Suddenly, iridescent rainbow light surrounded his body.
After a few seconds, the air shook with an impact similar to the sound of a lightning bolt. Kirito had crashed into the invisible barrier, and like a black swan hit by a sniper rifle he bounced away and feebly drifted through the air.
“Kirito-kun!!”
Lyfa screamed, hurrying to get over to him. If you fell from this height, your HP would disappear, and the effects could even be dragged into the real world after logout.
But before she could catch Kirito, he seemed to regain consciousness. He shook his head two or three times, once again rising. Immediately, he was blocked by the barrier, scattering light in his attempt.
Finally, Lyfa flew to the same height as Kirito and grabbed his arm, crying desperately:
“Stop, Kirito-kun!! It’s impossible to go beyond there!!”
But, Kirito’s eyes shining with bewitched light, he kept trying to go forward.
“I’ve got to go…. I’ve got to go no matter what!!”
He focused only on the point where the branch of the World Tree split the sky. Despite being much clearer then it was from the ground, the branch still seemed to be a good distance away, judging by its low detail.
At that time, Yui flew out of his breast pocket. Emitting brilliant particles of light, she flew toward the branch.
That’s right, a system navigation pixie might… Lyfa suddenly thought, but the invisible barrier didn’t allow Yui’s small body to pass. Like waves on the surface of water, seven-colored lights pushed Yui back.
But, Yui looking unlike a program, desperately shoved her hands into the barrier, then opened her mouth.
“The warning mode voice might be able to get through…! Mama! It’s me!! Mama!!”
Part 3
“…!!”
Suddenly, hearing a faint cry, Asuna lifted her face which she was resting on the table.
Hurriedly looking around the room, there was no one else in the golden cage. Not even the small azure bird that sometimes came to play. Only shadows cast by the sun on the cage lattice.
Dismissing it as imagination, as she put her hands back on the table.
“…Mama…!!”
This time she definitely heard it. Asuna kicked the chair away and stood up.
It was a little girl’s voice. That thin voice like a silver bell resonated strongly with a far-off memory.
“Yu… Yui-chan, is it you…!?”
Asuna said in a faint voice, rushing to the walls of her cage. Gripping the metal bars with both hands, she looked around frantically.
“Mama… I’m here…!!”
The voice seemed to sound directly in Asuna’s mind, giving no indication of direction. But she still felt it. It was from below, no matter how much she looked, the white sea of clouds surrounding the huge tree blocked her vision, the sound was no doubt coming from below.
“I’m… I’m here…!!”
Asuna cried as loud as she could.
“I`m here…!! Yui-chan…!!”
If Yui, the «daughter» she had met in the other world was here, then surely «he» was also here.
“…Kirito-kun —!!”
She didn’t know if her voice could reach him. Asuna looked around the bird cage. There must be something she could use to make him aware of her existence other then her voice -.
An object, but everything in this room was locked in place by its positional information, none of them could be moved out of the cage, she’d found out. Long ago, she had tried to use a teacup and a cushion to send a message to players below, but it didn’t work. Asuna anxiously held the golden cage grid.
No -
There was. Only one thing. An object that did not previously exist in this location. An irregular object.
Asuna ran to the bed, and pulled it from underneath the pillow. It was a small silver key card. She returned to the lattice. She held out her right hand with the card fearfully. If it was like before, she would be thwarted by a barrier.
“…!!”
Her right hand reached outside of the cage with no resistance. The clear silver card shining brightly with reflected sunlight.
‘… Kirito-kun… please notice this!!’
While praying, Asuna did not hesitate to open her hand. The card quietly danced through the air, falling straight down toward the sea of clouds below and flashing in the light.
Part 4
Torn with impatience, I felt as though my body would be torn into a thousand pieces, and struck the barrier with my right hand. My fist was flipped by a repulsive force that resembled strong magnets with the same poles touching, and iridescent ripples spread through the air.
“What is it… this thing…!”
I managed to stammer through clenched teeth.
Finally - I came so far. The prison that held Asuna’s soul was just right there. Nevertheless, the program code within the «game system» was blocking my path.
A tremendous self-destructive impulse flowed through my whole body, scattering white-hot sparks.
Logging into ALfheim Online for two days, I had come here in accordance with the rules of the game, pushing back my impatience, but the irritation that continually accumulated in the depths of my heart exploded out all at once. Baring my dog-like fangs, I grasped the hilt of my sword in my right hand.
- At the moment.
Beyond the white flame in my vision, a small white light shone.
“…That is…?”
I forgot my rage in an instant and stared at that light. Something that shone brightly was slowly falling toward me. Like snow in the midsummer sky, like dandelion fluff on long journey, it fell toward me.
While hovering, I released the hilt of my sword, and held out my hands toward the light. After a few very long seconds, the white light slowly settled into my hands. With the feeling of nostalgic warmth, I slowly opened my hands in front of my chest.
Yui looked from my left and Lyfa from my right. I silently stared at what was in my hands.
“…A card…?”
