Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

"It's so scary to have ghosts! There must be ghosts in this deserted town!"

Asuna cried out with a choked voice, and Hachiman even saw tears in her eyes.

Hachiman blinked, and the atmosphere seemed to be silent for a moment.

"Ah, I see. You're not afraid of bugs, but you're afraid of this."

"That's different!" She grabbed a velvet cushion and threw it at me. Her hairband slipped off, revealing the red tips of her ears. "Anyway...anyway, there's a curtain separating the two rooms! The bathtub is big enough for two people! I, I mean, take separate baths!"

"I didn't want to waste the hotel I finally booked, and now it's troublesome to move to another place, and it's gloomy outside, so I want to ask Hachiman-kun to stay with me!"

Asuna finished her words rapidly.

"Okay, okay, sorry, but men and women being in the same room..."

"Hasn't this happened before?"

"That being said... Okay, I see. Is there a screen?"

"Okay, ready."

“So well prepared”

"I'm sorry, it suddenly felt so quiet while I was in the bath that it was scary."

"It's ok"

After the two climbed onto the bed, Asuna rested her head against the screen and chatted about what she had seen and heard over the past few days. Soon, there was no sound and Hachiman closed his eyes.

SAO: Chapter 30 A Pleasant Stroll for Two

"Shared storage?"

Hachiman leaned back on the vine-woven bench, looking at the chestnut-haired girl in front of him who was sorting through a list of items.

"Well, we basically act together all the time, right?" Asuna swiped the translucent panel without looking up, and the mint-colored skirt rippled as she swung her legs.

"And usually, you, Hachiman-kun, take more damage and consume more potions, so I think it would be more convenient to set up a shared storage space for consumables."

"Ah~ That's true, but I have to warn you, if you find any strange bear cookies in the warehouse..."

"Who would put snacks in the battle supplies?"

The girl who spoke first tapped Hachiman's forehead with a rolled-up parchment. "Rather than that, why don't we go to the west coast of the coral reef? I heard you can see schools of bioluminescent jellyfish at the newly opened observation deck."

Hachiman sighed as he looked at the slightly swaying ahoge behind her. He had been complaining about the insincere fishing guide Argo had provided just half an hour ago, but now he was enthusiastically planning a sightseeing route.

----

The 22nd floor is a forest and water floor with rich natural landscapes.

The main town is called Coral Village. Although it is small in scale, since no small monsters will spawn in the wild, it plays a role as an oasis despite being the current front line.

Although it has not been liberated for long, many residents, including gathering players and sightseeing players seeking healing, seem to have gathered here.

When passing by an open-air cafe, I even saw three lifestyle players competing in carving watermelons using their "Cooking" skills - one of them, a pumpkin-headed man, was trying to replicate the map of Aincrad.

"It feels completely different from the atmosphere on the previous floor. How should I put it? It feels incredibly peaceful."

"Ah, a perfect place for a nap."

"Hachiman-kun is still the same as always."

"Oh"

"But it feels more natural now than it did in the early days, which is good."

Hachiman, who had taken a break from the game today, had planned to spend the day relaxing, but Asuna sent him a message saying she wanted to take a walk.

I thought Hachiman would decline as usual, but considering that this floor was relaxing just by taking a walk, the two of them ended up going out together.

"By the way, I haven't seen Kirito-kun lately. What happened?"

"Ah, I heard that guy has been messing around with a medium-sized guild in the middle level lately, and there are rumors that he has joined that guild."

"Eh~ Could it be that I've met some good match?"

"Who knows? I can't imagine Kirito joining a guild."

"Haha, that's right too."

With the warm sunshine, pleasant weather and lush greenery everywhere, Hachiman felt the atmosphere of a peaceful holiday that he hadn't felt for a long time. This vacation was indeed a good change for him.

Follow the path covered in fluorescent moss until a treehouse wrapped in stardust vines comes into view.

"Secret base!" Asuna suddenly entered a strange state, her eyes lighting up as if she had discovered a rare ingredient. "It has a sky garden and a panoramic sunroof, and there's even an automatic shoe drying cabinet in the entrance..."

"That's enough to buy twenty mid-rise apartments." Hachiman glanced at the home purchase interface, silently calculating the recent profits from reselling rare minerals. "And then there's the monthly maintenance fee to pay to the system profiteers."

"But lying in a wicker hammock, drinking lemon tea and watching the sunset is wonderful, isn't it!" As she turned around, the ends of her hair brushed Hachiman's nose, carrying the pleasant scent of lily of the valley. "Hachiman-kun, you're obviously also very excited, aren't you? You just stared at the fireplace for ten seconds."

The twilight in Coral Village did have a kind of bewitching gentleness. When the two of them finished their stroll around the lake, Hachiman already had seven properties on his shopping list - of course, this had absolutely nothing to do with someone's starry-eyed offensive.

The two then wandered around and were surprised to see fishing players, and gathering players could be seen everywhere.

Although she occasionally encountered other players, because Asuna never wore a hood, every passerby would look at her with admiration or love, and then when they saw Hachiman next to her, they would cast jealous eyes or questioning glances of "Why is it this kind of guy?"

(If I saw someone like me and a celebrity like Asuna together, I'd probably think the same thing. It's clearly an incompatible pair.)

Even though Hachiman thought so, he still calmly ignored the gaze.

In fact, whenever she encountered such a look, Asuna would secretly pinch the corner of Hachiman's clothes, but of course the person concerned was unaware of it. This had become an unconscious habitual action for Asuna.

"Asuna, are you going to establish a base on this floor?"

"Well, that's the plan for now."

