After confirming their target, Shiraishi Kawa led Kochou Shinobu to the Starting City on the 1st Floor. The SAO World plot had not yet begun.
The girl stood in the distance ahead.
She hadn't yet changed into the Knights of the Blood Oath armor and equipment, wearing a dark red cloak. From a distance, her face was completely obscured.
"Shiraishi Kawa-kun!"
"..."
Yuuki Asuna looked at the two figures walking towards the town in the distance. They weren't wearing the casual clothes seen in the live stream.
She was dressed in light-colored, fitted Adventurer attire.
But Shiraishi Kawa's familiar face...
She recognized him instantly. As for the black-haired girl standing beside him, she was the Master of the Butterfly Mansion from the Dimensional Chat Group.
The other world members participating in this rescue mission had just arrived in the SAO World. When she learned she was trapped in the game, she hid in an inn.
But what Yuuki Asuna hadn't expected was...
On the third day of being trapped in the SAO World, a Chat Group rescue mission would be triggered. Knowing Shiraishi Kawa's active performance in the Group's live streams...
Her suspended heart suddenly relaxed.
Yuuki Asuna said seriously, "My in-game nickname is Asuna. Shiraishi-kun can also call me Yuuki Asuna."
"Your in-game name is Asuna?"
Having just arrived in a different world, Kochou Shinobu was still curious about everything around her. The floating islands everywhere brought her a sense of novelty.
It didn't seem to hold too many dangers.
"I'll still call you Asuna."
Shiraishi Kawa didn't care about the form of address. After all, this was still the SAO game world, and using the in-game ID was more convenient.
Unlike previous rescue missions...
He surveyed the exquisite girl with chestnut hair in front of him. Her personality traits weren't as prominent as Sakurajima Mai's.
Given the unique nature of this mission...
There was no difficulty in a speedrun; magic could easily clear the floor. In that case, there would probably be no 'Lightning Flash' Asuna in SAO.
He wanted to recruit her as a Hedonistic Chosen.
The SAO World would be perfect for her training.
"The rescue mission requires clearing the entire game. Do you want to rely entirely on me and Kochou Shinobu, or do you want to try to clear it yourself?"
"After all, this experience..."
"Can be considered a part of your life."
This was purely to avoid being a babysitter. Although the Dimensional Chat Group offered generous reward points, a speedrun would be very simple if efficiency was the goal.
Shiraishi Kawa's expression showed no emotional changes.
If there could be a 'Lightning Flash' Asuna among the Hedonistic Chosen and the Hestia Familia in the DanMachi World, he certainly wouldn't mind. He even held a slight expectation for her.
"What are your thoughts? Do you want to return to the real world quickly? Or do you want to use the SAO game as training, leveraging the Dimensional Chat Group as a springboard?"
"To explore a wider world?"
"..."
Listening to Shiraishi Kawa's words, Asuna fell into a brief contemplation. Having received an elite education since childhood, her future had been meticulously planned.
Was this kind of life truly what she wanted?
Finally, she nodded seriously and made her decision: "I know what to do!"
"Shiraishi-kun... May I call you that? You've been to Lady Hestia's world. What was your impression of the other world?"
"If you desire a comfortable life..."
"Then staying in modern society is best. But if you wish to change your destiny... then make your choice now."
What exactly was the other world like?
Shiraishi Kawa couldn't fully explain it in a short time. He could only say to open one's eyes to the world. He truly didn't believe Asuna's personality would be content with an ordinary life.
"Most players now..."
He didn't give a direct answer, but Yuuki Asuna had already shown through her actions that she wasn't relying on Shiraishi Kawa to leave the world.
Instead, she considered it from her own perspective.
She began to think about the specific Strategy arrangements: "Cannot accept the fact of being trapped in the SAO game world. If we are to clear the floors..."
"We need to find reliable teammates, right?"
"Yes."
There were quite a few who could develop into Hedonistic Chosen: Sachi, Lisbeth, Silica, and also the AI Yui.
Increasing their numbers could effectively boost their strength.
Most importantly, Shiraishi Kawa, whose dream was to become a harem king, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He followed Asuna's footsteps into the Starting City.
Players with online game experience had already started forming guilds, Adventurer groups, and other organizations.
Walking down the street...
No longer wearing a hat, the remarkably beautiful Asuna and Kochou Shinobu naturally became recruitment targets for these Adventurer groups.
Instead of returning to the inn where they were staying...
They found a corner table in the first-floor restaurant and sat down. Asuna suggested seriously, "Regarding the clearing group..."
"Shiraishi-kun, Shinobu, do you have any ideas?"
