When Kirito opened his eyes, he felt refreshed and ready for the next day. He stepped out of his room, stretching his arms as he went.
Waiting just outside was Yuna, standing with a fire of determination in her eyes.
"I will try my best, Kirito-kun. I want to become an idol for the players and do everything I can to help them," she said, her voice steady and filled with purpose.
Kirito smiled gently at her resolve.
He reached out and took her hand softly, his eyes warm and gentle as they met hers. "There's no need to push yourself too hard, Yuna. Let's go have breakfast first. We can talk about everything again later. Besides… I've got a surprise for you."
"Thank you, Kirito-kun…" she replied, cheeks flushing a deep red.
His hand was still wrapped around hers, guiding her gently toward the breakfast table.
Her ears were burning from the physical contact, this was the first time a guy had ever held her hand, but she didn't pull away, didn't say a word.
She just quietly let him lead her, accepting the moment fully.
If Eiji knew about this, who knew how many green hats he'd have to wear?
After all, even though he was her fiancé, Eiji had never once held Yuna's hand like this or gotten this kind of soft treatment.
Yet Kirito pulled it off so easily, on literally the first day of knowing her.
What a Gigachad, indeed.
Over at another table, Klein was also present, and he couldn't resist teasing them. "Aha… looks like our boss isn't single anymore. Congratulations, boss, you've ascended faster than the rest of us and snagged yourself a girlfriend."
At Klein's words, Yuna's face turned an even deeper red. She ducked her head, staring at the table in embarrassment.
This was the first time she'd ever been teased like this and over something so personal, but thankfully, Kirito was dependable enough to stop any rumors before they got out of hand.
"She's Yuna-chan, and she's going to be one of the most important members of our alliance," Kirito said coolly, his voice sharp and steady. "She also already has a fiancé. I don't want any stupid jokes putting her in a tough spot or screwing up her relationship. Got it, Klein?"
Klein froze, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Whoa, I didn't know that. Sorry, boss. And sorry to you too, Yuna-san, I honestly thought you were single."
Though Klein tried to brush it off quickly, a small part of him still found the whole situation kinda weird.
If Yuna already had a fiancé… why had she been holding hands with Kirito just now?
Then again, knowing their boss, Klein couldn't deny the possibility. Kirito was too competent and cool for his own good. It wouldn't be shocking if a girl, even one engaged ended up smitten by him.
Yuna spoke up softly, her voice shy but clear. "No need to apologize, Klein-san. I'll clear things up with Eiji-kun myself if there's ever any misunderstanding. He's… a good boy."
Klein's face twitched slightly as he remembered Eiji from the night before.
He scratched his head even more awkwardly.
Was that really true?
Even Klein, who'd never even held hands with a girl, could tell that Eiji had been practically blinded by jealousy the previous night when Kirito invited Yuna into their alliance.
Just the invitation alone had set Eiji off into a jealous, sulking rage.
No wonder Kirito didn't want rumors spreading.
If Klein were in Kirito's shoes, he'd make the same call. Eiji's face practically screamed "trouble."
Nobody wanted drama dragging down a solid team.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Sorry again, boss. And sorry, Yuna-san. Let me make it up to you both, I'll treat breakfast today," Klein said sincerely, trying to make up for his blunder.
When Yuna tried to refuse him, Kirito gently shook his head at her, silently telling her to let Klein do it, at least it'd give Klein some peace of mind.
Seeing Kirito's reassuring look, Yuna didn't insist any further. Instead, she allowed Klein to pay.
The three of them placed their orders, and soon food and drinks arrived at their table.
The awkwardness slowly fading into friendly conversation.
Afterward, Kirito told everyone to get ready for the concert he planned to start with Yuna before heading into the meeting to discuss clearing the first floor's boss.
He held the sheet music in his hand, explaining how they'd chill and enjoy themselves first, have some fun, and then go blast the first boss's head off.
Everyone sitting around the table agreed without hesitation, grinning and shouting, "Long live the boss!"
Yuna watched the whole scene unfold, a gentle smile spreading across her face as she took in the pure camaraderie between them.
