Suguha's Room
"I want to see virtual reality for myself."
When did I first think that to myself?
At first, virtual reality was just
an awful thing that had taken my brother away.
But soon, I wanted to see...
To know with my own eyes the world my brother loved.
And I was surprised to find myself
enchanted by ALfheim Online.
The joy of flying through the sky on your own wings...
If I could fly as far and high as I wanted,
I'd be willing to give up anything for that.
I think I understand now
why my brother loved this world so much!
To the World Tree
Leafa-chan!
I told you not to call me that at school,
Nagata-kun!
S-Sorry, Suguha-chan...
Idiot.
I-I-I'm sorry, Kirigaya-san!
You need something?
And you don't have to take the high school entrance exams,
so why are you even at school?
You don't have to attend, right?
Sugu...
I needed to talk to you, Kirigaya-san,
so I've been waiting here since morning.
You aren't taking the exams, either.
The kendo club adviser asked me to come in.
So what did you need?
Sigurd and the others
wanted to go hunting again this afternoon.
Sorry, I won't be joining them for a while.
Why not?
I'm heading to Arun.
Arun? At the base of the World Tree?
Y-You can't mean to go with that Spriggan from yesterday...
Yeah... Well, I guess so.
I'm going to show him the way.
Wh-What are you thinking, Leaf—
Kirigaya-san.
You'll be going so far, overnight,
with a shady guy like that?
Don't get any weird ideas!
Anyway, that's how it is.
Tell Sigurd and the gang "hello."
Bye!
Suguha's Room
I'm just showing him the way.
That's all.
Link start!
Sylvein, Sylph Territory, January 21, 2025
Hey, you're early.
No, I just got here.
I was out shopping.
Oh, right.
I need to get ready, too...
This won't be good enough.
Yeah, then let's go to the weapons shop.
How much money do you have?
Um...
Is this "Yuld" stuff money?
Yeah.
W-We're leaving, Yui.
Okay.
Why are we going to the tower?
Oh, when flying long distances, you start from the top of the tower.
It gives you extra altitude.
I get it.
You're kidding me!
Let's get going.
I want to make it through the forest by night.
This way!
Leafa!
Hello, Sigurd.
You're leaving the party, Leafa?
Yeah, I guess so.
Don't you understand how that will inconvenience the other members?
You promised I could join only when I had time,
and that I could leave whenever I wanted.
But you're already a well-known member of our party.
If you leave without a reason,
it will damage our reputation.
Your party members aren't items.
What was that?
You can't keep other players equipped all the time,
as if they were your armor or sword.
You...
You're just another Spriggan who likes to rummage through trash!
You're probably a renegade who was kicked out of his own territory.
Don't be rude.
Kirito-kun is my new partner!
What?
Leafa!
Are you abandoning your territory
and becoming a renegade, too?
Yes, I am.
I'm leaving this place.
As long as you just buzzed around, I didn't plan to concern myself with you.
But if you're going to be a thief, that's a different matter.
If you're here, in another species' territory,
you can't complain if you get killed, right?
This isn't the time, Sigurd-san.
If we kill someone who can't fight back in front of all these people...
Once you're outside, run and hide, Leafa.
If you betray me,
it won't be long before you regret it.
Sorry for getting you involved in that.
It's fine...
But are you sure about this?
Abandoning your territory...
H-Hey...
This is an amazing view.
We're so close to the sky.
It's like I can reach out and touch it.
Isn't it?
Whenever I see this sky,
it makes everything else feel small.
This was a good opportunity.
I always meant to leave this place.
I see.
But it feels like I made you leave on bad terms.
There wasn't any other way I could have left.
What's a renegade?
A player who abandons their territory is a renegade.
And other players look down on them.
Are you certain about this?
Yeah, I am.
But why do they want to tie each other down like that?
We all have these wings...
Humans are complicated.
I can't understand the psychology that causes the desire to seek others
to manifest in such odd ways.
Seek others?
This is what...
...I'd do.
It's simple and unmistakable.
Th-That's an amazing AI.
Are all Private Pixies like that?
She's weirder than most...
O-Oh.
The desire to seek others...
Leafa-chan!
Oh, Recon.
I can't believe you!
You could've at least said something before you left!
Sorry, I forgot.
Leafa-chan, they said you quit the party.
At least halfway on the spur of the moment...
What will you do?
What else can I do?
My sword belongs to you alone!
I don't really need it, though.
W-Well, so I'll be going with you.
Or I'd like to.
But something's bothering me.
What is it?
