Sword Art Online: Asuna and Kirito Switched ALO Roles (Rebooted)

Chapter 11: Alne and the World Tree

Asuna's POV

(December 20, 12:00 pm)

We reached Alne in 15 minutes. I landed at the gate and Ichika touched down next to me.

"So this is the legendary city of Alne," Ichika remarked, "I heard it looks a lot better at night too."

We walked through the gate and reached the foot of the city.

"I can't believe you actually decided to give up that much money to them," Ichika commented, "I mean like you can do a lot of stuff with that money but you just handed it off like it was no big deal."

"We need as much help as we can if we're going to the World Tree," I explained.

"I guess so."

"Momma!" Yui interjected.

I looked down and saw Yui looking up.

"What wrong Yui?" I asked.

"Papa is above us," Yui said.

I looked up into the tree.

"You sure?" I asked.

Yui looked up at me and nodded. I opened my wings but something grabbed on my left arm.

"Don't try it," Ichika advised.

"Why not?" I asked.

Ichika thought about it for a second.

"You know about the whole race thing for this game?" Ichika asked.

I nodded.

"Well, a group of people decided to become a rocketship and stack themselves with bigger players on the bottom," she said.

"And how that turn out?" I asked.

"The players didn't make it to the lowest branch but they got so high that there's a barrier up there now. They also decided to take a couple of pictures up there before they fell down."

Ichika opened her menu and selected a screenshot. She showed it to me and it was the same photo of Kirito in the tree.

"Kirito," I whispered.

"Did you say something?" Ichika asked.

"Oh, nothing...nothing!" I denied.

I looked back at the tree and decided to try anyway. I took off from the floor of the city.

"If you flew up there, the barrier would stop you halfway up! There is no point to try and fly up there!" Ichika shouted.

I flew higher and higher but something stopped me.

"See I told you!" Ichika yelled behind me.

I pushed myself to try and get past the barrier. Ichika pulled on my arm and told me it was hopeless to try and get up that way.

"Papa!" Yui cried.

"What's the only way up there?" I asked.

"The Grand Quest," Ichika said.

"Where is that?"

Ichika pointed at a large door at the top of a large staircase. I opened my wings.

"Thank you for everything," I said before leaving her.

"Wait, you're not thinking about going at it by yourself are you?"

I flew to the doors and 2 large statues flanked it. I walked up and the statues shifted their swords to block the door.

"Do you seek entry to the castle of the king?" the statue asked.

A small window popped up in front of me.

"Will you attempt the grand quest 'Guardians of the World Tree'?" I read.

I raised my hand and accepted the alert.

"I'm coming, Kirito," I said.

I drew my sword and faced the door.

"Prove yourself worthy," the statue said.

The doors gave way to a large dark room.

"Yui, stay safe," I instructed.

"Okay, good luck mommy," she said.

Yui retreated into my pocket and I stepped forward into the room. The doors slowly closed behind me and suddenly, the room brightened up.

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