February 2034

Y/N couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips as he put away his nodachi. Laying on the ground around him were six large 9-foot-tall Drunk Monkeys native to Floor 35 reaching for their gourds in their last moments before they dispersed into shards.

Roughly four months have passed since he formed a party with Kirito and Sachi. Although she was growing leaps and bounds faster than she would with her guild and she fulfilled a much-needed role in their party, he would be a liar to say that the group dynamic wasn't annoying.

"You did great, Sachi." Kirito patted Sachi on the back.

"Heehee, you think so?" She beamed, wiping the sweat off her forehead and setting her shield down to give her body a chance to relax. As per their recommendations, she began investing more stat points into STR until she was able to comfortably lift her shield and sprint with it equipped, and she currently sat at a comfortable Level 45.

"Yeah, I can tell you're getting better with your shield. I think with five more levels, you can use the bigger one Acheron gave you. You've come a long way."

Sachi blushed when Kirito smiled at her and softly whispered, "Thank you."

"Ugh... Just one day without those two flirting is all I'm asking..." Y/N muttered under his breath and aimlessly walked off in the other direction, waving goodbye to them. "It's getting late. You two can head back to town. I'm gonna stay and finish up this slaying quest." 

"B-By yourself?" asked Sachi, concern laced in her question. During the time she spent around him, she learned firsthand that it was pointless trying to talk Y/N out of anything he set his mind on since he usually had a good reason for doing whatever she thought to be a bad idea. Either that or he was simply confident in himself.

"I'll be fiiiiine..." Sachi flinched when he jabbed a finger in her direction. "You, on the other hand, need to get some sleep and regain the 'Well-Rested Bonus' so you can get that sweet plus 10% EXP gain."

"That's not an actual game mechanic..." Kirito thought to himself but didn't have the heart to say it out loud. "Y/N's right about one thing: it's starting to get late and we should turn in for the night. He'll be fine on his own, Sachi." He placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded at his friend before he left with Sachi.

Y/N let out a sigh of relief and combed through his (H/C) hair, and went farther into the gloomy woodlands. While he enjoyed Kirito and Sachi's company...to a certain degree, there was an unexplainable joy in wandering around on his lonesome, especially in a frightening and spooky environment such as the gloomy, purple haze-filled forest around him, only illuminated by glowing egg-shaped rocks leaning against the trees' shaft. Before, he had to keep an eye for any sneak attacks from Sachi's blind spots, but now he was free from that burden and allowed the exhilaration slowly creeping up his spine to course throughout his body.

Small twigs decorated the forest floor, and he stepped on every one of them, attracting the attention of countless Drunken Monkeys. Unfortunately for them, they would soon learn that it's not the best idea to attack someone wandering alone and without the slightest fear when he saw at least eight of them approach.

"Not the brightest bunch, are you? Mama must have let all of you jump off the bed." Y/N lifted his nodachi and slashed in an arc in front of him, killing three instantaneously. The remaining five backed up, now with much more trepidation in their joints that soon turned to regret when he slashed again, taking out another two while the third would-be victim jumped back with a grin. However, its victorious smirk was for naught as it felt a painful stab in its chest and looked down to see the nodachi in its chest.

"Sorry about this." Y/N leaped up and grabbed his sword by the handle, and effortlessly cleaved the monkey in half vertically. His nodachi glowed (F/C) as he launched off the disintegrating monkey, heading headfirst towards the ground in front of the last two. Right when he was about to crash into the floor, he spun around and landed on his feet, and cleaved the area in a perfect 360 degrees.

Y/N sighed, feeling a tad bit let down at how easily they died but continued onward into the deeper parts of the forest, muttering, "Just need three more and then I can leave." 

After a few minutes of looking around, he swore he heard the caws of a bird and shrugged it off, believing it was his ears playing tricks on him or the game itself trying to trick him into following the sound into a trap. Although he tried to tune it out, the creature's voice still reached his ears and he could feel his patience wearing thin. Then, he heard the same "bird" caw before the sickening crunch of bones breaking made him snap his head in that direction.

"Oh, that sounds bad..." Y/N frowned and shrugged it off. After all, he played enough Monster Hunter to know about turf wars over territory between different species, and this seemed no different. He took two steps before halting as two thoughts struck him: 

1.) Why would there be any mob other than the Drunken Monkeys here?

2.) I just need three more monkeys for the slaying quest.

Without taking another second to think it through and throwing caution to the wind, he practically became wind itself with how fast he sprinted toward the source of the pained squeak.

There, Y/N found the jackpot — three Drunken Monkeys that soon found their world tilted to the left as their heads fell off their shoulders. He dramatically twirled his nodachi and rested it on his shoulder with a proud smile as the notification for his quest popped up.

"Finally! I'm tired of looking at this place. The mobs remind of that Guardian Ape bastard and—" He stopped when he noticed a petite girl with light brown hair tied into short twin tails on her knees, tears filling her soft red eyes. 

"...Uh, hi?"

The young lady didn't respond and continued staring at him, but she started bawling loudly after a few minutes.

"P-Pina," She turned away and delicately picked up a blue feather lying nearby. "Don't leave me alone..." She sobbed.

"Erm..." Y/N looked around before kneeling to pat her on the back. "There, there..." He remained in that awkward position, rubbing her back until she eventually calmed down and her sobs settled into quiet sniffs as she leaned back against a tree and curled up into a ball.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's alright. So, what's that?" Y/N pointed at the feather in her possession.

"This is Pina... M-My partner..."

