"I'm sorry, Miss Asuna. I was supposed to heal you, but I couldn't do anything about it, not only that, but I also forgot my mission and everything and took care of you, the person I had to heal. \", without permission. You think so, call it that, even though it's just a created program, but you believe it's your child

It must be annoying for you to call me mom."

Just then, when Asuna heard Jupiter, whose face was full of tears, say the last words, she felt something rush up from her chest.

In the blink of an eye, Asuna's limbs moved closer to Jupiter and slapped her on the cheek. A loud, dry voice echoed through the empty, dilapidated throne room.

When the sound died down, Jupiter put his hand on his left cheek, as if he didn't know what was happening.

"Trouble? It can't be like this!! \"

Asuna screamed, letting the impulse rise. He didn't care what the people around him were like, or even the state of Jupiter.

"What the hell have you taken a fancy to me so far?! You've been with me!! ”

I screamed carefree, and the urge subsided. Asuna felt as if she had literally thrown everything away, dizzy, and sat limply in place. Still, he continued to speak.

"It's always been painful for me. I felt like the world was so cold and colorless, I had to go back to my mom and dad, I had to end this game, I thought everything else was gone. "It's boring.

I feel like reality is falling apart day by day. I can't help but feel like I'm losing everything I've accumulated, including my family, access to higher education, and my friends. I always thought the world was a lie. When I sleep, I dream about things in the real world, and it's painful.

That's why I've always worked on strategy. I hope this world ends soon and it will be cleaned up I don't have fun every day. It was cold and I couldn't help but feel cold. Day after day, nothing.

However, that was the time. You gave me brown bread with cream. At first I thought it was nothing. However, when I tried it, I found that it was completely different and very delicious. For the first time in that world, I thought it was delicious. It made me realize that there are still some good things to eat in this world.

Since then, I've been supported by the cream brown bread you gave me, and the cream brown bread is my emotional backbone. Because you gave me everything, I was able to keep fighting. ”

Asuna clasped her hands tightly to her chest. Tears overflowed uncontrollably.

"After that, I met your sister. There, I poured out everything I thought of, all the things I didn't like. Then I realized what I wanted to do, the world became full of color and sparkle. The first time I started to think it was beautiful. I found that this world is also a wonderful world.

That's why, if possible, your sister made me understand that I wanted to be with Lilan forever. However, Lilan is Kirito-kun's 'acquaintance', so he can't do that.

It's selfish, isn't it? Although I can't be with Relan, I still want to be with him, I feel like I have a big hole left in my heart, and even after that, I met Yuki and we started living together, and it didn't fill me up, and I wasn't satisfied. ”

Asuna looked up, her mind flashing back to many memories of meeting Leland. Jupiter looked at me in shock.

"That's when you came to me.

I was really surprised when I found you in the forest. I'm scared because even if I call you, you won't wake up, and when I wake up and you call me "Mommy", I don't know what to do. But at the same time, I'm also very happy. I'm glad to think I can be called "Mom".

Since then, every day has become more enjoyable.

When I wake up in the morning, you're there saying "Good morning." "When I cook, you eat it and say, 'It's delicious.' "When I got home, you were there. When I say, "I'm back," you say, "Welcome home." "You call me 'Mom' and you're with me, so tomorrow will come, and the day after tomorrow will come. I can't help but look forward to it. Even at night, if I fall asleep after you say "good night", I don't have any unpleasant dreams.

You've always been lovely and I can't help but enjoy every day with you. I can't imagine my days without you. Sometimes I think I'd rather never finish the game than say goodbye to you when it's done.

You always fill in my unfinished parts. You love me, you heal my heart. ”

Asuna bowed her head again. Memories of the real world without Jupiter come back to mind.

"So, when I couldn't save you in the Jade Palace, I felt like it was all over. When I beat the game and I was able to go back to the real world, I wasn't happy at all. There is no color every day. "It's going to start again.

I've always wanted to go back to the real world, but I feel like I've left you in Ayn Grant and my heart is empty again. It has become. It's not good to eat, it's too hard to recover, and when I go to bed, I dream that every day without you is nothing.

It's difficult because there's nothing. Although I can see you again, I can't be happy from the bottom of my heart because I only think about you.

So, when I unzipped the SAo items in ALo, I was so happy to be able to see you again. When you call me "Mom", when I can cook for you, when I can say "good morning" and "good night" to you, when every day starts over with you, I am happy. I couldn't be happier.

As long as you're there, I don't need anything. I don't want anything, I"

The tears show no signs of stopping. Not only that, but the momentum is getting stronger and stronger.

"Yet, even though I love you more than anyone else, just because you told me once I couldn't do it, I succumbed to this frustration and forced myself to accept you without knowing your heart. I feel good about you because you get smarter. You tried to help me, you tried to heal my heart, but I didn't understand anything, so I turned to you. I forced myself.

I did to you the thing I hated the most when my father and mother asked me to do it, and I ruined you, you are more important and dear to me than anyone else

It's not that others think you're a loser, it's me, it's me who thinks you're a loser, as your mother, I'm a loser, that's right."