They were so motivated...
So warm...
Just like bright stars burning against the endless dark night.
Seeing them like this made her believe that if anyone could do it, it was them.
Maybe they really could free all the players trapped in this death game created by Akihiko Kayaba and carve out a brand-new future with their own hands.
Caught up in the infectious, lively atmosphere, Yuna found herself laughing and shouting alongside them, joking and teasing as though she'd always been part of the group.
For the first time, she didn't feel like a caged bird longing for freedom… but like a bird soaring higher and higher, wings spread wide, finally free to fly wherever she wished.
...
The plaza was overflowing. More than a hundred players packed inside, their armor clinking, the smell of steel and fear thick in the air.
Everyone had come for one reason: the first Floor Boss raid of Aincrad.
Illfang the Kobold Lord loomed in every player's mind, a test that would separate survivors from corpses.
The entire place fell into silence the moment Yuna stepped forward.
Gone was the modest, soft-spoken girl from before. This time, she radiated the presence of a true diva, breathtaking, commanding, and effortlessly dominating the attention of every player in the room.
Her hair, once plain brown, now shone pure white, catching the light and giving off a ghostly, almost divine glow. Her eyes had shifted too, burning ruby red, sharp and mesmerizing, like they could pierce straight into the soul. Every man and woman in that hall knew without words: she wasn't just beautiful, she was untouchable.
Her outfit sealed it, no longer the simple clothes of a modest girl, but a sleek, dark diva's dress that clung to her body in all the right ways, emphasizing every curve, every line, while still radiating elegance. She looked like she had stepped straight out of a dream, terrifying and enchanting at the same time.
The crowd instinctively parted to clear her path. Nobody dared to stand in front of her. Nobody needed to be told who she was, they felt it in their bones.
At the center of the plaza, Kirito was already waiting, seated in front of a grand piano. His fingers hovered just above the keys, steady and ready. Beside him, Klein clutched his guitar tightly, strumming a quick test chord that rang sharp and clear, echoing across the plaza.
Yuna stepped forward without hesitation, her heels clicking against the stone, every sound amplified by the silence of the crowd. She lifted the microphone, gripping it firmly in her hand, and gave the two of them a sharp, confident nod.
When she opened her mouth, a melody spilled out, gentle at first, then swelling like sunrise.
Yume Sekai.
The opening notes of Yume Sekai rang out, clear and trembling. Her voice wasn't just music, it was hope given form. The melody wove through the crowd like sunlight through storm clouds. Players who had spent weeks drowning in despair felt their hearts lift. Even the most jaded beta testers clenched their fists, fire returning to their eyes.
"In this world of dreams, we will find our light…"
The lyrics carried more weight here than they ever did outside. For these trapped souls, it wasn't just a song—it was a promise. A vow that Aincrad would not become their coffin. Every chorus hit like a buff spell, flooding the plaza with courage.
At Yuna's side, Kirito's fingers danced across the piano keys, precise yet filled with emotion, weaving the backbone of the melody. Klein stood steady with his guitar, each strum adding grit and steel to the harmony. Together, they were no longer just three players. They were the face of something greater: a movement, a cause, a destiny.
When Yuna reached the final verse, the crowd was no longer listening, they were singing with her. A thousand voices roared back the words, the plaza trembling with their unity. By the final note, the silence that followed wasn't emptiness, it was awe.
Kirito stepped forward, raising his hand high for all to see.
His voice boomed, sharp and unyielding:
"Today, we face Illfang, the boss of the first floor! From this moment on, we will stop being victims. We will stop cowering. We will become conquerors! Remember this moment. Remember this song. Etch it into your soul! This is not the end of us, it is the beginning of our freedom! For freedom!"
"For freedom!"
"For freedom!!"
"For freedom!!!"
The chant exploded across the plaza like thunder, every single player roaring with the same fire. Their voices fused together into one unstoppable cry, shaking Aincrad's very foundations. For the first time since the death game began, hope didn't feel like a fragile dream. It felt real. It felt alive.
This was no longer a gathering. It was the birth of an army.