"Your partner? How does that—" Everything started to click in his head. The almost avian shrieking, the loud crack, and the feather left behind. "Oh, I get it. You're a beast tamer, right?" The girl didn't say anything and barely managed a small nod amidst her sniffles. "Sorry for not being here sooner. I could have saved Pina."

"No," She shook her head. "I was being stupid. I was stupid to think I could make it through the forest on my own. I was stupid for thinking I was strong enough." Her puffy red eyes met his (E/C) ones. "Thank you for saving me, sir, but I think I want to be left alone."

"Look, I understand you want some time to yourself, but you're in no condition to travel without company. What would you do if another one of those monkeys found you?" Y/N reached out a hand to her. "At least let me escort you back to a safe zone, alright? Besides, if we're fast enough, then we might be able to catch up with my friends."

"Y-Your friends?" She hesitated.

"Yeah, one of them is a nerd and probably knows how to revive familiars." Y/N shrugged.

"R-Really?!" Her eyes lit up.

"It's a long shot, but if there's anyone from my friend group that would know, it's him. Now, do you wanna camp out here or head back to town and sleep in a proper bed?"

"A warm bed sounds nice..." The girl mumbled, seeing no fault in his reasoning, and accepted his hand, yelping when he lifted her onto her feet as if she were full of air. "Please don't do that again." She begged, a slight pinkness coloring her face. "Oh, my name is Silica, by the way."

"Oh, Silcoon? Like the Pokemon?"

"H-Huh?" Silica frowned, "No, it's Silica."

"Got it, Silcoon." He nodded proudly.

"Please don't tease me..."

"No promises. And just call me P/N — no need for all that honorific jazz. Anyways, let's hurry back and find my friends, alright?" Y/N smiled, and that made Silica feel slightly better, judging by the small smile on her lips.

"Okay!" She nodded and then let out a loud yelp when he lifted her off the ground in a piggyback. "What are you doing?!"

"We'll get there a lot faster if I ran at full speed." Y/N bent his knees, readying his legs.

"W-Wait! I didn't-" Silica's protest fell upon deaf ears as the young man sprinted at full speed, and all she could do was hold onto him for dear life as the wind howled in her ears. "Kyaaaa!!!"

* * * * *

The warm, golden lights hanging outside the houses in Mishe bathed the streets in a cozy glow. Despite the dark veil covering the skies, there were still many people out at this time, chatting with their friends or relaxing alone.

Silica, however, was not paying attention to them and instead had her eyes set squarely on the man next to her. She hadn't noticed when they first met, but he was much taller than her, standing at around 180 cm (5' 10") tall with a muscular physique that led her to believe that he used to work out before being trapped in SAO, or at the very least, was more physically active than others.

"Um...P/N, can I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question but sure." replied Y/N curtly, yet his tone indicated her to continue.

"Before all of...this, what kind of person were you?"

"Wow. That's certainly one of the questions of all time... But, if you're genuinely that curious, then I was just a normal high school first-year before I was dragged into this mess."

"R-Really? You look a lot older than you are." Silica couldn't hide her surprise, but before she could ask her follow-up question, she was interrupted by a voice calling out to her.

"There's Silica-chan!" She stopped and turned to see a chubby man bending down to slightly to her level, flanked by his much thinner friend. "You're late! We were worried!"

"U-Um..."

"Let's party up sometime!" The skinny one suggested. "We can go wherever you want."

"Th-That's very kind of you, but..." Silica trailed off with an awkward smile. Soon, her gaze met Y/N's who shrugged and stepped in, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"But, she's traveling with me right now." He finished for her and pulled Silica along as the two men glared at him until he returned the look with a bored, uninterested frown that sent them running.

"S-Sorry about that..." Silica apologized and silently prayed that he wouldn't notice the obvious pink flush taking over her peach skin and her eyes darting between the ground and the hand on her shoulder. He did but didn't say anything.

"It's cool. You must be popular."

"Not really... They just want me along as a mascot." Silica's red face returned to its natural color and she frowned with a sad expression. "But I got full of myself when they began to call me Dragon Tamer Silica..." Tears to well up in her eyes when she remembered Pina.

"Hey," Y/N lifted the hand on her shoulder and patted her head. "Save those tears for after we revive Pina, okay?"

Silica wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded. She had absolutely no reason to believe his words or trust him, for that matter. And, yet when she saw the confident smirk dancing on his lips, she felt compelled to listen to him and believe everything would work out just fine with him here.

The pair continued towards the inn, the air around them not as tense as before, but Silica snuck a few glances at him every now and then.

"How long have you and your friends been on this floor?"

"Just a few days now. We're trying to get our lower leveled friend up to at least level 48 before moving up a few floors so we'll probably be here for weeks."

"Really? The cheesecake is really good here."

"Oh, if it isn't Silica." A mature, almost sultry voice to their left made them turn to see a red-haired woman standing there with a smirk. Hearing her voice alone was enough to make Silica's good mood vanish. The dangerously beautiful woman wore black-and-red armor and wielded a lance that rested on her shoulder. 

"You made it out of the forest. I'm relieved."

"is she a friend of yours?" Y/N was about to ask, but one look at Silica's face told the whole story.

"That's Rosalia..." She whispered.

"Huh? What happened to the lizard?" asked the redhead before she leaned forward with a taunting smile. "Could something..."

Silica averted her gaze. "Pina died." She quickly locked gazes with the woman, fierce determination burning behind her eyes. "But I'm definitely bringing her back!"

"I see... Then, that means you're going to the Hill of Memories on Floor 47..."

"O-Of course!"

"But at your level, will you be able to clear it?" The woman asked with mock concern, smiling when the confidence slowly drained from Silica's.

"She'll be fine." Y/N stepped in. "She's a lot stronger than you give credit her for. Plus, she'll have me there so she's practically untouchable."

