"…Why didn't you dodge?"
Yuu seemed unresponsive, standing upright, letting the tip of the rapier pierce the clothing over his left chest.
He looked at the girl before him, her gaze sharp and commanding, his expression equally serious.
"I'd rather ask you, why didn't you thrust?"
"You didn't dodge, so I didn't thrust."
"You didn't thrust, so I didn't dodge."
"…"
Silence.
The two locked eyes, finally breaking into resigned smiles.
Asuna sheathed her rapier, glanced at the unfamiliar armor on her body, closed her eyes, and focused for a few seconds.
When she opened them again, the armor had transformed into casual home attire—an orange cotton top and a long cream skirt.
"It's so comfortable here." Asuna twirled in place, her long skirt blooming like an umbrella, unable to help exclaiming, "Even though the sensation is the same as in the real world, changing clothes feels freer than in the virtual one."
"Is that what you're focused on? Truly such a girl." As if relieved, Yuu slumped back onto the pew, patting his chest with lingering fear. "I thought you were really mad. I was ready to let you vent your anger."
"Of course I'm mad."
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Asuna tilted her head, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. "Faced with something like this, anyone would be mad."
Yet her emotions were entirely different from before. Not only was the explosive anger gone, but her gaze toward him remained soft and warm.
Yuu felt puzzled but didn't ask directly, instead continuing her line of thought.
"True. Not only targeted by some unclear entity, but also having your feelings betrayed by someone you like—how could anyone easily accept a truth like that? So, this system is basically just causing trouble for us!"
"System? You mean that God?"
Asuna walked to his side, sitting down while pressing her skirt, her eyes still fixed on the side of his face. "Also, you might be misunderstanding something, Yuu-kun."
"What?"
Suddenly laughing, her voice and expression both gentle, Asuna said slowly, "I never felt betrayed by you, and I think you probably had a reason for not telling me about that strange mission right away… So, whether you lied to me or approached me with a purpose, I won't be mad about those things."
"As for why I'm not mad, I'll tell you later—" Asuna winked mischievously, deliberately creating a small mystery.
Yuu was momentarily stunned. "Then what made you so mad just now…"
"Before that!" Asuna extended her finger, lightly tapping his nose. "You answer a few of my questions first. No more lying, or I'll really get mad at you."
"Alright."
Like a student called to answer a teacher's question, Yuu reluctantly sat up straight.
Beside him, Asuna seemed to use her eyes as a lie detector, staring at him unblinkingly.
"First, did you not want to carry out that God's mission?"
"…Why would you think that?"
"During our time together, I never felt like you were trying to gain something from me. Even the online boyfriend thing was my idea first, and you just agreed."
"It only gave me a goal. I wanted to do it my own way… At least so far, I didn't need to do anything specific to you for the mission."
Silently praising the girl's sharp mind, Yuu spread his hands, his tone casual. "Feeling interested in me, liking me, making me your boyfriend—that was all your choice. I just did what I wanted to do."
(Wow, such a narcissist.)
Asuna showed a slightly disgusted expression, then nodded with an "whatever you say" attitude. "Fine, fine, my liking you has nothing to do with you."
Yuu crossed his arms. "Good, you get it."
"Next question: Were your feelings for me just acting? Were the promises you made to me lies?"
Like his perfect acting as her boyfriend and in-game husband.
Like the unwavering promise to always be with her.
Were they all fake? Asuna's eyes seemed to ask.
"…"
Silence for a few seconds. Having promised not to lie, Yuu could only sigh and say, "I don't have hypnosis, and I don't want to force myself to like anyone… As for promises, once spoken, they must be kept. I've always done that."
"Hmm, that's the Yuu-kun I know!" Asuna smiled with satisfaction, then asked, "Last one: Am I your… how many-th girlfriend?"
"Second… Huh?"
Answering reflexively, Yuu realized something was off, looking at Asuna with a strange expression. "…You didn't ask about anything else, but this?"
"Idiot, for a girl, nothing's more important than this!"
Asuna scolded him firmly, then pondered, gazing at the rapier at her waist thoughtfully.
"I see… I'm only the second, and there'll be a third…"
Yuu couldn't help but shudder.
That tone and expression—it felt like Asuna might draw her rapier the next second and slice away his roots of wisdom.
Yuu quickly defended his innocence. "Asuna, I was about to say, this is all the system's—or that God you mentioned—doing… Who I like is my business, but there's no doubt the system is the mastermind behind it all, making me have an ex-girlfriend!"
"In this, I was forced. If I could, I really wouldn't want another girlfriend."
Saying this with a resigned tone, Yuu subtly shifted his hips to the side.
Asuna snapped out of it, waving her hand at him with a smile. "You dummy! I'm not someone who can't tell right from wrong."
"Logically, if there wasn't an ex-girlfriend, I wouldn't have had the chance to date Yuu-kun, right?"
"…Something like that." Yuu answered cautiously. "I couldn't date someone, then shortly after become someone else's online boyfriend in a game, could I?"
Asuna grinned widely. "Great, such an honest trait! So, while dating me, you didn't think about other girls, right?"
A deadly question!
Taking a deep breath, Yuu put on a serious face, nodding honestly.
"Even if there were comparisons, the girl I truly loved from the bottom of my heart was only you!"
Sora, of course, didn't count. If a girlfriend was number one in the world, a little sister was the supreme, one-and-only heaven.
Such things wouldn't be said carelessly—but this answer clearly didn't satisfy Asuna.
"…"
Asuna kept smiling, her face darkening slightly. "Yuu-kun, even though I asked you not to lie… With the way you said that, I kind of want to hit you!"