Lyfa muttered. It certainly was a small rectangular card-type object. It had a transparent silver surface with no text or decoration. Turning to look at Lyfa, I said:
“Lyfa, do you know what this is…?”
“No… I’ve never seen an item like this. Why not try clicking on it?”
Following Lyfa’s suggestion, I did a single-click on a the surface of the card with my finger-tip. A simple click on the game item should have caused a pop-up window to appear, but nothing was displayed.
Yui leaned forward and touched the edge of the card, before exclaiming:
“This… this is the access code for system management!!”
“!?…”
I held my breath, staring at the card in my hand.
“…So, if I have this, I can exercise GM authority?”
“No… You can access the system, but you must do it from the corresponding console… Even I can’t call out the system menu…”
“I see… but such a thing wouldn’t fall down without reason. This is probably….”
“Yes. I think mama noticed us and dropped it to us.”
“…”
I clasped the card gently. Not long ago, Asuna was holding it. I thought I could vaguely understand her intentions.
Asuna was also fighting. To escape this world, she was resisting strongly. I too have something I must do.
I stared at Lyfa and said:
“Lyfa, tell me. Where is the gate that leads into the World Tree?”
“Eh… it is in the dome at the foot of the tree…”
Lyfa said with a worried frown.
“But, it is impossible. It is protected by an army of guardians, thus far no matter how big the group, they couldn’t get past it.”
“Even so, I have to go.”
I put the card in my breast pocket and took Lyfa’s hand.
Thinking about it, this Sylph girl had helped me a lot. When I didn’t know left
from right in this world, with a rush of feeling, I came all the way here, it was thanks to her knowledge and her cheerful smile that encouraged me all the way. Someday, I’ll properly explain the situation and thank her in the real world… While thinking that I opened my mouth.
“Thank you very much thus far, Lyfa. From here, I’ll go by myself.”
“…Kirito-kun…”
With Lyfa’s face that seemed about to cry, I grasped her hands tightly before letting go. Yui went to sit on my shoulder as I retreated a bit further.
Finally, looking at the girl one last time, her ponytail swaying with her flight, I bowed deeply. Then turned my back on her.
Closing my wings, I rode the momentum gained with the acceleration of a fall as I sped right toward the base of the World Tree.
After diving dizzily for tens of seconds, the bottom of the World Tree and the intricate city surrounding it, Aarun, appeared. Between the roots and the city laid a shockingly large veranda, and I start breaking in preparation for landing.
I opened my wings fully for breaking while aiming for the landing point. I stuck my legs out below me, and tried to stop as my feet hit the pavement, even with the breaking, a loud boom echoed from the sonic boom accompanying me. Several players on the terrace for viewing the surroundings turned their faces toward me with a surprised look on their faces.
Waiting until they turned away, I spoke to Yui, still sitting on my shoulder, in an undertone.
“Yui, do you know the way to Dome?”
“Yes, it is straight up those steps. But - is it ok, papa? According to the available information, breaking through the gate is very difficult.”
“We’ll just have to try forcing it. Even if I fail, it doesn’t mean I will die.”
“That is, true, but…”
I reached out and gently stroked Yui’s head.
“Anyway, it feels as though I might go mad if I waste even one more second. Even Yui wants to see mama as soon as possible right.”
“…Yes.”
Yui nodded, and nuzzled my cheek as I started walking up the steps.
Nearing the top of the steps, we already seemed to be at the top of Aarun city. The huge cone shaped roots gathered in front of us at that one place on the trunk. The diameter was too big, all that could be seen from there was a simple curved wall.
Near that wall, two fairy knight statues rose standing nearly ten times the height of a player. Between the statues was a splendidly decorated stone gate. That was the starting point of the grand quest, and no other players could be seen anywhere. Perhaps, the story about it being «impossible to breakthrough» had already became common knowledge.
But I had to go through the door, breaking through the guardians and reaching the gate.
‘- Wait for me, Asuna. I’m coming right now…’
It was a promise I engraved on my heart.
Continuing a few dozen meters further, I stood in front of the gate when the right statue moved and a low tone resounded. It looked around unexpectedly for a bit, then with a pale light shining from its eyes, it looked down at me and opened its mouth. A ponderous voice resounded, it was like a rolling boulder.
“You who don’t know the heights of heaven, wish to reach the king’s castle?” At the same time, in front of me, a window appeared, asking me if I want to accept the final challenge. To ascertain my will two buttons appeared: [YES] and [NO]. With no hesitation, I pressed the [YES] button.
This time, the huge stone statue on the left issued a loud voice.
“You shall receive unlimited use of your wings from here onward.”
Before the thunderous reverb disappeared, the door split apart from the center. As the earth trembled, the doors opened inward to the left and right.
That roar, inevitably reminded me of fighting the floor boss monsters in Aincrad. Forgetting to breathe at the resurrected tension, a cold shiver ran down my spine.
Here, dying doesn’t mean real death, I said to myself, then had to shake off the thought. This is a struggle for Asuna`s freedom, in some ways, it is more important than any battle I had ever been in.
“We’re going, Yui. Make sure to hide well.”
“Papa… Do your best.”