“As the options expand, there’s no need to relocate every floor.”

"Where's Hachiman-kun?"

"Let's not talk about the player's house for now, it's almost time to buy a player's room."

“I’d also like to buy a suitable room if there’s one.”

“It would be fun to decorate it yourself.”

“It’s best to go somewhere with less traffic”

"There aren't many inns in the main streets, so maybe you can find a good room in the suburbs."

"Indeed, I was lucky enough to get a room with a bathroom, thanks to Ms. Argo for the tip.

However, Ms. Argo disappears every time she updates a floor plan, and I already collected information about properties with bathrooms before the next day's investigation."

(Oops...)

"If we're talking about the fewest people, the nineteenth floor should be the least."

"Really~ Hachiman-kun is so mean!"

(Luckily, I successfully changed the subject.)

After walking until dusk, the two returned to the town and went their separate ways after failing to find a suitable room in the city.

(I’m very happy today)

While taking a bath, Asuna thought about the day. Most of the members of the strategy team have been very busy recently.

Since we advanced to the 22nd Oasis Floor in one go, we decided to strengthen our weapons and upgrade their levels.

Therefore, during the strategy team's rest period, the craftsmen were extremely busy. As the supply of materials exceeded the demand, the guilds that hunted materials on the middle level also became active, and the 22nd floor became a place of salvation for everyone.

(Kirito-kun seems to have joined a guild. I should consider it, but I don't want to join the two existing guilds, and I don't have any idea about other serious strategy guilds.

It would be nice if Hachiman-kun could start a guild, but he'd definitely hate that.)

In fact, Hachiman really had no intention of establishing a guild, but if Asuna asked him, he might not refuse - he even secretly completed the task of establishing the guild for this purpose, but in the end this possibility did not come true.

(If I join the guild alone, we won’t be together often. Forget it, I’m going to sleep.)

(Hey stronghold, it’s time to seriously consider buying a room.)

Inspired by today's conversation, Yawata began to seriously consider buying a house.

One of the reasons is that I felt that "secret bases are super cool" because of the onset of my middle school syndrome. Compared to the temporary feeling of a hotel, I feel more at home in my own room.

(Officially looking for my home)

The house-hunting trip that began the next day was fruitless around the 22nd floor, but a three-story battle-damaged tower was discovered by the lake, but there was no one in the Coral Village.

"What is this? A decorative structure without even an entrance? It would be great if there was a house on top of a tower like this."

As soon as he finished speaking, the home buying interface suddenly popped up.

"Wow, it really is a house."

As a hidden stronghold, the price was extremely affordable. Satisfied with the layout and facilities, Hachiman bought it on the spot. People without the key couldn't even see the entrance, making it a fortress with iron walls and solid defenses.

The four-bedroom house with a kitchen and bathroom, excellent views, and a separate casita exceeded expectations.

Although the area is a bit large, the feeling of a secret base hits the mark. Excited, Hachiman immediately begins collecting furniture and setting it up.

SAO: Chapter 31: The Great Teacher is Caught

In the blacksmith shop where sparks were flying, Lisbeth was busy hammering at the red-hot iron blank. Suddenly, the wooden door of the forge was pushed open, and Asuna rushed in with a fragrant breeze.

"Liz!" The rapier user's white skirt swept the ground. "Hachiman-kun has been acting suspiciously these past few days."

The forger nearly dug the tongs into his ponytail. "Huh? That guy's always sneaking around. He even stockpiled twenty servings of paralysis poison at the potion shop last week."

"That's true, but this time is different from usual."

Asuna's suspicions arose because Hachiman had recently been visiting accessories and furniture stores that he would never normally go to.

Although Lisbeth initially thought that it was normal for Hachiman to be suspicious, after hearing the description, she did find that this time was unusual.

(Hmmmm, a woman's scent? No no no, Hachiman, absolutely impossible. So what on earth is this...)

Clang! The hammer struck the anvil, sending sparks flying. "That Hachiman who even haggled for thirty minutes at the NPC shop? That's definitely going in the opposite direction from what I suspected before."

Lisbeth's hammer-wielding hand hovered in mid-air. "Are you sure you're not some perverted gamer impersonating you?"

Asuna flicked out a holographic projection from her equipment panel: in the picture, Hachiman, dressed in casual clothes, was standing on tiptoe, sizing up curtains in a home furnishings store on the 22nd floor. When he picked up a pink ruffled cushion and examined it, the two girls shuddered simultaneously.

"Right?"

"Okay, Asuna, let's go follow Hachiman."

"Hey, hey, hey? Following Hachiman-kun is impossible, right?" Asuna suddenly grabbed her companion's clothes. "We'll definitely be discovered. The last time Kirito tried to follow him, he got away."

"It's okay Asuna, I have a secret technique!"

Liz smiled slyly and drew a mouse pattern on her friend's palm with her fingertips.

----

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

It seems that Lisbeth's secret plan is Argo. After hearing about Hachiman's abnormality, she decisively accepted the commission to track Hachiman.

Thus, without Hachiman realizing it, the encirclement had already been formed.

Hachiman, who knew nothing about this, was humming a song while improving the facilities of the house, completely unaware that all this was seen by Argo.

Argo submitted its investigation report a few days later.

"He seems to often hang around a tower in Area 22, but every time he gets close to the tower, he disappears inexplicably."

"Is there anything there?"

“We investigated but found nothing.”

"Hmmmm, this is indeed suspicious, Asuna."

"What should I do?"

"We can only ambush and catch them in the act, right?"

"But Hachiman-kun will find out, right?"

The three of them racked their brains to think of a solution, and finally came up with a feasible plan.