Sword Art Online - Volume 3 - Fairy Dance Read online

  Part 2

  The sun which seemed to be absolutely still while it hung at the zenith of the sky, slowly tilted, dyeing the horizon the bright red of sunset.

  Now, since the last time Oberon had come to visit Asuna, it has been at least five hours, so she sat up. It is probably past midnight on the other side. She prayed that she was not being monitored and stood on the tile.

  Ten steps forward and she came to the golden gate. She could not help being surprised that she had been confined in this small place for more than two months.

  ‘But - that ends today.’

  While thinking that, Asuna stretched out her right hand to the password input board beside the door. Five hours ago, she had used the mirror to see the sequence of numbers needed to open the door when Oberon left, and memorized it. Now, one by one she said them and reproduced the sequence. Whenever she pushed one of the small buttons, the touch received a click in response, and a wave of nervousness passed through her constantly trembling body.

  “…3…2…9”

  While praying, she entered the final numbers, with a loud metallic sound, the door cracked open. Asuna involuntarily bent her right arm and tightly clenched her fist. When she realized that she was making one of Kirito’s favorite gestures, a bubble of laughter floated from her mouth.

  “Kirito-kun! I’ll do my best!”

  Asuna whispered this as she pushed the door open. Beyond that, another branch, much more twisted then those of the cage, formed a small road connecting to the trunk of the huge tree. She left the cage, one step, two steps, the door automatically shut behind her, making a quiet click. Asuna swung her hair, lifted her chest resolutely, and walked toward a different world she was sure to find ahead.

  A few minutes later, she glanced back to see the golden cage has been covered by overlapping dark green leaves, and was out of sight.

  Asuna stopped in the middle of the long tree branch of the world tree, and sighed. She felt like she had walked several hundred meters. It really is extraordinarily large.

  For the impatient Oberon, the log out system terminal should not be that far away from the cage; but it seems she’d thought wrong. If he is using the SAO type window or voice activated controls, it will be quite difficult to access the system.

  Nonetheless, I cannot return to that place. I must go as far as I can.

  I will certainly survive and return to the real world. To meet him once again.

  Asuna engraved this wish on her heart and continued forward.

  Author’s Notes

  How do you do? It’s been a long while, this is Kawahara. Thank you for reading. Starting off is a customary, beginning from the apology corner…

  I am sorry that the earlier published Accel World 3 and similarly this Sword Art Online 3 too became continuous volumes!

  Furthermore, I am sorry for another new heroine appearing, I am truly sorry. I believe that everyone too is gradually sensing the unpleasant trend…perhaps from now on the same kind of development… No, however, after thinking about it, ‘’Accel” is like that too. It’s not that I was particularly aiming to write like that. Without the ability to write a sculptured group of multi-viewpoints, the number of female character increased and inevitably, without exception, they form a connection with the main character.

  …I am sorry, perhaps, it’s because around 40% simply likes that stuff…

  This SAO3 became my last book with privilege for me to release in 2009. Just as I was writing this afterword, I received a report of the winning work decided for the Dengeki Light Novel Award’s grand prize; “Somehow a year has already pass!” I thought and for a while I looked dumbfounded.

  Thinking about it, during the 15th award ceremony, my senior novelists were clad in a novelist aura that was overwhelming enough that it was not possible to even greet them.

  There were no signs of me reaching that point of emitting that aura, nevertheless the fact that I could somehow continue publishing books is also solely owing to everyone who gave their support. About the next year and onwards, which I fainted thinking about, while it is still the steady typing of the keyboard, I have the intention of ascending this endless distant Dengeki slope.

  The new characters (mostly female), who again had a grand-size entry, were delicately and fascinatingly drawn out by the illustrator, abec-san, who I am grateful to for this volume as well. And then, because the preparation of the event, it has been relentlessly busy, and because of my closing forgetting skill (Auto active type), I have greatly troubled my in-charge, Miki-san, and I truly apologize for that.

  And now, I too give you, who have read this far, this year’s last thanks. Let’s do well too in 2010!

  January 1, 2009, Kawahara Reki.