Asuna looked up again and saw the child she wanted to heal. Then shake your head a few times.

"It's not that you have to apologize, it's that I really have to apologize. I hurt you when you tried to heal me, you looked at me, you tried so hard to heal my wounds. "Heart! I took you like a loser and broke you down

... I'm sorry, Jupiter... I've done something terrible to you... I did something I wasn't supposed to do as a mother... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Jupiter..."

I don't deserve to be called a mom anymore.

Jupiter couldn't help but reject her, and Jupiter himself regained his memory and changed back to his original self, maybe he didn't need his mother anymore. Even if she was told that she had lost her mother's qualifications and was rejected by Jupiter, there was nothing she could do about it—Asuna thought so.

However, there was still something left in Asuna's heart. Even if I shed tears, it won't come out. One way to say it out loud is to say it out loud. Asuna sobbed and moved her mouth.

"But so I want to face you again and try again.

I want to be with you who are trying to heal me and getting hurt. This time, I want to heal your wounds. I think of your heart all the time. I will always accept you. I even cook. I will always try to understand you. I don't care if they say you're not good enough.

I won't repeat the things I hated the most when my father and mother did to me. I don't want to repeat it. And, I'm going to think about you all the time, I'm going to try to understand your heart, so again, again"

Asuna looked up and saw a child with the same color as herself reflected in her eyes, and said like a scream.

"I want to live with you again, my Yuichi lovely son !!"

Asuna spat out the remaining words in her heart with a loud voice that seemed to be squeezed out of her body. In the throne hall, which was still shrouded in night, the voice became muffled and slowly disappeared.

When silence returned, Asuna took a deep breath, exhaled softly, and turned to Jupiter. Jupiter still looked stunned.

``... That's all I feel right now. All my wishes now.

But I have no intention of imposing this on you. Your feelings and your desires are more important then Jupiter, if you don't mind, let me ask you one thing, right? I ask you how you feel now, how to recover your memory, what your wishes are

Jupiter blinked continuously, then lowered his head. Jupiter seemed to be thinking about something, something Jupiter hadn't thought of before, and then he quietly moved his mouth.

"My wish now is"

Jupiter was speechless. But then, almost immediately, he began to speak, trying to convey everything.

"I want to continue to heal the hearts of many women, no, not just women. I want to use my power to heal the hearts of many people, and I want them to be healthy and smiling. Even if I fail, I was born for this mission and I want to continue to fulfill this mission. ”

Jupiter's expression and eyes were filled with unwavering determination.

Asuna saw no trace of Jupiter, only the figure of "MHHP" trying to complete its mission.

Here we are the "Mental Health Treatment Program Prototype No. 2 Codename: Jupiter", which has returned to its original form and carries out its assigned mission. Asuna saw a look from Jupiter that she had never seen before, and she immediately noticed it.

At this moment, Asuna tried to imagine Jupiter as she thought. Jupiter's body trembled suddenly, and his face slowly lowered.

"But but not only that, I am even more me"

When Jupiter raised his head again and made a sound, large tears overflowed from his amber eyes again.

"Miss Asuna, I want to be with you forever. I want to eat more of the meals you cook. I want to see, hear, and experience all kinds of things with you. I want to stay here and do a lot of things. "Memories with you! No matter how much you criticize me for failure, I will continue"

Jupiter stood up, ran to Asuna, and jumped into her chest. I grabbed her delicate arms around her back and screamed loudly.

"I want to be a child of Kaa-a-san-n forever!!"

Asuna couldn't move when she heard a voice as loud as the scream she had just screamed.

Just before the boy in my chest jumped in. Although it only lasted a second or two, I could clearly see that the boy's face had changed into the Jupiter I knew.

Then, the boy did say this to Asuna.

Mom.

Jupiter forgave me for doing such a horrible thing. He said he was with me. Even after I regained my memory, she still called me "Kasan".

When this fact fell into her heart like a drop of water, the tears welled up in front of her eyes so strong that she couldn't see it clearly, and she couldn't stop at all, and Asuna hugged the boy to her chest with all her might.

"Jupiter!! Jupiter"

The sight of Jupiter crying on his chest was so warm that no matter how many tears were shed, his warmth never wavered. Jupiter called my mom many times.

"Jupiter, is this what you want?"

"Yes, yes!"

\"yes, yes, that's it, let's live together. From now on, together forever! \"

Asuna hugged the child's body tightly, sucking him over and over again, burying her face in his hair. A faint smell that seems to have been inherited from me.

"Kasan Kasan"

"It's okay, Jupiter is my child, you can spoil me as much as you want"

Jupiter sobbed and said "yes", then entrusted her full weight to Asuna. The warmth that came from there was the same as before, the warmth of hugging Jupiter.

Jupiter is definitely here, my Yuichi child.

When Asuna finally admitted it, she remembered what she had to say, removed Jupiter from her chest, and placed her hands on Jupiter's shoulders.

"Hey, Jupiter, listen. Next, a humanoid robot is being developed. Once that's done, they plan to put you on board. ”

"Robots?"

