"The Shinomiya Group, have you heard of it?"
"The Shinomiya Group? You mean that one, one of Japan's four major conglomerates?"
As the daughter of the Yuuki Family, Asuna naturally had some understanding of the distribution of societal power.
Yusei nodded and smiled, "Yes. Her real-world identity is the eldest daughter of that Shinomiya Group."
Now, Asuna was truly shocked. During all the time she had partied with Kaguya, they had never discussed family backgrounds.
Although Kaguya's speech and demeanor suggested she was a very well-mannered young lady from a good family, she hadn't expected it to be on this level.
To give an example, she herself was considered a young lady, but the Yuuki Family's reach was like a tiny ant compared to the Shinomiya Group, one that could be crushed in an instant.
However, after learning about Kaguya's impressive background, she suddenly became interested in Yusei's own family situation.
"Hey, Yusei-kun, I think I remember you and Kaguya mentioning that you and her grandfather are master and disciple?" Asuna asked curiously.
"Yes. The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu I use now isn't just a game skill. It's something I learned in reality from Kaguya's grandfather."
"So, that means Yusei-kun is somewhat connected to the Shinomiya Family, making you part of the elite too." Asuna breathed a sigh of relief.
Yusei smiled wryly and shook his head, "How am I part of the elite? I'm just a child from an ordinary family."
"That's not true. You being the disciple of Kaguya's grandfather already makes you part of that circle." Asuna said happily.
"Wouldn't that make me seem like I'm relying on their status?" Yusei thought somewhat awkwardly.
"It's fine. I know that Yusei-kun is truly strong himself, and that's what matters."
Asuna smiled gently, her mood lifting considerably.
To be honest, she had been worried about life after leaving SAO. She knew her mother well.
Her mother focused entirely on elite education, planning out her life meticulously. If she found out her daughter was dating a high school boy from an ordinary family, she would definitely strongly oppose it.
But now, Yusei is the disciple of the Shinomiya Family's head. Even without a blood relation, the master-disciple bond exists, so he is considered part of that elite circle. In that case, her family surely wouldn't object.
Others might say Yusei is riding on the Shinomiya Family's coattails, but she didn't care. What she cared about was herself, Yusei, and Yui.
She cared about whether the three of them could be together forever.
Thinking of Yui, a complex expression returned to her face.
The two sat down on the sofa. Asuna snuggled into Yusei's embrace, feeling his warmth and heartbeat, but her mind was filled with thoughts.
"Hey, Yusei-kun, do you think... after we leave SAO, Yui might find her real parents..."
She didn't continue, but Yusei understood her meaning.
She was worried that when SAO ended, or if Yui regained her memories, Yui might leave them to find her birth parents or family.
Actually, Asuna had always known that the idea of Yui being a 'mistake' from Yusei's early years was just her teasing him.
She had never really believed it or taken it seriously.
Sensing the turmoil in the girl beside him, Yusei gently held her waist, pulling her closer to comfort her.
"Don't worry. I won't let anyone break our family of three apart. No one can."
"Mhmm."
In the days that followed, Asuna withdrew from the Knights of the Blood Oath and devoted herself to staying home. Apart from occasionally going to the labyrinth area to level up, she never returned to the front lines.
With Asuna's combat power missing from the front lines, Yusei stepped up to fill the gap.
On one hand, it was to maintain the players' clearing pace, and on the other hand, it was to look out for Kaguya.
Kaguya had Kayaba's attention. In theory, even if Kaguya died, Yusei could have Kayaba revive her.
But recent thoughts, and the scenes he had seen that day, had eroded Yusei's confidence.
He began making preparations. He also increased his care for Kaguya and gave her ten revival crystals.
In the blink of an eye, three months passed in the game, and the cleared floor reached a high level… the 68th floor.
This floor was already very high. Progressing further would be genuinely difficult for the Capture Group if Yusei didn't participate in every battle.
The warm, fulfilling days in the SAO World satisfied Yusei, but he also began to grow restless. He somewhat wanted to leave SAO, to truly meet Asuna.
Another routine day. The Capture Group was searching for the Boss Room on the front lines. Yusei, having some free time, was at home holding Yui and reading the day's newspaper, which covered recent major events in SAO.
Yui seemed to have something on her mind these past two days, and she wasn't as carefree as before.
Looking at his daughter's hesitant, conflicted little face in his arms, Yusei could guess roughly what it was about. He sighed inwardly and gently patted Yui's head.
"Yui, no matter what happens, Papa won't let our family of three be separated."
"Papa..." Seemingly spurred by Yusei's words to make a decision, Yui suddenly looked up at him, her expression filled with reluctance, pain, and attachment.
"What's wrong?"
"Papa, the truth is... I'm not human. I am SAO's 'Mental Health Counseling Program 001'… an AI, a program responsible for managing the players' mental states."
"Because Papa and Mama's love was so happy, I was drawn to your side by your hopes for the future and your love for life."
By now, tears were streaming down Yui's face, falling like large pearls.
"Papa, Yui doesn't want to be separated from you. But when the SAO game is cleared, that's when the game will collapse. When that happens, Yui will..."
Yusei looked at Yui with deep affection, gently holding her close and comforting her softly.
"Believe Papa. Papa won't let our family of three be separated. Papa will definitely save you."
Hearing her daughter's cries, Asuna hurried out from the kitchen. Seeing Yui sobbing in Yusei's arms made her heart ache terribly.
She walked over and, together with Yusei, held Yui, asking gently, "You can tell Mama anything that's making you sad."