Leafa and Mizuki exchanged looks at each other, seems to be shocked of Erika's discovery.
They flew after her, as Erika continues to fly towards the top of the tree. Leafa thought in her mind, "What's the matter, Erika?
Is the person on the top of the World Tree, is someone really important to you?"
Mizuki notices the Magic Barrier on the Tree, as she yells, "Erika, stop it! You're going to hit the barrier!"
Erika didn't listen to her, as the barrier bounced her off, as Yui came out her pocket as well.
Erika was intended to go further, but Leafa and Mitsuki held their friend, to persuade her that there is nothing more they can do about it.
"Stop it, Erika, it's simply impossible!" Mizuki pleads to her.
"Yeah, what's the point of going? You can't possibly go any more than this!" Leafa concurred, trying to make Erika understand.
But Erika was so desperate, desperate more than ever to go into the World Tree more than ever, to see Kazuto once again.
"I have to go! I need to go there!" She said, very desperately as Mitsuki and Leafa see the expression on her.
Yui went towards the barrier, as she couldn't bear it any longer as she touches the barrier shields that contain them to see Kirito.
She said, in a desperate dispear, "Daddy! It's me, It's me, Yui! I'm right here, with mommy! "
She begins to cry as she screams so loudly that no one could ever hear, of a daughter desperate of seeing her father,
"DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!"
___________________________________________________________________
In the World Tree, Kirito was sitting in his desk, felt all is lost, until he hears a familiar voice calling out to him.
"Daddy! Daddy! It's me, I'm here!"
"Yui? Is that you?" He asked, as Yui continues calling out to him, "Daddy, I'm right here!"
He runs to the bars as he said, "Yui! I hear you, I'm right here! "
He said, clutching on the bars, "Asuna... "
He then knew that he couldn't give up, knowing that he has some hope now, that Asuna had arrived to save him.
"I have to let them know . I have to. "
That was he realizes that he had something. He picked up the black card that he had stolen from the console, and dropped it down to the surface, hoping that Asuna would guess that he was hearing Yui's call.
"Asuna.. please, hurry. " He mutters in hoping of being rescued and finally be in the real world where he belongs.
__________________________________________________________________
Erika continues to bang the barrier, "What the hell is this so strong?"
She was about to open up her sword again, as she notices something falling from the top of the tree and lands into her hands.
Mizuki and the others gather around to examine it.
"Have any of you guys seen this before?" Erika asked her friends. None of them knew the answer to that question.
"Sorry, I don't know ." Mizuki said, as Leafa concurs , "I'm pretty positive that I never seen an item like that in Alfheim Online."
Yui looked at it very carefully as she realized, "This is.. a System Access Code Console!"
The girls was surprised, "A System Access Code? "
"Then we can open the code from here?" Erika asked, curiously but Yui replied, "No. I can't really access that from here. You have to have the right console for that to happen."
Erika said, "Still, it's not a condience that something so important would fall from the sky like that.
Is that possible if..."
Yui realized of what she meant, "Yes! I sent out a warning signal to Daddy earlier, and he must've heard us and dropped this as a sign! "
Erika holds the card tightly in her hand, as she feels the presence of Kirito.
"Kirito."
Erika turns to her friends, "Do you know if there is an entrance to the Top of the World Tree?"
Mizuki and Leafa knew what lies in store for her. "You can't go there! We should've told you sooner, but there are Guardians!"
"Guardians of the Tree, that's what makes the quest impossible! None of the races can finish that quest, that's why I thought it was a suicide mission!"
"But I need to go. Mizuki, Leafa... thank you for helping getting this far." Erika said.
She flew down and makes her way to the Guardians' main entrance. She said, "Yui, I think it's best for you to hide. "
"Mommy. " She said, but she did as she was told.
Erika begins to ascend through the quest, as she tries to go to the top, as she thought about all the times she has spent in SAO, with Kirito by her side.
"Kirito! Kirito! Kirito!" She thought heavily as one of the Guardians slice her , and leaving her to die, and was a simple flame.