I can't prove anything yet,
but I want to look into some things,
so I'll stay in Sigurd's party.
Kirito-san.
She has a habit of flying into trouble, so be careful.
Y-Yeah, got it.
And just so we're clear, she's my—
We'll probably be in the neutral zone for a while.
Send me a message if you need anything!
You said he's a friend from real life?
I guess.
What does that mean?
I was just a little jealous.
I can understand how he feels.
He likes you, Leafa-san.
What about you?
I d-don't know!
Now let's go!
We'll get to that lake before we land.
Yeah!
World Tree, January 21, 2025
My, my...
You're such a cold woman.
It's just a fake body.
It won't hurt anything.
Don't you want to enjoy yourself a little?
You wouldn't understand.
It doesn't matter whether your body is real or virtual.
Not to me, anyway.
You're trying to say it damages your mind?
I think it'd be a good idea to learn to enjoy yourself while you can.
I won't be here forever.
He'll come to save me...
Who will?
Your boyfriend, maybe?
The hero, Kirito-kun.
Wasn't his real name Kirigaya-kun?
I met him yesterday, on the other side.
I couldn't believe that weak little boy could be
the hero who beat SAO.
Where do you think I met him?
Your hospital room.
While you lay there, I told him I'd be marrying you next week, and the look on his face...
It was splendid.
I could barely stop myself from bursting into laughter.
I'd bet anything
that boy won't have the guts to put on a NerveGear again.
That's right...
I have to send him a wedding invitation.
I'm sure he'll come to see you wearing your wedding dress.
I have to make sure the hero gets to enjoy that much.
Then, I'll see you soon, Titania.
I'm sure you'll be lonely, but you have to endure it.
Kirito-kun...
Kirito-kun is alive!
8... 11... 3... 2... 9.
Neutral Area, Ancient Forest, January 21, 2025
Good work.
Thanks for the backup.
Our wings aren't gonna last much longer.
Let's land soon.
Yeah.
Tired?
Not yet...
You're pretty tough.
But our journey in the sky is at an end for a while.
Huh, why?
You see that mountain, right?
It's above the altitude limit,
so to pass it, you have to go through the caves.
It's the toughest part of the trip between Sylph territory and Arun,
or so I've heard.
I've never been past this point, either.
Really...
Caves, huh?
Are they long?
Yup.
Supposedly, we can rest at a neutral mining town midway.
Do you still have time today?
It's 7: 00 PM in the real world, huh?
I can keep going for a while.
Okay...
Then we can keep going for a while.
We can rotate out here.
R-Rotate?
We each log out and rest, while the other watches.
You can't log out instantly in the neutral area.
So you log out in turn,
while the other guards your empty avatar.
I see... Got it.
You go first.
Okay, thanks.
See you in twenty minutes.
Brother?
What are you doing for dinner?
Is he asleep?
Brother
I'm excited.
Kirito-kun...
It's not that I'm in love with him or anything.
Or that I'm glad to have someone to go on adventures with.
I'm just looking forward to visiting a new world.
I'm back.
See any monsters?
Welcome back.
It was quiet.
What's that?
I bought a bunch at an item shop before we left Sylvein.
An NPC said it's only made there.
I've never heard of it.
Okay, it's my turn now.
Keep me safe.
Okay, bye.
You can move without your master here?
Of course!
I'm my own person.
And he's not my master. He's my dad.
Come to think of it,
why do you call Kirito-kun your dad?
Did he, um, set it that way?
He saved me.
He said I was his daughter.
So he's my dad.
I-I see...
Do you like him?
Leafa-san, what does it mean to like someone?
What does it mean?
You want to be with them all the time.
You get excited when you're together.
Something like that?
What's wrong, Leafa-san?
Nothing!
What's nothing?
I'm back.
Did something happen?
Welcome back, Daddy.
I was just talking with Leafa-san.
About what it means to―
It's nothing!
Th-That was fast.
Did you get to eat?
Yeah, my family left me something.
I see...
Then let's get going.
Yeah.
Let's go, then.
Is something wrong?
It felt
like someone was watching us.
Yui, are any players nearby?
No, I don't see anything.
Maybe there's a tracer on us.
What's that?
It's a kind of magic.
It takes the form of a small animal or insect, and tells the caster the target's position.
Can't you get rid of it?
If you can find it, you can.
But if the caster's magic skill is high, it can be farther from the target.
It'd be nearly impossible to find in a field like this.
I see.
Well, it might be my imagination.
Let's hurry.
Yeah.
Next Time: The Lugru Corridor