Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

"Then I'll take advantage of the opportunity to attack repeatedly."

Kirito feinted to attract the branches, and the moment they were cut off neatly, Hachiman immediately connected with the combo of "Critical Blade" and the physical skill "Crescent Moon". After repeating this several times, the tree demon turned into light and dissipated after more than ten minutes.

"Phew, that took a while."

"Mid-boss-level creatures probably won't respawn, but let's report to Asuna just in case."

"Oh, dropped... the Phantom Orb?"

“I haven’t heard of it.”

"It's a lot, let's divide it equally."

"The instructions are... linked to the map you have.

“Let’s try that safe zone.

Arriving at Fir Square, Kirito looked up and sighed, "Such a large Christmas tree...if it were covered with colorful lights in this cruel game, it would actually make people laugh."

After using the Phantom Sphere, two spherical maps emitting dreamy light float in the air.

"Interesting, it should be good for giving directions."

"I was just strolling around, but I didn't expect to get such an unexpected reward."

"I can't help but want to collect all the map data"

"And if the monster doesn't regenerate, no one else will get this."

The two smiled at each other.

(I hope this will make Kirito feel a little relieved)

(I hope this can help Hachiman change his mood.)

One day on the 35th floor, it ended in this way. In the future, this phantom sphere will become a treasure coveted by the strategy team and shine brightly on various battlefields.

SAO: Chapter 37 Asuna's Birthday

Liz, who was forging weapons in the secret base, shook her pink ponytail.

"Speaking of which—" the hammer clanged against the chopping block, "It seems like a certain young lady's birthday is coming up these days?"

Hachiman, who was polishing his one-handed sword in the corner, twitched his fingers, and the blade just happened to reflect the corner of his twitching mouth: "...What kind of nonsense were you thinking about while you were forging iron?"

"This is fundamental to a blacksmith's craft! You must always be attentive to the client's emotional needs." The girl's deliberately drawn-out tone was particularly clear amidst the roar of the furnace. "The last time Asuna came to adjust her rapier, she wrote her date of birth into the equipment maintenance memo."

Hachiman was noticeably slow to pull his sword back onto his back. "So, what about 鸸I〤散】⑤7嘻榴?衤三〆貳０?"

"So—" Lisbeth suddenly leaned in front of the other party, her soot-stained cheek almost touching Hachiman's nose, "Do you two stupid partners want to go on a date or something?"

"Bang!" Hachiman's head slammed heavily against the stone wall. He rubbed his red earlobe and took three steps back. "Don't use that kind of statement that could easily lead to misunderstandings! After all, no one in SAO celebrates..."

"When is Hachiman's birthday?"

"August 8th."

"Pfft!" The blacksmith girl's shoulders trembled from trying so hard to hold back her laughter. "What a tacky date! But it's true, celebrating a birthday in a death game is a bit extravagant."

The moment the forging hammer was swung again, Lisbeth did not see the expression of her companion hidden in the shadows. Hachiman stared at a flashing icon in the prop bar, his Adam's apple rolling unnaturally.

(This is so troublesome. Now that I know, I can't pretend to be stupid, but this world can't even get all the ingredients for a cake.)

He mechanically counted the materials, but his eyes were always attracted by a special prop.

That was the [Phantom Sphere] that I accidentally dropped in the 23rd floor maze. It was a rare decoration that could project a panoramic view of a specific floor. At that time, I just thought it was flashy garbage, but now it was stuck in the corner of my backpack like a hot potato.

"Hey, hey, you've already wiped your sword three times?" Liz suddenly threw a bag of iced berries. "You're usually such a lazy bum after leveling up, why are you suddenly so diligent lately?"

"Just killing time." Hachiman squinted his eyes because of the sour taste the moment he bit into the berry. The taste reminded him of someone who always talked about "vitamin supplements".

"Huh? Just because you're a socially anxious person?" The blacksmith suddenly grabbed the hem of his clothes. "Tell the truth! Since last week, the number of demon wolf claws you brought has tripled. Are you soloing the 25th floor of the canyon every day?"

