Sword Art Online - Kirigaya Love Affair

Chapter 14

Despite only diving in a few times, the sequence of logging in was still somewhat familiar to her.

Finally settling, Suguha - or rather, «Leafa» as she named herself - opened her differently coloured eyes and took a look around.

Around her were large, beautiful buildings that reached towards the sky in a world that wasn't her own.

"Hello, Alfheim," she spoke timidly. "I'm back."

It had been a while ever since Leafa had last logged in, so she couldn't help but stare around as if it were her first time here.

She remembered her first time logging in, coming into this world with her classmate who had joined with her.

I wonder how Shinichi is doing...

And almost as if summoned by the thought, "Leafa!" a familiar voice called out her avatar's name.

Turning around in surprise, she was greeted by the sight of a delicate looking boy with bobbed yellow-green hair, long ears which hung down toward the ground, and an expression that made one think he was just about to burst into tears.

In spite of the fact that avatars were supposedly randomly generated, his in-game appearance looked similar to his appearance in reality.

"Hello, Recon," she greeted him by his in-game name.

"Su-" She immediately death glared him. "Leafa..."

His eyes wavered timidly before he steeled himself.

"It's been so long since I've seen you in ALO!" he pointed out. "I was worried that you wouldn't play again!"

Leafa averted her eyes timidly. She couldn't help but feel a bit bad. It was through his recommendation that she started playing this game in particular and he had joined alongside her, so naturally he would want to play together.

And they did for a few sessions before she had to leave and focus on more important things.

"Well, sorry," she apologized. "I've been a bit busy lately."

With Kazuto's dangerous conditions in the last month, she didn't want to cut herself off from reality too much.

"So logging in was a bit difficult..."

After blinking a few times, her emerald eyes fixed him with a scathing look. "Hey! If you were so curious, why didn't you just ask me at school or message me about it?!"

The boy flinched as if he was hit before looking down at his feet.

"W-well it's a bit embarrassing talking to you at school..." he whispered as he pressed his index fingers together. "And well... if I messaged you that'd be..."

...

"...haah..." Leafa sighed as she watched the pathetic display. "Well it's good to see you," she assured him honestly.

The boy looked up and smiled at her as if her words filled him with energy.

"Y-yes! Of course!" Recon blurted out as his face turned red for some reason. "It's good to see you to!"

With a smile, she turned away from him and looked towards the border of «Swilvain» - As nice as it was to meet up with her friend like this, there was only one thing that was truly on her mind.

"So... Leafa..." Recon called out to her, making her turn back to him. "I-if you aren't busy... maybe we could..." - He immediately bent down and bowed towards her - "Party up together?!"

Leafa couldn't help but step back, taken off guard by his proposal. She couldn't help but feel conflicted.

On one hand, it'd be rude to walk away from her friend, who not only introduced her to VR games in general but was also her classmate... on the other hand...

Kazuto's adorable, expectant face flashed in her mind...

There was no question.

"I'm sorry, Recon," Leafa apologized to the small boy. "But right now, I have to go somewhere far away..."

"Where?!" the boy asked desperately. "Maybe I can go with you?"

She fixed him with a somewhat guilty look.

"No," she said firmly. "Going to Spriggan territory is something I have to do, and I can't bring anyone else into it."

"SPRIGGAN TERRITORY?!" Recon repeated in disbelief. "But that's so far?! And it's enemy territory! What could you possibly need from there?!"

Averting her eyes, Leafa looked down, a bit embarrassed. "...There's someone there I have to meet..."

"A guy?!"

She glared at him. "That's not your business," she warned him with a slight growl.

Suddenly, she looked at him with a sweet look. "Anyways, I should probably get going."

Before she turned away, she couldn't help but note how, with his large, pointed ears drooping downwards, Recon looked almost like a puppy who wanted attention.

"Look, we'll talk about this after school later," she assured him. "But for now, I don't want to waste any time."

Without another look back, she spread her wings and activated the flight controller. Without hesitation, she moved it forward and flew off in the direction of Spriggan territory as fast as she could.

***

"AAH! Why doesn't this game have teleportation?!" Leafa griped as she threw her head back.

Taking a rest to find her path, Leafa found herself in the crook of a tree in one of the forests in Sylph territory. Looking at her map, Leafa finally saw the amount of distance that it would take to make it to the Spriggan's land.

She would either have to cut across the mountain passes and passed the «World Tree» or go across all of «Salamander», «Imp» and «Undine» territories.

Either way, it would be a long journey.

"Maybe I should've let Shin- Recon help me after all..."

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down as she rested her back against the trunk of the tree.

Thinking about the trek that she'd have to take, she couldn't help but smile.

It may take a while... but I won't have to be separate from him for too long!

For what may have been the hundredth time in the last month, Leafa couldn't help but appreciate the fact that she already lived with Kazuto.

We'll never have to be apart!

Smiling to herself, she quickly stood up and looked north - the general direction of the mountain range. Deciding that this was the path that she would take to reach Kazuto.

"I'm on my way, Brother!" she called into the forest as she spread her wings and pushed the flight controller forward.

However it didn't take her long before she had to stop. Barely five minutes into her flight, Leafa's virtual, pointed fairy ears picked up the distinctive sounds­ of conflict.

***

It took 15 parts, but finally someone who's last name isn't «Kirigaya» has spoken. :)

Fun fact: Leafa is described with green hair in the light novel but is portrayed with yellow-blonde hair in the anime and the novel illustrations. Of all the changes that were made in the anime, for some reason this is the one I wanted to keep to the original the most. However, since I've already used the anime changes for nearly everyone at this point, I figured that Leafa should have yellow-blonde hair. ...Of course since this isn't visual media, readers are welcome to imagine Leafa with any hair colour they want.