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Sword Art Online PL

• Tom: 1
• Rozdział: 11-25

The heavy footsteps suddenly stopped in front of me. The air was rumbling, and I felt that the giant blade was about to be lifted up. It was too late to either dodge or counter. I gritted my teeth and waited for the moment I was to be released from this world. However, after a long while, the blade of the guillotine never dropped down. *Za zaa-* what replaced it was the sound of the ice surface being trampled on, and then, there was a familiar voice shouting, "KIRITO—!!" I widened my eyes in shock as I watched Eugeo leap past me to slash at Ugachi. He continued to swing his right hand wielding the curved knife wildly and forced the enemy to take two, three steps back. The goblin was startled at first, but he immediately regained his composure and wielded the machete skilfully with only one hand and parried away Eugeo's attacks from left and right. For an instant, I forgot about my pain and yelled, "STOP IT, EUGEO! HURRY UP AND RUN!!" However, he continued to yell while losing himself and continued to swing the blade. As expected of someone who'd been swinging that heavy axe for a long time, every single hit's speed was eye-popping, but unfortunately, the motions were too simple. Ugachi first looked like he was enjoying the resistance of a prey as he continued to defend enthusiastically, and then, "GUASS!" It roared and used his toes to kick Eugeo's supporting leg. As Eugeo lost his balance and tripped, it easily raised its machete—

"STOOOPP ITTTTT——!!!" Before my shout reached them, it casually swung horizontally.

Eugeo took a hit to the abdomen and was sent flying far away, landing right beside me with a blunt sound. I instinctively turned around, and a sharp pain occurred in my left shoulder like a flash, but this time, I ignored the pain and nudged over. Eugeo's wound was a lot more serious than mine. His upper body was sliced open horizontally, and the jagged wound was bleeding out a lot of fresh blood at a horrifying rate. Under the light of the grass that was still held in his left hand, the irregular workings of the organs inside the wound were laid bare to my eyes.

• Cough*. With a heavy sound, Eugeo's mouth choked out blood with bubbles mixed in. The green eyes lost their light as they stared right above emptily.

However, Eugeo never stopped trying to stand up. His mouth breathed out air that had some red mist mixed within, trembling as he used both hands to support himself off the ground. "Eugeo...that's enough...it's..." I couldn't help but say. The pain on Eugeo's body was not something that could be compared to mine. It was definitely much more than what the normal consciousness could endure. At that moment— the eyes that had lost their focus looked straight at me, and he blurted out the words that were drenched in blood. "Whe-When we were young...we promised...me, Kirito...and Alice, from the day we were born together, to the time we die together...this time, I must definitely...protect...I must..." At this moment Eugeo's arms suddenly lost their strength. I quickly reached out my arms to grab his body. Just when Eugeo's slender yet muscular weight was transferred onto me... My vision was surrounded by an interrupted white flash, and at the deep part of the screen, there were vague shadows there. Under the fiery red sunset, I was walking down a path between the wheat fields. The one holding my right hand was the young boy with flax-colored hair, and the one holding onto my left was a blond girl. That's right...I believed that the world would never change. I believed that the three of us would continue to live together. However, we didn't manage to protect her. We couldn't do anything. How could I forget that despair, that helplessness? This time... This time, I'll definitely... I could not feel the pain on my shoulder any more. I gently put the unconscious Eugeo onto the icy surface, reached my right hand out and held onto the hilt of the straight sword that dropped onto the floor. I then looked up and swung horizontally at Ugachi, who was swinging down its machete just at that moment. "GURAA...!" The enemy roared out in surprise as its body swayed slightly. I used the momentum as I stood up to ram right into its abdomen. The goblin swayed again and took two, three steps back. I pointed the sword in my right hand into the center of the enemy, took a deep breath, and exhaled. It was true that I was a complete novice when it came to the pain of the physical body. However, I have experienced an absolute pain that far surpassed that. This kind of injury was nothing comparing to the pain of losing someone important. The pain of losing was the only thing that would never disappear no matter how anyone tried to manipulate through machines. Ugachi let out a loud roar of intolerance, and the henchmen around him that were cackling away, *kiki*, all shut up. "White Ium...don't get cocky!!" I gathered my consciousness onto the blade tip of the machete as Ugachi charged over ferociously. *Kiiiin*. With this sound, everything else in my sights disappeared as radials. It was an accelerating feeling that I had forgotten for a long time, where my nerves started to feel hot. No— in this world, it should be said that my soul was burning. As I faced the machete swinging down, I took a step forward to dodge it and slashed from the bottom left side, to cut off the right arm of the enemy near the shoulder. The machete that was swung together with the giant arm spun, *vuun vuun*, and landed in the midst of the surrounding goblins, causing lots of screams. Ugachi, who had lost both its arms, was showing anger and more surprise in its yellow eyes as it swayed back. The black liquid that continued to seep out from its wound landed on the ice and created steam. "...How did this great me lose to an Ium...a mere Ium brat..." Without waiting for the panting voice to finish, I charged forward with all I got. "No. My name's not «Ium»!" I subconsciously said this. At the same time, the toes on the left foot, the fingertips on the right hand, and the sword tip that reached the fingertips became as sharp as a whip. The blade shone again, and this time it was a pale green light. An invisible hand pushed me hard from behind as I used the one-handed thrust sword skill, «Sonic Leap». "I AM...THE SWORDSMAN KIRITO!!"

• Pyun*. As the sound of the ripping air reached my ears, Ugachi's giant head was already flying high into the air.