Rosalia finally turned her gaze to him and her alluring eyes looked him up and down before a twinkle of amusement shone behind them. "So, you think you can handle the mobs on that floor while keeping little Pina here safe? You're awfully cocky, aren't you?"

"Oh, don't call me that. Cocky usually means that the person is overly confident and has an inflated ego." Y/N smirked. "I just know I'm the strongest, that's all."

"Well, you're certainly brimming with confidence, young man~" Rosalia circled him before placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering hotly into his ear, "How about you ditch Silica and party with me instead?"

"Wh-What?!" exclaimed Silica.

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Y/N shrugged her hand off and briskly walked away, his right hand holding Silica's left. "Let's go."

Neither Y/N nor Silica made an attempt to say anything until they were out of earshot and rounded several corners.

"I don't understand," Silica broke the silence. "How come you didn't accept Rosalia's offer?"

Y/N raised an eyebrow and side-eyed her, "Did you want me to abandon you?"

"N-No, of course not!" She quickly waved her hands dismissively. "Most men would listen to Rosalia without question. I think it's because of her mature beauty."

"Her? Beautiful? I guess I can see it." Y/N looked back as if he were contemplating something before he faced forward again with a shrug. "But, I don't really care about that type of stuff." He continued his march, and Silica let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and followed him.

"So, um... Where exactly are we going?"

"You said the cheesecake on this floor was good, right? Why don't you show me around while you're at it?" 

"Are you sure? What about your friends?"

"Those two are...happy to be alone together. Let's just leave it at that. Anyway, we just learned from Rosalia that there's an item on Floor 47's Hill of Memories that can revive Pina so we can do that tomorrow morning or afternoon. There's still some time left before it turns 9 PM." A small smile formed on Y/N's lips. "You in the mood for some cheesecake and sightseeing?"

Silica's eyes lit up like fireworks and her sweet tooth ached at the thought of dessert. "Yes!" She nodded and began to drag him along thanks to the sudden surge of energy temporarily boosting her strength.

"A hidden skill?" Y/N wondered but didn't stop her.

The cheesecake store was synonymous with its famed dessert - simple on the outside yet pleasant to experience for the first time. Small flower pots containing a wide variety of colorful flora sat on each side of the large window, displaying the even wider palette of desserts the store had to offer. It was these same pots that nearly caused Silica to lose her dessert after she tripped over one but thankfully, Y/N was there to catch her and her plate.

"Th-Thank you..."

"I know it's dark outside but you need to be careful." He chided her.

"Sorry..." Silica's shoulders sagged but she was quick to bounce back after he returned her plate, and she didn't hesitate to sink her teeth into it. "Shooooooh good!"

"It's actually pretty good." Y/N agreed, taking a bite of the creamy treat. He saw a bit of cream on her cheek and wiped it off. Silica's mind was too preoccupied with the cheesecake's delicious taste to fully register what just happened and simply said, "Thank you!" to which the young man faintly smiled and continued to enjoy his cheesecake.

After they were done, Y/N and Silica continued to walk around with the latter pointing out different establishments.

"Over there is a general store, they sell potions and will buy most loot from you. Oh, and that's the blacksmith over there." She pointed at a stone building that might still be open but it was difficult to tell if that was smoke rising from the top or the onyx sky playing tricks on his eyes.

"A blacksmith... Oh, that's right." Y/N opened his menu and glanced at his nodachi's stats. "I should look into getting a new weapon soon."

"If you want to relax, there's also a hot spring that also functions as a saun-" Silica stopped midsentence when she noticed she was by her lonesome. She panicked and frantically looked around until she saw Y/N heading towards the stone building, and chased after him. "Wait up! Where are you going?!"

"You're going to need better armor and a better weapon for Floor 47." He simply stated and entered the building, approaching the NPC behind the counter where a popup menu appeared. 

"Oh, yeah... That makes sense." Silica joined him and a similar menu popped up in front of her.

"Your gear is only medium rarity so it shouldn't cost too much to get it maxed out," Y/N said. He looked to his left to see the color drain from Silica's face and leaned over. "What's up?"

"It costs s-so much Cor..."

"That's a lot for you?"

"Huh?" Silica looked at him in astonishment but before she could talk, her ears picked up on the sound of another menu window popping up and her jaw dropped when she saw the amount of Cor Y/N transferred over. It was enough to cover the costs...ten times over. "H-How do you have so much?!"

"Don't worry about it. Now, let's upgrade your gear."

"R-Right!" Silica raised her right hand to press the Confirm button when she abruptly stopped an inch away from the button. Her hand began to shake and she cutely had her eyes shut. Just when Y/N was about to ask her what was wrong, she finally mustered the resolve to press it while shouting, "THANK YOU, P/N-SAN!"

"No problem... Just chill with the formal talk..." The young male requested, a small bead of sweat running down the back of his head at her antics.

* * * * *

The next hour followed a similar pattern with Y/N entering any store still open at this time and buying anything Silica fancied, ignoring her embarrassed pleads and patting her head to calm her down every time.

Around 9 PM, Silica finished giving him a basic tour around the town and they were beginning to make their way back to the inn.

"Thank you for the help, Silica."

"It's not a problem at all! Actually, I should be the one thanking you..."

"Me?"

"Yeah!" Silica nodded before shyly looking away. "Ever since the day we got trapped here, I never had the chance to hang out with someone around my age like... " She gestured to themselves. "this. It's a nice feeling."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. Ever since I became a third wheel, I felt nothing but the urge to gag whenever they did their love-dovey crap."

