"..."
The moment those words were spoken, it was as if the entire virtual world had hit the pause button.
The wind fell silent, the white clouds froze, and the air began to crystallize around Asuna.
Less than five seconds passed in that stillness.
"The best choice? Stop talking to yourself!"
The girl's voice, thick with restrained fury, seemed ready to scorch the entire meadow as it echoed into the high sky where the dark clouds had already scattered.
"Do you think I'll just obediently listen to you?"
"!?"
Yuu swallowed awkwardly, struggling to keep his expression steady.
...That line—she'd said it to him once before, right before their parting during Injury Time.
Could it just be a coincidence?
"Tenkiji-kun, I've never been this angry. I don't even understand how you can say something like that so casually..."
Asuna lowered her head, each word forced out through clenched teeth, laced with sorrow and confusion.
"Do you know what feelings I carried when I came looking for you? Do you know how happy I was dueling you just now?"
The questions kept coming, and the rapier slowly rose.
But it no longer hovered steady in the air as before—it trembled more with each lowering tone.
"Like being trapped in a game for so long and finally finding the logout button. Do you know how long I've been haunted by this vague, unreal feeling?"
"Do you know that when I heard you call me a female Tyrannosaurus, even though I was furious and wanted to hit you right then, the greater feeling was relief—because I'd finally found the truth?"
Blue veins bulged clearly on the back of her hand, and Asuna's voice grew louder and faster.
"You don't know how scared I've been. You don't know how restless I've felt over this inexplicable affection for you. And you don't know how much effort and sacrifice I've made just to meet you and unravel all these mysteries..."
"You know nothing—and yet, for what you think is the 'right choice,' you want me to pretend none of this ever happened? To throw away all my efforts, our business, and whatever happened between us in the past—into the trash?!"
A storm seemed to blast across her face; the heavy, sharp pressure made Yuu's ears ache.
"I don't know, and I don't think I need to." Yuu shook his head, shaking off that sliver of doubt, and assumed a sword-skill ready stance. "Anyway, once I beat you, this ends—"
"Your talking ends here!" Asuna cut him off.
Then she drew a deep breath. A sigh fell to the ground, light as a feather.
"Our rings are still there."
"Hah?! No way!"
His charge halted mid-motion. Yuu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I confirmed it—the ring was destroyed by that person..."
Seeing the slow, cynical smile spreading across Asuna's face, Yuu froze, then realized—he'd been baited! The ring issue wasn't real!
But if so, how did Asuna know about the ring...
"Who that person is, I'll ask you later."
The rapier steadied again. Asuna stared at him intently, eyes firm and filled with killing intent.
"If Sister Martha hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have known that her quest required two people to complete together."
"I wouldn't have known there was a destroyed ring deep in my item bar, proving I was once married to a male player."
"And I wouldn't have spent days comparing every helmet login record... Finally finding you—who claimed we'd never met, yet logged in and out with me countless times at the exact same moments."
"After going through all this, and doing so much investigation, you still want me to pretend it never happened?"
Asuna stepped forward: "Tenkiji-kun!"
Yuu instinctively stepped back, his cheek muscles twitching slightly.
"This level of perception and observation... it's even scarier than Yukinoshita Haruno..."
(Wait, this is wrong!)
"The ring is destroyed, but not completely. The clear facts are gone, but the login records weren't even altered—leaving a pile of clues like this..."
Yuu understood instantly.
(Damn system, I can't believe you're this stupid!)
(You did this on purpose, you bastard! I'll destroy you, traitor!)
"No—even without these clues, with the strange, lingering feelings in my heart, sooner or later I would've suspected you and found you..."
(Then meeting you like this, and being half-killed by your attitude...)
Asuna bent forward expressionlessly, assuming the same charge-ready stance as before.
Her large, veiny hands seemed to conceal unmatched fury.
"We've come this far—do you still intend to hide it from me?"
"..."
Yuu was momentarily speechless.
And this brief pause seemed to be taken as silent refusal.
"So that's how it is. I understand."
With a disappointed tone, a slow sigh fell.
Asuna closed her eyes. All the anger and aura around her vanished instantly. The oppressive air suddenly returned to normal. The meadow grew calm and bright again.
The next second, something bizarre emerged.
"I will absolutely not forgive you."
With that soft voice, white light began to glow.
From the rapier's tip, the light spread to her arm—and didn't stop there, gradually enveloping Asuna's entire body.
"Even though I've forgotten so much, this one thought alone—I will never forget."
The overwhelming, intense light was like the sun, completely swallowing the massive bearded male avatar. Only the girl's words rang clear, like a sharp sword unsheathed.
As if invisible light bound his limbs, Yuu's body felt heavy—he couldn't even seize the chance for a surprise attack. He could only squint hard, shielding his eyes from the blinding glare.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the next second, he was shocked speechless.
"Tenkiji-kun... no, Yuu-kun."
The light seemed to pierce through time, bringing past intent and memories into the present.
That's why, when the light faded, the light-brown-haired rapier user appeared before him in utter absurdity.
Yuu slowly lowered his arm—this was the umpteenth time he stared at the girl before him in astonishment.
"Asu...na?"
—Asuna.
Soft, straight light-brown hair, an elegant and cute fishtail braid draped to the side.
A red-and-white female swordsman uniform, gallant and striking, with the absolute territory formed between long white stockings and a short skirt.
Holding a jade-gleaming sharp rapier, orange eyes stared forward with focus and seriousness.
And a beautiful diamond ring on the ring finger of her left hand, with a crystal flower blooming on her white fingerless glove.
(...How is this possible? Why is this happening?)
Yuu genuinely couldn't comprehend what was unfolding.
"Since you won't say anything, I'll take it myself."
(Take what? Do you have a system too? How can you do something this illogical?)
"Ugh!"
Just as countless questions flashed through his mind, a brief visual glitch appeared before him. Yuu instinctively clutched his slightly aching eyes and head, then struggled to look up at the rapier-wielding girl before him.
No change—Asuna still pointed her sword at him, holding back murderous rage, ready to strike.
Then, she suddenly vanished from sight.
"HROOOOAAAHHH—!"