"Yes, it's your body. It's not something to show off, it's that the body that lives with you may take more time, but one day you can do it. ”

A look of surprise appeared in Jupiter's teary eyes. Jupiter probably never imagined that he would one day live in the real world.

"In this way, we can be together in both the virtual world and the real world, do you want to come to the real world?"

Jupiter didn't speak, but a smile gradually appeared on his face and he nodded. There were no lies in those eyes, and there was no irrational color. Jupiter replied from the bottom of his heart.

"I feel the same way. Let's see, hear, feel, and make a lot of memories in the real and virtual worlds together."

When Jupiter nodded again, Asuna had already determined something. Asuna hugged him tightly and told him irresistibly, her hands gently grappling Jupiter's soft cheeks.

"Jupiter. You say that someone created you, but you are not a creature. You were born with this thought. You're one of my Yuichi's children

"That's why, Jupiter."

Feeling the warmth of the child flowing from her hands, Asuna turned the words that flowed deep in her heart into words.

"You've been guarding me, you've been trying to heal my heart, you've really healed my heart, you've been eating the food I've cooked, you've been trying to heal me... Because call me Kaasan... Because you love me... Because you met me...

Thank you for the birth."

When my beloved child smiles, there is light all around.

The long night is coming to an end.

On the night Jupiter was restored, in a room in an inn in the City of Origin. In the room that Kirito often uses, there live all the daughters created by Alice, such as Kirito, Shino, Lilan, Yui, Streya, and Primir, as well as people who are related to them by blood.

"Wow, I thought it was another emergency, but it wasn't."

Alice, who was sitting in a chair, looked around and sighed a little helplessly. The person who made her vomit was Kirito.

The day after Jupiter's incident, Kirito and her friends go to school as usual, while Alice goes back to work, but in the evening, they all go to "SA:o".

The reason was that I wanted to talk to Alice, one of the former Argus employees and the creator of MHHP and MHCP.

When Jupiter is resurrected, many things that Alice has never heard of surfaced, some of which are about the origins of Yui and Streya's development.

Alice still hides the secret of her daughter's birth. It's not just Kirito who wants to hear this story, Shino, Lilan, Yui, and Strea also want to hear it.

So everyone decided to hear the story, and Yui, as she did yesterday, summoned Alice with an emergency call and brought her to the room of the inn where Kirito was using.

Yui used an emergency number, so I thought something was going on again. But isn't it a good thing that nothing happens? \"

"I'm sorry, Alice Sand. There's something I'd love to ask you. \"

"It's not just Daddy, I, Streya, and your sister have something to ask Miss Alice. That's why I let you use the emergency number. \"

According to Yui's story, the emergency number that Yui and her friends call for Alice is told not to use unless it's an emergency. Since he even used this to contact me, Alice must have wanted to know what was going on. Alice's shocked expression was inevitable.

Alice, however, sighed, leaned forward slightly, propped her elbows on her knees, and seemed unable to ignore the complaints of her daughter, Yui, who had developed.

"So, I want to know what you want to ask me when you call me. Still, I think I already have a general idea. ”

"This is the history of Yui's development, and it is also the development intention of Lilan and Jupiter."

Kirito once again tells Alice Jupiter's unforgettable story. Alice listened to Kirito's story from beginning to end with a look of nostalgia, and after listening to his words, she couldn't help but snort.

"Yes. There's a lot I haven't told you about MHHP and MHCP. \"

"Teacher Alice, can you tell me?" As Yui's mother, I'm also worried. \"

Hearing the inquiry of the exclusive patient Shina, Alice sighed deeply again. It didn't look like he was trying to talk about something he decided not to talk about.

"What Jupiter said was classified, but now that Argus has disbanded, it doesn't matter. This is also information that you should know. I'm going to tell you something special. ”

After saying that, Alice began to speak as if she was reviewing something.

"First of all, as Jupiter says, there are two types of 'MHHP'. The free general type, which performs tasks while moving freely, and the mission observation type, which gives priority to observing tasks. General - The purpose type is Lilan, and the mission-based type is Jupiter.

The reason why I made two molds was because while making two molds, I was also trying to see which one I needed in the end. However, both were flawed from the start.

Because Lilan is a free general, he is not very good at learning because of freedom, he is only interested in other things, and has gained a lot of abilities that are not needed to function as 'mhhp'. However, the mission-obedient Jupiter is too persistent in his mission, so even as fatigue accumulates, he tries to ignore it and move on, making mistakes and collapsing.

Defects are inevitable. Of course. The idea is to have AI do something that would normally have to be done by humans, which is a good idea, although it's ridiculous. It's not surprising if something goes wrong, and eventually we built with that in mind. ”

Alice corrected her posture and crossed her legs. Place your hands on your lower abdomen.

"Still, it's possible to overcome Lilan and Jupiter's shortcomings."

"What's that?"

Hearing Yui's question, Alice turned her gaze to him. The two have hair of the same color, but have different eye colors and cross gazes.

