Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

I'm the intelligence dealer Argo. If you need anything, please feel free to visit me.

Hachiman took three strategic steps back, his gaze fixed on the tip of her nose. "Miss, according to Article 38 of the SAO Player Code, getting within 0.5 meters of another person without permission is considered sexual harassment."

While stealing a glance at Argo, Hachiman noticed the tattoo on her face.

Blurt out subconsciously:

"Where did you get the taijutsu skill quest for this tattoo of yours?

It should be on the second floor, right?"

Argo's heart was shaken. The information about physical skills should have been a secret known only to her among the testers.

She remained calm on the surface and quickly searched her memory for the list of internal testers, but found nothing. Seeing Argo's silence, Hachiman thought that the other party had not heard clearly.

Strong social skills self-introduction:

"Um... my name is... Hachiman. Please guide me."

Argo regained his composure, concealing his hesitation and speaking in a natural manner:

"Hachiman... I'll just call you Hachi~ Please take care of me from now on~"

This time it was Hachiman's turn to be hit:

(You're giving me a nickname the first time we meet? Are you Miss Yuigahama? Even your tasteless style is exactly the same.)

"Compared to this——"

Argo suddenly leaned in and whispered:

"Xiao Ba, who exactly are you? I've never seen anyone like you during the internal test~"

The close distance made Hachiman panic:

(This is too close! My heart is fluttering if I keep going like this! And what’s with that subwoofer? It looks just like someone!)

Hachiman, sweating profusely, recalled the behavior of the student council president, Isshiki Iroha.

Take a deep breath, calm your mind, and weigh the pros and cons:

(It’s never a good idea to reveal too much to the tipster, so let’s just brush it off for now.)

"Ah... I helped Mr. Kayaba Akihiko a little before.

It’s just a short-term job before the internal test begins...”

"We're both players and there's no age difference, so no need for honorifics, Xiaoba.

Help...Are you an ARGUS employee?"

"I just helped with the testing temporarily after we met during an internship...

I guess my understanding of internal testing is not as good as that of official testers."

(I'm not lying, I really don't know the progress of the internal test strategy, and I don't know much about the actual internal content.)

Argo seemed to accept this explanation:

“No wonder he has that kind of body movement~ Interesting!

How about adding me as a friend if it’s convenient for you?”

Looking at Argo, who was smiling and holding out her hand, Hachiman was shocked again:

(A sudden handshake? Is he a similar character to Hayato Hayama?

Is it so easy for real people to make friends?

At this moment, Hachiman suddenly realized:

(Wait, VR characters aren't necessarily female! After all, no girl would actually shake my hand in real life.)

Thinking of this, Hachiman's tension eased a little.

He patted Argo's hand, imitating the way he had high-fived Yeshan:

"Okay...ok, please advise me."

"Then feel free to contact me if you need anything~"

Watching Argo wave goodbye and run away, Hachiman stood there in a daze:

(A mix of Yuigahama, Isshiki, and Hayama... That Argo is incredible.

Fortunately, there are no Miura or Kawasaki elements mixed in...

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to say a word.)

Hachiman regained his composure and headed out of the city as planned.

Don't forget to use the stealth techniques outside the system - although the effect remains a mystery.

(At least I can have a normal conversation now, so the experience of the past six months has not been in vain.

Of course, being alone is the most comfortable...if those guys aren't there...)

After leaving the city and finding an empty hunting ground, Hachiman took a deep breath and prepared his weapon.

Not far away, there was a duo calling each other "Kirito" and "Klein".

"Klein! I told you not to do the Terminator pose during battle!"

"This is a man's romance, Kirito!"

(These two idiots definitely won't survive three episodes... Wait, why is the Wild Boar King spawning behind them?!)

Just as the massive tusk was about to pierce the red-haired samurai, Hachiman's body had already acted before his brain. The dagger, enhanced by AGI, left an afterimage and pierced the boar king's... hip?

(Shit! They're clearly targeting my weak spot! This lousy system is definitely targeting me!)

Looking at the BOSS in a berserk state, Hachiman opened his backpack while fleeing.

The "favorite equipment" that Kayaba mentioned suddenly glowed from the pile of junk - it was the one he named "Redemption of Social Anxiety" during the closed beta test... a frying pan?

(Kayaba Akihiko, I beep!)

At this moment, Argo's private message suddenly popped up:

[To Xiaoba: I just filmed a video of someone being chased around a tree by a wild boar for the tenth round. How about buying it out for 1000 Cole? (?>ω

“Argo——!!”

SAO: Chapter 3: First Encounter with Asuna

With the dying scream of "Puji——!", the wild boar's huge body shattered like glass.

It seems that even after a hiatus, Hachiman's skills haven't faded. However, this monster, known as the "Crazy Boar," is ultimately just a basic monster similar to a slime, and it remains to be seen what powerful foes it will face in the future.

Hachiman took a breath and looked around casually. In the distance, a noisy conversation came from the two players yesterday. The conversation drifted on the wind:

"Wow! I'm super strong, right? What do you think, Kirito? You looked cool just now, didn't you?"

"Congratulations on your first win, but this kind of wild boar is only slime-level in other games."

"Huh? Is this true? I thought it was a boss or something."

"How can it be."

