Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

Page 74

"Ah, please come in, Mr. Kikuoka."

"No, no, I'm sorry to interrupt your touching reunion."

"Is it someone from the government?"

"I'm Kikuoka from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Internal Virtual Space Management Division. Nice to meet you, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun."

"I heard from my sister that you took good care of me. Thank you very much."

Kikuoka said to Hachiman with an embarrassed expression:

"No, no, we are the ones who want to express our deepest apologies for putting you through this.

We could only understand the internal situation through location information and status data, but we couldn't do anything to rescue you. We are very relieved to see that you have returned safely."

"I heard that my health and my family's arrangements have been properly handled. I am very grateful."

"I feel relieved to hear you say that, and we will do our best to provide assistance to the victims.

Actually, I wanted to come here immediately after I learned you had woken up, but something unexpected happened that needed to be investigated, so I was delayed."

"Come right away?... I see. Let's get to the point.

"I think you've investigated my relationship with Kayaba Akihiko. You're asking about Akihiko's whereabouts, or if there are any clues later, right?"

Hearing Hachiman's words, Kikuoka showed an expression of surprise and admiration.

"As expected, you're the one Miss Yang No has set her sights on. I'll be frank with you, can you record it?"

"Go ahead. Let me start with the conclusion: I don't know where he is, but I know where he ended up."

"What ending?"

“He should have passed away.”

"That's it"

"After completing the game, I was transported to another area and had a brief conversation with Mr. Jingyan. This was the answer I received when I asked him about his future plans."

"Can you tell me more about it?"

"Okay. He did remain alive for a short time after completing the game, but he said they'll need to scan his brain next, which will inevitably lead to his death. If successful, he might continue to exist online as a conscious being."

"What? Is this possible?"

“He himself said it was feasible.”

"As expected of Yue Yi, he's a genius, but arresting him is impossible."

"Yes, but I have a feeling we'll see each other again in the future."

"Having experienced the Death Game, your intuition is often quite accurate. It seems we must always be on guard against his presence..."

"I understand your difficulties. It's really not easy to prepare for threats that may not exist."

"This is also part of the job, although I don't know what countermeasures can be taken."

Kikuoka said with a shrug.

"What I'm going to say next is..."

Kikuoka looked hesitant, and Hachiman understood and asked:

"Is it hard to talk about this? Is it about the players who haven't woken up yet?"

This statement surprised Kikuoka. He looked at Haruno with his mouth open, and the latter shook her head in denial.

"I didn't tell him anything. Where did you hear that from, Hikigaya-kun?"

"I asked Mr. Akihiko directly, and he said there seemed to be external interference."

"Outside... is that what Kayaba said?"

"Yes"

"Actually, as you said, there are indeed some players who haven't woken up yet. Considering that this might be the result of your actions, it's really hard to speak up."

"Mr. Jingyan said that there are about a hundred people who have not yet awakened."

"You even know the number of people. This proves that you did see Kayaba last. The credibility of your testimony can be basically confirmed."

"I believe there's someone else responsible. I promised Mr. Akihiko I'd find the culprit, but he said he couldn't tolerate SAO's ending being tarnished like this. I feel the same way. I must find Asuna."

Looking at Hachiman's determined eyes, Kikuoka nodded and said:

"Asuna, you mean Yuuki Asuna, right? She's definitely not awake yet. Judging from the photos, you two have a close relationship, so I understand how you feel.

The government will do its utmost to assist, but currently we are severely short of information. Considering your physical condition, I don't want to take up too much time, but I still hope you can provide as much information as possible."

"No problem, just ask."

"Then please describe your important experiences in chronological order. I will be open to questions at any time. Miss Yang Noi, please come along too. I may miss something if I'm alone."

"Okay, Hikigaya-kun, please."

"clear"

Hachiman's long narrative begins here.

SAO: Chapter 88: Ms. Haruno's Support

After Mr. Kikuoka learned the details of the clearance, he went to the hospital corridor to report to his superior. At this time, only Hachiman and Haruno were left in the ward.

"Um... Miss Yang No, I have a request."