"Well, it's about creating multiples of these types. To understand how tired humans are, both Liland and Jupiter have fatigue values. If this fatigue value becomes larger, fatigue will occur. They will become human-like and unable to move much. However, "fatigue values are essential for healing the human mind and spirit." To compensate for this shortcoming, a shift system is needed to treat humans. It would have worked if they had been allowed to win, but the company would not allow it. ”

There, Kirito remembers how Jupiter had survived in the past. During the conquest of Ayn Grant, Jupiter was copied by Alice at some point, and the original remained in Alice's possession. Therefore, even if Alberich / Sugo Nobuyuki transforms it into a combat AI, it will be safe. If this replication function exists, it can be used in test operations and create multiple Jupiters and have them take turns colliding with each other.

"Why? Jupiter: They have a copy function, right? If you use it, you can alternate the operation."

"Yes, if we had done that, Jupiter's shortcomings could have been overcome. However, just running the 'MHHP' as a whole will always eat up a huge budget. For budget and cost reasons, Jupiter didn't do that. "It is possible to increase their number and use them. That's probably why Quinella created them but didn't get used. ”

There are three "MHHPs". Liran, Jupiter, and Quinella.

One of them, Quenella, Kirito they don't know each other during SAo, but Alice takes her shortly after they go to ALo, making her expose her presence.

After that, they live together as one of Kirito's friends, Lilan and Jupiter, Yui and Strea as a family, but when Svartjärfheim was cleared, Alice retrieved it without permission, and now it is missing. The situation is such that only Alice knows about it.

Alice's story continues.

"So, regarding the replication function, in order to work properly, the ontology and the replicator must be synchronized within a certain period. However, in addition to fatigue, this replica also synchronizes memories and information. So, no matter how many copies I make, it doesn't make sense because they have to be synchronized, and so does the fatigue value. If I make them in such a way that this doesn't happen, it leads to problem tasks, which is really a blockade in all directions. ”

Alice's downward gaze turned to Yui and Streya.

"The Argus hierarchy doesn't seem to be too happy with this hopeless fact. They began to tell us to stop developing MHHP and develop a successor. Mr. Kayaba and I weren't too impressed. It's not great, but because it's needed to make a "SAo", I had to make a cheaper version of the "mhhp".

It does not have the fatigue value of 'mhhp', nor is it as close to the real heart and emotions as 'mhhp', only the emotion mimicry function, and it also has a strong therapeutic effect. An ability like "mhhp", a procedural AI with no cure, only the ability to walk up to the player and listen to their story. They are Yui and Strea. You are part of a mental health counseling program. ”

Kirito took a deep breath at Alice, who had told him so calmly, and then turned his attention to Yui and Streya. The two just stared at Alice, blinked a few times, and didn't try to say anything. Yui's hand on her lap was Shino's hand, and Stria's hand was Lilan's, but neither responded.

"It's not surprising that you don't know me. We decided that if I gave you any unnecessary education or anything like that, it would be the second story of the "mhhp". So you all gained the knowledge you gained from "mhhp". Foundations, personalities, personalities, missions, and judgment criteria are programmed and created. Especially, Yui, you are based on Jupiter, Strea is based on Martell. If the two of you have similar personalities, that's the reason.

You've been accepted to ten people, but that's because your business pay is surprisingly low. It is used in greater quantities than "MHHP", moreover, it overcomes all the shortcomings of "MHHP". That's why the Argus bigwigs approved "mhcp" and implemented it in "SAo".

"mhhp" is not an advanced version of "mhcp", but "mhhp" is the basis for creating "mhcp", and the dregs of "mhcp" are the most important. At least that's what the Argus bigwigs say. ”

Hearing this, Kirito couldn't help but react. There's Lilan here, an "MHHP", and Lilan was supposed to be like Akihiko Kayaba and Alice's child. I don't think parents would treat their children like scum, all I can say is that Alice said it in a terrible way.

\"Alice Sand!! \"

\"—That's right, Kirito-kun. I'm also disappointed that MHHP is being treated like this. It's disgusting that two of us born together are treated like this for the convenience of adults. What a waste of "budget." I can't forgive those who tried to cancel MHHP for these reasons. ”

Alice's tone changed. Serizawa Alice is a person, and Alice's tone is from the heart.

\"That's why I worked with Mr. Kayaba to protect 'MHHP' Lilan Martel, Jupiter, and Quinella. And 'MHCP' was born for the convenience of the company, and I am too. I don't want to change that. That's why I gave Yui, Strea, and other mhcp my physical features.

Yui, so your hair color, Streya, chest, eye color are all the same as mine. ”

I've always been curious about how Yui and Strea's Alice resemble in appearance. This is an expression of Alice's philosophy and aesthetics, and although "mhcp" was created for the convenience of the company, it is still her own child.

Children receive elements such as appearance and personality from their parents in the form of genetics and embody them. This is true for all living beings on Earth.

And as Asuna says, Alice treats "MHHP" and "MHCP" as real life. That's why, no matter how much Alice was created for the convenience of Argus, she is still his own child. Based on the fact that they haven't changed, Yui was given her hair color, Strea was given her eye color and breast size, and Martell was given her hair type.