That head seemed to fly up straight before turning and falling. I reached my left hand out to grab it, holding it by the decorative feather that was standing like a plume, raised the head of the leader that was still bleeding and yelled. "I TOOK YOUR LEADER'S HEAD! ANYONE WHO WANTS TO FIGHT, STEP RIGHT UP! THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO FIGHT, SCRAM BACK INTO THE LAND OF DARKNESS!" Eugeo, try and hang on for a while. I muttered deep inside my heart as I glared at the surrounding group with my utmost killing intent with both eyes. The goblins started to panic as they saw their leader die, each of them looking at each other and letting out panicked sounds *gii gii* After a while, one of them, who was standing at the front row, holding a stick behind its shoulder, walked out. "Gehe, in that case, once I kill you, I, Abuli-sama will become the next head..." Right now, I didn't have the time to patiently hear it finish its words. My left hand gripped the head as I dashed forward, using the same skill as before to slice that guy from the right rib to the left shoulder. With a blunt sound, blood splattered next, and the upper body slid down the sliced off area before landing on the ground. With that, the remaining goblins seemed to have finally made their decision. They all screamed out and rushed towards a corner of the dome. Several goblins pushed each other and moved through the exit we didn't enter from, and soon disappeared without a trace. The echoes of footsteps and screams gradually faded away and vanished. The ice-built dome entered an icy cold moment of silence, as if the commotion just now was a lie. I took a deep breath, endured the pain that came out from my left shoulder again, and threw away the sword in my right hand as well as the head in my left. I turned around and ran towards my friend who had collapsed. "EUGEO!! HANG IN THERE!!" I shouted, but his pale face wasn't moving at all. I could feel some slight breathing from the slightly parted lips, but it seemed that it could stop at any time. The devastating wound on his abdomen was still bleeding. I knew that I had to stop it, but I didn't know how. I used my stiff right hand to quickly draw a mark and knocked on Eugeo's shoulder, looking at the window that appeared with a praying attitude. The life— Durability Points, were indicated as [244/3425]. Also, the value in the front was dropping at a horrifying rate of one point every two seconds. In other words, Eugeo's Life would be at its end in about 480 seconds— there were approximately 8 minutes left. "...Hang on. I'll immediately save you! DON'T DIE!" I yelled again and immediately got up, dashing towards the wheelbarrow that was left aside. On the cart, there was Selka, all tied up amidst the wooden barrels and containers with unknown contents and many weapons. I pulled out a knife from a nearby box and quickly cut the rope. I carried her petite body, laid her down on the wide floor and quickly checked her, but there was no obvious external wounds. Her breathing was a lot steadier than Eugeo's. I grabbed the shoulders on her nun habit and shook her with the minimum amount of force. "SELKA...SELKA! WAKE UP!!" Selka's long eyebrows immediately twitched, and the light brown eyes opened with a blink. It seemed that she couldn't recognize me with just the light of the bristlegrass tossed beside Eugeo as her throat let out a small cry. "No...noo..." Selka waved her arms and tried to push me aside, and I held her down before shouting, "SELKA, IT'S ME! KIRITO! DON'T WORRY, THE GOBLINS WERE CHASED AWAY!" On hearing my voice, Selka immediately stopped. She reached her fingers out tentatively and gently touched my face. "Kirito...is it really you, Kirito...?" "Ahh, I came to save you. Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" "No... Not at all. I'm fine..." Selka's lips curled aside, and then she immediately leaped over to hug me on the neck. "Kirito...I...I...!" The slight breathing sound could be heard beside my ear, letting out a child-like cry— but before that could happen, I carried Selka with both hands, turned around and started running. "Sorry, cry later! Eugeo's severely hurt!!" "Eh..." The arched body immediately froze. I kicked aside the shattered ice on the ground and the junk those goblins left behind as I dashed towards Eugeo and put Selka down. "It's too late for ordinary treatment... use your sacred arts to save him, Selka, please!" Selka listened to me as she held her breath and knelt down before gingerly reaching her right hand out. She touched the deep wound on Eugeo, and suddenly moved her hand back. After a while, Selka shook her head that was tied into three braids hard. "...I can't...this kind...this kind of wound, my sacred arts... can't..." As she used her fingers to touch Eugeo, her face went pale. "Eugeo... you're lying, right... because of me... Eugeo..." Tears trickled down Selka's face, landing onto the pool of blood on the ice. She took her hands back and covered her face, letting out a cry. I felt that it was cruel to say this to such a girl, but I yelled. "CRY AFTER YOU HAVE HEALED EUGEO! NO MATTER WHETHER THERE'S A WAY, JUST TRY IT! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE THE NEXT SISTER!? YOU'RE THE SUCCESSOR TO ALICE, RIGHT!?" Selka's shoulders jerked hard for a moment, but immediately slumped back weakly. "...I...couldn't be like nee-sama... I couldn't even memorize the spells nee-sama spent three days to master even after a month. Right now, what I could only heal are... very small wounds... " "Eugeo, he..." I was driven by the emotions rising up within me as I said desperately, "Eugeo came to save you, Selka! He risked his life not for Alice, but for you!" Selka's shoulders jerked again, this time, more than before. During this time, Eugeo's life was dropping towards zero. There were only 2 minutes left, maybe even one. An instant moment of silence felt so long it was unbearable. Suddenly, Selka lifted her face. The expressions of fear and hesitation she had from several seconds before was all gone. "—It's too late for ordinary treatment. We can only try a dangerous high-ranked sacred art. Kirito, I need your help." "I-I understand. I'll do whatever you say." "Give me your left hand." I immediately reached my left hand out, and Selka used her right hand to hold it tightly. Then, she used the left to hold onto Eugeo's right hand, which was lying on the icy surface, tightly. "If the art fails, both you and I may die. Be prepared." "Just let me be the one to die then— ready whenever you are!" Selka stared straight at me with sturdy eyes, nodded and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. "Systemシステム・call!コール！" The loud voice echoed through the ice dome. "—Transferトランスファー・human unitヒューマンユニット・durabilityデュラビリティ、rightライト・toトゥ・left!!レフト！！" Her voice echoed. *Kiin*- the sharp voice became louder— and then, a blue light pillar appeared, with Selka in the middle. It was a lot brighter than the grass, incandescent, as it illuminated all the corners of the large dome a light blue color. I couldn't help but narrow my eyes, but this was only for a moment as my left hand that was held by Selka suddenly had a strange feeling surrounding it, which caused me to open my eyes wide. It felt like my entire body disappeared into the light as it flowed out from my left hand. Looking closely, my body was actually creating lots of small spheres of light, moving from my left hand to Selka's right hand. I looked over at where the spheres of light were moving towards, and the light flowed through Selka's body, increasing in brightness before being absorbed into Eugeo's right hand. Transfer Durability. In other words, it was a sacred art that transferred one person's Life over to another. If I opened my window now, I would be able to find that my value was dropping. It's fine. Just take it all. I thought silently in my heart as I exerted more force into my left hand. Selka, who was acting as the conduit of the energy and the amplifier, looked as if she was in pain too. I realized the cruelty of this world again, and how great the price of living was. Pain, suffering, and sorrow. The reason why there was such a deliberate intent to emphasize these things that weren't required in the virtual world was obviously something closely related to the existence of Underworld. If the technicians of RATH were trying to gain some form of breakthrough by torturing the Fluctlights of the residents, it seemed that the unexpected intruder, me, was being a form of interference by helping Eugeo here. But as for me, just send me to the devil for that. Even if he was a soul, Eugeo was still my friend and I would never let him die like this. As the life transfer continued, my body was surrounded by a strong chill. I used my gradually fading sight to observe Eugeo. The wound looked a lot smaller than when the spell started, but it wasn't completely healed at all, as the blood flowing out didn't stop in the slightest. "Ki-Kirito... are-are you still alright...?" Selka panted in pain as she said in an interrupted manner. "No worries... a little more, give Eugeo a little more!" I immediately answered, but in fact, my eyes had almost lost all their sight while my right arm and leg were going numb. The left hand Selka was holding onto was the only thing throbbing warmly. Even if I lost my life in this world, it was completely fine. If I could get Eugeo's life back, I could endure the pain that was a lot more than before. However, the only regret would be that I would never see this world progress until the end. If those goblins were just the start, if the invasion of the land of darkness continued to intensify, I would have to worry about Rulid village that would be the first to be exposed to it. I would lose all my memories when I log out, so I might not be able to log in again. No, even if I disappear— Eugeo, who witnessed the goblins and took the sword to fight would definitely do something. He would warn the village chief, strengthen the guards, and warn the neighboring towns and cities. He would definitely do that. And so, I couldn't let Eugeo die here. Ahh, but— my life was about to end. For some reason, I knew this. Eugeo still hadn't opened his eyes. Even after spending all my life, it wasn't enough to heal his wound and drag him back from the edge of death? "...I...can't...if I continue, Kirito, your Life will...!" Selka's crying seemed to come from afar. Don't stop, continue. Even though I wanted to say this, my mouth couldn't move, and trying to even sustain my own thoughts became gradually more difficult. Is this death? The simulated death of the soul in Underworld... or, will the death of the soul kill the physical body in the real world? What caused me to think about this was the cold I couldn't endure and the terrifying loneliness... Suddenly, I felt someone's hands on my shoulders. They were warm. It felt like my body that was frozen in ice was gradually melting. I— know these hands. Hands that were delicate like the feathers of a bird, yet grabbing onto the future more forcefully than anyone. ......Who, are you......?