"Huh? What?"

"From now on, can you please stop calling me Hikigaya and call me Hachiman instead?

Although I was planning to tell others, after being called "Xiao Ba" for two years, I'm still a little uncomfortable with being called by a surname.

"Is this a proposal? If so, I'll marry you..."

"No, forget it. This request is too willful."

"Really~ It was just a joke, Hachiman-kun~"

"By the way, Miss Yang Noi, what are your plans after graduating from university?"

"Haven't I told you? To protect Hachiman-kun, I've decided to join RECT this time!

But in the end, my swing was a miss, after all, Hachiman-kun escaped on his own before I joined the company."

"Eh...really?"

"Yeah~ It's true~"

Yang No responded cheerfully with a bright smile.

"Aunt actually agreed. Didn't I say before that she is more terrifying than me?"

"Haha, you want to know how I convinced you?"

"I am indeed somewhat interested."

“At the beginning, I said that whether you want to be a politician or inherit a family business, social experience is necessary.

In the end, my father said it was up to me, but my mother refused to agree.

So I said if you don’t agree, I’ll run away from home with Yukino-chan~”

"Wow...is this really okay?"

"Dad was laughing and said to Mum, 'You lose this round'.

Mom finally agreed reluctantly.

"I feel like I've caused you a lot of trouble because of me... Even Ms. Haruno's life plans have been affected..."

Haruno hugged the dejected Hachiman from behind.

"Actually, I've considered playing SAO before.

So when I heard that Hachiman-kun was trapped in SAO, my first thought was - why didn't I play SAO?

If I could go on adventures with Hachiman-kun in a world without any constraints, supporting each other in clearing the game, and then return to reality..."

"Ms. Yang."

"..."

“That’s a really wonderful imagination.”

"Is it wonderful?"

"Well, if Miss Yang No is here, I should be able to relax a lot."

"Hachiman-kun..."

"But reality didn't turn out that way, and I met Asuna.

Ms. Yang No is like a sister to me, and it is impossible for me to consider a further relationship.

But she is truly special, and I respect her from the bottom of my heart and cherish her immensely."

Yang Nai was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed and tightened his arms.

"I really can't do anything with you, so I'll let you go this time."

"Thank you so much."

"In that case, Asuna-san becomes my sister."

"really."

"Is that so... We must rescue her, Hachiman-kun."

"Well, definitely."

"First, I need to gather intelligence. Now that I've joined the RECT headquarters, I'll start by gathering inside information from this line.

During this period, Hachiman-kun has been working hard on his recovery, and I already know Asuna's whereabouts.

When you can walk again, we will go to the hospital where Asuna is sleeping."

The moment he heard these words, Hachiman turned around abruptly.

Yang Nai hurriedly let go, but their faces were already very close.

Haruno's cheeks flushed slightly, but Hachiman remained unconcerned and asked, keeping his distance:

"Do you know where Asuna is? Do the Yuuki and Yukinoshita families have any connection?"

“Rather than friendship, it’s more like ordinary business dealings.

However, I've met Asuna's father, Mr. Shozo, several times, and I made the most of this relationship when I joined the company, so visiting him shouldn't be a problem."

"...Even without connections, Ms. Yangno should be able to get the job easily."

"I'm confident, but this time it's mainly about building connections. Thanks to that, I'm now in a position where I can be more assertive and ask for things."

"As expected of you."

"Haha, we're like accomplices, so let's sign a contract~"

Before he could finish his words, Haruno placed a soft kiss on Hachiman's cheek.

Hachiman, dumbfounded, managed to utter, "...Damn, I was totally careless."

"Haha, it's still two years too early for you to compete with me."

“That’s a really specific number.”

"Considering that Hachiman-kun has to go back to the government-appointed school, it will probably take this long to complete the course.

When the time comes, whether it's further study or employment, I will acknowledge that you are qualified to be on equal footing with me."

"Huh? I can still go back to school? I'm kind of happy.

Also, I will work hard to gain Ms. Yang No's approval as soon as possible."

"Ah, very good."

"Um...can I come in?"