Chapter 3: First Encounter with Asuna
With a final shriek of "Pugii——!", the massive body of the wild boar shattered like glass into pieces.
Apparently, even with a gap in time, Hachiman's skills hadn't dulled.
However, this monster known as the "Mad Boar" was essentially a beginner-level creature, equivalent to a slime in other games. It remained to be seen what kind of formidable foes would appear in the future.
Catching his breath slightly, Hachiman casually glanced around.
In the distance, lively voices could be heard—those of the two players from yesterday, their conversation carried over by the wind:
"Uwaaah! I'm super strong, right? How about that, Kirito? I looked cool just now, didn't I?"
"Congrats on your first win. But boars like this are about slime-level in other games."
"Eh? Seriously?! I thought it was like a mid-boss or something."
"No way."
'Looks like they're having a great time… One of them's like Tobe, the other probably Hayama. Wait, Hayama again? Don't tell me this game is Hayama Online?ʼ
Hachiman looked at the apparent newbie who resembled Tobe and couldn't help but smile.
'I used to be like that too… Wait, who am I to act like a veteran lone wolf? I should reflect on myself. Hold on, am I apologizing to myself now?'
Pulling himself out of his inner monologue, Hachiman geared up to continue hunting. 'Let's see if I can pull off a Phantom Sword Dance combo.ʼ
Theoretically, with his current skill level, he shouldn't have been able to execute the four-hit combo of "side, side, side, vertical."
In practice, while the motions could be mimicked, the attack lacked power.
With such weak impact, it was completely ineffective in real combat.
'No helping the low power, but my skill growth rate seems faster than average. Let's try again. Though… that Kirito guy's been watching me this whole time…ʼ
One trait of lone wolves is that they can endure repetitive tasks.
Moving alone is simply easier.
Another trait is hypersensitivity to others' gazes. This level of staring wouldn't go unnoticed.
Hachiman tried out all his dagger techniques, and seeing his level had increased slightly, decided to wrap up his adventure for the day and return to town.
The player he had labeled "Kirito" was still watching his retreating figure.
'From what I can tell, he's probably the type who can handle social interaction but chooses to go solo.ʼ
After a moment's hesitation, Hachiman gave a slight nod—an unspoken gesture of mutual understanding between lone wolves—and headed toward town.
On the way back, he deliberately avoided the main street, only to be stopped by a figure crouching by the roadside.
As the person lifted their head, short chestnut hair fluttered—and Hachiman's breath caught. The way the youth hugged their knees was unmistakably reminiscent of… another-world version of Totsuka—Totsuka from another world?!
He hastily averted his gaze, but it was too late. The player quickly approached and timidly said:
"Um… excuse me…"
Hachiman pretended not to hear, but the player moved to block his path:
"P-please… may I ask you something?"
'It's probably a common newbie question. Annoying, sure, but even if the world permits me to ignore someone who looks this much like Totsuka, my conscience won't.ʼ
"First off, do you know how to open the menu? At the bottom, there should be a…" Hachiman said as he checked his own menu—then suddenly froze.
The logout button, which should have been there, was gone without a trace.
"That's odd… it's missing…"
"I knew it…"
'A bug in a game made by Kayaba Akihiko? That's less likely than Totsukashita confessing first!ʼ
Trying to stay calm, Hachiman said, "Though rare, it's not unheard of for newly launched games to have glitches. I'm sure there'll be an official announcement soon."
He was surprised at how smoothly he spoke.
Maybe the Christmas event training had really paid off.
The youthful face in front of him bore a strong resemblance to Totsuka.
For once, Hachiman took the initiative:
"If you just started, I can help you pick equipment and explain the basics until the announcement comes out. Oh, and drop the formal speech, okay? It's too stiff between guys."
'Komachi, your big brother is trying really hard here!ʼ
He cheered himself on internally while maintaining a calm exterior.
The boy tilted his head in thought, then gave a radiant smile.
"Okay, nice to meet you!"
'Is this kid an angel?! He's a guy but too cute to be fair...ʼ Hachiman suppressed his reaction and began teaching.
First, he helped pick equipment, then explained the Anti-Harassment Code and Crime Prevention Rules.
When the two decided to party up and opened the menu, their names appeared in the top-left corner.
That's when he realized he hadn't introduced himself.
'So absorbed in mimicking popular people, I forgot basic manners… Komachi, your brother's still trash…ʼ
Suppressing his embarrassment, Hachiman said:
"S-sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Hachiman… Asuna."
"It's me who should apologize… My real name is Yuuki Asuna. Nice to meet you. But… how did you know my name?"
Startled, Hachiman clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Idiot! Don't reveal your real name in-game! Never use anything but your character name!"
Realizing her mistake, the youth quickly apologized. Hachiman scratched his head.
"I should be the one apologizing… I'm Hikigaya Hachiman. Now that we both know each other's secrets, I guess we're even."
The youth—Asuna—nodded in understanding, her smile as warm as a spring sun.
"Once again, nice to meet you, Hachiman!"
'What's with this angelic aura, like Totsuka's? He's a guy but so cute it's criminal…ʼ
With that in mind, Hachiman finally addressed Asuna's earlier question.
"Ah, about your question earlier: When you form a party, the upper-left corner of the screen shows everyone's names. Uh, sorry for suddenly calling you by name."
"I see, so that's how it works."
"Well, now that we've introduced ourselves, let's move on to combat basics."
"Okay, I'm ready."
Once they reached the hunting ground, Hachiman began explaining the fundamentals.
"Basically, sword skills are triggered automatically. First, you initiate the motion, then hold the stance for a bit. Once you feel the skill activating, release it—like this."
He demonstrated some dagger techniques.
Asuna seemed to have a good memory. After setting her initial stance,
Hachiman touched and adjusted her arms and legs.
Soon after, she was able to unleash the rapier skill Linear Thrust.
But while he was teaching, Hachiman's thoughts wandered.
'Wait a sec… is this really not Totsuka? Why is everything so soft… Am I stepping into a new world here too?ʼ
When Asuna pulled off the Linear Thrust with remarkable talent, he was shocked again.
"Teacher! I've got the hang of it, so it's time to get serious!"
"Huh? Really? What are you talking abou—"
Before he could finish, a flash of a sword grazed by.
Not quite at Hachiman's full power, but fast enough to be nearly invisible to the naked eye. Asuna, looking pleased, asked:
"How was that?"
'I want to protect that smile… Is this kid a genius? A Totsuka-type genius?!ʼ
Just as Hachiman was about to say more, he felt a piercing gaze.
Instinctively raising his weapon, a majestic bell rang out, echoing across the sky.
As the light faded, they found themselves transported to the central plaza.
Thousands of players were gathered there.
At that moment, the virtual world experienced a seismic shift.