"Yui, Streya. Indeed, you simply have the ability to mimic emotions. However, thanks to Mom and Dad, it is no different from MHHP or humans. You guys. You have true wisdom and heart. And your mom and dad are Kirito. "—Jun and Shino over there. You must understand this. \"

Alice said to the two of them in a calm voice, then turned in a certain direction. Yui and Strea's sister sat there and listened, she was the first model of the memorable "mhhp", "Mental Health Treatment Plan Prototype No. 1 Codename: Martel". Alice softly called out to the girl, whose current name was Lilan.

"Martell, you've met an excellent host named Kirito-kun. Your current mission is to become Kirito-kun's 'dependent' named Lilan. No one, including Argus, will force you to complete your previous tasks. I won't. Please continue with your current task. Just like before. ”

Lilan straightened her back in shock. The same thing happened to Kirito.

Yui, Streya, and Lilan, who were once on a mission to heal the hearts of players, now spend their days in completely different situations. I feel a lot more accomplished than when they first started their mission, and it seems like they're having a good time every day. It can be said that Yui, Streya, and Lilan have been freed from their tasks when they were in Argus and SAo, and they are no longer used by adults.

Alice continued, and made a gesture of beckoning.

"Yui, Streya, Lilan. Come over here. \"

The three named stood up and walked slowly towards Alice. What are you three going to do? Alice didn't pay any attention to Kirito and Shino with a suspicious face, opened her arms, and hugged them at once.

Although hugging only one person was a bit too much, everyone was surprised that he wanted to hug three people at the same time. Her children were also confused by what they were forced to become, but Alice didn't care, whispering to them.

"Whatever you become, you are my child.

Yui, Strea, Martell. Thank you for the birth. ”

Asuna's words to Jupiter. As soon as these words were finished, Kirito, Shino, and the prime minister hugged each other and fell silent.

Even though it was created for the convenience of adults, it is still life. Being a living being, there is no difference in being alive. Kirito felt as if this true-proving sentence echoed in his chest.

Stomach pain in the unborn child. After hugging for dozens of seconds, mother Alice let go of the children and gently called them again.

"Still, where you're supposed to be right now isn't with me. Yui, go find your mom and dad. Lilan, go find your husband. Streya, go back to your sisters. ”

The third girl nodded silently and turned around. Yui continued to walk and ran towards her parents. Kirito and Shino hugs the girl's body.

"Yui"

"Daddy, Mommy, Me"

"It's okay, Yui. You don't have to worry about anything anymore. You are our child. You are my daughter."

Shino said as she buried her face in Yui's hair. Indeed, both Yui and Strea may have been imitators of humanity, created according to the standards of those in power in Argus.

However, they have the power to heal humanity and share the same heart as humans, and the fact that they are daughters of themselves and Shino remains unchanged.

Yui is Yui, no matter what its purpose is. This is my child with Shino. Kirito confirmed this again, and then said after Shino.

"Yui thank you so much for coming to us and being our daughter. You are our beloved child. ”

Kirito looked up. Yui and her sisters Lilan and Strea are indeed there.

"The same goes for Relan and Strea. You are also our family. Whatever your original intentions were, that will not change. Thank you so much for being part of our family. ”

Lilan and Strea talked about their feelings so far, and both had smiles on their faces. Although it was created to imitate humans, there is evidence that it is a real living form.

\"Well, Kirito. \"

That's the time. The prime minister, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. Kirito responded to the premiere, a little surprised by the sudden sound.

"Well, what's wrong with the Prime Minister?"

"I learned that Yui, Streya, Lilan, and Jupiter are all beings. So, what about me? Am I also life? ”

Premier is the same AI as Yui and others, and like Yui and others, it seems to operate with an emotional mimicry function. Perhaps that's why the prime minister has recently begun to show clear emotions and seems to be very understanding. The Prime Minister is also about to have a heart.

On top of that, Premier lives in a world called SA:o, and if you run out of HP, you die.

If you don't say that it's the same life as Yui, then what should you call the premiere?

With that in mind, Kirito let go of Yui and walked over to Prilia and gently placed his hand on her head. Pria was a little stunned, then locked onto Kirito with her light blue eyes.

"Yes, Prime Minister. You, like Yui and them, have a life of your own. You also have a life of your own. \"

"I'm a life too"

"Yes, you can only have life once at a time, so cherish it."

As soon as Kirito finished speaking, Plimir gently placed his hand on his chest. It was as if he was trying to feel the heartbeat in his chest.

\"I see. From now on, I will also cherish my life. I have the same life as Yui, Streya, Lilan, and Jupiter."

The Prime Minister said with a smile on his face. Instead of being happy to know something he didn't know before, he seems to be happy again because he is sure that he and Yui are the same person.

It's not just the premiere. All the NPCs in this world are still alive. At first glance, they may just be in-game presences, but in reality they are all living their lives. The NPCs of this world are life, they are alive. As soon as Kirito realized this, Alice's voice reached his ears.