Hachiman slapped her hand away, only to find the warmth of forged metal still lingering on Lisbeth's fingertips. He turned his face away and muttered, "I can't sleep anyway..."

"Oh~ I can't sleep~" The girl deliberately chewed the syllables into a sticky mess, "Do you need your sister to teach you a lullaby?"

"Shut up and hit the iron!"

However, in reality, Hachiman was now revealing his bad habit of caring too much about others.

In this world, the only thing that could be considered entertainment was probably eating, and if there was anything that could be considered a gift, it was only equipment. For the first time in a long time, Hachiman was troubled by something other than strategy.

(No, this isn't a birthday present. It's just a simple gift between friends to express gratitude. Nothing special. So, something practical will do.)

Even with this thought, Hachiman still tossed and turned in worry.

"You've been humming and humming since a while ago. So you've finally decided to give me a gift, right?"

"Since we all know, even if we can't send it out, we can't just not prepare anything."

"How about asking Asuna about tomorrow's plans?"

"Oh, oh, yes."

Hachiman, who took this advice, was about to send a message to Asuna, but when he opened the message board, he had no idea what to write.

"...Why are you frozen?"

"Look, if I ask her about tomorrow's plans now, it would be awkward if she misunderstood me as asking her out for her birthday. It would be even more awkward if she already has plans."

"...Hachiman, you're really troublesome."

"........."

"Alas, I really can't do anything about you. Let me help you find the arrangements."

"...Thank you."

Lisbeth used the window to send a message to Asuna. A reply arrived immediately.

"She said she's on an expedition and might not be back until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"...Is that so? Then there's no need to worry. Thank you for your help."

"Wow~ I always feel so depressed."

“Don’t take it too seriously if no one is wrong.”

The matter came to an end, and the next day Hachiman went hunting alone as usual.

After selling the extra materials to Agil, the two of them went around to the back alley of the store.

The setting sun was dyeing the cobblestone road a honey color. The phantom sphere that Hachiman unfolded suddenly burst out with a shining stream of light. The 25-story map slowly unfolded in the light curtain, making the 1.9-meter-tall man scream like a girl.

"Oh shit, is this the legendary 0.01% drop rate holographic projector?!" Agil pounced on it like a dog seeing a bone. "Name your price!"

"No, I won't sell it." Hachiman's action of retrieving the props was cruel, "But..."

"How about this as a reward?" The second phantom sphere traced a parabola in the air. "Only if you can help me find the spawn point for the 22nd floor ravine."

Agil caught the item with an expression as if he were holding a holy relic. "Hachiman-sama! You are my half-brother!"

"Disgusting..."

"But this is really beautiful, a style that girls will like."

"A style that girls would like?...Ah!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Agil, well done!"

"What did you suddenly say?"

"It's okay, thank you anyway."

----

Asuna curled up on the bed in the Blood Knights' temporary base, the moonlight filtering through the window onto her trembling eyelashes. She opened her friend list for the 17th time today, and the gray ID was still infuriatingly silent.

(I clearly said I'd report on the safe floor regularly... Idiot! Blockhead! Socially incompetent single-celled organism!)

She bit the honey bread in anger, but the sweetness of the honey tasted like chewing wax. When the prompt sound suddenly rang, she almost threw the bread against the wall.

[Private chat] Hachiman: Are you there?

Asuna opened the window with the speed of a boss-killer, the reply box's cursor flashing frantically. However, three minutes later, the chat interface still only had a solitary system prompt: [The other party is typing...]

"Ahhh, I'm so anxious!" She grabbed the pillow to cover her hot face, and her rapier clanged against the bedpost. When she finally received the next message, the girl's beautiful pupils instantly shrank into needle points.

[Private Chat] Yawata: Please remember to clean up the trash in the shared space.

I clicked on the shared space that had not been used for a long time. The moment the suspended light ball jumped out, the breeze from the 22nd floor of the forest seemed to penetrate the virtual barrier.

The waterfall where they had fallen when they teamed up earlier, the cliff where they discovered the secret base, and the crooked tree that Hachiman always used as a cushion, all the details were clearly visible in the flowing light.