"..."
Still not fully recovered from the novelty, Kochou Shinobu from the Demon Slayer World hadn't even fully grasped the concept of a virtual game.
In her opinion, clearing the tower of Aincrad would count as completing the mission and earning 300 points.
She had even planned out how to use the points!
First, she would leave a teleportation anchor point in Hestia's world, and use the remaining points to exchange for attribute values, beginning an Adventurer life she had never imagined.
"I don't! I'll follow all of Shiraishi-kun's arrangements."
"..."
Asuna then turned her gaze to Shiraishi Kawa. As an online game novice, she had no concept of what kind of configuration a clearing group needed.
"I do."
"Do we need job classes?"
"My idea is actually quite simple. The members of the clearing group must be beautiful girls, and they must be as pretty as Asuna."
Shiraishi Kawa said righteously.
However, this unintentional teasing made a blush spread across Asuna's cheeks. She blinked and asked, "Why is that?"
"Because if the team is full of beautiful girls, it will make me happy."
Shiraishi Kawa shrugged helplessly, adding in a relaxed tone, "When I'm in a good mood, perhaps the overall speed of clearing the tower will increase."
"..."
Asuna's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Just because seeing beautiful girls made him happy, the game's progress would accelerate. Was this reason...
Really not far-fetched?
She couldn't help but ask, "Shiraishi-kun, your active participation in the Group's rescue activities... could it be that you want to go to other worlds... to legally build a harem?"
"It's fine."
"I'll build one even if it's illegal!"
Of course.
Shiraishi Kawa was referring to lolis.
The matters of the clearing group were settled.
Asuna's execution ability was quite strong. She borrowed chairs from the inn and set up a stall in the most crowded area of the Starting City's plaza.
Two beautiful girls...
Paired with the clean-cut Shiraishi Kawa, while other Adventurers were still in a tense atmosphere, they began to form a floor clearing group.
Naturally, they attracted a lot of attention from players.
Among them was an adult man with a somewhat pointed, monkey-like face and sly eyes. He proactively approached Asuna and asked.
Kratil.
Shiraishi Kawa still had some impression of this cannon fodder.
Kratil, wearing basic player equipment, asked with an ingratiating smile, "Hello, are you forming a clearing group?"
"I'm an experienced beta tester. Last beta, I cleared up to the 38th floor. Joining your clearing group might be helpful."
"..."
Asuna felt an instinctive dislike for the game player who was asking, even though he had experienced the beta. Kratil's eyes...
Furthermore... the team only needed beautiful girls.
She found it hard to even voice such a reason for refusal and could only offer an apologetic smile: "Sorry, you don't meet our team's requirements."
Many game players gathered around.
Kratil, who was inherently arrogant, scowled after being rejected, but still righteously said, "What's the reason for the refusal?"
"Forming a clearing group, completing the game, and returning to the real world... shouldn't that be the common goal of all of us players?"
"..."
As the players' gazes continuously focused on her, Asuna felt a bit flustered. In this situation, she maintained a calm expression and explained seriously.
"Our clearing group currently only accepts female players. You don't meet our requirements."
"Then what about him?"
After hearing Asuna's specific explanation, Kratil made no attempt to hide the hostility deep within him. He cast his gaze upon Shiraishi Kawa.
Contempt flashed in his eyes.
"Could it be... that he's also a girl, a tomboy, right? We're all trapped in the SAO game. Shouldn't we consider the bigger picture?"
"..."
However...
He received no reply from Shiraishi Kawa. Instead, Kochou Shinobu, who was sitting obediently beside him, had a benevolent smile on her face.
She gently tightened her grip on the scabbard.
Her figure was as light as a butterfly. As the flash of the blade passed, Kratil only felt numerous flying butterflies brush past him.
The dazzling sight made him somewhat lost in thought.
Subconsciously, he looked at Kochou Shinobu, who had leaped behind him. But when this brief illusion ended, Kratil finally noticed the cut wound on his chest.
His expression was dazed.
"It seems we can't get along amicably... What a pity."
As his body dissipated due to death in the game, Kratil only heard Kochou Shinobu speaking the cruelest words in a gentle tone.
"Insect Breathing."
"Dance of the Butterfly: Playful Prank."
Witnessing Kratil's death firsthand, Kochou Shinobu remained unfazed, her smile gentle as she said, "Please don't use that tone again."
"...towards Shiraishi-kun!"
Even Shiraishi Kawa, the person directly involved, felt quite strange. When did Kochou Shinobu... develop such a protective wife attribute?
They didn't even have any relationship yet!