Sword Art Online Crossover: They're all close friends, how did I become a player?

"Lord Ichigo, are your brothers alright?"

"...I hope they're alright. The Saniwa has cut off their spiritual energy for a long time, and although there aren't any extra materials available in the forging room right now. But...I'm afraid that Yagen and the others might revert to their sword forms on the battlefield because they don't have enough spiritual energy."

"Alas, we are almost at the point of obtaining the Saniwa's true name. Heshikiri Hasebe is lurking around the Saniwa to lower her guard. I hope my juniors can hold on a little longer. I don't want any of my juniors to fall because of the Saniwa. You deserve a better future."

"My younger brother has already found out about the Saniwa in the real world. Everyone should be prepared. Have Lord Yashikiri keep a close watch on the Saniwa these next few days and don't let her go out."

"..."

Hearing the conversation coming from inside the house and the impending storm in their words, Yu Bai, who had been treated like a knife spirit by Ichigo Hitofuri, was now a little flustered.

why?

Because Yu Bai was currently being held by a mischievous crane, and he was nestled with the crane in a big tree outside the house, eavesdropping.

Yesterday, when Ichigo Hitofuri asked him who he was, Yu Bai naturally couldn't answer. After all, he could see and hear, but he was completely unable to break free from the sword within the koto, making him no different from a sword spirit that hadn't been summoned into human form by the Saniwa's spiritual power.

Even if you want him to speak, his sword doesn't have that function.

Later, Ichigo Hitofuri also realized the reason. He didn't ask any more questions. He carefully placed Yu Bai on the knife rack, put it in the cabinet and hid it, and then slowly went out.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had Ichigo Hitofuri left than Tsurumaru Kuninaga appeared to cause trouble, and to make matters worse, Yu Bai's sword hidden in the koto was discovered by Tsurumaru Kuninaga. This led to the situation Yu Bai is currently experiencing.

Looking at the group of three people—San, Hu, Qi, Wu, and Qie—talking about something inside the room, he seriously doubted whether this troublesome crane had brought him into the main force of the resistance against the swords of Nobuko Sagawa's family.

Speaking of the swords in Sagawa Nobuko Honmaru, there are actually a lot of them. Among them, rare swords such as the three big bosses of the Sanjo family, the little ancestor Kogarasumaru, the troublemaker Tsurumaru Kuninaga, the two Minamoto clan treasures, and Ōdenta Mitsuyo make up two-thirds of the total number of swords in the Honmaru. On the other hand, common short swords or initial swords such as Yamanbagiri Kunihiro and Kasen Kanesada are almost never seen.

If Nobuko Sagawa were simply an extremely lucky Saniwa, possessing such a lineup of swords would be one thing, but the reality is quite different. In order to forge her desired Mikazuki Munechika, she tirelessly sent her other Tsukumogami out day and night, disregarding their physical exhaustion and low spirits, to search for resources time and time again.

Looking at it this way, and considering how Nobuko Sagawa obtained the Mikazuki sword, and taking into account the current state of the swords in the citadel, Yu Bai felt a chill run down his spine.

"Oh dear, this is quite a surprise. I never expected to find a sword with spiritual power that hasn't manifested in Awataguchi's room. So, who are you? It seems like the Time Government hasn't released any new swords lately, and why are my injuries slowly healing as I get closer to you? Could it be that you are a healing sword like Hakuyama Yoshimitsu?"

Tsurumaru Kuninaga repeatedly examined Yu Bai's sword from the big tree outside the house, trying to discern his origins from his appearance.

Unfortunately, what he held was not a sword from the history of Japan, but a sword hidden within a zither from the Tang Dynasty. No matter how much Tsurumaru Kuninaga tried to figure him out, he couldn't learn the origin of the sword through this action.

“Hey, you outside, you can come in now. You don’t need to be eavesdropping from the tree anymore. Also, just so you know, the hem of your white dress is showing.”

Just as Tsurumaru Kuninaga was still intently studying the Koto no Tsurugi (Sword in the Koto), Kogarasumaru's voice came from inside the room. This man, who appeared as a crow boy but often referred to other swords as his offspring, was now staring intently at a white figure outside the window with his dark eyes.

"Oh, we've been discovered. I was really startled by this sudden appearance."

Yu Bai could feel Tsurumaru Kuninaga's hand, which was gripping his, stiffen for a moment before resuming its mischievous manner.