"Thank you for the birth, huh? I didn't expect you to be able to say such things when you grew up, and the hard lessons you learned were worth it. \"

Hearing that almost whispering voice, Kirito couldn't help but react. Just as I was about to call her, Alice got up from her chair and began to walk towards the exit.

"Alice Sand, where are you going?" \"

\"Now that you've worked so hard to log in, I think we're going to have a great time." Kirito-san, if you're going on an adventure, do you mind if I go with you? \"

After that, I'm going to team up with Shino, Lilan, and Strea on a mission. There's nothing wrong with Alice joining them, but that's not Kirito's concern.

"I was going to go on an adventure, but"

"In that case, let me be with you. However, it's been a while since I last conquered this area, so I'm starting to prepare. We'll meet at Portal Square later. ”

With that, Alice left the room.

Alice clearly had something in her mouth. It's as if what has been planned so far turns out exactly the same.

Also, I remember yesterday Alice said something excessively to Asuna, and Jupiter did it first because he overheard Asuna and Alice's conversation.

“！”

Kirito quickly stood up and turned in the direction Alice had left. I could hear Shino and Yui's voices, but I didn't have time to pay attention to them.

Even if Alice suddenly disappears or appears without warning, she should still be able to catch up.

Kirito said to the people present, "I'm going to chase Alice." Then he ran out of the room. I tried to run through the hallway, but I had to stop immediately. Less than ten meters from the room, Alice's back was clearly visible.

It's as if they're waiting for Kirito to arrive, but Kirito doesn't care.

"Alice-san, please wait a moment. \"

Since all the rooms are equipped with soundproofing, Kirito doesn't have to worry about the people around him at all and shouts loudly. The sound came naturally, causing Alice to stop.

"Mr. Alice"

"What's wrong, Kirito-san? \"

After hearing his usual answer, Kirito continued.

\"Alice Sand, you know? \"

"Even if you knew, what did that mean?"

"What happened between Asuna and Jupiter. You know what happens if Jupiter is left alone. \"

Alice turned around and looked at Kirito with reddish-brown eyes. His eyes were still the same.

"What is the basis for such a thing? What is the basis for saying that I know about this series of things? ”

\"I hear your nagging. And Jupiter said you were talking to Asuna at the time. He heard what you said, and that's why Jupiter became like that. At that time, you and Asuna could have stopped it. You can do it. \"Prevented something like this from happening. ”

Alice told me everything she had heard from Jupiter that she cared about most, and Alice nodded as she listened. She was unusually mysterious in appearance, and it seemed that she was not the same person as Alice, whom I knew.

Just like Heathcliff, he has been hiding the fact that he is Akihiko Kayaba. My mentor, with some traces of his creator, smiled quietly.

\"Kirito-san's is so sharp. Sure enough, you can tell that Heathcliff is Mr. Kayaba. \"

“”

\"That's right, Kirito-san. I could have stopped Asuna at the time. I could have pointed out her mistake, I could have prevented this from happening. \"

Kirito listened quietly to Alice's story. It's really Ayn Grant 75th floor, it's like Lilan from what happened when Akihiko Kayaba guessed that he was Heathcliff after the boss fight.

But that's not how it happened. Kirito-kun, humans sometimes have to go through extreme pain in order to learn things. At that time, Asuna had Jupiter. I didn't realize enough that I had become a mother. I could, I'd already told her this, but it was impossible to make her aware of it. ”

Indeed, until now, although Asuna loves Jupiter, it is not clear whether she really understands Jupiter, and the result is Jupiter's constant irrational behavior and infection of the virus. Although Asuna recognizes Jupiter as a child, Alice seems right when she says she lacks the consciousness to be a mother.

\"That's why I dare to say to Asuna\"

"I did it in the most painful way. Although it was a bit cruel for those children, it must have worked well. Ah, but if I hadn't done that, Asuna would never have been Jupiter's biological mother. "I could have done it, but I couldn't convince my own family. ”

"That's why..."

At this point, Alice took a step forward. He slowly walked over to Kirito's side.

"We shouldn't limit ourselves to these things. What does it mean to be a parent? What does it mean to have children? How important it is to understand and treat children correctly. "Kirito-kun, you have to deceive the child or manipulate him.

... Parents must be very serious about their children. ”

Kirito couldn't take his eyes off Alice, who was unconsciously approaching. Alice is something I'm used to seeing, but now Alice seems to be the kind of educator who tries to teach something more important than what the school teachers teach. At least that's all Kirito can say.

\"Kirito-kun, you too. You're Yui's father. If something happens to Yui, you have to face Yui seriously, and if you want Yui or Strea to be her sister or brother, you and Shino must really get to know the child and guide him on the right path. ”

“”

"When it comes to being a parent, it's important to take your children seriously and not cheat on them.

There is no good or bad child from the beginning. Depending on how your parents are raised, you can be an angelic person who tries your best to save others, or a demonic person who takes pleasure in hurting others. What kind of adult a child becomes depends entirely on how the parents raise and understand the child. If parents make mistakes, there is a good chance that children will make the same mistakes.