'Eh? Are we even on the same page?' Silica wondered. Y/N and her continued their walk in blissful silence for about ten minutes before she spoke again, asking him, "Can I ask you one last question?"

"You don't have to ask me to ask a question..."

"Right, right. Sorry. Anyway, I just wanted to ask why you bought so many things for me... Ah! Please don't misunderstand! I'm extremely grateful and all, but I'm a little curious." She awkwardly laughed and stopped abruptly when Y/N suddenly halted without saying anything, staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression. An ominous silence loomed over them as he remained silent and Silica found herself almost suffocating from the tension in the air.

"You promise not to laugh?"

"I-I won't!" Silica reassured him to which he sighed.

"I... I always wanted a little sister to spoil." Y/N confessed and Silica felt the tension evaporate as quickly as it showed up.

"Wait, really? You're not pulling my leg?" She questioned and he answered by looking away and hiding his face. To Silica, it felt like a natural response even if she promised not to, but the golden-illuminated street came to life with her giggles. "That's adorable!"

"Hey...!" Y/N sighed and shook his head, turning to face her. "I'm the youngest in my family with only my mom and sister, and I'm always the one getting pampered by them. I just wanted to know how it felt to be the one doing the spoiling instead and- Are you still laughing?!"

"S-Sorry!" Silica apologized. She sure didn't sound sorry, but she did eventually settle down, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Your family sounds nice though."

"You think so?" Y/N scratched the back of his head. "If you want, after we get out of this game, you can come over to our place and experience it for yourself. Hell, my mom would probably try to adopt you the moment she sees you. Or kidnap you, either one of the two."

"She'd do something like that?!"

"Sure, why not? She did the same to me." Y/N saw the shocked look on her face and immediately followed up by saying, "I meant the adopting part."

"O-Oh, thank goodness." Silica sighed out of relief.

Y/N laughed and was about to resume the walk back to the inn when he noticed a small, strange purple tent in a distant corner, "What's that over there?" He pointed out.

"Hm?" Silica followed his gaze and she scanned the street before her eyes lit up brighter than when they ate cheesecake together. "Oh, that's the Garden of Foresight!"

"Garden of...Foresight...?" Y/N repeated, unsure if he heard her right. 'I know there's all sorts of people in this game, but man...'

"Yep! It's a place where you can get your fortunes read! And guess what? They always end up being true!"

The (H/C)-haired male frowned. "That sounds...nice. But..." He looked around to see the lingering players who were still out at this time, making an effort to avoid the place. "There's no one here."

"That's because not everyone believes in fortune telling and those that do usually... Actually, it might make more sense if you experience it for yourself first."

Y/N nodded and approached the tent. He pushed the curtain aside and looked inside to see a pitch-black interior, the only light source being the moonlight beaming from the tent's roof. The silver light illuminated only the center of the tent, where a wooden chair and a table covered by a red tablecloth sat. A light blue crystal ball the size of his head was resting on the purple cushion sitting on the table.

"Yeah... This looks about right..."

Y/N looked over his shoulder to see Silica pointing towards her moving mouth and understood what she was trying to tell him.

'A Soundproof Crystal? At least they value privacy.'

"Welcome, weary traveler, to the Garden of Foresight. You may call me Black Swan. Please, have a seat." A sultry, feminine voice called out to him. It reminded him of Rosalia's seductive tone, except it was devoid of the masked disgust of the redhead lady and instead replaced by a patient benevolence few people could replicate.

Y/N heeded her words and stepped inside, sitting in the chair opposite across from her.

"Are you an actual divinator or is this all a hoax?" He didn't hesitate to express his distrust.

Black Swan merely chuckled upon hearing the doubt in his voice.

"I understand your skepticism but I am in no position to change your view on divination, for that lies with your heart. For now, I can perform a reading for you, and allow you to interpret the results however you want. After all, if you entered this tent, you must possess an iota of curiosity, do you not?"

"Well... You got me there. So, how do we begin? Do I have to let you look at my hands or something?"

Another giggle danced around the tent and tickled his ear, causing him to shiver.

"It sounds like you're familiar with one of the many different types of divination. There's no need for that, however. This world is quite intriguing. Although it is the work of one man's hard work and determination, this crystal ball functions similarly to the ones in the real world."

"Sounds to me like Kayaba needs to go out more often."

Black Swan giggled again, and Y/N felt the tension in his body vanish upon hearing the calming sound. "Yes, perhaps. Regardless," She reached out of the shadows and placed both hands on the crystal ball, allowing him to finally see her (even if it was just her arms). "please follow my example."

"Huh? Oh, right..." The young man also placed his hands on the ball and not a moment later it lit up, casting a dim glow in the tent.

"I foresee an incredible adventure waiting for you in this world, filled with many unforgettable memories for you to experience and create. You will reunite with and meet many people — most of them who will be lifelong friends and others mortal enemies. Your road is far from an easy one and you will find yourself face-to-face with obstacles you cannot overcome by yourself. I advise you to place your trust in others, lest you allow your abundance of confidence and tendency to shoulder everyone else's burdens to play into your downfall. Waiting for you at the end of this journey is..." She trailed off.

"Is what...?"

"I am not sure, the details are murky at the end. My apologies, however, I cannot-" Black Swan went to remove her hands, but Y/N reached over and gently grasped them, pulling them back to the crystal ball.

"Please, tell me. I have to know." He urged and could feel her gaze boring into him.

"Those who learn of their fate never give up on trying to divert from the path destiny laid out for them and often doom themselves to a worse fate. Are you sure you wish for me to finish?"

"I do." Y/N squeezed her hands.

"...Very well." The crystal ball shone once more.