I asked without letting out my voice, and my left ear felt a soft breathing. After that, I heard a voice that was so nostalgic that it made me want to cry. 『Kirito, Eugeo... I've been waiting for both of you. I'll continue to wait... at the top of the Central Cathedral...』 Her blond hair let out a light like the stars and filled me within. The overwhelming energy pulsed through all the corners of my body, and seeped out from my left hand as if it was looking for an exit.

[edit]Part 5 The percussive clear sound echoed in the high spring skies. Eugeo finished swinging the axe 50 times, wiped away the sweat on his forehead and turned around. I put down the canteen with the Siral water and asked. "How is your wound? Does it hurt anymore?" "Un, I managed to recover fully with a day's rest. But there's still a little scar. Also... I don't know if it's my imagination, but it seems that this Dragon Bone Axe became extremely light." "Doesn't seem like it. 42 out of 50 strikes hit the core." On hearing that, Eugeo immediately raised his eyebrows, and then smiled. "Really? Then I'll win the bet today." "Not likely." I smiled back, then took the Dragon Bone Axe and used my right hand to swing it lightly. It really felt like the feeling was a lot steadier than I could remember in my memories. 2 nights had passed since the horrific nightmare-like experience in the cave of the mountain range at the edge. Eugeo managed to keep his life with the help of Selka's sacred art. The sun had already set when I carried Eugeo on my right side and the head of the goblin leader on my left as we returned to Rulid village. Everyone was gathered at the plaza, discussing about whether they would start a search party. As soon as they caught sights of us, they all heaved a sigh of relief, just before village chief Gasupht and Sister Azariya immediately started blasting us with harsh scoldings. Maybe the adults were more freaked out that a supposedly-impossible thing like 3 young folks breaking the «Village Rules» had happened. However, when I shoved the head of the leader in my left hand right in front of the adults, everyone's reactions changed. Ugachi's yellowish-green eyes that were twice the size of humans, with his ragged sharp teeth and savage face, stared straight at them, and after a moment of silence, the adults let out screams and consternation several times louder than before. After that, Eugeo and Selka were the ones who mainly explained about the goblin gang camping in the north cave and how they may have been a scouting squad from the land of darkness. The village chief and everyone else looked as if they really wanted to treat this as some sort of childish and outlandish nonsense, but they couldn't laugh when they saw the head of the monster sitting on the stone steps. The discussion immediately changed to defending the village, and we were safely released before dragging our tired feet back home. I let Selka treat the wound on my left shoulder in the church room, and then collapsed like a pile of mud onto the bed, starting to sleep. The following day, Eugeo and I were allowed off work and enjoyed the luxury and laziness to continue sleeping. Another night passed, and this morning arrived. The shoulder pain and the fatigue in my body had completely disappeared. After having breakfast, I walked with Eugeo to the forest with the same energetic expression. He finished the first 50 swings— and now. I looked at the axe in my right hand and said to Eugeo, who was sitting slightly further away. "I say, Eugeo, do you remember...? In that cave, when you were slashed by the goblin...you said something strange, right? It's like you, Eugeo and Alice and I were friends a long time ago..." Eugeo didn't answer immediately. He kept quiet for a while as a light breeze blew by, blowing loudly with the trees. A soft voice came with the tail of the wind and entered my ears. "...I remembered. It should be impossible... but for some reason, I remembered it clearly. I, Kirito, and Alice were born together in this village and grew up together... Alice was standing there the day she was taken." "...I see." I nodded and sank deep in thought. Maybe his memory was all jumbled up in such an extreme situation. I could possibly explain this using that. Since the thing that formed Eugeo's consciousness and personality was the «Fluctlight» just like mine, it wouldn't be inexplicable for him to have some mistakes in his memories at the brink of death. However, the problem was— in that situation, I had the same memory confusion. I watched Eugeo, who was gradually dying there, and really felt a fresh memory that I actually grew up with him in Rulid village. Also, I even recalled the blond long-haired girl, Alice, whom I've never met before. This was impossible. This me, Kirigaya Kazuto, has a detailed memory of living with my sister Suguha in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture until today (or more accurately, until I woke up in this world). I didn't feel, nor did I want to think, that they were all fabricated. Was this phenomenon just an illusion Eugeo and I saw at the same time? If that was the case, there was only one thing I couldn't explain. When Selka used the sacred arts to transfer my life over to Eugeo and tried to resuscitate him, I did feel the presence of a 4th person in my gradually fading consciousness. That person even said: Kirito, Eugeo, I'll be waiting for you at the top of the Central Cathedral. I couldn't view that voice as a hallucination created in the midst of my fading consciousness as well. That's because I have never heard of the term «Central Cathedral» until this moment. Of course, there naturally wasn't one in the real world, and even though I have gone through all sorts of virtual worlds, I had never even heard of that place or building before, let alone been there. In other words, that voice didn't belong to either me or Eugeo, and was even less likely to be Selka; someone actually spoke to me. Would it... be too much of a stretch to deduce that she was the girl Alice who was abducted from the village 6 years ago? If it was really her, did my improbable past in Rulid village together with Eugeo and Alice really exist...? I interrupted that thought for the umpteenth time ever since I woke up, and said, "Eugeo. In that cave, when Selka used that sacred art on you, did you hear anyone else's voice?" Eugeo immediately answered this time. "Nope. I completely lost consciousness at that time. Did you hear something, Kirito?" "No... just my imagination. Forget about it... then, let's get to work. My goal is to get in more than 45 times." I hurriedly chased aside the thoughts in my mind, turned towards the Gigas Cedar again, holding the axe tightly with both hands while concentrating on all parts of my body. The axe I swung out had followed the trajectory I imagined and traced, looking like it was attracted to it as it hit the half moon-shaped core of the trunk.

