Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

"what happened?"

Hachiman cleverly avoided the topic of two swords, explaining that Kirito might have commissioned Lisbeth to make a weapon, and mentioned that he had mentioned the crystal ingot to Lisbeth yesterday.

"I see. So they're on the 55th floor now, right?"

"Yes, but there shouldn't be a maze nearby."

"What should we do now?"

"It should be fine with Kirito around."

"Although the battle on the 55th floor isn't difficult, let's use tracking mode to confirm it."

"it is good"

Asuna tracked Lisbeth's footsteps, while Hachiman tracked Kirito's, only to find that their movements were exactly the same.

The path indicated by the tracking crystal flickered in the blizzard. When the two finally reached the summit, Asuna's silver armor was covered in icicles, and Hachiman's leather boots were frozen to the ground.

They followed the intermittent footprints to the edge of a cliff, but saw only an icicle that had been cut in half by sharp claws.

"Sure enough, both of them went up the mountain."

"Well, keep tracking."

After repelling several waves of snow wolves and snowman monsters along the way, they arrived at a location that seemed to be the top of the mountain.

"Lizzie's tracks disappeared around this icicle."

"Kirito's too... Hey Asuna, come over here and take a look at this."

"What did you find?"

"It seems he jumped from this hole."

"Hey?!"

"Do you want to go down and take a look?" Asuna loosened the floral scarf around her neck, but found that Hachiman was staring at somewhere on the edge of the cliff.

Following his gaze, two parallel skid marks drew strange arcs on the ice, and the familiar sword pattern remained on the edge of one of them.

Hachiman rubbed the grooves with his fingertips. "It seems our black swordsman played the hero to save the damsel in distress. There are signs of a slip on the edge of the cliff. I guess Liz was blown away by a dragon's breath or something, and Kirito jumped in to save her."

"Are you okay after falling from such a height?"

"Since you're still alive, it should be fine."

Hachiman looked into the abyss, but could not see the bottom at all.

Asuna was about to speak when she felt a sudden and violent vibration beneath her feet. Hachiman instinctively grabbed her wrist and leaped backwards. The place where she had just stood had collapsed into an ice cave with a diameter of three meters. The cold air rising from the abyss was carrying debris with it.

"At this depth..." Asuna's hair instantly froze with ice crystals as she peered over. "We'll need at least two hundred meters of cable."

"Then let's go back first and meet up again when the NPC shop opens. But can such a long rope be connected?"

"what......"

"Nothing else to do. Let's talk to Argo first. Let's call it a day."

"Um...Liz, Kirito-kun, please wait for us."

Asuna looked back worriedly, but agreed to go down the mountain.

It was almost dawn when they returned to town. It was too early when they contacted Argo, so they didn't get a response until several hours later. Just as they were preparing the rope, Lisbeth and Kirito suddenly resumed contact.

Upon learning that the two were returning to the weapon shop, Hachiman and Asuna thanked Argo and immediately rushed to the 48th floor.

The light of the teleportation array had not yet dissipated, and Asuna had already thrown herself into Liz's arms. Hachiman leaned against the door frame with his arms folded, his eyes wandering between the blacksmith girl's flushed cheeks and Kirito. In the dancing flames of the forge, a subtle atmosphere was brewing.

"Liz, I was so worried~

When Asuna rushed over and hugged Liz, the blacksmith girl comforted her friend, but her eyes drifted to the side from time to time.

(Hmm? Is Liz looking at...Kirito? Never mind.)

Hachiman decided to ask Kirito for details first.

"So you found the crystal vein in the deepest part of the dragon's nest?" He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of "deepest", and as he wished, Lisbeth's ears instantly twitched.

"Yes, yes!" The girl frantically raised the silver-white ingot in her hand. "It's a very high-purity material! Kirito actually used the Elucidator as an ice pick..."

"And that thing turned out to be the white dragon's feces..."

"Ah... I feel so ashamed when it's said so bluntly..."

