I, Asuna, don't want to travel around the world

Asuna heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, and then she asked nervously:

"…What about the dead? The two of us are also dead, but we can still stay here. Can we also send the 4,000 people who died before back to their original world?"

Kayaba Akihiko's expression did not change at all. He tapped his fingers to clear the window, put his hands in his pockets, and said:

“Life is not something that can be restored so easily.

With the 40,000 in the game, their consciousness could never be restored.

The dead are destined to disappear, and this principle is the same in any world.

As for the two of us——I have something to tell you, so I specially created this time."

Asuna ignored Kayaba Akihiko's words and asked a question that probably all players... no, it should be said that everyone who knew about this incident would have this most basic question -

"Captain, why would you do such a thing..."

Kayaba Akihiko did not answer this question immediately. Instead, after a brief moment of thought and silence, he spoke again:

"Why——

I actually forgot about it for a long time.

What is it for?

After I learned about the development of the Full Dive environment system - no, it should be said that from before, I lived to create that city, a world that transcends all the frameworks and regulations of the real world.

Then, at the last moment, I finally saw the existence that could transcend the laws of the world I created…"

Kayaba Akihiko turned his eyes filled with tranquil light towards Asuna, then immediately looked away.

He didn't have much time left. After the game was announced to be over, a strange thing began to invade the world. If it weren't for his own reasons, Aincrad might have been completely controlled by others by now.

The originally weak breeze has begun to grow stronger, shaking Kayaba Akihiko's white clothes and Asuna's long hair.

Silence returned between the two.

They looked into the distance together and found that even the part outside the floating castle was beginning to collapse.

You can see that the originally endless sea of ​​clouds and red sky are swallowed up by the white light at the far end and gradually disappear.

Light erosion is happening everywhere, and seems to be slowly approaching here.

Looking at the white light that did not belong to this world, Kayaba Akihiko sighed in his heart.

"It seems that there are some things I can't talk to you about anymore, Asuna... By the way, congratulations on completing the game."

Leaving these words behind, Kayaba Akihiko also turned into countless polygonal fragments and disappeared.

[——Obtain the Soul Core]

Chapter 13: Ordinary World, Asuna's Caretaker (4k)

Although those words were echoing in her mind, Asuna looked as if she hadn't heard anything.

The red clouds on the horizon and the remains of Aincrad were swallowed up by countless white lights.

That's probably what the team leader meant by "data clearing".

Asuna silently watched the white light attack the crystal disc supporting her. After hearing what Kayaba Akihiko said, she raised her head and looked at him again.

But it seems a little late.

When Asuna raised her head, she could no longer see Kayaba Akihiko's figure. Where he had originally stood, there were only countless polygonal fragments floating away into the distance with the breeze.

The red sunset illuminated the countless fragments, and the pale red light shone through the crystal disc under the feet, flickering slightly.

Asuna was left alone here again.

Where on earth had he gone?

Could it be that he returned to the real world like those liberated players?

Asuna, who still hadn't heard the voice in her head, thought secretly.

"However, even if he returns to the real world, he will surely be captured before long."

However, given the leader's personality, he would not do such a thing.

and so--

"Maybe... he's really dead..."

now.

The core of this imaginary world - the floating city of Aincrad, only the top part remains.

Asuna and her friends fought hard to conquer the 75th floor, but in the end, the 76th floor, which they never got to see, also began to collapse fragilely.

This was clearly a building that could not be destroyed even if the players gave up everything, but with a small command, it seemed so fragile.

The white light enveloped the entire world, and the curtain of light that represented elimination was getting closer and closer to the crystal disc where Asuna was.

Probably, the next result would be death under that light curtain.

Although she was about to face death, Asuna did not feel the slightest fear in her heart. Perhaps it was because she had died once before.

The pure white "light of annihilation" swayed and swallowed up the entire world. The aurora-like light seemed extremely fragile, and even gave people a feeling that "it would be shattered if touched", but it ruthlessly swallowed up everything Asuna was looking at.

The sea of ​​clouds and the sky filled with sunset glow were split into countless tiny fragments by the "light of elimination", which looked like the scene after the player's death.

Broken, scattered, and then disappeared.

On the top floor of Aincrad, a huge scarlet palace with gorgeous spires still stood there.

If we proceed through the game in the normal order, it will probably take a long time for Asuna and the others to get there.

However, because Asuna had discovered Kayaba Akihiko's plan in advance, that place was opened to Kayaba Akihiko in advance.

