"Yui, I'm back!"
"Hey, Yui-chan, I'm here!"
"Welcome back, Papa! Uncle Kirito!"
Hachiman and Kirito logged into ALO, greeted by Yui's cheerful voice.
Something caught Hachiman's attention, and he turned to Yui with a question.
"Hey, what's it like for you when we're logged out? Can you, like, roam around freely or something?"
"Since I'm tied to Papa's account," Yui explained, "the moment you log out, I lose consciousness. I probably just vanish. But if you log out in a neutral field, my body stays behind, so I should be able to move freely then."
"I see," Hachiman said, nodding. "Wait, does that mean you're completely detached from Asuna's account now?"
"Yes, Papa. For me to reconnect with Mama's account, you and Mama would need to get married again in here."
"Is that so?" Hachiman said, a faint smile crossing his face. "Well, at least it's good to know you're not stuck here alone, feeling lonely."
"Papa!" Yui's voice brimmed with joy at his words, and she floated around him, bobbing like a cheerful sprite.
"Oh, by the way, Yui," Hachiman continued, "if I gave you a high-level admin ID, could you, say, pass through a wall and warp to the other side?"
"In my current state, I'd need to physically touch the wall to do that, Papa."
"So, it's limited to close range, huh?"
"Do we need to pass through a wall for something?" Yui asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah," Hachiman said, his tone growing serious. "It's to save Mama."
"To save Mama…" Yui's voice was resolute. "Papa, we have to save her!"
"Absolutely," Hachiman promised. "We'll save her."
"Speaking of, Yui-chan," Kirito interjected, "you haven't met Liz, have you?"
"Liz-san?" Yui replied, puzzled. "I don't know her. I know Aunt Argo, Yulier-san, and Thinker-san. Sorry, Uncle Kirito."
"Nah, it's fine, Yui-chan. Don't worry about it," Kirito said with a reassuring smile.
"Is this Liz-san person trapped here too?" Yui asked.
"We don't know if she's in this specific area," Kirito said, "but she's definitely been captured."
"Uncle Kirito, we have to save Liz-san too!"
"You bet!" Kirito said, his resolve reignited by Yui's determination.
"Oh, and Yui-chan," Kirito added with a playful grin, "how about calling me 'Big Bro Kirito' instead of 'Uncle' from now on?"
"What's that, Kirito?" Hachiman teased. "Your big-brother instincts kicking in? Feeling sentimental after seeing your sister earlier?"
Kirito chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Well, Hachiman, since you brought it up—Suguha's actually my cousin, not my sister. She probably still doesn't know that, though. But at this point, she feels like a real sister to me."
"Didn't know that," Hachiman said. "Guess we all have our complications."
"Anyway," Kirito continued, "I don't mind Yui-chan calling me 'Uncle,' but it does make me feel… I dunno, a bit old. It's complicated."
Kirito's face twisted into a mock grimace, as if wrestling with a life-altering decision.
Hachiman smirked. "If I recall, I'm the one who got you stuck with 'Uncle' because of Argo's teasing. Alright, Yui, from now on, call him 'Big Bro Kirito.'"
"Got it, Papa! Big Bro Kirito! Big Bro Kirito!" Yui chirped, clearly delighted with the new nickname. She floated around Kirito, who grinned, clearly pleased.
The two of them started tossing "Big Bro Kirito" and "Yui-chan" back and forth, reveling in the moment.
"Alright," Hachiman said, snapping back to business. "Let's find a spot to meet up."
"Yeah," Kirito agreed. "Linger too long, and we might run into other players and stir up trouble."
Hachiman nodded and turned to Yui. "We're meeting someone named Leafa under the tallest tree in the western forest. Any idea where that is?"
"Let me check," Yui said. "I can't pinpoint the exact tallest tree from this distance, but there's a forest over there that looks right!"
"Sounds good. Let's head that way," Hachiman said.
"You got it," Kirito replied.
Following Yui's direction, the two set off. The safe zone was still close, so the path to the forest was free of enemies. As they flew, Kirito suddenly spoke up, as if remembering something.
"Hey, Hachiman, I've been meaning to ask—are you okay? You seem… off."
"Off?" Hachiman raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Kirito hesitated. "Your guard's too low with those two. It's not like you at all—not like back in SAO."
"You mean Yukino and Yuiyui?"
"Yeah."
Hachiman's expression darkened. "Don't tell anyone, alright?"
"My lips are sealed," Kirito said.
"I'm… scared," Hachiman admitted, his voice low.
"Scared?" Kirito echoed, surprised.