* * * * *

"I wonder what's taking him so long..." Silica sat on a bench outside of the Garden of Foresight, swinging her legs as she waited. She looked around to see not even a single soul in sight and opened her inventory, taking out Pina's Feather. "Don't worry, Pina. We'll revive you as soon as possible!"

With a warm smile, she placed her forehead against the feather and put it away, just in time to see Y/N stepping out of the tent.

"Finally!" Silica hopped off the bench and walked over. "I almost fell asleep waiting for you."

"Haha, sorry about that!" Y/N patted her head and ruffled her hair. "I didn't realize I had a lot of questions for her to answer!" He chuckled and walked away. "Anyways, it's starting to get late. Let's hurry up and go back to the inn, Silcoon."

"Right!" Silica smiled until she realized what he said, and quickly her smile turned into a pout. "Hey! That's not my—" She took one step forward before faceplanting into the cold stone floor. "Ouch, ouch." She sat up and massaged her forehead. Much to her relief, Y/N hadn't heard the startled yelp coming from her and she was thankful that no one else was around to see her-

"Oh, dear. Are you okay, young miss?"

"Eek!" Silica quickly shot up onto her feet and turned around to see Black Swan standing there. Now that the mysterious woman was no longer hiding in the pitch-black abyss called 'inside of her tent,' it was much easier to see her.

Black Swan is a tall, pale woman who appears to be in her early twenties. She has long lavender hair that reaches down to her thighs, and her mesmerizing eyes shine in the darkness of nightfall with a mixture of bright gold and dark amethyst. Her choice of outfit is very different from that of other players, as it is not meant for actual combat. She wears a semi-translucent black veil over her face, a black dress decorated with sparkling jewelry, long black gloves reaching past her elbows, and (you guessed it) black heels.

"I-I'm okay!" Silica squeaked.

"Thank goodness." Black Swan's smile was veiled by her, well, veil but the warmth it radiated was still felt by the short girl as she patted Silica's head. "I remember your face. How did you enjoy the cheesecake from the store I told you about?"

"It was delicious!" The shorter of the two shouted before letting out a low chuckle, a small embarrassed blush creeping up on her face. "Although, when you said that I would meet my first love there, I didn't know you were talking about the cheesecake itself..."

Another sweet giggle escaped Black Swan's lips, "Life would be boring if someone could give you all the answers to every question you have. That is why I try to provide as little detail in my divination as possible unless the client directly requests it. In hindsight, it might have been in my best interests to refrain from complying with their demands."

Silica opened her mouth to ask, "What do you mean?" until she took another look around the dimly lit locale, far from the golden lights of the main streets. It was depressing here, she thought, and couldn't imagine spending more than an hour in such a gloomy place yet Black Swan could manage it without complaint.

"There's no need to feel bad for me, little one. The stars in the night sky keep me company by telling me their stories. I've long since grown used to the solitude."

"Doesn't it get lonely sometimes?" asked Silica with a somber expression.

"Yes, sometimes the cold nights can weigh on the soul... However," Black Swan examined the back of her hands with a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "that makes the short sparks of warmth all the more memorable. Much like how the sun will always be waiting to greet us in the morning after the frigid darkness, we should meet every day with a smile."

"Umm... I don't get what you're trying to tell me, but I'm glad you're not feeling down, Black Swan-san!"

Silica's enthusiasm brought out another amused giggle from Black Swan, "You're a sweet girl. Now, run along. It's getting late and your friend is probably anxious."

"Oh no! P/N!" The brown-haired girl panicked and ran in the same direction as Y/N while Black Swan watched. Her captivating eyes may have been focused on Silica, but her gaze seemed to be looking beyond her.

"P/N, is that your name...?"

* * * * *

The next morning, Y/N waited patiently near Floor 47's Teleport Gate. A brick road extended from the platform where he stood and reached a small fountain in the center of Floor 47 before branching out in different directions around flower plots containing different colored flowers.

"What the heck is taking Silica so long?" He thought to himself.

Right on cue, he heard someone teleporting to this floor behind him, shortly followed by a young chirpy girl's voice shouting, "I'm here!"

"Finally..." Y/N faced Silica, stopping when he saw her in a new outfit similar to her former except instead of the dull yellow color, her new clothes followed a red color scheme.

"Huh? What's with the sudden change?"

"What are you..." Silica cast her gaze down at her body. "Oh, you meant this outfit? I thought it looked nice. What do you think?" She twirled in place to give him a better view.

Y/N's face remained unchanged but he gave a thumbs up, "It looks good on you." He told her, bringing a brighter smile to Silica's face before she noticed the fields of flowers.

"Wooow!"Like an excited child in a candy store, she ran off without warning. Fortunately, she didn't get far before kneeling to get a closer look at the colorful multitude of flowers nearby.

"This floor is known as the Flower Garden. If what Kirito said is correct, then the rest of the floor is also covered in flowers and..." Y/N pointed elsewhere. "the Hill of Memories should be in that direction."

"Kirito? Oh, is that one of your friends?" Silica looked over her shoulder, at Y/N who stood right behind her.

"Yeah, I told him and Srirachi about the whole situation, and they didn't mind me giving you a hand."

"That's reassuring." Silica turned her attention back to the flowers and giggled when a ladybug flew in front of her face before leaving. Her gaze followed the red, black-polka-dotted bug until she noticed the other players on this floor and watched them closely as they held hands, walked with their arms linked, plucked flowers to give each other, and kis-

Silica hastily shook her head and fanned her face, desperately trying to calm her fluttering maiden heart.

"Are you okay? Your face is all-"

"YES! I-I mean," she cleared her throat and scrambled onto her feet, patting down her clothes. "Yes, I'm fine! Sorry for making you wait, heehee..."

