I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

He had his mouth open, but he couldn't utter a single word to him.

The initial excitement subsided, settling at my feet, and disappointment and unease began to creep in again.

—After being forcibly logged off, what expression should I use to face him?

Will he continue to play dumb?

I will still tell myself everything I know, just like I said before. Even if there is no winner or loser, at least I will have fulfilled my wish of transferring here.

And then, do I still have the chance to recover all the remaining memories?

……have no idea.

...I wonder if I can ever get as close to him as I am now.

Even whether the light at this moment can reappear is unknown to Asuna Yuuki.

and so……

The calm and settled feeling suddenly ignited with boundless heat from the ground around my feet.

"—Don't joke around!"

The orange eyes, which had dimmed, lit up again, as bright as the most dazzling sunset on the horizon.

A dazzling, blazing white light rose from beneath her feet, as if flames were burning on her body.

The imaginary object, which had been stationary, began to tremble gradually.

"Precisely because I don't know what the future holds, my present moment is more precious than ever!"

Clench your teeth, even if it means breaking them.

Grip the sword hilt tightly, even if it breaks your fingers.

—Because there is a place I want to reach.

Asuna Yuuki craned her neck, clenched her teeth, and glared fiercely ahead.

"do not give up!"

Even if your head is burning up and about to explode, even if you feel the edge of your consciousness is turning black, you must break through all the constraints that are hindering your progress.

If you can't move your body, just make the sword move.

"I will absolutely not give up!"

—Believe in yourself and face challenges bravely; that makes you the coolest person in the world.

He once said that.

—If you want something, just reach out bravely and keep going, and you'll always see different scenery.

He said that before.

and so……

"I want to see Yu-kun right now!"

An undeniable roar echoed across the grassland.

In the frozen air, the sword tip once again gained the power to pierce through the rules, little by little, step by step... firmly and steadily piercing into Tenkuji Yu's chest.

The gates of memory were loosening. Gazing at the face of her beloved before her, Asuna bit her lip, mustered all her strength, straightened her arm, and poured her entire being into...

A mere game setting, a mere virtual world, a mere reality...

"Don't stop me, get out of my way!"

The ever-elongating blade, accompanied by a sun-like intense light, slowly pierced the chest of the imaginary object in front of it.

The notification box has disappeared.

The countdown has reached zero.

All around was immense pressure, like a thousand-meter-deep ocean, making it impossible to breathe or move one's muscles freely, as if they were filled with cement.

Even though it was a virtual world, my brain felt like it was on fire, with a sharp, burning pain.

Although it's a virtual game, the feeling of breaking free from constraints is incredibly real.

So sad……

Even so, we must move forward.

because--

“Yu-kun has been waiting for me for a long time. We agreed on this a long time ago.”

She spoke softly, her ferocious expression slowly relaxing as she gazed at him with a gentle smile.

"We already agreed that we should remember him..."

"I've already made plans to see him..."

"I haven't told him yet that I've kept my promise..."

My whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

In a completely still world, in completely still air.

The light extending from the sword blade had already penetrated his chest.

She didn't care that her body was breaking apart.

She didn't care that cracks had appeared on the sword.

Even as the crystal ring shattered and turned into white light, merging into the tip of the sword, she merely bit her lip until it bled, letting tears slide down her cheeks as she gazed intently into his now completely still eyes.

Perhaps his consciousness has already left this virtual world when he was forcibly logged off.

Perhaps he can no longer hear what I'm saying, nor does he know that I'm working hard for him.

Even so, I still have to tell him.

Even if I forget you, no matter how many times, I will always remember you.

Even if I lose you, no matter how many times, I will still fall in love with you.

"Although I'm quite late... well, Yu-kun."

"I'm here."

Gentle words fell softly to the ground.

"This time it's my turn. I'll be waiting for you in the future."

The warm tip of the sword never stopped.

