It was really a surprise to Mizuki, she never seen a Sylph helping out a total stranger. She seems to be smiling.
"Who are you?" The Soldier asked, looking directly at the blue-haired Sylph. She seemed annoyed, as she used her sword in a super fast pace, like a speed of light, it was for a split second, he was cut in half!
"You little-" The other soldier said, as he being annoyed of her skills, she didn't hesitant, as she races through the forest field, and cuts him in half.
Mizuki was so astounded by this, as the Sylph sighed by the sight. "Well, I guess this is quite an easy task .
What you say, do you withdraw or would you like to be killed off like the others?"
The leader of the soldiers waved his hands in total surrender, "I will surrender and withdraw from the fight.
Seeing how you fight, I wouldn't be that too careless like those idiots. " He turns towards looking at Mizuki.
They left them as the Sylph puts away her sword and approach her. "Are you all right? Those guys really are such jerks."
"Y-yeah. I am. I never seen anyone uses sword skills like that. You're incredible."
"Oh, thank you. " She said, as a navigation pixie came out of her pocket, "Mommy, that was incredible.
There is no doubt you're strong as ever."
Mizuki points at the little pixie, "You have a private navigation Pixie?!? That's quite rare here, even for a Sylph to have one."
"Oh, really? Oh, we haven't introduce ourselves , haven't we? I'm Erika, and this little pixie, this is Yui."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both, I'm Mizuki. You are a new player in Alfheim, aren't you?"
"Is that too oblivious?" Erika asked nervously, but Mizuki waved her hand, "No, it's fine. You must be lost. Tell you what, I can lead you to the Sylph Territory if you like."
"Thanks, I appreciate it. "
"All right, let's go." Mizuki said, spreading her wings as if it was natural. It was a surprise for Erika, as she asked, "How you do that?"
"Oh, it's quite easy. You just imagine your upper weight have extra muscles in your wings. It's really quite fun without using a controller. You'll fly to places as you wish. Try it , Erika."
She did as she was unable to fly her wings straight way, but then she manages to control after a few tries.
"You're right, this is incredible! I never experience anything like this!" Erika said.
"Told ya!" Mizuki replied, as they reached their destination, "Well, we better land, wait a second, you know how to land?"
Erika realizes she couldn't, "I'm afraid I don't know how."
"Well, I guess you have to figure it out on your own, sorry about this." Mizuki said, landing into the ground while Erika face-planted into the ground!
"Ow! That completely hurts." Erika said, as she got up as the other Slyph was staring at her.
"It's ok! She's just a new player." Mizuki said to the crowd, as they leave in peace.
"Mizuki! There you are!"
"Recon! I'm glad you're all right! You really are some troublesome kid." She replied as Recon looked at Erika suspiciously.
"Oh, let me introduce you, this is Erika, she saved me from those guys earlier in the forest."
"Pleasure to meet you." Erika bowed in respect, as Mizuki looks at her log in, "It seems like Leafa isn't logged in yet. I wonder what's keeping her."
"Maybe she has some things to do in IRL. She will join us for a quest eventually, don't worry about it." Recon reassures her.
"I suppose you're right, but I am worried about her. " She said, as she looked at Erika, "How about I treat you to a dinner? As a thank you and I can answer some questions you may have about this world."
They sat together, as Erica asked, "I was going to ask, what is the World Tree? I heard it from a friend but I really don't know what it is exactly."
"Oh, that. It is a lot of people want to go there. It's a place that has a barrier around it because there were players wanted to climb there to beat the ultimate quest.
Other players tried to hop onto each others' backs to climb, but it failed at that attempt.
Also, it was rumored there was a floating castle within the tree and a king resides there. That drives people to try to beat that quest to see who is victorious .
My honest option, I think that it's absolutely nuts to try to go into the World Tree, besides, it's basically a suicide mission."
Erika said, walking towards the door, "I'm going . There's someone I need to see. He's waiting for me. "
Mizuki sees the determination in her new friend's eyes, as if it was important for her to go there.
"If you're that serious... then I'll be your escort! I'll help you get to the World Tree. I suppose that you know how to get there, I assumed?"
Erika sweats, of that she hasn't the slightest idea, "Ok, you got me. Thanks for the help."
"Hey, it's ok if you needed help, that's what friends are for. Here's my friend request. "
She pulled out a friend acceptance request, as Erika looks at it. It reminded her of how she first met Kirito and didn't have the slightest idea that he was her everything, the most important person she ever loved.
_______________________________________________________________________
At the World Tree, Kirito was still in his bird-cage prison, as that he was certain that someone would rescue him.
"Ah, hello, Kazuto." He heard an familiar voice, which annoyed the boy with a terrible reply, "Oh, it's plainly you.
Sugou. "
"Ah, no, you really can't call me that by name here. In here, I'm King Oberon. In here, all the fairies believe I'm sort of a myth, a fable that they wanted to beat. "
"You're really are a sick person, manipulation is really want for all players to believe." Kirito replied to him.