"If you say so." Y/N shrugged and began walking in the direction he pointed towards a few minutes ago, his map hovering in front of his face. "Hey, Silcoon."

"Hey," Silica pouted. "I thought I told you not to call me—" She stopped when she felt his hand on top of her head.

"Stay by my side, okay?" asked Y/N, a small smile gracing his lips.

"O-Okay..." Silica stuttered. However, it wasn't for a silly reason like her maiden heart fluttering or something along those lines, but rather because of the unease in her heart when she saw the glimmer in his eyes. 

She still remembered the intense fire in his (E/C) eyes when she first met him. It burned so brightly that she worried she might get burnt if she accidentally stepped too close. Then, for reasons unknown to her, the roaring inferno was suddenly dialed down to a calm kitchen flame and it no longer ignited passionately to stand out from the rest, but rather for a purpose.

"Silcoon? You there?" Y/N's voice brought her out of her thoughts and when she returned to the real world, she found him right in her face.

"Hmm...? Oh, yeah! I'm here! I'm here!"

"Good. The Hill of Memories shouldn't take us too long. Maybe an hour or two depending on how tough the mobs are."

Silica nodded and she followed closely behind.

"Um, P/N... Can I ask you a question? It's about your family."

In front of them, two Venus flytrap monsters spawned, towering over them to which Silica cringed and stepped back. 

"Right here? Sure, why not? I'm not giving you their names though."

"I wasn't going to ask that anyway!"

Y/N, however, didn't shy away from the challenge and easily smacked aside their attacks (that essentially boiled down to them throwing their heads at them) with his nodachi. 

"Well? Go ahead."

"I was just curious if... a-and if I upset you by asking, then I'm sorry!"

He turned to Silica and gestured for her to take the kills, and the short girl happily accepted, plunging her knife into one before slashing downward the other's head. She spun around with a bright smile as the monsters died.

"Just ask the dang question already. You're upsetting me by being so formal."

A dark pink light shone underneath Silica and after a flash of light, she was surrounded by tentacles and a grotesque creature popped out of the ground with her in its tentacle mouth.

"R-Right! I was wondering... Did I upset you by asking about them? I know it's frowned upon to ask about a player's real-life problems, but..."

"Huh? Where is this coming from?"

Y/N cringed and shut his eyes when he saw the monster. He muttered something along the lines of, "Man, Kayaba's a freak..." before his sword glowed (F/C) and he cut it in half.

"N-Nothing! It's just... I notice you haven't been yourself since I asked you about them last night so I thought maybe..."

"Don't worry, I have a perfectly healthy relationship with my family and I'm not upset with you if that's what you're worried about. Also, you've literally known me for, like, less than 24 hours."

After unsheathing his nodachi, Y/N approached Silica who was on the ground, patting her clothes down, and extended a hand.

"Th-That's true... Regardless, I'm glad to hear it anyway!"

Silica gladly accepted his hand and silently gasped when he lifted her exactly like how he did when they first met. However, this time she was ready and landed on her feet without stumbling and they shared a laugh.

* * * * *

Much like the initial monsters they encountered after leaving the safety of the town, the rest of the floor's enemies were a breeze for them to take care of and it didn't take long for them to locate their target item: The Pneuma Flower.

"It's so pretty..."

"Be careful with that. It's one use only, and I'd rather not deal with the hassle of coming back here."

Y/N and Silica walked atop a stone bridge stretching over a large river of sparkling blue water. The former's sandals slapped his feet and tapped against the stone floor, creating a steady rhythm that somehow went along with the beating in the latter's chest. They were so close to Pina and if it weren't for his suggestion to wait until they were in the town's safe zone, she would have already used it.

"Stop."

"Huh?"

Silica felt a firm grip on her shoulder and glanced over to see Y/N staring straight ahead with a frown.

"Come out. You're not fooling anyone." He loudly said. A few moments later, someone stepped out from behind the tree and Silica's mouth naturally twisted into a frown that matched his. If it weren't for the situation, he would have been proud.

"R-Rosalia-san?"

"If you can see through my hiding skill, then your detection skill must be high." Rosalia smiled.

"Or, maybe you just suck at hiding." He shrugged nonchalantly and noticed her lips twitch. Yet, somehow she managed to keep her annoyance in check.

"It appears you managed to get the Pneuma Flower. Congratulations!" Her face twisted with sadism. "Now, hand it over."

"No can do." Y/N patted Silica's head. "Pina-chan is waiting for her friend to revive her and we're already behind schedule because said friend wanted to stop to pick some flowers along the way."

"Wha-?!" Silica's face heated up until steam exited her ears. "I-I just wanted to make a flower crown to give Pina when she returned! Is that so wrong?!"

"No, but if I found out my friend decided to do a side quest before reviving me, I would throw hands with them after I returned."

"Pina is not like that!"

"Then, I'll throw the hands for her."

"You wouldn't do such a thing—"

"ENOUGH!" Rosalia shouted with a scowl and snapped her fingers as seven men stepped out from behind the trees, orange cursors above their heads.

"P-P/N, there's too many!"

"Really? Cause, in my eyes," Y/N unsheathed his nodachi, spun it on his hand, and rested the flat side on his shoulder. "it feels like we're missing 22 more people."

"...Wait, did he just say he can take on 30 people?" One of them asked as a wave of unease washed over the men.

"Tch! Morons, don't believe everything he says!" Rosalia shouted.

"You like to bark a lot, don't you? Although, now that I think about it," Y/N scratched his face. "I guess being a guilder leader kinda forces you to learn how to do that, huh? Ain't that right, Rosalia of the orange guild Titan's Hand."