I patted Yui on the head as she pulled back into my breast pocket, then I drew my sword.
When the thick stone door was fully open, the roaring sound stopped. It was completely dark inside. Just as I stepped in, I considered using night vision magic. Before I even lifted my right hand, a sudden burst of blinding light poured down from above. I subconsciously narrowed my eyes.
Inside was a huge dome space. It reminded me of the Boss room on the 75th floor of Aincrad where I had fought with Heathcliff, only the diameter was several times bigger.
It seemed like the inside of a tree, large roots wove together to form the floor. Ivy rose from the floor to cover the walls, going up and connecting to the top.
The canopy was a clear hemispherical dome, the ivy entwining to form stained glass-like patterns, through which white light poured.
Near the top of the canopy, I saw a door. It was a exquisitely decorated ring-shaped gate with a cross-shape splitting the door into four pieces. The road to the top of the tree must be on the other side.
Holding my greatsword in both hands, I took a deep breath. Putting power into my legs, I spread my wings.
“- Go!!”
I fiercely cried to myself, and kicked hard off of the ground.
Before I had flown for even one second, an anomaly appeared in the light filtering through the canopy. One portion of the window turned white as it boiled and bubbled, it looked like something was about to happen. In an instant, that part of the dome dripped, and as it fell, it took on a humanoid form, spreading four shining wings as it roared.
The knight’s massive body was entirely clad in silver armor, and was wearing a mirror mask, so its face could not be seen. The right hand held a sword even larger then mine. No doubt, this was the guardian that Lyfa was talking about.
The guardian knight turned its mirror face toward the rapidly rising me and dove with what would have been a shout save for the lack of human speech.
“Get out of the waaaaay!!”
I shouted and swung my greatsword. The distance between us neared zero, the feeling of a cold spark played over my brain, it’s the accelerated feeling I always got when I was fighting at my limits in that world. Facing the guardian knight, with my figure reflecting off its mask, I brought my sword down without hesitation.
The guardian knight’s sword intersected with mine in mid-air, and the space was torn asunder by light effects similar to lightning. The knight brought its hugely rebounded sword over its head for another strike, I just let my sword move as it wanted and rushed at the knight’s chest. I caught the neck of the knight that was double my size with my left hand, staying close to it.
When fighting monsters controlled by the CPU, I would find out its attack range and try to stay in a position outside of it, but in the case of such a huge enemy, blind spots often appear at the least suitable moments. Of course, it is very dangerous to stop there for long, but there was time while it tried to recover from a stance that had collapsed.
Bringing back my right hand with the sword, I stabbed into the knight’s unprotected neck.
“Raaa!!”
I beat my wings hard, and used my full weight to push the sword in. Gatsu!! With sound of a hard object breaking, my sword went through its neck.
“Gogaaaaaa!!”
Unlike its awe-inspiring divine appearance, it let out a bestial roar and then stiffened. Shortly after, the huge body was wrapped in a white End Frame, which quickly dispersed.
‘- I can do it!!’
My heart cried out with joy. The guardian knight’s stats fell short of the floor bosses of SAO. For one-on-one, I have the advantage.
I shook off the white flame that still clung to me and looked at gate. I saw a scene that made the smile on my face freeze.
&nb
sp; All of the stained glass windows in the still far off, huge canopy were in a chaotic state, the silver clad knights appearing from all of them. There were dozens - no, hundreds.
“- Uoooooo!!”
I whipped myself, who had been daunted for an instant, and shouted. No matter how many come, I just have to kill them all. I beat my wings and dashed fiercely.
Several of the newly born knights descended from the canopy to block my path. I aimed at the front one and moved my sword.
This time I avoided the loss of balance caused by crossing swords, and concentrated on the tip of the enemy’s sword, I twisted my body, evading it. Not completely avoiding it, the enemy’s sword scratched my shoulder, causing slight damage, but I ignored it, all of my senses on attacking my enemy
My big sword moved along a straight line, impacting the mask, killing my second opponent. White flame spewed from the knight, before it disappeared another knight moved in to take its place.
The next knight had already begun its attack, I ground my teeth. Deciding that I wouldn’t have enough time completely evade it, I lifted my left hand and blocked it with my armor.
With a strike that impacted on bone, out of the left corner of my eyes, I saw my HP bar decrease by about 10%. But the enemy’s sword swing was diverted by my arm, so the knight’s stance collapsed. Aiming for its neck, the sword in my right hand came down.
But this time my speed was reduced and I could not kill it in one hit. Furthermore, another knight was rushing over from the right. I twisted my body to the right and kicked my left foot at the damaged knight’s mask.
Having the swordsman Kirito’s status data carried over to this world was lucky, including the unarmed combat skill level that I thought was useless here, my kick removed the rest of this knight’s HP. The big body leaning back was wrapped in flames and let loose a scream distorted by the effect.
I blocked the third knight’s sword at the last moment with my sword.
“Seaaaa!!”
Together with the cries, I clenched my left fist and thrust at its mirror mask. Crack!! With that sound, cracks radiated out from the point of impact and it let out an anguished cry.