You're a child who became a father at the age of seventeen, but once it happens, there's no going back. Now that you have become Shino's protector, companion, and father, you should truly understand Yui, her sister, and her younger brother, and raise them. ”

Immediately after, Alice gently stretched out her right hand and placed it on Kirito's head. A smile immediately appeared on his face. What Alice is doing is exactly the same thing Kirito had just done to Plemir.

"All you have to do is protect Shino and raise the child born between Yui and Shino. If you are willing to work on it, I will do my best to serve you. I will support you and teach you to do the best I can. ”

Alice's appearance changed again. It's like a sensible educator, a mother trying to teach her children the truth. Before you know it, Kirito has become Alice's student, and even a real child.

"I don't need you to tell me what you need to do. Please continue to take care of Shino and Yui, Kirito-kun. I want you to be able to protect them and raise you and Shino's children. \", it's just you. ”。

Kirito didn't say anything. The faces of Shino and Yui and the memories of being with them come to my mind.

I'm actually Shino's husband. He is also the father of Yui Yuichi. However, I didn't know much about parenting, and I didn't really think about what it meant for Yui to call me dad.

(I am)

Maybe he's just imitating his father, that's what people have been saying so far. The other day, when I heard about Yui's Anima box, I was surprised how little I knew about Yui. But from now on, this will no longer be the case. Being called dad by Yui is equivalent to really understanding Yui.

And if he and Shino have a child, he will have to face that child seriously. Just like my parents raised me like this, I also had to raise my children with Yui and Shiina.

All I have to do is protect Shino, deal with Yui and her sister or brother, and raise her well.

Kirito / Kirito once again understood what he was going to do and looked up. I saw Alice's eyes again. There was a soft glow there, shimmering gently.

"If you're willing to fight hard, I'll be on your side no matter what happens to you."

Kirito nodded slowly. Immediately afterward, Alice slowly let go of his hand and turned her gaze to the wall. However, he seemed to look elsewhere.

\"Then again, Kirito-kun, I heard a good story from Seven. About the site after the current site is cleared. \"

"Huh? Can you talk to Seven? ”

"Ahh I won't spoil it, but when you get to a place called the 'Trimville Forest Way', head north. I'm sure you'll find something good. But now, "Let's go to the Aldrob Great Forest, we're going to defeat the area bosses." Now, we're going to get ready to attack. ”

With that, Alice left the hallway of the hotel.

The next day, he restores his original memories of Jupiter and acknowledges that they are real parents and children. Asuna spent this time as if she was preparing for a decisive battle.

While Jupiter and I were indeed able to form a parent-child relationship, there was only one person who did not admit it. This person is none other than his mother, Apricot.

Kyoko despises Jupiter and continues to do things that ignore the wishes of her daughter Asuna. It's exactly the same as when Asuna was called the Demon King of Conquering when she was trapped in "SAo". And without changing his attitude, he tries to get Asuna to pursue the career he wants. Even now that Jupiter has been cured, this has not changed.

However, both the Captive Demon and Asuna the Flash Man died at the hands of Jupiter's sister MHHP Lilan, and she was able to find her true self in the process.

Perhaps, Jupiter, who has regained the original strength of MHHP, can also provide treatment as he did back then.

Not only. Kyoko forgot something. Maybe she tried to force herself to forget, but there was one thing Kyoko that she must not forget.

If I can make her realize what she has forgotten, I might be able to make her feel better, and I might be able to make her realize that she has a reliable grandchild.

Asuna remembered everything that Apricot might have forgotten and told Jupiter everything.

Jupiter looked the same as before, but his breath was much more mature, and he understood everything Asuna was saying. Jupiter then resolutely appealed to Asuna for help.

Jupiter also understood the situation and said that he would agree. Yui's first thing to do is to take action.

The next day Jupiter was ready. Asuna made a plan in mind during small talk with her friends in class at school, and decided to strategize on the way home. I called Jupiter on the train home, told him to go to ALo, and then went home.

By the time I got home, it was already time for dinner. However, Asuna did not go to the restaurant, but to her brother Koichiro's room.

When I entered the room, I found that Biasuna's room was much empty, and Yuichi's furniture was a large desk and a bed, and nothing else. This room shows the willingness of a merchant not to collect unnecessary things. In such a room, to the left of the table, is what I am looking for.

A round machine that Asuna uses almost every day. It's Amusphere, which Koichiro uses to conduct virtual meetings and go to see Jupiter.

No matter how much he was on my side, Koichiro told me not to use it too casually, so Asuna took it in her hand with self-pity and went back to her room.

Check the memory card inserted into Amusphere itself. There is an "ALo" client installed inside. He probably plans to use it to see Jupiter soon. Jupiter has also changed, and I believe that Koichiro will be very surprised when they meet again.

With this in mind, Asuna put on Koichiro's Amusphere, adjusted it to the size of her head, activated "ALo", and logged in with her virtual character "Erika", which is also known as a sub-account.

When I logged in in a different way than usual, the scene that unfolded was in a small house. Not in "Svartjärfheim", but in a lonely hut in a coniferous forest in the corner of Wentina's territory on the continent "ALo".

