ALfheim Online had not ceased operations merely because one man died.
Its operating rights had changed hands, however, passing to Asuna's family.
A major update would follow, integrating the world of SAO into ALO.
In truth, ALfheim Online had been built upon the foundations of SAO's world. Only when the two were combined would the setting become complete.
Kayaba Akihiko had been uncertain whether developing such a massive world all at once would attract unwanted attention, so he launched SAO first.
Technical limitations had also played a role. Constructing a world of that scale would have required at least another year or two, but Kayaba had already grown too impatient to wait.
That shared foundation was precisely why Sugou Nobuyuki had been able to intercept some of the players in the original story. Instead of allowing them to return to reality, he had transferred their minds into ALO.
Now only three hours remained before Kain reached his hundred-hour limit in this world.
If he wanted to stay any longer, he would have to purchase more time.
Aside from watching the Gundam SEED Freedom movie at the theater, Kain had spent most of his remaining visit experiencing this world's recreational activities—primarily its virtual-reality games.
Before leaving, he had also given Asuna a reserve totaling two hundred million units, providing her with enough resources to handle various extraordinary situations.
First among those preparations was Yui, who now possessed an S-Type android body.
This model was not primarily designed for combat. It specialized in infiltration, particularly cyberwarfare and hacking.
With those capabilities, Yui could continuously monitor the information surrounding Asuna and detect anyone approaching her with malicious intent.
Strea's android body was publicly classified as a D-Type—Defender. In reality, it also served as an E-Type—Executioner, allowing her to conduct covert operations and assassinations.
Alice possessed an A-Type—Attack model focused entirely on offensive power.
Asuna's android body was a B-Type—Battler model.
There was still a distinction between the A-Type and B-Type.
The former was designed to eliminate its targets, while the latter focused on capturing and subduing them.
The body prepared for Cardinal was an H-Type—Healer, primarily responsible for medical care.
Among all these androids, the data storage system within Asuna's body was unique. It used a Lightcube capable of storing Fluctlight data.
The black boxes and other data cores used by the remaining androids did not appear suitable for housing a human consciousness. Consequently, modifying Asuna's body had required considerably more effort.
Beyond the androids, they had also prepared a variety of specialized equipment.
With this much power at Asuna's disposal, conventional armed forces presented little threat. Defeating them would require someone willing to disregard the consequences and deploy weapons of mass destruction or heavily mechanized military units.
Asuna's return to reality also meant she could download livestream footage from the Hyperdimensional Channel.
Her family controlled a major corporation, and the national government would now cooperate with them to some extent. Together, those resources could expose a far larger audience to the broadcasts.
Given the sophistication of this world's internet, Yui could even force the footage onto enough platforms for most of the population to see it.
Taking such an aggressive approach, however, would make people realize that something had compromised the global network. That could easily create serious problems.
It would be killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
With the team's current capabilities, their best opportunity for a breakthrough lay in the development of virtual-reality games.
Any game hoping to attract players needed impressive cinematics and promotional trailers.
Their team could create the most advanced virtual-reality game in existence—one powerful enough to captivate the entire world.
They could develop a game connected to the events shown on the Hyperdimensional Channel, then present the livestream footage as promotional material for the game's setting.
"We're here, Asuna."
Kain brought the motorcycle to a stop in the parking area outside a large building.
Only after hearing him speak did the girl clinging tightly to his back finally release him, separating her soft body from where it had practically molded itself against him.
"Once we're inside, don't start getting ideas about any of them. Understand?"
After climbing off the motorcycle, Asuna puffed out her cheeks and warned the man standing before her.
She was taking him to a private self-service karaoke room. Everyone waiting inside was a friend she had met in SAO, and every one of them was a girl.
Half an hour earlier, she had also taken Kain to meet the Konno sisters.
The sisters knew he was the person who had truly saved their lives, so they wanted to thank him.
Although Asuna had been the one who gave them the panacea, she still believed that Kain deserved the real credit. She had therefore told them that he was their true lifesaver.
Unfortunately, all Kain had done was greet the sisters and show them a little concern before Asuna noticed their subtle reactions toward him.
Those reactions had made her swallow the declaration that had been on the tip of her tongue—that he was her boyfriend.
She had gone softhearted at the last moment.
The sisters had endured strange and judgmental looks for years because of their illness, leaving them especially sensitive.
If Asuna publicly declared Kain her boyfriend, then continued supporting the sisters in his name, they might refuse the assistance simply to avoid any misunderstanding.
She should never have arranged the sponsorship under his name in the first place.
She had truly dropped a rock on her own foot.
"And what if they're the ones who start getting ideas about me?"
Asuna narrowed her eyes and glared at him. Then, pretending to remain perfectly calm, she parted her lips.
"Oh? Would you turn them down?"
"That would depend on the circumstances."
"Hehe."
She immediately pinched his waist.
"Give me your hand!"
When Kain extended it, Asuna pressed her palm against his and laced their fingers together.
Such an intimate way of holding hands was intended to make one thing perfectly clear to everyone inside.
He already belonged to someone.
Yui, Alice, and the others were not accompanying them this time.
Kain had already spent several days with Alice, Yui, and Strea in particular.
Those days had taken place within Underworld under accelerated time.
He had needed to return there in his role as Emperor and help suppress the inhabitants of the Dark Territory. Without his presence, many of them remained far too restless.
During those days, Alice and Strea had also successfully claimed plenty of Kain's private time before he left Underworld.
Furthermore, to strengthen the bond between the Human Empire and the Dark Territory, Alice had been appointed princess of the Human Empire by the Highest Priestess and sent into a political marriage.
Afterward, she had even flaunted it in front of Asuna.
Hmph. What was there to boast about?
In truth, Asuna was still a little jealous.
As for 6O and 2B, they had formally returned to their own world earlier that morning.
"Let's go."
After walking for about a minute, they entered the room Asuna had mentioned.
All her friends were waiting inside, including Silica, Lisbeth, Argo, and Mito.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the offline gathering came to an end.
Only forty-some minutes remained before Kain had to leave this world.
"You have forty-three minutes left. Is there anything else you need to buy? I can have it shipped to you with everything else."
Asuna blinked. Her gaze drifted aside, avoiding his eyes as she spoke again.
"Or... if there's anything I can help you with, you can ask. I'll do my best."
Her face gradually reddened as she spoke, and her fingers began nervously playing with the hem of her clothes.
She was clearly hinting at something. Otherwise, her voice would not have sounded so noticeably embarrassed.
"Can I ask for anything?"
"You can ask, but I said I'd do my best. If it's too unreasonable, I might not agree."
"All right."
Kain sighed.
"Never mind, then."
"What do you mean, 'never mind'? At least ask! I might actually agree."
Asuna kicked him lightly.
Was this man genuinely made of wood, or was he deliberately playing hard to get?
Kain reminded her of the private promise they had discussed during their earlier experiment and quietly asked whether she was still willing to fulfill it before he left.
The girl's face instantly became so red that the falling snowflakes looked as though they might evaporate the moment they touched her.
"Y-You idiot. Why are you still thinking about that...?"
She lowered her voice even further.
"Just so you know, if I get hurt, I'll cry—and there won't be a second time."
She had not directly answered his question, but Kain had already received his answer.
Before they parted, the girl had decided to grant him one final private reward.
(End of Chapter)
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