"Sorry, everyone, kept you waiting!"
"Sorry for the wait!"
A few minutes later, Hachiman and Asuna reunited with their town exploration team in the plaza where the first strategy meeting was held. The moment they joined, Lizbeth, with a teasing grin, said to Asuna,
"Knowing you, you probably whined to Hachiman about wanting a bath, right?"
Asuna, who had been rushing toward Lizbeth with a smile, froze at those words. She turned her face away, hands behind her head, whistling tunelessly.
"Huh? ...Asuna, what's up?"
Flustered, Asuna replied desperately,
"No, no, Liz! I just wanted to check how it felt to use! It was purely for the public good, I'm totally innocent!"
"Asuna... that sounds exactly like something Hachiman would say..."
"Huh? R-really? Being compared to Hachiman-kun is kind of embarrassing but nice."
Lizbeth had meant it as a jab, but Asuna, misinterpreting, blushed and squirmed. Lizbeth, stunned, looked to the others for help, but they all turned away, avoiding her gaze. Seeing this, Hachiman stepped in to steer the conversation back.
"Uh, Asuna, was the bath okay?"
"Yep!"
"Good. Then after today's exploration, the ladies can all enjoy it together like a sightseeing trip."
"Right, let's do it!"
Lizbeth, Silica, Yukino, and Soleil nodded vaguely, and the topic was dropped for now. Hachiman's expression turned serious as he asked the team,
"So, any big changes in the town?"
The group shared their observations.
"The Black Iron Palace labyrinth is still locked, maybe not even confirmed yet."
"The prison area's gone. Not like it was useful except for harassment complaints."
"The town's facilities seem mostly the same!"
"The Monument of Life is the only thing we couldn't figure out."
"Monument of Life?"
"What's that?"
The Yukinoshita sisters asked in unison, so Hachiman explained.
"A gravestone, basically."
Yukino's voice carried a hint of sorrow. Soleil, noticing the mood darken, suggested brightly,
"Let's put that aside for now and visit it together later when everyone's here."
The group agreed and continued sharing intel. The starting town, being the largest, was too vast for the SAO group to have fully explored before, so they didn't gain much new info. Still, from what they covered, it seemed largely unchanged.
"Guess there's no issue here for now. Alright, Klein."
"Huh? What's up, Hachiman?"
"Let me punch you."
"Why?!"
Klein's immediate retort came at Hachiman's sudden request.
"Hold on, I'm not joking. There's one more thing we need to confirm, right? Same as before."
"The safe zone rules, huh?"
Egilsaid gravely, and Klein nodded with an "Ah."
"Got it. That does need testing. But why me?!"
"Dunno, just feels right?"
"Just feels right?!"
Yukino, smiling, chimed in,
"How about one of the ladies delivers the punch? You'll probably face that baptism someday."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, Shizuka-san would totally do it!"
Soleil explained Shizuka to a confused Klein, who began to waver.
"If you're asking if I'd face that baptism, yeah, probably... high chance."
"You're not even denying it..."
Soleil looked at Klein with pity. Despite her gaze, Klein stood firm.
"Sometimes you piss someone off without realizing, especially me. When that happens, a real man's gotta take the punishment, right?"
"Klein does seem like he'd mess up a lot."
"Exactly! A real man's gotta take the hit and reflect!"
Klein said proudly to Egil's comment. Seizing the moment, Hachiman pressed,
"I've taken Sensei's iron fist plenty of times. The first one's rough without prep. Klein, one hit now might make it easier later."
"For real? Then it's my time to shine!"
Klein, initially hesitant, grew enthusiastic.
"Alright, Klein, for your future happiness, show us your manliness. No, dazzle us!"
"Hell yeah! I'll show you the way of a man!"
Hachiman patted Klein's shoulder and turned to the women.
"So, who's got a punch closest to Sensei's? Yukino, thoughts?"
"Why ask me?"
"Well, you've seen me get punched the most."
Yukino nodded, considering.
"Hmm, in-game strength differs from the real world, so it's hard to say."
"Yeah, guess we'd need multiple samples for accuracy?"
"Exactly. A few tests might help."
"So, Klein, you cool with that?"
"Bring it on, as many as you want!"
Klein was practically invincible in spirit. Hachiman pointed to Yukino first.
"Let's start with Yukino, the least likely to pack a punch."
"I've never hit anyone with my fist..."
"Yukino-chan, you might never get another chance like this. Why not try for experience?"
Soleil's encouragement made Yukino sigh.
"Fine, Nee-san, I'll do it."
Yukino stepped forward, hesitant but striking a surprisingly natural stance. Klein, oblivious to her form, grinned confidently.
"Hit me with all you've got!"
"O-okay... Here I go."
"Oh, crap..."
Asuna caught Hachiman's quiet mutter.
"Hachiman-kun, what's wrong?"
"Well, uh..."
Klein didn't know Yukino lacked stamina but had stellar reflexes. Chasing her sister since childhood, she'd dabbled in martial arts. Hachiman, reminded by her stance, explained this to Asuna, admitting he'd forgotten due to her in-game healer role.
"Yukino's that strong?"
"Well, he probably won't die..."
Yukino, usually a magic-focused healer, had decent melee stats thanks to her diligence. In a game where fist damage didn't matter, what would happen if she swung with full force? Her technique, not raw strength, boosted her punch's power.
"HAAA!!"
With a spirited shout, Yukino struck Klein's stomach. Before anyone could react to her surprisingly fierce cry, Klein let out a "Guh!" doubled over, and was sent flying backward. A moment later, a "No Attacks Allowed" message appeared.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Egil, Lizbeth, and Silica stood speechless, eyes wide at Yukino's power. Even Asuna, who'd heard the explanation, was shocked. Hachiman and Soleil exchanged glances, silently vowing never to anger Yukino in-game. Yukino, meanwhile, panicked post-punch. Silence lingered until Hachiman cleared his throat.
"Well, looks like the town's rules are the same as before. Yo, Klein, you alive?"
Snapping back, the group rushed to Klein, who, against expectations, stood up, raising a fist.
"I survived Shizuka-san's punch..."
The group gave Klein heartfelt applause. No one dared suggest who'd punch next. Just then, a message from Kirito arrived. Hachiman, reading it, said in disbelief,
"That jerk Kirito took down a field boss already."
--+--
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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