Today, we ended up finishing the combined 1,000 axe swings 30 minutes earlier than before. That was because both of us weren't that tired and didn't need much rest at all. The number of critical hits increased from the previous week, and maybe it was just my imagination, but it was like our naked eyes could see how much we progressed through the markings on the giant tree. Eugeo stretched out lazily in a satisfied manner, saying that we should have lunch even though it was early. He sat down on the usual tree root, and I sat down beside him. Eugeo took out two round buns from the cloth beside him and handed them to me. I took one with one hand and said with a wry smile as I looked at the bread that was still as hard as stone. "It would be great if this bread could become softer like how the axe feels lighter." "Ahaha." Eugeo laughed heartily, taking a large bite and shrugged his shoulders. "...Unfortunately, it's still the same. Speaking of which...why does it feel like the axe got lighter...?" "Who knows?" I said, but I had already predicted this phenomenon the moment I opened my own «window» in the previous night. That problematic Object Control Authority, System Control Authority and my maximum Life had greatly increased. I could imagine the reason as well. We managed to force the large goblin group in the cave to retreat— in other words, we finished a high difficulty mission, and created a «Level up» phenomenon that was commonly used in normal VRMMOs. I didn't want to experience it again, but taking on a tough battle did bring its rewards. This morning, I pretended not to know anything as I asked Selka whether she was the same as well. The sacred arts that had a high rate of failure last week seemed like they could be used properly as well. Selka, who never actually took part in the battle, also gained a level up effect. Most likely, all three of us were treated as party members, and everyone gained experience. The way I look at it, this should be an acceptable reason. Eugeo's Object Control Authority should have increased to around 48 like me. In that case, there was no reason not to try that again. I finished the 2 round buns in a few bites and stood up. Eugeo was still eating slowly as he looked over. I walked towards the large opening in the Gigas Cedar's trunk and reached out for the Blue Rose Sword bundle that was placed there a few days ago. I held onto the leather cover while half-believing and half-praying, and used all the strength in my body to lift it up. "Ohh..." Immediately, I nearly fell and hurriedly took two steps back. The weight that I remembered feeling like a barbell with maximum weight added, had actually dropped to such an extent that it felt like the weight was closer to a thick metal bar. The sword continued to press down on my wrist heavily. However, this weight was more of a delightful one, and the feeling reminded me of my beloved swords at the end of the former Aincrad. I used my left hand to hold onto the leather cover, undid the buttons on it, and used the right hand to hold the sword hilt adorned with beautiful decorations. Eugeo was biting into his bun as he widened his eyes, and I smiled back at him. *Sharin!!* I drew the sword with a spine-chilling unsheathing sound. Unlike a few days ago, the Blue Rose Sword wasn't the least bit unwieldy as it lay silently in my hand, like a shy and beautiful princess. The more I looked at it, the more beautiful the sword seemed. Whether it was the white leather handle with textures that felt like it was drawing the hand in, the blade's transparency that seemed to hold a complex light, or the intricacy of the Rose and its vine-like patterns, they were all parts that couldn't be recreated by the weapons made from polygons that I was familiar with. It was no wonder that Bercouli in the story wanted to steal it from the dragon. "Oi... oi, Kirito, you can hold that sword?" Eugeo looked shocked. *Hyun hyun* I swung the sword around twice to demonstrate to him. "The buns didn't get softer, but this sword seems to have become lighter. Well, take a look." I faced the Gigas Cedar again and bent my waist down. My right foot took a step back as I faced the target sideways, using this turning motion to level the sword in my right hand. As I charged up for a moment, the blade was covered with a soft blue light. "—SEII!!" I shouted out simply and stamped hard into the ground. The System Assist recognized the matching sword skill impression and caused me to accelerate, giving a slashing hit with tremendous speed and accuracy. It was the one-handed sword skill «Horizontal». The Blue Rose Sword seemed to flash by like horizontal lightning as it accurately hit with pinpoint precision, causing a tremendous impact sound. The large trunk of the Gigas Cedar trembled slightly, and the birds that were perching around its branches all flew away. I became engrossed with this accomplishment of «Man being one with the sword» that I hadn't experienced for a long time, and looked over at my right arm extending forward. The light blue and clear silver blade were half embedded into the wooden grain that was glossy with a metallic black light. This time, Eugeo's eyes and even his mouth widened as he dropped the half-eaten bun onto the moss. However, the boy who was made a woodcutter for his Sacred Task didn't seem to notice, as he spoke with a trembling voice, "......Kirito......, was that... a «sword skill» just now?" I guessed so. From what I heard, it seemed that there was a concept of sword skills existing in this world. I just didn't know whether that referred to the sword skills governed by the system or not. I placed the sword into the scabbard in my left hand and cautiously answered. "Ahh... I guess so, yeah." "In that case... your Sacred Task before being taken away by the god of darkness might be a yeoman ...no, maybe you were a sentry guard in a large city. Only the soldier forces would teach real sword skills." Eugeo started rattling away, a rare sight at that as his green eyes were glittering. Upon seeing this, I immediately understood. He was tasked with woodcutting as his career job, and for six years, had continued to swing that axe without complaining— but he undoubtedly had the soul of a swordsman. The admiration for this thing called a sword and the desire to master the sword skills were imprinted deep within him. Eugeo took a step forward, and another before arriving in front of me, looking straight into my eyes and asking with a trembling voice, "Kirito... your sword skills, what sect does it belong to? Do you remember, the name of the sect...?" I thought for an instant, and then shook my head, "No, I remember. My sword skill is the «Aincrad's Style»." Of course, this was a name I made up on the spot, but once I have said it out, I felt that no other name could work. That was because all my skills were learnt and honed from that floating city. "Ain—crad, style." Eugeo repeated that again as he nodded. "Such an intriguing name. I have never heard of it before, but this may be the name of your teacher or the city you used to live in... —Kirito, well... I..." Eugeo suddenly looked down and stammered. But several seconds later, he lifted his head again as the light of determination returned to his eyes. "—Can you teach me your «Aincrad-style Sword Skills»? I'm not a soldier, or even a guard of the village... so it may be against some sort of rule..." "Does the Taboo Index or the Imperial... law have some clauses like «those who aren't soldiers can't learn sword skills»?" I asked calmly. Eugeo bit his lip lightly, and after a while, whispered. "...There's no such clause... but it's forbidden to have «Many Sacred Tasks». Normally, those who were tasked to the Sacred Task of guards or soldiers could learn sword skills. So, if I start learning sword skills... I might be viewed as giving up on my own Sacred Duty..." Eugeo's shoulders sank slowly. However, he gripped his fists hard as his tense muscles trembled slightly. I seemed to be able to see the binds around his heart. The people living in this «Underworld» —the «Artificial Fluctlights» that RATH used some sort of means to mass produce— had a unique point that people like us in the real world didn't have. Most likely, they would never go against the high-ranked rules that were ingrained into their consciousness. The highest ranked Axiom Church's «Taboo Index» and the Norlangarth Empire's «Fundamental Law» aside, they wouldn't even go against the «village rules» that this Rulid village inherited on their own. They couldn't do it. Thus, Eugeo could only suppress his urge to look for his childhood friend, Alice, who was taken to the capital. He restrained his heart and continued to swing the axe, facing the giant tree he could definitely never take down in his lifetime. But right this moment, he wanted to change his own fate through his own will. Of course, he said that he wanted me to teach him sword skills because he had an admiration for them, but more importantly, it was the greatest hope buried deep within his heart all this while... to save the captured Alice that he wanted to gain the strength to fight. Wasn't this line revealing his own desire? Eugeo lowered his head as he trembled. I watched him silently and kept telling him inside my heart. —Do your best, Eugeo. Don't give up. Don't lose to the things restraining you. Step forward... take the first step forward. Because you're a swordsman. At this moment— The flax-colored haired boy seemed to hear my words as he lifted his face up. The beautiful green eyes had an intensity I had never seen before as they pierced through my eyes. An interrupted trembling voice continued to come out from between the teeth that grit together, ".....But, but, I... want, to be stronger. I won't allow, the same mistake, to happen again. Need to take back... what I lost. Kirito... teach me, the sword skills." I was really touched inside deep inside my heart, but still continued to suppress these emotions as I smiled and nodded. "Understood. I'll teach you the skills I know — but the training will be tough." I changed my expression to a mischievous one as I reached my right hand out, and Eugeo's lips finally relaxed somewhat as he held onto my hand tightly. "Fine by me. Ahh, really, this is something... I, I, just kept looking forward to." Eugeo again lowered his head as two, three beads of water slid down his face. There was sunlight shining through the gaps between the leaves. Eugeo stepped forward before I could even be shocked, and buried his face into my right shoulder, letting out a very weak moan that spread through the bodies leaned together. "Now... I know. I've been waiting for you, Kirito. For six years, in this forest, I've been waiting for you to arrive..." "—Ahh." I answered with a random voice and used the right hand wielding the Blue Rose Sword to pat Eugeo's back lightly. "...I must have woken up here in this forest to meet you too, Eugeo." I strongly felt that these words I subconsciously said was the real truth.

