Four months later—April 8, 2023.
After long days of grinding, Ryuto and Asuna had finally reached level 43. Just a few days earlier, they had teamed up to clear the 20th Floor Boss. The constant cycle of combat and leveling had left them both exhausted.
According to Ryuto's own schedule, today was a rest day. His plan was simple: take Asuna down to the lower floors, enjoy the scenery, and, if they came across players in need, lend a hand.
The moment they stepped through the portal, a faint dizziness passed, and they found themselves on the Eleventh Floor—Taft. Without lingering in the safe zone, Ryuto led Asuna quickly out into the wild.
Before them stretched a sunlit forest path, warm and green beneath the April sky. Ryuto let out a deep, satisfied sigh.
"Finally, a proper break. I'm completely worn out… Let's just relax and enjoy the scenery for a while."
Asuna chuckled behind him, covering her mouth at his boyish tone.
"Ryuto-kun, you're contradicting yourself. You've been grinding without a single complaint these past days, and if I hadn't reminded you about your rest day, you would've kept going."
Ryuto plucked a stem of dogtail grass, tucked it between his lips, and leaned back lazily with his hands behind his head.
"I used to be alone, in the game and in real life. Back then, it didn't matter if I never got out."
His voice softened.
"But it's different now. I want to stay with you in this world… but I can't ignore your real body. I have to clear this death game as fast as possible. Even if, once we're back in the real world, we go our separate ways… because I lo—"
Before he could finish, Nova, the small black-and-white feathered familiar hovering nearby, flapped over with a cheerful cry.
"Chirp~!"
It was as if he were agreeing with Ryuto's words.
Ryuto reached out to hold Nova, but Asuna—moved by his words and yet slightly irritated—frowned.
"Ryuto-kun… do you really think our relationship exists only in the game? I'm lucky enough to be your wife. I'll give you all my love and care, for the rest of my life—whether here or in the real world. Clearing this game won't change that."
Realizing he had misspoken, Ryuto only smiled, wrapping his arms around her in a silent embrace.
No words could match the comfort of that moment.
They simply held each other—though Nova, now sandwiched between them, found the situation less romantic. The little bird was practically squashed into a ball, chirping furiously.
Ryuto quickly released Asuna, allowing Nova to dart to his shoulder, feathers ruffled. The familiar let out a string of sharp tweets, as if scolding them both for public displays of affection and attempted bird-murder.
Ryuto looked at the puffed-up creature and smirked.
"You've gotten fat. Maybe I should stop calling you Nova and start calling you Chub."
Asuna glanced at Nova and laughed outright at the nickname.
The peaceful moment didn't last.
"Don't—!"
A desperate cry echoed through the forest.
Ryuto and Asuna instantly drew their weapons and sprinted toward the source.
They arrived to find a small party of players sprawled on the ground. A massive, centipede-like monster loomed over one of them, its metal-gleaming mandibles poised to strike. A brown-haired boy in the group was shouting frantically.
"Don't… please…! No!!!"
His voice was raw with grief and helplessness, but his body was frozen—paralyzed by the creature's venom. He could do nothing but watch.
Ryuto judged the distance. The monster had already coiled back to lunge, and there was no way he could reach them in time. He would have to try that move.
With a swift motion, he hurled his spear, Hana-no-Ken—Flower Blade—into the air, then kicked the shaft mid-flight. The weapon shot forward in a streak of white-gold light, like a rainbow piercing the sky, aimed directly at the centipede's head.
"Boom—!"
The strike hit home. The spear's force slammed the monster into the ground. It let out a shrill, metallic screech before shattering into a thousand shards of data.
By the time the pixels faded, Ryuto and Asuna had arrived. Ryuto calmly retrieved his weapon and turned to the party.
The players were still pale and trembling from their brush with death. The brown-haired boy was the first to find his voice.
"That… that was amazing…"
Ryuto twirled his spear before it dissolved into a cascade of petals, lowered the hood of his cloak—he felt it was rude to speak to people while covered—and stepped forward.
"It's alright now."
The boy's eyes widened as he took in the silver-haired youth with crimson eyes, and the black-and-white familiar perched on his shoulder.
"Wait… are you… Silver Wing-sama? And that must be the shining Asuna-sama beside you."
"Well… are Asuna and I really that well-known already? And what's with calling me 'Silver Wing'? Dropping the honorifics feels… weird."
The brown-haired boy shook his head vigorously.
"No, no, no—you've saved so many players, even compiled a guidebook that's helped all of Aincrad. You deserve the title. As for 'Silver Wing,' well… your in-game name is Ryuto, but with your striking silver hair, at first we just called you Gin'i—Silver Wing—and it stuck."
He slapped his forehead suddenly.
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Keita."
"My name's Ducker."
"Tetsuo."
"Sasamaru."
When it was the turn of the last rescued player, Ryuto finally noticed she was a girl. She was slender, her voice soft and hesitant, carrying a certain fragile charm. She clutched her chest nervously, bowing deeply.
"I… I'm Sachi. Thank you so much… for saving my life."
Ryuto waved it off. "It was nothing."
Keita stepped forward, smiling warmly.
"To thank you and Asuna-san for saving us, we'd be honored if you'd join us for a meal."
Ryuto's gaze swept over the group. Aside from the timid Sachi, the rest were four eager men staring at him expectantly. His expression darkened—he was terrible at refusing people.
That night, in a lively tavern…
Keita, leader of the Black Cats of the Moonlit Night, stood and raised his glass high.
"To the rescue of our entire party—let's toast to Ryuto and Asuna!"
Everyone waited for Ryuto to raise his drink. His expression froze for a moment, but finally he sighed inwardly, lifted the mug, and clinked it against theirs. Closing his eyes, he took a quick gulp.
Almost instantly, his fair face flushed crimson.
Keita, mistaking this for a sign of strong drinking ability, grinned and quickly refilled Ryuto's mug. The second the foam settled, however, Ryuto's complexion paled again.
Asuna, amused, reached out to stop Keita.
"Ryuto-kun can't hold his liquor. If he drinks too much, he starts talking nonsense."
Ryuto shot her a sharp glare for outing him.
Keita blinked. "Wait… Ryuto talks nonsense when he's drunk?"
They'd grown comfortable enough around each other in such a short time that Keita could ask the question without hesitation. Ryuto's expression darkened further.
"That's not true. I just… can't drink much."
Asuna hid a smile behind her hand, watching his stubbornness.