"Is this it, am I all alone?" She thought.
But then as a ghost of the flame, she was shocked of what she has seen.
It was Leafa, who decided to rescue her on her own!
"No! Leafa, stay away!" She called out to her, but she didn't listen to her, as she saw Erika's flame and catches it.
She pants with sweat, as she still sees the flame and she resurrects her.
Erika appears before her. "Oh, Erika, you're ok! "
"Leafa... that was pretty reckless. You shouldn't done that for my sake." Erika said.
"You're the one to talk! Don' t do this! You're kind, gentle, and always there for your friends. This isn't you, Erika!" Leafa said, trying to persuade her to stop going back to the gate.
"I'm sorry, Leafa. But if I don't go, nothing will end, in either world, real or virtual. All I want is to see him again.
I have to go see Kazuto. "
Leafa's eyes widen. "What... What you just say?"
"Kazuto. Kirigaya Kazuto, or in SAO, he is known as Kirito. He's the person I've been searching for this whole time. "
Leafa remembers of the encounter with Asuna in the hospital and their talk.
She steps back from Erika who was staring at her.
"Oh man. I can't believe it. A-Asuna, is that you?" Leafa asked, using Erika's real name.
It took Erika by surprise, but then she was shocked as well as she asked, "Sugu? Suguha?"
"How could you?!? " She said, as she was scanning her login, as Asuna said, "Sugu? Wait, Sugu!"
She logged off, as Asuna rushes to her house, and knocks at Sugu's door.
"Suguha, it's me."
"Go away! Just go." She sobbed.
Asuna slides down to the door, "Sugu, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to know that Kazuto was trapped in Alfheim Online.
If things were around, Kazuto wouldn't like it if you got hurt. For me.. I wasn't myself these past few months since I was freed from SAO Incident. I thought of him everyday, and thinking to myself, I should've known sooner, to prevent all of this from happening. I felt like... Like it was all my fault to begin with.
Sugu, I will wait for you , in the East Terrance. I know that it wouldn't be enough as a apology, but I just want us to be friends again."
She leaves Sugu to her thoughts.
Sugu took a deep breath, as she was looking at her Nerve Gear. It seems like a horrible discovery that she didn't want to know.
All she wanted to experience the Virtual World, the familiar world that her brother knew, but she never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would have to rescue him in AFO.
She thought, "All this time... Asuna, you kept this guilt inside you, and this must been the reason that you were not acting like yourself . "
She took a deep breath as she yells, "Link Start!"
She was back as Leafa , as she notices Recon and Mitsuki. "You guys."
Recon said, "I just saw Erika earlier. Did you two had a fight?"
Leafa nods, "Something like that. I um, just discovered who she was in IRL, and kind of stormed off without her letting explain. "
Mizuki said, "That was dumb of you . I've never seen you act like that. "
Recon held her hand, "You have to make things right with her, Leafa! She's our friend, and wither or not, she needs us!"
Leafa was amazed of Recon, but then she instantly hits him down the stairs!
"Ow! Strong as ever." He said. Mizuki looks at Recon, "Are you ok? That seems to hurt a lot."
She helps him up, but Leafa laughs, "Thanks you guys. I needed some cheering up. See you in a bit."
She flew to where Erika was waiting. "Hey. "
"Hey. Sugu, I -" Erika said, but Sugu raised her hand to prevent her to speak.
"Asuna, let's have a duel. I want to see how fast you truly are. " She said, as she raised her hand to her sword.
Asuna was astounded by this request, but then she smiled at her. "All right, if you say so, but you'll be amazed of what I can do."
The girls did the duel, as then Asuna looked down at her, "Sugu, I am really sorry, it's just, I felt like I haven't returned from the virtual world, and without Kazuto, I am not really convinced I am at home, just not now at least."
Sugu then said, "Then, let us help. Mizuki, Recon and I will do anything in our power to get you and Yui to the Top of the World Tree, and you get my brother home safe and sound.
Is that sound like a plan to you?"
Asuna smiled at her, "Yeah. Thanks."