On a certain day, Hachiman and his companions gathered on the outskirts of Arun. A dense crowd of players surrounded them, all eagerly awaiting the moment. Today was the long-anticipated day Aincrad would open.
"Time's up. Let's take to the skies," Hachiman said.
The group stuck close and flew upward, triggering others to follow. Some players spun playfully in the air, but all eyes were fixed skyward with anticipation. Minutes later, Soleil apologized.
"Sorry for the wait. I don't know the exact time either."
"No worries, we're not special," Hachiman replied.
"Waiting's fun!" Klein added.
The vague official announcement delayed Aincrad's appearance. As the crowd's tension eased, Hachiman rallied his team.
"It's coming. When I signal, follow me at full speed."
His companions looked up, seeing nothing. Asuna, recalling something, asked, "Hachiman-kun, do you see it?"
"Kinda," he replied.
"Got it," she said.
"What's that mean?" Kirito asked.
Asuna explained, "You'd get it, Kirito. Remember when Hachiman spotted traps in dungeons?"
"Oh, yeah! That's it!" Kirito exclaimed.
Soleil, confused, asked, "What's going on?"
Kirito explained, "Back in SAO, Hachiman was a master at finding hidden traps. We figured he senses tiny data differences—like between normal walls and trapped ones."
The group gaped. Komachi spoke first. "So, he sees something in the sky?"
"Just a hunch," Hachiman said.
"Big brother's not human anymore…" Komachi teased.
"Komachi, you're gonna make me cry," Hachiman groaned.
Yukino chimed in, smiling. "Komachi-san, Hachiman's just quirky from his old contrarian days. Biologically, he's human."
"That's no help, Yukino!" Hachiman snapped, staring at a point in the sky.
Everyone followed his gaze, seeing nothing.
"No time to doubt. If I'm wrong, sorry. Get ready to fly full speed."
Egil grinned. "No big deal if we mess up—just some crowd chaos. But if we succeed…"
"We're first!" Klein shouted.
The group nodded, rallying around Hachiman. He glanced at Yumi. "Yumi's still new to flying. Soleil, Kirito, Leafa—cover her."
"Yumi-chan's mine!" Soleil declared.
"Got it," Kirito said.
"Flying's my thing!" Leafa added.
Hachiman thanked them and began counting. "Here we go! Three, two, one—"
"Go!" Soleil yelled.
The group surged after Hachiman. Other players hesitated, seeing nothing ahead. Hachiman, in a rare playful mood, chanted a spell, transforming into Nicholas the Renegade with a burst of effects. His team laughed, some firing magic like fireworks, others glowing with holy light, spiraling in formation—a dazzling parade. The crowd gasped.
As Soleil unleashed a horizontal lightning bolt, a gong-like sound echoed. Before Hachiman appeared the massive floating castle Aincrad, familiar from countless images. Other players scrambled to follow, but the gap was unbridgeable. Hachiman's team, still in parade formation, claimed first entry.
"Hell yeah, we win!" Klein roared.
"First!" Asuna cheered.
"Woo!" Komachi shouted.
At Aincrad's base, a wide passage opened, its walls adorned with mirror-like decorations.
"Touch these?" Hachiman wondered, reverting to his normal form. He touched a mirror and vanished, teleported inside. The others followed, appearing in a familiar plaza.
The SAO veterans felt a wave of nostalgia.
"Figures it'd be here," Hachiman said.
"Yeah," Asuna agreed.
"Where it all began," Kirito added.
"Shocked me back then," Lizbeth said.
"So nostalgic…" Egil mused.
"Argo nailed it," Klein laughed.
"Kayaba won't pop up, right?" Silica asked.
Hachiman explained, "This is where Kayaba gathered everyone to announce SAO's death game. It's where it all started—"
"And over there," Asuna cut in, excited, "where the food stalls were, that's where Hachiman-kun and I first met! I was disguised as a boy then!"
Hachiman couldn't finish. Yukino, ignoring his explanation, jumped on Asuna's story. "We never heard the details of your meeting."
Lizbeth, Silica, and the other women crowded Asuna, eager for gossip. Hachiman, exasperated, hugged Asuna from behind, covering her mouth.
"Girl talk later. Before others arrive, let's move. Combat team, follow Kirito. City team, Egil leads until Asuna and I join you at the first floor's strategy meeting plaza after securing the base."
"Got it," Kirito said.
"We'll wait," Egil added.
The teams dispersed, leaving Hachiman and Asuna.
"Let's dash to the inn," Hachiman said.
"Mmph!" Asuna mumbled, still muffled.
"Whoops, sorry." Hachiman moved to release her, but Asuna grabbed his left hand, spun out of his arms, and pulled him into a run.
"Hey, Asuna!"
"Hehe, it's the opposite of back then, Hachiman-kun!"
She was right—the roles were reversed, echoing their past. Hachiman smiled. "So this is what you saw back then."
"And this is what you saw," Asuna replied, grinning.
Laughing, hands tightly clasped, they ran toward their nostalgic inn.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
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