to those «logging out» of net games, I brandished my now corroded sword right before me. It could have even been possible to escape from this situation right now, but that thought didn’t even occur to me.
Of the seven Nepents who caught sight of their new prey and were rushing in, a deep red «flower» just had to be blooming right at the top of the prey-trapping mechanism belonging to the one leading.
If only he didn’t try to kill me through MPK, and just worked hard at it for a little longer, Coper would have gotten his very own «ovule» as well. But, there was no purpose in saying that now. These were the consequences of those actions. That’s all.
My HP gauge was lower than forty percent, and about to change to the critical red area after a little more, but I entertained thoughts of death no more. I sensed the two on the right side within those seven initiating the motion for their corrosive fluid spray, dashed there with all my might, and used a single shot to take care of the enemies who were stuck charging up.
I brought down the remaining five in the next twenty-five seconds, and the battle was over.
On the spot where Coper was obliterated, his Small Sword and Buckler laid fallen. Both were worn out, much like my sword.
He had fought on this Floating Castle Aincrad for several hours, and thus, died. To be exact, his HP went to zero, and his virtual body was scattered. However, there was no means to check if that unknown somebody, in a street of the real Japan, lying down in a house somewhere, who manipulated that avatar had really died. All I could do, was bid farewell to this swordsman named Coper.
After thinking briefly, I picked up the sword, and thrust it deep into the roots of the biggest tree around. Next, I placed the «ovule», that dropped from the second one with a flower, onto that root.
“Here’s yours, Coper.”
I murmured, and stood up. Items left on the ground will have their endurance gradually dropping, eventually vanishing, but it should be able to serve as a gravestone marker for several hours.
With my back turned towards it, to return to the village, I began walking on the path heading east.
Even though I witnessed the death of my partner, who fooled, faced death, and was fooled, while barely living through by the skin of my teeth, the «sense of reality of this death game» that I held was as flimsy as always. But at the very least, the urge to get stronger had increased compared to before. Not for the sake of staying alive, but to understand the limits of sword techniques in SAO, though that may be a desire unspeakable to others.
Perhaps due to the POP drying up from our duo’s over hunting as expected, without running into any encounters with monsters, I arrived back at Horunka.
The time was—nine o’clock at night. From the end of Kayaba’s tutorial, three hours have already passed.
As expected, I could see several players in the village’s plaza. They were probably original β testers as well. At this rate, only those who had experienced the β will proceed onwards, and a gap might eventually form between them and a great many of those without that experience… but that was not something that I had the rights to be worried over.
I had no desire to converse with others right now, so before the other players noticed me, I went through the alleyways, and headed for the inner portion of the village. Fortunately, the NPCs’ behavior patterns seemed to have yet to progress into their late night versions, so the window of the house I headed for was still lit with an orange glow.
Striking the knocker for courtesy’s sake, and then opening the door, the mi
ssus turned around, with something simmering on the stove as always. Floating above her head was the golden «!» that denoted a quest in progress.
Stepping up to her, from inside the pouch on my waist, I took out a sphere faintly shining light green—the «Little Nepent’s Ovule» and handed it over.
The missus’s face lit up, looking as though she was twenty years younger in an instant, and accepted the ovule. As she babbled on with words of gratitude, the quest log at the left of my vision updated.
Gently putting the ovule into the pot, the missus, who changed into a young wife, walked over to a large chest placed at the south of the room, and opened its lid. From inside, she quietly took out a long sword in a red scabbard, and though it may seem decrepit, it gave off a presence entirely different from that of the initial equipment. Returning to my front, she held out the sword with both hands, along with words of gratitude once again.
“…Thanks.”
I murmured that single word, and accepted it. My right hand could feel its evident weight. The sensation it gave off felt like one point five times that of the Small Sword. The sword that really served me well even during the β—this «Anneal Sword»; I would require some practice to get used to it once again.
The quest completion message floated in the middle of my vision, the bonus experience points added, and my level went to four.
The old me would have burst out of the village, full of spirit, swinging my new sword at the «Large Nepent» enemies that appear deep in the forest to the west.
But I totally didn’t feel up to that at the moment, and after storing the new sword in my storage space, I sat down on a chair close by with a thud.
The quest was already completed, so the young wife won’t even offer a glass of water. With her back turned to me, she was stirring the simmering pot on the stove once more.
As surges of fatigue finally washed over me, I absentmindedly continued to watch over the NPC’s behavior. I wonder just how long did I stay that way. Within my vision, the young wife took out a wooden cup from the shelves, and filled it with the pot’s contents using a ladle.
Holding the steaming cup with both hands earnestly, with significantly more care than the sword earlier, she walked towards the door in the interior.
I stood up without any real reason, and followed behind the wife. The NPC that opened the door stepped towards a dimly lit room. If I’m not wrong, during the β period, when I tried to open this door by myself, it should have been locked away by the system. Despite lingering hesitations, I too, stepped over the edge.
Over there was a small bedroom. It was furnished with a dresser by the wall and a bed by the window, along with a single small chair.
And, on the bed lied a girl, who looked to be seven, or eight years of age.
The paleness on her face was apparent even under the moonlight. Her neck was thin too, with the shoulders peeking out from the sheets bony.
Upon noticing her mother, the girl lifted her eyelids slightly, and next—she looked at me. Eeh, as I stood stock still with that thought, those lips, lacking in color, formed into a faint smile.
The mother reached out with her right hand, propping up the girl’s back. That instant, the girl’s body bent over, gripped by a coughing fit. Those light brown braids shook weakly over the back covered in a white negligee.
