"Hey, why not take a break from the Knights of the Blood for a bit?" Kirito suggested, as if it were the most obvious thing.
The others chimed in with agreement.
"Well, with everything going on…" Hachiman hesitated.
"Come on, you've been busting your ass this whole time," Klein said. "You deserve a break at least until the seventy-fifth floor boss fight. No one's gonna fault you for that."
"Yeah, exactly!" Egil added.
Hachiman was genuinely touched by their support, but he wavered. "I can't just go back on my deal with Heathcliff. That's why I had you duel him, Kirito."
"Yeah, fair point…" Kirito admitted.
"Maybe you could use the marriage as an excuse," Lizbeth suggested.
"How about earning some clout and using that as a pretext?" Argo interjected.
"Clout?" Hachiman asked.
Argo's sudden proposal caught everyone's attention. "While digging into Heathcliff, I stumbled on some info. I was gonna tell you privately, Hachi-bou, since you're involved, but I'll spill it here."
Her dramatic tone piqued Hachiman's curiosity. When she shared the details, he was both shocked and unsurprised.
"Kuradeel's a former member of Laughing Coffin, or at least connected to them?" Hachiman repeated.
"Yup. Caught him sneaking around with two guys. I tailed them, and they mentioned Laughing Coffin a few times in conversation," Argo explained.
"His obsessive fixation on Asuna did feel a bit like those psychos," Hachiman said. "So that's it…"
"It's just a possibility, but why not set a trap to confirm it? You're good at that, right, Hachi-bou?" Argo teased.
"What do you take me for?" Hachiman grumbled.
Before he could protest further, the others jumped in.
"Hachiman-kun's great at this kind of thing, so I'm sure it'll work out," Asuna said.
"He'll definitely come up with a solid plan," Lizbeth added.
"No doubt," Kirito agreed.
"You guys too…?" Hachiman sighed. "Fine. We can't let this slide. It feels like a setup for a break, but I'll trap Kuradeel."
"That's our Hachiman!" Klein cheered.
"That's the spirit!" Egil said.
With that, Hachiman declared the plan, and the banquet wrapped up. One by one, the group left, congratulating the couple, until only Hachiman and Asuna remained.
"Uh, Asuna, sorry for springing all that on you. Here's to us, I guess," Hachiman said.
"Jeez, it was so sudden! I was kinda prepared, so I managed, but still," Asuna replied.
"Really?"
"Well, I've been watching you closely, you know. I noticed your attitude toward me shifted a bit recently."
"No way, was I that obvious?"
"Not to others, I think. It was just a feeling for me too."
"Guess I can't beat you," Hachiman said with a smile.
They sank onto the sofa, leaning close, eyes closed.
"When did you start liking me, Asuna?" Hachiman asked.
"Hmm… we've been together so long, maybe I liked you from the start and just didn't realize it. Or maybe something triggered it, but I can't pinpoint it. What about you, Hachiman-kun?"
"Same, I think. There were moments I wondered if I liked you, but I brushed it off as just friendship and tried not to think about it."
"I see…" Asuna said softly.
"But it doesn't matter now. We're together, and, well… married," Hachiman said, blushing.
"Yeah… we're married," Asuna echoed, her voice tinged with awe.
"Feels like we skipped a few steps, though."
The reality of their marriage sank in, making them both a bit nervous. Asuna broke the silence.
"It's getting late. Wanna eat something light? Or sleep? Oh, we should bathe too."
"Right. I'm not too hungry, but I'll eat if you are. Bath, then… sleep, huh?" Hachiman said.
"Oh…" Asuna trailed off.
Her words hit a nerve for the inexperienced couple, and they fell silent, fidgeting. The bath was big enough for two, and the bed was plenty spacious, but the implications were awkward. Hachiman spoke first, determined to push through.
"We've bathed together before, right? Let's just wear swimsuits again. Saves time."
"Y-yeah, let's do that!" Asuna agreed.
They settled on that compromise, but the real challenge came after.
"So… sleep, then?" Hachiman said.
"Yup," Asuna replied.
"Goodnight, then."