The Demonic Cedar Tree, the tyrant of the forest, the steel-like Gigas Cedar was finally— or should I say easily, chopped down. It was just 5 days after Eugeo and I used the Blue Rose Sword to practice the «Aincrad-styled Sword Skills». The reason was simple. That giant tree was a perfect training platform. Every time I demonstrated «Horizontal», Eugeo would practice it over and over again, and the cut on the trunk continued to deepen. Once the cut occupied about 80% of the diameter, it happened. "—SEIAA!!" The giant tree took the horizontal slash from Eugeo's refined motion and let out an ominous creaking sound that had never happened before. Both of us stared at each other in a dumbstruck manner, and then at the trunk of the Gigas Cedar that extended all the way into sky, and we froze in shock as we saw the giant tree fall slowly towards us. However, at this moment, it didn't feel like a large tree was falling towards us, but that the land we were standing on was falling forward. The tree with a diameter of more than 4m succumbed to gravity as it lowered its head towards us, and the scene was so surreal. Just 80cm —if I described the distance using the unit in this world, it would be «80 cen»— the surrounding roots couldn't endure the tree's own heavy weight and burst into coal-like remains. The giant tree's final cry was a lot more intense than even 10 bolts of thunder from heaven as it was said that the sound of destruction even reached pass the central plaza of the village, all the way to the northernmost guard sentry post. Eugeo and I cried out at the same time as we split up left and right respectively. The pitch black Gigas Cedar sliced apart the sky that was gradually becoming orange and slowly, slowly fell down. Its large body finally collapsed and laid down on the ground. We took the impact that was ridiculously large and were sent flying into the air. Once we have fallen back and landed on our butts, our lives have dropped by about 50 points.