I was able to reach my destination safely. Asuna thought and looked out the window. Seeing the snow-covered taiga and the chilly atmosphere characteristic of Wendini's territory, Asuna felt a sense of relaxation.

Although we hadn't been able to stop by since the conquest of Swaldjärfheim, Asuna loved the view of the taiga from the windows of this cottage and had been there many times with Jupiter. That's why Jupiter didn't hesitate to come here. This is even more true if you have regained your memories and original functions.

Although it has not yet arrived, Jupiter is the one who keeps his word, and Jupiter is the one who can break through the status quo. Asuna believes this wholeheartedly and opts out and returns to the real world.

When I took off the Amusphere, the blue light was still flashing. This mode allows you to put it back on your head and turn on the power switch to log in immediately.

All the preparations were done, Asuna thought as she took the Amusphere and walked towards the restaurant.

The lights in the restaurant are a little dim, and the tables are filled with dishes that are luxurious compared to the average family. There was a woman who was eating quietly.

Undoubtedly, it was Asuna's mother, Apricot. Kyoko seemed to have guessed Asuna's presence and said in a small, high-pitched voice.

"It's a little late, I've already eaten."

"Sorry for being late, I have something to do, be late."

Kyoko's sharp gaze moved silently, focused on a certain point. Asuna was holding an Amusphere in her hand. With a puzzled look, Kyoko changed her voice to Asuna.

"So, I wonder why you're bringing these things in?"

"I have something to say to my mom. That's all I need for this purpose. ”

"Did you say it after you used it? I don't like it, I can't listen to things that can't be said to my face. ”

Kyoko hates VR. This is the body of Nobuyuki Sugago, who plans to marry Asuna and transform Asuna into something that is not for him, as part of his career, and he carries out terrorism as a cyber terrorist known as a "bankrupt fugitive".

On top of that, Kyoko herself doesn't seem to be very comfortable with the VR world, so much so that she abandons Asuna's app after complaining that she feels dizzy. So Asuna understood what Kyoko meant, and normally she would just say sorry and back down.

Now, though, Asuna doesn't even want to say that. Perhaps he unknowingly accepted Jupiter's healing powers.

"Listen, Mom. I want to meet someone, I want to show them something. Please, I want you to enter the VR world, even if it's only for ten minutes, no, only five minutes. So I was "thinking, I want to tell my mom everything that happened." So, please"

Kyoko stared at Amusphere with a frown. After a few seconds, Kyoko turned her attention back to the food on the table.

"I'll ask you again after eating, you can eat quickly. Also, the sooner you submit the application form, the better, so when you're done, go ahead and write the application. "And submit it to me."

"Yes"

Asuna nodded, sat down at the table, and began to eat the food that was served. Maybe it's because the time is up, and you can barely taste what you eat, and it feels like time has passed in the blink of an eye.

After eating all the food and putting away the dishes, Asuna and Kyoko went upstairs together and handed Amusphere to Kyoko's study. Upon receiving it, Kyoko stared at Amusphere with a look of disgust.

"I wonder how this works?"

"Sit in a chair or lie on the bed, then turn the power switch on and down. It will connect automatically. Once you're in VR, don't move and wait. ”

Kyoko nodded slightly and walked into the study. I opened the door and saw Apricot sitting deep in a chair with a pre-adjusted Amusphere on her head. I followed Asuna's instructions and flipped the switch. When the brain connection light starts flashing, Apricot feels like she's running out of energy.

When Asuna saw all this, she closed the door and hurriedly ran back to her room, lay down on the bed, and started the A?? Lo memory card for Amusphere. As soon as I said "link start", I flew into the fairy world.

When Asuna landed in the fairy world, she was standing there as Asuna, the goddess of water. The location is the same as when I used Erica before, in a hut in the taiga.

After adjusting Erica's position, I didn't forget to teleport Asuna to the same location as well. Thanks to this, Asuna and Erica are both in the same place.

Asuna immediately looked around. Then, in front of a large mirror a little further away from me, I saw a fair girl with short light green hair. Erica, the virtual character she used when she wanted to pretend to be someone else, is now looking in the mirror with a frown. This is clear evidence that apricots are among them.

"Mother"

"It's kind of weird. Faces and bodies I didn't recognize moved the way I wanted. And for some reason, I feel surprisingly light in my body. ”

"That's right, that doppelganger is not the same height and weight as my mother, and it's completely different from reality."

Apricot, now Erica, looks at her daughter. His expression still looked as if something strange was going on.

"When you say that, you look almost exactly like in real life."

"That's right."

This avatar is a conversion of the avatar originally used in "SAo". That's why, although the hair and eye colors are different, the other physical characteristics are the same as the real thing, and you can handle it without feeling any discomfort. On the other hand, it must be very uncomfortable to use an apricot from Erica, who is completely different from herself.

"Okay, okay then. So what do you want to talk about? Who do you want me to meet? We're running out of time. ”

When Kyoko stopped teasing Asuna, the door to the hut opened. When the two turned their heads to look at each other, they saw a teenager standing there.