“It's not as if we have a level quota.”

“Then, then what about your bodyguards?”

“I'm going to leave them behind.”

I raised the teacup to my mouth in a bid to buy some time but realized that it was already empty. Asuna took it from me with a smug expression on her face and refilled it with the hot liquid from the pot.

To tell the truth—it was an attractive offer. Almost any guy would want to party with someone you could call the prettiest girl in Aincrad. But because of this, I kept asking myself why such a famous person like Asuna would want to party with me.

Perhaps she pitied me because I was a lonely solo player? Something that I said almost unconsciously, as I was filled with these negative thoughts, almost became my demise.

“The front lines are dangerous.”

Asuna's knife went up again and shined with a seemingly brighter light than before. I nodded as quickly as I could. Even with my doubts about why she chose me, who wasn't all that noticeable among the people who were trying to clear the game, I said with resolution.

“O-Okay. Then...I'll be waiting in front of the gate of the 74 th   floor, tomorrow morning at nine.”

Asuna answered with a confident smile as she lowered her hand.

Not knowing how long I could stay at a woman's house without being rude, I said goodbye as soon as we finished eating. As Asuna accompanied me to the foot of the stairs in the building, she tilted her head a little to the side and spoke.

“Well... I suppose I'll have to thank you for today. The food was good.”

“Ah me, me too. I want to ask you for your help again... but I suppose I won't be able to get my hands on something like that again.”

“Oh, even normal food tastes different if you're skilled enough.”

Asuna replied before turning her head up to look at the sky. The sky had been completely covered with the darkness of nighttime. But, of course, you couldn't see any stars. A gloomy cover of iron and stone closed it off one hundred meters up in the air. I lifted my head as well and muttered.

“...This situation, this world, is this what Kayaba Akihiko wanted to make...?”

Both of us couldn't answer this question that was aimed half at myself.

Kayaba, who was surely watching this world while hiding somewhere, what could he be thinking? This peaceful situation that came after the bloodstained confusion of the beginning, would it have satisfied or disappointed him? There was no way I could know.

As Asuna stepped closer to me silently, I could feel a slight warmth at my arm. Was I imagining it, or was it the result of the ever faithful simulators?

November 6, 2022 was the day this death game started, and now it was nearing the end of October 2024. Even today, after almost two years, not a single message had come through from the other side, let alone any signs of help. All we could do was live and walk, step by step, towards the top.

Another day passed on Aincrad as I thought this. Where were we going, or what was waiting for us at the end, it's all just a huge bunch of stuff that we didn't know yet. The road ahead is long, and the light is faint. But— there are some good things too.

As I looked at the huge iron cover, I let my imagination take flight towards the unknown world that I have yet to see.