"That really surprised me... there are so many people in this village." I received a large mug filled with apple cider from Eugeo as I muttered. At the moment, there were a few clusters of bonfires at the central plaza of Rulid village, lighting up the faces of the villagers gathered there. The band beside the fountain was playing with instruments that looked like bagpipes and very long flutes. Also, there were performers in animal skin dancing with the music in a waltz. The villagers were all clapping and tapping their feet in rhythm as they danced under the night. I sat beside a table slightly further away, and my feet tapped along with the rhythm. Suddenly, I really felt an urge to jump and dance with the villagers in the circle, which was really unbelievable. "I think this is the first time I see so many villagers gathered together. There's even more people than the prayer festival at the Saint's Day at the end of the year, definitely." Eugeo said as he smiled, and I reached out the mug in my right hand. I had no idea how many times we toasted. The foaming beer that was about the same as the apple cider, but when I drank up, my face would still feel hot. Once they knew that the Gigas Cedar was cut down, the village chief had organized a village council meeting with the more well known villagers. During that time, it seemed that they had a heated debate over what to do with the «Giant tree Cutter» Eugeo— and me. What was scary was that some people even thought that it was a lot earlier than expected. Basically, it was earlier by about 900 years, and finishing the mission was a mistake and we had to be punished. However, the village chief Gasupht finalized things and decided that no matter what, the entire village had to organize a party to celebrate and deal with Eugeo according to the law. As for what the law was about, I had no idea as well, and I asked him. He merely smiled and told me that I would know shortly. However, after looking at his expression, I knew that at least he wouldn't be told off. I finished up the beer inside my mug, grabbed a stick of roasted meat with meat sauce dripping from the plate beside me, and took a huge bite. Thinking about it carefully, after I came to this world, everything I ate tasted bland, like the round buns and the dishes in the church that were mostly vegetables, so this would be the first time I was eating something with the word meat in it. Besides the tender beef that was coated with thick sauce — there was also the fragrance of something that smelled like meat, which made it really hard to believe that this was the virtual world. Just this smell alone was worth the tough battle against the Gigas Cedar. However, things would definitely not end just like that. I felt that it should be that we were finally staring at the starting line. I moved my line of sight and looked at Eugeo with the Blue Rose Sword hanging proudly there. During the past 5 days, he had had sufficient practice with the initial basic one handed sword skill — the one-strike horizontal slash «Horizontal» on the Gigas Cedar. Just like the randomly named Aincrad-style indicated, this was a sword skill that existed in the old VRMMO game «Sword Art Online». I could still understand somewhat why this action could be replicated. When I went to the VR game that was based around gunfights, the world of «Gun Gale Online», I used a few sword skills to break through tough battles, but in the end, that was just letting the avatar trace the actions, and there was no light effect or system assist that caused the sword to accelerate with the skill. It's to be expected that these weren't written into the game system. However, in this other world Underworld, the sword skills all took effect completely. If I did the play motion and imagined the actions of the skill, the sword would glow and accelerate. I was worried that I may be the only one who could do it on the first day of training, but on the second day, Eugeo managed to launch a «Horizontal» successfully for the first time, proving that any of the residents could use sword skills as long as the conditions were met. The question now would be why such a phenomenon happened. There shouldn't be any relationship between the RATH-developed STL's technical group and the now –defunct Argus that developed SAO. If there was, it would be... that man who introduced me to the strange group called RATH and was once part of the country's task force in the SAO incident... "Don't tell me..." I muttered as I started eating the second skewered meat. If the thought I had was true, that guy couldn't just be someone doing the introductions, but someone immediately related to the core of this incident — but I had no way to check this out. If I wanted to get more information, I had to first leave Rulid village and head to the capital way down south. The largest obstacle to this plan, the Gigas Cedar was chopped down. Then, there was only one thing left to do. After finishing the meat and vegetables on the metal skewer, I turned to the table and looked at my partner, who was staring at the ring of villagers, before saying, "I say, Eugeo..." "Un...what is it?" "From now on, you..." But before I could continue, a shrill voice came from above our heads. "Ah, there you are! What are you guys doing, the main characters for this celebration?" I spent quite some time to realize that this girl, who was standing in front of us with her arms folded and her back straightened, was Selka. She had already undone the 3 braids on her head and had a headband on. She wasn't wearing a black nun habit, but a red vest and a grass-colored skirt. "Ah, no...I'm not good at dancing..." Eugeo continued to eat as he tried to look for excuses, and I shook my right hand. "Yeah, me too. I lost my memory..." "It's just dancing! You'll learn once you dance around!" She grabbed Eugeo and my hands at the same time and dragged us up from the chair. Selka dragged us to the center of the plaza despite our protests and pushed us out. The crowd immediately cheered, and we were swallowed by the dancing ring. Luckily, their dance was rather simple, about the same kind taught during the sports festival. After changing through 3 dance partners, I finally managed to imitate them and started dancing. Slowly, with the simple melody, my movements became a lot more joyous, and my feet got lighter. The girls who didn't look like either Easterners or Westerners had a healthy blush on their faces as they happily laughed. I held their hands as I danced with them, and had a feeling, wondering whether I really was a wanderer without memories. It's really peculiar. —Speaking of which, I once danced in the virtual world as well. My dance partner was my sister Suguha's other identity in Alfheim, the Slyph swordswoman Lyfa. Her smile overlapped with the face of the girl in front of me now, causing my nose to hurt a little. As I was engrossed in the unexpected homesick feeling, the music got more intense and faster before stopping suddenly. I looked over at the band, and found that a burly man with a nice beard stepped on the podium with all sorts of instruments around it. He was the village chief of Rulid village, Selka's father, Gasupht. The village chief clapped twice and called out in a baritone. "Everyone, the celebration has arrived at its climax, but listen to what I have to say for a while." The villagers raised their mugs of ale and cider that were meant to cool off their heated bodies after dancing and cheered to toast back at the village chief. Everyone then went quiet and the village chief looked around before saying again, "—The greatest wish of our forefathers in Rulid village is finally fulfilled! The demonic tree that took Terraria and Solus from the lush southern land has been cut down! We will have a new place to grow wheat, beans and rear livestock!" Gasupht's brilliant voice was again covered. The village chief raised his hands to wait for everyone to quieten down before he continued, "The young man who accomplished this feat— Orick's son, Eugeo, come here!" The village chief waved to a corner of the plaza, and over there, Eugeo looked tense as he stood up. The slight short and shout man beside him should be his father, Orick-san. He did not resemble Eugeo at all other than the hair color, and there was no pride on his face so he looked somewhat flustered. Eugeo wasn't prompted by his father, but by the surrounding villagers. He walked up to the podium and stood beside the village chief, and as he faced the plaza, everyone let out the 3rd and loudest cheer. I clapped loudly with an enthusiasm not losing to them as well. "As according to the rules—" The village chief's voice rang again, and the villagers all kept quiet and pricked their ears. "Eugeo, who had completed his task fully, shall have the right to choose his next Sacred Task. He can continue to cut wood in the forest, follow his father to farm, herd the cattle, brew wine or be a merchant, he can choose whatever path he wants!" —What!? I felt my urge to dance quickly cooling off. It was not the time to hold girls' hands and flutter around. I should have given Eugeo the final push earlier on. It would be wasted if he said something like I want to grow wheat or something. I held my breath as I watched Eugeo on the podium. He lowered his head in a bothered manner, grabbing his hair with his right hand and gripping and loosening his left. I might as well rush to the podium, grab his shoulder and yell that we're going to the capital — as I thought about that, a small voice rang beside me. "Eugeo...intends to leave the village, I guess..." It was Selka, who had stood