"And it's hidden at the bottom of the cave. No wonder no one found it."

"We were lucky to find it, thanks to Liz who was blown away."

(Liz? We became so close in just one night.)

Liz's short pink hair swayed gently in the wind. She suddenly poked Hachiman's arm with her index finger and said, "Wait, Hachiman and Kirito already know each other?"

(Oh, even she calls me Kirito...)

"Well, Kirito and I have known each other longer than you, so we can be considered old partners." Hachiman yawned as he leaned against the weapon rack, his eyes glancing at the black sword at Kirito's waist. "But you two, you both participated in the same boss strategy meeting, and you only officially met now?"

Lisbeth suddenly slammed her hammer down on the forge, and the clanging of metal made Kirito flinch. "Wait! Could that strange swordsman who always wears a black cloak be..."

"What, you know?"

"Clang!" Kirito suddenly unsheathed his Elucidator, its jet-black blade reflecting dark red lines in the firelight. Asuna's rapier instantly unsheathed half an inch, only relaxing once she saw the other's movements clearly. Hachiman helplessly held his forehead in his hand, "Don't just show off your weapons in someone else's shop, you bastard."

"Sorry, sorry." Kirito smiled awkwardly and sheathed his sword. "But Miss Liz must be referring to me. After all, I'm the only one in the entire Clearers group dressed like this..."

Lisbeth suddenly rushed in front of Hachiman, her nose almost touching the leather armor on his chest, "Hachiman, you bastard, why didn't you say so earlier!"

Hachiman calmly pried open the blacksmith girl's hand that was clutching his collar. "At that time, someone was crying while holding a newly made dragon bone gauntlet, saying things like, 'I'm sure it'll sell for 200,000 Kohl this time!'"

"Hachi-banana-!"

Asuna smiled wryly as she watched the furious Lisbeth chase the young man around the room, holding down the trembling rapier at her waist.

SAO: Chapter 53: Dark Chaser (Thanks for the First Order)

"Didn't we agree not to reveal any information about the strategy team casually? I might have missed the chance to introduce myself to you because of that, but now we finally meet." Hachiman dodged the flying pliers in a panic, and the sparks burned three small holes on the hem of his black windbreaker.

"Please give me your guidance in the future." After the introduction, Liz also greeted Kirito formally.

"Please take care of me. I might even need you to forge weapons."

"When you suddenly broke my life's masterpiece, I thought you were a nuisance."

"Hey Kirito, what are you doing..."

"Ah ha ha..."

Facing Kirito's smirk, Lisbeth didn't look angry at all, but instead seemed very happy.

"So, we're going to start forging next, right?" Asuna interrupted the conversation, which had drifted off to the horizon. Lisbeth, distracted, immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Of course! This time, we're going to create a legendary weapon that will make all of Aincrad tremble!"

"Then we..."

"Ah, Asuna."

Hachiman, noticing Liz's reaction, suddenly interrupted Asuna.

"I've prepared a rope, and I also want to update my equipment. Can you help me get the crystal ingots?"

"sure"

Hachiman suddenly grabbed Asuna's wrist and walked out in the girl's surprised eyes: "Okay, let's go."

"Wait a minute, Hachiman-kun!" Asuna stumbled after him, her eyes filled with confusion. "Really... then you two better do your best."

"Well, be careful on the road, Asuna!"

"Hachiman, don't fall."

"I know. See you later."

This time, Hachiman took the initiative to hold Asuna's hand and walked towards the portal, which was rare.

"Hachiman-kun, slow down!" Hachiman's fingertips accidentally brushed across the girl's palm, and the sudden tingling sensation almost made Asuna bite her tongue.

"Oh, sorry."

Hachiman hurriedly released his hand and explained Lisbeth's unusual attitude.

"Could it be that..."

"Hmm, it seems like Liz is interested in Kirito. Maybe leaving them alone can inspire a better forging state."

"I didn't notice at all..." Then Asuna turned around suddenly and saw through the swaying door curtain that Liz was busy preparing various materials.

