Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Yusei bought a plot of land on the 22nd floor. The buildings on it could be changed according to the player's desired house design.
He chose a traditional Japanese-style house, influenced by Koken. The extremely expansive Japanese estate he had seen left a huge impression on him.
The spacious interior, the bamboo grove and babbling stream in the courtyard... Yusei felt this would greatly improve his mood.
This was a game, and system-built houses were constructed quickly. Based on the ancient estate he saw at the Shinomiya Residence, Yusei replicated the same style, scaled down to fit the plot of land he purchased.
Thus, a new home settled on the 22nd floor of SAO.
With the forest path, lake, and green mountains right outside, living here felt like it washed away all fatigue.
He named his new home the [Kazami Residence].
Today, Asuna emailed him, informing him that the 32nd-floor raid was about to begin and asking him to come.
When Yusei arrived at the strategy meeting, it was already nearing its end, and people were preparing to disperse. But when the Capture Group's players saw it was Yusei and Shiro, they showed no dissatisfaction.
The fame of the Kazami Siblings had long spread among all players... In their view, the 'late' arrival of the siblings was actually good news. It meant the difficulty of their raid would decrease once again.
After all, they were all feeling quite heavy-hearted about this raid. Previously, several medium-sized guilds had organized joint raids, but the result was a crushing defeat.
Those medium-sized guilds also had top-tier players. If even they failed, the Capture Group's players weren't fools… of course, they wouldn't be overconfident.
Seeing Yusei and Shiro arrive, Asuna didn't ask why Kanna wasn't with them. That was to be expected.
Kanna was just an ordinary little child trapped in this death game. Of course, she should stay safe at home.
Asuna nodded at Yusei as a greeting. Then, with a serious expression, she continued the meeting.
The current her was completely different from the usual Asuna. When she was with their small group, Asuna acted like an ordinary girl. She would chat with her friends, tease him, and even show some girlish mannerisms.
But now, what Yusei saw in her was only seriousness, solemnity, and a commanding presence filled with urgency. She was truly worthy of being the Capture Group's leader.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Without certain skills, how could Asuna suppress the other players? Everyone here was a top-tier player, so why should they let a young girl lead this temporary group?
However, what truly made everyone trust and respect Asuna were her strength and tactical planning.
Generally, the Capture Group's strategies were led by Asuna... with others providing input. And the Capture Group had been advancing, breaking through enemy lines effortlessly until now.
This was why Asuna held such prestige in everyone's hearts.
The Capture Group's meeting adjourned. Many players left the meeting room. According to Asuna's plan, the raid would commence in the afternoon.
For now, the Capture Group's players were to find places to rest, repair equipment, replenish stamina, etc.
After the meeting, Asuna naturally wouldn't stay here either, she just needed to be back on time in the afternoon.
She jogged over to Yusei and let out a sigh.
"Phew, I'm so tired... I really wish someone would come help me."
As she said this, a smile appeared on Asuna's face. She extended an invitation to Yusei, "How about you join the Capture Group, Yusei-kun? With you and Shiro-chan, our clearing speed would increase dramatically."
Yusei smiled and refused under Asuna's resentful gaze.
"Let's forget it. Shiro and I are used to our freedom. Coming to the Capture Group on time, every time, is just too tiring. Coming occasionally is fine, but more than that is no good."
"Eh... alright then."
Asuna didn't press further, just felt a little disappointed. But she quickly forgot about it.
The red and white skirt armor of the Knights of the Blood Oath's uniform accentuated Asuna's figure perfectly, highlighting her curves. Even though she was just a teenager, her development was excellent.
Her waist-length chestnut hair, her stunning face with a gentle smile, gave her a kind, gentle, almost wife-like aura.
Yusei was momentarily stunned, staring blankly, until Asuna noticed and blushed deeply, snapping him back to reality.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself just now..."
As he spoke, he sneaked a glance at Shiro and found her fiddling with the sandbox on the conference table, not paying attention to them, which relieved him.
Asuna didn't mind too much, her face just slightly flushed. She gently shook her head, "Last time, I didn't get a chance to thank you properly."
"Thank me? For what?" Yusei was puzzled.
"For the dragon Kanna incident last time. If you hadn't arrived in time, Yusei-kun, I probably would have died."
As she spoke, Asuna stuck out her tongue playfully, looking mischievous and cute for a moment.
"Talking about death is too unlucky. But I will always protect you all." Yusei smiled.
Asuna, hearing Yusei's words, seemed somewhat shy, "Actually, you've already done that... Thank you so much for last time."
"No need." Yusei waved his hand.
A flash of anticipation appeared in Asuna's eyes. She called out to Shiro, who was looking at the sandbox.
"Shiro-chan, want to go to a very relaxing place?"
"A very relaxing place? Okay."
Shiro nodded, thinking about how Kanna had been competing with her for her Onii-chan these past two days, which made her quite unhappy. She indeed needed to relax a bit.
Asuna grinned and pulled Shiro forward.
"Hey, I haven't agreed to go yet!" Yusei called from behind.
Asuna looked back, revealing a tsundere expression, "Objection overruled. Your only option is to accept."
With that, Asuna had already pulled Shiro and teleported to another floor.
Yusei shook his head and chuckled, 'Has Asuna completely let loose now? This is the first time I've seen her like this.'
'But... this feeling was good.'
'I liked it.'
Immediately, Yusei found their location via the friend list and also teleported to where Asuna was.
He arrived in a vast green field brushed by a clear breeze. Birds were singing, flowers were fragrant, and the feeling of spring was everywhere. The beautiful grassland stretched as far as the eye could see.
Not far in front of him, two figures, one tall and one short, were lying on the ground, enjoying the caress of the wind, looking extremely comfortable.
The beautiful picture formed by Asuna and Shiro was deeply imprinted in Yusei's mind, something he couldn't forget for a long time.