Hachiman started toward the bedroom alone, but Asuna gently tugged his sleeve. Seeing her flushed face, he understood and mustered his courage.
"Right, we should sleep together. We're married, after all."
"Yes!" Asuna beamed.
They lay in bed, holding hands, the warmth comforting them. They turned to face each other, naturally falling into an embrace.
"This must be what happiness feels like," Hachiman said.
"It is. I'm so happy right now," Asuna replied.
"Me too. Insanely happy."
Hesitantly, Asuna spoke up, her voice trembling with courage. "Hachiman-kun… did you know there's a way to, um, do that here?"
"Yeah. Who told you? Argo? Or that pink-haired one?" Hachiman asked.
"Argo mentioned it as she was leaving."
"That meddler…" Hachiman muttered. "You okay with it?"
"Of course I am. But it's a little embarrassing."
"Yeah, same here."
Finding her bashfulness endearing, Hachiman kissed her deeply. After a long moment, they gazed at each other, then wordlessly opened their menus, unequipping all gear.
"I love you, Hachiman-kun," Asuna said.
"I love you too," Hachiman replied.
"If you hadn't grabbed my hand and run back then, where would I be? Maybe I'd be dead."
"Gotta pat myself on the back for that one."
"You're so kind, my husband."
As the night deepened, in this virtual world, they became one.
The next morning, Hachiman woke to find Asuna gone. She was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
"Morning! I was about to wake you," she said.
"Morning," Hachiman replied.
Her smile strengthened his resolve to protect her. With important work ahead, he steeled himself.
"I made breakfast. Let's eat and head to headquarters," Asuna said.
"Yeah. I don't have a plan yet, but poking around at headquarters might spark something."
They headed to the Knights of the Blood headquarters, where Hachiman took his first steps as a member. Heathcliff introduced him to the guild.
"As you know, I won yesterday's duel, so Hachiman-kun is joining us as Asuna's bodyguard and strategist."
The sudden appointment shocked many. Some objected, but those who knew Hachiman nodded knowingly. Among the dissenters was Godfrey, a burly, middle-aged-looking player who often led combat units. He insisted on testing Hachiman's skills, proposing a small group run through the fifty-fifth floor's Labyrinth Area to gauge his strength.
"But you know Hachiman-kun's skills, don't you?" Heathcliff asked.
"That's one thing, but whether he fits our unit is another. As a field commander, I need to know what I'm working with. A useless asset in a pinch is a liability," Godfrey said.
Asuna's brow twitched at the word "useless."
(Oh, Asuna's pissed,) Hachiman thought.
He stopped her as she stepped forward. "Asuna, I've got an idea. Leave it to me."
"…Okay," she said.
Hachiman turned to Godfrey. "You're right. It's a lower floor, so we'll breeze through, but can you keep up?"
"Of course!" Godfrey said, face red, taking the bait.
"Let's plan it out, then. Heathcliff, that cool?" Hachiman asked.
"If you're fine with it," Heathcliff replied.
"Let's go, Godfrey."
Godfrey, wary of Hachiman's casual attitude, followed him to the meeting room. Later, the schedule and participants were announced: Godfrey, Hachiman, and Kuradeel.
"Hachiman-kun, you got Kuradeel in the group?" Asuna asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Since we had that run-in before, I asked Godfrey to mediate. He jumped at the chance and started convincing Kuradeel."
"Godfrey…" Asuna sighed.
"I also planted a seed—no crystal items allowed. Said it'd show how we handle a crisis."
"Why do that?"
"If you were trying to take me out without crystals, what would you do?"
"Probably… use paralysis poison or something—oh!" Asuna gasped.
"Exactly. Here's the plan. You tail us secretly. Kirito, Klein, and Egil, follow Argo to capture the two guys tied to Laughing Coffin."
"Got it! Hope it goes well, husband," Asuna said with a grin.
"Argo's tailing Kuradeel now. Once we get her report and prep, we move tomorrow. Back us up, wife."
Later, Argo reported that Kuradeel had bought paralysis poison, just as Hachiman predicted. She ended her message with, "I really don't wanna make an enemy of Hachi-bou." With that, the plan to trap Kuradeel was set for tomorrow.
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