Oberon chuckled, "Perhaps. But who knows. No one would ever attempt to find what's above the World Tree.
By the way, there's something you should know , Kirito. I visited your hospital room, and also someone was there too.
What was her name? Ah, yes. I believe it was..
Yukki Asuna."
Hearing her name shocked Kirito. He never wanted her to be in danger, and thus that seeing the terror on Kirito's eyes filled Oberon with glee.
"That expression, oh, how marvelous it is! She's very protective of you when we encounter each other. "
That sprung anger onto Kirito, as he was about to punch Oberon, but the boy couldn't as the strength he had was restricted.
"Ah, you can't do that. I have the power here. You're a bird I intend to keep. I wouldn't want anyone to disrupt my plans." Oberon said.
He leaves Kirito as his knees fell to the ground, shaken of the encounter of their conversation.
"Asuna... if you're here, in this world, find me." He whispers.
____________________________________________________
In the real world, Sugu was hesitant, mostly because of what she is experiencing with her brother not being awake from his coma.
Mostly that, she still wonders what would've been like, to experience virtual world, the world that Kazuto and the other SAO survivors had loved so much.
She brought Alfheim Online to discover that meaning herself, and she felt was... being free.
Free from the trauma, the suffering she had kept to herself, that the possibility of that her brother wouldn't wake up from his coma.
She had made friends in AFO, Recon and Mizuki. They were her first friends that she can be herself to and Recon was the only person who knows who she is in IRL.
As Leafa, she was carefree, strong, and caring about the players she had encountered within the game.
She landed in Sylph Territory where she saw her friend.
"Mizuki!" She waved as the young teen seems to be mad of her. "Geez, Leafa! You really took your time in IRL, do you know how worried we were waiting for you to log in?"
"Sorry about that. I hope that I didn't make you that worried." Leafa apologizes but sees her friend's grin.
"All right, spill it. Did something happen while I was away?"
"Yep. I was rescued in the forest by this new player named Erika. She's incredible! Anyway, I wouldn't be going on any quests with the guild."
"Why? Why you join any quests this time?" Leafa asked, being curious.
"Well, I sorta made a promise to Erika that I would help her go to the World Tree." She explains. It took Leafa a couple of seconds to digest what she had heard.
That was when she said, "What?!? "
She shook her friend in a very serious tone, "Are you applying that you want to go to the center of the game, to the World Tree?!?
You know how freaky that quest is, you absolutely hate that quest, so what made you go in a ridiculous quest?!?"
Mizuki said, "It's the determination in Erika's eyes. She's focused on what she wants, it's like she needs to go the World Tree.
I don't know why she wanted to go there, but I had to do this, you know me, Leafa, I just let things stay as they are."
Leafa knew that she can't change her friend's mind, no matter how much she wanted to. "It's going to be a long journey for the both of you, you know that right?"
"Yeah, so what? We can fly during the day, so it wouldn't be much of a problem." Mizuki replied.
"I guess so, how about this, I will join you , just to keep a close eye on you so you wouldn't get any trouble." Leafa said.
"Leafa..." Mizuki said, being astounded of her that she would go on a journey with her.
_________________________________________________________________________
Back at the inn, where Yui and Erika was staying in, Yui transformed into her human form, "Mommy, is... is it ok if I sleep with you, until you log off? It would bring back memories."
Erika smiles at her, "Of course. Come here."
She did as Erika said, "Comfy? "
"Yes, I miss Daddy. " Yui said. Erika said, "Don't worry, we'll save Daddy, no matter what. When we do, we'll be together again."
"Together, in our cabin. That is a dream, a dream I want to have." Yui said.
"That dream, I'll make it into a reality, Yui. " Erika said, comforting her daughter as her eyes begin to dimmer as she logs off, asleep in the bed.
Asuna woken up from Alfheim Online, as that everything had happened has been a decent memory.
"Whoa. That is so real. " She said, as she came out of the room to see it was her father, staring at her.
"Father. I know what you're thinking, and Mother too. It's just I have a lead on where Kirito may be.
If you don't want me to go back to the virtual world, I completely under-" She began to say, but she felt her father's arms holding onto her.
"Asuna, I'm not mad at you, and someday, your mother will understand. I just want to see my daughter be happy, and it seems like you have a ton of weight carrying onto your shoulders.
You want to forfill the lives that been torn for all the SAO survivors. Those two years you all spent in that game, it must've been tough for you. " Her father said.
"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it. I am still worried, about how Kazuto is in the real world. I hope that I do it." Asuna said.
"You will, listen, take all the time you need in this new virtual world. You are "Lighting Flash" Asuna, aren't you?
Show how you got that nickname and don't hold anything back." Her father encouraged her.
Asuna nods at her father's words and thought to herself, as she is more determined than ever, to save Kirito and return to the real world together, like they promised to each other before SAO disappeared.
"Kirito, I will get you home, just wait for us." Asuna thought.