"Orange guild? B-But, her cursor is still green!" Silica pointed at the cursor above the redhead, the color matching the grass under the guild's feet, and Y/N lightly flicked her forehead.

"Don't take it so literally. An orange guild is just a pseudo-term for a group of players banding together to attack and kill other players. Besides, the only reason why Rosalia's cursor is still green is because she's the bait that lures in other players and her men do the dirty work. My friends and I came across one of her latest victims who managed to survive the massacre of his guild. He went around, from day until night, begging for someone to avenge them. He's just another victim of orange players." The pair of (E/C) orbs staring down Titan's Hand flashed dangerously as their owner's thoughts wandered back to eight months ago when he danced with red lightning by his side.

"N-No way... Wait, then that means—"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Those three had mediocre gear. At least we managed to sell them for a decent price. However, you were my primary target, Silica-chan~ You and that lizard of yours."

"Y-You...!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Y/N saw the dark look on Silica's face and continued, "Don't bother with her. I doubt she's ever taken a moment to reflect on her actions. To consider the brothers and sisters she ripped away from siblings in the real world. To think about the grieving parents whose children she cut down without a second thought. Or even entertained the thought of grandparents who will pass on with the burden of knowing their grandchild reached the next world before them."

Rosalia rolled her eyes, "Oh, please! What kind of an idiot will take this stuff seriously? There's no definitive proof that killing someone here means they die in real life. Anyways, shouldn't you be more concerned about yourselves?" She turned to her men with a scowl. "Well?! What do I pay you for?!"

The seven men exchanged glances before nodding and charging with their glowing weapons.

Y/N lazily raised his nodachi and blocked the first's attack before spin-kicking him into the water. He ducked under the second one's sword and punched him square in the face, and he crumpled to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Tightening his grip, his nodachi glowed (F/C) as he launched himself twenty feet into the air before landing in the middle of the remaining five and swinging in a complete circle, sending four of them flying away as their backs collided with the stone bridge and they slumped down.

"W-Wow..." Silica's jaw dropped at what she just witnessed.

The last man hesitated after seeing his friends essentially being manhandled and backed up in fear when he saw Y/N slowly approaching him, his (E/C) eyes daring him to make a move. His grip on his shield tightened and he continued to back away until—

"You missed a spot."

—he felt a spear pierce through his chest. He coughed and could see the same shocked looks on his two targets' faces. 

Slowly, the man looked behind him to see Rosalia grinning ear-to-ear with a sadistic smirk.

"Rosalia... The fuck?!" The man dropped his shield and disintegrated into shards of data.

Silica gasped in horror, "Y-You killed him...?"

"It's only natural to discard tools when they've lost their value." Rosalia nonchalantly shrugged and brandished her spear, pointing the sharp end at Y/N. "Well? What are you waiting—" She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence when she felt a powerful gust of air blowing past her and the cold sensation of steel pressing against her throat.

Rosalia slowly looked to her right to see Y/N glaring daggers at her, his (E/C) eyes dark with disdain.

"Y-You wouldn't dare harm me." She hated hearing the fear in her voice but she had more pressing matters to attend to, namely the sharp edge of the nodachi touching her neck. "I'm a green player! If you do, then—"

"Yeah, I know. I'll be an orange player. That's why I'll give you two choices. Either I use a warp crystal Kirito gave me to send you and your remaining guild members to the prison on the 1st floor or I kill you right here and now. Which would you prefer? I'm being nice here by offering you a chance to make the right choice. If I were up to me," Y/N's hands tightened around his nodachi's hilt and he pushed her up against a tree, whispering coldly, "I'd get this over with and done with."

"You wouldn't kill me. You don't have the guts to do—" Rosalia tried to put up a brave act but Y/N saw through her poor attempt without trouble and pushed the blade closer to her throat, practically cutting her skin now.

"Why not? After all, it's like you said: 'What kind of an idiot will take this stuff seriously? There's no definitive proof that killing someone here means they die in real life.' You're not scared of death, are you? I mean, it would be your ticket out of here. You want that, don't you? You want to return to the real world just like everyone else, right? Shall we test your theory?" He hissed into Rosalia's ear as she felt the color drain from her face. Her eyes were wide with hysteria, beads of sweat trickled down her face, her head swooned with nausea, her heart pounded against her chest, and her breathing started to grow shorter and shorter with each breath she took. "Time's up. What will it be?"

"I... I-I..." Her lance fell to the ground with a loud clatter. "I surrender..."

* * * * *

"Wow... Today was uneventful..." Y/N said with a yawn as he gazed up at the ceiling of the inn room.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon and a warm orange glow entered the room through the window, painting the walls a deep shade of orange.

"Uneventful?! Are you serious or are you ill?!" Silica was both confused and astonished by his carefree attitude.

"Heehee, calling me ill? I'd expect nothing less from my little sister."

"Oh, no! I didn't mean to say..." Silica sighed and collapsed on the bed next to him, utterly exhausted by everything that befall them today. The entire morning and afternoon was spent being interrogated by the Aincrad Liberation Force and testifying against Titan Hand. Her head still swam from the mountains of paperwork she had to fill out and before she knew it, the sun had already long since passed the midpoint in the sky.

Y/N chuckled and sat up, "It's alright. I don't mind the sass...in moderation, of course."

Silica smiled and nodded. She stood up and started towards the table before suddenly stopping halfway. 

"Um... P/N. Can I—" Remembering his previous responses, she hastily shook her head. "The reason why you seem so down lately... Did Black Swan-san say something bad was going to happen to you?"

There was a tense silence that followed her question and Silica didn't dare to see what expression was on his face right now.