(They look like they're having a lot of fun... One looks like Tobe, and the other is probably Hayama. By the way, why Hayama again? Could this game be "Hayama Online"?)

Hachiman looked at the Tobe character who looked like a novice, and a smile appeared on his face.

(I went through that period too... No, what right does a lone wolf have to act like a senior? I should reflect on myself. Wait, he's actually apologizing to himself?)

Hachiman, playing out his own monologue in his head, pulled himself together and decided to continue hunting. (Let's see if he can use the "Phantom Sword Dance" move.)

Theoretically, the current proficiency wasn't enough to perform the "horizontal, horizontal, horizontal, vertical" four-hit combo. The conclusion was that the moves could be imitated, but the power was insufficient. This level of lethality was simply unacceptable in actual combat.

(It's a bit lacking in power, but my proficiency seems to be increasing faster than normal. I'll give it another try. Speaking of which, I've been getting stared at by that Kirito guy since a while ago...)

One of the characteristics of a lone ranger is that he can endure boring and repetitive work. After all, it is easier to act alone.

Another characteristic is being extremely sensitive to other people's gazes, and this level of attention naturally cannot escape perception.

Hachiman tried out various dagger techniques, and seeing that his level had improved a bit, he decided to end today's adventure early and return to town. The player he called Kirito was still staring at his departing back.

(In my opinion, that guy is the type who can handle socializing well but chooses to be alone.)

After hesitating for a moment, Hachiman nodded slightly in tacit agreement between lone rangers and headed towards the town.

On the way back to the city, I deliberately avoided the main street, but was stopped by a figure squatting on the side of the road. The boy's short chestnut hair flew up as he raised his head, and the sight of him huddled together with his knees hugged made my breath catch—this was clearly Totsuka's tomb in another world!

I hurriedly looked away, but it was too late. The player quickly approached and said timidly, "Um, um... I'm sorry..."

Hachiman pretended not to hear, but was stopped by a player who had circled to the front. "Excuse me... Can I ask you something?"

(This is probably a common problem for beginners. It's troublesome, but even if the world allows it, my conscience won't allow me to just sit back and watch someone who looks like Totsuka die.)

"First of all, do you know how to open the menu? There should be a..." Hachiman said as he checked his menu, and suddenly froze - the logout button that should have been there disappeared without a trace.

“Strange…I can’t find it…”

"really…"

(There are bugs in Kayaba Akihiko's masterpiece? The probability is even lower than Yukinoshita confessing her feelings!)

Hachiman forced himself to remain calm and said, "Although it's rare for a newly launched game server to experience anomalies, we expect an official announcement to be made soon."

After saying this, he was secretly surprised that he could speak so fluently. It seemed that the special training for the Christmas event was indeed effective.

The boy's youthful face bore a striking resemblance to Totsuka's. Hachiman, in a rare move, offered, "If you're new to the game, I can help you choose equipment and give you some basic instruction before the announcement. And by the way, could you please not use honorifics? It's too formal between boys."

(Komachi, brother worked really hard this time!)

Hachiman shouted to his sister in his heart, pretending to be calm on the surface and waiting for a response. The boy tilted his head and thought for a moment, then smiled brightly: "Well, please give me your advice!"

(Is this child an angel? He’s a boy but he’s so cute it’s unfair…) Hachiman suppressed his trembling and began teaching.

First, help him choose his gear, then explain the Harassment and Crime Rules.

When the two decided to team up and opened the menu and his name appeared in the upper left corner of the screen, he was shocked to realize that he had not yet introduced himself.

(Immersed in the real-life imitation game, I actually forgot basic etiquette. Komachi, my brother is still a loser after all...)

Hachiman, suppressing his shame, said, "S-Sorry, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Hachiman, Asuna."

"My real name is Yuuki Asuna. Please advise me, but how do you know my name?"

Hachiman quickly covered the other person's lips: "Idiot! Don't reveal your real name in the game! You must not use any name other than your character name!"

Realizing his gaffe, the boy hurriedly apologized. Hachiman scratched his head and said, "I'm the one who should apologize... I'm Hikigaya Hachiman. Now that we know each other's secrets, we're even."

The young man—Asuna—nodded in sudden realization, her smile as warm as the spring sun: "Thank you for your guidance again, Hachiman!"

(What's with this angelic attribute that's comparable to Totsuka's?! He's a boy, but he's so cute...)

Thinking of this, Hachiman decided to answer Asuna's question.

“Ah, regarding your previous question, when you assemble a party, the following will appear in the top left corner of the screen.

Show all team members' names. Um, sorry for calling your name suddenly."

"I see, that's how it is."

"Oh, now that we've introduced ourselves, let's briefly explain some combat techniques."

"Okay, please begin."

After arriving at the hunting grounds, Hachiman began to explain the basics.

"Basically, sword skills are activated automatically. First, you perform the initial movement, then charge up a little, and once you sense the sword skill is activated, you release it all at once, like this."

Hachiman said, demonstrating some dagger sword techniques.

Asuna seemed to have a good memory. After taking the initial stance,

Hachiman touches and adjusts the position of the hands and feet,

Soon, he would be able to unleash his rapier skill, "Linear Thrust."

But Hachiman was thinking about something else during the lecture.

(What is this… Is it really Totsuka inside? Why is it so soft…)

Am I entering a new world here?)