"I'm back." "Floor 22 —" "His fast-acting mind is... you won't be able to sleep tonight." "There are only three days of winter break left." "You need to finish your homework." "Shinonon said she finished all hers." "I'm tired." "Maybe the room's too warm." "Should I lower the temperature?" "No." "I think it's because of that." "That?" "I see." "it seems he's been working really hard." "You know?" "That thing we saw in Agil's shop that he's been working on for Yui-chan?" "Something-onics!" "Mechatronics." "But she really looks comfortable." "too." "Forest House 2025" "Here you go." "you don't have to come to a dingy place like this for a date every time." "right?" "this place is fashionable." "I liked that place." "Why?" "It was a rip-off." "Kirito-kun!" "But it doesn't change anything." "What are you grinning at?" "Nothing..." "I was just thinking you really don't look like the lead group's two best players." "I could say the same to you." "Agil-san?" "Yeah." "I met my wife in a game. she and I started a café." "You never know what will happen in life." "who knows what Klein would say?" "we were going to buy two NerveGears." "But we could only reserve one." "The two of us played a game to see who'd go first." "and she didn't." "Yeah." "I joined the lead group because I had this place." "I can't let my wife run it forever." "my desire to return to my family saved me." "I'm sure all the lead group felt that way... maybe all the players in Aincrad." "Asuna?" "I..." "I didn't really like my family." "there were times when I nearly forgot why I was fighting." "I felt like there wasn't a place for me in the real world or the virtual one." "But Kirito-kun gave me a home." "A place that felt more like home than the house I lived in." "our home on floor 22 would disappear." "and I could live there again gave me power." "That's what I think." "About that..." "The contents of the next update were just revealed." "There are new weapons and Sword Skills." "Announcing the details of New Aincrad's third update!" "And floors 21 to 30 of New Aincrad have been unlocked" "Does that mean... can we buy that log cabin again?" "Yeah. so we don't know for sure if the same player homes exist." "Yeah." "But I have faith." "That house is waiting for us." "But the update's Christmas Eve..." "Gnome Airspace —" "Seir Shal Vind Ashuna." "Bat Eilie Ougsu Sverg!" "Take care of the rest!" "Asuna!" "Just a little more!" "You can do it!" "let's go!" "Daddy!" "Its punch attack is incoming!" "Switch!" "I'm first!" "Okay!" "We made it to floor 22!" "Asuna! so get going." "everyone!" "Kirito-kun!" "Kirito-kun..." "Yui-chan." "I'm home." "Asuna-san!" "You fell asleep yourself!" "Liz?" "I wonder why looking at that makes me so sleepy." "Shall I make some tea to wake us up?" "The snow stopped! have you heard about Zekken?" "Zekken?" "Zekken?" "A new rare item or something?" "no..." "It's someone's name." "I guess... someone started calling them the absolute blade." "An invincible blade." "A blade that's better than any other." "anyway." "Strong..." "So?" "What are they like?" "I started hearing the rumors... maybe?" "I see." "So that's why you don't know." "You've been back home in Kyoto since then." "Don't make me remember that when I'm here." "It's tough being a rich girl." "It really was." "greeting people. but the separate house I was staying in didn't even have wireless LAN." "and it was a waste." "And..." "Asuna?" "Asuna?" "Are you listening?" "I was remembering something that wasn't too great." "What?" "Did they make you do an arranged marriage meeting in Kyoto?" "it's nothing like that!" "That was a joke." "does that make them a player-killer?" "they just duel." "Were they in a tournament?" "they're completely new. so they might be a convert from another game." "You know that little island with the big tree?" "and fight anyone one at a time. {\3cHC7FDF6}Seeking the strongest challengers." "that they were seeking challengers. but..." "They beat them all?" "Every single one." "Their HP didn't fall below seventy percent in any of the duels." "Must be pretty strong..." "It's kind of unbelievable." "despite being a newcomer." "It took me six months before I was able to really fight in the air." "P-Pina!" "Silica-chan?" "No way." "I could tell I had no way to win." "though." "They're really brave." "Shut up." "Everything is a learning experience." "Snow?" "It's snowing again." "About that Zekken... doesn't that mean no one will want to fight them anymore?" "Not so much." "What they're betting is amazing." "Is it some really rare item?" "It isn't an item." "They're betting an Original Sword Skill." "And a super strong special-move class!" "An Original Sword Skill?" "For what weapon?" "How many hits?" "Um..." "It looked like a general skill for a one-handed sword." "And it's an eleven-hit combo!" "Eleven?" "how many hits does the strongest Original Sword Skill do?" "It's General Eugene's "Volcanic Blazer." "I think." "But it seems the general isn't teaching it to anyone else." "That explains why so many people want to fight." "Did you actually see them use it?" "No." "I guess they demonstrated it the first day... they haven't used it in a fight." "No one's gotten them down enough to where they've needed to use it." "Leafa-chan?" "I was doing well until both our HP bars went under sixty percent." "But..." "I was overpowered with only the default skills." "I forgot to ask the most important thing." "What's the race and weapon?" "An imp." "The weapon is a one-handed straight sword." "But it's about as slim as your rapier." "They're really fast." "My eyes couldn't even follow the movements." "I've never seen anything like it." "It was a real shock." "huh?" "I don't know if I have a chance. someone with incredible speed is right over there." "What about Kirito-kun?" "He'd be interested in that..." "Wh-What's wrong?" "My brother already fought." "he looked very cool." "Was he serious? I don't think I'm capable of saying whether he was serious or not." "he wasn't using two swords." "but... I don't think Kirito's ever going to fight for real in a normal game again." "The only time he'll be serious is if the game isn't a game anymore." "When the virtual world becomes the real world." "So it's better that he doesn't have to fight for real anymore." "He already gets involved in plenty of trouble on his own." "you're right. he wasn't messing around." "I don't think he was slacking off." "But something bothered me a little... and they didn't move." "And it seemed like my brother was saying something to Zekken-san. and Brother couldn't completely dodge Zekken-san's charge." "What were they talking about?" "he won't tell me." "It felt like there must be something." "I see..." "Then I'll have to ask Zekken-san myself." "Then you'll fight them?" "I don't think I can win." "But they kind of interest me." "It feels like they came to ALO for some reason other than fighting duels." "I felt the same way. you'll have to fight as well as Kirito did." "I know." "Will you all watch me?" "Of course." "I couldn't miss a fight like that!" "Which character will you use?" "right?" "I'll go with this one." "I'm used to it." "I'd rather be able to keep up than focus on DPS." "Then that's it." "right?" "Yeah." "right?" "no!" "It's already 6:00?" "I'll be late for dinner!" "Then let's call it a day." "It's tough being a rich girl." "He still isn't awake?" "He isn't awake after all we've done to him?" "Brother's amazing." "Liz..." "What?" "right?" "do you think they might be a former SAO player?" "that was the first thing I thought." "but..." "Brother!" "Get up!" "We're leaving!" "What did he say?" "There's no way Zekken was an SAO player." "Because... not me." "Next Time Zekken"