"You don't have to answer! I just thought that maybe she—"

"Pffft! Hahahaha!!! That's what's been bothering you this whole time?!" Silica wasn't prepared for Y/N to burst out in laughter. "I don't believe in fate, much less divination! She can tell me the most bleak news about my future, and I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. So, don't you worry about that, okay?"

"Alright, if you say so..." Silica was hesitant to believe him, but when she saw the bright smile on his face that outshone the sunset beams peeking into the room and the familiar dazzling gleam in his eyes — the very same she saw when they first met, she felt oddly at peace and didn't press further.

"Good. Now, let's revive Pina already!" He pushed her towards the table.

"Yeah, after this, you'll probably return to your friends and we'll go our separate ways, huh?" She said, a bittersweet smile conveying her conflicted emotions.

"Hey, don't say it like that. We added each other as friends so if you ever need someone to talk to or help, just reach out to me."

"I guess you're right..." Thankfully, her smile turned more sweet than bitter as she opened her menu and brought out [Pina's Heart] and [The Pneuma Flower].

Silica held the flower in her hand and looked to Y/N who nodded.

'Pina... I'll talk to you lots and lots, okay? About my amazing adventure today. And the day I became a little sister...'

A drop of dew fell from the flower's petals and landed on the feather. Light shone from the item, covering the bedroom with a bright light-blue glow.

"I foresee an incredible adventure waiting for you in this world, filled with many unforgettable memories for you to experience and create. You will reunite with and meet many people — most of them who will be lifelong friends and others mortal enemies."

Y/N could hear Black Swan's words echoing in his head as he blinked in surprise when he saw Pina's form, the summon looking like a weird crossbreed between a fox and a baby dragon. But, he regained his smile as he watched Silica embrace it tightly.

"Your road is far from an easy one and you will find yourself face-to-face with obstacles you cannot overcome by yourself. I advise you to place your trust in others, lest you allow your abundance of confidence and tendency to shoulder everyone else's burdens to play into your downfall."

Pina noticed Y/N standing there and tilted her head inquisitively to which her master giggled and brought her closer to the tall male.

"Waiting for you at the end of this journey is certain death."

"...Death?"

The little dragon sniffed his hand before flying out of her master's arms and circling around the man. Eventually, she settled on resting on his head, much to Silica's horror. Whatever the girl was saying, Y/N couldn't make out through her stumbles and pleads for her companion to get down.

"My sincerest apologies. I tried my best to warn you but, once I make a reading, the fate I see always comes to pass. It must be harrowing for someone your age to hear news this dreadful."

"...Nah, it's not that big of a deal."

"Pardon? Death isn't a big deal to you?"

Y/N reached up and gently plucked Pina off his head, holding her in his arms. When he tried to return her to Silica, however, the blue dragon refused to budge and adamantly stayed with him, shocking her best friend.

"Don't get me wrong, Ms. Black Swan. I don't want to die, of course, but worrying about dying has never crossed my mind. I've always lived my life one day at a time, rather than stress about the future. The more time I spend ruminating, the less time I have to live my life to its fullest."

"How...peculiar. I've yet to meet someone who lacks a fear of death."

Silica noticed Y/N mouthing something and her eyes quickly widened when she made sense of what he was trying to communicate to her. She scrambled to open her menu and rapidly scrolled through her inventory, her determined ruby eyes scanning every word.

"I wouldn't say that I lack a fear of death. It's just... I made a promise to someone that I wouldn't shy away from experiencing everything life had to offer me, whether it's something mundane like joining a school club or something like traveling overseas doesn't matter. I have to live enough for us..."

"I understand. I'm sure your friend would be glad to hear you keep your promise."

Soon, the brown-haired girl pulled out a beautifully woven flower crown and proudly held it up for Pina to see. The little dragon saw and liked what she saw, and flapped her little wings back to its master's side who gladly accepted her while Y/N watched on with a smile.

"Maybe... It was a long time ago so maybe there's no point in keeping my promise anymore, especially given our current situation, but I won't stop living enough for the both of us. I'll keep my promise to her."

"You and your friend's outlook on life is intriguing. Such optimism is rarely seen nowadays. A lot of people, myself included, could learn a thing or two from you."

A knock on the door got Y/N and Silica's attention, and the former opened it to find Kirito and Sachi standing on the other side, holding bags of food to celebrate the occasion. They were both equally surprised to see the two, but Y/N not wanting to turn down free food beckoned them inside, and started to introduce Silica to his two friends.

"Haha, appreciate it... Well! I gotta get going. Another friend of mine is waiting for me. Take care, Ms. Black Swan."

"Farewell, young man, and...I wish you luck on your journey to defy fate."

《Chapter End》

Y/N - Level 81

Stats:

HP — 16,400

STR — 20(+105) [125]

AGL — 20(+135) [155]

0 Remaining Stat Points

Skill Slots:

Skill 1 — One-Handed Sword Lv. 502

Skill 2 — Sprint Lv. 751

Skill 3 — Searching Lv. 642

Skill 4 — Katana Lv. 631

Skill 5 — Martial Arts Lv. 750

Skill 6 — Parry Lv. 589

Skill 7 — Light Metal Armor Lv. 576

Skill 8 — Battle Healing Lv. 552

Skill 9 — Extended Weight Limit Lv. 560

Skill 10 — Acrobatics Lv. 387

Skill 11 — Rallying Spirit Lv. 156

Weapons:

Illfang's Black-Steel Nodachi [Rank C — Requires 35 STR, 22 AGL, and «Katana» Skill]

Range: Far

Attack: 400-410

Weight: 280

Type: Slash

Durability: 1600