He landed as lightly as a crane descending, facing several pairs of eyes staring at him. Tsurumaru Kuninaga scratched his head and laughed, "Oh, everyone's here." His tone was relaxed and natural, as if he hadn't been the one eavesdropping outside.

"Haha, Tsurumaru really has a lot of energy. Grandpa can't be as energetic as Tsurumaru."

"Hey, Mikazuki, if I remember correctly, I'm about the same age as you."

"Hahaha."

"Lord Tsurumaru, what... what are you holding in your hand?" Ichigo Hitofuri stared intently at the familiar sword in Tsurumaru Kuninaga's hand. Just last night, this sword had helped heal his injuries, and now it was in Tsurumaru Kuninaga's hands.

Thinking this, a dark glint flashed in Ichigo Hitofuri's eyes, and then he gave Tsurumaru Kuninaga a gentle smile: "Lord Tsurumaru, may I ask where you obtained this sword?"

"Ha, haha, well... Hey! Ichigo, calm down, put your knife away. Okay, okay, I admit I took it from Awataguchi's house. Don't give me that smile, it's giving me goosebumps."

Seeing Ichigo Hitofuri's wicked smile at her, the fear she once felt as a Saniwa, dominated by Ichigo Hitofuri's "gentle" smile, returned.

After quickly returning the longsword to Ichigo Hitofuri, who was still revealing his true intentions, Tsurumaru Kuninaga cautiously took two steps back, raised his hands to indicate that he hadn't done anything, and gave a dry laugh in an attempt to ease the tension.

Ichigo Hitofuri quickly checked the longsword in his hand. Seeing that the blade was undamaged and the spiritual energy within it was fluctuating normally, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the sword that carried the memories of his younger brothers and the gratitude he owed them for saving him was unharmed.

"Lord Ichigo, what is this?"

The tsukumogami present noticed Ichigo Hitofuri's tense appearance, and the fact that he was holding a sword style that no one in the citadel had ever seen before, with a feeling that it contained spiritual power despite being just a blade, made the tsukumogami present pay attention.

Gently stroking the blade, Ichigo Hitofuri slowly explained, "These are the swords my brothers brought back. It seems that some of the sword spirits have awakened, but because they haven't been summoned by a Saniwa, they haven't manifested yet. Moreover, this sword may be like the Great Lord Daidenta, possessing powerful spiritual energy from birth. Last night, it even healed my serious injuries."

"Is that so? But its design seems to be a masterpiece from the neighboring country of China, somewhat resembling the Seven Star Sword Palace. It's truly beautiful. It's a pity it ended up in this Saniwa's Honmaru. Perhaps, not revealing itself is a blessing in disguise for it, otherwise, if the Saniwa had discovered it..." Higekiri said, looking admiringly at the sword in Ichigo Hitofuri's hand.

Everyone who was well aware of the situation in the citadel nodded in agreement after hearing Higekiri's words. Indeed, it was best for the sword spirits in the citadel not to appear before the master.

While everyone was still immersed in their own thoughts and feelings, Yu Bai finally couldn't suppress his inner irritation and said that he couldn't stand it anymore.

From the moment he stepped into the house, his senses were disturbed by a deep and dark spiritual power. This power was exactly the same as the lingering aura he had sensed on Ichigo Hitofuri yesterday. However, yesterday, perhaps because there was only Ichigo Hitofuri with a sword, the dark aura was less intense.

At this moment, with swords and knives everywhere in the room, the ominous atmosphere grew even stronger, almost solidifying into a suffocating force.

The swords like Kogarasumaru might be completely unaware of this, but for Yu Bai, who was acting as a caregiver, this aura was like a pungent poison, disgusting and intense, making him almost vomit.

It felt like they were natural enemies, with an irreconcilable antagonism and repulsion between them. This made Yu Bai and Hei Qi mutually dislike each other, a zero-sum game where neither could exist.

Yu Bai's mood grew increasingly volatile during their conversation. At this moment, all he wanted was to unleash a holy light healing spell on everyone, letting these swordsmen experience the profound, unwavering love of a doting father.

As if sensing Yu Bai's displeasure, Fu Jin's zither-inlaid sword suddenly began to tremble violently. With each tremor, a white light surged around the sword, initially faint, then growing increasingly intense until it was dazzlingly bright, almost piercing the dark space. Within this brilliant light, a figure dressed in the uniform of the Changge sect slowly appeared.

Yu Bai felt his body relax as the power that had previously bound him disappeared.

Your grandpa is here.

Hey! Dark energy, take this healing spell!