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

On one side, the Saniwa was leisurely enjoying fragrant tea with Kitsunenosuke, while on the other side, a tense atmosphere was palpable in front of a mung bean cake shop.

The sword spirits, who were asked by Yu Bai to go shopping at the general store, quickly and tacitly completed their purchase of daily necessities and then began to explore which store in the general store had the most delicious pastries.

Thus, in front of a shop famous for its mung bean cakes, a classic triangular standoff scene unfolded, consisting of Ichigo Hitofuri, Horikawa Kunihiro, and Hasebe Shishikiri. They stared at each other without speaking, each knowing why the other two had come.

This scene quickly attracted the attention of the Saniwa strolling around, who exchanged glances and tacitly sensed the gossip brewing.

A female Saniwa who had just bought some sweets and was about to leave the shop instantly pulled her foot back from the edge. Pretending to still be selecting and carefully examining the pastries in front of her, she was actually glancing at Ichigo Hitofuri and his companions out of the corner of her eye.

Meanwhile, the Saniwa, who was preparing to buy seeds at the flower shop next door, once again reached out to touch the leaves of the hydrangea he had long admired, muttering to himself as he touched them: "These leaves are really leaves, and these flowers are really flowers too."

It's clear that his mind wasn't on admiring the flowers at all.

There are also countless Saniwa who deliberately slow down their pace and openly watch the show from the sidelines.

As more and more people gathered around to watch, Horikawa Kunihiro glanced at Hasebe and Ichigo Hitofuri and decided that there was really no need for him to get involved.

"Um, I saw some daifuku for sale over there. I wonder if the Saniwa likes strawberry daifuku? I'll go buy some!" After saying goodbye to the two, he used his agility to the fullest and ran off in a flash.

Just kidding, he's just an ordinary fanboy. He used to be a die-hard fan of Mr. Kane, and now he's a die-hard fan of both Lord and Mr. Kane. While mung bean cakes are delicious, maybe Lord has gotten tired of them and wants to try some other sweets?

Meanwhile, Hasebe and Ichigo Hitofuri, who were left behind, were not to be outdone. They keenly noticed that the Saniwa had recently developed a particular fondness for mung bean cakes when drinking tea, which is why they chose this confectionery shop famous for its mung bean cakes.

However, they never expected to encounter two sword spirits who shared their thoughts. Now that Horikawa Kunihiro has withdrawn, only the two of them remain as competitors.

At this moment, whoever backs down first is a "dog." Do you want to be a "dog"? I certainly don't.

For the lord's reward!

The tension between Hasebe and Ichigo Hitofuri intensified.

“Ichigo Hitofuri, I was here first.” Hasebe said in a deep voice, frowning.

"If I had known I would run into Lord Hirokiri, I would have changed my snacks. But, does Lord Hirokiri really mean you arrived first?" Ichigo Hitofuri maintained his usual gentle and polite demeanor, but his words made the veins on Hirokiri Hasebe's forehead throb.

"Ah, the shop owner was standing outside when I arrived; he can vouch for me. And Ichigo-dono, please address me as Hasebe!" Hasebe pointed at the shop owner, who was hurriedly wiping his sweat.

"Alright, Lord Hekiri. But how did the boss, who was so busy at the time, manage to notice you, Lord Hekiri?"

(??へ??╬), this treacherous concubine! She was definitely doing it on purpose, ignoring my request to be pressed down, even though she knows I hate it when people call that man by his name.

No wonder the other Hasebe secretly called Ichigo Hitofuri a treacherous concubine; that guy is infuriating.

Hasebe, seeing Ichigo Hitofuri covering his mouth with his hand like Soza Samonji and smiling at him, was so angry that his hand unconsciously went to the hilt of his sword.

Seeing Hasebe's expression, Ichigo Hitofuri's smile deepened. Their blue and purple eyes locked, and the air seemed to crackle with lightning.

The onlookers, the Saniwa: Looking to the left????

For those watching the drama unfold: Look to the right...w...

The onlookers: Wow~ Is a fight about to break out?