Hachiman's words came slowly, heavy with emotion. "Those two—they're the first people who ever faced me head-on, really saw me. Even after two years apart, that hasn't changed. I have Asuna, and it'd be easy to push them away because of that. But the thought of them drifting away if I do… it terrifies me."
Kirito nodded, his expression softening. "I get it."
"It's why my guard's so weak with them," Hachiman continued. "I don't know if they sense it, but they keep closing the distance, and I freeze up. I don't know what to do."
Kirito listened quietly, then let out a small laugh. "Hachiman, you're kind of an idiot."
"What?" Hachiman blinked, caught off guard.
"You're always so sharp, but when it comes to yourself, you overthink and fumble. You said it yourself—two years apart, and nothing changed. You really think rejecting them would make them walk away? If anything, they'd probably become best friends with Asuna and stick around for life."
Hachiman fell silent, processing Kirito's words. "Was I… overthinking it?"
"Your ability to think things through is your strength," Kirito said, "but when it's about you, it's like your brain short-circuits. Honestly, it's kind of dumb."
Hachiman looked down as they flew, then slowly raised his head, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Getting called an idiot by you, Kirito? Never thought I'd see the day."
"Hey, I'm probably the only one who'd say it to your face," Kirito shot back, smirking.
"Thanks, Kirito. I feel like I just woke up."
"Head clear now?"
"Yeah. No more wavering. I'm moving forward with Asuna, and I'll block any attacks from those two like a pro."
"Now that's the Hachiman from SAO," Kirito said, grinning. "Sorry for worrying you. From here on, you can count on me. We'll save Asuna and Liz—together."
"Hell yeah!" Hachiman said. "Let's aim for that tall tree in the forest!"
They flew on with renewed determination. Soon, a dense forest loomed ahead.
"That's it, Papa," Yui said, pointing.
"That's the forest, huh?" Hachiman said, squinting. "Looks like there's a tall tree right in the center. That's probably our meeting spot. Yui, can you keep those coordinates locked?"
"Yes, Papa, I've got it!"
"Alright, let's descend," Hachiman said. "Flying over the forest is too high, and weaving through the trees at mid-height is inefficient."
"Might as well take out a few monsters while we're at it," Kirito added. "We haven't fought anything yet."
"Good point," Hachiman said. "Yui, how strong are the enemies around here?"
"For you and Big Bro Kirito, they're one-hit kills," Yui said. "Plus, I can detect them if they get close."
"Enemy detection, too? Nice. Let's go low-altitude, then. Yui, take the lead."
"Yes!"
Guided by Yui, they flew toward the landmark tree, cutting down enemies effortlessly along the way. After one such battle, Hachiman let out a sudden "Huh."
"What's up?" Kirito asked.
"Kirito, you know those status-effect spells? Like blinding or illusions?"
"Yeah, what about them?"
"These enemies are weak for us, but compared to starter mobs, they're pretty tough, right, Yui?"
"Yes," Yui confirmed. "They're not enemies a beginner could handle. You and Big Bro Kirito are just too strong."
"Exactly," Hachiman said. "No risk of losing, so let's start spamming status spells in every fight. In skill-based MMOs, the fastest way to level skills is to use them on enemies, right?"
"Good call," Kirito said. "Let's do it."
"Yui, keep leading the way."
"Yes!"
They pressed on, casting status spells on every enemy. At first, the spells were resisted often, but their success rate gradually improved. The repetitive task didn't faze them—it was the kind of grind MMO players thrived on. Eventually, they reached their destination.
"Yui, any players nearby?" Hachiman asked.
"Hmm, no one within my detection range, Papa."
"Got it. Leafa's probably coming from the west, so let's hunt mobs there while we wait. Yui, alert us the moment you spot a player."
"Yes!"
They spent about an hour grinding mobs. Then, Yui spoke up. "Papa, I found players!"
"Our contact?" Hachiman asked.
"Um, it's multiple players—six in total."
"Six?" Hachiman glanced at Kirito. "What do we do?"
"We get closer and check it out," Kirito said. "Let's use night vision and cloaking spells to stay hidden."
"Got it. Yui, stay close and guide us without getting spotted."
"Yes, Papa!"
They cast their spells and moved cautiously, following Yui's lead. Soon, flashes of magical effects caught their eyes—combat up ahead.
"Damn," Kirito muttered. "Leafa might be under attack."
"No time to stay hidden. Let's move!"
"Right!"
They sped toward the scene, ready to be seen if necessary. When they arrived, they saw a lone Sylph girl fighting fiercely against a party of Salamanders.
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