Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

Page 48

"Um......"

"Finally, even if Kirito loses, please give Asuna a day off.

Actually, Asuna is moving into my house, so we need some time to prepare."

"Oh my, congratulations."

Asuna, who hadn't been able to follow the conversation, suddenly blushed upon hearing this.

"Have you received the report from Kraldiel?

I don't know how that guy reported it, but given your style, you should have already investigated the facts.

So I am just here to clean up the mess."

"Oh, I'm really sorry about him.

As an apology, I will accept all your proposals."

"If the negotiations are successful, we'll leave first. We'll contact you again after we confirm the detailed location and date."

"Understood, I'll arrange it as soon as possible."

After leaving the room, Asuna asked Hachiman:

"Hachiman-kun, why did you make such a proposal? To such an extent..."

"We'll talk later, Asuna. Tell Kirito and Argo to gather at my house right now."

Asuna stopped questioning, sensing something unusual in Hachiman's tone.

After the four of them gathered at Hachiman's house, Hachiman explained what had happened.

"That's it. Hopefully, I'll fight Heathcliff in my place."

"I don't mind..."

"Xiao Ba, tell the truth."

"Inside story?"

Asuna looked confused, and Hachiman nodded and continued explaining.

“My speculation may be wrong, but you should be prepared to listen to me.

Heathcliff, may be Kayaba Akihiko"

"What did you say!?"

"Hey!? Who's the leader?"

Hachiman explained to the three what had just happened and what had happened before.

"But these words alone aren't enough of a reason, are they?"

“That’s right, so I put forward several conditions.

First of all, if Kirito wins, Asuna's wish will be fulfilled."

"really"

"And if Kirito loses, I can join the Knights of the Blood Alliance and gain a position to observe Heathcliff from the inside."

"Maybe we can find other evidence this way."

"Finally, after watching your battle up close and feeling your strength firsthand,

Even if your dual-wielding skills are exposed, no one will dare to attack you anymore."

"Hachiman-kun... you've considered this much in such a short time..."

"But Hachiman, there's something unclear about this explanation..."

Hachiman stopped Kirito from asking questions.

"In the explanation just now, let me first explain the question that Kirito might have, about the relationship between me and Kayaba Akihiko."

Kirito was indeed suspicious about this and nodded heavily.

"Actually, I met Mr. Akihiko, Kayaba Akihiko, once. It was shortly before the closed beta test began."

Hachiman began to tell Kirito about his encounter with Kayaba and how he was trapped in SAO.

“I see, no wonder I initially thought Hachiman was incredibly knowledgeable about the game and his combat knowledge was incredibly rich, with many surprising aspects.

I didn’t mean to force the issue, but that’s what happened.”

"Miss Argo and I knew about this, but it's really amazing when you hear it for the first time."

“That makes it more credible.”

“It exists as a possibility”

"I've also wondered if Kayaba is satisfied with the current situation."

"What do you mean?"

Kirito began to talk about a question he had.

“Hachiman, if you were Kayaba, you would observe the world you created, right?

Maybe there's something like a camera.

Or maybe an imaging mechanism that can check certain key points, but do you think that’s interesting?”

“If it were me, I would find it super boring.”

Kirito nodded in agreement with Argo's words.

"The best way to feel the fruits of your hard work is when you enter the game and experience things with other players, right?"

"Indeed, this gives a more tangible feeling than the data displayed externally."

"As I was thinking this, it suddenly occurred to me: Could it be that Kayaba is somewhere in this world, disguised as a player, observing us?"

All four of them felt that this conjecture was likely correct.

"So why did you choose me as Heathcliff's opponent?"

"Well, assuming we continue with our goal of clearing the 100th level, do you think Heathcliff will stay as a player until we reach the completion point?"

"What do you mean?"

"Asking someone who knows everything about the game to help you through it is like some kind of reception service, right? That person probably wouldn't do that.

Maybe he'll pretend to die in battle, or..."

"or?"

"I might even set myself as the final boss, that's what I think."

"The leader is the final boss"

This sentence made the three of them fall into deep thought.

“We cannot assert that it is absolutely impossible”

"If that happens, the one standing in front of him will most likely be you, Kirito."

"I?"

"That's right, Heathcliff and I don't get along very well, and it will be difficult for me to make any significant progress in the future.

The habits of the test player era have been deeply ingrained in my bones, and this should be the same for Heathcliff. Because knowing too much is the opposite..."

"Yeah, knowing too much can actually make your thinking rigid."

Argo agreed.

"But you are different. I think you have infinite possibilities.

So I hope that through this battle, you can truly feel Heathcliff's strength, and then think about how to surpass him, which can be regarded as a layout for the future."

"Hey Hachiman, you're expecting too much from me."

"The bar has been set very high, Kirito-chan."

“It doesn’t matter if I lose”

"Kirito-kun, come on!"

“The pressure is even greater…”

"I hope Argo gathers information based on the premise that Heathcliff is Kayaba."

"I understand. I'll help you for free without discussing business."

Afterwards, I received a call from Heathcliff. Since the arena was discovered on the newly updated 75th floor, the duel was officially scheduled to be held there tomorrow.

SAO : Chapter 62: Dual Blade VS Holy Sword

The area around the fighting arena on the 75th floor was bustling with activity due to the unprecedented crowds of people.

Basically, there is nothing in SAO that can be called entertainment.

Therefore, for the players, this event was a first-of-its-kind entertainment. The area around the arena was filled with players' outdoor stalls, creating a festive atmosphere.

"Kirito, how are you doing?"

　??I??Start$slide

"That's it"

Hachiman admired Kirito's natural attitude without any tension.

(Looking at it this way, Kirito might actually win. More importantly, it's easier this way. Then, let's have Asuna return and infiltrate the Knights of the Blood. Until then, let's just relax for a while. After all, there's still a long road ahead.)

Hachiman was contemplating such imprudent thoughts, of course, but Kirito was completely oblivious. Hachiman's intentions were essentially driven by a subconscious desire to see Kirito lose, though he himself was unaware of this. This kind of place was truly Hachiman-esque.

"But for me, I'd be thankful if I could find that guy's weakness."

"Does he have any weaknesses?"

"Who knows? That guy's fighting style is really steady. And I heard that this time they're using the 'one-strike-decisions' rule. The key is to disrupt his stance or exploit his weaknesses."

"Seize the flaw..."

"In fact, you can also continue to use small attacks to accumulate damage, and aim to win by half health."

The so-called "one-hit decision" rule means that the winner is determined when either player lands a powerful attack. Using small attacks will only slightly reduce the opponent's HP bar and will not determine the winner. If neither player lands a powerful attack and the game is deadlocked, the winner is determined based on the cumulative damage dealt, with the HP bar of one player reduced to half.

"I will try my best to find some clues in this game according to Hachiman's expectations."

"Sorry to trouble you."

"give it to me"

After finishing his conversation with Kirito, Hachiman walked towards the audience where Asuna and Argo were standing. Also standing there was Agil and Hachiman, whom he had met by chance.

"Agil, Hachiman"

"Hey Hachiman! This is interesting!"

"Who of those two guys is stronger?"

"I don't know either, but I have a favor to ask of you two."

"Huh? What's the matter?"

"Please stand in a position where you can protect Asuna and me and watch the battle."

Both of them looked confused at the request.

"Hachiman, who was actually there, is fine, but Agil must have heard the rumors about Asuna and me, right?"

"Ah, Yi Sanwu! Qijiu Liu Shaner... Is that rumor true?"

"That's right"

"As expected of Hachiman."

"Anyway, this is the situation. Please help keep watch."