Despite their current appearance, which makes it seem like they're about to clash, Hasebe and Ichigo Hitofuri are perfectly clear-headed.

Regardless of whether they wanted to cause a disturbance in this vast house and embarrass the Master, the mere thought of incurring the Master's displeasure if they actually attacked was enough to restrain their impulses and prevent them from actually taking action.

The reason they adopted such a tense stance was twofold: firstly, both sides found each other extremely unpleasant, with every gesture revealing subtle provocation and hostility; secondly, they wanted to use their imposing presence to force the other side to back down first.

However, when they realized that the other party wasn't buying it, both of them turned their gazes to the shop owner who was standing to the side, looking apprehensive.

"Boss, who should we sell these mung bean cakes to?" the two shouted in unison.

"Ah...this..." The poor shop owner was stared at by two sharp eyes, one blue and one purple, and was so frightened that he almost cried.

Zizzi~zizi~

Seeing that the boss couldn't come up with a reason for a while, the two glared at each other again, and the scene became deadlocked.

But this stalemate was quickly broken by Ichigo Hitofuri...

“Lord Yashikiri, I know that I joined the citadel later, and that I was rescued by the Saniwa from a citadel that was almost corrupted.”

It's understandable that you're wary of me. But I simply wanted to buy a piece of mung bean cake, which is what the Master has been enjoying lately, to express my gratitude.

As he spoke, a sorrowful expression instantly appeared on Ichigo Hitofuri's face, and his eyes began to fill with sadness, making him look pitiful no matter how you looked at him.

As he spoke, he wiped away imaginary tears with his sleeve, his acting so superb that it was breathtaking.

"You! You..." Hasebe was speechless for a moment after being overwhelmed by Ichigo Hitofuri's words, and his finger pointing at the other person trembled slightly.

"Lord Yashikiri! Am I not even allowed to fulfill my small wish of buying a piece of mung bean cake for the Master?"

"I don't want to compete with you for my master's favor. After all, how could a tsukumogami like me, who came from the citadel, possibly deserve it?"

His words, coupled with his mournful tone, were truly heartbreaking to hear and see.

Sure enough, the Saniwa who were originally watching the excitement and enjoying their food have now begun to look at Ichigo Hitofuri with pity.

The citadel was almost corrupted, and then there's the recent crackdown by the Time Government.

Moreover, Ichigo Hitofuri is the eldest brother of the short swordsmen; those who know, know.

It seems that some colleague personally staged a story of saving the swords, eliminating the scum judge, and then using their sincerity to move the swords.

Now that the swords have been reformed, they want to be good to their new lord. Isn't this just like a newly adopted cat starting a battleground with the natives?

"...Heh." Hasebe finally couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. It turns out that when people are extremely angry or speechless, they really can laugh out loud.

If another Hasebe were here at this moment and saw Ichigo Hitofuri looking like a "treacherous concubine," he would probably pat him on the shoulder with sympathy and tell him, "Now you know how I spent my time in that citadel, don't you?"

"Boss, please wrap up this mung bean cake for me quickly."

While acting, Ichigo Hitofuri secretly handed the mung bean cake in his hand to the owner of the pastry shop and whispered to him, signaling him to hurry up and pack it up for him to leave.

Seeing that the boss had already started packing mung bean cakes for Ichigo Hitofuri, Hasebe, unwilling to stay any longer, turned and left, not even wanting to look at the troublesome Awataguchi-san behind him.

Hasebe vs. Ichigo Hitofuri

Ichigo Hitofuri wins, bringing the score to 0-1.

Seeing that the two main characters who had been watching the drama had left, the surrounding Saniwa began to whisper among themselves, reviewing all the performances of Hasebe and Ichigo Hitofuri in their "battle".

He was also curious about which colleague could have made Ichigo Hitofuri and Hasebe so devoted to him.

Hasebe: I was here first!

Ichigo Hitofuri: If I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have come!

The onlookers: Wow~

Hasebe: The Treacherous Concubine!

Ichigo Hitofuri: Lord Hitsukiri, I won! ~(*^▽^*)

The gossiping Saniwa: yooooo~