However, at this moment, the palace that had lost its owner began to collapse and fall even on the top floor of Aincrad.

It continued to float in the air as if resisting fate.

The palace, which looked even more vivid against the red sky, was like the last remaining heart of Aincrad. Even though it was unwilling to stop beating, it still slowly fell into death in the face of an irresistible force.

Asuna folded her arms around her knees and watched everything in silence.

He was powerless to make changes, and might even die like Aincrad in the near future.

The "noise" in my mind became inaudible at some point.

Soon after, the destructive white wave ruthlessly surrounded the bright red palace.

It began to decompose from the bottom into countless red debris, and then fell into the clouds.

Then, the tallest spires began to scatter, and the light curtain completely swallowed up the space where Aincrad was previously.

The floating city of Aincrad, which had imprisoned the players for more than two years, was finally completely destroyed.

Now, all that was left in the world were a few red clouds still floating in the setting sun, a crystal disk that looked very small compared to the sky, and Asuna who was sitting on the crystal disk, waiting for death.

"it's over……"

Asuna murmured softly.

The end of this world is near. The huge steel city and the endless sea of ​​clouds have long disappeared in the white light.

In the white flash, only Asuna and the crystal disc under her feet remained.

As for the sun in the sky?

At this moment, it has been half swallowed up by the light representing "elimination". I am afraid that the world will completely lose its "sunshine" in the near future.

The light representing "elimination" continuously engulfs the surrounding space, turning it into light particles and dissipating.

I just don't know if these lights can gather together to give birth to a giant of light or something. After all, more than 4,000 people died in this game. Before they died, their souls were filled with despair...

I always feel that it has nothing to do with light...

The crystal disc was finally attacked by the "Eliminating Light", and Asuna slowly retreated as the light advanced.

The sight in front of me has been obscured by a light.

The white curtain completely covered the empty world around it, and then turned into tiny particles flying everywhere.

"……Bye now."

A relieved smile appeared on Asuna's face, blending with the light that filled the world.

Finally, it disappeared without a trace.

----

----

[World recycling completed——]

[Memory blockade lifted——]

[Mysterious blockade completed——]

[Hidden dangers resolved——]

[Prohibited items are established——]

----

----

This is a very ordinary world.

A truly ordinary world.

Here, there are neither wild gods that caused a sharp decline in the total human population and almost wiped out all of them, nor monsters that were sealed underground by the gods.

Here, there are neither God Eaters who can protect humans, nor gods who come to the world to establish a clan and start a development game that belongs entirely to gods.

In this world, there are only ordinary yet prosperous cities.

The city is bustling with people.

There are vehicles coming and going on the street.

In the office building, countless people are struggling and fighting for their chance.

In school, there are students who are filled with youthful smiles, but who are also growing up with troubles.

People live ordinary lives, but work hard to make themselves extraordinary.

People grow up ordinary, but strive to make themselves no longer ordinary.

They experience the ups and downs in life. Some get up again, while others step into the abyss, composing their own lives and regrets.

This is a relatively peaceful world.

People don’t have to worry about dying at the mouth of the wild god at the next moment, and people don’t have to fight monsters in dungeons day after day like adventurers.

There is no life-and-death battle between humans and non-humans, no gifts from gods to gain extraordinary powers. What exists is only the ordinary modern world developed by human beings themselves.

This is everything in this world.

However, if you say that it is extraordinary, then in fact this world is also extraordinary.

Because, just two years ago, an incident occurred that can be said to have completely shocked the entire society.

The cause of all this is entirely due to the existence of the following two things.

That is----

A fully-dive virtual reality game console————[NERvGear].

Virtual reality massively online role-playing game——Sword Art Online (Sword Art Online).

【NERvGear】, the world's first NERDLES machine for civilian use.

It looks like a boxing protective gear that covers the head.

The basic design was created by Akihiko Kayaba, and it was released by ARGUS as the world's first home game console using NERDLES technology, setting an excellent sales record in the market.

However, after the SAO incident, it was identified as a demonic machine, making it extremely difficult to obtain.

Because of the existence of these two things, tens of thousands of gamers were imprisoned in the virtual game world, where they launched strategies at the cost of their lives.

Kayaba Akihiko, the famous quantum physicist and genius game designer who achieved these two technologies, became the most vicious criminal in history, causing a sensation in the entire country and even the world.

Two years later, this incident is still widely discussed, and even the TV news often reports on it.