I checked the color cursor displayed near the girl once more. The NPC tag was unmistakably attached to it. Her name was «Agatha». That would be pronounced as Ah-ga-tha, I guess.
While stroking the girl—Agatha’s back gently with her right hand, the mother sat down on the chair by the side, and spoke.
“Agatha. Here, the traveling swordsman got some medicine for you from the forest. If you drink this, you’ll get better for sure.”
And, she made the girl take a hold of the cup that her left hand held.
“…Okay.”
Agatha nodded with a cute voice, and holding on to the cup with her small hands, she gulped it down.
A brilliant golden light poured out with a *Paa* sound effect, color instantly returned to her face, and the girl jumped out from her bed and started running around—nothing of that sort happened. However, as Agatha lowered the cup, it might be just me, but I thought a slight tinge of red returned to her cheeks.
Returning the now empty cup to her mother, Agatha looked at the frozen me once again, and grinned.
Her lips moved, her somewhat stuttering words flowed out like demure jewels.
“Thank you, onii-chan.”
“……Ah…”
Without being able to give a proper answer, my two eyes opened wide as that sound leaked out.
In the past——
In the far off past, it felt like something like this happened.
My sister… Suguha caught a cold, and stayed in bed. My father was appointed overseas as always, and my mother was unable to cancel a trip that she had to make to the company, hence I was in charge of nursing her for a mere two hours. That was, elementary school… just which grade was it in? Honestly, I did think of it as a little bothersome, but I didn’t leave her alone to go play, and wiped down Suguha’s sweat, changing the cooling patch on her forehead.
When I did that, that girl suddenly said that she wanted to drink some ginger tea.
I reluctantly called up my mother, and asked for its recipe. It just needed ginger extract and honey to be dissolved in hot water, a procedure more simple than even cookery in Aincrad if done carelessly, but to me who had never even dabbled in cooking, it was of extremely high difficulty. After carrying the ginger tea, made while getting my own fingers grated away with the grater, to Suguha’s bedside, that girl who’s usually full of spiteful language, looked up to me with a meek face——
“……Uu…gh……”
All of a sudden, those sounds leaked out from my throat without my doing.
I want to meet up with them.
I want to meet up with Suguha, with my mother, with my dad.
The overtly intense urge pierced through my avatar, causing me to stumble, and my two hands landed onto Agatha’s bed. I lowered my knees onto the bedding like that, gripping onto the white sheets tight, and those coarse sounds slipped out from me yet again.
I want to meet up with them. But that was not something that could be allowed. After all, the multiple electric fields let out by the Nerve Gear severed my consciousness from the real world completely, imprisoning me within this world.
While holding down the sobs that my mouth was bent on gushing out, I felt like I have finally understood just what was the «truth» of this world.
It was not just about dying or living. There was no way I could have truly experienced anything like «death» in the first place. After all, even in the real world—one like this one, a «world where dying really means death», I have never felt the presence of death close by.
Rather, it was the fact that this is a «parallel world». That I can’t meet with people I want to. That is, the one and only truth. That which is «real» in this world.
Hiding my face deep within the sheets, I clenched my teeth as my entire body continued to tremble. There were no tears. No, they might be flowing down the cheeks of my real body made from flesh and blood, lying on my bed in the real world. Possibly, even in front of Suguha, watching over me from the side.
“……What’s the matter, onii-chan?”
Hearing that voice, a soft palm nervously touched my head.
That hand soon started stroking my hair awkwardly. Over and over again.
Until I cried myself out, that small hand never stopped moving.
(End)
Afterword
This is Kawahara Reki. Thank you very much for reading [Sword Art Online 8 Early and Late].
This is another compilation of side stories after volume 2. As the title says, it is the records of the latest story of SAO world (to be accurate, in chronological order, it was about a week before volume 7 [Mother’s Rosario]) and the earliest story
of SAO world (this too, to be accurate, happened an hour after chapter 1 of volume 1 [Aincrad]
Readers who had followed from volume 1 (or from the web version) would already know, that this SAO story happened two years after the start of the death game «Sword Art Online», the incident at about three weeks before the game was cleared was written first. After that, even though I wrote four side stories of the past episodes in volume 2, but I actually at a loss at the news that the SAO would get published into a Dengeki Bunko version. I thought if I shouldn’t publish the web version as it was, but rewrite the large portion of the scripts in volume one and two, by carefully filling the gap between the start and the clearing of the death game.
Of course, even though those thoughts had already ended (the reason was mainly due to the fear of having to write enormous amount of pages
At the time I decided to put the two stories which had been published on the web ([A Murder Case in the Area] and [Caliber]) in this eighth volume, ‘Then why not writing that day story, when Kirito ran out into the wilderness in addition!’ After thinking so, I wrote [First Day]. Come to think of it, it is now close to ten years after writing the first story of SAO, there may be some fluctuations in Kirito’s figure, if you are enjoying it including those, I’ll be very happy.
From here on, if the chance arises, I feel like to write about when Kirito obtained his very first beloved sword and challenged the first floor capture. Please wait patiently!
Now this is the custom ‘I’m sorry corner’…… About [A Murder Case in the Area] in this volume, I’m sad to say, there were inconsistencies from what described in volume one (for example, in volume one, Kirito recalled that [He had never entered an NPC restaurant with Asuna before] but it was exactly that in this volume……). For a moment, I was puzzled if I should make a temporary excuse that it was a player’s shop, but I stopped before getting the conclusion. Others are “Huh?” feelings here and there, for those, I beg for your forgiveness as the work came after the various complicated processes.
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