The blacksmith girl's flushed cheeks looked like ripe apples in the light of the fire, while the black-clad swordsman, with his hands raised in bewilderment, looked like a specimen nailed to the wall.

"Someone was so stupid that he was hugging Liz and crying, and of course he didn't notice that she had been peeking over here."

"Hachiman-kun!" Asuna stamped her foot, her long orange hair drawing a dazzling arc in the morning light. "Liz's behavior is so obvious..."

Asuna saw her best friend like this for the first time and secretly decided to observe carefully.

(I wonder if he was thinking of himself?)

"So do we really need to go get the crystal ingot now?" Yasiyue*yi/shou-fa_na asked as they walked towards the portal.

"Of course, but to be honest, I'm a little sleepy. Should we go back and catch up on some sleep first, and then set off in the evening?"

"No strategy today, no problem."

"That's settled then."

"Well, see you later!"

The two reunited in the evening and came to the White Dragon's lair. Asuna suddenly discovered that he had a peculiarly shaped dagger on his waist - the handle of the dagger was inlaid with a familiar blue crystal.

"Isn't this the failed piece Liz made last month?" The girl used her rapier to deflect the incoming ice bat. "She said she wanted to melt it down and reforge it..."

"I bought it for 500 kol." Hachiman threw the dagger backhanded, piercing the bat accurately. "Although there are problems with the balance, it combines with my ability..."

Before he could finish his words, a deafening roar suddenly came from the depths of the cave. The two looked at each other and rushed towards the source of the sound at the same time - the white dragon BOSS, which had been refreshed less than 24 hours ago, was lurking in the crystal cluster.

"Same as before?" Asuna's rapier lit up with azure sword skill light effects.

"You go left, I go right." Hachiman drew out his newly acquired snake-patterned dagger, "After the fight, we can collect crystal ingots."

After defeating the white dragon, use the rope to descend into the cave and successfully find two crystal ingots.

"This is all I have. Give both to Hachiman-kun."

Asuna said this while banging her weapon.

"Is that okay? I guess it's hard to get that thing again, so I might as well make a small round shield for my left hand..."

"That thing? Hachiman-kun is going to use a shield?" The girl tilted her head. She had never seen Hachiman use a shield before and her mind was full of questions.

"It's too much trouble to explain. Let's wait until the shield is ready for a practical demonstration."

"Um"

"Thank you, Asuna. I'm grateful to you for today."

"It doesn't matter. As long as I can help Hachiman-kun."

The next morning, as the two were walking through the seventh main district, Hachiman suddenly stopped in front of a sweets shop. Asuna followed his gaze and saw honeycomb cakes covered in icing in the window.

"Should we bring some comfort food to the two people left behind?" Hachiman looked at Kerr in the system. "For example, honey cake to replenish physical strength."

"Hachiman-kun." Asuna suddenly grabbed the hem of his cloak. "Did you...plan to give them some time alone?"

The young man scratched his cheek. "Not really. It's just a coincidence. When Kirito wanted to forge a weapon, he recommended Liz's shop. I didn't expect these things to happen. And Liz stared at Kirito's profile twenty-seven times yesterday."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Asuna crossed her arms in an X shape. "Damn, Damn, please use this terrifying observation skill for something serious!"

The two then arrived at Lisbeth's weapon shop. From a distance, they could hear Lisbeth's energetic voice: "The temperature needs to rise another 15 degrees! Kirito-kun, pump the bellows!"

The moment she pushed open the door, Asuna was speechless at the sight before her.

Kirito's naked upper body was covered in sweat, and a few strands of Liz's long hair were scattered, flying in the air with the rise and fall of the forging hammer, and the metal in the furnace glowed like lava.

The first to appear is Kirito’s new weapon - the "Dark Repulser" that shines with white light, and its exquisiteness is no less than that of the Elucidator.

"Liz is amazing!"

“Thanks to everyone’s help”