"Idiot..." Asuna buried her burning cheeks in her knees, the phantom sphere illuminating the dimples at the corners of her mouth. "What unnecessary nonsense are you talking about..."

SAO: Chapter 38: Scars in the Heart ~ The Curtain Rises

The attack front has now advanced to the 46th floor.

Under the ice crystal dome of the "Frost and Snow Corridor", two figures shuttled back and forth in the maze at high speed. The black-haired swordsman's coat brushed across the frosted reliefs, and suddenly stopped at the corner, his boots crushing the ice spikes on the ground.

"Hey, Kirito." Hikigaya Hachiman's finger hovered over the translucent control panel. "Was there an NPC stationed at the supply point at coordinates E7?"

"It's not mentioned in the system update log." The white mist exhaled by Kirito when he spoke condensed on his eyelashes, making his handsome face look a little childish.

Hachiman tapped the frozen wall with his fingertips, and ice crystals fell. "Three days ago, that area was vacant." He suddenly turned around. "It's an event NPC."

At the moment the two of them parted ways, Hachiman caught a glimpse of the cold sweat oozing from the back of Kirito's neck. The footprints were quickly covered by ice and snow, like some deliberately forgotten past events.

As the sun sets, the two exchange information. Kirito holds the torn parchment and says, "Christmas limited-time event, the fir tree in the Lost Forest, BOSS..."

Seeing Kirito's face suddenly change, Hachiman suddenly remembered that this was the expression of Kirito when he fell into a violent state. At this time, Hachiman realized that it was impossible to convince him.

"Resurrection item." Hachiman seemed to hear the sound of his own Adam's apple rolling. "The description says 'A miracle that brings the dead back to the living.'"

"What do you want to do?" Hachiman asked in a deliberately frivolous tone.

"Ah."

"Then Asuna and I will..."

"Hachiman." Kirito suddenly interrupted him, his voice heavy and terrifying, "Can you let me act alone this time?"

Kirito was stubborn and wanted to do it himself. Hachiman was silent for a while and then agreed, but put forward some conditions.

When Hachiman said, "Please stop the strategy and concentrate on leveling up," Kirito suddenly staggered back half a step, his lower back leaning against the ice sculpture.

Hachiman pretended not to notice the other person's instantly pale face and continued in a nonchalant tone: "Also, don't forget that you promised to pay for my accommodation."

"You don't know how to accept gifts of thanks..." Kirito said as he wiped the hilt of his sword with a wry smile.

"Of course." Hachiman turned and walked towards the teleportation array, the hem of his windbreaker sweeping the ice chips on the ground. "After all, a certain idiot doesn't even have a house. Anyway, that's the situation. As long as you can agree to this condition, I won't interfere."

(Of course, they will still intervene secretly)

"I understand. I agree."

----

Two weeks later, there are still four days until the Christmas event, and the front line has now advanced to the 48th floor.

Kirito followed Hachiman's request and stopped participating in the strategy in order to raise his level to the limit. He is currently fighting on the 47th floor "Ant Valley".

Klein grabbed Hachiman by the collar and pressed him against the damp rock wall. The red-haired warrior's single eye was bloodshot. "That guy hasn't rested for 72 hours straight! Do you really want to see him train himself to the point of burning out his nerves?"

Hachiman looked at the bulging veins on the back of his hand. "Three days ago, he soloed the Venomous Bee Queen's nest. By the way, you stepped on the army ant spawning area."

When the red-haired warrior jumped away as if electrocuted, Hachiman was already leaning against the rock wall, adjusting the potion bottle. Purple-red poisonous mist flowed between his fingers. "I need Fenglinzan and Huoshan to hold off the Holy Dragon Alliance on Christmas Eve."

"Huh? How could those mad dogs..."

"They have been coveting the resurrection item for a long time." Hachiman suddenly threw the potion bottle towards the top of the rock.

Afterwards, Hachiman visited the Blood Knights headquarters.

Apply for a meeting with Heathcliff through Asuna. At this moment, only Heathcliff and Asuna are in the room.

"So, what can I do for you?"