beside me without me knowing. Her mouth curled into a smile showing a mix of loneliness and delight. "Is, is that so?" "Un, that's right. What else is there to hesitate about?" Eugeo seemed to have heard her voice as he used his left hand to grab tightly onto the Blue Rose Sword at his waist. He lifted his head to look first at the village chief, and then around at the villagers before saying in a loud and clear voice. "I want— to become a swordsman. I want to join the guards of Zakkaria town and refine my skills. One day, I'll head to the capital." After a moment of silence, there was a commotion amongst the villagers, but this time it didn't look friendly. The adults were all frowning, gathered together and were seemingly talking about something. His father and the two young men beside him —most likely Eugeo's elder brothers— didn't look too happy either. This time, village chief Gasupht was the one who controlled the crowd, raising a hand to make the villagers quieten down and giving the same stern looking as he spoke. "Eugeo, are you—" On saying upto this point, he stroked his beard, and continued. "...No, I won't ask you for the reason. The Church has decreed that you have the right to choose your next Sacred Task. Alright, as an elder of Zakkaria, I recognize Orick's son Eugeo's new Sacred Task to be a swordsman. If you're willing, you can leave the village to practice your sword skills." Hoo...hh. I sighed for a long while. In that case, I can finally see the core of this world with my own eyes. If Eugeo became a farmer, I would have definitely intended to head to the capital alone, but since I had no knowledge or money for travelling, I might end up having to spend countless months or even years if I were to walk aimlessly. On thinking about how these few days of hard work had finally paid off, my shoulders immediately relaxed a lot. The villagers seemed to have accepted the chief's decision as, though they hesitated somewhat at first, they started clapping. But before their claps got louder, a sharp roar broke the night sky. "WAIT A SEC!" A large young man split the wall of people and leapt to the front of the podium. I had a good impression on the wilted-leaf colored short hair and stern look with the simple-looking longsword hanging on the waist. This person was the guard of this village stationed at the sentry in the south. The young man seemed to be facing off against Eugeo on the podium as he roared crudely, "IT SHOULD BE MY RIGHT TO AIM FOR THE GOAL OF BEING A GUARD OF ZAKKARIA! LOGICALLY, EUGEO CAN ONLY LEAVE THE VILLAGE AFTER ME, RIGHT!?' "YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!" The one who walked out as he yelled was a middle-aged man who had similar hair color and facial build, but had a bulging tummy. "...Who's that?" I brought my face over to Selka to ask. Selka pondered for a while and answered." "It's the ex guard-captain Doyke-san and his son, the current guard captain. They're the most skilled family in the village, but also the most annoying family here." "I see..." Just when I was about to consider what to do next, chief Gasupht listened to Jink and his father's opinion before raising his hand as he looked like he was trying to counsel them. "But Jink, you've only been through 6 years of being a guard. According to the rules, you can only join the swords tournament of Zakkaria in another 4 years." "THEN EUGEO SHOULD WAIT FOR ANOTHER 4 YEARS! HOW CAN YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND LET EUGEO GO FOR IT WHEN HE'S NOT AS GOOD AS ME!!" "Fm, then how are you going to prove this? How are you going to prove that you're stronger than Eugeo?" "What..." Jink and his father immediately flushed red. This time, it was his father who raged and closed in on Gasupht. "EVEN IF YOU'RE THE VILLAGE CHIEF OF RULID VILLAGE, I CAN'T PRETEND THAT I DIDN'T HEAR THOSE OUTRAGEOUS WORDS! SINCE YOU SAY THAT MY SON'S SWORD SKILLS ARE INFERIOR TO A NOVICE, LET'S HAVE A DUEL NOW!" On hearing that, the villagers immediately called out irresponsibly. They were all hoping wholeheartedly to watch this unexpected celebration's side event as they raised their mugs and stamped, shouting "DUEL, DUEL!" Just when I spaced out, Jink challenged Eugeo, and Eugeo had to accept it. In the end, both of them had to face off against each other in the space that the crowd in front of the podium cleared out. Are you kidding me, I thought and whispered to Selka. "I'll leave for a while." "Wha, what are you trying to do?" I didn't answer as I split the crowd and arrived in front of the fountain before moving over to Eugeo. In stark contrast to the enemy who was charging over like a ferocious horse, Eugeo's expression showed that he didn't know how to deal with this, and he heaved a sigh of relief as he saw me before whispering, "Wh-what should I do, Kirito? Things seemed to have gotten quite big." "It's pointless to apologize at this point. Forget about that. Are you really going to slash at each other in this duel?" "No way? We're using swords, but it's only until the attack is inches from each other." "Fuun... but if this sword doesn't stop while it attacks the enemy, the opponent will probably die. Listen, don't aim for Jink himself, but at his sword. Just charge at the side of the sword at the abdomen and use a «Horizontal» to end this." "Re, really?" "Absolutely, I promise." I pat Eugeo on the back and nodded over at Jink and his old dad who were glaring at me with suspicious looks before retreating into the crowd. On the podium, chief Gasupht clapped and shouted. SILENCE! "Then— even though it wasn't planned, we'll have a duel between the guard captain Jink and the woodcut...no, swordsman Eugeo right now! Both sides will fight until the sword is inches away from each other, and no damage on each other's lives will be allowed, understood!?" Before he even finished, *Shiing*, Jink drew out the sword at his waist, and Eugeo was a little slower as he drew his sword too. The villagers saw the Blue Rose Sword that was letting out a beautiful light as it shone under the bonfires. It seemed that Jink was overwhelmed by the pressure of the opponent's sword. His head tilted back slightly before returning to its original position immediately. The young guard's face showed more anger, and he pointed at Eugeo with his left hand before saying unexpectedly. "IS THAT SWORD REALLY YOURS, EUGEO? IF IT'S BORROWED, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO STOP YOU FROM USI ..." Eugeo didn't wait for him to finish shouting as he answered with a determined attitude. "This sword— I got it from the cave in the north. Right now, it belongs to me!" The villagers immediately started muttering, and Jink couldn't say anything. I thought that he would ask Eugeo to prove his ownership, but Jink didn't seem to have that intention. Most likely, in this world where theft didn't exist, declaring one's ownership would clearly determine that it 'belonged to him or her' and doubting and asking this may be some violation of right. —I didn't know if this guess of mine was correct or not, but Jink didn't continue as he spat twice on his own hands before raising his own sword up high. On the other side, Eugeo wielded the sword with his right hand only and pointed the tip at the opponent's eyes. He moved his left arm and leg back, keeping his center of gravity low. As several hundred villagers held their breaths as they watched, Gasupht raised his right hand up high, yelled BEGIN! and swung it down. "UOOOHHH!!" Just as I expected, Jink immediately rushed forward as he yelled out crudely, swinging down right from the front, and one might doubt if he would really swing until just inches away with that momentum— "...!!" At that moment, I gasped lightly. Jink's sword changed direction greatly in the air. He looked like he was going to swing from the top, but was actually swinging horizontally from the right. This was just an elementary feint, but if Eugeo followed my suggestion and got ready to use the «Horizontal» to aim at Jink's sword, it would be difficult for him to take on a horizontal swing with a horizontal swing, and may cause a miss before he gets hit by the opponent... "I...yahh!!!" The shout that was somewhat lacking in spirit as compared to Jink interrupted my thoughts immediately. The skill Eugeo used wasn't «Horizontal». He raised his sword on the right shoulder and looked like he was getting ready. The blade let out a slightly thick blue light. He looked like he was going to shake the earth as he stepped forward before drawing a sharp diagonal 45 degree arc in the air. This was... a skill I never taught him, the diagonal slash «Slant». Eugeo, who was a moment late in his activation, let his sword move at lightning speed and hacked at Jink's sword that was swinging horizontally from above. I watched the iron blade get crushed easily and asked myself. Eugeo must have used a wooden stick to practice the sword skill countless times once he got home. He properly discovered the existence of «Slant» during that practice, for there was no foreign sense of it being a last minute thing in that action just now. The united movement of Eugeo and the Blue Rose Sword dancing even had a sense of elegance to it. As he continues to practice and learn more sword skills and even go through the hellish test of the battlefield, what level of a swordsman would he become? If...if I really have to fight him for real one day, could I actually last in front of him...? The villagers watched this clean decisive victory nobody expected and cheered loudly. I clapped enthusiastically amongst them, and yet felt cold sweat flowing down my back.