Until the very end, Asuna Yuuki only had eyes for him, for the person she loved most.

If your palm can't reach it, then rely on the blade; if even the blade can't reach it, then risk everything.

Then, the endless white light, as the sword tip shattered completely, suddenly illuminated the figures of the two, like the rising sun piercing through the darkness, gradually covering the illusory scenery around them.

And when the light goes out.

That relieved, contented smile vanished into a world where nothing existed.

……

A little earlier.

In reality, the virtual research community is underway.

The number of people experiencing virtual games decreased rather than increased, but the far end of the club building was very lively, with many people queuing up in the game area while looking at the two screens above.

At first, there were more visitors in the experience area because watching other beginners jumping around and trying out sword skills was not only very interesting, but also allowed them to familiarize themselves with the gameplay beforehand, so they wouldn't be treated like monkeys being performed like they are now.

However, gradually, as several exclamations rang out, more and more spectators couldn't help but turn their attention to the screen in the adjacent arena area, watching in astonishment the intense back-and-forth sword duel, so fierce that their eyes could hardly keep up with the movements.

It should be said that one can only clearly see their movements and the intense, murderous clashes. As for the deeper layers of swordplay and shadowy figures, those with poor dynamic vision should just treat it as special effects.

Even so, the continuous, resounding metallic clanging from the speakers creates an action-packed thrill, making it exhilarating and incredibly satisfying.

"This is incredible... This is a real live battle, not some pre-made animated film..."

"Didn't you see him just now? That's Tenkuji on the left. He's the national high school kendo champion, so it's normal that he's good..."

"The problem is the guy on the other side, right? Why is he so big and yet so fast... It feels like Tenkuji-kun is being completely overwhelmed by him, with no chance to fight back at all..."

"But look how hard the uncle is hitting, yet he hasn't caused any harm to Tenkuji-kun, right? Maybe Tenkuji-kun is letting him win on purpose."

"Let a bearded middle-aged man have that? Does Tenkuji-kun have some kind of weird fetish...?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, Yukino-san is watching..."

"On another note, why do I feel like that uncle is a bit... effeminate? Look, he always gets into an pigeon-toed stance before sprinting..."

"Could it be that he harbors a fierce heart while gently sniffing a rose..."

The tourists were buzzing with discussion.

As for the virtual research club president and a certain member, they are currently quietly picking up their values, updating them, and then reinstalling them.

Looking up, a member of the commune spoke with a weary expression.

"President, you just said that there won't be a third monster like Asuna-san?"

The president of the Virtual Research Society pushed up his glasses and said expressionlessly, "There are always people more knowledgeable than me. I am just a frog in a well, so of course I will have times when my knowledge is shallow."

“Oh, right…” One of the employees thought for a moment and decided not to contradict him.

After all, although this company president looks skinny, he actually has a lot of solid muscles under his clothes. Dealing with me is as easy as catching a duck. Not giving him face is like not giving face to your own backside...

So one member changed his tune and asked, "President, are there really humans who can be this strong without cheating? This is a completely immersive game. Even if their physical abilities are a bit lacking, with this level of skill, they could survive in this other world and even become mercenaries, right?"

Most gamers are also novel readers.

One of the reasons why a certain member of the club practices his skills in the game "Sword World" is so that if he accidentally travels to another world one day, he can make a name for himself with his sword skills in the game.

Survival is only a prerequisite; the main goal is to encounter a scenario where everyone else is a newbie in the swordsmanship academy, but he alone uses the Aincrad style of swordsmanship to easily crush those arrogant noble seniors in a duel, while also winning the heart of a giant cat-like beauty.

In other words, you have to become someone like Tenkuji Yu to be able to travel through time. Otherwise, with his current strength—enough to be kicked off the stage in a second—he'd probably be the one getting utterly crushed...

Realizing this, one member could only wipe away his tears and abandon his past fantasies.

After all, he's an ordinary person, not a monster!