"There's an entrance here…?"
"Wow, Senpai, this is amazing! How'd you find this place?!"
"Hell yeah, praise me all you want. And praise me more once we're inside."
Stepping into Valhalla Garden for the first time, the group buzzed with excitement. A hidden door, vast space, and secret-base vibes—the spiral staircase only heightened their anticipation. But at the top, a modest single-story building awaited.
"Whoa, so nostalgic! Just like before!"
"Yeah!"
"But isn't it a bit small for us?"
"Maybe?"
"You'll see the fun part inside."
Some reminisced, others worried about space, but Hachiman calmly distributed formal and guest keys. The group entered one by one, followed by Hachiman and Asuna. Inside, the team's excitement erupted.
"What the hell?! This is insane!"
"It's huge inside!"
"This completely defies physics…"
"Yukino, it's probably instanced!"
"So jealous…"
"Hachiman, nice work!"
Hachiman, unfazed by the fervor, quieted them and declared solemnly, "Everyone gets a private room. We'll assign them later. Adjust your room's setup as needed."
Cheers erupted. The five guests watched enviously.
"Before showing the other facilities, I want to introduce two people. You know them—Yui and Kizmel. Yui, come here."
"Yes, Papa!"
Yui bounded from the kitchen, her original SAO form intact. Despite prior warnings, everyone but Kirito gasped in surprise.
"Yui-chan, so cute!"
"That's her real form, huh?"
"I wanna take her home…"
"Congrats, Yui-chan!"
Next, Hachiman called Kizmel.
"And our dear friend, Kizmel."
Kizmel emerged, introducing herself.
"I'm Kizmel. I'm truly glad to meet Hachiman's precious comrades."
Her warm smile stunned the group.
"A Dark Elf in a maid outfit…?"
"She's gorgeous…"
"Senpai, that outfit choice is devastatingly perfect…"
"Look, it's not my taste—it's the default!"
Hachiman protested, but doubts lingered.
"Really?"
"What about Yui-chan?"
"Yui's look is just her old SAO outfit applied. Yui, sorry, but switch to default."
"Okay!"
Yui summoned a console, tapped it, and instantly donned a maid outfit.
"Whoa!"
"Adorable…"
The group clapped spontaneously. Yui basked in it.
"Also, not just outfits—you can change their appearance type freely. Yui, Kizmel, mind showing that form?"
"Sure, Papa!"
"I'm not used to it yet, but I'll adjust."
Yui and Kizmel operated their consoles. The group marveled as they transformed into tiny fairy forms, sending excitement to a fever pitch.
"Ohhh!"
"Even more devastating!"
"I'm definitely taking them home!"
"Yumii, calm down!"
Hachiman explained further.
"As I mentioned, they can switch between fairy and normal forms. Normally, the master controls it, but…"
He glanced at the guests.
"…Whatever, I said this before, but Yui and Kizmel are special. They can do things other NPCs can't—like act autonomously. It's due to their advanced AI, which seems to… grow."
The group gasped. The guests were floored. Such advanced AI in housing pixies was unthinkable—operationally unsustainable. Yui, meanwhile, smirked proudly.
"Think of them as Kayaba Akihiko's legacy."
That name convinced them. If it was Kayaba's work, it made sense.
"Normally, pixies only follow simple autonomous actions under owner commands. These two can summon and use consoles themselves. That's the intro. Everyone, take care of them."
Cheers welcomed Yui and Kizmel. Newcomers introduced themselves to Kizmel, while Kirito checked base functions. Amid this, Fuka-jiro, the least familiar with the group, muttered in awe.
"Is this… real? I didn't know a world this amazing existed…"
"Don't get it twisted, Fuka-jiro. Hachiman's crew is special. They're heroes, in-game and IRL."
"Heroes…"
Sakuya's words stirred Fuka-jiro. Unable to hold back, she rushed to Hachiman, grabbed his hand, and bowed.
"I decided from the start! Let me join this guild!"
"From the start…? Sorry, this guild's mostly IRL connections. New members need that."
"I'm Miyu Shinohara, from Hokkaido—"
"Whoa, hold up, calm down!"
Hachiman clamped her mouth shut as she blurted personal info. The group stared, stunned.
"Leafa, is she always this reckless?"
"No, not really… she's dedicated, but I've never seen her this wild."
"Got it…"
Hachiman, still holding her mouth, thought briefly, then made a proposal.
"We just added a small arena to the garden. Let's do a special entry test. Fight Kirito, Asuna, and me in order. Reduce any of our HP by 80%, and you're in. If not, give up for now. Half-damage duel mode, no magic."
"Yes, please! Thank you!"
The group assumed Hachiman wasn't serious, pitying Fuka-jiro but trusting he had a plan. Asuna gave him a knowing look but stayed silent. Three duels followed. Fuka-jiro landed a few glancing hits on Kirito but fell to his overwhelming power. Against Asuna, her speed left Fuka-jiro helpless. Facing Hachiman, every attack was parried, countered, and she lost instantly. All three went all-out. Fuka-jiro slumped, dejected, but Asuna approached her.
"Hey, Fuka-jiro-san, I know it's weird coming from me, but cheer up."
"Okay…"
Asuna smiled at her downtrodden gaze.
"Think about what Hachiman-kun said. He said give up 'for now,' right?"
"For now…? Oh!"
"Spilling the beans already, Asuna?"
"But, you know?"
Hachiman scratched his head.
"Fuka-jiro, think it over. Even if we know your IRL info and meet, joining's not that simple. Start by letting us get to know you."
"You mean…"
"If something comes up, we might invite you. Hang with us for now, get closer, and we'll revisit joining later. Deal?"
"Yes! Absolutely, that works!"
"Then keep up with us. You'll need to get stronger, though."
"Got it! I'll train hard!"
Leafa patted Fuka-jiro's shoulder as she beamed.
"Nice going, Fuka-chan."
"Yeah! Just wait, Leafa, I'll join for sure!"
"I'll be waiting!"
From that moment, Fuka-jiro chased strength relentlessly, eventually joining Valhalla Resort. Her newfound power would later aid a friend in GGO.
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