The Jink father and son combo looked stunned as they backed away, and the music immediately rang. The atmosphere of the celebration was a lot more intense before, ending only when the church bell at the tower rang to signal that it was 10. I drank another 3 mugs of apple cider before finally forgetting the uneasiness that came for no reason, joined in the dance again with a delighted drunken feeling, and was basically dragged by Selka back to the church in the end. At the entrance, Eugeo, who was smiling wryly, agreed to go off together with me tomorrow morning before leaving, and I finally managed to get back to my own room and collapsed on my back onto the bed. "Really, even if it was a celebration, you drank too much, Kirito. Here, water." I immediately gulped down the icy cold well water Selka handed over, and my mind was finally clear as I breathed out for a long moment. No matter how much beer I drank in Aincrad or Alfheim, I wouldn't get drunk, but it seemed that the beer in Underworld was the real deal. I thought that I should take note of this and I looked up at the girl who was standing beside me, looking worried. "...Is, is there something?" I didn't know what expression Selka saw on me as she was startled. I hurriedly lowered my head. "Well... sorry. Aren't you going to talk to Eugeo more?" Still in her best clothes, Selka's face immediately blushed a cherry color. "What are you saying all of a sudden?" "Because, tomorrow morning, you'll...no, I'll have to apologize first. Sorry that things developed such that it looks like I'm taking Eugeo out of the village. If that guy continued to cut wood in this village, maybe he might, well... form a family with you or something, Selka..." Selka sighed hard and sat down beside me. "Really, you, what are you saying..." She just looked extremely surprised as she shook her head several times, and continued, "...Well, never mind— Anyway, once Eugeo leaves the village, I'll definitely feel lonely... but, I'm happy too. Ever since Alice nee-sama had gone, Eugeo lived his days as if he had given up on everything and now he can smile so happily and decide to look for nee-sama. I think father must be rather happy to see him like this, because Eugeo never forgot about nee-sama." "...Is that so..." Selka nodded, lifted her head to look at the full moon outside the window, and continued. "For me... actually, I didn't go over to the cave just to copy nee-sama and touch the land of the darkness. I knew I couldn't do that. Even though I knew... I still felt, even if it was just a little, I wanted to get closer to nee-sama. I wanted to get the nearest to her as I could... until I reached a place I couldn't advance forwards, and then from there on, I'll realize clearly... that I can't replace Alice nee-sama." I pondered about the meaning of Selka's words, and shook my head slightly. "No, you're amazing. Ordinary girls would have immediately went back once they reached the bridge outside the village or the path in the forest or the entrance of the cave. But you kept walking deep into the dark cave and found the goblin scouts. You did something only you could do." "Only I... could do...?" Selka widened her eyes and tilted her head. I nodded at her. "You're not a substitute for Alice, Selka. You definitely have something only you have. You just need to nurture this talent." In fact, I believe that from now on, Selka's sacred arts would improve greatly. That's because she sent the goblin squad retreating together with Eugeo and me, so her System Control Authority should have increased. However, this wasn't a question of talent. She challenged what sort of person she was and got her answer. This itself would grant her a power stronger than anything else. Believing in oneself would be the greatest strength that could be created from a human's soul. It's about time for me to try and find the answer to a question that was delayed by a certain will. My consciousness— This me who is called Kirito or Kirigaya Kazuto, what exactly am I? Am I a Fluctlight residing inside a living brain, a «real me»? Or am I a «clone» taken from the real me by the STL and preserved in some medium? There's only one way to check. Eugeo, Selka and the other people of Underworld, their Fluctlights would never break the «Taboo Index» and the «Empire Fundamental Law» But even if I could break through the taboo in this world, it wouldn't mean that I wasn't an artificial Fluctlight. I didn't know the clauses of the Taboo Index... in other words these rules were not written into my soul. On the other hand, I had to check if I could use my will to break the one rule... morals I had always abided by throughout my entire life till now. I went through all sorts of thoughts during the past few days, but this was still rather difficult. Using the sword to hurt the villagers or stealing were definitely not within the boundary, but if it was just badmouthing someone just to check, it would be rather unreliable. Right now, I could only rely on this. I turned around and stared at Selka's face as she sat right beside me. "...What is it?" I reached my hand out at Selka's puzzled looking face and apologized to Asuna and Yui deep inside my heart. I then said sorry to Selka herself, brought my face closer and placed my lips on the pure white forehead under her headband. Selka's body jerked suddenly, and she didn't move. After 3 seconds, my face left Selka, and her cheeks were flushed so red it reached her ears as she stared directly at me. "Wha... what, did you just do...?" "I guess... it's most likely something like the «Oath of a Swordsman»." I tried to find a decent excuse as I gritted my teeth once I realized something inside my heart. As I did something that the real me definitely wouldn't do, I'm the real me. If I were a cloned FluctLight, I would have stopped automatically several millimeters away from Selka's forehead. As I was thinking about this, Selka continued to look at my face and used her right hand to touch her forehead before sighing, "An oath... that might be your country's tradition, but, if it wasn't the forehead but the... there might be Integrity Knights flying over now. That's something against the Taboo Index."

There was a part in the middle I didn't hear, but I didn't bother to ask. Selka shook her head again, showing a slight smile on her face, and asked me. "Then... what is your oath?" "Isn't that certain... Eugeo and I will go save Alice together and bring your sister back to this village. I assure you..." I paused for a while, and then said the following words, "Because I'm the Swordsman Kirito."

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Sword Art Online PL

• Tom: 1
• Rozdział: Prolog, 1-10

• Tom: 2
• Rozdział: 4